Plushy said:

No, the funny part is that the Auto-Stabilised Trait is a standard feature of the otherwise inferior weapon (the one from HA that I call the "cheap export version", but it's an optional upgrade for the superior model (the one from TSR). It's like having power steering a standard feature on the basic model of an automobile, but it's an extra you have to select when getting the luxury model.

My in-game explanation will be that the splinter cannon from Hostile Acquisitions is a lighter model made exclusively for hand-held use. OTOH, the splinter cannon from The Soul Reaver is a heavier model (50% heavier) firing larger splinters that fragment on impact (providing Tearing). It is primarily intended for use in vehicle mounts, but can optionally be equipped for hand-held use (giving it the Auto-Stabilised Trait and a higher Availability). Does that make sense of the existing differences?

I kind of miss the Hail of Splinters weapon quality from PtU:Shades of Twilight.  All of the splinter weapons in that adventure had Tearing when fired full auto.  Then again, those weapons weren't Toxic.

Remember that I've not seen the final version of Soul Reaver, so I can only comment based on my manuscript… I wrote both versions, but the version in Hostile Acquisitions was written before the current Dark Eldar codex was available. I made changes to those rules when adding the weapon to the armoury in Soul Reaver to reflect the way they worked in the wargame, but I don't know if those changes survived playtesting and editing.

Well, since my copy of the book is going to take a bit longer to reach me than I had earlier thought, time for a question I'd forgotten earlier.

Among the other vehicles, are there stats for fighter craft, like the Razorwing from the codex or their void fighter (assuming it's different)? My Saim-Hann descended Kabalite needs to upgrade to something even faster than a reaver jetbike at some point.

Yes, the Razorwing is included.

Every Kabalite Warrior starts with a "translator unit" but I can't seem to find any write-up of just what this does. Is it listed in one of the books? If not, what are it's limits?

HappyDaze said:

Damn, blast it, and a whole extra suitcase full of damn.

That's a great big pile of fail on my part - I forgot to write it up.

Long-story-short, the purpose of the translator unit is simply to allow the Kabalite Warrior to communicate with the rest of the group. No self-respecting Dark Eldar would ever lower himself to learning the crude languages of prey species, so they can't (by themselves) speak Low Gothic. The translator unit allows the character to communicate with other characters speaking Low Gothic - no more, no less.

Thanks for the translator clarification. I note Low and High Gothic are available to buy at first rank - maybe a later addition? I actually like that. Certainly not every Dark Eldar will be inclined to learn them, but it's good to have options since characters will vary. There could be a variety of motivations for speaking with humans directly.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Niqvah said:

Added after the fact - they're not in my manuscript.

The idea was drawn from Jes Goodwin's concept art of the Kabalite Warriors that was up on the GW website - notes on the images point out translator units (which appear on the models, mounted on the breastplate of their armour) and explain that Dark Eldar are loathe to degrade themselves by learning the languages of lesser creatures.

Would it be possible for DE to obtain higher craftsmanship versions of the translator units that covered other languages? High Gothic, Ork, Kroot, Tau, Stryxis, Techna-Lingua, etc. could, in theory, all be learned from captives and historical records might even allow for the Necrontyr tongue.

I'd say that it isnt about quality, but software, right? You probably just need a little data crystal or whatever they use with the required language on it.

Put the crystal in and voila?

Seeten said:

I don't think I've seen any WH40K tech that follows such a real-world example. It might make sense to us, but I don't think they "have an app for that" or ever really will.

They're Eldar. I doubt they think of it as 'software' the way we do. Hell, it's possible the translator uses the lobotomised psyche of a human to reinterpret the data a transform it into a medium the user understand. Getting it to translate other languages would be a matter of implanting it with similarly 'treated' souls of other races.