Saturday, April 27, 2013

Rogue Trader Warrant

     As the title declares, following is an example of a Warrant of Trade. I felt compelled to present this great piece of RP paraphernalia so that those not following the FFG 40K RPG forums might otherwise discover it. Special thanks to Errant (and others unknown) for their contributions to this document.



0499621.M38
The Terran High Lords and the Senatorum Imperialis of the Imperium of Mankind, to all who shall be allowed to see these writings, or hear them read, or be told of their contents and meanings in ways they are able to comprehend, Greetings.
Be it known,
that we understand that the prosperity of the Systems of the Segmentum Obscurus and the welfare and safety of their inhabitants and tithes depend principally on reliable navigation and substantial trade, which in all former times by the said systems were carried on fortunate and with a great blessing to all worlds and sectors under the benign and benevolent watch of our gracious God-Emperor.
Be it known,
that we desire that the aforesaid systems and inhabitants should not only be preserved in their actual state of subsistence and quantity, but also that their well-being and protection from the enemies and dangers within, without or beyond the domains of Mankind, shall be increased as much as possible in special conformity to the agreements, treaties, contracts, pacts, alliances, leagues and covenants made with all concerned worlds, Adepta and people – which we give them to understand must be in all parts punctually kept and adhered to, under the punishment of death or worse by all authorities credited with the vigilant vanguard and safe-keeping of the Imperium of Mankind.
And we find by experience, that without the common help, assistance, and interposition of Imperial Men and Women, the people designated for the tasks of navigation, traffic and trade cannot be profitably protected and maintained in their great risque from pirates, extortion and otherwise, which will happen in so very long a voyage.
We have, therefore, and for several other important reasons and considerations for finding resolution as not mentioned here, with mature deliberation of counsel and guidance from our advisers many, and for highly necessary causes, found it good, that all exploration, defense and Holy War against all that stands against the united strength of our Imperium of Mankind, all navigation, trade, and commerce, and not excluding but rather encouraging all other steps deemed vital and necessary to the preservation of the structure and magnitude of the Imperium of Mankind as it stands to date, especially in the rimward parts of the Systems of the Segmentum Obscurus, the so-called Fringe worlds and all that lies beyond the borders of our beloved God-Emperors holy domain of reign, including the newly found accessible expanse of Koronus and the Halo Stars, and other places hereafter described, should not henceforth be carried on any otherwise than by the common united strength of the Rogue Traders and loyal Imperial Men and Women; and for that end there shall be elected diverse Rogue Traders, and in especial, the Line of Clawface which we, out of special regard to the common well-being, and to keep and preserve the inhabitants of aforementioned places in loyality and orthodoxy, will maintain and strengthen with our Help, Favour and assistance as far as the present state and conditions of this Warrant will be accredited.
With these lines, signed by our name and blood, we furnish them with a proper Warrant of Trade as laid down in archetype on paper, stone and adamantium by the God-Emperor himself, including the following Priveleges and Exemptions, to wit:
I: That until this bloodline shall perish from the stars, none of the Natives or Inhabitants of these countries shall be permitted to sail to or from the said lands, or to traffic in the systems and worlds of Koronus from the Rifts of Hecaton to the warp storm known as The Cauldron, nor in the worlds of the Halo, or the Heathen Stars, beginning at the fourth world of Phainal, by the streights of Benetek, Nostromo, or any other streights and passages situated thereabouts to the straights of Anais, as well on the north borders as the south borders, nor on any worlds situated on the one side or the other, or between both; nor in the western or southern sectorari reaching, lying, and between both the meridians, from the God-Emperor’s Scourge, in the South, to the Galactic Rim, in the West, inclusive, but in the Name of a Rogue Trader of this Imperium of Mankind. And whoever shall presume without the consent of these Peers, to sail or to traffic in any of the Places within the aforesaid Limits granted to said Trader or Traders, he shall forfeit the ships and the goods which shall be found for sale upon the aforesaid coasts and lands; the which being actually seized by the aforesaid company, shall be by them kept for their own Benefit and Behoof. And in case such ships or goods shall be sold either in other systems or havens they may touch at, the owners and partners must be fined for the value of those ships and goods: Except only, that they who before the date of this charter, shall have sailed or been sent out of these or any other worlds, to any of the aforesaid regions, shall be able to continue their trade for the sale of their goods, and cosine back again, or otherwise, until the expiration of this charter, if they have had any before, and not longer: Provided, that after, 499621.M39 the day and time of this charters commencing, no person shall be able to send any ships or goods to the places comprehended in this charter, although that before the date hereof, this Company was not finally incorporated: But shall provide therein as is becoming, against those who knowingly by fraud endeavour to frustrate our intention herein for the public good: Provided that the ore trade at Iniquity may be continued according to the conditions and instructions by us already given, or that may be given respecting it, any thing in this charter to the contrary notwithstanding.
For as long as the Rogue Trader's line exists, they shall enjoy a transit monopoly within a specified boundary, excepting those who have been granted similar benefits prior to this document. In effect, they're the only Imperials permitted to travel into the Koronus Expanse and other such areas.
II: That, moreover, the aforesaid Trader may, in our name and authority, within the limits herein before prescribed, make contracts, engagements and alliances with the limits herein before prescribed, make contracts, engagements and alliances with the princes and natives of the worlds comprehended therein, and also build any forts and fortifications there, to appoint and discharge Governors, people for war, and officers of justice, and other public officers, for the preservation of the places, keeping good order, police and justice, and in like manner for the promoting of trade; and again, others in their place to put, as they from the situation of their affairs shall see fit: Moreover, they must advance the peopling of those fruitful and unsettled parts, and do all that the service of those countries, and the profit and increase of trade shall require: and the Company shall successively communicate and transmit to us such contracts and alliances as they shall have made with the aforesaid princes and nations; and likewise the situation of the fortresses, fortifications, and settlements by them taken.
The Trader may act as the Imperium in this region, and is permitted to make contact with other races and nations in this capacity. They are also allowed to appoint planetary governors, raise fortifications, or anything else that a Peer of the Imperium may normally perform in the pursuit of profit. They are required to communicate back to the Imperium any such contracts or constructions they accomplish in this capacity.
III:: Saving, that they having chosen a Paterfamilias, and prepared instructions for him, they shall be approved, and a commission given by us, And that further, such paterfamilias, as well as other deputies, commanders, and officers, shall be held to take an oath of allegiance to us and also to the Rogue Trader.
The Trader and his family must swear an oath of loyalty to the Imperium, and the Trader’s crew to the Trader. 
IV:: And if the aforesaid Trader Lineage in and of the aforesaid places shall be cheated under the appearance of friendship, or badly treated, or shall suffer loss in trusting their money or Goods, without having restitution, or receiving payment for them, they may use the best methods in their power, according to the situation of their affairs, to obtain satisfaction.
If anyone cheats or tricks the Trader, he is entitled to seek restitution by any means necessary.
V:: And if it should be necessary for the establishment, security and defence of this trade, to take any troops with them, we will, according to the dicatates of the Ministorum of this Imperium, and the situation of affairs furnish the said Trader with such troops, provided they be paid and supported by the Trader.
If the Trader needs troops, he may requisition Imperial soldiers, but is responsible for their care and feeding. (Standard acquisition test rules apply, before you think to get clever and make a trip to Cadia)
VI:: Which troops, besides the oath already taken to us and to His Imperial Majesty, shall swear to obey the commands of the said Trader, and to endeavour to promote their interest to the utmost of their ability.
These soldiers will be loyal to the Trader, excepting when it contradicts their loyalty to the Emperor.
VII:: That the provosts of the Trader in a gravity well may apprehend any of the military, that have enlisted in the service of the aforesaid Trader, and may confine them on board the ships above whatever world, station, or jurisdiction they may be found; provided, the provosts first inform the officers and magistrates of the worlds and stations where this happens.
The Trader has the right to imprison any of his sworn men, taking them from a planet to his vessel. (Can be useful if the Explorers manage to get nabbed by the Arbites, although the Arbites also have jurisdiction to board any Imperial vessel, including the Explorers'.)
VIII:: That we will not take any ships, ordnance, or ammunition belonging to the Trader, for the use of this Imperium, without Need.
The Imperium will not seize your guns, money, or soldiers unless we need them.
IX:: We have moreover invested this Trader, and favoured them with privileges, and we give them a charter besides this, that they may pass freely with all their ships and goods beyond the reach of these Lords; and that they themselves may use their liberty in the same manner as the Great Lords of this Imperium enjoy their freedom, when beyond the pacified borders of this Realm.
The Trader speaks with the Emperor’s Voice when beyond the purview of the High Lords of Terra.
X:: That all the goods of this company during the eight next ensuing years, be carried out of this Imperium to the parts of the Koronus and Halo, and other places comprehended within the aforesaid limits, and those which they shall bring into this demense, shall be from outward and home convoys; provided, that if at the expiration of the aforesaid eight years, the state and situation of these worlds will not admit of this Freedom’s continuing for a longer time, the said goods, and the merchandises coming from the places mentioned in this Charter, and exported again out of these countries, and the outward convoys and licenses, during the whole time of this Charter, shall not be rated higher by us than they have formerly been rated, unless we should be again engaged in a Crusade, in which case, all the aforesaid goods and merchandises will not be rated higher by us than they were in the last list in time of war.
We will not raise tariffs for this Trader for the next 8 years, unless there’s a major war, in which case we won’t raise them higher than they were during the last major war. (Useful for justifying why acquisitions fail.)
XI:: And that this Line may be strengthened by a good government, to the greatest profit and satisfaction of all concerned, we have ordained, that the said government shall be audited every ten years, Terran, by the Adeptus Administratum, with all records and returns opened to their perusal, as requested to make a good and complete accounting.
The bureaucracy of the Imperium has the right to audit the Trader’s books.
XII:: That the accounts of the furniture and outfit of the vessels, with their dependencies, shall be made up three months after the departure of the vessels, and one month after, copies shall be sent to to us, and to the respective chambers: and the state of the returns, and their sales, shall the chambers (as often as we see good, or they are required thereto by the chambers) send to us and to one another.
The Rogue Trader will create an inventory of his fleet within three months of departure from port, and submit this inventory within one month after this. We reserve the rights to see your receipts at any time.
XIII:: That every six years he shall make a general account of all outfits and returns, together with all the gains and losses of the company; to wit, one of his business, and one of the war, each separate; which accounts shall be kept secret from the wider throng of Humanity, but open to those appointed by this Body; and if by the expiration of the seventh year, the accounts are not kept in manner aforesaid, the Trader shall forfeit his commissions, which shall be appropriated to any use seen fit by this Body, and they themselves be held to render their account as before, till such time and under such penalty as shall be fixed by us respecting offenders. And notwithstanding there shall be a dividend made of the profits of the business, so long as we find that term per Cent shall have been gained.
The Rogue Trader will turn his books over to the bureaucracy every six years for this audit, and if by the end of seven years, they have heard no word, this Warrant of Trade is revoked.
XIV:: The ships returning from a voyage shall come to the place they sailed from; and if by stress of weather the vessels which sailed out from one part shall arrive in another; as those from Port Wander, or Scintilla, in Koronus, or in the Halo; or from Malfi, in Calixis; or those from Footfall, with the city and station, in another part; each chamber shall nevertheless have the direction and management of the vessels and goods it sent out, and shall send and transport the goods to the places from whence the vessels sailed, either in the same or other vessels: Provided, that the managers of that chamber shall be held in person to find the place svhere the vessels and goods are arrived, and not appoint factors to do this business; but in case they shall not be in a situation for travelling, they shall commit this business to the chamber of the place where the vessels arrived.
The Rogue Trader’s vessels must return to their home port, and if they end up at another port, all profits and materiel must be shipped TO that port for audit and taxation. (Largely irrelevant, another acquisition description type deal, assumed to be handled in the background.)
XVI:: And if any of the Sector Governors think fit to appoint an agent to collect the tithe from the inhabitants of worlds brought into our embrace by said Trader, the Trader shall be obliged to give such agent access, that he may obtain information of the state of the disbursements and receipts, and of the debt.
If the Sector Governor sends someone to collect a tithe from any planet the Rogue Trader has claimed in the name of the Imperium, the Rogue Trader is obligated to provide access to this world.
XVII:: Those in vassalage to the Trader shall not deliver or sell to the Company, in whole or in part, any of their own ships, merchandise or goods; nor buy or cause to be bought, of the said Trader, directly or indirectly, any goods or merchandize nor have any portion or part therein on forfeiture of one year’s commissions for the use of these Lords, and the loss of Office.
Anyone working for the Rogue Trader may not start their own merchant venture as long as they are working for the Rogue Trader.
XVIII:: The managers shall give notice by advertisement, as often as they have a fresh importation of goods and merchandize, to the end that every one may have seasonable knowledge of it, before they proceed to a final sale, notwithstanding when the representatives of these High Lords, or the Holy Inquisition, shall deny this advertisement.
The Trader’s organization must let everyone at a port know that they have goods for sale, unless the Imperial Government or the Inquisition tells them that they may not.
XIX:: The governors of the respective worlds claimed by this Trader shall be responsible for their respective tithes as the Trader shall be responsible for the governors he elected for the aforementioned worlds.
The governors of the worlds the Rogue Trader claims are responsible for providing the appropriate tithes.
XX:: And when any ship in service to this Trader shall return from a voyage, the generals or commanders of the fleets, shall be obliged to come and report to us, via Astropathic transmission, the success of the voyage of such ship or ships, within ten days after their arrival, and shall deliver and leave with the Administratum a report in writing, if the case requires it.
After any journey, the Trader or his organization must file an Astropathic report with the Imperium, as well as a written log with the local Administratum.
XXI:: And if it happens (which we by all means expect) that any person will, in any manner, hurt or hinder the navigation, business, trade, or traffic of this Trader, contrary to the contents of the aforesaid treaties, leagues, and covenants, they shall defend it against them, and regulate it by the instructions we have given concerning it.
Reiterating that the High Lords expect people to fuck with the Trader, and giving him permission to take ’em down for doing so.
XXII:: And if by a violent and continued interruption of the aforesaid navigation and traffic, the business within the limits of this Warrant shall be brought to an open war, we will, if the situation of this country will in any wise admit of it, give them for their assistance up to sixteen ships of war; with four good well patrol yachts, which shall be properly mounted and provided in all respects, both with lance and other cannon, and a proper quantity of ammunition, together with double suits of running and standing drives, fields, cables, anchors, and other things thereto belonging, such as are proper to be provided and used in all great expeditions; upon condition, that they shall be manned, victualled, and supported at the expense of the Trader, and that the Trader shall be obliged to add thereto matching ships of war, and four yachts, mounted and provided as above, to be used in like manner for the defence of trade and all exploits of war: Provided that all the ships of war and merchant-men (that shall be with those provided and manned as aforesaid) shall be under an admiral appointed by us according to the previous advise of the aforesaid Rogue Trader, and shall obey our commands, together with the resolutions of the Trader, if it shall be necessary, in the same manner as in time of war; so notwithstanding that the merchantmen shall not unnecessarily hazard their lading.
And if those people continue to mess with the Rogue Trader, the navy will send vessels and troops to help support the Trader’s forces, matching vessel for vessel.
XXIII:: We have moreover ordained, that in case of a war, all the prizes which shall be taken from enemies and pirates within the aforesaid limits, by the Trader or his assistants; also the goods which shall be seized by virtue of our proclamation, after deducting all expenses and the damage which the company shall suffer in taking each prize, together with the just part of his excellency the admiral, agreeable to our resolution of the 499621.M39; and the tenth part for the officers, sailors and soldiers, who have taken the prize, shall await the disposal of the managers of the aforesaid Trader; Provided that the account of them shall be kept separate and apart from the account of trade and commerce; and that the nett proceeds of the said prizes shall be employed in fitting our ships, paying the troops, fortifications, garrisons, and like matters of war and defence by void and land; but there shall be no distribution unless the said nett proceeds shall amount to so much that a notable share may be distributed without weakening the said defence, and after paying the expenses of the war, which shall be done separate and apart from the distributions on account of Trade: And the distribution shall be made one-tenth part for the use of the Imperium of Man, and the remainder for the members of this company, in exact proportion to the capital they have advanced.
This clause explains how the booty will be divided between the Trader and the Imperial Navy after such an action.
XXIV:: Provided nevertheless, that all the prizes and goods, taken by virtue of our proclamation, shall be brought in, and the right laid before the judicature of the counsellors of the admirality for the part to which they are brought, that they may take cognizance of them, and determine the legality or illegality of the said prizes: the process of the administration of the goods brought in by the Trader remaining nevertheless pending, and that under a proper inventory; and saving a revision of what may be done by the sentence of the admirality, agreeable to the instruction given the admiralty in that behalf. Provided that the vendue-masters and other officers of the Admiralty shall not have or pretend to any right to the prizes taken by this Company, and shall not be employed respecting them.
However, any booty must be inspected for heretical or illegal nature before being disbursed, and no official will claim the Trader’s rightful legal share.
XXV:: The paterfamilias of this Lineage shall solemnly promise and swear, that they will act well and faithfully in their administration, and make good and just accounts of their trade: That they in all things will consult the greatest profit ofthe Lineage, and as much as possible prevent their meeting with losses: That they will not give the principal members any greater advantage in the payments or distribution of money than the least: That they, in getting in and receiving outstanding debts, will not favour one more than another: that they for their own account will take, and, during the continuance of their administration, will continue to take such sum of money as by their charter is allotted to them; and moreover, that they will, as far as concerns them, to the utmost of their power, observe and keep, and cause to be observed and kept, all and every the particulars and articles herein contained.
The Rogue Trader will swear to uphold all the guidelines laid out in this charter.
XXVI:: All which privileges, freedoms and exemptions, together with the assistance herein before mentioned, in all their particulars and articles, we have, with full knowledge of the business, given, granted, promised and agreed to the aforesaid individual; giving, granting, agreeing and promising moreover that they shall enjoy them peaceably and freely; ordaining that the same shall be observed and kept by all the magistrates, officers and subjects of the Imperium of Mankind, without doing anything contrary thereto directly or indirectly, either within or out of these realms, on penalty of being punished both in life and goods as obstacles to the common welfare of the realms of Mankind, and transgressors of our ordinance: promising moreover that we will maintain and establish the Warrant in the things contained in this charter, in all treaties of peace, alliances and agreements with the neighboring princes, kingdoms and worlds, without doing anything, or suffering any thing to be done which will weaken their establishment. Charging and expressly commanding all governors, justices, officers, magistrates and inhabitants of the aforesaid Imperium of Mankind, that they permit the aforesaid Trader and managers peaceably and freely to enjoy the full effect of this charter, agreement, and privilege, without any contradiction or impeachment to the contrary. And that none may pretend ignorance hereof, we command that the contents of this charter shall be filed with the Administratum, as is proper; for we have found it necessary for the service of this Galaxy.
All Imperial citizens are required to abide by the strictures of this charter as they pertain to the Trader, and to ensure that they cannot claim ignorance, we will file this Warrant in the Imperial Archives.
XXVII:: In regard to the actions of Rogue Traders and their factors and agents, recognizing actions both the honourable and not, and deeds performed by them and their kin, and the actions of their lineage bearing this Warrant, we deem it necessary to decree, as to ensure continued development of the Imperium of Mankind as well as to allow the bearer of this Warrant to show his duty, devotion and loyality to Mankind:
XXVIIa:: That each new paterfamilias of the Traders lineage will have to undertake a Grand Endeavor of exploration outside the realms of which is known as the Imperium of Mankind, to broaden humanities knowledge of the realms of the without, and to bring the childrens of the Golden Throne, lost in dark ages of strife, far astern in time, back under the guiding light of the God-Emperors authority and rule.
A new Rogue Trader must undertake an Endeavour to prove his birthright to the Warrant of Trade.
XXVIIb:: That the tasks and objectives of said Grand Endeavour, as they are laid down individually for each Trader by the Adeptus Administraum, or by any other subject of our choosing suited for this task, but excluding all of those which are not blessed with knowledge of trafficing, shall be completed without neither haste nor delay, within the time of one and a half years (in consideration to the unfathomable rules regarding travels through or by the Immaterium) as recorded on the bridge of the ship of the Traders choosing, for all there to be seen, or any other place he places his foot and steps unto.
Said Endeavour must be completed within eighteen months shipwise time as recorded upon the ship’s bridge or any other particular location the Rogue Trader deems fitting for its completion.
XXVIc:: That the results of his exploration shall be compiled and send to us and our appointed representatives among the Adepta as, pending further notice, the Imperial Sector Commander of the Calixis Sector, the Administratum Master of the Calixis Sector and the Lord High Admiral of the Segmentum Obscuris, with no more time than two month elapsing after the finish of the Grand Endeavour.
The compiled reports of the Endeavour must be submitted to the High Lords and appropriate Adepta within two months of completion.
Given under our Great Seal, and the Signature and Seal of our Recorder, at the Imperial Palace, Holy Terra, 0499621.M38

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Saturday, April 13, 2013

Weapon Special Qualities (Compiled, Revised, v2.0) 4/13/2013

     After nearly a week's hiatus from my desk, here I sit sharing the second of this week's posts. As I've indicated in earlier posts, these House Rules have been refined over a lengthy period of play testing, and today's installment takes a look a Special Weapon Qualities.
     Special Weapon Qualities are the result of (relatively) common manufacturing processes, be they Human in origin or Xenos. They are inherent, rather than being the results of upgrades or customization (qv: Customized; see below). I have scoured the Core Rules of all five game lines in search of these Special Weapon Qualities, revised or otherwise defined them so they might be better understood, and now provide them to you in one collection.

     I firmly believe that much of the confusion that arises from the Warhammer 40K RP Core Rules is a result of limited page space. The developers, layout artists and graphic designers have included brilliant artwork, rich flavor text, and quality rules, but in the interest of producing a manageable page count to cost ratio it is impossible for them to comprehensively detail each and every rule while continuing to provide flavor text and descriptions of the people, places and things within each setting.
     Of course there are some frivolous misuses of page space, such as page-framing art. Don't misunderstand me, I like the framing art to the outside of each page, but it could be more narrow, and there is at least one half inch combined between the top and bottom of each page that is essentially wasted space due to the framing art fouling the page corners. And it wouldn't detract at all from the production value of their publications to thoroughly consider color contrast and a larger font size when numbering the pages. Simply my observations and suggestions...

     I, on the other hand, suffer from no page space limitations. By way of example...

     Weapon Craftsmanship-
     Where I feel it appropriate to do so, I will note any special (not obvious) considerations with regards to Weapon Craftsmanship. Otherwise, use the Weapon Craftsmanship rules found on pg 167 of the Only War Core Rules.

     Weapons Special Qualities
     In the interest of providing a complete list in one place, I will include all Weapon Special Qualities, even in cases where the game mechanics have remained unchanged, and these I will direct with page numbers and volume of work. Where I have introduced "new" Qualities they will be proceeded by an asterisk (*).
     All bonuses and penalties to Tests, Damage, etcetera, assume the weapon having the Quality in question is actually being used; PCs cannot receive a bonus/penalty just because they are equipped with/carrying a weapon.

     Accurate-
     When firing a single shot (Standard Attack Action), for each 2 DoS beyond the initial success calculated on the to-hit roll, weapons with this Quality will generate an additional d10 Damage. Pistol weapons with the Accurate Quality may add up to one (1) extra d10, Basic weapons with the Accurate Quality may add up to two (2) extra d10, and Heavy weapons with the Accurate Quality (improbable, but not impossible) may add up to three (3) extra d10. These extra Damage dice cannot generate Righteous Fury/Zealous Hatred/Fury of the Mook.
     Additionally, weapons with this Quality receive a further +10 to hit if fired when using an Aim Action.
     
     *Alien/Xenos Manufacture-
     Weapons of Xenos manufacture are constructed from a completely "alien" perspective. The purpose of such weapons may be (relatively) obvious to a Human, but their use and function are unlikely to be completely intuitive.  
     Tau physiology is generally similar to that of a Human, but the specific differences in the number of digits and bone structure of a Tau's hand make the use of their weapons "fiddly", or awkward. In comparison, Dark Eldar weaponry is of sleek and slight construction, and Humans will be naturally inclined to misjudge the weight and recoil (or lack thereof) of such weapons. Additionally, these weapons are adorned with all manner of razor sharp edges, hooks and barbs, making it difficult to maintain a grip without uncomfortable (oftentimes painful) distraction.
     The Weapon Training (Exotic) Talent allows a PC to be reasonably capable of and utilizing weapons of Alien/Xenos Manufacture (suffering only a -10 to either WS or BS, as appropriate). PCs without the Weapon Training (Exotic) Talent suffer a -30 penalty to WS or BS when attempting to use such weapons.
     At the GM's discretion, weapons of Alien/Xenos Manufacture may be "Tinkered" (see below) to make them more accommodating to Human use. Tinkering an Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapon in this manner requires a PC to have the Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Skill and to perform a Very Hard (-30) Tech-Use Test. If the Test is successful the inherent penalty resulting from this Quality (-10 WS/BS) is negated, but only when used by the person for which it was specifically "Tinkered". If the Test is failed (to any degree), the inherent penalty resulting from this Quality remains in effect, and the weapon gains either the Unbalanced or Unreliable Quality as appropriate. If an Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapon is fitted with any Upgrades that are of Alien/Xenos Manufacture (such as a Fire Selector or Sight) these Upgrades must also be "Tinkered" before they are of any use to the weapon's user, and again, only when used by the person for which they were specifically "Tinkered". The Adeptus Mechanicus consider the tinkering of Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapons and gear to be of use by Humans as a heresy punishable by Servitorization or Death.
     This Quality includes all weapons (and Upgrades, Armour, and Gear) of Alien/Xenos Manufacture (whether their nature is obvious or not), and should not be confused with the Counterfeit Xenos Weapon Upgrade (Hostile Acquisitions, pg 56). Counterfeit Xenos Weapons appear "exotic" but lack a truly alien perspective in the construction and their use is (relatively) easily intuitive.
     Unless the GM determines otherwise, all Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapons are treated as being of Common Craftsmanship when used by anyone other than their intended users; a confusing weapon remains confusing, regardless of its Craftsmanship.

     Balanced-
     Weapons with this Quality provide a +10 bonus to Parry Tests. This bonus may only be used once per Round, even if the PC has Step Aside (Talent) and/or is wielding multiple weapons with this Quality.

     Blast (X)-
     Weapons with this Quality must be targeted to hit a specific opponent or target (meaning they cannot be targeted to land "in the open" where their AoE will affect more targets). When determining Damage caused by a weapon with the Blast (X) Quality, (X) equals the number of meters radius the weapon affects, and additional targets within this AoE are automatically hit. All targets may attempt to Dodge ("Jink") as normal.
     Weapons with the Blast (X) Quality may also possess one or more additional Qualities (at the GMs leisure), including but not limited to Flame, Hallucinogenic, Scatter, Smoke, Spray, Toxic, etc.
     Note: Weapons with the Blast (X) Quality are considerably more hazardous to densely packed, target rich environments, and those confronted with such weapons should be aware of the obvious risks. It is their responsibility to disperse themselves when confronted with Blast (X) weapons to mitigate the carnage. Likewise, those using weapons with the Blast (X) Quality are well aware of the death and destruction they can cause, and are trained to choose their targets wisely. It is these two points that factor into the reasoning behind requiring such a harsh targeting requirement.

     Concussive (X)-
     There are three broad categories of Concussive weapons: Civilian, Military, and Astartes/Legion.
     Concussive weapons create a deafening shock wave when they strike and may cause a target to become Stunned. Targets hit with Civilian Concussive weapons must make a Toughness Test with a penalty equal to -5 times the weapon's rating (X), and targets hit with Military or Astartes/Legion Concussive weapons must make a Toughness Test with a penalty equal to -10 times the weapon's rating (X). If the target of any Concussive weapon fails its Toughness Test, it is Stunned for 1 Round, +1 Round per DoF.
     Additionally, targets taking Damage (not Wounds) in excess of their combined SB and TB totals (including Unnatural Characteristics modifiers) will be knocked Prone.
     Note: The Concussive weapons listed throughout the various game lines have already been assigned a Quality rating (X). However, as a general rule, Civilian and Military Concussive weapons will have a rating of 1-3 (with 1 or 2 being the most common), with Astartes/Legion Concussive weapons then adding +1 to their rating. A notable exception to this general rule is the Demolisher Cannon, which is Concussive (5).

     Corrosive-
     Corrosive weapons utilize extremely caustic reactive chemicals/compounds (and can include acidic spittle, fiendishly tainted blood or bile, etc) or are constructed from materials that are anathema to common organics and elements. Corrosives may also appear as powders and crystals.
     If a target is hit by a weapon with the Corrosive Quality any Augmetic, Cover, Natural, Personal, and/or Vehicle AP values are reduced by d10+1 points. The Corrosive Quality has no affect on Field or Psychic AP values, though these values still provide their protection. Naturally, the foremost AP value is affected first, and further hits from Corrosive weapons will continue to reduce this AP value, quite possibly "moving onward" to the next foremost AP value, and so on. The notable exception to this is Corrosive weapons that also possess the Spray Quality (qv: Spray; see below). Of important note, the Corrosive Quality is applied first, and once its effects have been determined the weapon's Penetration value (if any) is applied to any remaining AP values, then Damage is calculated. In the event AP is defeated by the Corrosive Quality alone, or the target simply is not protected by any AP, Corrosive may cause additional Damage (which may translate to Wounds), but this effect is applied last in the order, and the Daemonic Trait and Unnatural Toughness do not reduce Corrosive Wounds. Confused?

     An example:
     Myok Voy, an Apostate (TB3), has narrowly escaped the clutches of the Adeptus Arbites by crawling into a storm drain. Carried along by the flush, he is eventually deposited into a long-disused Underhive cistern. Soaked with filth and other indescribable effluvia, bleeding profusely, Apostate Voy attempts to navigate his way back to the surface streets where he might locate a back-alley Medicae.
     Apostate Voy does not take more than ten steps when he realizes he's disturbed the carrion nest of chemical-mutated Maw-Flukes (Creatures Anathema, pg 60). Ducking behind the shattered remnants of a pier piling (AP 6), he frantically searches for an alternate means of egress.
     Several Maw-Flukes are heard making sharp, wet huffing noises as they expel their digestive bile at his hiding location (Bile, Range 5m, S/-/-, d10+2, Pen d5, Clip -, Rld -, Spray, Corrosive). Myok Voy heedlessly appeals to the Ruinous Powers to spare him one more day, and he is suddenly infused with the vigor of the Warp (temporarily gaining the Daemonic Trait +3)

  • The bile attack does d10+1 Corrosive points to the pier piling (6+1 = 7, reducing the pier piling to bubbling sludge, but since Voy is not within a completely enclosed environment he takes the full force of the Corrosive Quality due to the Spray Quality)
  • As there is no Cover AP remaining, and poor Voy was caught unprepared during his demagoguery (not wearing/carrying Personal AP), the attack's Penetration value is ignored, leaving 7 excess Corrosive points
  • Damage is rolled for the attack (6+2 = 8, reduced by the Daemonic Trait +3 to 5, then the 7 excess Corrosive points are applied, which are not reduced by the Daemonic Trait, meaning Myok takes a total of 12 Wounds
  • As Myok Voy was already suffering a -6X Body, Blood Loss Critical Injury, the Maw-flukes have done for him, and they savagely devour his still-twitching corpse...or he permanently reduces his Infamy to survive this unfortunate encounter, and holds the Adeptus Arbites accountable for the entire debacle
     It's a simple matter of order of application.
     AP values may be restored through repair. 
     Repairing Augmetic AP requires the removal of burned or necrotic/infected flesh in preparation; a successful Challenging (+/-0) Medicae Test clears the way for Augmetic AP repair. Once this has been done, a successful Difficult (-10) Tech-Use Test repairs 1 Augmetic AP. Repair of Augmetic AP may only be attempted once within a 24-hour period, and may only be repaired to its starting value. 
     Repairing Cover AP requires a Difficult (-10) Tech-Use Test if the starting AP value was 8 or less, and a Hard (-20) Test if the starting AP value was 9+. Trade (Armourer) and Armour Monger (Talent) each provide a +10 bonus to Tests made to restore Cover AP. 
     Natural AP will "heal" over time, the creature recovering 1 AP for every full 72-hour period of recovery, or it can be restored through the benefits of Regeneration (Trait) with the number AP points restored being equal to the Regeneration rating (X) for every full 24-hour period of recovery. PCs with the Medicae Skill may attempt to aid a creature's recovery, but only if he/she also has Scholastic Lore (Beasts). This is also the case if attempting to restore Natural AP that has been gained through mutation. 
     Personal, and Vehicle AP values require a Hard (-20) Tech-Use Test, with Trade (Armourer) and Armour Monger (Talent) each providing a +10 bonus to Tests made to restore Personal and Vehicle AP. The number of AP restored is equal to 1 for a successful Test, +1 point per DoS. Armour Monger (Talent) may be used to further bolster Personal and Vehicle AP by +2, but this may not be done if the AP value in question previously benefited from this Talent; see below:
  • Flak Armour (AP 6) that has previously benefited from Amour Monger (now AP 8) may be restored to AP 8, not AP 10.
     When restoring Vehicle AP, the PC must also have at least one (1) of the following: Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus), Common Lore (Tech), Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus); see pgs 281-286 of the Only War Core Rules. The GM is encouraged to use these rules as a guideline for the repair times and material requirements of Cover AP, as well.
   
     Crippling-
     If a target suffers at least 1 Wound from a weapon with the Crippling Quality it is considered "crippled" until all Wounds suffered from Crippling weapons have been healed (including any Wounds suffered as a result of the Crippling Quality). Crippled targets taking more than a Half Action in their Turn will take Type Rending Wounds equal to the weapon's rating (X). These Crippling Wounds are suffered only once per Turn, though the amount of Wounds suffered will be equal to the highest rating in the event the target was wounded by weapons with varying Crippling Quality ratings.
     Wounds suffered due to the Crippling Quality are not reduced by any AP values, TB, or Unnatural Toughness. Creatures with the Daemonic Trait are immune to Crippling, unless the weapon is also Blessed/Holy/Sanctified.

     *Customized-
     Weapons with this Quality exhibit temporary or permanent additions/alterations. These may be in the form of various (and sundry) weapon Upgrades, or the specific Weapon Customization choices found on pgs 190 and 191 of the Only War Core Rules. In all instances, the benefits and limitations of these additions/alterations are exactly as outlined in their particular entries.
     For all intents and purposes, weapons with the Customized Quality are viewed as "non-standard" weapons, and PC cannot simply purchase, requisition, or otherwise acquire a Customized weapon without investing additional time and effort (Inquiry and Thrones, Profit Factor/Infamy/Influence Acquisitions, Requisition, or  Logistics).
     Customized weapons should not be confused with "Tinkered" weapons.

     Deadly Natural Weapons-
     While this is a Trait rather than a Weapon Special Quality, I believe it bears some mention in this list.
     Deadly Natural Weapons (Trait) conform to all the rules for Natural Weapons (pg 156, Only War) but are not considered to have the Primitive Quality (see below). Deadly Natural Weapons never have additional Weapon Special Qualities, though the creature itself may have other Traits that behave in a similar manner to them.

     Defensive-
     Weapons with the Defensive Quality provide a +15 bonus to Parry Tests, but suffer a -10 penalty to WS when used to make Attacks. As with Balanced weapons, this bonus to Parry Tests may only be used once per Round, even if the PC has Step Aside (Talent) and/or is wielding multiple weapons with this Quality. Weapon Craftsmanship will affect the Defensive Quality.

     Devastating (X)-
     If the target of a Devastating weapon is a Horde, its Magnitude is reduced by a number equal to the weapon's rating (X) for each hit scored, though Damage must still be calculated to determine if these hits result in further reduction to the Horde's Magnitude.
     Note: Yes, a Devastating weapon need simply hit a Horde in order to reduce its Magnitude. Hits that score further reduction to a Horde's Magnitude are icing on the cake.

     Fast-
     Weapons with the Fast Quality are always Melee weapons, and they are harder to Parry and Dodge. Tests made to Parry or Dodge Fast weapons suffer from a -20 penalty. Defensive, Unbalanced and Unwieldy weapons may not possess the Fast Quality (and vise versa). A rare few blades are both Fast and Balanced.

     Felling (X)-
     When calculating Damage reduction ("soak") resulting from Unnatural Toughness, Felling weapons first reduce Unnatural Toughness by a number of points equal to the weapon's rating (X). The reduced Unnatural Toughness (to a minimum of zero) and any AP values are then used when calculating total Damage reduction.
     The Daemonic Trait is immune to Felling, unless the weapon is also Blessed/Holy/Sanctified.
     In no way does Felling interact with or affect the benefits of True Grit (Talent).

     Flame-
     If a target is hit by a weapon with the Flame Quality, the attacker determines which Location was hit by rolling d100 and consulting the Location Chart (see Character Sheet).
     Targets hit with a weapon possessing the Flame Quality (even if zero Wounds are caused by the hit) must succeed on a Challenging (+/-0) Agility Test or they suffer from Being On Fire. Targets that are on fire may do nothing but run about and scream (this is treated as a Full Move Action, and the direction of their Movement is randomly determined by consulting the Scatter Diagram) unless they succeed on a Difficult (-10) Willpower Test, and even then they may do nothing other than attempt to douse the flames unless they have a Willpower score of 40+.
     To douse the flames, the target must succeed on a Hard (-20) Agility Test. Up to two (2) persons may assist in dousing the flames, reducing the Difficulty of the Test by 1 Step per person. Other mitigating factors may make it easier or harder (at the GM's discretion) to douse the flames, such as there being a nearby water source or high winds, but this will not affect the amount of Damage caused by Being On Fire.
     A PC the may "do nothing" does not participate in dousing flames. In this case use the highest Agility of any assisting PCs.
     The Damage caused by Being on Fire as a result of weapons with the Flame Quality is equal to the Damage listed in the weapon's profile. If any targets catch fire, this Damage (Type Energy) is rolled just once (separately from the Damage caused by the hit), representing random target saturation, and is applied to each target at the end of each Round (meaning PCs/NPCs may have a chance to douse the flames prior to taking Wounds) until the flames are extinguished.
     The only category of AP that provides protection versus Being On Fire is Augmetic (see various Talents/Implants in a later post). Additionally, the Ceramite Armour Upgrade will reduce Wounds caused by Being On Fire by 3, but this Upgrade must be on the Location hit/aflame. Additionally, the target's TB, Unnatural Toughness, and/or Daemonic Trait will reduce Wounds suffered from Being on Fire, to a minimum of 1 Wound.
     Note: There has been a lot of contention on the internet regarding Personal AP not providing protection versus Being On Fire. Personally, I have no issue with the concept. Fire is dangerous and unpredictable. Fire represents the righteous cleansing of the Emperor. If someone catches fire they probably deserve their fate.

     Flexible-
      Flexible weapons lash about unpredictably when used to attack and therefor may not be Parried. Attacks from Flexible weapons may still be Dodged, as normal. Some Flexible weapons may also possess the Snare Quality (qv: Snare; see below).
     Some examples of Flexible weapons are flails, nets, scourges, and whips.

     Force-
     Okay, here we go...
     Please remember, these rules have been tweaked, refined, and play tested over a lengthy period of time. Additionally, much of what follows regarding weapons with the Force Quality is intended to maintain game balance as well as being reasonable. With that out of the way...
     If a weapon possessing the Force Quality is used by a PC without a Psy Rating it behaves as a normal version of its analog, meaning a Force Hammer in the hands of any PC without a Psy Rating is simply a Hammer...that is resistant to the Power Quality (qv: Power; see below).
     A Note to GMs: This is the perfect way to disguise Force weapons. They don't all have to be of remarkable Craftsmanship, audacious design, liberally studded with jewels and displaying obvious signs of Psy-reactive micro-circuitry. Perhaps a particular Force weapon was dutifully constructed by a Templar Calix of the Scholastica Psykana who followed the ways of a impoverished warrior-monk aesthetic, and the weapon is a direct reflection of his/her lifestyle.

     In the hands of a wielder with a Psy Rating, weapons with the Force Quality become far more powerful than their analog. First, for every point of Psy Rating the wielder possesses the weapon adds +1 to both its Damage and its Penetration value. This benefit is automatic and does not require a Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian to make a Focus Power Test.
     Additionally, if the wielder of a weapon with the Force Quality wounds a target he/she may, once per Turn, as an Evasion Action (aka Reaction), channel psychic force and killing will through the weapon in an attempt to cause additional Wounds. As doing so involves a Focus Power Test using Opposed Willpower, and as the intent is to kill, this channeling of psychic force and killing will must either be done as an Unfettered or Push Level Focus Power Test. For each Psychic Power being Sustained during an attempt to channel psychic force and killing will the wielder suffers a -5 penalty to his/her Focus Power Test.
     The Player must choose before making the Focus Power Test roll whether the Focus Power Test will be Unfettered or Pushed. Channeling killing will at the Unfettered Level will cause Psychic Phenomena on any Opposed Willpower Test roll resulting in doubles (11, 22, 33, and so on), whether successful or not. Channeling killing will at the Push Level automatically result in Psychic Phenomena. Wounds caused by killing will varies, depending on the Power Level chosen.
     Once the Power Level decision has been made, the wielder makes a Focus Power Test against the target using Opposed Willpower. If the wielder's Test is successful and he/she wins the Opposed Willpower "contest", the Player and GM calculate the Degrees of Difference (from here on out shown as DoD).

  • If killing will is channeled at the Unfettered Level, the wielder causes an additional d5 Wounds per DoD to the target
  • If killing will is channeled at the Push Level, the wielder causes an additional d10 Wounds per DoD to the target
     It is my opinion that the Focus Power Test using Opposed Willpower represents a contest of wills (appropriately, but there is a reason I feel compelled to state the obvious). Using a weapon with the Force Quality to fry mooks down to smoldering matchsticks is...well, vainglorious overkill. There are (now) risks involved with the channeling of killing will, and to take these risks for the sake of...what? Glory hounding? An affirmation of self? I think even a dead-hearted, Unbound heretic Psyker would hesitate to be so overt. It wouldn't make him look any more heartless or cruel, just insecure. And, personally speaking, if I witnessed someone husk some mook simply for giggles I'd put a bullet or three in his face in an attempt to be certain he doesn't turn his petty displays of power upon me. (But tell us how you really feel, Troy?)
     Back to the contest of wills...
     It should be obvious the intention is that killing will be used on significant peers or rivals in power, gargantuan monsters, or Daemonic nightmares. That being said, these opponents are not just going to lay down and die, they're going to resist with every iota of will they possess. They will likely have as many (if not more) Fate or Infamy Points as the PCs (or they will simply be unbelievably huge and resilient) and they will use them to re-roll gaffed Tests or achieve an additional DoS in an attempt to resist or overturn the killing will. Even so, things can end in remarkable results for the PCs, and spin horribly Klybo for their opponents, and vise versa, and thus we come to DoD.
     The introduction of DoD raises the threat notch. You want to be Darth Vader and gak an old man into the next world? You want to be Shea Ohmsford and cast the Warlock Lord Bremen from the deepest of shadows and into the light of oblivion? Then save it for the foes that matter, 'cause they're out there, somewhere.

     Onward with Force...
     Channeling psychic force and killing will...into Hordes. This is even more simple.
     Using the rules for Attacking Hordes:

  • The Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian determines the number of Force Weapon hits caused by his/her attack
  • The Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian rolls Damage for all Force Weapon hits
  •  If at least one (1) hit from a Force Weapon causes reduction in the Horde's Magnitude then he/she may, once per Turn, as an Evasion Action (aka Reaction), attempt to channel killing will by making a Focus Power Test at the Unfettered Level using Opposed Willpower
  • Focus Power Tests (successful or not) resulting in doubles (11, 22, 33, and so on) will generate Psychic Phenomena
  • If the Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian succeeds on the Test and wins the Opposed Willpower "contest",  the Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian may further reduce the Horde's Magnitude by 1 for each DoD
     Yes, you only get to make one (1) killing will Focus Power Test per Turn, ever. Yes, it requires you spend a Reaction to do it. It's a contest of wills. "Speed of thought" is an invalid argument against my House Rule...manipulating the Warp and being a Human abacus do not equate. I got the number wrong (unlikely)? Recalculate. I let my concentration slip by the merest fraction ('cause dice are fickle) while manipulating the Warp? Mass possession. Oops. Yeah, not the same.

     Getting late. I have some finishing touches to put on my game for tomorrow.
     The Auditors (Acolytes) are on a bleak and barren planetoid that has an extremely thin atmosphere and poor gravity. They, along with other investors, are "buying a front-row seat" in the Cold Trade. Their quarry is the ruthless and elusive gone-Rogue Trader, Ozrus Quip. They've just been shown "the find of the millennium." There are several thousand lives at stake (in the immediate area). To say that letting Master Quip's endeavors come to fruition could spell Imperium-wide disaster would be cliche...but it's true.

     I'll be adding to this post until completed. Keep your eye on the subject line, as I'll be changing the date with each update.

     Happy gaming, everyone!

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(Re)Defining Lightly Wounded, Heavily Wounded and Critically Injured, and Healing

     Hello, all! Without further ado, we'll get started with...

     Lightly Wounded

     Use the following formula to calculate the number of Wounds a PC can suffer before becoming Heavily Wounded:

  • Divide the PC's (current) maximum Wounds score by 2 (rounded up) 
  • Add the PCs TB, including Unnatural Toughness
  • This total is the number of Wounds a PC can suffer before becoming Heavily Wounded. To clarify, once the PC suffers Wounds in excess of this number he/she is considered Heavily Wounded. This number is referred to as the Heavy Threshold.
     An example: An Apostate (TB 3, Wounds 17) has a Heavy Threshold of 12 (17/2 = 8.5, rounded up to 9, + TB 3). Until the Apostate suffers more than 12 Wounds he is considered Lightly Wounded.

     Heavily Wounded

     Despite the labels (which are used entirely for purposes of record keeping), being Lightly Wounded doesn't necessarily indicate the PC has actually suffered any appreciable physical injury. The Wounds suffered in the Lightly Wounded category rather indicate solid blows that temporarily knock the breath from a PC's lungs or the exhaustion that results from continuous and tiresome movements associated with participating in combat.
     However, it is when a PC enters the Heavily Wounded category that actual physical injuries (open cuts, abrasions, severe bruising, continuous but minor bleeding) are sustained.

     A PC is considered Heavily Wounded once he/she has suffered Wounds in excess of his/her Heavy Threshold, but whose Wounds score also hasn't dropped below zero. Once a PC's Wounds score drops below zero he/she is considered Critically Injured.

     Critically Injured

     PCs whose Wounds scores are less than zero are considered Critically Injured and in need of immediate medical care, and any further Wounds suffered may very well result in death. Critical Injuries are rated as negative numbers, with -1 representing the least severe of Critical Injuries, and -10 rating as the most severe (almost always indicating a gruesome death).
     Critical Injuries are obvious and legitimate injuries.

     Wound Fatigue

     When a PC suffers Wounds in combat (or as a result of Falling, Being On Fire, etc) he/she may suffer Fatigue as a result.
     It is important to note the distinction between the terms "Wounds" and "Damage". Any Damage that exceeds a PC's AP protection (and Unnatural Toughness) translates to Wounds suffered (lowering the PC's current Wounds score).
     That being said, if a PC is Heavily Wounded and suffers a number of Wounds in excess of TB x 2 from any one hit, he/she must make a Challenging (+/-0) Toughness Test; if the Test is failed (by any number of degrees) the PC suffers 1 Level of Fatigue. For each point of Unnatural Toughness a PC has he/she may add +5 to the Toughness Test to avoid Wound Fatigue.

     An example: The Apostate (above) is Heavily Wounded, having suffered 13 Wounds (being just into the Heavily Wounded category). Trying to avoid apprehension by a troublesome Arbite, he attempts a hasty exit through the rear door of a warehouse but is struck by a solid hit to the Body from a Bolt Pistol, suffering 10 Wounds (his AP defeated by the weapon's Penetration value). As 10 is in excess of the Apostate's TB x 2 (6), he must make a Challenging (+/-0) Toughness Test or suffer 1 Level of Fatigue, and has also suffered a -6 Type Explosive Critical Injury to the Body (recorded as -6X Body).

     "Normal" PCs are unlikely to suffer more than 1 Level of Wound Fatigue before being killed (or Burning Fate/Infamy). By way of contrast, Orks, Chaos Space Marines and Space Marines might suffer 2, 3, maybe even 4 Levels of Wound Fatigue (due to such things as having a greater margin in their Heavily Wounded category and True Grit), though they have a greater chance of resisting its effects due to their Unnatural Toughness.
     As GM, I have ruled that True Grit is reserved for PCs (and significant/named NPC and creatures) that have an Unnatural Toughness of at least +1 or the Daemonic Trait. To clarify, the prerequisites for True Grit are Toughness 40 and/or Unnatural Toughness (1)/Daemonic(1).

     Note the Unnatural Characteristics Trait as described in Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader and Deathwatch is significantly different in its application. A PC with a TB 5 and Unnatural Toughness (x2) in these games translates literally to Unnatural Toughness +5 in Black Crusade and Only War, meaning the PC would receive a +25 bonus to his Toughness Test to resist Wound Fatigue.
     The highest possible bonus any PC may receive to his/her Toughness Test to resist Wound Fatigue is +50, and rolls of 91+ always fail.
     Remember, the Daemonic Trait stacks with Unnatural Toughness. However, creatures with the Daemonic Trait are immune to Wound Fatigue, unless the Wounds suffered are caused by Blessed/Holy/Sanctified weapons.

     Damage/Wound Mitigation

     PCs may mitigate the Damage/Wounds they suffer by spending Fate/Infamy. The Player may wait until the final Damage total has been calculated before spending Fate/Infamy. Once the total Damage has been calculated, the PC may spend one (1) Fate/Infamy point to reduce the Damage from any one hit per Round by d10+1 points. Since Damage that defeats AP and Unnatural Toughness/Daemonic translates into Wounds, the Damage Mitigation also reduces any Wounds suffered (to a minimum of zero).
     There is one exceptional note: Toxic. It is wiser to mitigate Damage caused by a hit, thus possibly eliminating the effects of Toxic altogether, rather than risk suffering any Wounds that would allow the Toxic Trait/Quality to take effect and thus requiring the PC to make a Toughness Test (though even if successful, the PC will still take a minimum of 1 Wound from Toxic; see previous post).
     NOTE: This rule replaces PCs healing via the expenditure of Fate/Infamy.

     So, you've been shot and beaten, but you've survived (for now). Now, the healing can begin.

     Healing (General)

     Damage Types and severity can make injuries more or less easy to treat. Following are the modifiers to Medicae Tests by Damage Type or injury severity:

  • Impact (I) and Rending (R) +/-0
  • Energy (E) and Explosive (X) -10
  • Critical Injury -30
     Each Injury suffered by a PC is tracked individually, like so: 3E Left Arm, 5E Body, 5I Body.

     Healing Lightly and Heavily Wounded PCs

     Lightly Wounded PCs may have their injuries treated immediately through the use of the Medicae Skill. Each injury is treated individually; the PC making the Test first chooses an injury to treat, then modifies his/her Medicae Skill by the Damage Type modifier (see above). The number of Wounds healed equals the DoS on the Medicae Test; excess DoS may not be applied to other injuries. Each injury may be treated only once per 24-hour period.
     Additionally, a Lightly Wounded PC will naturally heal* a number of Wounds equal to his/her TB (including Unnatural Toughness/Daemonic) after 1 day (typically 24 hours) as long as the PC suffers no additional Wounds during that same time period.
     A PC may continue to participate in strenuous activity (work detail, cross-country hiking/marching, even combat) and the PC will naturally recover TB Wounds as long as he/she does not suffer any further Wounds within the same 24-hour period in which the body is healing itself. Naturally healed Wounds may be applied to injuries of the Player's choice.

     Heavily Wounded PCs may also have their injuries treated immediately through the use of the Medicae Skill. As with Lightly Wounded PCs, each injury is treated individually; the PC making the Test chooses which injury to treat, then modifies his/her Medicae Skill by the Damage Type modifier (see above). The number of Wounds healed is 1 point per 2 DoS on the Medicae Test; excess DoS may not be applied to other injuries. Each injury may be treated only once per 24-hour period.
     Additionally, a Heavily Wounded PC will heal a number of Wounds equal to the Intelligence Bonus of the PC treating his injuries (including any Unnatural Intelligence) after 1 day (typically 24 hours) as long as the PC suffers no additional Wounds during that same time period. This is known as Extended Care. In order for the PC to heal these Wounds, the person treating the injuries must succeed (to any degree) on a Challenging (+/-0) Extended Care Medicae Test at the end of each 24-hour period.
     A PC may continue to participate in strenuous activity (work detail, cross-country hiking/marching, even combat) and the PC will recover these IntB Wounds as long as he/she does not suffer any further Wounds within the same 24-hour period in which he/she is receiving Extended Care. These healed Wounds may be applied to injuries of the caregiver's choice.
     *PCs with the Autosanguine Implant are always considered Lightly Wounded and add +2 to the number of Wounds naturally healed in a 24-hour period.

     Important: When treating the injuries of Lightly and Heavily Wounded PCs, the rules for Medicae Tests (above) assume that treatment can be given in a non-combat, non-crisis environment. PCs receiving treatment of their injuries during a combat or in a crisis environment are considered to be receiving Combat Care. Combat Care Medicae Tests are made with an additional modifier of -20.

     Any Medicae Tests made to treat injuries (including Extended and Combat Care Tests) that fail will not cause Lightly and Heavily Wounded PCs to worsen in condition. These rules are deliberately harsh (to limit protracted or particularly savage combats breaking down into heal-fests and, in extreme cases, to promote flight versus fight) without including additional deleterious effects.

     Healing Critically Injured PCs

     Critically Injured PCs must be moved as little as possible, may not participate in any strenuous activity (complete bed rest being ideal), and require continuous Critical Care.
     Just as any other injuries, Critical Injuries are tracked and treated individually (IE: -4E Right Arm, -6I Body). Critical Injuries heal at a rate of 1 point per 3 days (typically 72 hours); the PC treating these injuries must pass (to any degree) a Very Hard (-30) Critical Care Medicae Test for each Critical Injury at the end of each 72-hour period for this healing to occur. When Critical Injuries are healing, the severity will lessen (IE: from -5 to -4) but do not apply new Critical Injury effects as they appear on the Critical Injury Tables.
     Except in cases of extreme ability, treating Critically Injured PCs in combat or crisis situations (known as Combat Care) is nigh on impossible, resulting in an additional -20 to any Medicae Tests.
     If a Critical Care Medicae Test is failed, the severity of the Critical Injury being treated will worsen by 1 Step (IE: from -5 to -6) for each 2 DoF, but do not apply new Critical Injury effects as they appear on the Critical Injury Tables. It is assumed the condition of the current Critical Injury simply worsens.
     If a PC is moved a substantial distance, treated in an open/non-sheltered/unsanitary environment or participates in strenuous activity/combat while Critically Injured (and survives), he/she must make a Very Hard (-30) Toughness Test (Unnatural Toughness is N/A); the PC's Critical Injuries will worsen by 1 Step per 2 DoF.
     All Critical Injuries must be completely healed before any other injuries may be treated or heal naturally.

     Ideally, Players (and their PCs by extension) want to finish an Exploration, Investigation or Mission, but there may come a point when injuries within the group come to undermine their effectiveness, and continuing on their current course of action may prove counterproductive, even fatal for the remainder of the group. To offset the harsh rules of healing Critically Injured PCs, it is strongly suggested the GM assume all Critical Care Medicae Tests made by NPC caregivers succeed with 1 DoS (as long as adequate facilities are available), allowing Critically Injured PCs to return to Heavily Wounded status within a week, two at the most.

A simple 3 x 5 note card can be used to keep track of Wounds, Fatigue and Injuries. The layout looks something like this:
____________________________________________________________________
Myok Voy, Apostate                        TB: 3*
Current Maximum Wounds: 17          Wound Fatigue: 1          Total Fatigue: 1
Heavy Threshold:12

Injuries              Location              L/H/CI (Lightly/Heavily Wounded or Critically Injured, circle one)                                                                    
Treated (y/n)     5E Body            
Treated (y/n)     5I Body            
Treated (y/n)     3E Left Arm      
Treated (y/n)
Treated (y/n)

Critical Injuries
Treated (y/n)     -6X Body, Blood Loss (after having taken an additional 10X to the Body)
Treated (y/n)
Treated (y/n)
____________________________________________________________________
* Meaning he takes Wound Fatigue from hits doing 10 or more Wounds when Heavily Wounded.

     Things aren't looking good for Mr Voy. Of course this is just an example built from references further up this post. And for the guys in my Sunday game (if you're reading this), no, Myok Voy is not an Apostate. He's an Advisor. Ad-vis-or.

     Okay, let's see...
     Taking a look through the topics about which I've posted, I see I still need to share complete and revised lists of Special Ammunition types, weapon Qualities, and the (few) Talents and Traits that have been revised. Remember, at this point you can still use all weapons throughout all five games without immediate need for these lists, though I strongly recommend the use of all current FFG Errata.

     There are other rules I have tweaked, Hordes being the biggest I've tackled. The concept of Hordes is approved by some, shunned by others. What I've tried to do is make the concept sensible in terms of massed zealots or military formations. Some people will continue to shun Hordes, and that's okay. They have their reasons, just as I have mine for doing this.

     I'm not exactly sure which topic I'll come back with next time, but until then...

     The internet is an overflowing fountain of inspiration for Warhammer 40K RP. Looking outside the niche that is 40K, science fiction in general, and even fantasy have provided quite a pile of images and maps for use in my games. I even read an "Explorer's Diary" on the Rogue Trader forums that mentioned a void ship named Vodyanoi. Those of you familiar with AD&D's venerable Fiend Folio will remember the first time you twisted that name past your lips. I was inspired to dig out those dusty tomes in search of "monsters" that could be made into aliens, and to revisit my love of classic Gothic horror (Poe, Stoker, Shelley, Doyle) and the Ravenloft setting.

     A few images to get you started:

     A Callixian Noble: http://gamrfeed.vgchartz.com/galleries/2010-12-13/the-last-story-character-art-20101213/the-last-story-character-art-20101213_1292232579.jpg

     The forges of Gunmetal City: http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2013/05/1359775531-8.jpg

     Prometheum refinery: http://www.rawdlc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/1359775534-3.jpg

     Down-hive: http://fast1.onesite.com/capcom-unity.com/user/xantista/remember_me/remember_me__neo_paris_gameplay/large/df000e79376e2873c6e81e0d2550cd79.jpg?v=187800

     Tau colony: http://www.wallpaperfo.com/thumbnails/detail/20120719/cityscapes%20futuristic%20fantasy%20art%20science%20fiction%201500x863%20wallpaper_www.wallpaperfo.com_93.jpg

     Rak'Gol invaders: http://www.fengzhudesign.com/blog/fzd_gate_01b.JPG

     Hive Spire promenade: http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2011/04/prey_2_concept.jpg

     Generatorium: http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/2012/james_paick/james_paick_07.jpg

     Sororitas Convent Bastion: http://www.3dgrafika.cz/img/_gallery/14/14897.jpg

     Get inspired!

"This website is completely unofficial and in no way endorsed by Games Workshop Limited or Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc." 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Fury of the Mook and Starting Wounds

     Troy here, again. Welcome to another installment of Chronicles of the 41st Millennium!
     Rather than backtracking, think of this first topic as a segue from the previous post...

     Fury of the Mook

     The word "mook" is defined as a person who is regarded with contempt. I think it a fitting descriptor when referring to the common thug employed by...I was going to say employed by master villains, but I suppose (depending on one's perspective) Inquisitors employ mooks, as well, so there you go. These hirelings are also referred to as goons, dregs, peons, gangers, scavs, and sundry other monikers.
     The one common perception of mooks is their relatively average (ofttimes less-than-average) skills. A lone mook represents a minor imposition, but overall is viewed as being a nuisance rather than a legitimate threat. However, banded together to a common cause, mooks (could) represent danger disguised as incompetence. With sufficient incentive and/or motivation (promises of glory or wealth, commands or threats from powerful employers, etc) mooks can stymie any small yet coherent group (the PCs), whether they be a trained squad of Imperial Guard, Inquisition Acolytes, a heretic Warband, or adventurous Explorers.
     The following House Rules borrow from the concept of Hordes, and I must say I was pleased to see the following: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1858peGl6Ml5jDOQu99o_Vi1BwLcAua2gDtVRIJ5YI8Y/edit#heading=h.wnic3848e2p2 (under Massed Fire) presented by Musclewizard, a frequent contributor to the Warhammer 40K RP forums.

     With numbers and sufficient weight of fire, even mooks can be a legitimate threat.
     When engaging an enemy, whether at range or in melee, any single mook can be Assisted by a number of comrades equal to his/her Fellowship Bonus. Each assisting mook must be within 5m of the mook making the attack and must be able to otherwise draw LoS to the same target if assisting at range, or be Engaged with the same enemy if assisting in melee. To represent the concentration of attacks, each assisting mook provides a +5 bonus to the attacking mook's Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill (as appropriate). If in melee, this bonus replaces the bonuses gained from Ganging Up, but mooks with Double Team (Talent) will receive the additional bonus provided by the Talent. Additionally, if an attack is successful each assisting mook adds +1 to the Damage rolls.
     As an example:

     The PCs are being hounded through the back alleys of a slum district by a 12-man Kill Squad (Dark Heresy, pg 341). A poor Navigate (Surface) Test on the part of the Scum leads the PCs to a dead end, and as they turn to backtrack their route they are cornered by the Kill Squad.
     Both sides dive into any available Cover as the short-range firefight commences. The Kill Squad are armed with Autoguns loaded with Man-stopper Bullets (d10+3I, Pen 3), and the Acolytes are covering behind bulky metal trash receptacles filled with miscellaneous refuse (Cover AP 10).
     While the majority of the Kill Squad lay down a hail of Suppressing Fire, one of the Kill Squad (BS 35, FelB 3) calls for direct fire support and is Assisted by three of his comrades, receiving +15 to his Ballistic Skill. Taking a moment to draw on his target (Half Action Aim, +10) who is at Short Range (+10), the Kill Squad trooper fires a tight burst (Half Action Semi-Auto Burst) and gets 4 DoS (total) on his BS Test, hitting his target three times* (Body, Body, Arm).
* Autogun Semi-Auto RoF
     The Acolyte being targeted is wearing only a Flak Coat (Arms, Body; Personal AP 6). The "standard" Damage dice results are 2, 8, and 10. The weapon's Damage Modifier (+3) and the extra Damage from assisting mooks (+3) is added to each die result: 8, 14, and 18, all at Pen 3. The first bullet fails to penetrate the Acolytes Cover and Personal AP total, while the second and third bullets cause 1 and 2 Wounds, respectively.
     Now for Fury of the Mook:
     When mook opponents (and their ilk) roll an unmodified (defined as "natural") 10 on a Damage die they may exchange their DoS on the attack roll for the Damage Modifier of the weapon used. Regardless of the number of unmodified 10s rolled, this exchange of DoS for Damage Modifier is only applied once, though it applies to all "standard" Damage dice results.
     In the example above, the new Damage dice totals are 9, 15, and 19; the first bullet still fails to penetrate the Cover and Personal AP total, but the second and third bullets now do 2 and 3 Wounds, respectively.

     In the interest of fairness (considering some foes are extremely tough, robust, and dangerous) PCs have access to their own version of Assisted attacks, with the differences being:

  • Only 2 PCs may ever aid another in an attack, either ranged or melee, though they must either A) be within the same Range category and have LoS to the intended target, or B) be Engaged with the same enemy if assisting a Melee attack. Only the PC being Assisted makes the attack Test
  • Each assisting PC provides a +10 to either Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill, as appropriate, and this is in addition to the bonuses for Ganging Up and Double Team (Talent) if assisting a Melee attack
  • If an Assisted attack is successful, the attacking PC may add the combined WS or the combined BS of the assisting PCs to each set* of the "standard" Damage rolled. This Damage is calculated and added last, after Damage has been altered to reflect DoS, Damage Modifiers, Righteous Fury/Zealous Hatred, etc.
* Example of a set of "standard" Damage dice: a Boltgun hits twice, and the Player rolls 2 sets of Damage dice (2 separate hits doing d10+5 each, one of which might be altered by DoS, plus combined BS per hit).

     Getting into a firefight, any firefight, is a very hazardous affair. Anyone not making use of available Cover during a firefight, even when wearing/carrying the very best in Personal armour, is a fool. Weapons exist with high Penetration values, the Executioner Round (The Radical's Handbook, pg 55) utilized by the Adeptus Arbites and Mortiurge has increased Damage and Penetration and ignores Cover AP. Even so, making use of available Cover AP can many times mean the difference between life and death (or burning Fate/Infamy).

    Alright, with all this Damage being thrown out and TB not reducing any of it, it's time to address the issue of Starting Wounds. 8 or 9 or even 10 plus 1d5 is woefully insufficient, and in some cases an inaccurate scaling. And, if you'll remember from my previous post, a Wounds score isn't entirely a game mechanic representation of a PC's potential physical peak. This perspective, more than any other reason or House Rule, goes some way toward justifying NPC adversaries included in FFG publications having 40+ Wounds (see The Outer Reach).

     Starting Wounds

     All PCs' Starting Wounds follow this base formula:

  • Multiply the PC's TB (excluding Unnatural Toughness) by 3, then add d5+3
  • Next, add any bonuses to Wounds gained from the PC's background (including any specifically gained from Home Worlds, Specialties, Background Packages, etcetera, if there are any, and this includes Wounds gained from the Imperial Divination Table in Dark Heresy, pg 34) 
  • Next, add Unnatural Toughness: for Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch characters this modifier is equal to the PC's base TB for each Unnatural Toughness Trait modifier (IE: a Deathwatch Space Marine with an unmodified TB 5 with Unnatural Toughness [x2] would add 5 Wounds, Unnatural Toughness [x3] would add 10 Wounds, and so on. For Black Crusade and Only War characters this modifier is equal to the Unnatural Toughness (X) Trait modifier, where (X) equals the addition of a number to the PC's TB (IE: an Ogryn and an Ork Nob in Only War have Unnatural Toughness of +2 and +5, respectively) 
  • Next, Size Modifier: if the PC is Scrawny/Weedy subtract 3; if the PC is Average/Man-sized add 3; if the PC is Hulking, is a Chaos Space Marine or a Space Marine, add 6
     Some examples:

  • A Ratling, TB3, Homeworld: Hive- TB3 x3, plus d5+3, -1 (Homeworld), -3 (Weedy) = 9-13 Wounds
  • An Apostate, TB3- TB3 x3, plus d5+3, +3 (Man-sized) = 16-20 Wounds
  • An Ogryn, TB5, Homeworld: Death- TB5 x3, plus d5+3, +2 (Homeworld), +2 (Unnatural Toughness), +6 (Hulking) = 29-33 Wounds
  • A Space Wolf Deathwatch Space Marine, TB5- TB5 x3, plus d5+3, +5 (Unnatural Toughness), +6 (Space Marine) = 30-34 Wounds
     Next, Sound Constitution (Talent) no longer exists. Discard it, delete it, wipe it from your memory.
     Wounds scores increase in the following ways:

  • All PCs, in all five game lines, increase their Wounds scores by +3 each time their (base) TB increases. In Black Crusade, each time a PC's Wounds score increases as a result of taking a Toughness Advance it is to be considered as an additional Nurgle-Aligned Advance when calculating Alignment 
  • Additionally, Black Crusade and Only War PCs increase their Wounds scores by +1 for each +1 increase to their Unnatural Toughness Trait (IE: A Chaos Space Marine Chosen who increases his Unnatural Toughness (4) to (5) will increase his Wounds score by +1)
The second bullet point does mean that Black Crusade and Only War PCs may have a little bit of an edge on PCs from the other game lines (long term), however, it is a simple matter of GMs altering the older Unnatural Toughness (Trait) to reflect BC's and OW's newer mechanic and deciding which Races, Classes, Alternate Ranks, and/or Specialties from Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader and Deathwatch might be eligible for Unnatural Toughness (Trait). As I'm not doing an entire rewrite (at this time), GMs are encouraged to use their best judgment.
   
     Each PC has a maximum Wounds limit. Following are the suggested limits:

  • Scrawny/Weedy PCs are limited to 20 Wounds
  • Average/Man-sized PCs are limited to 25 Wounds
  • Hulking PCs (Ogryn, Orks, etc) are limited to 40 Wounds
  • Chaos Space Marines and Space Marines are limited to 50 Wounds
Because (base) TB does not reduce Damage, and because PCs have a limit to the number of Wounds they may have, it may seem there comes a point when taking Advances in Toughness and/or Unnatural Toughness (X) becomes redundant, but this is not the case. Remember that the higher a PC's Toughness the better their chances of resisting toxins/poisons, and that Damage from Falling and Being On Fire and Wounds suffered from the Toxic Quality/Trait are reduced by TB (and Unnatural Toughness...to a minimum of 1 Wound). Also, Talents have prerequisites...
     Factoring in such things as weapon Damages (and Damage Modifiers) and Penetration values, Special Ammunition, bonuses to Damage due to Unnatural Strength, the fact that TB (excluding Unnatural Toughness) does not reduce Damage, the increase in Personal AP values, Hordes and Advanced Horde Traits, The "new" Righteous Fury/Zealous Hatred/Fury of the Mook, and others besides, the seemingly steep increase in Wounds really isn't all that steep.

     GMs have a choice of leaving the Wounds values of published adversaries as they are (representing mooks), or raising the difficulty of encounters by increasing these values by the appropriate Size modifiers (an example might be raising the Wounds scores of Dark Eldar Trueborn from 14 to 17). Below is a table that I use when altering Wounds scores of adversaries. It represents Size modifiers (for individual or relatively small groups of adversaries, not Hordes), as follows:

  • Minuscule (1): +/-0*
  • Puny (2): +/-0*
  • Scrawny/Weedy (3): -3
  • Average/Man-sized (4): +3
  • Hulking (5): +6
  • Enormous (6): +12
  • Massive (7): +24
  • Immense (8): +48*
  • Monumental (9): +96*
  • Titanic (10): +192*
* Size 1 (Minuscule) represents something approximately the size of a pen or a field mouse, while Size 2 (Puny) represents something the approximate size of a Servo-Skull. Regarding these first two Size categories, it is unnecessary to make further adjustments to given Wounds scores as they (most probably) correctly reflect the nature of the target in question. Size 8, 9, and 10 (Immense, Monumental, and Titanic) opponents represent considerable threats (a Bio-Titan, or the Leviathan on pg 93 of The Tome of Blood).
This table is not to be used in conjunction with the House Rules for calculating Starting Wounds.

     In conjunction with everything I've posted in this blog, GMs interested in implementing these House Rules need the final keys to unlock the balance, and they are as follows:

  • In cases of Primitive weapons not being assigned a "rating" (as in Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch), Primitive weapons with a Damage Modifier of zero (or less) to +1 are to be considered Primitive (6), Primitive weapons with a Damage Modifier of +2 are to be considered Primitive (7), and Primitive weapons with a Damage Modifier of +3 or more are to be considered Primitive (8)
  • TB does not reduce Damage from weapons (including the Damage cause by attacks from creatures), Unnatural Toughness does
  • Daemonic (Trait) reduces Damage and stacks with Unnatural Toughness 
  • Weapon Damages and Penetration values do not change (though it is recommended that all FFG-provided Errata be used). Please Note: In an upcoming post I will provide a complete revised list of Special Ammunition and Weapon Qualities, but for now, if you're using everything I've presented in my blog to this point and FFG-provided Errata, GMs and Players will have few hiccups, and they will be tiny hiccups.
     Next time: (re)defining Lightly Wounded, Heavily Wounded, Critically Injured (when you are actually physically wounded), and Healing.

     Before I sign off, I'd like to share some alternative vehicle-related House Rules by MalikCarr that I found over on the Dark Heresy forums: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=100&efcid=46&efidt=763524 These House Rules are lengthy, but comprehensive and actually quite simple to use. If I recall, there was some mention in those House Rules about a minimum movement distance that referred to the length of the vehicle, and if you have questions about vehicle lengths you can jump over to lexicanum.com and punch in a vehicle name for your answers (to get you started: Leman Russ hull variants 7.08m, Chimera hull variants 6.90m, Baneblade Super-Heavy Tank 13.50m, Malcador Heavy Tank 9.60m).

Drive me closer...!

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