Especially good if a PC regularly consults the Codex Astartes:

Have the Codex Astartes strongly prescribe a certain course of actions which might be sound under different circumstances but which is obviously foolish under the conditions that the KT operates in.

Alternatively have the Codex Astartes recommend that the entire KT sacrifices itself for a higher cause (not the greater good).

Alex

Here's one I'm currently working on for my round as GM of our group.

A distress signal is picked up by the Deathwatch watch station from a Deathwatch distress beacon. The beacon is traced back to belonging to an Inquisitor whom it had been given in good faith and has friendly relations with the DW. The KT is assigned the mission to retrieve the Inquisitor from the planet he has gone MIA or at least a data bank he keeps on him at all times.

What the KT dont know is that the planet the Inquisitor was kidnapped on is embroiled in a civil war, each side apparently loyal to the Imperium however secretly being manipulated by a Chaos Cult, maybe one side are secretly heretics, it could be both, or neither. The KT not only have to find the Inquisitor but work out which side has him as both deny knowing that their was an Inquisitor on the planet and which are effectivly the heretics

Once they find the Inquisitor they may believe they have found the Cult however, the side that kidnapped the Inquisitor may be loyalists mistaking the Inquisitor for another one of his collegues (sp?) accompanied with other Astartes who were looking for something on the planet.

Basically I am trying to incorperate RP into my campaign, get the KT interacting with Planetary Officials, other characters, maybe working for the wrong side and having to get themselves out of it. However this is only the backbone of the campaign as I haven't started going into much detail yet with the different NPC, events and encounters.

Exactly my thinking about stimulating roleplay. Also, what's most important the Astartes are kinda like American troops in the middle east: everyone tries to get get to use them towards their own ends. 'He's the heretic!' 'No, she's the heretic! Kill her!'

Alex

My only concern is that the team will be a little trigger happy and immediately start shooting the second they meet anyone. In our last campaign we started attempting to investigate but as more players joined it became easier to choose somewhere, attack it and what not without any prior intel, recognisance or real prep, which was only encouraged by the gm as he didn’t really like the system and was quite obvious when compared to his DH sessions.

I hope they don’t decided to continue down this route because I don’t really want to get to tough with them but if I have to make an objective harder to obtain due to the lack of prep then so be it :

Another idea: attach a powerful, well-protected and unabashedly Xanthite Inquisitor to the KT.

Alex

ak-73 said:

Alternative Twist!

A strange copy of the Codex Astartes comes in to the hands of the Kill-Team/Inquisitorial allies/whoever works for you, one that seems to exalt ideals in line with those of the Greater Good, and other Tau philisophical corner-stones. It is very old and appears to have been written by Guilleman himself, on cursory examination.

In actuality this copy of the Codex is an attempt by the Tau to clandestinely sway some of the Imperium's Space Marines around to their way of thinking, having captured copies of the text during previous conflicts with Astartes forces.

Obviously it's an attempt doomed to failure (silly ignorant and niave Tau), the real adventure is in the Kill-Team investigating and.. 'reacting' to this discovery.

Blood Pact said:

Good idea but you need a set-up to give the Tau authors some wiggle room to use their interpretative skill. Either you do not use the Codex itself but a famous interpretative text and have the Tau mess with that or you have a Codex that has been "translated" into a local natives language.

Use a language your players are not familiar with and encourage them to use an online translator to translate what you have prepared back into your native language. Half way into the text let the clues become obvious.

Induce epic rage into your Ultra players (and laughter for everyone else I guess).

Alex

The kill-team needs to escort imperial personnel to safety which is surrounded by a largw swath of hordes that even they cannot defeat. Therefore the kill-team needs to tank, to deliberately draw fire away from their proteges. The more inventive and skillful the players go about this, the more of them will survive.

Alex

Years ago, a small team of Scout Marines was sent on a mission on an unexplored jungle world with a feral human population, a world that was being overrun by Orks. The Marines completed their mission, but then the extraction vehicle was destroyed before the Marines could return, leaving them stranded on a world of minimal strategic value, a world rumored to be tainted by Chaos. Now, in anticipation of trying to take the feral world, the Crusade has conducted a few reconnisance missions, and come upon rumors of a "giant from the stars" leading a tribe of feral humans against the Orks. The excitement that one of the lost Marines may still be alive is tempered by the fact that the activities of this tribe show tell-tale signs of Corruption: mutiliated bodies, cannibalism, etc. So, the Kill Team is being sent into the dark heart of the Ork-infested jungle to track down the possible Marine survivor, and assess if he has been Tainted by Chaos: if not, they are to rescue him; otherwise, they are to "Terminate his command- with extreme prejudice..."

hehehe....good one, Adeptus-B! The Horror! takes on a whole new meaning, now......

After investigating a space hulk, an explorator vessel goes missing. Centuries later it is detected drifting, and a salvage crew is dispatched. Communications are suddenly lost with the salvage fleet, missing their scheduled check in time by a week or so. When their next communication is received, it is text-only with a notation that other broadcasting equipment was rendered non-operational by an explosion on the explorator vessel. The format of the text is almost by-the-book perfect, but a sharp-eyed Inquisitor noticed a couple of grammatical inconsistencies or spelling errors, or something of the type. (Insert jokes about grammar-commissars here.) This information can be months old, but its pertinence is this: The explorator vessel and the salvage fleet have all been detected on real-space approach to an Imperial orbital dockyard.

The approach is such that the KT can be deployed in advance of their arrival, either to attempt early rendezvous, or however the game is meant to be run.

The foe that I have in mind is blatantly borrowed from the "Homeworld: Cataclysm" game - an alien organism (that could have been mutated by warp exposure on the space hulk, even) with the ability to subvert biological systems to its own ends, and to a limited extent, mechanical systems. The organism can take whatever form the GM desires, of course, though I've envisioned it as some sort of relatively quick-moving slime-mold. Organic systems are quickly subverted to work as neural circuitry and control systems for any mechanical systems. This can completely erase any underlying personality of the victim, or more horrifyingly, leave the mind intact but isolated from any outside abilities.

The abilities (speed of subversion, ability to penetrate ship hulls, armor, etc.) of the organism should be tweaked to taste. In it's video-game incarnation, within a matter of seconds it can subvert an entire ship. In RPG terms, it might be able to break down a victim over the span of minutes, completely overrunning a ship in tens of minutes or a matter of a handful of hours. Sealed power armor may provide as much protection from the threat as the GM desires, as well as the Marine immune system. Bolters probably would not be super effective against the organism, but may go a long way towards 'disrupting' clumps of organic circuitry or underlying mechanical bits. Flamers, though... flamers are good.

At any rate, the threat is a small fleet of Subverted vessels closing in on an Imperial shipyard. The organism may be limited to realspace travel due to the inability to replicate the abilities of a Navigator. Toss in whatever complications you like, shake well, and let sit in the fridge for 2-4 hours until it reaches the desired consistency. Serves 1 Kill Team.

I have one, its capable of becoming a long campaign give or take. Based it off tEP and FS.

The tyrannids are on the brink of invading a planet. Said planet has been an imperial world. An inquisitor sent to investigate has yielded some information on the nids. In truth he/she has already obtained samples and have begun working on a neuro-toxin specific to the strain of DNA.

Imperial inqusitor made contact with DW but vanished. The inquisitor gets abducted by Chaos cultists but leaves a trail of clues. Kill team is despatched to recover the inquisitor and his/her work.

They encounter Genestealer cultists and clues point them to an abandoned location. This is actually a front for Chaos mining operations. The team has to infiltrate the mining point and discovers that the inquisitor has taken his/her own life. All is not lost as the Inquisitor leaves clues to a location to his/ her work in a DW cypher. Inquisitor also leaves clues to what the Chaos cultists are trying to achieve.

Team discovers that Chaos has been in fact working hard on the planet to mine a rare resource for a weapon of mass genocidal proportions. They discover schematics and also the location meant to be used. After leaving location, they are ambused by genestealers and a Broodlord.

Kill Team travels and retrieves the work of the inquisitor. Returns to watch station to process the neuro toxin. The kill team then reports their observation to the watch commander. They are ordered to deliver the Neuro toxin into the main hive ship and will be despatched by a strike cruiser. They are to penetrate the hive fleet and deliver the toxin to the heart, the Spawning Chambers.

After that, the team is informed that while they were tied up by the tyrannids, the watch command has deciphered the schematics and it is a mobile mass destruction weapon capable of being deployed in stealth. Coordinates points that the Chaos forces plan to strike at an imporant forge world supporting the bulwark of the imperium advance into the Sector.

The prototype will be delivered at low orbital range, killing millions. The commanders send the kill team and deliver an emergency warning to the planet. As the Chaos forces have already gotten a headstart, the DW KT will be sent via a fast vessel to the location of said attack. The DW has also requested aid from a nearby Crusade outpost. The kill team arrives on scene to find the several crusade ships in combat. The KT needs to makes their way to the flagship of the enemy and disable the weapon.

Idea

Return to Tauntalus: (extraction in Deathwatch RB)

contrary to what was believed would happen, Tauntalus has not been consumed by the tyranid horde. Augars and astropaths are too far out of range of out of the shadow to knw what is going on. Send in the Deathwatch.

Its belived the plans Magos Vyakai's cryptic and complicated plans otained within the datacore are to blame.

The deathwatch go back in to find that the tyranids are still in the midst of a full scale invasion with a planet devoid of humans. The tyranids are fighting each other. It almost seems that thier are 2 hive minds. Proceeding to a secret research facility they find a horrifying secret, a gate made of fused flesh. Proceeding into what happened they discover that Vyakai's plans were to let a race of "Enslavers" Control a Synapse creature. It rapidly spread its infulence to others. The hive mind is unprepared for such a threat and unable to control the loss of synapse creature and thier minions. Every synapse creature lost is a victory for the enslavers. Do the Deathwatch join in and take a side? or do they order exterminatus?

My question is: is this scenario even feasible? If an enslaver was in the material realm before the shadow cut them off from the warp could they be attracked to a synapse creature and control it? or would being cut off essentially kill it? iDeas?

I wanted to enter the scenario contest, but my upcoming work schedual is pretty incompatable with the looming deadline. So, I thought I would post the ideas I was working on here...

Given the tight word restriction, it seems that a plot-heavy entry would be problematic. I was thinking of going with a fairly standard mission, but in a very destinctive setting. Some possibilities are:

UNDERWATER- Sent to recover something from the wreakage of a spacecraft, now lying on the ocean floor of an unexplored world, the Killteam has to contend with some large native predators, possibly in addition to survivors aboard the wreak, trapped in an air-bubble. I was going to use the Heavy Gravity rules to simulate the preasure of the deep, combined with a reduction in missle weapon ranges. Plus, even an Astartes' enhanced senses are of little use in the inky-blackness of the deep, necessitating the use of armour-mounted stablights. In fact, I was thinking of giving one of the predators a boi-luminescent "lure" to catch the Killteam's eye ("There's something moving down here!").

POLYPHEMNOS- The fungal deathworld briefly described in the Rulebook would be an interesting setting for a mission. I like the idea of movement-sensitive fungi which burst open when touched, covering everything in the vicinity with corosive acid that slowly reduces the effectiveness of power armour...

SANDSTORM- Orks don't get much respect as opponents in DW ; to counter that attitude, I was thinking of a mission where the Killteam is sent to a small mining town on a desert world to protect them from an on-coming ork mob until an Imperial Guard garrison can be set up there. This should be pretty straight-foward, but things become complicated when thw ork's resident Weirdboy accidentally summons a massive ion-charged sandstorm, drastically reducing vision and robbing the Killteam of their greatest asset: ranged superiority...

The Enemy of my Enemy is a great diversion.

All 3 fronts are suffeffing a hard time. Time must be bought, reinforcement and antrechment is required but the constant war prevents any progress.

A daring plan is proposed by the Fleet Logisticien, the plan as started, the DW was made aware too late...

Phase 1 - Capture, subdue and transport as many tyranid vangard organism as possible

Phase 2 - Spread lies about the critical nature of a newly conquered planet

Phase 3 - Store vary important Chaos Artifact (importance is relevant since artifact is to be sacrificied) on said planet.

Phase 4 - Wait for Chaos an TAU force

Phase 5 - release vangard organism on planet

Phase 6 - Praise the Imperator

-----------------

DW transmisttion interception - "Damned fools", "Suicidal" and "Glorious", mission accepted.

Storm Warden transmittion - Finally something challenging...

Unknown alien transmittion - "Beware Monkieg, you have choosen it's resting place as a war world. Kain won't be happy and neither my damend Sisters banshee watching over is toomb!"

Chaos - "My great Deamon Prince, that artifact you have beenlooking for well we found it... the sorcerer says it's a trap." "Traps, I love traps!"

Tau - "They think we think they don't know what we think... Yet we think they think... For the greater good?" "It's Obviously a trap but for whom?"

IG -"When they said, it was a paradise world, they meant for deamons?" "Well the pictures from space where different... What do you thik that structure is? Arrghhhh.... "

HiveMind - "Wait I told them to stay put once they found a world... Where did they go..." "Oh wait there they are and look at those, pointy cans, green shrooms, pink skishys... so lot's of food!!!! Even dangerous little meat cans! Time to send out the Dagon!"

Necron Lord - "Not now Momy 15 more thousand years... Wait whats that noise?"

You're gonna love this:

The kill-team is charged with leading a xenocidal campaign against the remnants of a race of small, stout humanoids who have holed up underground on a planet with harsh conditions. Details on the race are classified even for the DW kill-team at the order of the Holy Inquisition itself and they are forbidden any kind of contact or exchange with the xenos.

Of course it turns out there is some sentient, non-humanoid native life which intel did not pick up on and they may or may not shed some light on the story of the dwarf-like refugees the PCs are supposed to exterminate.

Whatever the PCs learn or do not learn, there is no way of getting around orders and eliminating their technologically-gifted targets - at least not without committing a court martial offense.

Alex

PS First poster who can guess the name of the "xeno" race is a xeno lover and heretic.

What Forbidden Lore would it be to know that they once used to be allies with the Empire, and the High Lords were simply grateful the Tyranids did the job they couldn't?

Forbidden Lore (40K Rogue Trader)?
Forbidden Lore (GW Business Policy)?

Both grimdark and mysterious arts by themselves. Punishable by a fate worse than a fate worse than death, of course.

Alex

At The Mountain Of Madness- I keep hearing that Guillermo Del Toro ( Hellboy , The Devil's Backbone ) has a movie adaptation in the works, and it struck me that H.P. Lovecraft's novel would work perfectly for a Deathwatch mission: a team of xenoarchaeologists on an arctic world reported discovering a massive complex of underground ruins created by an unknown and presumably extinct xenotype. The excavations were proceeding apace, then suddenly all contact with the research team was lost; the Killteam is sent to find out why. Turns out, the thing that killed the builders of the alien city is not extinct itsself ...

Some little ideas I've thrown into the game or the PCs have come up with on their own accord. Just little things to think about:

Our Honour, Personified

Between missions, give the kill-team the task to design their squad banner. Try to emphasise that it should be a scene in character where each member of the kill team can contribute to the design of the thing. If they d a good job, give them a small devotional scene where their banner is rituallistically blessed by Your Local Chaplain and let the squad take a back banner for free. My guys have started quarrelling more for who gets the honour of bearing the standard into battle than who gets to be the squad leader (needless to say, I let anyone act as the banner bearer, not just the squad leader as indicated in the core book).

Armed for Battle

Run a scene before combat drop where the group perform their ritualistic donning of armour, chosing weapons, prayers to the God-Emperor and His Primarchs, or what have you. What rituals do the kill team perform? Do they perform them as a group or in isolation?

Celebration!

How does the kill-team come back from successful missions? With piety and prayers? With a quiet determination that the job is well done? With boasting and laughing between members of the squad as to who defeated the most Orks, or whose Bolt shell killed the Tyranid Warrior? Do they call for a victory feast, light a votive candle, or slam a fresh clip in and go to the firing range to get more practice in?

Consider the Predator...

What are the vehicles the kill-team use mean to them? Do they have one Rhino or Razorback they seem to like more than the others? Does its machine spirit have any strange quirks? Does the Tech-marine have any rituals or duties that he performs with the machines between battle? Do they thank the spirit of the machine after a successful mission and, if so, how? (My guys have told me if I ever destroy the Litany of Fury , their Razorback, they will personally hunt me to the ends of the earth. The Litany is an impatient machine that despises being pristine and perfect. It grants a +5 to BS and Drive rolls once it's taken its first critical hit during the mission, but inflicts a -5 Penalty when it's completely untouched by enemy fire or combat attacks.)

Armoured in Faith

What rituals do the Battle-brothers perform for their armour and weapons? Do they simply allow the tech-marines in their watch station to repair and repaint their armour after battle, or do they sit patiently with a fine hair brush and a pot of enamel and painstakingly cover every scratch and chip on the paintwork themselves? What devotional totems to they add to their weapons, and do they mutter prayers to the God-Emperor, their Primarch or the Omnissiah while they add them? What is the astartes' reaction if a deathwatch serf slipped and fell on their armour? Do they believe that the spirit of the machine is angered if they use clips from another battle brother's boltgun?

Adeptus-B said:

Now I could be wrong (it's a fluid situation) but I understand that this movie has moved from "In development" to "Mired in development Hell." Meaning it's not likely to get made any time soon. A real shame, as I was excited about this one, too...

Can you imagine your player's faces when their Marines get d100 Insanity Points each because they failed their Fear tests? Maximum GM trolling.
Still the idea is right.

Alex

Word has gotten to the Inquisition that a meeting is taking place between Chaos upper command and the Tau Leadership on board one of their Orbital stations. The Chaos forces will clearly betray the Tau even if they reach some agreement, but in the mean time any co-operation will increase the pressure on the Imperial forces dramatically. The orbital is deep in Tau space and well defended, the Chaos forces are significant and the Tau are not so nieve that they haven't got enough security to deal with it. Fighting in without the diplomats escaping seems impossible and an attack by the Imperium would just stand to strengthen the resolve of those that are trying to arrange for the truce.

A desperate level of sanction is required and the Inquisition are using a massively important asset to take care of the problem. All the team has to do is sneak into the system as descreately as possible and extract the Callidus assassin without anyone knowing they were there at all.

I've just begun laying the groundwork for a Moby D!ck sub-plot in my campaign: a Deathwatch Captain the Killteam frequently works with bears terrible scars from an encounter with a daemonic entity that haunts the voids preying on vessels (the Eye of the Void from the Dark Heresy sourcebook Cr eatures Anathema ). He doesn't like to talk about his 'near-death experience', but it is clear that he is still deeply troubled by the encounter, decades later. At some point in the future, the Killteam and the Captain will be dispatched on a small strike craft to assist on a beleaguered battlefront. En route, the vessel recieves a distress call from a ship under attack by you-know-what. The Captain looses it and derails the (time sensitive) mission to persue his 'white whale', forcing the players to take sides: try to get the mission back on track, or follow the unstable Captain on his suicidal quest for revenge...

Adeptus-B said:

Love it. Remember that the Captain has to die to teach them the folly of obsession. If you don't have creatures anathema you can create a daemon ship or a even particular Tyranid Kraken.