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ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM

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CREDITS

Designed and written byOwen Barnes, Kate Flack & Mike Mason

With major contributions fromDan Abnett, Gary Astleford, Alan Bligh,

Ben Counter, John French, Guy Haley, Andy Hall, Tim Huckelberry, Andrew Kenrick,

Mark Latham, TS Luikart, Chris Pramas & Rick Priestley

Invaluable advice at every stageJohn Blanche, Alan Merrett & Rick Priestley

Undying thanksChris Pramas and Green Ronin for

getting us started on this epic journey, Max Bottrill & the Games Workshop Design Studio,

Dave Allen, Robert Clark, Richard Ford, David Gallagher, Mal Green, Stuart Jeckle, Nick Kyme, Caroline Law, Karen Miksza,

Dylan Owen, Lindsey Priestley, Rob Schwalb, all who worked on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay,

& all playtesters (see p.395)

Cover artClint Langley

Interior art & graphicsJohn Blanche, Alex Boyd, Paul Dainton, Wayne England, David

Gallagher, Des Hanley, Neil Hodgson, Paul Jeacock, Nuala Kinrade, Karl Kopinski, Stefan Kopinski,

Clint Langley, Pat Loboyko, Mark Raynor, Adrian Smith, Paul Smith, Andrea Uderzo, Kev Walker & John Wigley

CartographyDarius Hinks, Andy Law & Mark Raynor

Graphic DesignMark Raynor

Project Manager/Art DirectionZoë Wedderburn

Games Workshop

Licensing ManagerOwen Rees

Licensing & Acquired Rights ManagerErik Mogensen

Head of Legal & LicensingAndy Jones

Fantasy FliGht Games

Managing DeveloperMichael Hurley

Executive DeveloperJeff Tidball

Additional Graphic DesignKevin Childress & Rory McCormack

PublisherChristian T. Petersen

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Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2019. Dark Heresy, the Dark Heresy logo, GW, Games Workshop, Space Marine, 40k, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, 40,000, the 'Aquila' Double-headed Eagle logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names,

creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Cubicle 7 Entertainment and the Cubicle 7 Entertainment logo are trademarks of

Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited.All rights reserved.

www.cubicle7games.com

Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd, Unit 6, Block 3, City North Business Campus,

Gormanston, Co. Meath. K32 DP60,

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INTRODUCTION It is the 41st Millennium 6The War for the Soul of Mankind 7What’s in this Book? 8An Example of Play 10

CHAPTER I – CHARACTER CREATION Creating Your Acolyte 12Stage One: Homeworld 13Stage Two: Generate Characteristics 22Stage Three: Determine Career Path 24Stage Four: Spend Experience Points, Buy Equipment 28Stage Five: Bringing Your Character to Life 30Stage Six: Play the Game 37Example of Completed Character Sheet 38

CHAPTER II – CAREER PATHS Getting Started 40Character Advancements 41Adept 44Arbitrator 50Assassin 56Cleric 62Guardsman 68Imperial Psyker 74Scum 82Tech-Priest 88

CHAPTER III – SKILLS Gaining Skills 96Basic & Advanced Skills 96Skill Descriptions 98

Acrobatics–Dodge 98Drive–Scholastic Lore 101Scrutiny–Wrangling 105

CHAPTER IV – TALENTS Gaining Talents 110Talent Groups 110Talent Descriptions 113

Air of Authority–Feedback Screech 113Ferric Lure–Paranoia 116Peer–Wall of Steel 120

CHAPTER V – ARMOURY Money 124Availability 125Craftmanship 126Weapons 127

Weapon Special Qualities 128Las-Weapons 131Solid Projectile Weapons 132Bolt Weapons 133Melta, Plasma & Flame Weapons 134Primitive Weapons 135Launchers & Grenades 136Exotic Weapons 138Melee Weapons 138Chain Weapons 140Power Weapons 140Shock Weapons 141Weapon Upgrades 141Ammo 142

Armour 144

Primitive & Flak Armour 144Mesh, Carapace & Powered Armour 145

Gear 146Drugs & Consumables 148Tools 150Services 152Medical Care 152

Cybernetics 153Bionic Replacements 153Implants 154

CHAPTER VI – PSYCHIC POWERS Types of Psyker 158Measuring Psychic Ability 160Using Psychic Ability 161

Overbleed 164Sustaining Psychic Abilities 164Detecting Psychic Abilities 164

Psychic Powers 164Minor Psychic Powers 164Psychic Disciplines – Biomancy 169Psychic Disciplines – Divination 171Psychic Disciplines – Pyromancy 174Psychic Disciplines – Telekinetics 176Psychic Disciplines – Telepathy 178

CHAPTER VII – PLAYING THE GAME Tests 182

Skill Tests 182Characteristic Tests 183Degrees of Success and Failure 184Opposed Skill Tests 184The Role of Circumstance 184

The Role of Fate 185Using Fate Points 185Burning Fate 185Gaining Additional Fate Points 185

Investigation 186Using Investigation Skills 186

Combat 186Rounds, Turns & Time 186Combat Overview 187Surprise 187Initiative 188Actions 188The Attack 194

Injury 200Fatigue 200Becoming Stunned 200Characteristic Damage 200Critical Damage 201Special Damage 210

Damage & Healing 211Movement 212

Movement and Environment 213Climbing 213Jumping, Leaping & Swimming 214

Moving & Lifting 215Exceeding Your Carrying Limits 215

Lighting 216Flying 216

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CHAPTER VIII – THE GAME MASTER The GM’s Lot 218

Running Dark Heresy 218The Emperor’s Inquisition 219

Know Them by Their Works 219Many are Called, Most are Found Wanting 220

Themes in Dark Heresy 220One Minute to Midnight 220There is Taint in All Things 220Calcified Knowledge and Mystical Technology 221There is Only War 221Know Your Place 221

We’re on a Mission from the God-Emperor 222Heroes, Heretics and Everyone in Between 222A Proper Stage 222Heresies Great and Small 223

For Glory or Gain? 228Experience Points 228

Interaction 230Interaction Skills 230Using Interaction Skills 230

Fear & Damnation 232Insanity and Corruption Points 232Fear 232

Going Insane 234Degrees of Madness 234Mental Trauma 234Gaining Mental Disorders 234The Severity of Disorders 235Types of Mental Disorder 235Removing Insanity Points from Your Character 237

Corruption 238Corruption Points 238Moral Threats 238The Malignancy Teat 238Mutation 239

The Dark Powers 240Khorne, Tzeentch, Slaanesh and Nurgle 240Servants of the Dark Gods 241Dark Pacts 241Striking the Bargain 242Your Deal with Darkness 242Pact of Survival and Dominion 242Pact of Vengeance, Desire and Knowledge 243Dark Pacts and Corruption 243The Mask of Seeming 244Invoking the Daemon 244Counting the Cost 244Denying the Daemon 244

CHAPTER IX – LIFE IN THE IMPERIUM The Feudal Order 246

The Adeptus Terra 246The Adeptus Ministorum 247The Inquisition 248

Planets of the Imperium 249Types of Planet 249Types of Culture 249Planetary Government 251Planetary Appearance 251

Imperius Dominatus (MAP) 252Travel in the Imperium 254

Slower Than Light Travel 254Warp Travel 255Communication 256

Threats to Humanity 256Disciples of the Dark Gods 256Mutation 256Rebellion 259On Organisational Disagreement 259

War 260Imperial Guard 260Imperial Navy 260Adeptus Astartes 261Deathwatch and Grey Knights 262

Superstition & Faith 263The Cult of the Emperor 263The Ghost in the Machine 264

CHAPTER X – THE INQUISITION Organisation 267

Overview 267The Ordos of the Inquisition 268Conclaves 273Factions 274

Methods 276An Inquisitor’s Cadre 276An Acolyte’s Duties 278

Tradition 279Symbols 279

Customs of the Calixian Conclave 281 CHAPTER XI – THE CALIXIS SECTOR

Overview 286The Hereticus Tenebrae 287The Calixis Sector (MAP) 288

Scintilla 290Overview 290Hive Sibellus 293Hive Tarsus 295Ambulon 296Gunmetal City 298The Wilderness 299

Iocanthos 300Port Suffering 300The Levies of King Skull the Magnificent 301Seth the Voice 301The Abbey of the Dawn 302The Badlands 302

Sepheris Secundus 303The Suffering Kingdom 303Icenholm 304Gorgonid Mine 305Fathomsound Mine 307

The Misericord 308Locations of Note 309

Power Groups 311The Adeptus Terra 311The Adeptus Ministorum 311The Adeptus Arbites 311The Redemption 312

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It is the 41st Millennium 6What You Need to Play Dark Heresy 7Reading and Rolling the Dice 9Feral World Careers 14Hive World Careers 16Imperial World Careers 18Void Born Careers 20Starting Psychic Powers 26Trait: Sanctioned Psyker 26Trait: Mechannicus Implants 27It’s a Hard Life 29Handedness 31Multiple Names 36Tech-Priest Abilities in Game Terms 89Vehicles in the Imperium 102Communicating Without Language 107A Dark Age of Technology 124Calixian Currencies 125Availability and Technology 126A Galaxy of Guns 127Bracing 127Weapon Craftmanship 128Using Weapons Without Talent 130Recharging Power Packs 132Throwing Grenades 136Blindness 136Explosive Mishaps 137Armour Craftmanship 144Clothing in the Imperium 146Excessive Drug Use 148Attaching Bionics and Implants 153Witches & Psykers 159Psykers in Dark Heresy 160Am I a Psyker? 160Psychic Foci 162Closer Than Flesh 179Combat Abstractions 191Fleeing 192The Tactical Map 194

Righteous Fury! 195Combining Difficulties 197The Effects of Gravity 213Golden Rules 219Playing the Inquisitor 220Very Bad Things 233Only the Insane Shall Prosper 237Chaos and the Common Citizen 238A Warning to the Curious 240Masters of Corruption 244Language 249Psykers 251The Chartist Captains 254Navigators 255On Witchcraft 257On Daemons 258On Xenos 258The Commissariat 260Preachers & Confessors 263Excommunication 267The Sisters of Battle 269Daemons! 271The Black Ships 273Ranks and Player Characters 276Exterminatus 278Customs in Game Terms 281The Scintillan Dictates 282Shoulder Your Burden 284Sector Governor Marius Hax 286Using the Calixis Sector 287Senior Astropath Xiao 294Guns of Gunmetal 299Queen Lachryma III 304The Traditions of Serfdom 307The Misericordian Castes 309Archdeacon Ludmilla 312The Great Houses 313Threat Rating 330Sorcery! 337

House Krin 312The Cestelle Alliance 313The Devayne Incorporation 313The Machenko Dynasty 314The Skaelen-Har Hegemony 314

The Calixian Conclave 315The Tyrantine Cabal 316Komus the Tyrant Star 317Other Sector Worlds 323

CHAPTER XII – ALIENS, HERETICS & ANTAGONISTS

Traits 328Trait Descriptions 329Mutations 334

Gaining Mutations 334Dramatis Persona 336

Arbitrator–Cult Magus 336Dreg–Entertainer 338Furnace Worker–Heavy 340Merchant Magnate–Scribe 342

Scum to Witch 344The Bestial and the Alien 346Animals and Vermin 349From Beyond 350

Astral Spectre–Daemonettes 350Dispayres–Unclean Spirit 352Daemonhosts 355

CHAPTER XIII – ILLUMINATION Introduction & Game Master’s Section 360Part One: The Brazen Sky 362Part Two: Planetfall 365Into the Barren Lands 371Part Three: The Black Cathedral 372Part Four: Faith Betrayed 380Part Five: Dancer at the Threshold 384NPCs & Creatures 389

APPENDIX – INDEX 392APPENDIX – TABLE INDEX 395APPENDIX – CHARACTER SHEET 396

SIDEBARS

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It is the 41st Millennium…For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind

by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing

invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls

are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die.

Yet in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the Daemon-infested miasma of the warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will. Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines,

bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, to name but a few.

But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants—and worse.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billons. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

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