I've never posted on here before, but i have acquired a lot of info from all of you and find the forums amazing. I'm hoping you all can help me with an adventure I've been tossing around ideas for.

I was thinking along the lines for this for a while now. I also like the idea of maybe using some influences from Dead Space and Stargate Universe (if anyone has seen it) such as the ship dropping in and out of FTL (the warp) seemingly randomly, putting the team in various life threatening situations. The setting I was going to use goes as follows...

A long lost space hulk drops out of warp without warning and unexpected. Being the nearest Inquisitorial team, the kill team is sent to investigate. A short while after boarding, the warp drives initiate and the ship is sent into the warp suddenly. Effectively cutoff and lost, the team has no way of knowing when, or if, help will arrive. Stranded on the ship the team can investigate and try to find out the history behind whats happening and try to find a way home. The ship is haunted with the ghosts of those who died on the ship, various warp beasts and daemons, as well as warp mutated corpses (Dead space influence). (I don't want to use 'nids for the enemies as they will most likely be expected by the PCs.) The ship will occasionally drop out of warp for a random amount of time. I want to use this time to have the team encounter various situations, threats, and enemies (some known, some unknown.) such as the ship is attacked by nids for any biomatter on board; dark eldar and eldar for piratey purposes; chaos and orks for salvage and resources, and tau for.... something. I want to have them drop out near an Imperial world or vessel so that they can have the feeling of contact just long enough to feel like they can be saved or that they are finally safe just in time to whisk them away again. This would effectively be a very long mission and I am unsure of how a kill-team would fare without resupply. I thought of maybe having them stumble across caches of supplies long lost or something. I'm not sure of how to steer the adventure or if the kill-team would succeed without a tech of some kind. I am also unsure of who to have that inhabit(ed) the ship or its original purpose. Thoughts would be welcome. I'll add my thoughts as they come to me.

Much appreciated for all that you guys (and girls) do and I look forward to hearing your opinions.

Cheers,

Austin

I love it as an idea. I may well steal parts of it for an upcoming campaign if thats ok. The main thing I would say about it is it doesn't sound great for a deathwatch kill team. The combination of immunity to fear, toxins, gasses and the void itself make alot of environmental troubles a bit moot. and as well as that 4 guys probably doesn't have enough breadth of knowledge to be able to successfully survive alone for an extended period of time. I think the biggest suggestion I could make is run it with Rogue Trader instead. have the team board the hulk with a larger crew, a few dozen men with enough breadth of knowledge that they can use the "generic officer" mechanic to run maintenance, scavenge for food from nearby worlds, stuff like that. And its so much scarier to encounter undead horrors while wearing void suits than power armour.

I think continuing with the Destiny theme the ship should be a human ship sent out 10's of thousands of years ago, in an era when ships could be almost entirely automated. dark age of technology style ships are awesome.

sorry, double post

Thanks for your input. My KT has 8 marines in it and one of them loves tech marines so that might give a bit more knowledge of the ship. What if i were to send an Inquisitorial team with them? Mostly as a scientific expedition kind of idea. Lots of tech guys and experts in various fields. Could this add a fear aspect to maybe have to keep the scientists alive? The marines wouldn't directly feel the fear, but by needing to keep helpless scientists alive it could add the same kind of stress to the mission. I want to try to make this work mainly due to the fact that I'm only DM-ing deathwatch. Another member of our group is running RT, and if I were to pitch the idea to him I would already know whats going to happen. Marines don't feel fear, but the players playing them can be scared. I know for a fact that they all fear Tau Broadsides after last mission one member of the team got obliterated in a single shot. I also want to maybe make the fact that they're in the warp negate their fate points. To represent the Emperor having no purchase in the realm of chaos. Makes saving themselves much more difficult. Possibly allow them only to use fate outside of the warp when the drop back into real-space for short periods of time. Not being able to burn a fate point to save your character could be pretty scary to a player. Also, its the warp. Being stuck in the warp for centuries could maybe break a marine. Who knows.

But either way I appreciate your input.

Thanks,

Austin

Yeah I see what you mean on the protecting 'civilians' because without them their air supply will eventually run out. I also like the idea of inquisitor authority versus Deathwatch authority. The Deathwatch don't strictly speaking have to obey inquisitorial authority so I can see a similar story to the Universe story arc where civilians mutiny against the military. Especially if the Inquisitor in charge is deemed to be heretical, radical or just plain incompetant under this particular pressure (maybe the inquisitor is in some way incapacitated and his Interrogator is in charge). The presence of a mechanicum+inquisitorial expedition would add both a mechanic to get all the tedius jobs done by npc's and add an additional dimension to the team protecting the npc's.

I have to admit I don't know alot about the kinds of monsters in dead space. But I think that if the watchkeeper assigns the kill team to protect the expeditions goal at all costs that would create some interesting dynamics. and then you can throw out evil monsters to kill them. I think as for a bad guy list I think you have covered it quite extensively. Something you might want to consider to throw the kill team off balance would be to have large parts of the hulk unpowered and unexplored for most of the campaign. Then you could have nasties slowly leak out of the dark. Personally I like the idea of the expedition restoring power to a previously unpowered section of the hulk and it letting something really nasty out, like power reaching a necron monolith fragment as described in codex necrons.

I think your ideads are fantastic for a campaign. What I immediately thought about is what could happen to a Kill team once they have successfully survived and left the warp. You could have them flung across the galaxy or even through time. What if after the space hulk campaign the players learn they have returned to the Jericho Reach before Watch Fortress Erioch was built or the Achilius Crusade launched.

Situations were Kill Teams are cut off completely still adds a lot of tension for players. This is true even when playing mighty space marines in my exepreince. Thank you for the great ideas. I think I know what my second campaign will focus on.

As for the supply issue I would make that simply a primary objective for the players as an ongoing issue for them. Locating areas with new weapon supplies, armour and even nourishment can be left up the players to worry about.
Space Hulks are often asteroids, massive ships, space stations, even parts of planets. One way to have the players find a way to deal with supply is include a section of the Space Hulk that once was a Space Marrine Battle Barge, Watch station or even monastery. This area could be reclaimed and then used as a hub or base that allows players to launch "raids" or missions into the rest of the Hulk.
I really like the idea of the Hulk occasionally breaching real space and allowing the players brief contact with Imperial Forces to give them the feeling of hope and then tension when they lose contact.

Ooh. That time one could be crazy. Especially since I just read the stuff about The Omega Vault or whatever it is. Then the KT could be sent on missions and be the ones who originally lock the things in the vault away. Thanks for the awesome ideas. This campaign will be amazing.

Maybe it's just me, but I think that including Tau kind of breaks the horror feel. Chaos-warped orks, on the other hand, have a lot of unplumbed horror potential.

Check out the DH supplement Creatures Anathema for some good odds and ends to run into. The "Living Ammunition" from the Eye of the Warp entry should scare the crap out of most Space Marine players, with their armour-dissolving special attack...

The KT consists of the following:

Black Templar Assault Chaplain

Storm Warden Devistator

Imperial Fist Librarian

Red Scorpion Apothecary (99 insanity, most likely will die before the ship)

Raptor Apothecary

Salamander Tech Marine Master of the Forge

Iron Hands Tactical Marine

Black Shield Librarian

Raven Guard Assault Marine

I'm getting ready to start this campaign and would appreciate some insight and opinions on what you all think would be best. I'm going to start the campaign off with the KT being sent to keep guard on a new Watch Fortress under construction on the fringe of ork territory. The orks aren't going to be very happy about this and will retaliate in kind. They will eventually overpower the forces defending the Fortress just as the space hulk (yet to be named. Name ideas very welcome) drops out of the warp. Being the only spaceworthy ship in the area the KT and all of the people in the Fortress will have to evacuate to the ship if they wish to survive. Led by and inquisitors apprentice (the inquisitor dies in the battle) the KT and the hundreds of humans make it to the hulk to find it powerless. With the orks at their door they need to return power to the ship quickly to get away alive. If the KT cant then i will have some tech priests manage to do it. Without control of the ship, it will jump into the warp by itself. Thus begins the campaign.

With this in mind, does anyone know, or have an idea for, the general layout of a generic Watch Fortress and what parts would be constructed first? As well as areas of interest for the KT to defend?

I also want to have the ship be different from any other space hulk. Maybe a mish-mash of several ships into a massive experimental ship? This would allow for the ship to take a while to explore, as well as a multitude of different things to encounter. It could also have had Astartes presence originally which would allow for weapons, armour, and ammo to be found for the KT to resupply.

I plan on having various warp mutated xenos and humans, daemons, necrons, and chaos marines as the enemies as well as some of my own creation. (More ideas welcome)

I'm unsure of how many of what kind of humans to have accompany the team. (Suggestions?)

I think I will have the ship drop out of warp in uncharted portions of the universe (so that the KT wont want to just take a shuttle and hope for the best.) I plan on having it researching and cataloging the planets it passes to assist in the expansion of the empire, but the ship was thought long lost. When it drops into real space I want them to use the time to either shuttle to a nearby planet to get resources, or to fight off any enemy conflict that may attack them. In warp I am thinking of not allowing the use of fate points (as the light of the Emprah has no hold in the realm of the Ruinous Powers) to make the players more susceptible to being afraid. Seeing as how marines know no fear, my goal is to make the players afraid, who will in turn play their characters as afraid unconsciously.

More ideas to come.

Thanks,

Austin

Looks like a lot of fun. I've been planning a similar campaign using Event Horizon as a basis. I may use aspects of yours and mine to create a far larger campaign instead of just one mission.

Could you point me to, or send me, the information for the other chapters you've used in your game? I have some players that would be interested in some of them.

Thanks.

While the hulk is in the warp, is there any Gellar field active? If not, you may want to consider including whatever common effects are responsible for fusing the hulk into such a twisted mass; "reality quakes" and the like. It could make for a great "Get out now!" moment when the hulk's innards begin twisting and turning, forcing them to flee to the safety of a jury-rigged Gellar device.

Exoviper, That's an awesome idea. I'll definitely be using that. I think I'll have the techs of the group realize that the Gellar field is non operational when they board the ship and they rig up one that will cover a small area of the ship that they can then use as a safe haven.

If any of you were to run this campaign, how would you do it and what would you include? I would like to start running this in the next couple weeks.

WillisRBC, They're all fan made ones. Dark Reign 40k compiled some of them last I knew.

Here is what i have for the ones that aren't in pdf format.

NOTE: This is not my work. Just a collection of things I've found.

IRON HANDS

Statistics
Iron hands consider steel to be stronger than flesh. Iron Hands gain +5 Toughness, but have their Fellowship reduced by 5 to reflect their lack of humanity.
As well as these statistic modifiers, the character may start play with three cybernetic implants of normal quality. These may be upgraded to exceptional quality, though the part is then considered to be two choices. Additionally, all iron hands have a cybernetic hand. If the character wishes the same arm as the hand to be cybernetic, it may be of exceptional quality for only one cybernetic ‘pick’.

Chapter advances
Speak language (Techna-Lingua) 200
Tech-use 400
Tech-use +10 400
Tech-use +20 400
Binary chatter 500
Cybernetic implant (1) 500 Rank 3
Cybernetic implant (2) 500 Rank 6
Die Hard 500
Rapid reload 200
The flesh is weak (1) 800
The flesh is weak (2) 800 The flesh is weak (1)
Technical knock 500 Int 30
Weapon-tech 600

Cybernetic implant talent
The player may an additional cybernetic implant. It is considered to be of exceptional quality.

Chapter trappings I've also changed to:

Rune Marks of the Vurgaan Clan: +3 to all Tech Use rolls
Silver Skulls of the Kaargul: +1 to WS
Raukaan Inscribings: If the Marine’s weapon ever jams or over-heats, roll d10. On a ‘1’ the effect is ignored.

Alternatively, an Iron Hands character may take one extra normal quality Bionic implant as his Chapter Trapping.

RAVEN GUARD

This is what I have been thinking of for the Raven Guard trappings, keeping in mind that they are the stealthy ones. The pattern seems to be that each chapter gets a choice of some sort of tool, be it a weapon or what have you, or an enhancement. So this is what I have got.

Icons of the Raven: Choose one.
Icon of the Swooping Raven: Add +3 to Pilot (Personal) tests.
Icon of the Avenging Raven: Add +2 to WS Tests
Icon of the Swift Raven: Add +2 to Movement

I would do Perception and Agility and avoid a bonus to WS simply because the Blood Angels and Black Templars already have one and the Space Wolves don't. Since the Ravens disdain close combat it would be weird for them to be better at it than the Wolves who love it.

Raven Guard don't have the Betcher's Gland or Mucranoid and their Melanchromic Organ doesn't work.

I wouldn't remove their Unnattural Toughness but the Mucranoid can let them ignore some radiation at GM discretion so the Ravens never get that benefit. The Melanchromic and Betcher's are easy, no Toughness re-roll for extreme temperature and no acid spit. I would give them the Dark Sight Trait to make up for this.

For Demeanor I'd call it Original Sin and base it on Corax's guilt over his experiments. Raven Guard always feel the shame of loss and it haunts them.

For Primarch's Curse I'd do something with their combat doctrine;

Level 1: Hit and Run - The Raven Guard must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower test if he wishes to engage an enemy directly rather than from ambush. If he fails he takes a -10 to WS and BS until he can break off and reengage with advantage.

Level 2: Raven's Wings - Sons of the Raven cannot bear to be immobile. If forced to hold a position he must be proactive and bring the battle to the enemy. Unless he has direct control of a vehicle (including a jump pack) or is wearing Scout Armor, he is distracted and may not benefit from Squad Mode Actions called by non Raven Guard characters.

Level 3: Fluid Command - The Marine has internalized his Chapter's command structure to the point where he can no longer act outside it. His aggressive, independent nature is difficult to control and reduces the Cohesion of his Team by 2 unless the Team is composed entirely of Raven Guard or the leader is an Assault Marine.

RED SCORPIONS

Origins
The exact founding and reasons are lost, all we know is they are pre M35 and have very pure gene-seed, though they are wary of genetic deviations. As they are strict adherants to the Codex, I'll assume they are an Ultramarines offshoot unless something else is more appropriate to the known fluff. We don't know much, if anything about Zaebus Minoris, their recruiting world, as it's an unknown planet in an unknown region of space. Only high up members of the Inquisition know if it's whereabouts

Progenator: Unknown

Demeanour: Purity Above All This speaks for itself. Paranoid and purity obsessed
Gene-seed deficiencies: No known deficiencies
Chapter Flaws: We Stand Alone This one was a close call as We Stand Alone fits their secretive, withdrawn demeanour, but Pride in Colours was also a very close contender as they seem to hate anything that disguises their chapter colours, especially camo

Characteristic modifiers: Death Unto Duty. +5T, +5WP I felt that the toughness/willpower increase could be due to their fanatical belief in purity, both in deed and thought.

Figures of legend: Chapter Master Carab Culln for quelling the Badab uprising and returning the region to Imperium control.

Homeworld: Zaebus Minoris; location unknown.
Planetary type: Unknown
Relationship: Unknown, suspected direct rule.

Organisation: Codex chapter; Codex Combat Doctrine. Nominal strength; half strength scout company

Solo mode: Favoured Son (Ultramarines solo mode), unless dealing with abhumans, or those chapters that the Red Scorpions consider impure, such as Blood Angels, Salamanders and Space Wolves.
Squad Attack mode: Lead By Example (Ultramarines squad mode) Following Culln's example of mediatior and commander of the allied forces in the Badab War... the other alternative was Tactical Finesse. LBE seemed more like the leadership role they seem to believe is their right
Squad defensive mode: Rally Cry (Ultramarines squad mode) Rather than their devoted belief to their Primarch, their fanatical belief in the Emperor and the Codex pushes them to believe wholeheartedly in their fight and rally those around them

Speciality restrictions
The chapter has limited Scout resources and dislikes the use of camo, even Codex approved styles, and would thus not send Scouts to the Deathwatch. I would imagine that they would also send more apothecaries in order to monitor any existing Scorpions seconded to the Deathwatch and make sure they didn't... deviate.

Speciality equipment: Codex Astartes; Golden Icons (see Blood Angels equpiment)
Special rule: Lore: Scholastic [Codex Astartes] +5 They see the Codex as religious text, so they are likely to have a much greater understanding of this than most other chapters when they start out
Special rule: Distrust the impure: -5 Fel to any abhuman, or any chapter considered to be impure (Space wolf, Salamander, Blood Angels etc) While not an actual rule, I felt this would fit their distrust of anything they consider impure

Beliefs: The Emperor Above All

Friends & Enemies
Friends: none They are isolationists who trust no-one except those they must. i.e. only very high up members of the Inquisition know the location of their home world; no-one else
Enemies: Chaos Space Marines : Red Corsairs; Abhumans; mutants

Chapter Advances: Use the Command Without Doubt table