This is the first of many designer diaries that present a number of my thoughts (and those of others on the Deathwatch

design team!) about the Deathwatch RPG. In these designer diaries, my intention is to make a solid connection with the f ans of the game, present new and exciting information about the Deathwatch line, and have a little fun while doing so. I look at each designer diary as a personal letter from me to a fellow gamer, so meone who enjoys roleplaying and the grim darkness of the far future that is the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Deathwatch: A New Challenge As a long-time fan of all things Warhammer 40,000, the opportunity to create a r oleplaying game centred on the Space Marines of the Deathwatch was something I a bsolutely could not pass up! I knew that this particular game was going to prese nt a number of big challenges, but I wasn t daunted by that. Becoming a Space Marine One of the first challenges that needed to be met was to identify and emphasise the elements of a Space Marine s personality and bring that into the game. The Spa ce Marines are elite warriors, amongst the deadliest in the galaxy but that is not the entire story. Roleplaying as a Space Marine presents a unique test: Space M arines are more than human, larger-than-life figures more akin to the heroes of the Trojan War and the Odyssey than to Inquisitional Acolytes or a Rogue Trader and his companions. Some Space Marines are epic individuals who will risk all fo r a matter of honour, others are philosophers and tragic figures, full of passio n and regret. However you choose to interpret these ideas, it is important to no te that the Space Marines chosen for the Deathwatch are nuanced, complex charact ers. Deathwatch supports this unique roleplaying experience with its varied themes, s tyles of play, and some special mechanics (more on this will be revealed in the weeks to come!). Styles of Play One of the things I knew very early on was that Deathwatch needed to provide sty les of play that would encourage roleplaying and story-building during the game. There are a number of ways to experience the game that lend themselves to Death watch and focus on the different kinds of adventures the Game Master might like to run. None of these approaches are exclusive, of course, and they can be mixed and matched as required by the GM s plot. Here are some example styles of play (f rom the mind of the talented Owen Barnes) that are well-suited to Deathwatch cha racters: The Emperor's Finest Space Marines are, by their nature and design, most commonly found where the fig hting is the thickest. Bred for war and trained to excel in all aspects of battl e, Battle-Brothers fit easily into adventures that focus on lots of combat. Thes e often take the form of military missions where the characters find themselves sent in to destroy targets, complete objectives, and bring glory to the Emperor

by vanquishing his foes. While there are many permutations and variations on the military theme and the idea of an elite group of warriors tasked with special o rders, they all share the common goal of annihilating the enemy, usually in a ha il of bolter shells and plasma bolts. Military-themed games also often focus on single actions and objectives in the greater scheme of Imperial strategy. While the Imperial battlefleet rains orbital barrages from above and the Imperia l Guard swarm across the blasted landscape, the Deathwatch Kill-team moves betwe en the flames and shadows to strike at critical times and places. Against a back drop of ash, blood, and ruin, the Battle-Brothers wade through the carnage aloof and elite, aware of their unique role in the tide of battle. Such games can als o see the characters swept up in ongoing Imperial campaigns and dispatched from world to world or warzone to warzone at the whim of unseen commanders and battle -hungry generals. This could see them storming a lunar defence platform, followe d by a low-orbit insertion into a jungle warzone before being conveyed by Thunde rhawk gunship to a beach landing on the other side of the planet. The advantage of military-style games is that they are easy to start and finish, existing only within the parameters of the mission and with the benefit of the Imperial war machine to ferry, supply, and brief the characters without the need for them to find their own way around the galaxy or shop for replacement weapon s or ammo. Inquisitorial Involvement While the Deathwatch are drawn from the Adeptus Astartes, they also work closely with the Ordo Xenos. They are an elite force within the Imperial war machine, b ut, they have a special place within the structure of the Inquisition dedicated to the eradication of a specific enemy of the Imperium. Games that feature the i nvolvement of the Inquisition are likely to be more subtle and detailed than tho se in which the Kill-team is facing the foes of humanity in open battle. This ca n mean accompanying an Inquisitor and his servants into the depths of a hive wor ld, some ancient and forgotten alien ruins, or the shadowy corridors of a space hulk, far from the support of the Imperial armies, where the Kill-team must rely upon their own skills to survive and protect their allies. Even the most arrogant Inquisitor knows, however, that petitioning a Watch Comma nder for the aid of a Kill-team is not to be done lightly. When the Battle-Broth ers join such a mission, they can be sure it is because the Inquisitor and his f ollowers are counting on their strength of arms. Another exciting and interestin g aspect of working for the Inquisition is the moral ambiguity it can create, le ading the Battle-Brothers to question their allegiances and even their own view of Emperor s will. The advantage of games with Inquisitorial involvement is that it allows both the GM and players to explore some of the darker and more shrouded aspects of the I mperium as well as better understand their own role in such affairs and the shar pened blade of the Ordo Xenos. Envoys, Emissaries and Assassins The size, skills, and flexibility of a Deathwatch Kill-team mean they often find themselves in situations unique to the Adeptus Astartes. Often, at the behest o f a Watch Captain or an Inquisitor, a Kill-team may be dispatched as part of an envoy to a wayward Imperial world or even an alien empire, either alone or as pa rt of an Imperial emissary s entourage. This can serve a number of purposes, such as making a show of force, keeping lesser Imperial servants in line, or even hon ouring an ally with the presence of Adeptus Astartes representatives. In this ca pacity, Battle-Brothers may have to use their tongues rather than their boltguns to influence proceedings.

Alternatively, a Kill-team may find itself operating on the fringes of Imperial space, particularly where it borders aggressive xenos races. Dropped onto fledgl ing worlds, the Kill-team s presence can rally the local human population against invaders and alien subversion. Where an army may fail, a small group of Space Ma rines can often turn the tide. Just as even a single Space Marine has the power to bolster the courage and faith of a world, so to can he be used to destroy it. Working without support for months or even years, Kill-teams deployed to alien worlds or Imperial worlds tainted by xenos dominance can wreak terrible havoc. A ppearing as monsters from the dark, the black-armoured giants strike against lea dership and military infrastructure, fighting tirelessly until the world's civil isation collapses under the weight of its own fear and confusion. Games where the Battle-Brothers take up the mantle of envoys, emissaries, or ass assins offer a different kind of experience to pure combat missions and a challe nge for the Kill-team (a fearsome combat unit) to complete its goals and objecti ves without resorting to bolters and chainswords (at least not right away). Onward, Battle-Brothers! Join me next week as I pull back the curtain a bit and talk about the Space Mari ne Chapters featured in Deathwatch. Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-e ngineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothe rs, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer. -----------------------One of the greatest challenges I faced when developing Deathwatch was finding th e right answer to a simple question: What Space Marine Chapters should be includ ed in the core rulebook? The Deathwatch is a unique opportunity to showcase the differences between the c ore beliefs, traditions, and gene-seeds of the various Space Marine Chapters, an d there is no better way to showcase that than to focus on some of the most famo us and distinct Space Marine Chapters in Warhammer 40,000. In the background of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, there are a large number of interesting and unique Space Marine Chapters. Working with Games Workshop, we se lected six of these Chapters for the Deathwatch Core Rulebook, but there are man y more that await in future supplements for the Deathwatch line. I myself am qui te a fan of the Space Marines, so I know that there are a lot of fans out there who are waiting with bated breath to see their particular favourite Chapter for Deathwatch. In addition to that, it is a long-held tradition for Space Marine fans to create their own Chapters, or develop successor Chapters from some of the more famous and well-established ones in the Warhammer 40,000 lore. You can be sure that a t horough and extensive create-your-own-Chapter section is planned for the Deathwa tch line in the future! I am pleased to reveal the first of these Chapters in this Designer diary: The S pace Wolves.

The Sons of Russ

The Space Wolves are a personal favourite of mine. These fierce il from the icy Death World of Fenris, and they are a proud and heir battle-lust tempered by cunning. Even in the grim darkness e, there can still be heroes, and amongst their number you will fury of the Space Wolves. Here are some words from the talented e about these Space Marines and their role in the Deathwatch:

Space Marines ha noble Chapter, t of the far futur find the savage pen of Andy Hoar

We may be few, and our enemies many. Yet so long as there remains one of us still fighting, one who still rages in the name of justice and truth, then by the All father, the galaxy shall yet know hope. Ragnar Blackmane of the Space Wolves Since the Imperium came into being, the Space Wolves have fought tooth and nail for the cause of the Emperor. Amongst the most famous of the Chapters of the Ade ptus Astartes, their sagas are told from one end of the galaxy to the other. As headstrong as they are fierce, the Space Wolves excel at close-quarters fighting , their warriors vying keenly for glory on the field of battle. The Space Wolves live to fight, and death holds no fear for them. The Battle-Brothers of the Space Wolves are ferocious and aggressive warriors. T hough far from mindless berserkers, they are certainly possessed of a feral exub erance for battle. They have an overriding sense of duty and honour, and are dri ven ever onwards by a strong desire to right the many wrongs that have befallen the Imperium of Man since the heady days of the Great Crusade. Space Wolves exhi bit a fierce sense of loyalty to their comrades in arms and this is on occasion extended to their compatriots in other branches of the Imperium s military. Although as devoted to the Emperor as any other Space Marine Chapter, the Space Wolves express their faith not in prayer and piety, but in feats of arms. While the Battle-Brothers of other Chapters may spend the night before battle in solem n meditation, the Space Wolves are more likely to mark the eve of battle in bawd y celebration, raising overflowing jacks of Fenrisian ale to brothers they may b e mourning once battle is done. A Space Wolf will drink and make merry, for tomo rrow, he may die. In temperament, most Space Wolves are blunt and plain speaking, even to the poin t of giving offence to those not used to their ways. They abhor pretension and d espise politicking. They are honest to a fault, and expect the same quality in t hose they fight alongside. Space Wolves embrace their lot with an uncomplicated enthusiasm, from the headstrong, newly recruited Blood Claw to the grey haired a nd taciturn Long Fang. Each plays the role fate lays before him, knowing that a life spent in service to the Emperor is a life well lived. In the face of an enemy attack, a Space Wolf bounds forward like a Fenrisian wol f on the hunt, a joyous song of war on his lips.

In the Deathwatch Many Space Wolves have served in the Deathwatch, and some of the most celebrated Battle-Brothers are drawn from the Chapter. Their propensity to engage the foe head on has led to many great victories, even if none outside of the Deathwatch ever hear of them. Though many Space Wolves have been elevated to the rank of Wa tch Captain in the Deathwatch, comparatively few have served as Watch Commanders . It is likely that this is due to the brothers natural gregariousness, and their desire to return to the great feasting halls of Fenris once their duty is done. -----------------------------

Just thinking of the term Space Marine Chapter brings to mind a host of images, fr om the colonnaded halls of Macragge (for the Ultramarines) to the cavernous dept hs of the Rock (for the Dark Angels) to serried ranks of Adeptus Astartes prepar ing for battle and chanting a prayer to their Primarch. During the development o f Deathwatch, I felt it very important to get all the details right for the Spac e Marine Chapters it would be vital to make sure the reader understood just how im portant the Chapter s history, traditions, beliefs, and gene-seed are to each Batt le-Brother who wears that Chapter s heraldry. The Chapter looms large in the life of all Space Marines. In the Deathwatch, it is a unique situation where you have several Space Marines working together who are all from quite different Chapters, each of whom is used to going about thing s in some very different ways! One of my greatest resources for working with the deep and complex lore of Space Marines is Games Workshop. Getting a chance to ask questions and have involved discussions about all things Space Marine with the very people who created them made an incredible impact on the development of Deathwatch. In fact, I am pleased to present a special bonus for this week s designer diary, s traight from the pen of Alan Merrett, Head of Intellectual Property for Games Wo rkshop: Genesis of the Space Marines Sometime in 1985 (in the summer I think) Citadel Miniatures (the miniatures bran ch of Games Workshop) released a curious science-fiction warrior under the title LE2 Imperial Space Marine with the intention of testing the market for a subject th at wasn t a traditional fantasy model. Fantasy absolutely dominated the world of h obby gaming and miniature figures in the early 80 s, science-fiction games and min iatures rated a poor second at best. The model was unencumbered by any fictional narrative or game rules it was just a stand-alone white metal model. We were th erefore understandably cautious about the impact LE2 would have and our expectat ions for it were quite modest. These expectations were quickly surpassed by the unprecedented demand we faced for the model when we released it. In fact so popu lar did it prove that we immediately set about commissioning a complete set of Sp ace Marines which lead to August 1986 and the release of Citadel s C100 Imperial Mar ines . Remember this was more than a year before the release of Warhammer 40,000 Ro gue Trader . The release of that seminal product was accompanied by the first Space Marine pl astic miniatures (the ultra-famous boxed set RTB01 designed by Jes Goodwin and A ly Morrison) and firmly cemented the Space Marines at the heart of the human str uggle to survive in the dystopian war-torn universe of the far future. It is a p osition they have been unwont to relinquish every since.

The Ultramarines It is difficult to talk about Space Marines without referencing the venerable an d famous Ultramarines. This heroic Chapter has its home in the realm of Ultramar , an empire of beautiful and prosperous worlds acting as a bulwark on the Easter n Fringe of the Imperium. The Ultramarines are noble and devoted warriors who ha ve turned back the enemies of the Emperor time and again over the course of thei r much-honoured history. Here are some words from the talented pen of Andy Hoare about these Space Marines and their role in the Deathwatch: We follow in the footsteps of Guilliman. As it is written in the Codex, so shall

it be. Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines Of all the thousand and more Space Marine Chapters, it is the blue-clad Ultramar ines that, in the mind of the countless billions of the Emperor s subjects, person ify everything that the Adeptus Astartes stands for. The Ultramarines and their many successor Chapters have stood at the very forefront of the war against the traitor, the alien, and the fiend since the very foundation of the Imperium. Acr oss the domains of the Emperor, the Ultramarines are recognised as heroic, virtu ous, and noble defenders of Humanity, their deeds celebrated in devotional works the length and breadth of the galaxy. Even amongst the Space Marine Chapters themselves, the Ultramarines occupy a pos ition of special honour. The gene-seed from which the original Ultramarines Legi on was founded is considered the purest, and it is estimated that some two-third s of Chapters share their inheritance, being either direct successors or created from tithed Ultramarines genetic material. This shared inheritance often ensure s that when the Ultramarines go to war, they are supported by many other Chapter s, and that when Space Marine commanders gather to consider common strategy, the counsel of the Ultramarines is greatly valued. Often, the presence of even a sm all number of Ultramarines units in a larger military undertaking will ensure th e participation of many more Chapters, so highly are the sons of Roboute Guillim an held in their brothers esteem. In all of their duties, from battle to study, the Ultramarines are thorough, ana lytical, and attentive to every detail. They are slow to anger and rarely make a rash decision. By constant recourse to the articles of faith enshrined within t he Codex Astartes, the Ultramarines are able to face any eventuality with well-p ractised battle drills and established doctrine.

In their dealings with Battle-Brothers from other Chapters, Ultramarines often f ulfil the role of facilitator and peacemaker. While the Battle-Brothers of some Chapters display extremes of character, from hotheaded to taciturn, the Ultramar ines are balanced in their approach, and often able to broker agreements between wildly differing points of view. This is evidenced in the fact that a high prop ortion of Deathwatch leaders are drawn from the Ultramarines and their successor s, a fact that has more to do with their outlook and character than it does with their numerical superiority. ------------------------------This week I d like to take a short break from talking about Space Marine Chapters and instead talk about the Jericho Reach, a war-torn region of space that is the setting for Deathwatch. During the development of Project Iceberg (the codename f or Deathwatch), one thing I was very interested in was providing an opportunity for Space Marines of the Deathwatch to face some truly iconic and classic foes. This meant we could set Deathwatch in a completely different region of space tha n the Calixis Sector or the Koronus Expanse. Welcome to the Eastern Fringe The Jericho Reach lies far on the Eastern Fringe of the Imperium, a place that h as been all but forgotten but now lies at the center of an Imperial Crusade to r econquer its territory...for within the Jericho Reach lies a singular prize; an ancient and mysterious warp gate that links it to the other side of the galaxy.

Author John French explains some of the themes and ideas behind the Jericho Rea ch: Against a bloody background One of the first things that was decided about the Jericho Reach (named by a cer tain Mr. Andy Hoare) was that it was going to be dominated by war and conflict. Deathwatch is, after all, a game about the Adeptus Astartes, the Emperor s finest warriors and so we needed a war; a big one. We envisaged a portion of space swar ming with the enemies of mankind, where forces clashed in every environment and circumstance imaginable. How we would make the Jericho Reach a suitably war torn crucible of nightmares w as answered by the first piece of development direction we were given: we would plough a Imperial Crusade into it. With this key point settled it followed that we would view the Reach from the point of view of the Imperial Crusade forces: its topography would be made up of salients and war zones, its notable figures woul d be war leaders and heroes, and where the forces of the Crusade have yet to ext end are its places of mystery and possibility. This Imperial campaign became known as the Achillus Crusade. Once named, the Ach illus Crusade quickly began to gather ideas and possibilities to it. Many of the se early ideas fought their way to the front and became part of the Jericho Reac h as it is revealed in Deathwatch, some perished in fire, and still others burie d themselves in shadows and waited for a future time to be revealed. Here are so me that made it: A War of Reconquest It was decided early on that the Jericho Reach had once been part of the Imperiu m; the Jericho Sector in fact. It was long ago abandoned to darkness, and the en emies of mankind took it for their own. We wanted to create a deliberate sense t hat the Imperium was returning to an area it had once known, but that had change d greatly over the intervening years and made less than it once was. One of the ways we engendered this feeling was to create worlds still inhabited by human po pulations that had successfully survived the isolation from the Imperium. Some r emained loyal, but others had long ago been corrupted and now were entirely resi stant to this Imperial reconquest. The Three Salients Rather than dividing up the Jericho Reach into sub-sectors, or similar regions, it is divided between the Crusade's main staging zone (known as the Iron Collar) and the three primary salients of advance through the Reach. We wanted each salient to have a character of its own, with each facing a differ ent dominant foe and set of circumstances. Each part of the Crusade has differen t character and plot threads woven into its background, making them more like su b-settings in their own right. The Canis Salient is the oldest and largest group of warzones and has clashed head on with the forces of Tau Expansion in a battl e between two forces of conquest competing for resources and territory. The Ache ros salient is characterised by a bloody war of attrition against the forces of Chaos which have encysted in the central worlds of the Jericho Reach. The Orpheu s salient has become fragmented, its lines of communication and support overexte nded; all of which have made matters infinitely worse when a Tyranid hive fleet hit it in the flank. Ancient Duties and Divided Agendas The Deathwatch have their own agendas and keep their own council. The Achillus C

rusade may be the cause for war on a massive scale, but it is not the reason tha t the Deathwatch are in the Jericho Reach. Nor do the Deathwatch answer to the c ommand of the Crusade; they may aide the Crusade forces when the agendas of both coincide, but do not function as not part of the Crusade war machine. Most of t he Imperial units outside of the senior Crusade commanders do not even know what the Deathwatch are, let alone that they have any presence in the Jericho Reach. We divided the power and agendas in this way so that the Deathwatch player chara cters could potentially go anywhere in the Jericho Reach, fight as part of any c onflict, and still follow their own narrative rather than that of the Crusade. T he roleplay possibilities of conflicts between the Crusade command and the Death watch were also too good of an opportunity to pass up. This divide between the Achillus Crusade and the Deathwatch also helped us empha sise the nature of the Deathwatch in this setting: they serve a higher purpose a s watchmen who guard against enemies and possibilities even greater than those t he Crusade must face. There is something alien and strange about the Jericho Rea ch; something dark, foul and perhaps even sinister. After all, the Deathwatch ar e here and there must be a good reason for that. I could tell you more, sharing what I know of the Omega Vault and the unfolding pattern that leads into a darker future. I would, but at my back I sense the Mas ter of the Vigil drawing near, and the cold gaze of the secret keepers and so I must say nothing more. Forward, Battle-Brothers! ---------------------------------Working on Deathwatch was not only a dream come true for a 40K fan like myself, it was also a great opportunity to dig deep into the rich background of the grim darkness of the far future and get well-acquainted with the particular beliefs and traditions of the various Chapters that are involved with the Deathwatch. During the development of Deathwatch, I knew we would need to make each Chapter feel special and distinct. There are many mechanics built into the game that acc omplish this goal, and among them was a decision to create Chapter-specific adva nce tables. I took a selection of advances and made them available to all Space Marines of that Chapter, regardless of any other factors, and in this way presen ted an opportunity for that Chapter to be more distinct and different from the o thers. For example, due to their nature, the Dark Angels have access to certain forbidden lore that most other Chapters do not! Furthermore, each Chapter has ac cess to certain specific abilities including (but not limited to) Talents reserved f or them alone. One of the key elements of the Deathwatch RPG is the idea of these different cha pters working together as a team to accomplish the most dangerous special missio ns against unspeakable threats.

Among the many Chapters of Space Marines, few are more iconic and famous than th e Dark Angels. Plus, the opportunity to present the age-old rivalry between them and the Space Wolves is simply too awesome not to include! The redoubtable Andy Hoare provides us with a glimpse into this secretive Chapter, below: The Dark Angels Repent, for tomorrow you die! Battle cry of the Dark Angels Chapter

The Dark Angels stand first amongst the Space Marine Chapters, as they have done since their very inception. Theirs is a proud Chapter, with traditions and ritu als that date back to the earliest days of the Imperium. The origins of the Dark Angels Chapter are shrouded in mystery, however. Few records of its beginnings exist, nor are there many mentions of the part it played in the Emperor s Great Cr usade. Most references in the histories of the Imperium to its deeds during the accursed times of the Horus Heresy have been expunged. But yet, a legend persist s that at one point the Dark Angels teetered on the very brink of heresy and tha t an act of the most terrible betrayal discredited all of the Chapter s feats of v alour, leaving an enduring stain upon the Chapter s honour. Such is their shame th at from that time onwards, the Dark Angels have borne the mark of the Unforgiven and must strive for absolution from the sins of millennia past. Their terrible secret is that during the Horus Heresy, some of their brethren tu rned to the side of Chaos. The renegades were defeated in a battle that destroye d the Dark Angels home world, Caliban, but many of the traitor Dark Angels surviv ed to be cast through space and time by the intervention of the Chaos Gods. Thes e survivors are known to those few Dark Angels granted knowledge of their existe nce as The Fallen. In the eyes of the Chapter s leaders, there is only one way tha t the Chapter can ever atone for its shame, restoring its honour and trust in th e eyes of the Emperor: that is, if all of the Fallen are found and either made t o repent, or slain. The Chapter has been shaped by its dark past and is secretive and monastic in na ture, with much time given over to worship and prayer. There are many different levels within the Chapter which individuals may gradually rise through. On attai ning each new level, they are granted a little more knowledge of the truth behin d the Dark Angels origins, but only the highest-ranking members of the Chapter kn ow the terrible, shameful secret of what occurred ten thousand years ago. Although only the upper echelons of the Chapter are aware of the awful truth of the Dark Angels past, even those newly recruited are possessed of a secretive, ev en introverted nature. The idea that outsiders are not to be trusted is drilled into the recruits from an early stage, and they are tested continuously to ensur e their compliance until it becomes second nature. After all, a brother who cann ot be entirely trusted to keep the Chapter s secrets is unlikely to advance throug h its ranks.

Although the Dark Angels have fought beside all of the branches of the Imperium s vast military machine, they prefer to stand alone. Many, even brother Astartes, find the Dark Angels aloof and uncommunicative. The Dark Angels, for their part are impatient and unforgiving with strangers who pry into their affairs. In trut h, those Dark Angels who are aware of the existence of the Fallen are ever watch ful for any sign of their activity, and will abandon whatever mission they are a bout should they gain any clue that one is nearby. In theory, even a Dark Angel seconded to the Deathwatch could go off mission in this manner, although the annal s of Watch Fortress Erioch do not relate any such incident taking place. Despite their Chapter s tendency towards seclusion, many Dark Angels have served w ith distinction and honour in the Deathwatch. Their taciturn nature and stubborn refusal to accept anything other than total victory over their foes has served the Deathwatch well, and several noted Watch Commanders are drawn from the Chapt er. These keep in close contact with one another, coordinating the efforts of th e Deathwatch across entire sectors of the Imperium. Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Join me next week as we reveal the fourth Chapter for the Deathwatch and discuss more about the mechanics of this action-packed roleplaying game! ---------------------------------One thing about creating a new game in a setting that you love: sometimes it is difficult to be patient! I am really looking forward to going more in-depth with details about the setting, the new mechanics, and all the other great stuff you will find inside the Deathwatch RPG. In the upcoming weeks I (and the other mem bers of the Project Iceberg design team) will have a lot to say about such things as Renown, Power Armour Histories, Missions, Watch Fortress Erioch, the Omega Va ult, and much, much more. The Crusade in the Jericho Reach musters troops from across the galaxy, and no C rusade would be complete without Space Marines from the Black Templars Chapter. A successor Chapter to the Imperial Fists, the Black Templars have a long and gl orious record of engaging the foes of Man in fierce assaults. These solemn and z ealous Battle-Brothers bring faith and fury to the Deathwatch, and author Andy H oare tells us more about who they are below:

The Black Templars To the darkness, I bring fire. To the ignorant, I bring faith. Those who welcome these gifts may live, but I will visit naught but death and eternal damnation on those who refuse them. Chaplain Grimaldus After the Great Heresy, Rogal Dorn, primarch of the Imperial Fists, resisted the breaking up of the Legions into smaller Chapters. It was only when the Imperial Fists were branded heretics that Dorn relented, allowing his beloved Legion to be subdivided into Chapters. One of the new Chapters born of this time was the B lack Templars. To prove his loyalty to the Emperor, the first Chapter Master of the Black Templ ars the High Marshal Sigismund assembled a massive war fleet and began the greatest Space Marine Crusade in the history of the Imperium. It has lasted for 10,000 ye ars. Eschewing the establishment of a home world, the Black Templars took to the star s in a mighty war fleet. Rather than constructing a single Chapter fortress-mona stery as most Space Marine Chapters do, the Black Templars determined to establi sh a chapter keep upon each world they conquered, to keep watch for treachery, t o stage future Crusades, and to recruit new Battle-Brothers. The ten-millennia-long Crusade of the Black Templars has seen its warriors embro iled in some of the most momentous conflicts ever to engulf the Imperium. The Hi gh Marshals have followed the example of their founder and taken the fight to th e realms of the alien, the heretic, and the witch. The Black Templars are crusad ers, holy warriors battling to bring the truth and light of the Emperor to the u nconquered worlds of the galaxy. With bolt shell and chainsword, the Black Templ ars convert the benighted to the light of the Master of Mankind and destroy thos e who refuse to welcome his truth. Each Crusade is directed by the will of the M arshal in command, and each is despatched by the decree of the High Marshal of t he Black Templars to fulfil their prime mission to cleanse the stars.

When not engaged in battle, the brethren of the Black Templars are invariably to

be found preparing for it. They pass their time in prayer and meditation, or en gaged in exacting training rituals. Those Initiates entrusted with the training of a Neophyte spend long hours passing on their knowledge to their young pupil a nd supervising endless drills, practice sessions, and trials. The brethren frequ ently impose upon themselves many hardships, foregoing all but the bare necessit ies in order to purify themselves in the eyes of the Emperor and their primarch, and to emulate the example of their founder Sigismund. When serving alongside the Battle-Brothers of other Space Marine Chapters, many Black Templars prepare themselves through long fasts and week-long vigils in ord er to tolerate the presence of Space Marine librarians. For those who serve in t he Deathwatch, fighting alongside a brother Space Marine who wields psychic powe r is a particular hardship, a trial they must undergo in order to serve the Empe ror more fully and to strike down the hated alien. For this reason, great care i s undertaken when selecting a Black Templar for secondment to the Deathwatch, fo r only a brother able to contain his deep-seated intolerance will be able to fig ht to his full capacity. Despite this, even these individuals are likely to pass every hour not spent fighting in deep contemplation and prayer, often cloisteri ng themselves away from their fellow Deathwatch Space Marines in a personal shri ne to the Emperor, Dorn, and Sigismund. ------------------------------------My name is Ross Watson, and I am the Senior RPG Developer in charge of Deathwatc h. When I sat down to think about how to approach the Deathwatch RPG, one of the foremost things on my mind was the interaction between characters. The player c haracters would all be Space Marines, of course, but what is the foundation of a Space Marine? The answer is simple: nothing is more core and central to a Space Marine than his Chapter; it s beliefs, traditions, and experiences wrought by the Chapter s Primarch, its battle history, and much, much more. Once I saw that the bedrock of a Space Marine is built upon his Chapter, it was easy to see that the Deathwatch RPG needed to present to the reader a set of the most distinctive and iconic Space Marine Chapters in all of Warhammer 40,000. B y selecting these particular Chapters, the players would be able to understand w here their characters came from and what guides them into the future. Because ea ch of these iconic Chapters is greatly different from each other, they present a wealth of opportunities for great roleplaying and stories that the players can tell about their particular characters. Within his home Chapter, each Battle-Bro ther knows the members of his squad and his company very well, having campaigned with them for decades or even centuries of war against the Emperor s enemies. Tha t all changes, however, upon being seconded to the Deathwatch...the Battle-Broth er is suddenly placed with strangers, some of whom may turn out to be friends, r ivals, or even both! This direction informed every aspect of Deathwatch. A Blood Angel, for example, will have a particular way of doing things, and that should be represented in ho w he leads his Kill-team on a mission. Likewise, a Space Wolf would have a very different outlook on many subjects, and this would create some fantastic gateway s for some really interesting stories and roleplaying. What you will find in Deathwatch is that every Chapter has their own individual flavour that is represented in a number of ways, from Special Abilities and Adva nce Tables to special Demeanours and other abilities, depending on whether that Space Marine is acting as an individual or working with the other Battle-Brother s of his Kill-team...but perhaps I have said too much, at least for now! I depended a lot on the writers of Project Iceberg to bring across the special nat ure of each Chapter so that the reader would gain a deep understanding about wha t the Chapter stands for and what a Space Marine of that Chapter would be like i

n the game. As an example, the designer diaries for the six Chapters in Deathwat ch are simply presenting a very small piece of the entire puzzle; much like the codename of the project itself, there is a great deal more beneath the surface! All this brings me to this week s Chapter for the Deathwatch RPG: The Blood Angels . I have a special affinity for these noble Space Marines. One of my first armie s I collected for Warhammer 40,000 was the Blood Angels, and I have followed the ir impressive exploits ever since the 1996 Games Workshop Codex, titled Angels o f Death.

Below, I am proud to present the Blood Angels Chapter, from the pen of talented Warhammer 40,000 author, Andy Hoare: The Sons of Sanguinius For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my Battle-Brother eternal. Last Line of the Invocation Initiate of the Flesh Tearers The Blood Angels are the noble descendants of that most puissant and angelic of the primarchs Sanguinius. They are perhaps one of the most celebrated Chapters in the entire Imperium, their countless heroic deeds and victories known to untold billions of the Emperor s subjects across the length and breadth of the Imperium. The beauteous, angelic visages of the Chapter s heroes adorn gothic facades and st ained glass windows in a million holy basilicas, and their portraits gaze serene ly from endlessly copied and much cherished illuminated tomes. Yet, hidden from the multitudes, the Blood Angels harbour a terrible curse. When their beloved primarch was slain at the hands of the arch-traitor Warmaster Hor us at the very height of the Horus Heresy, every Blood Angel was doomed to share a portion of the pain inflicted upon his flawless form. From that day forth, ev ery Blood Angel has been tormented by visions of the last moment of Sanguinius. The older the Space Marine gets, the more frequent and debilitating such waking nightmares become. Should he not fall in battle, every Blood Angel will one day become so consumed by these soul-searing visions that he will descend into a mad ness in which he must witness the death of Sanguinius over and over again, ever unable to intervene as the warmaster enacts his vile treachery. The very inevitability of their curse ennobles the Battle-Brothers of the Blood Angels, driving them ever onwards to a glorious death in the name of the Emperor and their primarch. Where lesser men might have surrendered to the dark urgings to shed the blood of the enemies of the Emperor, the Blood Angels have remained pure and noble for ten thousand years. Despite this, the Chapter is dying, for each year ever more of its brethren succumb to the so-called Red Thirst the desire to rend limb from limb those responsible for the death of Sanguinius, and by ex tension every enemy of the Emperor. The Blood Angels are amongst the longest-lived of all of the Space Marine Chapte rs, their gene-seed granting a vastly increased lifespan on all who possess it. It is not uncommon, therefore, for a Blood Angel to live for a millennium or mor e, if death in battle or the Red Thirst does not claim him first. These vastly e xtended life spans allow the Blood Angels to perfect their techniques in art as well as in war. They have centuries to perfect the disciplines to which they tur n their minds, and this accounts for the fact that Blood Angels armour and banner s are amongst the most ornate ever produced.

Following the example of their primarch, the Blood Angels espouse a vision of th

e galaxy in which the enemies of the Emperor can be defeated and mankind can pro gress to the life he was always fated to live. There is a deeply mystical streak in the Blood Angels doctrines, and a strong belief that things can be made bette r. After all, the Blood Angels are recruited from the scrofulous wastelanders of Baal, and if such can be transformed into a tall, proud, and handsome warrior, then there is hope for mankind yet. This belief can be seen in everything the Bl ood Angels do. They strive for perfection in all of their endeavours. Their work s of art are things of beauty and symmetry. Their martial disciplines are practi sed unceasingly. Their doctrines are permeated with a sense of mortality and the fallen greatness of Man. The beatific countenance and noble bearing of the Blood Angels is in stark contr ast to the curse they bear. While lesser warriors might become morose or fatalis tic, weighed down by the inevitability of their fate, the Blood Angels remain st oic. The Blood Angels cadre of Sanguinary Priests the equivalent of Apothecaries in other Chapters tirelessly pursue a cure to the Red Thirst. But each year, more an d more brethren succumb to it. Perhaps in an effort to hold the curse at bay, ma ny Blood Angels sleep in the same casket where their bodies were transformed fro m the ravaged Baalite wastelanders to the perfect forms they emerged as, the arc ane machinery filtering and purifying their blood as they slumber. This is even true of many Blood Angels seconded to service in the Deathwatch. Their caskets a re stored within a watch station or watch fortress, and the Blood Angel sleeps t here to heal any wounds suffered during a mission, emerging whole and unsullied once more. The quest for perfection in all they do makes Battle-Brothers from the Blood Ang els ideal warriors to serve in the Deathwatch, yet their curse becomes all the m ore terrible. A Blood Angel may find himself isolated from others of his kin whi le he serves in the Deathwatch. He appears a paragon of virtue to his fellow Dea thwatch Battle-Brothers, but by night he fights damnation alone in his cell, pra ying fervently that the curse will not claim him here, so far from his Chapter a nd the Sanguinary Priests who may aid him on his final journey. When the Red Thi rst takes hold, it can only be overcome with extreme difficulty. Forward, Battle-Brothers! ----------------------------------I know that I ve spent a lot of time over the last several weeks talking about Spa ce Marine Chapters...it is difficult to overstate just how significant a Space M arine s Chapter is to a Battle-Brother, particularly in the Deathwatch. One of the core elements of the Deathwatch is that it is the one unique place where you wi ll find numerous Space Marines from completely different Chapters serving togeth er in the same squad. A great deal of the Deathwatch RPG was built upon the foun dation of that one simple idea. The designer diaries up to this point have point ed out many of the differences between the Space Marine Chapters in the book, il lustrating what makes each one unique. One of the best things about getting the chance to build a game about the Deathw atch was a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that speaks to the heart of a lmost every Warhammer 40,000 fan; the opportunity to create a completely new Spa ce Marine Chapter. I have been a huge fan of all things 40K for over thirteen ye ars, so there was absolutely no way I would ever pass up an offer like that! I worked very closley with Games Workshop licensing manager Owen Rees to help de velop this brand-new Space Marine Chapter, taking it through the approval proces s one step at a time...from the Chapter s history to its combat doctrine and battl e cry all the way through to its heraldry and colour scheme. As a tip of the hat to original Dark Heresy creators Owen Barnes, Kate Flack, and Mike Mason, I cho se to place the new Chapter s home base upon a world in the Calixis Sector, a forb

idden planet known as Sacris. In addition to this, there were a number of Deathw atch RPG-specific details that needed to be designed as well...and many of these details will be revealed in the next few weeks. Designing this Chapter from the ground-up was a very eye-opening experience, and I learned a great deal about w hat it takes to have our brand-new Space Marine Chapter the Storm Wardens join that august group alongside such renowned Chapters as the Dark Angels, Revilers, and Sable Swords. I gained a lot of inspiration from Space Marine-centric communities like the Bol ter & Chainsword forums (particularly from the fan-made Chapter known as the Warr iors Eternal ), and from Black Library novels such as Sons of Dorn, Brothers of th e Snake, and the Horus Heresy series. During the creation of the Storm Wardens, I took a lot of notes about what I lea rned along way because I knew that I could apply these lessons towards making a th orough create-your-own-Chapter system for an upcoming Deathwatch supplement. I k now there are a lot of Warhammer 40,000 fans out there eager to see this, so it was very important to give it all the space and attention that it deserves! In a similar vein, many of these philosophies could be applied towards creating a su ccessor Chapter to one of the First Founding Chapters such as the Blood Angels a nd Ultramarines. Keep an eye on the FFG website for more information about this and more future D eathwatch products in the coming months! Without any further ado, I am deeply ho noured to be able to present for the first time, the Storm Wardens Chapter of th e Adeptus Astartes:

The Storm Wardens We are the storm! We are the fury! Lorgath Maclir at the Purging of Vigil The Storm Wardens are stoic defenders often found upon the very borders of the I mperium. Up until recently, these Space Marines focused their attention upon the great warp storms that trouble the Halo Stars region on the galaxy s western edge . There, they protect frontier worlds from the predations of xenos threats, Chao s renegades, and heretical recidivists. They are often unknown and unsung heroes to those planets they defend, for the Storm Wardens are highly insular, and the re are only a relative handful of monuments and records that celebrate their lon g list of battle honours. A bizarre twist of fate occurred in the depths of the 36th Millennium, during the Age of Apostasy an event that many hold responsible fo r the Chapter s aloof nature. The Storm Wardens lost many of the records of their founding during what later b ecame known as the Nemesis Incident in roughly 945.M36. This event began during an ill-omened joint operation involving elements of the Inquisition against the Enslaver infestation of the Steropes Cluster. It is unknown exactly what transpi red amongst Steropes cyclopean ruins, but the aftermath of this campaign forever altered the destiny of the Storm Wardens Chapter. Upon the conclusion of the Nemesis Incident, the serving Storm Warden s Chapter Ma ster, Owin Glendwyr, consulted with an Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Xenos upon a most dire decision. The Chapter Master sealed many sections of the Storm Wardens fortress-monastery by the authority of the Lords of Terra. All traces of their h istory and even the proud legacy of their heritage to one of the primarchs were destroyed or hidden away. The Storm Warden s home world of Sacris was forbidden to have greater contact with the Imperium at large.

The only sanctioned record of that time, the Liber Tempest, claims that many Sto rm Wardens were placed in hidden stasis vaults, including the Chapter Master and the entire veteran First Company. The Chapter s Dreadnoughts are the guardians of these hidden chambers, and each has taken a vow of silence, standing as mute se ntinels over these forbidden places. After the Nemesis Incident, the Chapter re-built its First Company. These honour ed Battle-Brothers know themselves as the The Inheritors , custodians of the Chapte r s honour until the day their ancestors rise from their timeless slumber. Ever since this time, the Storm Wardens have redoubled their diligence, and thei r fortress-monastery mounts sophisticated scanning technology placed reluctantly by the Adeptus Mechanicus as payment for an ancient pact. Currently, the Chapte r is led by Lorgath Maclir, a cunning strategist who constantly challenges his c aptains with tactical exercises and obsessively studies the Tactica Imperialis. Some rumours claim that Lorgath has managed to memorise these precepts of war, a n impressive feat even for a Space Marine s enhanced memory. The Cleansing of Vigil A singularly savage conflict was fought entirely underground in the tunnels bene ath the dead world of Vigil. In those lightless passages, the Storm Wardens batt led metre by bloody metre in a series of close-range firefights against the foul Slaugth and their warrior constructs. The cleansing of Vigil proved to be a cru cial test of the Chapter s resolve, as the tight quarters of the tunnels precluded the use of heavy armour and the alien forces seemed particularly adept at provo king the Storm Wardens into abandoning a cautious, methodical approach. The plan et was cleansed at last, but at the cost of many veteran Battle-Brothers. The su rvivors, however, had learned to pay closer heed to the wisdom of the Codex Asta rtes, and Chapter Master Maclir promoted many of these veterans to his honour gu ard.

While fierce upon the field of battle, Storm Wardens are no less committed to th e tenets of personal honour and obligation. Generally considered clannish and al oof even by other Space Marines, Storm Wardens prefer to remain distant from the Imperium at large. A Storm Warden is slow to make friends, but esteems and prot ects those who persevere to become companions. Amongst the Storm Wardens, one s word is his bond, and honour is paramount. The ni ght before battle is often spent in meticulous planning of tactics and strategy, sharing quiet camaraderie amongst their fellow warriors. Many of the most senio r Battle-Brothers engage in ritualised duals, the victors gaining a coveted plac e in the vanguard. Most Storm Wardens enjoy debate and crafting points to support their arguments, although some outsiders see these tendencies as quarrelsome or insubordinate. Ho wever, once a course of action has been agreed upon, a Storm Warden will set asi de any dispute and carry it out. Perhaps because of their fondness for debate or their own turbulent history, Storm Wardens have an interest in mysteries and en gimas. This curiosity has led more than a few Battle-Brothers to volunteer for t he Deathwatch. When battle begins, Storm Wardens fight with keen fervour, often seeking out an enemy champion or commander to test his skills against. ------------------------------------As a roleplayer, one thing that is very important to me during a game is to gras

p one definitive element that sets my character apart from the others, and then get a chance to really *use* that during the game. My own personal goal was to m ake sure that there was a chance for every Deathwatch character gain the spotlig ht and do something cool and memorable once in every game! This concept was behi nd the development of a mechanic in Deathwatch that we eventually named Demeanou rs. A Demeanour is a specific trait associated with a particular Space Marine. Some Demeanours are linked to the Space Marine s home Chapter the Chapter s beliefs, tradit ions, or even specific flaws in their gene-seed. Others are unique to that indiv idual Space Marine s personality. The purpose of Demeanours is to highlight what makes each Chapter and each Space M arine different. They exist in Deathwatch as a narrative prompt, meaning they pres ent options and reasons for a Space Marine player character to act a certain way or respond in a particular manner to any given circumstance. Demeanours are not a straightjacket; they do not force a character to take action. Rather, Demeano urs present the player with ideas and opportunities for the decisions he makes w hile roleplaying to have an impact on the mechanics of the game.

Two Types of Demeanours A Demeanour can be both a particular advantage for the Space Marine or a portray a challenge he must overcome, and in enduring, grow stronger. All of this means that each Deathwatch character has two Demeanours; one from his Chapter, and on e that is personal to him. The Chapter Demeanour represents the traditions and beliefs of your home Chapter . It may also represent particular quirks or mutations of their gene-seed. Your Chapter Demeanour is part of the bedrock of your character, and as such, the Cha pter Demeanour does not change after character creation. Your Personal Demeanour represents a strongly-held set of values or facet of you r personality. It may be an ideal you strive to live up to or a code of honour. However you choose to describe it, your Personal Demeanour is a powerful part of who you are and helps set you apart from the other Space Marines of your Chapte r. During the course of a Deathwatch campaign, part of the GM s role is to challenge your Personal Demeanour and test your values. Can you hold true to your beliefs in the face of utter evil or seductive temptation? It is natural that your chara cter should grow and change over time, and that should be reflected in your Pers onal Demeanour. No one knows your character better than you! Therefore, you may choose to change your Personal Demeanour at any time you feel it is appropriate. Sample Personal Demeanour: Studious The Space Marine values lore and learning, preferring to think his way through a problem.

Using Demeanours The intention behind a Space Marine s Demeanour is to provide an opportunity for t he Space Marine to gain a dramatic and highly memorable moment (a crowning moment of awesome ). The opportunity provided by the Demeanour is inextricably linked to his Chapter and his own unique strength of personality. It is his chance to put

the spotlight on just how his Chapter is different to those of his Battle-Broth ers in the Kill-team...or (just as significant) how that particular Space Marine s personality is expressed. When a Space Marine focuses on the core elements of his personality, calls on th e legacy of his geneseed, or honours the important beliefs and traditions of his Chapters, he becomes more than just another Battle-Brother. When you use your Demeanour during the game, it is known as triggering the Demeano ur. In order to trigger a Demeanour, the Space Marine player need only announce that he is doing so and apply the benefits. You can only trigger your Demeanour a total of once per game (although every Space Marine has two Demeanours, he get s the benefits only once per game, and he must select which Demeanour to trigger in this manner). When a Space Marine s Demeanour is triggered, the Space Marine gains any applicabl e benefit he would normally receive from spending a Fate Point, and in addition, he may also improve these benefits through roleplaying. The benefits of triggering the Demeanour may be enhanced if the Space Marine pla yer puts effort into roleplaying the Demeanour. The player can portray his chara cter either gaining strength from his ideals, or (alternatively) he can consider his Demeanour a particular challenge that he must somehow overcome. Gaining an improvement is simple; if the other Space Marine players agree that y our Demeanour has been roleplayed well, you gain the Improvement! Judging this c an be as simple as asking for a quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down around the table. Gaining an Improvement means that you double the bonus from the Demeanour. You c ould gain a +20 bonus to a Test instead of a +10, remove 2d5 Damage instead of 1 d5, and so forth. Even if your dice completely desert you, triggering a Demeanou r should always have something impressive happen during the game, and GM s are enc ouraged to take part; if a Triggered Demeanour results in an attack that does no damage, the enemy may instead gain a distinctive scar he will bear forevermore, for example. Forward, Battle-Brothers! Now that you ve got an idea of what Demeanours are and how they are used, next wee k I ll dive in and go over some of the ways the Project Iceberg team developed the c ore experience of Deathwatch. ------------------------------The Deathwatch is a unique organisation where Space Marines from different Chapt ers across the Imperium of Man are brought together to serve together in the sam e, small unit known as a Kill-team. When I turned this concept over in my mind, I found myself often focusing on the thought of what it must be like to be place d into that situation with complete strangers; some might become friends, others bitter rivals. The interpersonal dynamic of such a group would be fascinating. I returned again and again to the idea of learning to work together to give up the Space Wolf way to solve a problem (for one example), and instead concentrate on th e Kill-team way captured my imagination. Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch are ofte n thrust into dire situations, sometimes alongside allies they may not trust. Du ring the course of his service with the Deathwatch, a Battle-Brother learns to o vercome many of his prejudices and misunderstandings... Part of the core experience of the Deathwatch RPG involves roleplaying as a Spac e Marine sent on the most dangerous of special missions, and I wanted the mechan

ics of the game to support that! The Project Iceberg team and I designed Deathwatc h around the idea that the experience should revolve around the team dynamic, fr om a group of strangers learning to work together to the hardened veteran Deathw atch Battle-Brothers who form a nigh-unstoppable squad. In this, I was inspired by source material like the WWII series Band of Brothers and the Knights of the Round Table in Mallory s L'Morte D'Arthur.

The difference between the group and the individual definitely had a strong infl uence on my design for Deathwatch, and this concept about individual sacrifice f or the good of the team evolved into a set of three linked mechanics for Deathwa tch: Solo Mode, Squad Mode, and Cohesion. Because I have been an avid player of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game for yea rs, I have had many opportunities to watch Space Marines in action (at least, in miniature form!). More than a few times I would marvel at a particular commande r, captain, or special character, but I would also take note of how a particular Squad, working together, could vanquish even the greatest of foes; a Tyranid Ca rnifex, Chaos Daemon Prince, or Eldar Avatar. Space Marines are considerably dangerous on their own; they are the supreme warr iors of the Imperium, the most deadly of soldiers. How much more impressive, the n, would a force of Space Marines be when working together as a group? The chall enge then would be to somehow model that idea within the mechanics of the Deathw atch RPG. Solo Mode The first thing I needed to do was to define when a Space Marine was acting on h is own; this would be called Solo Mode. When in Solo Mode, a Space Marine is opera ting based on the traditions, beliefs, and methods of war ingrained into him by his Chapter. A Dark Angel in Solo Mode is acting and fighting as if he were part of his Dark Angels squad. Therefore, a Space Marine in Solo Mode is using abili ties that are most representative of his home Chapter. Solo Mode is the default mode of play for all characters. Unless otherwise indic ated by the rules, a Battle-Brother is in this mode. While in Solo Mode, a Space Marine is not linked to the rest of his squad in any special way and cannot ben efit from Squad Mode actions or abilities used by his Battle-Brothers. He has ac cess to all of his Solo Mode actions and abilities and may use these freely. Example Solo Mode Ability: Feat of Strength The Kill-team is in a desperate race to reach the spaceport in time to board the ir Thunderhawk before cyclonic torpedoes destroy the planet from orbit. However, a burning wreck of a Chimera APC blocks their path; the Space Marine focuses hi s righteous wrath and, with a heroic feat of strength, heaves the wreckage aside so that he and his Battle-Brothers may pass unhindered. Required Rank: 1 Effects: Space Marines are genetically gifted with great strength far exceeding. that or normal men. In times of need, a Battle-Brother can push this great braw n to its limits to perform truly impressive feats. Once per day of game time, a Battle-Brother may perform a Feat of Strength. This ability effectively increase s his Unnatural Strength Trait by one level, so for instance Unnatural Strength x2 becomes Unnatural Strength x3. This effect lasts for a number of Rounds equal to his Rank. Improvement: At Rank 3 and above Feat of Strength also adds +10 to all Strength Tests and Strength-based Skill Tests for its duration. At Rank 5 and above Feat of Strength last for a number of Rounds equal to twice the character s Rank. At Ra nk 7 and above, Feat of Strength increases the character s Unnatural Strength Trai

t by two levels.

Squad Mode However, in the Deathwatch, a Dark Angels Space Marine is not surrounded by othe r Dark Angels. Instead, he is placed with Battle-Brothers of the Storm Wardens, the Ultramarines, and possibly even a rival from the Space Wolves. When the Dark Angel is acting as part of his Kill-team, he is moving out of Solo Mode and ent ering Squad Mode. In Squad Mode, Space Marines work together, each acting in con cert with his Battle-Brothers. A Kill-team in Squad Mode is a terrifying foe for the enemies of Man; Squad Mode abilities allow the entire group to move and sho ot as one, to lay down covering fire during an advance, lure the foe into a trap , and much more. Squad Mode can only be entered deliberately (often by a character using an actio n). While in Squad Mode, a Space Marine is linked to any other members of his te am that are also in Squad Mode and may benefit fully from Squad Mode actions and abilities. A character in Squad Mode can also initiate Squad Mode actions and a bilities for the benefit of other team members also in this mode. Example Squad Mode Ability: Tactical Spacing The Kill-team has been deployed deep behind enemy lines in order to find and assas sinate an enemy leader. During the journey, the Kill-team keeps a wary watch, for this region is heavily patrolled by the enemy and filled with traps. The Space M arines stand ready to knock a Battle-Brother out of the way of enemy fire or war n him of stepping upon a hidden explosive. Action: Full Action Cost: 1 Sustained: Yes Effects: Formation and spacing are an important part of a squad s function on the battlefield and influence their ability to warn each other of danger and defend themselves against attack. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother a nd those in Support Range of him can share their Reactions. For example, one mem ber of the Kill-team could give his Reaction (losing it for himself for the turn ) to another member of the Kill-team to use. If the Space Marine has extra react ions (such as the bonus reactions granted from the Step Aside Talent), these may also be shared. Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more, in addition to being able to share Reactions within the group, all members gain an additional Reaction whi le this ability is in effect. Cohesion It is important to note that the example Squad Mode ability above has a cost lis ted. The resource that a Kill-team uses to activate Squad Mode abilities is know n as Cohesion. This resource is gained when the Kill-team is assigned a mission (don t worry I will be going over how Missions work in a future Designer Diary!), an d is then used during the mission to activate Squad Mode abilities. Cohesion can also be reduced, however, by being hit with certain weapons (if the Kill-team i s knocked around by high explosives, for example) or by certain abilities posses sed by a powerful enemy (a Chaos Daemon Prince, for example, has an Aura of Deat h that reduces a Kill-team s Cohesion...the warp-tainted presence of the Daemon Pr ince causes confusion and spreads strife wherever he goes). Certain abilities an d wargear (such as a back banner!) may increase or have an effect on regaining C ohesion. Forward, Battle-Brothers! I hope you ve all enjoyed this brief overview of Solo Mode, Squad Mode, and Cohesi on! I will definitely have more to say about these mechanics in the future, so k

eep an eye on the FFG website as we delve deeper over the next few weeks into wh at makes the team-based roleplaying experience of Deathwatch so unique and compe lling! -----------------------------------