Deathwatch: Kill Team Unofficial Expansion

[Sir Konrad 0]

Hello RPers.

I got Deathwatch a while back. It is awesome. However, not everyone in my group is content being space marines and would to play as other races and make teams of xenos, like Eldar/Tau/CSM and so forth. While I like playing as Deathwatch, and the amazing customisation available for each, I thought that it wasn't actually a bad idea and that it seemed feasible.

So. Kill Team, the name of my proposed unofficial expansion to Deathwatch that includes xenos and heretics as playable characters. The most obvious problem is that there are not any rules for these as PCs, and it would require considerable testing and inventing of suitable classes and skills for them to fit in. The other problem is: what if not everyone wants to play as the same faction - can there be a kill team of different races?

My proposed solution to the latter problem is simple. RP as a mercenary or raider band.

What are your thoughts on the matter of introducing new races to Deathwatch? Is it possible?

Here is my little write-up introduction to Kill Team RPG.

Welcome to an age of war. Across the untold millions of world that form the Imperium, thousands die daily. Much of the galaxy is a brutal and lawless place, where Imperial rule is just a theory, a name and has no power. Throughout the vast expanses, around the Halo Stars, in the webway and on Holy Terra itself all are aware that the Imperium stands on the brink of cataclysm. Ten millennia of war have worn down defences, seen shrines cast down and entire craftworlds destroyed. Each day sees further suffering, ruthless intrigues and violent raiders making their riches from the law abiding citizens of Imperial worlds.

You and your followers are at the very heart of this; Jericho Reach. Eldar and Chaos spew forth from the Well of Night, an ancient Warp Gate; to the east Hive Fleet Dagon advances of the worlds of man. To the south Mal’caor Shi Tau Fleet advances on the Greyhell Front and the feral worlds of Barbaran and the frontier world of Pellor. From the Black Reef and Iron Collar, ork hords amass, forming a Waagh!, that could tear Jericho Reach apart. And amongst it all are the solid and resolute watch stations of the Deathwatch, the Imperium’s finest xenos-killing force.

The question now is: will you stand and fight for the Imperium, or will you push for its inevitable fall? With your kill team the balance of power in Jericho Reach, and greater Imperium is at your fingertips.

Factions

Dark Eldar; Eldar; CSM; Deathwatch; Orks; Tau; Imperial Guard; Rogue Trader (easy to convert from the actual Rogue Trader book, I should think).

Has anyone thought about adding other races? Or has anyone made another RPG that has the option to play as different races? Any ideas and comments or even help would be appreciated.

[Charmander2 6]

Sir Konrad said:

Hello RPers.

I got Deathwatch a while back. It is awesome. However, not everyone in my group is content being space marines and would to play as other races and make teams of xenos, like Eldar/Tau/CSM and so forth. While I like playing as Deathwatch, and the amazing customisation available for each, I thought that it wasn't actually a bad idea and that it seemed feasible.

So. Kill Team, the name of my proposed unofficial expansion to Deathwatch that includes xenos and heretics as playable characters. The most obvious problem is that there are not any rules for these as PCs, and it would require considerable testing and inventing of suitable classes and skills for them to fit in. The other problem is: what if not everyone wants to play as the same faction - can there be a kill team of different races?

My proposed solution to the latter problem is simple. RP as a mercenary or raider band.

What are your thoughts on the matter of introducing new races to Deathwatch? Is it possible?

Here is my little write-up introduction to Kill Team RPG.

Welcome to an age of war. Across the untold millions of world that form the Imperium, thousands die daily. Much of the galaxy is a brutal and lawless place, where Imperial rule is just a theory, a name and has no power. Throughout the vast expanses, around the Halo Stars, in the webway and on Holy Terra itself all are aware that the Imperium stands on the brink of cataclysm. Ten millennia of war have worn down defences, seen shrines cast down and entire craftworlds destroyed. Each day sees further suffering, ruthless intrigues and violent raiders making their riches from the law abiding citizens of Imperial worlds.

You and your followers are at the very heart of this; Jericho Reach. Eldar and Chaos spew forth from the Well of Night, an ancient Warp Gate; to the east Hive Fleet Dagon advances of the worlds of man. To the south Mal’caor Shi Tau Fleet advances on the Greyhell Front and the feral worlds of Barbaran and the frontier world of Pellor. From the Black Reef and Iron Collar, ork hords amass, forming a Waagh!, that could tear Jericho Reach apart. And amongst it all are the solid and resolute watch stations of the Deathwatch, the Imperium’s finest xenos-killing force.

The question now is: will you stand and fight for the Imperium, or will you push for its inevitable fall? With your kill team the balance of power in Jericho Reach, and greater Imperium is at your fingertips.

Factions

Dark Eldar; Eldar; CSM; Deathwatch; Orks; Tau; Imperial Guard; Rogue Trader (easy to convert from the actual Rogue Trader book, I should think).

Has anyone thought about adding other races? Or has anyone made another RPG that has the option to play as different races? Any ideas and comments or even help would be appreciated.

Are you looking to merge all these races into one team, or are you looking for a way to play as a mongrel band of outsiders?  If it's the first, I advise against it- while the Deathwatch may work with xenos from time to time to accomplish a particular goal, they're not going to allow one within their number.  They're also never going to stand side by side, willingly, with the forces of Chaos. 

If it's the second, I'd suggest picking up Rogue Trader, as it covers many of the other races.  That sounds, to me, like more of the game to play non-humans.  Rather than spending time up-converting characters and races to be on a level of a DW marine (keeping in mind that a starting Guardsman has already been written, and is going to be 14k xp behind a starting Marine.  RTs are also invented, as are Ork Freebooters, as are Dark Eldar, as are CSM, as are some Eldar and Tau).  I'm not trying to crap on your parade, and like the idea of playing non-humans myself, but between the DW 'system' and the location (the reach, a warzone) it doesn't seem like the right place for it.

A last note, "Kill Team" is typically a military or inquisitorial designation for a band of fighters, so it doesn't apply super cleanly to mercs or raiders.

[Siranui 2]

 It might make sense for the DW to buddy up with xenos, but part of the point of 40k humanity is that it's too rigid in philosophy and xenophobic to do so [ie too stupid for its own good]. that's the foolish tragedy of humans in 40k: If they buddied up with the Tau and Eldar, they could wipe the galaxy clean, but they don't because they're bigoted maniacs.

[boruta666 2]

if humanity would allied with the eldar (and listen to that arrogant egomaniacs lies), well in short time u have no humanity at all except slaves in dark eldar pits and billions of human corpses on every eldar battlefield.

if humanity would join greater good u would have Tau empire and human death/workcamps.

Reason why we all love grimdark.

[Charmander2 6]

boruta666 said:

if humanity would allied with the eldar (and listen to that arrogant egomaniacs lies), well in short time u have no humanity at all except slaves in dark eldar pits and billions of human corpses on every eldar battlefield.

if humanity would join greater good u would have Tau empire and human death/workcamps.

Reason why we all love grimdark.

Alliance doesn't equate to slavery. 

Humanity fears what you list, and that's the reason why it won't ally themselves with xenos.  40k changes all the time though, and sometimes the Eldar appear like the good guys and Humanity the jerks, and it's the other way around at other times.  Either way though the races are mostly in it for themselves, which helps to prevent large scale alliances.

That all said, temporary alliances and pacts DO form, and are discussed in fluff with regularity (which I think is what the OP is talking about).  The Inquisition, however, is less likely to ally themselves than a RT is, and the DW will not ally itself with certain folks, such as Chaos.  The road to hell though, right?  Some individuals within the DW may think it clever to try and outsmart the CSMs by pretending to ally with them in an attempt to get something from them, but that isn't likely to end well (with betrayal or a summary execution)