Hello there, I play 40K and warhammer fantasy tabletop games but Deathwatch caught my eye in a small ad in the Whitedwarf. I searched online and found this forum. Also amusingly the free adventures handed out for Deathwatch at game-con came up on Ebay already.

I have never played the Heresy game that Deathwatch is supposed to be similar to so I am completely clueless as to what this game might be like. I am mainly interested in the background and "fluff" reading material as Deathwatch kill teams and ordo xenos have fascinated me since I first heard about them. I have naively tried to make my space marines army for 40k an ordo xenos deathwatch company with little to go on. My only references to this mysterious group have been C.S. Goto's 2 novels, Grahm McNeill's Ultramarines omnibus and the Tryanids codices. I want to read more deathwatch material/ordo xenos material especially about the character Inquisitor Kryptman.

1. Is Inquisitor Kryptman mentioned in this product? If so in what way? is his background or current whereabouts fleshed out since his excommunication?

2. how much background story and reading is there included in this product? I would probably attempt to play it if I bought it but am primarily interested in reading about the Deathwatch organization and Ordo Xenos.I am hoping this product could be a reference for the deathwatch organization if it is basically rules page after page with little or no "fluff" I would be disappointed.

3. I wish Games workshop would release a codex for ordo xenos especially since the other ordos have army books in 40k (witchhunters and daemonhunters,) but until then I am grasping at any product that can aid my imagination for these warriors incognito. Is this material compatable with the established 40k universe cannon material? what influence does games workshop have in this product line?

4. I played Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition for 15 years+ and bought every game book available for the Ravenloft campaign system, resulting in a very large collection indeed. I suppose from reading a few forum comments that this Deathwatch game is a pad of paper/ pencil/ dice similar roleplaying game. What are the plans for this Deathwatch game? Are multiple adventure publications, books and campaign expansions being designed or just a rulebook and make up your own adventures? I wish to understand what kind of investment buying all of the Deathwatch game supplements might entail.

5. I never have played or purchased the Inquistor game because I understand that the ordo xenos background info or anything about the deathwatch is sparse or non existant from what I can gather online and reading product descriptions. How will this product be different from that game?

6. I am completely lost reading a few of the comments here because as far as I know the game isn't out yet but still many are already discussing rules etc. How? are these the game designers? Game store employees with advance copies? released earlier in Europe or something?

7. Who are the authors?

Well you have piqued my interest in this Deathwatch product but I suspect my local game stores might not carry it so I rely on you to convince me to buy it on line so to speak.

I am grateful for your input on this matter,

respectfully,

one of the billions of the Emperor's servants

For what I know/understand :

xenos annihilatum said:

Fankly, I don't know for sure.

But I would say no, as so long all W40K RPG's settings produced by FFG are new material, not previously devellopped by GW or the novels.

xenos annihilatum said:

Based on what as already been published for Inquisition and Rogue Traders, I would say enough to play.

xenos annihilatum said:

All material published must be approved first by GW.

xenos annihilatum said:

Two free demo adventures are already avaible.

And FFG website contains a preview of futures releases.

xenos annihilatum said:

Deathwatch is a real RPG.

Also Deathwatch purpose is to play Space Marines, not Inquisitor nor Acolytes (which is Dark Heresy purpose).

xenos annihilatum said:

Deathwatch uses the same mechanics that the two previous games Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader.

Also, as said before, two demo adventures, with simplified version of the rules are already avaible.

xenos annihilatum said:

Ross Watson (who has already worked on DH and RT) and his team.

DarkLoic said:

Interesting that updated codexes for the other two Ordo's were put on the GW website a few weeks ago. Hypothetically, if i was going to put an Ordo Xeno PDF codex on the website to co-incide with the release of the Deathwatch RPG I'd start by updating the others. I'm sure rumors would have got out already if they were planning that though.

From what has been mentioned in the Designers Diaries, FFG has had a free hand in defining a lot of the background about the Deathwatch since background information in all other things 40K has been sparse or nonexistent. I would expect the Deathwatch core book to be full to the brim with new details of all things Deathwatch, all approved by GW.

Why we are arguing over rules that haven't been published yet? The two free demo adventures give the Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader vets enough info to start an argument, and boy do we like our rules discussions/arguments.

Here is a link to the Litany of War PDF that contains the release schedule for the Deathwatch product line for the next year.

Very sad to see that existing characters will probably not be mentioned in Deathwatch. It still looks very exciting especially the rites of battle sourcebook and mark of xenos book. So far at $250 dollars not too bad to collect with publications spaced out by a month or whatever. I very much appreciate the input, thanks guys. Strive to protect humanity from the foul xenos, battlebrothers. Suffer not the alien to live.