Reading – Dark Heresy: Disciples of the Dark Gods

NOTE: This review is from several years ago and continues my goal of collecting all of my writings onto a single site. Wish me luck!

The latest book in the Dark Heresy* series, and the first published under Fantasy Flight Games (not counting the various reprints), Disciples of the Dark Gods* is a massive expansion to the Dark Heresy* roleplaying game. Weighing in at 256-pages, this gorgeous hardcover book is, as the introduction say:

“. . . your guide to the foul, horrific, and bizarre cults who hide, often in plain sight, amidst the citizens and organizations of the Imperium.”

Appearance

As with all of the releases in the Dark Heresy* line, Disciples of the Dark Gods* is beautifully illustrated with a mixture of B&W and color artwork, a lot of which I recognize from other books. It is possible there is original artwork in this book (I do not know the source material well enough to claim that everything in these pages is a reprint); no doubt those with a more involved knowledge of the world and Warhammer 40k games will be able to pinpoint which, if any, of the artwork is new. I do not mind the duplication all that much, since it’s all topic-appropriate and the pages of the book look just as great as those in the other books in the series. If the FFG staff was responsible for putting this book together (though published by Fantasy Flight, I’ve heard rumblings that this book was completed by Black Industries) then the line is in very capable hands.

What’s inside?

Broken into seven chapters, six of which describe various foes that the player characters may encounter and one which is an adventure, the book includes a lot of explanatory text and background information as well as statistics for dozens of opponents; a gamemaster can flip to almost in page in the book and find ideas – and stats – that will lead to an adventure idea.

What follows is a short look at each of the book’s seven chapters:

• Chapter One: Shadows of the Tyrant Star – This short chapter of the book is mostly single-page handouts that hint at a larger, darker mystery. The book’s introduction describes this chapter as containing:

  “. . . disparate accounts, forbidden lore, and fragmentary whispers providing tantalizing insights into the nature and dark purpose of the Tyrant Star.”

• Chapter Two: Hereticus – New psyker talents and powers lurk within this chapter, as do descriptions of four cults. Without a doubt my favorite section within this chapter is “The Pale Throng,” which is described as:

  “No subtle cult or hidden conspiracy, the Pale Throng is a crazed and degenerate congregation of shambling horrors and decayed and sickening witch-breeds guided by sinister mutant overlords.”

  What’s not to love? The subsection even gives descriptions and game statistics for four types of cultists/creatures that belong to – or follow the orders of – the Pale Throng.

• Chapter Three: Xenos – In this chapter of the book are discussions on aliens in the Dark Heresy* setting, including information on trading with aliens (not allowed, but some practice trade with various xenos; statistics and prices are given for some xenos weapons), a look at the Slaugh (an alien race we encountered in “Maggots in the Meat,” the adventure found in the Dark Heresy Gamemaster’s Screen,* which I’ve already reviewed), an overview of an arena in which player characters can fight alien creatures (as well as statistics for those running the arena and a single beast that’s just looking for a fight), and short subsections on other groups. The chapter covers over 30-pages in the book and, while a fun read, is not one of my favorites. While I love the section on Solomon – a world infiltrated by various beasties – the rest of the chapter isn’t nearly as much fun to read. (At least, in comparison to the next chapter.)
• Chapter Four: Malleus – Daemons and warp-spawn abominations fill this chapter of Disciples of the Dark Gods* with material that’s just waiting to be torn out and thrown at the player characters. With statistics for over a dozen opponents, rules for rituals, and game information on new dark sorcery powers and unholy artefacts, this chapter of the book is the gamemaster’s gateway to the dark, evil horrors of the Calixis Sector. And it is not just the game rules that make this chapter useful; stories about “The Murder Room” – which the book tells us gives the gamemaster an “opportunity to run adventures based on the murder mystery theme with a decidedly unpleasant supernatural twist” – a look at “The Menagerie” – a dark cult of sorcerers that use the warp to change the flesh – and other groups make this one of the darker, more terrifying chapters of the book. This chapter alone should give the gamemaster enough ideas to launch dozens of adventures.
• Chapter Five: The Enemy Within – As dangerous as the external threats to the Imperium are, this chapter makes it very clear that elements within the Empire itself may devastate all that the player characters have sworn to defend. Over twenty pages long, this chapter is one of my favorite ones in the book; I’ve got a thing for shadowy politics, dark conspiracies, and plots-within-plots and this chapter hints very strongly at all of those things. Gamemasters familiar with Chapter Ten of the Dark Heresy rulebook will find this chapter greatly expands on that information; details on the inner workings of the Imperium – including a look at the Administratum, Adeptus Ministorum, the Navigators, as well as others – gives various conflicts and suggests ways in which those conflicts may spill over into adventures. The chapter closes with short descriptions of Calixian factions and full write-ups – and statistics – for two Inquisitors operating in the Calixis Sector.
• Chapter Six: The Hunted – Another very short chapter, this section of the book describes seven of the “most notorious and dangerous heretics at large in the Calixis Sector.” Each of the included villains is given a full-page description (including an illustration), though game statistics for each one have not been included. This was a conscious decision by the design staff – the chapter even explains why statistics have not been included – but I feel that this was a mistake, since it takes what could have been ready-to-run opponents and turns them into ideas that need the gamemaster’s attention. It’s not a terrible flaw, but it is enough of a bother that I hope Fantasy Flight posts a PDF of statistics for these seven villains. Some guidelines on “The Noble Art of Villain Design” will help the gamemaster, but the guidelines are quite broad and aren’t enough to make the omission of statistics one that I can overlook.
• Chapter Seven: The House of Dust and Ash – Closing out the book is a new Dark Heresy* adventure that I have yet to finish reading. The chapter opening describes this adventure as:

  “The House of Dust and Ash is an adventure intended for use with experienced Acolytes . . . set around the auction of several rare relics and curios belonging to the infamous Rogue Trader Erasmus Haarlock. Malign forces move behind this auction, and through it a conspiracy of revenge from beyond the grave will ensnare a number of powerful and dangerous antagonists. Thanks to the machinations of an infamous Inquisitor, it will entrap the Acolytes as well. Drawn into this deadly intrigue, it is up to the Acolytes to unlock the secrets of the Haarlock legacy in order to survive.”

  That sounds pretty good, and at over 30-pages long there’s a good chance of the adventure delivering on the fun that the description promises. But, as I’ve said, I haven’t yet finished reading the adventure so I cannot give any useful opinions about it. (I will say, though, that what I’ve read so far leaves me to believe that this is a better adventure than the one found in the Gamemaster’s Screen*.)

Is it worth $50?

If you’re a Dark Heresy* gamemaster then I have only one answer: Absolutely. Where The Inquisitor’s Handbook provided players with a thick, heavy tome of new information (which gamemasters can also use), Disciples of the Dark Gods* hands the gamemaster a valuable resource that greatly expands the game’s default setting. Despite a few rough spots and questionable choices (leaving out game statistics in chapter six bothers me more than it probably should), this is a fantastic book.

If you’re merely a player in a Dark Heresy* campaign, and not the gamemaster, this book is less useful. It is an enjoyable read, yes, but there’s very little in here that you’ll be able to directly use as a player. Plus, too much knowledge of what is in these pages may disrupt your gamemaster’s plans.