“Mortals name it Askellon. I name it my playground, and I am ever-eager to play there.”
   –Suvfaeras, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch

A shadow and a threat looms over the Imperium. Its influence is inescapable, for it underpins the fabric of reality itself. Its malice is implacable, for those who dwell there heed only the call of Chaos. And yet, its evil shall not prevail today—not while the men and women of the Ordo Malleus stand ready to defend the Emperor’s people! Complete the trilogy of threats facing the Imperium with your copy of Enemies Beyond, now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore.

Enemies Beyond is a supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition that pulls back the curtain on the unending struggle against the Warp and the creatures that spawn from the Immaterium. Here, you’ll find details on all four of the Ruinous Powers, their preferred tactics, the peculiar natures of their Daemons, and their plots to bring ruin to all Mankind. You’ll also gain access to exclusive new weapons to battle the Daemonic threats, as well as new character creation options, including new home worlds. 

They Are Not Beyond Hate

Like every other supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, Enemies Beyond offers a host of unique new content specifically related to the battle against the denizens of the Warp. You can wield new weapons in your fight or unlock new game options by playing as an Astropath or an Exorcised character. Throughout the book and all your actions, however, there runs a single thread—will you fall to the very corruption you fight? Will you dare to take up the weapons of the enemy in hopes of supporting the Emperor?

In our Enemies Beyond designer diary, writer Tim Cox explored the temptations that the Warp may offer to Acolytes of the Ordo Malleus. Ultimately, there are  two types of Daemonology practiced in the Imperium. Sanctic Daemonology allows you to turn back the creatures of the Warp, banishing their presence or increasing your prowess for battle against these spawn of evil. The other tree of Demonology is known as Malefic Daemonology—regarded by some as the most profane sorcery. An Acolyte practicing Malefic Demonology could rightly be considered a heretic, but the power may be invaluable and life-saving in your fight against the Warp!

Walking even further down the path to heresy, this supplement offers you the chance to enter into a Dark Pact with a Daemon. These Dark Pacts can offer great power to an Acolyte, provided you can prevent the Daemon from twisting your words into some horrible caricature of their original purpose. Even if you get the powers you want, however, a Dark Pact always exacts a terrible price. Your soul is just the beginning—no Acolyte could truly comprehend the depraved possibilities of a Daemon’s request. 

The Emperor Will Prevail

You have faced the heretics, mutants, and raving cults that corrupt the Imperium in Enemies Within. You have clashed with xenos races and faced horrid aliens on the field of battle with Enemies Without. Now, you have the chance to complete the panoply of threats against the Imperium with Enemies Beyond. Pick up your copy of this Dark Heresy supplement at your local retailer today!

“Mortals name it Askellon. I name it my playground, and I am ever-eager to play there.”
   –Suvfaeras, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch

A shadow and a threat looms over the Imperium. Its influence is inescapable, for it underpins the fabric of reality itself. Its malice is implacable, for those who dwell there heed only the call of Chaos. And yet, its evil shall not prevail today—not while the men and women of the Ordo Malleus stand ready to defend the Emperor’s people! Complete the trilogy of threats facing the Imperium with your copy of Enemies Beyond, now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore.

Enemies Beyond is a supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition that pulls back the curtain on the unending struggle against the Warp and the creatures that spawn from the Immaterium. Here, you’ll find details on all four of the Ruinous Powers, their preferred tactics, the peculiar natures of their Daemons, and their plots to bring ruin to all Mankind. You’ll also gain access to exclusive new weapons to battle the Daemonic threats, as well as new character creation options, including new home worlds. 

They Are Not Beyond Hate

Like every other supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, Enemies Beyond offers a host of unique new content specifically related to the battle against the denizens of the Warp. You can wield new weapons in your fight or unlock new game options by playing as an Astropath or an Exorcised character. Throughout the book and all your actions, however, there runs a single thread—will you fall to the very corruption you fight? Will you dare to take up the weapons of the enemy in hopes of supporting the Emperor?

In our Enemies Beyond designer diary, writer Tim Cox explored the temptations that the Warp may offer to Acolytes of the Ordo Malleus. Ultimately, there are  two types of Daemonology practiced in the Imperium. Sanctic Daemonology allows you to turn back the creatures of the Warp, banishing their presence or increasing your prowess for battle against these spawn of evil. The other tree of Demonology is known as Malefic Daemonology—regarded by some as the most profane sorcery. An Acolyte practicing Malefic Demonology could rightly be considered a heretic, but the power may be invaluable and life-saving in your fight against the Warp!

Walking even further down the path to heresy, this supplement offers you the chance to enter into a Dark Pact with a Daemon. These Dark Pacts can offer great power to an Acolyte, provided you can prevent the Daemon from twisting your words into some horrible caricature of their original purpose. Even if you get the powers you want, however, a Dark Pact always exacts a terrible price. Your soul is just the beginning—no Acolyte could truly comprehend the depraved possibilities of a Daemon’s request. 

The Emperor Will Prevail

You have faced the heretics, mutants, and raving cults that corrupt the Imperium in Enemies Within. You have clashed with xenos races and faced horrid aliens on the field of battle with Enemies Without. Now, you have the chance to complete the panoply of threats against the Imperium with Enemies Beyond. Pick up your copy of this Dark Heresy supplement at your local retailer today!

“Woe to he who hears the word of the Infernal Denizen of the Great Abyss, for his soul shall be tainted for all eternity. Better to die in eternal ignorance than to burn in the eternal fire.”
   –The Apocrypha of the Seventh Seal

The threat of the Daemonic is ever-present across the thousands of worlds that make up the Imperium. From the most populous hive world to the deadly frontiers of a death world, Daemons spill forth from the Warp everywhere, wreaking gleeful havoc and directing heretical worship back to the Ruinous Powers which command them. 

Against this undying, unstoppable threat, there stands the Ordo Malleus—a small sect of Inquisitors and their Acolytes, elite in their training and hardened by the fires of battle. These men and women are the unsung heroes of the Imperium, but they cannot win their fight alone. To destroy the Daemons that threaten the Emperor’s peace, some may choose to call upon the powers of the Warp itself. In Dark Heresy Second Edition, you have the chance to make that choice yourself.

Today, Tim Cox, writer for Enemies Beyond, explores the new psychic powers and the terrible pacts that you may make in exchange for power. 

Tim Cox on the New Psychic Powers and Dark Pacts of Enemies Beyond

Like it or not, any Acolyte and Inquisitor called to battle Daemons knows that these unholy entities are uniquely vulnerable to psychic powers. Sometimes, the best way to fight the creatures of the Warp is with the power of the Warp itself. Among the new tools and abilities introduced to the Ordo Malleus Daemonhunters and Acolytes who face the spawn of the Warp, Enemies Beyond includes new psychic powers. While Enemies Within offered minor psychic powers appropriate for untrained wyrds and more powerful psykers, Enemies Beyond introduces two new discipline trees—Sanctic Daemonology and Malefic Daemonology.

The first of these discipline trees, Sanctic Daemonology, is one of the most difficult psychic disciplines to master, and certainly the most specialised. The powers of this discipline are geared specifically toward the destruction of Daemons, meaning this discipline is carefully guarded and almost exclusively the province of the Ordo Malleus. Sanctic Daemonology powers range from Banishment, which effectively penalizes a Daemon’s Warp Instability, to Sanctuary, which can keep a Daemonic foe at bay and physically deflect attacks. Other powers, such as Psychic Communion and Hammerhand, amplify the abilities of the psyker and his allies. After all, no mere human can stand alone against a Daemon.

Malefic Daemonology is not a true psychic discipline at all—at least not according to the  Adeptus Astra Telepathica—but the most profane sorcery. This dark twin to sanctioned Daemonology is not concerned with combatting Daemons, but actually summoning them and bolstering their strength. Needless to say, Acolytes and Inquisitors who delve into Malefic Daemonology are staunchly Radical and heretics in the eyes of most loyal citizens and servants of the Imperium. 

The new powers in the Malefic Daemonology tree include Summoning and Incursion, which allow a psyker to call forth the beings of the Warp and compel them to do his bidding. Of course, these powers form ideal complements to the new rules for binding Daemonhosts and creating Daemon weapons. With the Possession power, a psyker can even invite a Warp Beast to infuse him with unholy strength for a (hopefully) brief time!

The powers of this discipline are especially tempting because of their low costs: Chaos is always  eager to ensnare mortals greedy for power. The true costs of Malefic Demonology powers are their effects on the users. Dealing with the Warp is eminently dangerous, and it should come as no surprise that harnessing Malefic Daemonology is a quick way to gain Corruption. Whether you see this as a cost or a benefit depends on your particular psyker. Powers like Dark Flame and Infernal Gaze actually become more effective as a psyker’s Corruption increases!

Embrace the Darkness

For some practitioners of the dark arts, mere sorcery does not provide nearly enough power. These Emperor-forsaken individuals might even go so far as to make a deal with a Daemon of the Warp and enter into a Dark Pact. Although they are particularly vulnerable to Daemonic influence, psykers are not the only characters who can enter a Dark Pact. Anyone who attracts the attention of a Daemon might have the chance to strike a bargain with a creature of the Warp.

An Acolyte who enters a Dark Pact can gain great power by acquiring one or more Boons. These Boons are the benefits that you seek, but whether they are quite what you had in mind depends on how shrewd your bargaining and how carefully you’ve chosen your words. Boons might grant inhuman strength, the unfailing admiration and loyalty of peers, or even immortality. 

This power comes at a terrible cost, however. Anyone who makes a deal with a Daemon damns himself in the process, but you’ll pay with far more than just your soul. Each Dark Pact also imparts Banes—negative consequences that show the influence of Chaos. After all, with a Daemon, you always get more than you bargain for. The exact nature of a Bane corresponds to the Boon granted. A character who bargains for great strength or martial prowess might take on a vaguely bestial appearance pleasing to the Blood God, while one who wishes to create a perfect work might find himself addicted to the pleasures of the Dark Prince. In addition to these unnatural “side effects,” the Daemon must get something out of the bargain. While this might simply be the bargainer’s soul, it could also entail some act of servitude, ritual obeisance, or even a living sacrifice.

I hope players and Game Masters enjoy incorporating the new psychic powers and rules for Dark Pacts into their Dark Heresy campaigns. And if these powers prove a little too tempting, well… that’s how the fall to Chaos begins!

Thanks, Tim! 

The Warp Beckons

With the power of the Immaterium at your call, you may strike down even powerful Daemons—but can any mortal truly resist the temptations of the Warp? Decide whether you’ll walk the path of righteousness or abandon your soul to Chaos in Enemies Beyond, the newest supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Beyond at your local retailer today.

“Woe to he who hears the word of the Infernal Denizen of the Great Abyss, for his soul shall be tainted for all eternity. Better to die in eternal ignorance than to burn in the eternal fire.”
   –The Apocrypha of the Seventh Seal

The threat of the Daemonic is ever-present across the thousands of worlds that make up the Imperium. From the most populous hive world to the deadly frontiers of a death world, Daemons spill forth from the Warp everywhere, wreaking gleeful havoc and directing heretical worship back to the Ruinous Powers which command them. 

Against this undying, unstoppable threat, there stands the Ordo Malleus—a small sect of Inquisitors and their Acolytes, elite in their training and hardened by the fires of battle. These men and women are the unsung heroes of the Imperium, but they cannot win their fight alone. To destroy the Daemons that threaten the Emperor’s peace, some may choose to call upon the powers of the Warp itself. In Dark Heresy Second Edition, you have the chance to make that choice yourself.

Today, Tim Cox, writer for Enemies Beyond, explores the new psychic powers and the terrible pacts that you may make in exchange for power. 

Tim Cox on the New Psychic Powers and Dark Pacts of Enemies Beyond

Like it or not, any Acolyte and Inquisitor called to battle Daemons knows that these unholy entities are uniquely vulnerable to psychic powers. Sometimes, the best way to fight the creatures of the Warp is with the power of the Warp itself. Among the new tools and abilities introduced to the Ordo Malleus Daemonhunters and Acolytes who face the spawn of the Warp, Enemies Beyond includes new psychic powers. While Enemies Within offered minor psychic powers appropriate for untrained wyrds and more powerful psykers, Enemies Beyond introduces two new discipline trees—Sanctic Daemonology and Malefic Daemonology.

The first of these discipline trees, Sanctic Daemonology, is one of the most difficult psychic disciplines to master, and certainly the most specialised. The powers of this discipline are geared specifically toward the destruction of Daemons, meaning this discipline is carefully guarded and almost exclusively the province of the Ordo Malleus. Sanctic Daemonology powers range from Banishment, which effectively penalizes a Daemon’s Warp Instability, to Sanctuary, which can keep a Daemonic foe at bay and physically deflect attacks. Other powers, such as Psychic Communion and Hammerhand, amplify the abilities of the psyker and his allies. After all, no mere human can stand alone against a Daemon.

Malefic Daemonology is not a true psychic discipline at all—at least not according to the  Adeptus Astra Telepathica—but the most profane sorcery. This dark twin to sanctioned Daemonology is not concerned with combatting Daemons, but actually summoning them and bolstering their strength. Needless to say, Acolytes and Inquisitors who delve into Malefic Daemonology are staunchly Radical and heretics in the eyes of most loyal citizens and servants of the Imperium. 

The new powers in the Malefic Daemonology tree include Summoning and Incursion, which allow a psyker to call forth the beings of the Warp and compel them to do his bidding. Of course, these powers form ideal complements to the new rules for binding Daemonhosts and creating Daemon weapons. With the Possession power, a psyker can even invite a Warp Beast to infuse him with unholy strength for a (hopefully) brief time!

The powers of this discipline are especially tempting because of their low costs: Chaos is always  eager to ensnare mortals greedy for power. The true costs of Malefic Demonology powers are their effects on the users. Dealing with the Warp is eminently dangerous, and it should come as no surprise that harnessing Malefic Daemonology is a quick way to gain Corruption. Whether you see this as a cost or a benefit depends on your particular psyker. Powers like Dark Flame and Infernal Gaze actually become more effective as a psyker’s Corruption increases!

Embrace the Darkness

For some practitioners of the dark arts, mere sorcery does not provide nearly enough power. These Emperor-forsaken individuals might even go so far as to make a deal with a Daemon of the Warp and enter into a Dark Pact. Although they are particularly vulnerable to Daemonic influence, psykers are not the only characters who can enter a Dark Pact. Anyone who attracts the attention of a Daemon might have the chance to strike a bargain with a creature of the Warp.

An Acolyte who enters a Dark Pact can gain great power by acquiring one or more Boons. These Boons are the benefits that you seek, but whether they are quite what you had in mind depends on how shrewd your bargaining and how carefully you’ve chosen your words. Boons might grant inhuman strength, the unfailing admiration and loyalty of peers, or even immortality. 

This power comes at a terrible cost, however. Anyone who makes a deal with a Daemon damns himself in the process, but you’ll pay with far more than just your soul. Each Dark Pact also imparts Banes—negative consequences that show the influence of Chaos. After all, with a Daemon, you always get more than you bargain for. The exact nature of a Bane corresponds to the Boon granted. A character who bargains for great strength or martial prowess might take on a vaguely bestial appearance pleasing to the Blood God, while one who wishes to create a perfect work might find himself addicted to the pleasures of the Dark Prince. In addition to these unnatural “side effects,” the Daemon must get something out of the bargain. While this might simply be the bargainer’s soul, it could also entail some act of servitude, ritual obeisance, or even a living sacrifice.

I hope players and Game Masters enjoy incorporating the new psychic powers and rules for Dark Pacts into their Dark Heresy campaigns. And if these powers prove a little too tempting, well… that’s how the fall to Chaos begins!

Thanks, Tim! 

The Warp Beckons

With the power of the Immaterium at your call, you may strike down even powerful Daemons—but can any mortal truly resist the temptations of the Warp? Decide whether you’ll walk the path of righteousness or abandon your soul to Chaos in Enemies Beyond, the newest supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Beyond at your local retailer today.

“The alien might appear friendly, or even useful. Lies! Never forget there can only be one rightfully dominant species—Mankind!”
   –Duke Arvin Olliva, beginning the 9th Askellian War of Purgation

The Askellon sector teeters on the brink of anarchy and chaos. Countless xenos attacks occur daily across the sector, even as the Faceless Trade smuggles proscribed artefacts past your nets and long-dead civilisations still threaten to corrupt the future with their heresies. As an Acolyte of the Ordo Xenos, you are the proud gatekeeper, the unyielding shield of the Imperium. You stand in the gap against Tau ideologies and Tyranid armies alike. Take up your bolter and hold fast for all Mankind when you pick up your copy of Enemies Without, now available online through our webstore and at your local United States retailer!

Enemies Without is a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, drawing you and your fellow Acolytes into another section of the Imperium’s ceaseless war against the darkness of the universe. As you battle ravaging hordes of Orks or oppose the senseless predations of the Dark Eldar, you can benefit from the new character creation options, weapons, and vehicles included in Enemies Without. For the first time, your Acolyte can specialize in the care and use of vehicles by becoming an Ace. In addition, Enemies Without features a host of information for the Game Master to understand the mind of the xenos races and bring them into any campaign. 

No Alien Shall Live

As a member of the Ordo Xenos, you fight to protect Mankind’s dominion for another blood-drenched day. You may battle massive hordes of biologically-engineered killing machines or seek to uncover and uproot the inner workings of the secretive Faceless Trade. You may investigate the ruins of fallen cultures that can still corrupt entire planets by their mere presence. You may pit yourself against the most dangerous leaders of the foul Tau Empire or seek to outwit the alien intelligence of the Eldar as they plot their unknowable schemes. The most radical Acolytes may even take up xenos weapons or hire the aliens themselves as mercenaries to further destroy these vile creatures that threaten the glory of the Imperium.

The knowledge of these xenos races is utterly forbidden, and  any trace of sympathy is punishable by death. Still, for you to better destroy the aliens that assault the Imperium, some additional investigation and knowledge, however distasteful, may prove necessary. Enemies Without introduces Explications to your Dark Heresy investigations, as Tim Cox explored in his designer diary. When you perform an Explication, you must set the parameters and target of your research. Then, as you make breakthroughs and examine ancient codexes, you’ll gain significant advantages that you can use to defeat the aliens that threaten and despise the shining light of humanity’s influence in the Askellon sector. 

In addition to a massive amount of information on the xenos that plague your sector and new rules for research and Explications, Enemies Without offers a unique focus on the vehicles of Dark Heresy. You may train your Acolyte to become an Ace, using powerful vehicles as an extension of your own body to quickly transport across hostile terrain or unleash terrible firepower on your foes. With new aerospace vehicles that allow you to travel between the planet surface and the mighty voidships, you add another dimension and another potential battlefield to any encounter. Whether you utterly devote your service to vehicles and the blessings of the Machine-God, or you simply see a vehicle as another way to get you to your investigations, you can benefit from the increased armoury of weapons and vehicles featured in Enemies Without.

A New War of Purgation

The xenos species of the galaxy wage an unending war against humanity, nibbling at the edges of the glorious Imperium like parasites. This is your war—to destroy the alien and see the banner of the Emperor set high above every planet in the galaxy. There will be no ceasefire. There will be no peace. Take up the sword of the Emperor’s justice and dispatch the alien back to the starry depths whence he emerged!

Pick up your copy of Enemies Without at your local U.S. retailer today.

“The alien might appear friendly, or even useful. Lies! Never forget there can only be one rightfully dominant species—Mankind!”
   –Duke Arvin Olliva, beginning the 9th Askellian War of Purgation

The Askellon sector teeters on the brink of anarchy and chaos. Countless xenos attacks occur daily across the sector, even as the Faceless Trade smuggles proscribed artefacts past your nets and long-dead civilisations still threaten to corrupt the future with their heresies. As an Acolyte of the Ordo Xenos, you are the proud gatekeeper, the unyielding shield of the Imperium. You stand in the gap against Tau ideologies and Tyranid armies alike. Take up your bolter and hold fast for all Mankind when you pick up your copy of Enemies Without, now available online through our webstore and at your local United States retailer!

Enemies Without is a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, drawing you and your fellow Acolytes into another section of the Imperium’s ceaseless war against the darkness of the universe. As you battle ravaging hordes of Orks or oppose the senseless predations of the Dark Eldar, you can benefit from the new character creation options, weapons, and vehicles included in Enemies Without. For the first time, your Acolyte can specialize in the care and use of vehicles by becoming an Ace. In addition, Enemies Without features a host of information for the Game Master to understand the mind of the xenos races and bring them into any campaign. 

No Alien Shall Live

As a member of the Ordo Xenos, you fight to protect Mankind’s dominion for another blood-drenched day. You may battle massive hordes of biologically-engineered killing machines or seek to uncover and uproot the inner workings of the secretive Faceless Trade. You may investigate the ruins of fallen cultures that can still corrupt entire planets by their mere presence. You may pit yourself against the most dangerous leaders of the foul Tau Empire or seek to outwit the alien intelligence of the Eldar as they plot their unknowable schemes. The most radical Acolytes may even take up xenos weapons or hire the aliens themselves as mercenaries to further destroy these vile creatures that threaten the glory of the Imperium.

The knowledge of these xenos races is utterly forbidden, and  any trace of sympathy is punishable by death. Still, for you to better destroy the aliens that assault the Imperium, some additional investigation and knowledge, however distasteful, may prove necessary. Enemies Without introduces Explications to your Dark Heresy investigations, as Tim Cox explored in his designer diary. When you perform an Explication, you must set the parameters and target of your research. Then, as you make breakthroughs and examine ancient codexes, you’ll gain significant advantages that you can use to defeat the aliens that threaten and despise the shining light of humanity’s influence in the Askellon sector. 

In addition to a massive amount of information on the xenos that plague your sector and new rules for research and Explications, Enemies Without offers a unique focus on the vehicles of Dark Heresy. You may train your Acolyte to become an Ace, using powerful vehicles as an extension of your own body to quickly transport across hostile terrain or unleash terrible firepower on your foes. With new aerospace vehicles that allow you to travel between the planet surface and the mighty voidships, you add another dimension and another potential battlefield to any encounter. Whether you utterly devote your service to vehicles and the blessings of the Machine-God, or you simply see a vehicle as another way to get you to your investigations, you can benefit from the increased armoury of weapons and vehicles featured in Enemies Without.

A New War of Purgation

The xenos species of the galaxy wage an unending war against humanity, nibbling at the edges of the glorious Imperium like parasites. This is your war—to destroy the alien and see the banner of the Emperor set high above every planet in the galaxy. There will be no ceasefire. There will be no peace. Take up the sword of the Emperor’s justice and dispatch the alien back to the starry depths whence he emerged!

Pick up your copy of Enemies Without at your local U.S. retailer today.

“They are beyond comprehension, beyond mortal flesh, beyond even time and mortality. They are beyond many things, but never my hate!”
   –Inquisitor Lias du Ortise, Ordo Malleus

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Beyond, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

The Imperium fights in a time of constant war: there are countless threats to humanity’s continued survival, and more arise every day. Heretics and mutants infest the most populous hive planets, spreading their evil in dark places far from the Emperor’s light. Xenos races attack from every edge of the galaxy, expanding their foul empires and mocking the order and justice that flows from the Emperor’s throne. 

Yet all of these foes can be acknowledged. Every loyal citizen of the Imperium is wary for heresy, and the xenos races are a well-known threat. So perhaps the greatest war is the war that must be fought in secret, against the Daemons and the powers of Chaos that live within the Warp. Mankind uses the Warp  daily for both travel and communication; if the true nature of the Warp and the beings that dwell within were to become known, civilization would surely descend into anarchy. 

In Enemies Beyond, you can become an Acolyte serving with the Ordo Malleus—those tasked with protecting the Imperium from the daemons of the Warp. Here, you’ll find new Acolyte options allowing you to play as an Exorcised character or a powerful Astropath. Gazetteers offer information on the Daemonic threats to the Askellon sectors, introducing new types of worlds such as Penal Colonies and Daemon Worlds. The GM will even find rules for creating his own Daemon Princes, details on the rites of possession and exorcism, and guidance for crafting the Acolyte’s adventures with the Ordo Malleus!

The War for Souls

The Askellon sector is old, almost beyond reckoning, yet the influence of the Warp in this sector stretches still further into the past. In Enemies Beyond, you’ll find an account of Askellian history with a special focus on the terrible Warp Storm, known as the Pandaemonium, that rages constantly in this sector. Here, you’ll also find an account of the unending, secretive war between the Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus and the Daemons that attempt to subvert reality and enter the Askellon sector. 

In the battle against the Ruinous Powers, yours is a thankless task. No medal will ever be pinned to your chest. No honors will ever be granted to you. Your efforts must remain deathly  secret, lest Chaos utterly overtake the Imperium. What’s more, your war is endless. The Daemons of the Warp exist outside of time and rational existence, and even the most optimistic Acolyte would never hope of an end to your eternal struggle. Yet with these terrible obstacles comes the greater responsibility and the greater glory. You do not fight only for the survival of Mankind and the safety of the Imperium. You battle for the continuation of reality itself.

Gaze Not Into the Warp

More than mere history awaits your eyes in Enemies Beyond. You’ll discover potent new options for increasing the prowess of your Acolytes, including new home worlds like Penal Colonies and Quarantined Worlds, new talents to wreak havoc on the forces of Chaos, and dangerous new psychic powers that can turn the power of the Warp against itself. 

To attain even the smallest victory against this ultimate danger, you and your fellow Acolytes must fight fire with fire, using tools and practices that would be utterly condemned in other ordos of the Inquisition. You may take up deadly, proscribed weaponry, learn the secrets of creating Daemonhosts, broker Dark Pacts, conduct exorcisms, and even discover some of the terrible Daemonic Remnants that are the source of countless dark myths throughout the Askellon sector.

Enemies Beyond also offers extensive details on each of the four Chaos Gods. You may face the servants of Khorne, the Blood God, driven by unrelenting lust for battle and death. The Daemons of Nurgle spread disease, corruption, and putrefaction, tainting all that they touch. Tzeentch may offer you forbidden powers and magics—abilities that could make you powerful enough to crush Daemons with your bare hands, but exacting a terrible price in exchange. You can even face the dark minions of Slaanesh, who promises pain and pleasure in equal measure for those who follow him. All of these Ruinous Powers are detailed in Enemies Beyond, along with the Daemons who follow them. GMs will also find tools here for creating their own Daemon Princes, granting them the chance to put a personal touch on any encounter with the Warp.

Smite the Daemon

The Ordo Malleus fights a secret war, daily performing heroic deeds that must never be spoken of. Sanctify your weapons and face the dread truth of the Warp. If reality itself is to survive another day, you must not falter in your duties. Fight the war for souls against the terrors of the Immaterium in Enemies Beyond!

Look for Enemies Beyond at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2016!

“They are beyond comprehension, beyond mortal flesh, beyond even time and mortality. They are beyond many things, but never my hate!”
   –Inquisitor Lias du Ortise, Ordo Malleus

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Beyond, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

The Imperium fights in a time of constant war: there are countless threats to humanity’s continued survival, and more arise every day. Heretics and mutants infest the most populous hive planets, spreading their evil in dark places far from the Emperor’s light. Xenos races attack from every edge of the galaxy, expanding their foul empires and mocking the order and justice that flows from the Emperor’s throne. 

Yet all of these foes can be acknowledged. Every loyal citizen of the Imperium is wary for heresy, and the xenos races are a well-known threat. So perhaps the greatest war is the war that must be fought in secret, against the Daemons and the powers of Chaos that live within the Warp. Mankind uses the Warp  daily for both travel and communication; if the true nature of the Warp and the beings that dwell within were to become known, civilization would surely descend into anarchy. 

In Enemies Beyond, you can become an Acolyte serving with the Ordo Malleus—those tasked with protecting the Imperium from the daemons of the Warp. Here, you’ll find new Acolyte options allowing you to play as an Exorcised character or a powerful Astropath. Gazetteers offer information on the Daemonic threats to the Askellon sectors, introducing new types of worlds such as Penal Colonies and Daemon Worlds. The GM will even find rules for creating his own Daemon Princes, details on the rites of possession and exorcism, and guidance for crafting the Acolyte’s adventures with the Ordo Malleus!

The War for Souls

The Askellon sector is old, almost beyond reckoning, yet the influence of the Warp in this sector stretches still further into the past. In Enemies Beyond, you’ll find an account of Askellian history with a special focus on the terrible Warp Storm, known as the Pandaemonium, that rages constantly in this sector. Here, you’ll also find an account of the unending, secretive war between the Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus and the Daemons that attempt to subvert reality and enter the Askellon sector. 

In the battle against the Ruinous Powers, yours is a thankless task. No medal will ever be pinned to your chest. No honors will ever be granted to you. Your efforts must remain deathly  secret, lest Chaos utterly overtake the Imperium. What’s more, your war is endless. The Daemons of the Warp exist outside of time and rational existence, and even the most optimistic Acolyte would never hope of an end to your eternal struggle. Yet with these terrible obstacles comes the greater responsibility and the greater glory. You do not fight only for the survival of Mankind and the safety of the Imperium. You battle for the continuation of reality itself.

Gaze Not Into the Warp

More than mere history awaits your eyes in Enemies Beyond. You’ll discover potent new options for increasing the prowess of your Acolytes, including new home worlds like Penal Colonies and Quarantined Worlds, new talents to wreak havoc on the forces of Chaos, and dangerous new psychic powers that can turn the power of the Warp against itself. 

To attain even the smallest victory against this ultimate danger, you and your fellow Acolytes must fight fire with fire, using tools and practices that would be utterly condemned in other ordos of the Inquisition. You may take up deadly, proscribed weaponry, learn the secrets of creating Daemonhosts, broker Dark Pacts, conduct exorcisms, and even discover some of the terrible Daemonic Remnants that are the source of countless dark myths throughout the Askellon sector.

Enemies Beyond also offers extensive details on each of the four Chaos Gods. You may face the servants of Khorne, the Blood God, driven by unrelenting lust for battle and death. The Daemons of Nurgle spread disease, corruption, and putrefaction, tainting all that they touch. Tzeentch may offer you forbidden powers and magics—abilities that could make you powerful enough to crush Daemons with your bare hands, but exacting a terrible price in exchange. You can even face the dark minions of Slaanesh, who promises pain and pleasure in equal measure for those who follow him. All of these Ruinous Powers are detailed in Enemies Beyond, along with the Daemons who follow them. GMs will also find tools here for creating their own Daemon Princes, granting them the chance to put a personal touch on any encounter with the Warp.

Smite the Daemon

The Ordo Malleus fights a secret war, daily performing heroic deeds that must never be spoken of. Sanctify your weapons and face the dread truth of the Warp. If reality itself is to survive another day, you must not falter in your duties. Fight the war for souls against the terrors of the Immaterium in Enemies Beyond!

Look for Enemies Beyond at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2016!

“If you can confront the xenos, look upon the xenos, even think upon the xenos, without revulsion, then you are as damned as they.”
   –Inquisitor Loffengar, Ordo Xenos

The Imperium is the stronghold of light and knowledge in a galaxy of darkness. The Emperor protects Humanity from unimaginable threats that would assail it from every quadrant, and the Inquisition is his sword that scours every form of heresy from Mankind’s worlds.

In Enemies Without, an upcoming supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you take up the mantle of Ordo Xenos Acolytes, battling those evil threats that come from outside the Imperium—the cunning Eldar, the ravenous Tyranids, or the despicable Dark Eldar. Yet you must do more than simply cut down these enemies of the Emperor. To carry out your task with the utmost skill and prejudice, you must expand your knowledge to learn the secrets of these aliens.

Today, writer Tim Cox explores the rules that he created for researching the xenos races and using your knowledge to fuel your investigations!

Tim Cox on the Activities of the Ordo Xenos in Enemies Without

Knowledge of the xenos is dangerous and damning, but to combat the alien threat, Acolytes must often develop an understanding of its nature. For the Enemies Without supplement, the Emperor blessed me with the task of developing a system for handling intensive research, known as Explication. The Explication rules provide a framework for resolving research tasks and grant a mechanical benefit for the Acolytes in addition to any narrative effects of their new knowledge. In a way, Explications can be seen as a counterpart to the Inquest rules introduced in Enemies Within, but where Inquests are targeted investigations pursuing a particular heretic, Explications are research endeavours undertaken to understand a external threat in order to defeat it.

An Explication may form a crucial part of an adventure and involve the entire warband, or it might be a project that a single Acolyte pursues during downtime between missions over an  extended period. In the former case, the successful completion of the Explication might be necessary to find or defeat a dangerous enemy, while the latter type of Explication might be part of a personal goal or to lay down knowledge that benefits future servants of the Emperor.

Mechanically, an Explication is a series of skill tests, most likely using Lore skills, with the Acolytes trying to achieve a target number of degrees of success. Although only a single Acolyte makes the skill tests to progress an Explication, the entire warband can contribute. Picture the “research montage” familiar in television and film, where investigators pore over dusty tomes, analyze tissue samples, and study fragments of alien devices. In addition to determining the base difficulty of these skill tests, an Explication’s complexity determines how frequently Acolytes can attempt skill tests. The smallest Explications might be completed in days, while the most complex could take years. In the latter case, of course, an Acolyte is probably working on the Explication outside his normal duties—although I can imagine a GM narrating years of research as the entire warband works to comprehend a truly grave and mysterious threat!

Of course, Acolytes are often racing the chrono to stop a threat before it leads to catastrophe. When the warband doesn’t have the time necessary for a standard Explication, the Acolytes can push themselves to complete their work faster. Doing this is exhausting, causing the Acolytes involved to suffer Fatigue and face more difficult skill tests. As the Acolytes strive to reduce the time, they suffer Fatigue and face steeper penalties to their research tests. Intense research under such circumstances is risky, and the Acolytes could fail to make progress or even face crippling setbacks. Through this sacrifice, however, the characters might complete crucial research in weeks instead of months, or hours instead of days.

Acolytes undertake Explications out of more than mere curiosity (which would be sinful in the eyes of many Imperium citizens). In addition to choosing a subject for the Explication, the characters must decide an objective. This objective should be as specific as possible, whether it’s developing specialised ammunition to destroy a xenos monstrosity or uncovering the dark secret that brought down a noble line. Whatever form it takes, the objective falls into one of several categories, such as eradication, aegis, or comprehension. The objective category determines what benefits the Acolytes can gain during and after the Explication.

Though the greatest benefits arrive on completion of the Explication, the Acolytes don’t have to complete their Explication for it to pay off. As they make progress in their research, the characters reach key Breakthroughs. Although they may not have found the full information they seek, they’ve achieved some insight into their research subject. As well as potentially gaining a valuable clue, advancing the narrative, or just learning something interesting about the dark future, the Acolytes gain a temporary benefit. The form of this bonus varies based on the Explication’s objective—the Acolytes might receive a bonus to attack rolls, Evasion tests, or even Interaction skill tests that apply to the subject of the Explication.

Acolytes who achieve the necessary degrees of success complete their Explication, although how long this takes depends on how well they do on each test. In addition to gaining knowledge about the targeted threat, the warband receives a permanent benefit when dealing with the subject of the Explication. The exact nature of this benefit is tailored to the particular Explication and the warband. It might grant the Acolytes additional weapon qualities, an increase in Armour, or a reduction in the cost of Lore skills related to that foe. The grandest Explications might provide even more impressive benefits for Acolytes with the persistence and skill to complete them.

While developing the rules for Explications, one of my goals was to allow knowledgeable characters a chance to take the spotlight. Combat traditionally takes up a large amount of game time with battle-oriented characters displaying their abilities, but this is not usually true of more cerebral endeavours. By providing more structure, Explications can place a greater focus on the pursuit of knowledge, and hopefully make for a more satisfying and balanced experience for scholarly characters as well.

However you incorporate Explications into your campaigns, I hope that you find the system useful as you seek to illuminate the dark secrets of the Askellon Sector!

Thanks, Tim!

Where Man Goes, the Alien Must Die

Evil attacks the Imperium from every side—within, without, and beyond. Embark on your Explications and join the Ordo Xenos with the Enemies Without supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Without at your local retailer today.

“If you can confront the xenos, look upon the xenos, even think upon the xenos, without revulsion, then you are as damned as they.”
   –Inquisitor Loffengar, Ordo Xenos

The Imperium is the stronghold of light and knowledge in a galaxy of darkness. The Emperor protects Humanity from unimaginable threats that would assail it from every quadrant, and the Inquisition is his sword that scours every form of heresy from Mankind’s worlds.

In Enemies Without, an upcoming supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you take up the mantle of Ordo Xenos Acolytes, battling those evil threats that come from outside the Imperium—the cunning Eldar, the ravenous Tyranids, or the despicable Dark Eldar. Yet you must do more than simply cut down these enemies of the Emperor. To carry out your task with the utmost skill and prejudice, you must expand your knowledge to learn the secrets of these aliens.

Today, writer Tim Cox explores the rules that he created for researching the xenos races and using your knowledge to fuel your investigations!

Tim Cox on the Activities of the Ordo Xenos in Enemies Without

Knowledge of the xenos is dangerous and damning, but to combat the alien threat, Acolytes must often develop an understanding of its nature. For the Enemies Without supplement, the Emperor blessed me with the task of developing a system for handling intensive research, known as Explication. The Explication rules provide a framework for resolving research tasks and grant a mechanical benefit for the Acolytes in addition to any narrative effects of their new knowledge. In a way, Explications can be seen as a counterpart to the Inquest rules introduced in Enemies Within, but where Inquests are targeted investigations pursuing a particular heretic, Explications are research endeavours undertaken to understand a external threat in order to defeat it.

An Explication may form a crucial part of an adventure and involve the entire warband, or it might be a project that a single Acolyte pursues during downtime between missions over an  extended period. In the former case, the successful completion of the Explication might be necessary to find or defeat a dangerous enemy, while the latter type of Explication might be part of a personal goal or to lay down knowledge that benefits future servants of the Emperor.

Mechanically, an Explication is a series of skill tests, most likely using Lore skills, with the Acolytes trying to achieve a target number of degrees of success. Although only a single Acolyte makes the skill tests to progress an Explication, the entire warband can contribute. Picture the “research montage” familiar in television and film, where investigators pore over dusty tomes, analyze tissue samples, and study fragments of alien devices. In addition to determining the base difficulty of these skill tests, an Explication’s complexity determines how frequently Acolytes can attempt skill tests. The smallest Explications might be completed in days, while the most complex could take years. In the latter case, of course, an Acolyte is probably working on the Explication outside his normal duties—although I can imagine a GM narrating years of research as the entire warband works to comprehend a truly grave and mysterious threat!

Of course, Acolytes are often racing the chrono to stop a threat before it leads to catastrophe. When the warband doesn’t have the time necessary for a standard Explication, the Acolytes can push themselves to complete their work faster. Doing this is exhausting, causing the Acolytes involved to suffer Fatigue and face more difficult skill tests. As the Acolytes strive to reduce the time, they suffer Fatigue and face steeper penalties to their research tests. Intense research under such circumstances is risky, and the Acolytes could fail to make progress or even face crippling setbacks. Through this sacrifice, however, the characters might complete crucial research in weeks instead of months, or hours instead of days.

Acolytes undertake Explications out of more than mere curiosity (which would be sinful in the eyes of many Imperium citizens). In addition to choosing a subject for the Explication, the characters must decide an objective. This objective should be as specific as possible, whether it’s developing specialised ammunition to destroy a xenos monstrosity or uncovering the dark secret that brought down a noble line. Whatever form it takes, the objective falls into one of several categories, such as eradication, aegis, or comprehension. The objective category determines what benefits the Acolytes can gain during and after the Explication.

Though the greatest benefits arrive on completion of the Explication, the Acolytes don’t have to complete their Explication for it to pay off. As they make progress in their research, the characters reach key Breakthroughs. Although they may not have found the full information they seek, they’ve achieved some insight into their research subject. As well as potentially gaining a valuable clue, advancing the narrative, or just learning something interesting about the dark future, the Acolytes gain a temporary benefit. The form of this bonus varies based on the Explication’s objective—the Acolytes might receive a bonus to attack rolls, Evasion tests, or even Interaction skill tests that apply to the subject of the Explication.

Acolytes who achieve the necessary degrees of success complete their Explication, although how long this takes depends on how well they do on each test. In addition to gaining knowledge about the targeted threat, the warband receives a permanent benefit when dealing with the subject of the Explication. The exact nature of this benefit is tailored to the particular Explication and the warband. It might grant the Acolytes additional weapon qualities, an increase in Armour, or a reduction in the cost of Lore skills related to that foe. The grandest Explications might provide even more impressive benefits for Acolytes with the persistence and skill to complete them.

While developing the rules for Explications, one of my goals was to allow knowledgeable characters a chance to take the spotlight. Combat traditionally takes up a large amount of game time with battle-oriented characters displaying their abilities, but this is not usually true of more cerebral endeavours. By providing more structure, Explications can place a greater focus on the pursuit of knowledge, and hopefully make for a more satisfying and balanced experience for scholarly characters as well.

However you incorporate Explications into your campaigns, I hope that you find the system useful as you seek to illuminate the dark secrets of the Askellon Sector!

Thanks, Tim!

Where Man Goes, the Alien Must Die

Evil attacks the Imperium from every side—within, without, and beyond. Embark on your Explications and join the Ordo Xenos with the Enemies Without supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Without at your local retailer today.

“There is no end to the abomination of the alien. Do not allow any guise of sentience to stay your hand – there can be no hesitation when the survival of humanity as a species is at stake.”
   –Inquisitor Kartize, Ordo Xenos

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Without, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

New threats gnaw incessantly at the borders of the Imperium. Despite countless righteous Wars of Purgation, the xenos threat grows in the Askellon sector. Unthinking Orks ravage countless worlds. The enigmatic Eldar slay innocents without reason or mercy. Dark Eldar take slaves to a fate worse than death, while the monstrous Tyranids devour a path wherever their Hive Fleets roam. These hideous xenos are an affront to the Emperor’s rule, and no true servant of the Imperium can rest while even one remains within the sector.

Against these terrifying aliens, these unfeeling and monstrous beings, there stands only the bright shield of the Ordo Xenos. These noble hunters of the Inquisition safeguard the worlds of the Imperium, protecting thousands of human lives from horrors as obscene and perfidious as any daemon spawned from the Warp. Now, with the Enemies Without supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you and your fellow Acolytes can take your places as members of the Ordo Xenos and stand against the heresy brought by these aliens from their strange stars.

Scorn the Alien

In Enemies Without, you’ll find a host of details on the xenos species inherent to the Askellon sector. Whether you’re turning aside a host of blood-hungry Orks, defending humanity against Kroot expansionism, or batting the biologically-engineered killing machines of the Tyranids, Enemies Without gives Game Masters the information they need to bring these xenos species to life in any investigation.

It’s not just the living alien races that pose a threat to the Imperium’s safety though. The Askellon sector is old, almost beyond measure, and riddled with the remains of lost civilizations and forgotten xenos cultures. Even when their occupants are long dead, the cities and holy places of these deceased xenos can prove deadly. Dark relics and proscribed artefacts from these ancient places may spread heresy and corruption, even while arcane texts open the door to the spread of Chaos. These same relics have inspired a massive underworld business – the Faceless Trade. Members of the Faceless Trade acquire and sell these xenos artefacts, spreading heresy into the cities of the Imperium as surely as any vile cult. You and the other Acolytes of the Ordo Xenos must find and stop the Faceless Trade wherever it manifests – in addition to destroying all traces of the xenos races in the Askellon sector.

For the more radical Acolytes among you, an expanded armory offers a host of xenos weaponry for you to examine, research, and perhaps use against its owners. Alongside digi-weapons and Desoleum Power Blades, you’ll find Shuriken Catapults, Kroot rifles, and a collection of weapons made by no xenos yet known in the Askellon sector. The most radical Acolytes may even fight fire with fire by hiring bands of xenos mercenaries to combat greater threats!

Equipped for Battle

Enemies Without brings more than an advancing tide of foul xenos to test your resolve. It also equips the warriors of your ordo with new vehicles for any situation. For the first time, you can pilot aerospace vehicles to engage in aerial combat, long-range reconnaissance, or transport to voidships. In addition, you may drive off-road in an Aelurus Heavy Trike or attack the foes of the Imperium in a heavily armoured Sentinel walker. 

Naturally, with a focus on new and powerful vehicles, you or one of your fellow Acolytes may want to focus his service on driving, maintaining, and fighting in vehicles. To this end, Enemies Without introduces a new role for Acolytes to take: the Ace. As the Ace, you’re an unparalleled pilot – more at home in the cockpit of a vehicle than outside. Whether you’re tracking a Dark Eldar raiding party at high speed or gunning down swarms of Tyranids, the Ace can be a crucial addition to any group of Acolytes. 

Mankind Shall Rule Alone

With a new role, new home worlds, new backgrounds, and an armoury full of new weapons – both Imperial and xenos in origin – your Acolytes will be well-equipped to battle the countless threats that assault the borders of the Imperium. Your quest will not be easy. For every wicked xenos creature slain in glorious battle, three more slip past your defenses into the undefended regions of the Askellon sector. Your vigilance must be constant; your justice must be merciless. 

Join the Ordo Xenos. Look for Enemies Without at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“There is no end to the abomination of the alien. Do not allow any guise of sentience to stay your hand – there can be no hesitation when the survival of humanity as a species is at stake.”
   –Inquisitor Kartize, Ordo Xenos

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Without, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

New threats gnaw incessantly at the borders of the Imperium. Despite countless righteous Wars of Purgation, the xenos threat grows in the Askellon sector. Unthinking Orks ravage countless worlds. The enigmatic Eldar slay innocents without reason or mercy. Dark Eldar take slaves to a fate worse than death, while the monstrous Tyranids devour a path wherever their Hive Fleets roam. These hideous xenos are an affront to the Emperor’s rule, and no true servant of the Imperium can rest while even one remains within the sector.

Against these terrifying aliens, these unfeeling and monstrous beings, there stands only the bright shield of the Ordo Xenos. These noble hunters of the Inquisition safeguard the worlds of the Imperium, protecting thousands of human lives from horrors as obscene and perfidious as any daemon spawned from the Warp. Now, with the Enemies Without supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you and your fellow Acolytes can take your places as members of the Ordo Xenos and stand against the heresy brought by these aliens from their strange stars.

Scorn the Alien

In Enemies Without, you’ll find a host of details on the xenos species inherent to the Askellon sector. Whether you’re turning aside a host of blood-hungry Orks, defending humanity against Kroot expansionism, or batting the biologically-engineered killing machines of the Tyranids, Enemies Without gives Game Masters the information they need to bring these xenos species to life in any investigation.

It’s not just the living alien races that pose a threat to the Imperium’s safety though. The Askellon sector is old, almost beyond measure, and riddled with the remains of lost civilizations and forgotten xenos cultures. Even when their occupants are long dead, the cities and holy places of these deceased xenos can prove deadly. Dark relics and proscribed artefacts from these ancient   places may spread heresy and corruption, even while arcane texts open the door to the spread of Chaos. These same relics have inspired a massive underworld business – the Faceless Trade. Members of the Faceless Trade acquire and sell these xenos artefacts, spreading heresy into the cities of the Imperium as surely as any vile cult. You and the other Acolytes of the Ordo Xenos must find and stop the Faceless Trade wherever it manifests – in addition to destroying all traces of the xenos races in the Askellon sector.

For the more radical Acolytes among you, an expanded armory offers a host of xenos weaponry for you to examine, research, and perhaps use against its owners. Alongside digi-weapons and Desoleum Power Blades, you’ll find Shuriken Catapults, Kroot rifles, and a collection of weapons made by no xenos yet known in the Askellon sector. The most radical Acolytes may even fight fire with fire by hiring bands of xenos mercenaries to combat greater threats!

Equipped for Battle

Enemies Without brings more than an advancing tide of foul xenos to test your resolve. It also equips the warriors of your ordo with new vehicles for any situation. For the first time, you can pilot aerospace vehicles to engage in aerial combat, long-range reconnaissance, or transport to voidships. In addition, you may drive off-road in an Aelurus Heavy Trike or attack the foes of the Imperium in a heavily armoured Sentinel walker. 

Naturally, with a focus on new and powerful vehicles, you or one of your fellow Acolytes may want to focus his service on driving, maintaining, and fighting in vehicles. To this end, Enemies Without introduces a new role for Acolytes to take: the Ace. As the Ace, you’re an unparalleled pilot – more at home in the cockpit of a vehicle than outside. Whether you’re tracking a Dark Eldar raiding party at high speed or gunning down swarms of Tyranids, the Ace can be a crucial addition to any group of Acolytes. 

Mankind Shall Rule Alone

With a new role, new home worlds, new backgrounds, and an armoury full of new weapons – both Imperial and xenos in origin – your Acolytes will be well-equipped to battle the countless threats that assault the borders of the Imperium. Your quest will not be easy. For every wicked xenos creature slain in glorious battle, three more slip past your defenses into the undefended regions of the Askellon sector. Your vigilance must be constant; your justice must be merciless. 

Join the Ordo Xenos. Look for Enemies Without at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“A mind without purpose will wander in dark places.”
   –Anonymous

The life of an Inquisitor’s Acolyte is harsh and unforgiving. To you is given the solemn duty of exterminating heresy from the Imperium – at any cost. You’ll experience plenty of adventure along the way, but how do you keep track of all your gear, your skills, and the  myriad traits and attributes that make up your character?

Any Dark Heresy Second Edition player will be well familiar with the stacks of paper, the scribbled out character sheets, and the perennial question, “Who’s got a pencil?” It’s all part of playing a tabletop RPG.

Until now.

Dizelabs are proud to announce the release of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Digital Character Sheet for iOS and Android. With this Digital Character Sheet, you can track your progress, ammunition, wounds, skills and anything else you need, all held in one place on your phone, tablet or other device approved by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Countless Adventures, One App

Upon opening the app, you’re greeted by the Overview of a Character Sheet that will be pleasingly familiar to all Dark Heresy Second Edition players. This Character Sheet is essentially the sheet at the end of the Core Rulebook, but easily displayed on your device’s screen. Of course, there are plenty of differences that set the Digital Character Sheet apart.

The first difference you'll notice is that you can actually create and store multiple characters, with all of their accompanying stats, gear, and notes within the Digital Character Sheet. Whether you regularly play in multiple campaigns or you're a GM with a few key, recurring NPCs, you can use this functionality to track each of the characters you control.

When you’re creating characters within the Digital Character Sheet, the app presents you with the options to make this a fun and easy process. You can randomly assign attributes, just as if you rolled your character using the tables from the rulebook. Alternatively, you can intentionally select your homeworld, background, and role, carefully considering the relevant options as you move forwards. Finally, for players with existing characters, you have the option to manually input your stats into the app, quickly bringing your character to life in the Digital Character Sheet. 

Track Your Stats Easily

Once you've created your character, all of your information is neatly displayed on the Overview tab. This tab covers the broad strokes of everything you need: gear, stats, skills, talents, traits, and more. Everything in this tab is neatly summarised and easily accessible to keep the story moving, which makes it an invaluable resource when you’re navigating the labyrinthine politics of the Imperium.

Naturally, you’ll want to update your character as you progress through your adventure. To help you do this, each section of the Digital Character Sheet is divided into different tabs. Each tab presents a different aspect of your character, inviting you to add more detail and update your skills, experience, and gear. What’s more, each of these tabs includes your character's stat line along the top for easy reference, even when you’re busily tracking heretics or fighting xenos. 

The first tab in the Digital Character Sheet is Abilities, which handles what your character can do during a game. In other words, this tab holds your character’s Skills, Talents and Traits, Psychic Powers, Aptitudes, Special Abilities, and Experience. Each of these aspects of your character can be found and edited on this tab. More personal details about your character are stored in the Character tab. This section is where all the flavorful details about your character – name, background, build, complexion, etc. – are stored. As well as these details, you’ll also find more esoteric fields like Insanity and Corruption in the Character tab.

The next tab in the Digital Character Sheet is Gear. No prizes for guessing what you find here! From this tab, you’ll be able to track all your gear and anything you might pick up. In the Inventory section of this tab, you'll see all your collected items, each with an icon that informs you at a glance how many items you have of a given type – how many melee weapons, how much armor, and so on. Some of this gear carries over into the Combat tab where you’ll track your wounds, fatigue, and fate points as well as your weapon in each hand and your armour.

The final tab offers a handy, built-in Journal. You can use this tab to record snippets of suspicious conversation, mission briefs from your Inquisitor, random musings, secret accusations of heresy, or whatever else might prove useful to your investigations. You'll never need to carry a separate notebook or scraps of paper again!

Blessed by the Adeptus Mechanicus

The Dark Heresy Second Edition Digital Character Sheet is now available for purchase for your phone, tablet, or any other Adeptus Mechanicus-approved device. 

Always remember, knowledge is power. Guard your knowledge by downloading the Digital Character Sheet today for iOS and Android!

“A mind without purpose will wander in dark places.”
   –Anonymous

The life of an Inquisitor’s Acolyte is harsh and unforgiving. To you is given the solemn duty of exterminating heresy from the Imperium – at any cost. You’ll experience plenty of adventure along the way, but how do you keep track of all your gear, your skills, and the  myriad traits and attributes that make up your character?

Any Dark Heresy Second Edition player will be well familiar with the stacks of paper, the scribbled out character sheets, and the perennial question, “Who’s got a pencil?” It’s all part of playing a tabletop RPG.

Until now.

Dizelabs are proud to announce the release of the Dark Heresy Second Edition Digital Character Sheet for iOS and Android. With this Digital Character Sheet, you can track your progress, ammunition, wounds, skills and anything else you need, all held in one place on your phone, tablet or other device approved by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Countless Adventures, One App

Upon opening the app, you’re greeted by the Overview of a Character Sheet that will be pleasingly familiar to all Dark Heresy Second Edition players. This Character Sheet is essentially the sheet at the end of the Core Rulebook, but easily displayed on your device’s screen. Of course, there are plenty of differences that set the Digital Character Sheet apart.

The first difference you'll notice is that you can actually create and store multiple characters, with all of their accompanying stats, gear, and notes within the Digital Character Sheet. Whether you regularly play in multiple campaigns or you're a GM with a few key, recurring NPCs, you can use this functionality to track each of the characters you control.

When you’re creating characters within the Digital Character Sheet, the app presents you with the options to make this a fun and easy process. You can randomly assign attributes, just as if you rolled your character using the tables from the rulebook. Alternatively, you can intentionally select your homeworld, background, and role, carefully considering the relevant options as you move forwards. Finally, for players with existing characters, you have the option to manually input your stats into the app, quickly bringing your character to life in the Digital Character Sheet. 

Track Your Stats Easily

Once you've created your character, all of your information is neatly displayed on the Overview tab. This tab covers the broad strokes of everything you need: gear, stats, skills, talents, traits, and more. Everything in this tab is neatly summarised and easily accessible to keep the story moving, which makes it an invaluable resource when you’re navigating the labyrinthine politics of the Imperium.

Naturally, you’ll want to update your character as you progress through your adventure. To help you do this, each section of the Digital Character Sheet is divided into different tabs. Each tab presents a different aspect of your character, inviting you to add more detail and update your skills, experience, and gear. What’s more, each of these tabs includes your character's stat line along the top for easy reference, even when you’re busily tracking heretics or fighting xenos. 

The first tab in the Digital Character Sheet is Abilities, which handles what your character can do during a game. In other words, this tab holds your character’s Skills, Talents and Traits, Psychic Powers, Aptitudes, Special Abilities, and Experience. Each of these aspects of your character can be found and edited on this tab. More personal details about your character are stored in the Character tab. This section is where all the flavorful details about your character – name, background, build, complexion, etc. – are stored. As well as these details, you’ll also find more esoteric fields like Insanity and Corruption in the Character tab.

The next tab in the Digital Character Sheet is Gear. No prizes for guessing what you find here! From this tab, you’ll be able to track all your gear and anything you might pick up. In the Inventory section of this tab, you'll see all your collected items, each with an icon that informs you at a glance how many items you have of a given type – how many melee weapons, how much armor, and so on. Some of this gear carries over into the Combat tab where you’ll track your wounds, fatigue, and fate points as well as your weapon in each hand and your armour.

The final tab offers a handy, built-in Journal. You can use this tab to record snippets of suspicious conversation, mission briefs from your Inquisitor, random musings, secret accusations of heresy, or whatever else might prove useful to your investigations. You'll never need to carry a separate notebook or scraps of paper again!

Blessed by the Adeptus Mechanicus

The Dark Heresy Second Edition Digital Character Sheet is now available for purchase for your phone, tablet, or any other Adeptus Mechanicus-approved device. 

Always remember, knowledge is power. Guard your knowledge by downloading the Digital Character Sheet today for iOS and Android!

“I fear we have only begun to uncover the sins of deceit and betrayal buried in this wretched sector. With each sin the so-called Lords of Askellon enact, the Warp draws ever closer and its terrible fate grows ever more likely.”
   –Intercepted vox transmission, attributed to Lord Dyrulli

The sickness and heresy that plague the Askellon sector grow worse with every passing day. Witches, heretics, and mutants spread their corrupting influence in every realm of society, from the lowest hive city slums to the greatest palaces of the highborn. Wherever heresy may manifest, it is your solemn duty to cleanse its foetid stain with holy fire. Take up your flamer and defend the Imperium against its most insidious foes with the Enemies Within supplement, now available for Dark Heresy Second Edition at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

In Enemies Within, you enter the Ordo Hereticus, the branch of the Inquisition dedicated to the destruction of those who would bring down the Imperium from within. Game Masters find plenty of new cults for players to encounter on planets scattered throughout the Askellon sector. At the same time, you’ll gain new options for character creation and for equipping your Acolytes with the specialised equipment of the Ordo Hereticus. 

To Stumble Is to Betray the Emperor

The heart of Man is capable of boundless evil. Hundreds of thousands stray from the light of the Emperor every day, and only the purifying fire of the Ordo Hereticus can redeem their souls. But before you can pursue the glorious work of rooting out heresy from the Imperium, you must find the heretics who dare to skulk in the shadows, gibbering their foul prayers to the gods of Chaos.

As we explored in Tim Cox’s designer diary, Enemies Within introduces new rules for allowing Acolytes to stage Inquests. During an Inquest, you and your fellow Acolytes must plan and determine the target and scope of your Inquest. By uncovering clues and evidence, the Acolytes draw closer to a dramatic confrontation with the target of their Inquest, but complications are certain to arise along the way. These new rules allow Game Masters to add more structure to an adventure, while simultaneously  allowing Acolytes to take a greater hand in the planning of their investigations.

Players also gain new options for creating and customizing their Acolytes. Developer Tim Huckelbery gave details on the new home worlds, backgrounds, and gear available to you in Enemies Within. For the first time in Dark Heresy Second Edition, you can choose a productive agri-world, a technologically frozen feudal world, or a harsh and unforgiving frontier world as your home world. You’ll also choose between exciting new character roles and backgrounds, allowing you to play as a Fanatic member of the Adepta Sororitas, a Penitent mutant, or any number of other new character types. You may even pursue your advancement in the Adepta Sororitas further and become a Sister of Battle with a new elite advance!

Of course, these are far from the only benefits offered in this new supplement. You will also uncover additional details on a host of new Askellian planets and the specific heresies and dangers that fester on each world. Between these examples and new cult and plot generators, every Game Master finds the seeds to start hundreds of adventures across the Askellon sector. This information can even be combined with a chapter on the history of the Ordo Hereticus in the Askellon sector, inviting Acolytes to confront perils from the past or long-dormant heresies.

Corruption Lurks in Every Soul

In the Askellon sector, the threat of Chaos is omnipresent. You fight for the sector to survive just one more day, but hundreds of cultists hasten the advance of evil with their rituals and rites. If the billions of men and women in the Askellon sector will live to see another dawn, you  must not shirk your duty – steel your resolve, light the pyres, and join the Witch Hunters!

Pick up your copy of Enemies Within at your local retailer today!

“I fear we have only begun to uncover the sins of deceit and betrayal buried in this wretched sector. With each sin the so-called Lords of Askellon enact, the Warp draws ever closer and its terrible fate grows ever more likely.”
   –Intercepted vox transmission, attributed to Lord Dyrulli

The sickness and heresy that plague the Askellon sector grow worse with every passing day. Witches, heretics, and mutants spread their corrupting influence in every realm of society, from the lowest hive city slums to the greatest palaces of the highborn. Wherever heresy may manifest, it is your solemn duty to cleanse its foetid stain with holy fire. Take up your flamer and defend the Imperium against its most insidious foes with the Enemies Within supplement, now available for Dark Heresy Second Edition at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

In Enemies Within, you enter the Ordo Hereticus, the branch of the Inquisition dedicated to the destruction of those who would bring down the Imperium from within. Game Masters find plenty of new cults for players to encounter on planets scattered throughout the Askellon sector. At the same time, you’ll gain new options for character creation and for equipping your Acolytes with the specialised equipment of the Ordo Hereticus. 

To Stumble Is to Betray the Emperor

The heart of Man is capable of boundless evil. Hundreds of thousands stray from the light of the Emperor every day, and only the purifying fire of the Ordo Hereticus can redeem their souls. But before you can pursue the glorious work of rooting out heresy from the Imperium, you must find the heretics who dare to skulk in the shadows, gibbering their foul prayers to the gods of Chaos.

As we explored in Tim Cox’s designer diary, Enemies Within introduces new rules for allowing Acolytes to stage Inquests. During an Inquest, you and your fellow Acolytes must plan and determine the target and scope of your Inquest. By uncovering clues and evidence, the Acolytes draw closer to a dramatic confrontation with the target of their Inquest, but complications are certain to arise along the way. These new rules allow Game Masters to add more structure to an adventure, while simultaneously  allowing Acolytes to take a greater hand in the planning of their investigations.

Players also gain new options for creating and customizing their Acolytes. Developer Tim Huckelbery gave details on the new home worlds, backgrounds, and gear available to you in Enemies Within. For the first time in Dark Heresy Second Edition, you can choose a productive agri-world, a technologically frozen feudal world, or a harsh and unforgiving frontier world as your home world. You’ll also choose between exciting new character roles and backgrounds, allowing you to play as a Fanatic member of the Adepta Sororitas, a Penitent mutant, or any number of other new character types. You may even pursue your advancement in the Adepta Sororitas further and become a Sister of Battle with a new elite advance!

Of course, these are far from the only benefits offered in this new supplement. You will also uncover additional details on a host of new Askellian planets and the specific heresies and dangers that fester on each world. Between these examples and new cult and plot generators, every Game Master finds the seeds to start hundreds of adventures across the Askellon sector. This information can even be combined with a chapter on the history of the Ordo Hereticus in the Askellon sector, inviting Acolytes to confront perils from the past or long-dormant heresies.

Corruption Lurks in Every Soul

In the Askellon sector, the threat of Chaos is omnipresent. You fight for the sector to survive just one more day, but hundreds of cultists hasten the advance of evil with their rituals and rites. If the billions of men and women in the Askellon sector will live to see another dawn, you  must not shirk your duty – steel your resolve, light the pyres, and join the Witch Hunters!

Pick up your copy of Enemies Within at your local retailer today!

“There can be no mercy while even a single heretic might live.”
   –Acolyte Jorren Revarl, igniting the first of the Thousand Pyres

The Askellon sector is plagued by heresy. It seeps in from the Warp. It attacks from the borders of Imperium space. But most insidiously of all, it worms its way out from within. Like a living body with a gangrenous limb, the only cure is to purge the dead flesh with scalpel and fire. This duty falls to the men and women of the Inquisition and the Ordo Hereticus, who pursue it with the single-minded zeal befitting a servant of the Emperor.

These fearless Acolytes can come from any world and any background. Now, with the upcoming release of Enemies Within, you’ll find new home worlds, new backgrounds, and new roles to bring new life to your Acolytes in Dark Heresy Second Edition. 

For more information on the new player options in Enemies Within, we turn to producer Tim Huckelbery! 

Tim Huckelbery on Character Creation with Enemies Within

Enemies Within is the first Dark Heresy Second Edition supplement to cover the Ordo Hereticus and the threats to Mankind that emerge from within humanity itself. In addition to breaking new ground with its theme, it includes a great deal of new content for players. Some of the most exciting new additions are the new options available for character creation. 

Creating Acolytes in Dark Heresy Second Edition is a three-step process, whereby a player selects his character’s home world, the background his character had before entering service to an Inquisitor, and finally, his character’s role – the abstract description that captures the Acolyte’s essence. Even without the new options introduced by Enemies Within, the Core Rulebook includes a solid selection for each stage: six home worlds, seven backgrounds, and eight roles,  resulting in several hundred possible combinations in creating a new Acolyte! 

Because of the massive diversity within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, each of these possible combinations can act as the basis for a memorable character, with the wilder and seemingly more unlikely combinations only birthing more unique Acolytes. The character creation process also allows a group to all hail from the same background (such as the Adeptus Arbites), but play very different types of character (their Arbitrators could range in style from clue-seeking detectives to urban warriors).

New Worlds to Explore

By using the new home worlds in Enemies Within, countless new combinations open to Dark Heresy players. An Acolyte could have been born on a bountiful agri-world, a technologically-frozen feudal world, or a harsh frontier world. Each of these types of home worlds, like the ones in the Core Rulebook, includes a unique home world bonus drawing on the flavour of that location. 

This book also covers several specific worlds within the Askellon Sector, and as in the adventure Forgotten Gods, each of these worlds also gains a unique home world bonus which replaces the standard bonus for that home world. Thus, an Acolyte from an agri-world can be created using the standard agri-world rules, drawing strength from the land. Alternatively, you could create an Acolyte hailing from the agri-world of Kalto and harness that planet’s bonus to deny your body’s demands in the face of fatigue or starvation. In total, Enemies Within explores eight new Askellian locations, including Port Aquila’s lawless asteroids, the harsh frontiers of Temperance, and the fanatical forge world of Selvanus Binary. Keeping with the central theme of this book, each of these new worlds is rife with heretical cults, insane psykers, and misshapen mutants, and each includes a special investigation template for Game Masters to use when launching new adventures.

All Must Serve

Players also gain access to two new backgrounds to use for their characters. Your Acolyte may have come from the Adepta Sororitas, serving the Imperium in a variety of functions. Or your character may have been scorned as a lowly mutant who now fights his own kind to prove his loyalty to the Emperor. While those from the Adepta Sororitas never suffer Corruption (instead gaining Insanity), Mutant Acolytes begin the game with Corruption and a starting mutation. Joining these backgrounds are two new roles: Fanatic and Penitent, each representing an extreme mental outlook that could arise as you fight Mankind’s enemies with fiery dedication. In addition, for those wishing to enhance their Adepta Sororitas characters further, the new Sister of Battle elite advance introduces special new talents, power armour, and Godwyn-Diaz bolt pistols! 

We really enjoyed creating these new options to help players build new and compelling Acolytes. Each of these options helps your characters to better serve (or act as) an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus and battle your targeted threats: heretics, mutants, and witches. From fanatical feudal worlders burning witches in fiery braziers, to sharpshooting frontier worlders eradicating mutant enclaves, to penitent Adeptas Sororitas eager to atone for their sins, there is a huge range of new possibilities to be found. One of the best aspects of this struggle is that these threats can be found wherever there are humans. Acolytes find their enemies everywhere they look – even in the mirror. So long as there are humans in the Imperium, there will be enemies within!

To Turn from the Emperor Is to Embrace Damnation

There is necrotic flesh within the Imperium, corrupting it from within. Heretics, witches, and mutants are everywhere and it falls to you to destroy them with cleansing flame. Bank the coals and stoke the fires: the safety of the Imperium depends on you!

Pre-order Enemies Within at your local retailer today.

“There can be no mercy while even a single heretic might live.”
   –Acolyte Jorren Revarl, igniting the first of the Thousand Pyres

The Askellon sector is plagued by heresy. It seeps in from the Warp. It attacks from the borders of Imperium space. But most insidiously of all, it worms its way out from within. Like a living body with a gangrenous limb, the only cure is to purge the dead flesh with scalpel and fire. This duty falls to the men and women of the Inquisition and the Ordo Hereticus, who pursue it with the single-minded zeal befitting a servant of the Emperor.

These fearless Acolytes can come from any world and any background. Now, with the upcoming release of Enemies Within, you’ll find new home worlds, new backgrounds, and new roles to bring new life to your Acolytes in Dark Heresy Second Edition. 

For more information on the new player options in Enemies Within, we turn to producer Tim Huckelbery! 

Tim Huckelbery on Character Creation with Enemies Within

Enemies Within is the first Dark Heresy Second Edition supplement to cover the Ordo Hereticus and the threats to Mankind that emerge from within humanity itself. In addition to breaking new ground with its theme, it includes a great deal of new content for players. Some of the most exciting new additions are the new options available for character creation. 

Creating Acolytes in Dark Heresy Second Edition is a three-step process, whereby a player selects his character’s home world, the background his character had before entering service to an Inquisitor, and finally, his character’s role – the abstract description that captures the Acolyte’s essence. Even without the new options introduced by Enemies Within, the Core Rulebook includes a solid selection for each stage: six home worlds, seven backgrounds, and eight roles,  resulting in several hundred possible combinations in creating a new Acolyte! 

Because of the massive diversity within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, each of these possible combinations can act as the basis for a memorable character, with the wilder and seemingly more unlikely combinations only birthing more unique Acolytes. The character creation process also allows a group to all hail from the same background (such as the Adeptus Arbites), but play very different types of character (their Arbitrators could range in style from clue-seeking detectives to urban warriors).

New Worlds to Explore

By using the new home worlds in Enemies Within, countless new combinations open to Dark Heresy players. An Acolyte could have been born on a bountiful agri-world, a technologically-frozen feudal world, or a harsh frontier world. Each of these types of home worlds, like the ones in the Core Rulebook, includes a unique home world bonus drawing on the flavour of that location. 

This book also covers several specific worlds within the Askellon Sector, and as in the adventure Forgotten Gods, each of these worlds also gains a unique home world bonus which replaces the standard bonus for that home world. Thus, an Acolyte from an agri-world can be created using the standard agri-world rules, drawing strength from the land. Alternatively, you could create an Acolyte hailing from the agri-world of Kalto and harness that planet’s bonus to deny your body’s demands in the face of fatigue or starvation. In total, Enemies Within explores eight new Askellian locations, including Port Aquila’s lawless asteroids, the harsh frontiers of Temperance, and the fanatical forge world of Selvanus Binary. Keeping with the central theme of this book, each of these new worlds is rife with heretical cults, insane psykers, and misshapen mutants, and each includes a special investigation template for Game Masters to use when launching new adventures.

All Must Serve

Players also gain access to two new backgrounds to use for their characters. Your Acolyte may have come from the Adepta Sororitas, serving the Imperium in a variety of functions. Or your character may have been scorned as a lowly mutant who now fights his own kind to prove his loyalty to the Emperor. While those from the Adepta Sororitas never suffer Corruption (instead gaining Insanity), Mutant Acolytes begin the game with Corruption and a starting mutation. Joining these backgrounds are two new roles: Fanatic and Penitent, each representing an extreme mental outlook that could arise as you fight Mankind’s enemies with fiery dedication. In addition, for those wishing to enhance their Adepta Sororitas characters further, the new Sister of Battle elite advance introduces special new talents, power armour, and Godwyn-Diaz bolt pistols! 

We really enjoyed creating these new options to help players build new and compelling Acolytes. Each of these options helps your characters to better serve (or act as) an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus and battle your targeted threats: heretics, mutants, and witches. From fanatical feudal worlders burning witches in fiery braziers, to sharpshooting frontier worlders eradicating mutant enclaves, to penitent Adeptas Sororitas eager to atone for their sins, there is a huge range of new possibilities to be found. One of the best aspects of this struggle is that these threats can be found wherever there are humans. Acolytes find their enemies everywhere they look – even in the mirror. So long as there are humans in the Imperium, there will be enemies within!

To Turn from the Emperor Is to Embrace Damnation

There is necrotic flesh within the Imperium, corrupting it from within. Heretics, witches, and mutants are everywhere and it falls to you to destroy them with cleansing flame. Bank the coals and stoke the fires: the safety of the Imperium depends on you!

Pre-order Enemies Within at your local retailer today.

“We thought he perished during our last encounter, but the ritual markings undoubtedly show the involvement of that damnable heretic Zethor. I don’t know how he escaped the purge on Temperance, but with the Emperor’s guidance, this time we will make sure of his fate.”
   –Witch-Seeker Arbella Syne

The Askellon sector groans beneath the weight of a billion billion souls and their numberless sins. Everywhere, heresy sprouts and blooms, infecting the innocent and spreading madness. For such unquestionable evil, there is only one certain cure: the cleansing fire of the Inquisition and the Ordo Hereticus.

Yet finding the roots of corruption is difficult. An Inquisitor’s Acolytes must develop a plan of investigation and follow the clues before they can confront the source of the heresy. In the Enemies Within sourcebook for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you’ll find new rules to give structure to your Inquests in the Imperium.

Today, Tim Cox shares his perspective on the Inquest rules he developed for Enemies Within!

Tim Cox on Inquests in Enemies Within

Mysteries and investigations lie at the heart of Dark Heresy Second Edition, as Acolytes and Inquisitors strive to uncover the threats to humanity, but mysteries also rank among the most difficult adventures for GMs to run and for players to follow. To assist players and GMs with running investigations and tracking the Acolytes’ progress, Enemies Within includes new rules for Inquests. These rules help players solve mysteries, conduct investigations, and hunt down the heretics, witches, and mutants that threaten the survival of Mankind.

When developing the rules for Inquests, I wanted to provide structure and mechanics to support investigative play without constraining GMs or players. Inquests needed rules that were flexible enough to represent any sort of mystery or heresy a GM might invent, while providing a solid foundation to ensure the plot advances. I also wanted to keep the focus on targeted investigations against known heretics and cults, while maintaining the flexibility to handle other types of mysteries.

Planting the Seeds

At their heart, the final rules for Inquests provide an organised system for conducting investigations, presenting guidelines that GMs can use to build their own mystery adventures. Although GMs can use Inquest rules for any investigation, they are best suited to handling investigations initiated by the Acolytes (or a Player Character Inquisitor). The beginning of an Inquest invites the Acolytes to plan the focus of their investigation, selecting their target and determining the Inquest’s scope – Minoris, Majoris, or Extremis. The scope is a reflection of the mission’s difficulty and length, and it dictates the Influence rewards for success.

The amount of player involvement in an Inquest means that Acolytes have the discretion to choose their target, the scope of their objective, and the resources they will use to accomplish it. This ensures that players and GMs are on the same page at the outset of the adventure and it further represents the discretion that trusted Acolytes and even Inquisitors exercise in deciding which threats to pursue and how best to prosecute their duties.

Chasing the Heresy

During an Inquest, Acolytes accrue Investigation points by finding clues and following leads, resulting in a tangible measurement for their progress. The number of Investigation points needed to complete an Inquest depends on its scope. A higher scope generally means more clues for the Acolytes to find.

In an Inquest, clues have an assigned Investigation point value, which can vary greatly based on the clue’s importance. In order for the Inquest to progress, the Acolytes might need to find a single vital clue or several minor clues. Acolytes gain additional Investigation points for successfully uncovering leads from a clue, but a mistaken interpretation or a false lead can actually cost them points.

Once the Acolytes have obtained a predetermined number of Investigation points, they trigger a Revelation, or an important break in the case. In order to benefit from the Revelation, they must successfully navigate a Confrontation – an important encounter with the potential to change the course of an investigation. Although Confrontations don’t always involve combat, they are often encounters with important heretics and lieutenants of the Acolytes’ target, or even with highly placed members of the organization the Acolytes seek to bring down. Confrontations may also be shocking discoveries, tense social encounters, or other important developments.

When the warband achieves the necessary total Investigation points, the results of their clues lead to the final Confrontation with their target, and the opportunity to successfully complete the Inquest. If the Acolytes are successful, they and their Inquisitor receive Influence based on the scope of the Inquest. Even if the Acolytes fail to defeat their foe, obtaining enough Investigation points nets them a reduced Influence reward. In some cases, such as during an Inquest against a particularly powerful Nemesis, just undoing his horrid schemes may be all that is possible.

Nothing According to Plan

One of my favourite elements of the Inquest rules is complications. At the outset of an Inquest, a GM can choose from a selection of complications or randomly determine one. Complications range from jurisdictional disputes with local forces or a branch of the Adeptus Terra, to local customs or practices that threaten to delay the investigation, to betrayal by a trusted ally. Each complication has mechanical effects and may cost the Acolytes Investigation points or affect their Subtlety.

Although players have a good deal more involvement in the selection, creation, and prosecution of an Inquest than they might in other adventures, complications provide a level of unpredictability and surprise that keeps the Acolytes on their toes. And although they may choose the target and scope of their Inquest, no Acolyte can ever tell for certain where that Inquest may lead them.

Doing the Emperor’s Work

I hope both GMs and players will enjoy incorporating Inquests into their games. Whether hunting down old foes or uncovering nascent threats, Inquests make up the work of the Inquisition. I look forward to hearing about the mysteries your Acolytes uncover and the threats you contend with!

Thanks, Tim!

Prepare to uncover the cults and heresies that fester throughout the Askellon sector with the new rules for Inquests. Check back for our next preview, in which we look at the new options available to your Acolytes as you work alongside the Ordo Hereticus.

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Within today!

“We thought he perished during our last encounter, but the ritual markings undoubtedly show the involvement of that damnable heretic Zethor. I don’t know how he escaped the purge on Temperance, but with the Emperor’s guidance, this time we will make sure of his fate.”
   –Witch-Seeker Arbella Syne

The Askellon sector groans beneath the weight of a billion billion souls and their numberless sins. Everywhere, heresy sprouts and blooms, infecting the innocent and spreading madness. For such unquestionable evil, there is only one certain cure: the cleansing fire of the Inquisition and the Ordo Hereticus.

Yet finding the roots of corruption is difficult. An Inquisitor’s Acolytes must develop a plan of investigation and follow the clues before they can confront the source of the heresy. In the Enemies Within sourcebook for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you’ll find new rules to give structure to your Inquests in the Imperium.

Today, Tim Cox shares his perspective on the Inquest rules he developed for Enemies Within!

Tim Cox on Inquests in Enemies Within

Mysteries and investigations lie at the heart of Dark Heresy Second Edition, as Acolytes and Inquisitors strive to uncover the threats to humanity, but mysteries also rank among the most difficult adventures for GMs to run and for players to follow. To assist players and GMs with running investigations and tracking the Acolytes’ progress, Enemies Within includes new rules for Inquests. These rules help players solve mysteries, conduct investigations, and hunt down the heretics, witches, and mutants that threaten the survival of Mankind.

When developing the rules for Inquests, I wanted to provide structure and mechanics to support investigative play without constraining GMs or players. Inquests needed rules that were flexible enough to represent any sort of mystery or heresy a GM might invent, while providing a solid foundation to ensure the plot advances. I also wanted to keep the focus on targeted investigations against known heretics and cults, while maintaining the flexibility to handle other types of mysteries.

Planting the Seeds

At their heart, the final rules for Inquests provide an organised system for conducting investigations, presenting guidelines that GMs can use to build their own mystery adventures. Although GMs can use Inquest rules for any investigation, they are best suited to handling investigations initiated by the Acolytes (or a Player Character Inquisitor). The beginning of an Inquest invites the Acolytes to plan the focus of their investigation, selecting their target and determining the Inquest’s scope – Minoris, Majoris, or Extremis. The scope is a reflection of the mission’s difficulty and length, and it dictates the Influence rewards for success.

The amount of player involvement in an Inquest means that Acolytes have the discretion to choose their target, the scope of their objective, and the resources they will use to accomplish it. This ensures that players and GMs are on the same page at the outset of the adventure and it further represents the discretion that trusted Acolytes and even Inquisitors exercise in deciding which threats to pursue and how best to prosecute their duties.

Chasing the Heresy

During an Inquest, Acolytes accrue Investigation points by finding clues and following leads, resulting in a tangible measurement for their progress. The number of Investigation points needed to complete an Inquest depends on its scope. A higher scope generally means more clues for the Acolytes to find.

In an Inquest, clues have an assigned Investigation point value, which can vary greatly based on the clue’s importance. In order for the Inquest to progress, the Acolytes might need to find a single vital clue or several minor clues. Acolytes gain additional Investigation points for successfully uncovering leads from a clue, but a mistaken interpretation or a false lead can actually cost them points.

Once the Acolytes have obtained a predetermined number of Investigation points, they trigger a Revelation, or an important break in the case. In order to benefit from the Revelation, they must successfully navigate a Confrontation – an important encounter with the potential to change the course of an investigation. Although Confrontations don’t always involve combat, they are often encounters with important heretics and lieutenants of the Acolytes’ target, or even with highly placed members of the organization the Acolytes seek to bring down. Confrontations may also be shocking discoveries, tense social encounters, or other important developments.

When the warband achieves the necessary total Investigation points, the results of their clues lead to the final Confrontation with their target, and the opportunity to successfully complete the Inquest. If the Acolytes are successful, they and their Inquisitor receive Influence based on the scope of the Inquest. Even if the Acolytes fail to defeat their foe, obtaining enough Investigation points nets them a reduced Influence reward. In some cases, such as during an Inquest against a particularly powerful Nemesis, just undoing his horrid schemes may be all that is possible.

Nothing According to Plan

One of my favourite elements of the Inquest rules is complications. At the outset of an Inquest, a GM can choose from a selection of complications or randomly determine one. Complications range from jurisdictional disputes with local forces or a branch of the Adeptus Terra, to local customs or practices that threaten to delay the investigation, to betrayal by a trusted ally. Each complication has mechanical effects and may cost the Acolytes Investigation points or affect their Subtlety.

Although players have a good deal more involvement in the selection, creation, and prosecution of an Inquest than they might in other adventures, complications provide a level of unpredictability and surprise that keeps the Acolytes on their toes. And although they may choose the target and scope of their Inquest, no Acolyte can ever tell for certain where that Inquest may lead them.

Doing the Emperor’s Work

I hope both GMs and players will enjoy incorporating Inquests into their games. Whether hunting down old foes or uncovering nascent threats, Inquests make up the work of the Inquisition. I look forward to hearing about the mysteries your Acolytes uncover and the threats you contend with!

Thanks, Tim!

Prepare to uncover the cults and heresies that fester throughout the Askellon sector with the new rules for Inquests. Check back for our next preview, in which we look at the new options available to your Acolytes as you work alongside the Ordo Hereticus.

Pre-order your copy of Enemies Within today!

“Our enemies prowl in the shadows of shining cathedrals. They scuttle in the darkness of dank underhives. They lurk in the corners of gilded palaces. They even dare to stand openly, hiding behind false faces and honeyed words. They are everywhere that man live and breathe – and so we must always be ready to face them with fire and the Emperor’s wrath!”    
   –from the Epistles of Inquisitor Kharkov

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Within, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Across the Imperium, countless threats assail the Emperor’s dominion. Xenos from outside the Imperium’s borders launch daily incursions, intent on the destruction of our species. From the ever-changing realm of the Immaterium, daemons and other creations of the Ruinous Powers threaten to burst into Mankind’s plane of reality, eager to devour every human in existence. But perhaps the most deadly threat to the safety of the Imperium comes not from without, but within.

The worlds of the Askellon sector fester with undiscovered heresies and cults. Heretics, mutants, and witches exist on every planet, offering dark worship to the powers of Chaos. If left unchecked, their ghastly beliefs and practices will explode across the sector, dragging humanity screaming into the darkness. For such unbridled corruption, there can be only one cure: the pure and cleansing fire of the Ordo Hereticus.

Enemies Within is the first supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and it offers new opportunities for your Acolytes in the Ordo Hereticus alongside a host of new heresies and cults for you to exterminate.

Beware the Enemy Within

The supplement opens with a history of the Ordo Hereticus’s activity within the Askellon sector. This sector of the Imperium has long been plagued with heresies of all kinds, and even in times of relative peace, heresy spreads to three new souls for every one an Acolyte sanctifies with fire. In this chapter of Enemies Within, you’ll learn the truth behind some of the greatest tragedies in the history of the sector, including deadly psyker eruptions, ferocious mutant uprisings, and other atrocities perpetrated against the glory of the Emperor’s rule.

You’ll also find a wealth of information about various Askellian planets and the heretical cults that you may discover fermenting on each planet. A planet’s culture may lend itself naturally to the emergence of certain cults, and your inquests will face different opponents on different planets. You may travel to the desert world of Hrax, a planet recently grown dissatisfied with the rule of the Imperium and filled with the darksome Warp power of furimancers. Or, your investigations may bring you inexorably to Pellenne, a radioactive world with a terrifyingly high level of mutation. Every planet in the Askellon sector offers new dangers and new heresies to root out. What’s more, this chapter offers the Game Master tools for generating brand new cults and devious plots, giving you new ways to spread the infection of the Warp to any part of the Askellon sector.

Plenty of new options for creating an Acolyte and equipping him for his duties exist in Enemies Within. Completely new home worlds offer plenty of variety, allowing you to play an Acolyte hailing from a productive agri-world, a remote frontier world, or a feudal world without advanced technology. New backgrounds and roles allow you to battle heresy as a member of the Adepta Sororitas or as a penitent mutant. You can even take on a new elite advance, becoming a Sister of Battle and bringing down the divine wrath of the Emperor upon all enemies of humanity.

Finally, you can expand your armory with new weapons, talents, and psychic powers specially suited to the Ordo Hereticus. With these new tools and skills, you can personalize your Acolyte to a greater degree than ever before. You may take up the meticulously crafted and blessed Godwyn-De’az bolt weapons, burn witches with a Brazier of Holy Fire, or ride aboard an Adepta Sororitas Immolator. You may even seek out items forbidden by the more puritan members of the Ordo, using the darksome powers of heresy to eradicate any corruption you can find. In the fight against the enemy within, you’ll need all the help you can get.

Do Not Fail the Emperor

To you, the Emperor has entrusted a most sacred duty: the protection of the Imperium and every man, woman, and child within. Your duty must remain inviolate, no matter what the cost in lives. Should you or another Acolyte shirk your noble calling, the entire sector could fall to the Warp. Sometimes, millions must burn to save the lives of billions.

Join the ranks of the Ordo Hereticus with Enemies Within! Look for this Dark Heresy Second Edition supplement in the first quarter of 2015.

“Our enemies prowl in the shadows of shining cathedrals. They scuttle in the darkness of dank underhives. They lurk in the corners of gilded palaces. They even dare to stand openly, hiding behind false faces and honeyed words. They are everywhere that man live and breathe – and so we must always be ready to face them with fire and the Emperor’s wrath!”    
   –from the Epistles of Inquisitor Kharkov

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Enemies Within, a new supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition!

Across the Imperium, countless threats assail the Emperor’s dominion. Xenos from outside the Imperium’s borders launch daily incursions, intent on the destruction of our species. From the ever-changing realm of the Immaterium, daemons and other creations of the Ruinous Powers threaten to burst into Mankind’s plane of reality, eager to devour every human in existence. But perhaps the most deadly threat to the safety of the Imperium comes not from without, but within.

The worlds of the Askellon sector fester with undiscovered heresies and cults. Heretics, mutants, and witches exist on every planet, offering dark worship to the powers of Chaos. If left unchecked, their ghastly beliefs and practices will explode across the sector, dragging humanity screaming into the darkness. For such unbridled corruption, there can be only one cure: the pure and cleansing fire of the Ordo Hereticus.

Enemies Within is the first supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, and it offers new opportunities for your Acolytes in the Ordo Hereticus alongside a host of new heresies and cults for you to exterminate.

Beware the Enemy Within

The supplement opens with a history of the Ordo Hereticus’s activity within the Askellon sector. This sector of the Imperium has long been plagued with heresies of all kinds, and even in times of relative peace, heresy spreads to three new souls for every one an Acolyte sanctifies with fire. In this chapter of Enemies Within, you’ll learn the truth behind some of the greatest tragedies in the history of the sector, including deadly psyker eruptions, ferocious mutant uprisings, and other atrocities perpetrated against the glory of the Emperor’s rule.

You’ll also find a wealth of information about various Askellian planets and the heretical cults that you may discover fermenting on each planet. A planet’s culture may lend itself naturally to the emergence of certain cults, and your inquests will face different opponents on different planets. You may travel to the desert world of Hrax, a planet recently grown dissatisfied with the rule of the Imperium and filled with the darksome Warp power of furimancers. Or, your investigations may bring you inexorably to Pellenne, a radioactive world with a terrifyingly high level of mutation. Every planet in the Askellon sector offers new dangers and new heresies to root out. What’s more, this chapter offers the Game Master tools for generating brand new cults and devious plots, giving you new ways to spread the infection of the Warp to any part of the Askellon sector.

Plenty of new options for creating an Acolyte and equipping him for his duties exist in Enemies Within. Completely new home worlds offer plenty of variety, allowing you to play an Acolyte hailing from a productive agri-world, a remote frontier world, or a feudal world without advanced technology. New backgrounds and roles allow you to battle heresy as a member of the Adepta Sororitas or as a penitent mutant. You can even take on a new elite advance, becoming a Sister of Battle and bringing down the divine wrath of the Emperor upon all enemies of humanity.

Finally, you can expand your armory with new weapons, talents, and psychic powers specially suited to the Ordo Hereticus. With these new tools and skills, you can personalize your Acolyte to a greater degree than ever before. You may take up the meticulously crafted and blessed Godwyn-De’az bolt weapons, burn witches with a Brazier of Holy Fire, or ride aboard an Adepta Sororitas Immolator. You may even seek out items forbidden by the more puritan members of the Ordo, using the darksome powers of heresy to eradicate any corruption you can find. In the fight against the enemy within, you’ll need all the help you can get.

Do Not Fail the Emperor

To you, the Emperor has entrusted a most sacred duty: the protection of the Imperium and every man, woman, and child within. Your duty must remain inviolate, no matter what the cost in lives. Should you or another Acolyte shirk your noble calling, the entire sector could fall to the Warp. Sometimes, millions must burn to save the lives of billions.

Join the ranks of the Ordo Hereticus with Enemies Within! Look for this Dark Heresy Second Edition supplement in the first quarter of 2015.