Only War

By blackwell, in Dark Heresy

Posted at

Catachan said:

dracopticon said:

Why do so many holler about the very very heavy stuff, like Baneblades, Ogryns and specialized troops when they talk about this supplement??

As a long time IG player and fan I expect to see some stuff that is unique to the IG. My list includes.

-real Commissares, not what ever they have in the IH book.

-abhumans such as Ogryns and Ratlings (they have not received a lot of love, even on tabletop)

-Signature IG vehicles such as Russ, Chimeras, Hellhounds, and other sorts of ordnance projecting platforms.

-The Baneblade, nothing says IG is in the house like one of these.

Why even get a supplement if there is no specialized options? Isn't that the whole point of having one. Any thing mundane can already be done in with the existing rules.

I beg to differ. If the supplement describes the many different and most famous (as well as other less famous) IG regiments with character specializations and quirks and stuff, now THAT'S really the roleplaying I'm after, not some "roll-playing" strategy/tactical game hybrid, like a personalized table top version of the setting with a few "computerlike RPG" mechanics thrown in there. After all, it's a little hard "roleplaying" the "personality" of a Baneblade... Then, why not play computer games instead of roleplaying ones? Ok, the commissar line of info is very interesting yes, and also Ogryns and Ratlings, but they're only the icing of the cake. It's how your PC and fellow player characters react to the surroundings, and what you accomplish in such a highly volatile environment that's interesting! Not overmaxing your character and his equipment. That's NOT roleplaying. Only munchkin land.

Posted at

dracopticon said:

My own idea for my first IG scenario goes like this (I don't think my players here in Sweden are gonna see and read this);

The regiment arrives on their first real assignment on a newly defended and reconquered planet that has been under the near total-take over from a Tyranid splinter swarm. All kinds of bad ass fighting has been here and done with, even some Astartes has been involved, or so the rumour goes. But that was like a month ago, and now the player characters regiment has landed and is assigned as interim PDF/guarding regimental force during the time the planet is recovering and rebuilding (some 6 months).

Then one day during the second week since their landing, the player characters company gets the duty to patrol an outback area, where there's been reports of some badly wounded smaller Tyranids. stragglers since the cleansing, which becomes highest priority for patrolling and after-cleansing.

The player company captain, a real stiff-upper-lip upper-class-type which always dresses his best, looses his highly prised family heirloom sword. The thing is: it got stuck on the backplates on a wounded hormagaunt who was then seen running away real fast with it, before anyone could even start reacting.

So, the player characters own sarge volunteers for the assignment to get the sword back and track the "critter" and kill it. Problem is, the "critter" isn't alone.

And on from there. Well, that's the general outline of the adventure, what do you think?.

As a grunt I'd report the CO to the commisserat for loosing equipment, and the sergeant for talking about abandoning his post. Anonymously of coarse, because the person reporting will probably also be punished for reporting on higher ranking individuals (as stated in the Uplifting Primer). I'd expect to have a new CO within the week, the sergeant shot, and not having to go on a pointless mission.

Or another senario is that the commissar is alerted of a NCO that went AWOL for no apparent reason. Then he would get a squad together to go hunt down the group of deserters.

Or the sergeant and his team finds the sword and defeats the tyranids just to be turned into ash by an ordnance bombardment. They didn't report their location to the chain of command fearing the commissar might find out what they were up to. It cost them in the end for not being aware of the plans of the regiment as a whole.

If the CO is such a stiff upperlipper then he shoots the sergeant as the seargeant hands him the sword for not following orders. He also orders the sword destroyed because of the xeno taint. Also launch an investigation to find the guardsman that reported him

Man I can't wait for Only War, it's gonna be great playing a commissar. Don't fail that fear check, I just reloaded.

Posted at

Catachan said:

Man I can't wait for Only War, it's gonna be great playing a commissar. Don't fail that fear check, I just reloaded.

I guess you will be very disappointed in this regard. Their are very few RPG on the market that encourage "player-kills". I guess there will be a talent/trait that allows a Commissar to add a bonus to fear test and/or negate feartests of NPC by shooting one of them. But I would never-assume that a PC-Commissar will ever shot at a PC. To much explaining away why/how this fate point kept the other PC alive gui%C3%B1o.gif

Posted at

dracopticon said:

Why do so many holler about the very very heavy stuff, like Baneblades, Ogryns and specialized troops when they talk about this supplement??

Do almost everyone want to play overmaxed superpowerful munchkin stuff, instead of ordinary Imperial Guard-men and -women?

What does the term "to holler about sth" actually mean?

In regard to power-level question; FFG literally let the bottom drop out with the ASCENSION and the possibility of playing GreyKnight in DH. And they did so because they saw a demand for it. While I do not see the use in an investigation based RPG, their is for sure more to come out of this directin.

Posted at

Gregorius21778 said:

dracopticon said:

Why do so many holler about the very very heavy stuff, like Baneblades, Ogryns and specialized troops when they talk about this supplement??

Do almost everyone want to play overmaxed superpowerful munchkin stuff, instead of ordinary Imperial Guard-men and -women?

What does the term "to holler about sth" actually mean?

In regard to power-level question; FFG literally let the bottom drop out with the ASCENSION and the possibility of playing GreyKnight in DH. And they did so because they saw a demand for it. While I do not see the use in an investigation based RPG, their is for sure more to come out of this directin.

Let's be fair here. Ascension characters and Grey Knights are not meant to be part of an ordinary Acolyte cell. In other words: with these guys you'll play a completely different game.

Ascension was made so you can incorporate an Inquisitor, and these guys ARE powerful.

As for Grey Knights, they are elite Space Marines. Of course they won't fight side by side with ordinary Acolytes. Daemon Hunter suggests that they can be played in a separate campaign or as a separate group in an ongoing Malleus campaign (troupe style play), which is IMHO all nice.

Posted at

I have an idea on how to include Grey Knights in to my own campaign.

I'm going to eventually put the PC's in to a situation where they're trying to stop a warp breach from being opened. It's going to be a very tough mission, but it's going to pay off for them big time (on the fast track to Throne Agent -hood) if they succeed.

But there's going to be a very real chance they won't, and in that eventuality they will play the squad of Grey Knights sent in to save the day and rescue the Acolytes, since they're going to be extra special valuable to their master for reasons which don't matter here.

Of course, these same Grey Knights will later be sent to hunt down the PC's, for further undisclosed reasons.

Posted at

Catachan said:

dracopticon said:

My own idea for my first IG scenario goes like this (I don't think my players here in Sweden are gonna see and read this);

The regiment arrives on their first real assignment on a newly defended and reconquered planet that has been under the near total-take over from a Tyranid splinter swarm. All kinds of bad ass fighting has been here and done with, even some Astartes has been involved, or so the rumour goes. But that was like a month ago, and now the player characters regiment has landed and is assigned as interim PDF/guarding regimental force during the time the planet is recovering and rebuilding (some 6 months).

Then one day during the second week since their landing, the player characters company gets the duty to patrol an outback area, where there's been reports of some badly wounded smaller Tyranids. stragglers since the cleansing, which becomes highest priority for patrolling and after-cleansing.

The player company captain, a real stiff-upper-lip upper-class-type which always dresses his best, looses his highly prised family heirloom sword. The thing is: it got stuck on the backplates on a wounded hormagaunt who was then seen running away real fast with it, before anyone could even start reacting.

So, the player characters own sarge volunteers for the assignment to get the sword back and track the "critter" and kill it. Problem is, the "critter" isn't alone.

And on from there. Well, that's the general outline of the adventure, what do you think?.

As a grunt I'd report the CO to the commisserat for loosing equipment, and the sergeant for talking about abandoning his post. Anonymously of coarse, because the person reporting will probably also be punished for reporting on higher ranking individuals (as stated in the Uplifting Primer). I'd expect to have a new CO within the week, the sergeant shot, and not having to go on a pointless mission.

Or another senario is that the commissar is alerted of a NCO that went AWOL for no apparent reason. Then he would get a squad together to go hunt down the group of deserters.

Or the sergeant and his team finds the sword and defeats the tyranids just to be turned into ash by an ordnance bombardment. They didn't report their location to the chain of command fearing the commissar might find out what they were up to. It cost them in the end for not being aware of the plans of the regiment as a whole.

If the CO is such a stiff upperlipper then he shoots the sergeant as the seargeant hands him the sword for not following orders. He also orders the sword destroyed because of the xeno taint. Also launch an investigation to find the guardsman that reported him

Man I can't wait for Only War, it's gonna be great playing a commissar. Don't fail that fear check, I just reloaded.

I did say the sarge "volunteers for the assignment", not goes running away without even reporting it. Of course the company captain (or the sword could belong to the regiment's colonel) doesn't call it a "sword-retrieval assignment". Officially it's a recon detail that's going to scout the surroundings (for the sword). I think the commissar will be joining them to see the assignment is done properly. The owner of the sword could still send the patrol to the gallows of let the commissar shoot the whole squad if it turns out badly. No silver lining on the clouds there.

Posted at

Catachan said:

dracopticon said:

My own idea for my first IG scenario goes like this (I don't think my players here in Sweden are gonna see and read this);

The regiment arrives on their first real assignment on a newly defended and reconquered planet that has been under the near total-take over from a Tyranid splinter swarm. All kinds of bad ass fighting has been here and done with, even some Astartes has been involved, or so the rumour goes. But that was like a month ago, and now the player characters regiment has landed and is assigned as interim PDF/guarding regimental force during the time the planet is recovering and rebuilding (some 6 months).

Then one day during the second week since their landing, the player characters company gets the duty to patrol an outback area, where there's been reports of some badly wounded smaller Tyranids. stragglers since the cleansing, which becomes highest priority for patrolling and after-cleansing.

The player company captain, a real stiff-upper-lip upper-class-type which always dresses his best, looses his highly prised family heirloom sword. The thing is: it got stuck on the backplates on a wounded hormagaunt who was then seen running away real fast with it, before anyone could even start reacting.

So, the player characters own sarge volunteers for the assignment to get the sword back and track the "critter" and kill it. Problem is, the "critter" isn't alone.

And on from there. Well, that's the general outline of the adventure, what do you think?.

As a grunt I'd report the CO to the commisserat for loosing equipment, and the sergeant for talking about abandoning his post. Anonymously of coarse, because the person reporting will probably also be punished for reporting on higher ranking individuals (as stated in the Uplifting Primer). I'd expect to have a new CO within the week, the sergeant shot, and not having to go on a pointless mission.

Or another senario is that the commissar is alerted of a NCO that went AWOL for no apparent reason. Then he would get a squad together to go hunt down the group of deserters.

Or the sergeant and his team finds the sword and defeats the tyranids just to be turned into ash by an ordnance bombardment. They didn't report their location to the chain of command fearing the commissar might find out what they were up to. It cost them in the end for not being aware of the plans of the regiment as a whole.

If the CO is such a stiff upperlipper then he shoots the sergeant as the seargeant hands him the sword for not following orders. He also orders the sword destroyed because of the xeno taint. Also launch an investigation to find the guardsman that reported him

Man I can't wait for Only War, it's gonna be great playing a commissar. Don't fail that fear check, I just reloaded.

I did say the sarge "volunteers for the assignment", not goes running away without even reporting it. Of course the company captain (or the sword could belong to the regiment's colonel) doesn't call it a "sword-retrieval assignment". Officially it's a recon detail that's going to scout the surroundings (for the sword). I think the commissar will be joining them to see the assignment is done properly. The owner of the sword could still send the patrol to the gallows of let the commissar shoot the whole squad if it turns out badly. No silver lining on the clouds there.

Posted at

Gregorius21778 said:

What does the term "to holler about sth" actually mean?

Holler = Yell or complain loudly.

Not up on your southern U.S. lingo?

Posted at

Gregorius21778 said:

Catachan said:

Man I can't wait for Only War, it's gonna be great playing a commissar. Don't fail that fear check, I just reloaded.

I guess you will be very disappointed in this regard. Their are very few RPG on the market that encourage "player-kills". I guess there will be a talent/trait that allows a Commissar to add a bonus to fear test and/or negate feartests of NPC by shooting one of them. But I would never-assume that a PC-Commissar will ever shot at a PC. To much explaining away why/how this fate point kept the other PC alive gui%C3%B1o.gif

Seconded. PCs killing other PCs should be strongly discouraged in this kind of game. The entire concept is a small group coming together in the face of adversity. Mess with that at your game's peril.

If you're playing Hot War, or better yet, Paranoia (my favourite game to GM), it's a whole different ball game. Batter up.

Posted at

Sorry for the double post! Sometimes my Internet window refreshing on IE 8 sucks big eternity. And then I click and click again. Not smart, I know...

I looked for some kind of sign in the "Upcoming" apartment of the FFG front page, but I couldn't locate so much as a faint whisper that this supplement is atleast in the "In development" stage. I want it noooow!

Posted at

There are several worlds that would be great to know more about, as they're War worlds or places with conflict; Ganf Magna, Kuluth, Protasia, 47 Kapella, the three worlds in Gelmiro system and Malice. Deathworlds and Penal colonies should be covered a little bit more too, I think.

Of course, more details on IG units are also nice.

Posted at

I am sorry to revive such a necromantic thread, but...


I REALLY REALLY hope they publish the supplement of "Only War" sooooooooon! Can't wait.

Posted at

dracopticon said:

I am sorry to revive such a necromantic thread, but...


I REALLY REALLY hope they publish the supplement of "Only War" sooooooooon! Can't wait.

Sorry to disappoint you but that's not gonna happen. See, the answer's right there:

"In the grim darkness of the far future there is Only War."

See? Far future. gui%C3%B1o.gif

Posted at

Dok Martin said:

dracopticon said:

I am sorry to revive such a necromantic thread, but...


I REALLY REALLY hope they publish the supplement of "Only War" sooooooooon! Can't wait.

Sorry to disappoint you but that's not gonna happen. See, the answer's right there:

"In the grim darkness of the far future there is Only War."

See? Far future. gui%C3%B1o.gif

Hahaha! You have a nice humor, that's for sure. :) But, talking of "not going to happen", it could very well be that FFG drops this and perhaps even publishes something bigger. How about a whole new range of 40K books under the headline of playing Imperial Guard?? I'm actually hopeing more for that than this.

Posted at

dracopticon said:

Dok Martin said:

dracopticon said:

I am sorry to revive such a necromantic thread, but...


I REALLY REALLY hope they publish the supplement of "Only War" sooooooooon! Can't wait.

Sorry to disappoint you but that's not gonna happen. See, the answer's right there:

"In the grim darkness of the far future there is Only War."

See? Far future. gui%C3%B1o.gif

Hahaha! You have a nice humor, that's for sure. :) But, talking of "not going to happen", it could very well be that FFG drops this and perhaps even publishes something bigger. How about a whole new range of 40K books under the headline of playing Imperial Guard?? I'm actually hopeing more for that than this.

Looks like your wish just happened. Apparently Only War is going to be its own system.

Interesting times ahead.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3185

Also, it does have its own sub-board under RPGs, so check that out.

Posted at

KommissarK said:

Looks like your wish just happened. Apparently Only War is going to be its own system.

While I don't know the details of how this came to pass, I can easily imagine that the sheer number of ideas for cool things to put into Only War swiftly made it impractical to only be a supplement...

Posted at

N0-1_H3r3 said:

KommissarK said:

Looks like your wish just happened. Apparently Only War is going to be its own system.

While I don't know the details of how this came to pass, I can easily imagine that the sheer number of ideas for cool things to put into Only War swiftly made it impractical to only be a supplement...

True enough. Will be interesting to see how it differentiates itself from Deathwatch though.

Also, given the high mortality rate in the IG, I'm seeing gaming tables running with the blood of PCs...

Posted at

KommissarK said:

True enough. Will be interesting to see how it differentiates itself from Deathwatch though.

Also, given the high mortality rate in the IG, I'm seeing gaming tables running with the blood of PCs...

All I can say at this point is that both points have been extensively thought about.

For anything less vague, wait for the string of Designer Diaries (I'll be writing mine up tomorrow, but I have no idea about, or control over, when it'll get posted).

Posted at

It makes sense in a way. This will allow them to implement rule changes and integrate adjustments into a Dark Heresy type setting. I just truly hope FFG aren't jumping Guardsmen up to Black Crusade power levels.

While I completely understand how this came to be, a whole new system is slightly annoying. Gaunt's Ghosts the RPG will need to be pretty awesome for me to get really enthused about it.

Posted at

KommissarK said:

dracopticon said:

Dok Martin said:

dracopticon said:

I am sorry to revive such a necromantic thread, but...


I REALLY REALLY hope they publish the supplement of "Only War" sooooooooon! Can't wait.

Sorry to disappoint you but that's not gonna happen. See, the answer's right there:

"In the grim darkness of the far future there is Only War."

See? Far future. gui%C3%B1o.gif

Hahaha! You have a nice humor, that's for sure. :) But, talking of "not going to happen", it could very well be that FFG drops this and perhaps even publishes something bigger. How about a whole new range of 40K books under the headline of playing Imperial Guard?? I'm actually hopeing more for that than this.

Looks like your wish just happened. Apparently Only War is going to be its own system.

Interesting times ahead.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3185

Also, it does have its own sub-board under RPGs, so check that out.

YES!!! Only a few hours ago, I accidentally stumbled upon the page you talk about, when browsing FFG. It's...karma.

Posted at

@N0-1_H3R3

How deeply are you involved with this game? I know you can't exactly name chapters, but between "OW came together because of me, every second page is written by me" and "I wrote that quote blurb about the quality of corpse starch rations on page 325", about where are you?

Posted at

Cifer said:

@N0-1_H3R3

How deeply are you involved with this game? I know you can't exactly name chapters, but between "OW came together because of me, every second page is written by me" and "I wrote that quote blurb about the quality of corpse starch rations on page 325", about where are you?

A single chapter of the book was my contribution, though as with all 40kRP books, the work was a collaborative effort in all parts, with each person involved providing ideas, feedback and research to the project as a whole, and most chapters being interlinked in some way (using inoffensive, spoiler-free examples: adding background references to a section and needing to refer to the main setting section for names and descriptions of worlds, or ensuring that character creation and the skills and talents rules fit together).

It's about standard for my contributions - most assignments I do for FFG are between twenty-five and thirty thousand words.

However, it should be noted that I am not presently involved with the game - I've done my part and been paid for it. Designer Diaries are voluntary extras, but beyond that, I won't be involved in Only War beyond my existing contribution unless I'm hired to work on a supplement for it.

All this said, I've not seen the finished version of the game, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the book hit shelves and getting my hands on a copy.

Posted at

Ah! Thanks for reminding me Nathan. Now I can add Only War to my sig. Did you get asked to do a Designer Dairy? I’d love to do one for my sections...

Like Nathan said, the books are collaborative efforts. There are some writers you talk to constantly as their sections overlap with yours heavily, whereas there are other parts that have little to do with your own work, so you only see them once the final book is out. I’m very much looking forward to getting hold of a copy. So far the artwork looks amazing!

BYE

Posted at

that's such a suprise!

I mean, we already have Deathwatch ... and now another campaign focusing on war, brotherhood and heroic feats in the face of terrible foes?

I wonder if these rules will stand as the ultimate incarnation of the system.