so it began on Saturday,

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/100431-campaign-log-the-koronus-pacification/ this is the link to the campaing log on the DH forums,

I will keep coming back to the thread here ot discuss stuff my players aren't meant to see (they don't use these forums)

Regards

Surak

Ok people the campaign is going well so far, but I could do with a little help from you fine people for Sunday's session.

If you've not been following the log, at the end of the last session the PC's have kicked the ants nest a little and now they've got some necrons to deal with. Now I've got access to all the official Necron stuff and that great, but I wanted an "end of level" style scenario for the end of the session and my first thoughts (as a necron table top player) were monoliths, Triarch Stalkers, and possibly a Pylon or two.

Now at the moment I'm really not sure how to go about converting the table top stats to RPG stats, so has anyone got any suggestions either for finished stat-lines or for how to go about the conversion?

Regards

Surak

Well, I always love a good conversion. Although slightly curious as to where you found the stats for the tomb-spiders, scarabs, and... those whippy floating ones. This is so frustrating, my brother plays necrons, I really should know this.

Anyway, I don't know what your acolytes have in terms of equipment, but I would hesitate to send them up against a Pylon or Monolith. Unless they have dedicated AT weaponry, they won't be able to really do anything in that combat. Unless they jacked some Gauss Weaponry from some sleeping ones, or a warscythe.

That said, a Triarch stalker would be interesting, if very challenging. It IS lightly armoured enough (once shields are down) that moderately heavy weapons would eventually pick it apart.

Of course is the Acolytes are supposed to be made to feel tiny and insignificant against this overwhelming Xenos force, then I would go Monolith. I'll start putting together stats for a Triarch.

*EDIT*

Rereading that, I realize you might be talking about all them at once, with the PCs being supported by the small army they have with them. So, in that case, never mind that first part...

bzro,

Yeh your right the Acolytes are tooled up to the max, and leading a force of several hundred, plus they have access to a Rogue Trader's starship in orbit that might be carrying a battery of bombardment cannons (don't ask it is a looooong story).

The idea is to restore a little humility to the group as at the moment they have been pasting Wraiths (the whippy things you mentioned ) with rifle fire, scarabs with shotguns, and don't get me started on the one-shot-kill on a tomb spider.

So I'm not really to worried about itting them with something challenging, they are a creative bunch.

As for the official stats, Death Watch's "The Outer Reach" and to a lesser degree Black Crusade's "Tome of Fate" both have Necron goodies in them, but if you are just after the necron stuff get The Outer Reach as its more comprehensive.

Regards

Surak

Oh, I see! Well, if there's one thing I like doing, it's putting players in their place.

Okay... quick question, for the Triarch stalkers, do you envision their two-shot Multimelta to be actually 2 shots or a continuous beam? And will you be considering infantry in this as well?

I think having the Stalker's melta a beam is more Necron, they seam to have a thing for beam weapons.

And I'd probably use it the same way as dreadnoughts and such are stated - part character, part vehicle.

Regards

Surak

Now at the moment I'm really not sure how to go about converting the table top stats to RPG stats, so has anyone got any suggestions either for finished stat-lines or for how to go about the conversion?

My own rather simplistic approach was to compare the statlines of weapons that exist both in the tabletop and the RPG as a sort of "rosetta stone", thus establishing a conversion rate applicable to other items.

If you're interested, I have described this process here in greater detail, including a converted Tau Pulse Rifle.

That's a very clever way to convert things, but I feel like it's mostly a way to get a baseline more than a pure stat. Heavy boltera are also S5, but Tau rifles don't have 2d10+ damage. Well... except for the Deathwatch version...

Also, giving the pulse rifle a 75m range is silly when lasguns have a 90m range. But it IS a good place to start, definitely. Better than shooting in the dark.

Here's a quick and messy start for the Triarch gun.

Heat Ray
90m S/-/- 2d10+18E pen12 Melta

The Heat Ray is a weapon used to quickly eliminate enemy armour from mid range. It delivers a concentrated blast of radiation accelerated to mind-boggling speeds within an internal particle accelerator before being fired in either a narrow stream or a wide blast. The radiation causes a submolecular breakdown in both the atmosphere and in its target, releasing massive amounts of heat and energy. This radiation, while having a half-life of only a few moments, is incredibly visible to Necron optical sensors, and targets who have survived the combination of radiation and roiling plasma are "painted", making any foe that can withstand this weapon easily targeted by other Necrons.

For each consecutive turn the Heat Ray hits the same target, increase its Damage and Penetration by 4, to a maximum of +12. If it misses or fires at a different target, this bonus is immediately lost. This extra damage is applied before the Melta rule.
If a target has been hit by the Heat Ray in this turn or at any time in the last 2 turns, other Necrons get a +20 to any Ballistic Skill tests made to hit that target.

*edit*

Added description and weird twin-linking rule. I really hope I remember the Heat Ray twin linking stuff correctly...

I'll leave direct conversions to those more learned on the subject. That being said, I would look at end game scenario's in more of a strategic fashion. For Instance: What are your your little hornet's nest of Necrons trying to accomplish? Are they trying to reawaken a Shard of the Nightbringer? Worse yet, Is there a Tombship trying to come out of it's long slumber? These choices will likely affect your other decisions. A small group might be trying to awaken a shard but with a Tombship will threaten entire Stars so anything is possible!

Tombship coming out of its slumber?

Steal heavily and with great prejudice from Iron Sky in this regard. A giant lumbering spaceship that rises from the ground? Check. Awesome music? Check. Definite to everybody watching it that the fecal matter has hit the air transferation unit? Doublecheck.

Seriously, i can't imagine anything more terrifying. A shard of the nightbringer is terrifying, yes, but nothing a heroic salvo from a macrocannon can't solve for a wee bit of time, even if it means heroic sacrifices regarding one or two characters.

But a whole Cairne? Hell naw.

Surak did mention that he wanted to teach his group a "little" humility. The Tombship would certainly do that! The scene that came to my mind was from Babylon 5; Where the Shadow vessel rises out of the sands of Mars. But yeah, Terrifying is the General Idea!

Of course a truly evil Gm might go with a group of Necrons trying to awaken a Shard who would THEN serve as the focii to awaken the Tombship slumbering deep underground! Just sayin...

Thanks for the feed back one and all, always nice to be part of a helpful community, The Heat Ray looks like it should be suitably worrying for the PC's, and as for comparable weapon stats I actually tend to find I need to use DW level enemies against ascension level PC's just to keep it interesting.

As for the Nerco's goals, its very simple - the Tomb that the PC's are right on top of is the home of a Cryptech's hoard of evil goodies - including the Pharos that the team have just nicked - but at the moment there isn't enough power in the tomb complex to awaken its guardiens so they are after an alternate power source, and I think the plasma core of an imperial cruiser would help a great deal in that endevour

As always check in on the campaign log I have running on the DH forums to read how things have been playing out, and expect a new entry on Monday or Tuesday.

Regards

Surak

Just to let you know a new log is up for this campaign

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/100431-campaign-log-the-koronus-pacification/

just so you can see how some of the ideas here have been used so far

Regards

Surak

Okay, I got stats for the Triarch and the Monolith up. I'll look into it and determine WS, BS, and AG for the pilots, but here's what I have in terms of vehicles and weaponry.

Triarch Stalker

A skittering spider-like monstrosity, the Triarch Stalker quickly traverses otherwise treacherous terrain to deliver swift and devastating strikes to enemy armour. It also is equipped to deal with light infantry, to ward off pursuers and flush out heavy weapon emplacements. The breathy ‘hiss-whir’ of the Triarch Stalkers Heat Ray is often the herald to a Necron raid.

Type: Walker Size: Hulking/Enormous (GM has final say)

Tactical Speed: 12m Cruising Speed: 60kph

Manoeuvrability: +20 Structural Integrity: 20

Armour: Front 28, Sides 28, Rear 28

Crew: 1 pilot Carrying Capacity: none

Weapons: Heat Ray (Facing Front/Sides; 90m; S/-/-; 2d10+18 E; Pen 12; Clip -; Reload -; Melta, Beam, Radioactive Signature) or (25m; S/-/-; 2d10+3 E; Pen 6; Clip -; Reload-; Spray, Flame, Radioactive Signature), Claws (Facing Front; Melee; 1d10+3 R; Pen 3; Unwieldy,Tearing, Razor Sharp)

Special Rules

Walker: Ignore difficult terrain checks, no penalty for negotiating obstacles.

Open Topped: Can call shots on occupant(s).

Quantum Shielding: Lasts until the vehicle suffers a Critical Hit. +10 armour to all facings, occupants get permanent ap 10 cover while active.

Living Metal: All critical hits reduced by ½. Remove 1 point of critical damage per turn (can repair weapons, extinguish fires, etc.)

Necron Monolith

A massive pillar of Living Metal, this war machine is practically indestructable to all but the most powerful or persistent anti-armour weaponry. The Power Matrix Crystal jutting from the top of the Monolith is protected by redundant layers of quantum shielding, and fuels the massively powerful portal at the base of the Monolith. The Monolith also uses this quantum energy as a weapon, directing it towards a target with a deafening discharge as the atmosphere itself is blasted from existence. In special circumstances, the portal itself is weaponized, creating a stasis vacuum in a pocket dimension for victims to be dealt with later.

The Monolith is also equipped with auxiliary Gauss Flux Arcs. The Flux Arcs are programmed with executioner protocols, and immediately target any infantry that attempt to approach it.

Type: Skimmer Size: Massive

Tactical Speed: 5m Cruising Speed: 25kph

Maneuverability: -5 Structural Integrity: 70

Armour: Front 50, Sides 50, Rear 50

Crew: ? Carrying Capacity: ?

Weapons: Particle Whip (Facing Front; 75m; S/-/-; 3d10+12 E; Pen 10; Clip -; Reload -; Blast [10], Concussive [2]), 4 Gauss Flux Arcs ( Facing [1]Front, [2] Sides, [1]Rear; 100m; S/3/6; 1d10+8 E; Pen 5; Clip -; Reload -; Gauss, Executioner Protocols*), Eternity Gate (Facing Front; 2d10m; S/-/-; Special; Pen -; Clip -; Reload -; Power Matrix**, Spray).

* Executioner Protocols: These weapons fire without direction of the pilot(s), and automatically fire at the closest target. The protocols can only see within 200 meters, but the Pilot(s) may override these protocols to fire at a different target/one beyond 200 meters.

** Power Matrix: This weapon draws power from the main Power Matrix Crystal. If this weapon is used, then the Eternity gate cannot be used to transport in troops, and vice versa.

Eternity Gate: Instead of damage, this weapon can transport 2d10 Necron warriors. These warriors exit from the Monolith as if disembarking from a vehicle, using the portal as an exit point. Alternatively, it can be used as a weapon. Any enemy hit by this weapon must make a Difficult (-10) Strength or Agility test or be moved 1d10 meters towards the portal. If something touches the portal, it is immediately deposited into a stasis dimension. At this point, it is up the the GM and the players to determine how to retrieve their comrade, or any equipment that fell into the portal.

Special Rules

Skimmer: Ignores terrain all together. If immobilized, sinks to the ground.

Gated Arrival: The Monolith can teleport into combat. If it does, choose a position and scatter 2d20 meters (using grenade scatter chart). It will always teleport 5 meters above anything occupying its final location.

Living Metal: All critical hits reduced by ½. Remove 1 point of critical damage per turn (can repair weapons, extinguish fires, etc.)

Bzro,

Those look pretty good, I'll probably endup testing the Stalker on my players at our session on Friday.

Regards

Surak

Bzro,

Those look pretty good, I'll probably endup testing the Stalker on my players at our session on Friday.

Regards

Surak

Thanks, I'm glad you like them! Still need to add in pilot skills, character traits, and a melee attack for the Triarch.

Meh... the Koronus Expanse is millennia from becoming a full sector. Taking the Calixis sector as a "recent" example:

Calyx Expanse was discovered around 720.M36 by a (in)famous Rogue Trader. It became a sector in the latter years of M39. So, a little over 3000 years, and it took a full fledged crusade of epic proportions to get that done.

There will be a Koronus Sector... in around 3000 years... give or a take a millennium.

When did they send the crusade to conquer Calixis sector? Because that is the important bit, centuries of groundwork exploring the area gaining a foothold and forging alliances and trade agreements help to make the crusade easier but I think the most important thing is that all that groundwork makes it easier to justify an crusade.

The thing is that the high lords of Terra will not declare a crusade unless the Imperium is sure to gain much from it or it is necessary to combat some threat. The fact that Rogue traders had been going in and out of the Calixis expanse(?) for millenia propably weighed a lot in the justifications since it gave proof that there is potential in the area.

Koronus expanse on the other hand... Winterscale's realm is reasonably established area and the heathen stars apparently has potential worlds to join the Imperium but most of the areas seem like deathtraps or just worthless. (Or that is what I get from reading the core book and bits of some others.)

If some Rogue traders can prove that the expanse can be tamed, that there are rich worlds with resources, STCs and fertile colonies then the high lords might spare the resources to send a crusade there. But every crusade draws much forces and supplies from other places, leaving other bits of Imperium vulnerable and taking troops from the other wars (which are being fought here and there) so that is why the Imperium will rather waste a few centuries waiting untill they are sure that taking the new area is worth it rather than pushing their boundaries all the time.

New log entry is up, I may have got a little carried away at the end of the last session

http://community.fan...s-pacification/

regards

Surak

I see you used the Tombship! Should be interesting!

Yeh couldn't resist the idea, and it was great stringing the players along all session as they were all so convinced I'd teleported the cell members onto the little escort that the two left on the PC's ship wouldn't attack the escort for fear of hurting there own people.

I did get some serious evils when the tomb ship made its arrival complete with smoking great hole thanks to the assassins little leaving present.

Hopefully I can keep the log going - they are getting longer and longer each week - as always suggestions and ideas welcomed in this thread.

Regards

Surak

My thought is as follows: The Mathmatical Necron mind would probably Prioritize the Tyranid Bioship as the greater immediate threat to "their" world. (The Human cockroaches could be anhihilated or enslaved later. The Tyranids, Being highly psychically attuned would be anathema to the the necros!) This would make The Necrons an odd "ally of convenience" as they engaged the Bioship. The trick would be finding the right time to turn on the Tombship before it decides to eat their star!

Radwraith,

pretty much lines up with my current thinking, of course the cell is far more focused on being 400 years out of sync so probably won't see the Necrons coming

Regards

Surak

My thought is as follows: The Mathmatical Necron mind would probably Prioritize the Tyranid Bioship as the greater immediate threat to "their" world. (The Human cockroaches could be anhihilated or enslaved later. The Tyranids, Being highly psychically attuned would be anathema to the the necros!) This would make The Necrons an odd "ally of convenience" as they engaged the Bioship. The trick would be finding the right time to turn on the Tombship before it decides to eat their star!

All we need now are some Blood Angels to show up and broker the initial deals...and bring Termies to bust up the Cairn when convenient.