# Dark Heresy: Warhammer 40k RPG [Update]



## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

26/February/2007 - New Launch Date for Dark Heresy
February 26th, 2006 (Nottingham, England): Black Industries, the creators of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, announce a later than planned release date for the launch product Dark Heresy. The first releases in this roleplaying line will now hit the shelves in February 2008.

Marc Gascoigne, head of Black Industries, says, ‘We are very passionate about this game, and want to do everything in our power to make sure it is as sensational as possible. We know players have waited years for this game and we’re not going to disappoint them by rushing it out before it’s ready. I am confident that in February we will launch a game that will surpass everyone’s expectations.’

Fans will not have to wait until February to get their hands on the rules, however. Black Industries are preparing a free demo booklet of cut down rules to be given away at Gen Con Indy in August. It’ll also be available as a free download exclusively from the BI website.

In addition, Black Industries have released more information on the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay releases planned for 2008.

* Feb 08 Dark Heresy - Core Rules
Dark Heresy GM’s Screen
Dark Heresy Character Folio
* March 08 Purge the Unclean - Adventure Selection
* May 08 The Inquisitor’s Armoury - Sourcebook
* June 08 The Acolyte’s Handbook - Expanded Players’ Rules
* Sept 08 Disciples of the Dark Gods - Chaos Worshippers Sourcebook

More information on all these exciting products can be found on the Black Industries website. It’s updated monthly with exclusive information, sneak peeks and more.

http://www.blackindustries.com/?template=BI&content=newslist&newsitem=234


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

Wallpaper avail at Black Library!
http://www.blackindustries.com/default.asp?template=40k&content=desktops40K


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## Firewolf (Jan 22, 2007)

>> Yep. I got this as my wallpaper. Tis cool, but the logo could do wi being a bit smaller.


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## Lord Sinkoran (Dec 23, 2006)

Ooo :shock: :shock: Shiny


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

I'm stoked about GenCon Indy, and the sort-of pre-release of this. There's supposed to be some demo gaming and a teaser of the game.


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## Cadian81st (Dec 24, 2006)

Very nice. That's the first thing I'm hitting at gencon this year.


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

Me too.


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## Sister Sin (Nov 27, 2007)

Got my pre-order in back on December 10th. I've been waiting on a 40K RPG for ages. 

Sister Sin


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## Alexander_67 (May 5, 2007)

i remember seeing this a gamesday like 3 years ago. I certainly _want _to get it whether it will be a practical investment i dont know (aka will i ever use it?).


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## Pandawithissues... (Dec 2, 2007)

Hopefully there's an option where you DON'T have to play as a space marine? :wink:


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## Firewolf (Jan 22, 2007)

>> Been looking at stuff on Black Industries site, and it would seem you play as an inquisitor or a member of his retinue. Could be cool.


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## Steel Rain (Jan 14, 2008)

I've always figured that was the only way to have any sort of freedom to travel in the 40k universe. Only inquisitors and their retinues can do whatever they want.


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## drogoth (Jan 20, 2008)

I totaly agree.


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

Picked up my copy yesterday. Hells yeah, I'm starting a campaign shortly.


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## Dragonlover (Oct 17, 2007)

I'm kicking my game off in a month, gotta wait until Valentines to have my own copy of the book. I did manage to have a look through a mates copy yesterday though, and I'm really stoked about starting, it looks like a really easy system to learn.

Dragonlover


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## EvgO (Dec 23, 2007)

Damn! You guys heard about the stoppage of Dark Heresy line in september?

Sorry, if I missed your posts concerning it..just too shocked..
Like, the Collectors Edition sold out in 6 minutes and they decide to stop the product line..freaks..


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

The regular Dark Heresy Book sold out here in a couple hours.


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## Dragonlover (Oct 17, 2007)

I posted about it in the News section. I'm pretty pissed off about it, but at the same time I've got the core rules available so the sky is the limit for homebrewing. It's not like I need sourcebooks to tell me the backstory of 40K really, is it?

Dragonlover


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

Dragonlover said:


> I posted about it in the News section. I'm pretty pissed off about it, but at the same time I've got the core rules available so the sky is the limit for homebrewing. It's not like I need sourcebooks to tell me the backstory of 40K really, is it?
> 
> Dragonlover


That IS true. If you've got the mainbook, the rest is really icing on the cake.

Honestly, I'm a sucker for splatbooks, and will try and score the whole set (just picked up the WFRP Bestiary yesterday actually. 2nd printing. Finally!)

What I believe will happen is that the BI properties will be licensed out to another company sometime this year. I can't imagine something selling so well, and getting so many awards will simply die suddenly without being licensed out first. Maybe my own hopes are bleeding through there.


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## Wrath of Khaine (Dec 29, 2006)

I just picked up the core rulebok today! 50USD! Great Ulthwe's anus, thats pricey!
It's heartbreaking to wait so long for the release only to have the line ended so fast.. I'm sure the sales with bring about a new License Contract with the creators, probably just released as a Black Library product with the same writers.
I also have the collection of WFRP, even though I only played it once, LOL. A local hobby shop closed down a bit ago and gave me all the WFRP books for practically nothing.

Weren't they supposed to make a Rogue Trader supplement and a Marine supplement, or even separate rulebooks? I'd rather be a rogue trader, to remove the gung-ho 'go emperor!' necessity. Sad.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Wrath of Khaine said:


> 50USD! Great Ulthwe's anus, thats pricey!


Agreed. In all fairness, most "core" rulebooks for roleplaying systems are that price, as well as the 'ardbound rules for both 40k and Fantasy. 


I'm really not that sad to see them can the project. I've always thought both 40k and Fantasy would be excellent as campaign settings for the D20 system, but that's about it (hell, I've been working on a 40k adaptation for D20 for about a year, just to amuse myself really, but I might post it when it's closer to being finished.) I never really thought an entirely new, seperate system was particularly needed when everything is provided in an open-source format as it is. More practically, adapting the d20 system allows you far greater options, I think-- for example, you CAN play as a Space Marine if you want, or you could be an alien, or whatever-- a simple adaptation of the d20 rules, particularly if you use the modern and/or sci-fi versions, allows you to do more than just tromp around as an Inquisitor's henchman. 

I also sort of think the setup is an argument waiting to happen. If you can only play as an Inquisitor or part of a retinue, then someone ultimately ends up as the boss, and that can get really crappy really quickly with a roleplaying game. Since the Inquisitor has the extreme authority, you can't very well go against him in the game without getting yourself shot. Similarly, because an Inquisitor has such authority, a group of Inquisitors are all equally justified in saying that their way is the way the party should go, and there's not a sensible arbitrator as a PC to resolve the situation.


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

Writeable PDF Character Sheet for Dark Heresy
http://www.blackindustries.com/pdf/dh-handouts/writable-pdf-colour.pdf


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## Dragonlover (Oct 17, 2007)

Son of Horus, you've got the wrong end of the stick... in a standard game of Dark Heresy, the DM is the Inquisitor, when the players get to the point where they would become one themselves the character becomes an NPC.

And I've contemplated using D20 for it before, but it just straight up doesn't feel right to me. If I was gonna use an existing system, I'd modify the old World of Darkness to fit.

Dragonlover


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

Different game systems are designed for different styles of play. d20 is designed for a more tactical, kill em all style of play. If you try that in Dark Heresy, you'll kill off all the PCs in the first or second encounter: it's simply a very lethal system.

Dark Heresy is designed for fledgling acolytes to get introduced to the inquisition: subtlety is the keyword. You can't simply fight your way through, and the THREAT of violence should be enough and nobody fights to the death.

d20 simply isn't like that. Encounters are fights, xp for fights and kills, and everyone fights to the death.

WoD would work nicely. As would Shadowrun 4th Ed (esentially the oWoD system). Fading Suns could pull it off too.

Dark Heresy is made for more of a storytelling experience and characters being presented with difficult questions and decisions than combat. Especially at lower levels.


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## Tvayumat (Jan 28, 2008)

I DMed our first session last night, and the system is FANTASTIC! It is very adaptable for unexpected situations, very easy to learn for a beginner (We had an RPG first timer), and still versatile enough for a veteran player. The combat we did have was nerve wracking, and the investigation aspect of the game worked flawlessly. The news about BI is disappointing, but the line up of books to be released looks versatile enough to extrapolate quite a bit.

I also tried for some time to modify D20 to work with 40K, and it really just ends up with the wrong feel to the game.


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## Wrath of Khaine (Dec 29, 2006)

I'm about to run our first session tonight. I'll try to post a rundown of the mayhem we cause across Malfi Hive and the surrounding systems. It's a well-written system with a ton of options, and the insanity/fear system is straight out Call of Cthulhu(which is AMAZING). The combat is simple yet sophisticated in design to be fun and nail-biting.
Knowing the 40k rules, its really simple to add options to the game, including races and weapons of a xenos origin. I had to create basic Eldar gear and racial statistics.

The party is under the command of Xenos Inquisitor Kerrick Gaelyon(Gayl-ee-own), striving to halt the prophecy Kiira Kha'Zanatar, or Cloudwalk of the Bladegod. They have to figure out what the hell it means and stop it before the time comes, which is only months away. The Kha'Zanatar is actually an ancient Yme-Loc titan of Imperator proportions that was lost during the fall, but recently discovered by an eldar outcast through visions from his ancient Yme-Loc family talisman. The thing is, he's an actual outcast and has no interest in helping the Eldar or Human cause with it.

Sound cool? Too bad that's going to be the end of said campaign, but the in-between is facing off against an Eldar-friendly witch-cult of humans and their forward movement into prophecy. Oh, and the incredibly corrupt underbelly of Malfi Hive and the Inquisitors that think Gaelyon is a madman corrupted by the race he hunts.

Khaine


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## The Wraithlord (Jan 1, 2007)

My group just got it and we are dying to get into it. Soon as I can make up a character I am going Psyker all the way.


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## Wrath of Khaine (Dec 29, 2006)

My character is also a Psyker. Boo ya! Willpower is hella important.


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## yvaN_ehT_nioJ (May 24, 2007)

I just got the rulebook today. From what I have read thus far the game seems like it shall be pretty fun. I'll probably make a tech-priest character once I get some dice.


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## Elchimpster (Jan 31, 2007)

I've got a Guardsman. I was torn though...Guardsman, Assassin, Psyker...so many cool things to play!


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## yvaN_ehT_nioJ (May 24, 2007)

Aye. It's a shame I can only be one type of person.

Some of the psyker powers look pretty sweet. Especially the Blood Boil one.


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## Captain Galus (Jan 2, 2008)

ive got two questions:
what D system does it use, and what races can you be?


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## Wrath of Khaine (Dec 29, 2006)

You can only be human in the main book. But you can be 4 different types of human.
Feral Born, Hive Born, Imperial Born and Void Born.

The D system is entirely d10's, or more specifically a percentile system. You wouldn't want an actual d100, as 10's are mainstream across the board.
It's fairly easy to create a new race and weapons though, as what they have is easy to convert to new things. And the GM's Kit comes with a lil Xenos Creator, which can be used to randomly(or not) make xenos enemies for an adventure. The bonuses can also be directly added to a character, if wanted.

The main issue.. The characters are all acolytes of an Inquisitor, going out and doing his deeds, ala Harlon Nayl and Kara Swole of the Ravenor books. Your basically bad asses from around the Calixis Sector(or beyond if your picky) that are under said inquisitors employment. Running around as a xenos might not work out unless he was fairly radical or needed the xenos character for some reason. And then, I doubt anything besides an Eldar or Tau would even come close to being justified.


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## Andros (Dec 10, 2007)

My friend is starting a campaign, and trust me to make a completely random character...... Scum :no:

Pity they stopped making it....... it looks fun and I wanna play :grin:


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## mAd eAgle (Feb 19, 2008)

Hey people  1st post here! I got a copy of Dark Heresy and it is what I have been waiting for for over 15 years! I have read so many 40k novels that even if they do stop making further material, the background is one of the most solidly set EVER!
k:k:k:


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Welcome aboard!

I just ordered the book recently, but I'm pretty excited about it. You should write up a review ;-)


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## Cpl Kendall (Feb 19, 2008)

It's been picked up. Check out the second FFG News item. Links to .pdf though.


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## hawkwing (Jan 12, 2008)

Yes FFG in the US has picked it up and there 2 books coming out
Purge the Unclean....anthology adventure...and introduces SoBs
Inquisitor handbook.....Um its about Inquisitors and banana twinkies


BURN the WITCH

how do you know shes a witch

she turned me into a newt

I got better


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