[DH1] Some Q&A I had with a producer about Disciples of the Dark Gods (Questions 11-20)

By ThenDoctor, in Dark Heresy

11. Are the Chantry Guards intended to choose 1 melee weapon and then get a bolt pistol? Or is it a mono great weapon OR a power blade OR shock maul&bolt pistol?

———— > The former. The comma placement is the important bit.

12. Does the data fragment recovered in the Logician's section concerning the "Coscarla Incident" supposed to imply that the Chirurgeon gets away after the events of Edge of Darkness? Or that this was sent shortly before the acolytes stumble in to the situation?

———— > It can work either way, depending on the GM.

13. Cost and Availability for "The Fruits of Forbidden Science”?

———— > These really aren’t for Acolytes to purchase, and thus no cost/availabilities. GMs can devise them if desired, but I’d make them very very pricey and very very hard to get.

14. Why does Pilot (Grav Harness) have a characteristic requirement when no other skill in the system has such a requirement?

Beyond the idea of (it just does) I was curious as well behind the design decision for it.

————— > I’d guess because it was such a different item. You could probably work Pilot as normal with it though.

15. Guage on Difficulty tests for what you can do with a Grav Harness? Does it say make most things a degree easier? Or...well yeah just an idea.

Specifically the line "Additionally, by passing a Pilot (Grav Harness) Test, with a Difficulty determined by what he is attempting, the user counts as having Unnatural Strength/Agility (×2) for the purposes of leaping, climbing and tumbling only."

I was wondering for a gauge on difficulties concerning this part, specially difficulties and examples of what the user might be doing.

————— > You can do all sorts of things with something that essentially lessens gravity and inertia. Bouncing all over a room to dodge enemies, catching thrown objects out of the air, leaping over attackers, etc. Modifiers would be based on how hard it would be to do that—catching a thrown can would be pretty easy, but catching an arrow harder, and so on.

16. What kind of targets are more difficult than the other to affect with the Berserker Thorn than others? Is something with WP more difficult to fry than not? I'd assume yes, but what are the variances between things with machine spirits and WP characteristics and things with just machine spirits like cogitators?

————— > This seems covered by the first paragraph of the special rule. If the target has a WP, then it tests; otherwise it is automatic.

Is there a limit on how difficult the test could be? (is it say the core's -30 max, or ascension's -60?)

————— > The special rule is Hard (–20), so I would use that unless a very unusual item feels it requires something different.

17. For the Witch Lord mutation on table 2-5, does the Shroud Lord get access to further listed powers under their disciplines from the further supplements in the game line? Or only powers listed in the core and Psykana Obscurus?

———— > I’d say the former.

18. For the Unholy Terror mutation on table 2-5, if they activate the phenomena does it stay activated until they choose to turn it off with the willpower test? Or say until they are unconcious or some other time limit?

————— > The former, but getting knocked out would probably shut it off too. GM might call for checks if there were Critical Injuries or the like too.

19. On the wording of the Gear for the Risen Dead on page 65. Do they not get a Death Mask if they choose the Pump Shotgun?

————— > As I read it, it’s death mask + great weapon, OR pump shotgun + spare clips. But as it’s an NPC, the GM can make the call.

20. Are the cost and availability values from the Xenos Weaponry entry for Eldar Shuriken Weapons applicable to the Dark Eldar weaponry from Purge the Unclean?

———— > Sounds good to me!