Greetings brothers (I like that greeting ),

I'll be running a DW campaign soon and as a Dark Heresy GM I've had problems with characters carrying too much equipment/weapons. I'm not talking about carrying capacity but volume. I've had players carrying from 2-3 Basic weapons to as much as 1 heavy, 3 basic and 4 pistol weapons. Ridiculous.

Anyway, the same problem will probably occur with Space Marines as much as with Acolytes. My players will want to carry as many weapons as possible.

What do you think would be the maximum load-out of weapons and equipment (grenades, extra ammo pack, drugs, tools, etc.) in numbers in respect to a Space Marine's size and armor? How would they carry any extra equipment if any apart from that?

Base RAW says standard ammo is unlimited in DW. Alternate rules from the errata suggests the rule of three, where you get three reloads for each weapon (which mind you means 9 clips for most boltguns due to the fire selector). I find for ammo it's really up to the themes you want- want your PCs worried about ammo conservation and the like? Limit their ammo. Find tracking ammo just feels like added overhead? Let it be unlimited.

As for weapon load out, I tend to go with 1 heavy + 1 basic + 2 melee capable weapons or 2 basic + 2 melee capable weapons, or some variety. I found with my group simply asking them 'where do you put that' tends to put an end to overloaded loadouts. Though the players know that I'll stick them with some kind of penalty or complication to rolls dealing with being overloaded (can't navigate that tunnel system that you're supposed to with a lascannon strapped to your back).

Another thing I've found tends to work well in limiting the loadout of players is simply limiting requisition. Many of my missions so far have hovered around the 70 level, though I expect that to climb up to 100 or so soon as the cost of gear rises. But at that level you just can't buy that much stuff. In DH/RT buy the gear with cash or rep and you always have it- what that does is causes players to buy a gun 'just in case' they need that weapon ability on a mission/adventure (I was guilty of this myself). In DW, you have to buy the gun every time you go on a mission, and if in 90% of the missions you go on you don't pull out your backup you'll stop buying it in favor of something more cost effective (in the case of many of my adventures, non-combat gear can easily provide a bigger benefit).

I use a "carry point" -system which limits each marine to following:

- One (1) Basic or Heavy Weapon or Two-Handed Melee Weapon

- Two (2) sidearms, which can be Pistols, One Handed Melee Weapons or Shields

- A number of "carry points" in which they can carry ammunition, grenades and all that. I also actually scrapped the "unlimited ammunition". The players have to keep counting bullets inside the current magazine anyway, so they might as well count out the number of extra magazines.

Click the Marine Carrying Diagram in my sig to find out the exact details. The thread it opens has a link to PDF carrying diagram you can print out, distribute to your players and use to keep tabs on what and how much everyone is carrying.

I'd probably allow generally:

-1 heavy + 1 basic OR 2 basic OR 2 heavy (Soundstrike + other heavy w/backpack only)

-Up to 2 pistols counting the default bolt pistol

-Up to 2 CCWs including storm shields but not combat shields and not counting the combat knife

Ammo and grenades and other gear I'll have to think about.

If you don't want to implement hard-and-fast house rules on carrying capacity, a simple solution is to ask the overloaded PC how he is carrying all those weapons. A heavy weapon in each hand will be extremely unbalancing, and should cause hefty penalties to any Agility tests. A missle launcher on a strap slung at his side, thumping against his armour with every step? Even hard-of-hearing enemies will hear the character coming from kilometers away. Something slung on his back? With the size of an Astartes powerplant, that's not going to be accessable with Quickdraw- or even a half-action. He has to drop an armload of weapons on the ground at the start of each combat? That kind of repeated punishment will surely increase the chances of a misfire (or, in the case of plasma weapons, an explosion).

Just beat them over the head with Common Sense until they see the light...

Adeptus-B said:

I think you forget what universe this is. Common Sense doesn't say you paint your armour bright red and take a chainsaw sword as your primary weapon.

I'm not one to enforce adamantium hard limits. For the most part, I just ask my players how they carry them. I'm fine with most of the miscellaneous gear being hung at the belt, or magged to the armour Guns, on the other hand, are a little more concrete. A backpack based weapon, as most heavy weapons are, is easy. You can only have one backpack, which includes servo-arm and/or jetpacks. Combat knives tend to get magged to the calf, whilst pistols and basic weapons are often along the thigh. Chainswords, when they are stowed, strike me as going under the backpack mount.

I use the 4 Hands Rule. So 2 Basic, or 2 Melee and 1 Basic, 1 Heavy and 1 Basic, etc.

The only "weapons" that do not count towards this is the Astartes Combat Knife and Grenades.

Polaria said:

I think I'll be using your PDF. It's very helpfull and is, hands down, the best solution for me. i have very, very munchkin-oriented players. Power-gamers if you will. without rules that restrict them they would carry a Leman Russ tank cannon if the rules for carrying capacity allow it.

Thanks to everyone else for replying as well.

The Emperor protects