A Call to Arms: The Grim Dark Reality
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It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor of Mankind has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the vast Imperium of Man for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day so that he may never truly die.Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in His name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat to humanity from aliens, heretics, mutants -- and far, far worse. To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be relearned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.
This is a call to arms, fellow soldiers, time to go to war! The filth of the Abyss seeks the dark corners of the world; forgotten ruins, drug-riddled ghettos, weak souls, the greedy, the scared. In the grim darkness of the future, humanity stands on the edge of oblivion, you are called to protect it! The PCs will be the Acolytes of Inquisitor Taalik Amun of the Ordos Hereticus. The Ordo Hereticus has the most difficult task of the three holy ordos, for they must seek corruption in the midst of humanity. Thus many agents from many paths are needed. That is where you come in.
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I got into Warhammer 40K (and now have a host of different armies) not too long after getting into D&D (almost 20 years) ago. Since then, I have run more than a few future based RPGs looking to capture the grimdark feel of Warhammer 40k. With the excellent systems now developed, I am excited to offer an intriguing game of Dark
Heresy. I am hoping to launch this game between Friday, July 18 and Monday, July 21, so submit your applications!
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CHARACTER CREATION
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Sourcebooks: Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, Inquisitor's Handbook, Radical's Handbook, the Lathe Worlds, the Lost Dataslate, Blood of Martyrs, Book of Judgement, Daemon Hunter (no Grey Knights), and the Errata.
****I will entertain requests to use material from other 40k sourcebooks if something fits your storyline****
Homeworld: You may choose or roll (use chart on pg 8, Inquisitor's Handbook).
Statistics: Inquisitors are schrewd judges of character and will only take a cut above average. Roll 9 stats per normal (20+2d10). Then reroll 4d10 of out the entire set (could be 2 full scores, 4 individual die from different scores, or a full score and a single die from two others), keeping the higher roll (new or old).
Assign stats to the 9 characteristics as you see fit.
Details: Gain starting gear, wealth, and experience (400 xp) per the Core Rulebook.
Background: Roleplaying will play a major part in this game, and you will need to have been recruited by the Inquisitor for a reason, so put something definitive that will stand out. You can either create your own homeworld, or select one from the existing material. There are several great wiki sites that can be used for reference. Character creation rewards will be given for exceptional backgrounds.
Direction: Give a few notes about how you see the character growing as they advance. This does not need to be hard and fast or set in stone, I just want to get an idea of your perspective of the character.
Recruitment: I am looking for 6-8 characters, that will make up a diverse party capable of a balanced game consisting of roleplaying, investigation and combat.
If your character can only do one thing, it will probably not be selected.
Rules Updates: I recently got Black Crusade, which has many updates to the FFG 40k ruleset. I am interested in integrating a good deal of these, but will discuss them more specifically with the players selected. Please note that those updates being considered are listed below.
- Untrained basic skill use now characteristic -20, not 1/2 characteristic.
New skill = Old skills that are replaced
- Acrobatics = Acrobatics and Contortionist
- Athletics = Climb and Swim
- Awareness = Awareness, Lip Reading and Search
- Charm = Charm, Blather and Performer
- Commerce = Barter, Commerce and Evaluate
- Deceive = Deceive and Disguise
- Logic = Logic, Gambling and Tactics
- Linguistics (Certain Language) = Ciphers, Literacy, Secret Tongue and Speak Language
- Medicae = Chem-Use and Medicae
- Operate (Type of Vehicle) = Drive and Pilot
- Parry = New Skill, if you have a WS of 50 or your class has ‘cheap’ WS increases you get it
- Stealth = Concealment, Silent Move and Shadowing
- Survival = Survival, Tracking, and Wrangling
- Tech-Use = Demolitions and Tech-Use
- Toughness is now used for Carouse
- Crushing Blow – Add half your Weapon Skill Bonus to melee damage instead of +2
- Lightning Strike – Weapon Skill check -10%, one hit per Degree of Success up to a max of the attacker’s Weapon Skill Bonus
- Mighty Shot – Add half your Ballistic Skill Bonus to ranged damage instead of +2
- Swift Attack – Weapon skill check, one hit for the first Degree of Success, then another for every two additional Degrees of Success up to a max of the attacker’s
Weapon Skill bonus
- Weapon Training is now based on Weapon Type, not Class, so you know how to use all Las Weapons or none. Updates will be handled on a Career by Career basis.
- Unnatural Characteristic is now additive, not multiplicative. When you succeed with am Unnatural Rating in the Characteristic you add a number of additional Degrees
of Success equal to half your rating. A rating of 3-5 is equivalent to the old x2. Unnatural Speed is gone, as Unnatural Agility now does increase movement ratings
- Daemonic will also have a Number Rating that adds to the Toughness bonus and stacks with Unnatural Toughness. A rating of 3-5 is the same to how it was in Dark Heresy
- Brutal Charge will have a number rating that is the amount of bonus damage made on the same round as the charge instead of a flat +3
- Multiple Limbs will have a number rating that adjusts the modifier instead of a flat amount from Multiple Arms
- Quadruped no longer multiplies movement rates, but rather adds a +2 for every extra pair of legs
- Toxic deals damage to anyone who successfully attacks the creature with Toxic, also has a number rating which is the penalty to the Toughness test equal to -10% times the rating
- Standard attacks now have a +10% to them as default
- Aiming helps non-single shots / melee attacks
- Semi Auto has no modifier anymore but is a half action
- Full Auto has a -10% but is a half action
- Fatigue only affects Weapon and Ballistic Skill tests, not all rolls (-10% as per usual)
- Lightning and Swift Attacks have changed to mirror the Full and Semi Auto Attacks, see Talent section below
- and more....
- Good quality Armor does not give 1 AP to the first hit of the round anymore. Now it gives a +5 to Charm or Intimidate checks, depending on appearance.
- Las weapons gain the variable charge setting.
- Accurate - Add damage dice with degrees of success on Aimed attack
- Concussive (X) – Rating times 10 is the penalty to the Toughness check, old weapons are a (1) Rating
- Felling (X) – Reduces the Unnatural Toughness of the target by X, old weapons with Felling (1) should be a rating of 3-5 to match the changed Unnatural Characteristic talent
- Flame, Spray – Old Flame quality is now these two qualities. Something that has a chance to set someone alight is Flame, where something that you don’t test Ballistics has Spray, old Flame weapons have both
- Overheat - A good quality weapon with this condition only overheats on a natural roll of 96-00
- Primitive – No longer a weapon type, now has a number rating with is the max damage on a rolled d10
- Reliable – Now jams on a natural 00 roll
- Scatter – At point blank range adds +10% to hit and +3 damage, at short range adds +10% to hit, and at long range or above takes away 3 damage to a min of 0
- Shocking – Character is stunned for number of rounds equal to Degrees of Failure on the Toughness test, not half the damage taken
- Snare (X) – Now has a number rating, Agility test is at a penalty of X time 10% to not be entangled, old weapons are Snare (1)
- Toxic (X) – Same as the Toxic Trait above, old weapons are Toxic (1)
- Twin-Linked – Double the weapon’s RoF, wielder can choose to either get a +10% to hit, or score an additional hit if they get at least one successful hit
- Unbalanced, Unwieldy – These weapons can no longer be used for Lightning Attacks
I'm intrigued and wish to hear more. First of all, would Inquisitor Amun be considered a Radical or Puritan, or somewhere in between. Depending on the answer, I may have a backstory for mind cleansed cleric ready and waiting, or I may go with something more along the lines of a feral/hiver assassin.
Am I correct in assuming this will be Dark Heresy 1st edition (plus the stated houserules)?
Do you mind if I use a form-fillable and pm you it through google drive?
@Wolfman: From a recruitment standpoint, Inquisitor Taalik-Amun seems to fall midline between Puritan and Radical (so Cult of the Red Redemption really isn't an option; neither is say Daemonhost on the other end).
@Mark: Yes, this will be 1st Edition Dark Heresy. I have glanced at some of the 2nd edition Beta rules, but have not participated in it, and given the wealth of material available in 1st edition, feel more inclined to stick with it (with the aforementioned updates).
@Dirge: You can build the mechanics elsewhere, but all characteristic rolls and any other dice need to be rolled in this thread, and your background/synopsis placed here.
Good to see some interest, I'm pouring over the other DH books I haven't read, started with Lathe Worlds and Inquis/Radic. Handbooks as material for other games. Lots and lots of choices and history here. Very nice.
Interested in tech-priest, crimson guard, maybe something else I haven't read about yet.
That's fine now that I have figured out how this system works for rolling dice. Can I roll the stats and then allocate them or do I roll them in stat order then pray I can be an accountant?
@Skarr: Pure the Statistics section above, you assign as you see fit. Make sure you take note of the reroll rules, as it is a bit different then normal.
That is awesome. I read everything but that last bit. My mistake.
Yeah, it allows high-low rolls (ex: 9,1) to have the potential to get a lot better.
I will be creating a Voidborn Adept who was birthed in the middle of a geller field failure aboard the Mirabelle during a routine pleasure cruise through the Adrantis Nebula. Skarr is drawn to the warp like a Scintillian lhofly to honey, and thus he is trying to draw the attention of the Xanthite order. I will finish the rest in my Alias profile, and submit rerolls here.
Rerolling: both of the fours on my 34's, and the 24.
That's good to know, it also means the cleric is out. He would have been something along the lines of a Radical version of the Red Redemption. Something along the lines of in the fight against chaos, anything is permitted so long as it is done in the Emperor's name and as long as proper penance is paid afterward.
Hmm, I'll see what I can come up with now.
@skarr: With rerolls, I read the following stats - 27, 28, 29, 31, 33, 36, 38, 38, 40. Looks solid, intrigued by which direction you will go with the Adept. Given the scenario and fascination with the warp, any thought on going psyker?
@wolfman: I too always liked the concept of the Red Redemption, but the hardline puritan line makes them difficult in a 'progressive' Dark Heresy game. Though, depending on your "mind-cleansed" previous life, it could play into a truly interesting and unique character - being a unique follower of the red redemption who is willing to surround himself with warp taint. Similar to Black Templars that join the Deathwatch. Don't rule out the idea completely.
@cyberius darwin" Love me some techpriests, curious to see what direction you take the build. Might as well roll your stats, gives you a starting point.
I saw the stat line up and I immediately was thinking Oblationist Cleric going to become a Calixian Withfinder. Those stats are far better than I could have hoped for, and to use them to make an aspiring Inquisitor is much more fitting. If you want me to shave a few points off if people roll lower, you just tell me.
I am considering embracing the Oblationist mentality to the fullest so Psy rating is on the list along with other things. All in check, of course. Wouldn't want to draw the attention of the inquisition...
Here is my (Nimon) submission. Sgt. Solvitus, A.K.A SimGrim Penal Legionnaire.
How exactly are you planning on implementing those new skill groups? If you have access to one skill in that group then do you have access to that group? For example if you have access to swim in your advancement, then does that just change to Athletics?
Here are my rolls for wounds ect, if you are doing something different I can adjust.
=2 Fate Points
"Even a Man who has nothing can still offer his life" +2 str
@nimon: Yes, if you have a skill either as a starting trained skill or an option to purchase that has been replaced, you now receive / can purchase the new skill.
Nimon, did you see the notes in the statistic section above? You get to assign the 9 scores as you wish after rerolls (where you keep the higher of the rolls).
@Nimon: you rolled a (9,2) to replace an (1,8). As the 9 is higher than the 1, it replaces that, but the 8 is higher than the 2, so you keep that. With a base 20 it becomes a 37.
Haven't decided what I'm doing yet, but I'll get these rolls out of the way, maybe they can help me decide.
Reroll 2 in 3rd set.
Reroll 1 in 4th set.
Reroll 2 in 7th set.
Reroll 1 in 8th set.
New values are
2d10 + 20 ⇒ (3, 5) + 20 = 28
2d10 + 20 ⇒ (3, 8) + 20 = 31
2d10 + 20 ⇒ (7, 4) + 20 = 31
2d10 + 20 ⇒ (9, 9) + 20 = 38
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@Nimon: you rolled a (9,2) to replace an (1,8). As the 9 is higher than the 1, it replaces that, but the 8 is higher than the 2, so you keep that. With a base 20 it becomes a 37.
Ok if that's how you want the reroll to work. Typically you keep the higher end result for rolls like that, thanks for the clarification.
Normally I would agree, though I do not understand why you opted to try and reroll an 8 in the first place, when you could have elected to simply reroll the 1.
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Normally I would agree, though I do not understand why you opted to try and reroll an 8 in the first place, when you could have elected to simply reroll the 1.
Probably because I did it after midnight. Though had I known you can could roll two dice to change one result, I probably would have had better luck doing that then trying to change the 3s.
@Nimon: because of the confusion, you can reroll again, but it must be a reroll of all 4 d10's. Statistically, you have the best odds of improving your stats by using them one each on the last four stats.
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@Nimon: because of the confusion, you can reroll again, but it must be a reroll of all 4 d10's. Statistically, you have the best odds of improving your stats by using them one each on the last four stats.
Honestly I am not that concerned over a few % if that makes or breaks the game then it is not a game I would be interested in.
No, not at all, just throwing it out there in case you were unhappy with how things played out because you misread the statistics section.
Alright, time for the fun rolls.
Noooo... I had this coming.
Forgot this one. Lucked out.
"Die if you must, but not with your spirit broken" +3 WP
@Radavel: three distinctly different options there. Psyker is definitely an option, and if you want to go that way I empower you to roll and start generating him.
Thanks for the invitation to apply.
I'm thinking of submitting an Arbitrator (Cult-Stalker) but I figure that I might as well roll stats and a Divination either way.
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 -
Reroll 3.1
Reroll 1.1
Reroll 1.2
Reroll 3.2
Final scores:
1 - (8,6) = 14
2 - (7,7) = 14
3 - (7,5) = 12
4 - (6,3) = 9
5 - (6,2) = 8
6 - (6,4) = 10
7 - (2,4) = 6
8 - (7,7) = 14
9 - (3,6) = 9
"There are no civilians in the battle for survival." +2T, +1 Wound
I'm going to go with Noble Born and The Calixian Pattern Killings (Perception) for a background package.
Final stat spread:
Weapon Skill: 26
Ballistic Skill: 32
Strength: 28
Toughness: 36
Agility: 29
Intelligence: 29
Perception: 39
Willpower: 25
Fellowship: 39
Sadly that rolling sucked (only 96 total post-rerolls) but cest la vie.
I'll have an alias up without too much delay.
Edit:
Wounds:
Fate:
And forgot money:
Doubled for Noble Born = 134
My Arbitrator. Background and details to come.
I was wondering. Are we using Only War's system for psychic powers or the original "9's are a no-go" system from Dark Heresy?
I was wondering. Are we using Only War's system for psychic powers or the original "9's are a no-go" system from Dark Heresy?
Using Only War would really require using the Only War powers as well since the two systems aren't actually compatible at all.
Interested, will come with concept soon.
For every 10 pts of willpower required on the prerequisite, increase the Focus Power test penalty by 10. Or that was my idea UNTIL I realized they do not have prerequisites like that and psy rating determines the number of powers you have. You are right.
I should have all of Skarr's information written up now for your analysis.
Taalik Amun is impressed with those who would offer themselves in service to the Ordo Hereticus... but please, if others seek to petition for recruitment, step forward. Where the recruits stand thus far:
Interested
Mark Sweetman
brent brent
Concept
cyberius darwin - ?? (techpriest)
Radavel - ?? (psyker)
Incomplete
wolfman1911 - Solon Modrak (mindwiped cleric)
DM Morvius - Praetus Callum (arbitrator)
Complete
Nimon - SlimGrim (guardsman-penal legionnaire)
Dirge of Hubris - Skarr Rekhardt (oblationist cleric)
@Nimon: just asking for clarification, did you take the guardsman alternate rank penal legionnaire from Radical's Handbook?
Am I missing something to be labeled as "Incomplete?"
I just updated the profile.
@Skarr: I caught your post at 59 minutes after my post, so I had moments to edit it. You are now in the complete category.
Awesome. Thanks for your consideration.
Very interested. Thinking adept or scum probably, but lets see what the dice fairy brings!!
reroll 1,4,3 and 5
Totals:
35
35
38
34
37
35
36
37
35
With those rolls, I think I could make pretty much anything!
I think we have some pretty combat capable characters, so I will work on Gaius Haxtes, Archivist from the cemetery world Moribar.
As for direction, I am thinking knowledge monkey, probably going Chirurgeon later, after a fascination with the death and injury he sees.
Ooh! forgot Imperial Divination