Even tho I don't own the book yet (mainly because the pdf isn't out) I started thinking about how to gear an Interrogator/Inquisitor from Ordo Xenos and apart from Eldar power swords being useless compared to imperial ones I stumbled across one thing that left me clueless enough to open up a topic here, since the errata doesn't say anything about it either.

In DH, Light Power Armour (the ultimate Armour since real power armour isn't presented in DH2 yet) is far worse than in any other gameline before.

Sororitas Power Armour has Armour 7, grants Unnatural Strength (1), makes you count as always braced and does not increase your size, which is almost exactly the same effect it had in DH1 except for the missing auto-senses, which are included as an additional upgrade because the helmet is not that special anymore and Strength +10 instead of Unnatural Strength (1)!

Light Power Armour has always (DH1, RT, BC) granted Armour 7, Strength +10 (equals Unnatural Strength (1) in DH2, see Sororitas Power Armour) with no increase in size, while real Power Armour granted more Armour and Strength, but increased your size.

In DH2, Light Power Armour grants 7 Armour, Unnatural Strength (1) AND increases your size, which makes it just a bad version of real power armour instead of being an actual alternative version.

Due to the new acquisition system instead of money in DH1, everyone will just get real Power Armour as soon as it's officially statted out (or just use the stats from one of the former game lines) and just ignore Light Power Armour due to its inferiority.

My question is: Is Light Power Armour actually ment to suck like this, or is it just a simple mistake? If it's actually ment to be like this I wonder why, out of all institutions of the Imperium, the Inquisition (except Sororitas, who get superior gear anyway) gets gear which is not as good as that worn by Officers on a Rogue Trader vessel (read: Civilians)?

My other Question is: Will there be any option to equip your suit of Power Armour with a different power pack to make it actually useable? In DH1's Daemon Hunter, there was the Malleus Power Armour which would run for a week without recharging, but could also be equipped with an Astartes (in DH2 read: Sororitas) power supply (!), while DH1's Ascension featured the Ignatus-pattern (which is said to be produced exclusively for agents of the Inquisition!) with a power supply lasting 5 days of combat operations (way longer out of combat!).
These options made power armour usable for the first time, because having power supply for one hour and then leaving your armour for the rest of the mission because it ran out of power is not really a valid option.

Maybe the Malleus Power Armour (and hopefully a light version, as I like light power armour more than the real one) will be featured in Enemy beyond, but it would be great to just have the option to get actually usable power supply options no matter which Ordo you belong to (especially for Ordo Xenos because Tyranids hit really hard and leather coats and hats of the witch hunters trump protection due to style).

As you stated, "Real Power Armour" isn't out yet, so you can't really say that "Light Power Armour" sucks in contrast, because you don't have something to compare it with. I would not advice comparing the DH2 Light Power Armour to the DH1 or other lines of the WH40k RPGs. Although many stats are similar they did make quite a few changes, that are bigger, the older the other system is. So RT to DH2 is a greater difference than OW to DH2.

I totally agree that the Eldar Power Sword sucks ass. Maybe give it the Accurate trait.

I mainly compared the lines because Sororitas Power Armour is almost the same (except Unnatural Strength instead of Strength +10) in DH1 vs DH2 but Light PA is different from how it worked in all previous lines.

Sadly, OW doesn't feature power armour, probably because you just can't get the ultra-super-rare power supply needed for a military campaign (although DH1IH featured the Lidhl Power Armour which is said to be used by officers of the scintillian IG but has no information on power supply), so the only thing available where the older lines.

In case of the eldar power sword it should at least get its parry bonus back to be an alternative for more defensive players.

The gear in the core rulebook is almost exclusively "general" stuff; I bet it's just a matter of time until various supplements will offer more and better versions of power armour, hopefully without falling into the same power creep trap as DH1.

Pretty disappointing that PA doesn't actually boost your Strength anymore, though. Your chances to rip open a closed door are the same regardless of whether or not you are wearing a suit of powered armour (houserules ahoy!).

If it's actually ment to be like this I wonder why, out of all institutions of the Imperium, the Inquisition (except Sororitas, who get superior gear anyway) gets gear which is not as good as that worn by Officers on a Rogue Trader vessel (read: Civilians)?

It has always been a problem in Dark Heresy that much of the equipment that is available is of civilian grade. This includes the Sororitas, considering that their armour should be as protective as that of the Space Marines if we were to go by codex fluff. Not to mention the guns.

The studio is trying to appeal to two demographics here -- there seem to be a lot of people who really do prefer their Inquisitorial games to be about "mooks" who are little better than street scum. I can't quite get behind that, but it is what it is.

I mainly compared the lines because Sororitas Power Armour is almost the same (except Unnatural Strength instead of Strength +10) in DH1 vs DH2 but Light PA is different from how it worked in all previous lines.

Sadly, OW doesn't feature power armour, probably because you just can't get the ultra-super-rare power supply needed for a military campaign (although DH1IH featured the Lidhl Power Armour which is said to be used by officers of the scintillian IG but has no information on power supply), so the only thing available where the older lines.

In case of the eldar power sword it should at least get its parry bonus back to be an alternative for more defensive players.

Actually both light and regular power armor are in Only War. They are in the Shield of Humanity book. The light power armor gives unnatural strength 1 and perception 1 and doesn't increase size. Regular power armor gives unnatural 2 to those characteristics and increases size by one. Armor values are same as always. Both were near unique, while in DH2 its only very rare. Both still have the 1d5 power but for one it says characters with potential coils can run it off that indefinitely and it also specifies "rigorous combat use" so arguably just walking around doing normal things doesn't count towards the 1d5 hours limit. I still hate that its a random amount though and the change to unnatural characteristics instead of +10 is a completely unnecessary nerf.

If I were running a game I'd probably either use the Only War rules at minimum or more likely use the first ed rules and options for power armor. The 1d5 hours of power was already terrible and made it near unusable and now the bonuses it provides have been nerfed too, making it utter garbage. I also liked the old rules for the Adeptus Sororitas and I think space marine armor for the power pack being damaged.

I still hate that its a random amount though and the change to unnatural characteristics instead of +10 is a completely unnecessary nerf.

Agreed.

Admittedly, it'd be pretty hard to track PA usage, but ... then again, you don't even roll every hour to see if you still have juice (like with ammo in Necromunda), but it's random and you still have to keep track from the beginning!

Perhaps you could just houserule it into a sort of "ammunition" and depending on how much you use it, you take a number of "shots" away?

Example:

Light Power Armour battery provides 5 points of Energy.

• 1 point per hour of walking in Narrative Time mode

  +1 point if environment is difficult to traverse (e.g. mountains, jungle)

  +1 point if running

• 1 point per stressful use (pulling open a door, lifting a heavy object)
• 1 point per average combat encounter (anything that takes more than 2 turns to resolve)

The way I see it, the d5 hours of "functioning" is not really an issue (I personally just don't like the size increase. +1 AP, +1 SB, +10 for enemies to hit you? Can't really think of any scenario that it's worth it. Unless you go for grapple all the time and then size modifier is a bonus on your side).

So you have d5 hours of full functionality: +1 SB, weight of armour doesn't count, you have oxygen supply and a vox.

When it runs out you are still fine. You have some extra weight (+40kg) to carry and no fresh air. Most heavily combat oriented characters are probably fine and still well within their carrying weight limit. Less muscled characters (based on "encumbered" pg. 249) are suffering -10 to Agility tests - which in non-combat situation is rarely an issue - and after TB hours of sight seeing they have to make a toughness test or suffer one fatigue (which as long as you have below 3-4-5 is nothing).

So if your GM agrees that you can turn on - off the power when you want it - so you are not constantly burning out the fuel - then you have the benefits in combat and not much problems outside of it, and no real time limit for use.

(you can always decide that it takes a half or full action, or lot more, to perform the holy rights of awakening - or putting back to bed - the machine spirit, if you want to have some limitations)