I was just wondering if any one else gives their players in game benefits for the Past Events table. I know I hate when they have things like that and they really don’t do anything to help the players; for example, some of the things gave my players added Renown to start with, a few wounds or a fate point, others gave them skills or even a few talents. Just wondering if I’m the only one.

I wasn’t sure if this should go in the House Rule or GM section but I thought since it’s a addition to the RAW it should go here

TCBC Freak said:

Personally I try not to give players much of a leg up on one another for background reasons- adding a fate point or extra wounds can have unintended consequences in my experience. If I do give bonuses I try to keep them flat- go with x points worth of skills or talents, but 'force' them on the players. That way everyone get's something customized but it's roughly equivalent. I like the idea of out of class/chapter skills with this.

What I like to do more often is try to come up with a way in the current adventures to tie their backgrounds in. Each one gets a chance- so the guy that is a veteran of the war with the Tyrannids gets some bonus intel or the like on a mission or two where he's seen them use the same tactics before. The DA that beat a SW in a duel before a fight has increased respect from the SW (or ire), and on an adventure where they encounter them Something happens as a result.

TCBC Freak said:

Yes. Tyranid War Veteran has Hatred(Nids). Storm Warden with Honor Preserved has reveived a charm, DA with Encountered the Fallen will get campaign side-story, etc.

I don't need to be given any mechanics as it means I am not boxed in into specific benefits.

My grief is with the limited amount of past histories. Instead they should erhaps have given some generic SM past event tables too (fighting xenos, fighting daemons, void ship combat, etc).

Alex

ak-73 said:

Its not terribly hard to make up some... especially if you aren't assigning hard mechanical benefits.

Michigan said:

I'm post-poning all such work until after Rites of Battle. That book might deprecate any homebrewn Scouts also.

After it's out I am planning a Rich Deathwatch project. Adding PA histories, past events, names, etc. Perhaps also Boltgun histories.

You get the idea... more variety of everything.

Alex