40k RPGs?

Shipyard Locked · April 08, 2015, 08:09:30 AM

Quote from: Gold Roger;824588I would have to strip down the system to be more rules light, but that would, of course, take time as well.

I'm not sure, but from initial inspection the demo rules provided for free on the FF site might make a good starting point for a stripped down ruleset. I know I looked at them and thought they could be cleaned up and reskinned for a light game of Necromunda RPG.

flyingcircus · April 08, 2015, 11:17:37 AM

I have played in a DH 1E game or two, a RT and a couple of DW games, personally the universe is cool but the mechanics and system are all wonky. I really wish this used BRP instead, chargen would have been easier and quicker IMO and just would have given a better game overall IMO. I haven't touched it since.

Matt · April 08, 2015, 05:25:36 PM

Never seen or heard of any of those.

RPGPundit · April 10, 2015, 04:06:46 AM

There's nothing particularly wrong about the system mechanics themselves, but I hated how they divided the setting into several partial-games.

jeff37923 · April 10, 2015, 05:26:32 AM

I haven't really been that interested because the setting turns me off. I can understand the WH40K from when it first came out as being a parody and a spin-off of Games Workshop's Classic Traveller stuff, but it just takes itself too seriously with its "darker than grimdark" vibe nowadays.

Iron_Rain · April 10, 2015, 08:20:09 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;825061There's nothing particularly wrong about the system mechanics themselves, but I hated how they divided the setting into several partial-games.

While I like Rogue Trader - I agree with you, because if you don't play the other games, you don't get as strong of a background in the other areas of the game. So I'm very knowledgeable about FFG's interpretation of Rogue Traders, I know comparatively little about Inquisitors, Space Marines, Chaos and the Imperial Guard.

Simlasa · April 10, 2015, 08:47:47 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;825061There's nothing particularly wrong about the system mechanics themselves, but I hated how they divided the setting into several partial-games.

Totally. I'd much rather have had a single game covering the setting as a whole, allowing play as civilians, merchants, aliens... whatever... followed by a dumpster load of supplements that we could pick and choose from depending on our interests.
As it is I'm pretty sure Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader are the only two I'd ever be interested in... I don't see the fun in playing Imperial Guard (die by the thousands) or Space Marines (chemo-lobotomized zealots). The chaos variant is just too dark/depressing/squicky if played to the fiction.
I'd probably jump on an Eldar or Tau expansion if they ever made one.

Marleycat · April 11, 2015, 12:11:55 AM

Quote from: Spinachcat;824369I enjoyed Dark Heresy 1e, but I'd rather a faster playing version.

I haven't played Rogue Trader or Black Crusade, but I've demo'd Death Watch which was fun, but I'm unsure if I'd run it. I also demo'd Only War (the IG game) and that was an incredible letdown for me. But I ran Imperial Guard campaigns using Traveller 20 years ago, so I admit that I am probably biased.

2e is better because it's more flexible. The thing about 40k games is that the DM is supposed to be giving you all sorts of bonuses to your rolls depending on what you actually are doing. As a player you should be making it crystal clear you're aiming, taking cover, doing something funky if you're a psyker etc.

Basically you should be getting massive bonuses to every roll if you're actually using the environment like anyone actually does in real life. Problem is the game isn't clear on that and assumes everybody is or does use common sense as a matter of course.

Marleycat · April 11, 2015, 12:22:48 AM

Quote from: Simlasa;825227I'd probably jump on an Eldar or Tau expansion if they ever made one.

Sadly that will never happen because Games Workshop won't ever allow it. It was a miracle that they finally let FF write up the Sisters of Battle. They know the Eldar and Tau are their cash cow for what they care about (minatures and table top skirmish games).

Simlasa · April 11, 2015, 03:22:04 AM

Quote from: Marleycat;825255Sadly that will never happen because Games Workshop won't ever allow it.

I know... I think it's dumb and of course there's probably unofficial rules online for them if I took a moment to look. If I ever run another 40K game they will be a playable option along with Kroot and Squats and maybe even Orks.

Michael Gray · April 12, 2015, 07:26:15 PM

I like Black Crusade the best, it's pretty easy to reskin to do something other than Chaos. And it's probably the best iteration of the rules (barring, maybe, Dark Heresy 2E which I haven't looked at).

About the only thing it won't do out of the box is ship to ship combat. The Rogue Trader ship combat rules are...OK. But just OK. It's probably better to treat it more like Age of Sail combat. A smaller ship is probably fucked unless it can come up with a big advantage or is part of a larger fleet.

crkrueger · April 12, 2015, 11:51:52 PM

Quote from: Simlasa;825271I know... I think it's dumb and of course there's probably unofficial rules online for them if I took a moment to look. If I ever run another 40K game they will be a playable option along with Kroot and Squats and maybe even Orks.

If you look in the various supplements (mainly Deathwatch and Rogue Trader lines) you'll see lots of examples of Tau, Eldar, Dark Eldar, Tyranids and Necrons, enough that you should be able to piece together something. Rogue Trader has Kroot and Orc PCs.

Simlasa · April 13, 2015, 01:10:35 AM

Quote from: Michael Gray;825548I like Black Crusade the best, it's pretty easy to reskin to do something other than Chaos. And it's probably the best iteration of the rules (barring, maybe, Dark Heresy 2E which I haven't looked at).

Why is that? I haven't looked at it. I played a lot of Chaos in the wargames but I figured it would be ULTRA-BLEAK to roleplay an insane mutant cultist. What do you picture reskinning it as?

QuoteAbout the only thing it won't do out of the box is ship to ship combat. The Rogue Trader ship combat rules are...OK. But just OK. It's probably better to treat it more like Age of Sail combat.

I'd be tempted to run a game of Battlefleet Gothic for that... not that that would be such a good idea as far as Players and their PCs are concerned.

Quote from: CRKrueger;825593If you look in the various supplements (mainly Deathwatch and Rogue Trader lines) you'll see lots of examples of Tau, Eldar, Dark Eldar, Tyranids and Necrons, enough that you should be able to piece together something. Rogue Trader has Kroot and Orc PCs.

Yeah, I don't think it would be all that hard... especially since neither I or anyone I'm likely to play it with would care that much about 'canon'.

Snowman0147 · April 13, 2015, 01:36:41 AM

Rogue Trader also added tau and dark eldar pcs as well. Also more orks. You get to be a weird boy, a wych, fire warrior, and archron (i think those dark eldar soldiers are called).

Simlasa · April 13, 2015, 01:42:18 AM

Quote from: Snowman0147;825607Rogue Trader also added tau and dark eldar pcs as well.

I wonder why Dark Eldar and not... nice-ish Eldar... or Eldar pirates. Dark Eldar are pretty much dicks beyond redemption.