Equipment and Aptitude Questions

By Lichado, in Only War Rules Questions

I can't seem to find the standard regimental equipment data (most importantly weight) in tables. For example, how much does one week's worth of rations weigh? How about the poor weather gear or mess kit? Is the canteen a seperate item from the mess kit or do they share a weight (box?). Does it contain one day's worth of water or is the water supply assumed in the rations (i.g. 2 weeks worth of rations have two weeks of chemically activated water or something with it)? What do the basic tools do and what do they weigh?

Does a guardsman carry their rucksack into battle? If not, what do they do with them?

Does the regimental standard lamp work as a throwable glow lamp as a kind of flare or is it a desk lamp item?

The Only War book states: "If, during creation, a character gains the same Aptitude from different sources, he does not gain it twice. He instead chooses an Aptitude that he does not already have and that shares a name with a Characteristic. He gains that chosen Aptitude instead."

So, for example, the character I am creating resulted in two ballistic skill aptitudes (sharpshooters and weapons specialist) as well as finesse aptitude (weapons specialist). I can exchange the second ballistic skill aptitude for...what? I don't really understand the book's paragraph.

Thank you!

Edited by Lichado

If you gain any one Aptitude twice (such as the Ballistic Skill Aptitude), you can exchange one of them for any Aptitude that shares it's name with a Characteristic. These are also sometimes referred to by some as "Characteristics Aptitudes", and mirror all the Characteristics in the game.

Characteristics, the rules-wise technical term, is:

Weapon Skill

Ballistic Skill

Toughness

Strength

Agility

Willpower

Intelligence

Fellowship

And there's an Aptitude for each, in Only War.

So if you get the Ballistic Skill Aptitude twice during character creation, you get to exchange one of them for any one of those other Aptitudes I mentioned. You cannot, however, for example, pick the Social, Leadership or Fieldcraft Aptitudes.

It all makes sense once you learn the keywords and technical terms, such as what is a "Characteristic" and what isn't, although I do understand the confusion as a new player. They really should've been clearer when creating two different groups of Aptitudes. I personally separate between them by calling them "Characteristics Aptitudes" and "Professional Aptitudes", but that's just me.

I'd guess that a days worth of combat rationss in a very light form would weigh around .75 kilograms per day. That's a very concentrated dry ration bar. Something like modern military rations, which have some relation to actual food, would weigh in at around 2.25 KG per day. So between 10.5 kilograms (bar form) and 31.5 KG (MRE form) for two weeks of food.

It's pretty much impossible to carry two weeks worth of water on you back. Even a very modest 4 liters of water a day (temperate climate, moderate activity, some water from food) would amount to 56 kilograms. Any sort of heavy activity or less forgiving environment will greatly increase the amount of water you'd need.

Rucksacks are normally left behind somewhere before entering combat. Either in the position of your parent unit, if you are a 'small' force, or with your security element, if you are a 'larger' force. Or in your vehicles, or whatever.

But really, the loadouts are a bit silly.

More realistic loadout:

~2-3 days of food.

1-2 days of water

And you get more that that from your logistics section.

Yeah, they did leave out a few things in the equipment descriptions. I'm still waiting for the errata that defines Purity Seals myself.

As for the rest, some of it can be found in the Dark Heresy Inquisitors Handbook (page 182).

  • Rucksack 2kg,
  • Bedroll 4kg,
  • Basic Tool Kit (screwdrivers, wretches and other items for basic maintenance and repairs) 1kg,
  • Mess Kit 0.5kg (no mention of the canteen)
  • Grooming kit 0.1kg,
  • Rations 1kg per meal (so about 28kg for 2 weeks, assuming 2 meals a day).

I offer no comments as to the validity of these weights, only that they are what is listed in the Inquisitors Handbook.