Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)

[Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)]

What a great job. I'd like to use it. Is there a source file to easily modify the text block? (I need to translate the cards in French for my players)

 

Unfortunately the way they were created was in a normal text file and then copy/pasted into Magic Set Editor, so the easiest way would be mimicing that :-\ If you want I can send you the MSE file itself, though. Sorry I don't have a more helpful answer.

 

These are amazing, I'm currently making a desk to use in a roll20 campaign

 

Thanks! Let me know how the deck editing in roll20 goes, it's something I've been meaning to experiment with for a while.

 

Another possible way to earn the cards is allowing the players to spend their Triumphs\advantages to buy them.  This could be another way for the players to earn these cards.  It might cause issues if you have a high level group that get a lot of Triumphs.  

 

That's not a bad idea. Definitely depends on how many you want floating about, and your group's playstyle. Definitely appreciate hearing options I hadn't considered before though :-)

[Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)]

These look pretty cool.  Any further word on an update?

 

Thank you! And unfortunately I'm currently in the middle of finals period, which is why my free time got significantly ruined. However, it looks like my regular session tomorrow might be cancelled, so I might just put the time I would otherwise spend for the session into finally fixing the cards like I meant to. Thank you for asking, I've been meaning to and people prodding me helps :-P

 

I appreciate the work that went into making these.  The quotes, the pictures, the in game effect, all go together very well.  My players laugh and have fun just reading their cards.

 

Bravo good sir.

 

Thanks very much!

 

Wow, amazing idea! I also keep my players on the same level xp-wise and was recentlyt hinking about a way for small rewards... And here we are! Here you are! 

I hate to be THAT guy, but do you have these in a form of a nice table? I don't have a  way to print all of them and also we're trying to limit the number of papers on the table (after WFRP 3ed...). If you don't It's okay I'll try to re-write the texts...

Anyway - once again - thanks!

 

Hey, no worries! I still have the text I had when I was brainstorming the cards initially. There may be some minor discrepancies between these and the final cards, but since I was using this document to spellcheck and then copy/paste onto the cards, it should be very close to the final set.

 

 01-10

 

1. 1. I Know A Guy: Reduce the Rarity of an item you wish to purchase by one
2. 2. Use The Force: Spend <AD><AD><AD> from a Perception check to gain a brief flash of knowledge into the situation or person, even if you are not Force Sensitive
3. 3. Uproot: Spend <AD><AD> to make your attack knock all targets who suffer Damage (after Soak) Prone.
4. 4. Distract: The next time you make an attack against an enemy, regardless of whether the attack hits or deals Damage, that enemy turns to focus on you (and you alone!) for the next 1d5 Rounds.
5. 5. Scramble for Answers: Draw two Destiny Cards, then discard one. If you are currently suffering from a Critical Effect, draw three Destiny Force Cards, then discard two, instead.
6. 6. Tactical Retrograde Advance: You and your allies roll Initiative against your opponents. If the highest Initiative score in your party is higher than the highest of your opponents, you escape the encounter (GM's discretion).
7. 7. I Found A Clue!: Spend <AD><AD<AD> to find a clue as to the whereabouts of a person or thing you are seeking
8. 8. …Scoundrel. I like that: Spend <TH><TH> from a Presence test to improve your next interaction with a member of the Underworld or Fringe
9. 9. Would it help if I got out and pushed?: The next time you Assist on a Test, the character making the Test may roll twice and use the better result.
10. 10. Never Tell Me The Odds: The next time you roll a uncanceled <DR>, you count as having rolled a <TR> instead.

 

 

11-20

 

1. 1. I'm not afraid: You automatically pass the next Fear check you are called upon to make
2. 2. I have a bad feeling about this: The next time you would use Vigilance for an initiative test, you may use Cool instead, or vice versa. 
3. 3. Great shot, kid!: Take a double Aim maneuver as a incidental.
4. 4. Force Premonition: (Play while your character is sleeping): Your character has a dream of things to come, even if he is not Force Sensitive (GM's discretion).
5. 5. Fling Aside: Spend <TH> from an enemy dice pool to have an attack that would hit an ally within Short range band hit you instead. Additionally, spend <TH><TH><TH> to have it miss you instead.
6. 6. Stubborn Grit: You may ignore the effects of Critical Injuries under 100 until the end of the encounter [at which point you suffer them as normal].
7. 7. You'll find I'm full of surprises!: For the next non-combat skill test you are called upon to make, count your characteristic or skill rank as 1 higher than it would be normally
8. 8. Mission Briefing: (Play when concocting a simple plan) Allies gain <B> to all Tests related to the execution of the plan.
9. 9. Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?: Retroactively add <S> to a successful skill check to see through a Disguise or Deception 
10. 10. See, my friend! …Keep you eyes open, huh?: Introduce an NPC who is an old acquaintance of yours with training in a relevant Skill or access to a relevant resource. This NPC is generally disposed to help you, but perhaps not for free (GM's discretion).

 

 

21-30

 

1. 1. A wretched hive of scum and villainy: Create [or have the GM create] a location in the area where you can rest, do research, or get local information thanks to a contact at the establishment (GM's Discretion).
2. 2. Fear will keep the local systems in line: (Play after killing an enemy) All foes within line of sight must make a Fear Test against a difficulty of Fear 1 [Disturbing].
3. 3. He's as clumsy as he is stupid!: (Play during a chase sequence). Your opponent must make a Hard Pilot or Athletics test in order to succeed on the next move maneuver he wishes to make
4. 4. Hidden Depths: Choose another Player Character or an NPC. That character knows something of value about a topic or problem at hand.
5. 5. Vital Surge: Remove a number of levels of Strain equal to your Willpower or Brawn.
6. 6. Hero's Welcome: (Play upon coming to a new place) Your reputation precedes you. You gain <B><B> on all Presence tests at that location during this visit.
7. 7. Into the garbage chute, flyboy!: You stumble upon an NPC who can offer you rapid transport between two locations of your choice, though perhaps not comfortably
8. 8. Oh yeah? Watch this!… Watch what!?: Choose a piece of complex technology within the short range band. That machine immediately ceases to function until repaired (GM's discretion).
9. 9. You were unwise to lower your defenses: Spend <TH> from an enemy dice pool to move from Engaged to Short range as an incidental 
10. 10. Trust your instincts: Choose another character. The next time that character makes a Test, the result of the die roll counts as an uncancelled <TR>.

 

 

31-40

 

1. 1. No reward is worth this: (Use when negotiating payment after a job). Gain <B><B> on all tests to convince your employer to improve you pay after a job turns out more difficult than expected
2. 2. From a certain point of view: Something that was established as a fact turns out to be only partly true (GM's discretion)
3. 3. Your weapon… you will not need it: (Use after an NPC has drawn a weapon). Use to convince an armed NPC to put away his weapon for one more chance at peaceful negotiation
4. 4. Dramatic Wound: The next time you would suffer Critical Damage this encounter, prevent that Damage. Instead, you gain a scar, lose a substantial chunk of flesh, or are otherwise visibly marred in some way.
5. 5. Unexpected Healing: An NPC appears and heals the party for 1d5 Wounds or 1 Critical Injury. This NPC may also Medical care, depending on circumstances (GM's discretion).
6. 6. Join me, and together…: Make an argument attempting to convince an NPC to come around to your viewpoint based on some sort of common ground. You gain a <B><B> to any Skill Tests with that NPC for the duration of the encounter.
7. 7. Adjust Defenses: You may make a Guarded Stance maneuver as an incidental.
8. 8. Mistaken Identity: For unknown reasons, an NPC believes you to be somebody you (probably) are not.
9. 9. Boring conversation, anyway: (Play during a social encounter). By means of explosives, shots fired, or some other method, you suddenly end the social encounter and are involved in a Chase to escape, gaining some kind of starting advantage (GM's discretion)
10. 10. Back to Back: You and a single ally in Engaged range grant each other a Defense value of 1 while you remain close together.

 

 

41-50

 

1. 1. Stay on target!: Perform a Stay On Target spaceship maneuver as an incidental
2. 2. I want them alive! No disintegrations!" Your characters are taken hostage instead of being slain if they would be defeated in battle, even if the enemy does not normally take prisoners (GM's discretion).
3. 3. Follow my lead: (Play after everyone in the group has been forced to make a Test of some sort) If any member of the group succeeded on the Test, everyone succeeds with the same amount of success and advantage.
4. 4. Unexpected Might: You gain a <P> on your next Brawn or Willpower-based test.
5. 5. Unexpected Wisdom: You gain a <P> on your next Cunning or Intellect-based test.
6. 6. Unexpected Prowess: You gain a <P> on your next Agility or Presence-based test.
7. 7. Now witness the power of this fully operational battle station: Concoct a plan, retroactively, around which you and your allies have been working. You may add a number of offscreen events equal to your Cunning or Intellect to bring this plan into position (GM's discretion).
8. 8. Shut him up or shut him down!: You manage to find the off-switch to a droid, disabling him until someone switches him back on
9. 9. Smuggling compartments: Your character stumbles across a weapon of the GM's choice (GM's discretion).
10. 10. Mundane Encounter: You run across a foe in an unexpected place where neither party wishes to incite violence. A conversation ensues (GM's discretion).

 

 

51-60

 

1. 1. I find your lack of faith disturbing: In place of your next social Skill Test, make an opposed Willpower test instead. Succeeding grants you <B><B> on all future Skill tests with that individual
2. 2. I used to bullseye womp rats: One of your character's niche interests becomes critical to solving a problem before the party (GM's discretion)
3. 3. Always in motion is the future: You may discard any number of Destiny Cards to draw that many Destiny Cards
4. 4. We've had a slight weapons malfunction: A piece of machinery or technology within a Short range band breaks unexpectedly and completely
5. 5. Warning Shot: (Play at the beginning of combat) All attacks miss during the first Round of this encounter
6. 6. It's a Trap!: (Play at the beginning of combat when you were not Surprised) Describe a trap that you placed on the battlefield before the start of combat. That trap is now where you described it as being (GM's discretion)
7. 7. Duck and Weave: You gain a Defense Rating of 2 this Round
8. 8. Calm Down, I've Got This: You gain a single Skill of your choice at rank 1. However, the next Experience Points you would earn automatically go to paying for this Skill, and you cannot spend Experience Points on other purchases until it has been paid for in full
9. 9. Your father wanted you to have this: An NPC gives you a rare or important item [likely an heirloom] of the GM's choice (GM's discretion)
10. 10. I have foreseen it: Choose another character, You and that character fight a duel in which other characters cannot interfere due to a contrivance of the GM's creation (GM's discretion). The GM should probably come up with something for everyone else to do in the mean-time

 

 

61-70

 

1. 1. There's always a bigger fish: A danger to the party is suddenly eliminated by something even more dangerous, which may or may not be hostile to the party. (GM's discretion)
2. 2. Indignation: For the rest of the encounter, Critical Hits for all your weapons require one less <AD> than normal (minimum 1)
3. 3. Contest of Skill: On your next Opposed Test, you and your opponent both ignore all bonuses and penalties from equipment circumstances, injuries, and other external sources
4. 4. But I was going to Tosche Station!: (Play when opening a door, rounding a bend, or otherwise coming upon some sort of new scene) The GM creates a new scene in the chosen space which is decidedly less dangerous than what the party might have expected (GM's discretion)
5. 5. He was meant to help you: The GM chooses an appropriate NPC. That NPC, for better or for worse, is now a hanger-on to your party, following you in particular wherever you go. The NPC generally attempts to be helpful whenever possible, though not necessarily whenever convenient. (GM's discretion)
6. 6. Set blasters to stun: Until the end of the encounter, you and your allies may change any Critical Effect you inflict to "You inflict 5 Strain on your target"
7. 7. I thought they smelled bad the outside: Something nearby suddenly provides you a sizable advantage to your current situation, but will have negative immediate or later side effects that may make secondary or tertiary goals difficult
8. 8. This one's a decoy!: Someone, either an enemy or allied NPC, turns out to be a fake of some kind, and this fact only now become clear
9. 9. I'm here to rescue you!: (Play during combat or while being chased) An NPC appears to offer you a path to temporary safety
10. 10. Fly casual: For the duration of the encounter, customs officials or other such personnel ignore one obvious problem that would otherwise cause them to stop you 

 

 

71-80

 

1. 1. These aren't the droids you're looking for: You manage to convince an NPC that someone or something isn't what they believe it to be
2. 2. Open Exhaust Port: Choose a target. If that target has a physical weakness that can be exploited, you spot a sign of it (GM's discretion)
3. 3. Let The Wookie Win: Choose a foe who you bested in some sort of contest. You gain a permanent +10 bonus to Presence-based Tests when interacting with this character
4. 4. I have you now!: Your next attack against a target with 5 or fewer wounds automatically inflicts a Critical Effect with +20
5. 5. It's against my programming to impersonate a deity: An NPC takes an interest [platonic, intellectual, romantic, obsessive, romantically obsessive, or other] in you (GM's discretion)
6. 6. All according to my design: Choose an NPC. That NPC reveals all of his or her motives to you and your allies in a monologue, dialogue, vision, or other appropriate form (GM's discretion). If you and your allies allow the NPC to finish his or her "rant" without interrupting, draw a Destiny Card
7. 7. Always two there are: Until the end of the encounter, whenever an ally of your choice suffers Damage, you may choose to suffer that Damage instead
8. 8. Feel, don't think: use your instincts: (Play when you or an ally would be struck with an attack while Unaware) You or one ally within 3 metres can make an Action or two maneuvers before the attack strikes
9. 9. Fear is the path to the Dark Side: The entire party may ignore the effects of Fear until the end of the encounter
10. 10. We would be honored if you would join us: A potential combat encounter becomes a social encounter instead (GM's Discretion). If negotiations break down, the parties depart peacefully, if at all possible, even if they intend to commit violence against one another in the future

 

 

81-90

 

1. 1. At last we will have revenge: Pick an NPC or group of NPCs with whom you have unfinished or unresolved business. The GM sets up an encounter where you have an advantage with this NPC (Advance warning and GM approval required)
2. 2. I hate it when he does that: Use when a PC attempts to do something reckless or suicidal to benefit the party as a whole. Add <P> to your pool to attempt the task
3. 3. Critical Opening: Your next attack against a single target this Turn ignores any negative dice that would normally be added to the pool, including Defense values, enemy Talents, etc.
4. 4. Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?: An enemy who has you at his or her mercy allows you to escape for some [as yet] unexplored reason (GM's discretion)
5. 5. We've got to give him more time!: [Play at the start of a Combat Encounter] An NPC appears and insists upon fighting your opponent(s) in your stead, leaving you and your allies free to pursue other matters (GM's discretion)
6. 6. That's no moon!: An NPC or object that seemed harmless suddenly turns out to be extremely dangerous. Fortunately, it is focused on being dangerous to a target of your choice... for now (GM's Discretion)
7. 7. You're all clear, kid!: An NPC or event clears any obstacles that would hinder you reaching your destination (GM's discretion)
8. 8. Cameo: A character of your choice from the movies or Expanded Universe makes a brief appearance (GM's discretion)
9. 9. Force Vision: Your character sees an important event or conversation vital to his current or long-term interests that give him insight or an advantage into resolving it
10. 10. The Force is Strong with this One: The next time you would suffer Damage this Turn, prevent that Damage

 

 

91-100

 

1. 1. Aggressive negotiations: (Play during a social encounter) The social encounter immediately ends and the PCs each get a Round of combat before initiative is officially rolled
2. 2. She's got it where it counts: (Play while in a vehicle) Your vehicle stays together and functioning till the end of the encounter, regardless of Damage or Critical Effects received. Once you reach safety, all Critical Effects and Damage occur as normal

 

1. 3. There is another: (Play when you've lost access to a plot-critical person or device) It turns out that there is another person or object that can solve the problem at hand, although it may not be easily accessible or found
2. 4. You've turned off your targeting computer!: On your next Test, you ignore all negative penalties from circumstances, injuries, and other external sources
3. 5. Search your feelings: Your character instantly knows whether something he is being told is true or a falsehood, and if a falsehood, what the truth is
4. 6. That's impossible!: The PC may attempt a Skill Test on a task that would normally be deemed impossible, if he can provide justification for the attempt. The test is instead counts as Daunting difficulty (GM's discretion)
5. 7. Insignificant next to the power of the Force: Until the end of the encounter, you may spend a Destiny Point as an incidental to automatically have an attack that targets you fail
6. 8. Now let's blow this thing and go home!: An ally who you thought dead [of your choice] makes a surprise appearance to rescue you (GM's Discretion)
7. 9. He is the chosen one: You may spend a Destiny Point. If you do, draw any card of your choice from the Destiny Deck
8. 10. The Force will be with you… Always: Roll a Force die, and add that many Destiny Points to the Destiny Pool. Then flip all Destiny Points to the light side.

 

<B> = Boost Die

<S> = Setback Die

<A> = Ability Die

<P> = Proficiency Die

<D> = Difficulty Die

<C> = Challenge Die

<F> = Force Die

 

<AD> = Advantage

<SU> Success

<FA> = Failure

<DR> = Despair

<TR> = Triumph

<TH> = Threat

<LS> = Light Side 

<DS> = Dark Side

 

 

Edit: looks like the forum messed up my formatting a bit, I threw the original file up in the Dropbox folder as well.

 

These are great.  Well done.

 

Thank you!

[Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)]

Just an update for those who are following: due to some issues with the program I used to make the cards (Magic Set Editor) it's proving incredibly more difficult than expected to get the symbols added into the cards. I'm still working on it, but I didn't have enough time this weekend and adding the symbols would require editing with code and stuff like that… Still looking for some other easy alternative, maybe worst case just re-editing the cards in Photoshop since not too many actually have symbols. My friend who does graphic design work is also working on a card back, but no solid ETA on that unfortunately. Sorry it wasn't as quick as I was hoping.

 

The players seemed to enjoy them,but not everyone used their card. Some of the cards can be kind of difficult to use in certain situations. One of the players has a card that can bring in an NPC to the group, and another has a card that can bring a character form the movies/EU. They were in the middle of the jungle planet Cholganna, so it would be hared/awkward to have random people showing up.   I have not had (ok, made) the time to really go over all of them. So far there is one card that I will not allow in my game, that is the one where you can turn a Despair into a Threat. Despairs come up so rarely that nothing can wipe them out. So we have 99 cards... I started the day out by having everyone randomly getting  a card, then I handed a few out throughout the day for really really awesome ideas and great role playing. 

 

We were doing Act II of BtR. The group was exploring the the Sa Nalor main hull, and decided they wanted into the vault area, but it was smashed and buried into the river bed. They had no heavy cutting tools or machinery with them. About this time the Yiyar clan shows up and lands next to their ship, 5 of them come out with guns drawn. The group has a discussion on how to handle the situation (probably way to long, but oh well). They decide to play it cool, and see if they can get the clan to help them get into the vault and split any loot. The player of the Politico also drew the Destiny Deck card 33 Your Weapon. So as they approach the Clan; who had gotten a severe beat down at the Wheel, the politico played the Destiny card, and also role played out the encounter to great effect. Yav Yiyar agreed to have his guys holster their weapons, and in the end they were able to get the Clan to work them, and helped them fight the Imperial Intelligence (I know the book says ISB, but I like the II) when they arrived.

So with a combined effect of the Clans beat down on the Wheel, it was an ultra short chase because of multiple Triumphs from two players, the great plan ands role playing and the addition of the Destiny Card, the adventure took a turn not really expected by the adventure module for a truly epic encounter and awesome twist to the adventure. Also, since they have the uneasy truce with the Clan, they are not trying to kill each other at the moment! A few other cards were played that day as well, but this one is the most striking/memorable to me because it really helped push the adventure and made for a lasting change to it. With out it, I feel the negotiations would not have been as "nice" or amiable. It definitely would have had this lasting effect of peace between the Group and the Clan.

 

So thank you very much HTMC for being part of our game, and bringing so much to my table! These were a wonderful addition to the adventure, and I will definitely keep using them in the future. I may PM you with some suggestions if you would like to hear them for additional/alternate cards.  

I will have the Power point fixed here in a day or two, and will provide anew link. HTMC, please feel free to host the power point link on your drop box as well. Again, THANKS!!!

 

Thanks for sharing, it's really cool to hear how they've impacted other campaigns! I'm not familiar with that adventure, but glad you were able to adjust based on the cards. Not too surprising that not everyone used their cards, they're often (and designed to be) fairly powerful, and my players typically hoard the ones they see as such. And it definitely makes sense that some would be difficult to use, the understanding in my group is always that every card has the caveat of "per GM discretion" and so players only use them when it seems like it would make sense. And yeah, if you have suggestions feel free to let me know. I can even provide the set-up for how to make your own cards if you want to add some of your own into the deck or replace some you don't like.

 

Awesome! I really want to use these in my game. Though I will say that it sounds like you've been giving them out a lot more frequently than what I plan on giving them out. I'll probably never give out more than 2 or 3 every 4 or 5 sessions. I see them as something that should only be given out rarely. 

 

Yeah, in my campaign (after giving each player 1 for having their materials ready on time) I typically hand out 1, in certain cases 2, per session. But it really depends on your GM style, your playgroup, how you want your campaign to go, etc. I feel like it's just like certain groups tend to accumulate XP faster than others, hit higher grade weapons sooner, or things like that. 

[Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)]

Love them, and was getting ready to print, ,but there is no back to them... 

Would it be possible for you to add a "back" card? 

 

Currently working on editing in the symbols and I'm going to try and make a back as well! Good point, since my campaign is currently online-only I haven't had to think about printing like I had in the past so it completely slipped my mind.

 

For those of us not too familiar with the concept, how do you use them, more exactly?

What do you reward them for, for example? When?

Would I be right in assuming that you hand them out after particularly appropriate roleplaying or otherwise epic moments, on an individual basis? And when you do so, have them roll a 1d100 to pick a deck?

Since I play on Roll20, these would be amazing to throw into a Card Deck there and then just have the players pull a card out of it when appropriate, even if it doesn't happen every session.

Honestly, I use them as a variety of rewards. In general I like keeping everyone at the same XP levels (my players are forgetful so it makes tracking easier) which would mean the only reward I have easily available are items, so the cards make for a nice change. Things I've awarded them for in the past:

 

-Having their character sheets/campaign prep/etc. in on time

-Particularly great roleplaying (great speech, hilarious joke, making a detrimental but in-character decision, etc)

-Doing something particularly awesome (in a non-roleplaying sense)

-My players unanimously agreeing something a fellow player did deserved one

 

Usually if someone earns one, they roll for it at the end of the session, and can use it anytime at all in the future (although some players tend to hoard them for the final session/a super important battle/etc). And yes, typically they just roll a 1d100 to determine card, re-rolling if they already have the one they rolled. In very rare circumstances I'll reward a specific one if it's thematically appropriate based on why they earned the card.

 

My campaign is also currently running through Roll20, I didn't even consider trying to use the deck-tool in the program. That's a great idea!

 

*Disclaimer*

I take no credit for this work. This is all the ideas and work of HTMC here on the FFG Forum. I simply added his images into powerpoint for ease of printing. If anyone wishes this link removed from the FFG Forum, please let me know. This is simply a powerpoint presentation of his Destiny Deck. 

 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8edfbc8takka13c/Presentation1.pptx

 

All 100 cards are here, just out of order. I was going to get them into order, but I got bored. 

 

Thanks for the disclaimer, but the only response I have is thanks for helping :-) It's cool to see other people invested in something I worked on. 

 

 

 

Anyway, like I said, currently working on editing the cards to include the symbols, I'll post the updated deck as soon as I do. Thank again for all the feedback everyone!

[Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)]

 

I do have a question though. Is there a reference chart anywhere? I'm not sure what <AD> stands for and a few others. If you could make a post that has them all and what they stand for, that would be great. Apparently I'm terrible at deciphering them.

 

 

I'm guessing, but:

 

<AD> = Advantage

<TH> = Threat

<SU> = Success

(can't find anything for Failure)

<TR> = Triumph

<DR> = Despair

 

<B> = Boost die

^ That's totally correct, sorry for not making that clear. Thanks for posting for me Col. Orange :-)

 

This is pretty cool. But how do you use them exactly? Players roll d100 to get one as a "reward" at some point, and then can play them at some point in the future? Does it cost "Destiny" to play them (based on the name you've given them) ? Are they "one time use only" ? I'm intrigued by the concept, just trying to understand how it's supposed to work since I'm not familiar with "Drama Cards" you mention from D&D.

Traditionally for my group yes, when they "earn" a card they roll a 1d100, and since my group is currently playing online a copy of that card gets put into the player's folder in our synced campaign folder via Dropbox. (when we were playing in-person I actually would have printed-out copies to physically give the card). They can play them whenever they want, particularly if it's thematically/dramatically appropriate, and don't cost anything to use. They are all one-use only.

 

With that said, that's just how my group uses them, you are encouraged to be creative and use them however suits your play-group! If you think of anything particularly different I'm happy to hear it.

 

These look really awesome.  Just curious as why using abbreviations instead of actual icons?  With all of the cool graphics that went into these, I would think that getting these icons and adding them wouldn't be a major effort, and make them much easier to use.

At the time I actually could not find the actual icons anywhere to use. Just yesterday I saw someone had posted here in the forums a font with all the symbols, so I will probably take some time this weekend to redo the text with the right icons (and fix the few typos I had caught since I finished the set). If I do I will repost them!

 

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, if you do end up using them I hope they make your campaign more interesting and enjoyable!

[Destiny Deck (Custom rewards)]

Hey everyone!

 

My playgroup has always been a fan of custom rewards, originally inspired by the "Drama Cards" unofficially produced for D&D. It's a really nice alternative to items, XP, or other normal rewards, and players generally find them really cool and worth working for (we often use them as a reward for good roleplaying, among other things). 

 

Since we recently started our first EotE campaign, I decided to make a new set for the system, and have produced what I'm calling the Destiny Deck. I figured there's a chance others may get some use out of them, so I figured I'd share! Feel free to use, modify, or whatever them for your own games if you feel so inclined. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tq6cz3unnnp12b6/Ek4f1mJMXy

 

In general they get 'better' as you get to higher numbers, and often I have players roll a 1d100 to determine which they get, sometimes with + modifiers based on why they're getting a card. If you have any thoughts or feedback I'm happy to hear it, I had a lot of fun making these (I apologize for any typos). 

 

-HTMC

[Crew size on Dark Eldar ships?]

Fgdsfg said:

 

I do not see how this makes it less disturbing.

 

You gotta look at it compared to the alternatives: you can have your soul eaten by Slaanesh and spend an eternity in his sexy, painful embrace, or you can let your soul be swallowed by a crystal and spend eternity hanging out with other dead Eldar, helping the living, or even possibly piloting a sweet spaceship. I know what I would choose given a choice :-P

[Playable Eldar?]

JuankiMan said:

As I said, they are evil without context, evil for evil's sake, and that's why I consider them the most evil race in the Warhammer 40k universe. Not the most destructive, not the most dangerous, not the most catastrophic. Just the most evil.

You have a weird definition of evil :-P

[Wych Weapon Training]

I'm sure this is an oversight, as a GM I would assume that a PC has the training necessary to use any weapons and equipment he/she starts with by default.

[Female Soldiers in the IG and Pregnancy]

Penpen said:

HTMC said:

 

Abnett chose to create (I assume) something called RIP, for Reindoctrination, something, and Prepatory (I think, this is all off the top of my head) which is a constantly running bootcamp for both new recruits such as Dalin Criid, people doing said camp as punishment, and whatever the other category I'm forgetting is. So yes, it's Black LIbrary "canon," but the idea has definitely been explored by one of their established authors.

 

 

It's Retraining, Indoctrination and Punishment actually. Indoctrination for the new blood, Punishment for the screw-ups and Retraining for… I'm not sure. People recovering from injuries and possible augmetics, like Merrt? Specialists that retrained into new specialties out of necessity (like a tanker regiments being retrained as infantry after losing all their hard-to-replace tanks)?

Ah ok, that sounds much more correct :-P Thanks for the clarification.

[Playable Eldar?]

JuankiMan said:

 

Tau won't and probably wouldn't have the nerve no matter how desperate, which it will cost them if they ever come to the point where the Imperium would consider Exterminatus on one of their own planets.

Haha, what? The race and empire that is entirely built around the idea of "do things for the greater good," "sacrifice yourself for the greater good," etc, is the one you think would most shy away from killing a few to save more? Again (and this isn't a bad thing) you seem to have a very clear Pro-Imperial bias. I'm not saying this to be rude or insulting, I think it's just what this pages-long debate boils down to: you see the Imperium in a very different light than the rest of us, which explains the disconnect between your perception of other races and others' perceptions.

[Achievements (Ala XBOX)]

CaptainStabby said:

As a game designer who actually has to write up lists of arbitrary achievements for console and mobie titles… My suggestion would be to just give extra xp when players do soemthing that entertains you as a GM.

It's much more organic and will generate more itneresting situations as well as encourage more outside the box thinking by your players as opposed to them just working through some checklist of "to-do's"

I'd agree with this, The strength of tabletop RPGs is how freeform and creative it allows players to be, especially in comparison to videogame RPGs. I know that if I had a list of achievements I could get for bonuses, I'd focus less on roleplaying and being creative, and focus much more on just doing x over and over to get more points. The way my group does it is that whenever there's a particular well-done roleplaying bit (either makes the entire group laugh, or is super impressive, or whatever) or someone does something particularly impressive or creative in combat, the GM usually rewards it. I do think that's a much better system for traditional RPGs.

[Playable Eldar?]

JuankiMan said:

 

 

 

Normally I'd agree with you, but these are not humans we're talking about. Eldar are inherently prone to moral and emotional excess. They feel, obsess and live with an intensity that defies human definition and so Craftworld Eldar devised the Paths as a form of strict self-discipline because otherwise they run the risk of falling into the same depravity that doomed them all, because the darkness is always there, that's why Eldar tend to mistrust corsairs, because they don't follow the Paths and you never now if he has fallen. Still they can obsess over the Path themselves, becoming phisically incapable of leaving their chosen Path to the point it starts to warp their bodies. Regardless, the Eldar learned the value of discipline but completely ignored the lesson of humility, still acting full of contemptuous pride over the "lesser races" (i.e.: absolutely everything that isn't them).

 

 

I don't disagree with any of that. I will say that their sense of superiority is not altogether without merit: they did have a massive empire, their technology is demonstrably superior to every other races (especially their method of space travel), and do factually have a greater capacity for emotion and expression than humans and other races.

Does that warrant the way they act? No, but it's not unreasonable to see how they got to their point, because if you start noticing you're better than everyone else, it's hard not to act that way.

JuankiMan said:

 

I never claimed such a thing, at least not for the Eldar and Tau (though the Tau don't yet know what it truly means to fight for survival). For Dark Eldar, Orks, Tyranids, Necrons and Chaos of course its completely different. They're not fighting to protect, or to survive. They fight to destroy, corrupt and consume. I also don't claim that the Imperium is less evil than Eldar or Tau, though I definitely do for everyone else. I just claim that they're no better.

The Eldar are hateful, manipulative and arrogant to the extreme, often claiming and putting to practice that the life of a single Eldar is perfectly worth the death of millions of members of other races, and entire worlds or even sectors have burned to ash as a result. They protect the galaxy not out of any sort of altruism or even a sense of atonement, but because they still regard the entire galaxy and anything within it as theirs by right, and the only reason they don't wipe out humanity is because they simply don't have the means. And still despite being of the brink of extinction they're not above letting petty rivalries and millenial grudges lock them into internal conflict and bloody vendettas. Saim-Hann is infamous for this.

 

 

Just for fun:

The Imperium of Man is hateful, manipulative and arrogant to the extreme, often claiming and putting to practice that the life of a single Human is perfectly worth the death of millions of members of other races, and entire worlds or even sectors have burned to ash as a result of Exterminatus and other practices. They protect the galaxy not out of any sort of altruism or even a sense of atonement, but because they still regard the entire galaxy and anything within it as theirs by right, and the only reason they don't wipe out every other race is because they simply don't have the means. And still despite being of the brink of destrcution they're not above letting petty rivalries and millenial grudges lock them into internal conflict and bloody vendettas. There are many examples of this.

I don't think you can legitimately claim your description isn't any less apt for humans. Again, though, I don't disagree with your overall assessments.

JuankiMan said:

 

 

 

Not with the new Codex it ain't. A Craftworld Eldar might turn Corsair, sail the stars and then settle in a quiet Exodite world if he manages to convince them to let him, only to bore of it a few centuries later and return to the Craftworld, but the Dark Eldar are too late. They are hollow, their souls long ago shrivelled and rotten, and if they stopped drinking in the pain and torment of others they would animically starve. Not that they'll admit that. They do what they do because why shouldn't they? The galaxy is theirs by right and the prey should feel honoured to at least have some use as amusement. It's not that they won't recover. It's that they can't.

 

 

I will admit that I have not actually read the new DE codex yet, so you're probably correct; my knowledge is all from previous editions. In my defense there's a lot of material describing them as not-permanent, even so far as the recent Path of the Outcast by Gav Thorpe, which came out not even a month ago, and features a Dark Eldar Dracon who left Comorrargh, and while still a corsair, has left behind the extreme practices of the Dark Eldar (no torture, ****, gratuitous murder, etc.) I guess we get into the issue then of how the 'canon' codex affects the RPG systems, which is highly debatable. Thank you for pointing out my oversight though, I guess I should try and get ahold of the new codex at least for a readthrough.

[Playing a Skitarri regiment]

It'd be a bit hard since there's no clear explanation of standard kit/augmentation anywhere that I'm aware of, more just that they exist and they have a command structure. If you know of any books offhand I'm happy to hear them, since I don't know that well. But ya, it seems like it'd be an easy conversion, I'd probably just replace all the 'normal' regimental benefits with a standard set of augmetics/cyber implants, and give them better equipment (at least hellgun base?) to reflect their increased access to weaponry. But ya, I don't have a great reference point, but it seems like it'd be a fun conversion.

[Any word on when this is going to be released?]

I feel like in time for Christmas would be a good bet. Presumably they have to round up and make all their changes, proofread the new document, and then get it send off to be printed. I don't know exactly how they're printing and shipping cycle works, but I assume it's at least a couple months? If anyone has any actual knowledge feel free to chime off :-P

Short answer: I honestly have no idea :-P

[Creating a RT Drama Deck]

My group has actually using those cards in conjunction with 40kRPGs for a couple years now, and quite successfully. The key changes we made:

1) We dropped the Bronze deck, because a) it's boring and b) it's too tied into 4E mechanics.

2) Any cards that were too mechanical in nature just merited a re-roll for the card

3) Many cards are easy to convert. For instance, a +1/+2 to hit translates pretty easily to a +10 to hit in 40kRPG.

 

Anyway, they're a lot of fun, and a really nice reward besides standard XP/Weapons/Equipment/etc. We often use them as  RP, reward, actually, to reward good roleplaying while still keeping everyone at the same XP level. 

[Playable Eldar?]

JuankiMan said:

Indeed. In that respect they're exactly the same as the Imperium. The difference is that they are so few in number that, save for Ulthwe, most of their armed forces are technically militia. But to think the Eldar as kind is extremely naive. The Eldar had the galaxy in the palm of their hand once. Before the Eye of Terror, before the return of the Necrons, before the Tyranid Hive Fleets. They ruled the entire galaxy virtually unopposed, and what did they do with that power? They abused it, using the galaxy as their little plaything until, quite literally, their toy broke. And everything and everyone paid the price, their own toll being the highest.

I think at its heart you have a very very different interpretation of the setting than the rest of us seem to, which is totally ok (everyone reads things a little differently, though). For the sake of argument, though:

The Pre-Fall Eldar are much more akin to the modern "Dark Eldar" in their behavior and practice. Modern Craftworld Eldar created the Paths and the rest of their culture precisely to avoid the kinds of mistakes that their ancestors created. Is it a perfect system? No, but to say that Eldar society and cultured hasn't changed (if not learned) from their mistakes is ridiculous; they more than anyone are aware of the flaws of their past. Exodites and Harlequins took an entirely different route, and Dark Eldar chose to continue on the path of old.

To condemn the craftworld Eldar for what their ancestors did would be like blaming a newborn German for what the Nazis did. It doesn't really make sense, and doesn't enter into the equation. 

 

I also think you're being quite unfair in saying the Imperium's cause (and focus) on war is any different than the Tau, the Eldar, or any other race. Sure, the Imperium has non-military members, but so do the Tau and the Eldar. Sure, they fight out of necessity, but Tau often make diplomatic overtures before resorting to violance, and many Craftworlds are open to alliances (whereas the Imperial official doctrine is shoot xenos on sight, no matter what). I would say that the Imperium initially militarized out of necessity, but at this point have fully embraced it and there is little practical difference between their cause for war and any other race, and if you look at their official policy, they're clearly much more "evil" than Tau or Eldar.

Of course, this all breaks down a bit when it comes to practical experience and how each race behaves.

 

Finally, I'm not sure if you're aware, but the difference between all types of Eldar are purely mental and based on outlook. A Craftworld Eldar can suddenly decide to be a ranger and leave the Path, or become a corsair, or decide to venture to Commorragh. Similarly, a "Dark" Eldar may suddenly reject the lifestyle and decide to join a Craftworld or move to an Exodite world. It's not unheard of, or even rare, as far as these things go. Just because a PC is techically a Dark Eldar doesn't mean they ascribe to every belief common to their kind. Indeed, it's even possible that the PC is a "recovering" Dark Eldar, drawing upon his abiltiies honed by decades of practice, but in general is trying to steer away from the worst depravities of his kind (and perhaps sometimes failing). The important point is you seem to want to generalize all Dark Eldar and paint them in terms of pure black, but even amongst them there is some variation and shades of (very dark) gray.

[Playable Eldar?]

JuankiMan said:

Well, now we're getting a bit metaphysical, aren't we. After all, I'm sure a paranoid schyzophrenic finds stuffing people in his freezer to be perfectly sensible. And insane doesn't equal random. That guy who killed all those people in Sweden was mad as a hatter, but he was also extremely methodical and patient.

By definition the insane follow a different kind of logic, so yes, the Eldar are insane by Imperial standards, and the Dark Eldar are insane by Eldar standards. However I don't think the Dark Eldar consider the other two insane. They probably just think they're stupid.

Oh and the Dark Eldar do absolutely nothing for any "greater good". They torture, maim and kill for ***** and giggles and because otherwise they would animically starve.

I don't think we're getting metaphysical, you're just using a very Imperial-centric system of thinking, and falling into the common fallacy that the Imperium is in any way a "good" force in the 40k universe, and that the 40k universe has a "right" and "wrong" side rather than different shades of evil. So sure, I'll agree that DE are insane by Imperial standards, I'm just objecting to using the Imperium as the default standard and thinking that the Imperial way = the logical and/or morally right way.

Greater good was probably a poor choice of words. What I was trying to convey was that Dark Eldar are not simply murdering and torturing because they enjoy it, but rather it serves a higher purpose. Essentially all that terrorizing and killing goes towards keeping Slaanesh's eye off the Eldar, helping keep the DE alive and immortal, and essentially ensuring they don't fall into the unending hell at the hands of She Who Thirst that all Eldar fear. It's exactly the same goal that all Eldar strive towards, whether they Harlequin, Craftworld, Exodite, "Dark," or any other Eldar cultural variant. So I don't think that insane is the right word to use to describe Commorrargh residents: again, it's a perfectly sound motivation that works, and although it doesn't map onto any moral system, the Dark Eldar care more about the result than the method. Perhaps that makes them insane, but again, the "ends justify the means" mentality is used by practically every force in the 40k universe, from Space Marines to the Craftworld Eldar to the Tau, and so if the DE are insane, so is practically everyone in the 40k universe.

[The Dark Kin Online Supplement]

Kencyr said:

Some things I haven't seen come up yet in this thread.

1) Intimidate-  Both the Kabalite Warrior and the Wych get upgrades but I can't find where it says either starts with or gains the skill.  Notice though it appears as a trained skill on the Character Sheet.

2) Voidfarer for the Wych- Again get upgrades but don't see basic skill anywhere.

5) Pity the Weak-  Something I think that every True Dark Eldar should have is not available to PC's even though they are to all NPC Wych and Bloodbrides.

I could be wrong because I don't currently have access to my copy, but aren't those available to all Dark Eldar as shown in the Soul Reaver section on them (rather than the online supplement)?

[Playable Eldar?]

JuankiMan said:

Which is something I find absolutely incomprehensible. I mean, the Dark Eldar are the insane cousins of an already insane race. How rules for them came before rules for regular Eldar is beyond me, and so is what would drive any Rogue Trader to allow one anywhere near his ship.

I'm not sure where at all you're getting this "insaner than the normal insane" idea. Nothing of my understanding of Eldar of all types would depict them as insane. Yes, they're following a very different ideal and their motives are quite different than Imperial humans, but they're still intelligent and logical, just following a different kind of logic. Eldar from Commorragh may appear crazed and demented to Imperials, but at their root they're doing something that makes a lot of sense in their particular context, and they're doing it very methodically. 

If you look at the Imperium from the perspective of an Eldar, humans look equally insane, and the Inquisition essentially fills the exact same roll the "Dark" Eldar do for their race: torture and killing for a greater good. 

[Female Soldiers in the IG and Pregnancy]

Blood Pact said:

 

No I'm actually saying the same thing. You've just misunderstood. I'm not saying they ferry around the children of some pissant Guardsmen when they die, or even when they're alive for that matter (save as part of the standard compliment of camp followers). When I say they're going to be raised in to the regiments of their parents, I mean it's going to happen -right there-, in this thick of it more or less. They're surrounded by experienced soldiers who can bring them up to form, they hardly need to be shipped back to some training facility on the regiment's homeworld. In this case I'm talking just about the children that are produced over years of campaigning, not the ones left back home from before they were raised and shipped out.

But as usual, this is the Imperium, and it's lunacy to say anything is ever done in any uniform way, when this is the same Imperium that actually loses whole armies (meaning hundreds of thousands, or even millions of soldiers). Some camp followers probably stay followers all their life, growing up to fill the roles of those who die or other wise move on somewhere else.

This doesn't address the issue of pregnancy since the child in question is adopted, but this kind of situation is exactly depicted in the Gaunt's Ghosts series, specifically The Armour of Contempt. Tona Criid adopts two children in book 3, and by the time of Contempt (book 10) the eldest, who has spent most of his life in the Ghost's contingent of camp followers and assorted hangers-on, has reached the age where he can join the Guard, and does so. Like you suggest, he's ridiculously well-prepared, having grown up amongst top-tier Guardsman all his life who were always happy to teach this kid tips and tricks.

Abnett chose to create (I assume) something called RIP, for Reindoctrination, something, and Prepatory (I think, this is all off the top of my head) which is a constantly running bootcamp for both new recruits such as Dalin Criid, people doing said camp as punishment, and whatever the other category I'm forgetting is. So yes, it's Black LIbrary "canon," but the idea has definitely been explored by one of their established authors.

[What, no Dark Eldar character sheet onsite?]

Looks like there is a one up, not sure how long it's been there but they do exist.

HQ: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/rogue-trader/support/soul%20reaver%20Character%20Sheet%20HD.pdf

Web Quality: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/rogue-trader/support/soul%20reaver%20Character%20Sheet.pdf

(from the Support section of the RT main page).

 

[Sergeant vs Officer]

Radwraith said:

Now assuming you're all through flaming and calling me shallow perhaps you might consider that it is you that have missed the point! A Sergeant in almost any military in the world is a senior enlisted man. This is not a stereotype but a fact. This is not to say that a Sergeant could not be promoted to Officer rank because it certainly does happen on occasion! What I AM saying is that even in the official 40k fluff a Sergeant would be someone who comes from another specialisations (such as Weapon specialist, Heavy gunner or Operator for instance!) whereas an officer is a class unto itself. The Sergeant's role in both the 40k universe and real life is to serve as an Expediter and Mentor so that those in his squad would be successful. It is a rank based on experience rather than education or birth class. To use your own points back: Not every Sergeant is a natural born leader of men who focuses on tactical and Strategic brilliance. Sergeants do not necessarily get their experience on the battlefield. The supply corps, Admin,and motorpool folks need NCO's as well. They are still Senior Clerks and mechanics who have been given responsibility over a specific area. They are given this responsibility because they know the inns and outs of their particular craft in a way that a true officer never will!

I think you're still missing everyone else's points. You're putting way too much into a simple name, it's more of a description than an official explanation of the class's duties. Also, if you look at 40k, there is no true standard for how any given regiment is structured, and it's likely many regiments have nothing with the name of Sergeant or any kind of officer approaching the same field. You're trying to apply real-world terminology and practices to a universe that, while similar in some respects, is still a fictional sci-fi universes. The claims you make, that while perhaps true in some cases, are by the definition of being in the 40k universe not universal.

 

Radwraith said:

Lastly: I make these points because this game is not in it's final form and therefore any suggestions are still on the table. If the concept of "beta testing" is over your head wittydroog then just say so and the rest of us will try to explain it to you. After gaming for 30+ years I sincerely hope the concept of an RPG has not escaped me ! I simply stated my Opinion. It's not to late to make changes. If FFG decides to ignore me and stick with Sergeant than I can certainly work around that. Please feel free to return to your regular trolling

Not to be rude (although you're kind of being rude, to be honest) but you're wrong again. Yes, it is a beta test, but to be more accurate it was a beta test. If you've been following what's been going on, as many of us have been, you'd know that the beta officially ended last Friday and the developers are no longer taking feedback. So yes, it is too late to make changes.

[Commisars *sigh*]

I think if you have players that are that eager to kill fellow PCs you have a bigger problem on your hand that doesn't stem from the Commissar class, but rather the players themselves. I would trust my PCs to be able to handle being a Commissar the right way without killing everyone all the time, and I would think if they didn't the other PCs would respond appropriately rather than just sit idly by and die (unless you're somehow letting the Commissar PC get to shoot an ally without the chance for him/her to roll dodge, fire back, whatever). May just be my experience with RPing, though.

[Sergeant vs Officer]

Radwraith said:

 

 

It's hardly a major change! Just change the name of the class to Commander (or some other non rank specific title.). This represents a young character with the basic traits to become a leader. After all… There are Squad leaders, Platoon commanders, company commanders etc. These titles all have a specific rank attached but the title remains. It's not to lat to revise that!

I was referring more to the suggestions regarding changing how the class worked rather than the name itself. If you're just talking about the name, I don't really see what difference calling it Sergeant or Commander or Officer or whatever actually accomplishes; it's just an archetype, and the name means practically nothing. It's just like how a Dark Heresy "Guardsman" didn't technically mean an Imperial Guardsman, but instead could be any kind of person with a military background or training.