BaronIveagh wrote:
Does this mean the return of Malal?????

 Wyzilla wrote:

1) May that horrible idea never resurface again, and may Malice never be spoken of again either.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
No.

 BaronIveagh wrote:
... Female space marines...

FFG wrote:Sins of Askellon
A Designer Diary for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“Gather tears for the sins of ye fathers, O children of Askellon.”
–Saint Valerius, Introit to the Apocrypha Askellios

Recently, we released Dark Heresy Second Edition, a new roleplaying game that casts players as Acolytes in the service of an Inquisitor amidst the grim darkness of the far future. In every game, you face the horrors of the Warp-stained Askellon sector, striving to buy humanity more time.

The darkness of the Askellon sector has never been explored before Dark Heresy Second Edition. Today, Andy Hoare, a leading author at Black Library and one of the major authors in Dark Heresy Second Edition, discusses the game’s new setting: the dark and ancient Askellon sector.



Andy Hoare on the Askellon Sector in Dark Heresy Second Edition

The Askellon sector is an entirely new sector of the Imperium, departing from the Calixis Sector of Dark Heresy, the Koronus Expanse of Rogue Trader, the Jericho Reach of Deathwatch, the Screaming Vortex of Black Crusade and the Spinward Front of Only War. Although this sector is new, it is still subtly linked to the regions of the Imperium that you may have experienced before. Players steeped in the lore of the Calixis Sector and its connected regions may recall scattered mentions of some other locations – the Scelus and Ixaniad Sectors, the “Dread” Madrigal Sector, and an unnamed region bluntly labelled “Access Denied.” This once-forbidden sector is the region in which Dark Heresy Second Edition is set, and the reason for its ominous designation quickly becomes clear to Game Masters and players that dare to enter.

The Askellon sector has been marked “off limits” even by the great Navigator Houses. Ravenous data-phages slowly work their way through Imperial archives, redacting the region from stellar maps. The reason for this is simple—a seemingly endless Warp Storm, called the Pandaemonium, roars through the Askellon sector. This tempest exists on a huge scale that may one day even rival the Maelstrom and the Eye of Terror.

Because of this, the Askellon sector is doomed, but not to a swift, glorious, or merciful death. The region and its people have courted damnation since the very earliest days of human settlement in this sector. Countless legends describe the earliest days of Askellon, but few can be trusted. Some stories claim that the colonists of the first worlds were damned before they arrived; others say the settlers were helplessly fleeing some great calamity or betrayal. These first core worlds clung together through the terrors of the Age of Strife, so that when the Great Crusade finally cast out the shadows of Old Night, Askellon stood as one. Tales from those days exist only as mythical legend and consecrated texts, describing the arrival of the Emperor and the galactic war of rebellion in sacred verses. There are manifold tales of glorious conflict and celebration from those dark times, though apocryphal whispers dare to question these events and Askellon’s role in them. Of course, such accusations are not uttered openly, for the Lords of Askellon are all-powerful within their domains, and a formidable history is not a matter for open discussion.



Askellon is steeped in damnation, forming a microcosm of the larger Imperium’s fate. The institutions of the Askellon sector are crumbling, its ruling classes are beyond corrupt, its worlds are riven with endless war, and all the while, the enemies of Mankind plot its downfall. Uncounted border systems have been lost to the Pandaemonium and other threats over the millennia, and the Imperium may perhaps turn its back on Askellon once and for all. Many of Mankind’s great pillars regard the sector as lost already, so when a high adept of the Adeptus Terra passes away, none replace him. Worst of all, the League of Black Ships has been erratic at best when scouring the sector for psykers. All of Askellon seethes with Warp energies that threaten to draw the questing coils of the Pandaemonium onwards.

Upon these cursed stars falls the inscrutable eye of the Inquisition. Few Inquisitors operate openly in Askellon: to do so would be to court a repeat of the internecine conflict known as the Vaxi Atrocity that burned an entire sub-sector and saw dozens of Inquisitors and their indentured armies clash for no benefit, save that of the dark gods. An uneasy truce holds rival Inquisitors at a distance, but their wars grind on, fought by proxy through their Acolytes, even as they struggle to uncover a fraction of the crimes attributed to the Lords of Askellon. Those sworn to an Inquisitor’s service have their duties to perform, even as the sector crumbles around them.



There are those who would abandon Askellon and its masters to their fate, allowing them to be consumed by the ravening Warp. But others fear that this course of action would allow a daemonic incursion of unprecedented scale. If this invasion occurred, the worlds of an entire sector would be transformed into the domains of Daemons, and the fall of the Imperium brought even closer. Only the bold servants of the Inquisition are willing to lay down their lives to avert this dire fate, even as the Lords of Askellon invent new sins in a sector seething with the darkest heresies known to Mankind.

Enter the Askellon Sector

Thanks, Andy!

The doom of the Askellon sector may be certain, but there are still those of the Inquisition who will fight to the death before they see more of the Imperium slip into eternal night. Take your place among that heroic number as you make your investigations and battle for the fate of the Askellon sector!

Dark Heresy Second Edition is now available online through our webstore and at your local retailer.

FFG wrote:Forgotten Gods
Announcing the First Supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition



Valatine Lewin was good. Few knew of her, but those who did ensured she always had work. She had been Faceless many times before, smuggling Eldar trinkets, silver devices of unknown origin, and even fresh Ork teef from battles along the Stygies Cluster. The Faceless Trade never ended; the voracious appetite for the outré and forbidden meant that there would always be people like her to whet it.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Forgotten Gods, the first book-length adventure for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Even a moment of heresy left unchecked can damn millions of lives in the terrifying future of Dark Heresy Second Edition. You must strive to forestall this grisly fate by serving as an Acolyte of an Inquisitor, the last bastion between Mankind and the eternal corruption of Chaos. In this book-length adventure, your talents and skills are put to their greatest test, as you investigate proscribed artefacts of deadly power and battle a cult whose heresies reach far into the Askellon sector’s past.




Uncover the Faceless Trade

Mankind was not always such a powerful force in the galaxy. Long before the first humans achieved consciousness, ancient gods ruled the stars and spaces between them. In Forgotten Gods, your fears are about to be realised. A cult has hired the smugglers of the Faceless Trade to bring them forbidden artefacts, and they plot to use the power of these artefacts to reawaken a god from the time before Man. As a devoted servant of the Emperor, you cannot allow this heresy to occur.

Your adventure begins as you track down the smugglers of the Faceless Trade on the hive planet of Desoleum. You must investigate the scene of a vicious altercation, before following the trail of the smugglers and the artefacts. From the packed slums of the hive city, your journey takes you across the galaxy, from trekking through the Desoleum’s wastelands, to dining with a Rogue Trader aboard his ship, to walking the foreboding and bone-strewn cemetery world of Thaur. Your investigations may span the Askellon sector, but your purpose remains the same: destroy the heresies surrounding the Faceless Trade, and prevent the reawakening of unimaginable evil.

For more on the adventure and the other features you’ll find within Forgotten Gods, we turn to developer Tim Huckelbery.



Developer Tim Huckelbery on Forgotten Gods

Forgotten Gods is our first book-length adventure for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and we're happy to show off more of the Askellon Sector in it! In this adventure, Acolytes travel the wastelands surrounding Hive Desoleum, voyage aboard a Rogue Trader vessel, and explore the foreboding shrine world of Thaur.

This adventure continues the storyline begun in the Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, where the Dark Pursuits adventure started your investigations into the dangerous xenos artefacts that pollute Hive Desoleum. These artefacts are undoubtedly linked to countless horrible deaths, and several different groups battle to control them for profit, worship, or worse. Your investigations into the smuggling of these proscribed items continued in the events of Desolation of the Dead, the adventure included in the Dark Heresy Game Master's Kit.

Within the Forgotten Gods adventure, the Acolytes seek to end the smuggling of the so-called Faceless Trade in heretical relics before a deadly cult uses the alien items to reawaken long-dead gods that ruled the Askellon sector before Mankind was sentient. Along the way, you may run into several familiar faces from your earlier adventures – some of whom are not at all pleased to see you again. Players who’ve already enjoyed the Dark Pursuits or Desolation of the Dead adventures before playing Forgotten Gods can develop their existing relationships, but Forgotten Gods can be played without having already experienced the two previous adventures. Overall, this trilogy of adventures makes for a grand mix of fast-paced chases, explosive shootouts, and dangerous explorations that puts your Acolyte’s mettle to its greatest test yet.



Exploring the Universe

Each of the locations explored within the book has plenty of background information included, so a Game Master can extend the adventure to explore even more of the setting, or bring the Acolytes back for new investigations after the events of Forgotten Gods have concluded. Every location, whether a Rogue Trader ship or the shrine world of Thaur, includes adventure seeds for side investigations and opportunities to seek out and combat the countless threats and unknown evils that lurk just out of sight. There are always more heresies to be found!

Forgotten Gods also offers new options for Acolyte creation. Each of the three major locations explored in this book includes rules for using that location as an Acolyte's home world, so new players can craft characters hailing from these vastly different parts of the Imperium. Alternatively – Emperor forbid – a player can use this information to create a new Acolyte should his existing character not survive their climatic adventures in Forgotten Gods!

To Thaur and Beyond

Thanks, Tim!

A new adventure awaits within the pages of Forgotten Gods. You and your fellow Acolytes must journey across the Askellon sector, exploring new locales and facing terrifying odds. If you hope to vanquish future heresies, you must face the darkness that lurks in the past.

Look for Forgotten Gods at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2014!

 BrookM wrote:
The digital version of Dark Heresy 2.0 is out now, discounted for those who partook in the beta.

 PrimarchX wrote:

 BrookM wrote:
The digital version of Dark Heresy 2.0 is out now, discounted for those who partook in the beta.

I bought the Beta. How do I get the digital download and discount? Nothing on FFG's website or at Drivethru RPG that I can see. Did they have to email you a code?

 xeno99 wrote:

 PrimarchX wrote:

 BrookM wrote:
The digital version of Dark Heresy 2.0 is out now, discounted for those who partook in the beta.

I bought the Beta. How do I get the digital download and discount? Nothing on FFG's website or at Drivethru RPG that I can see. Did they have to email you a code?

Make sure you have e-mails enabled for Fantasy Flight Games on DriveThruRPG. Otherwise you may or may not get it.

Looking forward to checking out the first supplement for this game- I know my usual gaming group enjoyed the beta test quite a lot.

FFG wrote:Across the Askellon Sector
Preview the Forgotten Gods Adventure for Dark Heresy Second Edition



In Dark Heresy Second Edition, you are an Acolyte in the service of the Inquisition, battling unfathomable evils as you struggle to keep the Imperium from utter corruption. Threats may arise from within, without, or beyond… And sometimes, the greatest threats come from the distant past.

We recently announced the Forgotten Gods book-length adventure, which pits you and your team of Acolytes against the Faceless Trade, smugglers of proscribed artefacts, whose wares may awaken an ancient evil. Your investigations will take you across the Askellon sector, through strange and unknown locales.

Today, Tim Cox, the writer of the Forgotten Gods adventure, shares his thoughts on designing the key locations of the book.

Tim Cox on the Forgotten Gods Adventure

After writing Dark Pursuits, the adventure contained in the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, I was more than a little excited to dive into Forgotten Gods, the first book-length adventure for the new edition! Like Dark Pursuits and Desolation of the Dead, the adventure included in the Dark Heresy Game Master’s Kit, Forgotten Gods explores the central themes of Dark Heresy, as the Acolytes explore hidden threats and expose even greater dangers to the Askellon sector, striving against overwhelming odds to stem the rise of darkness.



This time, the investigation of the xenos artefacts takes the Players Characters from the depths of the hive to the wastelands surrounding it, before leading them off-planet entirely. Players may have learned a great deal about the hive city of Desoleum in prior Dark Heresy adventures, but I’m really excited for them to see more of the strange locations and cultures in the Askellon sector. Over the course of this adventure, they’ll visit two radically different locations – the Rogue Trader vessel, Oath Unspoken, and the shrine world of Thaur, a blessed planet devoted to cemeteries. I had a lot of fun developing both locations and coming up with unique details to set them apart. Each location has a truly distinct atmosphere that brings these places to life.

Into the Void

To get from Desoleum to Thaur, the Acolytes must journey aboard the Oath Unspoken. The journey through the Warp is much more than a path from point A to point B, however. Any passage through the nightmarish unreality of the Immaterium is a great undertaking, and even a relatively short Warp journey is a matter of weeks. One entire chapter of the adventure takes place aboard the Oath Unspoken, as the PCs continue their investigation into the artefact smugglers and the identities of their mysterious customers. Like any voidship, the Oath Unspoken is massive, much more akin to a location than a vehicle, a home to millennia of culture and secrets.

Here, you’ll find a gazetteer with information about the shipboard culture and notable locations aboard the Oath Unspoken, from the Corpse-Holds to the Navigator’s Sanctum, but you’ll also discover more of the Rogue Traders’ role in the Askellon sector. Specifically, readers will learn of the great trade war between the Anzaforr and Surena dynasties, and how the two families have undertaken penance in the decades since. Of course, any benefits to their power bases as a result of services offered to the Ecclesiarchy or the Imperial Navy are surely incidental!



One ship area the PCs will likely visit is the Drunnels, a large open-deck marketplace that takes up an entire cargo hold and a large portion of the surrounding corridors and chambers. The Drunnels showcases the fact that the Oath Unspoken is much more than a mere ship, and its peculiar customs have developed over thousands of years. Aboard a Rogue Trader’s vessel, it is perhaps no surprise that the importance of trade and negotiation has filtered down to even the lowliest crew-serfs. In the Drunnels, haggling is a way of life. An elaborately ritualised form of negotiating is required for any transaction, from acquiring information or lodgings to merely catching a glimpse of a performance by the Cirque Commercia. Unwary Acolytes might even find themselves entering into unintended bargains!

Planet of the Dead

After travelling aboard an ancient voidship, the arrival on Thaur could be a shock for the Acolytes. The PCs were unlikely to see even a single leaf on Desoleum, but now the steel corridors of hive and voidship are now replaced by vast, dense forests and ancient, crumbling mausoleums. This sparsely populated, largely low-tech world offers a distinct contrast to Hive Desoleum and the Oath Unspoken!

Thaur is home to the graves of the sector’s greatest heroes and most revered saints, with monuments and tombs built from the bones of pious citizens. On this planet the dead are more important than the living. Every division of the Eulogus Askelline – the planet’s governing body and Ecclesiarchy diocese – is committed to the task of caring for and honouring the deceased, from the poor who scrimp and save their entire lives to be buried here, to powerful nobility, war heroes, and saints.



I really enjoyed coming up with the details of the Eulogus Askelline’s beliefs and various branches, as it incorporates Thaur’s governance, religion, defence force, and more. In particular, I’m quite fond of the Ossuarian Custodians, the monastic guardians of the Great Ossuria and the ancient and mysterious catacombs that descend far beneath Thaur’s surface. From defending against tomb robbers to repairing crumbling bone-work statues, they see to the preservation of the ossuaries that house Thaur’s most esteemed residents. Unlike the Mournful Guard who watch over the surface, the Custodians carry specialised and deadly weaponry – and they do not look kindly upon intruders.

Experience Askellon

I hope players enjoy exploring the Askellon sector further in Forgotten Gods as they uncover and defeat an ancient threat to the Imperium. For me, one of the best parts of Warhammer 40,000 is the interesting and bizarre worlds that make up the Imperium. Even within the world classifications – hive world, forge world, shrine world, and so on – there’s no standard, and Dark Heresy offers the opportunity to explore this diversity in depth. I think players and GMs will find the wastelands of Desoleum, the Oath Unspoken, and Thaur to offer many exciting roleplaying opportunities, whether you sit down to a formal dinner with Lord-Captain Aristide Anzaforr or push through the tangled forests of Thaur to search for the grave of a god. But remember – wherever you go, there are always new heresies!

Thanks, Tim!

Can you stop the Faceless Trade before their artefacts awaken unspeakable corruption within the Askellon sector? Unless you act, an ancient evil will rise to prominence once more. Gather your fellow Acolytes, and purge this heresy before it can spread!

Pre-order Forgotten Gods at your local retailer today!

 warboss wrote:
So what lines are they still supporting at this point publicly for their 40k rpgs? Is it just DH2 at this point or are there still Black Crusade and Only War books coming out? Deathwatch? Rogue Trader?

 warboss wrote:
... but I'm also acutely aware that it is not the equivalent of a full book release either...

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 warboss wrote:
... but I'm also acutely aware that it is not the equivalent of a full book release either...

Actually it was a full book release. Over 150 pages, larger than the usual 140-144 page book. It's the same sort of book as The Soul Reaver, but they put out the Tau character rules separately for those that didn't want the adventure.

FFG wrote:Ancient Evil Awakens
Forgotten Gods Is Now Available for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“Soon, we shall reach our ancestral home, and the blessed clamour of our return shall wake the gods themselves.”
–Parathas Hayne, Praesul of the Children of the Inheritance

Countless heresies plagues the Askellon sector, rotting the Imperium of Man from within. As an Acolyte of an Inquisitor, it is your job to maintain a ceaseless, thankless vigil, desperately battling to eradicate even the tiniest fraction of this corruption. Now, a new heresy has emerged, and if left unchecked, its repercussions threaten the entirety of the sector.

Forgotten Gods, the first book-length adventure for Dark Heresy Second Edition, is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!


A Widespread Conspiracy

This adventure thrusts you into the midst of an investigation into the Faceless Trade – smugglers trafficking proscribed artefacts. In the wrong hands, these items could be used for terrible evil. It is your duty to track down the Trade Sable smugglers and their potential buyers, and by so doing push back the forces of darkness that would consume the Askellon sector.



Your investigation begins in the wastelands outside of Hive Desoleum. In this bleak landscape and in the hive itself, you uncover the seeds of corruption that will lead you closer to your final goal. Your adventure starts at the scene of a violent altercation, and from that point, you must track down those responsible and discover the whereabouts of the xenos artefacts that the smugglers were hoping to sell.

The trail of the crime quickly leads you offworld, onto the massive Rogue Trader vessel, Oath Unspoken. Aboard the Oath Unspoken, your investigations can continue, but the ship is as large as a city, and finding clear answers anywhere may quickly lead you and your fellow Acolytes into unwanted trouble. You may descend into the depths of the ship to investigate the Corpse-Holds, or you may be summoned to the Banquet Chamber of Lord-Captain Astride Anzaforr.



After the voyage, you arrive at the bone-ridden cemetery world of Thaur. The planet is covered in tombs to honor the dead and overgrown, primeval forests. Despite this outward tranquility, heresy of the darkest sort festers within the planet. It will take every effort from you and the other Acolytes to exterminate this heresy and vanquish the heretics for the glory of the Emperor.

In addition to a thrilling adventure that spans the Askellon sector, Forgotten Gods offers plenty of gazetteer information on the locations of the adventure. What’s more, each of these three main locations can be used as a new homeworld during character creation. Your Acolyte may hail from the packed city of Hive Desoleum, he may have been born aboard the Oath Unspoken, or he may call the shrine world of Thaur his former home.




Ancient Enemies

Heresy is everywhere in the Imperium. You are one of the few tasked with battling that heresy. Now, in Forgotten Gods, you face a threat like no other. Gather your courage and pray to the Emperor for strength. Only you can stop the deadly threat now stirring in the Askellon sector!

Pick up your copy of Forgotten Gods at your local retailer today!

FFG wrote:Enemies Within
Announcing a New Sourcebook for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“Our enemies prowl in the shadows of shining cathedrals. They scuttle in the darkness of dank underhives. They lurk in the corners of gilded palaces. They even dare to stand openly, hiding behind false faces and honeyed words. They are everywhere that man live and breathe – and so we must always be ready to face them with fire and the Emperor’s wrath!”
–from the Epistles of Inquisitor Kharkov

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Within, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Across the Imperium, countless threats assail the Emperor’s dominion. Xenos from outside the Imperium’s borders launch daily incursions, intent on the destruction of our species. From the ever-changing realm of the Immaterium, daemons and other creations of the Ruinous Powers threaten to burst into Mankind’s plane of reality, eager to devour every human in existence. But perhaps the most deadly threat to the safety of the Imperium comes not from without, but within.



The worlds of the Askellon sector fester with undiscovered heresies and cults. Heretics, mutants, and witches exist on every planet, offering dark worship to the powers of Chaos. If left unchecked, their ghastly beliefs and practices will explode across the sector, dragging humanity screaming into the darkness. For such unbridled corruption, there can be only one cure: the pure and cleansing fire of the Ordo Hereticus.

Enemies Within is the first supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and it offers new opportunities for your Acolytes in the Ordo Hereticus alongside a host of new heresies and cults for you to exterminate.


Beware the Enemy Within

The supplement opens with a history of the Ordo Hereticus’s activity within the Askellon sector. This sector of the Imperium has long been plagued with heresies of all kinds, and even in times of relative peace, heresy spreads to three new souls for every one an Acolyte sanctifies with fire. In this chapter of Enemies Within, you’ll learn the truth behind some of the greatest tragedies in the history of the sector, including deadly psyker eruptions, ferocious mutant uprisings, and other atrocities perpetrated against the glory of the Emperor’s rule.

You’ll also find a wealth of information about various Askellian planets and the heretical cults that you may discover fermenting on each planet. A planet’s culture may lend itself naturally to the emergence of certain cults, and your inquests will face different opponents on different planets. You may travel to the desert world of Hrax, a planet recently grown dissatisfied with the rule of the Imperium and filled with the darksome Warp power of furimancers. Or, your investigations may bring you inexorably to Pellenne, a radioactive world with a terrifyingly high level of mutation. Every planet in the Askellon sector offers new dangers and new heresies to root out. What’s more, this chapter offers the Game Master tools for generating brand new cults and devious plots, giving you new ways to spread the infection of the Warp to any part of the Askellon sector.



Plenty of new options for creating an Acolyte and equipping him for his duties exist in Enemies Within. Completely new home worlds offer plenty of variety, allowing you to play an Acolyte hailing from a productive agri-world, a remote frontier world, or a feudal world without advanced technology. New backgrounds and roles allow you to battle heresy as a member of the Adepta Sororitas or as a penitent mutant. You can even take on a new elite advance, becoming a Sister of Battle and bringing down the divine wrath of the Emperor upon all enemies of humanity.

Finally, you can expand your armory with new weapons, talents, and psychic powers specially suited to the Ordo Hereticus. With these new tools and skills, you can personalize your Acolyte to a greater degree than ever before. You may take up the meticulously crafted and blessed Godwyn-De’az bolt weapons, burn witches with a Brazier of Holy Fire, or ride aboard an Adepta Sororitas Immolator. You may even seek out items forbidden by the more puritan members of the Ordo, using the darksome powers of heresy to eradicate any corruption you can find. In the fight against the enemy within, you’ll need all the help you can get.




Do Not Fail the Emperor

To you, the Emperor has entrusted a most sacred duty: the protection of the Imperium and every man, woman, and child within. Your duty must remain inviolate, no matter what the cost in lives. Should you or another Acolyte shirk your noble calling, the entire sector could fall to the Warp. Sometimes, millions must burn to save the lives of billions.

Join the ranks of the Ordo Hereticus with Enemies Within! Look for this Dark Heresy Second Edition supplement in the first quarter of 2015.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Ah well. Someday I'm sure.

In the next book you really should sneak in a reference somewhere to a shadow group who steal pantloons from unsuspecting Imperial citizens. I'm sure as many as 5 people will get the joke.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Crazy, they managed to sneak the Squats into the Adeptus Mech book but now the Genestealers are the army we dare not name?

 BaronIveagh wrote:
If the OW forums don't stop demanding to know if and when we'll see the last OW book, I'm gonna start screaming

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I sick and tired of every release being celebrated with the double refrain of "Is the line over?" and "Why wasn't X in this book?".

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

I will say though that it's taking a while to come out. I guess it's just January, but I've already been paid for the next book I did, so this is a long wait.

FFG wrote:Imperial Investigation
A Designer Diary on Inquests in Enemies Within



“We thought he perished during our last encounter, but the ritual markings undoubtedly show the involvement of that damnable heretic Zethor. I don’t know how he escaped the purge on Temperance, but with the Emperor’s guidance, this time we will make sure of his fate.”
–Witch-Seeker Arbella Syne

The Askellon sector groans beneath the weight of a billion billion souls and their numberless sins. Everywhere, heresy sprouts and blooms, infecting the innocent and spreading madness. For such unquestionable evil, there is only one certain cure: the cleansing fire of the Inquisition and the Ordo Hereticus.

Yet finding the roots of corruption is difficult. An Inquisitor’s Acolytes must develop a plan of investigation and follow the clues before they can confront the source of the heresy. In the Enemies Within sourcebook for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you’ll find new rules to give structure to your Inquests in the Imperium.

Today, Tim Cox shares his perspective on the Inquest rules he developed for Enemies Within!



Tim Cox on Inquests in Enemies Within

Mysteries and investigations lie at the heart of Dark Heresy Second Edition, as Acolytes and Inquisitors strive to uncover the threats to humanity, but mysteries also rank among the most difficult adventures for GMs to run and for players to follow. To assist players and GMs with running investigations and tracking the Acolytes’ progress, Enemies Within includes new rules for Inquests. These rules help players solve mysteries, conduct investigations, and hunt down the heretics, witches, and mutants that threaten the survival of Mankind.

When developing the rules for Inquests, I wanted to provide structure and mechanics to support investigative play without constraining GMs or players. Inquests needed rules that were flexible enough to represent any sort of mystery or heresy a GM might invent, while providing a solid foundation to ensure the plot advances. I also wanted to keep the focus on targeted investigations against known heretics and cults, while maintaining the flexibility to handle other types of mysteries.

Planting the Seeds

At their heart, the final rules for Inquests provide an organised system for conducting investigations, presenting guidelines that GMs can use to build their own mystery adventures. Although GMs can use Inquest rules for any investigation, they are best suited to handling investigations initiated by the Acolytes (or a Player Character Inquisitor). The beginning of an Inquest invites the Acolytes to plan the focus of their investigation, selecting their target and determining the Inquest’s scope – Minoris, Majoris, or Extremis. The scope is a reflection of the mission’s difficulty and length, and it dictates the Influence rewards for success.

The amount of player involvement in an Inquest means that Acolytes have the discretion to choose their target, the scope of their objective, and the resources they will use to accomplish it. This ensures that players and GMs are on the same page at the outset of the adventure and it further represents the discretion that trusted Acolytes and even Inquisitors exercise in deciding which threats to pursue and how best to prosecute their duties.



Chasing the Heresy

During an Inquest, Acolytes accrue Investigation points by finding clues and following leads, resulting in a tangible measurement for their progress. The number of Investigation points needed to complete an Inquest depends on its scope. A higher scope generally means more clues for the Acolytes to find.

In an Inquest, clues have an assigned Investigation point value, which can vary greatly based on the clue’s importance. In order for the Inquest to progress, the Acolytes might need to find a single vital clue or several minor clues. Acolytes gain additional Investigation points for successfully uncovering leads from a clue, but a mistaken interpretation or a false lead can actually cost them points.

Once the Acolytes have obtained a predetermined number of Investigation points, they trigger a Revelation, or an important break in the case. In order to benefit from the Revelation, they must successfully navigate a Confrontation – an important encounter with the potential to change the course of an investigation. Although Confrontations don’t always involve combat, they are often encounters with important heretics and lieutenants of the Acolytes’ target, or even with highly placed members of the organization the Acolytes seek to bring down. Confrontations may also be shocking discoveries, tense social encounters, or other important developments.

When the warband achieves the necessary total Investigation points, the results of their clues lead to the final Confrontation with their target, and the opportunity to successfully complete the Inquest. If the Acolytes are successful, they and their Inquisitor receive Influence based on the scope of the Inquest. Even if the Acolytes fail to defeat their foe, obtaining enough Investigation points nets them a reduced Influence reward. In some cases, such as during an Inquest against a particularly powerful Nemesis, just undoing his horrid schemes may be all that is possible.



Nothing According to Plan

One of my favourite elements of the Inquest rules is complications. At the outset of an Inquest, a GM can choose from a selection of complications or randomly determine one. Complications range from jurisdictional disputes with local forces or a branch of the Adeptus Terra, to local customs or practices that threaten to delay the investigation, to betrayal by a trusted ally. Each complication has mechanical effects and may cost the Acolytes Investigation points or affect their Subtlety.

Although players have a good deal more involvement in the selection, creation, and prosecution of an Inquest than they might in other adventures, complications provide a level of unpredictability and surprise that keeps the Acolytes on their toes. And although they may choose the target and scope of their Inquest, no Acolyte can ever tell for certain where that Inquest may lead them.

Doing the Emperor’s Work

I hope both GMs and players will enjoy incorporating Inquests into their games. Whether hunting down old foes or uncovering nascent threats, Inquests make up the work of the Inquisition. I look forward to hearing about the mysteries your Acolytes uncover and the threats you contend with!

Thanks, Tim!

Prepare to uncover the cults and heresies that fester throughout the Askellon sector with the new rules for Inquests. Check back for our next preview, in which we look at the new options available to your Acolytes as you work alongside the Ordo Hereticus.

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Within today!

 BrookM wrote:
I'd love to see more Only War supplements though.

 BrookM wrote:
No, it's not a lack of interest, but rather us scrubs being unaware of what's going on behind the scenes over at FFG.

Seriously though, I'd love to see them get into gear and do a splatbook about the Schola Progenium and the commissars and storm troopers it spawns.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

What would it take for people to not shriek about the line ending every time FFG talks about the RPG's?

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Well I'm glad someone's enjoying themselves.

 Ashiraya wrote:
As do I!

My group needs more shiny loot, shiny planets, shiny creatures, even shinier Administratum representative scalps...

 BrookM wrote:
Oi, don't forget the commissar and bolt magnet!

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

FFG does literally anything: "The line is ending!"


What would it take for people to not shriek about the line ending every time FFG talks about the RPG's?

 jah-joshua wrote:
so, are there going to be more books, or not???

 BrookM wrote:
Or at the very least be decent enough to state that they're done with a line?

 warboss wrote:

 jah-joshua wrote:
so, are there going to be more books, or not???

I'm guessing you should specify which of the 5 related RPG lines you're talking about for a better chance at an answer.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Vet Sergeant is right.

Plus FFG have come out and stated when lines were ending (WFRPG for instance). The fact that they haven't done it for the other 4 RPG lines (they did for DH by announcing DH2.0) means that they're not ending. They could in the future, but right now there's no reason to assume that they are.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
1. They did that years ago.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

They did it once.

FFG wrote:Insidious Threats

Enemies Within Is Now Available for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“I fear we have only begun to uncover the sins of deceit and betrayal buried in this wretched sector. With each sin the so-called Lords of Askellon enact, the Warp draws ever closer and its terrible fate grows ever more likely.”
–Intercepted vox transmission, attributed to Lord Dyrulli

The sickness and heresy that plague the Askellon sector grow worse with every passing day. Witches, heretics, and mutants spread their corrupting influence in every realm of society, from the lowest hive city slums to the greatest palaces of the highborn. Wherever heresy may manifest, it is your solemn duty to cleanse its foetid stain with holy fire. Take up your flamer and defend the Imperium against its most insidious foes with the Enemies Within supplement, now available for Dark Heresy Second Edition at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

In Enemies Within, you enter the Ordo Hereticus, the branch of the Inquisition dedicated to the destruction of those who would bring down the Imperium from within. Game Masters find plenty of new cults for players to encounter on planets scattered throughout the Askellon sector. At the same time, you’ll gain new options for character creation and for equipping your Acolytes with the specialised equipment of the Ordo Hereticus.



To Stumble Is to Betray the Emperor

The heart of Man is capable of boundless evil. Hundreds of thousands stray from the light of the Emperor every day, and only the purifying fire of the Ordo Hereticus can redeem their souls. But before you can pursue the glorious work of rooting out heresy from the Imperium, you must find the heretics who dare to skulk in the shadows, gibbering their foul prayers to the gods of Chaos.



As we explored in Tim Cox’s designer diary, Enemies Within introduces new rules for allowing Acolytes to stage Inquests. During an Inquest, you and your fellow Acolytes must plan and determine the target and scope of your Inquest. By uncovering clues and evidence, the Acolytes draw closer to a dramatic confrontation with the target of their Inquest, but complications are certain to arise along the way. These new rules allow Game Masters to add more structure to an adventure, while simultaneously allowing Acolytes to take a greater hand in the planning of their investigations.

Players also gain new options for creating and customizing their Acolytes. Developer Tim Huckelbery gave details on the new home worlds, backgrounds, and gear available to you in Enemies Within. For the first time in Dark Heresy Second Edition, you can choose a productive agri-world, a technologically frozen feudal world, or a harsh and unforgiving frontier world as your home world. You’ll also choose between exciting new character roles and backgrounds, allowing you to play as a Fanatic member of the Adepta Sororitas, a Penitent mutant, or any number of other new character types. You may even pursue your advancement in the Adepta Sororitas further and become a Sister of Battle with a new elite advance!

Of course, these are far from the only benefits offered in this new supplement. You will also uncover additional details on a host of new Askellian planets and the specific heresies and dangers that fester on each world. Between these examples and new cult and plot generators, every Game Master finds the seeds to start hundreds of adventures across the Askellon sector. This information can even be combined with a chapter on the history of the Ordo Hereticus in the Askellon sector, inviting Acolytes to confront perils from the past or long-dormant heresies.



Corruption Lurks in Every Soul

In the Askellon sector, the threat of Chaos is omnipresent. You fight for the sector to survive just one more day, but hundreds of cultists hasten the advance of evil with their rituals and rites. If the billions of men and women in the Askellon sector will live to see another dawn, you must not shirk your duty – steel your resolve, light the pyres, and join the Witch Hunters!

Pick up your copy of Enemies Within at your local retailer today!

 warboss wrote:
Are there any announced upcoming 40k RPG products? When you filter for upcoming products, nothing 40k shows up for any of the related RPG lines.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/upcoming/

 BrookM wrote:
It has been more than a year now at this point since they last had news on Only War.

On the bright side, I've finally got the whole range of OW and RT books, now to wait for FFG to put Dark Heresy 2.0 on the boat to us...

 BaronIveagh wrote:
I have a thought: we need to make a situation where FFG releases the last OW splatbook or becomes the laughing stock of the RPG industry. A 'Duke Nukem Forever' level meme that will stick to them like green slime if they don't release it.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
An interesting thought, when FFG got the Star Wars license there was a rumor GW was pissed and told them if they launched a Star Wars mini game then GW would pull their Warhammer licenses.

 BrookM wrote:
Commissars, Storm Troopers and Psykers haven't gotten a splatbook of their own.

Also, what a load of horrible speculation! The relationship between GW and FFG has produced excellent products.

 BrookM wrote:

Also, what a load of horrible speculation! The relationship between GW and FFG has produced excellent products.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

They now have, what? 5 different 40k games released in 6 or 7 years? They may have just saturated the market.

 Manchu wrote:
What we need now is a HH RPG.

Co'tor Shas wrote:And didn't FFG merge with another company a while back or something? That may have caused a disruption.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Yeah... no thanks.

FFG wrote:Enemies Without
Announcing a New Supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“There is no end to the abomination of the alien. Do not allow any guise of sentience to stay your hand – there can be no hesitation when the survival of humanity as a species is at stake.”
–Inquisitor Kartize, Ordo Xenos

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Without, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

New threats gnaw incessantly at the borders of the Imperium. Despite countless righteous Wars of Purgation, the xenos threat grows in the Askellon sector. Unthinking Orks ravage countless worlds. The enigmatic Eldar slay innocents without reason or mercy. Dark Eldar take slaves to a fate worse than death, while the monstrous Tyranids devour a path wherever their Hive Fleets roam. These hideous xenos are an affront to the Emperor’s rule, and no true servant of the Imperium can rest while even one remains within the sector.

Against these terrifying aliens, these unfeeling and monstrous beings, there stands only the bright shield of the Ordo Xenos. These noble hunters of the Inquisition safeguard the worlds of the Imperium, protecting thousands of human lives from horrors as obscene and perfidious as any daemon spawned from the Warp. Now, with the Enemies Without supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you and your fellow Acolytes can take your places as members of the Ordo Xenos and stand against the heresy brought by these aliens from their strange stars.



Scorn the Alien

In Enemies Without, you’ll find a host of details on the xenos species inherent to the Askellon sector. Whether you’re turning aside a host of blood-hungry Orks, defending humanity against Kroot expansionism, or batting the biologically-engineered killing machines of the Tyranids, Enemies Without gives Game Masters the information they need to bring these xenos species to life in any investigation.

It’s not just the living alien races that pose a threat to the Imperium’s safety though. The Askellon sector is old, almost beyond measure, and riddled with the remains of lost civilizations and forgotten xenos cultures. Even when their occupants are long dead, the cities and holy places of these deceased xenos can prove deadly. Dark relics and proscribed artefacts from these ancient places may spread heresy and corruption, even while arcane texts open the door to the spread of Chaos. These same relics have inspired a massive underworld business – the Faceless Trade. Members of the Faceless Trade acquire and sell these xenos artefacts, spreading heresy into the cities of the Imperium as surely as any vile cult. You and the other Acolytes of the Ordo Xenos must find and stop the Faceless Trade wherever it manifests – in addition to destroying all traces of the xenos races in the Askellon sector.

For the more radical Acolytes among you, an expanded armory offers a host of xenos weaponry for you to examine, research, and perhaps use against its owners. Alongside digi-weapons and Desoleum Power Blades, you’ll find Shuriken Catapults, Kroot rifles, and a collection of weapons made by no xenos yet known in the Askellon sector. The most radical Acolytes may even fight fire with fire by hiring bands of xenos mercenaries to combat greater threats!



Equipped for Battle

Enemies Without brings more than an advancing tide of foul xenos to test your resolve. It also equips the warriors of your ordo with new vehicles for any situation. For the first time, you can pilot aerospace vehicles to engage in aerial combat, long-range reconnaissance, or transport to voidships. In addition, you may drive off-road in an Aelurus Heavy Trike or attack the foes of the Imperium in a heavily armoured Sentinel walker.

Naturally, with a focus on new and powerful vehicles, you or one of your fellow Acolytes may want to focus his service on driving, maintaining, and fighting in vehicles. To this end, Enemies Without introduces a new role for Acolytes to take: the Ace. As the Ace, you’re an unparalleled pilot – more at home in the cockpit of a vehicle than outside. Whether you’re tracking a Dark Eldar raiding party at high speed or gunning down swarms of Tyranids, the Ace can be a crucial addition to any group of Acolytes.



Mankind Shall Rule Alone

With a new role, new home worlds, new backgrounds, and an armoury full of new weapons – both Imperial and xenos in origin – your Acolytes will be well-equipped to battle the countless threats that assault the borders of the Imperium. Your quest will not be easy. For every wicked xenos creature slain in glorious battle, three more slip past your defenses into the undefended regions of the Askellon sector. Your vigilance must be constant; your justice must be merciless.

Join the Ordo Xenos. Look for Enemies Without at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2015.

 Stormonu wrote:
Y'know, GW pulled FFG's Fantasy license before AoS came out.

 Stormonu wrote:
Y'know, GW pulled FFG's Fantasy license before AoS came out. It would make me nervous about 40K if GW pulled that game line from FFG.

Just sayin'...

 H.B.M.C. wrote:


They announced this less than a week ago.

 BaronIveagh wrote:
Sony is peddling Total War: Warhammer as well

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

1. What relevance is that?
2. It's SEGA, not Sony.

 Alpharius wrote:
I'm still kind of wondering how that makes sense in this thread though!

 Alpharius wrote:
I'm still kind of wondering how that makes sense in this thread though!

FFG wrote:Know Thy Foe
A Designer Diary for Enemies Without



“If you can confront the xenos, look upon the xenos, even think upon the xenos, without revulsion, then you are as damned as they.”
–Inquisitor Loffengar, Ordo Xenos

The Imperium is the stronghold of light and knowledge in a galaxy of darkness. The Emperor protects Humanity from unimaginable threats that would assail it from every quadrant, and the Inquisition is his sword that scours every form of heresy from Mankind’s worlds.

In Enemies Without, an upcoming supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you take up the mantle of Ordo Xenos Acolytes, battling those evil threats that come from outside the Imperium—the cunning Eldar, the ravenous Tyranids, or the despicable Dark Eldar. Yet you must do more than simply cut down these enemies of the Emperor. To carry out your task with the utmost skill and prejudice, you must expand your knowledge to learn the secrets of these aliens.

Today, writer Tim Cox explores the rules that he created for researching the xenos races and using your knowledge to fuel your investigations!



Tim Cox on the Activities of the Ordo Xenos in Enemies Without

Knowledge of the xenos is dangerous and damning, but to combat the alien threat, Acolytes must often develop an understanding of its nature. For the Enemies Without supplement, the Emperor blessed me with the task of developing a system for handling intensive research, known as Explication. The Explication rules provide a framework for resolving research tasks and grant a mechanical benefit for the Acolytes in addition to any narrative effects of their new knowledge. In a way, Explications can be seen as a counterpart to the Inquest rules introduced in Enemies Within, but where Inquests are targeted investigations pursuing a particular heretic, Explications are research endeavours undertaken to understand a external threat in order to defeat it.

An Explication may form a crucial part of an adventure and involve the entire warband, or it might be a project that a single Acolyte pursues during downtime between missions over an extended period. In the former case, the successful completion of the Explication might be necessary to find or defeat a dangerous enemy, while the latter type of Explication might be part of a personal goal or to lay down knowledge that benefits future servants of the Emperor.

Mechanically, an Explication is a series of skill tests, most likely using Lore skills, with the Acolytes trying to achieve a target number of degrees of success. Although only a single Acolyte makes the skill tests to progress an Explication, the entire warband can contribute. Picture the “research montage” familiar in television and film, where investigators pore over dusty tomes, analyze tissue samples, and study fragments of alien devices. In addition to determining the base difficulty of these skill tests, an Explication’s complexity determines how frequently Acolytes can attempt skill tests. The smallest Explications might be completed in days, while the most complex could take years. In the latter case, of course, an Acolyte is probably working on the Explication outside his normal duties—although I can imagine a GM narrating years of research as the entire warband works to comprehend a truly grave and mysterious threat!

[img]https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/a2/36/a2361bbd-6183-4ca2-a6f8-9e3155645d86/dh24_city.png[img]

Of course, Acolytes are often racing the chrono to stop a threat before it leads to catastrophe. When the warband doesn’t have the time necessary for a standard Explication, the Acolytes can push themselves to complete their work faster. Doing this is exhausting, causing the Acolytes involved to suffer Fatigue and face more difficult skill tests. As the Acolytes strive to reduce the time, they suffer Fatigue and face steeper penalties to their research tests. Intense research under such circumstances is risky, and the Acolytes could fail to make progress or even face crippling setbacks. Through this sacrifice, however, the characters might complete crucial research in weeks instead of months, or hours instead of days.

Acolytes undertake Explications out of more than mere curiosity (which would be sinful in the eyes of many Imperium citizens). In addition to choosing a subject for the Explication, the characters must decide an objective. This objective should be as specific as possible, whether it’s developing specialised ammunition to destroy a xenos monstrosity or uncovering the dark secret that brought down a noble line. Whatever form it takes, the objective falls into one of several categories, such as eradication, aegis, or comprehension. The objective category determines what benefits the Acolytes can gain during and after the Explication.

Though the greatest benefits arrive on completion of the Explication, the Acolytes don’t have to complete their Explication for it to pay off. As they make progress in their research, the characters reach key Breakthroughs. Although they may not have found the full information they seek, they’ve achieved some insight into their research subject. As well as potentially gaining a valuable clue, advancing the narrative, or just learning something interesting about the dark future, the Acolytes gain a temporary benefit. The form of this bonus varies based on the Explication’s objective—the Acolytes might receive a bonus to attack rolls, Evasion tests, or even Interaction skill tests that apply to the subject of the Explication.



Acolytes who achieve the necessary degrees of success complete their Explication, although how long this takes depends on how well they do on each test. In addition to gaining knowledge about the targeted threat, the warband receives a permanent benefit when dealing with the subject of the Explication. The exact nature of this benefit is tailored to the particular Explication and the warband. It might grant the Acolytes additional weapon qualities, an increase in Armour, or a reduction in the cost of Lore skills related to that foe. The grandest Explications might provide even more impressive benefits for Acolytes with the persistence and skill to complete them.

While developing the rules for Explications, one of my goals was to allow knowledgeable characters a chance to take the spotlight. Combat traditionally takes up a large amount of game time with battle-oriented characters displaying their abilities, but this is not usually true of more cerebral endeavours. By providing more structure, Explications can place a greater focus on the pursuit of knowledge, and hopefully make for a more satisfying and balanced experience for scholarly characters as well.

However you incorporate Explications into your campaigns, I hope that you find the system useful as you seek to illuminate the dark secrets of the Askellon Sector!

Thanks, Tim!

Where Man Goes, the Alien Must Die

Evil attacks the Imperium from every side—within, without, and beyond. Embark on your Explications and join the Ordo Xenos with the Enemies Without supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Without at your local retailer today.

FFG wrote:Enemies Beyond
Announcing a New Supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“They are beyond comprehension, beyond mortal flesh, beyond even time and mortality. They are beyond many things, but never my hate!”
–Inquisitor Lias du Ortise, Ordo Malleus

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Beyond, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

The Imperium fights in a time of constant war: there are countless threats to humanity’s continued survival, and more arise every day. Heretics and mutants infest the most populous hive planets, spreading their evil in dark places far from the Emperor’s light. Xenos races attack from every edge of the galaxy, expanding their foul empires and mocking the order and justice that flows from the Emperor’s throne.

Yet all of these foes can be acknowledged. Every loyal citizen of the Imperium is wary for heresy, and the xenos races are a well-known threat. So perhaps the greatest war is the war that must be fought in secret, against the Daemons and the powers of Chaos that live within the Warp. Mankind uses the Warp daily for both travel and communication; if the true nature of the Warp and the beings that dwell within were to become known, civilization would surely descend into anarchy.



In Enemies Beyond, you can become an Acolyte serving with the Ordo Malleus—those tasked with protecting the Imperium from the daemons of the Warp. Here, you’ll find new Acolyte options allowing you to play as an Exorcised character or a powerful Astropath. Gazetteers offer information on the Daemonic threats to the Askellon sectors, introducing new types of worlds such as Penal Colonies and Daemon Worlds. The GM will even find rules for creating his own Daemon Princes, details on the rites of possession and exorcism, and guidance for crafting the Acolyte’s adventures with the Ordo Malleus!

The War for Souls

The Askellon sector is old, almost beyond reckoning, yet the influence of the Warp in this sector stretches still further into the past. In Enemies Beyond, you’ll find an account of Askellian history with a special focus on the terrible Warp Storm, known as the Pandaemonium, that rages constantly in this sector. Here, you’ll also find an account of the unending, secretive war between the Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus and the Daemons that attempt to subvert reality and enter the Askellon sector.



In the battle against the Ruinous Powers, yours is a thankless task. No medal will ever be pinned to your chest. No honors will ever be granted to you. Your efforts must remain deathly secret, lest Chaos utterly overtake the Imperium. What’s more, your war is endless. The Daemons of the Warp exist outside of time and rational existence, and even the most optimistic Acolyte would never hope of an end to your eternal struggle. Yet with these terrible obstacles comes the greater responsibility and the greater glory. You do not fight only for the survival of Mankind and the safety of the Imperium. You battle for the continuation of reality itself.

Gaze Not Into the Warp

More than mere history awaits your eyes in Enemies Beyond. You'll discover potent new options for increasing the prowess of your Acolytes, including new home worlds like Penal Colonies and Quarantined Worlds, new talents to wreak havoc on the forces of Chaos, and dangerous new psychic powers that can turn the power of the Warp against itself.

To attain even the smallest victory against this ultimate danger, you and your fellow Acolytes must fight fire with fire, using tools and practices that would be utterly condemned in other ordos of the Inquisition. You may take up deadly, proscribed weaponry, learn the secrets of creating Daemonhosts, broker Dark Pacts, conduct exorcisms, and even discover some of the terrible Daemonic Remnants that are the source of countless dark myths throughout the Askellon sector.

Enemies Beyond also offers extensive details on each of the four Chaos Gods. You may face the servants of Khorne, the Blood God, driven by unrelenting lust for battle and death. The Daemons of Nurgle spread disease, corruption, and putrefaction, tainting all that they touch. Tzeentch may offer you forbidden powers and magics—abilities that could make you powerful enough to crush Daemons with your bare hands, but exacting a terrible price in exchange. You can even face the dark minions of Slaanesh, who promises pain and pleasure in equal measure for those who follow him. All of these Ruinous Powers are detailed in Enemies Beyond, along with the Daemons who follow them. GMs will also find tools here for creating their own Daemon Princes, granting them the chance to put a personal touch on any encounter with the Warp.



Smite the Daemon

The Ordo Malleus fights a secret war, daily performing heroic deeds that must never be spoken of. Sanctify your weapons and face the dread truth of the Warp. If reality itself is to survive another day, you must not falter in your duties. Fight the war for souls against the terrors of the Immaterium in Enemies Beyond!

Look for Enemies Beyond at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2016!

FFG wrote:Smite the Alien
Enemies Without Is Now Available for Dark Heresy Second Edition



“The alien might appear friendly, or even useful. Lies! Never forget there can only be one rightfully dominant species—Mankind!”
–Duke Arvin Olliva, beginning the 9th Askellian War of Purgation

The Askellon sector teeters on the brink of anarchy and chaos. Countless xenos attacks occur daily across the sector, even as the Faceless Trade smuggles proscribed artefacts past your nets and long-dead civilisations still threaten to corrupt the future with their heresies. As an Acolyte of the Ordo Xenos, you are the proud gatekeeper, the unyielding shield of the Imperium. You stand in the gap against Tau ideologies and Tyranid armies alike. Take up your bolter and hold fast for all Mankind when you pick up your copy of Enemies Without, now available online through our webstore and at your local United States retailer!

Enemies Without is a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, drawing you and your fellow Acolytes into another section of the Imperium’s ceaseless war against the darkness of the universe. As you battle ravaging hordes of Orks or oppose the senseless predations of the Dark Eldar, you can benefit from the new character creation options, weapons, and vehicles included in Enemies Without. For the first time, your Acolyte can specialize in the care and use of vehicles by becoming an Ace. In addition, Enemies Without features a host of information for the Game Master to understand the mind of the xenos races and bring them into any campaign.



No Alien Shall Live

As a member of the Ordo Xenos, you fight to protect Mankind’s dominion for another blood-drenched day. You may battle massive hordes of biologically-engineered killing machines or seek to uncover and uproot the inner workings of the secretive Faceless Trade. You may investigate the ruins of fallen cultures that can still corrupt entire planets by their mere presence. You may pit yourself against the most dangerous leaders of the foul Tau Empire or seek to outwit the alien intelligence of the Eldar as they plot their unknowable schemes. The most radical Acolytes may even take up xenos weapons or hire the aliens themselves as mercenaries to further destroy these vile creatures that threaten the glory of the Imperium.



The knowledge of these xenos races is utterly forbidden, and any trace of sympathy is punishable by death. Still, for you to better destroy the aliens that assault the Imperium, some additional investigation and knowledge, however distasteful, may prove necessary. Enemies Without introduces Explications to your Dark Heresy investigations, as Tim Cox explored in his designer diary. When you perform an Explication, you must set the parameters and target of your research. Then, as you make breakthroughs and examine ancient codexes, you’ll gain significant advantages that you can use to defeat the aliens that threaten and despise the shining light of humanity’s influence in the Askellon sector.

In addition to a massive amount of information on the xenos that plague your sector and new rules for research and Explications, Enemies Without offers a unique focus on the vehicles of Dark Heresy. You may train your Acolyte to become an Ace, using powerful vehicles as an extension of your own body to quickly transport across hostile terrain or unleash terrible firepower on your foes. With new aerospace vehicles that allow you to travel between the planet surface and the mighty voidships, you add another dimension and another potential battlefield to any encounter. Whether you utterly devote your service to vehicles and the blessings of the Machine-God, or you simply see a vehicle as another way to get you to your investigations, you can benefit from the increased armoury of weapons and vehicles featured in Enemies Without.



A New War of Purgation

The xenos species of the galaxy wage an unending war against humanity, nibbling at the edges of the glorious Imperium like parasites. This is your war—to destroy the alien and see the banner of the Emperor set high above every planet in the galaxy. There will be no ceasefire. There will be no peace. Take up the sword of the Emperor’s justice and dispatch the alien back to the starry depths whence he emerged!

Pick up your copy of Enemies Without at your local U.S. retailer today.

 BrookM wrote:
40K obviously.

 BrookM wrote:
And Bob was referring to Imperial Guard storm troopers, because they, along with the Psyker and Commissar still have no splatbook of their own.

foenixphate wrote:
Went to check out the sale, $170 dollars shipping on 10 books, insanity, admittedly I'm an international buyer but from what I understand the shipping within the states is rough going too. Do they actually want to shift the sale items?

 kendoka wrote:
Considered buying some WFRP or Dark Heresy books for the Christmas holidays to comfort myself for GW destroying the best fantasy world/background ever.

Remembered seeing tips on new DH releases here on the forum, found and read this thread, got the tip about FF having a extremely good sale, went to the FF site...

- and ended up buying 38 (!) WHFRP + DH books (at $5/each + all the new Dark Heresy releases at full price).

Total: $389 + $219 (P&P to Sweden).
I *really* hope I can awoid custom fees.

Now I have the complete DH-series.
All thanks to Dakka.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
God bless FFG, their writing and art are just far more interesting than anything GW or BL has put out in years.

 Alpharius wrote:
Did the lambs just lie down with the lions?!?

FFG wrote:Power at any Price
A Designer Diary for Enemies Beyond



“Woe to he who hears the word of the Infernal Denizen of the Great Abyss, for his soul shall be tainted for all eternity. Better to die in eternal ignorance than to burn in the eternal fire.”
–The Apocrypha of the Seventh Seal

The threat of the Daemonic is ever-present across the thousands of worlds that make up the Imperium. From the most populous hive world to the deadly frontiers of a death world, Daemons spill forth from the Warp everywhere, wreaking gleeful havoc and directing heretical worship back to the Ruinous Powers which command them.

Against this undying, unstoppable threat, there stands the Ordo Malleus—a small sect of Inquisitors and their Acolytes, elite in their training and hardened by the fires of battle. These men and women are the unsung heroes of the Imperium, but they cannot win their fight alone. To destroy the Daemons that threaten the Emperor’s peace, some may choose to call upon the powers of the Warp itself. In Dark Heresy Second Edition, you have the chance to make that choice yourself.

Today, Tim Cox, writer for Enemies Beyond, explores the new psychic powers and the terrible pacts that you may make in exchange for power.



Tim Cox on the New Psychic Powers and Dark Pacts of Enemies Beyond

Like it or not, any Acolyte and Inquisitor called to battle Daemons knows that these unholy entities are uniquely vulnerable to psychic powers. Sometimes, the best way to fight the creatures of the Warp is with the power of the Warp itself. Among the new tools and abilities introduced to the Ordo Malleus Daemonhunters and Acolytes who face the spawn of the Warp, Enemies Beyond includes new psychic powers. While Enemies Within offered minor psychic powers appropriate for untrained wyrds and more powerful psykers, Enemies Beyond introduces two new discipline trees—Sanctic Daemonology and Malefic Daemonology.

The first of these discipline trees, Sanctic Daemonology, is one of the most difficult psychic disciplines to master, and certainly the most specialised. The powers of this discipline are geared specifically toward the destruction of Daemons, meaning this discipline is carefully guarded and almost exclusively the province of the Ordo Malleus. Sanctic Daemonology powers range from Banishment, which effectively penalizes a Daemon’s Warp Instability, to Sanctuary, which can keep a Daemonic foe at bay and physically deflect attacks. Other powers, such as Psychic Communion and Hammerhand, amplify the abilities of the psyker and his allies. After all, no mere human can stand alone against a Daemon.

Malefic Daemonology is not a true psychic discipline at all—at least not according to the Adeptus Astra Telepathica—but the most profane sorcery. This dark twin to sanctioned Daemonology is not concerned with combatting Daemons, but actually summoning them and bolstering their strength. Needless to say, Acolytes and Inquisitors who delve into Malefic Daemonology are staunchly Radical and heretics in the eyes of most loyal citizens and servants of the Imperium.



The new powers in the Malefic Daemonology tree include Summoning and Incursion, which allow a psyker to call forth the beings of the Warp and compel them to do his bidding. Of course, these powers form ideal complements to the new rules for binding Daemonhosts and creating Daemon weapons. With the Possession power, a psyker can even invite a Warp Beast to infuse him with unholy strength for a (hopefully) brief time!

The powers of this discipline are especially tempting because of their low costs: Chaos is always eager to ensnare mortals greedy for power. The true costs of Malefic Demonology powers are their effects on the users. Dealing with the Warp is eminently dangerous, and it should come as no surprise that harnessing Malefic Daemonology is a quick way to gain Corruption. Whether you see this as a cost or a benefit depends on your particular psyker. Powers like Dark Flame and Infernal Gaze actually become more effective as a psyker’s Corruption increases!

Embrace the Darkness

For some practitioners of the dark arts, mere sorcery does not provide nearly enough power. These Emperor-forsaken individuals might even go so far as to make a deal with a Daemon of the Warp and enter into a Dark Pact. Although they are particularly vulnerable to Daemonic influence, psykers are not the only characters who can enter a Dark Pact. Anyone who attracts the attention of a Daemon might have the chance to strike a bargain with a creature of the Warp.

An Acolyte who enters a Dark Pact can gain great power by acquiring one or more Boons. These Boons are the benefits that you seek, but whether they are quite what you had in mind depends on how shrewd your bargaining and how carefully you’ve chosen your words. Boons might grant inhuman strength, the unfailing admiration and loyalty of peers, or even immortality.

This power comes at a terrible cost, however. Anyone who makes a deal with a Daemon damns himself in the process, but you’ll pay with far more than just your soul. Each Dark Pact also imparts Banes—negative consequences that show the influence of Chaos. After all, with a Daemon, you always get more than you bargain for. The exact nature of a Bane corresponds to the Boon granted. A character who bargains for great strength or martial prowess might take on a vaguely bestial appearance pleasing to the Blood God, while one who wishes to create a perfect work might find himself addicted to the pleasures of the Dark Prince. In addition to these unnatural “side effects,” the Daemon must get something out of the bargain. While this might simply be the bargainer’s soul, it could also entail some act of servitude, ritual obeisance, or even a living sacrifice.

I hope players and Game Masters enjoy incorporating the new psychic powers and rules for Dark Pacts into their Dark Heresy campaigns. And if these powers prove a little too tempting, well… that’s how the fall to Chaos begins!

Thanks, Tim!



The Warp Beckons

With the power of the Immaterium at your call, you may strike down even powerful Daemons—but can any mortal truly resist the temptations of the Warp? Decide whether you’ll walk the path of righteousness or abandon your soul to Chaos in Enemies Beyond, the newest supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Beyond at your local retailer today.

 BrookM wrote:
There's way more money in Star Wars then there'll ever be in the 40K RPG line.

warboss wrote:I suppose supporting one RPG line out of five and leaving the other four to wither and die a slow painful death is still *technically* better than supporting none. Maybe when they're done spawing the same number of Star Wars RPGs they'll hit the carriage return and focus a bit more on the 40k ones.

BrookM wrote:There's way more money in Star Wars then there'll ever be in the 40K RPG line.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
The problem might not be with FFG. GW, the licence holder, might be dragging their heels on approvals or otherwise expressing displeasure.

Or even worse. The almighty market may have decided it does not need 5 slightly different 40k RPGs.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Yeah I'm the guy who wants to write more of the damned things and even I can't fault FFG for going after SW money at the current moment.

FFG wrote:Face Your Foes
Enemies Beyond Is Now Available for Dark Heresy



“Mortals name it Askellon. I name it my playground, and I am ever-eager to play there.”
–Suvfaeras, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch

A shadow and a threat looms over the Imperium. Its influence is inescapable, for it underpins the fabric of reality itself. Its malice is implacable, for those who dwell there heed only the call of Chaos. And yet, its evil shall not prevail today—not while the men and women of the Ordo Malleus stand ready to defend the Emperor’s people! Complete the trilogy of threats facing the Imperium with your copy of Enemies Beyond, now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore.

Enemies Beyond is a supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition that pulls back the curtain on the unending struggle against the Warp and the creatures that spawn from the Immaterium. Here, you’ll find details on all four of the Ruinous Powers, their preferred tactics, the peculiar natures of their Daemons, and their plots to bring ruin to all Mankind. You’ll also gain access to exclusive new weapons to battle the Daemonic threats, as well as new character creation options, including new home worlds.




They Are Not Beyond Hate

Like every other supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, Enemies Beyond offers a host of unique new content specifically related to the battle against the denizens of the Warp. You can wield new weapons in your fight or unlock new game options by playing as an Astropath or an Exorcised character. Throughout the book and all your actions, however, there runs a single thread—will you fall to the very corruption you fight? Will you dare to take up the weapons of the enemy in hopes of supporting the Emperor?

In our Enemies Beyond designer diary, writer Tim Cox explored the temptations that the Warp may offer to Acolytes of the Ordo Malleus. Ultimately, there are two types of Daemonology practiced in the Imperium. Sanctic Daemonology allows you to turn back the creatures of the Warp, banishing their presence or increasing your prowess for battle against these spawn of evil. The other tree of Demonology is known as Malefic Daemonology—regarded by some as the most profane sorcery. An Acolyte practicing Malefic Demonology could rightly be considered a heretic, but the power may be invaluable and life-saving in your fight against the Warp!



Walking even further down the path to heresy, this supplement offers you the chance to enter into a Dark Pact with a Daemon. These Dark Pacts can offer great power to an Acolyte, provided you can prevent the Daemon from twisting your words into some horrible caricature of their original purpose. Even if you get the powers you want, however, a Dark Pact always exacts a terrible price. Your soul is just the beginning—no Acolyte could truly comprehend the depraved possibilities of a Daemon’s request.



The Emperor Will Prevail

You have faced the heretics, mutants, and raving cults that corrupt the Imperium in Enemies Within. You have clashed with xenos races and faced horrid aliens on the field of battle with Enemies Without. Now, you have the chance to complete the panoply of threats against the Imperium with Enemies Beyond. Pick up your copy of this Dark Heresy supplement at your local retailer today!