I have a question. the core book says that only members of the same chapter (baring other factors like the tactical marine ability) benefit from the use of a chapter specific squad mode ability.

But I'd think if I have several members of a kill team that have the same squad mode (say a dark angel, an angel of absolution and a consecrator, or different blood angels successors and so on) they could all get to use the squad mode because they all know the squad mode.

Is there something in the rules as written that supports me in this?

Is there soem way of looking at the setting or game balance that makes this a bad idea that I should be made aware of?

thanks

Why not house-rule this? It sounds good to me. Hell, I house-rule that all members of the squad can benefit from the Squad Leader's Chapter Squad Mode Abilities as a result of their constant training together and learning from one another.

Second founding chapters which remain close to their parent chapter in doctine and abilities use the same Chapter advances, solo, and squad mode abilities as their parent chapter. This includes benefiting from identical squad mode abilities when used by marines from the parent chapter or the parent chapter's second founding chapters.

The following quote from Honour the Chapter is supporting:

"For example, the Angels Encarmine are a Successor Chapter of the Blood Angels and very close to them in many regards. As such, a character from this Chapter would be created according to the rules for Blood Angels characters given in the DEATHWATCH Core Rulebook"

Although Honour the Chapter does include a few changes to their how many second founding chapter characters are created (such as bonus traits and/or limitations or drawbacks).

That quote doesn't actually support your answer. I'm fine running the game that way, I was just looking for any written rules that would support my desired play style that I missed.

The quote states characters from similar second founding chapters build their characters identically to their parent chapter. This means same character modifications, same chapter advances, and same Sqad and Solo Mode Abilities.

Since those characters have identical Squad Mode Abilities, and have the same traditions/history, it follows naturally they know the secrets of working together with those abilities.

The quote states characters from similar second founding chapters build their characters identically to their parent chapter. This means same character modifications, same chapter advances, and same Sqad and Solo Mode Abilities.

Right, I tried to say as much in the original post. I clearly didn't comunicate well.

Since those characters have identical Squad Mode Abilities, and have the same traditions/history, it follows naturally they know the secrets of working together with those abilities.

As I tried to get across in my original post. What I failed to communicate was that on page 219 the rules say "In addition, such is the nature of these abilities that when they are used only members of the same chapter as the chapter abili..."

never mind

Why not house-rule this? It sounds good to me. Hell, I house-rule that all members of the squad can benefit from the Squad Leader's Chapter Squad Mode Abilities as a result of their constant training together and learning from one another.

At no additional Cohesion cost? That's really generous.

Why not house-rule this? It sounds good to me. Hell, I house-rule that all members of the squad can benefit from the Squad Leader's Chapter Squad Mode Abilities as a result of their constant training together and learning from one another.

At no additional Cohesion cost? That's really generous.

Throwing on an additional Cohesion Point isn`t a bad idea at all.

Well, Forging the Bond provides for scaling down the increased cost at higher Ranks, which to me is appropriate as it represents higher levels of training and working with other Chapters. New Deathwatch initiates have no such long-term experience.

Well, Forging the Bond provides for scaling down the increased cost at higher Ranks, which to me is appropriate as it represents higher levels of training and working with other Chapters. New Deathwatch initiates have no such long-term experience.

Sure, but my game is PbP and moves at a very slow pace. It is needed sometimes to speed certain things up.

You make a valid point, for sure.

For the OP: the important thing to remember is that while the Dark Angels and Consecrators (for example) mechanically have the same Squad Modes, in-setting they still have cultural differences in execution which could justify not being able to utilize each others' Modes as freely though they are mechanically identical (even though the Unforgiven are all very similar and close-knit, just like most Ultramarines successors with their parent chapter and most Blood Angels successors with their parent chapter).

Also I'd probably give close-in-line successors access to mechanically-equivalent Squad Modes. I'd probably port most Ultramarine modes to the Novamarines, but I'd leave in that wargear or effect that let a Novamarine squad leader treat Ultramarines as Novamarines and vice versa for sqaud mode purposes, because it really keeps that feel of different fluff, same crunch.

The quote states characters from similar second founding chapters build their characters identically to their parent chapter. This means same character modifications, same chapter advances, and same Sqad and Solo Mode Abilities.

Right, I tried to say as much in the original post. I clearly didn't comunicate well.

Since those characters have identical Squad Mode Abilities, and have the same traditions/history, it follows naturally they know the secrets of working together with those abilities.

As I tried to get across in my original post. What I failed to communicate was that on page 219 the rules say "In addition, such is the nature of these abilities that when they are used only members of the same chapter as the chapter abili..."

never mind

You're not going to find it written in the book, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't the INTENTION to make different chapters with the same squad modes compatible. Bear in mind, none of the chapters included in the Deathwatch core book have the same Chapter Ability. The book mentions that details of other chapters will be covered in a later expansion, but since we have no 'core' examples of chapters having the same Squad Mode, we can't actually tell if they meant this to be a complete prohibition or not.

My take is that it isn't. They don't want Space Wolves using the Black Templar's Righteous Fury, because they want differences in chapter to mean something. Having Blood Angels and Angels Encarmine and Blood Drinkers and Knights of Blood in the same Kill Team is POSSIBLE, but why not just have a team of all Blood Angels? If you are having different characters from similar chapters, I'd say that they can share Squad Modes without penalty... If there were major differences between the way they operated in Squad Mode, they'd have a different Squad Mode altogether. So, yeah, my take is that the actual ability is what matters - and if you have several chapters with the same ability, they can use it just as if it was activated by someone in their existing Chapter.

But I don't think there will be a clear RAW interpretation until we see some 'official' successor chapters included in later expansions...

Edit - Fixed Quotes

Actually I did, embarisingly enough. As you quoted from me above :on page 219 the rules say "In addition, such is the nature of these abilities that when they are used only members of the same chapter as the chapter abili..".

I cut that quote off in the middle of the word ability. In other words The characters who can benefit must have the same chaper as the chapter squad mode ability . not necessarily the same chapter as the fellow who initiates the pattern.

(editied for clarity)

"You're not going to find it written in the book, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't the INTENTION to make different chapters with the same squad modes compatible."

A good point, but even if compatibility is the RAI, saying they're incompatible is not going against the RAW.