Warhammer 40k games compatibility

[PapaMojo]

I've been reading through the Dark Heresy version 2 core rulebook, and I've been wondering how compatible the other Warhammer 40k games (Rogue Trader, Only War, etc.) are to each other. I've heard that they are fairly compatible, but just how compatible are they?

[lightningcat]

The crossover rules were mentioned in the various 1e games, but the only mention of crossover characters in DH 2e is on pg 294, refering to Reinforcement Characters. Hope that helps some.

[Anonymouswizard]

Full compatible rules, but the assumptions in the design of the specifics differ quite a bit.

By which I mean that if you want to rip the spaceship rules out of Rogue Trader it'll work fine, but the way characters are built was tweaked significantly. XP costs increased from Dark Heresy to Rogue Trader, and again from Rogue Trader to Deathwatch until almost all 100Xp choices had been removed. Characters in later games also tend to begin with more abilities or skills and more and better equipment (Black Crudade is about the same, then Only War and DH 2e drop back down).

So more compatible than most, but you might still need some work.

[The Glyphstone]

They are compatible, in that you can build a character in one set of rules and more or less drop them into another game's rules. What they are not is balanced, despite attempts to the contrary. Dark Heresy 1e PCs don't mesh well into a Rogue Trader party, nor do Rogue Trader PCs into a Deathwatch party.

DH1e, RT, and Deathwatch also used the '1e' core rule system, while Only War, Black Crusade, and DH2e use the '2e' rules; it's harder to convert one from either set into the other, but can still be transplanted.

[Sinewmire]

Having run Rogue Trader, all equipment and NPCs are completely compatible except for DH2 and maybe Only War, which I've not seen.

I allowed resources from other books to be purchased at an additional -20 modifier.

As others have said, the characters are not remotely compatible, nor the advancement systems. A DH1 Guardsman of the same experience will shred a Rogue Trader Arch-Militant, for example, skills and combat-wise.

Pick a ruleset (Black Crusade is great rules-wise, Rogue Trader is OK, but still has problems (Unnatural Characteristics are OP as hell) and pick a specific system to make all characters from, but equipment, NPCs and suchlike can be carried accross more or less whole.

Personally I love the original DH1. It's got loads of supplements, yes it's awkward and hard and restrictive, but I look on that as a feature of the setting, rather than a flaw. The longest running game I ever played was Dark Heresy, it lasted about 10 years and it was great watching our characters develop.

The errata are very useful.

[Knaight]

I'd split compatibility into a few different categories. Most notably, there's Mechanical Interface Compatibility (the extent to which character mechanics scan at all in another rules set), Descriptive Mechanical Coherence (the extent to which transferred mechanics make in game sense), and Cross-Game Character Balance (the extent to which characters across a game fit with characters in the other game).

Warhammer 40k games generally have high MIC, high DMC, and basically no CCB.