Campaign Rulings
RAW-ish
- We gave RAW a red hot go and there were some problems. We'll be playing RAW with house rulings as we go, as decided by GM or players with GM approval.
Starting Characters
- New characters start with 10 minus WP Bonus in Insanity Points (to a minimum of 1), and 5 minus WP Bonus in Corruption Points (to a minimum of 1) to represent their previous lives.
Notes on Basic Skills + Infused Knowledges
- Character knowledge will be limited by experience, as well as DoS on tests. If you have reasonably never been to a place your knowledge of it will be purely academic or otherwise limited, despite 10 DoS on a basic knowledge test. Gm can always override Infused Knowledge with common sense.
Elite Careers and Unique Weapons
- Even within the vastness of the Koronus Expanse there are individualities. If a player wishes to take an advanced career they need to facilitate it in campaign, either obviously working towards it or asking the GM that something be written in that allows them to obtain it.
- Likewise if a player successfully rolls to acquire a Near Unique or Unique item it does not teleport into their hand. A challenge or session will be devised by the GM to allow the player to earn this item.
Judging a book by its cover
- There are some mechanical shortcomings in RT regarding how you are treated for the way you look. I don't mean your Fellowship score either, I mean how your character actually looks to others as well as the actions you choose to perform. If you are on a Feral World, and ponce about in frills and lace with makeup plastered all over your face and gaudy rings on your fingers, expect to be ostracized, bullied, insulted, and most likely robbed and beaten. Likewise if you are on a Shrine World and you rock about in full power armour wielding a two-handed thunderhammer, a bolter, and unnatural toughness, expect people to flee at the sight of you fearing that you're an insane berserker sent to wage war on their pleasant little world. NPCs will treat you based upon how you present yourself, as well as their own perceptions and experiences.
Yes, or Roll
- Inspired by some other more free-form system such as Dungeon World and Mouse Guard, I'm going to be trying my best to take the Yes, or Roll approach to GMing. What this means is that you all might be rolling tests less than usual, with tests saved for only important circumstances. Obviously combat is still and always will be a heavily roll-based experience, but in narrative time I'll be trialing this new style out. Be aware that as a result of Yes, or Roll, your rolls have more consequence too. In this fashion, your rolls influence the beats of the story by introducing new factors both good and bad. See the below example.
Example A
GM: Okay, you can see the doorway is locked with some kind of control panel. You know you've made some distance between you and the guards who were chasing you.
PC: No worries. I'm going to try and hack the lock with my Security Skill. I roll that at 65.
GM: Easy. You're skillful enough to crack the code in about 60 seconds without much trouble.
PC: Can I make it faster than that? I'd like to roll to try and make it quicker.
GM: Sure you can, just remember that there will be consequences for failure.
PC: Okay. Here we go (rolls a 98) Fuck…
GM: With a shrieking of sirens a set of heavy steel bars shoot across the door, securing it even more than before. The sound of jack-booted footsteps can be heard rounding the corridor behind you. What do you do?
Example B
GM: Okay, you can see the doorway is locked with some kind of control panel. You know you've made some distance between you and the guards who were chasing you.
PC: No worries. I'm going to try and hack the lock with my Security Skill. I roll that at 65.
GM: Easy. You're skillful enough to crack the code in about 60 seconds without much trouble.
PC: Can I make it faster than that? I'd like to roll to try and make it quicker.
GM: Sure you can, just remember that there will be consequences for failure.
PC: Okay. Here we go (rolls a 04) Fuck yes!
GM: Well done. You can easily smash through the security system in a few short seconds, and because you rolled so well you can gain access to the security camera feeds. You can see the guards are a few corridors behind you. What do you do?
PC: Cause I'm in the system, can I trigger a false alarm in a different direction from where I am?
GM: Sure can. You watch as the guards make and about turn and run off in the opposite direction. You're in the clear, for now.
A word on Competency
- Not so much a mechanic as a different way of handling encounters and skill tests. In order to streamline NPC actions and in addition to the Yes, or Roll principal, NPCs are assumed to have a number of DoS equal to their total effective roll bonus divided by two rounding down. So an NPC with Agility 40 and Stealth +20 has effective 60, and will as a result have a static 3 DoS assigned to them. If a Player of equal or lesser skill wishes to oppose the NPC, they will need to overcome this base DoS in order to succeed. In this fashion those who are very competent are unlikely to beaten by those less competent. In addition, if a PC has an effective skill of 60, and an NPC has an effective skill of 40, it is unlikely the GM will ask for a roll as the PC has equal bonus to the NPC (60 effective is 2 bonus higher than 40 effective, the same assumed DoS of 2 the NPC would usually receive) instead assuming that the more competent will win against the less competent. As always, the PC may choose to roll to better their success at the risk of more dire consequences for failure.
Example A
GM: *An enemy assassin with effective Stealth 50 has sneaked aboard the ship*
GM: *Looks at Players effective Awareness scores, noticing that most are in the low 30s. If all were in the low 30s, the GM would pick the highest and roll secretly for them to see if they had any chance of spotting the stealthy assassin. As it turns out, one of the PCs has effective 70 in Awareness, enough to allow an automatic success*
GM: Okay PC1, as you are leaving your quarters carrying a stack of dataslates you notice a curious scuff mark on the control panel of your door, almost like someone was trying to probe for any weaknesses with a combi-tool or hack. Looking upwards you notice that the ventilation grill above you is ever so slightly ajar, as if it was quickly pulled back into place by someone in a rush.
Example B
PC: I'm going to sneak into this meeting between the other ship captains. I roll Stealth at effective 40.
GM: *Checking notes, sees that the meeting is guarded by a bevy of auspex wielding servoskulls with effective Awareness 60* Sure, that's going to require a roll tho.
PC: Here we go *rolls dice* and that's a 02! 4 full degrees!
GM: *Seeing that 4 DoS overcomes the NPC assumed 3 DoS* Well done. You suffer a few close calls, but after some careful and delicate sneaking you find yourself perched on a window ledge outside the meeting. What do you do now?
The Gates of Hell
Locked in a deaths embrace of twisted metal and spewing flames, the rival factions vying for the ownership of Prasinus each pursue their own agendas. Each party will need to complete a Challenge, with DoS adding to certain factors. Both the PCs and the NPCs are effected by the mechanics below. DoS and DoF are added together to give a total result.
8 DoS and below You don't achieve your objective, you have to fight another group (possibly 2), and you take some horrific damage to your ship
- The mission is a failure, taking up 4 hours of time. The party will need to face off against any other party which is looking for a fight, or another suitable challenge. The party’s ship will also lose 2d10+8 in Crew Population and Morale, and 1d5 Hull Integrity. This loss is unaffected by Triage.
Between 9 and 12 DoS You achieve your objective, but only if you can beat another group (possibly 2). You still take some damage to your ship
- The mission is barely pulled off, taking 2 hours to accomplish and suffering a vicious fight with hefty losses. The party will need to face off against any other party which is looking for a fight, or another suitable challenge. The party’s ship suffers 1d5+4 in Crew Population and Morale. This loss is unaffected by Triage.
Between 13 and 16 DoS You achieve your objective, but only if you beat another group (allowing if another group has achieved more DoS than you)
- The mission is pulled off adequately enough, taking around an hour. There is a high chance the party will run afoul of another if their missions cross over at some point.
Between 17 and 20 DoS You easily achieve your objective, and you have the option of fucking with another groups objective as well as damaging a ship
- The mission is a resounding success, taking only half an hour to complete. The party may interfere with one other party’s mission (receiving a surprise round at the beginning of combat or a suitable bonus to a relevant test. Alternatively they may choose to send a Kill-Team of 12 House Guard in their stead). The party may also inflict 1d10 Crew and Morale damage, and 1d5 Hull Integrity damage to one other ship.
Above 20 DoS You easily achieve your objective, and you have the option of fucking with another 2 groups objectives as well as damaging a ship and a bonus to escaping
- The mission was flawless, again taking only half an hour to complete. If the party has a ship they receive +20 to their Pilot check to disengage once their mission is complete, and they may choose to interfere with two other party’s missions (receiving a surprise round at the beginning of combat or a suitable bonus to a relevant test. Alternatively they may choose to send a Kill-Team of 12 House Guard in their stead). The party may also inflict 1d10 Crew and Morale damage, 1d5 Hull Integrity damage, and damage a single known component of their choice to one other ship.
Specialties
Based upon your individual specialties, if you pass your chosen Skill Tests you will receive some additional bonuses to your actions in the game.
Victrus - 11 DoS Victrus has had his Challenge modified slightly due to the fact he is literally far, far away from the rest of the party. His DoS does not count towards the PCs and instead effects how soon he is able to link up with the rest of you
- Tactica (39/81[FP]):5 DoS
- May lay a number of traps or apply certain situational bonuses to combat. Already discussed with Oliver in more detail.
- Ballistic Skill (32/63):4 DoS
- May apply a bonus damage equal to DoS on original test to one attack.
- Command (49/65[FP]):2 DoS
- May enlist the aid of two House Guard during combat.
Rook - 5 DoS
- Weapon Skill (56/73): 2 DoS
- May apply a bonus damage equal to DoS on original test to one attack.
- Intimidate (85/70+2 DoS): 2 DoF
- May cause Fear (1) for one round.
- Stealth (43/80): 5 DoS
- May count as ambushing at the beginning of combat and come onto the board on any square outside of an enemy's Perception Bonus.
Giger - 20 DoS
- Tech-Use (02/105+2 DoS): 12 DoS
- May cause a rapid depressurisation lasting for one round during combat. Any who are aware of the depressurisation may make a +30 Strength Check to remain unaffected. All others may test Strength at +0 or be moved 2d5+DoF in a direction of the PCs choosing. Fall damage applies as normal if the effected characters strike a solid object. All who fall must do so in the same direction.
- Medicae (37/105+DoS): 9 DoS
- May ignore damage equal to DoS on original test for any one PC he is adjacent to once during combat.
- Weapon Skill (60/58): 1 DoF
- May apply a bonus damage equal to DoS on original test to one attack.
Godwyn - 2 DoF
- Wizard Powers (88/70): 2 DoF
- May reduce the strength of an enemy Kill Team by 1/3
- Weapon SKill (87/50+10): 4 DoF
- May apply a bonus damage equal to DoS on original test to one attack
- Psyniscience (34/68): 4 DoS
- Know the location of the Eldar