Hello there

I’ve just started GM’ing Deathwatch, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I have a few questions which I haven’t been able to work out myself. They haven’t come up yet but I suspect that they might.

The first is about unnatural characteristics and the fact that they give you a bonus degree of success. What I need to know is does this bonus degree of success only count if you actually *pass* the check?

E.g. A space marine is making a strength test and fails by less than one degree. Does he in fact pass the check (with no degrees of success) or does he still fail?

The second question is about signature wargear. When getting an upgraded version of a bit of standard issue equipment, do you have to buy the bit of equipment out of the points granted by the talent as well as the upgrade, or do you just have to buy the upgrade?

E.g. A marine wants to use the signature wargear talent to buy a master-crafted bolt pistol. Does this cost him 5 points (Pistol costs 5 so doubled that would normally be 10, but he already has the pistol so it costs 5) or 10 (pistol costs 5 times 2 equals 10)?

The third question is about the Deathwatch Champion from Rites of Battles special ability. Does the ability to kill an enemy who fails a toughness test only work on an opponent whose *current* wounds are lower than the Champion’s starting wounds or does it only work on an enemy whose *starting* wounds are lower than the Champion’s starting wounds?

Thanks in advance

Calonnau said:

Hi!

I'm no hardcore expert either, but here's how I play it.

Concerning your first question:

The two degrees of succes do only count when it comes to opposed tests. For normal tests, you get a +10 bonus (well, to be exactly, all test are made one difficulty modifier easier, meaning a -20 test becomes -10 etc.). So if your marine would have to pass a normal (+/-0) strength test, it would turn into a +10 strength test because of unnatural strength (2). If he then fails that test, the two degrees of success won't help him.

Second question:

I think by RAW you actually have to buy the whole item, not only the upgrade. Of course you can always houserule that you don't.

I cannot answer your third question since I haven't worked myself through Rites of Battle yet, sorry.

Calonnau said:

Yes.

Calonnau said:

That depends on whether he forgot to figure in the bonus to the skill test the trait gives. If he didn't forget it and still failed the test, he failed the test.

Calonnau said:

As I understand it, you don't have to pay it if you got from SW to SW(Master). If you had a weapon req'd with SW and you use SW(Master) to improve it, you only have to pay the difference. For all other cases, you have to pay the full price in req, I believe.

Calonnau said:

Xeno current wounds vs Champion total wounds, I believe. Everything else would suck completely, even Tau Stealth suits have more wounds. I might even rule that you resolve the attack first and use the xeno's remaining wounds for comparison. It's a Deathwatch Champion after all.

Alex

PS If you want certainty on those questions, compile a a list of rules questions that haven't been answered and send to FFG! They actually do reply. Most of the time. Rules Questions link at the bootom of the page.

The reply I got was that they'd address this stuff in the next errata update. I just didn't have any idea when that would be, and thought it was likely that I'd be needing an answer before then. But thank you for the answers both of you, that's very helpful.

Calonnau said:

Really? I guess they are shifting their attention away from Deathwatch and on to Black Crusade.

Alex

ak-73 said: