Canberra Dark Heresy VSS
++ ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ++
Venue and Domain Details
Venue Name: Canberra Dark Heresy
Venue Number:
Domain Name: Canberra
Domain Number:
VST & VC Names and Membership Numbers
VST: Alex Robin, AU2013050006
- aVST: Evan Griffiths, AU2013010005
- aVST: Evan Griffiths, AU2013010005
VC: Nick Bourke, AU2013090010
++ GAME INFORMATION ++
Genre
Dark Heresy, 2nd Edition
Setting
Canberra Dark Heresy is set on the Hive World Illubris – a smog-choked industrial planet of continent-spanning cities which rise from deep within the planet all the way to the edge of the upper atmosphere – and the surrounding planets of the Illubris System, near the edge of the Askellon Sector in the Segmentum Obscurus.
The Askellon Sector is older than the Imperium itself, with many secrets still unknown from the early days of its founding. The Sector is also plagued with a seemingly unending Warp storm called the Pandaemonium, which has grown so much in both size and intensity in recent centuries that many Navigator Clans and Rogue Traders have left and avoid the Sector.
The players play as Inquisitorial acolytes – people who (without much say in the matter) have been drafted by the Inquisition for the purpose of investigating threats against the Imperium of Man, whatever those might be.
Themes
- Paranoia: The Inquisition is not necessarily on your side - what is fine by one inquisitor may be vilest heresy to another. “Innocence proves nothing” is a common adage of the Inquisition. And worse, the enemies of the Imperium do lurk everywhere.
- Mystery: Heresy abounds, it’s just a matter of finding it. Each investigation the acolytes undertake will involve uncovering clues and unravelling plots and schemes.
- Intrigue: This system is home to many powers other than the Inquisition – the nobility fight amongst themselves over power both real and perceived, criminal gangs fight for territory and loot, and the various official branches of the Imperium all have their own agendas. Where do the acolytes fit into all this? And what personal goals do they want to achieve?
- Corruption and Madness: Xenos and the Ruinous Powers have much to offer those who seek power. And sometimes just knowing things is enough to threaten your sanity or your soul. What risks are you willing to take, and are they worth the reward?
Mood
Dark Heresy is a game of dark themes that presents its players with a lot of challenges. The galaxy is much, much bigger than their characters are – cold and implacable. Against this backdrop, players should be able to feel that they are able to carve a small niche for themselves while they work against these forces – hopefully for the betterment of humanity, but often just for their own safety and sanity. A good mix of hope, confusion, desperation and teamwork should make up the majority of most games.
Game Elements
Game elements are rated on a 1 to 5 scale - a score of 1 meaning little to no appearance, 5 meaning appearing in every game.
| Style of Play | Rating | Description |
| Action | 3 | Combat is a component of the game and the PCs will need to defend themselves regularly but this is not a combat game |
| Characterisation | 4 | PCs are selected as acolytes for their skills and talents, players are strongly encouraged to engage in personal endeavours as well as “official” ones |
| Dramatics | 1 | While the nobility and the Ecclesiarchy love grand ceremonies, PCs are not expected to be staging their own – most games will involve clandestine affairs |
| Etiquette | 4 | Social etiquette varies highly in the Imperium, but societal dogma is very important – impoliteness may make enemies or be completely ignored, but even minor heresies are criminal |
| Intrigue | 5 | Politics and schemes are a significant component of the setting, PCs will be navigating their way through a world of conflicting goals and factions |
| Mystery | 5 | The majority of the Imperium are uneducated and uninformed – the PCs’ job is to step out of that safe blanket of ignorance and discover what is really going on |
| Pace | 2-4 | Plots will emerge, develop and resolve on varying timescales |
| Risk | 3 | Dark Heresy is a potentially very lethal system, we will endeavour to keep PC deaths uncommon - however PCs will risk sanity and the corruption of their souls on a regular basis |
++ SANCTIONED BOOKS ++
The following books/ebooks are sanctioned for player use:
A. Dark Heresy Second Edition Core Rulebook
B. Dark Heresy Second Edition Character Creation Supplement (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Dark-Heresy-2nd/support/Dark%20Heresy%20Character%20Creation%20Supplement%20%28web%29.pdf)
C. Forgotten Gods
- 1. This book is an adventure supplement, the events described in it are not considered canonical and only rules and material explicitly mentioned in this VSS are available for player use.
- 2. Setting material and NPCs for Desoleum and Thaur are considered canon and may be used for PC backstories with approval from the VST.
- 3. The following character creation options are available from Forgotten Gods, but not required for characters originating on these worlds:
- a. Home World: Hive Desoleum, p7 (as per the Home World: Hive World entry, but replaces the “Teeming Masses in Metal Mountains” Home World Bonus with “The Sacredness of Oaths”)
- b. Home World: Thaur, p109 (as per the Home World: Shrine World entry, but replaces the “Faith in the Creed” Home World Bonus with “The Dead are Watchful”)
D. Enemies Within
E. Enemies Without
Additional Dark Heresy Second Edition books may be sanctioned for player use, pending review of those books by the ST. Should such books become approved for use, the VSS will be updated to specify this and clarify rules as necessary for player use.
All books from the Dark Heresy Second Edition, Black Crusade, Deathwatch, Only War and Rogue Trader game lines are reserved for ST use.
++ RULE CLARIFICATIONS ++
This section has been added to record any instance of VST clarifications on unclear rule applications
Adeptus Astra Telepathica characters and Favoured by the Warp
In any instance where the Favoured by the Warp talent and the Astra Telepathica background bonus The Constant Threat are being applied to the same Psychic Phenomena roll (whether the character can invoke The Constant Threat or an ally is invoking it on their behalf), Favoured by the Warp must be applied first. This means that The Constant Threat cannot be used to make Favoured by the Warp an option when the initial die result would normally make Favoured by the Warp inapplicable.
Where Favoured by the Warp can be applied however, a player may decide which die result they choose with full foreknowledge of the range of available options the application of The Constant Threat would give them on either roll.
Simple Crafting
Relevant crafting skills (Medicae, Survival, Tech-Use, Trade (x), etc) can substitute for, or be used in conjunction with, the Commerce skill to gain a bonus to relevant Influence tests to buy items that already exist in the books.
This represents the time and effort you put into making the item from bought or found pieces, rather than buying from someone who did it for you.
Subtlety and Purchasing
According to the rules-as-written, whenever you make an Influence test to try to purchase an item, regardless of whether you succeed or fail, your warband's Subtlety is dropped by the Availability penalty of the item divided by 10.
Due to the difficulty in raising Subtlety, this should be changed from "Availability penalty" to "total Influence test penalty". This will allow you to potentially mitigate Subtlety problems with crafting or Commerce checks.
++ CHARACTER INFORMATION ++
Sheet Management
Character sheets will be maintained by the VST through Google Drive. Players will have read access to character sheets and can request access to their sheet at any time via the VST.
Character sheets will be completed using the standard available form-fillable PDF from Fantasy Flight Games (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Dark-Heresy-2nd/support/Dark%20Heresy%20PC%20Sheet.pdf), however this may be changed at low approval.
Character Creation
Players are not limited to the recommended Backgrounds or Roles listed in any particular Home World type or Background. These are merely given to highlight what is common for characters in this setting.
Generating Characteristics is done by the point allocation method listed in the “Allocating Points” sidebar on p31 of the Dark Heresy core. Characteristics have a base value determined by the character’s Home World type: “+ Characteristics” start with a base value of 30, “- Characteristics” start with a base value of 20 and all others start at 25. Players then have 60 points they may use to increase these Characteristics (points are spent 1 for 1) up to a maximum of 40. These points cannot be spent on Influence.
All characters start with maximum possible Wounds for their Home World type, and Emperor’s Blessing.
As per p79 of the Dark Heresy core, should a character gain the same aptitude from multiple sources during character creation, the character does not gain it twice. Instead (once Home World, Background and Role have been chosen) the player replaces it with a Characteristic-based aptitude they do not already have.
All characters start play with 1000XP as per the standard character creation rules. This XP may be used to increase a character’s Characteristics higher than their point allocation maximum of 40. The XP expenditure tables are listed on pp80-81 of the Dark Heresy core as well as page 3 of the Dark Heresy Character Creation Supplement.
Elite advances cannot be bought with XP at character creation.
During “Stage 5” of character creation, the Divinations table (Table 2-9) must be rolled. All other tables in “Stage 5” of character creation are optional and may be used for inspiration however the players wish. Additional sources of inspiration to flesh out character appearances, quirks and the like may be gained from the Dark Heresy Character Creation Supplement.
Elite Advances
Elite Advances are available after character creation only at ST discretion.
Reinforcement Characters
Reinforcement Characters (see pp294-299 of the Dark Heresy core) may be made available to players at the discretion of the ST and require a warband to unanimously agree to their use before they can enter play. RCs should not be considered automatically available as soon as a PC has reached the Influence minimum requirements to call upon them.
The Influence cost to call upon an RC may be split up amongst multiple characters, however at least one of the characters contributing to the Influence payment must meet the Influence minimum requirements for that RC.
++ EXTERNAL FACTORS INFORMATION ++
Experience Points
Experience will be handled by an incremental cap. As the game progresses, the maximum XP any character can have will be 500 times the number of months the game has run for, in addition to the 1000XP all characters start with.
XP will be awarded monthly on the following basis:
- Game Attendance: 300XP
- Roleplaying Awards: 100 to 500XP
- Plot Involvement: Up to 750XP (based off values given in Table 11-1 on p371 in the Dark Heresy core)
- Downtimes: 100XP
- ST Discretion: 100XP
Additionally, one-time XP awards may be given for costuming (up to 500XP) and for subsequent costume improvements.
Heroic deaths may also contribute to bonus starting XP on replacement characters, as determined by the ST.
Influence
Influence is a primary character statistic which cannot be increased by the expenditure of XP. It represents a character’s personal reputation and can be exploited to obtain goods or assistance. Influence increases will be awarded based on in-character achievements, and are awarded at the discretion of the ST.
Typically, resolving an average plot or uncovering a conspiracy might result in a 3 to 5 point increase. Major plots or conspiracies that are of importance to the whole Sector may result in an increase of as many as 10 points.
Additionally, making personal achievements or achieving good social connections both at game and in downtimes can also result in increases on a similar scale. Even minor personal achievements can gain small amounts of personal Influence.
Examples of the kinds of actions required to increase one’s Influence can be found on p268 of the Dark Heresy core, and in Table 8-1 on p269.
However, Influence can also be lost or sacrificed in play as well, as per the examples given on p269 of the Dark Heresy core. Failure will generally be graded on the same scale as success for the purposes of Influence reductions.
Fate
As per normal rules, characters begin each game session with full Fate points, as determined by their Fate threshold.
At the ST’s discretion, significantly monumental or against-all-odds achievements by a character or warband may result in the ST awarding a Fate threshold increase.
Subtlety
Subtlety is a narrative tool intended to numerically measure of how obvious a warband has been regarding their service to the Inquisition. This can affect the way NPCs respond to the characters and have roleplay implications for each warband’s investigations and personal achievements.
These rules are to be considered optional and the ST may keep track of this value for each warband as deemed necessary, employing the rules given on pp270-276 of the Dark Heresy core as needed.
Downtimes
Players must email in their downtimes at least two weeks prior to game. They will be completed and sent back to players in the week leading up to game.
XP expenditures should be noted in downtimes, but do not require a committed downtime action to make.
Characters will have a number of “personal actions” to use in their downtime equal to their Intelligence bonus. This represents their ability to manage their own time and plan out their personal actions. Players should remember to cite any skills, talents or traits they intend to use in each action. Players may also coordinate personal actions with each other for cooperative bonuses.
Characters will also have a number of “socialise actions” to use in their downtime equal to their Fellowship bonus. This represents their ability to leverage their gregiousness and personableness for social outcomes. Socialise actions can be used to engage with known NPCs, find out or spread rumours, or leverage the character’s Influence to requisition items or obtain NPC services.
PCs will not be killed off during downtime actions without a scene being run with the player present. If the player is unable to attend a game for said scene then the PC will be considered out of play until the ST and player are able to come to an arrangement to handle the result of the relevant downtime action.
Hits on PCs will not occur during downtimes, nor may PCs engage in combat between each other during downtime.