A wrist mounted bolter, or any basic type weapon, could be a kind of a relic that is given to prominent members of the Deathwatch just as it is with other relics shown in the book. Greyknights and Sanguinary Guard of the Blood Angels are specialized units/chapter, just as Deathwatch is, so such devices could be availble to Astartes at some point during their career. It's more of a question of rarity of a given piece of equipment than anything else.
What are the rules concerning a forearm mounted bolters
I would allow fore-arm mounted bolters without a second thought. The technology obviously exists and is in production for storm bolters. It's not like everybody had wrist-mounted storm bolters and they were all confiscated when chapter 666 was founded to be used only by them. Mars produces wrist-mounted storm bolters, that can probably be acquired for other purposes if you have the right connections, and let's be honest, a bolter is essentially half a storm bolter. Creating a fore-arm mount for one is just inside the narrow bit of creativity the Adeptus Mechanicus or at least some tech marines would allow themselves.
Mjoellnir said:
I would allow fore-arm mounted bolters without a second thought. The technology obviously exists and is in production for storm bolters. It's not like everybody had wrist-mounted storm bolters and they were all confiscated when chapter 666 was founded to be used only by them. Mars produces wrist-mounted storm bolters, that can probably be acquired for other purposes if you have the right connections, and let's be honest, a bolter is essentially half a storm bolter. Creating a fore-arm mount for one is just inside the narrow bit of creativity the Adeptus Mechanicus or at least some tech marines would allow themselves.
Well, I would probably only allow it in crossovers with DH and RT if the tech exists in those games.
Or it would make an excellent "Endeavour" for a Techmarine. Requisition Signature Gear wrist-mount for a boltpistol and modify for stormbolter.
Alex
Based on the unique item stuff in the fluff, and all the examples of 'rare' stuff, I think this type of work would be totally doable. In a Deathwatch only game (where DH and RTs weren't toting them around), I'd make it some sort of cool project, or a discovered relic of some kind that the players get to use. Make it cool, make it unique (as AK suggets).
I think the question still to ask is if mechanically, these have any effect in melee combat, or anything else? Some may take the true grit trait from tabletop as to mean something (especially if house ruling GK).
I would say no to any form of full auto in melee, but as forearm mounting is for pistols usually...
How about treating a wrist-mounted storm bolter as a relic then? Give it Hero renown as a prereq and maybe.. 40 req cost? Or perhaps lower it to Famed, due to not having anything "special" more than being able to wrist-mount. But it won't be able to take the Fire Selector upgrade due to space issues. Might restrict it from being reloaded at all (in the field), if it's built into a gauntlet.