Dark Heresy

[Rutee]

So... I don't see a thread on this here, for some strange reason, so I'll go ahead and start one. I picked this up recently, looks pretty interesting. It's pretty much my introduction to WH40k, since there's no way in hell you'll get me to buy all those miniatures and books and whatnot, and I'm liking the snarky sense of humor underneath all the Grim n' Gritty. A bit irritated, since I'd like to play Eldar and I understand that won't be happening for a while, but I found This nifty thread (http://forum.blpublishing.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3627) that's coming up with rules for it to save me trouble (Not that I'll play anyway, I suspect, but..) The system looks interesting, but in truth, what impressed me the most about the book so far is that it doesn't compare Roleplaying to Cops n' Robbers. But that's just my own personal hangup, I guess.

I think what also surprises me most is the sheer number of times the word "Manifold" is used. It's like Resplendent in Exalted. Except Manifold conjures up images of a lolcat image.. "Danger to teh Manifold!!!11" or some such. Renders this unreadable as anything serious >.>

Anyone else gotten it or skimmed it or anything?

[ShadowSiege]

I was interested in Dark Heresy right up until I realized it only featured Inquisition humans. I said I'd revisit it when they started introducing the Tau or Chaos, but the publisher, Black Industries, is shutting down, so it'll never happen now.

As for the setting:

Warhammer 40,000 is not a happy place. Rather than just being Darker And Edgier, it paints itself black and hurls itself over the edge. The Imperium of Man is an oppressive, stark, and downright miserable place to live in where, for far too many people, living isn't something to do until you die, but something to do until something comes around and kills you. The Messiah has been locked up on life support for the past ten millennia, laid low by his own son.

The Dawn of War RTS games for PC are pretty fun if you're looking for something in the setting without spending megabucks on it, and is a good introduction to it all.

[Matthew]

I read the sample adventure, it looked pretty good. It's on my list of things to try one day, but since they have apparently stopped supporting it recently, that may be a good long while!

[Dan_Hemmens]

I've got it, played a session last night, it's got basically the same system as WFRP if you've played that.

Pros: Simple system, flavourful setting, and let's face it some of us have been waiting for a 40K RPG since the age of twelve. Also, you get to play Inquisitors, which means you get to say "By the Authority of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind!" a lot. Nice and crunchy if you like that sort of thing, interesting blend of levels/classes and a skills based system.

Cons: Like WFRP, you pretty much start out with nothing. If you're really lucky your best stat might be over 40%, which means you might just have a 50% chance of succeeding at the one thing you're best at in the world. Some folks like this sort of thing, it drives me crazy. It's sort of anticlimactic to be demanding people's co-operation in the name of the Emperor, and then to have them laugh in your face because of your pitiful Fellowship score.

Most importantly, though: Dude, it's the 40K RPG. People have been waiting for this baby since 1989.

[Prophaniti]

I've wanted a copy since I heard about it, but have been unable to aquire one. Looks like a lot of fun. My gaming group already did a WH40K game using modified d20 rules and the Inquisitor rulebook. It'll hopefully be nicer to have a dedicated rulebook and system for it. I also have played one of the old editions of the WFRP and like the system a lot. Very much looking forward to trying it out.

[Rutee]

Pros: Simple system, flavourful setting, and let's face it some of us have been waiting for a 40K RPG since the age of twelve. Also, you get to play Inquisitors, which means you get to say "By the Authority of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind!" a lot. Nice and crunchy if you like that sort of thing, interesting blend of levels/classes and a skills based system.
I liked the way Talents work, now that I've gotten a bit farther. Though there's so many! It's hard to reference them at the same time. The setting.. Hm, not sure why, I can't take it quite so seriously as I'm supposed to, I think. It's not just hte word "Manifold" being used, but the human aesthetic as a whole. Seeing all those skulls and deformed humans is just.. goofy to me. But I like it, as a whole.


Cons: Like WFRP, you pretty much start out with nothing. If you're really lucky your best stat might be over 40%, which means you might just have a 50% chance of succeeding at the one thing you're best at in the world. Some folks like this sort of thing, it drives me crazy. It's sort of anticlimactic to be demanding people's co-operation in the name of the Emperor, and then to have them laugh in your face because of your pitiful Fellowship score.
I noticed that too. Especially humorous with the security systems that people would set every day of their lives and somehow fail to. XD
If I'm not mistaken, no other books will be coming out for it, right? So the only source for Eldar rules is basically homebrew? (MEaning I could theoretically produce an equally effective set for any other system)

[Dan_Hemmens]

I liked the way Talents work, now that I've gotten a bit farther. Though there's so many! It's hard to reference them at the same time. The setting.. Hm, not sure why, I can't take it quite so seriously as I'm supposed to, I think. It's not just hte word "Manifold" being used, but the human aesthetic as a whole. Seeing all those skulls and deformed humans is just.. goofy to me. But I like it, as a whole.

I don't think you have to take it entirely *seriously*, but it's got this gloriously over the top quality to it that's kinda charming. I really love the giant cathedrals in space vibe of the Imperium.


I noticed that too. Especially humorous with the security systems that people would set every day of their lives and somehow fail to. XD
If I'm not mistaken, no other books will be coming out for it, right? So the only source for Eldar rules is basically homebrew? (MEaning I could theoretically produce an equally effective set for any other system)

I'm not sure actually, I thought they were going to put out a few other things, possibly even Rogue Trader and Death Watch.

[Renegade Paladin]

They're putting out two more books that have already completed development. After that they're done. Because Games Workshop's executives hate money. :smallyuk:

[comicshorse]

I think they're going to do another 3 books:
PURGE THE UNCLEAN
THE INQUISITORS HAND-BOOK
DISCIPLES OF THE DARK GODS

[ShadowSiege]

If they do wind up publishing a Chaos handbook as their last hurrah, I'll consider it. For Chaos Undivided!

[Crazy_Uncle_Doug]

I'm one of those people who enjoy the system, actually. Most competent rolls for a starting player lands around 30-40%. It's fairly comparable to a starting character in many systems. The simple way for starting characters to work around difficulty of Fellowship rolls is to allow the person with the better score do the convincing. The overall system is simple, and the more experienced characters will find their rolls frequently successful as time passes.

Another thing to note is that the wound system work differently than classical hit-point systems. Characters and even monsters never have a huge heap of wounds. Having over 20 wounds is considered an impressive amount. Thus, though you are not hitting as often in combat as in other systems, your hits are more effective.

The character progression system was a bit tricky to figure with as first, as I'm more used to the WHFRPG system. Looking at how Dark Heresy's works, it's actually a bit more logical than what I'm used to.

They've packed a lot of information in one book, and granted with a universe as large as 40k there's always a need for more information. If GW hadn't pulled the rug out from under BI, we'd probably see more forthcoming such as Eldar and Tau, even Orks. That, to me, is the biggest downside of the game. After one of the largest sellouts in gaming history*, GW declares they're shutting down the RPG side of their publishing lines. Still, there are communities that support and keep the game alive, and hopefully Dark Heresy will get at least fan-base support for some time.

For me, the word I noticed most often wasn't "Manifold" as much as "Whilst." They do seem to love those words.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Dark Heresy's sales about equal the original release of 3rd edition back in 2000. Considering that DH's material came out at a cost of $50 off the shelf, that's impressive. 3e Player's Guide cost $20 first release. Adjusted for inflation, that's just under $25 dollars for 2007. DH cost about twice as much, yet captured a huge market.

[Ghal Marak]

I love how the book is set up. I'm an avid WHFRPG fan and now WH40KRPG fan. :smallbiggrin:

I didn't notice any unusual amounts of any one word though. Maybe I need to read through again.

[MorkaisChosen]

Someone who has the book said it sold out in SIX MINUTES.

We will now pause for a tsring of rambling, incoherent profanity from someone who still needs to order a copy off Amazon or whatever.

[Selrahc]

We will now pause for a tsring of rambling, incoherent profanity from someone who still needs to order a copy off Amazon or whatever.

Yo. :smallwink:

This one fell right into my blindspot. I've been waiting for Scion:God, and it got delayed like a dozen times. So I had this impression that there would be loads of time between Scion and Dark Heresy coming out, so I wasn't really on the look out for it.

And uh, I missed the boat. It sold out in an hour, and I didn't even notice until there was an announcement at my Gaming Club. Which really sucks, cause I like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and have been waiting for Dark Heresy for an age.

My game store says that they might be getting more copies in, but that the price would probably double or more.

*sigh*

At least I've got Scion:God, which doth rock mightily. And which I'm actually running a campaign for(Uh, the Hero level of the game anyway.).

[Crazy_Uncle_Doug]

Someone who has the book said it sold out in SIX MINUTES.

We will now pause for a tsring of rambling, incoherent profanity from someone who still needs to order a copy off Amazon or whatever.

Sort of. The Collector's Edition, of which only 200 copies were printed, sold out in 6 minutes as soon as it was available for pre-order. The standard book sold out, but it took significantly longer to do so. Still, on the 25th it was announced that no standard editions would be available to order online as they also sold out. All said, it was a remarkably successful release.

[Glaivemaster]

Heh, sounds like I'm lucky to have got a copy. I wasn't sure when it came out, walked into my local gaming shop because I had a few spare minutes and left with my bag suddenly weighing twice as much

So far I've skimmed most of the book, concentrating on how the game is actually played. As a fan of 40K in general, and specifically the 'Inquisitor' game, I have to say I quite enjoy this. I'm quite glad you can't play anything other than humans and I was never expecting the ability to do so for two reasons:

1. The other races (and Space Marines) are so powerful in comparison to a normal human, it would feel a bit cheesy

2. All the races of 40K are so xenophobic it would never make sense to have a multiple race party. It looks like it could be hard enough just including a Priest and a Tech-priest in the same group.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to run a game of this soon. It looks like it's simple and easy enough to be fun

[Project_Mayhem]

My DM had been involved in playtesting it, so we got to try out some of the stuff before it came out, which was fun. Unfortunatly, he moved to some remote hut in the lake district with no internet coz of his job :smallfrown:

[Dan_Hemmens]

I'm quite glad you can't play anything other than humans and I was never expecting the ability to do so for two reasons:

1. The other races (and Space Marines) are so powerful in comparison to a normal human, it would feel a bit cheesy

2. All the races of 40K are so xenophobic it would never make sense to have a multiple race party. It looks like it could be hard enough just including a Priest and a Tech-priest in the same group.


Seconded on both grounds. I genuinely don't know what you would *do* as a non-human character in a 40K RPG. The Imperium is the only bit of the setting which I think has enough legs to make a decent set of RPG protagonists.

[Solo]

Seconded on both grounds. I genuinely don't know what you would *do* as a non-human character in a 40K RPG. The Imperium is the only bit of the setting which I think has enough legs to make a decent set of RPG protagonists.

WAAAAAAAGH!!!!

[Rutee]

Seconded on both grounds. I genuinely don't know what you would *do* as a non-human character in a 40K RPG. The Imperium is the only bit of the setting which I think has enough legs to make a decent set of RPG protagonists.
...Enough of a set of legs? Do you mean they're the only ones properly fleshed out, or what? I saw several game ideas in that thread working on Eldar rules, offhand, and personally, I'm ponderring something involving kicking up some intergalactic warfare between everything not-an-Eldar, myself, but I'm wonderring what my friend will come up with as well.

Also, I think the word "Cheesy" is used on these boards in a strange matter. It seems to be a pejorative applied to anything powerful, and that strikes me as weird. It's almost as if there's disapproval of playing anything powerful.. :P

Anyway, I've finished the Dark Heresy book, with the exception that I didn't read over Psykker disciplines in depth, nor some of the Talents. The system is pretty lethal. Granted, Fate Points help that out a bit, but.. Insta-kill crits on PCs seems a bit messed up to me. Ah well, it matches the setting at least. And speaking of that, it really might just be me, but I sense a definite.. professional wrestling vibe from it all. Like, the days of Kayfabe. Makes it so much more amusing, then anything else, and I like that.

[Dan_Hemmens]

...Enough of a set of legs? Do you mean they're the only ones properly fleshed out, or what?

Basically. The Imperium - in the wargame - essentially includes nearly a dozen separate army lists, all with their own background. The other races have far less. I don't see what Orks or Eldar are going to do other than (respectively) have fights and fade away into oblivion respectively.


I saw several game ideas in that thread working on Eldar rules, offhand, and personally, I'm ponderring something involving kicking up some intergalactic warfare between everything not-an-Eldar, myself, but I'm wonderring what my friend will come up with as well.

Fair enough, I have a bit of a problem with non-human races in stuff. Either they're sufficiently human that they might as well *be* human for all the difference it makes, or they're totally impossible to relate to. You could run an Eldar game in which you do pretty much the same stuff you'd do in a human game, but I don't see the point of being Eldar in that case. Alternatively you could run a Necron game where you go around purging all life from the galaxy in the name of the C'tan, but that would be kind of soulless.


Also, I think the word "Cheesy" is used on these boards in a strange matter. It seems to be a pejorative applied to anything powerful, and that strikes me as weird. It's almost as if there's disapproval of playing anything powerful.. :P

It's a common problem with D&D I think, power is kind of the point of the game, so overpowered characters break the game. Playing a powerful character in D&D is like skipping to the end of a mystery novel, it sort of misses the point.

[Rutee]

Fair enough, I have a bit of a problem with non-human races in stuff. Either they're sufficiently human that they might as well *be* human for all the difference it makes, or they're totally impossible to relate to. You could run an Eldar game in which you do pretty much the same stuff you'd do in a human game, but I don't see the point of being Eldar in that case. Alternatively you could run a Necron game where you go around purging all life from the galaxy in the name of the C'tan, but that would be kind of soulless.

I prefer the Eldar aesthetic. Especially the face paint I've seen come up. Very spiffy looking. And humans can not, in any sense, get that aesthetic.


It's a common problem with D&D I think, power is kind of the point of the game, so overpowered characters break the game. Playing a powerful character in D&D is like skipping to the end of a mystery novel, it sort of misses the point.
You seem to have two seperate points here. Do you dislike overpowerred, or being powerful? In my view, provided you face meaningful challenges, you can not, by default, be overpowerred (Unless you're massively more powerful then the rest of the group and the challenges are geared to /you/, offhand). Overpowerred implies that you have too much power.

As to the "Skipping to the end of a mystery novel", line of reasoning, if to you the point is to gain power, then yes, I see what you mean. To me, as a general rule, the point is to be epic (Not Epic Levelled; those rules are garbage in DnD. I mean Epic, the word). That generally means you're going to just start off with a fair amount of power. So different strokes.

[Kantur]

Basically. The Imperium - in the wargame - essentially includes nearly a dozen separate army lists, all with their own background. The other races have far less. I don't see what Orks or Eldar are going to do other than (respectively) have fights and fade away into oblivion respectively.

Hmm, I agree it's more difficult to imagine what Orks or Eldar (To use your examples) would do, but having said that - off the top of my head, for Orks you could have a group of PCs who all want to become the new Warboss of their clan but realise they need to wait for the others to become weak or injured, or to become stronger themselves before making their move against any of their equals, let alone the current Warboss! So they go off, attacking imperials, xenos, whatever's nearby, hoping for their group to falter to show their own strength, and a chance to prove they can lead the clan to a brilliant, successful Waaargh! And that's before we start going into the various Ork clans, or looking at Meks or Wierdboys, etc.

For the Eldar, it may be a group of Eldar who seek to become Aspect Warriors, or even Harlequins (Though something in my memories trying to tell Harlequins are picked from a young age...But I could be wrong.), or possibly Farseers, Guardians of the Black Library and must prove themselves and their skills, their ability to temper their emotions and guard themselves from She Who Thirsts before being accepted on their path...

To be completely honest, I think the only race that'd be near-impossible to do would be Necrons...

[Dan_Hemmens]

I prefer the Eldar aesthetic. Especially the face paint I've seen come up. Very spiffy looking. And humans can not, in any sense, get that aesthetic.

That's fair, strokes, folks, MMV and all that.


You seem to have two seperate points here. Do you dislike overpowerred, or being powerful? In my view, provided you face meaningful challenges, you can not, by default, be overpowerred (Unless you're massively more powerful then the rest of the group and the challenges are geared to /you/, offhand). Overpowerred implies that you have too much power.

As to the "Skipping to the end of a mystery novel", line of reasoning, if to you the point is to gain power, then yes, I see what you mean. To me, as a general rule, the point is to be epic (Not Epic Levelled; those rules are garbage in DnD. I mean Epic, the word). That generally means you're going to just start off with a fair amount of power. So different strokes.

I was just making an off-the-cuff observation about D&D. For me, I prefer high-powered games, because I hate level grind with a passion. I like to actually start off playing the character I want, instead of having to earn it playing a character I don't want. I also don't much care for "challenge" in the classic sense of it. For me the challenge of an RPG is playing my character in a way that entertains the other players (much like the "challenge" of GMing), not trying to achieve IC goals with limited resources.

I'm just aware that for some people it *is* all about the challenge and it *is* all about the slow build. It's why so many people start all their campaigns at level 1.

[SpikeFightwicky]

I had the pleasure of playing in a game this weekend. I must say, it was quite different than D&D, but pleasantly so (I needed to give D&D a break for a while). After getting used to the system, it actually went quite smoothly. One thing I like is that HP doesn't spiral out of control (unless you focus on HP at the expense of utility). The classes all seem interesting too.

Funnest part: trying to finish off the main culprit, and rolling 3 tens in a row on damage :smallbiggrin: The Emperor DOES favor me!

[Tamburlaine]

I'm waiting hungrily for a chance to play this, it looks pretty damn good. Being quite a fan of PC's dying just as easily as normal folk, I really like the critical damage rules and wound progression; It's never quite sat right with me that a more experienced warrior should be able to take so many more hits before dying.

[MorkaisChosen]

I got the book of Amazon (£11.90 discounts for the win!), and I like it. There's more of a sense of scale than in D&D with experience- rather than "Bing! You learn 2 spells, get tougher and better at dodging and better at hitting things", you gain a skill here, a skill there... The other good thing about the talents is that you can have a reasonable thing now or a slightly better thing slightly later.

The incredibly-lethal combat seems more realistic to me- show me a person who can take more than a couple of decent bullet hits without any ill effects! Also, the critical damage works- slightly-wounded has no penalties, but then you get into fingers blown off and exploding heads...

So, as soon as possible it's out with the Creepy Void-Born Psyker!

[hewhosaysfish]

Hmm, I agree it's more difficult to imagine what Orks or Eldar (To use your examples) would do, but having said that - off the top of my head, for Orks you could have a group of PCs who all want to become the new Warboss of their clan but realise they need to wait for the others to become weak or injured, or to become stronger themselves before making their move against any of their equals, let alone the current Warboss! So they go off, attacking imperials, xenos, whatever's nearby, hoping for their group to falter to show their own strength, and a chance to prove they can lead the clan to a brilliant, successful Waaargh! And that's before we start going into the various Ork clans, or looking at Meks or Wierdboys, etc.
Gorkamorka the RPG! I love it!



For the Eldar, it may be a group of Eldar who seek to become Aspect Warriors, or even Harlequins (Though something in my memories trying to tell Harlequins are picked from a young age...But I could be wrong.), or possibly Farseers, Guardians of the Black Library and must prove themselves and their skills, their ability to temper their emotions and guard themselves from She Who Thirsts before being accepted on their path...




To be completely honest, I think the only race that'd be near-impossible to do would be Necrons...

Isn't there a Necron special squad which isn't composed of killer robots but kidnapped, brainwashed human Soulless, who've been raised by the killer robots? Could devolve into some very weird angst, but still a possibility.

What about 'Nids? Hive minds make for tricky roleplaying.

[GolemsVoice]

Actually, I think, Necrons and Tyranids make for the easiest roleplaying:
"You wake up, after 1000 yers of sleep. The Living have disturbed your Lord's sleep and you now rise to purge them from this world, and, once again, teach the universe the meaning of fear. Since you do not have a mind of your own, you go along. Bla bla bla, 3 Space Marines appear. What do you do? Ha ha, shoot them of course. *shoot shoot shoot* So you are all dead, as dead as robots can get. Ok, next week we'll play a group of pantomimic priests of the Emperor, travelling along with the 23. Frencholian Regiment, "The Stealthmasters"."

[Rutee]

The incredibly-lethal combat seems more realistic to me- show me a person who can take more than a couple of decent bullet hits without any ill effects! Also, the critical damage works- slightly-wounded has no penalties, but then you get into fingers blown off and exploding heads...

There's something around a 3/100 chance or so that a crit from a bullet will remove a limb or cause someone to explode in a fine gooey mist or whatnot. This is really no more realistic then the norm. :P

Hiveminds as RP... I don't think humans are capable of it properly. Assuming freedom of will for a moment (Which seems a long assumption), this implies a level of understanding between characters which language simply doesn't convey..

[hamlet]

[QUOTE=Rutee;3923307]Hiveminds as RP... I don't think humans are capable of it properly. QUOTE]


Not actually that difficult really. All you have to do is realize that, depending on the extent of the hive mind, that all individuals within it know everything that other individuals do. This means that they can more easily and effectively coordinate and plan counter offenses and that, as a GM, you don't have to separate out which individual knows what anymore since, once one learns it, they all learn it.

In terms of actions, after a lag of say, a few minutes, the Tyranid will almost always do what is tactically "correct" in each situation and will be capable of pulling things off that humans would find difficult. Battlefield communications are virtually instant and silent.

[Rutee]

That's downplaying what a hive mind means. It's not just information that gets transferred; it's /everything/. You don't just know the battlefield situation. You understand your comrades on levels language simply doesn't convey. That's why I'm not sure we could 'properly' do it.

[Kantur]

Isn't there a Necron special squad which isn't composed of killer robots but kidnapped, brainwashed human Soulless, who've been raised by the killer robots? Could devolve into some very weird angst, but still a possibility.



Hmm, I suspect you mean either Pariah's (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=99060110015&orignav=10) or Flayed Ones (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=99060110015&orignav=10)...Either name ring a bell? It's been a while since I've read any of the Necron background...

[ShadowSiege]

Hmm, I suspect you mean either Pariah's (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=99060110015&orignav=10) or Flayed Ones (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=99060110015&orignav=10)...Either name ring a bell? It's been a while since I've read any of the Necron background...

He probably means the Pariah due to the "kidnapped, brainwashed human" part. The Pariahs are what happens to a human with the Pariah gene when they're subjected to the process of Necron-ization (for lack of a better word).

Interestingly, the Flayed Ones do retain some consciousness, but they're thoroughly insane due to the long millenia in their shells.

[hewhosaysfish]

He probably means the Pariah due to the "kidnapped, brainwashed human" part. The Pariahs are what happens to a human with the Pariah gene when they're subjected to the process of Necron-ization (for lack of a better word).

Interestingly, the Flayed Ones do retain some consciousness, but they're thoroughly insane due to the long millenia in their shells.

Yes, Pariah's them the ones. Like the Culexus Assassins.
So how human are Necron Pariah's after their necronization?

Oh and and to elaborate on what I meant about the Tyranid hive mind:
The slave creatures have animal intelligence, so they're out as PCs. The master creatures (synapse creatures) have human (or above) intellect but if they approach too close to each other or anywhere near the main body of the hive-fleet, their minds will connect and operate as one, thus you cannot have a functioning party (you could try to run a single player game, but it would just turn back into a wargame really, as you commanded all your little minions into battle).
Your only option is to play as one of the independent creatures and hope the campaign keeps you well away from the master-synapses.
So Lictors or Genestealers then...
I can see both as being enormous fun but particularly the 'stealers. Genestealer cults!

[ShadowSiege]

Yes, Pariah's them the ones. Like the Culexus Assassins.
So how human are Necron Pariah's after their necronization?


I'm not absolutely positive as I'm pulling this from the DoW:DC, but pariahs retain individuality, speech and some of their personality in that game. I do know that they can't repair themselves like standard Necrons.

[MorkaisChosen]

'Stealer cult would work, as would an idea I had a bit ago- playing the game as a Chaos cult's elite death-squad and murderalising Inquisitors.

[hamlet]

That's downplaying what a hive mind means. It's not just information that gets transferred; it's /everything/. You don't just know the battlefield situation. You understand your comrades on levels language simply doesn't convey. That's why I'm not sure we could 'properly' do it.

Yes, in the respect that we as individuals would not be able to fully and acurately portray a hive mentality, it would be nigh impossible.

However, I still maintain that it is possible to do it effectively enough to, at the very least, unnerve the players. I've done it personally. Back in the 2e days, I ran a Dark Sun 1-off that involved slightly modified Thri-Kreen. They were a variety that was a true hive mind. One of the players, after the game, walked up to me and told me I was a truly evil person.

[comicshorse]

Tyranids, meh . Can you play Ogryn's is what I want to know

[Name_Here]

There's something around a 3/100 chance or so that a crit from a bullet will remove a limb or cause someone to explode in a fine gooey mist or whatnot. This is really no more realistic then the norm. :P

I'd have to disagree there. A shot in the arm in game won't cause you to explode in a gooey mist it'll cause you to bleed out quickly or have you arm fouled for the rest of your life. The only thing that is different between them is luck as to where the bullet went and what it hit. Seems much more believable than Fighter goes from fighting without problems to unconcious and bleeding to death, Or even the fighting 20% more poorly ---> dead with no real inbetween.

[Rutee]

I'd have to disagree there. A shot in the arm in game won't cause you to explode in a gooey mist it'll cause you to bleed out quickly or have you arm fouled for the rest of your life. The only thing that is different between them is luck as to where the bullet went and what it hit. Seems much more believable than Fighter goes from fighting without problems to unconcious and bleeding to death, Or even the fighting 20% more poorly ---> dead with no real inbetween.

Impact Critical 10, offhand basically /shatters/ the arm and the parts turn into /shrapnel/. Under what non-Newtonian Physics does your universe operate under when that happens? :P

[Xuincherguixe]

Sounds neat. If this was likely to last awhile I'd consider buying it.

As Imperial types makes the most sense for a game, but I'd want to do a Chaos one. *starts screaming at something that isn't there*

[Rocktopotomus]

Actually, I think, Necrons and Tyranids make for the easiest roleplaying:
"You wake up, after 1000 yers of sleep. The Living have disturbed your Lord's sleep and you now rise to purge them from this world, and, once again, teach the universe the meaning of fear. Since you do not have a mind of your own, you go along. Bla bla bla, 3 Space Marines appear. What do you do? Ha ha, shoot them of course. *shoot shoot shoot* So you are all dead, as dead as robots can get. Ok, next week we'll play a group of pantomimic priests of the Emperor, travelling along with the 23. Frencholian Regiment, "The Stealthmasters"."

that IS sarcasm right? RIGHT?
I loathe hack'n'slash as a player and as a gm. A good fight is only fun in so far as it advances the narative, otherwise who cares if you win or lose.

And while the Inquisition never really interested me when playing the table top game I think it is the best choice as far as a starting point for a pen and paper rpg. think of all the intrigue, all the skills needed- its not just who has a better WS, BS, and armor.

[MorkaisChosen]

I was looking over the sample NPCs and enemies in the book, and I suddenly realised something VERY IMPORTANT for doing this.

As most of my RP experience is D&D, when looking at a stat block for an enemy I pretty much ignore the stats (As in Strength et cetera) and look at saves, abilities and attack bonuses. You can't do that with DH- the stats are what govern everything.

[Rocktopotomus]

anyone seen or made up rules for genestealer cults for DH?
oh the possibilities.

Ordos Xenos to the rescue!!

[Soniku]

I've been running a DH campaign for a few weeks now, and while in the first session I was a bit cheesed off at the lack of non-human stats, I found something very useful. darkheresy.wikia.com , to be precise. It's got stats for loads of races and weapons and stuff, so since then I've had no problem with my orky hordes of doom!

And personally, I love the rules. While having a "good" stat of 35 may seem like a 35% success rate, it's actually a lot better. Most of the non-combat skill tests in the game have some sort of bonus attached to them.

Also, on the whole critical damage thing, note that said shrapneling of the arm only takes effect when the character in question takes ten or more damage past zero in one shot, and as wounds have a minimum of zero (They don't go into negatives, basically), you would need to do a whole lot of damage in a single shot even to someone who was already beaten down. Still, all of the crits are very fun. Last session our tech-priest actually melted an orks face with his las carbine :smallbiggrin:

[Prophaniti]

The more I hear, the more I want it. Hopefully there will still be some on ebay for cheap when I have money next month...:smallsigh:

[SuperMuldoon]

Don't know if you have read this yet (found it on the official forums), but figure I'll post it here...looks like theres light at the end of the tunnel for all us 40K RPG followers:

22/February/2008 - Fantasy Flight Games Announcement
Fantasy Flight Games to Exclusively Publish Board Games, Card Games, and Roleplaying Games based on Games Workshop properties.

Roseville, Minnesota (February 22, 2008) – Fantasy Flight Games (“FFG”) and Games Workshop (“GW”) jointly announced today that they have reached an agreement for Fantasy Flight Games to become the exclusive publisher of board games, card games (including collectible card games), and roleplaying games based on Games Workshop’s family of renowned intellectual properties including Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Warhammer 40,000. Additionally, the deal will grant FFG the exclusive rights to publish new versions of the classic board and card games titles published by Games Workshop over the last 25 years.

Additionally, a second agreement between the parties will transfer the publication rights and system of the Universal Fighting System CCG, formerly published by Sabertooth Games, to FFG.

“We are just so thrilled to partner with Games Workshop in such an encompassing deal,” said Christian T. Petersen, CEO and founder of FFG. “Not only will we be able to continue the publication of some phenomenal roleplaying, card, and board games currently on the market, but we look forward to creating new games for the popular GW universes!”

"In Fantasy Flight Games, we’ve found a partner who shares our passion for gaming and our dedication to producing the highest quality products,” said Andy Jones, Head of Legal and Licensing for Games Workshop. “e legacy of our board, card, and roleplaying games is in the best possible hands with them, and we are extremely excited about the prospects of seeing some fabulous new games set in our universes as well. ”


so it looks like we will see new material after all!

[Rocktopotomus]

anyone know of good models for PCs for dark heresy? I am loathe to give more money for GW models since they are retardedly overpriced. anyone know of any other companies that make models that would 'fit' as inquisitor adepts?

as far as GW models i found an imperial psycher;
http://store.us.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.us?do=List_Models&code=301851&orignav=301304&ParentID=250970&GameNav=10