Death and glory, horror and bravery, loyalty and corruption–all these can be found here. But mostly death.     –Lord General Ovidius

Earlier this month, we announced The Jericho Reach, a supplement for Deathwatch that provides an in-depth exploration of the struggles the Kill-teams face throughout the Reach, as well as the personalities, planets, and themes of the different salients. 

Today, we turn our attention to the Acheros Salient, where the Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch wage a bloody war against the Chaos-worshipping forces of Stigmartus. Their battles have turned the small stretch of stars known as the Cellebos Warzone into a deathzone that claims the lives of millions of Imperial soldiers each year.

You can download a brief overview of the Acheros Salient (pdf, 2.1 MB), then prepare yourself for the challenges ahead. Meanwhile, the supplement’s lead developer offers an overview of the first chapter and the Deathwatch’s battle against Chaos within the Acheros Salient.

The war against Chaos

The Space Marines of the Deathwatch have mastered the art of fighting the countless xenos races of the galaxy. From Watch Fortress Erioch, the specialized Deathwatch of the Jericho Reach employ their xenos-hunting expertise every day to keep the slavering hordes of Tyranids and determined forces of the Tau at bay. However, many missions demand that Kill-teams venture into the heart of the Reach, where the Hadex Anomaly has torn a hole in reality itself. There the forces of Chaos spread their vile influence and pose one of the greatest challenges to the Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch. All their xenos-hunting experience will not help the Battle-Brothers against the monstrosities of Chaos.

The first chapter of The Jericho Reach looks into the current state of the Acheros Salient, the battlefield on which the Imperium struggles against the endless forces of Chaos that pour forth from the Hadex Anomaly. It also delves into the many challenges a Kill-team will face while operating in these war-ridden systems. You’ll find in-depth descriptions of previously unexplored planets, profiles for the many of the personalities a Kill-team may meet, optional rules for running a mission set within one of the many planet-wide battles that rage in the Acheros Salient, and all the tools GMs need to provide challenging and diverse missions for their Kill-teams. Additionally, this chapter comes fully-loaded with all-new abilities for players to better combat the forces of Chaos. As the Kill-team gains experience operating within the Acheros Salient, Battle-Brothers learn to better fight their foe, and unlock potent new abilities to send the vile daemons back into the Hadex Anomaly.

Death and glory await those Imperial soldiers tasked with protecting the galaxy from the threats of Chaos and the Acheros Salient. Look for The Jericho Reach to arrive on store shelves in the first quarter of 2012.

"There are no depths which we may fly above, no chasm we may bridge. It is our duty to fall into the pits, and there drag the unworthy before Judgement."       –Arbitrator Linger

The Calixis Sector is plagued with heretics, recidivists, and the unworthy...and they all dwell beneath the faithful servants of the God-Emperor, eroding the backbone of the Imperium’s war machine. Whether it is a planetary noble skimming off the top, or a seditious terrorist planning the destruction of an entire Hab-block, it is the Adeptus Arbites who bring them to judgement.

Book of Judgement, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now on sale via download at drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

This detailed guide to crime and punishment in the Calixis Sector provides a powerful resource for Dark Heresy campaigns that feature Imperial Law as a story foundation. It contains new rules, backgrounds, alternate careers, and equipment for playing Acolytes with legal authority or a criminal past, and provides players with information about the Adeptus Arbites’ mission to bring order to the Calixis Sector. Game Masters of all experience levels will find expanded Investigation rules and a new adventure, Jurisdiction, that plunges the Acolytes into a conflict between three of the Imperium’s most powerful organisations.

Crime and Punishment

For more on Book of Judgement, here’s a word from Dark Heresy’s lead developer:

I count myself extremely lucky in having worked with the team responsible for Book of Judgement. In addition to such veteran talents as Graham Davey and Charles May, the group was joined by Matthew Farrer, author of the Shira Calpurnia novels from Black Library. It was a great pleasure to dive into the Adeptus Arbites of the Calixis Sector with the assembled team of writers and I can’t wait for this book to be in the hands of players.

We worked tirelessly to stuff this book full of useful tools for GMs and Players alike. All the usual suspects are here: new Cell Directives, Alternate Career Ranks, Backgrounds, and, of course, tons of background information on the precincts of the Lex Calixis. A chapter focused purely on the creation of compelling mysteries distills over fifty years of combined GM experience, offering exciting ways to craft your own mystery and drive a game session forward through the players’ actions. We even included Jurisdiction, a full adventure focused on the overlapping interests of three Imperial factions.

One of the pleasures of creating a book like this is getting to truly delve into the ancient histories of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Games Workshop has been crafting this game world for over two decades, which provides a wealth of information. Having an opportunity (or a responsibility) to read everything I could about crime and judgement was an quite an experience. The bleak, dare I say grim, nature of justice in the dark future is filled with twists, turns, interpretations, and executions. Bringing that feel to Book of Judgement was, frankly, a lot of fun!

Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today, and bring judgement to the enemies of the Emperor!

"There are no depths which we may fly above, no chasm we may bridge. It is our duty to fall into the pits, and there drag the unworthy before Judgement."       –Arbitrator Linger

The Calixis Sector is plagued with heretics, recidivists, and the unworthy...and they all dwell beneath the faithful servants of the God-Emperor, eroding the backbone of the Imperium’s war machine. Whether it is a planetary noble skimming off the top, or a seditious terrorist planning the destruction of an entire Hab-block, it is the Adeptus Arbites who bring them to judgement.

Book of Judgement, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now on sale via download at drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

This detailed guide to crime and punishment in the Calixis Sector provides a powerful resource for Dark Heresy campaigns that feature Imperial Law as a story foundation. It contains new rules, backgrounds, alternate careers, and equipment for playing Acolytes with legal authority or a criminal past, and provides players with information about the Adeptus Arbites’ mission to bring order to the Calixis Sector. Game Masters of all experience levels will find expanded Investigation rules and a new adventure, Jurisdiction, that plunges the Acolytes into a conflict between three of the Imperium’s most powerful organisations.

Crime and Punishment

For more on Book of Judgement, here’s a word from Dark Heresy’s lead developer:

I count myself extremely lucky in having worked with the team responsible for Book of Judgement. In addition to such veteran talents as Graham Davey and Charles May, the group was joined by Matthew Farrer, author of the Shira Calpurnia novels from Black Library. It was a great pleasure to dive into the Adeptus Arbites of the Calixis Sector with the assembled team of writers and I can’t wait for this book to be in the hands of players.

We worked tirelessly to stuff this book full of useful tools for GMs and Players alike. All the usual suspects are here: new Cell Directives, Alternate Career Ranks, Backgrounds, and, of course, tons of background information on the precincts of the Lex Calixis. A chapter focused purely on the creation of compelling mysteries distills over fifty years of combined GM experience, offering exciting ways to craft your own mystery and drive a game session forward through the players’ actions. We even included Jurisdiction, a full adventure focused on the overlapping interests of three Imperial factions.

One of the pleasures of creating a book like this is getting to truly delve into the ancient histories of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Games Workshop has been crafting this game world for over two decades, which provides a wealth of information. Having an opportunity (or a responsibility) to read everything I could about crime and judgement was an quite an experience. The bleak, dare I say grim, nature of justice in the dark future is filled with twists, turns, interpretations, and executions. Bringing that feel to Book of Judgement was, frankly, a lot of fun!

Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today, and bring judgement to the enemies of the Emperor!

"He could have bothered to actually look. There is amazing wealth on this planet and if he’d taken the time to do his job correctly, this system would bear his name instead of mine.”    –Rogue Trader Alvis Limoges remarking on his predecessor

Last month, we announced Hand of Corruption, a full adventure in three acts for Black Crusade. Presented in one comprehensive volume, Hand of Corruption is an epic story that takes you and your fellow Heretics from the swirling depths of the Screaming Vortex to the far reaches of the Calixis Sector, and then to a parched and windswept Imperial penal world called Saint Annard’s Penance. There, you’ll attempt to perform an unholy ritual to drag the planet into the Screaming Vortex, an offering to the Ruinous Powers!

A harsh and unforgiving world

Today, we’re pleased to offer a glimpse of Saint Annard’s Penance in the form of three pages from Hand of Corruption (pdf, 1.6 MB). Download them today to familiarize yourself with the task at hand.

As desolate and God-Emperor forsaken a planet as can be found in the rimward regions of the Calixis Sector, Saint Annard’s Penance is both an important penal world and industrial hub. The fourth world of the Limoges system, and the only of its six planets remotely inhabitable, Saint Annard’s Penance is small, arid, incredibly hot, and shows no sign of pre-Imperial habitation. But even despite its many shortcomings, it is an important Imperial asset. Stolen away for the benefit of Chaos, Saint Annard’s Penance could become a vital base in your Black Crusade... if you can unravel its hidden mysteries.

Keep checking back for more on Hand of Corruption in the coming weeks, and look for it on store shelves in the first quarter of 2012.

"He could have bothered to actually look. There is amazing wealth on this planet and if he’d taken the time to do his job correctly, this system would bear his name instead of mine.”    –Rogue Trader Alvis Limoges remarking on his predecessor

Last month, we announced Hand of Corruption, a full adventure in three acts for Black Crusade. Presented in one comprehensive volume, Hand of Corruption is an epic story that takes you and your fellow Heretics from the swirling depths of the Screaming Vortex to the far reaches of the Calixis Sector, and then to a parched and windswept Imperial penal world called Saint Annard’s Penance. There, you’ll attempt to perform an unholy ritual to drag the planet into the Screaming Vortex, an offering to the Ruinous Powers!

A harsh and unforgiving world

Today, we’re pleased to offer a glimpse of Saint Annard’s Penance in the form of three pages from Hand of Corruption (pdf, 1.6 MB). Download them today to familiarize yourself with the task at hand.

As desolate and God-Emperor forsaken a planet as can be found in the rimward regions of the Calixis Sector, Saint Annard’s Penance is both an important penal world and industrial hub. The fourth world of the Limoges system, and the only of its six planets remotely inhabitable, Saint Annard’s Penance is small, arid, incredibly hot, and shows no sign of pre-Imperial habitation. But even despite its many shortcomings, it is an important Imperial asset. Stolen away for the benefit of Chaos, Saint Annard’s Penance could become a vital base in your Black Crusade... if you can unravel its hidden mysteries.

Keep checking back for more on Hand of Corruption in the coming weeks, and look for it on store shelves in the first quarter of 2012.

“We are the chosen of the Emperor, whose wisdom made us whole; we are the sons of the Primarch, whose flesh gives us life; and we are brothers of the Chapter, whose honour makes us Astartes!"       –First Chant of the Neophyte

First Founding, a supplement for Deathwatch, is now on sale at your local retailer and through our webstore! The First Founding Legions were crafted by the Emperor himself in the image of his twenty Primarchs. They forged the Imperium in bloody combat as they waged the Great Crusade across the galaxy. Many Space Marines fell to the maligned seduction of Chaos during the Horus Heresy, but those that stayed loyal formed the base from which all Space Marine Chapters would be created. Those Chapters that still hold the loyalist Legions’ names and colours are the oldest and the most revered of all the Adeptus Astartes.

First Founding details the nine Chapters directly formed from the loyalist Space Marines Legions, and includes new rules from solo modes to new advances specialities. Of these nine Chapters, First Founding features the final four Chapters not discussed in previous Deathwatch rulebooks. This exciting supplement includes the background of the nine Traitor Legions and their fall to the seduction of the Ruinous Powers. Additionally, for the first time in Deathwatch, First Founding provides new rules for Battle-Brothers to have followers.

A word from the developer

For more on First Founding, here’s a word from Deathwatch’s lead developer:

The Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch owe their heritage to a myriad of diverse chapters from across the Imperium. Of these chapters, none are more revered than those that owe their namesake to the original Space Marine Legions that fought in the Great Crusade. From the wild Space Wolves of Fenris, to the cold and calculating Iron Hands of Medusa, the chapters of the First Founding have a long and glorious legacy.

First Founding is all about those Space Marines who owe their name to the legendary First Founding Legions. It provides rules for playing as Battle-Brothers from the four First Founding Chapters never before detailed in the Deathwatch line: the Iron Hands, the Raven Guard, the Salamanders, and the White Scars. The book also includes new rules for the other five First Founding Chapters, including some all new chapter-specific Advanced Specialties and Chapter Relics.

As we made this book, we worked to explore the relationships between Battle-Brothers of these different chapters. First Founding contains an entire chapter devoted to the experience of joining the Deathwatch, and serving along Space Marines of all different backgrounds for the first time, helping players to get even more personally involved with their character during his service in the long watch.

Finally, First Founding contains a gripping adventure that sees the Kill-team working alongside forces from three different Space Marine chapters. As these chapters’ combat philosophies begin to clash, tensions rise, and it is up to the Kill-team to mediate between the chapters and determine the fate of an entire world.

Read our previews, Iron Hands and Upon the Shoulders of Primarchs, then visit your local retailer to bring First Founding to your Deathwatch campaigns!

“We are the chosen of the Emperor, whose wisdom made us whole; we are the sons of the Primarch, whose flesh gives us life; and we are brothers of the Chapter, whose honour makes us Astartes!"       –First Chant of the Neophyte

First Founding, a supplement for Deathwatch, is now on sale at your local retailer and through our webstore! The First Founding Legions were crafted by the Emperor himself in the image of his twenty Primarchs. They forged the Imperium in bloody combat as they waged the Great Crusade across the galaxy. Many Space Marines fell to the maligned seduction of Chaos during the Horus Heresy, but those that stayed loyal formed the base from which all Space Marine Chapters would be created. Those Chapters that still hold the loyalist Legions’ names and colours are the oldest and the most revered of all the Adeptus Astartes.

First Founding details the nine Chapters directly formed from the loyalist Space Marines Legions, and includes new rules from solo modes to new advances specialities. Of these nine Chapters, First Founding features the final four Chapters not discussed in previous Deathwatch rulebooks. This exciting supplement includes the background of the nine Traitor Legions and their fall to the seduction of the Ruinous Powers. Additionally, for the first time in Deathwatch, First Founding provides new rules for Battle-Brothers to have followers.

A word from the developer

For more on First Founding, here’s a word from Deathwatch’s lead developer:

The Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch owe their heritage to a myriad of diverse chapters from across the Imperium. Of these chapters, none are more revered than those that owe their namesake to the original Space Marine Legions that fought in the Great Crusade. From the wild Space Wolves of Fenris, to the cold and calculating Iron Hands of Medusa, the chapters of the First Founding have a long and glorious legacy.

First Founding is all about those Space Marines who owe their name to the legendary First Founding Legions. It provides rules for playing as Battle-Brothers from the four First Founding Chapters never before detailed in the Deathwatch line: the Iron Hands, the Raven Guard, the Salamanders, and the White Scars. The book also includes new rules for the other five First Founding Chapters, including some all new chapter-specific Advanced Specialties and Chapter Relics.

As we made this book, we worked to explore the relationships between Battle-Brothers of these different chapters. First Founding contains an entire chapter devoted to the experience of joining the Deathwatch, and serving along Space Marines of all different backgrounds for the first time, helping players to get even more personally involved with their character during his service in the long watch.

Finally, First Founding contains a gripping adventure that sees the Kill-team working alongside forces from three different Space Marine chapters. As these chapters’ combat philosophies begin to clash, tensions rise, and it is up to the Kill-team to mediate between the chapters and determine the fate of an entire world.

Read our previews, Iron Hands and Upon the Shoulders of Primarchs, then visit your local retailer to bring First Founding to your Deathwatch campaigns!

“There is no peace to be had amongst the stars. The sum total of human endeavour must be bent towards the singular goal of survival, and to falter in this task for even a moment is to court the extinction of mankind. We cannot permit laxity or negligence of any kind, for it is the duty of every man and woman in the Imperium to lend their every effort to the matter of survival."       –Confessor Corvinus

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of The Jericho Reach, a supplement for Deathwatch! This comprehensive tome provides in-depth information on the struggles of Kill-teams currently operating throughout the Reach. Each chapter delves into detail on the personalities, planets, and themes of a specific salient, while providing players and Game Masters alike with important resources for integrating the setting more deeply into their campaigns.

What’s more, The Jericho Reach includes a full adventure. When Watch Fortress Erioch receives an astropathic distress signal from deep inside a Tyranid-infested planet, the Kill-team is immediately dispatched to investigate. Now, they must fight their way through monstrous adversaries while working to uncover the source of the strange message. But can they solve the mysteries of this war-ravaged world in time?

A word from the Watch Captain

For more on The Jericho Reach, Deathwatch’s developer agreed to share his insights:

For nearly half a century, the Achilus Crusade has raged through the Jericho Reach, forging a new Imperial sector from the ashes. But now, the Crusade has faltered; the devouring Tyranids, cunning Tau, and fiendish armies of Chaos have proved a worthy match, and the Crusade teeters upon the brink of disaster. Only the Space Marines of Watch Fortress Erioch, whose treacherous missions bring them to every corner of the Reach, can hold back the tide of xenos threats. Earlier this year, The Achilus Assault took an in depth look at the Achilus Crusade and the history of the Imperium’s epic struggle to bring the light of the Emperor back to the stars of the Jericho Reach. Today, the Deathwatch team is proud to announce The Jericho Reach, a new sourcebook for the Deathwatch line that delves into the current struggles of the Space Marines of Watch Fortress Erioch against the xenos that threaten the Reach from all sides. 

In this latest addition to the Deathwatch line, detailed descriptions of planets, personalities, and adversaries from all corners of the Reach allow GMs and players to embark on deadlier and more diverse missions than ever before. Secretly aid the armies on Khazant by performing surgical strikes into the heart of the enemy territory, combat the insidious Tau on their worlds beyond the Greyhell front, and face off against some of the largest beasts of the Tyranid swarm.

Additionally, as Kill-teams fight against the many xenos that threaten the Imperium, they learn their tactics and strategies, and become even more efficient at hunting them down. The Jericho Reach presents a myriad of new abilities for Battle-Brothers to gain as they learn from conquering their foes. Powerful new solo modes, squad modes, oaths, and demeanours all become available as the Kill-team completes missions against specific adversaries.

Look for The Jericho Reach on store shelves early next year, and save the Imperium from the xenos threat!

“There is no peace to be had amongst the stars. The sum total of human endeavour must be bent towards the singular goal of survival, and to falter in this task for even a moment is to court the extinction of mankind. We cannot permit laxity or negligence of any kind, for it is the duty of every man and woman in the Imperium to lend their every effort to the matter of survival."       –Confessor Corvinus

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of The Jericho Reach, a supplement for Deathwatch! This comprehensive tome provides in-depth information on the struggles of Kill-teams currently operating throughout the Reach. Each chapter delves into detail on the personalities, planets, and themes of a specific salient, while providing players and Game Masters alike with important resources for integrating the setting more deeply into their campaigns.

What’s more, The Jericho Reach includes a full adventure. When Watch Fortress Erioch receives an astropathic distress signal from deep inside a Tyranid-infested planet, the Kill-team is immediately dispatched to investigate. Now, they must fight their way through monstrous adversaries while working to uncover the source of the strange message. But can they solve the mysteries of this war-ravaged world in time?

A word from the Watch Captain

For more on The Jericho Reach, Deathwatch’s developer agreed to share his insights:

For nearly half a century, the Achilus Crusade has raged through the Jericho Reach, forging a new Imperial sector from the ashes. But now, the Crusade has faltered; the devouring Tyranids, cunning Tau, and fiendish armies of Chaos have proved a worthy match, and the Crusade teeters upon the brink of disaster. Only the Space Marines of Watch Fortress Erioch, whose treacherous missions bring them to every corner of the Reach, can hold back the tide of xenos threats. Earlier this year, The Achilus Assault took an in depth look at the Achilus Crusade and the history of the Imperium’s epic struggle to bring the light of the Emperor back to the stars of the Jericho Reach. Today, the Deathwatch team is proud to announce The Jericho Reach, a new sourcebook for the Deathwatch line that delves into the current struggles of the Space Marines of Watch Fortress Erioch against the xenos that threaten the Reach from all sides. 

In this latest addition to the Deathwatch line, detailed descriptions of planets, personalities, and adversaries from all corners of the Reach allow GMs and players to embark on deadlier and more diverse missions than ever before. Secretly aid the armies on Khazant by performing surgical strikes into the heart of the enemy territory, combat the insidious Tau on their worlds beyond the Greyhell front, and face off against some of the largest beasts of the Tyranid swarm.

Additionally, as Kill-teams fight against the many xenos that threaten the Imperium, they learn their tactics and strategies, and become even more efficient at hunting them down. The Jericho Reach presents a myriad of new abilities for Battle-Brothers to gain as they learn from conquering their foes. Powerful new solo modes, squad modes, oaths, and demeanours all become available as the Kill-team completes missions against specific adversaries.

Look for The Jericho Reach on store shelves early next year, and save the Imperium from the xenos threat!

“Embrace your hunger, your lust, your desire. The universe is ours for the taking!"      –Sanctifer LeVay, Cult of the Sacred Union

It is the 41st millennium, a time of constant strife. For untold billions, merely to be born is to be condemned to a lifetime of cruel suffering under an unforgiving and draconian regime. Only a select few in positions of power are permitted limited freedom: the Inquisitors who hunt heretics, the Rogue Traders who gather wealth, and the Deathwatch Space Marines who combat the alien threat. But there are those who nonetheless claim power, seeking personal glory and dark notoriety by any means necessary...

Black Crusade, the fourth standalone RPG in the popular Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay line, is now available for sale via download on drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

This remarkable experience offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos by delivering the unprecedented opportunity to play as a Disciple of the Dark Gods, whether as a Chaos Space Marine or a human Servant of Chaos.

An entirely new perspective

Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch each portray loyalty to the Imperium from multiple perspectives. Throughout them all, however, one common factor is Chaos: the ubiquitous antagonist responsible for much of what defines this immersive setting. But with Black Crusade, players can examine this exciting universe through an entirely new lens. Who are the characters, and what set them on the path of corruption? Are they willingly in league with the enemies of humanity, or are they merely the deluded slaves of forces far beyond their comprehension?

Give in to temptation. Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today, and embrace Chaos!

“Embrace your hunger, your lust, your desire. The universe is ours for the taking!"      –Sanctifer LeVay, Cult of the Sacred Union

It is the 41st millennium, a time of constant strife. For untold billions, merely to be born is to be condemned to a lifetime of cruel suffering under an unforgiving and draconian regime. Only a select few in positions of power are permitted limited freedom: the Inquisitors who hunt heretics, the Rogue Traders who gather wealth, and the Deathwatch Space Marines who combat the alien threat. But there are those who nonetheless claim power, seeking personal glory and dark notoriety by any means necessary...

Black Crusade, the fourth standalone RPG in the popular Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay line, is now available for sale via download on drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

This remarkable experience offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos by delivering the unprecedented opportunity to play as a Disciple of the Dark Gods, whether as a Chaos Space Marine or a human Servant of Chaos.

An entirely new perspective

Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch each portray loyalty to the Imperium from multiple perspectives. Throughout them all, however, one common factor is Chaos: the ubiquitous antagonist responsible for much of what defines this immersive setting. But with Black Crusade, players can examine this exciting universe through an entirely new lens. Who are the characters, and what set them on the path of corruption? Are they willingly in league with the enemies of humanity, or are they merely the deluded slaves of forces far beyond their comprehension?

Give in to temptation. Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today, and embrace Chaos!

“They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.”       –The Emperor of Mankind, on the creation of the Space Marines

First Founding, a supplement for Deathwatch, will be on store shelves later this month. Today, we’re pleased to present a designer diary by contributing author Nathan Dowdell, who worked on (among other things) a section devoted to additional content for Space Marine Chapters described in the main rulebook. Thanks, Nathan!

Loyalists and Traitors

First Founding details the nine Chapters directly formed from the loyalist Space Marines Legions, and includes new rules from solo modes to new advances specialities. Of these nine Chapters, First Founding features the final four Chapters not discussed in previous Deathwatch rulebooks. This exciting supplement includes the background of the nine Traitor Legions and their fall to the seduction of the Ruinous Powers. Additionally, for the first time in Deathwatch, First Founding provides new rules for Battle-Brothers to have followers.

First Founding was an opportunity to delve into imagery of the most iconic of Space Marine chapters and bring them to Deathwatch in all their glory. I was charged with producing a significant portion of the rules within the book, developing the mechanics to accompany the copious amounts of background written by Andy Hoare.

The second chapter is devoted to those Chapters described in the Deathwatch main rulebook, providing additional material for Battle-Brothers of the Black Templars, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Storm Wardens and Ultramarines. Each Chapter receives an assortment of additional rules, ranging from Advanced Specialities to new Squad and Solo Mode abilities, to new Oaths.

Legendary Chapters

To start, the Blood Angels are something of a mixed bag of new rules. The ancient spiritual traditions and the taint of their curse are represented by the revered Sanguinary Priests and mighty Furioso Dreadnoughts (including those inhabited by Librarians), while the mastery of aerial assaults is covered by the Descent of Angels Solo Mode Ability. The Squad Mode abilities Crimson Tide and Conviction, and the inspirational Oath of Hope round out their new array of abilities.

The Dark Angels receive rules for the legendary Ravenwing, whose iron wills and masterful skill with fast vehicles make them valuable scouts for the Deathwatch, and the veteran Deathwing, who are nigh-unstoppable in their mighty Terminator armour. Their Squad Mode abilities and the Oath of Vengeance emphasise the ceaseless determination of the Unforgiven to punish those who stand against the Imperium.

The Space Wolves are quite different from those Chapters that adhere to the Codex Astartes, and this required many additional rules to help convey these differences. The stealthy and murderous Wolf Scouts and the wise Wolf Priests are both represented, rendering them distinct from their more civilised peers from other Chapters. On top of those, the strategies of fierce hunters are presented in the Space Wolves Squad Mode abilities, and the Oath of the Wolf King, while the search for glory in battle is covered in their new Solo Mode ability, the Hero’s Saga.

Finally, as befits the inheritors of Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines are paragons of the ideals of the Codex Astartes, each warrior aspiring to these ancient and sacred notions of courage and honour and trusting in the strategies and tactics laid down by their Primarch a hundred centuries before. Ultramarines characters are skilled tacticians thanks to the Student of the Codex Solo Mode Ability, the flexible Oath of Duty and four new Squad Mode abilities. In addition, their greatest champions are represented in the Honour Guard Advanced Speciality, while recent tragedies and the grim lessons learnt from them are conveyed with the Tyrannic War Veteran Advanced Speciality.

Thanks, Nathan! Download a preview of the Ultramarines Honour Guard (pdf, 563 KB), and look for First Founding on store shelves next month.

“They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.”       –The Emperor of Mankind, on the creation of the Space Marines

First Founding, a supplement for Deathwatch, will be on store shelves later this month. Today, we’re pleased to present a designer diary by contributing author Nathan Dowdell, who worked on (among other things) a section devoted to additional content for Space Marine Chapters described in the main rulebook. Thanks, Nathan!

Loyalists and Traitors

First Founding details the nine Chapters directly formed from the loyalist Space Marines Legions, and includes new rules from solo modes to new advances specialities. Of these nine Chapters, First Founding features the final four Chapters not discussed in previous Deathwatch rulebooks. This exciting supplement includes the background of the nine Traitor Legions and their fall to the seduction of the Ruinous Powers. Additionally, for the first time in Deathwatch, First Founding provides new rules for Battle-Brothers to have followers.

First Founding was an opportunity to delve into imagery of the most iconic of Space Marine chapters and bring them to Deathwatch in all their glory. I was charged with producing a significant portion of the rules within the book, developing the mechanics to accompany the copious amounts of background written by Andy Hoare.

The second chapter is devoted to those Chapters described in the Deathwatch main rulebook, providing additional material for Battle-Brothers of the Black Templars, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Storm Wardens and Ultramarines. Each Chapter receives an assortment of additional rules, ranging from Advanced Specialities to new Squad and Solo Mode abilities, to new Oaths.

Legendary Chapters

To start, the Blood Angels are something of a mixed bag of new rules. The ancient spiritual traditions and the taint of their curse are represented by the revered Sanguinary Priests and mighty Furioso Dreadnoughts (including those inhabited by Librarians), while the mastery of aerial assaults is covered by the Descent of Angels Solo Mode Ability. The Squad Mode abilities Crimson Tide and Conviction, and the inspirational Oath of Hope round out their new array of abilities.

The Dark Angels receive rules for the legendary Ravenwing, whose iron wills and masterful skill with fast vehicles make them valuable scouts for the Deathwatch, and the veteran Deathwing, who are nigh-unstoppable in their mighty Terminator armour. Their Squad Mode abilities and the Oath of Vengeance emphasise the ceaseless determination of the Unforgiven to punish those who stand against the Imperium.

The Space Wolves are quite different from those Chapters that adhere to the Codex Astartes, and this required many additional rules to help convey these differences. The stealthy and murderous Wolf Scouts and the wise Wolf Priests are both represented, rendering them distinct from their more civilised peers from other Chapters. On top of those, the strategies of fierce hunters are presented in the Space Wolves Squad Mode abilities, and the Oath of the Wolf King, while the search for glory in battle is covered in their new Solo Mode ability, the Hero’s Saga.

Finally, as befits the inheritors of Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines are paragons of the ideals of the Codex Astartes, each warrior aspiring to these ancient and sacred notions of courage and honour and trusting in the strategies and tactics laid down by their Primarch a hundred centuries before. Ultramarines characters are skilled tacticians thanks to the Student of the Codex Solo Mode Ability, the flexible Oath of Duty and four new Squad Mode abilities. In addition, their greatest champions are represented in the Honour Guard Advanced Speciality, while recent tragedies and the grim lessons learnt from them are conveyed with the Tyrannic War Veteran Advanced Speciality.

Thanks, Nathan! Download a preview of the Ultramarines Honour Guard (pdf, 563 KB), and look for First Founding on store shelves next month.

“You can’t escape the Adeptus Arbites. They have eyes on every world, ears on every ship, and hands on every weapon.”       –Advice given to patsies by Gui, Inquisitorial Agent

The Calixis Sector is plagued with heretics, recidivists, and the unworthy...and they all dwell beneath the faithful servants of the God-Emperor, eroding the backbone of the Imperium’s war machine. Whether it is a planetary noble skimming off the top, or a seditious terrorist planning the destruction of an entire Hab-block, it is the Adeptus Arbites who bring them to judgement.

Book of Judgement, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore!

This detailed guide to crime and punishment in the Calixis Sector provides a powerful resource for Dark Heresy campaigns that feature Imperial Law as a story foundation. It contains new rules, backgrounds, alternate careers, and equipment for playing Acolytes with legal authority or a criminal past, and provides players with information about the Adeptus Arbites’ mission to bring order to the Calixis Sector. Game Masters of all experience levels will find expanded Investigation rules and a new adventure, Jurisdiction, that plunges the Acolytes into a conflict between three of the Imperium’s most powerful organisations.

Justice in the Dark Future

For more on Book of Judgement, here’s a word from Dark Heresy’s lead developer:

I count myself extremely lucky in having worked with the team responsible for Book of Judgement. In addition to such veteran talents as Graham Davey and Charles May, the group was joined by Matthew Farrer, author of the Shira Calpurnia novels from Black Library. It was a great pleasure to dive into the Adeptus Arbites of the Calixis Sector with the assembled team of writers and I can’t wait for this book to be in the hands of players.

We worked tirelessly to stuff this book full of useful tools for GMs and Players alike. All the usual suspects are here: new Cell Directives, Alternate Career Ranks, Backgrounds, and, of course, tons of background information on the precincts of the Lex Calixis. A chapter focused purely on the creation of compelling mysteries distills over fifty years of combined GM experience, offering exciting ways to craft your own mystery and drive a game session forward through the players’ actions. We even included Jurisdiction, a full adventure focused on the overlapping interests of three Imperial factions.

One of the pleasures of creating a book like this is getting to truly delve into the ancient histories of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Games Workshop has been crafting this game world for over two decades, which provides a wealth of information. Having an opportunity (or a responsibility) to read everything I could about crime and judgement was an quite an experience. The bleak, dare I say grim, nature of justice in the dark future is filled with twists, turns, interpretations, and executions. Bringing that feel to Book of Judgement was, frankly, a lot of fun!

Head to your local retailer or our webstore today, and bring judgement to the enemies of the Emperor!

“You can’t escape the Adeptus Arbites. They have eyes on every world, ears on every ship, and hands on every weapon.”       –Advice given to patsies by Gui, Inquisitorial Agent

The Calixis Sector is plagued with heretics, recidivists, and the unworthy...and they all dwell beneath the faithful servants of the God-Emperor, eroding the backbone of the Imperium’s war machine. Whether it is a planetary noble skimming off the top, or a seditious terrorist planning the destruction of an entire Hab-block, it is the Adeptus Arbites who bring them to judgement.

Book of Judgement, a supplement for Dark Heresy, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore!

This detailed guide to crime and punishment in the Calixis Sector provides a powerful resource for Dark Heresy campaigns that feature Imperial Law as a story foundation. It contains new rules, backgrounds, alternate careers, and equipment for playing Acolytes with legal authority or a criminal past, and provides players with information about the Adeptus Arbites’ mission to bring order to the Calixis Sector. Game Masters of all experience levels will find expanded Investigation rules and a new adventure, Jurisdiction, that plunges the Acolytes into a conflict between three of the Imperium’s most powerful organisations.

Justice in the Dark Future

For more on Book of Judgement, here’s a word from Dark Heresy’s lead developer:

I count myself extremely lucky in having worked with the team responsible for Book of Judgement. In addition to such veteran talents as Graham Davey and Charles May, the group was joined by Matthew Farrer, author of the Shira Calpurnia novels from Black Library. It was a great pleasure to dive into the Adeptus Arbites of the Calixis Sector with the assembled team of writers and I can’t wait for this book to be in the hands of players.

We worked tirelessly to stuff this book full of useful tools for GMs and Players alike. All the usual suspects are here: new Cell Directives, Alternate Career Ranks, Backgrounds, and, of course, tons of background information on the precincts of the Lex Calixis. A chapter focused purely on the creation of compelling mysteries distills over fifty years of combined GM experience, offering exciting ways to craft your own mystery and drive a game session forward through the players’ actions. We even included Jurisdiction, a full adventure focused on the overlapping interests of three Imperial factions.

One of the pleasures of creating a book like this is getting to truly delve into the ancient histories of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Games Workshop has been crafting this game world for over two decades, which provides a wealth of information. Having an opportunity (or a responsibility) to read everything I could about crime and judgement was an quite an experience. The bleak, dare I say grim, nature of justice in the dark future is filled with twists, turns, interpretations, and executions. Bringing that feel to Book of Judgement was, frankly, a lot of fun!

Head to your local retailer or our webstore today, and bring judgement to the enemies of the Emperor!