“Your training will be harsh. It will last a lifetime. It will be rigorous, meticulous, and all encompassing. You will learn the lessons of the greatest minds the Fire caste has produced, but also how and when to use them. All of this will be so you can fight for the Greater Good, and likely perish in the process, but it will be an endeavor you will willingly embark on.” –Commander Blindside

The Rogue Traders voyage across the vast reaches of space, searching for adventure, renown, and riches beyond count on the edges of the galaxy. To be a Rogue Trader and bear the sacred Warrant of Trade means journeys beyond the boundaries of the Imperium. In some cases, these adventures may lead you to strange realms and stranger alliances.

Two new Rogue Trader digital-exclusive supplements are now available for download: the Twilight Crusade adventure and the Tau Character Guide! Journey to the edge of space in the company of an Inquisitor and his unlikely allies: a cadre of Tau Fire Warriors. As you journey to confront an ambitious Rogue Trader, the Tau support you, and by using the Tau Character Guide, you can become a Tau Explorer yourself.

Click an image above to purchase a download of the supplement.

Twilight Crusade

Twilight Crusade is a three-part adventure that focuses on your mission to confront the heretical Rogue Trader, Vir Modren. Your Explorers must embark on a Grand Endeavour into the heart of Modren’s Realm, alongside the acolytes of an ardent Inquisitor and his unexpected allies – a hunter cadre of Tau from the far-flung reaches of the galaxy. To confront Modren directly, you must venture deep into his domain and negotiate his followers’ power-struggles, before gaining entry to Modren’s personal fortress. 

This adventure’s Grand Endeavour provides your GM with an excellent framework to gauge your progress and success, no matter how you choose to venture deep into Modren’s Realm and navigate the intrigues within. This Endeavour can be modified to suit the GM’s needs, inviting freeform action from you and your fellow Explorers. To help the GM guide the Explorers even further, a detailed breakdown of the Grand Endeavour’s objectives can be found at the end of each chapter of the adventure. In addition, this adventure offers the perfect opportunity for players to use the Tau Character Guide, as Tau warriors feature extensively throughout Twilight Crusade.

For the Greater Good

The 43-page Tau Character Guide provides Rogue Trader players with all the necessary information and rules to play Tau Explorers, whether in the Twilight Crusade adventure or in another voyage across the Koronus Expanse. In this supplement, you find a concise history of the Tau Empire, rules to play Tau Warriors of the Fire Caste with various specialised classes, and an armoury for outfitting characters with the advanced technology and powerful wargear of the Tau empire.

As you realise your Fire Warrior more fully, you may choose to take alternate career ranks. The Tau Character Guide offers three options for alternate career ranks, enabling your Explorer to become a Pathfinder, a Drone Handler, or even a Battlesuit Pilot. Of course, the Tau Empire would be nothing without its hyper-advanced technology, and you’ll find plenty of equipment and battlesuits in the Tau Armoury. Whether you strike from afar with a Kroot Hunting Rifle, blind your foes with Tau Photon Grenades, or experience the raw power of an XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, you’ll find Tau technology is a great companion in the wild space of the Koronus Expanse.

Begin Your Journey

The hubris of Vic Modren’s realm can no longer stand as an affront to the Imperium. By the will of the Emperor, and for the Greater Good, Modren must fall. Are you prepared to embark on this adventure? Purchase Twilight Crusade and the Tau Character Guide, and begin your ship’s journey past the edges of the Koronus Expanse!

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that four adventures for Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying are now available for download.

Whether you defend the Imperium as an Imperial Guardsman in Only War, crusade for the Emperor as a member of the Deathwatch, ply your trade as a cunning Rogue Trader or spread chaos throughout the galaxy in Black Crusade, you and your group will enjoy one or more of these interconnected adventures! Download Shedding Light, an adventure for Rogue Trader today by clicking the section header below.

Originally written for use at Gen Con Indy 2013, Binding Contracts, Falling Star, Shedding Light, and Salvaging Solace are adventures for Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying. The four linked scenarios concern the fate of the Imperial world of Solace. While each adventure stands on its own as a complete module suitable for immediate play, a group that plays all four adventures will spot the connections between the events as they transpire around the hive world of Solace.

Binding Contracts, Falling Star, Shedding Light, and Salvaging Solace each include a full adventure, pre-generated characters, and the profiles for any NPCs unique to the adventure. Each is designed to be run with the system for which it was written and requires a copy of the appropriate Core Rulebook to play. Using all four of these adventures, a GM can create a cohesive event that tells the story of the Fall of Solace from multiple perspectives, revealing the many factors that contributed to the events slowly over the course of the four individual stories. Because these adventures were originally written for use at a convention, each one includes notes on the time that should be devoted to given sections. If the GM wishes to run one of these adventures in a typical four to six hour convention timeslot, these notes can be useful; if the GM is not under any time restrictions, however, he should feel free to pace the adventure as he sees fit based on the group and other circumstances.

Shedding Light

In this adventure for Rogue Trader, the Explorers delve deep into the ancient secrets of Solace. Solace was colonised by the Imperium in the final hours of the Angevin Crusade to unite the Calixis Sector, but its secrets wind perilously back into times forgotten by all but the most ancient. There have always been dark tales in Solace’s mines about the things that dwell beneath the world’s parched surface, but there have also been whispers of fortunes beyond the comprehension of any mortal. These whispers have spread far and wide and have reached the ears of a daring Rogue Trader, a warrior-privateer who braves the dangers of the unknown in the name of incalculable wealth and glory. Now, an avid group of Explorers journey to Solace, delving deep into an ancient chasm that contains strange relics of forgotten aeons. But when a cataclysm rocks the world of Solace, the Explorers find themselves facing a terrible threat that is not pleased about its rude awakening.

Download Today!

Purchase Shedding Light today, and determine the fate of Hive Solace! Then, keep checking this page for more information about Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying!

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that four adventures for Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying are now available for download.

Whether you defend the Imperium as an Imperial Guardsman in Only War, crusade for the Emperor as a member of the Deathwatch, ply your trade as a cunning Rogue Trader or spread chaos throughout the galaxy in Black Crusade, you and your group will enjoy one or more of these interconnected adventures! Download Shedding Light, an adventure for Rogue Trader today by clicking the section header below.

Originally written for use at Gen Con Indy 2013, Binding Contracts, Falling Star, Shedding Light, and Salvaging Solace are adventures for Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying. The four linked scenarios concern the fate of the Imperial world of Solace. While each adventure stands on its own as a complete module suitable for immediate play, a group that plays all four adventures will spot the connections between the events as they transpire around the hive world of Solace.

Binding Contracts, Falling Star, Shedding Light, and Salvaging Solace each include a full adventure, pre-generated characters, and the profiles for any NPCs unique to the adventure. Each is designed to be run with the system for which it was written and requires a copy of the appropriate Core Rulebook to play. Using all four of these adventures, a GM can create a cohesive event that tells the story of the Fall of Solace from multiple perspectives, revealing the many factors that contributed to the events slowly over the course of the four individual stories. Because these adventures were originally written for use at a convention, each one includes notes on the time that should be devoted to given sections. If the GM wishes to run one of these adventures in a typical four to six hour convention timeslot, these notes can be useful; if the GM is not under any time restrictions, however, he should feel free to pace the adventure as he sees fit based on the group and other circumstances.

Shedding Light

In this adventure for Rogue Trader, the Explorers delve deep into the ancient secrets of Solace. Solace was colonised by the Imperium in the final hours of the Angevin Crusade to unite the Calixis Sector, but its secrets wind perilously back into times forgotten by all but the most ancient. There have always been dark tales in Solace’s mines about the things that dwell beneath the world’s parched surface, but there have also been whispers of fortunes beyond the comprehension of any mortal. These whispers have spread far and wide and have reached the ears of a daring Rogue Trader, a warrior-privateer who braves the dangers of the unknown in the name of incalculable wealth and glory. Now, an avid group of Explorers journey to Solace, delving deep into an ancient chasm that contains strange relics of forgotten aeons. But when a cataclysm rocks the world of Solace, the Explorers find themselves facing a terrible threat that is not pleased about its rude awakening.

Download Today!

Purchase Shedding Light today, and determine the fate of Hive Solace! Then, keep checking this page for more information about Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying!

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that four adventures for Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying are now available for download.

Whether you defend the Imperium as an Imperial Guardsman in Only War, crusade for the Emperor as a member of the Deathwatch, ply your trade as a cunning Rogue Trader or spread chaos throughout the galaxy in Black Crusade, you and your group will enjoy one or more of these interconnected adventures! Download Shedding Light, an adventure for Rogue Trader today by clicking the section header below.

Originally written for use at Gen Con Indy 2013, Binding Contracts, Falling Star, Shedding Light, and Salvaging Solace are adventures for Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying. The four linked scenarios concern the fate of the Imperial world of Solace. While each adventure stands on its own as a complete module suitable for immediate play, a group that plays all four adventures will spot the connections between the events as they transpire around the hive world of Solace.

Binding Contracts, Falling Star, Shedding Light, and Salvaging Solace each include a full adventure, pre-generated characters, and the profiles for any NPCs unique to the adventure. Each is designed to be run with the system for which it was written and requires a copy of the appropriate Core Rulebook to play. Using all four of these adventures, a GM can create a cohesive event that tells the story of the Fall of Solace from multiple perspectives, revealing the many factors that contributed to the events slowly over the course of the four individual stories. Because these adventures were originally written for use at a convention, each one includes notes on the time that should be devoted to given sections. If the GM wishes to run one of these adventures in a typical four to six hour convention timeslot, these notes can be useful; if the GM is not under any time restrictions, however, he should feel free to pace the adventure as he sees fit based on the group and other circumstances.

Shedding Light

In this adventure for Rogue Trader, the Explorers delve deep into the ancient secrets of Solace. Solace was colonised by the Imperium in the final hours of the Angevin Crusade to unite the Calixis Sector, but its secrets wind perilously back into times forgotten by all but the most ancient. There have always been dark tales in Solace’s mines about the things that dwell beneath the world’s parched surface, but there have also been whispers of fortunes beyond the comprehension of any mortal. These whispers have spread far and wide and have reached the ears of a daring Rogue Trader, a warrior-privateer who braves the dangers of the unknown in the name of incalculable wealth and glory. Now, an avid group of Explorers journey to Solace, delving deep into an ancient chasm that contains strange relics of forgotten aeons. But when a cataclysm rocks the world of Solace, the Explorers find themselves facing a terrible threat that is not pleased about its rude awakening.

Download Today!

Purchase Shedding Light today, and determine the fate of Hive Solace! Then, keep checking this page for more information about Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying!

Shield of Humanity, a supplement for Only War is now available at your local retailer and through our webstore.  The time has come for or new recruits and veteran guardsmen alike to stand in service to the Emperor in the Spinward Front. The Imperial Guard stands as humanity’s shield from the myriad threats to the Imperium. With new rules for auxiliary regiments, advanced specialities, and rules for characters with religious backgrounds, Shield of Humanity is a must for any Only War player.

For more on what’s inside Shield of Humanity, here’s developer Tim Flanders:

A Word from the Developer

Shield of Humanity gave me a great chance to dig even deeper into the forces of the Imperial Guard. The spiritual successor of Hammer of the Emperor, Shield of Humanity focuses on those men, women, and abhumans that take up arms, prayer-books, and plasma-cutters in defense of Mankind. Specifically, this books includes information and for playing characters attached to the Imperial Guard who hail from the two most important religious institutions in the Imperium: the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Adeptus Ministorum, as well as characters belonging to either of the Abhuman sub-species that fight with the front ranks of the Imperial Guard.

Shield of Humanity offers options for players covering a number of auxiliary regiments, including Ratlings of the Cyprian Huntsmen, and the tech-soldiers of the Crimson Guard, joining the fight in the Spinward Front from the distant Lathe Worlds. In addition to these new regiment rules, Shield of Humanity also includes a host of new rules for creating new regiments. New Home Worlds, new Doctrines, and many others give Players and Game Masters all the options theyneed to create their own unique regiments.

Of course, what Only War supplement would be complete without new Advanced Specialities? From the Architectus Magna, to the Praecentor of Penance, to the Ogryn Bone ‘ead, this book offers Players thirteen new directions to take their Enginseer, Ogryn, Ratling, and Priest characters. Of course, these Advanced Specialities are accompanied by an enormous spread of new Talents, Comrades, Orders, and wargear including advanced Servitor Directives, Ogryn and Ratling Comrades, and a fleet of new tanks and vehicles.

I am excited to have worked on Shield of Humanity and I’m looking forward to Players and Game Masters getting their hands on the new options inside!

Purchase Your Copy Today!

Thanks Tim!

Shield of Humanity is now available at your local retailer and through our webstore. Purchase your copy today, and keep checking here for more news and previews. Be a Shield of Humanity, in His name!

Shield of Humanity, a supplement for Only War is now available at your local retailer and through our webstore.  The time has come for or new recruits and veteran guardsmen alike to stand in service to the Emperor in the Spinward Front. The Imperial Guard stands as humanity’s shield from the myriad threats to the Imperium. With new rules for auxiliary regiments, advanced specialities, and rules for characters with religious backgrounds, Shield of Humanity is a must for any Only War player.

For more on what’s inside Shield of Humanity, here’s developer Tim Flanders:

A Word from the Developer

Shield of Humanity gave me a great chance to dig even deeper into the forces of the Imperial Guard. The spiritual successor of Hammer of the Emperor, Shield of Humanity focuses on those men, women, and abhumans that take up arms, prayer-books, and plasma-cutters in defense of Mankind. Specifically, this books includes information and for playing characters attached to the Imperial Guard who hail from the two most important religious institutions in the Imperium: the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Adeptus Ministorum, as well as characters belonging to either of the Abhuman sub-species that fight with the front ranks of the Imperial Guard.

Shield of Humanity offers options for players covering a number of auxiliary regiments, including Ratlings of the Cyprian Huntsmen, and the tech-soldiers of the Crimson Guard, joining the fight in the Spinward Front from the distant Lathe Worlds. In addition to these new regiment rules, Shield of Humanity also includes a host of new rules for creating new regiments. New Home Worlds, new Doctrines, and many others give Players and Game Masters all the options theyneed to create their own unique regiments.

Of course, what Only War supplement would be complete without new Advanced Specialities? From the Architectus Magna, to the Praecentor of Penance, to the Ogryn Bone ‘ead, this book offers Players thirteen new directions to take their Enginseer, Ogryn, Ratling, and Priest characters. Of course, these Advanced Specialities are accompanied by an enormous spread of new Talents, Comrades, Orders, and wargear including advanced Servitor Directives, Ogryn and Ratling Comrades, and a fleet of new tanks and vehicles.

I am excited to have worked on Shield of Humanity and I’m looking forward to Players and Game Masters getting their hands on the new options inside!

Purchase Your Copy Today!

Thanks Tim!

Shield of Humanity is now available at your local retailer and through our webstore. Purchase your copy today, and keep checking here for more news and previews. Be a Shield of Humanity, in His name!

A trail of corpses and forbidden xenos artifacts leads into the lawless depths far below Hive Desoleum. Vicious gangers and heretical cultists are out for blood, while the vile forces of Chaos are eager to devour fresh souls. Ready your bolter and chainsword, and enter the grim darkness of the 41st millennium... 

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit, a vital resource for Inquisitors and Acolytes in their defense of Mankind. Within, Game Masters gain useful guidance and advice in crafting powerful Nemeses to act as recurring antagonists in campaigns across the ancient Askellon Sector. The kit also includes a brand new adventure that continues the action from the Dark Heresy Second Edition rulebook, and a deluxe Game Master’s Screen that puts the most commonly-used rules close at hand for easy reference.

Nemeses in the Askellon Sector

The Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit provides everything that Game Masters need to develop powerful Nemeses to oppose players. These powerful adversaries will provide tough opposition for players across entire campaigns, and GM’s can harness their power to create intense and challenging encounters in their adventures!

Desolation of the Dead

The included adventure, Desolation of the Dead, is a complete adventure that can be played on its own, or as an ongoing campaign following the adventure in the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook.

In this adventure, the players’ Inquisitor has tasked them to investigate a possible xenos relic found amidst the scene of a horrible mass murder.  Their adventures take them from the lower hive reaches to the lawless depths far below its surface, where violent gangs and unholy mutants prowl decaying and pestilent regions. Deep in the Underhive, they must stop a foul cult festering in the lower depths of Hive Desoleum before its leader can raise a powerful Daemon and unleash hordes of reanimated corpses upon the hive!

Command the Askellon Sector

The Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit will be available in the third quarter of 2014. As you prepare to enter the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, keep checking back for more news and previews related to Dark Heresy Second Edition and Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying.

A trail of corpses and forbidden xenos artifacts leads into the lawless depths far below Hive Desoleum. Vicious gangers and heretical cultists are out for blood, while the vile forces of Chaos are eager to devour fresh souls. Ready your bolter and chainsword, and enter the grim darkness of the 41st millennium... 

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit, a vital resource for Inquisitors and Acolytes in their defense of Mankind. Within, Game Masters gain useful guidance and advice in crafting powerful Nemeses to act as recurring antagonists in campaigns across the ancient Askellon Sector. The kit also includes a brand new adventure that continues the action from the Dark Heresy Second Edition rulebook, and a deluxe Game Master’s Screen that puts the most commonly-used rules close at hand for easy reference.

Nemeses in the Askellon Sector

The Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit provides everything that Game Masters need to develop powerful Nemeses to oppose players. These powerful adversaries will provide tough opposition for players across entire campaigns, and GM’s can harness their power to create intense and challenging encounters in their adventures!

Desolation of the Dead

The included adventure, Desolation of the Dead, is a complete adventure that can be played on its own, or as an ongoing campaign following the adventure in the Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook.

In this adventure, the players’ Inquisitor has tasked them to investigate a possible xenos relic found amidst the scene of a horrible mass murder.  Their adventures take them from the lower hive reaches to the lawless depths far below its surface, where violent gangs and unholy mutants prowl decaying and pestilent regions. Deep in the Underhive, they must stop a foul cult festering in the lower depths of Hive Desoleum before its leader can raise a powerful Daemon and unleash hordes of reanimated corpses upon the hive!

Command the Askellon Sector

The Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit will be available in the third quarter of 2014. As you prepare to enter the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, keep checking back for more news and previews related to Dark Heresy Second Edition and Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying.

Come forth and receive the blessings of Nurgle!

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce The Tome of Decay, a new supplement for Black Crusade.

Focusing on Nurgle, the Chaos God of pestilence and plague, The Tome of Decay serves up all manner of ailments, resources, allies, and ideas for Nurgle’s grotesque followers. The Tome of Decay also includes advice for GMs on running their own plague-filled campaigns!

Below, developer Max Brooke explores what The Tome of Decay offers the loyal minions of Nurgle.

A Word from the Developer

The Tome of Decay is a Black Crusade supplement dedicated to the Chaos God Nurgle. The Plaguefather, as his adoring minions call him, is a god of pestilence, affliction, rot, and rebirth. In this volume, players will find many ways for Heretics who accept Nurgle’s blessed despair to channel his dread power. From the Plague Marine and Writhing World Sorcerer-King Archetypes, to the dreaded Manreaper scythe to a host of deadly new poxes, players and GMs will find grotesque new abilities, treasures, and inspirations to spread the wracking gifts of the Lord of All.

In addition to powerful new allies and ailments for the twisted followers of Nurgle, this volume contains many new resources for heretics of all sorts, whether they worship one of the Ruinous Powers or their own ambition. The Tome of Decay includes the Warpsmith and Veteran of the Long War Archetypes, whose endless war against the Imperium has sharpened them into peerless killers, and rules that allow Heretics to forge their own Daemon Engines or even bind Daemons within their own bodies to become powerful Possessed champions of Chaos. Finally, this Tome contains the rules for ascension to Daemonhood and running one’s own Black Crusade, allowing the most powerful Heretics to take the fight against the servants of the False Emperor to terrible new heights.

Beyond these resources for players, The Tome of Decay contains a festering wealth of information for Game Masters who wish to blight their campaigns with the influence of Grandfather Nurgle. As with the other Tomes, it contains detailed accounts of the places of power attuned to the Plague God and their dreadful inhabitants, from the Writhing World, to the foetid fields of Mire, to the very heart of the Vortex. The adventure contained in this volume leads the Heretics across the surface of Mire into the Vortex’s terminus, where they must face the greatest threat to their endless desire for power: mortality itself. If the Heretics can surpass the bonds of feeble flesh, they will stand poised to achieve their most twisted ambitions. If they fail, however, they will join the endless legions of the fallen: souls pulled beneath the squelching mud of Mire and forgotten.

The Tome of Decay is without question the grisliest book I have had the pleasure of working on, and I can’t wait to hear the stories of ruin, rot, and rebirth that players and GMs use it to tell!

Rot and Ruin

Thanks, Max!

The Tome of Decay, the newest supplement for Black Crusade, will bring all manner of rot, disease, and ruination to Nurgle’s followers later this year. Keep checking back for more news and previews regarding The Tome of Decay and Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying.

Come forth and receive the blessings of Nurgle!

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce The Tome of Decay, a new supplement for Black Crusade.

Focusing on Nurgle, the Chaos God of pestilence and plague, The Tome of Decay serves up all manner of ailments, resources, allies, and ideas for Nurgle’s grotesque followers. The Tome of Decay also includes advice for GMs on running their own plague-filled campaigns!

Below, developer Max Brooke explores what The Tome of Decay offers the loyal minions of Nurgle.

A Word from the Developer

The Tome of Decay is a Black Crusade supplement dedicated to the Chaos God Nurgle. The Plaguefather, as his adoring minions call him, is a god of pestilence, affliction, rot, and rebirth. In this volume, players will find many ways for Heretics who accept Nurgle’s blessed despair to channel his dread power. From the Plague Marine and Writhing World Sorcerer-King Archetypes, to the dreaded Manreaper scythe to a host of deadly new poxes, players and GMs will find grotesque new abilities, treasures, and inspirations to spread the wracking gifts of the Lord of All.

In addition to powerful new allies and ailments for the twisted followers of Nurgle, this volume contains many new resources for heretics of all sorts, whether they worship one of the Ruinous Powers or their own ambition. The Tome of Decay includes the Warpsmith and Veteran of the Long War Archetypes, whose endless war against the Imperium has sharpened them into peerless killers, and rules that allow Heretics to forge their own Daemon Engines or even bind Daemons within their own bodies to become powerful Possessed champions of Chaos. Finally, this Tome contains the rules for ascension to Daemonhood and running one’s own Black Crusade, allowing the most powerful Heretics to take the fight against the servants of the False Emperor to terrible new heights.

Beyond these resources for players, The Tome of Decay contains a festering wealth of information for Game Masters who wish to blight their campaigns with the influence of Grandfather Nurgle. As with the other Tomes, it contains detailed accounts of the places of power attuned to the Plague God and their dreadful inhabitants, from the Writhing World, to the foetid fields of Mire, to the very heart of the Vortex. The adventure contained in this volume leads the Heretics across the surface of Mire into the Vortex’s terminus, where they must face the greatest threat to their endless desire for power: mortality itself. If the Heretics can surpass the bonds of feeble flesh, they will stand poised to achieve their most twisted ambitions. If they fail, however, they will join the endless legions of the fallen: souls pulled beneath the squelching mud of Mire and forgotten.

The Tome of Decay is without question the grisliest book I have had the pleasure of working on, and I can’t wait to hear the stories of ruin, rot, and rebirth that players and GMs use it to tell!

Rot and Ruin

Thanks, Max!

The Tome of Decay, the newest supplement for Black Crusade, will bring all manner of rot, disease, and ruination to Nurgle’s followers later this year. Keep checking back for more news and previews regarding The Tome of Decay and Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying.

Recently, we announced Shield of Humanity, an upcoming supplement for Only War. Shield of Humanity offers new Advanced Specialities to help your forces hold the line in the Spinward Front.

In today’s preview, developer Max Brooke takes a closer look at Advanced Specialities in Shield of Humanity.

A Word from the Developer We first explored Advanced Specialities in Hammer of the Emperor, the supplement focused on Guardsman Player Characters. In Shield of Humanity, we return to these rules for high-tier character advancement and introduce new Advanced Specialities for the archetypes featured in this book: Ratlings, Ogryns, Ministorum Priests, and Tech-Priests.

When the RPG team outlined the Advanced Specialities for Guardsman Player Characters in Hammer of the Emperor, we decided that they should be extremely open-ended and flexible, and that Guardsmen should not only have access to Advanced Specialities, but also to other core Guardsman Specialities. This let us reflect the fact that Imperial Guard troopers acquire many different sets of skills in the field, and also capture the idea that the idea of universal ranks does not apply within the Imperial Guard. Each Regiment is organised differently, and while some might have specialised titles for the soldiers charged with handling the demolition of enemy fortifications, others merely rely upon troopers who happen to have acquired relevant knowledge of explosives during their service. And, at the end of the day, while two different soldiers of the line might wage war in completely different ways, both are expected to fulfill roughly the same duties in most circumstances, and it is merely their approach to a problem that varies.

Obviously, the completely open-ended model we used for Guardsman PCs wasn't going to work for Support Specialists. By their nature, Support Specialist Player Characters fulfill unique, focused roles, taking on tasks that the rank-and-file soldiers around them are not trained to handle or not physically capable of completing. So instead of giving them a wide field of options for a character to choose from as he picks up the skills to survive another day in the meat grinder, each Advanced Speciality for Support Specialists instead represents a character growing more and more focused on one particular aspect of what already makes that character exceptional.

While a veteran Guardsman character likely possesses a broad base of abilities that let him be flexible in different circumstances, a highly experienced Support Specialist has become extremely proficient at his particular job, and executes it in a way nobody else can. Ogryns and Ratlings possess physical capabilities that surpass those of even the strongest or most sharp-eyed Imperial Guard trooper, and Ministorum Priests and Tech-Priests carry ancient, dread secrets of their respective orders that grant them powers that seem supernatural to the uninitiated observer.

To reflect this, each option had to feel unique, and help differentiate the character even further from the rank-and-file. The RPG team discussed how many options each Support Specialist PC should have, and we ultimately settled upon three to four for each one, depending on the particulars of the Speciality in question. This number gives players an interesting spread of choices for their characters from a mechanical standpoint, but doesn't spread the themes of a given Support Specialist too thin across the different options. When I sat down to develop a first draft of the rules for each Advanced Speciality in Shield of Humanity, I knew that the team's goal was to have each one to focus on one of the most iconic themes of the Support Specialist in question.

The Ratlings

In the case of the Ratling, for example, this meant examining the idea of Ratlings and pulling out three of the major themes associated with these diminutive abhumans. Ratlings are obviously known as snipers, and while their base Speciality emphasizes this role, it seemed right to let a Ratling develop this talent even further with an Advanced Speciality (which we explore in the Longshooter). For many of the same reasons that they make good snipers (their natural stealth, their keen senses, and their ability to traverse rough terrain to reach the perfect spot), Ratlings are often used as scouts by the Imperial Guard. The Trailblazer focuses on this aspect of Ratlings, giving them the equipment to help them stay hidden and the dirty tricks they need to survive if they are caught behind enemy lines.

Finally, Ratlings are known for being socially adept (or, at least more so than many of their fellows in the trenches) and capable of scrounging, wheedling, and stealing supplies as necessary; the Fixer represents this side of Ratlings, and members of any squad that has access to a Ratling with this set of skills will be sure to have any equipment that they need to get the job done (but might find themselves missing other personal possessions at various times). 

I'm looking forward to hearing the interesting stories that players and GMs create around their Crimson Exemplars, Ogryn Bulwarks, and their Incinerant Priests, as well as how they use all of the other exciting new resources in this book. Pre-Order Today!

Thanks Max! Pre-order your copy of Shield of Humanity today, and prepare to hold the Spinward Front in the Emperor’s name! Then, keep checking back for more news and information related to Only War, and Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying.

Recently, we announced Shield of Humanity, an upcoming supplement for Only War. Shield of Humanity offers new Advanced Specialities to help your forces hold the line in the Spinward Front.

In today’s preview, developer Max Brooke takes a closer look at Advanced Specialities in Shield of Humanity.

A Word from the Developer We first explored Advanced Specialities in Hammer of the Emperor, the supplement focused on Guardsman Player Characters. In Shield of Humanity, we return to these rules for high-tier character advancement and introduce new Advanced Specialities for the archetypes featured in this book: Ratlings, Ogryns, Ministorum Priests, and Tech-Priests.

When the RPG team outlined the Advanced Specialities for Guardsman Player Characters in Hammer of the Emperor, we decided that they should be extremely open-ended and flexible, and that Guardsmen should not only have access to Advanced Specialities, but also to other core Guardsman Specialities. This let us reflect the fact that Imperial Guard troopers acquire many different sets of skills in the field, and also capture the idea that the idea of universal ranks does not apply within the Imperial Guard. Each Regiment is organised differently, and while some might have specialised titles for the soldiers charged with handling the demolition of enemy fortifications, others merely rely upon troopers who happen to have acquired relevant knowledge of explosives during their service. And, at the end of the day, while two different soldiers of the line might wage war in completely different ways, both are expected to fulfill roughly the same duties in most circumstances, and it is merely their approach to a problem that varies.

Obviously, the completely open-ended model we used for Guardsman PCs wasn't going to work for Support Specialists. By their nature, Support Specialist Player Characters fulfill unique, focused roles, taking on tasks that the rank-and-file soldiers around them are not trained to handle or not physically capable of completing. So instead of giving them a wide field of options for a character to choose from as he picks up the skills to survive another day in the meat grinder, each Advanced Speciality for Support Specialists instead represents a character growing more and more focused on one particular aspect of what already makes that character exceptional.

While a veteran Guardsman character likely possesses a broad base of abilities that let him be flexible in different circumstances, a highly experienced Support Specialist has become extremely proficient at his particular job, and executes it in a way nobody else can. Ogryns and Ratlings possess physical capabilities that surpass those of even the strongest or most sharp-eyed Imperial Guard trooper, and Ministorum Priests and Tech-Priests carry ancient, dread secrets of their respective orders that grant them powers that seem supernatural to the uninitiated observer.

To reflect this, each option had to feel unique, and help differentiate the character even further from the rank-and-file. The RPG team discussed how many options each Support Specialist PC should have, and we ultimately settled upon three to four for each one, depending on the particulars of the Speciality in question. This number gives players an interesting spread of choices for their characters from a mechanical standpoint, but doesn't spread the themes of a given Support Specialist too thin across the different options. When I sat down to develop a first draft of the rules for each Advanced Speciality in Shield of Humanity, I knew that the team's goal was to have each one to focus on one of the most iconic themes of the Support Specialist in question.

The Ratlings

In the case of the Ratling, for example, this meant examining the idea of Ratlings and pulling out three of the major themes associated with these diminutive abhumans. Ratlings are obviously known as snipers, and while their base Speciality emphasizes this role, it seemed right to let a Ratling develop this talent even further with an Advanced Speciality (which we explore in the Longshooter). For many of the same reasons that they make good snipers (their natural stealth, their keen senses, and their ability to traverse rough terrain to reach the perfect spot), Ratlings are often used as scouts by the Imperial Guard. The Trailblazer focuses on this aspect of Ratlings, giving them the equipment to help them stay hidden and the dirty tricks they need to survive if they are caught behind enemy lines.

Finally, Ratlings are known for being socially adept (or, at least more so than many of their fellows in the trenches) and capable of scrounging, wheedling, and stealing supplies as necessary; the Fixer represents this side of Ratlings, and members of any squad that has access to a Ratling with this set of skills will be sure to have any equipment that they need to get the job done (but might find themselves missing other personal possessions at various times). 

I'm looking forward to hearing the interesting stories that players and GMs create around their Crimson Exemplars, Ogryn Bulwarks, and their Incinerant Priests, as well as how they use all of the other exciting new resources in this book. Pre-Order Today!

Thanks Max! Pre-order your copy of Shield of Humanity today, and prepare to hold the Spinward Front in the Emperor’s name! Then, keep checking back for more news and information related to Only War, and Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying.

No Surrender, an adventure supplement for Only War is now available on RPGnow.com and DrivethruRPG!

In No Surrender, guardsmen serving in the Spinward Front must face the secessionist traitors, the Severan Dominate, whose forces have taken over the Lycurgos star fort, and are using it as a base for their treacherous deeds. In No Surrender, an expanded, three part adventure, you and your unit of guardsmen must work to reclaim this star fort for the Emperor! Lead Developer Tim Flanders previews the dangers that await in No Surrender! A Word From the Developer No Surrender is the first Only War supplement I have had the pleasure of working on and it was quite a blast. It was fun getting into the headspace of the Imperial Guard, getting my mental boots on the ground and standing imaginary shoulder to imaginary shoulder with the men and women of the Imperial Guard. But No Surrender is not your typical engagement for the Imperial Guard. The setting for this campaign is the Lycurgos star fort, a massive orbital battle station controlled by the Severan Dominate that hangs in the void above a planet of vital importance to the traitor’s war effort. In order to take the planet below, the Imperial Guard must first eliminate the threat of the star fort. A station of such ancient power is far too valuable to the war effort to simply be obliterated by naval bombardment. As such, it falls to the Imperial Guard to assault the station itself, to take it back from the inside out. This, of course, is no easy task, especially for the men and women fighting and dying to secure a landing zone for the bulk of the Imperial Guard forces; the players will know, first hand just how difficult a task this really is, as they are on the first waves!

Once the landing is secure, the Imperial Guard must root out the entrenched forces of the Severan Dominate. As they push deeper into the star fort, they face dangers in every form and on every front and they may just find something they never expected.

No Surrender contains all the elements of siege, assault, landing, and guerrilla warfare that characterizes the great war epics of film and literature, but all set firmly in the grim, brutal warfare of the 41st millennium! Fans of Only War are sure to love No Surrender, and should their characters survive, they just might become heroes of the Spinward Front! Thanks, Tim! Download your copy of No Surrender today at DrivethruRPG or RPGnow.com, and reclaim the star fort for the Emperor!

No Surrender, an adventure supplement for Only War is now available on RPGnow.com and DrivethruRPG!

In No Surrender, guardsmen serving in the Spinward Front must face the secessionist traitors, the Severan Dominate, whose forces have taken over the Lycurgos star fort, and are using it as a base for their treacherous deeds. In No Surrender, an expanded, three part adventure, you and your unit of guardsmen must work to reclaim this star fort for the Emperor! Lead Developer Tim Flanders previews the dangers that await in No Surrender! A Word From the Developer No Surrender is the first Only War supplement I have had the pleasure of working on and it was quite a blast. It was fun getting into the headspace of the Imperial Guard, getting my mental boots on the ground and standing imaginary shoulder to imaginary shoulder with the men and women of the Imperial Guard. But No Surrender is not your typical engagement for the Imperial Guard. The setting for this campaign is the Lycurgos star fort, a massive orbital battle station controlled by the Severan Dominate that hangs in the void above a planet of vital importance to the traitor’s war effort. In order to take the planet below, the Imperial Guard must first eliminate the threat of the star fort. A station of such ancient power is far too valuable to the war effort to simply be obliterated by naval bombardment. As such, it falls to the Imperial Guard to assault the station itself, to take it back from the inside out. This, of course, is no easy task, especially for the men and women fighting and dying to secure a landing zone for the bulk of the Imperial Guard forces; the players will know, first hand just how difficult a task this really is, as they are on the first waves!

Once the landing is secure, the Imperial Guard must root out the entrenched forces of the Severan Dominate. As they push deeper into the star fort, they face dangers in every form and on every front and they may just find something they never expected.

No Surrender contains all the elements of siege, assault, landing, and guerrilla warfare that characterizes the great war epics of film and literature, but all set firmly in the grim, brutal warfare of the 41st millennium! Fans of Only War are sure to love No Surrender, and should their characters survive, they just might become heroes of the Spinward Front! Thanks, Tim! Download your copy of No Surrender today at DrivethruRPG or RPGnow.com, and reclaim the star fort for the Emperor!

No Surrender, an adventure supplement for Only War is now on sale at your local retailer, and through our webstore.

In No Surrender, guardsmen serving in the Spinward Front must face the secessionist traitors, the Severan Dominate, whose forces have taken over the Lycurgos star fort, and are using it as a base for their treacherous deeds. In No Surrender, an expanded, three part adventure, you and your unit of guardsmen must work to reclaim this star fort for the Emperor! Lead Developer Tim Flanders previews the dangers that await in No Surrender! A Word From the Developer No Surrender is the first Only War supplement I have had the pleasure of working on and it was quite a blast. It was fun getting into the headspace of the Imperial Guard, getting my mental boots on the ground and standing imaginary shoulder to imaginary shoulder with the men and women of the Imperial Guard. But No Surrender is not your typical engagement for the Imperial Guard. The setting for this campaign is the Lycurgos star fort, a massive orbital battle station controlled by the Severan Dominate that hangs in the void above a planet of vital importance to the traitor’s war effort. In order to take the planet below, the Imperial Guard must first eliminate the threat of the star fort. A station of such ancient power is far too valuable to the war effort to simply be obliterated by naval bombardment. As such, it falls to the Imperial Guard to assault the station itself, to take it back from the inside out. This, of course, is no easy task, especially for the men and women fighting and dying to secure a landing zone for the bulk of the Imperial Guard forces; the players will know, first hand just how difficult a task this really is, as they are on the first waves!

Once the landing is secure, the Imperial Guard must root out the entrenched forces of the Severan Dominate. As they push deeper into the star fort, they face dangers in every form and on every front and they may just find something they never expected.

No Surrender contains all the elements of siege, assault, landing, and guerrilla warfare that characterizes the great war epics of film and literature, but all set firmly in the grim, brutal warfare of the 41st millennium! Fans of Only War are sure to love No Surrender, and should their characters survive, they just might become heroes of the Spinward Front! Thanks, Tim! Purchase your copy of No Surrender today at your local retailer or on our webstore, and reclaim the star fort for the Emperor!