40K RPG X3

MARCH 14 2006 (Nottingham, England) 2007 will mark the 20th anniversary of the first publication of Games Workshop’s legendary Warhammer 40,000 game system. It’s no coincidence that March 2007 will also see one of the most eagerly awaited events in gaming history – the release of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay (40KRP)! Rumours have been circulating in the roleplay community for many years about such a game. Now Black Industries, fresh from the success of the revamped Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, can reveal that it really will be happening, and in a way no one is expecting. Because there won’t be one 40KRP game, but three!

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy will be the first 40KRP game, allowing players to take on the role of an Inquisitor’s retinue. Their task is to uproot the taint of Chaos in Imperial society, to smash dark cults and foil sinister plots. It’s a game of investigation and will be an ideal introduction to the dark and gothic universe of the 41st Millennium. Dark Heresy is just the beginning, however. After this basic game, two further games released eighteen months apart will allow the players to progress and explore the universe first as Rogue Traders and alien pirates, and eventually experienced players will be able to roleplay the devastating warriors of the Adeptus Astartes Deathwatch.

Back in the day I owned the original Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader hardback. My group never really did anything with it because all our miniatures dollars went towards BattleTech. Still, I always thought 40K looked like a neat universe to explore. More than once I considered using the setting for an rpg campaign. My usual idea involved the PCs as draftees in the Imperial Army who then were sent on insanely dangerous and nonsensible missions by the soulless Imperial bureaucracy, sorta one part Paranoia troubleshooting and one part Aliens with a light sprinkling of Red Dwarf.