Third topic in a row? Well this is my first time on this Forum (to be active) and my first look is that here is a very helpful community.
I need help with my mission of DW. I have an idea on what I want to do with this, but maybe some seasoned veterans in the 40KRPG front can help me out. Here is everything so far:
Please note that, while I have and read all the books in english, some of my players are not used to the english language and so the adventures runs in german (so for a fluid mission, I write everything down in german (except for stats etc.)) Here is translated what I've got so far.
"The Inquisition of the Ordos Xenos are in search of the rogue trade and con man Lando Arillium who is suspected to sell dangerous items of dubious origin to influential persons of the Imperium.
For a long time he had been protected by his customers from the watchful eye of the Inquision, but after the Ordos Xenosis tightening the noose closer around Lando and his customers a lot have denounced him.
Arillium didn't loose all his backing and so it is rumored that he could flee to the mining world of OCTAVIAN.
But not only the Imperium is interested in these decay heralding artifects. Secret documtens report that the corrupted tech priests of SAMECH are interested in Lando Arrilliums exquisite goods. It would be the end of the Jericho Reach, If they could combine these artifacts with their unholy machines.
It's a race against time."
The title of this adventure is profit and the greater theme should be every person gaining something from this from the personal view, but it fits naturally with a rogue trader.
What I want to include in this mission
There is a lot of going on so far, but I want to include more, because a new player will control (mostly dice rolls and interacting with the PCs) important NPCS. Also this is a starting mission, because I have four new players. A librarian (black shield), a devastator (dark angel), a tactical marine (storm warden) and a player who is yet undecided but might want to be an assault marine (blood angels).
I want to include some kind of counter and when it reaches a certain point all hell breaks loose on Octavian and / or the tech-priests of samech found Lando before the players. There will also be an inquisitior (issueing the mission), who wants to aquire the artefacts for him-/herself in order to drive the assault onward (ignoring the doom that might come with using this items) -- and lastly as the last boss encouter, there will be a corrupted death watch space wolf (with a fenrisian wolf) (the main npcs the friend will control). Since all the players are Rank 1 (we played tow missions and started over, because a) some players left and some players came to our group and b) we hadn't be that sure with the rules and this was our playtesting phase, also the players could see what the chars could do and get a better feeling) or are not that much common with the Reach (from the background of the PCs) the Inquisitor issues a higher ranked space wolf (with a fenrisian wolf) ... to help the killteam out, while it might occur strange to some, the inquisitor really wants these artefacts and since time is running out, things have to be taken care of.
While most of you might now argue, why the Inquisitor doesn't select a more sophesticated group, the answer is easy, there aren't that much left, with all that's going on in the Reach. Unbeknownst to all of them (even the inquistor) the space wolf marine is corrupted by chaos and will reveal itself, when the artifacts are in his grasp.
Also I want to involve my Kill-Team much more in the missions I write for them. Here is the breakdown of their background, te players asked me if I could make them a background with some imerfections. I just give you the details instead of the full fleged storylines:
storm warden: essentially for him being on the deathwatch is much more a punishement. he is a really promising marine, but he has a lot of pride and wants to tackle the enemy rather head on (as the doctrine of the storm wardens) instead of utilising tactics by his seniors who are less valiant, but ensure less losses. it was so that he was defying his searge on the battlefield with the enemy gaining full advantage of that. it was decided that he is being sent to the deathwatch to get accustumed to a lot of tactics and learn that there is more than one way to a problem. also he is denied his claymore until he rescues a team memebr, even if it puts himself in mortal peril.
dark angel: he is much of a war hero, in the last attack of orks he got deployed with his unit behind enemy lines, while his seragent got devoured by the green tide, he stood still and hold the ground without loosing a comrade, until reinforcements arrived. however he learned later that on that planet there had been fallen dark angels, who started an uprising agains the imperium. the imperium already got rid of the uprising in the usual manner (with brute force) and the fallens vanished, before the dark angels could get a hold. it was found out that maybe some took refugee in the Reach and thus the dark angel palyer set out to the deathwatch with a mission of his own, bringing justice to the lost.
black shiled: for this char I just provided a data entry heavily censored. the only thing that transpired that his chapter might have been destroyed by an other chapter and that there might be a dark secret, because all documents reffering to his chapter had been heavily . also the librarian had been brainwashed to some extent to forget a good bit of his past. he was to precious not to serve in the empire and thus had been sent to the deathwatch. (note: that's all I agreed on the player so far. he said that I shall reveal his history to himself from time to time, if it's approriate (by messages that he will gain flashbacks) or other npcs knowing addressing him etc. - so he is an unwritten book for myself, he could become the greatest hero or villian. the player trusts me in my decision)
As you see I've quite made up my mind on what I want to include and roughly how this adventure would be playing out -- so here is where I need help in particular:
- a suitable rank for a person who is running a mine, high enough to have influence in the imperium and who could blackmail lando so that fleeing from the planet (when the dw arrives) is not an ption for lando EDIT: As written below, running a mine shouldn't be the main part, but the rank should be influential enough to ward of the inquisition for some time, but not as high that he couldn't tackled and tossed around by the players a bit (well only if they find out that he is hiding lando, otherwise they have to fear some repercussions)
- a suitable reason why the this person would take the risk to have lando close to him (i guess that maybe some artifacts are on the planet and lando will be given the task to retrieve them in the name of this person -- so he could be standing there with no taint at all)
- reasonable clues, open enough for the inexperienced players to see, hidden enough, so they don't feel railroaded to follow them
- a reasonable explanation why the space wolf turned to chaos. so far I want him turn to nurgle and explain it that he got badly shot during a mission, but also his fenrisian wolf was quite take his lasts breath. in this hour the space wolf questioned for all this pointless war and nurgle offered him to save not only but his friend which he shared a deep bond, his wolf - with his new found strenght he could end this useless war. he decided to remain silent, because he knew the deathwatch was in possesion of powerful weapons who could achieve this goal with too much bloodshed. with lando and the inquisitor calling for his help, he saw an opportunity to help him ----- I'm personally not entirely sold on a space wolf wanting to end and "endless war" ... a second version I thought would be fitting would be some kind of cursed power sword, but the npc player stressed his taste in lightning claws towards me and since this is his first game I really want to make him happy and go with the claws (as this is also fitting with a wulven!)
- a good example of how the actions of the team shall advance the counter. I'm thinking of time and every action consumes time, however I don't want to make it too complicated, but I still want the team to feel, that time is really running out and it's not just a description
- a solution to take a planet from the map (it doesn't have to be OCTAVIAN or a mining planet) that have all the things I need for my mission -and already be endorsed officially in that way. I couldn't finish reading achillus crusade so far and I can't afford getting JERICHO REACH before I run this mission (car repairs are stealing the money out of my pocket) - so if anyone can provide me with a suitable planet I would be very, very happy. I want to go with the official lines, so I can let another person GM if he feels like and just read up all the books and carry on GMing.
- named characters, which are also from the various sourcebooks that can fit in this play style without altering the universe TOO much for them
I don't want you to provide me with a full adventure, but if you give me some adventure seeds or hints on some of the things I need help on I would be very thankful. Please keep in mind, while I have a quite set adventure, there is enough room to alter some things. the mission will kick of on the 31st on march, but I want to have as much written up by that time, so the group can truly enjoy the adventure and there aren't much hickups. You can also pinpoint me to sourcebook pages. I have every deathwatch supplement (+core rulebook) barring the jericho reach (and the upcoming rising tempest).
Again thank you for all the help, intel and suggestion on this adventure. If you have some question or want me to eloborate on something to give better advice, feel free to ask what I have planned so far ... also if wished I could provide you with the adventure when it's finished (though I have to translate from german ot english, so there might be some flaws).
- Kiwamu
