1) I'm planning on having my Kill-Team stranded on a near-desolate planet with no reinforcements and no resupply available. My question is about Narthecium that the Apothecaries start out with. Does it have "doses"? How many times should an Apothecary be able to adminster it before it "depletes"? Is it somehow self-replenishing?

2) Is there a penalty for shooting targets while in, "Overwatch"? -20 BS, correct? I just don't see it under the "Combat" section, but I do see it being referenced to under "Squad Abilities." Also, what sort of conditions are the players allowed to set for Overwatch? Just how vague or how specific do they have to be?

3) Using the skill, "Awareness" as an example: Deathwatch players already start with this ability (Trained, in fact), but it's "Basic" ability can be purchased for 200xp. How can you purchase a "basic" skill in something you already have "trained"? Is this more-so for characters from other RPG's looking to upgrade their character to a Deathwatch Space Marine? This is what I am assuming, but want to be 100% sure.

4) Stalker Rounds say, "…(however, depending on the situation, the appropriate Opposed Skill Test may be required for the firer himself to remain hidden)." Say I have a Marine using a Sniper Rifle with an attached Silencer. I can't find anything in regards to how it would work if he wants to attempt to remain hidden for as long as possible and how the enemies would locate him (say he were firing from a Medium or Long range).

Thanks in advance!

Since I can't seem to edit my post… after doing a lot of digging around, I found the answer to one of my questions, but also want to clarify my inquiries.

Question #2: I haven't really found any helpful posts about this, so I'm still a bit confused about it. However, I would also ask, in what situations would you choose Semi-Auto vs Full-Auto or even Suppressive Fire? Full-Auto gives a +20 BS, but does this only count when you actively use the "Full-Auto Action" and not use it as part of an "Overwatch Action"? Would you only use Semi-Auto vs Full-Auto because your weapon is incapable of firing at Full-Auto or you are trying to conserve ammunition (as part of an "Overwatch Action")?

Actually, after reading Suppressive Fire again, I'm a bit more confused (not sure how that's possible! @_@). I see that the "Suppressing Fire" Action does not gain the +20 BS that "Full-Auto" does, but I still don't see where Overwatch would get the -20 BS from. I'm getting this from the Squad Ability, "Fire Support," which reads: "While this ability is in effect, the Kill-team does not suffer the normal –20 to hit when using the Suppressing Fire and Overwatch actions." This seems to imply (or I may be misreading it) that Overwatch has a standard -20 BS unless used in conjunction with the "Fire Support" ability?

If I'm to understand one aspect of my question, "Suppressive Fire" is an action that occurs immediately during my turn after I state that I am using the action , in which I target all enemies within a 45° arc are targeted by my attack, but after that attack, I'm spent. VS Overwatch which allows me to "Guard" (in place of making an immediate action) a 45° arc and 'interrupt' an enemies turn to fire upon them if they move into my kill zone (much like Space Hulk, yes?). However, it still reads, "…along with the conditions under which he will perform the chosen attack," and doesn't really clarify that.

Finally found an in-depth answer to #4, Courtesy of, 'herichimo' from an earlier thread. So scratch that question (:

Thanks again to anyone who can answer these questions!

Yeah, after 20 minutes you can't edit your post anymore.

A Narthecium is a medical suite, saws and needles and bandage wraps and such. Rules as Written does not limit the number of times it can be used to patch up wounds, but if any drugs are to be purchased for use with it, the Narthecium can hold 10 doses of each.

Overwatch only has the penalties or bonuses of the attack type used. Full Auto gets +20, Semi-Auto gets +10, etc. A Suppressive Fire action can be used as part of an Overwatch action.

The conditions of making the attack in Overwatch are player specified. I suppose how specific you can get is up to the GM, but things like "I'll fire when that Howling Banshee leaves cover" or "First thing to move past here gets shot" or whatever would be your conditions. Suppressing Fire always gets a -20 to hit since it's just spraying bullets to get the enemy pinned rather than attacking them directly.

As for Fire Support, I think it means that if you use Suppressing Fire as your Overwatch attack (since you can choose Single, Semi Auto, Full Auto, or Suppressing Fire limited by the capabilities of your weapon), that you do not recieve the penalty for that, so that no penalty is incurred for Suppressing Fire as its own action, or Suppressing Fire as part of an Overwatch action. Since it's worded the way it is, I would say that any bonuses or penalties for Single, Semi-Auto, or Full-Auto Overwatch attacks still apply as normal.

Somewhere I can't remember, it's stated that some tables have duplicate items of skills and talents Space Marines already possess as a 'just in case' for GMs or future Deathwatch supplements, or as a reference point for how much something would cost if you didn't already have it. Stil doesn't explain why True Grit is in the Crimson Fists' table in Honour the Chapter…

Captain Ventris said:

Thanks for clearing up a lot of that, Captain Ventris! Just had our Character Creation Session, and I have a few more newbie questions.

#1) I can't seem to find the difference between, "Basic" and "Trained" in the Core. I must just not be looking in the right place. At the moment, I'm assuming that "Trained" is just a filler for the gap between "Basic" and the +10 version of X skill, but that doesn't seem right. Untrained allows you to use a non-Advanced skill at half your modifier, correct? I may just be getting my terminology mixed up…

#2) In order to purchase a Trait, you need to have it available on the corresponding Rank table, correct? For instance, "Sharpshooter". I would need to be a Rank 5 Devastator or a Rank 6 Tactical Marine, AND have a Ballistics Skill of 40 AND have the "Deadeye" Talent purchased before I could acquire it, correct? If I was not a Devastator or Tactical Marine of the appropriate Rank, then this Talent is basically unattainable for me, check?

#3) Squad Modes: What is to prevent a glory-hog SM from just emptying the pool of Cohesion for personal use? An unsaid agreement? Or is there an actual guideline for this spelt out somewhere? A "Squad" ability can be activated even though it is going to be used for only one person right? (Black Templar using his 'Holy Vengeance'. It uses "Squad Cohesion", even though no one in the squad really gains the benefits from it besides him? Isn't this non-conducive despite it being a "Squad" ability?).

Once again, thank you in advance!

Re-address for overwatch:

When the player declares overwatch he states what type of attack (single, semi, auto, suppressive) he wants to use AND what his conditions are (First enemy around the bend, if one one of those hordes comes within X meters). The moment the condition is met the player's character interrupts the current initiative to make his overwatch attack. Once the attack is resolved the character's overwatch is over (you only get one shot).

Your current questions:

1: Every skill in the game is either a BASICor ADVANCWED skill. When you purchase a skill advance from an advance table for the first time, that skill becomes TRAINED. Skills you've not purchased are UNTRAINED.

A BASIC skill may be used even if it is UNTRAINED, but the character's associated characteristic value for that skill counts as half (1/2) of normal. Skill penalties or bonuses are not halved, only the characteristic.

Once a BASIC skill becomes TRAINED the character tests on his full characteristics as normal

An ADVANCED skill can not be used unless it is TRAINED.

Characters may not attempt to test UNTRAINED ADVANCED skills, and any such skill they are forced to make automatically fail.

2: I am fairly certain your example is correct. Outside of Elite advances (which should be rare and special case) you cannot acquire advances which do not appear in your advance tables or you do not meet the pre-requisites.

3: This is an exellent roleplaying problem for a kill-team. How the team deals with the offending character should be roleplayed between the characters. The GM can enforce any penalties etc. as a result of the roleplaying situation. For instance, the team remains very distrusting of each other or just the one problem child. While in disharmony the team's cohesion pool is decreased by 2-4 points. Or, the offending player must test to enter squad mode every combat, whether he was in squad mode or not and/or his tests to enter squad mode suffer a penalty. Of course if your player is just being a **radio edit** solely for the sake of being a **radio edit** then it may be necessary for your RP group to consider removing him from the game.

Thanks for spelling all of that out herichimo! I'm sure at times it can get tiring spelling things out step by step (like you did in that 'Sniping' topic), but it definitely helped me explain things clearly to our Raven Guard Sniper!

Once again, thanks for all the help everyone. Those are all the questions I have now. Looking forward to my groups first combat session and I should be good to go after all the answers I received on this topic.

Now I just have to decide how many 'charges' a Narcthecium should have if the Marines are stranded on a planet for a week or so without any supplies available…

Thanks for your patience!