Disciples of Dark Gods (Dark Heresy)

[Cynical Cat]

I picked up this gorgeous bad boy yesterday and today comes the review.

Size: 240 pages of hard back goodness

Art: Good black and white and colour drawings. Some of the art is old pieces, but a lot of it is new and all of it is appropriate. A good number of in universe internal reports and communiques to help make the whole package seem real.

Okay, it looks pretty. I'm sure that's not much of a surprise. But what's inside?

Theme: This is a GM's book. It contains cults, daemons, perverted technology, dark sorcery, foul xenos, psychic abilities, nightmarish conspiracies, and a hellish adventure for the GM's use. It's a big book of bad.

Organization: The book starts out with a discussion of the Hereticus Tenebre, the sinister mysteries surrounding the greatest danger to the Calixus Sector, the Tyrant Star. The next section is Hereticus, dealing with rogue religious movements, forbidden and dangerous technology, and psyker cults. Then we have Xenos, dealing with secret organizations that deal with and trade with aliens as well as alien infiltration, plots, and the dangers of alien artifacts such as Halo Devices.

Next, of course, is Malleus which deals with chaos cults, sorcery, daemon weapons, and similar warp spawned horrors. Following up on the three orders of the Inquisition we have a chapter on Imperial society and institutions and how they can come into conflict or fall into heresy. Inquisitorial factions are dealt with in some detail, as well as new minor factions that are present in the Calixus Sector. Stats for two inquisitors the PCs might end up in conflict with are given.

Lastly we have a section presenting a half dozen notable major heretics and the adventure, which is quite the hellride.

The Goodies: Rules for Sorcery and Daemon weapons. Ogryns and more on the insidious Slaugh and their devices. New Talents and psychic abilities, some of which may be suitable for PC use. Untouchable rules and a small be interesting selection of warp tainted and alien gear (no Tau. Wrong side of the galaxy. Fear the shuriken catapult). More alien critters and daemons as well as horrors such as murder gholems, the reanimated dead, and arcoflagellents.

Nice Touches: Many of the cults and mysteries are given several possible true natures, preventing a PC from browsing the book and knowing the GM's game plan.

Overall: It's a big book of nastiness for a GM and the source for a lot of good ideas. It helps expand the various different types of heresy the players might come into conflict from the usual chaos cultists and alien infiltrators to rogue Mechanicus, Adeptus extremists, Vandire cultists, profit hungry smugglers, and so on an so forth. Highly recommended for Dark Heresy GMs.