I mentioned a while ago I was writing an introductory adventure to lead into Final Sanction. This details the Kill Team travelling to and joining the Deathwatch. It is intended for use to kick off a new DW group. I hope this is of use to some of you.
Date: 817M41
PART 1 THE JOURNEY
You will be taken by shuttle or Chapter Warship to a rendezvous point meeting a Deathwatch Warship.
As you take a seat you look out a view port which allows you to see your Chapter base and home for possibly the last time. As the ship leaves the system and jumps into Warp you may be filled with apprehension and a sense of honour.
As you board the Deathwatch Warship Relentless Fury which is to transport you to Watch Fortress Erioch you are ushered by a Serf into a Spartan steel room with little comfort. It has several steel bunks in recesses in the wall and several bench tables. It appears this will be your accommodation for the duration of your journey. The room also contains food dispensers a large Vid Screen and an impressively large observation window.
As the ship travels from system to system one by one more Battle-Brothers join you. Roll a dice to see which order the PCs enter. They should introduce themselves at this point, and should start playing their characters at this point. It will be obvious to each player which Chapter everyone is from. There may be character interactions and possibly tension to play on, such as the ritual duel between Space Wolves and Dark Angels, along with any interation between Black Templars and any Psykers.
Once you are all there the Vid Screen sparks to life. A Deathwatch Captain who appears to be a Crimson Fist Introduces himself…
Brothers, I am Watch Captain Tobias Logan. Welcome to the Deathwatch. Please accept my apologies for not being able to greet you in person. You have been assigned to my command in the Jericho Reach Sector. Which I guarantee will provide you many chances to serve the Emperor, and much honour. I will welcome you to Watch Fortress Erioch when you arrive. You will initially be based here. In the meantime please make yourselves comfortable. Your needs should be met by the serfs who will attend on you from time to time. I must continue my duties. I will answer any questions you have when you arrive at the Fortress.
You may spend the journey as you wish. Most marines will spend their time in quiet contemplation and prayer.
The Journey is likely to take a couple of weeks. The most notable part of the journey will be near the end when you pass through the Jericho Maw Warp Gate in the Well of Night.
Add the description of the Warp Gate from the Core Rulebook here
The passage through the gate takes a few seconds, much faster than the number of years travelling that distance through the warp would take, which of course is nearly impossible when travelling to the Jericho Reach. As the warship enters the gate you experience a few seconds of icy black dislocation. There is some turbulence which makes you realise this journey is not without risk. Many lesser vessels may not make it.
As you break back into real space you exit an identical gate to the one in the Calixis Sector. You are aware of the absence of stars in this area. You are in the Well of Night, a starless expanse which surrounds the gate. The Ship powers its Warp Drive and makes a standard jump to finish your journey.
PART 2 WATCH FORTRESS ERIOCH
Several days later the Warship arrives in orbit of the Watch Fortress. As a shuttle takes you to the Fortress you get the first glimpse of your new base.
Add the description of the Fortress from the Core Rulebook here
As you arrive at a space dock you are greeted by a serf who welcomes you, and beckons you to follow him. You are ushered into a reception chamber. It is a large stone room decorated with depictions of the victories and accomplishments of the Deathwatch.
Watch Captain Logan a Blood Angel Chaplain and a Salamander Techmarine Forgemaster are waiting for you.
Brothers welcome to Watch Fortress Erioch. I trust your journey was acceptable. This is Brother Crassus and Forgemaster Khachaturian. Please accompany us to the training domes for your initiation. You must kill the Xenos then you may begin the rites and take the oath to join the Deathwatch.
As you walk through the dusty stone and metal corridors you become aware of the sheer size of the fortress. It could garrison an entire chapter of Space Marines. If anyone asks, at this time it only houses about 180 Marines lead by Watch Commander Mordigael the Master of the Vigil and the Brass Tower is populated only by the Inquisitor of the Chamber Inquisitor Carmillus and her entourage. There are of course many Serfs, Servitors, a choir of Astropaths and the crews of any Warships currently in orbit will be housed within the fortress. Any serfs you meet in the corridors will bow as you pass. You will meet very few other Marines. Those you see will either be wearing their Power Armour if they are undertaking duties or pre/post mission, or wearing robes usually brought with them from their home Chapter. They will nod in silent greeting as equals.
Brother Crassus speaks to you as you walk
In the Deathwatch may meet Marines with no chapter insignia. These are known as Black Shields. They will often hide their faces in dark hoods. Some say they are the last of their chapters. Some may have remained true to their oaths when their brothers turned against the Emperor. Some may be reformed traitors. It is certain they have no Chapter to return to. I would advise Brothers, that you never raise the subject with them.
PART 3 THE TEST
At the door to the Training Dome Logan addresses you again.
The test is usually individual, but I have decided to place you Brothers together as a Kill Team. You will undertake your missions as one. So it is fitting you take the test as one.
Inside the training dome is a layout of a Spacehulk, there will be several hordes or groups of Xenos these could be Orks or Tyranids, possibly building up to a Hive Tyrant or an Ork Master. Large blast doors will open and close letting in the xenos in stages. A perception test (challenging for a Techmarine or difficult for other Marines) will allow the kill team to spot hidden cameras watching them, and should lead to the conclusion that the doors are being controlled remotely. The Xenos can then be released to attack the kill teams as you see fit. If they get as far as the Hive Tyrant it will be in one of the larger rooms in the floorplan, and should be positioned to allow the kill team a chance to shoot at it and reduce its wounds before any hand to hand combat. The idea should be to challenge the Kill Team, but not kill any of them unless they do something really stupid.
They will get a chance to select a Squad Leader and take an Oath, but must use the equipment they start the game with.
The Xenos can be anything you as the GM sees fit, and feel free to modify it as you play.
PART 4 THE OATH
When the test is finished, they should all have passed unless they have employed some terrible tactics and the test needs to be stopped to save someone's life. If you as the GM decide they did not pass, another test will be necessary. Captain Logan will tell them that they have fought valiantly, but another task will need to be completed before they can be fully accepted in the Deathwatch. If they have just been unlucky he would explain to them that they will suffer no dishonour.
Once the initiation test is passed serfs will show you to your quarters, and other areas of the Watch Fortress which you will need. If any of you are wounded you will be taken to the infirmary. You will then be shown your quarters, bare stone rooms with a stone slab to sleep on and storage for your personal equipment.
Once rested you will be taken to the door of the Omega Vault where you must swear an oath of allegiance to the Deathwatch and Ordo Xenos.
The Omega Vault is a series of catacombs, chambers and ancient technology which the fortress is built around. It is sealed behind a single door 40 meters tall. In the centre of the door is an Omega rune encompassing an image of the Emperor strangling a serpent. Engraved on the door in High Gothic is 'And the Last Fortress Is Truth'
The door is protected by Adamantine plating and Void Shields.
The door cannot be opened by anyone. It opens at the command of the ancient devices inside in response to events happening in the Jericho Reach. Those who have passed into the chambers and corridors inside have discovered that the vault opens up a chamber within and reveals an artefact which will have deep significance to the events which have caused the vault to open. It is also believed that the core computer of the fortress is connected to something deep within.
You will then be taken to the armoury and assisted by Techmarines and Servitors to remove your armour. The Master of the Forge will oversee the ritual where it's painted black, leaving the heraldry of your Chapter, and the left arm is electroplated silver. You will be presented with the silver left shoulder plate of the Deathwatch, which you will bare even when and if you return to your Chapter therefore distinguishing you as having served with the Deathwatch. A mighty Honour! You will don your newly painted Armour as part of the ceremony.
Watch Captain Logan addresses you again
Watch Brothers, I honour you on this day. You are now true members of the Deathwatch. You will form a five member Kill Team reporting to me. We are confident you will bring honour to the Deathwatch and the Emperor! Watch Commander Mordigael the Master of the Vigil and Inquisitor Carmillus the Inquisitor of the Chamber will be informed we have new Kill Team at our disposal. You will receive your first mission soon. Please rest and train we will call on you soon.
Once the ceremonies have been completed you will be taken back to your quarters, and when you have had a few minutes to stow your gear, several serfs will assist you in the ceremonies to remove your Power Armour. You will don your robes (usually your home chapter robes). Then you will be taken to a vast refectory with stone benches and metal topped tables where you may join the other Kill Teams in taking refreshments. There are very few Marines here, the fortress can house many more men than it currently does should the need arise.
The following day your Deathwatch Training will start. This will give you access to Deathwatch skills and knowledge.
You may now await your first mission.
PRELUDE TO FINAL SANCTION
After more than a week in the Fortress the Kill Team will have met only a small handful of other Deathwatch Marines. They will mostly be polite but not especially warm unless they are from the same Chapter. It is unlikely unless the squad seek out other Marines they will have more than passing words with other Kill Teams.
Everyone will have enough time to heal from any wounds they have received in the training. And everyone will be anxious for battle.
One evening you will be disturbed from your activities by a Serf, who apologetically requests you attend an urgent Briefing with Watch Captain Logan. He is waiting for you in a briefing room.
Brothers, please accept my sincere apologies for disturbing you at this late hour. However Inquisitor Kalistradi has requested the immediate dispatch of a Kill Team.
She and her Retinue were dispatched to the Agri-World of Avalos, and the city of Lordsholm to investigate reports of a Xenos threat. She has discovered a Genestealer infestation which we need you to purge.
Here is Avalos…
He points to Avalos on a holo map of the Jericho Reach. It is on the edge of the Orpheus Salient between the Well of Night and Hethgard.
… With Warp conditions as our Navigators have forecast them it is currently several days journey from here. Your presence is required urgently. So please proceed to the Armoury to collect the equipment for the mission. I must ask you to perform your pre-battle rituals once you are in transit. I will be able to answer any questions you have via vid-link on your journey.
You each have 60 requisition points to spend in the armoury. These points may be pooled.
When equipped you head to a shuttle which ferries you to a frigate where you will journey to Avalos. Your equipment will have been loaded aboard by the serfs.
Try to answer any questions the squad have. They can select their squad leader and take a squad oath when en-route.
This assumes you play the Final Sanction adventure from the FFG website as your first Mission.
I am planning to follow this straight away with Oblivion's Edge and taking it as far as the Hit and Run section, and then running the Extraction Adventure from the rulebook but basing it on Avalos with the datacore containing vital information about the Hive Ship. Then playing the Hit and Run section onwards.
If you use it please let me know how you get on.
C