I hate to be the bump guy.

How should I handle all the strange little Talents from various Alternate Ranks? Flat xp cost? Specific aptitudes required? What about Faith talents?

Hmm…I'd leaning towards treating them like Comrade Advances--after all Comrade Advances are effectively specialized Talent equivalents.

 Potential talents/traits to bring over:

Feared and Loathed

Beat Hunter

Machinator Array

Duty Unto Death

Untouchable

Last Killer Standing

Warped Psyker

Flames of Faith

Seen This Before

Faith powers

Anything else stand out?

Some of the special talents can probably be converted to normal talents. Likely high  tier. Pure faith i would have be  t3 talent, wich each power costing a flat sum of xp depending on the power of the faith power in question. Black Crusade might be worth consulting as several talents that were limited certain alternate ranks were made into general talents along some talents that were originally introduced in deathwatch but are usable in black crusade by humans.Never Die from black crusade for example IS Duty until Death.

Machinaratory array was reprinted in rogue trader and death watch as a talent purchaseable by explorators and tech-marines respectivly.

Unholy_Ravager said:

Would you allow Faith Powers to be purchased with a Faith aptitude in the same vein as Psychic powers?

I was about to suggest that very thing. You can have "Doorway" advances that then allow you to start buying up feat chains to get weird traits.

For example (which I do not advocate but serves to illustrate) you could have "Abducted by martian cultists" which gives you the machine (1) trait and then makes you eligable for the various Mechanicus talents.

Plushy said:

Not sure if I'd create a Faith Aptitude simply to accommodate the existence of Faith talents--though it would (partially) solve the 'Only Psykers Get Good Willpower Costs' issue. I seem to recall someone suggesting you break it down by category:

Emperor's Sign: Will/Defense

Emperor's Mercy: Will/Social

Emperor's Wrath: Will/Offense

Plushy, Mercurio… I love what you guys are doing!  Keep it up and we'll have the revised dark heresy up before FFG even commits to it! I think they should get you two to colaborate on that project in order to bring it forward to current standards. (If they want to keep the game "current" they are going to have to revise it anyway! [As well as RT and DW])

Radwraith said:

Why, thank you! I fully plan to make some sort of crude archetype/specialization thing for Deathwatch soon. I might take a crack at the RT careers, too - yo can expect Dark Eldar very soon (I'm so upset by what I'm hearing!)

This project basically just needs feedback, playtesting, and me giving xp costs for various unique Talents. I think the ideal for this would be my Specializations and Home Worlds, with however Mercucio's cell creation tables work out.

Plushy said:

??? What are you hearing?

Plushy said:

RT should be fairly straightforward. I personally like the background flowchart which results in a 5000xp character. After that you would simply need to create the Attributes for the Classes.

DW is probably a little more complicated but still possible. It would be nice to see the more "Normal" SM's and perhaps even initiates (Scouts in most chapters.). IMHO a 'standard' Astartes would be about the same thing as BC Legionaires (About 7000xp Although the archtypes would be different.) DW marines are actually Veterans starting at 12000xp! 

Radwraith said:

I'm planning on borrowing the Black Crusade race concept, with an xp debt granting various traits and talents. Chaos legionnaires are my base for Astartes; Assault, Devastator, Tactical, and Apothecary specializations would all be easy. I've already built Craftworld Eldar to my liking, though for BC instead of OW.

Dark Eldar have made me sad with the laack of careers beyond Kabalite Warrior. Specializations for Wyches, Incubi, and Haemonculi can't be too hard.

Plushy said:

If you follow the fluff, Specialties for assault, tactical and devastator marines are unnecessary as most Marines serve in each of these functions as well as scouts during their lifetimes. I would suggest a combat Marine (encompassing all three), Librarian, Apothecary and techmarine as specialties with perhaps later advancements for Officers and Chaplains. This would fit the basic nature of Astartes fluff as well as perhaps some lesser degrees of confusion. Add in Astartes Chapter squad and solo mode abilities as they appear in DW and you're pretty much there! What do you think?     

 While the bulk of Marines serve time in all three of those roles, it's more fun for the party to have that broader selection. I'll happily write up the Deathwatch specializations soon; I've already started, actually. You can also see that I've already made Scouts! 0w0

Since you asked for it.

General Observations
1. Extra Secondary Aptitudes: All you builds except one possess three or more Characteristic Aptitudes. This appears to violate the inherent limit of two Secondary Aptitudes per OW specialization regardless of how many Aptitudes total a specialization might possess. Is this intentional?

2. Specialization Power Comparison: I'll be giving a numerical rating for comparing against OW Basic Specialties:

    1. Heavy (19): 9 talents & skills, 10W
    2. Sergeant (18-19): 6 talents & skills, 7 aptitudes, 10W
    3. Weapon Specialist (16): 8 talents & skills, 8W
    4. Medic (14): 6 talents & skills, 8W
    5. Operator (12): 6 talents & skills, 6W

Average = 15.8-16
 

Adept [13]
Starting Aptitudes: Your Adept is vastly more gifted at social graces than Adepts from DH, being on par the Scum, who is the charming bastard champion of DH. Coversely your Adept has none of skill at firearms and general Agility of DH adept. Likewise Tech seems like a direct imposition into the sphere of the techpriest, the Adept should make due with just Intelligence. I am not sure I agree with your selection of Defense as a Secondary Aptitude--mainly because of the non-mental defensive talents it makes cheaper--but I can see where you are coming from.
Starting Skills: Fine.
Starting Talents: You're keeping Light Sleeper/Resistance (Cold)? Neither makes sense as talents universal among all Adepts.
Starting Wounds: 6? Really? That's just as insulting to the Adept as it is to the Operator. I'd go 8+d5 or if you must 7+d5 and an extra Skill or Talent.

Arbitrator [19]
You really want these guys to be tanks, eh?
Starting Aptitudes: In comparison to the DH Arbitrators are dullards, likewise DH adepts excel at firearms and find Strength one of their most Characteristics to raise (the other being Agility). Toughness and Defense are fine as Toughness is cheap for them and they're loaded with defensive talents.
Starting Skills: Fine.
Starting Talents: Getting kind of generous here, you 2 above the DH Arbitrator. Also, it should be Shock, not Power.
Starting Wounds: What is your reasoning for one short of a storm trooper?

Assassin [18]
Starting Aptitudes: Fine.
Starting Skills: One more than the DH assassin.
Starting Talents: Fine
Starting Wounds: Fine

Scum [16]
Starting Aptitudes: Fine, though I'd give an option between Fieldcraft and Social so you can do you con man scum.
Startking Skills: No replacement for Blather? Also why detect a second skill. So far this guy is down two skills versus his DH counterpart.
Starting Talents: Fine.
Starting Wounds: 8 seems fine to me, why give them 9?

 Solid stuff, Mercucio. Thanks for the input! To be completely honest, a lot of the things you pointed out were me just being retarded.

How are these revisions?

Adept (600xp)
Characteristic Bonus: +5 Intelligence
Starting Aptitudes: Intelligence, Fellowship, Perception, Agility, Knowledge, Defence
Starting Skills: Common Lore (Imperium), Common Lore (War) or Common Lore (Tech), Logic, Scholastic Lore (Legend), Scholastic Lore (Chymistry)
Starting Talents: Polyglot, Total Recall, Weapon Training (Solid Projectile or Las, Low-Tech)
Starting Equipment: Common-craftsmanship Stub Revolver and 1 clip of ammunition, Common-craftsmanship Flak Vest, common-craftsmanship Staff, robes, writing kit, chrono, data-slate
Starting Wounds: 6+1d5

Arbitrator (600xp)
Characteristic Bonus: +5 Toughness
Starting Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Toughness, Fellowship, Intelligence, Leadership, Defense
Starting Skills: Common Lore (Adeptus Arbites), Common Lore (Imperium), Inquiry, Scrutiny
Starting Talents: Jaded or Takedown, Weapon Training (Solid Projectile, Shock, Low-Tech,)
Starting Equipment: Common-craftsmanship Shotgun (pump action) and 2 clips of ammunition, Common-craftsmanship Shock Maul (counts as a Power Maul on Low setting) or Riot Shield (4 AP to Body and the held arm, +15 to Parry,) Common-craftsmanship Light Carapace armour
Starting Wounds: 8+1d5

Assassin (600xp)
Characteristic Bonus: +5 Ballistic Skill or Weapon Skill
Starting Aptitudes: Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Agility, Perception, Finesse, Fieldcraft
Starting Skills: Awareness, Dodge, Acrobatics or Stealth
Starting Talents: Deadeye Shot or Sure Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Training (Las, Solid Projectile, Low-Tech)
Starting Equipment: Common-craftsmanship Long-las and 4 clips of ammunition or Common-craftsmanship Mono-Sword, Common-craftsmanship Mono-Knife or Common-craftsmanship Laspistol and 2 clips of ammunition, 2 Smoke Grenades, bodyglove
Starting Wounds: 8+1d5

Scum (600xp)
Characteristic Bonus: +5 Fellowship
Starting Aptitudes: Agility, Fellowship, Perception, Ballistic Skill, Fieldcraft, Social
Starting Skills: Charm or Deceive or Intimidate, Dodge, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
Starting Talents: Technical Knock or Quick Draw, Light Sleeper, Weapon Training (Solid Projectile, Low-Tech)
Starting Equipment: Common-craftsmanship Autogun and 1 clip of ammunition or Common-craftsmanship Shotgun (pump action) and 3 clips of ammunition, 1 Frag Grenade, Good-craftsmanship Autopistol and 1 clip ammunition or knife, street clothes
Starting Wounds: 8+1d5