TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
After a short, abortive attempt at playing in the 40th Millenium, I felt confident (or is it delusional?) enough to take over the GM hat after our GM washed out. Unfortunately, the game did not survive that transition.
Still feel the game has potential. But I'm not entirely hung up on Rogue Trader, but instead want to run a quick interest check by you:
* Dark Heresy - Rise and Fall of Saint Arutak This would be a very ground-level game, without too much fancy business. Violence will not be the first resort, and lots of things are different than they seem. Observe the rise (and eventual fall) of a folk saint of the imperium, and do your part to either legitimize or bring him down.
* Rogue Trader - The 2017 lost warp-routes of Roderik Wander Not quite D&D in space, but an episodic game with a "planet of the month" structure.
* Deathwatch - The Devourers Perhaps the most grim scenario. Expect a lot of violence, and high body-counts. Can you beat back a tyranid advance before a full hive-fleet arrives to consume the worlds you recently purged
* Only War - The Haunts of Remir VI-3 A "behind enemy lines" scenario. Don't expect to go in guns blazing in this one. On a recently-pacified rebel planet, superstitions run high. The preachers spread the faith, the commissars keep order - but still, something is taking people in the night.
* Black Crusade - Raiders of the Empyrean A cross between Rogue Trader and Black Crusade, really. Your group of cultists (plus maybe a single CSM) got control of an imperial warship. Are you turning into glorified pirates, or is your devotion to the dark gods deeper, and your ambition stronger?
Please note that these are "throw to the wall, see what sticks" ideas. Therefore, please DO NOT make full characters yet. Express an interest in one or two ideas, make suggestions or ask questions. I'll monitor this thread for at least a week before making any decisions.
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
Only War is fun... though I don't think your proposed game set takes best advantage of the thrust of being an Imperial Guardsman.
Ok, since this is a very early phase: Any suggestions on making things better? The main idea was to have a good reason not strictly follow a "external objective"-style where the group gets a mission from higher up the chain, achieves it, and gets handed the next one.
Other than that, we seem to have a pretty strong tendency towards Deathwatch right now :)
Mark Sweetman |
TerraNova - was more the line Don't expect to go in guns blazing in this one. Which implied a campaign where suspicion reigns and non-combat means are used to resolve plot points.
A lot of the fun for Only War comes from the fact that you are a lowly conscript in the glorious Imperial Guard, sent to a myriad of planets to fight and hopefully not die.
A campaign arc something like:
Step 1: Pacify planet through series of military actions, both large and small that the unit is involved with.
Step 2: After lengthy campaign with multiple missions and shenanigans. Get left behind as a skeleton crew from your regiment to 'train the locals'.
Step 3: Enter into the 'Haunts of Remir' scenario that you've mentioned.
That way at least the regiment gets a few chances to get their war on before the campaign takes a turn into the more cerebral side of things.
But... bug hunts with Space Marines are fun too :P
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
Ok, maybe I should clarify, then. There will be combat, and probably quite a bit of it, too. But don't count on winning these fights unless you are smart ;) Initially, you probably will need to keep order, and when they finally face the "Haunts", things take a turn for the worse.
Not so much "Hammer of the Emperor" smashing through the enemies - but the idea of starting with the initial pacification is really quite good. Consider it stolen.
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
Anthony Krast |
Whenever one of these games pop up, I get that "woooh 40k awh yeah" moments, before realizing I really have no interest in the game system. And as usual, I will poke my head in and make a suggestion.
Use the 40k setting, base it on Pathfinder?
Refluffing classes into anything in the 40k universe is actually really easy if you put your mind to it. The only thing you really need to do is make some house rules for weapons.
Thats is all from me for now.
Zouron |
all right Terra I was just curious if you considered the interest great enough :)
As for using pathfinder Anthony I don't think thematically pathfidner and warhammer fits together very well, there are two very different philosophies behind them. Honestly doing it with pathfinder rules is to me the less attractive choice, not that I am a great fan of the warhammer 40k rpg rules (in fact I never actually played a warhammer 40k rpg) its just that I feel pathfinder rules would dramatically change the feel of the world through the mechanics.
Zouron |
that is part of it 8a large part no doubt!) but mechanics can enhance or hinder different type of game plays, if mechanics favour say range fighting as a superior to all other combat techniques then a world where sword fighters rein supreme will be severely distorted by the fact the guy with a bow is going to win everytime.
in DnD/pathfinders if you really want to do massive single target damage you generally need a powerful melee combatant with huge weapons (and with a bit of magical support this can be blown through the roof), while let's take Alternity if you want to do massive damage range fighters preferably with logne range AoE weapons and you ahve to be fast (good initiative) to act multiple times. Alternity favours range weapons while Pathfidner favours melee weapons, using one with the other will distort the feel of the world in any action sequence.
anyway just an example.
Mark Sweetman |
In PF there is no chance of a formless warp creature eating your face off each time you cast a spell... mechanics kind of matter.
Sure, you can play a PF game in the 40k world... but it is different from playing a 40kRPG in the 40k world. Mechanics help to shape the feel of the game, what is possible and in 40k especially - what consequences exist for certain actions.
Anthony Krast |
I guess my point was, the feel of 40k very much favors melee combat, with damn near every hero lugging a sword, axe, hammer, what have you around.
On the subject of Perils of the Warp, house rules are easy enough to make for such things, although im curious how its implemented in official 40k RPGs...cant be too dangerous, or noone would play psychers.
Browman |
I think using the pathfinder ruleset to play a 40k game would be a terrible idea. Mechanically the games are very, very different, with completely different magic systems, classes, ability scores amount of health people have and probably about 6 other things I cannot remember off the top of my head.
Anthony Krast |
None of which would mean anything, unless you decide to mix them together.
If the mechanics ruled everything, half the characters ive made in my time wouldnt work. Its like when GMs ban the Ninja class cause "its asian". Just call it something else.
But anyway, I suggested it like I usually do, now to wait and see what happens.
Browman |
The problem is that as others suggested it changes the feel of the game and would probably be harder to make a unholy mix of the two systems that maintained the feel of 40k then just use the 40k system. If nothing else it is easier than having to remember or consult a word document when playing this one campaign about how things have changed.
And I am not one of those guys who ban classes for being "asian". Though I will ban gunslingers if they don't fit the setting.
Mark Sweetman |
Anthony - might I suggest that if it's so easy... why don't you go and homebrew together the elements and recruit specifically for a GM or a game of your own?
Butting into other peoples recruitment threads specifically to ask them to homebrew a fairly large pile of stuff for what appears (based on other posters responses) to be something only you're interested in is a bit presumptuous no?
Zouron |
I don't think anyone said mechanics rules everything, in fact I said that how you roleplay is a very large part of it. That being said it isn't all, I would consider using pathfinder for 40k more akin to banning the whole magic system (including magic weapons) then banning the ninja class. Something that changes some fundamental assumption about the game, it can be roleplayed around it can be overcome with house rules, but in my opinion it is a bit clunky and requires an awful amount of prep work to get things to run somewhat smoothly.
Zouron |
Anthony - might I suggest that if it's so easy... why don't you go and homebrew together the elements and recruit specifically for a GM or a game of your own?
Butting into other peoples recruitment threads specifically to ask them to homebrew a fairly large pile of stuff for what appears (based on other posters responses) to be something only you're interested in is a bit presumptuous no?
No need to be rude he is just arguing for his point of view we can disagree :) However he is doing exactly what Terra wants he is to quote
Express an interest in one or two ideas, make suggestions or ask questions. I'll monitor this thread for at least a week before making any decisions.
but I do think several of us expresses a disinterest with that approach.
Anthony Krast |
Anthony - might I suggest that if it's so easy... why don't you go and homebrew together the elements and recruit specifically for a GM or a game of your own?
Butting into other peoples recruitment threads specifically to ask them to homebrew a fairly large pile of stuff for what appears (based on other posters responses) to be something only you're interested in is a bit presumptuous no?
Now whos making assumptions? I come to these boards to PLAY not to DM, since im doing all the DMing with my local group who have no interest in the 40k setting. I saw a thread about 40k which wasnt locked down on any specific rules set, and offered my suggestion in hopes of PLAYING in a 40k flavored Pathfinder game. The DM and indeed anyone was free to ignore my suggestion and that would have been the end of it. When Zouron replied with his opinion, I gave my own in return, and before I know it im knee deep in naysayers. Which is all fine, really.
What isnt fine however is attributing me any ill intent or attempt to spoil your fun, so kindly take your accusations elsewhere, thank you.
As for homebrewing the rules, its as easy as reskinning armor and making your own stats for weapons, all of which can be done as the items become available, requiring minimal up front work (flak armor, carapace armor, lasgun, stubgun, shotgun and maaaaybe boltgun if you get really fancy with starting equipment). After that you can add little things like Perils if you feel the need. Any "class" in 40k, be it Guardman, Cultist or Death Cult Assassin, can be constructed using Pathfinder classes.
Mark Sweetman |
I'm making no accusations, merely suggesting that a thread where a DM is requesting players for 40kRPGs isn't a great place to ask for what you're asking for. I'll humbly beg to differ of the ease of the homebrewing you're suggesting.
But hey - Why don't you open a separate thread on this specific question to see if there is any interest?
Anthony Krast |
Because saying im "butting in" isnt an accusation? But even without arguing about whether it is or isnt, it was presented in a hostile and, according to Zouron, rude manner.
And the whole "why dont you do this and that" is about as passive agressive a way of saying "gtfo" as it gets.
In either case, ive posed my question to the DM and do not intend to clog up this recruitment further.
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
Ok, first off: I will use the FFG ruleset, simply because it cuts down my workload not having to reconcile rules meant for a very different game with both PbP format and an entirely different setting. So that suggestion was noted, evaluated and rejected. :) Sorry if that's harsh, but its the right thing to do, i think.
As I said, this isn't even the "formal recruitment" phase yet. So yes, even if you only read this thread tomorrow night, there is nothing lost or ensured yet.
Aiunder |
Okay. Have you put any thought to post frequency or group size? I personally see deathwatch and dark heresy as more geared to smaller groups for different reasons. In dark heresy the larger your cell the less dangerous the more minor threats become. While a small team in deathwatch fits theatrically as a small band of specialists fit more the specialist team that makes deathwatch so intesting, true both are small groups but one has more the feel of vulnerability while the other is more a close knit team spitting in the face of whatever overwhelming odds are against them that particular week.
Alternatively Rogue trader can work quite well as a larger group. A rogue trader and his trusted advisors taking what they want from the universe has more of a large or grander scale wherein more characters would give the ship and the game more depth. Plus those ships have literally thousands of crew members so a larger command staff isn't all that far fetched.
Again these are my own opinions and ideas for you to mull over or not.
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
TerraNova RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
As for posting rate, I usually try to answer any post requiring "world interacting" within a day and half at most. If the group is just planning among themselves, I don't post "time passes", though ;)
Ideally, in combat, I get an action from each player once per day. This is just necessary to keep things flowing and interesting. Any player who fails my totally arbitrary deadline may be NPCed for that turn. Usually, when that happens, I try to avoid putting the character in undue danger or expending his resources - but if that would be an exceptionally bad idea, I might even do that.