Penalties for losing Power Armour

By PrimarchSanguinius, in Deathwatch

I most ask however, where were the rest of the team both of these occasions?

Unholy_Ravager said:

I must admit, i didn't read that it was chapter squad mode abilities you suggested.

In which case I totally understand your point! Losing ALL squad modes is way too harsh.

Unholy_Ravager said:

I most ask however, where were the rest of the team both of these occasions?

If he was acting alone, it's his fault…but also his Brothers for not keeping him in line or supporting him. Especially if he was not team leader.

Well, as for the first scenario as hes fighting several Chaos space marines, to be honest I probably would've tried as well. Should he just let them go? Ok, if the rest of the squad was nearby and he messed up before they got there, then yeah tactically bad situation, but they shouldn't have been able to loot him without his teammates rescuing him.

I think there is more honor lost letting the traitor legions away without a fight (unless something insane like a whole army) than trying. The armor loss is, more or less, on his TEAM not him. Where were they?

Also, after that happened, yeah the next mission.. No rather, the new primary or secondary mission should've been to recollect the armor. Before they left the area. His battle brothers should've done that if possible. If not, reknown loss.

On the other scenario, being captured fine, but hes being rescued sometime isn't he? Or personally breaking free. Where is his armor? Either his rescuing party, or he himself should have tracked it down. If not only to have some protection while breaking out. If not, reknown loss, not as bad as regular armor though as they are marks of heroes.

As for penalties goes, that's what reknown is. He won't have access to high level gear because he ends up loosing it. But no space marine captain, commander of any kind or anyone at all would send a space marine without armor against chaos to reclaim his old one. That's simply put just stupid thinking.

Space marines are proud, the reknown loss and remarks about how he keeps loosing stuff, a general feeling of being frowned upon. That's punishment. If anything, I'd punish his teammates for not looking after their teammate almost just as much. Granted that it's not a player who doesn't care, or more or less doesn't get what youre supposed to be and do.

So, make the player understand what a dishonor it is. Make him loose reknown, make him feel through roleplaying that people are not satisfied with this. Make him WANT to redeem himself.

Also let the rest of the team loose some reknown as well, perhaps not as much but some, for not saving him in time (unless he ran off in secret without telling anyone). If this results in bickering in the group, add in a Cohesion penalty as the group isn't as well brought together as they should be. This should make everyone think twice about leaving a battle brother fighting chaos alone.

Here's my issue with the not allowing him power armour because he lost his set - why would the Deathwatch do that? I mean yes to punish, but realistically if this Marine is to go on regular combat sorties to protect the Imperium from the gribblies of the universe why would the Deathwatch make it easier for their team to fail "Sorry Lord Inquisitor if we had a full squad in power armour maybe we'd have stopped the alien menace…but you didn't need that world anyway did you?". I totally agree he should be tasked with recovering his armour, in his own time between missions as it's not the Deathwatch's responsibility to bear.

I'd have him lose renown and issue him with a suit of Deathwatch power armour, I assume they have some around. Maybe have it so it doesn't work so good, use the Black Crusade rules to have it jenky and have it all black with no markings not even the Deathwatch honorific silver arm. That way he's marked out, he's punished but his lack of equipment isn't going to get him or others on his team and risk the very thing the Deathwatch is there to do. Cutting off nose to spite face much?

While the Deathwatch probably have spare suits of armour, a suitable replacement might not be ready at a momnet notice, after all there are certain rites and rituals that need be adhered to and such. So, his next mission he gets to choose wether he sits it out while the techmarines prepare his new armour, or he goes with whats available (ie scout armour).

Always allow your players to be ******* badasses.

Losing of the power armour is the perfect setup for a mission of rightoues vengeance. While I see the Astartes as punishing him for losing his armour, I also seeing the bond of brotherhood kicking in and then the rest of his kill team actively helping him to regain his armour and his honour.

The very next mission should a non-deathwatch sanctioned infiltration that sees the marine recover his armour, and in the process detonate a void missile in the bridge of a chaos held battleship, slaying thousands of the foes of the imperium.