Only War: The Forsaken

Game Master Eradico Pravus

This is my rifle
This is my gun
This is for fighting
This is for fun

<repeat until exhausted>

OK, back from the vacation and ready to go when you are Eradico. I'm exhausted tonight but should be able to post tomorrow and resume the other campaigns too.

Campaign Launch will be Monday night.

Let's not get too attached to our comrades... refers to our dear Commissar's chosen order ;)

Leadership

Your comrades will help you perform miracles. I guarantee it.

Remember: you are not allowed to die without permission.

Game on!

Yay!

On another note, have you seen the new W40k starter box set figures O.o they are very nice... Dark Angels vs. Chaos Marines.

...have you seen the new W40k starter box set figures O.o they are very nice... Dark Angels vs. Chaos Marines.

Hmm... the last starter set I bought was for my son quite some time ago. It was the Marine vs. Dark Eldar set. DA vs. CM sounds awesome.

Yeah! The new starter pack is called Dark Vengeance.

Dark Angels side has:
LE - Interrogator Chaplain
Captain (exaggerated decorations everywhere)
Librarian (In power armor)
Deathwing Terminators x5
Ravenwing Bikers x3
Tactical Squad x10

Don't recall the exact equipment of the characters.

Chaos Marines side has:

Chaos Lord (This figure is AMAZING!! I would consider being a heathen er... heretic just for this figure.)
Hellbeast (A possessed dreadnought, quite scary and nice model)
Chosen x6 with different weapons that can double as regular Chaos Marines champions.
Cultist x10 (close combat weapons)
Cultist x10 (autoguns and other special weapons)

The box set is making me consider starting a second Chaos Army. Waiting for the new book before I commit to a paint scheme, but tempted on making Fallen, and using the Cultists as Cabalites surviving the Heresy.

Oh! The chaos lord is enough to tempt me to make a chaos warband he looks wickedly awesome...

He has a big power sword, plasma pistol, power armor and the regular gear. The new chaos dex also seem to be released between september and december. They also plan on releasing space marines.

Chaos get cultist (finally) and a new mean machine and models it seems.

Eradico, sorry it took me so long to post, I have been at the mercy of my flaky internet connection since I got home from vacation.

Let me just say though, awesome intro, this campaign is going to be great!

Rook, no problem on the delays. Just happy we are now rolling!

And thanks for the compliment. It's much easier doing this when I have your excellent campaigns to emulate. ;)

Great introductory interactions, everyone. Keep it up!

Rad, that's OK... "Better feared than loved!" lol.

Hey Rad,

BTW, did you ever pick a demeanour? I'm not sure I saw one from you.

Thanks!

No demeanor yet though I am trying out what can be called as fatalistic.

Rad, how about this?

Fatalistic--The character accepts that all things and events are predestined. He submits himself to fate, helping him accept an inevitable death with a stoic calm.

Eradico, I replied to your PM.

For Eradico

Totally unrelated, but are the Ciaphas Cain books any good? I haven't read one yet. If someone has read both those and the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Abnett, and Abnett being a hypothetical '10' as far as good writing, how do they compare. Just curious.

Ciaphas Cain is not the typical Commissar you imagine.

He is the typical Commissar that wants a nice desk job, safe place to work in and very little workload, but he has terrible luck not accomplishing these things as he always seems to get involved in conflicts with the Valhalla Ice Warriors (He doesn't start with them at the beginning).

So basically he focus on surviving hes encounters that turns out to be unbeknown to him the big conflicts and adds up to his legendary resume and is basically the "iconic" Commissar in the Imperial propaganda everyone ones to be and serve with.

He gets to fight almost (if not all) the things that you can imagine in the universe; Necrons, Tyranids, Genestealer Cults, Chaos cultist, chaos marines, daemons (he did fight in the 13th black crusade), Eldar, Inquisition (problems here and there), etc...

Basically he is reluctant to fight type of Commissar (strange I know), so he is a fun character to read and see him develop in the series.

I do recommend you to read it, if you want a view of the only Commissar that doesn't really act like one, but the Imperium of man propaganda make him look like he does.

That's my short (somewhat redundant) review of the series and a great character.

would like to add that the Cain books are probably the only humorous series in the whole Black Library inventory.

If Abnett's a 10, I'd rate Mitchell about an 8. As Rad says, they are a bit tongue-in-cheek. It's been some time since I've read them but I remember liking the first few and then my interest dropped off some. Kinda had a "been there, done that" feel. I'd suggest giving one a try.

Read the IG Omniubus this summer. Good read. I'm currently revisiting Gaunt's Ghosts. Just finishing Necropolis. I think Abnett truly is the top of the line.

For the chaos worshipers you might want to try Blood Gorgon. It's a whole new chapter of the cursed founding and why they end up turning to chaos.

Yup Necropolis so far is the best Gaunt's Ghosts I've read.

I have a question for those of us who know the fluff of the Imperial Guard better than me. Would it be within the rules for Doc to remind them that we need our weapon specialist healthy to fight? After they start punishing him, of course.

Commissars are given a wide latitude on when to inflict the punishment. Latrine duty with a toothbrush is one way of doing it. Although punishing the rest of the platoon for its failure to help the commissar to discipline an erring member is also possible (e.g. gomer plyle eating the donut while the rest of the platoon does PT).

Indeed - as far as I understand it Commissars sit outside of the chain of command, and are essentially untouchable - laws unto themselves and above the law in turn.

Thanks.

Just a note, they changed the armor for stormtroopers again, it is now Common Quality Stormtrooper Carapace which is 6 All.

Just a note, they changed the armor for stormtroopers again, it is now Common Quality Stormtrooper Carapace which is 6 All.

Noted. Might not get this changed on the wiki right away but we will go with the bump up in protection.

Updated Edwin's armor change, hoping to have Rad's character uploaded before the end of the day.

Also, thanks for the Ciaphas Cain rundown, everyone, I'll probably check at least one out.

Sweet symmetry has been restored to the Rank and File page of the wiki with the addition of our beloved Commissar, Hieronymus Vex.

Yet again thanks for all your efforts, Rook. I will try to create some sort of capsule summary for Dol, Edwin, and Vex over the next couple of days.

Just taking it out of the IC and into the OOC - and restating that there is no offence taken.

I know that the 40k world doesn't leave much leeway for any real sort of disobedience that wouldn't end in summary execution... which is completely understandable given the grim-dark of the setting and the general expendable nature of guardmen in general let alone a criminal in a penal regiment. But similarly having Vex in an unassailable position of authority makes it less flexible for all character interaction as we're more afraid of getting a bullet in the head from the back than the front.

The guys that I'm trying to channel in his character are people like Mother from Full Metal Jacket, the Irishman from Braveheart, Cassidy from Preacher (at least in the first few books). Absolute prick bastards that aren't easy to get along with... but when the we get in the thick will act unto the enemy as a blowtorch through hot butter. Oh - and he will obey orders too.

I'm not sure how much communal backstory we've assumed for the unit but I sure this is Vex's first sortie with us? - so Hathin is clearly trying his luck and seeing if the Commissar has the cojones or not to retort in kind. Hathin is a pragmatist at heart though, so if the insubordination was met with a casual backhand followed by a statement akin to "I'm sorry Guardsman I'm not sure I heard you" with a cocked bolt pistol pointed at his head - he would stop being as overt in the presence of Vex and take his insubordination to the fringes.

I'll throw up a quick IC post to that effect with Book reminding him of whats at stake and relaxing it down a little.

Mark,

Thanks for the elaboration and the excellent post at the top of page 2.

Everyone,

Since we've pretty much jumped into the narrative without establishing fuller back-stories (Rook will do some of this through Sarge's recollection and I will do some reveals as well) it looks some relationships are shaping up organically. If matters seem a little choppy then let's roll with the punches as the story gets a bit firmer.

I think it makes sense from a fluff-sense that Commissar Vex is recently assigned to the squad and is younger, perhaps fresh out of the Schola. Once he establishes himself with a squad he then later will be given responsibility of a company (although as a commissar he certainly has the authority to discipline ANY guardsmen in the Oremor 4th). Rad, how does that sound? I certainly don't mind De'Lark being a bit over the top to start the campaign as that allows for later character development.

Thanks again Mark as we each find our footing here early in the campaign. I encourage other voices to chime in... Being 'behind the GM screen' is new to me in a PbP format and I'm simply trying to follow Rook's excellent example in that regard. Anyone at anytime can give suggestions, preferences with fluff interpretations, rules corrections, storyline development, etc.

And let me add that Lark, along with the rest of Company F, will get a chance to prove their mettle fairly soon. ;)

Thanks again for indulging me with this campaign!

Hey team, a few comments:

1. Great initial posting, everyone! I'm really hoping to continue development between squad-mates and comrades. Should be easier once you can hear each other...

2. I'll be learning the combat rules as we go along. They seem very similar to DH, DW, BC, etc., so it shouldn't be too steep a learning curve. Others who have the beta rules (I'm looking at you, Mark, Rook, and Ellipsis) feel free to (gently) correct me if/when I make errors managing combats.

3. I can post any rules for players w/out the rule-book per request.

4. Hopefully you have not read the adventure chapter at the end of the beta pdf as that would limit your fun, I think. Just a warning that I will be making some changes (some significant perhaps, others not so much) as I flesh out what is essentially a bare-bones adventure scenario. I'm hopeful by the time we work our way through the current adventure(s), FFG will make available a full adventure book along with the release of the finished version of Only War! this fall.

Waiting to see if the Sarge or Commissar wants to post with the shuttle landed. If not I will move the scene ahead on Tuesday night. Thanks!

For initiative, roll d10 and add agility bonus.

or because of combat sense you can use PER it it is higher.

Correct Kaltos, thanks for that.

Everyone, my next post will be a biggie (I've been waiting weeks for this!) but since my WFRP 3rd ed. gaming group meets Thursday night and we usually go late, I likely will start round one Friday.

Thanks Kaltos, add one to my init for am total of 10.

Thanks Kaltos, add one to my init for am total of 10.

Noted.

OK, fellas, got things started! I'm beat after a long day and two monster posts. Will resolve Scope's attack tomorrow.

Sooo... very first combat, very first action and I already have a question.

Scope is making standard attack (+10 modifier)
Comrade Order--"Spotter" reads as follows:

The Ratling’s Comrade carries magnoculars and other tools to help line up the perfect sniper shot. If the Ratling
is using an Accurate weapon, and his Comrade is in Cohesion, the Ratling may use his Comrade to make an Aim Action,
and gain the benefits himself.

So I just want to double-check on how I'm ruling this at this point (but am open to alternate suggestions if I'm mis-reading):

Comrade can grant an additional +10 to the check immediately this round (as a "half-aim" action). Or the Comrade can use the full round to aim and grant a +20 to the round 2 attack.

Bal, let me know if you prefer a +10 modifier to round 1 or wait and use a +20 for round 2.

If the Ork Rokkit Launcher already shot the same round as me dropping to the tarmac then I will wait and shoot using the +20 for round 2 to line up a kill shot. Otherwise I'd rather shoot with the +10 forcing the Ork to keep his head down, and give more time for other Guardsmen to get off the shuttle.

As far as the Comrade Rules I am reading them the same way.