Just got it (yesterday) from my FLGS (Travelling Man) in the UK.

Got mine last week, read bits of it. Is helping rinse the bad taste left in my mouth from Ascension. Love the new stats and the gazeteers.

Mine arived this morning! Woohoo! Didn't get a chance to do anything other than skim through it before work, but I shall be prowling through it in detail this weekend!

Just picked it up from my FLGS... after finding out Amazon wasn't even posting a ship date. So far so good, gonna use the Eldar stuff in my next game this Sunday, methinks...

Lightbringer said:

Do tell what you think Light! I'm interested to know

I picked up my copy a week ago. Haven't had a lot of time, so I've only read through half of the first adventure and skimmed through the rest.

However, I absolutely love what I'm reading

I'm a relatively inexperienced GM, and have had a hard time creating the experience that I've wanted to with Rogue Trader. I've struggled to grasp the Endeavor system, or even just to figure out how to make a session of RT flow well. However, Lure of the Expanse has really helped me in both of those areas. Beyond providing an awesome adventure I'd someday like to run, it has given me loads of ideas and inspiration for how I should put together and run my own adventures.

I would highly recommend it.

Mine arrived yesterday with Ascension, been poring over both books all yesterday...

Really liked the thought an creativity that went into the worlds in The Heathen Trail...planning on using Zayth later.

The fluff is great, though I would have liked a little more on the Stryxis (maybe in a later book), but can't have everything now.

In a way it is better than PtU.

P.S. the Eldar seers are vicious with those witchblades and psychic abilities.

Got mine a couple days ago as well and I have to say it's a refreshing piece of work after Ascension. I normally don't utilize pre-written adventures but there's a lot of possibilities in the content of LotE to be customised and adapted to one's own campaign and the scenarios presented therein aren't half-bad either. The parts I liked best were the planetary gazetteers and the background fluff in general though.

Rictus said:

This sounds good, although after spending the afternoon checking 2 of the 3 FLGS in the area (the other one is a way out of town and not the easiest to get to) noone seams to have any copies left/ in yet. I don't suppose any of you nice people could possibly PM me the rules for the witchblade until I can find a copy? - If this isn't within the forum rules then please ignore my request

My DH psyker has picked one up along the way and it would be nice to see what it can actually do instead of treating it as a force weapon that isn't too fond of me (roll twice on the table and the GM takes his pick if I'm holding it when the 9's come in).

Edit: Spelling correction, Also, realised that this forum doesn't have PM, the darkreign ones does though and I'm on there also. 8-)

zethliss said:

Minor point; some the abilities of the Witchblade specifically work for Eldar, specifically Eldar psykers, only - in the hands of non-Eldar, it's merely an unusual power sword...

N0-1_H3r3 said:

The Sacred Blade; page 105:

...The object is a sword, obviously of Eldar manufacture... The Explorer lifting the blade must make an immediate Hard (-20) Willpower Test... This sword is a Witchblade (see page 132)... The GM may, at his discretion, allow a character who is also a psyker [to] become completely attuned to the blade (and thus wield it freely without tests) if he can pass three or more willpower tests in a row using the above rules.

Just hitting the soft highlights of it. Yes, the special "event" on page 105 allows for a contradiction of the main write up on page 132. Wholly at the discretion of the GM, of course. Wonder how long until someone decides to cry foul for that allowance of open interpretation in the rules. Also, as I posted in the "Rules Questions" forum here, the weight of 40kg is a typo; it should be 4kg.

Thanks again to Sam for his time clarifying the points I asked about.

-=Brother Praetus=-

cant wait to get my grubby mitts on-0-copy.

What's the witchblade like in comparison to a human force sword?

After the rather dismal Dire Avenger 'exarch' from ascension (who looked nothing like a walking animated suit of armour that has become an avatar of their aspect) I'd like to see something a little more interesting.

I've been using them as good quality force swords that are powered and can increase damage beyond the normal limits through the user taking a WP test to try and reflect the ability of witch weapons to charge up beyond the amount a normal human force weapon can.

Hellebore

Hi Hellebore,

In comparison to a Force Sword from the IH from DH which deals 1D10R+PSY+SB and PEN = PSY?

Counts as a Power Sword, triple the Eldar Seer's SB, and PEN = PSY, with Power Field/Balanced/Special (Force) qualities.

As previously stated, nasty in the hands of the seers but otherwise an exotic power sword in the hands of any non-Eldar.

Unless of course, as previously stated, a human psyker is able to get their clammy hands around the "Sacred Blade" as described in LotE.

Rictus

Thanks for that.

Not sure they're very good tbh.

An eldar psyker with SB3 and a Psy of 3 would have a Dam1D10+9 Pen3 weapon whilst a psyker with the same stats would have Dam1D10+6 Pen 5 (they have mono swords that already have pen) and the free action 1D10 extra damage on opposed WP. Unless the 'counts as a power weapon' also includes the power weapon high penetration to begin with, but even then if it was Pen6 to begin with all it would do is change the weapon's pen to 9. Which, when a force weapon has the ability as a FREE action to produce multiple extra D10s of damage with no downside, makes the eldar witchblade worse on the whole.

If I had the choice my eldar psykers would be carrying force swords...

Hellebore

A warlock has Psy 5, and the farseer Psy 8, giving: 1d10+14; pen 5; power field, balanced, special and 1d10+14; pen 8; power field, balanced, special respectively (Dam is 1d10+5+SB) with a weight of 4kg. Nasty.

MDMann said:

Aye, Witchblades are also stated to be Power Weapons, not Force Weapons, hence the differences to normal human force weapons.

Just bought the book. Shame I won't be running the campaign for some time, as in six days I am leaving for the UK.

Wilfred Owen said:

Where abouts in the UK, if I might ask? You might be near some of us guys

MILLANDSON said:

Here are the dates:

London 1-8 May

Edinburgh 8-13 May

Glasgow 13-18 May

Lake Windermere 18-23 May

Brighton 23-25 May

London 25 May-11June

I'm more than happy to meet up with anyone here, maybe even take part in some roleplaying.

I won't be running this campeign, ever. I know my party. There would be an assembly line of ships being hauled out of the Processional to patch up the captured 'Light of Terra'. While I might toy with the idea of allowing them to have a 'normal' battleship, epic named purple battleships of doom are probably right out.

Then again, the Pearl wouldn't appeal much to them, they like dealing in archeotech. So I might use the probe encounter.

Got mine last Friday via Amazon US.