Hello all.

I read the pages 228-230 about Oath-taking and was, quite frankly, a little disappointed with
the fact that the text under each oath only described the game mechanic details and results
from using these oathes. I was hoping for real oaths, real lines of shorter poetic hymns to
read out aloud in the beginning of each mission, done by the players together so as to evoke
the role-playing setting of the 40K-atmosphere for Spcae marines about to go into a mission.

But no... There wasn't anything of the kind to be found! So, I sat down immediately and
tried to put together six short oath hymns, one for each kind of oath and each with only six
lines, so they wouldn't be too long to read. Here they are. Let me see what you think of this.
(The last one, Oath of the weapon, I thought would be read out loud when marines do their
martial training with close combat weapons and the like.)

Oath of the Astartes:
1. We are the clenched fingers of His fist
2. Crashing down upon the enemy
3. We are the red hot flames of His rage
4. Directed towards the dark
5. Never forget your combined power
6. Never forget to burn for your brothers!

Oath of the Emperor:
1. He is the Father of our father
2. He is the beginning and the end
3. With Him lies all our loyalty, all our faith
4. We, the sons of His sons,
5. Are the instrument, the weapon,
6. And the wrath of His will!

Oath of glory:
1. Do not stand when you can leap
2. Do not walk when you can fly
3. Make the leap of faith for Him
4. Take flight as the Angels of Death
5. And land upon the head of the heathen
6. To crush him under a heavy boot!

Oath of knowledge:
1. We know our enemy
2. We hear his steps
3. We see where he treads
4. We reach in silence
5. For our weapons
6. Of knowledge and preparation!

Oath of loyalty:
1. Watch the backs of your brothers
2. Watch the angle of blindness
3. Look up, look down, look within
4. Look left, look right, look without
5. Be the eyes of anger
6. Ready to spew the fury!

Oath of the weapon:
1. We drill, we drill, we drill!
2. We drill, we drill, we drill!
3. To kill, to kill, to kill!
4. To kill, to kill, to kill!
5. To ensure the Emperor’s will!
6. To ensure the Emperor’s will!

Those are actually pretty good. Mind if I nab them for use in my game? I think my players would like them also. (Full credit where it is due of course)

Yes of course! I'll take it as a compliment if you deem it useful for your own
session of DW! And thanks for the credit.

I have the players improvise a new oath before each mission. 4 to 8 lines is enough.
Particular good poetry might get rewarded with a powerfistful of xp.

Alex

ak-73 said:

Oh now, I like that idea. Good job on the oaths, and thanks for the idea.

ak-73 said:

That sounds really good! Smart to have them invent their own. Nice!

dracopticon said:

I even go a step further:

I let the players choose a specific oath, matched to their mission, and treat it as a Target of Opportunity, including a reward for fulfilling it.

That sounds good. But how do you make it work during play?

Do you have an actual example?

A Powerfistfull of Requisition Points

The Kill Team arrives at a orbital habitat held by a old blood group of Tau and a newcomer group of Eldar raiders. They are caught well behind enemy lines and away from support from the Imperium.

The Kill Team has to device a means to free the good Imperial people of the station without undue losses.

Complications: The youngest Eldar son has impeccable aim with his shuriken catapult and his first shot always kills. The Tau matriarch is an impeccable schemer. The Eldar raiders keep the pretty schoolteacher captive as a slave in their leader's villa. A Tau/Free Trader/Imperial treasure fleet is scheduled to pass through the system soon.

Hm, now I will have to sew up some Astartes size ponchos...

Mister Zipangu said:

Humongously good example! I'd like to see those ponchos. Astarto poncho!

dracopticon said:

Yes I do.

Your players have the order to stop a gene stealer infection by killing the Brood Lord.

But they seek for glory and so they take the Oath "Kill every Xenos". Tadaaa - here's your target of opportunity. If they can fulfill their oath, they get extra EP and renown.

Interesting! I feel like wanting to make a whole bunch of new oaths right this moment.
But I haven't got the time. On thursday and friday I'm GM-ing my first scenario, Extraction.

I feel underprepared though. Feels like I have read too little about the game rules, or
not been thorough enough when going through the core book. It's frustrating!

Oath of the Weapon - Three Steps (as I roleplay with my Techmarine when he is Kill Team Leader):

1. Praying in the The Forge in front of an altar dedicated to the Omnissiah, before a Mission starts:

How like a God He is, that ancient Machine, primal of all His Kind, the Imperator! His mighty Fists, massive like two Towers of Destruction, laden with the Doom of Mankind's bitter Foes. He watches over us now as Battle joins, and in his Shadow we shall advance upon our Enemies and defeat them.

2. Blessing of each individual Kill Team Brother for his weapons, armour and machinery, he brings on the mission (can be done in the Forge, or just before departure inside the ship's quarters):

''This machine is discharged into your care. Fight with this machine, and guard it from the shame of defeat. Serve this machine, as you would have fought it for you. (response) - I shall.''

4. Prayers for repair and maintenance (in case these have not be done yet, bless their souls)

a. ''Thus do we invoke the Machine God. Thus do we make whole that which was sundered.''

'b. 'Our enemies may rest but rust never sleeps.''

3. Prayers just before any major battle or Mission Objective to start:

''May your weapon be guarded against malfunction, as your soul is guarded from impurity. The Machine God watches over you. Unleash the weapons of war. Unleash the Deathdealer.'' If you want you can add: ''For the alien, nothing…'' (change to Xenos, Malleus, Hereticus, etc)

Words of Wisdom: ''In ancient times, men built wonders, laid claim to the stars and sought to better themselves for the good of all. But we are much wiser now.''

Holy S***... I got goosebumps reading your oaths. Well done, Martellus, well done.

Nice to see that my old thread still lives.

dracopticon said:

Yes, it is great input for roelplay and *goose-bumps*