Storm of Sinners

Game Master BayouSnowman

As Zacirus moves up, Lucian starts to circle around the Captain, trying to force him to divide his attention between the three Marines. Holding his blade up in a reversed grip, Lucian begins to feint and thrust at the Captain, driving him towards the blades of his brothers.

Half action to move, half action to Manoeuvre the Captain towards Zacirus and Elyas, so that Lucian can slip around behind him

Opposed WS test: 1d100 ⇒ 18 One degree of success

wondering but, wouldn't that be several? If your WS is 30 that's at least 2 degrees. Iirc

I thought it was one degree for every 10 by which you exceed that target number. So with WS 35, I've beaten it by 17, which is a pass and one degree of success. Is that not right

that's correct

This is different from system to system so it is easy to mix up. In Only War, just succeeding is a degree then you get additional ones after that. I will add that to F.A.Qs and then respond here and gameplay.

Typically you would get a bonus to gang up, but he has Combat Master Talent

Watch Commander 15+ WS 81: 1d100 ⇒ 5 The Watch Commander makes a sound hit on Brother Zacirus with the flat of his blade as he charges in.
Brother Zacirus 15- 72 Dodge 86: 1d100 ⇒ 20 The Watch Commander dodges Zacirus' attack
Brother Vartas 11 18 WS 81: 1d100 ⇒ 63 The Watch Commander seems to let Brother Vartas maneuver him where he thinks he wants him, but there is a twinkle in his eye activate calculating demeanor to grant reroll on Elyas if needed
Brother Elyas 6 73 since he succeeded in maneuvering the Watch Captain your attack looks like it should hit... WS 81 Parry: 1d100 ⇒ 80 think i'll take that rerollWS 81 reroll: 1d100 ⇒ 25 This is the Wall of Steel! The Watch Captain exclaims as he quickly initiates his counter attack81: 1d100 ⇒ 46

Very good for your first time working together brothers. Take turns practicing against each other 2v1. I have other matters too attend too. The Watch Captain sheaths his blade and offers the sign of the Aquilla. The Training room remains silent as the onlookers try to process what they just witnessed. Anyone of those attacks would have been utterly lethal against anyone of them with the possible exception of the higher ranking throne agents in the room.

I know in a real combat you would have had a chance to Dodge, ect, but due to the situation I think this was appropriate. And you gained a little insight into what your Watch Captain's past might have been.You can now purchess Wall of Steel Talent for 10 points less

My thanks for the lessons Captain, both physical and mental. I will be sure to incorporate your words into my training program from now on.

Lucian salutes the Watch Captain as he leaves, slamming his gauntleted fist into his breastplate in the traditional Ultramarine manner. He turns to his battle brothers.

Let us continue our training brothers, that we may take the Captain's lessons fully to heart. Elyas, you seem to be the most capable melee fighter among us. Zacirus and I will take you on first. On guard!

Do we want to play this out as a combat, or is it just the Captain saying "do more training"?

You don't have to play it out. You can just say what you want to do after that training.

Might I recommend ice?

Lucian spends the rest of his morning training allotment practising close combat drills with Zacirus and Elyas. After learning a few lessons from his more proficient brothers, Lucian returns to his arming chamber.

Lucian retrieves his Mark IVc heavy bolter, and makes his way to the firing ranges. Following a brief discussion with the range officer about the different characteristics of the heavy bolter ammunition available in the armoury, Lucian spends his afternoon training period practising his bolter drills on a variety of targets.

A ritual cleansing of both his wargear and his body helps clear Lucian's mind, while committing the lessons he has learned from today's training to his memory. Lucian then redresses in his black robes, and returns to his copy of the Codex Astartes.

Following a period of quiet study and meditation, Lucian returns to the command deck.

How do our brothers fare on their mission my lord?

Nimon, would it be OK for me to PM you with the direction I hope to take Lucian in, development-wise? Obviously it's your game and your plan, but I like to be able to set up goals for my characters, so I figured I'd let you now sooner rather than later

Sure that is fine to PM me.

They have not reported in yet. They should have gotten the relay station up by now. I fear they may have run into some trouble. Be on stand-by in case I need to send in another team. We will give them more time.

Yes my lord. I will rearm myself, and be studying in my quarters if you have need of me.

Lucian procedes through the darkened corridors of the Pious Immolation to his arming chamber, and again dons his armour and prepares his weapons.

When Lucian returns to his quarters, he voxes those of his brothers that remain on board.

Brothers, I have spoken with the Watch Captain about the status of the current mission on Grangold. Apparently our brothers are behind schedule, and may be in difficulty. The Captain asks that we remain on stand-by for deployment in the event that we are required.

The watch captain was a skilled fighter, properly one of the greatest Elyas a fought. Fighting with the two Ultramarines against him was a challenge. They had a style different from his. He was pleased when he fought them alone. He continued to train when first one then the other left. He had spent to much time with the datascrolls.

When Brother Lucian voxed Elyas had donned his robe and was tending to the machine spirits of his armour and weapons. A small smile played on his lips, perhaps a chance to prove himself. He wondered who his new brothers might be? "Very well brother," he replied and began the ritualistic donning of his armour.

Is there a chapel/sanctum on board the Pious Immolation set aside especially for the Deathwatch, or even a Deathwatch Chaplain that Lucian can talk to?

When you ask about a chaplain the Watch Captain informs you that the Deathwatch Chaplain for the Tyrantine Cabal is currently on Scintilla. All spiritual matters for the Ordo Xenos are being handled by Lord Hierophant Reginald Torren, Throne agent and part of Inquisitor Van Vuygens' retinue. You are welcome in any chapel or sanctum of the cabal, so long as you are seeking meditation or spiritual guidance. However, if you are seeking something more than that you need to get clearance with the Watch Captain. The Officio Assassinorum has asked that you do not enter their sanctum without prior notice/clearance

Once Brother Lucian, Elyas, and Zacirus have donned their armor Watch Captain Enoch asks to see you three in his personal office. Once inside you see he is accompanied by an Inquisitorial Stormtrooper.

This is Col. Folken. He is leading the logistics for part of the mission currently being held on Grangold. The team has gotten the relay up and informed us of a significant mutant threat. Col. Folken and his team are about to fly in to transport a relic once the team being lead by Brother Gaius secures it. I want to have him drop you off ahead of time to properly scout out this mutant threat while I confer options with the cabal. I want you to know that all options will be on the table, and this vessel though small, is capable of exterminatus, but it has to be deployed by a ground team.

Your mission-
Primary Objective Scout out the size of the mutant threat outside the shrine of St. Drussus.
Secondary Objective Seek out an appropriate location to deploy the exterminatus device. It needs to be a crater no smaller than two kilometers wide and 5 decimeters deep.

Elyas squints as a quick flash of disdain washes over his face when he notices the colonel. Returing his attention to the watch captain he asks: "Who are to be placed in command of this mission?"

Lucian appears concerned at this news, and takes a brief moment to gather his thoughts. The mutant threat must be truly significant for the Captain to even have considered Exterminatus.

As you wish, lord. I stand prepared for this mission, and I am sure that my brothers are likewise ready.

Lucian turns to the Stormtrooper.

Well met Colonel. If I may, what do we know so far about the degree of deviance shown by these creatures, and what sort of powers they might have?

He then turns to Watch Captain Enoch.

Captain, the data I have seen on the planet below suggests a significant element of atmospheric toxicity of unknown cause. Do our techpriests know if this will have any impact on the functioning of the Exterminatus device? When our mission is complete, will we rendezvous and extract with out brothers already on the surface, or is there another plan for our extraction?

Elyas turns his head towards Lucian as the Ultramarine floods the colonel and the captain with questions. Accessing their quality he gives a single nod indicating his approval.

Honestly Master Astartes, we do not know. The Dreadnoughts of the Ironhands chapter that were stationed here will know more and they are currently enroot from the planet, but we will not have a chance to question them and the kill-team on the planet suggests these mutants have had exposure to a xenos threat known as the Slaugth.

The Watch Captain interrupts That has yet to be confirmed. The exterminates device will be calibrated to ignite the atmosphere. The toxicity of the planet will actually aid in this, if we decide to go that route. You will stand-by for extraction, and further guidance as to how and when we will deploy the device.

Col. Folken continues If there are no further questions, we will leave now.

Requisition for mission is 25. Remember Primary objective is to scout and not engage.

I almost feel stupid asking, but is that 25 each or together?

No problem. 25 together. I will usually pool it all and let you decide how you want to divide it. Remember you also get a standard load for your specialty, and I do not count regular ammo. You need to keep track of how many shots you make for determining reloads, but don't worry about how many clips you have.

That seems like a good F.A.Q. for new members to easily see.

I'm at work, so I can't get to my books to consider what to spend our Requisition on.

Do the helmet systems include things like vision magnification and pict-recorders, so that we can effectively scout and then report our findings back to the ship?

Unless the Captain has chosen a leader, I would volunteer to lead this mission.

Thanks, then I suggest an Auspex (12 req), a Cartograph (5 req.), a pair of Magnoculars (3 req.). Perhaps also a Pict recorder (5 req.)? Lucian, Maximus what do you think?

Also do you think it would be a good idea to bring the jumppack for a scouting mission?

Nimon, I seemed to miss who the leader was? Ooc I vote for the tacitical marine if we have a say.

Glacing quickly at the oaths and their corresponding attack and defensive patterns I suggests Oath of the Astrates, we'll have access to it no matter who is chosen to lead.

Auspex and cartograph are good ideas. I was hoping that our helmets might include systems similar to magnoculars or pict recorders, which would allow us all to see distant things and record them rather than just one of us, and would free up some Requisition for anything else we might need.

As for the leader, my character is sort of being groomed for command by his chapter, and so would naturally volunteer, but I'm happy to let the Tac Marine lead. Remind me what Oath of the Astartes gets us?

I have no problem ooc with you as leader, just thought the tac would be better, but I haven't scrutinised your stats. The oath gives us two cohesion and access to Squad Advance, Bolther Assault and Tactical Spacing. I think Squad Advance and Tactical Spacing would be very usedfull for this mission. They are cheap and sustainable. One grants movement as a reaction while the other allows to share reactions.

Oath of the Astartes does look pretty good for our purposes. It looks like we'll have at least 7-8 Cohesion to work with no matter who the leader is, which is nice. We should see if Zacirus wants to be the leader first before we officially choose, but I think we should go with Oath of the Astartes regardless.

I was thinking due to the recent situation, Brother Vartas would/ could take the lead on this, but I leave that up to them.

To recap
Primary ObjectiveScout the mutant threat
Secondary Obejective Find location for exterminatus device, and stand by for further orders/extraction.

Requisition for the three of you 25
choose a leader Any of you can be the leader. Command and fellowship are important to the leader role.
choose and oath this gives you access to certain modes.

Elyas huffs, but makes not other comment and does not lay a claim to leadership.

My way of agreeing in character.

I'll take the lead on this one then, if there are no objections.

Quick Cohesion calculation - FB 5 + Trained Command 1 + Favoured Son 1 + Elyas' Power Armour History 1 = 8. Anything I've missed?

Nimon, any word on what magnification/recording systems might be in our helmets? It'll help us decide what to requisition.

Oath of the Astartes seems like the logical choice.

Colonel, we will meet you on the launch deck presently.

Brothers, let us gather our equipment and steel our souls. We journey into danger, and face the machinations of a vile xenos threat. Keep your eyes open and your mind closed. Let the strength of The Emperor guide your sight, and your weapons.

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) to recall anything about the Slaugth.

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) 50: 1d100 ⇒ 99

Seems I've not encountered them before

The Slaugth are not a xeno breed I have encountered previously. Elyas and Zacirus, do you have any experience with this threat?

any word? You have standard Mark VII Aquila Power armor. pg 160 in the book and also summarized on the back of the character sheet in the back of the book. You have no recording devices, but you do have heightened senses.

Sorry, haven't had access to my books, now it feels like a stupid question.

In that case, we should probably requisition everything that Elyas suggested, so that we can recon the area as efficiently as possible and be able to report our findings back to the Pious Immolation.

Perhaps a stupid question, but after reading the powerarmour rules again I was wondering if we need to req. a vox-caster to reach the ship, inbuilt are only for short range?

I was hoping we'd be able to route our transmissions through the transport we're being landed from. If not, then we'll need a full size vox. How much Req would one be?

"Alas neither have I Brother," Elyas replies after a short pause.

Forbidden Lore (Xenos), Int 45: 1d100 ⇒ 95

10 req. for a vox-caster, I would suggest exchanging the Auspex for it if needed as the other equipment are more important to the mission.

I'll see what the Watch Captain has to say about the vox issue.

As the Marines head towards the armoury to requisition their gear for the upcoming mission, Lucian voxes Captain Enoch via the ship's voxnet.

+++Apologies for the interruption my lord. Will the transport be staying on-station once we have disembarked, so that we can relay our findings back to the command centre via a more powerful vox? If not, we will requisition a vox-caster from the armoury in order that we can stay in contact.+++

He turns to Elyas as they walk through the ship's passageways.

These xenos must be devious indeed to be so little known among us. Perhaps Brother Zacirus knows something about them.

We've heard nothing from Zacirus in nearly 4 days.

"Perhaps Brother," comes the reply. Elyas continues to walk in silence. Now and again glancing at the other marine, evaluating him, looking for signs of weakness.

A quick glance at the main alias reveals nothing, it hasn't been used since the 1st of April. I have looked through the others.

Are we and the GM up for a two man run?

Sounds like we might be, it's up to Nimon I suppose. How many problems are there than an Assault Marine and a Devastator can't handle, eh?

You will be transported by Col Folken on his way to pick up the relic being secured by the other team. It will not be in the area.
It is fine if he doesn't show up for this.

+++Very well sir. We will equip ourselves accordingly. We have had no contact with Brother Zacirus recently, if the transport is leaving imminently we may have to deploy without him.+++

I think we should sort out our Requisition now that we know that we need some way of contacting the ship. How about:

Vox-caster 10
Cartograph 5
Pict-recorder 5
Magnoculars 3

Leaves us 2 spare, can't really find anything good to use it on though.

"So Brother?" Elyas looks straight at Lucian, his facial expression not betraying his thoughts.

I think we should go with the req. you suggested in your last post. How about I carry the Magnoculars and the Pict-recorder?

You can post any last min preparations, but to speed things along
We have to leave now Master Astartes. Follow me. Col. Folken leads you to a Valkarie that has a section cleared off for you. He hands each of you a repel cable, he looks at Brother Elyas You might not need this I guess with that jump-pack of yours. The squad of three Valkaries descend into the dangerous atmosphere.

Pilot 75x3: 1d100 ⇒ 74
1d100 ⇒ 73
1d100 ⇒ 33

After some rough patches, you get to the drop zone just below the mountain of the shrine.

Elyas looks to Lucian to see if he agrees with the colonel's statement. He is not pleased to follow the inquisitorial stormtrooper, but reminds himself this is now the way and walks to the Valkyrie. The sight of more inquisitorial personel causes displeasure to become more apparent in his facial expressions.

At the offered repel cable his looks at the colonel and just answers: "No." As he fixes his helmet he mumbles the ancient words of his chapter: "Repent, for tomorrow you may die."

Ready to deploy

We cannot wait any longer. We will deploy with Colonel Folken now.

Seems fine to me Elyas, I'll carry the cartograph and the vox-caster.

Lucian arrives at the Deathwatch armoury, and obtains the equipment that he and Elyas have determined that they will require for the mission. He hands a set of magnoculars and a pict-recorder to Elyas, and then affixes a long-range vox-set to his belt, tuning his helmet vox frequency to the vox-caster, and then adjusting the vox-caster to transmit back to the command deck of the Pious Immolation. He also picks up a cartograph, which has been updated to show the current location of the first Kill-Team on the planet below. Stowing the cartograph in an equipment pouch, Lucian leaves the armoury and heads towards the waiting Valkyries on the hangar deck.

Lucian boards the Valkyrie with Elyas and takes the proffered rapelling cable, affixing it to his power armour in preparation for deployment. The journey through the atmosphere is unstable to say the least, but Lucian has experienced worse drops, and continues to check his weapons and equipment.

The arrival at the drop zone prompts Lucian to move to the rear ramp, checking again his rapelling cable. He turns to Elyas.

Courage and honour brother

and Lucian leaps from the aircraft.

Elyas stands at the rear ramp and watches over the descent of Brother Lucian just for a moment before he to jumps of the ramp and activates his jumpack for a controlled descent. Once safely on the ground he quickly scanns for immediat threats. Looking directly at Brother Lucian he asks: "Orders?"

Spendning a full action to enter squad mode

I don't have my book with me atm, let me know if I need to roll something.

Pilot Personal if needed 45+10: 1d100 ⇒ 87
Awareness 45+20, looking for enemies: 1d100 ⇒ 13

Lucian lands hard on the dusty ground, and the servos in his power-armoured legs whine as they compensate. He unclips his cable, and pulls out the cartograph to check their position.

Navigation (Surface) 50+10 (Cartograph): 1d100 ⇒ 75

Putting away the cartograph, Lucian readies his heavy bolter, checking the ammo feed and ensuring that his helmet targeting systems are operational. He then activates the vox-link, and reports in to the Watch Captain.

+++We have reached the planet's surface Captain. The toxic atmosphere is preventing our cartograph from providing us with an accurate positioning, but we will begin our mission now.+++

Seeing Elyas scanning the horizon for threats, Lucian too reviews the blasted landscape, looking for any evidence of the mutant hordes they have been sent to find. As he does so, he opens a vox channel to Elyas.

I have reported in to the Captain. The atmospherics are interfering with the machine-spirit within the cartograph brother, I cannot get a fix on our location. We will need to find evidence of the location of these mutants so that we can fully assess their disposition and numbers. We should also keep our eyes open for a suitable location for the Exterminatus device.

Awareness 50+20: 1d100 ⇒ 72

Can we enter Squad Mode outside of combat? I haven't got my books with me as I'm at work, so I'm still a bit hazy on the whole Squad Mode thing. I think you can enter it as a Full Action without a test or you can make a Cohesion test by rolling less than current Cohesion on 1d10 as a Free Action, but if you fail, you still have to use the Full Action. If we can enter Squad Mode outside of combat, I'll make a Cohesion test.

Cohesion 8: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Squad mode is only in combat, with some situational caveats, this is not one of them. When entering squad mode you chose a squad ability. These are from your Oath and your Chapters.