Dark Heresy RPG on SD.net?

[Hotfoot]

What's the game scenario going to be like? It's not going to be something "epic" is it?

The basic scenario is that the party is a group of Acolytes who show promise. If they prove themselves, they are assigned more difficult tasks, and so on. If they don't, well, usually they end up dead.

[Imperial Overlord]

Generally available 7-11pm Pacific Standard Time.

A sanctioning brand is the Adepta Astra Telepathicus (Looks like a pillar with an eye in the middle) symbol being branded somewhere on your body (arms and foreheads are popular) as a mark that you are a trained and sanctioned psyker

[Losonti Tokash]

So what's the current party makeup?

[Block]

2 assassins, 2 psykers, a priest and a couple of guardsmen I think.

[Hawkwings]

Well, reporting in to this thread so far are two guardsmen, two assassins, a psyker, a priest, and an adept.

[Utsanomiko]

PROTIP - when I said 'I imagine an SDN game would be far too 40k for me', that DOESN'T mean I think the game only supports generic 40k silliness and suggests that I would much rather play a 'less 40k' game of Dark Heresy. Many of the lapsed 40k players I know are intersted in Dark Heresy specifically because you can play it in non-Bugs Bunny ways.

Stark, have my mutant babies.

I picked up my copy maybe over a week ago, and was hoping to read up on it a bit more and run a series of fairly brisk adventures with DPDP and the Spankster. My campaign idea so far has revolved around an order of the Inquisition focused on retrieving Imperial relics and artifacts, setting up adventures focused more about thinking around a conflict than storming through it. More investigation and infiltration than dungeon crawl.

'Name of The Rose' keeps coming to mind when I think about it, but with guns and if Aristotle wrote a lot about lost starships.


So anyway, the other thing I wanted to do besides get back in shape of GMing was test some changes of pace to my old play-by-post methods. Quite frankly, as much as I like the advantages of the format, I think most games abuse them way too much by posting far too infrequently and inconsistently, and subsequently posting too much excess characterization. If even one player is to take as few as one action every 5-6 hours, the game effectively slows down and the turns can only start after these points in time, thus everyone eventually stops checking back on the game except when they're around for these time frames; invariably everyone's only all together for one of these and so the game moves by one turn per day. I'd rather schedule a specific time frame 1-3 days in a given week that all players can be around to check the game and post every few minutes for a couple hours. Enough time between actions to proof-read and be a little verbose.

And I do mean a 'little' verbose. the other problem is when someone finally does post and it's five paragraphs of internal monologue and 'my parents were both killed...'/'I learned to grow up fast' flashbacks. So you skim over it trying to figure out what they're really doing and whether they're inventing their own NPCs to converse with, and I for one usually get bored with it and don't feel the urge to come back however many times a day to see what's updated. I certainly like to write a lot myself )as evident here), but saving that stuff for an OOC thread would, ironically, be the better place. Again, since I like to push PBP to a fairly quick pace, I've been keeping in mind these days that it's preferable to write with the fact everyone else has to read it in an expected frame of time and interest.

The reason I'd still like to try play-by-post and not messenger services/virtual tabletop is because I feel it loses too much opportunity to devise & proof-read responses, resorting to constant streams of mashing out 'no iys not yuor turn yet' or 'thas not what i maent' into the keyboard. It still doesn't solve the shortcomings of not playing in-person either. That and I loathe OpenRPG and refuse to ever touch it again.

Ventrillo certainly sounds like a good option, though my GMing skills are far too rusty for me to confidently run even my old favorite RPGs without defaulting to the books at a meandering pace. Let alone learning Dark Heresy's new system.

So yeah Stark, if you're around when it's noon-ish to 5 or 6 on your continent, you're free to tag along once I've read Chapter VII thoroughly.

[DPDarkPrimus]

What's the game scenario going to be like? It's not going to be something "epic" is it?

The basic scenario is that the party is a group of Acolytes who show promise. If they prove themselves, they are assigned more difficult tasks, and so on. If they don't, well, usually they end up dead.

Awesome. I'll roll up a character.

[Feil]

No longer in use

Well, because I feel like it, this is the bits about my character that other people would know without me telling them in game.

Character: Yelizaveta (Liza) Svalte
Home World: Sensenmann Hive
Career Path: Assassin (Sell-Steel)
Divination: Sins hidden in the heart turn all to decay.
Quirk: pollution scars
Gender: female
Build: svelte
Height: 165 cm
Mass: 61kg
Skin: fair
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Age: 25

Face: Russian facial structure.
Body: Svelte - build of an acrobat or dancer. Breasts are bound tight with a long piece of cloth.

Distinguishing features:
Chemical scars from airborne ash activated in acid rain streak my face, shoulders, arms, ankles, and feet. They have faded to very pale pink with age.
I am missing part of my left ear.

Clothing: sturdy work pants over reinforced boots (AP1 legs), and a reinforced knee-length coat (AP1 arms, body) over a black bodyglove. A threadbare cloak lives in one of the coat's outside pockets. Inside the coat but outside everything else is an ammunition harness, a gunbelt, and a swordbelt.

Weapons and Gear:
Autogun & 1 clip
Laspistol (compact) & 1 clip
Sword (mono)
Knife
Filtration plugs
3 doses of Stim
"Gang Leathers" AP1 Primative Arms Body Legs [represented by clothing above]

Other Stuff
Spent shell casing. Fencing foil safety cap. Stub of pencil. Bandage. A few feet of twine. 8 Matches bundled in wax paper.

Cash
38 Thrones

[Block]

Character: Verum Romuwald
Career Path: Assassin (Sell-Steel)
Homeworld: Hredrin Primary (Hive World)
Height: 1.8m
Weight 65 kg
Build: Lanky
Divination: The Pain of the Bullet is ecstay compared to damnation.
Age: 22

Verum is facially rather unremarkable, thin without being skinny, his most distinguishing feature being his hair, which he brightly colors and styles in an odd spiked look. He is well kempt at all times, wears a perpetual grin and has very piercing eyes which help him command attention. His body is long and lean, and he moves with a catlike grace.

Clothing:
He wears a light flak jacket at all times, festooned with patches from the different worlds he's visited on business for his family. Underneath he wears a dark form fitting body suit, designed for flexibility and durability. Strapped to his back he wears a sword, the handle well worn with use and slung across the other should he carries a shotgun.

That's what you'd get (other than homeworld and class) just from casual inspection.

[Hotfoot]

Just as a note, we are reaching capacity for what I'm comfortable running. I haven't triple checked, but we are entering into double digits at this point.

[KlavoHunter]

Would someone with the rulebooks set up a "Scum" type character for me? I'm not picky.

[Block]

Would someone with the rulebooks set up a "Scum" type character for me? I'm not picky.

I'd suggest sending Hotfoot a pm.

[Hotfoot]

Would someone with the rulebooks set up a "Scum" type character for me? I'm not picky.

I'd suggest sending Hotfoot a pm.

With answers to the questions I posted earlier. And AIM discussions.

[Raj Ahten]

Well, I might as well post my character details too.

Character Name: Lazarus Wolfe
Homeworld: Grove's Fall, a mining planet.
Career Path: Guardsman
Height: 1.75m
Weight: 65kg
Age: 23

Lazarus is a rather thin man who always seems to be somewhat unhappy. His dark eyes only add to his serious expression. His black hair is kept at the short length common to many soldiers. Lazarus normaly moves in an almost slow, deliberate sort of way, with his eyes surveying the surroundings.

He is dressed in a standard issue Guard uniform of woodland camouflage fatigues and flak armor. His equipment looks almost new, and is well cared for.

[DPDarkPrimus]

So here's my character:

Character: 'Bent' Xerxes
Career Path: Guardsman (Trooper)
Homeworld: Bront (Agri-World)
Height: 1.85m
Weight 85 kg
Build: Muscular
Divination: "There is no substitution for zeal."
Quirk: Slouched gait
Skin color: Tan
Hair color: Red (dyed)
Eye color: Grey
Age: 40

Xerxes is a fighter, that's obvious just from looking at his large frame. He gets his nickname from how he runs strangely hunched over, a habit he picked up from years of dodging gunfire on the battlefield. He does not have any distinctive scars on his face, but it is covered in lines that make him look older than he really is. A couple grey streaks are visible in his dyed hair, his only concession to personal vanity.

Clothing:
His Guardsman armor is kept clean but is covered with scratches and dings. His lasgun and pistol are affixed and maintained as per regulations and he makes sure that his knife and field axe are regularly honed. His shotgun is slung not to regulation but to better allow for quick access. His uniform underneath is a dull forest green, and entirely unremarkable.

[Vehrec]

Serghar Gelt
Career path: Arbitrator (Trooper)
Homeworld: Scintilla, Sibellus hive
Build: Scrawny
Height 1.71 meters
Weight: 56kg
Skin: near-albino
Hair: Gray
Eyes: Brown
Age: 38
Divination: "The wise man learns from the deaths of others."

Clothing: Standard light uniform of Adeptus Arbites, with slight modification and a few stains from unidentifiable compounds. Carries trunchon on belt, brass knuckles in pocket, knife up a sleeve. Shotgun is carried in hands when its needed. Helmet and vest are both Guard surplus armor, and bear the faded markings of an ill-fated unit that was wiped out almost to a man some years ago.

[RIPP_n_WIPE]

The (as yet) completed sheet of Octavius Draconicus Deuterus IX

http://www.mediafire.com/?2mxmwc9b5bc

Yes all ye feel the wrath of the editable pdf!

[Academia Nut]

Okay, here's the guy I whipped up.

Name: Quintos Havelock
Career: Guardsman (Conscript)
Homeworld: Drusus Shrine World (Sentinel)
Build: Slender
Height: 178cm
Weight: 67kg
Skin: Dark, and further tanned by intense exposure to the sun
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green, but hidden behind silver-grey lenses
Quirk: Facial scars, appear to be pox marks but are actually from exposure to a sandstorm
Age: 26
Divination: The only true fear is of dying with your duty not done

Gear: All of Quintos' gear is old but lovingly maintained, inherited from his father who was also a Guardsman and who mustered out with much of his gear. In particular though, his armour appears to have been extensively modified to fit him despite clearly having been originally meant for a much larger person, a procedure that probably would have been cheaper to simply buy or requisition a new set of armour. Quintos however could not bear to part with the armour of his father so he insisted on paying for the alterations anyway. The cost however required him to sell some of his more expensive pieces of gear, most notably the photo-contacts and filtration plugs that are quite ubiquitous to the sun and sand blasted world where he grew up. His eyes used to the feel of the contacts, he makes do with cheaper, cosmetic contacts, and when polite he often covers his face to try and muffle some of the smells that he still has yet to get used to after living the majority of his life breathing filtered air.

His lasgun was originally just a standard issue Mars pattern, but it has since been decorated with intricate scrimshaw insets depicting various devotions to the Emperor, made of the bones of the pilgrims that come to Sentinel to die in droves, and Quintos takes care of its spirit with the care and attention one might expect towards a bolter. Typically mounted on the end is a mono-edged bayonent, another item inherited from his father, the blade requiring little attention to stay sharp, but always kept immaculately clean like the rest of Quintos' gear. While recieving no less attention, the old hunting shotgun that rides on his back next to his lasgun has not the same sentimental value to Quintos, although he has etched a few devotions into its synth-wood stock. At his right side rides a las pistol, the newest addition to his arsenal, while on his left is the place for his sword, an item originally brought to Sentinel by a forgotten pilgrim and left in the armoury until gifted to Quintos by the priests of that world before he set off. While not an accomplished fighter with the blade, Quintos could not deny such a gesture. Finally there is an old, well used utility knife strapped to his left leg, the blade having found more use in cracking open a stubborn ration tin or whittling than actual combat.

Whether in uniform or armour, Quintos carries a dog earred, well thumbed copy of the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer above his heart, believing it a lucky charm.

(Or for those of you who don't want to wade through my descriptive diahrea)

Sword
Las pistol
1 las pistol charge pack
Lasgun
1 las gun charge pack
Shotgun
12 shells
Knife
Guard flak armour
Uniform
1 week corpse starch rations
Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer
Melee Attachment + Mono
8 Throne Geld

[SylasGaunt]

And another thing, all players with finished or near-finished sheets, PLEASE post here the following things:

1. If you would prefer play by post or virtual tabletop.

I have no problem with either. Never done virtual tabletop but I'm willing to give it a go.

2. Regardless of your choice, list your availability for virtual tabletop. I am usually available from 4PM Eastern Time on M-Th. My weekends are usually booked, so that's out for any sort of regular game.

Usually anytime after 5 monday and tuesday and from 3 or 4 on Wednesday and thursday.

Character: Brother Havelock
Career Path: Cleric
Homeworld: Scintilla
Height: 1.75m
Weight: 65 kg
Build: Wiry
Divination: "Only in death does duty end"
Age: 32

Clothing: Ecclesiarchy Robes (Mesh vest hidden underneath), Jacket in Gang Colors

Weapons: Hammer, Autopistol, throwing knives
Misc: Phial of Dust (claims to be the ashes of a fellow holy man), Engraved skull (charm).

Face: A face wrinkled with laugh lines, and prematurely wrinkled by exposure to who knows what in his home underhive. His prematurely greying hair is kept cut short, his violet eyes hinting at cadian somewhere in his family ancestry. The most eye-drawing feature on his face is his Electoo, an imperial aquila done in scintillating electric blue around his right eye.

Personality: Jovial, dedicated, loyal. Not above doing the Emperor's work with an autopistol though.

[Vehrec]

Ah, snap I forgot. I think that either would work well, but I'm unsure if we can gather everyone in one place for a game. I'm typically available every mon-fri from 6PM-12AM EST for gaming.

[DPDarkPrimus]

(Or for those of you who don't want to wade through my descriptive diahrea)

Sword
Las pistol
1 las pistol charge pack
Lasgun
1 las gun charge pack
Shotgun
12 shells
Knife
Guard flak armour
Uniform
1 week corpse starch rations
Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer
Melee Attachment + Mono
8 Throne Geld

Man how much gold did you roll to afford all that extra stuff?

[Feil]

Man how much gold did you roll to afford all that extra stuff?

The only thing on that list that doesn't come standard with the Guardsman career is the mono bayonet (25+40 = 65 Thrones). Guardsman starting wealth is 70+1d10, so he rolled a 3.

[Hotfoot]

Ahem:

Sword OR Axe OR Hammer
Flintlock Pistol and 12 shots OR Laspistol and one charge pack
Lasgun and one charge pack
Bow and 10 arrows OR musket and 12 shots OR Shotgun and 12 shells
Knife
Guard Flak Armor
Uniform OR stealth gear OR street clothes
1 week corpse starch rations
Mecenary licence OR explosive collar OR Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer.

[Academia Nut]

Guardsmen get a shitpile of stuff, as you can see. It was actually a bit of work to figure out how he got all of that consider my backstory has most of his gear being hand-me downs from his father.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Wait, you get a lasrifle AND a choice of one of those other weapons?

*re-reads book carefully*

I... I guess I do?

Well I'd better add that on, then.

Yeah, it's not written very clearly, so I thought I only got a choice of one of the basic weapon training and one of the basic weapon type.