I may be using this in an upcoming adventure so wanted to see if anybody else had done so, or had thoughts in general.

Things we know:

1. Its been deactive for a long time, but its defenses are still active.
- I am assuming this is the internal defenses. Since its mentioned that Earth Caste are trying to break in, I assume they are able to dock with the station somehow, so any kind of macrocanon or whatnot wouldn't be active.

2. It can make small warp jumps.
- As I understand it, you can only enter the warp safely away from celestial bodies. However the station orbits a planet. So, we assume its "so advanced" that it can do so? I assume much like a charterist ship it uses no navigator and is limited to 4 lightyear jumps? Pre-calculated routes maybe just within the Skapula system itself?

3. Its in "Tau space".
- Yet on the maps it seems kind of far out. The Velk'Han Sept is said to consists of "several dozen populated worlds". So do we think the Watch Station is in a system with Tau populated worlds? It currently orbits a barren world.

So, I am trying to come up with some answers that I can turn into an adventure. Currently I am thinking perhaps with the ongoing war against the Imperium and the Tyranids that this system would be lightly populated. As such it could be a prime time for the Deathwatch to make their moved. A small craft could transport a Kill-Team into the system, take out some minor Tau ships (Defender and/or Messenger class), get the station back active, then jump away? Or even sneak into the station itself, power it up, turn it against the Tau and then make a daring warp jump safely away.

Also size-wise I am going with roughly .25km across. With most of its bulk being its auger arrays, gellar field, and warp engine. Somewhat similar to Arkhas in that it can only hold about 12 Astartes.

Thoughts, ideas?

1. The Tau have managed to board so the outer defenses must have been bypassed, deactivated or destroyed (at least on one side).

2. Most watch stations are stationary emplacements or stuck in one orbit. One that can move or do warp jumps is unusual to say the least. I like the idea it can do warp jumps even in system, but can't move around in system (bar maneuvering thrusters to maintain orbit).

3. Not every world in Tau space has to be a thriving colony. Some are only useful for mining, industry and some are plain useless.

The warp capable ships in Rogue Trader are larger than .25km, usually a few km in length. But a highly advanced system could be that size I think, especially if it only makes "short jumps".

I'd like to think of a reason the watch station is still inactive would be interesting.

One idea is to have the watch station 'powered down' to conserve enough energy to protect or imprison something of immense value or threat to the Imperium and the Crusade. Perhaps whatever it is guarding (good or bad you decide) could significantly tip the balance in a salient, hence the watch station jumps to different locations. This could even be the cause of the lack of external defences; the tau water caste would have you believe that their fire warriors disabled the station without damage but in actual fact the secret it guards is so important for the Crusade that even powering weapon defences comes secondary (the tau do not know this).

Now the station drifts in the void with most core systems offline after its latest jump away from danger or perhaps preventing something inside from escaping. Yet its time is running out as not only is its power failing the tau earth caste are attempting to secure the station. But they do not have their prize yet and indeed seem to be taking a great deal of time within the watch station. Intercepted earth caste transmissions are garbled and unclear technical data useless to even the techpriests but the last transmission was fire caste encoded: "Request reinforcements immediately".

When the earth caste messages were picked up by Erioch the Omega Vault began to open. Once the chamber is fully revealed answers may enlighten the brothers to the mystery of Skapula station but can they afford to wait and allow fresh tau reinforcements en route to Skapula to board and secure the station for themselves?

I like the idea of Skapula playing an integral part of the ongoing crusade as its a significant piece of Deathwatch technology. Making it be hard won instills real value in whatever precious cargo it holds!

Let us know how your story unfolds Decessor. You have piqued my interest!

I have toyed with quite a few options and since I'm worried about this being covered in the future by FFG; I think I'm going to leave it a bit of a mystery. Also want some time to fully decide why it was abandoned/powered-down.

Right now though my plan is to have the Omega Vault reveal a scrap of parchment with some cryptic wording and processes relating to Skapula. This is determined to be the reactivation sequence for the Watch Station. They real oddity though is the fact that its written in Medusan. There is only one Iron Hand Battle Brother right now, Techmarine Marius (a player). So it is determined that this is something the fates have decided for him to undertake, and thus, the entire Kill-Team being sent. I figure Harl Greyweaver won't be too pleased with this and hope to build up some conflict there.

As far as the station itself. Current plan is to have them arrive to find a Messenger-class and a Defender-class Tau ship in orbit around the planet. Since their Hunter-class Destroyer is outmatched, they are going to be inserted via boarding torpedo onto the Defender-class to cripple and disorient it. Meanwhile the Hunter-class will deal with the Messenger-class and then the Kill-Team can get extracted via Thunderhawk. Should make for some fun ship-based encounters. I'll likely give them a small horde of combat servitors as well.

Or, they may decide to sneak onto the Watch-Station and start the activation process. They could bring the weapons back online and use that to help the battle, or even decide to jump away. I'll leave it up to them.

Your ideas about it containing something are interesting though. Originally I was going to have it "haunted" by something, but the fluff says that if breached, Watch Stations self-destruct so I wasn't sure how to make it jive.

kenshin138 said:

Corrupted/insane Machine-Spirit?

Alex

kenshin138 said:

Sorry, I meant Kenshin. You look to have a really good story planned for your players. Medusan language is intriguing, a great plot hook with character interaction and some conflict with an npc; brill!

You might like to keep an eye out for the rogue trader supplement that details extensive ship combat just for added spice in the engagement. Not to mention additional ships provided.

Good luck with the story!