Fluff behind using Chapter Squad Mode Abilities without fellow Chapter-Brothers

By socratim, in Deathwatch Gamemasters

Having read through many Squad-Mode-Threads and the Errata, I am pretty sure by the rules one can activate Chapter Squad Mode Abilities when in Squad-Mode, even if oneself is the only member of the chapter. Right?

But my playing group has a Fluff-problem with this. Why should a BB be able to use a team-related chapter-specific ability, if he is the only member of his chapter? Isn't squad mode something that works, because the BB work as kind of a single mind, giving themselves cover, etc. ?

socratim said:

Having read through many Squad-Mode-Threads and the Errata, I am pretty sure by the rules one can activate Chapter Squad Mode Abilities when in Squad-Mode, even if oneself is the only member of the chapter. Right?

But my playing group has a Fluff-problem with this. Why should a BB be able to use a team-related chapter-specific ability, if he is the only member of his chapter? Isn't squad mode something that works, because the BB work as kind of a single mind, giving themselves cover, etc. ?

To your first point, yes. You can still use Chapter Squad Mode Abilities even if you are the only member of your Chapter in the squad.

Fluff-wise, it's not perfect. Then again, a lot of the stuff in Deathwatch doesn't make sense if you think about it. Why should Hellfire Rounds punch right through xenos chitin but be stopped if someone takes that chitin and turns it into armor? If you want to explain away the Chapter abilities, think of it not so much as the group working together as a Battle-Brother taking advantage of there being other Space Marines nearby, working with him. There is an example of the "teamwork" Chapter Squad Mode Abilities in the book, too. Look at the Space Wolves' Pack Tactics. It can only work if there are multiple Space Wolves in the squad or the other members have some way of accessing a different Chapter's abilities.

It's entirely possible that Deathwatch marines teach some of their home chapter's maneuvers to their battle-brothers during downtime.

Lex1nat0r said:

It's entirely possible that Deathwatch marines teach some of their home chapter's maneuvers to their battle-brothers during downtime.

But then they would be able to use em both/ all. The core of my problem is to use a squad-based maneuver alone.

Well, my group just decided that we only use the chapter-squad-mode-abilities if another BB from the same chapter is present. After all it's not game-changing to use those abilities and they kinda give "history" to the character. Like: If only my chapter-brothers where here, we could do our famous move...

But I will think about incorporating something like you mentioned. So after some battles the BB could maybe teach their chapter-abilities to their now trusted Killteam-brothers, but would have to make some kind of checks when actually trying them out in battle.

Brand said:

Fluff-wise, it's not perfect. Then again, a lot of the stuff in Deathwatch doesn't make sense if you think about it. Why should Hellfire Rounds punch right through xenos chitin but be stopped if someone takes that chitin and turns it into armor? If you want to explain away the Chapter abilities, think of it not so much as the group working together as a Battle-Brother taking advantage of there being other Space Marines nearby, working with him. There is an example of the "teamwork" Chapter Squad Mode Abilities in the book, too. Look at the Space Wolves' Pack Tactics. It can only work if there are multiple Space Wolves in the squad or the other members have some way of accessing a different Chapter's abilities.

****. I replied to you before, but it does not show up...

As for the example, I will have a reread of that chapter again. Thanks!

As for thinking of squad-mode-abilities as ones where a BB is nearby to give reassurance: Well, then we wouldn't need squad-mode, eh?

socratim said:

But I will think about incorporating something like you mentioned. So after some battles the BB could maybe teach their chapter-abilities to their now trusted Killteam-brothers, but would have to make some kind of checks when actually trying them out in battle.

Bu default, chapter-specific squad mode abilities only affect Marines of the relevant chapter unless they have that talent from Rites of Battle that represents the KT training together to use their squad mode powers on each other.