Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

Chuck the invulnerable saves out the window, and up the regular DR?
Or give them Force field DR (In case of Terminators)
or Enhanced Dodge (In case of precog style protection, Farseer style)

GURPS is a far more flexible and realistic system than WH40K.
It has height for a LOT more variables, a whole different damage and armour scale, and does not have to bother with such trivialities as game balance.
After all, the GM sees to it that the players dont face things they can't handle.
Terminators bringing you down? Give the PCs LAW-style disposable rocket launchers.
Tyranids swarming your positions? Seems air suport just arrived.
Or artillery was reinvented.
Orks approaching? No sweat, they have Guns(LA) 6, and are to stupid to take cover when the heavy stubber (the pre-empire one that has "M2HB, Made by General Motors, Spark Plug Division" written on the side, and does 12d++ damage) opens up.
Chaos Space Marines on the lawn? Time to dig out the plasma grenades and AP ammo...

The posibilites are endless...

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

Yes I did... which leads into this:

You can make your chainswords godly if you like, as well as making all sorts of whacky rules for the all the weapons. If you do that though, you'll wind up playing a game of Sci-fi GURPS with the Warhammer 40k name stapled to it and not much else.

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

If I'm not mistaken their Inv save is classified as a force field. In GURPS it would probably be classified as a DR that is always fully applied no matter the weapon affecting it.

Farseers don't have an enhanced dodge. Their rune armour is saturated with psychic power which acts like a force field. Basically it's just fabric with slats of wraithbone (in the shape of runes) embroidered into it. Theirs would be a similar effect to the terminator force fields though, with different source of power.

It'd be interesting to make a farseer in GURPS. Psi rules and precog would be high on the list.

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

How about having it halve or third DR divisors, or something?
You can't have a non-AP bullet from an autocannon do exactly the same thing as a HEAT Krak missile (divisor of 4-6).

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

For a straight table-top conversion, I'd still go with the concept that the 3rd ed. is pushing that pistol=chainsword=medieval weapon. The fluff background balances it all by giving power-armored marines the chainsword, while the hulking brutes get the medieval weapons, and the people in between get sci-fi pistols. The net effectivess balances out in the tabletop game, since it's a matter of who regularly uses the weapons. Also, the weapon itself doesn't affect the armor save, only the armor-type.


So the ratio of effect of chainsword to sword is actually (including attack value)
chainsword*marine = sword*ork = 4/3 rds * guardsmen*Laspistol

And someone in standard power armor (marine) isn't going to get wounded more than 33% of the time. An average ork will get wounded somewhere between 50% to 85% of the time. An average guardsmen will get wounded about 66% of the time.

From that we'd have to hash out a conversion to GURPS mechanics to get the nitty detail.



Of course the new ed. does have a weapons book that might have a new relationship set up.

And maybe the old Necromunda book, which does a better job of focusing on the 40k weapons, would be a better start for a detailed conversion (There is a GURPS Necromunda already, ain't there?).

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

The Battle Chainsaw...

I'd make a new damage type called Ripping, It would have an armor penalty somewhere around 25-50% but when it DOES go through it does Triple damage. Also making a very messy wound that couldn't be healed without the support of immediate surgery or magic healing.


ST14 +1d Ripping = 3d damage. Someone has 10 armor, you do X damage times .75 (round up) you roll 18 you do 13 damage to him, 3 gets through and messes him up for 9 damage.

If you need more damage for a higher level campaign add on more dice accordingly.

That way, the attacker and the defender always meet a do-or-die situation. Either He breaks through and obliterates me in one swing or I kill him before then.

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

Maybe just dramatically increase the chances of a major wound.

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

Chainswords are mainly a "coolness item". On a Rapid Fire ranged weapon battlefield, melee weapons are quite obsolete.
They are included in WH40K for flavour; In the real world, or GURPS for that matter, a sword wielding fighter would be gunned down before ever geting into close combat.
(Orks cant shoot worth, well, so they would NEED to get to close combat. But then, they dont care if they die.)
Its main advantage over a regular sword would be that it does not need to be swung, a handy feature in close combat.
Shooting is still preferable though.

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

Sorry if I answer only now. :P
About chainswords: well, remember that such weapons can cut throught advanced armor, one thing that you cannot do with 3d damage and no Armor Divisor. And concerning Orks who can do the same thing, it is not weird to suppose that they can give AD to their weapons trough their innate psi powers (their weapons works only because they want them working, actually!). And do not forget that even a Rank 0 Guard carries an adamantine knife.
About Invulnerability: could't it be represented with the Hardened enhanchement?

Re: Warhammer 40k weapons
 

It's really a matter of them wanting their technology to work.
It's just that the idea of it failing doesn't make sense to them.

A normal chainsaw doesn't specialise in quick kills from torso shots, but extremely sharp, extremely strong blades spinning at extreme speed would be cause for concern for anyone.