“Praise be that I have seen a glimpse of such holiness! Finally, life holds no more mysteries for me.”
      –Pilgrim outside the gates of the Cathedral of Illumination

The Church of the Damned, an adventure for Dark Heresy, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore! Investigating corruption within the Ecclesiarchy itself is as delicate as it is dangerous, but when an influential leader is suspected of heresy, you and your fellow Acolytes will uncover an ever-deepening conspiracy that could spell the end of the entire Calixis Sector...

The Church of the Damned is the second adventure in The Apostasy Gambit, a Dark Heresy campaign that takes a cell of Acolytes from investigating the tragic history of a warped Cathedral to crusading against a conspiracy within one of the Imperium’s most vaunted organisations. While The Church of the Damned continues the events started in The Black Sepulchre, it also includes starting points to be played on its own or as part of your own campaign.

In the name of the Emperor

Dark Heresy’s lead developer took the time to share his thoughts about The Church of the Damned, and how it seamlessly ties in to the events depicted in Black Sepulchre:

Dark Heresy is a game of investigation, and while there is plenty of action to be had, the core experience is one of mystery and conspiracy. The Church of the Damned sees the Acolytes embracing that role and leading an investigation into the heart of one of the Imperium’s most powerful organizations. Witnesses must be questioned, information researched, and crime scenes examined.

Of course, there is a good deal of combat too, with a variety of new and familiar foes. Hair raising, skin of your teeth, knock down, drag out combat. This may be the deadliest adventure we’ve ever written. Don’t expect to save the entire Calixis Sector and come away with all your fate points... or limbs!

The Maledictor’s Hand, a secret group of fanatical extremists, manipulates the Imperium from the shadows. You and your fellow Acolytes must hurry to stop their dark plot before it’s too late. But who can you trust?

Head to your local retailer and pick up your copy of The Church of the Damned today!

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

"While vile mutants still draw breath, there can be no peace. While obscene heretics' hearts still beat, there can be no respite. While faithless traitors still live, there can be no forgiveness."
- Verse I of XXV of the Silver Skulls Catechism of Hate

Although Black Crusade is an exciting game in its own right, it also exists amongst an entire collection of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay game lines. This puts Black Crusade in the unique position of being the only game amongst Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay that allows you to play the Imperium's adversaries, making it an invaluable source of the deadliest adversaries the Imperium of Man could ever face.

With Black Crusade's classless Human and Chaos Space Marine character generation system (based on earned experience points), GMs can build tailor-made opponents for their gaming groups. The GM can "scale" his adversaries to his players by matching the adversaries to his players' experience, and can build Chaos Space Marine or Human adversaries depending on whether their group is playing Deathwatch, Rogue Trader, or Dark Heresy. GMs can even use the Archetypes presented in Black Crusade to create even more tailor-made opponents. A Dark Heresy Acolyte cell might respond well to a subversive Apostate as a nemesis, while a Deathwatch Kill-Team might be called on to hunt down a dangerous Chaos Space Marine Sorcerer.

In addition, Black Crusade provides scores of interesting powers, abilities, and equipment found nowhere else in Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay. From unique psychic powers with a Chaos theme to dangerous Daemon weapons, the GM has no end of choices when he wants to make a nemesis his players won't soon forget.

Cross-Game Compatibility

The creation of powerful adversaries to use with other game lines is just one way that Black Crusade ties in with the other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay game lines. In fact, when writing the game we came up with enough suggestions and tips that we decide to devote an entire section of the Game Master's chapter in the core rulebook to that very topic.

One idea this section explores is that Black Crusade doesn't just offer new material for the other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay titles; the other titles have plenty to offer Black Crusade as well. Take Dark Heresy, for example. Books like The Radical's Handbook and Disciples of the Dark Gods detail many plots by Chaos cults, subversive factions, and radical elements of the Inquisition. Now, by combining this information with Black Crusade, the players can take part in these adventures from the other side. They can help the Pale Throng overthrow the Ologarchs of Tranch, corrupt and bring down the radical Oblationists, and realize the convoluted plans of the Brotherhood of the Horned Darkness. Or if Rogue Trader is more a group's style, merging the two books can be a perfect way to run a pirate warship out of the cursed world of Iniquity.

Finally, this section discusses the rules changes between Black Crusade and other game lines. Although the four games are still completely compatible, Black Crusade did make some adjustments and updates to the rules set. Some of these were to make the mechanics match the game's theme, others were means of streamlining and improving gameplay. The Game Master chapter in Black Crusade outlines these changes clearly and concisely. That way when GMs and players are using different Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay game lines together, they know exactly what might be different. More importantly, the section discusses how to merge any differences between rules sets in simple and straightforward ways.

How will you combine your Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay campaign? Discuss below or on our forums, and look for Black Crusade on store shelves later this quarter!

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

"For seventeen long centuries have I remained in this blade, confined within these metal walls. During all of my time of imprisonment you are the first I have seen who is worthy to bear me into battle. Come, take my hilt, and I will serve you in the manner of my kind, drawing blood of your enemies, protecting you in the midst of the fight, bringing you safely home again. Now, draw me from the scabbard and test the fineness of my balance. See how easily I swing, how my keen edge cleaves the air. A good choice, am I not? Willingly you picked me up. Your first mistake. Willingly you drew me. Your second mistake. I do not allow my servants to make three mistakes, foolish mortal..."
- Antinichus, Daemon of the Bloody Blade

Black Crusade, an upcoming roleplaying game that offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos, will be on store shelves in the third quarter of 2011. Today, we're pleased to present a preview from Nathan Dowdell, one of the writers for Black Crusade. Among other contributions, Nathan wrote about the mechanics for daemon weapons. Thanks, Nathan!

One of the most iconic tools of a Disciple of the Dark Gods is a daemon weapon. After all, where would Abaddon be without the Daemon Sword Drach'nyen, or Lucius the Eternal without his Lash of Torment? Daemon weapons are amongst the deadliest weapons a Heretic can wield, though their lethality can sometimes be costly to the unwary or weak-willed. With Black Crusade, it was clear the section on daemon weapons would have to be detailed and comprehensive enough to satisfy such an iconic topic.

The knife in your back

Daemon weapons are a fascinating concept. Though they are terrifyingly powerful weapons (and who doesn't want a really cool sword?) they are so much more than that; they are sentient entities in their own right. Each is possessed by one or more warp spirits or Daemons, bound creatures of Chaos that empower the weapon they inhabit. Seldom do the Daemons bound within the weapons want to be there, and thus they constantly cajole and threaten their bearer--or just wait for his concentration to slip so they can be at his throat. It requires a powerful will and delicate balance to use a daemon weapon without being consumed by it, and thus they exemplify the overarching conflicts of Black Crusade--the perils of desire and the price of glory.

Expanding from the section in Chapter 6 on Chaos rituals, we proceeded to produce a system that allowed player characters to construct their own daemon weapons and bind a Daemon of their choice within it, allowing the ambitious or power-hungry to create a weapon as powerful as their greed desires, with the accompanying difficulties and costs--binding a Greater Daemon is exceptionally difficult, and the Daemon's power is too much for most to master, but the resultant weapon will be incredibly deadly. The rules allow players to capture and bind their own Daemons into weapons, meaning that each weapon is crafted to a player's desires--and the raw whims of Chaos, of course!

The way daemon weapons work has ties to their first appearance back in Dark Heresy. Nobody wanted to create a radically new system that would conflict with what had come before, so the fundamental abilities of a Daemonic Sword or Bolter remain much the same. However, the list of powers available is much expanded and divided along alignment lines, so that a Flesh Hound of Khorne inside an axe produces different effects to a Flamer of Tzeentch inside a flamer. The options are wide enough that even if an entire party has their own daemon weapons, each one will be completely different from the next.

Thanks, Nathan! Keep checking back for more, and look for Black Crusade on store shelves later this quarter!

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

“The daemonic leads to two crimes. You turn from the path of righteousness, and you abandon the Emperor as the object of your devotion. For the first, death is a just retribution. The second is a heresy so terrible that no punishment can be sufficient. Yet the search for an appropriate penalty continues, and it shall be found."
      –Malleus Daemonicus, Ecclessiarch Issus XLVII

Daemon Hunter, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now available for sale via download on drivethrurpg.com and rpgnpw.com! The Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus and the Space Marines of the Grey Knights are the chosen warriors of the God-Emperor, tasked with keeping humanity from falling into darkness. They hunt tirelessly to rid the Imperium of their collective prey: Daemons.

Servants of Chaos, be warned

Daemon Hunter is a powerful resource for any Dark Heresy campaigns featuring the servants of the holy Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition. With information and background on the Ordo Malleus in the Calixis Sector, the Daemon hunter’s trade, and the Malleus armoury, Daemon Hunter is the perfect companion for loyal followers of the God-Emperor.

Learn the ropes of daemon hunting with an extensive look at the origins and status of the Ordo Malleus. Then, take up arms as an acolyte in service to the Ordo Malleus by becoming a Banisher, taking the fight to the daemons. Also, learn the tools of the trade by studying the Malleus Armoury, which presents new tools for every tier of character.

Finally, Daemon Hunter includes everything players and GMs need to include Grey Knights into their Dark Heresy campaigns.

Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today, and begin dispensing the Emperor’s justice!

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

"The fool, the coward and the ignorant proclaim that the Warp is a realm of unknowable peril and indescribable terror, that it is the hell of countless ancient myths and legends. This is a lie, told by those whose authority is based on lies long forgotten, to keep the masses terrified of the unknown. The Warp is limitless in power and infinite in the secrets it contains; it is knowledge and strength, life and death, and the untapped potential to make and remake worlds. It takes only the discipline and the will to shape it; those who lack that clarity of purpose are liable to be shaped by it instead."
-Ahzek Ahriman, Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons

Black Crusade, an upcoming roleplaying game that offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos, will be on store shelves in the third quarter of 2011. Today, we're pleased to present a preview from Nathan Dowdell, one of the writers for Black Crusade. Among other contributions, Nathan wrote about the mechanics for Psychic Powers. Thanks, Nathan!

One of the defining factors of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the Warp. Its presence shapes and informs much of the way the setting works, from the simple necessities of travel and communication across interstellar distances, to the abyssal horrors that dwell within the Immaterium, and the ravening power that a few can draw from it.

Such thoughts were foremost in our minds as we worked on one of Black Crusade thematic and interesting chapters, developing the latest iteration of the psychic power rules and other matters arcane and sorcerous.

The Power of the Warp

Psychic powers are an additional layer in any Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay game, requiring extra rules and abilities above and beyond those that non-psykers use. The system remains essentially the same as the versions in Rogue Trader and Deathwatch, however we took the chance to add some additional material and versatility.

One of the largest changes was the introduction of varying difficulties for powers. Some psychic powers are more or less difficult to wield than others--an element of Dark Heresy's original psychic rules--so we chose to apply the range of standard difficulties to the Focus Power Tests needed to use different abilities. Added to that is another interesting concept: a variety of characteristics used for Focus Power Tests. Willpower is still king for most Psykers, but diviners may have a strong inclination towards Psyniscience, and some of the nastiest powers in the book are extensions of a tainted soul, powered by the Psyker's accumulated Corruption.

Of course, the powers themselves are nothing without the means to employ them, and the Black Crusade team set out from the start to ensure that a variety of different techniques and styles were available to psykers in Black Crusade. The core rules don't change for any of them, but through a variety of effects collectively known as Paths to Power (ranging from burning your own life away for power, to human sacrifice, to rites and ritualistic incantations), and the selection of background and alternative names given for each power, there should be sufficient tools and encouragement for a Psyker character to be unique and distinct.

The powers themselves are numerous, and Black Crusade contains an extensive and diverse collection of psychic powers, spread across three disciplines of generic powers (Telepathy, Telekinesis and Divination) and five alignments of Chaos-specific powers (Unaligned, Tzeentch, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Exalted - the latter being a small collection of dangerous, expensive powers for the mightiest of Unaligned Sorcerers). Some of these powers, such as the infamous Doombolt and deadly Bolt of Change, have long been staples of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. Others, such as the terrifying Primordial Annihilation, are newer fare. However, in either case, we strove to provide a psyker character with diverse, thematic, and even balanced psychic powers, whether those powers are re-imagined classics or something completely new.

To end the chapter, Black Crusade expands on concepts first developed in the other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay lines--rituals. Rituals are a staple of chaos cultists across the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and Black Crusade allows players to create their own with some simple but customizable rules.

Thanks, Nathan! Keep checking back for more, and look for Black Crusade on store shelves later this quarter!

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

Black Crusade, an upcoming roleplaying game that offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos, will be on store shelves later this quarter. Today, Black Crusade’s developer presents an overview of some of the enemies you’ll face in service to the Ruinous Powers.

Greetings, Black Crusade fans! One of the reoccurring themes of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay is that the most dangerous foe the Imperium faces is Chaos and those aligned with the Ruinous Powers. This means the players in games of Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch often find the forces of Chaos at the heart of whatever mystery or adventures they participate in.

Defenders of the Imperium

Of course, in Black Crusade the players are the forces of Chaos. Now, they are on the other side of that epic rivalry, facing off against the forces of the Imperium. So, what opposition can the Heretics expect?

The Black Crusade Core Rulebook provides adversaries for numerous power levels. For games involving Heretics attempting to worm their way into Imperial societies and corrupt them from within, the book contains several options. The Administratum Adept provides an example of a low-level Imperial functionary, while the cunning Bounty Hunter and dogmatic Ministorum Cleric promise to be more dangerous foes. Of course, Heretics are just as likely to meet the Imperium on the field of battle. There they’ll need to contend with hordes of Imperial Guardsmen led by fire-breathing Confessors, and the elite Space Marines. But the greatest danger to a Heretic lies in the threat of the Imperium’s Holy Inquisition and their elite warriors, the Grey Knight Space Marines. Can you survive combat with a Grey Knight in Terminator Armour, or match wits with the book’s example Inquisitor, Victoria Aldrich of the Ordo Hereticus?

Equal–Opportunity Enemies

However, the Imperium is just one source of adversaries for a Black Crusade warband. Many of the galaxy’s xenos races have no love for the Ruinous Powers, and some are willing to make special effort to see the Dark Gods’ servants dead. Foremost amongst them are the Eldar, specifically the Chaos-hunting warrior-dancers known as the Harlequins. A single Harlequin is the equal of a Chaos Space Marine, but a troupe of them, led by one of the dread psykers known as Shadowseers, can spell the doom of any warband.

But a warband can avoid the Eldar and still find plenty of trouble. The Eldar’s mercurial and capricious cousins, the Dark Eldar, are well acquainted with the Screaming Vortex. To these decadent xenos, the warbands of the Chaos Powers are equal parts uneasy trading partners to be bargained with, foes to be fought, and potential slaves to be culled. When the latter, the Dark Eldar can mobilize hordes of Kabalite Warriors, backed by the warrior elite known as the Incubi and the eldritch and shadowy Mandrakes.

Finally, a warband can unearth enemies beneath their very feet. Long before humans first left Terra, a race of creatures slumbered in their Tomb Worlds for millennia. Now these Necrons are awakening. An unwary warband may be exploring a seemingly deserted world when they are suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of Scarabs, or consumed by a dreaded Tomb Stalker.

With friends like these...

Even with all these enemies, a Heretic cannot forget that those who might nominally share his allegiance often prove to be the most dangerous foes of all. The Disciples of the Dark Gods are a fractious lot, and the horrible warp entities known as Daemons even more so. A Heretic may just as likely end up fighting a daemonic legion of Plaguebearers or a dangerous Tech-Assassin from the corrupted Forges of the Hollows as he is an Imperial Guardsman. One can never let their guard down, especially in the Screaming Vortex.

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

On route across the sector to a carry out a sentence of torture, interrogation, and execution, the Imperial prison barge Chains of Judgement has become lost in the warp, drifting far off course. Now, you and your fellow condemned heretics have awoken from stasis to find the ship in a state of chaos and ruin. Competing factions vie for control, including several members of the Inquisition intent on retaking the ship. Can you gain your freedom before the Imperium’s claws close around you once and for all?

We at Fantasy Flight Games would like to thank all of the stores, GMs, and players that participated in Saturday's Free RPG Day event, which featured our introductory adventure for Black Crusade!

Claim Your Prize

If you were able to make it to your friendly local game store for this momentous annual event, we hope you enjoyed earning the favour of the Ruinous Powers as you made your daring escape from an Imperial prison ship. But if you weren’t able to experience this exciting adventure, head to our support page to download Broken Chains today.

Broken Chains (low res pdf, 2.9 MB)
Broken Chains (high res pdf, 41.7 MB)

You can also visit our support page to download bonus characters for use with Broken Chains.

The Fantasy Flight Games Event Center would also like to thank everyone who attended our Free RPG Day celebration, which featured a lively Q&A with the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay design team, as well as several play-with-the-designer sessions. Keep checking back for more on Black Crusade!

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

“You must face the truth squarely and without flinching from duty. Our enemies are mortal no longer. Any glimpse of humanity they may show is merely a deception. Dedicate this weapon, given into your hand at the behest of the Emperor, to their destruction. Regard its function as your only duty: you live only to purge the Daemon. Take up your rod and staff, your armour and psycannon, and go forth.”
     –Lectures to the Ordo, Inquisitor Galbus Heer

Daemon Hunter, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore! The Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus and the Space Marines of the Grey Knights are the chosen warriors of the God-Emperor, tasked with keeping humanity from falling into darkness. They hunt tirelessly to rid the Imperium of their collective prey: Daemons.

Daemon Hunter is a powerful resource for any Dark Heresy campaigns featuring the servants of the holy Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition. With information and background on the Ordo Malleus in the Calixis Sector, the Daemon hunter’s trade, and the Malleus armoury, Daemon Hunter is the perfect companion for players and GMs alike who wish to craft exciting campaigns for Dark Heresy.

Learn the ropes of daemon hunting with an extensive look at the origins and status of the Ordo Malleus. Then, take up arms as an acolyte in service to the Ordo Malleus by becoming a Banisher, taking the fight to the daemons. Also, learn the tools of the trade by studying the Malleus Armoury, which presents new tools for every tier of character.

Finally, Daemon Hunter includes everything players and GMs need to include Grey Knights into their Dark Heresy campaigns!

The Mighty Grey Knights

Dark Heresy's developer took a moment to share his insights on the design process of Daemon Hunter:

Salutations Acolytes,

Throughout the development and testing process of Daemon Hunter, the Dark Heresy Development Team was embarrassingly giddy over the stories that the talented pool of writers created for the Ordo Malleus in the Calixis Sector. From the Scholariate at Arms (a new faction within the Ordo Malleus) to the Grey Knights, every page has as much information as we could fit onto it. New Acolyte alternate career ranks, cell directives, and equipment fill this hefty tome.

Of course you can’t have Daemon Hunters without daemons! The Daemonic Incursion chapter (written by Charles May and Ross Watson) gives GMs the tools to generate daemons with a variety of power levels and horrible tricks. Lesser Daemons, Heralds, and Greater Daemons are all as easy to create as an Acolyte, with a wide range of theme and combat strategy. Whether the GM needs a Bloodletter forged from blood and brass to challenge a group of Acolytes or a Keeper of Secrets to fight a squad of Grey Knights, the GM will never run out of daemons.

Oh... did we mention Grey Knights? The Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay community has had a lot of fun taking up the mantle of a Deathwatch Space Marine, and now they get the chance to take on the role of a Grey Knight. Daemon Hunter presents rules compatible with Dark Heresy for both PC and NPC Grey Knights. There are also additional rules and advice for including Grey Knights in a campaign using the Deathwatch Rulebook instead.

Read our recent previews of Daemon Hunter, then head to your local retailer to grab your copy today!

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

Black Crusade, an upcoming roleplaying game that offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos, will be on store shelves in the third quarter of 2011. Today, we're pleased to present a few pages from the book itself, along with an overview from its lead designer!

Hello, Black Crusade fans! In Black Crusade, each player character starts with an Archetype from which his or her character develops. Last time, we previewed two Archetypes, the Forsaken and the Heretek. This week, let's take a look at two more, the Sorcerer and the Apostate.

Mastery of Body and Mind

Chaos Space Marine psykers are often referred to as Sorcerers. Many are former Librarians, either from the original Space Marine Legions before the Horus Heresy, or more recent traitors from current Chapters.

The Sorcerer is a remarkably competent individual, as he is both a Chaos Space Marine (and thus a formidable adversary in combat) and a psyker. Due to his multiple genetic enhancements and Space Marine implants, the Sorcerer is more robust than an average psyker, and has a better chance of keeping the energies coursing through him under control. Though this does mean the Sorcerer is slightly less powerful than "unbound" psykers and wyrds, his innate force at arms makes up for any difference in psychic abilities.

Leadership and Persuasion

The Apostate's powers, on the other hand, stem not from personal combat ability, but the talents to sway the hearts and minds of the enemy. Apostate is a general term for high-ranking leaders of men who have betrayed the Imperium (or were never a part of it in the first place). Now they lead grand armies (or a warband of their peers, for starters) against Humanity, or corrupt it from within as a rotten core in otherwise whole fruit.

To accomplish this, the Apostate's skill set is focused more towards leadership and persuasion. Although these leaders can become as adept at skill of arms as their fellows, a good Apostate knows it's always better when someone else is ready to die for you.

Sorcerer Archetype (pdf, 488 MB)
Apostate Archetype (pdf, 568 MB)

Keep checking back for more on Black Crusade!

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

For centuries, the starship Chains of Judgement served the Inquisition of the Imperium, transporting humanity’s most dangerous prisoners to their doom. Now, however, the Chains of Judgement is lost in the warp, and the imprisoned renegades have one chance to escape their grim fate. If they succeed, they’ll earn the favour of the Ruinous Powers, taking the first steps towards leading a Black Crusade against the Imperium itself...

Don’t forget! Free RPG day, an annual event that encourages RPG enthusiasts to demo current and upcoming titles, is this weekend...and you’re invited to play Broken Chains, an introductory adventure for Black Crusade! When the dark gods show you an opportunity to escape certain death at the hands of the Imperium, will you have the cunning and strength to seize it?

The Ruinous Powers await

This free introduction to Black Crusade includes a full adventure, four pre-generated characters, and a set of basic rules to help players and Game Masters become familiar with the Black Crusade roleplaying game. See if your local retailer is participating at the Free RPG Day Retailer Locator.

But what if you have a larger group? Today on our support page, we're pleased to offer two additional pre-generated characters for use in Broken Chains! Download them in preparation of this weekend's exciting adventure.

Broken Chains Bonus Characters (high res pdf, 15.7 MB)
Broken Chains Bonus Characters (low res pdf, 888 KB)

Do you live in the Roseville, Minnesota area?

In honor of Free RPG Day, the Fantasy Flight Games Event Center will be giving away free copies of Broken Chains, and RPG developers Sam Stewart, Ross Watson, Mack Martin, and Andrew Fischer will be in attendance to answer questions and run introductory sessions. Sign up now at the Event Center to play Black Crusade with a 40K RPG designer!

Black Crusade is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a setting in the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Disciples of the Dark Gods, working against the rule of the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man and in pursuit of personal glory.

Daemon Hunter, an upcoming supplement for Dark Heresy, will be on store shelves very soon. A powerful resource for campaigns featuring the servants of the holy Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition, Daemon Hunter features information and background on the Ordo Malleus in the Calixis Sector, the Daemon hunter’s trade, and the Malleus armoury. Dark Heresy’s developer took the time to share some additional details on this exciting upcoming title.

Salutations Acolytes!

With Daemon Hunter hitting stores soon, excitement has been growing for all the new toys in the toy box. Last time, we previewed a few new tricks for GMs, so this time I thought I’d focus on what Daemon Hunter has in store for players.

Silent Killers

One of the most secretive orginisations in all of the Warhammer 40,000 universe are the Holy Ordos. With the three largest Ordos well established, it is high time to slip some of the smaller groups into Dark Heresy. Enter the Ordo Sicarius Initiate. Far from the training grounds of Imperial Assassins, the Ordo Sicarius has little presence in the Calixis sector, but that doesn’t mean their influence is unfelt. The Ordo Malleus certainly knows the usefulness of Acolytes trained by the specialists within their fellow Ordo. Check out this week's preview of the Ordo Sicarius Initiate!

Ordo Sicarius Initiate preview (pdf, 1.8 MB)

New Backgrounds and Cell Directives

Of course, new Alternate Career Ranks aren’t all that Daemon Hunter has to offer. Several new backgrounds can also be found in this tome of Daemon killing. These backgrounds serve as reasons for conscription into the Ordo Malleus. Be it Corporeal Sanctification, a horrific process by which a servant is prepared for battle against the Daemonic, or the dark souled Fate-Eaters, the new backgrounds in Daemon Hunter make creating a new Acolyte for a campaign a unique experience.

Lastly, of course, are the Cell Directives. One of the dark secrets of the Holy Ordos is that sometimes one of their own must be hunted down. The Ordo Sicarius Initiate, other Assassins, or skill Acolytes may form a cell of Carta Extremis Hunters. Tasked with bringing a fellow Inquisitor to justice, this dangerous task requires dangerous training. This Cell Directive and more await players in Daemon Hunter.

Look for Daemon Hunter, a supplement for Dark Heresy, on store shelves very soon!

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

Recently, we announced Daemon Hunter, an upcoming supplement for Dark Heresy. A powerful resource for campaigns featuring the servants of the holy Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition, Daemon Hunter features information and background on the Ordo Malleus in the Calixis Sector, the Daemon hunter’s trade, and the Malleus armoury. Dark Heresy’s developer took the time to share some additional details on this exciting upcoming title.

Last time, we discussed the might of the Grey Knights and how they can be used with Deathwatch as well as Dark Heresy. Today I’m pleased to show off an important new tool in the GM’s repertoire: random Daemon creation. Well, as random as the GM wants them to be, anyway!

The Daemonic Incursions chapter of Daemon Hunter dives into the dark recesses of the warp to uncover a variety of new ways to terrify and entertain the players. From a discussion on the nature of Daemons and the Themes inherent in a Daemon hunting campaign, to the weapons most often used by Daemons, this chapter is chock full of new ways to kill Acolytes and Throne Agents.

Charles May combed nearly two decades worth of writing to build a comprehensive system for randomly building unique Daemons for any campaign. A Horror is a scary thing, but how are the Horrors summoned by “The False Whisper” different? What disease are the Plaguebearers on this long forgotten Space Hulk testing? Is it the marrow twisting Bone Ague or the mind rotting Grey Fever?

No two Daemons alike

I sat down this afternoon with a pair of my most trusted d10’s and created this potent Lesser Daemon, completely at random. Compare it to the one found in Dark Heresy, and I think you’ll see how different this Bloodletter is.

The first few steps are pretty standard. I chose the Daemon’s power level (in this case “lesser”) and generated starting statistics (knowing they would change greatly through the process). With a nebulous set of stats floating in the warp, I randomly determined what Ruinous Power this ephemeral child would serve. Khorne, the Blood God, chose my little daemon, and I began the process of shaping him into a Bloodletter.

All Daemons have certain Skills, Talents, and Traits, dependent on their power levels, so I added those to the Daemon Record Sheet. Next came the fun part. I randomly rolled on the Lesser Manifestations table and generated “Bizarre Visage” and “Horrific Horns”. Knowing that I was making a Daemon of Khorne, I chose to give the beast a canine head with twisting horns. Bizarre Visage will force any Acolytes to re-roll successful Fear tests, and the horns further increase the Daemon’s Weapon Skill and give him another natural weapon from which to choose.

Once this was complete, I moved to the detailed section on Khorne, and randomly determined the beast’s lesser gift of Khorne, in this case Daemonic Armour. I selected an Axe (to complement the monster’s Frenzies) and added the Khorne specific skills, talents, and traits.

A Bit of Balance

I could have been done at this point, but I felt like the monster needed a weakness. I am planning to throw this creature at some rank 3 Acolytes (shhh. don’t tell them!) and it’s going to need a good hook. The Acolytes have been tracking a murderer responsible for killing clergy. He does so by summoning Daemons (Bloodletters to be exact) and unleashing them on the unsuspecting clerics. This is one such Daemon. I rolled on the weakness table and generated “Bane”. Earlier in the adventure, they received a cryptic description from a survivor who said “it carried my doom clasped in its hand, I held it high as if it should fear it too.” So the beast is now harmed by Brass weapons, treating them as Sanctified. This is pretty convenient, since the Acolytes can steal the beast’s own Axe!

Well... assuming it doesn’t kill them all first. As cunning GMs can no doubt tell, this monster is a bit more powerful than the one presented in Dark Heresy. It has the Dodge Skill (to help avoiding gunfire) and its toughness is higher. There are a lot of options on the charts, and the Daemon could have ended up with a Hellblade, which adds his Strength Bonus of 6 to the AP of his Sword!

As the final conflict of an adventure, this creature works well, but it could also serve in a variety of other roles. Perhaps several could accompany a Herald and challenge even a squad of Throne Agents. As a Horde (using the rules presented in Deathwatch), they could prove deadly to even Grey Knights!

These rules present a near limitless supply of slightly different Daemon options so that an Ordo Malleus campaign never runs out of monsters to fight. Next time, I’ll talk a little bit about the new Careers and Cell Directives going into Daemon Hunter!

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

The hand appears to have a fraction of malign intelligence within it. It speaks to those it believes it can corrupt. Attempts to silence its voice have proven useless. Currently Savant-Militant Grendel is engaged in a struggle of wills with the dark entity that now takes home within. He is one of the fair few trained in the psychic arts required to hold the beast at bay. I have sequestered the acolyte Grendel in an airlock aboard the Righteous Indignation. I am monitoring him as I decipher Thrungg’s journal and should he lose control I will jettison him into the void and instruct the captain to purge his remains. It will not be a permanent end to the artefact, but it will buy us, according to my research, a thousand years and a day.
     – From the correspondence of Binder Morgaine

When a decadent noble uncovers a heretical artefact of dark origins, the Inquisition is sent on an investigation from his palace to a lost fortress on a distant world. Can you solve the mysteries of the Haematite Cathedral before it’s too late, and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to set the Calixis Sector ablaze?

Uncover the Mystery

The Black Sepulchre, an adventure for Dark Heresy, is now available for purchase via download at drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com! This gripping story tasks Acolytes with solving the riddle of an ancient and powerful structure. In the process, they’ll uncover a truth so dark, the Calixis Sector may never recover from its discovery...

The Black Sepulchre is the first installment of The Apostasy Gambit, a Dark Heresy campaign that takes a cell of Acolytes from investigating the tragic history of a warped Cathedral to crusading against a conspiracy at the heart of one of the Imperium’s most vaunted organisations. The Black Sepulchre can be played on its own, or it can form a part of the grand Apostasy Gambit campaign. What’s more, this adventure is designed for all levels of play, so beginners and veterans alike can explore its varied paths to success.

Head to your drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today and discover the dark mystery that awaits!

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

“There can be but one Emperor, one god, one saviour, one deliverer. Without Him, a billion billion souls are nought but fodder for the ever-thirsting evils of the warp.”
     –Ecclesiarch Theodacus V, Indroit to the Verses of Dusk

The light of the God-Emperor stands between humanity and destruction. Against myriad enemies, the Ecclesiarchy defends the faith with bolt, chain, and flame.

Blood of Martyrs, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now available for purchase via download through drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com! This invaluable tome contains new rules, backgrounds, alternate careers and equipment for playing servants of the Adeptus Ministorum, the church of the God-Emperor of Mankind.

Included within are a detailed history of the Ecclesiarchy and the Sisters of Battle, as well as extensive accounts of the Ministorum within the Calixis Sector from Shrine worlds to the powerful cardinals of the Sector Synod. Take up the mantle of the most faithful of the Emperor’s servants, the Adepta Sororitas including the Sisters of Battle and the Orders Dialogous, Famulous and Hospitaller!

The Ecclesiarchy

Mack Martin, Dark Heresy’s lead developer, took a moment to share his excitement for Blood of Martyrs:

In Blood of Martyrs, I had the opportunity to delve into one of the most iconic areas of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Ecclesiarchy. The Adeptus Ministorum (also known as the Ecclesiarchy) is the all-powerful and ever-present church of the Imperial cult of the God-Emperor of Mankind. While many of the previous Dark Heresy sourcebooks have discussed the Imperial faith in parts, the Ministorum of the Calixis sector has not yet been presented as the focus of an entire volume.

Thanks, Mack! For more on Blood of Martyrs, read our previews: Brides of the Emperor and A Solitary Purpose. Then, head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com and prepare to defend the faithful followers of the Emperor, by any means necessary...

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