“Through his blessings, death itself is stayed. In his embrace, there is only affection and love. Let us share his munificence with those still ignorant of our cherished Grandfather, lest they perish before knowing his generosity.”    –Pox Magister Effluvias Plo

The Tome of Decay supplement is now available for Black Crusade, both online through our webstore and at your local retailer!

Devote yourself to the service of the Plague Lord in this sourcebook for the followers of Nurgle. Within the pages of this supplement, you’ll find more information on the foetid servants of the Grandfather, alongside new Archetypes and corrupted blessings, rules for attaining apotheosis, and an adventure that leads you into the very heart of the Screaming Vortex for judgment by Nurgle himself.

The Blessings of Nurgle

In our first designer diary of The Tome of Decay, we revealed some of the new rules for leading your own Black Crusade against the hated Imperium and the False Emperor. By becoming a Warmaster and gathering the support of Chaos warbands, cults, mercenaries, and pirate fleets, you and your fellow Heretics can cut a swath across the galaxy, whether you aim to breach the Jericho Reach or battle across an entire Segmentum of the galaxy. With the new rules included in The Tome of Decay, you have the chance to command massive armies, while maintaining your own personal flair for spreading destruction and chaos.

The second designer diary for The Tome of Decay turned from crusading armies to the ultimate ambition of every Heretic: to attain Daemonhood. In this supplement, you’ll find two distinct ways to receive Daemonic gifts. The quick and easy way comes by enacting the Ritual of Possession and inviting a Daemon to indwell the Heretic’s body. This path offers the Heretic an easy source of Daemonic gifts, but in the end, the Daemon overcomes the Heretic, consuming him completely. On the other hand, through arduous efforts and devoted service, a Heretic may be found worthy of rebirth. A Heretic blessed in this way becomes a true Daemon Prince, and in The Tome of Decay, you’ll find rules for playing as a Daemon Prince and wreaking havoc across the galaxy.

Most recently, we previewed some of what you might expect in The Heart of the Vortex adventure within The Tome of Decay. The Heretics’ journey leads them across the worlds of the Screaming Vortex, encountering three of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos – Khorne, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh. Throughout these adventures, you and your fellow Heretics demonstrate your devotion to Chaos, and in this final chapter, your souls hang in the balance of Nurgle’s judgment. Truly committed Heretics may find their reward in a Daemonic rebirth, but those found wanting will become mindless Chaos Spawn or suffer an even worse fate.

You’ll find even more within the pages of The Tome of Decay. You may choose to travel to the twisting embrace of the Writhing World, or disease-ridden Hindrance. New Archetypes allow you to take on twisted personas such as the Warpsmith, Plaguemeister, and Death Priest of Mire. Whether you battle with a Pandemic Staff, Foulswarm Grenades, or the countless pestilences of Nurgle, you’ll find rules for using these new tools in the Decaying Armoury, opening the doors to countless adventures within the Immaterium and beyond.

Poxes and Blights

The unlimited power of the Warp is calling! Gather your Heretic companions and take your next steps upon the path to apotheosis. Journey into the rotting embrace of Nurgle in The Tome of Decay, now available at your local retailer!

Discuss this article
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From your first steps upon the Path to Glory, you and your fellow Heretics have worked to attain your highest ambition: to become a Daemon Prince in the service of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. In The Tome of Blood, The Tome of Fate, and The Tome of Excess supplements for Black Crusade, your journey led deeper into the insanity and darkness of the Screaming Vortex. Now, your final test awaits. In The Tome of Decay, you venture into the heart of the vortex to be judged by Grandfather Nurgle.

Today, Andy Hoare, the author of the Tome adventures, recounts the story of the Heretics’ journey into the Screaming Vortex and reveals some of what awaits you in The Heart of the Vortex adventure.

Andy Hoare on the Heretics’ Journey

The Tome of Decay features The Heart of the Vortex, the fourth and final adventure in a series stretching across the four Tomes. Each of these supplements adds details to one of the Ruinous Powers, and offers an adventure that tests the Heretics' ability to please a Chaos God. If you haven't yet taken the plunge and begun your own Black Crusade campaign, here's an overview of the challenges you might face and the rewards you might earn along the arduous Path to Glory.

Be warned, however: for every mortal that sets out upon this route, only one in a generation achieves the desired end, earning apotheosis to the ranks of Daemon Princes. Heretics might be driven beyond madness by the raw insanity of the Warp, while others attain the brink of ascension, only to be overwhelmed by the limitless gifts of Chaos. These unfortunates are transformed into beasts of thrashing tentacles, razor-edged teeth, and hideous Daemon-flesh, doomed to spend the remains of their lives as mindless Spawn of Chaos. If you’re determined to continue, read on to see the horrors and tests of worthiness that await you in the Warp!

There Was Blood

The Tome of Blood is the supplement dedicated to the Chaos God of blood, battle, and rage. Within this adventure, a group of Heretics sets out upon the Path to Glory, seeking a means to leave their indelible mark on the interminable wars and rivalries within the bounds of the Screaming Vortex. An incomparable opportunity to prove themselves arrives in the form of the Axe of Khak-Aksha, which they may uncover on the war-torn world of Messia.

The Heretics’ only hope of claiming the Axe of Khak-Aksha lies in brutally conquering or uniting the disparate Drill-Clans of Messia, before facing a millions-strong migration of bloodthirsty mutants. Success in these brutal battles affords the budding Heretics the chance to claim a powerful weapon, as well as distinguishing themselves in battle against some of the mightiest warlords of the region.

Vagaries of Fate

After obtaining the bloody blessings of Khorne, the Heretics' journey takes them still deeper into the Screaming Vortex, to the unnatural world of Q'Sal. Here, they have the chance to attract the patronage of Tzeentch, Master of Fate and Lord of Lies, by exploring the schemes and plots of this duplicitous Ruinous Power. During this adventure within The Tome of Fate, the Heretics become deeply embroiled in these cunning intrigues.

Upon this unnatural planet, the Heretics must cooperate to seize dominance in the labyrinthine rivalries between the sorcerers of Q'Sal. Whether they ally themselves with the sorcerers or attempt to defeat them at their own deadly games, the Heretics have a chance to gain the dark blessings of Tzeentch. Successfully drawing the attention of Tzeentch allows the Heretics to progress further along the Path to Glory and deeper into the dread Screaming Vortex.

The Six Sins

In The Tome of Excess, the Heretics' next port of call is the Ragged Helix, an anarchic body of Screaming Vortex asteroids. A myriad petty pirate lords haut these asteroids, dedicating their conquests to Slaanesh, the Chaos God of Excess and Transgression. Slaanesh and its decadent servants carry countless sinful obsessions, and in this adventure the Heretics must show that they can master each of the Sins of Slaanesh.

The challenge of surmounting the Sins might appear simple, but in truth, few can sample even one of the Sins without being consumed. The souls of the devoured are held forfeit and their journey along the Path to Glory is brought to an ignominious end. If the Heretics can master the Sins, however, they gain the respect and allegiance of the Pirates of the Ragged Helix, alongside the eternal blessing of Slaanesh, the Dark Prince of Chaos.

Death and Rebirth

In the adventure within The Tome of Decay, the Heretics have already risen to high status among the warlords of the Screaming Vortex, proving themselves worthy of a final judgement by Nurgle. The Heretics have mastered war, intrigue, and excess, yet on the foetid, deathly world of Mire they must face their greatest challenge yet.

On the planet Mire, at the heart of Screaming Vortex, the Heretics are granted the chance to be weighed in the balance by Nurgle. If judged worthy, Nurgle grants rebirth to the Heretics, inviting them to rise to become the mightiest lords of the Screaming Vortex. Heretics blessed in this way have the opportunity to lead a Black Crusade into the hated Imperium, or to ascend to the ultimate state of Daemonhood. But at the end of things, within the heart of the Screaming Vortex, the Ruinous Powers can be more harsh, uncaring, and fickle than ever as they judge the Heretics’ Warp-blasted souls. The Heretics must master death itself, and for many, their final steps on the Path to Glory will be the last they ever take.

Thanks, Andy!

The end of the Heretics’ journey approaches. Demonstrate yourself worthy of the Chaos Gods’ blessing, or else plummet to excruciating death or mindless servitude as a Chaos Spawn. The judgment of Nurgle awaits: begin the adventure in The Tome of Decay and take the first steps to apotheosis.

Preorder your copy of The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

From your first steps upon the Path to Glory, you and your fellow Heretics have worked to attain your highest ambition: to become a Daemon Prince in the service of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. In The Tome of Blood, The Tome of Fate, and The Tome of Excess supplements for Black Crusade, your journey led deeper into the insanity and darkness of the Screaming Vortex. Now, your final test awaits. In The Tome of Decay, you venture into the heart of the vortex to be judged by Grandfather Nurgle.

Today, Andy Hoare, the author of the Tome adventures, recounts the story of the Heretics’ journey into the Screaming Vortex and reveals some of what awaits you in The Heart of the Vortex adventure.

Andy Hoare on the Heretics’ Journey

The Tome of Decay features The Heart of the Vortex, the fourth and final adventure in a series stretching across the four Tomes. Each of these supplements adds details to one of the Ruinous Powers, and offers an adventure that tests the Heretics' ability to please a Chaos God. If you haven't yet taken the plunge and begun your own Black Crusade campaign, here's an overview of the challenges you might face and the rewards you might earn along the arduous Path to Glory.

Be warned, however: for every mortal that sets out upon this route, only one in a generation achieves the desired end, earning apotheosis to the ranks of Daemon Princes. Heretics might be driven beyond madness by the raw insanity of the Warp, while others attain the brink of ascension, only to be overwhelmed by the limitless gifts of Chaos. These unfortunates are transformed into beasts of thrashing tentacles, razor-edged teeth, and hideous Daemon-flesh, doomed to spend the remains of their lives as mindless Spawn of Chaos. If you’re determined to continue, read on to see the horrors and tests of worthiness that await you in the Warp!

There Was Blood

The Tome of Blood is the supplement dedicated to the Chaos God of blood, battle, and rage. Within this adventure, a group of Heretics sets out upon the Path to Glory, seeking a means to leave their indelible mark on the interminable wars and rivalries within the bounds of the Screaming Vortex. An incomparable opportunity to prove themselves arrives in the form of the Axe of Khak-Aksha, which they may uncover on the war-torn world of Messia.

The Heretics’ only hope of claiming the Axe of Khak-Aksha lies in brutally conquering or uniting the disparate Drill-Clans of Messia, before facing a millions-strong migration of bloodthirsty mutants. Success in these brutal battles affords the budding Heretics the chance to claim a powerful weapon, as well as distinguishing themselves in battle against some of the mightiest warlords of the region.

Vagaries of Fate

After obtaining the bloody blessings of Khorne, the Heretics' journey takes them still deeper into the Screaming Vortex, to the unnatural world of Q'Sal. Here, they have the chance to attract the patronage of Tzeentch, Master of Fate and Lord of Lies, by exploring the schemes and plots of this duplicitous Ruinous Power. During this adventure within The Tome of Fate, the Heretics become deeply embroiled in these cunning intrigues.

Upon this unnatural planet, the Heretics must cooperate to seize dominance in the labyrinthine rivalries between the sorcerers of Q'Sal. Whether they ally themselves with the sorcerers or attempt to defeat them at their own deadly games, the Heretics have a chance to gain the dark blessings of Tzeentch. Successfully drawing the attention of Tzeentch allows the Heretics to progress further along the Path to Glory and deeper into the dread Screaming Vortex.

The Six Sins

In The Tome of Excess, the Heretics' next port of call is the Ragged Helix, an anarchic body of Screaming Vortex asteroids. A myriad petty pirate lords haut these asteroids, dedicating their conquests to Slaanesh, the Chaos God of Excess and Transgression. Slaanesh and its decadent servants carry countless sinful obsessions, and in this adventure the Heretics must show that they can master each of the Sins of Slaanesh.

The challenge of surmounting the Sins might appear simple, but in truth, few can sample even one of the Sins without being consumed. The souls of the devoured are held forfeit and their journey along the Path to Glory is brought to an ignominious end. If the Heretics can master the Sins, however, they gain the respect and allegiance of the Pirates of the Ragged Helix, alongside the eternal blessing of Slaanesh, the Dark Prince of Chaos.

Death and Rebirth

In the adventure within The Tome of Decay, the Heretics have already risen to high status among the warlords of the Screaming Vortex, proving themselves worthy of a final judgement by Nurgle. The Heretics have mastered war, intrigue, and excess, yet on the foetid, deathly world of Mire they must face their greatest challenge yet.

On the planet Mire, at the heart of Screaming Vortex, the Heretics are granted the chance to be weighed in the balance by Nurgle. If judged worthy, Nurgle grants rebirth to the Heretics, inviting them to rise to become the mightiest lords of the Screaming Vortex. Heretics blessed in this way have the opportunity to lead a Black Crusade into the hated Imperium, or to ascend to the ultimate state of Daemonhood. But at the end of things, within the heart of the Screaming Vortex, the Ruinous Powers can be more harsh, uncaring, and fickle than ever as they judge the Heretics’ Warp-blasted souls. The Heretics must master death itself, and for many, their final steps on the Path to Glory will be the last they ever take.

Thanks, Andy!

The end of the Heretics’ journey approaches. Demonstrate yourself worthy of the Chaos Gods’ blessing, or else plummet to excruciating death or mindless servitude as a Chaos Spawn. The judgment of Nurgle awaits: begin the adventure in The Tome of Decay and take the first steps to apotheosis.

Preorder your copy of The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, the safety of the Imperium is threatened from every side. The spawn of the Warp seek constantly to bring the Imperium to chaos and ruin, and the hearts of men are a fertile ground for sowing corruption. Outside the bounds of the Imperium, xenos species lurk, waiting for a moment of weakness in which to pounce.

Dark Heresy Second Edition casts you and your friends into the roles of Acolytes, tasked with standing firm against these threats, and the Core Rulebook brings the horrors of serving the Inquisition to life in its adventure, Dark Pursuits. You and your fellow Acolytes must investigate the Faceless Trade, a massive network of criminal cartels and smuggling operations dedicated to transporting and selling heretical objects. Your task is to investigate the origin and the destination of these forbidden artefacts and exterminate the heretics who dare to trifle with these powers.

Today, contributing writer Tim Cox shares his experiences from creating the Dark Pursuits adventure for your exploits in the Askellon sector.

Tim Cox on Developing the Dark Pursuits Adventure

As the introductory adventure included in the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, Dark Pursuits allows your group to start a campaign quickly, while simultaneously introducing Game Masters and players to the central theme of Dark Heresy. In this adventure, an ongoing investigation thrusts the Acolytes into action uncovering the secrets of a multi-headed conspiracy and a singular powerful foe. New players will quickly learn that traitors are everywhere, and that Acolytes can only rely on themselves to overcome the threats at hand. The Acolytes’ actions illuminate the heresies they face and reveal greater threats waiting in the shadows.

In this adventure, the Acolytes’ Inquisitor tasks them with investigating the source of foul xenos artefacts discovered in the Apex of Hive Desoleum, and any possible connection between the artefacts and a series of mysterious deaths. Most importantly, the Acolytes must uncover how these heretical items enter the hive city and stop those responsible. The investigation brings players into conflict with a vast smuggling cartel that deals in the most dangerous proscribed items, as well as a dangerous outcast eager to purchase the most heretical objects. Simply coming into contact with these artefacts could endanger an Acolyte’s soul, and before the adventure ends, the Acolytes must confront an ancient and corrupting evil that could damn all of Desoleum.

The Acolytes must maintain their focus on the most compelling heresies they find, carefully choosing their battles as they witness the crime and depravity that runs rampant amongst the citizens of the decaying hive. Focusing on petty crimes or even lesser heresies costs the Acolytes valuable time that they cannot afford. The mark of a great Acolyte or Inquisitor is the understanding and will to choose his battles. Visiting justice on the sadistic Babyfaces hive gang might seem noble, but by doing so, the Acolytes might allow a deadly arch-heretek to finish his dark dealings.

Enter the Hive

The Dark Pursuits adventure takes place within Hive Desoleum, a decaying hive planet and a home to hundreds of billions. The Acolytes’ investigation takes them from the heights of the Apex to the lawless borderland between Desoleum City and the underhive, before finally arriving at Gyre Voidport, a massive complex adjoining the hive proper. The towering voidport reflects the structure of the hive itself, with millennia of construction layered upon the original foundation, and dark things lurking in ancient loading tunnels and forgotten maintenance shafts. Here, the Acolytes gain additional insights into smuggling activity of the Faceless Trade, and must race to halt the delivery of an impossibly dangerous cargo. Corruption is everywhere in Hive Desoleum, from the manses of Apex nobility to the dangerous border territory of Three Stakes’ Rest.

One of my favourite things about writing for Dark Heresy is exploring the locations and individuals that make up the everyday workings of the Imperium’s worlds. In this case, I was focused on Hive Desoleum and its residents, and throughout the adventure, I tried to capture the sights, sounds, and smells of one of the sector’s major hive worlds. I spent a lot of time poring over classic Warhammer 40,000 artwork, in particular the art of John Blanche, to get the right feel for the city and its inhabitants.

As an example of this, Gyre Voidport plays a large part in the Dark Pursuits adventure, which meant thinking about how a major hive world’s primary voidport might work, and what Acolytes might experience when they visit. In the case of Port Gyre, the port is physically separated from the rest of the hive. This voidport features security checkpoints and the gargantuan bureaucracy of the Officio Auctoriate Porteus to oversee business, but the ancient tunnels honeycombing the structure and corruption amongst the Auctoriate allow a brisk trade in smuggled goods. It is the darkest and most dangerous of this smuggling that brings the Acolytes to the port.

Continue Your Adventures

Dark Pursuits introduces players and GMs to the Askellon sector, the setting for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and some of the new dangers that threaten humanity’s survival. Although Acolytes only confront a small sliver of these dangers during the adventure, the experience alerts them to wider heresies. By the end of the adventure, Acolytes have several potential avenues for follow-up investigations, any of which might form the starting point for their next adventure.

Hive Desoleum also serves as the focus for the NPCs and Adversaries chapter of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, giving GMs an extensive variety of additional NPCs and groups to insert into the Dark Pursuits adventure if desired. Hive Desoleum also receives a detailed write-up in the chapter focused on the Askellon Sector, as well as some unique vehicles and items described in the Armoury chapter. Altogether, this wealth of information on Desoleum allows GMs to bring the hive city to life, immersing players in the world of Dark Heresy and opening the gates for dozens of continuing adventures following the events of Dark Pursuits.

I hope that both new and experienced Dark Heresy players will enjoy this adventure as a starting point for their adventures in the Askellon Sector. I look forward to hearing how different groups tackle the investigation and the many challenges awaiting their Acolytes!

Thanks, Tim!

Untold adventures lie before you in Hive Desoleum. Will you exterminate the Faceless Trade and the ancient evils within Desoleum, or will your Dark Pursuits lead you to your destruction? Preorder your copy of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook today, and watch for more designer diaries in coming weeks!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, the safety of the Imperium is threatened from every side. The spawn of the Warp seek constantly to bring the Imperium to chaos and ruin, and the hearts of men are a fertile ground for sowing corruption. Outside the bounds of the Imperium, xenos species lurk, waiting for a moment of weakness in which to pounce.

Dark Heresy Second Edition casts you and your friends into the roles of Acolytes, tasked with standing firm against these threats, and the Core Rulebook brings the horrors of serving the Inquisition to life in its adventure, Dark Pursuits. You and your fellow Acolytes must investigate the Faceless Trade, a massive network of criminal cartels and smuggling operations dedicated to transporting and selling heretical objects. Your task is to investigate the origin and the destination of these forbidden artefacts and exterminate the heretics who dare to trifle with these powers.

Today, contributing writer Tim Cox shares his experiences from creating the Dark Pursuits adventure for your exploits in the Askellon sector.

Tim Cox on Developing the Dark Pursuits Adventure

As the introductory adventure included in the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, Dark Pursuits allows your group to start a campaign quickly, while simultaneously introducing Game Masters and players to the central theme of Dark Heresy. In this adventure, an ongoing investigation thrusts the Acolytes into action uncovering the secrets of a multi-headed conspiracy and a singular powerful foe. New players will quickly learn that traitors are everywhere, and that Acolytes can only rely on themselves to overcome the threats at hand. The Acolytes’ actions illuminate the heresies they face and reveal greater threats waiting in the shadows.

In this adventure, the Acolytes’ Inquisitor tasks them with investigating the source of foul xenos artefacts discovered in the Apex of Hive Desoleum, and any possible connection between the artefacts and a series of mysterious deaths. Most importantly, the Acolytes must uncover how these heretical items enter the hive city and stop those responsible. The investigation brings players into conflict with a vast smuggling cartel that deals in the most dangerous proscribed items, as well as a dangerous outcast eager to purchase the most heretical objects. Simply coming into contact with these artefacts could endanger an Acolyte’s soul, and before the adventure ends, the Acolytes must confront an ancient and corrupting evil that could damn all of Desoleum.

The Acolytes must maintain their focus on the most compelling heresies they find, carefully choosing their battles as they witness the crime and depravity that runs rampant amongst the citizens of the decaying hive. Focusing on petty crimes or even lesser heresies costs the Acolytes valuable time that they cannot afford. The mark of a great Acolyte or Inquisitor is the understanding and will to choose his battles. Visiting justice on the sadistic Babyfaces hive gang might seem noble, but by doing so, the Acolytes might allow a deadly arch-heretek to finish his dark dealings.

Enter the Hive

The Dark Pursuits adventure takes place within Hive Desoleum, a decaying hive planet and a home to hundreds of billions. The Acolytes’ investigation takes them from the heights of the Apex to the lawless borderland between Desoleum City and the underhive, before finally arriving at Gyre Voidport, a massive complex adjoining the hive proper. The towering voidport reflects the structure of the hive itself, with millennia of construction layered upon the original foundation, and dark things lurking in ancient loading tunnels and forgotten maintenance shafts. Here, the Acolytes gain additional insights into smuggling activity of the Faceless Trade, and must race to halt the delivery of an impossibly dangerous cargo. Corruption is everywhere in Hive Desoleum, from the manses of Apex nobility to the dangerous border territory of Three Stakes’ Rest.

One of my favourite things about writing for Dark Heresy is exploring the locations and individuals that make up the everyday workings of the Imperium’s worlds. In this case, I was focused on Hive Desoleum and its residents, and throughout the adventure, I tried to capture the sights, sounds, and smells of one of the sector’s major hive worlds. I spent a lot of time poring over classic Warhammer 40,000 artwork, in particular the art of John Blanche, to get the right feel for the city and its inhabitants.

As an example of this, Gyre Voidport plays a large part in the Dark Pursuits adventure, which meant thinking about how a major hive world’s primary voidport might work, and what Acolytes might experience when they visit. In the case of Port Gyre, the port is physically separated from the rest of the hive. This voidport features security checkpoints and the gargantuan bureaucracy of the Officio Auctoriate Porteus to oversee business, but the ancient tunnels honeycombing the structure and corruption amongst the Auctoriate allow a brisk trade in smuggled goods. It is the darkest and most dangerous of this smuggling that brings the Acolytes to the port.

Continue Your Adventures

Dark Pursuits introduces players and GMs to the Askellon sector, the setting for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and some of the new dangers that threaten humanity’s survival. Although Acolytes only confront a small sliver of these dangers during the adventure, the experience alerts them to wider heresies. By the end of the adventure, Acolytes have several potential avenues for follow-up investigations, any of which might form the starting point for their next adventure.

Hive Desoleum also serves as the focus for the NPCs and Adversaries chapter of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook, giving GMs an extensive variety of additional NPCs and groups to insert into the Dark Pursuits adventure if desired. Hive Desoleum also receives a detailed write-up in the chapter focused on the Askellon Sector, as well as some unique vehicles and items described in the Armoury chapter. Altogether, this wealth of information on Desoleum allows GMs to bring the hive city to life, immersing players in the world of Dark Heresy and opening the gates for dozens of continuing adventures following the events of Dark Pursuits.

I hope that both new and experienced Dark Heresy players will enjoy this adventure as a starting point for their adventures in the Askellon Sector. I look forward to hearing how different groups tackle the investigation and the many challenges awaiting their Acolytes!

Thanks, Tim!

Untold adventures lie before you in Hive Desoleum. Will you exterminate the Faceless Trade and the ancient evils within Desoleum, or will your Dark Pursuits lead you to your destruction? Preorder your copy of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook today, and watch for more designer diaries in coming weeks!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

One ultimate ambition consumes every Heretic serving the Chaos gods: to rise to Daemonhood. In The Tome of Decay supplement for Black Crusade, you’ll find two ways to acheive this lofty goal. You must choose whether to take the long, slow path to Apotheosis and become a Daemon Prince, or to quickly gain power at the cost of your life by becoming a Possessed Heretic. Today, contributing writer Tim Cox explores both options and the unmatched Daemonic power you access through them.

Tim Cox on Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis

In The Tome of Decay, I worked on something that players have looked forward to since the release of Black Crusade: rules for playing Daemonic characters. In fact, The Tome of Decay offers a Heretic two new ways to embrace Daemonic existence and become closer to the gods. He might fulfil the ultimate goal of any Heretic by obtaining Apotheosis – elevation to the form of a mighty Daemon Prince – or he can succumb the quick route to power by inviting a Daemon to possess his body.

It was very important to me that the rules for Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis offer Daemon Princes and Possessed Heretics very different play experiences. Becoming a Daemon Prince is a huge accomplishment, and begins the Heretic’s eternity as an immortal Daemon. Possession offers a quicker path to power, but ultimately dooms the Heretic to destruction.

Possessed by the Warp

Any Heretic can become a Possessed Heretic through the Ritual of Possession. By doing so, the Heretic gains the strength, resilience, and Warp-born powers of a Daemon, but the Heretic must pay a steep cost. A Possessed Heretic retains most of his mind and personality, but must wage a constant battle for control of his body against the Daemon inside him. If the Heretic acts in opposition to the nature of the Daemon, he risks losing control of his body to the Warp entity within.

Rather than merely mutating with increased Corruption, a Possessed Heretic displays a host of potent abilities, called Daemonic Manifestations. These Daemonic Manifestations reflect the nature of the Daemon, and as the Heretic gains Corruption, the Daemon exerts more influence over the Heretic’s form, granting Manifestations such as a Chaos Aura to deflect attacks or deadly Rending Talons.

Of course, the Warp is fickle, and when you gain a new Daemonic Manifestation, you randomly generates the result. If you’re willing to take additional Corruption, however, you can bargain with the Daemon and modify the result. In fact, you can modify the result as much as you want, but you gain Corruption equal to the difference! This is just one of several ways that possession increases the rate at which a Heretic gains Corruption.

For a Possessed Heretic, gaining Corruption is both positive and negative. More Corruption means more powerful Daemonic abilities and Manifestations, but it also brings the Heretic closer to destruction. The further he advances along the Possession Track, the more opportunities a character has to take Corruption in exchange for additional benefits. Instead of achieving Apotheosis or transformation into a Chaos Spawn upon reaching 100 Corruption Points, the Daemon takes full control of the Heretic, consuming his soul. But for those truly devoted to the Dark Gods, this is a joyous fate!

A Prince of Chaos

Nearly all Chaos champions aspire to Apotheosis, but only the tiniest fraction ever achieve the mantle of Daemon Prince. Whereas possession allows an existing Daemon to inhabit a mortal body, a Heretic who achieves Apotheosis receives the ultimate blessing of his god, becoming a Daemon in his own right and leaving mortality behind. The basic requirements for becoming a Daemon Prince were explained in the Black Crusade Core Rulebook, and now players have rules and guidance for what happens next, allowing them to play as Daemon Princes for the first time.

Unsurprisingly, Daemon Prince characters are incredibly powerful, a fact reflected by a number of new Traits and special rules. In addition, a Daemon Prince gains one or more special rules corresponding to the Heretic’s patron god. For instance, a Daemon Prince of Nurgle can choose Aura of Pestilence, inflicting a penalty to all Toughness Tests for mortals in his vicinity.

Although Daemon Princes continue to accrue Infamy, they no longer gain or lose Corruption. As entities of the Warp, they are corruption incarnate! Instead, Daemon Princes gather a new resource, Favour, which represents the esteem of the Prince’s patron god. Daemon Princes can spend Favour to obtain Daemonic Gifts, powerful abilities granted directly by their patron Chaos God. For mortal beings, the gifts of the gods are subject to the whims of Dark Powers, but Daemon Princes control how the Warp manifests through them, and can select any Daemonic Gift they can afford.

A Daemon Prince gains Favour by completing acts worthy of his prowess and advancing his patron god’s agenda, whether by defeating the Daemonic armies of a rival god or corrupting the forces of humanity’s protectors. The expectations placed on Daemon Princes are high, however, and a Daemon Prince who fails in the eyes of his patron loses Favour.

Playing with a Daemon Prince at the table represents exciting new opportunities and challenges for both the GM and players. Although few opponents can stand against a Daemon Prince in combat, he must seek out worthy challenges or risk disappointing his patron god and suffering punishment. Daemon Princes are expected to wage wars against mortal and Daemonic foes, and even launch Black Crusades in the name of Chaos. Of course, Daemon Princes also face certain limitations in the physical universe, both due to their nature as Daemons and their size when manifest in reality. The inclusion of a Daemon Prince radically changes the nature of a Black Crusade campaign, but opens countless possibilities in the Screaming Vortex and beyond.

Thanks, Tim!

Whether you rise to godhood through Apotheosis or undergo the Ritual of Possession, you’ll find ways to acheive greater infamy than ever with The Tome of Decay. Declare your service to the gods of Chaos, and preorder The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

One ultimate ambition consumes every Heretic serving the Chaos gods: to rise to Daemonhood. In The Tome of Decay supplement for Black Crusade, you’ll find two ways to acheive this lofty goal. You must choose whether to take the long, slow path to Apotheosis and become a Daemon Prince, or to quickly gain power at the cost of your life by becoming a Possessed Heretic. Today, contributing writer Tim Cox explores both options and the unmatched Daemonic power you access through them.

Tim Cox on Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis

In The Tome of Decay, I worked on something that players have looked forward to since the release of Black Crusade: rules for playing Daemonic characters. In fact, The Tome of Decay offers a Heretic two new ways to embrace Daemonic existence and become closer to the gods. He might fulfil the ultimate goal of any Heretic by obtaining Apotheosis – elevation to the form of a mighty Daemon Prince – or he can succumb the quick route to power by inviting a Daemon to possess his body.

It was very important to me that the rules for Possessed Heretics and Apotheosis offer Daemon Princes and Possessed Heretics very different play experiences. Becoming a Daemon Prince is a huge accomplishment, and begins the Heretic’s eternity as an immortal Daemon. Possession offers a quicker path to power, but ultimately dooms the Heretic to destruction.

Possessed by the Warp

Any Heretic can become a Possessed Heretic through the Ritual of Possession. By doing so, the Heretic gains the strength, resilience, and Warp-born powers of a Daemon, but the Heretic must pay a steep cost. A Possessed Heretic retains most of his mind and personality, but must wage a constant battle for control of his body against the Daemon inside him. If the Heretic acts in opposition to the nature of the Daemon, he risks losing control of his body to the Warp entity within.

Rather than merely mutating with increased Corruption, a Possessed Heretic displays a host of potent abilities, called Daemonic Manifestations. These Daemonic Manifestations reflect the nature of the Daemon, and as the Heretic gains Corruption, the Daemon exerts more influence over the Heretic’s form, granting Manifestations such as a Chaos Aura to deflect attacks or deadly Rending Talons.

Of course, the Warp is fickle, and when you gain a new Daemonic Manifestation, you randomly generates the result. If you’re willing to take additional Corruption, however, you can bargain with the Daemon and modify the result. In fact, you can modify the result as much as you want, but you gain Corruption equal to the difference! This is just one of several ways that possession increases the rate at which a Heretic gains Corruption.

For a Possessed Heretic, gaining Corruption is both positive and negative. More Corruption means more powerful Daemonic abilities and Manifestations, but it also brings the Heretic closer to destruction. The further he advances along the Possession Track, the more opportunities a character has to take Corruption in exchange for additional benefits. Instead of achieving Apotheosis or transformation into a Chaos Spawn upon reaching 100 Corruption Points, the Daemon takes full control of the Heretic, consuming his soul. But for those truly devoted to the Dark Gods, this is a joyous fate!

A Prince of Chaos

Nearly all Chaos champions aspire to Apotheosis, but only the tiniest fraction ever achieve the mantle of Daemon Prince. Whereas possession allows an existing Daemon to inhabit a mortal body, a Heretic who achieves Apotheosis receives the ultimate blessing of his god, becoming a Daemon in his own right and leaving mortality behind. The basic requirements for becoming a Daemon Prince were explained in the Black Crusade Core Rulebook, and now players have rules and guidance for what happens next, allowing them to play as Daemon Princes for the first time.

Unsurprisingly, Daemon Prince characters are incredibly powerful, a fact reflected by a number of new Traits and special rules. In addition, a Daemon Prince gains one or more special rules corresponding to the Heretic’s patron god. For instance, a Daemon Prince of Nurgle can choose Aura of Pestilence, inflicting a penalty to all Toughness Tests for mortals in his vicinity.

Although Daemon Princes continue to accrue Infamy, they no longer gain or lose Corruption. As entities of the Warp, they are corruption incarnate! Instead, Daemon Princes gather a new resource, Favour, which represents the esteem of the Prince’s patron god. Daemon Princes can spend Favour to obtain Daemonic Gifts, powerful abilities granted directly by their patron Chaos God. For mortal beings, the gifts of the gods are subject to the whims of Dark Powers, but Daemon Princes control how the Warp manifests through them, and can select any Daemonic Gift they can afford.

A Daemon Prince gains Favour by completing acts worthy of his prowess and advancing his patron god’s agenda, whether by defeating the Daemonic armies of a rival god or corrupting the forces of humanity’s protectors. The expectations placed on Daemon Princes are high, however, and a Daemon Prince who fails in the eyes of his patron loses Favour.

Playing with a Daemon Prince at the table represents exciting new opportunities and challenges for both the GM and players. Although few opponents can stand against a Daemon Prince in combat, he must seek out worthy challenges or risk disappointing his patron god and suffering punishment. Daemon Princes are expected to wage wars against mortal and Daemonic foes, and even launch Black Crusades in the name of Chaos. Of course, Daemon Princes also face certain limitations in the physical universe, both due to their nature as Daemons and their size when manifest in reality. The inclusion of a Daemon Prince radically changes the nature of a Black Crusade campaign, but opens countless possibilities in the Screaming Vortex and beyond.

Thanks, Tim!

Whether you rise to godhood through Apotheosis or undergo the Ritual of Possession, you’ll find ways to acheive greater infamy than ever with The Tome of Decay. Declare your service to the gods of Chaos, and preorder The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Corruption festers deep within the heart of the Imperium, penetrating throughout the Askellon sector. Only the Acolytes of the Inquisition can eliminate these threats to Mankind’s continued existence.

The development of Dark Heresy Second Edition involved creating enormous amounts of fantastic art, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the design behind one of those pieces: the iconic cover of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook. Read below for our interview with Andrew Navaro, the head of the Fantasy Flight Games’s art department, and Mathias Kollros, the artist behind the piece, on the making of this artwork.

Designing the Cover of Dark Heresy Second Edition

FFG: What you were looking for and what do you focus on in the art for the second edition of Dark Heresy? 

AN: John Blanche’s work is always inspirational, and we usually try to capture the environments that he creates. John’s art is filled with dark and otherworldly imagery in a way that truly captures Warhammer 40,000. Overall, we chose to create more environments in this edition, placing characters in environments to bring the art and the experience to life. We wanted to use the world as a character, essentially. 

In terms of specifics though, that’s more of a gut feeling. An image of a Space Marine, for example, could be literal in its portrayal, but that doesn’t mean it captures Warhammer 40,000. This setting is all about the nightmarish and strange, and John Blanche’s art is full of details, while still leaving room for viewers to draw in more with imagination. It’s surreal and dreamlike and great as a conceptual launching point. 

FFG: What were you looking for in this cover? Were there any special concepts or imagery you wanted to capture in it? 

AN: I was looking to capture the feeling of being an Inquisitor. We’ve had covers filled with action, gunfire, and explosions, and I was looking to bring other aspects of the Inquisition to the forefront with this cover. An art piece that Alex Boyd did for a past Witch Hunters codex was very inspirational, since it showed what a trial might looks like in the Imperium. It’s filled with weirdness and with beautiful texture and detail, and I wanted to bring some of that feeling into our cover.

FFG: Can you explain the process of creating this piece, from start to finish?

AN: The cover began with an art description, which the artist, Mathias Kollros, worked from when creating his original sketch: At the fore of the composition is an Inquisitor. He should be impressive, intimidating, ruthless, and heroic (in an anti-hero sort of way). He should be elaborately and lavishly equipped in well-tailored clothes and armor. He should be large in stature, but he's not a Space Marine, just a broad-shouldered, tall, muscular man. He should be armed with a bolt pistol, but he need not be holding it at the ready.

In the background, I would like to see something evocative of a hive city, down on street level, or a crowded interior, where life is abysmal and the architecture oppresses you on all sides. This universe, in general, is a terrible place to live, so the background environment should help create that mood of spiritual oppression.

Also in the background, if it works, I think we could include some secondary figures: associates of the Inquisitor and/or a heretic, strung up and captured.

An early version with added armor detail.

I’ve worked with Mathias on several projects, and we’ve gotten pretty like-minded for Warhammer 40,000 art. His initial sketch was what I was looking for, so there wasn’t much to change as it developed into the final cover. 

Much more detail in foreground and background. The color palette cools. The Inquisitor gets an eyepiece.

The biggest change came after Mathias had done a close-to-final version of the Inquisitor and his surroundings. The cover went around for review, and we felt that it could push the boundaries of presentation even more. The decision was made that the cover would feature a large Inquisition “I” symbol to prominently distinguish it from the previous edition. While a great idea, this put me in a bit of a bind as I didn’t want to lose the Inquisitor.

In the end, though, we moved the Inquisitor to the back cover so we could make the image one big wrap-around cover for the book. This let us put the Inquisition symbol on the front in a really strong image. Mathias essentially painted another side to his original art to flesh out the right side of the Inquisitor. The double-page art image was filled with so many wonderful details that we kept words on the cover to a minimum, to show off the art as much as possible. 

First sketch of the extension from Mathias. Inquisitor head design changes.

FFG: What items did Mathias suggest/add to the piece?

AN: The Inquisitor’s armor was all him. Mathias also suggested all the details surrounding the Inquisitor. He really gave it his all, and I feel that this piece truly stands out among Warhammer 40,000 artwork. As we developed it, I often asked him to focus on one area or another, and he filled those areas in with the wonderful, strange details that bring the image to life.

Details fill in. Note the man in the vat. He disappears in later versions.

FFG: Mathias, what can you tell us about the cover and your work on it?

MK: The story of this cover is funny, as the left side, now on the back of the book, was originally planned as the front. The added cover scene on the right gave me the opportunity to add a little twist to the story. Instead of the Inquisitor speaking judgement upon heretics, we witness an argument between various characters, maybe even the start of a rebellion or schism within the order.

I used a lot of classic Warhammer 40,000 art as a reference for this piece, especially Karl Kopinski’s work, since his portrayals of this universe are incredibly rich with details and life. Regarding the design, it needed to be gritty, dirty, uncomfortable, and dark. A key part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is that the distinction between the "good" and "bad" guys is almost nonexistent. I wanted to depict that idea, because it’s what gives me the chills and makes this universe so intense.

Submitted final. Spot the one difference between this and the final cover!

Stand Against Heresy

Thanks Andrew and Mathias!

If you want the art from the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook as a desktop, you can download it from the Dark Heresy Second Edition support page! Stay tuned for more articles on Dark Heresy Second Edition, and preorder your copy at your local retailer today.

 

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Corruption festers deep within the heart of the Imperium, penetrating throughout the Askellon sector. Only the Acolytes of the Inquisition can eliminate these threats to Mankind’s continued existence.

The development of Dark Heresy Second Edition involved creating enormous amounts of fantastic art, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the design behind one of those pieces: the iconic cover of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook. Read below for our interview with Andrew Navaro, the head of the Fantasy Flight Games’s art department, and Mathias Kollros, the artist behind the piece, on the making of this artwork.

Designing the Cover of Dark Heresy Second Edition

FFG: What you were looking for and what do you focus on in the art for the second edition of Dark Heresy? 

AN: John Blanche’s work is always inspirational, and we usually try to capture the environments that he creates. John’s art is filled with dark and otherworldly imagery in a way that truly captures Warhammer 40,000. Overall, we chose to create more environments in this edition, placing characters in environments to bring the art and the experience to life. We wanted to use the world as a character, essentially. 

In terms of specifics though, that’s more of a gut feeling. An image of a Space Marine, for example, could be literal in its portrayal, but that doesn’t mean it captures Warhammer 40,000. This setting is all about the nightmarish and strange, and John Blanche’s art is full of details, while still leaving room for viewers to draw in more with imagination. It’s surreal and dreamlike and great as a conceptual launching point. 

FFG: What were you looking for in this cover? Were there any special concepts or imagery you wanted to capture in it? 

AN: I was looking to capture the feeling of being an Inquisitor. We’ve had covers filled with action, gunfire, and explosions, and I was looking to bring other aspects of the Inquisition to the forefront with this cover. An art piece that Alex Boyd did for a past Witch Hunters codex was very inspirational, since it showed what a trial might looks like in the Imperium. It’s filled with weirdness and with beautiful texture and detail, and I wanted to bring some of that feeling into our cover.

FFG: Can you explain the process of creating this piece, from start to finish?

AN: The cover began with an art description, which the artist, Mathias Kollros, worked from when creating his original sketch: At the fore of the composition is an Inquisitor. He should be impressive, intimidating, ruthless, and heroic (in an anti-hero sort of way). He should be elaborately and lavishly equipped in well-tailored clothes and armor. He should be large in stature, but he's not a Space Marine, just a broad-shouldered, tall, muscular man. He should be armed with a bolt pistol, but he need not be holding it at the ready.

In the background, I would like to see something evocative of a hive city, down on street level, or a crowded interior, where life is abysmal and the architecture oppresses you on all sides. This universe, in general, is a terrible place to live, so the background environment should help create that mood of spiritual oppression.

Also in the background, if it works, I think we could include some secondary figures: associates of the Inquisitor and/or a heretic, strung up and captured.

An early version with added armor detail.

I’ve worked with Mathias on several projects, and we’ve gotten pretty like-minded for Warhammer 40,000 art. His initial sketch was what I was looking for, so there wasn’t much to change as it developed into the final cover. 

Much more detail in foreground and background. The color palette cools. The Inquisitor gets an eyepiece.

The biggest change came after Mathias had done a close-to-final version of the Inquisitor and his surroundings. The cover went around for review, and we felt that it could push the boundaries of presentation even more. The decision was made that the cover would feature a large Inquisition “I” symbol to prominently distinguish it from the previous edition. While a great idea, this put me in a bit of a bind as I didn’t want to lose the Inquisitor.

In the end, though, we moved the Inquisitor to the back cover so we could make the image one big wrap-around cover for the book. This let us put the Inquisition symbol on the front in a really strong image. Mathias essentially painted another side to his original art to flesh out the right side of the Inquisitor. The double-page art image was filled with so many wonderful details that we kept words on the cover to a minimum, to show off the art as much as possible. 

First sketch of the extension from Mathias. Inquisitor head design changes.

FFG: What items did Mathias suggest/add to the piece?

AN: The Inquisitor’s armor was all him. Mathias also suggested all the details surrounding the Inquisitor. He really gave it his all, and I feel that this piece truly stands out among Warhammer 40,000 artwork. As we developed it, I often asked him to focus on one area or another, and he filled those areas in with the wonderful, strange details that bring the image to life.

Details fill in. Note the man in the vat. He disappears in later versions.

FFG: Mathias, what can you tell us about the cover and your work on it?

MK: The story of this cover is funny, as the left side, now on the back of the book, was originally planned as the front. The added cover scene on the right gave me the opportunity to add a little twist to the story. Instead of the Inquisitor speaking judgement upon heretics, we witness an argument between various characters, maybe even the start of a rebellion or schism within the order.

I used a lot of classic Warhammer 40,000 art as a reference for this piece, especially Karl Kopinski’s work, since his portrayals of this universe are incredibly rich with details and life. Regarding the design, it needed to be gritty, dirty, uncomfortable, and dark. A key part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is that the distinction between the "good" and "bad" guys is almost nonexistent. I wanted to depict that idea, because it’s what gives me the chills and makes this universe so intense.

Submitted final. Spot the one difference between this and the final cover!

Stand Against Heresy

Thanks Andrew and Mathias!

If you want the art from the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook as a desktop, you can download it from the Dark Heresy Second Edition support page! Stay tuned for more articles on Dark Heresy Second Edition, and preorder your copy at your local retailer today.

 

Discuss this article
in our forums!

“Your boasts are empty, little sorcerer. All eventually fall to the Grandfather, no matter how they might scheme or plot.”    –Gullivox Arcul, Plaguemeister of the Burrowing Flies

With The Tome of Decay, the upcoming Black Crusade sourcebook devoted to Grandfather Nurgle, you join the putrefying disciples of Nurgle to spread disease and plague across the worlds of the False Emperor and throughout the galaxy. The Tome of Decay introduces six new Archetypes worthy of the Lord of Ruin, a new adventure, and rules for organizing and launching a Black Crusade against the hated Imperium.

Today, contributing writer Jordan Goldfarb writes on how you can become Warmaster and lead your own crusade.

Jordan Goldfarb on Launching a Black Crusade

Greetings, Black Crusade fans!

I’m here to talk about what we’ve all been dreaming of since the beginning – running your own Black Crusade and trampling the servants of the False Emperor beneath the legions of Chaos. Of course, it’s possible to do this using only the Black Crusade Core Rulebook, but in The Tome of Decay, there’s a new system designed for high-level strategic play that allows you to conquer whole sectors without compromising roleplaying or losing the personal touch that the best Warmasters are known and feared for!

When setting out on a Black Crusade, as an able Warmaster, you must choose your target well. The system in The Tome of Decay guides you to work with the Game Master to define the scope of your efforts, whether it be conquering the Calixis Sector, storming the Warp gate into the Jericho Reach, or even battling across a full Segmentum of the galaxy. The GM uses players’ input and his own plans for the campaign to prepare a Crusade Map for the forces of your Black Crusade to battle upon.

A Call to Arms

After declaring themselves Warmasters of a Black Crusade, you and your fellow servants of Chaos must quickly gather other forces under your command, ranging from other Chaos warbands or cults in service to the Ruinous Powers, to alien mercenaries and pirate fleets. The Crusade Forces system abstracts these armies during the strategic play of a Black Crusade, leaving an end result complex enough to be interesting, but not so much that you and the other Warmasters cannot intervene personally.

The Crusade Forces system invites you and your fellow Warmasters to gather support at the beginning of your own Black Crusade. Previous characters and groups from the campaign can become Hosts, Cults, Covens, Fleets, or even Lieutenants in your service, and other followers of the Dark Gods are sure to join fighting for a promising Warmaster. As leaders of a new crusade, you can put some gathered Infamy to use calling more followers to your banner. It’s generally a good idea to do this, even if you’ve gathered many allies during normal play, although if your army grows too large, you risk weakening your ability to intervene personally.

Ruin or Glory

There’s no way to talk about the lure of Chaos without discussing the perils as well as the prizes. To hold your forces together, you must intervene personally on key battlefields, instilling a proper fear into servants and foes alike. This opportunity to influence the battlefield personally allows you to wreak their own brands of destruction and terror across the battles of the crusade.

If you can’t control your wild forces, or if they fall on the field of battle, a dismal fate awaits. When a Warmaster appears weak, his own forces inevitably turn on him, and the Imperium doesn’t take long to rally if given room to breathe. All Black Crusades work on a time limit, calculated out along with the scale and the map, meaning that you have only one chance to make yourself into a living legend of terror. The greater the risk, the greater the reward – and though the consequences for failure are absolute, the chance to bring havoc, destruction, and disease to the Imperium is well worth the risk.

Thanks, Jordan!

Your crusade will bring the pestilence of Nurgle out of the Warp to engulf the galaxy in his foetid embrace. Prepare to launch your Black Crusades in the service of the Grandfather! Preorder The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The galaxy in Dark Heresy Second Edition is a grim and terrifying place. The heresies that threaten the Imperium come from all directions – within, without, and beyond. All that stands in the way of Mankind’s destruction are the Acolytes and Inquisitors that you create and play as to wage a constant, secret war against heresy in the Imperium.

Last time, Tim Huckelbery gave an overview of the character creation process in Dark Heresy. Today, developer Andy Fischer leads us through this process by creating his own Acolyte! Read below to see how he gives life and purpose to another unsung warrior of the Inquisition.

Developer Andy Fischer Creates a Dark Heresy Character

When we created Dark Heresy’s character creation system, our goal was to make a system that gave you a few clear choices that had a big impact on your character and guaranteed you the flexibility to create whatever type of character you wanted. You can either start with a clear character concept to bring to life, or you can come to the game with no idea what you want to play, and let the character creation process inspire you as you follow its steps. For this example, I’ve chosen the latter approach. I’m going in without big preconceptions about what I will create, and I’m letting the combinations of my choices inspire the character for me.

Stage 1: Choose Home World

To start, I have to select where my character was born. I’ve recently played a lot of combat characters, so I’m interested in playing as a more cerebral character. I look through different home world choices, and settle on voidborn. Choosing voidborn as my home world gives me a better chance of having high Intelligence and Willpower, and provides me with the Intelligence aptitude, which helps a lot when creating a character who uses her brain over her brawn.

True to my home world choice, I end up rolling a 40 for my Intelligence and a 45 for my Willpower (the highest possible starting value)! Unfortunately, in the other direction, I rolled a 31 for my Strength, and a 1 when determining my wounds, giving me a total of 8 wounds and a pretty frail character. Based on my low Strength and wounds, I decide my character is probably getting old, and has been riding the ship she was born on for her entire life.

Stage 2: Choose Background

Now that I’ve decided where my character was born and lived most her life, I have to decide what she has done, and what part of the Imperium she spent her life serving. I look through the various backgrounds I can choose from, and based on my character’s Intelligence, I decide she belongs to the Adeptus Administratum. This gives her some useful skills such as Logic, Medicae, and a Scholastic Lore of my choice. It also allows her to take the Knowledge aptitude, which guarantees my character will continue her intellectual pursuits once I start playing the game.

After reading through the background on the Adeptus Administratum, I decide my character fits best as some sort of scribe. She’s been given the task of recording the full history of the ship she rides and sorting its massive library of materials. Her entire life, she has sat among the mountains of scrolls and tomes, recording everything the ship does, and everything that happens onboard. She is the collector and holder of all knowledge on-board the ship; if you want to know something, you go to her.

Stage 3: Choose Role

Lastly, I have to decide what my character’s role for the Inquisition will be. What makes her special? What function will she serve, and how will she grow? As I consider my options, Sage stands out as a good fit for my current character concept. I haven’t done anything with my incredibly high Willpower, though, and I want this character to have something that stands out beyond being an incredibly knowledgeable member of the Administratum. Based on this, I decide that the reason she is so good at her job is that she has unnatural gifts that no one else suspects. She harnesses the powers of the Warp in unnoticable ways that allow her to see beyond her stuffy library and subtly control those around her. To reflect this, I choose the Mystic role.

The Mystic role grants my character the Psyker elite advance for free, and grants her a number of aptitudes that fit perfectly with my character concept. Additionally, a couple of the aptitudes double up with ones I’ve already received in character creation, allowing me to choose from a list of options as a replacement for any doubles.

Now, all that’s left is to integrate the details of the psyker elite advance. Unfortunately, because my character is not a member of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, she’s not sanctioned. This means that she is a rogue psyker, never taken by the Black Ships to Terra, and hiding her powers from everyone around her. Because she never underwent sanctioning, she starts the game with a random amount of Corruption. I roll for a total of nine Corruption, which thankfully just misses forcing me to start with a malignancy!

Finishing Up

My character has come together on a solid foundation. I know where she was born and lived, what function she has served in the Imperium up to this point, and the role she will serve in coming adventures. All that’s left is to decide the final details.

As a member of the Adeptus Administratum, I decide to give my character a High Gothic-sounding name: Sophronia. She’s a very old woman who has worked aboard her ship as long as she can remember. She’s so valuable to the Administratum, they do everything in their power to keep her alive. As a result, many of her body parts are replaced with cybernetics. I decide that Sophronia came into the service of the Inquisition when an Inquisitor came aboard her ship for transport between systems. During the journey, he discovered Sophronia’s secret powers and after seeing her talents, decided to bring her into his retinue instead of reporting her to the Astra Telepathica. Ever since, she has put her intellect and powers over the Warp to use fighting heresy throughout the Askellon Sector.

Now that my character is all finished, I’m ready to dive into a game of Dark Heresy Second Edition! As you can see, there are tons of possibilities for different characters. Just given the three big decisions covered in this designer diary, you can make hundreds of different character types! Above and beyond that, there are dozens of smaller decisions you make to customize your character that I didn’t have room to cover here. Altogether, the possibilities Dark Heresy offers for creating a unique character are virtually endless.

Thanks, Andy!

Heresies and insanities await you in the Askellon sector, and the Acolytes and Inquisitors you create are all that stand between the Imperium and eternal midnight. Take up bolter and chainsword, and join us for our next preview, as we examine the process behind creating the iconic cover of Dark Heresy Second Edition.

 

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The galaxy in Dark Heresy Second Edition is a grim and terrifying place. The heresies that threaten the Imperium come from all directions – within, without, and beyond. All that stands in the way of Mankind’s destruction are the Acolytes and Inquisitors that you create and play as to wage a constant, secret war against heresy in the Imperium.

Last time, Tim Huckelbery gave an overview of the character creation process in Dark Heresy. Today, developer Andy Fischer leads us through this process by creating his own Acolyte! Read below to see how he gives life and purpose to another unsung warrior of the Inquisition.

Developer Andy Fischer Creates a Dark Heresy Character

When we created Dark Heresy’s character creation system, our goal was to make a system that gave you a few clear choices that had a big impact on your character and guaranteed you the flexibility to create whatever type of character you wanted. You can either start with a clear character concept to bring to life, or you can come to the game with no idea what you want to play, and let the character creation process inspire you as you follow its steps. For this example, I’ve chosen the latter approach. I’m going in without big preconceptions about what I will create, and I’m letting the combinations of my choices inspire the character for me.

Stage 1: Choose Home World

To start, I have to select where my character was born. I’ve recently played a lot of combat characters, so I’m interested in playing as a more cerebral character. I look through different home world choices, and settle on voidborn. Choosing voidborn as my home world gives me a better chance of having high Intelligence and Willpower, and provides me with the Intelligence aptitude, which helps a lot when creating a character who uses her brain over her brawn.

True to my home world choice, I end up rolling a 40 for my Intelligence and a 45 for my Willpower (the highest possible starting value)! Unfortunately, in the other direction, I rolled a 31 for my Strength, and a 1 when determining my wounds, giving me a total of 8 wounds and a pretty frail character. Based on my low Strength and wounds, I decide my character is probably getting old, and has been riding the ship she was born on for her entire life.

Stage 2: Choose Background

Now that I’ve decided where my character was born and lived most her life, I have to decide what she has done, and what part of the Imperium she spent her life serving. I look through the various backgrounds I can choose from, and based on my character’s Intelligence, I decide she belongs to the Adeptus Administratum. This gives her some useful skills such as Logic, Medicae, and a Scholastic Lore of my choice. It also allows her to take the Knowledge aptitude, which guarantees my character will continue her intellectual pursuits once I start playing the game.

After reading through the background on the Adeptus Administratum, I decide my character fits best as some sort of scribe. She’s been given the task of recording the full history of the ship she rides and sorting its massive library of materials. Her entire life, she has sat among the mountains of scrolls and tomes, recording everything the ship does, and everything that happens onboard. She is the collector and holder of all knowledge on-board the ship; if you want to know something, you go to her.

Stage 3: Choose Role

Lastly, I have to decide what my character’s role for the Inquisition will be. What makes her special? What function will she serve, and how will she grow? As I consider my options, Sage stands out as a good fit for my current character concept. I haven’t done anything with my incredibly high Willpower, though, and I want this character to have something that stands out beyond being an incredibly knowledgeable member of the Administratum. Based on this, I decide that the reason she is so good at her job is that she has unnatural gifts that no one else suspects. She harnesses the powers of the Warp in unnoticable ways that allow her to see beyond her stuffy library and subtly control those around her. To reflect this, I choose the Mystic role.

The Mystic role grants my character the Psyker elite advance for free, and grants her a number of aptitudes that fit perfectly with my character concept. Additionally, a couple of the aptitudes double up with ones I’ve already received in character creation, allowing me to choose from a list of options as a replacement for any doubles.

Now, all that’s left is to integrate the details of the psyker elite advance. Unfortunately, because my character is not a member of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, she’s not sanctioned. This means that she is a rogue psyker, never taken by the Black Ships to Terra, and hiding her powers from everyone around her. Because she never underwent sanctioning, she starts the game with a random amount of Corruption. I roll for a total of nine Corruption, which thankfully just misses forcing me to start with a malignancy!

Finishing Up

My character has come together on a solid foundation. I know where she was born and lived, what function she has served in the Imperium up to this point, and the role she will serve in coming adventures. All that’s left is to decide the final details.

As a member of the Adeptus Administratum, I decide to give my character a High Gothic-sounding name: Sophronia. She’s a very old woman who has worked aboard her ship as long as she can remember. She’s so valuable to the Administratum, they do everything in their power to keep her alive. As a result, many of her body parts are replaced with cybernetics. I decide that Sophronia came into the service of the Inquisition when an Inquisitor came aboard her ship for transport between systems. During the journey, he discovered Sophronia’s secret powers and after seeing her talents, decided to bring her into his retinue instead of reporting her to the Astra Telepathica. Ever since, she has put her intellect and powers over the Warp to use fighting heresy throughout the Askellon Sector.

Now that my character is all finished, I’m ready to dive into a game of Dark Heresy Second Edition! As you can see, there are tons of possibilities for different characters. Just given the three big decisions covered in this designer diary, you can make hundreds of different character types! Above and beyond that, there are dozens of smaller decisions you make to customize your character that I didn’t have room to cover here. Altogether, the possibilities Dark Heresy offers for creating a unique character are virtually endless.

Thanks, Andy!

Heresies and insanities await you in the Askellon sector, and the Acolytes and Inquisitors you create are all that stand between the Imperium and eternal midnight. Take up bolter and chainsword, and join us for our next preview, as we examine the process behind creating the iconic cover of Dark Heresy Second Edition.

 

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“Your boasts are empty, little sorcerer. All eventually fall to the Grandfather, no matter how they might scheme or plot.”    –Gullivox Arcul, Plaguemeister of the Burrowing Flies

With The Tome of Decay, the upcoming Black Crusade sourcebook devoted to Grandfather Nurgle, you join the putrefying disciples of Nurgle to spread disease and plague across the worlds of the False Emperor and throughout the galaxy. The Tome of Decay introduces six new Archetypes worthy of the Lord of Ruin, a new adventure, and rules for organizing and launching a Black Crusade against the hated Imperium.

Today, contributing writer Jordan Goldfarb writes on how you can become Warmaster and lead your own crusade.

Jordan Goldfarb on Launching a Black Crusade

Greetings, Black Crusade fans!

I’m here to talk about what we’ve all been dreaming of since the beginning – running your own Black Crusade and trampling the servants of the False Emperor beneath the legions of Chaos. Of course, it’s possible to do this using only the Black Crusade Core Rulebook, but in The Tome of Decay, there’s a new system designed for high-level strategic play that allows you to conquer whole sectors without compromising roleplaying or losing the personal touch that the best Warmasters are known and feared for!

When setting out on a Black Crusade, as an able Warmaster, you must choose your target well. The system in The Tome of Decay guides you to work with the Game Master to define the scope of your efforts, whether it be conquering the Calixis Sector, storming the Warp gate into the Jericho Reach, or even battling across a full Segmentum of the galaxy. The GM uses players’ input and his own plans for the campaign to prepare a Crusade Map for the forces of your Black Crusade to battle upon.

A Call to Arms

After declaring themselves Warmasters of a Black Crusade, you and your fellow servants of Chaos must quickly gather other forces under your command, ranging from other Chaos warbands or cults in service to the Ruinous Powers, to alien mercenaries and pirate fleets. The Crusade Forces system abstracts these armies during the strategic play of a Black Crusade, leaving an end result complex enough to be interesting, but not so much that you and the other Warmasters cannot intervene personally.

The Crusade Forces system invites you and your fellow Warmasters to gather support at the beginning of your own Black Crusade. Previous characters and groups from the campaign can become Hosts, Cults, Covens, Fleets, or even Lieutenants in your service, and other followers of the Dark Gods are sure to join fighting for a promising Warmaster. As leaders of a new crusade, you can put some gathered Infamy to use calling more followers to your banner. It’s generally a good idea to do this, even if you’ve gathered many allies during normal play, although if your army grows too large, you risk weakening your ability to intervene personally.

Ruin or Glory

There’s no way to talk about the lure of Chaos without discussing the perils as well as the prizes. To hold your forces together, you must intervene personally on key battlefields, instilling a proper fear into servants and foes alike. This opportunity to influence the battlefield personally allows you to wreak their own brands of destruction and terror across the battles of the crusade.

If you can’t control your wild forces, or if they fall on the field of battle, a dismal fate awaits. When a Warmaster appears weak, his own forces inevitably turn on him, and the Imperium doesn’t take long to rally if given room to breathe. All Black Crusades work on a time limit, calculated out along with the scale and the map, meaning that you have only one chance to make yourself into a living legend of terror. The greater the risk, the greater the reward – and though the consequences for failure are absolute, the chance to bring havoc, destruction, and disease to the Imperium is well worth the risk.

Thanks, Jordan!

Your crusade will bring the pestilence of Nurgle out of the Warp to engulf the galaxy in his foetid embrace. Prepare to launch your Black Crusades in the service of the Grandfather! Preorder The Tome of Decay at your local retailer today.

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In Dark Heresy Second Edition, you and your friends assume the roles of Acolytes in the service of an Inquisitor, battling heresy within, without, and beyond. An Acolyte can come from any planet and any background, but all Acolytes must face the universe’s secrets – the existence of the Warp, and the ravenous hunger of the Warp’s Daemons. In creating an Acolyte, you craft a character to strive against these terrible threats.

These steadfast men and women that you create are all that stand between the Imperium and the extinction of all Mankind. In this preview of Dark Heresy Second Edition, developer Tim Huckelbery introduces how you create characters in Dark Heresy.

A Designer Diary of Character Creation in Dark Heresy

Character creation in Dark Heresy is comprised of three main selections: the Acolyte’s home world, background, and role. A character can be made from any combination of these choices, so there’s a huge variety of possible Acolytes to be created! Each selection a player makes develops his character, from generating starting characteristics and equipment to granting special rules unique to his selection. The Dark Heresy core rulebook offers dozens of examples of settings, organisations, and people from the Askellon Sector, giving players new ways to create their own characters.

Stage 1: Choose Home World

A character’s home world is the planet or location where he was born and likely spent much of his life. It determines his physical appearance, mannerisms, and perspective on the Imperium as a whole.

Dark Heresy contains six home world types in the core rulebook. Four of these are archetypal Imperial planets – feral, forge, hive, and shrine worlds – giving players a range of primitive savagery, technological immersion, cut-throat survival, and devout service. The other two home world types represent origins that could come from planets across the Imperium: the power-drenched environs of the highborn, and the artificial, empty reaches of the voidborn.

Stage 2: Choose Background

A character’s background represents what he has done with his life up to this point, including the previous Imperial organisation that he served. It determines what sort of training the character received throughout his life, what kind of resources he can access, and who he knows.

Seven potential backgrounds are included in the core rulebook: the Imperial agencies of the Adeptus Administratum, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus Ministorum, and the Imperial Guard, along with Outcasts, those who have escaped the confines of any group or organisation. Forming a character with a background in an Imperial agency allows players to create Acolytes from powerful organisations, steeped in connections, but simultaneously entrenched in their own structures. An Outcast has greater relative freedom, but fewer allies, save for others who also exist outside the Imperium’s many strictures.

Stage 3: Choose Role

Roles illuminate an Acolyte’s essence. While a home world establishes where an Acolyte came from, and a background indicates his prior experiences, his role reveals who he really is underneath his clothing, armour, and cybernetics. It reflects how he views the world around him and his place in it, and broadly defines how he faces dangers, interacts with others, and resolves problems. A role also dictates what areas of expertise he excels at, and how he grows and learns with experience.

Dark Heresy includes eight roles in the core rulebook: Assassin, Chirurgeon, Desperado, Hierophant, Mystic, Sage, Seeker, and Warrior. While it is common parlance in the Imperium to mention that someone comes from a feral world, or works for the Adeptus Mechanicus, roles do not actually exist as titles or Imperial designations. Roles operate within the context of the game, indicating a mindset or attitude that a character adopts over his lifetime. Desperado or Seeker, for example, don’t exist as actual occupations or titles in the 41st millennium. Instead, players will find a Trade Sable smuggler or a Hive Desoleum Bondhound Sanctionary.

Continuing Growth

Once these major choices have been made, players develop their new Acolytes further by advancing initial characteristics, skills, and talents, as well as purchasing weapons and other gear. Players also bring their characters to life by giving them names, selecting special Divinations to show the Emperor’s Will in their lives, and choosing other additions to make their character unique.

Character creation doesn’t have to end once you have a character, though, as players can use elite advances to modify their characters. Elite advances represent large, defining aspects of a character that set him apart from his peers. Each is unique and could be the result of a new position, an aspect of a character that has been part of him his entire life, or an ability that emerged more recently due to external stimuli.

Dark Heresy includes three elite advances in the core rulebook: Inquisitor, Psyker, and Untouchable. Using these, an Acolyte can rise to become an Inquisitor himself, allowing a group to have one or more Inquisitors if the players desire. A character can also become blessed (or cursed) to become a psyker and wield the terrible powers of the Warp, or discover himself an untouchable, one of the soulless pariahs who are anathema to psyker and Daemon alike. An elite advance doesn’t alter a character’s role, however. A Warrior still views violence as the best solution to problems, even if he gains the Psyker elite advance. A role defines how a character views the galaxy and his position inside it. Elite advances may take a character along different paths, but they don’t change how he walks upon them.

Success Is Measured in Blood

Thanks, Tim!

The endless threats of the Askellon sector threaten to completely overwhelm the Imperium. Only you and your Acolytes can keep humanity safe for another day. In our next preview, developer Andy Fischer creates his own Acolyte. In the meantime, preorder Dark Heresy Second Edition at your local retailer today!

 

Discuss this article
in our forums!

In Dark Heresy Second Edition, you and your friends assume the roles of Acolytes in the service of an Inquisitor, battling heresy within, without, and beyond. An Acolyte can come from any planet and any background, but all Acolytes must face the universe’s secrets – the existence of the Warp, and the ravenous hunger of the Warp’s Daemons. In creating an Acolyte, you craft a character to strive against these terrible threats.

These steadfast men and women that you create are all that stand between the Imperium and the extinction of all Mankind. In this preview of Dark Heresy Second Edition, developer Tim Huckelbery introduces how you create characters in Dark Heresy.

A Designer Diary of Character Creation in Dark Heresy

Character creation in Dark Heresy is comprised of three main selections: the Acolyte’s home world, background, and role. A character can be made from any combination of these choices, so there’s a huge variety of possible Acolytes to be created! Each selection a player makes develops his character, from generating starting characteristics and equipment to granting special rules unique to his selection. The Dark Heresy core rulebook offers dozens of examples of settings, organisations, and people from the Askellon Sector, giving players new ways to create their own characters.

Stage 1: Choose Home World

A character’s home world is the planet or location where he was born and likely spent much of his life. It determines his physical appearance, mannerisms, and perspective on the Imperium as a whole.

Dark Heresy contains six home world types in the core rulebook. Four of these are archetypal Imperial planets – feral, forge, hive, and shrine worlds – giving players a range of primitive savagery, technological immersion, cut-throat survival, and devout service. The other two home world types represent origins that could come from planets across the Imperium: the power-drenched environs of the highborn, and the artificial, empty reaches of the voidborn.

Stage 2: Choose Background

A character’s background represents what he has done with his life up to this point, including the previous Imperial organisation that he served. It determines what sort of training the character received throughout his life, what kind of resources he can access, and who he knows.

Seven potential backgrounds are included in the core rulebook: the Imperial agencies of the Adeptus Administratum, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus Ministorum, and the Imperial Guard, along with Outcasts, those who have escaped the confines of any group or organisation. Forming a character with a background in an Imperial agency allows players to create Acolytes from powerful organisations, steeped in connections, but simultaneously entrenched in their own structures. An Outcast has greater relative freedom, but fewer allies, save for others who also exist outside the Imperium’s many strictures.

Stage 3: Choose Role

Roles illuminate an Acolyte’s essence. While a home world establishes where an Acolyte came from, and a background indicates his prior experiences, his role reveals who he really is underneath his clothing, armour, and cybernetics. It reflects how he views the world around him and his place in it, and broadly defines how he faces dangers, interacts with others, and resolves problems. A role also dictates what areas of expertise he excels at, and how he grows and learns with experience.

Dark Heresy includes eight roles in the core rulebook: Assassin, Chirurgeon, Desperado, Hierophant, Mystic, Sage, Seeker, and Warrior. While it is common parlance in the Imperium to mention that someone comes from a feral world, or works for the Adeptus Mechanicus, roles do not actually exist as titles or Imperial designations. Roles operate within the context of the game, indicating a mindset or attitude that a character adopts over his lifetime. Desperado or Seeker, for example, don’t exist as actual occupations or titles in the 41st millennium. Instead, players will find a Trade Sable smuggler or a Hive Desoleum Bondhound Sanctionary.

Continuing Growth

Once these major choices have been made, players develop their new Acolytes further by advancing initial characteristics, skills, and talents, as well as purchasing weapons and other gear. Players also bring their characters to life by giving them names, selecting special Divinations to show the Emperor’s Will in their lives, and choosing other additions to make their character unique.

Character creation doesn’t have to end once you have a character, though, as players can use elite advances to modify their characters. Elite advances represent large, defining aspects of a character that set him apart from his peers. Each is unique and could be the result of a new position, an aspect of a character that has been part of him his entire life, or an ability that emerged more recently due to external stimuli.

Dark Heresy includes three elite advances in the core rulebook: Inquisitor, Psyker, and Untouchable. Using these, an Acolyte can rise to become an Inquisitor himself, allowing a group to have one or more Inquisitors if the players desire. A character can also become blessed (or cursed) to become a psyker and wield the terrible powers of the Warp, or discover himself an untouchable, one of the soulless pariahs who are anathema to psyker and Daemon alike. An elite advance doesn’t alter a character’s role, however. A Warrior still views violence as the best solution to problems, even if he gains the Psyker elite advance. A role defines how a character views the galaxy and his position inside it. Elite advances may take a character along different paths, but they don’t change how he walks upon them.

Success Is Measured in Blood

Thanks, Tim!

The endless threats of the Askellon sector threaten to completely overwhelm the Imperium. Only you and your Acolytes can keep humanity safe for another day. In our next preview, developer Andy Fischer creates his own Acolyte. In the meantime, preorder Dark Heresy Second Edition at your local retailer today!

 

Discuss this article
in our forums!

“Your training will be harsh. It will last a lifetime. It will be rigorous, meticulous, and all encompassing. You will learn the lessons of the greatest minds the Fire caste has produced, but also how and when to use them. All of this will be so you can fight for the Greater Good, and likely perish in the process, but it will be an endeavor you will willingly embark on.” –Commander Blindside

The Rogue Traders voyage across the vast reaches of space, searching for adventure, renown, and riches beyond count on the edges of the galaxy. To be a Rogue Trader and bear the sacred Warrant of Trade means journeys beyond the boundaries of the Imperium. In some cases, these adventures may lead you to strange realms and stranger alliances.

Two new Rogue Trader digital-exclusive supplements are now available for download: the Twilight Crusade adventure and the Tau Character Guide! Journey to the edge of space in the company of an Inquisitor and his unlikely allies: a cadre of Tau Fire Warriors. As you journey to confront an ambitious Rogue Trader, the Tau support you, and by using the Tau Character Guide, you can become a Tau Explorer yourself.

Click an image above to purchase a download of the supplement.

Twilight Crusade

Twilight Crusade is a three-part adventure that focuses on your mission to confront the heretical Rogue Trader, Vir Modren. Your Explorers must embark on a Grand Endeavour into the heart of Modren’s Realm, alongside the acolytes of an ardent Inquisitor and his unexpected allies – a hunter cadre of Tau from the far-flung reaches of the galaxy. To confront Modren directly, you must venture deep into his domain and negotiate his followers’ power-struggles, before gaining entry to Modren’s personal fortress. 

This adventure’s Grand Endeavour provides your GM with an excellent framework to gauge your progress and success, no matter how you choose to venture deep into Modren’s Realm and navigate the intrigues within. This Endeavour can be modified to suit the GM’s needs, inviting freeform action from you and your fellow Explorers. To help the GM guide the Explorers even further, a detailed breakdown of the Grand Endeavour’s objectives can be found at the end of each chapter of the adventure. In addition, this adventure offers the perfect opportunity for players to use the Tau Character Guide, as Tau warriors feature extensively throughout Twilight Crusade.

For the Greater Good

The 43-page Tau Character Guide provides Rogue Trader players with all the necessary information and rules to play Tau Explorers, whether in the Twilight Crusade adventure or in another voyage across the Koronus Expanse. In this supplement, you find a concise history of the Tau Empire, rules to play Tau Warriors of the Fire Caste with various specialised classes, and an armoury for outfitting characters with the advanced technology and powerful wargear of the Tau empire.

As you realise your Fire Warrior more fully, you may choose to take alternate career ranks. The Tau Character Guide offers three options for alternate career ranks, enabling your Explorer to become a Pathfinder, a Drone Handler, or even a Battlesuit Pilot. Of course, the Tau Empire would be nothing without its hyper-advanced technology, and you’ll find plenty of equipment and battlesuits in the Tau Armoury. Whether you strike from afar with a Kroot Hunting Rifle, blind your foes with Tau Photon Grenades, or experience the raw power of an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, you’ll find Tau technology is a great companion in the wild space of the Koronus Expanse.

Begin Your Journey

The hubris of Vic Modren’s realm can no longer stand as an affront to the Imperium. By the will of the Emperor, and for the Greater Good, Modren must fall. Are you prepared to embark on this adventure? Purchase Twilight Crusade and the Tau Character Guide, and begin your ship’s journey past the edges of the Koronus Expanse!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

“Your training will be harsh. It will last a lifetime. It will be rigorous, meticulous, and all encompassing. You will learn the lessons of the greatest minds the Fire caste has produced, but also how and when to use them. All of this will be so you can fight for the Greater Good, and likely perish in the process, but it will be an endeavor you will willingly embark on.” –Commander Blindside

The Rogue Traders voyage across the vast reaches of space, searching for adventure, renown, and riches beyond count on the edges of the galaxy. To be a Rogue Trader and bear the sacred Warrant of Trade means journeys beyond the boundaries of the Imperium. In some cases, these adventures may lead you to strange realms and stranger alliances.

Two new Rogue Trader digital-exclusive supplements are now available for download: the Twilight Crusade adventure and the Tau Character Guide! Journey to the edge of space in the company of an Inquisitor and his unlikely allies: a cadre of Tau Fire Warriors. As you journey to confront an ambitious Rogue Trader, the Tau support you, and by using the Tau Character Guide, you can become a Tau Explorer yourself.

Click an image above to purchase a download of the supplement.

Twilight Crusade

Twilight Crusade is a three-part adventure that focuses on your mission to confront the heretical Rogue Trader, Vir Modren. Your Explorers must embark on a Grand Endeavour into the heart of Modren’s Realm, alongside the acolytes of an ardent Inquisitor and his unexpected allies – a hunter cadre of Tau from the far-flung reaches of the galaxy. To confront Modren directly, you must venture deep into his domain and negotiate his followers’ power-struggles, before gaining entry to Modren’s personal fortress. 

This adventure’s Grand Endeavour provides your GM with an excellent framework to gauge your progress and success, no matter how you choose to venture deep into Modren’s Realm and navigate the intrigues within. This Endeavour can be modified to suit the GM’s needs, inviting freeform action from you and your fellow Explorers. To help the GM guide the Explorers even further, a detailed breakdown of the Grand Endeavour’s objectives can be found at the end of each chapter of the adventure. In addition, this adventure offers the perfect opportunity for players to use the Tau Character Guide, as Tau warriors feature extensively throughout Twilight Crusade.

For the Greater Good

The 43-page Tau Character Guide provides Rogue Trader players with all the necessary information and rules to play Tau Explorers, whether in the Twilight Crusade adventure or in another voyage across the Koronus Expanse. In this supplement, you find a concise history of the Tau Empire, rules to play Tau Warriors of the Fire Caste with various specialised classes, and an armoury for outfitting characters with the advanced technology and powerful wargear of the Tau empire.

As you realise your Fire Warrior more fully, you may choose to take alternate career ranks. The Tau Character Guide offers three options for alternate career ranks, enabling your Explorer to become a Pathfinder, a Drone Handler, or even a Battlesuit Pilot. Of course, the Tau Empire would be nothing without its hyper-advanced technology, and you’ll find plenty of equipment and battlesuits in the Tau Armoury. Whether you strike from afar with a Kroot Hunting Rifle, blind your foes with Tau Photon Grenades, or experience the raw power of an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, you’ll find Tau technology is a great companion in the wild space of the Koronus Expanse.

Begin Your Journey

The hubris of Vic Modren’s realm can no longer stand as an affront to the Imperium. By the will of the Emperor, and for the Greater Good, Modren must fall. Are you prepared to embark on this adventure? Purchase Twilight Crusade and the Tau Character Guide, and begin your ship’s journey past the edges of the Koronus Expanse!

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