In part 2 of the Hand of Corruption adventure the vile beasts who entered into a Compact to perform a vile ritual sacrifice that wrenched an entire planet off its course and then blasted it through the Screaming Vortex...

Seem to get royally hosed in part 3 of the adventure.

It has been sold for 90 pages or so, presumably several multi-hour gaming sessions, that this ritual will give the Black Crusaders access to their own planet. Until the module puts the troll face on, slams dunce caps on the player's heads and informs them that the planet has 100 million Necrons on it.

That's some mighty fine trollin.'

I'm looking at these Necrons and they are stone cold crazy. Then they pale in comparison to their leader and this thing called the C'Tarn Shard which looks like it is enough of a combat badass that it would give half a dozen Chosen Chaos Space Marines a real run for their money.

To spring that 100 million Necron trap on players, then make them enter combats which will almost assuredly kill some of them or cause them to burn most if not all of the Infamy they earned, seems unbearably cruel.

How would you run this module, if you take it to mean that the Black Crusaders have killed the leadership on the planet and are taking it over?

That's actually pretty easy to say. I would either say that there arn't any Necrons and so forget about part 3 OR I would save the Necrons and don't allow them to wake up when the ritual is conducted. Instead I would use them for a separate story arc later on in the campaign when the players are hopefully ready for that challange.

Why does FFG always do the same freaking boring story base?

You search/fight for something, it's get stolen/flees/phases out/gives a mild answer, the end.

I support the idea of letting them have their planet... for a time. Then, after several compacts and lots of fun, have the Necrons awaken right as the PCs prepare to launch their Black Crusade. Sure, it's a kick in the nuts, but by then you're in the late game anyways.

 @Crisaron

You do realize the adventure fully expects the PCs to win, right?

@Disrupt

Act 3 of HoC is essentially payback for CSM PCs that had to hide, lie, scrounge and snivel to survive. Considering how difficult and yet essential some of the social tests are, I wouldn't play HoC with a newbie group anyway - which means the CSMs can take their most powerful toys out to play as well. Also don't forget that the Necrons threaten everyone on the planet. Save for the arbitrators who are trying to deny the planet to everyone, most factions should be willing to ally with the PCs assuming competent social play, meaning they have large portions of their allies' equipment at their disposal as well.
However, if you think your group isn't up to the task, the module itself suggests waiting for a while.

Agreed, the final chapter in Hand of Corruption seems nasty.  Assume you have a team of 4 heretics, 2 Chaos Space Marines and 2 cultists.  One space marine has a bolter, the other has a heavy weapon (lets say a heavy bolter).  It says that you can bring some allies with you, but are they just prisoners with cheap guns and traitor guardsmen with las guns?

How can you beat the hordes (yes hordes) of Necron warriors in the final act?  And let`s not begin with the Tomb Stalkers(s) that your company will run into.  Even a heavy Legion weapon will have a challenge killing that before it kills the group.  Finally, the C`tan shard at the end will be extremely scary.

I assume that the heretics are ment to survive.  Any suggestions on how the 3rd part can be overcome?

As suggested in the quest, the necron don't raise right away. Make them accumulate some gear and power through a few other quest/campaign before.

 Remember with a planet they can create a BLACK CRUSADE (maybe the 14th) potentially, they could attract a pretty big following cult during that.

 Then when they are at the top, and you gave them some super weapon of doom they haven't used yet, through a super long campaing… (that end up being a C'Tan shard too/some tech gizmo of theirs/ a C'Tan phase Blade/or an harlequin assault that triggers the necron awakening) bring in the Necrons in then and let the galaxy burn! twice

p.s. there is the Necron allies, potential too, any other necrons force in the vortex may be willing to help capture this and control it, since it would mean a huge supply of troops and resources for the necrons in the Vortex.

crisaron said:

Wouldn't it be their 1st Black Crusade? The most notable, numbered, Black Crusades were all run by Abaddon, if I remember correctly.

Not sure if all Black Crusade where led by Abaddon, any fluff lawyer care to expend? OK Abbaddon as indeed led 13 black crusades but there have been others, check lexicanum.

crisaron said:

Erm… that's what I said. You said that they could create the 14th Black Crusade, when they would actually be creating their 1st Black Crusade, because the numbered crusades that are the most often referred to (the 1st, up to the 13th) were all lead by Abaddon, and don't include those run by other Chaos Lords.

 @peterstepon

Agreed, the final chapter in Hand of Corruption seems nasty. Assume you have a team of 4 heretics, 2 Chaos Space Marines and 2 cultists. One space marine has a bolter, the other has a heavy weapon (lets say a heavy bolter). It says that you can bring some allies with you, but are they just prisoners with cheap guns and traitor guardsmen with las guns?

I'd say you're rather under-gunned there. The heavy bolter is a nice start. Follow that up with a good melee weapon - Nach'Ra'Ael the Hungering would of course be perfect as it cuts through just about every Necron present, but obtaining it would probably take its own Compact.

Next up, your allies. Apart from those you can bring via Minions, you can go for some more: If you've spawned cults during your infiltration, you may by now have your first low-level sorcerers among the prisoners. The traitor guardsmen… remember that the Imperial Guard isn't all lasguns&t-shirts. Their tanks and chimeras will make a massive difference in the battles above ground and they likely have some heavy weapons (like meltas) that will be quite useful underground.

I think the crusades are numbered from the Imperiums point of view - i.e. the 13th that they have been attacked by a crusade level force etc.

I'm with the wait and surprise camp. For my group the ritual could well up in a multi unit crazed gunfight full of Inquisitors, riotors, guards, corrupted nuns*, mad psykers and worse (much much much worse** ) if things go wrong… Followed by a rather interesting trip on a warp travelling planet without a gellar field just to add to the merriment.  But even I don't want to throw Necrons on them right away.

Firstly i want them to feel the joy of victory after a long hard fought campaign. Evil pitiless renegades they may be (hey it's black crusade what did you expect), but the heros of this story they are too. They deserve at least a moment of glory.

Plus it seems like an overkill kick in the nuts if you spring it right away. Too much of a WTF sourness to be palatable. And besides letting them think they have pulled it off and won big time only to slowly realise that their golden apple is rotten will be much more… delicious.

*best not to ask…
**And that doesn't even include the huge sapce battle that will be raging above the planet.