Greetings, Rogue Traders!

Last week a transport broke free of the warp and delivered a shipment to our warehouse. I’m pleased to announce that the Rogue Trader Game Master’s Kit has arrived, and is being shipped out to stores even as I write this.

The Game Master’s Kit comes with a sturdy, full color Game Master’s Screen, packed full of tables and information for quick referencing during game sessions. In addition, the kit comes with a booklet containing an NPC starship generator and a random star system generator, allowing Game Masters to quickly fill in the blank spaces on the map for their players to explore, and populate them with diverse adversaries. In addition, the Game Master’s Kit includes a new adventure for the Rogue Trader line, Whispers on the Storm.

Whispers on the Storm sees the characters presented with a profit-filled opportunity, and a powerful ally. However, in the Expanse nothing is what it first appears, and this holds doubly true for the situation the characters find themselves in.



Just why has Captain Keel traveled into the Koronus Expanse, and what could prove so threatening that he has brought an Imperial cruiser with him? Where is Svard, and what secrets lie below churning cloud decks, within the orbiting Installation 23?

Players must discover the answers to these questions if they hope to triumph, or even survive. Success promises riches…and the chance for the players to build a dynasty from conflict and war. However, should they fail, the burning wreckage of their ship will be lost forever beneath Svard’s storms.

Keep your eyes peeled for more cool information about the Game Master’s Kit. Until then, may all your endeavours bear profit!

H.B.M.C. wrote:I got an E-mail from Amazon telling me that Ascension had just been released.

reds8n wrote:

...Ascension should be cool though, although everyone is going to want to be either a stormtrooper, crusader or vindicare.

Your virtual library just got bigger! In our continuing effort to make our wide range of RPGs more accessible to fans, we have just added two more Dark Heresy titles to the growing number of books available for pdf download!

Purge the Unclean is a trilogy of mystery, action, and horror! Step straight into the world of the Imperial Inquisition with this adventure anthology. Featuring three gripping stories, Rejoice for you are True, Shades on Twilight, and Baron Hopes, Purge the Unclean lets you explore the dark secrets of the Warhammer 40,000 universe like never before. Head over to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com and start your download!

The Game Master’s Kit for Dark Heresy consists partly of a 32-page booklet with a full adventure, Xenos Generator, and new rules for poisons and toxins. You can now download this section of the Kit, along with the all the handy reference charts found on the folding GM screen, at drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the

Fantasy Flight Games proudly announces the latest supplement to join the Dark Heresy collection, Ascension!

Ascension takes your Acolytes to the next tier of power in the Calixis Sector. Learn to wield the authority of an Inquisitor’s rosette, join the elite Storm Troopers, or discover the secrets of technology known only to a Magos of the Lathe Worlds.

It is time to take your rightful place amongst the ranks of the Holy Inquisition itself! No longer are you a pawn. You’ll find advanced character generation, including transition packages to take your Dark Heresy characters from Acolytes to Throne Agents—and even the position of Inquisitor. Eleven other Ascended Careers include the mysterious Sage and the formidable Vindicare Assassin!

New Ascended Psychic Powers abound, plus a section on ascended adversaries... from Greater Daemons to renegade Imperial Governors. You’ll also find systems of influence and reputation for a different scale of wealth and power in the Imperium, plus Paragon Talents and Mastered Skills to enhance your character’s abilities.

This spring, Ascension will take your Dark Heresy campaign to greater heights of power, responsibility, and peril in the grim darkness of the far future!

H.B.M.C. wrote:That's the one I want. 11 Careers? Eleven? That's huge!

And Greater Daemons? Holy crap. Hopefully we'll get some bigger aliens as well. Don't want to see the Ordos Xenos left out in the cold.

H.B.M.C. wrote:That's the one I want. 11 Careers? Eleven? That's huge!

And Greater Daemons? Holy crap. Hopefully we'll get some bigger aliens as well. Don't want to see the Ordos Xenos left out in the cold.

Ozymandias wrote:I'm assuming you have Creatures Anathema? There are rules for Lictors and 'Stealers which should give your adventurers some competition.

Ozymandias wrote:I personally can't wait till my group is advanced enough to run a "Predator" like mission where the party is hunting and being hunted by a Lictor.

spyrer wrote:There's actually a total of 12 careers.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Hopefully, once all is said and done, Dark Heresy will include the rules that allow you to play as an Inquisitor w/Force Weapon, Psycannon and wearing Terminator Armour.

but I'm talking bigger things, things like Tyranid Warriors, Carnifexes, Kanz, Dreadz, proper Wraithguard and War Walkers - aspect Warriors besides Dire Avengers - Fire Warriors, Crisis Suits. Necron Warriors, Immortals. Wraiths - can you imagine running a campaign where the twist is the Acolytes accidentally awaken a Necron Tomb and then are forced to escape?

His Master's Voice wrote:Play Inquisitor.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

His Master's Voice wrote:Play Inquisitor.

Great suggestion.

I do, but I'm talking bigger things, things like Tyranid Warriors, Carnifexes, Kanz, Dreadz, proper Wraithguard and War Walkers - aspect Warriors besides Dire Avengers - Fire Warriors, Crisis Suits. Necron Warriors, Immortals. Wraiths - can you imagine running a campaign where the twist is the Acolytes accidentally awaken a Necron Tomb and then are forced to escape?

Hopefully, once all is said and done, Dark Heresy will include the rules that allow you to play as an Inquisitor w/Force Weapon, Psycannon and wearing Terminator Armour.

Greetings to all Rogue Traders!

As we approach the end of an exceptional year for the Explorers who scour uncharted regions of the galaxy, we would like to offer you a little something special as you brave your chosen path towards adventure and profit.

Please enjoy the following player's aid called Drydock. This document, while brief, will help streamline ship construction including a walkthrough of the shipbuilding process, and both the Essential and Supplemental component lists. In addition, the last page provides a welcome summary of starship combat, listing the available Manoeuvre, Shooting and Extended actions available during combat.



You will find Drydock, and a wealth of other material, available for download on the Rogue Trader Support page.

Happy Holidays and thanks to everyone for making Rogue Trader such a success!

The Imperial city of Sinophia Magna hides a lurking terror. A series of brutal murders have drawn the attention of the Inquisition, and a twisted pattern suggests a connection to the infamous Rogue Trader, Erasmus Haarlock.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that Damned Cities, the second volume in the gripping Haarlock’s Legacy Trilogy, is now on sale at your local game store and on our webstore!

The Haarlock’s Legacy Trilogy is a series of epic adventures for Dark Heresy that will determine the fate of the Calixis Sector. Terrible threats stir amongst the worlds visited by the mysterious Rogue Trader line of Haarlock. What has been left behind threatens everything the Inquisition has worked for. Can you discover the secret of the Haarlock’s Legacy in time?

In Damned Cities, The Inquisition and the Adeptus Arbites join forces to uncover a conspiracy where nothing is as it seems, and the Acolytes must risk all for the truth. From the heights of Imperial authority to the bowers of malevolent nobility and tattered manses, the Haarlock’s Legacy unfolds... and the future of the Calixis Sector is in the balance.

Head to your local retailer or our webstore, but beware; daemons, sorcery, and treachery conspire against you, and only the righteous will prevail...

reds8n wrote:Hmm... it was a gorgeous book. And I appreciate it's always going to be hard to write an adventure that will appeal to many people.

Spoiler:

However the adventure starts with the PCS all captured and imprisoned, with none of their own gear and weapons, if memory serves there's no viable or realistic chance of them retrieving their own gear at all..unless the GM is generous. That's a pet hate of mine in adventures so it loses points straight away. Plus, and I haven't ran it so I could be wrong, I didn't think it was ideal for beginning characters ( they'd die far too easily to some of the beasties in there I reckon, especially given the lack of equipment) and more experienced characters will still struggle as, in my campaigns anyway, it's often better gear that's one of the perks of staying alive in the first place. Some nice stats and ideas in there still of course.

BrookM wrote:Yeah, that's it. Zero extra rules, minimal description.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

BrookM wrote:Yeah, that's it. Zero extra rules, minimal description.

Hmm... that's a bit lame.

Is the shield itself worth it? I've found the DH one to be invaluable, not so much to 'hide' behind, but more because of the summary of lots of common rules.

+++Incoming Astropathic Transmission+++

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

We announced the release of Damned Cities earlier this week, the second adventure in the epic Haarlock’s Legacy Trilogy. These three adventures all offer some unique looks at particular worlds in the Calixis Sector and outline a dark pattern of events that threaten hundreds of worlds.

http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/dark-heresy/images/death-of-sinophia-magna-final_Stylinades.jpg

In Damned Cities, your acolytes will encounter a multi-layered mystery adventure, chock full of investigation and suspense. The acolytes will need to survive the depths of a wicked city, ambushes from any quarter, and somehow avert a civil war that could tear the city apart. It is difficult for even the Inquisition to tell whom to trust...and all the while, a looming threat builds to an explosive climax with the fate of the entire planet at stake.

Damned Cities features a detailed gazeteer on the frontier world of Sinophia, and includes a close look at the capital city of Sinophia Magna. I would be remiss if I did not point out that one of my favorite bits of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Adeptus Arbites, also have a major role!

The Haarlock’s Legacy Trilogy began with Tattered Fates and now moves into its second act with Damned Cities. The end of the trilogy looms nigh, so make sure your acolytes are prepared!

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Acolytes serving the Inquisition, rooting out heresy and corruption from within the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man.

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans! This week, I have some guest words from the authors of Damned Cities, the second part of the epic Haarlock’s Legacy Trilogy, John French and Alan Bligh. John and Alan were kind enough to sit down and give me some of their thoughts on crafting this central portion of the trilogy, and how the adventure can affect the entire Calixis Sector!



Without further ado, allow me to present John French and Alan Bligh:

The Worst City I Know…by John French

Sinophia Magna is my favourite worst place in the Imperium. It is bleak, forgotten place that is decaying both physically and socially. It is a place that was once both beautiful and wealthy. Now it is a rancid grand dame of a city clad in rotting finery and begging for a coin while cursing those that spare one…
…and it always rains.

History in Every Stone

One of the reasons Sinophia Magna is my favourite worse place is that it is a place with history, a history that it is to say in gaming terms as well as background. It is a place that we have played in and used for games for years since long before the first copies of Dark Heresy touched the shelves. It predates the Calixis Sector both in its in game history and in its realty as a game setting: ‘The Empty Men of Sinophia Magna’ incident actually happened (well in a game at least) in its streets, in a 40k rpg game that predated Dark Heresy, as have many other investigations since: Inquisitor Herrod (That was me! –Alan) bisected a Logician flesh abomination in a warehouse in the Sinks and everything when horribly wrong as it only can in 40k. Junt Yaeger (who you may recognise in the future that is yet to come) lost his mind at the sight of the Risen Dead on the streets of the and nearly killed his comrades in his madness. In fact both Alan and I have used many of our experiences playing and running games in Sinophia Magna in creating Damned Cities and making your time in that forsaken place as fun as ours have been.

An Atmosphere of Decay and Despair

In all of the adventures that we cooked up to create the Haarlock Legacy campaign, the location for the adventure has a very strong character of its own: The House of Dust and Ash is treaded through with mortuary images, the smell of dry death and the cold of the grave. Quaddis is a city of masks, blood and lies, and forbidden Mara of course holds [purged by the order of the Tenebrae Collegium]. The character of Sinophia Magna is one of decay, bitterness and lost dreams, and we have woven these qualities into every mouldering cranny of the place.

We imagined every sign of tasteful opulence and then let it rot: The streets of European cities, and places we’ve been such as Prague, Venice, Rome and London informed much of the flavour and feel of the city: It is not a city of towering edifices but of crowded buildings with empty rooms. The physical city is of low buildings that press close over stagnant canals and narrow streets. Broken angels look down from vine-choked plinths and the place reeks of damp and human misery. The characters that players will encounter in Sinophia Magna are deliberate mirrors of the physical corruption: even the best of them have a mote of darkness or despair in their souls.

Corrupt cops, well-dressed monsters and Victorian values, by Alan Bligh

Well with John having already covered a good deal about the adventure’s setting, it leaves it up to me to speak a little about the plot and characters involved (without giving out too many spoilers!) One of the things I really am quite proud off is the setting that John and I wove for the plot was the ‘dramatis personae’ of the adventure itself: We did our part to cram it chock-full of the kind of remarkable, singular and often downright sinister cast of characters that you would expect to encounter in an Imperial city, and just ‘turned up’ the darkness and decay, from monstrously vain and jaded nobles, to psychopathic enforcers, murderous street scum and of course the poor downtrodden mass of normal folk in-between. There’s something I think ineffably both gothic and Victorian about the result, with its own logic and dark ambiance, and was a perfect backdrop of characters to get themselves unwittingly become embroiled in a major piece of the Haarlock puzzle.

Failing States

One other interesting idea John and I had when putting together the adventures outline that really interested us, was the idea of setting it against the background of civil unrest: a worsening collapse of law and government in a capital city of an Imperial world, and thereby the impending threat of riot and civil war for the Acolytes to worry about. This also ties into the fact that in Damned Cities, the Acolytes are acting with inquisitorial authority, and with help, of a sort, from the powers that be, leaving them open to all sorts of potential entanglements in the city’s power politics as well as some interesting moral questions about who they should help, and where their duty lies. Of course, this being Dark Heresy, there are plenty of very nasty surprises hiding behind Sinophia’s rotting veneer as well.

The Mystery Unfolds

Damned Cities was written the ability to run it as a ‘stand alone’ adventure in mind, but is of course, part of the wider dark web of the Haarlock Legacy. Its structure and scope offer what we hope is another change of pace and game play, from either the previous two adventures and something that Dark Heresy fans will greatly enjoy, and it also provides some more troubling answers about the secret of the legacy which will be realised finally in the adventures arc’s shattering conclusion, Dead Stars.

We hope to see you there!

The Next Step

Beginning next week, I’m going to start bringing to light possibly the most anticipated book for Dark Heresy...Ascension! Everything you knew was a lie -- it is time to Heed the Higher Call!

You are a Rogue Trader, an explorer with a sacred mandate to venture beyond the limits of the Imperium in the name of the Emperor. Whether you live the life of an outlaw privateer, or as a scion of an ancient noble line, as a Rogue Trader you have the power and the tools to challenge all rivals for supreme control of the riches lurking in the uncharted reaches of space.

Now, you can bring the light of the Emperor to the darkest corners of the Koronus Expanse. Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming sourcebook for Rogue Trader, Lure of the Expanse!

Lure of the Expanse features three adventures set amongst the unexplored stars beyond the Imperium. Wealth and glory await those with the courage to venture into the farthest reaches of space.

In Eye of the Needle, your Explorers will travel to the perilous port of Footfall to learn of a dark prophecy of long-lost riches. In The Heathen Trail, the Explorers find themselves on the path of uncountable riches... but they must cross the wild tracts of the Heathen Stars. Threats abound, but can the Explorers transform danger into rewards? Finally, in The World Beyond, the Explorers discover the location of the legendary treasure world. Now, can they prevail against a host of enemies?

This spring, explore the dark frontier of the Warhammer 40,000 universe with this collection of exciting adventures for Rogue Trader. Opportunity abounds. Will you answer the call of the Expanse?

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Everything You Knew Was A Lie

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

Ross Watson here; I’m extremely pleased to begin talking about Ascension—a 256-page sourcebook that takes your Dark Heresy campaign to a whole new tier of power and intrigue. In Ascension, your Acolytes become Throne Agents; they are no longer pawns, but rather, they can change the very nature of the contest.

The Left Hand of the Emperor

As the lead developer for Ascension, I had some specific goals in mind when I crafted the vision for this book. I worked closely with Managing Developer Michael Hurley and Games Workshop to help craft Ascension’s broad scope, intricate mechanics, and details about the Inquisition and the Calixis Sector. I assembled a crack team of designers, including some exceptionally gifted wordsmiths of the 41st Millennium: Andy Hoare, Sam Stewart, John French and Alan Bligh, and Owen Barnes. Under the banner of our codename, “Project Rose,” we went forward with a plan to create the most important release for the Dark Heresy line since the core rulebook.

One of my driving goals was to fulfill the promise of Dark Heresy’s venture into the Inquisition. I wanted to bring in elements from the inspirations for the Dark Heresy line, such as the Inquisition miniature game and the Eisenhorn and Ravenor novels by Dan Abnett. My vision of Ascension shifts the game from investigating a single cult and instead “zooms out” a bit, involving multi-system conspiracies and the politics of the Inquisition itself. Once you take on the role of a pivotal member of the Inquisition, you tend to garner a lot of attention...and a lot of enemies! Different factions and rivals are sure to get involved with your investigation as friends and foes (and sometimes both at the same time!).

So, what will you find inside Ascension?

This book is chock-full of material to enhance your Dark Heresy campaign, including a lot of new additional rules, new ways to use Fate Points, an expanded Rank structure, a new approach to psychic powers, and a system named Influence that puts your characters at the center of your own operations, able to muster the resources of entire worlds to your authority.

Other chapters provide a selection of 12 all-new full Careers, including the ability to directly take on the role of an Inquisitor! Other options involve Careers known as Throne Agents—a step above Acolytes in both power and responsibility. Among their ranks are the Hierophant, Primaris Psyker, and Adeptus Arbites Judge just to name a few...

Later sections delve into the secrets of the Inquisition and how it operates within the Imperium of Mankind. There is a focus on the place of an Inquisitor as a peer of the Imperium, the power of Inquisitor Lords, and the nature of the Ordos.

One of my favorite sections of the book details the challenges faced by a Game Master running an ascended game of Dark Heresy. How to deal with issues of player-character authority within the game universe, as well as advice on creating wide-ranging threats and running long-term ascended campaigns are all discussed in detail.

Ascension also includes a complete adventure designed for ascended play. Murder comes to the great temple Aleph on Malfi during the investiture of a senior priest of the Ecclesiarchy. With power, wealth, and treachery in abundance, the Inquisitor and Throne Agents must find a way out of the maze of lies and blood. If they find the truth, do they let it be known—or substitute their own?

I’ve given you a pretty good overview of the book for this week, but don’t despair! I plan to go into more detail about the book in future designer diaries...and provide some tasty previews of the contents! I may even be able to provide some choice extras along the way...stay tuned!

The Next Step

Although I am very proud and excited to talk about Ascension, there are even more impressive books for the Dark Heresy line planned for the rest of this year and beyond! 2010 is going to be a good year for Dark Heresy, and I’m really looking forward to being able to tell you more about all the great books we are working on here at the Fantasy Flight Games RPG department. As always, keep checking the website for new information, and may the light of the Golden Throne guide your way!

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Acolytes serving the Inquisition, rooting out heresy and corruption from within the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man.

+++Incoming Astropathic Transmission+++

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!



This week, I am going to dive into one of my favorite sections of Ascension that deals with what are called “Ascended Careers.” Ascension introduces another tier onto the original eight ranks of Dark Heresy, extending the total amount to 16 full ranks that a character can climb. The Ascended Careers make up the second half of that total, presenting the character with a number of ways to serve the Inquisition at a higher level.

Ascended Careers are something a character earns after his time as an Acolyte. Previously in Dark Heresy, when a character reached Rank 8, there was no higher he could climb. In Ascension, such a character can attain an Ascended Career and become a Throne Agent.

However, this event does not simply happen overnight! It may take many months or years of special training, cleansing of the mind and body, or even an encounter with the shadowy Officio Assassinorum before such a character is ready to begin his duties as a Throne Agent.

To represent this separation, Ascension introduces a new element named “Transition Packages.” A Transition Package is a way to represent the challenges, trials, and triumphs your character has gone through in order to emerge as a trusted member of the Holy Ordos themselves.

After you select your Transition Package, the character is ready to begin his Ascended Career, and Ascension provides a very large variety of such options: there are 12 full Ascended Careers in the book, a list of which is provided below!

Ascended Careers

Crusader Death Cult Assassin
Desperado Hierophant
Inquisitor Interrogator
Judge Magos
Primaris Psyker Sage
Storm Trooper Vindicare Assassin

Interrogators and Inquisitors

“I come to set straight that which is twisted; to cleanse that which is unclean; to judge he who is guilty; to punish he who has sinned. These things I do in the name of the most Holy God-Emperor of Mankind, and I do them gladly.”
–The ‘Missive to the Damned’, issued by Lady Garielle of the Ordo Hereticus by way of planet-wide vox-cast, upon her arrival on Fenksworld



As the lead developer for Ascension, one thing I was very keen on was to provide Dark Heresy players with the option of taking on the role of a full Inquisitor right from the start. With the exception of the Tech-Priest (who gets his own Ascended Career with the Magos!), all of the Dark Heresy Careers have the potential to become an Interrogator or Inquisitor in Ascension.

The powers and responsibilities of the Ascended Careers are a good fit for the retinue of an Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos, including the Interrogator Ascended Career. Interrogators are, in a way, “apprentice Inquisitors,” learning the ways of the Ordos under the direction of their master. Some Interrogators are quickly raised up to the rosette and become a full Inquisitor in short order (in Ascension, this is represented by a number of Transition Packages).

The investiture of an Inquisitor is a significant event, so I knew that we needed to make the Interrogator a valid Career option as well for those players who would prefer to roleplay the acquisition of their rosette during the course of their campaign. Therefore, you will find some options for a Throne Agent to begin as an Interrogator and eventually become an Inquisitor when the time is right. This way, the book allows for multiple approaches to becoming an Inquisitor, and you can choose the path that works best for your Dark Heresy campaign!

Ascension Wallpaper #1

As a special bonus, this week you can find the first of four special Ascension wallpapers on the Dark Heresy support page! Enjoy!

The Next Step

Stay tuned to the FFG website for more exciting details about Ascension and other upcoming Dark Heresy books. While Ascension is an amazing sourcebook that lets you experience Dark Heresy in a whole new way, that does not mean it replaces Dark Heresy, nothing could be further from the truth. We have an unbelievable schedule of Dark Heresy books lined up that will have your acolytes adventuring for years to come.

reds8n wrote:This is all good... I wonder if the Lord of Change still has all those wounds...

reds8n wrote:oh... Deathwatch agogo BTW.

reds8n wrote:

And... Deathwatch is agogo..looking very good. If what I have heard about the team dynamic is true/stays it strikes me as a wicked idea.

Mattlov wrote:That's because FFG cares.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Mattlov wrote:That's because FFG cares.

And FFG's chief drive isn't to sell models.

Mattlov wrote:That's because FFG cares.

Hello, Rogue Trader fans!

This week I’d like to take some time to talk about our next upcoming book for the Rogue Trader line, Lure of the Expanse.

Lure of the Expanse is actually three linked adventures in one book: Eye of the Needle, The Heathen Trail, and The World Beyond. Each adventure can be played individually, or linked together to form a grand Endeavour that will see the Explorers travel across the Expanse, striving with their competitors, and risking their lives and profits to become legends of the Expanse.

The first adventure begins in the disreputable port of Footfall, at the far end of the Maw. Footfall is where the Koronus Expanse begins, the first port outside Imperial authority. Footfall is a freeport established by the Rogue Trader Parsimus Dewain, and has quickly evolved into a lynchpin of operations within the Expanse. It’s location at the end of the Maw makes it a vitally important station, but does not mean it is a safe place to visit.



Footfall is technically “ruled” by its liege, although the real powers behind the throne are the shadowy organizations that have a stake in the lawless port. Lieges who have exceeded their very limited authority have ended up replaced very quickly by a liege more amiable to suggestions from his hidden backers.

The situation is further complicated by ancient tradition that states that the station is actually ruled by the most powerful Rogue Trader who happens to be in port. Some Rogue Traders, such as the notorious Calligos Winterscale, take this authority literally, and when he is present he presides over the port like an Imperial governor. Most Rogue Traders, however, take a hands-off approach, and so long as the powers of Footfall do not interfere with their affairs, they are happy to leave those powers to their own devices.

Eye of the Needle includes a detailed gazetteer of Footfall, with enough information that GMs can create their own adventures in the lawless port, as well as expanding on the Eye of the Needle adventure if the group wishes. As one half of the ‘gateway’ into the Koronus Expanse (the other half being Port Wander), Footfall promises to be a vital part of many adventures in the Expanse, and beyond providing exciting adventures, Lure also contains vital information about this nefarious port...as well as other fascinating locations throughout the Expanse.

Stay tuned for next designer diary, when I discuss some of the design philosophies behind the Lure of the Expanse adventures. Until then, I wish you clear space and fair sailing!

+++Incoming Astropathic Transmission+++

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

This week, I would like to talk more about some of the cool stuff you will find within Ascension, the new upcoming sourcebook for Dark Heresy. Specifically, I’d like to talk a bit about Mastered Skills and Paragon Talents.

During the development of Ascension, one of the first things we did is create some Rank 8 Dark Heresy characters to get an idea of where most characters would be coming from as they begin their journey towards heeding the higher call. It quickly became apparent that the character sheet was quite full already, and we knew that in Ascension, we needed to address that issue while still bringing something new to the table. That’s where the idea for Mastered Skills and Paragon Talents came in...



“Knowledge is power: power beyond that of guns, or swords or thronging armies. It is power because in a realm of ignorance those with knowledge are lords of all.”
–Corwanius Tare

The purpose of Mastered Skills and Paragon Talents is to give ascended characters abilities that reflect the status and position they have achieved. These abilities are deliberately powerful and approximate the qualities of many lesser abilities that can be acquired separately. They are the abilities of true lords and masters of the Imperium in their chosen paths. They are also intended to reduce the number of entries on a character sheet and remembered or referenced by a player. It is intended that ascended characters have fewer, more powerful abilities, with a greater scope of application than characters created from the Dark Heresy rulebook and other Dark Heresy supplements.

Mastered skills represent a character’s mastery over a broad area of endeavour which contains a number of individual skills. Mastered skills replace a number of individual skills, or skills with a number of skill groups with a single Mastered Skill. This grants the character a bonus to all of the skills that is replaces. Mastered skills can also be used in conjunction with a number of characteristics depending on the type of skill test being taken. Mastered Skills also allow for the possibility of a character having a particular speciality within a Mastered Skill.

For example, a character may have had the Acrobatics, Climb, Contortionist, Dodge, and Swim Skills, all at different degrees. When he purchases Athletic Mastery, however, he would remove all of these individual skills from his character sheet and simply use the bonus granted by Athletic Mastery to all of the skill tests that would have been covered by the individual skills.

Paragon Talents work in much the same way as Mastered Skills, replacing a number of related Talents and usually grant a further benefit in addition.



The following is an example of one of the Mastered Skills found in Ascension:

Decadent Mastery
Replaces: Carouse, Gamble, Performer (all skill Groups),
Decadent mastery is the fruit of a life spent in epicurean indulgence and reflects expertise in imbibing all forms of intoxicants, gambling, and revelling with abandon.

Ascension Wallpaper #2
As a special bonus, this week you can find the second of four special Ascension wallpapers on the Dark Heresy support page! Enjoy!

reds8n wrote: ..hmm.. don't think so...it IS in Deathwatch though.

Hello Rogue Trader fans!

This week I’d like to talk about the second adventure in the upcoming Lure of the Expanse adventure book, The Heathen Trail.

Without giving too much away, The Heathen Trail takes place in a part of the Koronus Expanse known as the Heathen Stars. The Heathen Stars is a region of the Expanse that has been inhabited by humanity for many millennia, possibly even before the time of the Imperium. More often than not, they know nothing of the Imperium or its divine ruler, the God-Emperor of Mankind.
It is amongst these worlds the Explorers must travel, to uncover long-lost secrets and clues to the location of a vast treasure. However, being Rogue Traders, they should consider that every situation they find themselves in has a chance for profit!

The Heathen Trail is set up a ‘sandbox’ adventure, designed to give the players a great deal of leeway in how they go about exploring the Heathen Stars. The adventure provides five different unique worlds and locations within the Heathen Stars (with one very notable exception). Each has a history and gazateer, and a detailed set of objectives the Explorers can fulfill to obtain additional profit on the side. Sometimes these objectives coincide with the Explorers’ original goals, while in other cases the Explorers could ignore them...if they can easily ignore the possible rewards!

In this designer diary, I would like to talk about two of the locations, the desert world of Vaporius, and the ill-omened Processional of the Damned.

Vaporius

Vaporius is an excellent example of a world whose culture is very divergent from the Imperium, something the Explorers will encounter in the Heathen Stars. A world of pink, sandy deserts, beautiful but extremely poisonous cyan seas, and jagged mountain ranges that cut across the planet like chainsword teeth, Vaporius is hardly a place where you would expect to find life. However, humanity has survived and even prospered here, living in vast cities in the deserts constructed of copper, glass, and ceramic tiles. Each city is built around a single spring of pure, fresh water, and each spring is controlled by a Priest-King.



The Priest-Kings hold absolute power over their subjects, who are completely (and some might say suspiciously) content with their servitude. They worship the Priest-Kings as deities, and the Priest-Kings in turn live in complete luxury. There is only one threat to the Preist-Kings’ authority—the Imperium of Man, or more specifically the Missionarius Galaxia. These preachers of the Imperial Creed are attempting to convert the population to worship of the God-Emperor and in doing so, threaten the one thing the Priest-Kings covet most of all—their people’s faith.

The Processional of the Damned

Far from the Heathen Stars, the Processional of the Damned is linked to them nonetheless, by the ancient strands of fate and strange xenos machinations. A haunted and fearful place, the Processional is a vast ring of derelict vessels and shattered worlds orbiting a dark star that shines with an eerie light.



Only a few Rogue Traders have visited this place, and even fewer have returned. The only one to speak extensively of his journey is Wrath Umboldt, who stumbled across the Processional while exploring the far reaches of the Accursed Demesne. Umboldt told of a vast procession of wrecked space hulks, as if all the lost ships in the Segmentum (or perhaps the galaxy) had washed up on this benighted shore. He did not tarry there long, but he did send crewmembers along the edges of the wreckage. Some returned with treasures and archeotech. More never returned at all.

In The Heathen Trail, the Explorers may be compelled to journey into the Processional as well. The rewards they find may be considerable, though it will be up to them to determine if they outweigh the risk.

That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for my next Designer Diary, when I discuss the overarching structure of the Lure of the Expanse.

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!



“Now, you face a somewhat better class of heretic.”
–Inquisitor Felroth Gelt

During the development of Ascension, one thing that became clear early on is that we needed to present ascended characters with suitably challenging enemies. An Inquisitor and his hand-picked retinue face different foes than the cultists and mutants that Acolytes often encounter.

One of my favourite bad guys from this ultimate bad guy chapter in Ascension is Governor Malakai Vess. He does not represent an unstoppable monster in personal combat. No, in fact, he is little more than a normal man (albeit hardened by years of service in the Emperor’s Name). What makes him truly and exceptionally dangerous is his heretical beliefs and his exceptional ability to inspire fanatical loyalty in his followers. Thus, Vess presents an interesting challenge to an Inquisitor and other Throne Agents, in that facing him head-on will likely not produce ideal results. Rather, a more creative approach is going to provide a much better outcome for the Throne Agents. It may even be possible to reason with Vess, and no doubt there could be a great deal of exciting roleplaying opportunities for the player characters to attempt to sway him...or perhaps for Vess to sway them to his point of view in turn!

As an Imperial Governor, Vess has a great deal of power and authority. This is represented by his Influence score. In Ascension, Influence is a game mechanic that measures the impact a person’s authority may have on the various organisations of the Imperium. For Vess, his impressive Influence score means that the Throne Agents will not simply have to face him in battle, they will have to first untangle the web of favours and pressure the Governor can use to slow their progress.

Influence may also be used to acquire special gear or the services of particularly useful groups or individuals. In Governor Vess’ case, this means that he not only commands the potent forces of his own personal guard, he may also be able to call on the services of the especially deadly Eversor Assassin!



Imperial Governor Malaki Vess oversees Zweihan’s World, a minor hive world located in the Malfian Sub-sector. A cool and temperate planet, much of Zweihan’s World’s surface is covered in water, resulting in a rather damp planetary climate. The planet is circled by several long, mountainous and almost serpentine continents, which are straddled by four hive cities near the equator. Zweihan’s World’s most notable feature is not on the planet, but around it: a vast ring system made up of the shattered remains of what used to be a large moon. Now the rock rings are mined, bringing the planet impressive mineral wealth.

As the Imperial ruler of the planet, Vess has overseen Zweihan’s World’s development for most of the last century. An intelligent, empathetic, and charismatic man and ruler, he has ruled his planet well, and as a result his subjects are prosperous and content. It is no wonder that Vess is respected, even adored, by his subjects.

However, trouble looms for Vess. The Adeptus Administratum has recently determined that Zweihan’s World is not properly exploiting the vast mineral deposits found in its planetary rings. As a result, the planet’s Tithe is set to increase to exploitive levels.

Vess knows what this means; Zweihan’s World will become a blasted, strip-mined, and polluted wasteland where the unlucky inhabitants scrabble for simple survival. He cannot stand to see this happen, and thus, plots rebellion.

Naturally, Governor Vess is simply one of the many ascended adversaries you will find within Ascension...this particular chapter is quite packed with other dangerous Xenos, foul minions of Chaos, and much more!

Ascension Wallpaper #3

As a special bonus, this week you can find the third of four special Ascension wallpapers on the Dark Heresy support page! Enjoy!

RussWakelin wrote:Shameless self promotion:

Don't forget we have a 1 hour audio interview with Ross Watson of FFG about Ascension:

The discussion starts at the 1hr 18min mark.

http://www.thed6generation.com/index.php?post_id=574787

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

This week, I have some more great information about the new Dark Heresy sourcebook that takes your campaign to all new heights—Ascension!

What I’d like to talk about this time is a new set of Talents presented in Ascension that give your Dark Heresy characters a new way to interact with the Inquisition, the Calixis Sector, and the Imperium itself. Talents of Influence are Talents which represent a character’s relationships and influence with other organisations within the Imperium. By taking Talents such as being a Peer of a particular division of the Imperial apparatus, or by deliberately setting themselves in opposition to particular factions using negative influence Talents, characters can build their own place within the ever-turning wheels of Imperial power.



“Ah, I see that you think to take this matter up with the Lord Marshall? Yes? Oh, but I am afraid that Lord Gorman and myself have a mutual understanding of considerable pedigree. You understand, I am sure, my dear.”
—words of Inquisitor Rathbone in confrontation with Senior Arbitrator Drusil

Positive and Negative Influence

Talents which interact with Influence can have either a positive or negative effect on exerting influence over a particular group or organisation. Both negative and positive influence Talents are available as advances for Ascended Characters, with positive influence Talents costing a character experience and negative influence granting a character an amount of experience to spend on other advances in recompense. Negative influence Talents may represent an enemy, or a negative perception of the character held by a particular organisation. Talents which have a positive effect on influence may be a good reputation, accolade or honour that a character has earned.

Building the Map of Influence

By taking both positive and negative Talents of influence, a character is creating a set of favourable and unfavourable dispositions that relate to the other powers that operate within the Imperium. Combining together the influence traits of the entire group, you can build a map of where the influence of an Inquisitor and his close associates lies; where it is strong, where it is neutral, and where it stops or runs into complications, rivalry, or animosity.

The following is an example of a Talent of Influence:

Acolyte Network
Career: Inquisitor

The character maintains one or more cells of chosen acolytes who perform missions for him, and can act as his proxies and agents when he are not present. These acolytes are talented servants who carry out dangerous missions and investigations at the will of their Inquisitor, often on their own and with little direct intervention from their master. The number of acolyte cells an Inquisitor maintains beyond his personal cadre varies as much as the nature of individual Inquisitors. Some maintain vast networks of dozens of acolytes working alone or in cells, others maintain only a single cell of carefully chosen servants. The advantage of maintaining an acolyte network is that an Inquisitor can address many tasks without being personally present and can draw on a pool of loyal and experienced operatives who are personally loyal to him.

Effect: At the point that the character gains this Talent, he must reduce his Influence by –5 for every acolyte cell he sets up. This loss represents the cost and resources required to set up a network of acolytes. The character may spend more Influence points in this manner at any time to create new Acolyte cells or to replace one that was lost or destroyed. The character may use his acolyte network in two ways: to carry out specific missions, or as a resource of people to draw on.

Missions: To set an acolyte cell on a mission, the character simply needs to set out the mission objective. The GM then decides, in secret, if the mission succeeds and to what extent; if he wishes to do this randomly, he should make a test using the character’s influence modified as he sees fit for the difficulty of the mission. As the Inquisitor is not acting directly in the mission a –20 penalty is imposed on this test.

Personal Resource: The character may attempt to requisition individuals of a particular expertise from amongst the acolytes he maintains to accompany him in person. This is done in exactly the same way as requisitioning personnel using Influence, but no negative modifiers for the duration of requisition apply, and the character can only requisition individual acolytes. This means that he has to test for every acolyte he wishes to requisition in this way.



The Balance of Influence of Inquisitor Glavius Wroth

Glavius Wroth is a staunch Amalathian who has built a reputation as a pragmatic but steadfast defender of Imperial order and stability. While he does take a personal hand in many of his operations, he also maintains a wide sphere of influence that is balanced by the fact that he has as many enemies as he has allies; not least of which are a number of powerful Inquisitors within the Calixian Conclave.

Close Allies: Wroth has very close ties with the Adeptus Arbites and has cultivated key allies within their senior ranks including Kae Drusil of the Divisio Immoralis, and Lord Marshal Gorman, the most senior member of the Arbites in the sector. He also has close friendship with General Kasir, commander of Imperial forces on Tranch. Amongst the ranks of the Ecclesiarchy, Wroth has formed a number of useful relationships chief amongst which is Deacon Priam. High Prefect Momulus, Administratum overseer of the Golgenna Reach, has long been one of Wroth’s closest allies and informants on the internal politics of the Imperial bureaucracy in the sector.

Well Disposed Individuals and Organisations: Wroth has great respect for Lord Inquisitor Caidin, a compliment which the Lord Inquisitor broadly returns in recognition of Wroth’s effectiveness as a bulwark against instability. Although it is a close secret, Wroth is in correspondence with the mysterious Inquisitor Marr, a relationship that has profited both Inquisitors.

Conflicting Interests: Wroth sees Lord Sector Marius Hax as a paranoid fanatic who is a long-term risk to the stability of the sector; an opinion that Wroth has not succeeded in keeping secret from the Lord Sector’s allies within the Inquisition. On a number of occasions, Wroth has clashed with the Lord Sector’s upstart military police, the Chaliced Commissariat, and there is little love lost between the Inquisitor and ‘Hax’s hounds.’ Wroth has always mistrusted the function and intent of the Tyrantine Cabal, and relations between him and most members of the Cabal are strained at best. His denouncements and persecution of two radical Inquisitors in the course of his career puts him in broad conflict with all Inquisitors of a radical persuasion.

Enemies: Though Wroth does not know it, Inquisitor Lord Anton Zerbe, convenor of the Tyrantine Cabal is an enemy that even now moves against him. Wroth’s suspicions regarding the Tyrantine Cabal, and information that he has assembled about the secret Tenebrae Collegium within the Cabal, have made him an intolerable threat to Zerbe’s plans.

Ascension Preview #1

This week we have a special preview of Ascension, featuring Mastered Skills and Paragon Talents! Download the preview below:

Preview #1 (Print Quality) (PDF, 27.7 MB)
Preview #1 (Web Quality) (PDF, 652KB)

Ascension Wallpaper #4

As a special bonus, this week you can find the fourth of four special Ascension wallpapers on the Dark Heresy support page! Enjoy!

Mellon wrote:Hmm, 180w. I know this is old news, and probably wrong anyhow, but I think it is quite reasonable if you want a single monster to challenge a big group of combat oriented PCs. Both my DH groups normaly have six to eight players in them (popular game around here and lack of GMs), and many of those are good at making powerful combat synergies for their characters. Doing 180W to something with an effective TB of 14 and 10 points of armor (these are only a guesstimate) would take them two or three rounds at most, _if_ they got to set the stage for the fight. Autocannon + Bulging biceps. Holy eviscreators. Unnatural strength + powerfist. Lighning attack + Furious assault. All these things makes it nearly impossible to make one big bad a serious opponent. And these abilities are quite accessible around the 10k xp. So I don't think 180 w are at all irrationally high for an Ascension adversary.

Mattlov wrote:

Mellon wrote:Hmm, 180w. I know this is old news, and probably wrong anyhow, but I think it is quite reasonable if you want a single monster to challenge a big group of combat oriented PCs. Both my DH groups normaly have six to eight players in them (popular game around here and lack of GMs), and many of those are good at making powerful combat synergies for their characters. Doing 180W to something with an effective TB of 14 and 10 points of armor (these are only a guesstimate) would take them two or three rounds at most, _if_ they got to set the stage for the fight. Autocannon + Bulging biceps. Holy eviscreators. Unnatural strength + powerfist. Lighning attack + Furious assault. All these things makes it nearly impossible to make one big bad a serious opponent. And these abilities are quite accessible around the 10k xp. So I don't think 180 w are at all irrationally high for an Ascension adversary.

I'm going to guess with a Greater Daemon just running up to it will create reasonably quick failure. It will probably drive you insane and corruption the gak out if you just to look at it, let alone get close to it.

+++Incoming Astropathic Transmission+++


Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

Chapter VII of Ascension is focused around helping prepare a Dark Heresy gaming group for the new ascended level presented in the book. This chapter, known as Game Mastery, describes the unique circumstances for the Acolytes-turned-Throne Agents and includes guidance on how to work with one or more of the players assuming the role of the Inquisitor.

As the lead developer on Ascension, I knew we would need to cover a lot of ground when presenting an entirely different spin on the Dark Heresy experience. One of the paramount topics that would need to be covered in depth is advice and guidance for the GM on how an ascended campaign should function, including a way to steer around some of the common pitfalls often associated with higher-level play. In addition, we wanted to highlight the fantastic opportunities for roleplaying that are offered in an ascended campaign, such as how the group can interact with various factions of the Inquisition and the Adeptus Terra, plus the political maneuverings and back-room dealings that will affect them both during the game and “off-screen.”



The Cadre

A group of ascended characters is often referred to as a “Cadre,” reflecting their specialised nature as the Inquisitor and his personal retinue of talented retainers. In a Cadre, the Inquisitor (or senior Inquisitor if there is more than one present) is the person in charge; the other characters work for him, and their power and influence derives from the Inquisitor’s authority.

However, this particular approach may not work for every group, and this chapter discusses a number of alternate methods to approach the game to alleviate this issue.

Everything from the basic concept of the group’s direction (“Are we a group of witch hunters, or are we going to focus on the threat of the Tyrant Star?”) to how the group makes decisions is examined in detail, and we made sure that there are numerous examples!

The chapter includes many other topics, including extensive advice on how to run an ascended campaign, involving the various factions and political issues that are likely to be part of such an undertaking.

Ascension Preview #2
This week I am pleased to present the second preview for Ascension, a glimpse at the Magos Ascended Career. Enjoy!

Preview #2 (Print Quality) (PDF, 10.9 MB)
Preview #2 (Web Quality) (PDF, 340 KB)

The Next Step

Stay tuned to the Fantasy Flight Games web site in the next few weeks as Ascension nears release!

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that Disciples of the Dark Gods, a sourcebook for Dark Heresy, is now available for purchase via download. Head over to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com and and check out a collection of the darkest threats the Calixis Sector has ever seen!

The Ruinous Powers of Chaos take delight in seducing mortals to become sorcerers and cultists. Sinister secrets and conspiracies place entire worlds in peril. These dangers are kept in check only by the courage and iron determination of the Inquisition.

From the savage blood-soaked arenas of the Beast Houses, to the apocalyptic terror of the Tyrant Star, Disciples of the Dark Gods features a wealth of detailed challenges for Acolytes to confront, along with profiles of the Calixis Sector’s most wanted—a collection of cunning and dangerous foes who seek the downfall of the Golden Throne.

Additionally, you’ll find new character options and new Psychic Powers, along with forbidden technology of the alien and the corrupting path of sorcery, along with a full-length adventure that introduces the Acolytes to the affairs of a notorious Rogue Trader.

Hello Rogue Trader fans!

This week I’d like to take some time to talk about Lure of the Expanse, specifically the book’s grand endeavour: Conquering the Dread Pearl.



So far, most of the endeavours in Rogue Trader adventures have been presented as profit-earning opportunities the players may look into in the course of their adventures. While tied into the plot of an adventure, they are not central to completing that adventure. Instead, they are independent opportunities the players can pursue on their own time. (Or possibly have their lackeys handle for them!)

Lure of the Expanse and Conquering the Dread Pearl go in an entirely different direction. Instead of multiple endeavours that are kept somewhat independent of the central storyline, all three adventures are linked by this overarching grand endeavour. As the players navigate the treacherous landscape of Footfall, strike bargains with the Priest-Kings of Vaporius, duel in the void against the ships of the Twilight Corsairs, or even bombard war-torn Zayth, each of their actions contributes to the success of the overall endeavour (and by extension, Lure of the Expanse as a whole). If, like true Rogue Traders, they turn each situation into an opportunity for profit, completing Lure will leave them wealthy and powerful, forces to be reckoned with in the Expanse. However, a wrong move can drain a Rogue Trader’s coffers instead, making it that much harder to turn their quest for the Dread Pearl into a profit-making venture.



To help Game Masters keep track of their players’ successes (and failures), Lure of the Expanse includes an Achievement Point Tracker. The image above depicts the Tracker, with some of the juicier details blurred out. We don't want to spoil the adventure before the book's released, after all!

While completing the three adventures in Lure of the Expanse, the players will have numerous opportunities to earn (and lose!) Achievement Points. There is more information about how Achievement Points work in the Core Rulebook, but suffice to say, the players will need to earn a certain amount for the endeavour to be successful. The Achievement Point Tracker not only lets the GM keep track of how many Achievement Points his party earns throughout the Adventures, when the group finishes Lure the GM can show them the Tracker and the group can see where in the adventure they were wildly successful, and where they failed.

On the Track above, the group is about half-way through the three adventures. They have mostly been successful (although not nearly as successful as they could be). However, their most recent adventure turned out very badly for them, and they will have to work even harder to make up for it.

However, the grand endeavour does not lock a group into playing through all three adventures, nor is its use mandatory. Lure of the Expanse explains how to use each of the book’s three adventures separately, and many of the objectives in the book can be turned into endeavours of their own right, with a minimum of conversion work. However, for groups who want a truly epic three-part adventure where every choice has an impact on their bottom line, Lure of the Expanse provides.

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space

The enemies of man are too numerous to count; the alien, the beast, and the daemon are but a few of the horrors lurking in the shadows. The Inquisition’s mandate is to bring the Emperor’s Light into the darkness and utterly extinguish those that oppose the might of the Imperium... but first, you must know your enemy.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that Creatures Anathema, a bestiary of aliens, beasts, and daemons for Dark Heresy, is now available for purchase via download at drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

Creatures Anathema features a variety of menaces, from the Fenksworld Pit Thing to the Xothian Blood Locusts, plus an overview of the Calixis Sector’s infamous Deathworlds, along with counsel from notable members of the Inquisition on exterminating each foe!

Classic monsters from the Warhammer 40,000 universe like the Ambull and Enslaver lie within the pages of Creatures Anathema, alongside all-new foes to the Calixis Sector! Creatures Anathema is a vital accessory for any Dark Heresy campaign; each creature entry includes adventure seeds to help Gamemasters insert a ferocious alien, beast, or daemon seamlessly into a campaign.

Head over to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com and download your copy today!

+++ INCOMING ASTROPA <shhhz> TR@NSMISHHH +++
+++ ASTROPATHIC CORPUS FAILURE +++

Greetings Dark Heresy Fans!

My name is Mack, and I'm the new RPG Producer here at Fantasy Flight Games. I have hijacked Ross’s scheduled designer diary to talk about some of the player experiences that really excite me in Ascension.



I enjoyed a long running Dark Heresy game about a year ago with some good friends that came to a close with our characters sitting around Rank 8. When one spends that much time delving into the underbelly of the Calixis Sector, you know the character like the back of your hand.

That’s who Octus Enoch was for me. A loyal acolyte of Inquisitor Calantis whose mind cleansing left him unable to control his latent psychic abilities and whose true past had been revealed over months of game play. His story was told... but I wanted to see what happened next. Thus, when Ross gave me a chance to experience another chapter in the tale of Octus through an Ascension character, I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to share this experience with the Dark Heresy community so I recorded the process as a designer diary.

Below, you can see Octus’ character sheet as he stood at the end of our last campaign. I knew that Octus had only one route to take. Everything about our “Eisenhorn-esque” campaign was leading him towards becoming an Inquisitor. That left me to choose a transition package, which is my favorite part about making an Ascension character. A transition package is a story element that connects a Rank 8 Dark Heresy character to a Rank 9 Ascension character. There are several options in the Ascension book that are suitable for taking a Dark Heresy career character to an Ascension career. Perhaps an assassin can become an Interrogator... but how? That is where the transition package comes in!



Click the above image to see Octus before his ascension (pdf, 5.8 MB)

I thought about all the things that happened to the character from Rank 1 to Rank 8, and I finally settled on “Spiritual Retreat” as a great way to represent Octus sequestering himself and learning to control his latent psychic abilities without getting himself executed for heresy. Even better, choosing this package let him shed a few corruption points and gave him a Willpower boost. The other choices, “Baptism of Fire” and “Ritual Trial” were very tempting. “Ritual Trial” made a lot of sense to have Enoch ritually tortured and tested with the threat of execution looming at all times. However, in the end, the Spiritual Retreat transition package felt right to me.

The story began to unfold in my head—I could imagine Inquisitor Calantis weighing the decision to just kill Octus or to continue his training. Perhaps Octus was taken into deep space, and he spent time meditating in an air lock (with the Inquisitor standing ready to blow him into space if anything went wrong). Portions of his mind thought forever locked to him opening under the careful psychic scapel of our groups Psyker... memories of a former life flooding back. I couldn’t wait to put Inquisitor Enoch into a Dark Heresy saga again.

Having dealt with the transition package, I chose my Ascdended trait. I chose “The Psyker’s Gift” because it allowed the character to begin developing his psychic potential without making it the entire focus of the character. I then adjusted some other portions of my character sheet (Fate, Corruption, Insanity and Wounds all shift with Ascension), and I spent the starting Ascended character experience points on other advances and Characteristic increases.

Here is “Inquisitor Enoch” ready to hit the table top and root out evils within the Calixis sector!



Click the above image to see Octus after his ascension (pdf, 10.1 MB)

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Acolytes serving the Inquisition, rooting out heresy and corruption from within the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man.

Deathwatch | Published 05 March 2010 Rating 3 votes
Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

My name is Ross Watson, Lead Developer for Deathwatch. This is the first of many designer diaries that present a number of my thoughts (and those of others on the Deathwatch design team!) about the Deathwatch RPG. In these designer diaries, my intention is to make a solid connection with the fans of the game, present new and exciting information about the Deathwatch line, and have a little fun while doing so.

I look at each designer diary as a personal letter from me to a fellow gamer, someone who enjoys roleplaying and the grim darkness of the far future that is the Warhammer 40,000 universe.





Deathwatch: A New Challenge

As a long-time fan of all things Warhammer 40,000, the opportunity to create a roleplaying game centred on the Space Marines of the Deathwatch was something I absolutely could not pass up! I knew that this particular game was going to present a number of big challenges, but I wasn’t daunted by that.

Becoming a Space Marine

One of the first challenges that needed to be met was to identify and emphasise the elements of a Space Marine’s personality and bring that into the game. The Space Marines are elite warriors, amongst the deadliest in the galaxy—but that is not the entire story. Roleplaying as a Space Marine presents a unique test: Space Marines are more than human, larger-than-life figures more akin to the heroes of the Trojan War and the Odyssey than to Inquisitional Acolytes or a Rogue Trader and his companions. Some Space Marines are epic individuals who will risk all for a matter of honour, others are philosophers and tragic figures, full of passion and regret. However you choose to interpret these ideas, it is important to note that the Space Marines chosen for the Deathwatch are nuanced, complex characters.

Deathwatch supports this unique roleplaying experience with its varied themes, styles of play, and some special mechanics (more on this will be revealed in the weeks to come!).

Styles of Play


One of the things I knew very early on was that Deathwatch needed to provide styles of play that would encourage roleplaying and story-building during the game. There are a number of ways to experience the game that lend themselves to Deathwatch and focus on the different kinds of adventures the Game Master might like to run. None of these approaches are exclusive, of course, and they can be mixed and matched as required by the GM’s plot. Here are some example styles of play (from the mind of the talented Owen Barnes) that are well-suited to Deathwatch characters:

The Emperor's Finest


Space Marines are, by their nature and design, most commonly found where the fighting is the thickest. Bred for war and trained to excel in all aspects of battle, Battle-Brothers fit easily into adventures that focus on lots of combat. These often take the form of military missions where the characters find themselves sent in to destroy targets, complete objectives, and bring glory to the Emperor by vanquishing his foes. While there are many permutations and variations on the military theme and the idea of an elite group of warriors tasked with special orders, they all share the common goal of annihilating the enemy, usually in a hail of bolter shells and plasma bolts. Military-themed games also often focus on single actions and objectives in the greater scheme of Imperial strategy.

While the Imperial battlefleet rains orbital barrages from above and the Imperial Guard swarm across the blasted landscape, the Deathwatch Kill-team moves between the flames and shadows to strike at critical times and places. Against a backdrop of ash, blood, and ruin, the Battle-Brothers wade through the carnage aloof and elite, aware of their unique role in the tide of battle. Such games can also see the characters swept up in ongoing Imperial campaigns and dispatched from world to world or warzone to warzone at the whim of unseen commanders and battle-hungry generals. This could see them storming a lunar defence platform, followed by a low-orbit insertion into a jungle warzone before being conveyed by Thunderhawk gunship to a beach landing on the other side of the planet.

The advantage of military-style games is that they are easy to start and finish, existing only within the parameters of the mission and with the benefit of the Imperial war machine to ferry, supply, and brief the characters without the need for them to find their own way around the galaxy or shop for replacement weapons or ammo.

Inquisitorial Involvement

While the Deathwatch are drawn from the Adeptus Astartes, they also work closely with the Ordo Xenos. They are an elite force within the Imperial war machine, but, they have a special place within the structure of the Inquisition dedicated to the eradication of a specific enemy of the Imperium. Games that feature the involvement of the Inquisition are likely to be more subtle and detailed than those in which the Kill-team is facing the foes of humanity in open battle. This can mean accompanying an Inquisitor and his servants into the depths of a hive world, some ancient and forgotten alien ruins, or the shadowy corridors of a space hulk, far from the support of the Imperial armies, where the Kill-team must rely upon their own skills to survive and protect their allies.

Even the most arrogant Inquisitor knows, however, that petitioning a Watch Commander for the aid of a Kill-team is not to be done lightly. When the Battle-Brothers join such a mission, they can be sure it is because the Inquisitor and his followers are counting on their strength of arms. Another exciting and interesting aspect of working for the Inquisition is the moral ambiguity it can create, leading the Battle-Brothers to question their allegiances and even their own view of Emperor’s will.

The advantage of games with Inquisitorial involvement is that it allows both the GM and players to explore some of the darker and more shrouded aspects of the Imperium as well as better understand their own role in such affairs and the sharpened blade of the Ordo Xenos.

Envoys, Emissaries and Assassins

The size, skills, and flexibility of a Deathwatch Kill-team mean they often find themselves in situations unique to the Adeptus Astartes. Often, at the behest of a Watch Captain or an Inquisitor, a Kill-team may be dispatched as part of an envoy to a wayward Imperial world or even an alien empire, either alone or as part of an Imperial emissary’s entourage. This can serve a number of purposes, such as making a show of force, keeping lesser Imperial servants in line, or even honouring an ally with the presence of Adeptus Astartes representatives. In this capacity, Battle-Brothers may have to use their tongues rather than their boltguns to influence proceedings.

Alternatively, a Kill-team may find itself operating on the fringes of Imperial space, particularly where it borders aggressive xenos races. Dropped onto fledgling worlds, the Kill-team’s presence can rally the local human population against invaders and alien subversion. Where an army may fail, a small group of Space Marines can often turn the tide. Just as even a single Space Marine has the power to bolster the courage and faith of a world, so to can he be used to destroy it. Working without support for months or even years, Kill-teams deployed to alien worlds or Imperial worlds tainted by xenos dominance can wreak terrible havoc. Appearing as monsters from the dark, the black-armoured giants strike against leadership and military infrastructure, fighting tirelessly until the world's civilisation collapses under the weight of its own fear and confusion.

Games where the Battle-Brothers take up the mantle of envoys, emissaries, or assassins offer a different kind of experience to pure combat missions and a challenge for the Kill-team (a fearsome combat unit) to complete its goals and objectives without resorting to bolters and chainswords (at least not right away).

Onward, Battle-Brothers!

Join me next week as I pull back the curtain a bit and talk about the Space Marine Chapters featured in Deathwatch.

Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.

Now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore is the latest supplement to join the Dark Heresy collection, Ascension! What’s more, you can meet Ross Watson, developer of Dark Heresy, this weekend at the Fantasy Flight Games Event Center!

Ascension takes your Acolytes to the next tier of power in the Calixis Sector. Learn to wield the authority of an Inquisitor’s rosette, join the elite Storm Troopers, or discover the secrets of technology known only to a Magos of the Lathe Worlds.

It is time to take your rightful place amongst the ranks of the Holy Inquisition itself! No longer are you a pawn; you’ll find advanced character generation, including transition packages to take your Dark Heresy characters from Acolytes to Throne Agents—and even the position of Inquisitor. Eleven other Ascended Careers include the mysterious Sage and the formidable Vindicare Assassin!

New Ascended Psychic Powers abound, plus a section on ascended adversaries... from Greater Daemons to renegade Imperial Governors. You’ll also find systems of influence and reputation for a different scale of wealth and power in the Imperium, plus Paragon Talents and Mastered Skills to enhance your character’s abilities.

Ascension will take your Dark Heresy campaign to higher levels of power, responsibility, and peril in the grim darkness of the far future. Head to your local retailer or our webstore and grab your copy today!

And if you live anywhere near Minnesota’s Twin Cities, come join us at the Fantasy Flight Games Event Center in Roseville, MN on Saturday, March 20th from 1 PM - 3 PM to meet Ross Watson, the Lead Developer of the Dark Heresy RPG line!

Ross will be available to answer all your questions about Ascension, as well as any other release in this expansive series. Ross will also have a selection of Dark Heresy sourcebooks with him, and will be be happy to sign your copies.

As always, the Fantasy Flight Games Event Center is open seven days a week for all board, card, miniature and roleplaying gamers to come and enjoy whatever game they love. Subscribe to our FFG Event Center Twitter feed for real-time updates, and keep your eyes on the FFG Event Center calendar to learn of the game demonstrations, tournaments and community events that we host, every single day.

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Acolytes serving the Inquisition, rooting out heresy and corruption from within the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man.

Breotan wrote:

Breotan wrote:

reds8n wrote:Not to mention specialist ammo and the like.

Balance wrote:So this book has rules for Inquisitors playing Role Playing Games? That's what the pic looks like- just needs some chips and soda.

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

One of the greatest challenges I faced when developing Deathwatch was finding the right answer to a simple question: What Space Marine Chapters should be included in the core rulebook?

The Deathwatch is a unique opportunity to showcase the differences between the core beliefs, traditions, and gene-seeds of the various Space Marine Chapters, and there is no better way to showcase that than to focus on some of the most famous and distinct Space Marine Chapters in Warhammer 40,000.

In the background of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, there are a large number of interesting and unique Space Marine Chapters. Working with Games Workshop, we selected six of these Chapters for the Deathwatch Core Rulebook, but there are many more that await in future supplements for the Deathwatch line. I myself am quite a fan of the Space Marines, so I know that there are a lot of fans out there who are waiting with bated breath to see their particular favourite Chapter for Deathwatch.

In addition to that, it is a long-held tradition for Space Marine fans to create their own Chapters, or develop successor Chapters from some of the more famous and well-established ones in the Warhammer 40,000 lore. You can be sure that a thorough and extensive create-your-own-Chapter section is planned for the Deathwatch line in the future!

I am pleased to reveal the first of these Chapters in this Designer diary: The Space Wolves.



The Sons of Russ

The Space Wolves are a personal favourite of mine. These fierce Space Marines hail from the icy Death World of Fenris, and they are a proud and noble Chapter, their battle-lust tempered by cunning. Even in the grim darkness of the far future, there can still be heroes, and amongst their number you will find the savage fury of the Space Wolves. Here are some words from the talented pen of Andy Hoare about these Space Marines and their role in the Deathwatch:

“We may be few, and our enemies many. Yet so long as there remains one of us still fighting, one who still rages in the name of justice and truth, then by the Allfather, the galaxy shall yet know hope.”
–Ragnar Blackmane of the Space Wolves

Since the Imperium came into being, the Space Wolves have fought tooth and nail for the cause of the Emperor. Amongst the most famous of the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, their sagas are told from one end of the galaxy to the other. As headstrong as they are fierce, the Space Wolves excel at close-quarters fighting, their warriors vying keenly for glory on the field of battle. The Space Wolves live to fight, and death holds no fear for them.

The Battle-Brothers of the Space Wolves are ferocious and aggressive warriors. Though far from mindless berserkers, they are certainly possessed of a feral exuberance for battle. They have an overriding sense of duty and honour, and are driven ever onwards by a strong desire to right the many wrongs that have befallen the Imperium of Man since the heady days of the Great Crusade. Space Wolves exhibit a fierce sense of loyalty to their comrades in arms and this is on occasion extended to their compatriots in other branches of the Imperium’s military.

Although as devoted to the Emperor as any other Space Marine Chapter, the Space Wolves express their faith not in prayer and piety, but in feats of arms. While the Battle-Brothers of other Chapters may spend the night before battle in solemn meditation, the Space Wolves are more likely to mark the eve of battle in bawdy celebration, raising overflowing jacks of Fenrisian ale to brothers they may be mourning once battle is done. A Space Wolf will drink and make merry, for tomorrow, he may die.

In temperament, most Space Wolves are blunt and plain speaking, even to the point of giving offence to those not used to their ways. They abhor pretension and despise politicking. They are honest to a fault, and expect the same quality in those they fight alongside. Space Wolves embrace their lot with an uncomplicated enthusiasm, from the headstrong, newly recruited Blood Claw to the grey haired and taciturn Long Fang. Each plays the role fate lays before him, knowing that a life spent in service to the Emperor is a life well lived.

In the face of an enemy attack, a Space Wolf bounds forward like a Fenrisian wolf on the hunt, a joyous song of war on his lips.



In the Deathwatch

Many Space Wolves have served in the Deathwatch, and some of the most celebrated Battle-Brothers are drawn from the Chapter. Their propensity to engage the foe head on has led to many great victories, even if none outside of the Deathwatch ever hear of them. Though many Space Wolves have been elevated to the rank of Watch Captain in the Deathwatch, comparatively few have served as Watch Commanders. It is likely that this is due to the brothers’ natural gregariousness, and their desire to return to the great feasting halls of Fenris once their duty is done.

Greetings Deathwatch fans!

Just thinking of the term “Space Marine Chapter” brings to mind a host of images, from the colonnaded halls of Macragge (for the Ultramarines) to the cavernous depths of the Rock (for the Dark Angels) to serried ranks of Adeptus Astartes preparing for battle and chanting a prayer to their Primarch. During the development of Deathwatch, I felt it very important to get all the details right for the Space Marine Chapters—it would be vital to make sure the reader understood just how important the Chapter’s history, traditions, beliefs, and gene-seed are to each Battle-Brother who wears that Chapter’s heraldry.

The Chapter looms large in the life of all Space Marines. In the Deathwatch, it is a unique situation where you have several Space Marines working together who are all from quite different Chapters, each of whom is used to going about things in some very different ways!

One of my greatest resources for working with the deep and complex lore of Space Marines is Games Workshop. Getting a chance to ask questions and have involved discussions about all things Space Marine with the very people who created them made an incredible impact on the development of Deathwatch.

In fact, I am pleased to present a special bonus for this week’s designer diary, straight from the pen of Alan Merrett, Head of Intellectual Property for Games Workshop:

Genesis of the Space Marines

Sometime in 1985 (in the summer I think) Citadel Miniatures (the miniatures branch of Games Workshop) released a curious science-fiction warrior under the title ’LE2 Imperial Space Marine’ with the intention of ‘testing’ the market for a subject that wasn’t a traditional fantasy model. Fantasy absolutely dominated the world of hobby gaming and miniature figures in the early 80’s, science-fiction games and miniatures rated a poor second at best. The model was unencumbered by any fictional narrative or game rules – it was just a stand-alone white metal model. We were therefore understandably cautious about the impact LE2 would have and our expectations for it were quite modest. These expectations were quickly surpassed by the unprecedented demand we faced for the model when we released it. In fact so popular did it prove that we immediately set about commissioning a complete set of ‘Space Marines’ – which lead to August 1986 and the release of Citadel’s ‘C100 Imperial Marines’. Remember this was more than a year before the release of ‘Warhammer 40,000 – Rogue Trader’.

The release of that seminal product was accompanied by the first Space Marine plastic miniatures (the ultra-famous boxed set RTB01 designed by Jes Goodwin and Aly Morrison) and firmly cemented the Space Marines at the heart of the human struggle to survive in the dystopian war-torn universe of the far future. It is a position they have been unwont to relinquish every since.

The Ultramarines

It is difficult to talk about Space Marines without referencing the venerable and famous Ultramarines. This heroic Chapter has its home in the realm of Ultramar, an empire of beautiful and prosperous worlds acting as a bulwark on the Eastern Fringe of the Imperium. The Ultramarines are noble and devoted warriors who have turned back the enemies of the Emperor time and again over the course of their much-honoured history. Here are some words from the talented pen of Andy Hoare about these Space Marines and their role in the Deathwatch:

“We follow in the footsteps of Guilliman. As it is written in the Codex, so shall it be.”
–Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines

Of all the thousand and more Space Marine Chapters, it is the blue-clad Ultramarines that, in the mind of the countless billions of the Emperor’s subjects, personify everything that the Adeptus Astartes stands for. The Ultramarines and their many successor Chapters have stood at the very forefront of the war against the traitor, the alien, and the fiend since the very foundation of the Imperium. Across the domains of the Emperor, the Ultramarines are recognised as heroic, virtuous, and noble defenders of Humanity, their deeds celebrated in devotional works the length and breadth of the galaxy.

Even amongst the Space Marine Chapters themselves, the Ultramarines occupy a position of special honour. The gene-seed from which the original Ultramarines Legion was founded is considered the purest, and it is estimated that some two-thirds of Chapters share their inheritance, being either direct successors or created from tithed Ultramarines genetic material. This shared inheritance often ensures that when the Ultramarines go to war, they are supported by many other Chapters, and that when Space Marine commanders gather to consider common strategy, the counsel of the Ultramarines is greatly valued. Often, the presence of even a small number of Ultramarines units in a larger military undertaking will ensure the participation of many more Chapters, so highly are the sons of Roboute Guilliman held in their brothers’ esteem.

In all of their duties, from battle to study, the Ultramarines are thorough, analytical, and attentive to every detail. They are slow to anger and rarely make a rash decision. By constant recourse to the articles of faith enshrined within the Codex Astartes, the Ultramarines are able to face any eventuality with well-practised battle drills and established doctrine.

In their dealings with Battle-Brothers from other Chapters, Ultramarines often fulfil the role of facilitator and peacemaker. While the Battle-Brothers of some Chapters display extremes of character, from hotheaded to taciturn, the Ultramarines are balanced in their approach, and often able to broker agreements between wildly differing points of view. This is evidenced in the fact that a high proportion of Deathwatch leaders are drawn from the Ultramarines and their successors, a fact that has more to do with their outlook and character than it does with their numerical superiority.

Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.

Hello Rogue Trader fans!

Before I begin this designer diary, I’m thrilled to announce that Lure of the Expanse is shipping out of our warehouse this week, and will soon be coming to a friendly local game store near you!

With that in mind, I’d like to spend a little more time talking about Lure, and in particular, the adversaries found within.

Rogue Traders and their trusted companions are individuals with vast power, wealth, and influence. Beyond the reach of Imperial authority in the Halo Stars, they are bound by no laws but their own, and potentially the remit of their Warrant. Rogue Traders are free to trade with xenos, wage wars, and even scour planets with the weapons aboard their starships. While that is all very impressive, it does bring up the question—who is powerful enough to pose a threat to these larger-than-life individuals?



In Lure of the Expanse, some of the most dangerous threats the Explorers will find themselves pitted against are other Rogue Traders. While they are all quite competent individually, the true danger lies in the resources at their disposal. Each possesses their own starship (or in some cases, their own flotilla!), and their own vast wealth and considerable influence. And each of them sees the players as rivals in gaining the fabled treasure they know is theirs.

I’d like to take a closer look at one of the rival Rogue Traders in particular, the fellow on the far right. Jeremiah Blitz is a consummate rogue and charming scoundrel, originally a dubious dealer in xenos art objects, not a scion of a famous dynasty. Nobody knows for certain how he claimed a Warrant of Trade, but most stories claim he won it in a game of chance with a Sector Lord of the Adeptus Terra. With singular luck, Blitz left the game possessing nothing—save the promise of a favour of the Sector Lord.

Within the year, Blitz was granted a Warrant and a cruiser, the Ordained Destiny. In short order, Blitz has carved his name across dozens of sectors, with short-term deals and trade arrangements of dubious legality—not to mention vast sums of money from the outright illegal Cold Trade. Blitz is a man of action who relies on his own resources and is not afraid to plunge headlong into a situation. His primary motivator is personal wealth and fame, and he is only reliable as long as he is receiving a steady stream of Thrones. However, he is not unwilling to working with others, especially if it will get him something he could not claim on his own.

His ship, the Ordained Destiny, is a mirror opposite of the man. Where Blitz is cooly competent and not prone to flashy showmanship, his cruiser is gilded and ornate. Much of the hull is plated in gold-leaf, and huge statues of Imperial saints and heros rise along the dorsal ridge. It’s said that the Ordained Destiny was the Sector Lord’s way of taking a petty vengeance on the scoundrel. If so, his plan seems to have backfired, as Blitz treats his ship with a backhanded but sincere affection...and has outfitted it with powerful weaponry.




However, rival Rogue Traders aren’t the only adversaries in Lure of the Expanse. A foe who strode the stars when man was still trapped on a single world moves against the Explorers. Ancient, mysterious, and powerful, these opponents have long foreseen the Explorers’ actions, and now gather to destroy them.

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

It has been an amazing experience since the release of Ascension! The book is a smashing success, has garnered excellent reviews, and has sparked huge interest. Of course, I am particularly proud of Ascension, and I would like to take a moment to give my sincere thanks to the writing and development team of “Project Rose”:

Owen Barnes, Alan Bligh, John French, Andy Hoare, and Sam Stewart

I am deeply grateful for all their help, and their paragon talent of “Write Sourcebook” is crucial to how the book turned out.

I would be remiss without mentioning the playtesters and proofreaders; their contributions are critical to Ascension’s success, and I am very appreciative of all their help!



Ascension is probably the most significant release for Dark Heresy since the core rulebook, and I couldn’t be happier with its reception so far. I’ve been inspired by many of the concepts and ideas in Ascension moving forward and I’m very excited about the future of Dark Heresy! On the horizon are plenty of new books and releases for Acolytes and Throne Agents alike, so keep an eye on the Fantasy Flight Games web site for more details in the future!

Heed the Higher Call

As a special bonus, this week I am pleased to present Heed the Higher Call, an 18-page free .pdf, chock-full of additional material for Ascension. Enjoy!

Heed the Higher Call - web quality (.pdf, 2.9 MB)

Heed the Higher Call - print quality (.pdf, 100.4 MB)

Now, you can bring the light of the Emperor to the darkest corners of the Koronus Expanse. Lure of the Expanse, the latest adventure for Rogue Trader, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore!

Lure of the Expanse features three adventures set amongst the unexplored stars beyond the Imperium. Wealth and glory await those with the courage to venture into the farthest reaches of space.

In Eye of the Needle, your Explorers will travel to the perilous port of Footfall to learn of a dark prophecy of long-lost riches. In The Heathen Trail, the Explorers find themselves on the path of uncountable riches... but they must cross the wild tracts of the Heathen Stars. Threats abound, but can the Explorers transform danger into rewards? Finally, in The World Beyond, the Explorers discover the location of the legendary treasure world. Now, can they prevail against a host of enemies?

Head to your local retailer and grab your copy today! Opportunity abounds. Will you answer the call of the Expanse?

H.B.M.C. wrote:I'm still betting on Dark Angels, Blood Angels and then two FFG homebrew Chapters.

Alpharius wrote:H.B.M.C. - high ranking Ordo Xenos Inquisitor?

Or foul, lie-spewing Xenos sympathizer?

Greetings, Deathwatch Fans!

This week I’d like to take a short break from talking about Space Marine Chapters and instead talk about the Jericho Reach, a war-torn region of space that is the setting for Deathwatch. During the development of “Project Iceberg” (the codename for Deathwatch), one thing I was very interested in was providing an opportunity for Space Marines of the Deathwatch to face some truly iconic and classic foes. This meant we could set Deathwatch in a completely different region of space than the Calixis Sector or the Koronus Expanse.

Welcome to the Eastern Fringe

The Jericho Reach lies far on the Eastern Fringe of the Imperium, a place that has been all but forgotten but now lies at the center of an Imperial Crusade to reconquer its territory...for within the Jericho Reach lies a singular prize; an ancient and mysterious warp gate that links it to the other side of the galaxy.



Author John French explains some of the themes and ideas behind the Jericho Reach:

Against a bloody background

One of the first things that was decided about the Jericho Reach (named by a certain Mr. Andy Hoare) was that it was going to be dominated by war and conflict. Deathwatch is, after all, a game about the Adeptus Astartes, the Emperor’s finest warriors and so we needed a war; a big one. We envisaged a portion of space swarming with the enemies of mankind, where forces clashed in every environment and circumstance imaginable.

How we would make the Jericho Reach a suitably war torn crucible of nightmares was answered by the first piece of development direction we were given: we would plough a Imperial Crusade into it. With this key point settled it followed that we would view the ‘Reach’ from the point of view of the Imperial Crusade forces: its topography would be made up of salients and war zones, its notable figures would be war leaders and heroes, and where the forces of the Crusade have yet to extend are its places of mystery and possibility.

This Imperial campaign became known as the Achillus Crusade. Once named, the Achillus Crusade quickly began to gather ideas and possibilities to it. Many of these early ideas fought their way to the front and became part of the Jericho Reach as it is revealed in Deathwatch, some perished in fire, and still others buried themselves in shadows and waited for a future time to be revealed. Here are some that made it:

A War of Reconquest

It was decided early on that the Jericho Reach had once been part of the Imperium; the Jericho Sector in fact. It was long ago abandoned to darkness, and the enemies of mankind took it for their own. We wanted to create a deliberate sense that the Imperium was returning to an area it had once known, but that had changed greatly over the intervening years and made less than it once was. One of the ways we engendered this feeling was to create worlds still inhabited by human populations that had successfully survived the isolation from the Imperium. Some remained loyal, but others had long ago been corrupted and now were entirely resistant to this Imperial reconquest.

The Three Salients

Rather than dividing up the Jericho Reach into sub-sectors, or similar regions, it is divided between the Crusade's main staging zone (known as the Iron Collar) and the three primary salients of advance through the Reach.

We wanted each salient to have a character of its own, with each facing a different dominant foe and set of circumstances. Each part of the Crusade has different character and plot threads woven into its background, making them more like sub-settings in their own right. The Canis Salient is the oldest and largest group of warzones and has clashed head on with the forces of Tau Expansion in a battle between two forces of conquest competing for resources and territory. The Acheros salient is characterised by a bloody war of attrition against the forces of Chaos which have encysted in the central worlds of the Jericho Reach. The Orpheus salient has become fragmented, its lines of communication and support overextended; all of which have made matters infinitely worse when a Tyranid hive fleet hit it in the flank.

Ancient Duties and Divided Agendas

The Deathwatch have their own agendas and keep their own council. The Achillus Crusade may be the cause for war on a massive scale, but it is not the reason that the Deathwatch are in the Jericho Reach. Nor do the Deathwatch answer to the command of the Crusade; they may aide the Crusade forces when the agendas of both coincide, but do not function as not part of the Crusade war machine. Most of the Imperial units outside of the senior Crusade commanders do not even know what the Deathwatch are, let alone that they have any presence in the Jericho Reach.

We divided the power and agendas in this way so that the Deathwatch player characters could potentially go anywhere in the Jericho Reach, fight as part of any conflict, and still follow their own narrative rather than that of the Crusade. The roleplay possibilities of conflicts between the Crusade command and the Deathwatch were also too good of an opportunity to pass up.

This divide between the Achillus Crusade and the Deathwatch also helped us emphasise the nature of the Deathwatch in this setting: they serve a higher purpose as watchmen who guard against enemies and possibilities even greater than those the Crusade must face. There is something alien and strange about the Jericho Reach; something dark, foul and perhaps even sinister. After all, the Deathwatch are here—and there must be a good reason for that.

I could tell you more, sharing what I know of the Omega Vault and the unfolding pattern that leads into a darker future. I would, but at my back I sense the Master of the Vigil drawing near, and the cold gaze of the secret keepers and so I must say nothing more.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Stay tuned for more revelations and more about the Space Marine Chapters in my next Deathwatch Designer diary!

We wanted each salient to have a character of its own, with each facing a different dominant foe and set of circumstances. Each part of the Crusade has different character and plot threads woven into its background, making them more like sub-settings in their own right. The Canis Salient is the oldest and largest group of warzones and has clashed head on with the forces of Tau Expansion in a battle between two forces of conquest competing for resources and territory. The Acheros salient is characterised by a bloody war of attrition against the forces of Chaos which have encysted in the central worlds of the Jericho Reach. The Orpheus salient has become fragmented, its lines of communication and support overextended; all of which have made matters infinitely worse when a Tyranid hive fleet hit it in the flank.

H.B.M.C. wrote:I can picture our first encounter already:


Part One - Slaughterhouse

As the players enter this section, read or paraphrase the following text:

As your squad pushes past the large metallic door you find yourselves confronted by an appalling sight - dozens of foul blue-skinned Xenos sit before you, their pathetic frail forms a blemish upon His Galaxy. You ascertain quite quickly that it is a Tau nursery, filled with infant Tau children.

You ready your Bolters, and begin the purge...

BrookM wrote:Time to start working on good derogatory slang for the Tau then.

BrookM wrote:You got a sick sense of humour, H'.

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

One thing that I really enjoy about my position at Fantasy Flight Games is how everything comes together to create a great product like Ascension. I would particularly like to single out the Editors, Playtesters, and Proofreaders that make our books (and especially Ascension) so great. It’s thanks to them that we’ve had some great successes.

On Ascension, I would like to take this opportunity to give a “shout-out” to Leigh Anne Gross, our trusty editor; Jay Little, Thaadd Powell, James Savage and Paul Tucker, mighty proofreaders all; and the host of playtesting groups (six in total) who all contributed to Ascension’s triumph. Thanks to all of you!



Ascension Character Sheet

Even with all the help I mentioned above, no great undertaking ever turns out exactly perfect. In this case, one of the goofs that crept into the book involves the character sheet at the back. Please enjoy the fully corrected Ascension character sheet now available for download on our Dark Heresy support page.

Ascension Character Sheet (PDF, 577 KB)

The Next Step

Next week, I have a special fan-made player handout for the Ascension adventure “The Red Wake.” Until then, may the light of the Golden Throne guide your path!

The Koronus Expanse is a perilous place for all those who dare to venture. However, today the journey becomes a little less dangerous! The Errata for Rogue Trader (pdf, 1.4 MB) is now available on our support page. This is a living document, and will be updated periodically; it currently contains updates for the Core Rulebook, and will eventually include updates and corrections for future Rogue Trader products as needed.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Alpharius wrote:H.B.M.C. - high ranking Ordo Xenos Inquisitor?

Or foul, lie-spewing Xenos sympathizer?

Neither.

I'm a Commissar. Everyone knows that.

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

Working on Deathwatch was not only a dream come true for a 40K fan like myself, it was also a great opportunity to dig deep into the rich background of the grim darkness of the far future and get well-acquainted with the particular beliefs and traditions of the various Chapters that are involved with the Deathwatch.

During the development of Deathwatch, I knew we would need to make each Chapter feel special and distinct. There are many mechanics built into the game that accomplish this goal, and among them was a decision to create Chapter-specific advance tables. I took a selection of advances and made them available to all Space Marines of that Chapter, regardless of any other factors, and in this way presented an opportunity for that Chapter to be more distinct and different from the others. For example, due to their nature, the Dark Angels have access to certain forbidden lore that most other Chapters do not! Furthermore, each Chapter has access to certain specific abilities—including (but not limited to) Talents—reserved for them alone.

One of the key elements of the Deathwatch RPG is the idea of these different chapters working together as a team to accomplish the most dangerous special missions against unspeakable threats.



Among the many Chapters of Space Marines, few are more iconic and famous than the Dark Angels. Plus, the opportunity to present the age-old rivalry between them and the Space Wolves is simply too awesome not to include! The redoubtable Andy Hoare provides us with a glimpse into this secretive Chapter, below:

The Dark Angels

“Repent, for tomorrow you die!”
–Battle cry of the Dark Angels Chapter

The origins of the Dark Angels Chapter are shrouded in mystery. No records of its beginnings exist, nor is there any mention of the part it played in the Emperor’s Great Crusade. Any reference in the histories of the Imperium to its deeds during the accursed times of the Horus Heresy has been expunged. But yet, a legend persists that at one point the Dark Angels teetered on the very brink of heresy and that an act of the most terrible betrayal discredited all of the Chapter’s feats of valour, leaving an enduring stain upon the Chapter’s honour. Such is their shame that from that time onwards, the Dark Angels have borne the mark of the Unforgiven and must strive for absolution from the sins of millennia past.

Their terrible secret is that during the Horus Heresy, some of their brethren were turned to the side of the traitorous Warmaster Horus. The renegades were defeated in a battle that destroyed the Dark Angels’ home world, Caliban, but many of the traitor Dark Angels survived to be cast through space and time by the intervention of the Chaos Gods. These survivors are known to those few Dark Angels granted knowledge of their existence as The Fallen. In the eyes of the Chapter’s leaders, there is only one way that the Chapter can ever atone for its shame, restoring its honour and trust in the eyes of the Emperor: that is, if all of the Fallen are found and either made to repent, or slain.

The Chapter has been shaped by its dark past and is secretive and monastic in nature, with much time given over to worship and prayer. There are many different levels within the Chapter which individuals may gradually rise through. On attaining each new level, they are granted a little more knowledge of the truth behind the Dark Angels’ origins, but only the highest-ranking members of the Chapter know the terrible, shameful secret of what occurred ten thousand years ago.

Although only the upper echelons of the Chapter are aware of the awful truth of the Dark Angels’ past, even those newly recruited are possessed of a secretive, even introverted nature. The idea that outsiders are not to be trusted is drilled into the recruits from an early stage, and they are tested continuously to ensure their compliance until it becomes second nature. After all, a brother who cannot be entirely trusted to keep the Chapter’s secrets is unlikely to advance through its ranks.



Although the Dark Angels have fought beside all of the branches of the Imperium’s vast military machine, they prefer to stand alone. Many, even brother Astartes, find the Dark Angels aloof and uncommunicative. The Dark Angels, for their part are impatient and unforgiving with strangers who pry into their affairs. In truth, those Dark Angels who are aware of the existence of the Fallen are ever watchful for any sign of their activity, and will abandon whatever mission they are about should they gain any clue that one is nearby. In theory, even a Dark Angel seconded to the Deathwatch could go “off mission” in this manner, although the annals of Watch Fortress Erioch do not relate any such incident taking place.

Despite their Chapter’s tendency towards seclusion, many Dark Angels have served with distinction and honour in the Deathwatch. Their taciturn nature and stubborn refusal to accept anything other than total victory over their foes has served the Deathwatch well, and several noted Watch Commanders are drawn from the Chapter. These keep in close contact with one another, coordinating the efforts of the Deathwatch across entire sectors the Imperium.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Join me next week as we reveal the fourth Chapter for the Deathwatch and discuss more about the mechanics of this action-packed roleplaying game!

Ozymandias wrote:Alright, Dark Angels!!

Would a Deathwatch marine wear robes??

Alpharius wrote:

Ozymandias wrote:Alright, Dark Angels!!

Would a Deathwatch marine wear robes??

Hell no!

Sheesh!

H.B.M.C. wrote:That is Commissar Calgar.

I said he'd return in 3D. And he has.

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

One thing about creating a new game in a setting that you love: sometimes it is difficult to be patient! I am really looking forward to going more in-depth with details about the setting, the new mechanics, and all the other great stuff you will find inside the Deathwatch RPG. In the upcoming weeks I (and the other members of the “Project Iceberg” design team) will have a lot to say about such things as Renown, Power Armour Histories, Missions, Watch Fortress Erioch, the Omega Vault, and much, much more.

The Crusade in the Jericho Reach musters troops from across the galaxy, and no Crusade would be complete without Space Marines from the Black Templars Chapter. A successor Chapter to the Imperial Fists, the Black Templars have a long and glorious record of engaging the foes of Man in fierce assaults. These solemn and zealous Battle-Brothers bring faith and fury to the Deathwatch, and author Andy Hoare tells us more about who they are below:



The Black Templars

“To the darkness, I bring fire. To the ignorant, I bring faith. Those who welcome these gifts may live, but I will visit naught but death and eternal damnation on those who refuse them.”
–Chaplain Grimaldus

After the Great Heresy, Rogal Dorn, primarch of the Imperial Fists, resisted the breaking up of the Legions into smaller Chapters. It was only when the Imperial Fists were branded heretics that Dorn relented, allowing his beloved Legion to be subdivided into Chapters. One of the new Chapters born of this time was the Black Templars.

To prove his loyalty to the Emperor, the first Chapter Master of the Black Templars—the High Marshal Sigismund—assembled a massive war fleet and began the greatest Space Marine Crusade in the history of the Imperium. It has lasted for 10,000 years.

Eschewing the establishment of a home world, the Black Templars took to the stars in a mighty war fleet. Rather than constructing a single Chapter fortress-monastery as most Space Marine Chapters do, the Black Templars determined to establish a chapter keep upon each world they conquered, to keep watch for treachery, to stage future Crusades, and to recruit new Battle-Brothers.

The ten-millennia-long Crusade of the Black Templars has seen its warriors embroiled in some of the most momentous conflicts ever to engulf the Imperium. The High Marshals have followed the example of their founder and taken the fight to the realms of the alien, the heretic, and the witch. The Black Templars are crusaders, holy warriors battling to bring the truth and light of the Emperor to the unconquered worlds of the galaxy. With bolt shell and chainsword, the Black Templars convert the benighted to the light of the Master of Mankind and destroy those who refuse to welcome his truth. Each Crusade is directed by the will of the Marshal in command, and each is despatched by the decree of the High Marshal of the Black Templars to fulfil their prime mission to cleanse the stars.



When not engaged in battle, the brethren of the Black Templars are invariably to be found preparing for it. They pass their time in prayer and meditation, or engaged in exacting training rituals. Those Initiates entrusted with the training of a Neophyte spend long hours passing on their knowledge to their young pupil and supervising endless drills, practice sessions, and trials. The brethren frequently impose upon themselves many hardships, foregoing all but the bare necessities in order to purify themselves in the eyes of the Emperor and their primarch, and to emulate the example of their founder Sigismund.

When serving alongside the Battle-Brothers of other Space Marine Chapters, many Black Templars prepare themselves through long fasts and week-long vigils in order to tolerate the presence of Space Marine librarians. For those who serve in the Deathwatch, fighting alongside a brother Space Marine who wields psychic power is a particular hardship, a trial they must undergo in order to serve the Emperor more fully and to strike down the hated alien. For this reason, great care is undertaken when selecting a Black Templar for secondment to the Deathwatch, for only a brother able to contain his deep-seated intolerance will be able to fight to his full capacity. Despite this, even these individuals are likely to pass every hour not spent fighting in deep contemplation and prayer, often cloistering themselves away from their fellow Deathwatch Space Marines in a personal shrine to the Emperor, Dorn, and Sigismund.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Join me next week as we explore the fifth Space Marine Chapter for Deathwatch!

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

My name is Ross Watson, and I am the Senior RPG Developer in charge of Deathwatch. When I sat down to think about how to approach the Deathwatch RPG, one of the foremost things on my mind was the interaction between characters. The player characters would all be Space Marines, of course, but what is the foundation of a Space Marine? The answer is simple: nothing is more core and central to a Space Marine than his Chapter; it’s beliefs, traditions, and experiences wrought by the Chapter’s Primarch, its battle history, and much, much more.

Once I saw that the bedrock of a Space Marine is built upon his Chapter, it was easy to see that the Deathwatch RPG needed to present to the reader a set of the most distinctive and iconic Space Marine Chapters in all of Warhammer 40,000. By selecting these particular Chapters, the players would be able to understand where their characters came from and what guides them into the future. Because each of these iconic Chapters is greatly different from each other, they present a wealth of opportunities for great roleplaying and stories that the players can tell about their particular characters. Within his home Chapter, each Battle-Brother knows the members of his squad and his company very well, having campaigned with them for decades or even centuries of war against the Emperor’s enemies. That all changes, however, upon being seconded to the Deathwatch...the Battle-Brother is suddenly placed with strangers, some of whom may turn out to be friends, rivals, or even both!

This direction informed every aspect of Deathwatch. A Blood Angel, for example, will have a particular way of doing things, and that should be represented in how he leads his Kill-team on a mission. Likewise, a Space Wolf would have a very different outlook on many subjects, and this would create some fantastic gateways for some really interesting stories and roleplaying.

What you will find in Deathwatch is that every Chapter has their own individual flavour that is represented in a number of ways, from Special Abilities and Advance Tables to special Demeanours and other abilities, depending on whether that Space Marine is acting as an individual or working with the other Battle-Brothers of his Kill-team...but perhaps I have said too much, at least for now!

I depended a lot on the writers of “Project Iceberg” to bring across the special nature of each Chapter so that the reader would gain a deep understanding about what the Chapter stands for and what a Space Marine of that Chapter would be like in the game. As an example, the designer diaries for the six Chapters in Deathwatch are simply presenting a very small piece of the entire puzzle; much like the codename of the project itself, there is a great deal more beneath the surface!

All this brings me to this week’s Chapter for the Deathwatch RPG: The Blood Angels. I have a special affinity for these noble Space Marines. One of my first armies I collected for Warhammer 40,000 was the Blood Angels, and I have followed their impressive exploits ever since the 1996 Games Workshop Codex, titled Angels of Death.



Below, I am proud to present the Blood Angels Chapter, from the pen of talented Warhammer 40,000 author, Andy Hoare:

The Sons of Sanguinius

“For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my Battle-Brother eternal.”
–Last Line of the Invocation Initiate of the Flesh Tearers

The Blood Angels are the noble descendants of that most puissant and angelic of the primarchs—Sanguinius. They are perhaps one of the most celebrated Chapters in the entire Imperium, their countless heroic deeds and victories known to untold billions of the Emperor’s subjects across the length and breadth of the Imperium. The beauteous, angelic visages of the Chapter’s heroes adorn gothic facades and stained glass windows in a million holy basilicas, and their portraits gaze serenely from endlessly copied and much cherished illuminated tomes.

Yet, hidden from the multitudes, the Blood Angels harbour a terrible curse. When their beloved primarch was slain at the hands of the arch-traitor Warmaster Horus at the very height of the Horus Heresy, every Blood Angel was doomed to share a portion of the pain inflicted upon his flawless form. From that day forth, every Blood Angel has been tormented by visions of the last moment of Sanguinius. The older the Space Marine gets, the more frequent and debilitating such waking nightmares become. Should he not fall in battle, every Blood Angel will one day become so consumed by these soul-searing visions that he will descend into a madness in which he must witness the death of Sanguinius over and over again, ever unable to intervene as the warmaster enacts his vile treachery.

The very inevitability of their curse ennobles the Battle-Brothers of the Blood Angels, driving them ever onwards to a glorious death in the name of the Emperor and their primarch. Where lesser men might have surrendered to the dark urgings to shed the blood of the enemies of the Emperor, the Blood Angels have remained pure and noble for ten thousand years. Despite this, the Chapter is dying, for each year ever more of its brethren succumb to the so-called Red Thirst—the desire to rend limb from limb those responsible for the death of Sanguinius, and by extension every enemy of the Emperor.

The Blood Angels are amongst the longest-lived of all of the Space Marine Chapters, their gene-seed granting a vastly increased lifespan on all who possess it. It is not uncommon, therefore, for a Blood Angel to live for a millennium or more, if death in battle or the Red Thirst does not claim him first. These vastly extended life spans allow the Blood Angels to perfect their techniques in art as well as in war. They have centuries to perfect the disciplines to which they turn their minds, and this accounts for the fact that Blood Angels’ armour and banners are amongst the most ornate ever produced.



Following the example of their primarch, the Blood Angels espouse a vision of the galaxy in which the enemies of the Emperor can be defeated and mankind can progress to the life he was always fated to live. There is a deeply mystical streak in the Blood Angels’ doctrines, and a strong belief that things can be made better. After all, the Blood Angels are recruited from the scrofulous wastelanders of Baal, and if such can be transformed into a tall, proud, and handsome warrior, then there is hope for mankind yet. This belief can be seen in everything the Blood Angels do. They strive for perfection in all of their endeavours. Their works of art are things of beauty and symmetry. Their martial disciplines are practised unceasingly. Their doctrines are permeated with a sense of mortality and the fallen greatness of Man.

The beatific countenance and noble bearing of the Blood Angels is in stark contrast to the curse they bear. While lesser warriors might become morose or fatalistic, weighed down by the inevitability of their fate, the Blood Angels remain stoic. The Blood Angels’ cadre of Sanguinary Priests—the equivalent of Apothecaries in other Chapters—tirelessly pursue a cure to the Red Thirst. But each year, more and more brethren succumb to it. Perhaps in an effort to hold the curse at bay, many Blood Angels sleep in the same casket where their bodies were transformed from the ravaged Baalite wastelanders to the perfect forms they emerged as, the arcane machinery filtering and purifying their blood as they slumber. This is even true of many Blood Angels seconded to service in the Deathwatch. Their caskets are stored within a watch station or watch fortress, and the Blood Angel sleeps there to heal any wounds suffered during a mission, emerging whole and unsullied once more.

The quest for perfection in all they do makes Battle-Brothers from the Blood Angels ideal warriors to serve in the Deathwatch, yet their curse becomes all the more terrible. A Blood Angel may find himself isolated from others of his kin while he serves in the Deathwatch. He appears a paragon of virtue to his fellow Deathwatch Battle-Brothers, but by night he fights damnation alone in his cell, praying fervently that the curse will not claim him here, so far from his Chapter and the Sanguinary Priests who may aid him on his final journey. When the Red Thirst takes hold, it can only be overcome with extreme difficulty.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Join me next week as we reveal the sixth Space Marine Chapter for the Deathwatch RPG!

H.B.M.C. wrote:By the time they finish revealing all the Chapters, the damn book'll be out already! I wish they'd tell us how it actually plays.

Kroothawk wrote:But I am not excited to play a group of flawless superheroes who all look exactly the same.

Hello Rogue Traders,

Sam Stewart here, and this week I’m pleased to bring you a tool that promises to be a great help to Rogue Trader Game Masters.

As the first book-sized supplement for Rogue Trader, we always wanted Lure of the Expanse to go above and beyond what people would expect from an adventure. One way was to present detailed locations such as Footfall and the Heathen Stars, so people wanting to run their own adventures could find the book useful. Another design concept we pursued was the Achievement Point Tracker.

The Achievement Point Tracker is designed so that the entire adventure of Lure of the Expanse works as a single massive Endeavor. The adventure itself is broken up into sections, and the end of each section has a list covering potential accomplishments and setbacks the Explorers could encounter. Each accomplishment has an Achievement Point award associated with it, and each setback has a penalty. The Achievement Point Tracker has a place where you can record the Achievement Points received and chart them onto a graph. When the adventure ends, the players and GM will have a tangible record of their successes and failures.

However, there is no reason the Achievement Point Tracker cannot be used for other adventures as well. Now, you can download a blank Achievement Point Tracker (pdf, 3 MB) from the Rogue Trader support page. The Tracker is a PDF with text forms that allow it to be filled out on a computer, or you can print it out and fill it out by hand during each session.

Until next time, success to all your endeavors!

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yay. Still no indication of what's coming up for DH or RT. Still no clue as to how DW works.

I know that I’ve spent a lot of time over the last several weeks talking about Space Marine Chapters...it is difficult to overstate just how significant a Space Marine’s Chapter is to a Battle-Brother, particularly in the Deathwatch. One of the core elements of the Deathwatch is that it is the one unique place where you will find numerous Space Marines from completely different Chapters serving together in the same squad. A great deal of the Deathwatch RPG was built upon the foundation of that one simple idea. The designer diaries up to this point have pointed out many of the differences between the Space Marine Chapters in the book, illustrating what makes each one unique.

One of the best things about getting the chance to build a game about the Deathwatch was a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that speaks to the heart of almost every Warhammer 40,000 fan; the opportunity to create a completely new Space Marine Chapter. I have been a huge fan of all things 40K for over thirteen years, so there was absolutely no way I would ever pass up an offer like that!

I worked very closley with Games Workshop licensing manager Owen Rees to help develop this brand-new Space Marine Chapter, taking it through the approval process one step at a time...from the Chapter’s history to its combat doctrine and battle cry all the way through to its heraldry and colour scheme. As a tip of the hat to original Dark Heresy creators Owen Barnes, Kate Flack, and Mike Mason, I chose to place the new Chapter’s home base upon a world in the Calixis Sector, a forbidden planet known as Sacris. In addition to this, there were a number of Deathwatch RPG-specific details that needed to be designed as well...and many of these details will be revealed in the next few weeks. Designing this Chapter from the ground-up was a very eye-opening experience, and I learned a great deal about what it takes to have our brand-new Space Marine Chapter—the Storm Wardens—join that august group alongside such renowned Chapters as the Dark Angels, Revilers, and Sable Swords.

I gained a lot of inspiration from Space Marine-centric communities like the Bolter & Chainsword forums (particularly from the fan-made Chapter known as the “Warriors Eternal”), and from Black Library novels such as Sons of Dorn, Brothers of the Snake, and the Horus Heresy series.

During the creation of the Storm Wardens, I took a lot of notes about what I learned along way—because I knew that I could apply these lessons towards making a thorough create-your-own-Chapter system for an upcoming Deathwatch supplement. I know there are a lot of Warhammer 40,000 fans out there eager to see this, so it was very important to give it all the space and attention that it deserves! In a similar vein, many of these philosophies could be applied towards creating a successor Chapter to one of the First Founding Chapters such as the Blood Angels and Ultramarines.

Keep an eye on the FFG website for more information about this and more future Deathwatch products in the coming months! Without any further ado, I am deeply honoured to be able to present for the first time, the Storm Wardens Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes:



The Storm Wardens

“We are the storm! We are the fury!”
–Lorgath Maclir at the Purging of Vigil

The Storm Wardens are stoic defenders often found upon the very borders of the Imperium. Up until recently, these Space Marines focused their attention upon the great warp storms that trouble the Halo Stars region on the galaxy’s western edge. There, they protect frontier worlds from the predations of xenos threats, Chaos renegades, and heretical recidivists. They are often unknown and unsung heroes to those planets they defend, for the Storm Wardens are highly insular, and there are only a relative handful of monuments and records that celebrate their long list of battle honours. A bizarre twist of fate occurred in the depths of the 36th Millennium, during the Age of Apostasy—an event that many hold responsible for the Chapter’s aloof nature.

The Storm Wardens lost many of the records of their founding during what later became known as the Nemesis Incident in roughly 945.M36. This event began during an ill-omened joint operation involving elements of the Inquisition against the Enslaver infestation of the Steropes Cluster. It is unknown exactly what transpired amongst Steropes’ cyclopean ruins, but the aftermath of this campaign forever altered the destiny of the Storm Wardens Chapter.

Upon the conclusion of the Nemesis Incident, the serving Storm Warden’s Chapter Master, Owin Glendwyr, consulted with an Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Xenos upon a most dire decision. The Chapter Master sealed many sections of the Storm Wardens’ fortress-monastery by the authority of the Lords of Terra. All traces of their history and even the proud legacy of their heritage to one of the primarchs were destroyed or hidden away. The Storm Warden’s home world of Sacris was forbidden to have greater contact with the Imperium at large.

The only sanctioned record of that time, the Liber Tempest, claims that many Storm Wardens were placed in hidden stasis vaults, including the Chapter Master and the entire veteran First Company. The Chapter’s Dreadnoughts are the guardians of these hidden chambers, and each has taken a vow of silence, standing as mute sentinels over these forbidden places.

After the Nemesis Incident, the Chapter re-built its First Company. These honoured Battle-Brothers know themselves as the “The Inheritors”, custodians of the Chapter’s honour until the day their ancestors rise from their timeless slumber.

Ever since this time, the Storm Wardens have redoubled their diligence, and their fortress-monastery mounts sophisticated scanning technology placed reluctantly by the Adeptus Mechanicus as payment for an ancient pact. Currently, the Chapter is led by Lorgath Maclir, a cunning strategist who constantly challenges his captains with tactical exercises and obsessively studies the Tactica Imperialis. Some rumours claim that Lorgath has managed to memorise these precepts of war, an impressive feat even for a Space Marine’s enhanced memory.

The Cleansing of Vigil

A singularly savage conflict was fought entirely underground in the tunnels beneath the dead world of Vigil. In those lightless passages, the Storm Wardens battled metre by bloody metre in a series of close-range firefights against the foul Slaugth and their warrior constructs. The cleansing of Vigil proved to be a crucial test of the Chapter’s resolve, as the tight quarters of the tunnels precluded the use of heavy armour and the alien forces seemed particularly adept at provoking the Storm Wardens into abandoning a cautious, methodical approach. The planet was cleansed at last, but at the cost of many veteran Battle-Brothers. The survivors, however, had learned to pay closer heed to the wisdom of the Codex Astartes, and Chapter Master Maclir promoted many of these veterans to his honour guard.



While fierce upon the field of battle, Storm Wardens are no less committed to the tenets of personal honour and obligation. Generally considered clannish and aloof even by other Space Marines, Storm Wardens prefer to remain distant from the Imperium at large. A Storm Warden is slow to make friends, but esteems and protects those who persevere to become companions.

Amongst the Storm Wardens, one’s word is his bond, and honour is paramount. The night before battle is often spent in meticulous planning of tactics and strategy, sharing quiet camaraderie amongst their fellow warriors. Many of the most senior Battle-Brothers engage in ritualised duals, the victors gaining a coveted place in the vanguard.

Most Storm Wardens enjoy debate and crafting points to support their arguments, although some outsiders see these tendencies as quarrelsome or insubordinate. However, once a course of action has been agreed upon, a Storm Warden will set aside any dispute and carry it out. Perhaps because of their fondness for debate or their own turbulent history, Storm Wardens have an interest in mysteries and engimas. This curiosity has led more than a few Battle-Brothers to volunteer for the Deathwatch.

When battle begins, Storm Wardens fight with keen fervour, often seeking out an enemy champion or commander to test his skills against.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Come back next week to see another Deathwatch Designer Diary as we start to dig into more details about how the Deathwatch RPG works, its innovations, and how it connects with the other Warhammer 40,000 RPG lines, Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader.

Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.

Reds8n wrote:I'm a bit unsure as to what you mean here, what is it you are unsure of?

BrookM wrote:Guess I'll skip the embraces and try a few happy endings instead.

Is Ascension worth it by the way? I've got a copy at my FLGS that they kept aside for me without me asking for it, so is it really, really worth it in terms of background and info?

H.B.M.C. wrote:
We don't know what the future is for DH or RT. They've announced nothing, previewed nothing, and revealed nothing. Other that Dead Stars, it might as well be the end of the DH line there's so much 'nothing' on the horizon. All we've got is a useless chat over at Dark Reign where Ross and the other guy told how much they couldn't tell us anything. Great.

As for Deathwatch - Chapters, Chapters, Chapters. Great, by now we knew about Endeavours and Achievement Points, how ships worked, how the Career Path thingy worked - lotsa stuff about the game. For DW... Chapters. But how does it work? What is the central axis around which the game turns?

Scottywan82 wrote:Did, you hear? Codex DE got pushed back another year to make room for Codex Storm Wardens!

BaronIveagh wrote:

Scottywan82 wrote:Did, you hear? Codex DE got pushed back another year to make room for Codex Storm Wardens!

Yes, with the new ThunderRaider transport. It's a flying land raider with twin linked volcano cannon sponsons and a transport capacity of 24. AV 15 on all facings.

And the sad part is, none of hte above statements being true would even surprise me at this point.

Mattlov wrote:

BaronIveagh wrote:

Scottywan82 wrote:Did, you hear? Codex DE got pushed back another year to make room for Codex Storm Wardens!

Yes, with the new ThunderRaider transport. It's a flying land raider with twin linked volcano cannon sponsons and a transport capacity of 24. AV 15 on all facings.

And the sad part is, none of hte above statements being true would even surprise me at this point.

Don't forget the three Structure Points and Void Shields. And it is immune to damage from Assaults.

Ross Watson

+++Incoming Astropathic Transmission+++

Greetings, Dark Heresy fans!

The climactic finale to the Haarlock’s Legacy trilogy looms on the horizon! In Dead Stars, the unspeakable secrets of Rogue Trader Solomon Haarlock are revealed at last, and the Acolytes investigating his disappearance must make a dire choice that will affect the future for millions of Imperial citizens. With the fate of the entire Calixis Sector at stake, will the Acolytes stand in the way of Haarlock’s return, or will they allow the consequences of his vengeance? Find out in Dead Stars!

A New Challenger Appears!

Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, including the Dark Heresy, Deathwatch, and Rogue Trader lines, has been experiencing some amazing success. In fact, they have been so successful that FFG has recently hired another full-time developer, Mack Martin! As the developer of Dark Heresy, Mack will be able to devote 100% of his attention to Dark Heresy and lead the charge into the future with many more projects on the horizon. This will also allow me to focus entirely on the Deathwatch line, meaning that all three Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay games will have a dedicated developer.



For me, this is a momentous announcement: I am pleased to “pass the torch” to my friend and colleague Mack Martin, who is taking over as the Lead Developer for Dark Heresy beginning this month. I have rarely encountered a bigger fan of all things having to do with the Inquisition than Mack, and I am really looking forward to seeing what he has in mind for the future! Naturally, I will be working closely with Mack during the transition, and I hope you will all join me in wishing him the best!



The Next Step

Next week’s designer diary is devoted to Dead Stars and includes more information on the future of Dark Heresy. Until then, may the light of the Golden Throne guide your way!

H.B.M.C. wrote:As long as the new guy doesn't do to Dark Heresy what was done to the Fantasy RPG, we'll do fine.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yes, and some of us would rather drink paint than see Dark Heresy turn into what the Fantasy RPG has become.

And how is Deathwatch a convoluted fluff crowbar? Deathwatch has been established for years in 40K fluff as a Chapter that includes members from lots of Chapters. If anything it makes the most sense as the 'Marine RPG', because it allows anyone to play any Chapter without having to justify why they're working together.

Strength and Honour 18
Demeanours in Deathwatch
Deathwatch | Published 07 May 2010 Rating 17 votes
by Ross Watson

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

As a roleplayer, one thing that is very important to me during a game is to grasp one definitive element that sets my character apart from the others, and then get a chance to really *use* that during the game. My own personal goal was to make sure that there was a chance for every Deathwatch character gain the spotlight and do something cool and memorable once in every game! This concept was behind the development of a mechanic in Deathwatch that we eventually named Demeanours.

A Demeanour is a specific trait associated with a particular Space Marine. Some Demeanours are linked to the Space Marine’s home Chapter—the Chapter’s beliefs, traditions, or even specific flaws in their gene-seed. Others are unique to that individual Space Marine’s personality.

The purpose of Demeanours is to highlight what makes each Chapter—and each Space Marine—different. They exist in Deathwatch as a narrative prompt, meaning they present options and reasons for a Space Marine player character to act a certain way or respond in a particular manner to any given circumstance. Demeanours are not a straightjacket; they do not force a character to take action. Rather, Demeanours present the player with ideas and opportunities for the decisions he makes while roleplaying to have an impact on the mechanics of the game.



Two Types of Demeanours

A Demeanour can be both a particular advantage for the Space Marine or a portray a challenge he must overcome, and in enduring, grow stronger. All of this means that each Deathwatch character has two Demeanours; one from his Chapter, and one that is personal to him.

The Chapter Demeanour represents the traditions and beliefs of your home Chapter. It may also represent particular quirks or mutations of their gene-seed. Your Chapter Demeanour is part of the bedrock of your character, and as such, the Chapter Demeanour does not change after character creation.

Your Personal Demeanour represents a strongly-held set of values or facet of your personality. It may be an ideal you strive to live up to or a code of honour. However you choose to describe it, your Personal Demeanour is a powerful part of who you are and helps set you apart from the other Space Marines of your Chapter.

During the course of a Deathwatch campaign, part of the GM’s role is to challenge your Personal Demeanour and test your values. Can you hold true to your beliefs in the face of utter evil or seductive temptation? It is natural that your character should grow and change over time, and that should be reflected in your Personal Demeanour. No one knows your character better than you! Therefore, you may choose to change your Personal Demeanour at any time you feel it is appropriate.

Sample Personal Demeanour: Studious

The Space Marine values lore and learning, preferring to think his way through a problem.



Using Demeanours

The intention behind a Space Marine’s Demeanour is to provide an opportunity for the Space Marine to gain a dramatic and highly memorable moment (a “crowning moment of awesome”). The opportunity provided by the Demeanour is inextricably linked to his Chapter and his own unique strength of personality. It is his chance to put the spotlight on just how his Chapter is different to those of his Battle-Brothers in the Kill-team...or (just as significant) how that particular Space Marine’s personality is expressed.

When a Space Marine focuses on the core elements of his personality, calls on the legacy of his geneseed, or honours the important beliefs and traditions of his Chapters, he becomes more than just another Battle-Brother.

When you use your Demeanour during the game, it is known as “triggering” the Demeanour. In order to trigger a Demeanour, the Space Marine player need only announce that he is doing so and apply the benefits. You can only trigger your Demeanour a total of once per game (although every Space Marine has two Demeanours, he gets the benefits only once per game, and he must select which Demeanour to trigger in this manner).

When a Space Marine’s Demeanour is triggered, the Space Marine gains any applicable benefit he would normally receive from spending a Fate Point, and in addition, he may also improve these benefits through roleplaying.

The benefits of triggering the Demeanour may be enhanced if the Space Marine player puts effort into roleplaying the Demeanour. The player can portray his character either gaining strength from his ideals, or (alternatively) he can consider his Demeanour a particular challenge that he must somehow overcome.

Gaining an improvement is simple; if the other Space Marine players agree that your Demeanour has been roleplayed well, you gain the Improvement! Judging this can be as simple as asking for a quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down around the table.

Gaining an Improvement means that you double the bonus from the Demeanour. You could gain a +20 bonus to a Test instead of a +10, remove 2d5 Damage instead of 1d5, and so forth. Even if your dice completely desert you, triggering a Demeanour should always have something impressive happen during the game, and GM’s are encouraged to take part; if a Triggered Demeanour results in an attack that does no damage, the enemy may instead gain a distinctive scar he will bear forevermore, for example.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Now that you’ve got an idea of what Demeanours are and how they are used, next week I’ll dive in and go over some of the ways the “Project Iceberg” team developed the core experience of Deathwatch.


Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.

Alpharius wrote:Yeah, it really will all depend on the group you're gaming with.

It does seem like a good way to encourage 'staying in character' though...

A-P wrote:

Alpharius wrote:Yeah, it really will all depend on the group you're gaming with.

It does seem like a good way to encourage 'staying in character' though...

My first reaction was also reserved. This mechanics can go wonky, unless everybody in the group has relatively similar "morals". I try to keep an open mind about this but it is really easy to see this changing into an "automatic boost". Why would the players ever deny each other this extra help? Especially in a tight spot. Sure the GM could take the power of decision but that kind of defeats the original purpose of the mechanic.

“The stars call out to us, like the Siren’s songs of yore; they lure us to fortune...or calamity.”
–Captain Zacharias du Kane, Rogue Trader

Many a foolhardy Rogue Trader has passed through the Maw, never to be seen again. Avoid their fate! Equip yourselves with the tools and abilities any worthy Rogue Trader needs to survive.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Into the Storm, a supplement for Rogue Trader! You and your fellow Explorers have mustered the courage to claim the vast riches of the galaxy, but as the obstacles before you grow more formidable and your enemies more cunning, you’ll need a powerful arsenal to defend what’s yours. Arm yourself with the knowledge, equipment, and firepower to rise to dominance!

Arriving this summer, Into the Storm offers a host of new character options, allowing for increased personalization with the new expanded Origin Path and Alternate Career Ranks. Plus, play as a character from beyond the Imperium with two all-new xenos Careers. Keep watching, and over the coming weeks we'll reveal details of these exciting new options.

Vehicle rules add a new dimension to gameplay and expand possibilities for adventure. Explore uncharted worlds in a Rhino APC or dominate your foes from the cockpit of a Fury starfighter. You can even gain access to an extensive new armoury of weapons, armour, and gear wrested from alien races or rediscovered from humanity’s dark past, or augment yourself with new psychic powers for Astropaths and Navigators.

Into the Storm contains everything needed to build and equip a Rogue Trader like no other... and the crew to match. This summer, it will take more than ambition to defend your claim.

Salutations Acolytes!

In last week's Designer Diary Ross announced that I’d be taking over development for Dark Heresy and with that I’ve inherited this awesome privilege: Informing you that Dead Stars will be on shelves soon! I am filled with two complimentary emotions. First I am excited that this fantastic trilogy of adventures by the illustrious Alan Bligh and John French is coming to a climax. It’s a story I have been enjoying through the eyes of my Noble born Guardsman Emric. I remember some particularly memorable moments escaping some kidnappers. I’m sure many other groups are looking forward to seeing how things come to a head as much as I am.

That brings me to the second emotion I’m quarreling with at the moment. Anticipation. In my new role at the helm of the good ship Dark Heresy I get a birds eye view. It is a rare privilege to observe others as they discover the surprises and twists that this adventure series offers. Secrets seeded into the conception of Dark Heresy will finally be revealed and I can’t wait to watch the fans to uncover them too.

It’s tough to write about an adventure, as I don’t want to spoil it for the players. This wouldn’t be much of an announcement if I didn’t at least talk about one of my favorite new things. The Maccabian Janissaries are a Calixian Imperial Guard regiment. That really speaks to me as a fan of the Guard and as a player of one in this very campaign.

“These regiments are raised from the arid planet of Maccabeus Quintus, a place of fierce and stoic people and iron-strong puritan faith in the Imperial Creed. The Conclave Calixis has oath bonds with the fifth Maccabian regiment and has called on the honour debts owed to them to procure the services of ten of the most resolute and effective soldiers in the sector, lead by two experienced NCOs. The Janissaries are tough and battle-hardened men and women who are bound by oaths made in seven shrines on Maccabeus Quintus. They see serving the Emperor’s will as a sacred duty and have a grim attitude; they are not given to frivolity or humour. They spend much of their time preparing for their mission, either performing combat drills or weapons maintenance, in prayer or studying information on the environment and situation of the station on Mara.”

Not only am I looking forward to overseeing the release of Dead Stars, I am also keeping an ey on the future of the entire line. I’m certain that many of you are wondering who I am and what I plan to do with the game we love.

I’ve been playing Roleplaying games for just over 20 years now. I cut my teeth on Shadowrun. That quickly changed into a campaign of Gary Gygax’s Cyborg Commando thanks to a copy of the box set we found at a local dollar store. I picked up Warhammer 40k back in the second to third edition transition. I love the IP like no other, in particular the Inquisition and the stories that can be told through the themes that run in its veins.

I’m also a net-geek. I helped found a Warhammer 40k podcast and blog site that let me meet a lot of interesting people and learn quite a bit about the hobby on multiple fronts. It’s fun to look back and see how much my opinions have changed and grown in a short time. I understand the power of the Internet and love that I have the opportunity to supplement the game line with PDF’s. I caught the bug for designing books by building a few supplements for my gaming club to use.

A few years ago I decided I wanted to break into the gaming industry. I set my goal and began documenting the trek online. During this time I interviewed Ross Watson on my podcast and he has been a mentor and advisor to me as I developed the skills I needed to become a serious designer of tabletop RPG’s. It’s been a long road to where I am and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I now have more road ahead (to extend the metaphor) and planning for this new adventure is exhilarating.

I have given some serious thought to what I love about Dark Heresy and how I can bring that into a full design philosophy. Roleplaying games have the strength of a referee at every table whose entire job is to interpret the rules and come up with new ways to use them on the fly. As a designer it becomes very important to carefully craft these rules so that GM’s can easily integrate them into their games. Mechanics must assist the theme and story, giving players a way to interact with the game world.



One my favorite themes in all of 40k is that of Heroic Sacrifice. From the lowliest servitor to the Emperor himself men and women give all for the cause of humanity. This isn’t just seen in moments of glory where someone trades their life for success of the group, but also in people who give their sanity or every waking hour. There are dozens of other personal stories to tell. At the end of the day the journey of the players character is personal and resonates with the player. Dark Heresy needs to create moments of choice for characters and give players options to tell those stories.

Memorable villains and locations are important to every story but to Warhammer 40k they are imperative. The Calixis sector is rich and deep with possibilities. Dead Stars sees the closing of the Haarlock’s Legacy series, so gaming groups will want more adventures. Tools to build brilliant stories help everyone. GM’s and players alike can benefit from a variety of background options for adding new themes to their campaign and characters.

The actors and the stage can be extremely interesting and compelling but how they interact crafts the tales we tell for years. Dark Heresy is all about the mysteries and conspiracies that get uncovered. This investigation brings the game to life and gives players a chance to tell their personal story as they are entertained by the GM’s larger plot.

So what does all this mean for the future of Dark Heresy? It means I have a lot of work to do! Going forward we have a lot of ground to cover in some very exciting ways with a focus on the player and GM experience at the table. Keep your third eye on this website in the future; I plan to share every step of my journey with the fans of Dark Heresy!

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Acolytes serving the Inquisition, rooting out heresy and corruption from within the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man.

BaronIveagh wrote:My money is on kroot and eldar.

Kroothawk wrote:
I think Kroot mercenary and Eldar corsair are likely candidates.

by Ross Watson

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

The Deathwatch is a unique organisation where Space Marines from different Chapters across the Imperium of Man are brought together to serve together in the same, small unit known as a Kill-team. When I turned this concept over in my mind, I found myself often focusing on the thought of what it must be like to be placed into that situation with complete strangers; some might become friends, others bitter rivals. The interpersonal dynamic of such a group would be fascinating. I returned again and again to the idea of learning to work together—to give up the “Space Wolf way” to solve a problem (for one example), and instead concentrate on “the Kill-team way”—captured my imagination. Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch are often thrust into dire situations, sometimes alongside allies they may not trust. During the course of his service with the Deathwatch, a Battle-Brother learns to overcome many of his prejudices and misunderstandings...

Part of the core experience of the Deathwatch RPG involves roleplaying as a Space Marine sent on the most dangerous of special missions, and I wanted the mechanics of the game to support that! The “Project Iceberg” team and I designed Deathwatch around the idea that the experience should revolve around the team dynamic, from a group of strangers learning to work together to the hardened veteran Deathwatch Battle-Brothers who form a nigh-unstoppable squad. In this, I was inspired by source material like the WWII series Band of Brothers and the Knights of the Round Table in Mallory’s L'Morte D'Arthur.



The difference between the group and the individual definitely had a strong influence on my design for Deathwatch, and this concept about individual sacrifice for the good of the team evolved into a set of three linked mechanics for Deathwatch: Solo Mode, Squad Mode, and Cohesion.

Because I have been an avid player of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game for years, I have had many opportunities to watch Space Marines in action (at least, in miniature form!). More than a few times I would marvel at a particular commander, captain, or special character, but I would also take note of how a particular Squad, working together, could vanquish even the greatest of foes; a Tyranid Carnifex, Chaos Daemon Prince, or Eldar Avatar.

Space Marines are considerably dangerous on their own; they are the supreme warriors of the Imperium, the most deadly of soldiers. How much more impressive, then, would a force of Space Marines be when working together as a group? The challenge then would be to somehow model that idea within the mechanics of the Deathwatch RPG.

Solo Mode

The first thing I needed to do was to define when a Space Marine was acting on his own; this would be called “Solo Mode.” When in Solo Mode, a Space Marine is operating based on the traditions, beliefs, and methods of war ingrained into him by his Chapter. A Dark Angel in Solo Mode is acting and fighting as if he were part of his Dark Angels squad. Therefore, a Space Marine in Solo Mode is using abilities that are most representative of his home Chapter.

Solo Mode is the default mode of play for all characters. Unless otherwise indicated by the rules, a Battle-Brother is in this mode. While in Solo Mode, a Space Marine is not linked to the rest of his squad in any special way and cannot benefit from Squad Mode actions or abilities used by his Battle-Brothers. He has access to all of his Solo Mode actions and abilities and may use these freely.

Example Solo Mode Ability: Feat of Strength
The Kill-team is in a desperate race to reach the spaceport in time to board their Thunderhawk before cyclonic torpedoes destroy the planet from orbit. However, a burning wreck of a Chimera APC blocks their path; the Space Marine focuses his righteous wrath and, with a heroic feat of strength, heaves the wreckage aside so that he and his Battle-Brothers may pass unhindered.
Required Rank: 1
Effects: Space Marines are genetically gifted with great strength far exceeding. that or normal men. In times of need, a Battle-Brother can push this great brawn to its limits to perform truly impressive feats. Once per day of game time, a Battle-Brother may perform a Feat of Strength. This ability effectively increases his Unnatural Strength Trait by one level, so for instance Unnatural Strength x2 becomes Unnatural Strength x3. This effect lasts for a number of Rounds equal to his Rank.
Improvement: At Rank 3 and above Feat of Strength also adds +10 to all Strength Tests and Strength-based Skill Tests for its duration. At Rank 5 and above Feat of Strength last for a number of Rounds equal to twice the character’s Rank. At Rank 7 and above, Feat of Strength increases the character’s Unnatural Strength Trait by two levels.



Squad Mode
However, in the Deathwatch, a Dark Angels Space Marine is not surrounded by other Dark Angels. Instead, he is placed with Battle-Brothers of the Storm Wardens, the Ultramarines, and possibly even a rival from the Space Wolves. When the Dark Angel is acting as part of his Kill-team, he is moving out of Solo Mode and entering Squad Mode. In Squad Mode, Space Marines work together, each acting in concert with his Battle-Brothers. A Kill-team in Squad Mode is a terrifying foe for the enemies of Man; Squad Mode abilities allow the entire group to move and shoot as one, to lay down covering fire during an advance, lure the foe into a trap, and much more.

Squad Mode can only be entered deliberately (often by a character using an action). While in Squad Mode, a Space Marine is linked to any other members of his team that are also in Squad Mode and may benefit fully from Squad Mode actions and abilities. A character in Squad Mode can also initiate Squad Mode actions and abilities for the benefit of other team members also in this mode.

Example Squad Mode Ability: Tactical Spacing
The Kill-team has been deployed deep behind enemy lines in order to find—and assassinate—an enemy leader. During the journey, the Kill-team keeps a wary watch, for this region is heavily patrolled by the enemy and filled with traps. The Space Marines stand ready to knock a Battle-Brother out of the way of enemy fire or warn him of stepping upon a hidden explosive.
Action: Full Action
Cost: 1
Sustained: Yes
Effects: Formation and spacing are an important part of a squad’s function on the battlefield and influence their ability to warn each other of danger and defend themselves against attack. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support Range of him can share their Reactions. For example, one member of the Kill-team could give his Reaction (losing it for himself for the turn) to another member of the Kill-team to use. If the Space Marine has extra reactions (such as the bonus reactions granted from the Step Aside Talent), these may also be shared.
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more, in addition to being able to share Reactions within the group, all members gain an additional Reaction while this ability is in effect.

Cohesion
It is important to note that the example Squad Mode ability above has a cost listed. The resource that a Kill-team uses to activate Squad Mode abilities is known as Cohesion. This resource is gained when the Kill-team is assigned a mission (don’t worry—I will be going over how Missions work in a future Designer Diary!), and is then used during the mission to activate Squad Mode abilities. Cohesion can also be reduced, however, by being hit with certain weapons (if the Kill-team is knocked around by high explosives, for example) or by certain abilities possessed by a powerful enemy (a Chaos Daemon Prince, for example, has an Aura of Death that reduces a Kill-team’s Cohesion...the warp-tainted presence of the Daemon Prince causes confusion and spreads strife wherever he goes). Certain abilities and wargear (such as a back banner!) may increase or have an effect on regaining Cohesion.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this brief overview of Solo Mode, Squad Mode, and Cohesion! I will definitely have more to say about these mechanics in the future, so keep an eye on the FFG website as we delve deeper over the next few weeks into what makes the team-based roleplaying experience of Deathwatch so unique and compelling!

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

This week, I have a guest designer diary from Owen Barnes, one of the members of the “Project Iceberg” team who helped bring the Deathwatch RPG to life.

Missions in Deathwatch

As part of a Deathwatch Kill-team it often falls to the players to tackle specialised battlefield tasks or complete key objectives for the Imperial forces. Unlike other kinds of soldiers a kill-team is often deployed as an autonomous unit, given broad tactical guidelines and lots of free license to wreak havoc and smite the Emperor’s foes. The kind of stuff Player-Characters excel at... Battle-Brothers are, however, much more than mere adventurers, and are usually only deployed for a good reason. This where the rules for Missions come into play.

Missions are guidelines that help the GM create the kinds of adventures and scenarios that a kill-team is likely to encounter, as well as give his games a sense of the duty and honour that comes of being a member of the Adeptus Astartes. Players who are familiar with the Endeavour system from Rogue Trader will recognise some of the ways that a Mission works. However, given the more militaristic nature of Deathwatch, there are a number of key differences.



Missions are divided up into Objectives, which are either rated as Primary Objectives, Secondary Objectives, or Tertiary Objectives (also known as Targets of Opportunity). The players can then complete Objectives how and in what order they see fit, and it is possible to complete a Mission without completing all its Objectives (though typically a Mission is considered ‘successful’ if its Primary Objective has been completed). Of course completing more Objectives usually means more experience and more renown as your Chapter sings songs of your deeds long after the bodies of your foes have turned to dust. In some circumstances, the Kill-team can even set its own Objectives during the mission!

One of the other key aspects of Missions is preparation. This is a selection of things that occur before a Mission, such as briefing, assigning a squad leader or choosing weapons and equipment. This period also includes Oath Taking, where Battle-Brothers can take on an Oath for their Mission, making a vow to the Emperor, their Chapter or their Battle-Brothers. Such vows are potent things for a Space Marine, and while they may motivate them to greater feats of bravery they may also force them to put their oath before tactical commonsense.

Missions can also have Complications, and as they say no plan survives contact with the enemy. These are special events that the GM can throw into a Mission to make things more challenging for the players, such as a mis-drop that puts them kilometres from their primary target, hidden foes like Lictors or daemon-hosts lurking among lesser enemies, or logistical problems that can mean a lack of support or limited ammo. Sometimes even Objectives may turn out to be false or changeable—such as turning up to destroy a bridge only to find it doesn’t exist, or protecting an Inquisitor who is more dangerous that the things trying to kill him.



However they are used, Missions are designed to be tools for the GM, helping him to bring Deathwatch to life and give his players a taste of the blood-soaked battlefields of the 41st millennium.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Next week, keep an eye out for more about the Missions framework, including some special attention to the deeper mechanics, like selecting a Kill-team Leader and the Oaths the Kill-team swears before the mission begins!

Salutations Acolytes!

In this week’s Designer Diary, I have my blessed bolgun aimed squarely at you Game Masters out there! With Dead Stars on shelves, I thought it might be helpful to provide the player handouts from that book for easy download. These handouts are for the GM’s out there, so don’t you players go sneaking a peak—or else you’ll ruin all the surprises!


Click the image above to download the player handouts (pdf, 532 KB)

For those who haven’t been following the Haarlock’s Legacy (or who are thinking of starting it), Dead Stars is the last in a trilogy of adventures that started in Tattered Fates, Continued in Damned Cities, and climaxes in Dead Stars. It’s been a long road of intrigue and adventure that brought us to the precipice of insanity that the Acolytes in your game will soon witness.
So what do you do once the trilogy is complete? Where do you go from here? (Assuming your characters survive, of course!) I would like to present you with three options for continuing your campaign with the events from the Haarlock’s Legacy driving you forward.

Scions of Haarlock: The Haarlock Legacy could have left more behind than the Acolytes will ever know. Discovering the remnants of the legacy or preventing others from uncovering the shards of this once grand power can make for a grand adventure series all on its own. The Acolytes may find that their deeds have created a new villain whose avarice sparks a new dark conspiracy.

Acolytes On The Run: The Acolytes have seen too much, failed in their duty, or succeeded where some wish they had not. The group finds itself on the run from an Inquisitor who isn’t happy with them. Faced with an opponent who can marshall the weight of the Imperium behind him, the Acolytes must go into hiding as the root out secrets powerful enough to topple a giant to it’s knees.

Ascension: Dead Stars is designed for characters who are rank 7 or 8. This adventure can serve as a great jumping off point for an Ascension campaign. The Acolytes have gone their separate ways in the wake of the Haarlock’s Legacy and have become Throne Agents in their own right. Powerful men and women with their own agenda’s and responsibilities it takes something from their past to bring them all back together and prevent the fall of the Calixis Sector.



Thanks for reading, Acolytes. Stay tuned for more Designer Diaries as developments unfold!

H.B.M.C. wrote:"Thanks for reading, Acolytes. Stay tuned for more Designer Diaries as developments unfold!"

Wow. Maybe they'll actually give as a clue as to what's coming out.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Guy must be a politician. Nearly 1200 words and he didn't actually say anything...

Hello Rogue Traders!

I’d like to take a moment away from the upcoming Into the Storm to provide something extra for the three-part adventure book Lure of the Expanse. Traitor’s Nexus is a nine page downloadable supplement detailing a sixth world in the Heathen Stars with a lost nexus point, and an accompanying adventure of intrigue and survival horror in the dank bayous of a lost planet. Game Masters can easily include this adventure in play-throughs of Lure of the Expanse, or with a little customization, can use Traitor’s Nexus as a foundation for a new adventure.



Click the above image to download Traitor's Nexus (pdf, 20.8 MB)

What secrets lurk at the heart of the lost backwater planet of Sabrine? Who are the mad King Kommitzar and his subjects, and what evils do they struggle with in the heart of Sabrine’s swamps? Will the Explorers make it off Sabrine alive? Download Traitor’s Nexus (pdf, 20.8 MB) from our support page and find out.

A copy of Lure of the Expanse is needed to make full use of this content. Enjoy!

Greetings, Deathwatch fans! This week, I want to give you some more details about the way Missions work in the Deathwatch RPG.

The Missions Framework

“The forward Tau command centre is too heavily shielded for an orbital strike, and too far behind the front lines for a push by the Stygian 5th Armoured Division. However, intelligence suggests that there is at least one of these so-called Ethereals coordinating operations from the base, making it a vital target. It is my recommendation that we deploy the Deathwatch Kill-team available to us and consider the matter closed...”
–High Tactician Favius at the Battle of Blood Moon



Missions are a framework for a GM to build an adventure for a Deathwatch Kill-team; it is not a random chart, nor is it a railroad. It is simply a tool that the GM can use to build a vast array of different types of stories for your Space Marine characters to interact with. The Space Marines of the Deathwatch face many unique challenges, not all of which are encountered on the battlefield! Deathwatch Kill-teams are deployed in a wide variety of situations, allowing you to create almost any kind of encounter you wish. Here are just a few examples of adventures that benefit from the Missions framework:

If your group enjoys uncovering secrets and revealing hidden facts, your Deathwatch Kill-team may be required to find the killer of a murdered Inquisitor...and discover what enigma is worth killing a member of the Holy Ordos to hide.

As an example, in the in-house Deathwatch game I run here at FFG, the Kill-team served as an honour guard for an Inquisitor during her visit to a dangerous world rife with unrest. The Inquisitor was struck down with an insidious poison, and the Kill-team was honour bound to track down those responsible and cleanse their honour.

If your group prefers exploration, your Kill-team may be sent to acquire an enigmatic alien artefact from the heart of a crumbling xenos ruin on a rogue planet, far from any sun.

The setting of the Jericho Reach and the Omega Vault within Watch Fortress Erioch provide a number of opportunities for such adventures. A Kill-team may be sent to re-establish an abandoned Watch Station, or the Omega Vault may reveal some ancient map detailing the location of an important xenos relic that the Deathwatch must secure. Your Kill-team may even be sent to a hellish daemon world or into the bleak wasteland of a planet devoured by a Tyranid swarm.

If your group has a predilection for political intrigue, the Deathwatch may dispatch your Kill-team to deal with a delicate situation involving the high Lord-Militants of the Crusade, complete with plenty of backstabbing, favour-grubbing, and jockeying for position and privilege.

The machinations of the Crusade in the Jericho Reach provide an excellent background for political maneuvers involving the Deathwatch. There are many places where the efforts of a single Kill-team could spell the difference between victory and defeat, and there are many more officials of the Crusade who are well aware of this fact! During our in-house Deathwatch campaign, the Kill-team encountered a Lord General who had clearly gone insane and needed to be replaced, lest his madness cost the Crusade invaluable territory and progress. This particular challenge required more than bolter fire to solve...

A Mission is a template for such adventures and provides the GM with a collection of obstacles for his players to overcome and rewards for successfully completing their objectives. Based on the success and significance of the Kill-team’s actions, rewards include experience points, increased Renown, and possibly the awards of special honours.



Command Without Doubt

One of my favourite parts of the Deathwatch core rulebook is the extensive background on the Deathwatch itself; its origin, purpose, and structure fully explored for the first time. As an organisation, the Deathwatch is quite unique, not only in its composition of Space Marines from across the galaxy, but also in its operations and traditions. The Space Marines of the Deathwatch are well-aware of their duties, meaning that they can be quite pro-active in seeking out xenos forces, eliminating threats, investigating forgotten ruins, or planning an assault on an alien stronghold. It is not unusual for an Inquisitor to request the assistance of the Deathwatch with a myriad of tasks, and it is also not unknown for a particular Watch Captain or Watch Commander to set forth an agenda for the Space Marines under his command.

Therefore, a Kill-team may be taking orders from their Watch Captain one mission and respond to the urgent plea of an Inquisitor on the next. The Kill-team might be assigned to work with the Lord-Militants in a particular region of the Crusade in the Jericho Reach, or they may be given a Watch Station of their own to maintain and keep vigil over a particular set of xenos tombs.

Naturally, the Kill-team itself is a group that benefits from a firm vision, and one of the elements of the Missions framework is the selection of a squad’s leader. During the development of the Deathwatch RPG, I knew that I didn’t want the “team leader” role to devolve into listening to the loudest player at the table, nor did I wish it to be a straightjacket that forced all the players into a subordinate position. Therefore, we worked hard to clearly outline the role of the leader in Deathwatch:

The mantle of squad leader is one that the players should not take lightly. In the eyes of the Deathwatch, it is the squad leader who is responsible for the success or failure of the Kill-team and the completion of their Mission. In this capacity, the player chosen to be the leader for a particular Mission has two key responsibilities for that Mission:

If at any point the Kill-team needs to make a decision on how to proceed with their Mission and they cannot reach an accord, then it falls to the squad leader to make the choice. He should listen to the other players and make a decision based on the majority. It is important to remember that making these calls does not mean that the leader is allowed to boss the other players around. Rather, he is there to guide the actions of the group.

The responsibility for the Mission and contact with the Deathwatch or the Kill-team’s commanders falls to the leader. He becomes the link in the chain of command that ties the squad into the greater Imperial efforts in their theatre of operations, receiving orders and sending vox messages to appraise the higher-ups as to the squad’s progress.

In addition, selecting a Kill-team’s leader opens up access to a set of particular Oaths that the Kill-team may select before the mission. Each Oath not only serves to guide the Kill-team’s particular focus for that mission, they also grant some small in-game benefits. Because certain Oaths may only be given from certain leaders, this encourages each Deathwatch group to rotate the role of leader amongst themselves. For example, one Mission may take place on a corrupted Forge World, requiring the Kill-team to deal with recalictrant machine spirits. Thus, they might wish to nominate the Techmarine as the leader so that he may grant the Oath of the Weapon:

Oath of the Weapon
Space Marines drill constantly, and when they are not fighting. they are training for combat. Some Battle-Brothers take this a step further and take oaths to ensure their weapons do not fail them in combat, blessing bolters and chainswords so that the Emperor might ensure their effectiveness against His enemies.
Prerequisite: Techmarine or Devastator Marine
Effect: Those taking the Oath of the Weapon pray over their weapons before battle and strive to extinguish even the smallest element of chance in their function. A Kill-team which takes this oath may ignore the effects of Jams with their personal weaponry and re-roll Weapon Skill Tests to confirm Righteous Fury with melee weapons for the duration of the Mission.
Squad Mode Abilities: Fire Support, Fire for Effect and Tank Buster.

The Storm Wardens Army Charity Project

I want to especially mention this project; it is a very cool effort for a very good cause! Several highly talented miniature painters on the internet have gathered together to create an entire Storm Wardens Army, with the proceeds going to the charity Doctors Without Borders. You can find all the information on this awesome project here:

The Storm Wardens Charity Project

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Next week, I will present a special guest designer diary about Space Marine equipment in Deathwatch! Until then, may the Primarchs guide your way.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yeah that's... not so awesome.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yeah that's... not so awesome.

temprus wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yeah that's... not so awesome.

But... but .... Sgt U has his bling, and Space Wolfie has his Wolf Mask, even the dev has his hoodie.

Darknite wrote:I guess you were looking for something more 'old school'?

warboss wrote:so how compatible do you guys (who are more knowledgeable about this rpg than me) expect it to be with the other 40k rpg books? is this officially a third tier to the 40k rpg?


could you advance a character from rogue trader to dark heresy? (or vice versa, not sure which one came first). if you run this game, have they announced whether or not you can play non-marines advanced to the same rough character level? (SOB, inquisitiors, etc)

reds8n wrote:
Well, it uses the same mechanics and rules so it wouldn't be impossible for characters from the games to interact, of course there's no chance of your Acolyte becoming a marine or anything.

warboss wrote:so how compatible do you guys (who are more knowledgeable about this rpg than me) expect it to be with the other 40k rpg books?

warboss wrote:is this officially a third tier to the 40k rpg? could you advance a character from rogue trader to dark heresy? (or vice versa, not sure which one came first).

warboss wrote:if you run this game, have they announced whether or not you can play non-marines advanced to the same rough character level? (SOB, inquisitiors, etc)

H.B.M.C. wrote:

warboss wrote:is this officially a third tier to the 40k rpg? could you advance a character from rogue trader to dark heresy? (or vice versa, not sure which one came first).

It's probably not the best idea to look at DH/RT/DW as 'tiers' of the same game. They're not tiers, and they're not the same game.

BrookM wrote:Supposedly this Summer, though I wouldn't be surprised to see it slip into Autumn.

Fantasy Flight Games would like to invite you to join the Deathwatch!

Check out this exciting new game on Free RPG Day with the introductory adventure Final Sanction. Things are not right on the planet of Landsholm. Rebellion and anarchy threaten to the tear the world apart. The Inquisition suspects alien influence, and has requested that the Deathwatch be sent in to handle the matter.

This free introduction to Deathwatch includes a full adventure, four pre-generated characters, and a set of basic rules to help players and Game Masters become familiar with the Deathwatch roleplaying game.

Check out a list of participating retailers.

In honor of Free RPG Day, the Fantasy Flight Games Event Center will be giving away free copies of Final Sanction, and RPG developers Ross Watson, Sam Stewart, and Mack Martin will be in attendance to run introductory sessions of Deathwatch!

Planning to attend at the FFG Event Center? Check out a full schedule of events!

Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.

reds8n wrote:Oh.. the alien races for RT.. ork freeboota anyone ?

Ork Freebooter. The other one is "iconic, yet not what we expected". I'm kind of torn between wanting the other one to be Eldar Corsair and feeling that they won't do them justice in this book.

'Ere We Go! 10

by Sam Stewart

Greetings, Rogue Traders!

This week I’m pleased to turn the Astropathic broadcast over to Rogue Trader writer Nathan Dowdell, who wrote—among other things—the Ork Freebooterz for Into the Storm!

Generic salutations! I’m Nathan Dowdell, and I’m one of the newest additions to the eclectic collection of scribes working on the Rogue Trader line. Into the Storm was the first book I worked on as a writer, but I’ve been involved with Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay for several years now, having playtested Dark Heresy in some of its earliest incarnations.

Now, I’ve a confession to make: I like Xenos. The aliens of the Warhammer 40,000 universe have always held an appeal for me, ever since the first time I read the descriptions in the Codex Imperialis book that came with the old boxed set. It’s been a great honour, then, to be one of the people involved with bringing playable Xenos to Rogue Trader.

‘Ere We Go! ‘Ere We Go! ‘Ere We Go!

Brave and foolhardy Rogue Traders can hire Ork Freebooterz to join the ranks of the Explorers, adding brute strength, incredible resilience and a complete lack of tact to any group.

Creating an Ork Freebooter character is, perhaps unsurprisingly, not too dissimilar to creating any other character. The biggest difference is perhaps the Origin Path, or lack thereof. From the outset, we knew that the standard Origin Path and Career Paths would not really suit the themes and backgrounds of Xenos player characters, and our first challenge was to find an alternative method.

In the end, simplicity won out, and the Freebooter is represented by a single ‘species’ entry, and an accompanying Career Path. Within the species entry, there are a selection of Origin options, adding some of the customisation and variability that the Origin Path provides for human characters. In the case of the Orks, these represent two elements that define Ork ‘Kultur’: the Klans, and the instinctive knowledge located deep within Ork genetics that produce their castes and specialists.

Now, the section is far from just rules. Playing any character is more than statistics and dice rolls, afterall, and Orks are no different. Indeed, something I took firmly into account is that playing an alien character requires a little more guidance than playing a human being. About half of the section is devoted to describing and examining what Orks are, how they act, and even how they think—conveying information valuable to anyone thinking about playing an Ork. I spent long hours poring over every piece of Ork information I could find, from their original depictions in Waaagh: The Orks and ‘Ere We Go!, through three iterations of Codex: Orks and anything else I could lay my hands on, in order to gain as broad and detailed an insight into the greenskins as I possibly could.

One thing I felt it was particularly important to convey was that, while the Orks are hardly the ‘noble savage’ or ‘proud warrior race’, they aren’t inherently evil, just extremely violent. An Ork does not, typically, hate his enemies—indeed, an Ork values highly any foes strong enough to match him—and wages war with laughter and enthusiasm compared to the loathing and grim necessity that so often fuel human warfare. This core value, above all others, is the single greatest defining factor of the Ork mindset, and the most important thing for anybody wanting to play an Ork to understand, in my opinion.

The Freebooter career itself covers a hefty chunk of an Ork’s normal lifespan, with the character growing larger, stronger and deadlier as it progresses, to the point where experienced Ork Freebooter characters can quite happily face even Space Marines in single combat. Freebooterz aren’t, however, the only option. Mekboyz and Kommandos also receive attention, represented by alternate ranks that allow Ork characters to gain abilities not normally available to them, be they advanced skills with technology, or the ability to sneak up on enemies and stab them (or blow them up) before they realise you’re there. There’s also a significant selection of Ork-specific equipment, and for those Orks who constantly feel “da need fer speed,” a Warbike can be found amongst the vehicle rules. Orks can even pick up Gretchen, Snotling, and Squigs, who serve as assistants and potential emergency rations.

In the end, an Ork Explorer is a unique character in Rogue Trader that can lead to new and interesting group dynamics in turn. It can also lead to interesting quandaries for the group, particularly if they need to leave the Expanse and return to the Imperium!