Dark Heresy (40K RPG) Review

[Zablorg]

Only two hundred copies of the deluxe collectors edition in the world? Why didn't I expect something like this from Games 'Screw Over Our Fan Base' Workshop? Please tell me I'm reading that wrong.

You got it right.

Who gives a shit?

[Academia Nut]

Well considering that the special edition rulebook is supposed to look like this, I can't blame people for wanting more copies in circulation:



I certainly want one of those things, and if there were more, then more people could use them to fuck with street corner evangelicals.

[Ford Prefect]

Holy shit. That is an awesome looking book.

[Zablorg]

If it's only for aesthetic purposes, I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it.

[Feil]

Apparently all 200 sold out in the span of a six minutes. Something tells me demand is outstripping supply by a little bit .

EDIT: Those of you dying to play this early may be in luck. BI has published online two ready-to-play scenarios with simplified rules and character sets, which do not require any books, that I'm sure you could modify slightly to allow player-created characters.

http://www.blackindustries.com/pdf/dh-s ... pe-big.pdf
http://www.blackindustries.com/pdf/dh-s ... rkness.pdf

[Ritterin Sophia]

If it's only for aesthetic purposes, I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it.

It's also a bit thicker, meaning more goodies. The book on the left is the standard Dark Heresies book.

[Feil]

Well, I pre-ordered the regular rulebook from Amazon today, after one of the experienced D&Ders said he'd be interested in helping me GM it.

Are there any pages I should photocopy for players to have as reference once it arrives?

EDIT: Amazon's price is really good, for those thinking of buying it. $32 US and free shipping.

[Imperial Overlord]

Got my hands on the regular edition today.

It doesn't have the two fold out maps (but retains the identical interior maps), leather cover, gold foil, or fancy certificate but it is otherwise identical.

And earlier than expected.

I'm a happy camper.

[Typhonis 1]

Interesting game, how compatible is it with WFRP?

[MJ12 Commando]

Does it let you do SPAAAACE MARIENS?

Because that's one thing I've found-most RPGs that try to do massively superhuman characters either:

1. Don't do it terribly well (e.g. WoD/Cthulhutech-"wow I am a badass killing machine, see, my stats ingame are about 20% better than that of an average human!")

2. Break down at that level.

3. Don't do anything ELSE terribly well.

[Feil]

You play acolytes to an Inquisitor, not Space Marines. Did you even read the opening post?

[MJ12 Commando]

You play acolytes to an Inquisitor, not Space Marines. Did you even read the opening post?

I was aware of the focus and I did read the OP. However, I was asking this question because I'm curious-and some of the Inquisitors work with SMs, do they not? And the main question was "can the system handle massively superhuman characters without nerfs" anyhow, the SMs being the best example of said type of character.

Ordo Malleus has the Grey Knights and Ordo Xenos has the Deathwatch, yes?

Also, another question: What kinds of "cool toys" do you get? I know about bolters and lascannon and whatnot, but what sorts of esoteric crazy shit do you get to play with?

How do bionics work? Can you get them in the core, and are they worth it?

And also, how did they balance melee and ranged combat?

[Feil]

I was aware of the focus and I did read the OP. However, I was asking this question because I'm curious-and some of the Inquisitors work with SMs, do they not? And the main question was "can the system handle massively superhuman characters without nerfs" anyhow, the SMs being the best example of said type of character.

In that case, your reading comprehension could use a lot of work, because the OP clearly stated this:

"Characters start in one of several career paths: adept, arbitrator, assassin, guardsman, imperial psyker, priest, scum, and tech priest."

Do you see "Space Marine" in that list? No, you don't. If Space Marines play any part, it'll be as NPCs - in which case, handing them is easy, and doesn't need to be balanced, because they're exclusively under the control of the GM.

[MJ12 Commando]

He didn't say that was all-inclusive, so I did not assume it was all-inclusive. It's just a difference in how you read it and how I read it-I saw those as examples, rather than the only available character paths.

Also, "does it let you do space marines" could also, similarly, be asking if Space Marine stats were given in the GM section, to compare with normal characters. Sure without character creation rules for them I doubt you could actually PLAY one, but having the stats in comparison with Joe Guardsman would be interesting to see.

[Bedlam]

As far as I've hear three versions of the game are going to be released over the next few years. The first one already out has you playing an Inquisitorial Retenue and is based on investigation. The second is based on the players being part of a Rogue Traiders Retenue allowing you to play Xeno characters and is based on exploration. The third will allow you to play Space Marines and other "super" characters and will be based around combat.

So apart from Homebrew you might have to wait a few years before you can officially play a space marine.

[Imperial Overlord]

Okay, answers to your questions. I'm just back from the third session of playing the game, in which the minor psychic powers of yours truly prevented him from being crushed by a giant servitor, the arbitrator and the guardsman did a number on said giant crab servitor at close range, and the void born background pilot (spacecraft) and luck pushed us through a nasty part.

The game mechanics are not identical to WFRP, but WFRP is easily adapted to 40K rules (scaling considerations make this the best way to do it). Some things work differently (like dodges and missile weapon fire) but mechanically the games are very similar.

Stats tend to be lower in Dark Heresy for two reasons.

1) stat advances are more expensive.

2) There are no stat boosting Talents.


Overall, I prefer Dark Heresy mechanically. They've had time to evaluate some of the so-so aspects of the generally good WFRP mechanics and tweek them to be better.

Ranged combat is pretty dangerous, especially given the ammo capacity, semi, and full auto weapons. Still the armour is good and chain weapons are vile (and power weapons even worse). Melee remains a viable character focus.

The gear section is fairly basic, although comprehensive. Bionics are divided up into two sections, general bionics which is in gear and Adeptus Mechanicus specific pieces which are covered in their career advances. Inferno pistols, power weapons, and synth skin all show up along with portable excruciator kits and weapon mechadendrites, but force weapons and digital weapons are not on the list.

An adventure supplement called "Purge the Unclean", due out in March, will have stats for a Space Marine NPC.

The Inquisitor's Handbook, due out in summer will have more gear and careers, including Callixus centered careers like Metallican Gunslinger (Gunmetal City has a gun culture that makes the American South look like vegan hippies) and Adeptus Sororitas.

Next year is the release date for Rogue Trader, a compatible RPG centered around rogue traders and aliens. The year after they will be releasing Death Watch, in which players will be Astartes seconded to the Death Watch and crawl into space hulks, investigate ancient ruins, and purge cults as a bad ass Space Marine kill-team.

[Typhonis 1]

Actually had a fairly twisted idea for an RP using Dark Heresy and WFRP mostly the critters from WFRP with characters from Heresy. Think Gamma World.

[Imperial Overlord]

The critters in Dark Heresy are generally scarier than their WFRP equivalents. Which is fair enough. A wolf pack is less of a threat to a bunch of guys in high tech armour and semi-auto lasguns (and worse) than it is to a bunch of guys wearing leather and mail who are wielding swords.

[Rogue 9]

According to Black Industries, Games Workshop hates money. (Read: Dark Heresy has been canceled; the Disciples of the Dark Gods supplement out in September will be the final book.)

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I love how the news headline right beneath the article is "Dark Heresy sold out."

What reason could they possibly have for cancelling such an anticipated product before it's even had a chance to grow?

[Ford Prefect]

I love how the news headline right beneath the article is "Dark Heresy sold out."

What reason could they possibly have for cancelling such an anticipated product before it's even had a chance to grow?

Please go here. There's been a few observations about the nature of their 'strategies'.

[Zablorg]

So, is there any hope for a change of management someday?

[Feil]

Nope. They've already got a Golden Throne rigged up in which to inter the CEO, to which a thousand fans will be sacrificed every day, that he may never truly die.

[NecronLord]

Finally got around to running a game in this, at a fairly high level (transferring from a tensided based setup) of character ability. I've got to say, so far, it's quite easy. The one thing that does bother me, is that I can't seem to find anything on servo skulls; that seems like a glaring omission, given how much of the art in this book depicts them, it's got a picture of a servo skull by 'Servitor Drone' but that's somewhat disappointing.

Highlights of yesterday's session include...

A light spacecraft comes crashing out of the air, daubed in blood and icons that make the eyes hurt, it smashes into the ground, pulverising at least half of the people on board. A guard officer, his aide (NPC) an ogryn (Still working on balancing the stats for this one...) a tech priest, a small, scared looking witch, and an enthusiastic looking guardsman (NPC) carrying a flag stagger out.

Ash nomads, who ply the wastes between hives, trading goods for water, appear on the horizon in a buggy, as they approach, they fire autoguns over the heads of our intrepid band. They reply by setting up a lascannon, much shouting ensues, culminating with the officer putting his hat on, and loudly declaiming, "I'm Commissar Maximilian Faust, and I'm going to liberate your world."

ME: Okay... Decieve, I think, to sell that rediculous claim.
*Player obligingly rolls a 4*
ME: Right....

The Ash Nomads give up a cheer, and seem thoroughly enthused by the wild and ludicrous claim, offering to take this... landing party... to their settlement.

In other news...

"Some seals incorporate circuits and sonic probes that can be used to hack into cogitators and open electronic locks." ~ P281. Methinks someone likes Dr. Who.

[Academia Nut]

The book is festooned with various subtle and not so subtle jokes, the one that springs to mind right away of course being:

Forbidden Lore (The Black Library)

"Secret knowledge of the Black Library, its forbidden contents, strange industries, and the unspeakable, pale, hairless things that toil within its walls."

If that ain't a bit of good natured ribbing of themselves and/or corporate comrades, I don't know what is.