One of my favorite themes in Dark Heresy is the idea of sacrificing your sanity and your soul to preserve the Imperium, taking up the tools of enemy to defeat them and damning yourself in the process.

I was wondering whether anyone had thought about giving out corruption points for learning forbidden lore? At the moment, I'm thinking about giving 1d5 CP every time someone takes a Specialisation advance in areas like: Chaos Space Marines, Demonology, Heresy, Mutants, The Warp or Xenos.

Anyone experimented with similar rules?

Well, I do not give CP or IP if a player buys a certain skill e.g. forbidden lore. But in our group we handle it that way, that you can only spend XP when it fits the story progress or is otherwise reasonable.

Forbidden lore skills can only be increased when the players encountered the forbidden whatsoever. Let's say you want to buy the skill forbidden lore warp. This would only be possible, if you were a witness to warp heresy or maybe found a book of an evil summoner...in this process I administer IP and CP So in a way the evil knowledge is rewarded, but only ingame.

However I can see, why you think it should be done from a logical point of view. I would give them the chance to influence the outcome of CP/IP with test on their willpower or maybe toughness.

Ah okay, I see! I think I would normally offer them the option to advance a Forbidden Lore when they had something appropriate to study (maybe a tome of demonology or a warp artefact), so I roll the two steps into one?

I am not sure what you mean with two steps...

Of course there are many possible reasons that justify buying a forbidden skill...tomes, books, encounters...maybe a visit in a black library of the inquisition between missions...

Giving out corruption points for Daemonology and Chaos related topics would make sense. For xenos, I'd say that it'd depend: learning about Orks, Tau, or Eldar isn't going to open your soul up to the Warp or expose you to something that has inherent Warp corruption in it. Since Sanctioned Psykers are trained "saftely", and do not gain corruption points for having a Psy Rating, I'd give them Warp Lore without penalty, but corruption for everyone else would make sense. Higher levels of the lore give more Corruption points, potentially downgraded by a Willpower test.

Insanity can be handled in a similar manner, and would be a better fit for Xenos lore IMHO. Jaded and Willpower rolls would we appropriate modifiers and methods for determining how insane you become, with penalties for greater knowledge (such as a -10 when learning Forbidden lore at +10), etc.

I am not sure what you mean with two steps...

Sorry, I wasn't very clear! I was meaning it seems you give IP/CP for getting hold of some artefact they could study to gain Forbidden Lore, then you let them take the advance. I was just going to combine these two things?

Giving out corruption points for Daemonology and Chaos related topics would make sense. For xenos, I'd say that it'd depend: learning about Orks, Tau, or Eldar isn't going to open your soul up to the Warp or expose you to something that has inherent Warp corruption in it. Since Sanctioned Psykers are trained "saftely", and do not gain corruption points for having a Psy Rating, I'd give them Warp Lore without penalty, but corruption for everyone else would make sense. Higher levels of the lore give more Corruption points, potentially downgraded by a Willpower test.

Insanity can be handled in a similar manner, and would be a better fit for Xenos lore IMHO. Jaded and Willpower rolls would we appropriate modifiers and methods for determining how insane you become, with penalties for greater knowledge (such as a -10 when learning Forbidden lore at +10), etc.

Okay, here's a thought: What if they get something to study on Forbidden Lore, they take a Fear test equal to the level of Forbidden Lore they are buying? This lets appropriate talents give them a benefit on the test, and really reinforces the 'Call of Cthulhu in SPACE' feel I like. Delving too deep into any one subject will pretty much guarantee you lose some of you sanity.

On top of that, studying any warp-tainted artefact will result in you gaining corruption points. Yes, the early levels of Forbidden Lore on, say, Demonology might be attainable by studying some redacted, sanctified excerpts in an Inquisitor's private collection, but there's only so much you can learn there. To become an expert in the subject, you're going to have to expose your soul to corruption!

Okay, here's a thought: What if they get something to study on Forbidden Lore, they take a Fear test equal to the level of Forbidden Lore they are buying? This lets appropriate talents give them a benefit on the test, and really reinforces the 'Call of Cthulhu in SPACE' feel I like. Delving too deep into any one subject will pretty much guarantee you lose some of you sanity.

On top of that, studying any warp-tainted artefact will result in you gaining corruption points. Yes, the early levels of Forbidden Lore on, say, Demonology might be attainable by studying some redacted, sanctified excerpts in an Inquisitor's private collection, but there's only so much you can learn there. To become an expert in the subject, you're going to have to expose your soul to corruption!

I think this would be a good method. A deep understanding of forbidden lore would mean a deep involvement of the forbidden subject and in the process corrupt you more or drive you crazy. Maybe you should vary IP or CP depending on what kind of object or event made the skill enhancement possible.

Dup

I am not sure what you mean with two steps...

Sorry, I wasn't very clear! I was meaning it seems you give IP/CP for getting hold of some artefact they could study to gain Forbidden Lore, then you let them take the advance. I was just going to combine these two things?

Giving out corruption points for Daemonology and Chaos related topics would make sense. For xenos, I'd say that it'd depend: learning about Orks, Tau, or Eldar isn't going to open your soul up to the Warp or expose you to something that has inherent Warp corruption in it. Since Sanctioned Psykers are trained "saftely", and do not gain corruption points for having a Psy Rating, I'd give them Warp Lore without penalty, but corruption for everyone else would make sense. Higher levels of the lore give more Corruption points, potentially downgraded by a Willpower test.

Insanity can be handled in a similar manner, and would be a better fit for Xenos lore IMHO. Jaded and Willpower rolls would we appropriate modifiers and methods for determining how insane you become, with penalties for greater knowledge (such as a -10 when learning Forbidden lore at +10), etc.

Okay, here's a thought: What if they get something to study on Forbidden Lore, they take a Fear test equal to the level of Forbidden Lore they are buying? This lets appropriate talents give them a benefit on the test, and really reinforces the 'Call of Cthulhu in SPACE' feel I like. Delving too deep into any one subject will pretty much guarantee you lose some of you sanity.

On top of that, studying any warp-tainted artefact will result in you gaining corruption points. Yes, the early levels of Forbidden Lore on, say, Demonology might be attainable by studying some redacted, sanctified excerpts in an Inquisitor's private collection, but there's only so much you can learn there. To become an expert in the subject, you're going to have to expose your soul to corruption!

I don't think that a fear test is necessary. Assign a WP test with appropriate modifiers (I'd say -10 per +10 of the skill), adjust with talents you feel are applicable, and assign corruption or insanity as appropriate, such as a d5 + 1d5 per +10 of the new skill bonus.