1

CHARACTER CREATION

Tunnels, on the other hand, were an environment I felt right at home in, and I could match my fighting skills in a dark con-

fined space with anything we might find down there, And it wasn’t like I was going in alone either.

Caves of Ice, the memoires of Commissar Ciaphas Cain

Every individual is unique. No matter how many billions of souls inhabit the Imperium, no two match each other. Not in a

single hive, not on a single planet, not in a system and not in a sector. Everyone is made up of their upbringing, civilisation,

experiences, homes, schools and training. While an individual’s key occupation and livelihood will affect his or her life more

then anything else, the basic events of their history will be reflected in their abilities, potential and skills.

Those who ran with gangs at a young age will be more familiar with urban combat, while those who were raised in the Im-

perium’s huge and overcrowding orphanages will have developed kinships and independent thoughts others are unfamiliar

with. Commissar Cain’s early life in a hive city, give him an amazing edge in close quarters combat that the Valhallans of the

597th do not have. But the Valhallans in turn have a greater resistance to the cold.

In this section you will see how to add depth and individuality to your character based on background, age, traits and prior

experience. These rules are Apocrypha in nature and are meant to add to, not entirely replace, the preexisting character gen-

eration rules found in Dark Heresy. GMs are encouraged to use these rules as they are written, extract what they like or use

them as a basis for new character creation modifiers.

AGE

With age there comes experience and wisdom, but also pain, suffer-

ing and loss. The older on gets the more disillusioned and defeated a

soul becomes. Working twenty years in a factory will have an as-

tounding effect on ones skill and talent with manufacturing and

knowledge of his or her job, but the tedious nature and dependency

on the work will break down a person’s sanity and faith.

To reflect this, each age category has four new modifiers. These are

Experience Points (XP), Fate Points (FP), Insanity Points (IP), and

Corruption Points (CP). As a character is aged he or she receives

more Experience Points (added to the 400 initial XP) but also loses

Fate Points and gains Insanity and Corruption Points. These bonus

Experience Points can be used to either gain additional Background

Traits (see below) or buy Career Advances as normal. Experience

Points spent on Background Traits do not count toward a characters

Rank advancements, but those spent on normal Career Advances do.

To determine the modifiers to XP, FP, IP and CP requires a little

extra dice rolling and time, but adds flavor and colour to the charac-

ter.

Determine these modifiers by consulting the table below. The D100

roll used is the same as rolled to determine the character’s age.

AGING A CHARACTER

Perhaps you are unhappy with the youth of your Acolyte? Or per-

haps you just want more of the bonus XP to be gained at older ages

so you can nab a few extra talents or skills? Players have the option

to age their characters to their desired age, but doing so goes against

the initial will of the Emperor (that and the roll of the dice).

For each age category you increase your Acolyte, he or she suffers a

reduction to his or her characteristics, and while initial loss may

seem tolerable, the points lost tend to add up. There are two catego-

ries of age reduction, slight and intense. Slight age reduction loses 2

from the listed characteristics for every two levels of increased age

category, while intense age reduction suffers a penalty of 2 for every

level of increased age category. The characteristics are aligned in the

following categories.

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Slight: Intelligence, Will Power, Fellowship, Toughness, and

Perception.

Intense: Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Strength, and Agility.

As one can see, no characteristic escapes unaltered by voluntar-

ily aging a character beyond the years the Emperor has deemed

for them. However, they do receive all other modifiers to XP,

IP, CP and FP!

PLANETARY BACKGROUND

The specific planet you are from will greatly affect your start-

ing outlook and knowledge. Natives of Catachan and natives of

Krieg have different styles of survival skills, despite them both

being from death worlds. Catachans would have the Survival

Skill while those who hail from Krieg would have Resistance

(Radiation). Cadians are naturally more disciplined and would

be considered to have the Insanely Faithful talent at character

generation, while Armageddon Ork Fighters would start with

Hatred (Orks) as their background talent. These are just some

broad examples of starting bonus talents and skills based on a

particular world. GMs and players are encouraged to discuss

together the type of world the character is from and to deter-

mine the bonus skill or talent the character receives. At the

GM’s option a character may receive a second bonus back-

ground skill or talent, but the character will suffer a 5 reduction

to one of his or her characteristics as a drawback.

On the same note the bonus skill or talent could be a +1D5 to a

given characteristic (or two, but the -5 to another characteristic

is required).

Several imperial worlds are listed in the appendix with their

recommended bonus background skills and/or talents and char-

acteristic modifiers.

While these may seem conflicting with some of the options and

entries for Personal Backgrounds, and completely contrary to

the nature of Void Born, the two options work together well.

Players and GMs are encouraged to use common sense and

imagination when mixing these two options together. A Cadian

Guardsman could logically be of the Planetary Background of

Cadia, the Imperial World: Birth Planet of Agri-World or War

Zone or even a Hive Worlder if he or she lived in a one of the

mega cities on Cadia. Likewise he or she could have been

raised in a resort city or church monastery for the Paradise

Planet or Shrine World options.

Void born are a little different as they do not really have a

“home world” per see, and therefore GMs and Players should

just use the rules above to pick a background skill or talent as

normal.

BACKGROUND TRAITS

The bonus XP gained from age (and experience, see below) can

be used to purchase any skill or talent that a player wishes, as

well as purchasing the same skill more then once for the +10 or

+20 modifier. As a general rule, advance skills cost 200 XP

while basic skills and talents cost 100XP. Requirements must

still be met as normal.

When buying Background Traits that are not available at the

character’s starting rank, the XPs spent do not count toward his

or her advancement to the next rank.

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PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Your parents, family, home and education as a youth will

shape your mind and goals as well as hone you reflexes and

muscles. Anything from the food you eat to the books you

read and the pets you raise will affect the final outcome of

who you are. While this system of modifications will not ana-

lyze every year, moment or event of you childhood and young

adult days, the basic pasts determined in character generation

from the core Dark Heresy rules (found on pages 31-33) will

add modifiers as follows.

FERAL WORLD: TRIBAL TABOOS MODIFER

Dirt Ward Talent: Resistance (Psychic Powers)

Unlucky Colour +1Will Power

Hunter’s Oath +1Agility

Thirsty Blade +1Weapon Skill

Spirit Shackle Regain 1 Fate Point immediately after combat if you take a trophy from a

foe you defeated in battle.

Warrior Death Does not flee if failed Fear test in combat instead continues to fight at -15

to WS/BS. The character may choose to flee but burns 1 Fate Point.

Power of Names +5 to resist daemon fear/powers as long as true name is secret or if he or

she knows the daemon’s true name.

Lonely Dead +1Perception

Living Record +1Weapon Skill

Nemesis +3Weapon Skill, +3Ballistic Skill, cannot use Fate Points to escape certain

death.

HIVE WORLD: HIVE CLASS MODIFER

Dross Hound Skill: Survival

Ganger Scum Talent: Street Fighting

Factory Dregs Skill: Trade (Any)

Middle Hive +2Fellowship, +1Will Power

Specialist Talent: Talented (Non Combat)

Hive Noble +2Fellowship, double starting money and income.

IMPERIAL WORLD: BIRTH WORLD MODIFER

Agri-World +1Toughness

Backwater +2Toughness

Feudal World +1Weapon Skill, +1Strength

War Zone +D5Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill

Dead Planet Talent: Resistance (Choice)

Shrine World Talent: Unshakeable Faith

Paradise Planet +D5Fellowship

VOID BORN: SHIP TRADITION MODIFER

Space Hulk +1Ballistic Skill, +1Agility, +1Will Power

Orbital +3Intelligence, +1Will Power

Chartist Vessel Skill: Common Lore (Trading)

War Ship Talent: Peers (Naval Crew)

Rogue Trader Skill: Charm, +1Fellowship

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WHY ME?

Excellent question, the following table and entries will give

a brief synopsis as to why this particular individual was

taken into the Inquisition as an Acolyte. While these are

recommended for play and character backgrounds, they are

not hard and fast rules. Whatever benefit or drawback is

generated should be kept, but the individual reasons and

background fluff may be changed with GMs permission.

Talented: You are gifted at what you do. For some reason the

Inquisition needed your skill at that moment and then either

forgot you were with them or decided to keep you along for

the ride. Now you are stranded, far from home with a bunch

of people you hardly know. Choose any of your skills and

treat it as if you had it an additional time for +10.

Untapped Potential: One of you characteristics can grow far

more then others and the Inquisitor you met instantly knew

there was more to you then was easily glimpsed. Dragging

you to the testing facility of his order, the Inquisitor quickly

indoctrinated you in your new job, whether you liked it or not.

Choose any one of your advance schemes for you characteris-

tics, you can gain up to +25 in this characteristic now, but the

first advance is 100XP, the rest are shifted over one column so

the fee for +10 is the normal fee for +5 and the +15 fee is the

+10 fee and so on. Therefore +25 is the price that +20 would

normally be.

Blank: Due to a fluke of nature you are untouchable by the

immaterium and the warp. After showing up as a blip on your

new Master’s psychic radar you found yourself newly em-

ployed with the inquisition. Congratulations. You are virtually

immune to mind control and influence from psykers granting

you a +20% to resist their effects. However your real value is

that you add +5% to the resistance rolls of anyone within 5

meters of you.

Family & Friends: Either you are direct family of the In-

quisitor you work for or friends of the family. Either way, it

got you involved in the deeps of rooting out terror, evil and

betrayal. Due to your deeper connection to your Master you

receive 150% your starting money and 15% more income

monthly.

Unique Experience: You saw something you shouldn’t, did

something that you were not suppose to do and got caught up

in affairs beyond your means. Whether you became a witness

or a whistle blower, your involvement in the incident has left

you with some experience that is now too valuable to the in-

quisition, and your new master likes it that way. Add 1D5x40

XP to your character immediately.

Unique Knowledge: Much like Unique Experience, but you

have learned more then was intended, be it from accidentally

overhearing a conversation, getting out of a cult before it was

too late or reading ancient books not meant for mortal eyes.

Know your knowledge is wanted by the Inquisition. You re-

ceive the Forbidden Lore (Choice) skill at +10.

Pious: Your religious devotion and faith has set you aside

from your peers and that has made you noticeable to the local

Ecclessiarchy and in turn they have turned you over to the

Inquisition for further training as they see fit. Add +5 to your

Will Power and +D5 to your Fellowship.

Gift: You were given to the Inquisitor Master you serve as

either a present or to pay off a debt or as part of a punishment

mandated by local authorities or the Inquisition itself. You are

considered a luck charm to the Inquisitor you serve (see Dark

Heresy page 146) and in all situations you are considered to

also have a charm on your person, even when you don’t.

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Rescued: You were in a lot of danger. There were mutants,

demons, cultists or maybe only gangers gunning for your

hide. Luckily out of nowhere the dark clad Inquisitor and

his team came to the rescue and saved your skin. Now you

are stuck following him around hoping to gain further pro-

tection, or perhaps a ride off this world. But from now on

you have the talent Hatred for whatever it was you were

rescued from.

Arrested & Reformed: You are a rare case. Once one the

side of darkness, be it by choice, stupidity or accident, you

were cornered, arrested, judged and punished. Now you are

reformed. Bearing the brand of the Inquisition and forced to

work off you sentence as part of your arresting Inquisitor’s

retinue you still manage to keep up with the dealings of the

wrong side of Imperium Law. You are considered to have

the Peer talent with one subgroup of gangers, cultists or

other ne’er-do-wells.

Guilty: You have done some bad things in your time, and

somehow over the years you have finally begun to forgive

yourself. However, the God Emperor and the tower Inquisi-

tor in black your confessor turned you over to are far less

forgiving. Now in order to not suffer judgment and the

worst kind of fate your imagination can, well, imagine, you

are forced to right your wrongs with deeds, not words. Due

to you past nature and experience you have the Dark Soul

talent.

Heart of Gold: The Inquisitor you met has taken a fond-

ness to you and likes you very much. You are easily his or

her favorite Acolyte and the fawn over you on a regular

basis. All interactions with him or her that are respectful

and courteous are at +10, furthermore he or she will help

you repair equipment and find new equipment reducing the

cost of such tasks by 5% and using his or her connections to

better the availability of equipment for you (and no one else

on the team) by 1.

Reflection: The towering agent of the Emperor in shiny

armour says you remind him of him when he was younger,

somehow you doubt it. After being very persistent, insistent

and violent he finally managed to convince you to join his

team. Course, near the end of the discussion it was either

join or to be judged a heretic. Now the Inquisitor seems to

reliving his youth vicariously through you. Pick any charac-

teristic and both you and the GM roll 2D10, take the higher

of these two rolls and if it is higher then the original roll of

the characteristic you may replace it with the new roll. The

Inquisitor will always be challenging this characteristic

whenever possible to remind him of his youth.

Hereditary: Someone before you in your family served the

Inquisition distinctly and now it is your turn. While you do

not have their experience, know how or luck you do have

one advantage, they left you their tools of the trade. You

begin play with a bolt pistol and chainsword as well as

Guard Flak Armour.

From Birth: You are a luck breed, from birth you have

been raised by the Inquisition or in a school program for the

Inquisition. It is your destiny to become an Inquisitor. As a

side effect Forbidden Lore is a basic skill for you and it is

available at every rank as a skill for one of the following:

Xenos, Cultists, Mutations or Daemons (choose which is

available when you reach a new rank). At different ranks it

can a specific category can be picked again for +10 (and

later +20) as long as no more then one category is picked at

each rank.

Slave: Life isn’t easy for a slave, especially one serving an

Inquisitor. Be you a purchased slave, an indentured servant,

a prisoner released for limited service or otherwise acquired

you have none of the standard freedoms (such as they are)

of the other Acolytes. In exchange for +D5 to Toughness

and +D5 to Will Power, you receive no month income and

are completely at the mercy of your owner for food, money

and equipment, which he owns not you.

Hunted: You have made many enemies in your past, some

of which are so nasty the Inquisition has taken a noticed.

Either the Inquisition has taken you in for your protection or

they are using you to lure out their targets. Choose any type

of enemy you wish, but remember your power level and

abilities when you do so. Every adventure you can take

from 1 to 4 bonus Fate Points. For each bonus Fate Point

you take roll 1D10. For each 9 you roll one of your

enemies will show up during the course of the adventure.

If you roll more then 1D10 and roll doubles then the num-

ber that was doubled will be the number of enemies that

will arrive. If you roll triples, then double the normal

amount and if you roll four of a kind, triple the number.

In addition, whenever you use one a bonus Fate Point roll

1D10 and on a roll of 9 the enemies will again be available

to harass you.

Emperor’s Blessing: You have long been blessed and

graced by the Emperor’s mercy. To that effect the Ecclessi-

archy has insisted you make yourself available to the Inqui-

sition who have greatly accepted you as a token of the Em-

peror’s favor and have added you to one of their Acolyte

teams. A character with Emperor’s Blessing gains 1-2 bo-

nus Fate Points (Roll 1D10. 1-5 1 Fate Point, 6-10 2 Fate

Points).

Just a Job: And that’s all it is to you, another contract, an-

other target, another paycheck. You are a mercenary who is

in it for the money as much as the salvation and justice.

After all, that’s why we all work, to live off the money and

finances we earn. These characters have special mercenary

contracts with their Inquisitor master and receive bonus

money for the risks they take. They begin play with 1D5x75

additional Throne Gelt and receive 1D5x10 additional

monthly.

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Do I know you?: A case of mistaken identity has lead the

character to meet up with foes of the Inquisitor. And the

surprise was had on both sides as the Inquisitor and you

look almost like twins, despite him being older and more

self aware. Seeing the potential of a body double and trying

to reduce the risk to you, the Inquisitor has taken you under

his wing, even if you didn’t like the idea of it. Add +1D5 to

your Fellowship. In addition you can try to pass yourself off

as the Inquisitor by making a Fellowship test (modified

based on the situation and people involved) and when doing

so successfully you are treated as if you had Intimidate,

Interrogation and Inquiry all at +20. However, if you fail

you face the risk of being charged with the crime of posing

as an Imperial Inquisitor. Further more if you roll doubles

(successful or not) the target is infuriated at the Inquisitor

and will usually attack.

PSYKER POWERS

It is possible to take Psy-

chic powers as part of

your Background Traits.

This is highly advised

against as any character

that possesses these

abilities that is not an

Imperial Psyker will be

considered to unsanc-

tioned and will most

likely be involuntarily

retired. Still, players

should still be given the

option as in the end it is

their character that it

affects, but they should

be duly reminded that

rogue Psykers tend to be

hunted down and exter-

minated by Inquisitors

and that they generally

see a member of the In-

quisition on a regular

basis.

But then again, perhaps

the players are eager to have a free tour of one of the Inqui-

sition’s Black Ships and an all expenses paid trip to Holy

Terra?

SAMPLE BACKGROUND WORLDS

Here is a list of some of the common worlds known

throughout the Warhammer 40K universe. GMs and players

can use these as basis for their own ideas, worlds and other

locations.

World Modifier

Cadia Resistance (Fear)

Valhalla Resistance (Cold). Guardsmen,

Assassins and Arbites may also

take Hatred (Orks) but lose 5

from Fellowship.

Tallarn Resistance (Heat)

Mordia Blind Fighting

Armageddon Resistance (Toxins). Guardsmen,

Assassins and Arbites may also

take Hatred (Orks) but lose 5

from Fellowship.

Tanith Jaded.

Catacha Survival (Jungle), +D5 Weapon

Skill, -5 Fellowship.

Savlar Hatred (Orks), Chem-Use, -5

Willpower.

Terrax Unshakable Faith, +D5 Will-

power, -D5 Perception.

Harakon Drive (Hover Vehicle)

Krieg Resistance (Radiation)

Kanak +D5 Toughness, +D5 Strength,

-5 Intelligence.