GI JOE quote for the word countOriginally Posted by FFG
Ratlings and Ogryns as PCs then ! 8)Originally Posted by FFG
Sounds interesting! Btw., is there a way to pick up this free booklet outside of the states?
If you go to the Free RPG day website there is an interactive map showing participating stores, my local comic shop in York (UK) is doing it again this year.
Also, usually a few weeks after the booklet is released, FFG release these booklets as a free PDF download - The Dark Crusade booklet last year had a few additional characters available to download as well.
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Ah, thanks! I will have a look at the map.![]()
So did anybody get to play Only War on free rpg day?
I picked up the booklet, but only have had chance for a very quick flick through it.
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I ran it on the Saturday for a mixed group of my regular players and a couple of walk-ins. It played very smoothly, with only a small amount of adding rules from Black Crusade required. The feel of the game and the general interaction between the players was very good and it was refreshing to play with a group of characters that are down to earth in terms of concept and power levels (two out of six characters in my Black Crusade game are possessed, one by a Great Unclean One, the Khorne Berserker killed a Bloodthirster singlehandedly and we have no characters that could pass for non-augumented humans).
The adventure was very good for a taster mission with some slight issues, which can easily be overcome with some careful GMing. Remember that its just a play-aid at the end of the day. Judging by the mission, Only War plays as Dark Heresy power levels with the Black Crusade system, which works really well. One of the good things about it is that you can riff off any decent modern war movie ever made, in a way that just doesn't work with Deathwatch. There's also an interesting appeal in the fact that being badass as a Guardsman feels more satisfying than being more badass as a Space Marine. It's a bit like the difference between Wolverine and Superman...
Currently mustering the 34th Grand Host of the Word Bearers. Glory to Chaos! Death to the False Emperor!
Proud member of the Plastic Crack Rehab Clinic: www.pcrc.org.uk
FFG have now released Only War's introductory adventure that was given out on Free RPG Day.
Originally Posted by FFG
I love the cover. "It's lovely, but we're going to need the knife bigger. No, bigger than that. We want the BIGGEST KNIFE EVER MADE. Literally, make it the width of his forearm or something".
If anyone's got a copy they fancy selling, i'd be interested.
Last edited by Jedi152; 22-06-2012 at 09:03.
Cheers for that Red!
Also, need to thank you for posting this stuff in the 40k rumor forum. As much as people around here sometimes get their shorts in a knot over things being moved to the "proper" forum, I can honestly say I'd forgotten all about the 40k FFG RPGs until I ran across this thread a month ago or so. Since then, I've run a group of PC gaming buddies through the intro DH demo, "Shattered Hope" and we've all picked up copies of the rules and intend on starting up a campaign in the near future.
Wouldn't have happened without you and it's been a ton of fun. Haven't played an RPG since I was in college (I'm 38 now). It's been a blast, so thanks!
Aw shucks, no worries you're more than welcome.
Hope all goes well with the game !
more news !
You can buy (!?) the beta ruleset it seems.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/produc...c=OnlyWarCmail
bit odd IMO but such is the age in which we live.
http://spiritsofeden.com/2012/06/22/...only-war-beta/
and from DakkaWell, this was certainly unexpected for me. I haven’t exactly been keeping up with the news, but I received a DriveThruRPG notice that Only War: Core Rules Beta is up on the site now for $20 USD.
The book is in black and white, but it’s the whole book, so I guess that’s why they’re charging for it. Aside from being in black and white instead of color this is a whole 40k core rulebook, all 267 pages of it, with all the chapters and rules needed to play a complete game with all of the rules of a typical Warhammer 40k system RPG. The PDF contains artwork and it has the familiar layout for FFG 40k products. The PDF is bookmarked, and contains an adventure at the end as usual. I’ve only gotten to skim through looking for artwork and such so far because I just got the book like three minutes ago.
There’s like 10 guardsmen specialties including Ogryn, Techpriest Enginseer, and COMMISSAR. There’s stats for the Baneblade, Leman Russ, Sentinel, Chimera, Hellhound and Basilisk. There’s a huge section on Equipment, and its availability for the Guard. There’s a new setting, The Spinward Front. And there’s a whole Regimental Creation section. The Adveraries section contains Chaos and Dark Eldar, as well as their vehicles. If you’ve got Deathwatch, you can probably introduce all the enemies from there into here without much fuss – they use the same enemy class system.
Looks great. Gonna read it and see if I can get back to you, perhaps as a Critical-Hits review in lieu of my other 40k work there.
This is gonna be pretty sweet.
Well, I just finished downloading. Here's a very quick overview based on <5min of skimming...
Whole chapter on Regiments. Premade regiments include Cadians, Catachans, Death Corps of Krieg, Elysians, Maccabian Janissaries, Mordian, Tallarn and Vostroyan. Full rules for making your own of varying types - Infantry, Mechanized, Airmobile, etc.
Character types are Heavy Gunner, Medic, Operator (vehicles), Sergeant, Weapon Specialist, Commissar, Munistorum Priest, Ogryn, Ratling, Sanctioned Psyker, Storm Trooper & Tech-Priest Enginseer.
Stats for a Baneblade are included.
Psyker powers separated into Biomancy, Divination, Pyromancy, Telekinesis & Telepathy. Sound familiar?
Wow. $20 for the privileged of testing their rules for them. How kind.
A decent way to ensure that only hardcore fanboys do the beta testing. What could go wrong?
to be fair...
anyway..As an added benefit, anyone who downloads the Only War beta will receive a $20 discount on the pdf version of the Only War Core Rulebook when it becomes available in the fall. Simply download the beta, and when the full rulebook goes live in a few months, you’ll receive the necessary coupon code.
And...Originally Posted by FFG
ONLY WAR BETA
Description
Only War is a Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of soldiers in the galaxy-spanning armies of the Imperium, and the Only War beta test is your chance to stand on the front lines of its development! As part of the Only War beta test, you’ll provide valuable reconnaissance for the war effort, as you help us to craft the best possible final product.
What is the Only War beta test?
The beta test is a chance for players to carefully play through the game system and help us create an enjoyable roleplaying experience. This book is a shortened version of the final core rulebook; it contains all the necessary rules for playing through a complete campaign of Only War. This test allows fans to play the game before the official release and allows us to address any issues that may be found.
Why is there a cost to participate?
Bear in mind that the Only War beta is a complete, 256-page playable version of Only War; the only difference is that it omits certain art pieces and background “flavor” that will be present in the final version. This product has already undergone extensive development, playtesting, and refinement, and we have no doubt that it’s ready to provide hours of enjoyment. What’s more, Only War beta test participants have an opportunity to experience the game months before they otherwise would!
As an added benefit, anyone who downloads the Only War beta from drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com will receive a $20 discount on the pdf version of the Only War Core Rulebook when it becomes available in the fall. Simply download the beta, and when the full rulebook goes live in a few months, you’ll receive the necessary coupon code for use on drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com.
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ff...IG01-art-3.png
How do I join it?
Simply download the game, play some sessions, and offer your feedback! Available for download through drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com, the Only War beta provides an abridged, electronic version of the full book.
How often should my group plan on playing?
As often as possible! It would be ideal if your group makes time to play at least four sessions over the course of the beta period (ending August 24th, 2012). Before your first session, it is a good idea to prepare by reading through the rulebook to make sure things go smoothly. Since you will only have a limited number of weeks to submit feedback, holding a session every week would be best.
What should my group be looking for as we play?
The most important part of this beta test is to make sure the game is enjoyable. Don’t let your group get held up by trying to proofread every paragraph of the book. Instead, play through the game as if you just bought it from the store and note anything that causes a problem, dispute, or conflict during gameplay.
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ff...IG01-art-4.jpg
What kind of feedback is FFG looking for?
Please provide precise, well thought out, and concise comments on specific issues that come up during your sessions. Good feedback states the issue at hand and accurately cites page numbers and rules contradictions therein. We are primarily concerned with issues that affect gameplay, such as missing rules entries, examples that are inconsistent with the rules text, and balance or clarity issues.
How do I submit my feedback?
There are two main methods for you to submit your feedback.
There are two main methods for you to submit your feedback about this beta. First, watch this website, which will be updated weekly with the latest news and game updates from the development team. There is a public forum where players can discuss the beta test with the other people involved, post questions and feedback, and read news updates from the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay team.
Second, you can submit any specific reports or feedback directly to the development team at the beta test e-mail address (onlywarbeta@fantasyflightgames.com). When submitting your feedback via e-mail, it is most helpful to us if you consolidate multiple questions and comments into a single message, rather than sending a separate e-mail for each question or comment.
When do I need to submit my feedback?
The deadline for all feedback on this beta test is August 24th, 2012.
1. Cadians
2. Catachans
3. Death Korps of Krieg
4. Elysian Drop Troops
5. Maccabian Janissaries
6. Mordian Iron Guard
7. Tallarn Desert Raiders
8. Vostroyan First Born
Plus full rules for making your own/other famour regiments too.
T'would seem the vehicle rules -- whilst similar to the RT/DW rules they've been expanded upon and improved.
Which is nice.
I purchased the beta rules of only war. The 20$ was totally worth it in my opinion. It's the complete rules in black and white. The testing is mostly just rules clarity, typos, accidental omissions and that type of thing. The only thing missing is the general fluff on the Imperial Guard and the new campaign setting the spinward front.
20$ for the full rules so me and my group can play for a couple of months in advance seems worth it to me. I don't really need campaign setting or adventure material so cheap rules seems like a deal.
If you were planning on buying it anyway, it seems like a no-brainer to me. $20 off the "real" version means this is version is basically free, but you get it earlier.
Or, you can look at it like you got the rulebook for $20. Folks are always saying in the 40k forum, they wished they could just buy the mini-rulebook that comes with the starters without all the background and art/ hobby sections. Well, this appears to sorta be the mini-rulebook of Only War.
Got to admit, although my group is only playing DH (and really only planning on playing DH), I was tempted to buy it when I got the email from DriveThruRPG the other day. I'm a big Guard fan.
For those of you (if any) who've actually bought it, could I pose the following question- is it worth it?
Seems like DH is mainly focused on investigation and interaction. RT seems to basically be Firefly in 40k. Deathwatch seems to be sort of action movie-like in that it's a small team of really powerful dudes blowing stuff up...
... isn't that kind of what Only War is as well, only not quite so powerful?
(I want to be wrong about this)
Obviously, there's an inherent difference between a Deathwatch Kill-Team and a Guard Recon force, but in thematic terms, they seem a bit similar. Can someone shed some light? I'm interested in checking them both out, but I think the group would be more happy with one or the other; not both, necessarily.
They're both combat based, the difference is power level and setting.
TBH all of the 40k rpgs could have been handled in one core book.