The typical crap that one grunt says to another when not in the presence of Officers or Civilians.

Ah...I see what you meant about putting the Primary character's name in the bio lines...but I am considering just making two sheets for each player and having you each simply go to your Game Preferences and click to always post as the primary one.

Do you guys prefer to put both your primary and your Comrade on the same sheet and only have one to deal with at a time, or will it be easier in the long run for me to just make new characters and switch which one is the primary each time there's a death in the unit?

Yeah, I'd say same sheet, and just GM-change our names when we have to switch. I know that death's on the table, but in PbP timescales it's not like it should happen so often that it's a huge pain.

Bam! You're dead. Start over. :P

Alright, the RTJ thread about character sheets has been updated to account for this change.

There are now five people in the game. You can begin the Regiment building process here, either by building one and putting it forth for voting/consideration by the rest of the team, or by posting your own 'wish list' of things you want to see in the Regiment [such as CO type desired, Doctrine followed, etc].

You should also start voicing your opinions about what type of world you want to start off on, and what you want your first enemy to be. Once I see a majority of current players vote for one thing, I will lock it in and begin the GM building process for the campaign.

<< this is how I thought names could work. Op for Operator. (though I assumed the serial #s would be sequential)

Editing previous posts with a new biography does not alter their old biography.

Anyone know if changing someone's name changes the name(s) on their previous posts?
This message was last edited by the player at 03:47, Sun 30 Oct 2016.

Test post for bio name changes.

Ah...I suppose if you are going to want to refer to your comrade by name, and breath a tiny bit of life into them before they step up to take the role of primary, then you can also do it that way. I don't NEED W & F in the bio lines but I wanted to avoid the potential for abstract silliness being put there.

Now, what if you've rolled up a good primary and a great comrade, but the comrade dies? Simply change the name but keep the stats; they are there for smooth transitions during death and succession, so it really shouldn't make a difference, since the stats weren't being used in the first place. Right?

I'd lean towards rename over reroll for a yet unused sheet.

I agree. It's a lot of work putting together one Only War PC and we *are* making two for ease/speed of transition.

Hey, all! Looking forward to fighting and dying with you all.

Just looking at Regimental options. Of the 2 canon regiments I am cool with the Cadians but the Mordians are less ideal. My preference is us creating our own. I'm just gonna list the options I am most fond of but I'll play almost anything. You would have to work hard to make a regiment that I wouldn't play.

Regimental Types: Reconnaisance, Line Infantry, Close Assault

Homeworld: Fortress World, Penal Colony, Penitent, Post Cataclysmic, Shrine World

Training Doctrines: Hardened Fighters, Close Quarters Battle, Crusaders, Defenders of teh Faith

Equipment Doctrines: Combat Drugs

As you can see I like up close, in your face blood and guts battle. Preferably while screaming out prayers to the Emperor. These are not hard and fast requirements for my enjoyment. Just kinda laying how I most prefer things to get the Regiment conversation started.

Also for who we are fighting my only real opinion is that I don't want it to be Orks. Every time I have gotten to play this game it's been Orks. I'd like to see a campaign with other enemies. Maybe more than one kind of enemy. Like a campaign against a Tyranid invasion that - at a dramatically appropriate time - involves the discovery that the world they are warring on is actually a Necron Tomb World.

Xenos I Would Like To Cleanse: Tyranids, Dark Eldar (Actually hate the Dark Eldar lore wise but it would be really cathartic to kill some), Necron

Xenos I Would Like To Avoid: Orks, Tau (I just really hate Tau. I mean I'll shoot them if you want me to but they are not choise number one for me.)

And that, I think, is long enough. Just remember that these are my preferences. I'm flexible but I really like communication in games.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:55, Sun 30 Oct 2016.

They are. They are in the order that you were added to the game, and I've given enough space between numbers for each of you that as a soldier dies, their number can be retired to the record books and I can 'rename' you with the next number in the sequence, when your comrade steps up to fill the gap in the line. :)

Hello all.

Just a quick announcement that I am going to stop the addition of players at 10, so that 10 soldiers + 10 comrades = 20, in a platoon that normally holds 40, giving the appearance of a battle-weary, under-strength unit fighting the front lines. There will be additional support staff NPCs thrown in occasionally, but basically you're on your own, plugging a gap in the lines until you're all dead, or you fall below 25% unit strength, at which point you'd be assimilated into another unit's roster to form a new platoon [or shore up another decimated company].

Also, as we are expanding the roster rapidly, I will no longer need to have a unanimous decision on the Regimental creation thread. Once a majority of you have decided on choices for each category, that's what I'll implement and put in place.

Additionally, if the first enemy the group decides they want to face ends up being Tyranids, I am willing to add Catachan Jungle Fighters to the list of acceptable regimental backgrounds for beginning characters. I'm not a stone-cold killer GM, ya know. ;)

Hello hello!

So, before we get started, are Specialist Classes permitted?  Or do we exclusively have access to the basic Guardsman Specialties?  Just want to get that down before I start brainstorming characters.

At this time there are no psykers, techpriests, ministorium types, etc. Basic grunts, though I've added the home-brew fifth so we can add some diversity to an otherwise olive-drab field of choices. ;)

Just confirming that.

I've got work in a bit, but once that's over, I'll get some concepts together.

I'm waiting for the regiment to fall into place before wrangling characters.

For the Guardsman specialty, I would suggest maybe swapping Leadership for maybe Willpower or something a bit more useful if they aren't supposed to be leader types.

Alright, that's ten - though you will see there are only 9 GSN in The Cast list - as one is brand new to Only War and will be working the character generation as a lurker until they are familiar enough with the game to not step on any proverbial land mines too early in the game. ;)
   - there may actually be a tenth added with the lurker remaining in the wings, as there is [unfortunately] always attrition in RPoL games. Especially with holidays coming up, and especially when I know a few of you already play in several other games. :)

I will be home most of the day as it is crummy weather outside, so feel free to post/PM and expect answers within an hour or so. Might take a lazy nap later but that's expected on my one day off.

As mentioned previously, I'll keep a running tab of what background options people are requesting for the Regimental creation, and once there's a majority for any/all, I'll post a new thread with your regiment and it's associated units and benefits.

Also, as discussed this morning, it looks like we are leaning toward a tyranid spur as the enemy [not a genestealer cult uprising], so I will go back and edit the RTJ thread to include the option of taking Catachan Jungle Fighter as a fourth Regimental start option.

Note that you do not all have to choose the same regiment. There can be 1 Cadian, 3 Mordian, 2 Catachan and 4 of the custom regiment you're creating. That's perfectly fine. But these are [and will be] the only options available in this game.
   - your comrade does not have to come from the same regiment as your primary character, if you prefer diversity.




Nope...everyone needs to be able to step up and take the reins when appropriate, and leadership/command is kind of the backbone of Guardsman structure and discipline. There are plenty of talents to help bolster any areas you folks think you may be weak in, and the rewards for success in missions will also help offset any latent nerfing you feel I might be throwing your way. :)

So our options for regiment are Cadian, Catachan, Mordian and a single custom option made from our combined input? Just making sure the latter is correct, since I can't tell if the custom regiment can be unique for each PC or if it has to be static across the board.

If it's static, I'll provide some input in regards to my preferences.

It is one regiment collectively created by the players. That's why it has its own creation thread.

...

*facepalm* I'm gonna take the walk of shame over there then.

It's all good. There is always a learning curve the first few days as players and GM get acquainted. I'm both a 30-year vet of gaming and a 10 year vet of the military, so I'll try to make this as smooth [and fun] an operation as I can. :)

With regards to one of the posts there making mention of armored cav or transports...you are all ground pounders at the start, but that doesn't mean you won't have resources allocated or available that include the 'ride in style' version of assaulting the enemy.

Also, for those who care, there will be periodic events/opportunities for everyone with the Command skill to make tests and gain favorable results for the unit as a whole. Don't neglect the value of logistics and paperwork!

Hell, logistics errors can be more valuable than the team itself. Requisition five lascarbines, get 10 canisters of promethium instead. Barter said promethium for kit. Sure, you might will die if when the Commissar finds out, but it's all fun and games until then.

What book has the Tyranids in it?

Deathwatch has rules about tyranids, as well as rules on how to make just about any xenos you want to include in your game [which would certainly cover all the variations of the hive gene pools].

I say no for the necrons, not able to kill a single soldier is no fun at all.
I would say simple rebells would fun.
Can post tomorrow more today i need some more sleep.

Nids, Chaos, or Xeno cults...I'm happy with all of those :)

I didn't intend for us to win. What I meant by that was that it'd be hilarious that if we finally won, we still lost.

You can still win against necrons, it is called retreating and declaring exterminatus from orbit.

Also, so we are a mixed regiment? Cool.

Edit: Mordian Weapon Specialist and Cadian Guardsman for the Comrade it is then. Unless I am really taken by the Custom Regiment.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:17, Mon 31 Oct 2016.

At the moment I'm thinking a Medic as primary (maybe Cadian/Mordian) and a custom regiment specialist or guardsmen as my secondary.

Heh...this made me chuckle.

I'm probably going with a Heavy, either from our Custom Regiment if the Miners get picked, or the Mordians.

As for enemies, I'm sad to see Tyranids getting some swell because they're kind of one-note.

Chaos has the best range of possible enemies (from "us, but with tentacles" to CSMs to Bloodthirsters), and I like non-Chaos rebels (like the Severan Dominate from the OW books) as well. Especially since they provide opportunities for most regiments that I can think of to shine.

Also, a little sad we can't be Drop Troops or Guerillas, heh.

No to drop troops, but as I've mentioned in an earlier post, since it looks like Tyranids are the enemy of choice, I've added Catachan Jungle Fighter to the list of available background options, bringing it to a total of four.

Operator, even if we don't have a vehicle.

Are we going to be fighting in jungle?

Of the 9 people in the unit, only 5 have actually posted their entire set of choices for regiment, first enemy, and starting planet type. I will collect all of those who have been posted tomorrow night after dinner and then post the results in the Regiment Founding thread I'm creating later Tuesday night.

Well, starting planet depends on factors still in play, but urban ruins are usually fun.

Yes and no...you aren't PDF; your home world does not necessarily have to be the same type your Regiment is founded upon. I just wanted to get a feel for where you folks wanted the initial setting to take place. It's like you've won the roll to choose scenario, set up terrain, AND seize the initiative. ;)

Should we put votes in the regiment thread?

If not I'd go for either a feudal world or a snow deathworld, simply because they'd both be fun.

Okay, do we have a format going yet for the regimental creation?  Awake and well rested after the week of work, so I've got a few days now.

Not particularly.  Read through what's been posted l, if you like something state so.  Otherwise put down your preference.  The GM will then review all submissions and build one based on the most requested things.  This could lead to a pretty interesting, eclectic regiment

Sorry I missed this earlier. I assume you meant can you choose Guerilla or Grenadier as a regimental background choice? Several of you have already been adding things from that sourcebook [like CQB and some drawbacks]. I'm not sure what else you're looking for as far as available input from there...?

I may have poped in on the regiment creation thread first but...

Hola all, pleasure to be here :)

Haha...it's good to stand your ground, but remember that if you don't like the unique regiment selected by vote from your fellows, you have to choose one of the three basic ones [Cadian, Mordian, Catachan] for your characters. Or ask me to make a new game just for you...that always works out. ;)

I do really like the last one that was posted.  It think it strikes the nice middle ground between what most are thinking would be cool for the custom regiment.  I only said that so you knew to change my vote :)

Thanks for liking it :)

Looking at what had been suggested already made it much easier to thread the needle and take more of what people seemed to want and blend it together into something new.

Yes...I felt like I was being helpful when I put CQB in parentheses after Close Order Drill, and then hit post and felt like an idiot. lol

Close Order Drill gives Combat Formation or Double Team, where CQB gives Double Team or Combat Master and +10 to hit at point blank range.

Sorry for the confusion!

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 45):

It's something I agree with. Mining Colonists is a whole concept, and the regiment building is working on a different paradigm.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 43):
I don't like the three given corebook regiments.

Mechanically, they don't show strengths that coincide with their themes and usage, while their actual strengths overlap with each other in unhelpful ways - particularly once it's decided we're all walking for now.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocooki...srkin_hvy_plasma.jpg
http://vignette3.wikia.nocooki...l_Legion_Trooper.jpg
http://vignette1.wikia.nocooki...26_Only_Trooper2.jpg

Pictures for ideas.

I like all three of those pictures, but have a hard time seeing a normal human carrying around a heavy plasma or an autocannon not mounted on a tripod. It's just a funky visual.

The thing about creating a regiment from scratch is that you *can* create a group of soldiers who have the appearance, through stats and style, who can write in their background that these abilities came, in part, from their lifestyle as mining colonists.

The three basic choices from the book were meant as backups for people who didn't want to take the group-built one, and because they were the cookie-cutter versions, a sort of nudge by the GM to help convince people to be involved in the regimental creation process. It worked with about 70% success, I'd say.




Yes, it was down for about an hour [at least] yesterday afternoon when I was having my late lunch. Bothers me as it's tough to get a break at work Monday or Friday.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 50):

Is it 1000 total starting exp (extra 400)?  Or is it's 1600 exp (extra 1000)?

I have less time than I thought I would, so I think I'll step out rather than tie everyone up.

In reply to GSN 1610300640 (msg # 52):

Damn, the Nids got him before we even got started.  Gonna be a hellish game!

Completely random question - can we alternate between our PCs based on the scene?  Or will that be too tough to keep track of?

Extra 1000 XP for both you and your comrade. You gain XP during the conflict but your comrade does not until he steps up to replace your primary character. Then you get a new comrade with the same starting XP as this one.

Just imagine the guys from the original Predator movie when you think about guys hefting around heavy weapons.  :-)

Nah 640 was simply reassigned.  I think 42 though was taken away for 'nid contamination by Ordo Xenos...

Sorry to hear that, but thanks for stepping up and being responsible about it. Feel free to RTJ again down the road if things open up again. :)

I'd prefer to keep the dynamic of using the primary and keeping the second in reserve. However, keep in mind that if your comrade dies, you do not need to roll up a whole new battle buddy. You can simply rename the comrade and skip over the whole character building process. You do have the option, though, of rerolling their stats if you want, or keep the set you already have if they appeal to you.

I thought it was a bulky looking plasma gun before you mentioned it. Kasrkin have favoured plasma guns in HotE.
http://orig08.deviantart.net/b...rtyfakes-d54nhru.jpg
Pic related is how I think of plasma cannons' size. Naturally, suspensors would be very helpful.

So just ... don't make that an option. Character generation should not contain traps. Not even obvious ones that say "trap" in neon lights.

I still think heavy, light, special, and stealth/recon regiments are a good idea.

Haha there is a good joke involving Captain Obvious but I'll keep it to myself. ;)

You'd think - or perhaps I'm the only one who thinks this - that when I said you're an infantry unit that would preclude the addition of armored units to your character sheets or roster. This is an infantry unit, cobbled together from survivors of other infantry units. I deeply apologize if that was not clear from the start.

However, I have also told you folks that you will have resources available to you. I had hoped it would be a pleasant surprise tonight when I posted it...hopefully this post is not a spoiler for that one.

That being said, I expect the majority of the 8 remaining players will have chosen the character-built regiment for their folks and I can have everything in place for you (meaning all character sheets done by you guys) before I have lunch Thursday. Possibly before I go to bed Wednesday.

Once the regiment is released, character sheets will be generated...probably start tonight, but finish tomorrow morning.  Excited to see what materializes!

I might be a bit slow in making my characters as I am massively sick. Like ER trip yesterday and staring down a possible second one today sick. URI is kicking my ass like a Commisar with a grudge. But I have crawled up off of my death bed to ask a couple of questions.

Will Advanced Specialties be available provided we survive long enough?

Will we ever have the opportunity to make a Support Specialist? Maybe with a limit like there is only one Support Specialist at a time for the group or some such limit. I can live with them not being playable but I really like Priests (especially Incinerant Priests) and Psykers. Getting to play one in a real game would be nice.

I don't know the mind of the AC since I'm a mere number in the grinder but...

I'd think that the Advanced Specialties would be their way of allowing us to become support specialists in sort of a fashion.  More than the simple infantry that we started out as but less than potentially more crazy Baneblade driving, Titan controlling, Warp cursed psykers blowing our heads up more than the enemy sorts.

(Not that having a scene where we might gain access to one for a short time wouldn't be cool for infantry and make for all sorts of cool stories to later fresh meat ala 15 hours homage but...)

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 61):

You don't need an Advanced Specialty even to drive or have a Baneblade and no Support Specialist gives you access to a Titan or even all that powerful of Psyker abilities. You are a low scale Psyker in Only War.

I'll answer this and the second question together: the more success your unit has, the more things will open or be available to you. Think of it as being a sort of 40k version of Panzer General. If you have three successes in a row you get Option X. If you have two outstanding successes in a row you get offered Option X-1. If you have four successes out of five you still get Option X but have to wait for one more to get access to Option Y.

So yes, other specialties will be available later, just like Ogryn and Ratling comrades are already auto-available after your first character (not comrade) dies. You could go thru a dozen comrades and keep replacing them with humans as long as your primary keeps surviving missions. Once your primary dies you get access to abhumans.

Cool! I like that system. We do well and we get access to new toys. Works for me.

I was exaggerating on purpose to make the point...

Though a low scale psyker can still blow up all our heads and is actually more likely to.  Or just get killed by the Commissar.

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 65):

Best to fight nids now with no psykers.  They are rather useless against them due to the Shadows of the Warp.

Anyway, my two concepts will be a Mordian or Custom Medic with a specialty in commerce to help get gear and will have a horders personality.   The other is a custom regiment Guardsmen good-craft synthmuscles who thinks he's an ogryen and will specialize in carrying the medics stuff and hacking bad guys in two (if we get cyber enhanced doctrine)

Shadow of the Warp is pretty much only a thing when there is a Hive Ship. All the talk so far has been a fairly small Tyranid invasion - and if we face any of the single Tyranids that can broadcast it alone we are super dead.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Shadow_in_the_Warp

I don't see the problem; a party wipe shouldn't be the end of the game. Broodlord, Tyrant, Warriors ... with some luck and ingenuity, we should be able to put a dent in, at least.

Heh. You guys remind me of Grig from Last Starfighter.

"It'll be a slaughter!"
"Yes! Isn't it glorious?"
"I meant *us*!"
"I know!"

Lol

But is fun to ever fight something you have legitimately no chance of beating? That is a harsh buzzkill even when playing 40K.

It is fun to try and think of ways to use things that aren't normally weapons to find a way to delay or slow it so if you can't kill it the right tools can show to take it out.  The story is about us but everyone has outside help in the story in some manner.

I said fight something you can't beat isn't fun. If you have an alternate win condition than just fighting that is viable it isn't the situation I was referring to. I was refering to a no win situation. One where there is no possibility of accomplishing anything significant.

Well yeah then it's not really fun unless we're trying to find out just how our character dies at the end of a game that isn't going to be run anymore, or one where it's part of a legacy concept.  Know what I mean?

That said most games don't tend to end that way meaning it's a total downer to have a TPK from just random happenstance.

That sounds suspiciously like about 90% of characters in every Quentin Tarantino film...

As long as you're not trying to replicate Quentin Tarantino films then AC we should be off to a good start ;)

^ What he said.

Edot: Unless you're using Inglorious Bastards as the reference point. They actually succeeded in that movie. Plus it's the only Tarantino flick I actually like.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Tue 01 Nov 2016.

In reply to GSN 1610292411 (msg # 70):

Yes. Whether trying to distract or hold the thing while others complete their missions, provide a chance for escape, or just hurt it enough to show it has some weakness, it can be.

Of course, there's a difference between that desperate fight and "rocks fall, roll a new one". It's closer to "1d4 investigators per round".

In reply to GSN 1610290901 (msg # 77):

You missed my second message in that conversation.

Captain Kirk doesn't believe in no win situations....

Edit: So with the newly defined custom regiment I'll be going for a Custom Regiment Guardsman as my main guy and a Cadian Guardsman as back up.

Edit 2: Have you guys thought about advanced specialties yet? Because from the way I understand it we are only 900xp away from being able to decide.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:16, Wed 02 Nov 2016.

So we've got a medic and a guardsman with their backups being both guardsman.

Anyone else?

I'll be home from work in about 4 hours to begin answering questions & PM's.

In the meantime let me ask you to hold off making final plans on your (up to two) implant choices for Cyber Warrior background, as I haven't finished the list of ones that will be available to you at character creation. Thanks!

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 80):

I decided on Operator, earlier, for my first character.

Mmm...unless AC updated our options we only have:



Thematically you could bend any one of them using xp into doing operator things but don't think we can pick it for out core aptitudes/skills/feats/etc even without a vehicle to operate.  I'm just a grunt though so I could be wrong. ;)

Think I'll be rolling up 2 Mordians. I'll have the basics done in a few hours.

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 83):

Seems you're right. I thought Sergeant had been replaced, not duplicated.

For those that are on.  Should I get Int +15 for 500, or bump Medicae to +20 and Commerce to +10 for 500 total?  So +10 to my 2 main skills, or +5 to them, plus +5 to a bunch of others (tech use, lores, etc).

I'd bump Medicae and Commerce first, then the Int bump is icing on the cake afterwords.

That's where I was leaning.  Thanks for giving me another vote of confidence.

It was actually 3 times as hard to make 2 characters than to make 1.

Right!?

All the options...

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 90):

I'm here watching the game, refreshing the browser every few minutes.  Bounce ideas off me if you need.

Just trying to get the right dynamic in my own head for my two...both for banter and for me wanting to play them as more than just a voice since they are my backup character.  Know what I mean?

For me, despite the 'overwhelming options' available, is the potential for overlap in the skillsets of the players. Because, you know...mortality and all that.

Yeah, I feel you.  I'll let dynamic for my tandem sort itself out in game.

Not to put to fine a point on it, cause others likely have noted it as well.  For those of you creating one of your peeps from the 31st Zakurian don't forget that the two cyber-enhancements are considered standard kit.  You can increase their craftsmanship for 5 points to make them good, or 10 to make them best.  Just a thought for those not knowing where to toss leftover kit points and all you know...

Interesting thought to pump them up.  If someone is making a scout type (high perception/awareness), the auspex at best craft would be a solid buy.  Enhanced Senses also are pretty efficient, as 5 regiment points gets you over 8 regiment points worth of effective gear.

Don't need best Auspex since Good is top level of notable advances, but yeah that is some serious scout potential.

Hence the title "Siege Breakers". ;)

For clarification, the additional 1000xp is on top of the 600xp to start with or is it including the 600?

Here is AC's clarification. so yes on top of the base 600.

Whew. I finally got them both finished. My secondary is going to be a lot of fun once Kluge drops. My primary is a dual-wielding las pistoleer and my secondary is a sharpshooter with a grenade launcher.

Sorry guys might be a day or two before I am finished making the characters. It has been a while since I built an only war character and I have a couple of exams coming up that I have to study for so I can't just spend a few hours in a chunk to get them done.

After some thought I stuck with Medic primary (focus on lore, tech use, trade:armourer), and Weapon Specialist secondary (las weapon expert).

Weapon Specialist says 'good craftsmanship lasgun' - specific type, or any?

I'm sure they meant the M36 or the Las Carbine, both of which are Common availability, although I can also see an argument for your unit having access to the Bullpup design, which is Average availability. Was there one from another sourcebook you were asking about in particular?

FYI - Good craft on a lasgun gives you reliable quality...which it already has.  The book would say hotshot las if you were eligible for it (see Stormtrooper).  Lasguns can be good with the appropriate talents, no doubt, and when most of the squad is also using lasguns. What is the regimental favored basic available to you?

That's ok. I will be posting the intro thread for the campaign sometime today so that those who are ready don't have to sit on their hands, and can begin interacting with their environment and each other. The first mission won't be posted until everyone has their character sheets completed, which I expect will be Sunday morning. Hopefully. :)

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 104):
Either way, it sounds like you're set on preserving it as the poor choice vs flamer or regimental favoured.

In reply to GSN 1610292302 (msg # 105):
Yeah, I'm aware that extra instances of weapon traits are usually worse than useless.
OTOH, if they were talking about the M36 Lasgun, they would have said that, too. See; every pre-built regiment and regiment doctrine that does not say lascarbine.

So, my question then bears repeating: Was there one from another sourcebook you were asking about in particular?

Also: "Add an additional item of Scarce availability to standard kit" 10 points. There's your flamer.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:59, Thu 03 Nov 2016.

Probably the Triplex, which is just flat out better than most other lasweaponry due to its versatility. It's a lasgun, long-las, and weird las-shotgun all sort of taped together.

I'm pretty sure when the book says "lasgun" it's just dropping the M36 designation from the basic IG flashlight we're all familiar with.

Also, I'm fairly certain that the basic Lasgun is offered as a choice for the Weapon Specialist so that even melee-only/primitive/SP-favoring regiments' shooters can have it as an option.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 108):

2302 got it in one. Took the 15 kit points rare item, and weapon specialist flamer. Comrade? More like pack mule.

my secondary has a max carry weight of 78 kgs, he's the definition of a pack mule :)

For the regiment point kit, bear in mind your kit gets resupplied (mostly) after missions.  So consumables are pretty good options since they will be replenished.

In reply to GSN 1610292302 (msg # 112):

For specialty ammo for the sniper rifle should I go:

Man stopper = +3 pen or expander rounds = +1 dam & +1 pen?

Does anyone have 'nid lore to know whether they're more armour or unnatural toughness? :)

They will all have natural armor.  Genestealers and above will have unnatural toughness.  Genestealer is 4 armor and unnatural tough 4

I am pretty sure he meant if your *character* had the skill, you little imp. :P

2 DoS on my FL check :)

...which you rolled AFTER you gave him that information.

I sense heresy...

Nope, just the Emperor's Will ;)

So what all do we have so far by way of specialties?

My primary is Medic and Zakurian but...

...his skills in a typical military would peg him more as Intelligence guy:
Cryptography, Alien Languages (Eldar/Ork/Tau), FL (Xenos), Navigation...mmm...and Infused Knowledge so I know a little about anything not Forbidden and help with his codebreaking side.

Still working on the secondary.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:20, Thu 03 Nov 2016.

I'm a Weapon Spec and Weapon Spec. Both Mordian.

Flamer or Grenade launcher?  I assume a bit of Operate (Surface) for when we get a vehicle?

I am working on my characters, will be done during weekend. Sry work just got me until tomorrow night.

Dual-wielder(pistols) with a focus on Las weapons for Primary. Grenade Launcher sharpshooter for secondary.

I am done with the prologue, and am now putting the finishing touches on the intro. Didn't want to post one and have someone interrupt my train of thought so will make them into one massive post. Should be up in an hour or so.

As I said earlier, this is just to establish the setting; there is no rush to post or jump into the action until you have your characters done, which will hopefully be before I go to bed Sunday night. :)

I like the opening post.  Definitely sets the stage and I think foreshadows some future complications :)

Are we ok to post?

Yep! Game on!

I'm seriously tempted to make a raging unarmed fighter.... Like he uses a shotgun and all that and then when he gets pissed he's like nope, not interested, and just drops his shit and starts beating people to death with his hands.

Edit: I might drop frenzy, just so that I don't end up trying to beat up my comrade or one of you...
Edit2: Hurray for punching tyranids in the face....
This message was last edited by the player at 02:11, Fri 04 Nov 2016.

I'm going with call signs instead of names.  Since there is high likelihood they'll due, best to not get too attached with actual names.

Oggie is getting his kit swapped.

Chain Sword (8) that is best craft (10) gets mono (from Hardened Fighters)
Pipe Charge (10)
Mantrap (3)

One point left over...oh well.  This makes him less defensible, with no shield and no fire causing shotgun shells, but the best chainsword is a significant upgrade over the best basic sword.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Fri 04 Nov 2016.

Psst...

Chainswords aren't low tech weapons so they can't get mono.

Correct; the mono upgrade only works on low-tech weapons, or power weapons when the field is not in use. I think he was so excited to be able to spend points to upgrade to Chainsword from the basic melee kit weapon of the close assault regiment that he forgot. ;)

Likely.

I always made the assumption that a Chainsword's Pen of 2 came from it innately being mono and the +2 damage/tearing came from the fact that it's spinning death.  taek those away and you get a normal sword with the same things.

I must have missed it, but what's being done with the SRK for Mordians? I assume I'm not getting a Leman Russ for poops and grins?

Last check, nothing.

Almost done, changed my comrade to a weapon specialist instead of a guardsman.

I'll have to rethink this then.  Not worth 18 points for tearing quality.

How does parrying a natural weapon with a power weapon work?  If you can break weapons, does it deal damage to natural. Weapon users?

I don't really know, I'd assume yes, it certainly is a tricky one as natural weapons can't be broken and they can't normally parry, but there is nothing about what happens when they are parried.

Parried natural weapons ignore power fields.

Close Assault's "two one-handed low-tech weapons" excludes spears, staves, and warhammers. Hunting Lances are one-handed, one-shot melee weapons that count as improvised weapons before being re-tipped, if that works for you.

Or you could stick to chain weapons and consider tox dispensers?
This message was last edited by the player at 11:18, Fri 04 Nov 2016.

There are armored units included in the Resources of your unit that can be made available for certain missions, but since this doesn't look like it will be at least 50% Mordian characters, they will likely not [Read: usually not] be made available for direct player control full-time. They can be requisitioned as additional firepower through the normal channels/system in Only War. There may be missions later that allows a player with the Operator/Drive skill to control one.

As far as parrying a natural weapon: parrying does not always mean you parry with the blade facing the opponent's incoming weapon. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's largely a Hollywood misconception. But I may incorporate a house rule on an offensive parry...until then, don't assume automatic damage to an attacking enemy. Mere contact with the power field of a powered weapon is painful but I'd assume the damage it can cause from a touch is generally going to be absorbed by the basic Toughness rating of most monsters.

Interesting through on the hunting lance.  Probably not worth the investment.  Your pre-edit post on swapping the knife for a shield was pure genius though, and my medic will now have a shield :)

I was thinking of just directly swapping back to my former kit, but the Inferno Shells for 15 regiment points seems just way too expensive.  Instead, I'll swap my 2 cybers from Cyber-Enhanced to Autosanguine and Subskin Armor, then nab the common-craft synthmuscles for the 15 points.  It's a way better investment of those points.  I'll still take the pipe charge for 10, and with the 7 points left over, I'll have to sort something out....maybe a spool of accordian wire?

I went kind of boring with my points. Respirator for 8, Stub Auto for 8, Extended mags for my Stub Auto 10, Good craftsmanship for my bionic leg 5.

And here I thought it wasn't helpful for weapon ideas.

Tracer rounds? They're common, available for any SP firearm, add half the rolled degrees of success (round up) to full-auto attacks that hit, +5 to ranged volley orders when comrades have tracers, and Flame to point blank attacks.

Unfortunately, the Inferno shells were for a shotgun.  So Tracer rounds wouldn't be helpful there, but are good for anyone with an autogun, stub auto, or heavy stubber.

What I ended up doing is swapping my pick one tier 1 feat from Guardsmen from Berserk Charge to Ambidextrous.  Then with the kit, I went common-craft synthmuscles for the (15), pipe charge (10), and recoil gloves (5).

Then I can wield both the shotgun and best-craft mono sword.  I can't use them in the same turn (well), but it gives me the flexibility to shoot or stab.

General message to the heavies, how many are there and what guns are you bringing out to play with?

I decked out my primary with cyber-enhancements...

Auger Array upped to Good for 5, MIU upped to Good for 5, Bionic Respiratory System for 15 points and upped to Good for 5 more.

So I'll eventually be picking up Operate skills to hopefully use in conjunction with that MIU.

Point blank Flame on a shotgun (where scatter matters) and bonus comrade order effect is still pretty helpful at a third of the price, or a future logistics test.

With two successes you can tell people [in general terms] the stat lines of genestealers, termagents, hormagaunts, rippers, and gargoyles, with respect to a baseline of 30 for humans. "They are faster and stronger but not as smart or mentally strong [WP]". With two successes you know there are leader-types which control the swarms with psychic powers, but you don't know how.

If you make a tech use [computer use] roll you can access the local database to gain three more automatic successes and discuss the actual stat [numbers] of the above listed species. You can also get a general description of what a warrior, zoanthrope, ravener, carnifex, lichtor, and a biovore look like and pass them along to your fellows.

Note that anyone can do this, but they need to have FL: xenos or FL: Tyranids to access the archives...or make a -30 Tech use skill check to hack them.

This will consume the rest of your 'downtime' between now and when you get your orders to move out on the next mission, so no further interaction with the team will be permitted. ;)

It's fine for now.  I need to put my commerce skills to work!

How many weapon customisation attempts could I get in?

Downtime is in air quotes. He's a medic, who should be helping with the wounded of the last three assaults by the tyranids against your base, not mucking about on a computer screen while everyone else prepares for a sortie out into the jaws of death! ;)

It was just a fluff piece. There's too much to do in the few short hours between the last attack and your mission orders. But, your unit *will* have time to make some suggestions in-character about the two upgrades you'd like to request before you go out on the mission itself.

And if there was real time to do so then the guy who actually has FL Xenos would be doing the information digging...

That's something, but it doesn't mean much until the following mission.

Anyone with trade: armourer, basic tools (universal kit), and regimentally available parts can do their own minor customisations to SRK weapons - alter grip shape, saw off or extend barrels, adjust loading mechanisms, etc. By the book, they're something that can be done in the field, so it can't be that intensive. I figured I'd be able to make a few adjustments, if anyone asks.

Depending on what AC determines for how much time is needed I've also got the armourer skill to help with mods.  Got a few to do for my comrade's kit as well as mine but the better equipped we all are the better off we will be.

http://galaxy40k.com/

Anyone seen this?

That...

Is made of awsomesauce.

I'll allow for enough time to make one of the four possible weapon mods on pg 190-191 of the core rulebook if you like. I think we've already had enough options for character creation up to this point, though, and want to leave a few things as rewards [ie downtime activites] for the periods following missions.

And yes, the Workshop modifications *are* intended to be the way they are designed. It gives your characters one more reason to want to survive [and succeed] the upcoming mission, as well as get your minds in the forward-thinking tactical mode of "we encountered this, so this would be useful".

Fair ear muffs. Is there anyone that could really use something like Reduced Weight (ie; 40-50kg heavy weapon) or Customised Grip (BS in the 20s)? Or someone else that doesn't mind owing a favour?

Lol I hate autocorrect too! :P

If no one else bites, I'll take a Quick Release for my M34, but it's not a huge priority.

I appreciate the plethora of posts for everyone to interact with and draw inspiration from, folks. Gives a good idea of how well this game will get off the ground.

I have had two or three people who were interested in playing this game who were somewhat daunted by the volume of activity here, and they shied away because they can't make multiple posts per day like the 'core' group of soldiers seems able to do. I want to assure everyone that the posting requirement is only once per 48 hours, but that if we all get in a good rhythm and can post daily during battles, that's ok, too. I am online every couple hours almost every day, unless I take a road trip out of town or the weather here is really nasty [I have an outdoor job].

There's plenty of things people can do off-camera or not in the main scene that can chew up a considerable amount of screen time. I want this to be fun and exciting while at the same time dangerous and [slightly] nerve-wracking. Slightly. ;)

To be honest, that's what's kept me from posting all that much. The barrage of activity between my log-ins is making it hard to keep up.

It only LOOKS like they are doing a lot. Mostly it's just flapping gums and smoking cigs in the hot sun.

Edit: Shandra and Sawbones, are you asking each other 'what have we got here?' as in what you're offloading from the shuttles into the base camp, or are you asking 'what have we got here?' as in what's the situation on the planet and in your sector right now?

The first one, I can answer. The second would require an Inquiry check, which is the OW default version of Gossip.

I would also allow a Logic check to figure some things out yourself, as most of you were here during one or more of the waves of tyranids assaulting your position...hence the boost in starting xp.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:29, Sat 05 Nov 2016.

Just an FYI I am still sick. Weak and tired. Just drained all around. Makes it hard to put an idea for a character together.

It was related to the supplies they were offloading, thus Sawbones was reviewing the shipping manifest to see what the cargo contained.

Edit: Might be good for all of us to put up a dossier concept in our descriptions so others can see what specialties, demeanors, and main skills/abilities are.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Sun 06 Nov 2016.

Bwana - Found some energy to start putting my first character together and I had a question. The description for the Suppression Shield - which I know I can't get as much I would like to - says that Good and Best Quality versions have a weapon brace that allows the wielder to use a Basic weapon one handed without penalty. Would it be possible for me to get that same thing on a regular shield?

The concept I am working with is a chainsword and shield wielding Weapon Specialist who occasionally fires from behind his shield.

Edit: Do we start with any clips for our Favoured Weapon? Because if not the Plasmagun's ammo is Rare (15 of our 32 points) all by itself.

Edit #2: Answer found in the errata. If a weapon comes as part of your specialist equipment you recieve 3 clips. If it comes as part of your Regiment you receive 2 clips unless otherwise noted.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:57, Sun 06 Nov 2016.

Recoil Gloves are Common. Just sayin'.

That was the plan if the first one isn't available. I just like the first one for flavor and imagery.

Well something like that would be good for any of us to help keep us alive.

I know I am not the best shot out there and having a shield to hide behind and lock my shotgun into sounds marvelous.

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 168):

Seems practical doesn't it?

Generally? Yes. For Brawler? No, he doesn't want a shield to protect him....

Some quick responses this morning:

The search of the crate manifests reveals exactly what you'd think to find in a regimental supply cache heading to the front lines: entrenching tools, potable water, ammunition reserves, uniforms, medical supplies, and so forth. None have been opened; they are just been sent around the base camp to their various specific locations at this time.

I spent some time on the suppression shield last night and was unable to find it referenced in the Only war system, only in the Dark Heresy one. Although that's not entirely true; I found a webpage that reportedly lists its functions and stat line as taken from the Shield of Humanity sourcebook, but I own that and have been unable to find it within those pages. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction, but we aren't crossing systems here. This is an Only War game.



Yes, and this could also be one of the Workshop Mods that the group asks for.



Yep! I will point out, though, that purchasing a weapon [even a favored one] with your customization points means you only get 2 clips for it.

Suppression Shield on page 118 of Hammer of the Emperor.  Here's the point in question:



As previously mentioned, recoil gloves and upgrading standard equipment to good craft are both worth 5 points of regimental kit and they basically have the same effect.

Ah, I have that but the online source referenced the wrong book. Thanks!

Any opinions between a hades assault flamer (reliable, clip 10) or an auto grenade launcher (fire bombs, semi-auto 3, clip 6)?

I was going to ask about a backpack ammo supply of fire bombs, but that looks to fall on the wrong side of Flame Weapons vs weapons with the Flame quality.

In reply to GSN 1610290901 (msg # 174):

I would go with the standard grenade launcher and fire bombs for the better range and more economical ammo usage.  With the delta in regiment points, you might be able to get some more gear.

My companions backup weapon is a Hades Flamer for what it's worth.  For when there are those times that an autocannon isn't the right tool for the job...

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 173):

So is the shield weapon lock cool then?

It does not currently exist in that fashion, so it will have to be something that is crafted by your workshop or, between missions, designed and build by your teammates. Until then use the glove idea; I think that is a decent work-around.

I guess I'll reduce something in quality so that I have enough points for recoil gloves. I just like the other better thematically.

Yes but since lots of us have shields, one of our customized requests will be these special shields.  It can be our regiment signature, but it will be nice to earn it.

Earn something that would take 15 minutes irl to make with the apprproate gear handy?

I'm not quite sure what I'm missing in this conversation. If you want to craft it yourself, be my guest. But whether it takes 15 minutes or 15 hours, you do not have time to do it before this mission, or even the assembly you've been called to, unless you want to craft the special shield pre-adventure and choose to not perform your duties in preparation and defense of the base camp. Probably not a good idea for a soldier in a war zone.

I'm sure there are a ton of things that we can accomplish once the immediate threat of being ovverrun by things that want to eat us has been passed. :)

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 182):

I wasn't questioning your decision. I was commenting on 302's comment about wanting to earn it.

I get it, I'm just filling in the blanks on your response to him. Yes you can do many things in this intro scene (like crafting and computer use and so forth), they just take you away from other activities that are expected of you. No harm no foul here. :)

If by toxic response you mean any specific toxins the nids were using against you, it's just a reference search of the computer, so Tech Use at +20.

If you mean you want to find/create antitoxins or viable protections against bio-acid or bio-plasma, you can begin with SL: Biology or SL: Chymistry but it's a longer process than just the 57 minutes you've got.

If you mean to find patterns in their wave attacks or use of troop types, then SL: Tactics is the primary [though I'd allow SL: Biology again as it is a hive mind mentality], FL: Xeno will give you more on top of that. Logic is a good fall-back plan for missing skills here.

If I missed anything let me know.

Also whether specific tyranid types have quirks that can be expected and planned for. Like Jurassic Park?

https://youtu.be/z2UQv2JUZoU?t=31
https://youtu.be/JxNhLFJz6iM
This message was last edited by the player at 04:20, Tue 08 Nov 2016.

@AC - So we basically have about 1 hour of in-game before the debrief on our mission?

It's just an RP number so that time doesn't seem suspended between now and my next post. You have time to do what you're supposed to, or time to do what you want to do. It's a roleplaying game...sort of like free speech...you can say and do anything you want, but there will always be reactions and consequences. ;)

I think it's important to point out, before we all jump in with both feet, that you guys keep in mind that this is a military game, not a mercenary game. While I understand your desire to outfit your platoon with everything you think you could possibly need, you will quickly become frustrated if you constantly ask [like many others] if you can grab this or take that. It doesn't work that way. This game was designed to be an 'against the odds' situation, and everyone who joined was both aware of that and eager to play in such a scenario. I've been more generous than I originally anticipated with your kits and gear. Let's prepare to move forward.

That being said, however, you CAN make a short list of things to bring up during the phase of the upcoming briefing where Mission Assignment Gear is discussed. After you find out what you are getting, you can try to make a case with your chain of command towards getting things not already slated to be issued.

After your first sortie, you will also be in contact with other regiments in the sector, and can THEN begin making your Commerce and Trade skill checks.

But for now, let's just concentrate on one thing at a time.

Just letting you know that I've had a relapse in my seemingly endless battle with this URI. My head is killing me and I can hardly move.

Sorry to hear that, but glad you're able to give a heads up.

GSN -2015 is the only one who hasn't completed their character sheet as far as I can tell, and was one of those who felt they wouldn't be able to keep up with the volume of IC & OOC posts being produced by the current group. If they aren't ready by the time I make Thursday night's first action post, they'll be put in reserve until they ask to be dropped. Hopefully they'll come back.

I'm at work so will post something small with responses to things when I get home in 5 hours, and then make the Assembly post briefing right before bed.

I sent the info as a PM so I don't need to post anything, actually, until my own deadline of later tonight. Yay...I get to go vote now that work is done, and then have an actual dinner. Maybe Chinese tonight.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 192):

Is the Colonel addressing multiple platoons regarding the overall operations?

Yes. That is why the lovation within the compound was not determined until right before the assembly. Large group = large target.

Can we get a tally of the primary and secondary PCs.   I'm not sure anyone rolled up a Sergeant as their primary.  Who's taking over as squad commander?

2302 - Medic/Guardsmen
0902 - Medic/Heavy
1001 - Heavy/Weapon Spec?
0704 - Guardsmen/Weapon Spec
1873 - Medic/Heavy
2411 - ?/?
1137 - ?/?

We're definitely heavy on the medical side...wondering if I should swap out my primary....
This message was last edited by the player at 23:13, Wed 09 Nov 2016.

Yeah, I thought about going with a Sergeant for my secondary, but having someone in at least a nominal leadership position as a backup seemed weird.

In reply to GSN 1610291001 (msg # 196):

My guardsmen has intimidation and command, but not a very high fellowship.  Maybe our Sarge was killed in the last assault.  Someone is assigned until a replacement (ie new player).

Don't forget me ;-P

1843 - Medic/Heavy, 31st Zakurian

I miss typed your # but your there. Editing it now

Good to know :)

I'm just as willing to do a switch before we head out and have Everest as my primary.  Everest is a good trooper with a nice spread of weapons but not much else yet.  Still if we think we need him more than Zilch's intel angle of the medic role I'll do it.  I did build both as fun things to play.

Sergeant are pretty great because of the orders for extra +4 damage, inspire for +10, etc.  It's more of a party buffer role that isn't as exciting in combat at times, but it drastically improves the quality of the group as a whole.  I mean, if the game is as deadly as we expect, we might have new characters to roll up to rebalance the party.

Is it more a question of leadership party role or squad bonuses?

I can totally understand a Sarge being a Comrade...remember the Sgt from Starship Troopers who voluntarily took a demotion [of sorts] so he could go out with the troops and fight the bugs? I imagine it's no different here, really. Or one who was offered a chance for OCS and washed out but can't take command until certain criteria are met. Or one who is newly promoted but hasn't gone to PLDC yet. ;)


On a slightly different topic, I am totally aware that this style of pre-assault briefing is NOT the way things are normally done in the military. But, as this is an RPG and driven by the players' actions, I thought this would be the easiest way for you all to get some input into the scenario, rather than feel like you're being thrown into a boardgame plot, where you can only move certain paths and always face the things preset for you.

Tonight and tomorrow I will finish up the TO&E [company/platoon breakdown] so you'll know where you stand. Basically, though, your platoon is one of three in the 'center' company. As the 'diverse heavies' you are generally the middle of the front lines in any assault. When it's a wedge, you're the point. When it's a line, you're the blockers. When it's a...well, you get the picture. Maximum contact, maximum glory, maximum casualties.

Very true.

I would have made Zilch the intel guy as a sergeant but they have neither tech nor intelligence aptitudes and the Zakurian regiment we made doesn't add any extra aptitudes that could be doubled up to play around with.

Like you said though we might all die so quick that it's a moot point.

Maybe I should roll up two more so I've got three backups instead of one during our downtimes waiting for the next phase of AC's plans to kill us all...

;)

It's both quite honestly.  Both RP wise and game mechanics wise.  Part of the reason I was trying to engage everyone during the Chargen process was to identify significant overlap, avoid it, and come away with a balanced party.  At least If a medic gets wounded there's 2 others who can heal him.  That' said, that tactic didn't work out every well.  But to ACs concept that we are heavy, I would say our secondary PCs are, but our firsts are basically a support platoon.

Yes and no.  If you aren't a heavy then you are a sergeant/weapon specialist/guardsman/ are all close to the same in combat skill.  Medics, while focused on that can still make fine combat peeps at start they just can't go far in it without it high thresholds.  Since we're dealing with Tyranids chances are those thresholds (high or not) won't be met by many.

Right...not necessarily "Heavies" as in using heavy weapons, but 'heavies' [lower case] because of the diversity and power of your individual kits and specialties. You're not a rifle platoon with four M60's; you're a close assault platoon with lasguns, plasma rifles, flamers, autocannon, etc. Enough nonstandard firepower that any enemy with defenses or resistance to one thing will likely be vulnerable to something else you're carrying.

I notice that no mention of the Workshop and your two choices for upgrades or modifications was discussed yet. Knowing that you guys are online all day and night I'll push back my post for tonight and make it in the morning.

Also, if you're a veteran like myself, please enjoy the holiday and I'll raise a glass to you tonight.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 208):

Did you have a post somewhere that outlined what we could order up?

Yeah...World Building 101.

Ideas that I had, in no particular order:
1) The shield upgrade (aka, give everyone recoil gloves)
2) Use both upgrades to increase flak suit's armor by +1 AP
3) Increase combat shotguns by +1 damage
4) Increase blast radius of charges by +1 blast

Can we use it for crafting of items under a certain availability?

You take an item you already have in your inventory [which demonstrates the likely availability to the techs while you're gone]. There's no benefit asking them to upgrade something you don't have, or can't get your hands on.

By that standard, anything Scarce or easier would be considered in the inventory of one of the ships, within reason, at GM discretion.

So, when you get the chance, requisition stuff so you can start modding it.

Hmm ...

# man-trap: -20 Strength test to escape
# main weapon mod: exterminator, +1 clip size
# main weapon mod: chain-knife attachment
# shield mod: forearm weapon mounting

1001 - unless I'm mistaken, its group upgrades not individual ones

Yes, group request, which is why there are only two slots per sortie. Since I may not have made that clear I will move the story forward now and give you all until Sunday night to come up with a group request, which I will write into the Mission post in the other thread. Apologies for the Workshop confusion.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 216):

Sounds good.  It's best to get the ball rolling since the workshop output won't affect us for a few weeks.

I'll raise a glass to you and my brother who is still active duty.  Thank you AC.

Will post more later after chores.

FYI I updated the Mission statement before I left town so your resources are now listed for this outing.

If I can get to an actual computer tomorrow I'll do some more background, otherwise Sunday, along with the First Contact post. Anyone who hasn't rolled their initiative by then will get the default minimum for their character. No need to post it, as I read the dice roller almost every time I log in.

so who has command trained? That fire support could come in handy!

So, I've been thinking about the rolling of initiative in this. I'm pretty sure the book says you don't roll separately for the comrade, as they are (basically) merely a 'support item' in your inventory. But I don't have access to my books this weekend so I can't be sure. Could someone please look this up for me? Otherwise I'll just check Sunday when I get home.

To my knowledge that is the case. It says you roll for each character.... As your comrade isn't a character in combat I'm assuming that they just use the main character's initiative.

Edit: There we go, that is a much better answer :).
This message was last edited by the player at 03:28, Sat 12 Nov 2016.

269, Comrades In Combat.

So, one roll and the character decides which 'half' goes first. Gotcha.

remeber you roll twice because of the Lightning Reflexes talent.  You just pick the highest roll :)
This message was last updated by the player at 03:35, Sat 12 Nov 2016.

Just 1137 and 2411 [who has been sick all weekend] to go on the initiatives. I'll drop the post in about two hours, right before I go to bed. Maybe less.

In case there was any confusion on the OOC comments about initiative order: that's just so everyone knows the order in which things will be resolved. Every player now takes their actions and post in any order as they log in and make their rolls, then I collect their results after 48 hours (less if everyone gets on the bandwagon right away) and roll for the 'nids who can take actions and haven't been killed before their turn comes up.

Obviously the genestealers are faster than anyone else on the battlefield but they are moving 'off camera' and have not shown themselves yet. When they do I will include their actions immediately as part of my own post and the round will proceed normally.

2411 is going back into the hospital and so will place his character in the Infirmary for now. Apparently those bio-toxins can cause a relapse!

My update in about 5 hours, give or take. I've turned the red dot back on but it won't change who is here or what you're doing. Any new recruits can jump right in as the 'faceless cohort' that are the NPCs of your unit.

Sorry, I won't have a chance to do a  proper post before your next post. Just take it that I kept pace with the hellhound.

Still 2 more hours, though no one is shooting this round, so you could move/aim instead of defensive crouch if you like.

So, are the circumstances for darkness and cover still affecting the two xenos provided, given the flamethrower attack and heavy bolter assault? Or are we past the initial turns where that was active?

I was going to ask the same, the light of the fire should provide some penalty mitigation.

Searchlights are in Shield Of Humanity, but I would have though rugged forward facing headlights were a basic feature of Imperial vehicles.

Heh...searchlights in a dawn raid? How silly of my not to announce your presence! :P

Yes, the flame is providing a half-penalty reduction, so only -10 for this round and the next. You will see, and hopefully be pleasantly surprised, the extremely effective tactics your Phlegmatic leader chose to employ for you today. :)

That would be why you turn them on once the yelling and shelling starts.

(fire is good tbh - just liable to keep talking if the comments get sassy)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:40, Wed 16 Nov 2016.

The operators are short handed, just like your whole regiment. Thus, the two forward mounted guns are firing but no one is in the TC/pintos mounted weapon at the moment. Searchlight is an afterthought, to be honest. And it won't be needed in two more rounds.

Enjoy the atmosphere and ambiance! ;)

Thanks for the 20m move boost after this round AC!  Saves us 7 rounds of half round movement since we all seem to go about 3 meters a round with a half move.

Now most of us will be only 14 meters or so from the wall after this, good times.

As a side note about targeting the enemy, if you don't declare which unit you are shooting at [or don't care and just want to LIVE], I will have to use your 'to-hit' roll as the determining factor. So, in this instance, you are faced with two options: Termagent group A or B up on the wall, which makes it very easy to decide...if your to-hit roll was odd, it's A, and even is B.

Shortly you will be engaged by more than just those two units, and it will be more interesting [read: difficult] to track, but I'll still post the known enemy units at the end, along with their relative strength [as a fraction], like I did last round. I know it may seem like I'm giving you a meta-gaming opportunity by letting you know which units are close to 50% and which ones might be routable, but when I [eventually] get to reform, reinforce, or combine units, it won't make a real difference.

Still, you're getting XP for every unit you destroy, which also means rout or disperse, so pick your targets and remember to aim low for the crawlers and high for the leapers!

Well we can always make the fluff reason why we know the composition/numbers of enemies in a given group is because my auspex array is telling me everything in a 50 meter radius and I'm passing that data along to everyone...

;)

Did we decide on which of us have the grapnels anywhere? I was planning to full action run at the wall so I could get up to the top in the next(ish) turn.

Nope, but as there are 4 per platoon and you guys only have six main characters at the moment, it's a fair bet to say you want to have one of them and no one will complain. Well, the NPC fillers in your unit won't. :)

Ok, so clearly RPoL had some problems tonight...almost 6 hours of downtime! Anyway, I'll wait until morning to see if the last two have posted anything and then probably advance before work.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 236):
Forward facing headlights? IG tank models don't seem to have them, while others like the Rhino do, so maybe fighting blind in the dark is actually an IG thing. :P

Shit, I knew there was a game where I needed to post. Third round is the charm I guess.

Edit: I'll try to keep on top of it better in future. I had my first exam for this semester today so have been a little distracted as of late. Sorry all.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:34, Fri 18 Nov 2016.

In reply to GSN 1610300704 (msg # 244):

It's all good.  Also, run move generates a -20 BS mod on ranged attacks against you, so that's good.

I'm thinking of throwing a grenade up first then ascending. Should give you guys another chance to shoot if you want before I become a potential target by standing up on the wall.

Probably a good idea in general to clear a few more out.

No doubt I am not the only one that has been affected this week by the inability to log into RPoL for several hours at a stretch. I'll extend tonight's deadline to Tomorrow morning so that a true 48 hours will be available. But then the next one will be Monday evening, back on schedule.

Yeah...

Hopefully things get back to normal soon but that was what they mentioned late Thursday night.

FYI - If you use the dice setting Only War and plug your TN in, it tells you the DoS.  Easier than rolling d100s and calculating yourself.


@AC - Not sure if you want to set it to Only War since it's more d100 rolls than anything else.

Also just to be sure...

Comrades usually have only three health states: Unharmed, Wounded and Dead

We are nixing it for actual wounds and soak?  Don't get me wrong that'll make Everest a very happy comrade cause he's a lot better at soaking than Zilch is...

I have thought about this since before I started putting this game together. I don't want to saddle people with controlling two PCs each; this isn't about being close to even with the enemy, it's about drawing the short straw and smiling at it because you know it means you're in your comfort zone.

I also didn't want to put in too many house rules because invariably a GM makes one rule or exception and he [meaning I] gets bombarded with PM's asking for this or that, or to change this rule or modify that paragraph.

However, I am a big fan of the 'Look Out Sir' rule, and have always expected that it would have a great effect in a game like this, where you control both characters but have to decide how to not only manage your resources, but make the tough decision on which character is actually [possibly] expendable, and which can better help complete the mission and keep his other mates alive.

So, to that end, I want to continue to target everyone as I have been, rather than take double the # of direct shots at your primary and only be able to hit the secondary comrade with blast markers. If the comrade is hit, the primary can take the shot, roll dodge/parry as applicable, and either avoid the damage or take the damage. If the comrade is hit, they still use the three status tags to describe their condition, but yes, they also keep track of their wounds, because they become the primary in the event it dies, and we will need to know what their actual Wounds score is at that point.

Sound like a plan? Comments? Questions?

Sounds like a plan.

Just to clarify, am I within charge range of the hormagaunts, standing as I am at the base of the wall? I figure if they are heading towards us I might as well protect the flank instead of trying to deal with the buggers shooting at us... Otherwise I'll move towards them and unload with my shotgun.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:20, Mon 21 Nov 2016.

They have enhanced/unnatural agility, so they are within their own charge range of you, but you are not close enough to charge them yourself. Sorry I thought the visual of their speed was more helpful. They get no cover bonuses from climbing on/around the hellhound, so take your best shot and prepare for melee on their initiative of 10 next round [remember the list of Init sequence is in the mission thread].

Also, as you are a cohesive unit and I loathe maps *most* of the time, let us assume you remain in cohesion at all times unless it is obvious you are not. So, in this situation, since no one has scaled the wall yet, everyone is within range of everyone else, for purposes of first aid, trading weapons, seeing the same targets, etc.

Just an FYI to those who got hit and wounded, remember you can try to dodge as a reaction.

Yes! Please do! That's why I mention it in the comments...I understand how hectic combat can be. ;)

The only quandary with mixing those two rules is at least raw Unharmed, Wounded, Dead is literally just the comrade taking a hit and their status.  It could be a stub revolver that did 1 wound the first time or a Genestealer claw that hit for 18.  Whether he takes 1 wound or 18 wounds it's simply a 'state of being' rather than a numerical count from figuring out soak.  Then when he takes that second hit he's dead regardless if it's another scratch at 1 wound and he'd only taken 2 theoretical wounds or if he took 36 between the two and should have been dead 26 wounds ago.

Don't get me wrong like I said...Everest having actual soak ups his survivability massively, and I'm in favor of tracking the soak/wounds of your comrade cause it's not that much extra tracking.

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 258):

PS suppression fire could be useful right now to pin them.  That or grenades.

Range check on the Hormagaunts?  Trying to decide if I should frag now, delay frag when they get closer, suppression fire combat shotgun, or delay single shot the shotgun.  I'm guessing 15-20 meters out if we can't charge them but they can charge us, but just want to confirm.

The wall is 10m high. I'll assume you approached the center of it, but your unit is spread out along its width fairly well, so you *could* be anywhere along the 40m-long wall if you like.

The Hellhounds made burning lines/sheets of flame about 10m in from each edge, up the entire length of the wall and out about 5m, so you have decent cover if you are at the base or climbing the wall itself - from the melee attackers like the hormagaunts. The termagents will have to expose themselves to lean over the wall and shoot at climbers, which means they lose the -10 cover bonus they've been gaining...and since they have a low init it's possible to send up half the team, blast the exposed 'nids when they try to shoot at the climbers, let the climbers engage, then send the rest up.

The Hellhounds also wheeled away and moved at tactical speed, which is 18m; the hormagaunts intercepted. Some died, some stopped to claw the tank, and some overran. I would put half of the 9 remaining at 16m and the rest at about 12 right now. Their speed will let them charge this distance easily in one round.

Going with suppression since they are mostly in close range (should have added +10, but fails anyway). I don't think a 95 jams right?  Will post in an hour when I get home but results are there

Do you have reliable or anything?

its 96-100 in both Only War and Black Crusade

Full auto, semi-auto, and suppressing fire all jam on 94-100. :/

Unless it is reliable or of best quality.

Ah yep, well the IP reroll was worth it...2 DoS.

Alright, finally got free to edit the post.  Let's hope those fuckers are pinned and have to run in front of the Hellhound (since they need to get to cover) and are crushed :)

I'm hoping they charge me... I want to curb stomp some hormagaunts.

Edit: And with combat master and whirlwind of death I kind of want to be outnumbered and surrounded.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:05, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

ah I completely mistakenly posted term when it meant herms, which should be evident by the fluff of the Hellhound in there and the posts in this thread.  You mind adjusting that for me?  I doesn't make sense to pin the ranged enemies when there are melee enemies in charge range.  Also, hopefully one got Blown up so we can get that morsels check or break.  Sorry!

Edit - I won't edit my post until approved. Hopefully, its evident I was intending on suppressing the Horms
This message was last edited by the player at 04:53, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

If I go back and change the target of your [successful] suppression, it will mean I have to take another ten shots at the group, with varying TN between 3-23. I already got two hits and prefer not to retro anything at this point, for the sake of the players' health.

However, since you go on 13 and the hormagaunts go on 10, you can still switch to fire at them as they clear the flames to engage with your fellow troopers. They will be about 8m from you at that point, give or take, so you could half move closer or shoot and begin the climb.

Going to bed now!

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 271):

Couldn't they still have shot with their half action?  They are already in cover.

Edit - side note, the terms are at long range while the horms are in short range.  I would be in a TN of 15 and would have failed and the combat shotgun loses damage at long range.  For using my sole FP on that roll, it would nice to do what I wanted to do with it.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:19, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

Isn't Armour 4 + Toughness Bonus of 3 enough soak to eat that 7 damage and that is if we are only looking at Mothball, though I'm not sure as to the interaction of him being a comrade and his individual soak if we are tracking wounds? Brawler has 6 armour everywhere but his head + toughness bonus of 4 (6 for his left leg), so I am a little confused as to either really taking damage. If comrades don't factor in soak, that would mean that they become much tougher once become the main character.....
This message was last edited by the player at 06:59, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

Emil/Recaf soaks it fully as well, so it doesn't really make a difference.

Now, due to PBP being what it is, I technically would be offered the chance to have Emil dodge or have Brick take the "bullet" before I knew what the damage was, but now I know it, in the interest of expediency. Which I support, but which causes situations like this.

Either way, in the interest of not having this goofy narrative where Brick pushes Emil down/away every turn, I'll just let Recaf soak it.

EDIT: Also, as someone going -on- 10, I'm going to wait until after the charge. There's just too many variables (are they in melee with me? are there any allies I might hit with suppressing fire? etc.) to try to do some half-assed flowchart/if/then thing.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:24, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

Quick answers before work: Take the FP back, but the target remains the termagents. They were successfully pacified for one round.

Yes, the armor is 4, and I can only assume my brain thought it was 3 because I was very tired and most of my 40k guys wear flak trenches. :/

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 275):

I'll just move my current post and roll to this turn and rewrite my previous post.

Actually we can't do that becaus I would have jammed and they would shoot anyway. There's really no way around it, the terms get to shoot:/
This message was last edited by the player at 13:18, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

Like I said, I've already made the rolls for both sides. We will assume you got off the full burst of suppressing fire, made them back up, and *then* jammed, so I don't have to go back and reroll attacks and possible damage. Keep the FP. Move on. Charge!

@AC - Keep the FP...I'd rather not be jammed even if it was a pointless shot.  The tank isn't that far away they can't still be forced to run back in front of it for cover and get crushed.

@Brawler - Whirlwind of Death is melee only.  You can get extra attacks as free actions against different targets.  Assuming your WS bonus is 4, you could get 4 attacks, but they all have to be different targets.  So if you get charged by 2 of them, its only 2 attacks.  Your shotgun can't help you with this though.

Just a question of actions here...

Will using the grapnel and climbing up simply be a full action or will it take a half action to latch it and then we have to ascend...which at 10m would mean either staying below to ascend in one round with a run or climb 3 or 4 meters up with our half action move up and be 'stuck' there till we get to the top?

Which is why Brawler gave it to Mothball.... Brawler is planning to punch some nids to death.

I anticipate a round of being "caught on the wall", which is why the hellhounds did whatthey did to help you. There's really (almost) no way to make the shot and climb 10m in one full-action move that I can see.

That's kinda what I expected but better to know and then do...than do and then ask.

So will we need to do an Athletics to climb up the wall and start the hilariously bad we can't scale a wall trope or is it more like a batman grapnel that will simply take a full round action to ascend the two troopers?  Which also should be precluded with are we going to have to make BS shots to make the grapnel land correctly and potentially start a completely different trope on that front before we even get to the athletics ;)

Or a half-round in the same that we fired and half in the next so we can actually melee at the top?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:58, Tue 22 Nov 2016.

I expect that you will fire (make a BS roll as it is a semi-ruined structure), begin your ascent in that round.

Round two: complete ascent and attack while holding the rope at -10, then auto-breach the top next round and normal melee *OR* complete the ascent, make an Athletics check to avoid AoO from termagants while you climb over the lip, then engage normally that round.

Either way is fine, but the first one means only one trooper attacks this round and both avoid AoO's; the second means both attack (with their remaining half action after climbing) with no penalties but a chance for wounding from the defenders.

:)

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 283):

I might recommend a frag or two before you start the climb.

Well if I frag from the bottom of the wall then I get charged by the guys on the ground and have to fight them off before I can go up...

So I'm more thinking grapnel and ascend this round.  Then ascend and grenade for my attack at a -10 next round to clear the area and then auto-breech and melee at the top.

In reply to GSN 1610311843 (msg # 285):

The grenade half way up would be wise

I don't know how to get a +1 to your roll 302 but I rolled a 1.  Does that count? :P

Mayhaps some bonuses to your athletics climb check

Some quick answers before bed.

Yes, Whirlwind of death will trigger on a readied action, as long as you are facing more than one melee attacker when you activate it. Since there are 9 of them [currently], and there are only the two of you that moved forward to engage, that would definitely be 4 each, plus one hopping past to someone else. Go ahead and make your attacks now, since you also go ahead of the termagents shooting down on the unit.

Sawbones, if the shooter happened to go to one of the pre-battle sermons, and it is written in a player post to show that, I would allow a blessing in the form of a one-time +1 to hit in this instance. He does protect, you know.

A roll of 01 is outstanding success so, I would rule that you either don't need to make the athletics check when you breach the top, or you can pierce a termagent with your shot and pull it from the wall, which uses your whole round, but eliminates another target. Then you have to shoot the grapnel again next round... :)

This.

Killing 1 Termagant is nothing compared to getting topside and in position (without taking an AoO automatically thanks to that 1) to roll a grenade under the Termagant's feet to take out a large swath of them (or rout them) and open a hole for the others to come up top.

Here's a little map based on what I could piece together based on our collective posts.



Terms A                     Terms B
--------------------------------------------------------------------
40            T/H   Z/E




30

                B/M

                                                 Horms
20                                               Hellhound




10

               B/F

0          S/O

Pretty good representation, though remember we had a 'fast forward' that brought everyone 20m closer to the wall, so no one should be more than halfway out right now, less for those that did any movement forward.

I am not quite sure, other than the holiday tomorrow, why everyone who is currently active has logged in one or more times in the last 48 hours but only 3 people posted. I do not want to get in the habit of delaying until the following morning, but I also don't want to screw the rest of the team by posting when only half-ish of the players are posting actions. So, I'll sleep tonight and post in the morning no matter what [cuz I'm off work], and the next due date will be Saturday night, unless everyone posts before then. That should give plenty of time for those who are out or away for the holiday. :)

Before that, a few people moved (3+m), and afterward Trenne & Hal (presumably also Zilch & Emil) ran (18+m) towards the wall. That's 40m covered.

(as I've been reminded it's this time of year; Happy Thanksgiving for everyone in/from America & Canada)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:36, Thu 24 Nov 2016.

I missed the +10 to hit for the knife attacks but I also didn't specify so there we go. All the rolls are done.

As it is Thanksgiving and I like to give generously on most holidays, I will give everyone double armor value for one hit they fail to dodge/parry for the rest of this mission. Use it wisely! :)

See you all Saturday night, unless you've gotten things done before then. My work day Friday [and part of Saturday] will be super busy so I may log in to check things but don't expect quick responses.

Will be posting when I get done with my honey-do list :)

So, informal OOC poll - while Brick wants to shoot at some termagants because they're right there, do you guys think that taking a shot at the gargoyles might pay off, given that they're about to destroy our air cover?

I'm leaning towards them, personally.

Eh, I'd go for the higher percent chance to hit targets if I were you, especially since there are some immediate threats.

Rule of thumb: if you can't destroy or break the unit you want to take a shot at, and it isn't attacking you or another PC, don't waste the action, unless you think that by engaging it you will cause it to change targets. Sometimes that's not such a good idea either...

To answer the question posed by Trenne in the game thread: the rule is ambiguous at best, on page 126: "A given individual can only be treated with first aid once every 24 hours..."
- this could mean you can only try once, regardless of whether the treatment is successful or not, or you can only treat the character once successfully.

I am inclined to believe that [using actual realism here] if the medic wants to take the time to continue performing his life-saving techniques on you over multiple actions during a battle, then by all means, continue to make the skill check until successful. Remember it heals an amount of damage equal to the medic's INT bonus plus 1 for each degree of success, so make sure it's worth it when you use it. :)

Also...don't see any grenades heading into the termagent ranks up on the wall yet. I'll be posting in about 3 or 4 hours, so...try not to let your commissar be the only one up there fighting in melee! lol

Oops yeah busy couple of days. Umm where was I hit? I ask because unless I get hit in the head I have a minimum soak of 10 before armour pen. That being said do the claws have pen?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:09, Sun 27 Nov 2016.

The to-hit roll for the 10 damage was a 12, so the location is 21: Left Arm. I rolled three exceptionally low rolls, as you can see...3, 12, 11. So even with the -20 from Defensive Stance they still hit! But the benefit of getting two reactions is very nice.
...no, these hormagaunts don't have razor claws; as I said, they were bred on this planet to hunt squishy medieval humans who don't require that biomorph. ;)




No, but it might be a good idea to use that held shot to pepper the group of four hormagaunts that are charging Trenne, the wounded medic. I'm sure he'd appreciate it. :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:30, Sun 27 Nov 2016.

All right, here's the shot. 5/20 Ammo remaining.

09:33, Today: GSN 1610291001 rolled 27 using 3d10+8.  Damage Pen 6.
09:33, Today: GSN 1610291001 rolled 63 using 1d100.  SemiAuto, TN 70 vs Hormagaunts.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:36, Sun 27 Nov 2016.

Lol I was wondering when they'd start hitting me :).

So dodging the second lot.... With the leg wounds can you tell me which leg the 13 hits? If it is left I only take 1 wound, right I take 3....

17:47, Today: GSN 1610300704 rolled 24 -- 2 degrees of success using the Only War system with a target number of 37.  Dodging second lot of attacks.

Left leg. 29 = 92 hit location. Lucky dog! ;)

Actually, am I still fighting 3 horms and one missed or did one die? I ask because an extra attack is always fun :).

Still 3! They have toughness 3 and chitin armor 3 everywhere on their body, so doing 7 damage with a knife is something they'd laugh at, if they were genetically allowed to. :P

Lol, me and the nids just sitting here trading blows.... I'm picturing rocky music and all..,

Yeah well Zilch is going to be doing his best impression of a Starship Troopers red-shirt shortly...

Don't forget to add the damage from Streetfighting.  I think it's half WS bonus.

Edit - also,for 1d5 damage weapons, I think you are supposed to roll a d10 and divide by 2, because if you roll a 10, it's a critical hit.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:34, Wed 30 Nov 2016.

Streetfighting only adds 1/2 WS damage to Critical Hits, not regular ones.  Unless they eratta'd it somewhere.

Crushing Blow is the +1/2 WS to damage Talent.

On a side note about comrades, ppgs 270-271 list the available actions for your comrades, which includes adding the flank/gang bonus of +10 in melee by "striking out with bayonet, lasgun stock, knife, or E-tool", assisting with a Ranged Volley to add +5 BS, and a few other things. The bottom of the previous page says that there will undoubtedly be Other Circumstances that will arise needing adjudication by the GM.

I think that the comrade is basically a device that adds +5 to [ALMOST] any one test you need to make. If you can justify it with logic or situational positioning, you should be able to gain that +5 to something other than your WS or BS like it says. Try it and I will make a decision on a case-by-case basis. I'm fairly lenient when it comes to creative thinkers who aren't being obvious exploiters or jerks. ;).

Thus, if you are trying to think of something and need a gentle reminder on your INT test, perhaps you could write that the comrade nudges you and says you were sleeping during that particular lesson. If you need +5 to an Athletics check to get across something, they can push, pull, or hand-stirrup you to greater success. If you're being grappled like our poor friends Zilch & Everest by termagents, they can lend +5 to your strength checks to escape that grapple.

It will NOT factor into a bonus to Initiative. It will NOT add a bonus to resist Fear/Terror/Psychic attacks. It MAY help you roll Fellowship to hook up in a bar after a battle.

As more situations arise, we can discuss them.

================================================

Brawler, remember that your comrade will, if possible, move to flank one of your opponents and grant you the +10 Gang Up bonus even if you are outnumbered yourself. You should be adding that +10 to the first of your many attacks each round. :)

@AC - am I benefiting from cover I secured in round 1, or did I lose it in the 20m forward thing?

In round 1 everyone had cover (if they chose) from the advancing Hellhounds. That cover is now gone. Standing beside the base of the wall does not afford cover from the termagants firing down from above. Is there something else I've missed?

Ah, and here I thought you needed the Commander class to deploy the Wingman comrade order.

Ba-dum! *tiss*

Also, real question: if I have two bullets left, can I semi-auto and my max becomes 2 hits instead of three, or do I have to fire two more single shots (or maybe reload)?

I'm inined to believe that the two bullets still allow you to semi auto fire the weapon with a max of two, since the attack option specifically states you can't get more hits from successes than you have actual shots. But I thought there was a mention somewhere of requiring the full amount to use the attack option. Maybe it's under full auto I'm thinking of. Go ahead and make the shot since it's only one roll of the dice anyway and if it's two hits on semi good. If I find it wasn't allowed I'll add the +10 for single shot and see if that hits when I get home tonight.

I haven't technically moved since round one.  We were advanced 20 of the 40.  Just trying to clarify if that cover would apply (it only adds some extra APs which are relevant.

*grins*

+5 still isn't enough to save my arse so it wouldn't have mattered either time...

also 302...

The 'cover' was the tank that has driven off leaving you high and dry 20 meters away from the wall with only your massive comrade as potential AP's worth of cover in being turned into bloody gibbits first...

I thought we were using shorthand partial cover of BS penalty, instead of deciding which body parts are / are not covered per turn.

Yes.

So I bought my friend two tickets to a concert this summer for his birthday but the concert was canceled. I told him I'd take him out for dinner and a night out and he chose tonight. So I'll be home in 4-5 hours to write my post. I'm driving so I don't have to worry about being too drunk to post coherently. ;)

I'm trying to get out of there but I can't roll worth crap anymore.

So another 6 wounds.  Hopefully I'll roll better in the morning...

I've been booped!

Poor Trenne....

Heh...I'll just remind you all again that once this splinter hive begins to adapt to your regiment's abilities and weapons, you'll find the booping begins to feel more like bashing. Hopefully you'll keep meeting with successes and can advance as quickly as they adapt!

If the first one dodges I'll make the second one require a dodge as well...otherwise we'll see!

I'll be home in 4 or 5 hours to post.

Cool...not that it will help me and my 80+ rolls since that 1 I got on the ascension.  Just hope they keep on rolling as bad as I am...

Quick response on combat actions: Brawler has just killed the heavily wounded hormagaunt and the moderately wounded hormagaunt attacking him, so he only has the one moderately wounded one left on him, if no one else kills it by the end of the round. Yay!

A smaller crew can't handle as big of challenges, but it tends to keep the game moving.  As we all know from RPOL, it's hard to get 4 solid posters, and we have that.  So I'm happy with the pace of play and the content.

10 wounds, 1 Pen means Zilch takes 4 after soak.  3 are eaten by his remaining wounds and I'm guessing the cracked rib was your Crit of 1 on his chest yes?

Yes, it's a flavor-text crit, since you're wearing armor the result of 1 on the Rending (chest) table says there's no real effect.

I'm sure you'll be out from under the little buggers this round. Jansen will no doubt use his round to either Inspire you or assist you. For the Emprah! ;)

Okay so I have lost track of who I am closest to. So once I am done with the lone Horm, who am I best placed to help? Brawler is much better in melee (not by that much from stats alone really but his talents are built that way) so I don't trust shooting at a group that is currently engaged in melee with an ally.

Edit: Yes I did just effectively rewrite this entire post. Mainly because I realised that my understanding was completely wrong.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:20, Wed 07 Dec 2016.

Heh....I've rewritten things a zillion times in most of my games, as a player and a GM. Invigorating, isn't it? :P

There are only two hormagaunts left: one on Brawler and one on Trenne. I assume from Brick's post she took her swing at Trenne's, getting the 4-1 odds for her favor. You are perhaps 5-10m further from her, and 3-6m further from Sawbones, who is at the base of the wall right now.

What's the athletics roll and action usage required to climb with the rope?

If you want to ascend the wall in one round you require an athletics roll to crest the top safely, but have no actions left. If you use a half-action move this round, you can complete the ascent with a half-action move net round and no athletics check is required.

Also, two...possibly three new members of the platoon are joining today. They will [hopefully] step in as you consolidate on the wall and prepare for the INEVITABLE counterattack by the tyranids. :D

Howdy y'all.

Good to have you with us 1718.

Of course it was inevitable.  Nothing like facing their counterattack with N wounds available ;P

Welcome.  We are currently a little heavy on medics as our primary PC and lacking in the Sarge and ranged weapon departments.

After receiving that info I am thinking on a Sergeant and a Guardsman (because I think it's a cool idea).

I think all of us have a guardmens as our secondary.  It is very cool!

Yeah I have a guardsman as my primary... Weapon Specialist as my secondary.

Remember, Trenne is one of the ones who left...so you're down one medic.

In reply to Adeptus Custodes (msg # 347):

Well we're 2 medics, a heavy, and a guardsmen.  Still pretty heavy medic.  But yes, only 50%, not 60%.

Hey there, guardsman 1545 reporting in. Thinking of having my main guy go as a weapons specialist but not not too sure what to have my comrade go as. Any other weaknesses or holes that need plugging up in the squad other than the obvious?
This message was last edited by the player at 02:56, Thu 08 Dec 2016.

Zilch...I do believe he just made fun of all the holes in your body. lol

A weapon spec would be a very good addition to the squad.  We've got long-long range with my medic rolling with a sniper rifle and our heavy using an autocannon.  Then we're pretty good up close.  We're kind of missing mid-range weaponry and someone who kind of takes point laying down suppression fire to pin the zerglings from closing the distance.  For instance, my sniper was having to bust out his combat shotgun to lay down suppression which was horribly inefficient.

In reply to GSN 1610292302 (msg # 351):

Perhaps a flamer for me then as that should help in keeping a good bit of the nids at bay. Heck, maybe have my comrade go as a weapons specialist as well and just have him grab a lasgun to help put out more shots at range.