Barf Forth Apocalyptica

the swamp provides => The Regiment => Topic started by: AlHazred on May 12, 2013, 10:59:03 AM

Title: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 12, 2013, 10:59:03 AM
So, my local hobby shop runs an event once a year called 40 Hours of 40K, which is a 40-hour marathon of Warhammer 40K (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000) themed events. They try to change it up so that it's not just miniatures wargaming - they have auctions, prize competitions, trivia, and a couple of RPG sessions.

I ran one of the latter last year, using FFG's Deathwatch game. The adventure was fine, but since I'm running an event halfway through a marathon, none of the players have the mental acuity necessary to play the complicated rules system; it's complex enough some people have trouble comprehending all the fiddly bits when wide awake.

So, I think The Regiment can be reskinned/hacked to do this quite well, and the system is simple enough that I think they players will be able to actually have fun.

Space Marines in the setting are genetically-modified supermen, religious zealots waging a war against the Enemies of Mankind. Each Chapter has it's own line of genetic material which it uses when a new Space Marine is chosen and the regimen begins. They receive implanted artificlal organs to give them superpowers and hypnotraining to develop abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Each chapter also has its own unique religious doctrine.

I'm thinking the chapters could each give the Marine one move, then they could select two moves from their playbook. I need to sit down with the rulebook and see what moves are appropriate for each type of Space Marine. "Grit" would be reskinned as "Faith." Smokes I'd get rid of entirely, since they're pretty monastic.

I haven't had a lot of time to play around with it yet, but I think it looks promising. Any thoughts?
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 12, 2013, 10:59:22 AM
Chapters

Black Templars: zealots who have carried out a 10,000 year religious crusade against the Enemies of Man.
Chapter Move: righteous zeal - 1-Faith
Playbooks: -Devastator, -Librarian
Organs: -sus-an membrane (allows suspended animation), -Betcher's gland (lets them spit acid)

Blood Angels: celebrated warriors suffering under the Red Thirst - battle-madness.
Chapter Move: blood frenzy - flight stress boxes are instead fight stress boxes.
Playbooks: all
Organs: all

Dark Angels: mysterious and proud warriors whose Chapter hides a dark secret.
Chapter Move: stoic defense - when you're holding your ground, you get 1-tough until you leave your position.
Playbooks: all
Organs: all

Space Wolves: fierce Viking-style Marines who seek glorious death in combat.
Chapter Move: wolf senses - when you assess the situation, take +1 forward. If you attempt a dangerous combat action using TACTICS, on a hit you also get +intel. (Maybe one or the other?)
Playbooks: -apothecary
Organs: all

Storm Wardens: clannish Highland Scots-style Marines from an isolated world.
Chapter Move: thunder's call - when you designate a single enemy and call them out to duel, you inflict +1d damage on them; if they attack anybody but you, they inflict -1d damage.
Playbooks: all
Organs: all

Ultramarines: virtuous exemplars of the Space Marine code.
Chapter Move: favored son - when the kill-team leader rolls to lead a new engagement, he takes +1 if you are in his kill-team.
Playbooks: all
Organs: all
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 12, 2013, 11:03:41 AM
Playbooks

I'm thinking I can save time by reskinning playbooks from Colonial Marines:

Apothecary: healer. Reskin: Medic
Assault Marine: close-combat specialist. Reskin: schlaghund's Trooper (http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=6322.msg26736#msg26736)
Devastator Marine: heavy-weapons specialist. Reskin: schlaghund's Gunner (http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=6322.msg26736#msg26736).
Librarian: psychic marine. Steal moves from the AW Brainer?
Tactical Marine: general-purpose marine. Reskin: Sergeant
Techmarine: augmented marine with cyberware. Steal things from the Synthetic and the AW Synthetic?
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 12, 2013, 02:58:17 PM
General

I will reskin "Grit" as "Faith: Zeal. Reduces stress taken from an attack, 1-for-1."

WEAPONS

Bolt Pistol (2d tight/close)

Bolter Reskin: Pulse Rifle

Hand Flamer (2d tight burn)

Flamer (3d tight/close messy autofire burn terror)

HEAVY WEAPONS

Heavy Bolter (4d near/far autofire suppress)

Missile Launcher Reskin: Rocket Launcher
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: Grunto on May 12, 2013, 11:13:50 PM
Dammit, you beat me to doing this. :P

This looks good. I always thought the gang combat system would translate well to the Horde-fighting mechanics from Deathwatch.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 13, 2013, 12:13:52 AM
Yeah, it was thoughts along those lines (and the need for something simpler for the exhausted "Midnight Madness" gamers) that led me to the idea of the reskin. I don't have time (2 weeks) to do an actual hack, but a reskin should be doable.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 14, 2013, 04:07:22 AM
General

I will reskin "Grit" as "Faith: Zeal. Reduces stress taken from an attack, 1-for-1."

WEAPONS

Bolt Pistol (2d tight/close)

Bolter Reskin: Pulse Rifle

Hand Flamer (2d tight burn)

Flamer (3d tight/close messy autofire burn terror)

HEAVY WEAPONS

Heavy Bolter (4d near/far autofire suppress)

Missile Launcher Reskin: Rocket Launcher

As a great fan of Dark Heresy I would love some downward size compatibility and would give astartes weapons higher stats, countered by massive armour and toughness, so that you can fit in lasguns, autoguns, ork & eldar weapons, special ammunition, etc. as well.

I would also suggest a change in armour piercing: Some weapons reduce armour by different degrees (bolter vs. hellgun), others ignore it completely (plasma-gun and melta). n-ap: reduce target's armour by n-much.

Representing a Space Marine's might could easily be done by treating him like a group, as the not to be f*cked with move from the AW Gunlugger. This way, he automatically deals more damage/suffers less damage when fighting smaller (human size) targets, but when fighting something of his size – like a traitor marine – weapon and armour stats are of the same level.

Oh boy, I have so many ideas…

BTW: There is already someone doing a Rogue Trader hack: http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?board=21.0 .
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 14, 2013, 07:45:49 AM
My suggestion for creating weapons:

All weapons have a base size (handgun, rifle, heavy), that define default tags. The type then adds/removes additional tags.

Size
Handguns 2d tight
Rifle 3d close/near


Type
Las +reliable +infinite (+quick for handguns)
Auto +spray (+quick for handguns)
Bolt +1d +1ap +spray
Hell +2ap +spray
Plasma  +2d +3ap +reload +overheat
Melta +3d +4ap -range


Examples
So a laspistol would have 2d tight reliable infinite quick
and a boltgun 4d close/near 1–ap spray.


Summary
Some concepts (reliability, infinite/capacity) need clarification and some weapons would slightly deviate from this procedure but I think you can model almost any 40k weapon with this method, including loathsome xenos stuff.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 14, 2013, 09:37:33 AM
That's a fantastic idea! Wish I'd thought of it...
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 14, 2013, 10:22:18 AM
That's a fantastic idea! Wish I'd thought of it...

If you are interested in collaboration, drop me a note.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 14, 2013, 11:58:19 PM
-overheat
I could see a rule like this: "When using a weapon with this tag in an assault or attack move, if snake-eyes are rolled on the dice, the weapon overheats. The wielder takes 1d damage (ignoring Tough) and the weapon needs to cool down before it can be used again."

-reliable
This has to do with Jamming, yes? Since Jamming in The Regiment is more in the nature of a "bad outcome" of failing, I'm not sure I'd want to mess with that just using a weapon tag.

Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 15, 2013, 05:28:22 PM
-overheat
I could see a rule like this: "When using a weapon with this tag in an assault or attack move, if snake-eyes are rolled on the dice, the weapon overheats. The wielder takes 1d damage (ignoring Tough) and the weapon needs to cool down before it can be used again."

I was thinking about matched rolls as well, but I would say "any matched failure" triggers overheating.

-reliable
This has to do with Jamming, yes? Since Jamming in The Regiment is more in the nature of a "bad outcome" of failing, I'm not sure I'd want to mess with that just using a weapon tag.

Hm… I think you are right, reliability and jamming would be too detailed for this approach, especially if you need the game quickly.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 15, 2013, 05:49:09 PM
Rename Grit to Faith.

Know no Fear (universal move for all space marines)
You start game with 1–Faith. (Optional, the rules below are already making marines better, if you don't use 1-Faith at default, you do not have to change the Black Templars Chapter bonus).
Stress is tracked like in Colonial Marines, six boxes in pairs of two, each pair with an own effect associated (fight, flight, shock), for unaugmented humans (and comparable individuals)!
For space marines: There are six boxes, without any grouping, and no effects attached to them. They still suffer stress (minus Faith), but only once all boxes are crossed they go stress-critical without any effects in between. (This contradicts the Blood Angels' Chapter bonus; change that bonus to: "When you are at 3+ stress, gain +1ongoing to all assault rolls")

Genehanced Post-Human (universal move for all space marines)
When compared to average human physical conditions, a single marine counts as a small group. When fighting human-size targets, you suffer 1 less damage die and deal one additional damage die, regardless of weapon used.

Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 15, 2013, 05:51:59 PM
Whirlwind of Death (Assault Marine Move)
When you assault the enemy and are armed with a sidearm and melee weapon (usually a bolt pistol and a chainsword), your weapons gain the area tag.

Assault Weapon (Tactical Marine Move)
You may replace your bolt gun with an assault weapon of your choice. Options are: Plasma gun, melta gun, flamer, storm bolter (add others as needed, but no heavy weapons).

Targeter Implants (Tactical Marine Move)
Extend the range of your bolter (or other ranged weapon) by one increment (e.g. close/near becomes close/far).
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 15, 2013, 07:24:05 PM
Playbooks

I'm thinking I can save time by reskinning playbooks from Colonial Marines:

Apothecary: healer. Reskin: Medic
Assault Marine: close-combat specialist. Reskin: schlaghund's Trooper (http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=6322.msg26736#msg26736)
Devastator Marine: heavy-weapons specialist. Reskin: schlaghund's Gunner (http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=6322.msg26736#msg26736).
Librarian: psychic marine. Steal moves from the AW Brainer?
Tactical Marine: general-purpose marine. Reskin: Sergeant
Techmarine: augmented marine with cyberware. Steal things from the Synthetic and the AW Synthetic?

Hm… I'd rather use the trooper for Tactical Marine, keep the sergeant as sergeant and completely make up the assault marine.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 15, 2013, 07:32:10 PM
Psychic Powers and Librarians

Rename GUTS to NERVE (this was used in the Inquisitor game).
To keep it simple, use NERVE for psychic rolls or replace LUCKY with WARP and use this instead (roll tactics for scrounging then?).

Whenever psychic powers are used and you roll a match, cross one stress and a psychic phenomenon occurs (random table like in GHOST LINES? Steal EVEREYWHERE ;-) ).
Add one optional Librarian move that allows you to ignore or reduce or re-roll the psychic phenomenon.
Add one optional Librarian move that allows you to ignore or reduce (slash instead of cross) the stress received.

Shamelessly steal the Visions of Death move from the AW Battlebabe.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 16, 2013, 11:12:55 AM
I was thinking about matched rolls as well, but I would say "any matched failure" triggers overheating.
I thought about the odds on the drive home from work yesterday and came to the same conclusion. This gives the right odds.

-reliable
This has to do with Jamming, yes? Since Jamming in The Regiment is more in the nature of a "bad outcome" of failing, I'm not sure I'd want to mess with that just using a weapon tag.
Hm… I think you are right, reliability and jamming would be too detailed for this approach, especially if you need the game quickly.
[/quote]I see this as a specific "spend 1-gear or don't use the weapon" exchange on a miss. I guess the reliable tag could eliminate that particular option for the GM, but that's not really a narrative thing.

Thinking about it in narrative terms, when the hero's gun jams in the movies, it's always at a dramatically appropriate moment. If he's firing a laser rifle, then instead of jamming it typically overheats in the sci-fi movies. They are basically just alternates in plotting the action scenes.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 20, 2013, 01:06:15 PM
Psychic Powers and Librarians
Whenever psychic powers are used and you roll a match, cross one stress and a psychic phenomenon occurs (random table like in GHOST LINES? Steal EVEREYWHERE ;-) ).
Shamelessly steal the Visions of Death move from the AW Battlebabe.
“Picasso had a saying - 'good artists copy, great artists steal' - and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.” - Apple co-founder Steve Jobs

The Battlebabe visions of death move can be reskinned as the Augury psychic ability. Similarly, the Brainer deep brain scan move can be reskinned as the psychic Reading power with only a minor change in questions the Librarian can ask. Similarly:

Telepathy: When you assess the situation, roll+WARP instead of roll+TACTICS. You don’t have to interact with anyone to do the assessment.

Inspire: When your kill-team assaults the enemy, you can roll+WARP. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. At any time during the engagement, you can spend hold 1-for-1 to:
o give another marine +1forward when they try to keep it together
o give another marine +1forward when they attempt a dangerous combat maneuver
o heal 1 stress-critical box

It looks to me like the Iron Arm ability should be maybe (2d tight quick) and maybe give 1-Tough, the Smite ability is basically something like (3d near ap terror - maybe have a psychic tag instead of ap), and the Avenger ability is probably something like (3d close burn [area OR messy] indirect).

Add one optional Librarian move that allows you to ignore or reduce or re-roll the psychic phenomenon.
I could see a move that allows the reroll at a cost: maybe -1ongoing or 1-stress or something.
Add one optional Librarian move that allows you to ignore or reduce (slash instead of cross) the stress received.
That's a good basic Librarian move. You can call it sanctioned psyker, which is more or less how that works.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 20, 2013, 02:49:52 PM
APOTHECARY

Stats: NERVE+2, +1 in another Stat.

Moves: Choose two more

    x Genehanced Posthuman: In combat, you count as a small group. Deal +1d and suffer -1d when fighting human-sized targets. You have twice the number of wound boxes.
    x Know No Fear: You suffer no stress effect and are considered stress critical only when all stress boxes are crossed.
    x Medicae: When you attend to a casualty (in the heat of battle: mark xp), roll+NERVE. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one:
        : You stabilize a critical soldier. They don’t die or get worse.
        : You get them back in the fight, and take +1d to treat their harm if you choose that option (below).
        : You treat their harm. You do “damage” in reverse. Roll a number of dice equal to your nerve+1 and index the VOF table (incidental fire). They recover stress or wounds according to the results. Spend gear 1-for-1 to re-roll or improve your VOF.
    o Battlefield grace: When you’re attending to wounded in the heat of battle you and your patient get 1-tough.
    o Angel of Mercy: When you perform a combat action to save lives, roll+NERVE.
    o Xenotoxin: Before an engagement, the marine can use a sample of the enemy to create a toxin for his unit. Spend 1-gear to give the squad’s weapons +1-ap for their first assault or attack, but only for the type of enemy sampled (Tau, Tyrannid, etc.)
    o In their time of need: When you provide comfort to a casualty, they heal 1-stress and increase their bond with you by 1. You may increase or decrease your bond with them by 1.
    o Nerves of steel: You get +1 nerve (max +3)
    o Apothecarion: When you tend to your marines’ health between sessions or during downtime away from danger, they get the recuperate choice on the downtime move, for free. In addition, you can spend 1-gear to give a marine (including yourself) +1 choice.

Loadout should be similar to the regular trooper, with the addition of the narthecium (the apothecary's medi-kit).
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 21, 2013, 08:10:38 AM
TECHMARINE

o Servo-arm mechanical third arm (5d tight AP).
o Gun Blessing: the Techmarine can roll+TACTICS. On a 10+, he clears all jammed and overheated weapons held by his allies within close range. On a 7-9, he clears them for everyone in close range. On a miss, he suffers 1-stress.
o Mechadendrites: increase the range of all held weapons from tight to tight/close. Also function as a weapon (3d close AP).
o Servitor Drone: you have a nearly-mindless menial cybernetic slave.
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: schlaghund on May 21, 2013, 09:56:47 AM
TECHMARINE

o Servo-arm mechanical third arm (5d tight AP).
o Gun Blessing: the Techmarine can roll+TACTICS. On a 10+, he clears all jammed and overheated weapons held by his allies within close range. On a 7-9, he clears them for everyone in close range. On a miss, he suffers 1-stress.
o Mechadendrites: increase the range of all held weapons from tight to tight/close. Also function as a weapon (3d close AP).
o Servitor Drone: you have a nearly-mindless menial cybernetic slave.


I like those, I will add them as they are! *edit* with minor adjustments ;-)
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: AlHazred on May 21, 2014, 01:32:39 PM
It's that time of year again. This Saturday, I will be running a game for 40 Hours of 40K at my FLGS. Since schlaghund was kind enough to include the Imperial Guard with the last batch of playbooks I got (version 1.5, it looks like), I'm all set to run an ork massacre scenario with a bunch of Last Chancers.

I took the opportunity to look the playbooks over earlier this week, and I still think they look fantastic! Schlaghund, you outdid yourself!
Title: Re: The Regiment // Space Marines
Post by: nisshan on September 21, 2014, 01:25:14 PM
Are those playbooks available somewhere? Sounds cool. I've wanted to run some 40k but was intimedatid by the rulebooks.