I for one do hope they will be incredibly powerful and 'overpowered'.

In a game triology, it isn't uncommon to have the 3 'level' of power represented...

With White Wolf's 'Aeon Trinity' line, you had the Indiana Jones type heroes portrayed in Adventure!, the operative with psyhich power in Trinity and the living god with Aberrant.

Even in 4th ed D&D, the game is split in 3 distinct tier: Heroic (fight orcs and save the princess/kingdom), Paragon (fight mind flayers and save the world) and Epic (save the universe and slay gods, etc).

Dark Heresy is obviously the low power game, Rogue Trader would be the middle child and logically, Death Watch would be where things go a little crazy.

Relative power level of a game doesn't make it good or bad (I for one like Heroic best of all 3 D&D tier for example), but it is nice to have the option available.

Polaria said:

I think the White Scars would disagree with that.  Their Chapter Master has a reputation of being a ladies man, and the Battle Brothers are encouraged to take girlfriends among the locals of their Chapter World, as such offspring, while still human and unmodified, are easier to induct with a lower chance of failure.

Jon D said:

That is a very interesting comment. May I ask what your source is? I hadn't heard about the Great Khan having womanising ways. As far as I have ever known, it is not the function of a Space Marine to procreate, and they have no urge to do so.

Niqvah said:

I can't remember where, but I read it a few years ago and I've seen it referenced by other people since.

Lucius Valerius said:

Lucius Valerius said:

Frankly, I'm not even sure that the Inquisitor will accompany the kill-team. A Space marine can deal with a lot of dangers, moreso in a group. But if you add a human like the inquisitor (who's powerful in his own right, but not as durable as the SM) you get a weak link. And that threatens the whole group.

Another thing would be the fact that the Kill-teams of the Deathwatch are effectively special forces. Which leads them into situations where mission command (the inquisitor and his staff) doesn't have the full picture. Add to this gen. Charles Krulak's real world theory called the "three block war", in which the low-level commanders (corporals, sergeants etc.) must make major decisions based on their current situations, and you have a recipe for disaster when an Inquisitor leads more experienced combat troops into battle. A SM Kill-team shouldn't include an Inquisitor, it shouldn't be remotely controlled by one and should have a broad mission assignment with enough maneuvering room for tactical decisions. 

I really hope that Deathwatch, being the premier Imperial force against the Xenos, should have enough experience to prevent Inquisitors throwing their ego's around when ordering a kill-team to go on a mission.

Sammail said:

I think Members get an Invitation and chose to follow them or chosen and send from their chapters. I think Military command would be in the hand of the Teamleader.

Lucius Valerius said:

You do realize that the female anatomy is meant to pass a child right?  I just thought you should know, in case you're not aware. 

That Blasted Samophlange said:

I know, sex's supposed to be fun not ugmongusly painful =P but hey, who am I do decide, some poeple like horses...

Lucius Valerius said:

Such things would likely depend on the Inquisitor in question.  Technically an Inquisitor could maintain his authority in such a situation.  That said an Inquisitor with any sense (you don't survive long as an Inquisitor without it) would likely defer to the team leader's superior knowledge and experience in combat situations.

warpdancer said:

While being members of the Deathwatch? I don't think so. Which is the point of my post (and this game).

I guess the inquisitor and senior marine could divide power in any way they like, depending on their personalities. Haven't decided on what I'd prefer yet - probably having the inquisitor act a HQ of sorts, with the teamleader in field command. Then again, wouldn't want to make this game a structural clone of Inquisitor. It seems as if Deathwatch members are drawn feudally, like a small arrière ban, on the call from the inquisitor and from chapters sworn to raise such forces. Lexicanum says that teams are usually led by the inquisitor (though not in what capacity), but in dire need a captain or a librarian may assume command. The leader's word is law.

So very likely, the marines are too badass to swallow just any old crap from a master they cant tolerate, not unlike high medieval barons in relationship to the king. But are also bound to service by their vow. Cool! Lots of room for tension there. Will be interesting to see what FFG have to say about command structure and discipline.

Polaria said:

Interesting perspective since the background mentions that there are 19 separate strands of "geneseed" that are specifically associated with each of the implanted zygotes.  With that said, there are examples throughout the background that do imply a genetic component, e.g. the Cup of Wulfen of the Space Wolves and the Red Grail practices of the Blood Angels.  The Canix Helix sounds very much like a "metamorphic nanovirus," as does the whole Sanguinary Priests thing.

So the boat seems to be out on this one, with the 'fluff' itself going both ways.  I guess that, once again, it's up to the individual to make up their own mind as to how much of the genome of the individual Marine is altered.

On my own behalf?  I prefer to view the zygotes as discrete bionetic implants, which do not really have an impact upon the genetic code of the individual Marine.  On the other hand, some Chapters maintain "ancient technologies," or the idea of the metamorphic nanovirus, that do alter the genome.  The latter is something that applies more directly to First Founding Chapters.  

Again, though, that's just my interpretation and is subject to change when someone comes up with a more interesting or just plain "cooler" concept. 

Kage

They have a short story in a collection called "Heroes of the Space Marines" that is about a deathwatch insertion into an ork hulk. In it the Marines are basically given very detailed intelligence about their mission and targets and then it is up to the marines to use their vast knowledge of fieldcraft to get the job done. Thats not to say that an inquisitor could come along in some scenarios and take command. But it seems like he would be a hindrance because of how hard the Marines are pushing themselves to either babysit him or just have him keep up.

Atheosis said:

Pretty much what I've gathered as well from all the books.  Inquisitors requisition resources of the chamber militants, but they do so because the Deathwatch/Grey Knights don't need hands on leadership.  Sort of a crude analogy, but the Deathwatch/Grey Knights are the fire and forget weapons to the Guards laser guided weapons.

Jude Order said:

Hmm... it dawns on me that you could well use the Inquisitor with acolytes, and his Deathwatch kill-team, in paralel. More a cooperative effort than a "I point, you slay" kind of setup. Perhaps it's Ordo command who gives the orders? Would make room for two groups working on different aspects of the mission - intelligence gathering and spying on one hand, surgical strikes on the other.

Cant we just call the Blood Angles Vampires?