Hey all,

If you are currently playing through Dark Pursuits and do not wish to know how it ends DO NOT READ BELOW.




I require some assistance in knowing how best to deal with a developing situation. I am GM, and currently my players about to discover the shuttle 341 Beta-Sky.
As you will know, a daemonhost will soon break out and begin Part 3 of Dark Pursuits. We have a Hive World > Imperial Guard > Warrior > Untouchable in the group (Plays it as a Cadet Commissar, deathkorp of krieg-like) - I have no idea at this moment, how to even plan out the encounter against the daemonhost. This is meant to be a big boss battle.

I fear the Untouchable will mess the whole thing up by nullifying the powers, and thus making the whole daemonhost encounter anticlimactic.

I thought about adding in mobs... or having the daemonhost strike at him first with it's physical claws...etc.

Anyone got any ideas or thoughts on how I can work this situation out?

(Obviously it's too late now to say no to the Untouchable trait...haha)

The daemonhost is super strong physically.

Let it throw rocks at the face of said guardsman and kill him first. (or with his claws, if its melees attack are worth something)

That's what any cunning daemon would do; kill the real threat first.

I've yet to play through the campaign (I'm currently prepping it) but your situation could make for some really interesting outcomes. For starters, if your untouchable was in the vicinity, it would make it a lot easier for the heretek Somnius Halbrel to actually complete his objective and capture it. Perhaps make the rogue tech-priest and his group the big-boss encounter and depending how it goes, the tech-priest escapes leaving the subdued daemonhost to be destroyed (in which case, gg everyone) or he escapes, taking the daemonhost with him making for a terrifying nemesis pair later on.

Alternatively, daemons are known to remember any slight against them. What greater slight is there than to have your own sense of immortality and power threatened by a mortal? Sure,the daemon inhabiting the body cannot possibly harm the guardsmen directly but that doesn't mean he can't hold a vendetta against said untouchable and their vulnerable friends and family.

If you're set about having the daemon as the encounter itself- I'd suggest the daemon would try and kill the untouchable by using the environment. Perhaps imagine a chase scene with the warband chasing the daemonhost down the tunnels beneath Port Gyre, encountering the hostile inhabitants along the way and avoiding being crushed as the daemonhost tries to collapse the tunnel.

My players hit it with Krak grenades. It just floated like a balloon the entire combat due to concussion while they killed off the goons.

My players hit it with Krak grenades. It just floated like a balloon the entire combat due to concussion while they killed off the goons.

Haha, that's awesome. I think I'm gonna have to dry run some of the combats...

Yeah, I've been thinking in the encounter the Daemonhost would taunt him and get him to charge it, so in which to strike him first and keep him isolated. I'd have the Magos shoot and attack the rest of the team.
And as been made mention, i really like the idea of the daemon holding a vendetta against him.

The same character (cadet commissar) is currently at the Arbite precinct delta station (port gyre) trying to talk himself into acquiring gear for the himself. The player believes as he is a Cadet Commissar he can pretty much throw his authority around without really needing to show his Rosetta. He scored a roll with a degree of success, at talking the arbites round that he is on a serious duty in Desoleum watching and waiting to take down a local smuggling/ganger group.

The character is waiting now on the Arbites who are contacting their superior(s) to see if they are authorised to loan equipment in the "Lord Commissar" mission.

- I'm not sure how to resolve this. The player as a high desire for new equipment, not that he needs it.He has spent the last 2 sessions having his character try to find gear. Whilst the others in the group have tried to find a means to advance the story.

(The players have had chance to "acquire" equipment but instead of looking around a warehouse, they decided to flee from it and as this is the FIRST adventure, I don't think getting advanced/exotic equipment is a priority).

So here what I've been thinking:
a) The superiors have never heard of this lord commissar and take him into questioning to investigate - but this will slow the progress of the story, the daemonhost will be long gone before they even find the (by that point) wrecked ship.
b) A secret operative of the inquisitor intervenes to hold his story together but warns him against such action in the future,
c) The superiors agree to assist as they are too busy dealing with other things. *

*The problem with this issue is, the player will certainly try such action again in future games be it PDF, arbites, probably space marines... Where he thinks he can lord his authority over anyone and anything to get what he needs. My issue with this is instead of being resourceful himself, he will always look to others to provide his answers.
The only reasons he has not produced his rosetta is because he believes that will be used against him as part of the plot - and he knows, I would do that. The others in the team, are trying to be subtle and keep a low profile.

Ultimately, i don't want any of them acquiring anything powerful enough to make the final encounter rubbish and easy.

When the team crossed paths with Zax Holthane and a swarm of hired guns, i built it up and make the situation very tense (as the rulebook describes) - immediately up on seeing Zax, the other guardsmen in the group used his Guard special ability, used a Fate point and caused in one shot all of Zax wounds to go and caused critical damage with his lasgun. I didn't think this was possible... so my well designed encounter - was over instantly. This is what i'm trying to prevent from happening again.

Here's an idea for everyone:

How about not specifically going out of your way to screw with the player who made a character that is naturally really good in this sort of situation?

Play up his weaknesses when they show themselves, sure. Make characters who should be friendly utterly uncooperative. Have him operate like a Promethean nWoD, where people end up loathing him for no goddamn reason.

Don't simply find workarounds for his strengths, that sucks, because they're an exchange for his weaknesses.

Here's an idea for everyone:

How about not specifically going out of your way to screw with the player who made a character that is naturally really good in this sort of situation?

Play up his weaknesses when they show themselves, sure. Make characters who should be friendly utterly uncooperative. Have him operate like a Promethean nWoD, where people end up loathing him for no goddamn reason.

Don't simply find workarounds for his strengths, that sucks, because they're an exchange for his weaknesses.

Most Untouchables cannot entirely stop a daemonhost - unless they have 8000xp or something, he can probably only make him lose a point or 2 of psy rating within 4 or 5m. Remember that the Daemonhost can destroy most of the party from afar with psychic lightning, and can easily just crush him under rubble or something. If you look at their rules, Untouchables are much weaker than in the fluff! There's no need to intentionally make that PC's xp spent useless, he will obviously still struggle against a daemonhost!

More information bout the Untouchable would be good. Odds of getting a character sheet, or a quick summary of relevant points?

Unless your player is way more powerful then he should be for this adventure he will not be all that strong against the Deamon Host. Personally i don't think you should do anything special, the fact that the player powers will come to help in this situation will probably make him feel happy and useful.

However, i think the presence of an Untouchable probably will piss the Deamon Host off, i would not be surprised if he becomes his prime target. At least until the Heretek begins to do the bidding ritual.

Regarding the requisition issue, the Untouchable should be facing penalties for social interactions, yes? Maybe the admin guys are busy "losing" their paperwork just because they have an instinctive distrust/dislike of the guy.

As for the gear itself, a local Arbitrator precinct might only have some combat shotguns, shock mauls, and maybe Enforcer Carapace. He might get lucky and find a bolt pistol, or maybe a magazine of special ammo. There really shouldn't be anything too terribly untoward that they could even give him.

Besides all of the above, if he's loudly proclaiming his important work, the local criminal element undoubtedly hears about it from their sources, making him and his allies a target and compromising their subtlety.