Disciples of Dark Gods (Dark Heresy)

[Imperial Overlord]

I picked up this gorgeous bad boy yesterday and today comes the review.

Size: 240 pages of hard back goodness

Art: Good black and white and colour drawings. Some of the art is old pieces, but a lot of it is new and all of it is appropriate. A good number of in universe internal reports and communiques to help make the whole package seem real.

Okay, it looks pretty. I'm sure that's not much of a surprise. But what's inside?

Theme: This is a GM's book. It contains cults, daemons, perverted technology, dark sorcery, foul xenos, psychic abilities, nightmarish conspiracies, and a hellish adventure for the GM's use. It's a big book of bad.

Organization: The book starts out with a discussion of the Hereticus Tenebre, the sinister mysteries surrounding the greatest danger to the Calixus Sector, the Tyrant Star. The next section is Hereticus, dealing with rogue religious movements, forbidden and dangerous technology, and psyker cults. Then we have Xenos, dealing with secret organizations that deal with and trade with aliens as well as alien infiltration, plots, and the dangers of alien artifacts such as Halo Devices.

Next, of course, is Malleus which deals with chaos cults, sorcery, daemon weapons, and similar warp spawned horrors. Following up on the three orders of the Inquisition we have a chapter on Imperial society and institutions and how they can come into conflict or fall into heresy. Inquisitorial factions are dealt with in some detail, as well as new minor factions that are present in the Calixus Sector. Stats for two inquisitors the PCs might end up in conflict with are given.

Lastly we have a section presenting a half dozen notable major heretics and the adventure, which is quite the hellride.

The Goodies: Rules for Sorcery and Daemon weapons. Ogryns and more on the insidious Slaugh and their devices. New Talents and psychic abilities, some of which may be suitable for PC use. Untouchable rules and a small be interesting selection of warp tainted and alien gear (no Tau. Wrong side of the galaxy. Fear the shuriken catapult). More alien critters and daemons as well as horrors such as murder gholems, the reanimated dead, and arcoflagellents.

Nice Touches: Many of the cults and mysteries are given several possible true natures, preventing a PC from browsing the book and knowing the GM's game plan.

Overall: It's a big book of nastiness for a GM and the source for a lot of good ideas. It helps expand the various different types of heresy the players might come into conflict from the usual chaos cultists and alien infiltrators to rogue Mechanicus, Adeptus extremists, Vandire cultists, profit hungry smugglers, and so on an so forth. Highly recommended for Dark Heresy GMs.

[NecronLord]

As I'm utterly skint at the moment, and cannot afford to buy it: is there anything necron in there?

[dragon]

Have it on order don't know why as I can't seem to find a rpg group here , oh well I'll have it for when I move somewhere a bit more populated.

[Imperial Overlord]

As I'm utterly skint at the moment, and cannot afford to buy it: is there anything necron in there?

Nothing, although the new "Disintegrate" weapon quality will probably apply to the gauss family.

[andrewgpaul]

The book pretty much doesn't cover anything that's already 40K canon - the chaos beasties and aliens are new, along with some interesting heretics and cultists. I'm not sure how I feel about this, really. On the one hand, the new stuff looks well-thought out and useful for a campaign. On the other, I'd have liked some stats for the traditional 40K daemons and the like. Ah well, I suppose that's what the WFRP Tome of Corruption is for.

[Karrick]

Damn, you had me thinking someone was starting up another Dark Heresy campaign on the board. But new books are exciting too, I guess . I'll have to pick up a copy, or at least give it a good once or twice over at a hobby shop somewhere.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

So no greater daemons? They'd make one hell of a final campaign end boss. It's not as if acolytes don't have the firepower at high ranks to take one down.

[Imperial Overlord]

So no greater daemons? They'd make one hell of a final campaign end boss. It's not as if acolytes don't have the firepower at high ranks to take one down.

No they don't. Dark Heresy uses fluff daemons, not table top. Greater Daemons can take on Titans in the fluff (and so can daemon princes, Cherubeal cough cough).

Disciples includes a vicious daemon with effective TB of 12 against Holy and Psychic attacks, 24 against Mundane attacks, 50 Wounds, really nasty fear, and -10 to be hit at range. It's used as a warbeast by the Disciples of Hayte.

While more of the traditional daemons might be nice (Dark Heresy includes a few), Disciples isn't a monster book although it does contain a fair number of beasties. Creatures Anathema, which is due out in early 2009 should have plenty of monsters and daemonsx. One of the reasons I like this book so much is that it expands the bounds of what the acolytes might face far beyond just more of the default chaos cults (although they are in there as well).

[Imperial Overlord]

As an aside, although it doesn't address Enochian from the Ravenor books directly, its clearly fits the description of sorcery (of which there are a wide number of variations) as described in Disciples of Dark Gods.

[The Yosemite Bear]

do we have a blank/priah character class yet?

[Imperial Overlord]

do we have a blank/priah character class yet?

Yes. It's an elite advance costing 400xp, only selectable at character creation and with the GM's permission.

[Zablorg]

What are some of the new psychic abilites? I was under the impression that they though of just about everything that the nature of the powers allowed. Do they have a new class of powers?

[The Yosemite Bear]

Which book would that be in?

[Zablorg]

Which book would that be in?

...The one that's up for discussion, Bear. Disciples of Dark Gods. You might have forgotten

[Imperial Overlord]

What are some of the new psychic abilites? I was under the impression that they though of just about everything that the nature of the powers allowed. Do they have a new class of powers?

They have several new minor and discipline powers, several of which are quite kick ass. There are also some new psychic Talents which are primarily for NPCs, but can be bought by PCs as elite advances at the GM's option. Then there is sorcery, which allows the purchase of psychic abilities as Arcana and has its own set of powers.

[Zablorg]

What are some of the new psychic abilites? I was under the impression that they though of just about everything that the nature of the powers allowed. Do they have a new class of powers?

They have several new minor and discipline powers, several of which are quite kick ass. There are also some new psychic Talents which are primarily for NPCs, but can be bought by PCs as elite advances at the GM's option. Then there is sorcery, which allows the purchase of psychic abilities as Arcana and has its own set of powers.

Would it be right to assume that Sorcery is less risky than real psychic powers but a whole lot less convenient and reliable? Can any class engage in sorcery?

[Imperial Overlord]

Would it be right to assume that Sorcery is less risky than real psychic powers but a whole lot less convenient and reliable? Can any class engage in sorcery?

Sorcery, less risky? Bahahahahaha.

It's less convenient, less reliable, and less safe. On the other hand, you don't have to be a psyker to do it. You just have to learn the dread art (taking the elite advances) that involve performing the necessary actions that will resonate with the warp and cause it to manifest in specific ways in the material universe/call upon patrons in the warp to do certain actions.

And if you're a psyker, practicing sorcery essentially makes you even more powerful . . . and less safe.

[The Yosemite Bear]

and what talents allow you to go all palpatiny and start zapping people with warp fueled lightning from your fingertips, thus securring you favour with the adaptus mechanicus players?

[Imperial Overlord]

and what talents allow you to go all palpatiny and start zapping people with warp fueled lightning from your fingertips, thus securring you favour with the adaptus mechanicus players?

Biolightning, the Dark Heresy core book.

[The Yosemite Bear]

but will it make the psycher more popular with mechanicas?

since they can heal with an elctrical jolt....