Two questions on RoB.

First, the Bolter(Hesh), understand they are only given to Ultramarines who serve with the DW, but is that all Ultramarines or are they more of a reward? Text isn't all that clear with other chapters needing to get one through roleplaying (Does that mean the Emperor's Boy Scouts get one automatically for showing up to Erioch? Hi I'm an Ultramarine! Here's your Hesh Pattern Bolter!)

Second the Leaper Mine, which I'm guessing is actually the Hopper Mine in the table, just has the Blast type without a number by it and it's range seems off (2m). The text specifies that it works when something comes with 5m and that it explodes to fill an area 10m across. That means range should probably be 5m and Blast 5?

Thanks!

I’d say the Hesh should be available to any Deathwatch marine, that’s what the background text implies. With regard to how much it costs to requisition and what level I’d be very interested to see what others here have to say (I only started GM’ing Deathwatch recently and this is my first exposure to the system). Maybe Distinguished for the level (it seems a bit more effective and flexible than the specialist bolters like the Stalker which are Respected level)? Also presumably it’s damage should be 2d10 +7 (since it is always master-crafted)?

And blast 5 for the Hopper sounds about right to me.

Devastate said:

Because it's a non-standard weapon, and the text reads that it cannot be requisitioned, I read it as "PCs cannot requisition this item and they must come into possession of it by role playing." Meaning regardless of your Chapter, you'd best play out how you get it. I would personally allow an Ultramarine to have a bit of an easier time in convincing one of his Chapter Brothers to gift him with one, but would require it to be played out. No starting marine needs all that extra stuff on it for free IMO.

Though I certainly agree that it's written odd, and it's even more odd that in the background of the weapon they fail to mention the Ultramarines at all.

Devastate said:

Haha, nice catch. The 2m range must be how high in the air it pops? But you and Calonnau's math reads right to me regarding the blast- it should be 5. The range on the weapon profile is intended to mean the distance it can go, that's why grenades ar all SBx3.

@Calonnau: The text indicates the damage is already calculated in the profile. It seems off, I agree, but I'd leave as is due to the fact that the gun is smallter than other boltguns (half the range, 3kg lighter despite having all the extra bits on it), thus it takes the master craft trait to get it up to the damage of a normal boltgun. That's just one interpretation though, and I don't see the need for any boltgun to do more than 2d10+5 .

The problem with that is that it says the same thing about the relics and the Ultramarines-only storm bolter (Urion’s Doom I think it’s called?) in that only does 2d10 + 5 damage, same as the regular issue one. I’d also be inclined to have the Hesh be requisitionable at the Distinguished level, since a beginning marine won’t be able to requisition that sort of gear (I do agree with you that a starting marine shouldn’t be able to get one). As for the number of requisition points it should cost maybe 32 or there about?

Calonnau said:

If you HAVE to give it a req, I'd add up all the req requirements for the gun, all of it's associated parts, and call it a day (the preysense sight, etc). Personally I wouldn't allow t to be requisitioned, and require roleplaying to aquire it as some sort of a gift from an Ultramarine already in service to the DW. Once the gun is acquired, it essentially counts as signature wargear/relic.

Yeah, it's a good point about the Ultramarines-ony SB (why do UMs always get special crap...), at that point it's really up to you- if other folks in the party are getting master crafted weapons then spread the love. Just remember that +2 will act like compound damage as it will apply to each and every shot fired out of the gun.