PDFs are usually out a week or two after the physical book. Apparently they think the PDF being available will negatively impact hardback sales.

It only tends to if your product can't hold up to par. Many companies with confidence in their product distribute it for free in pdf form (FATE, eclipse phase, etc.) which makes buying an optional measure for folk who like what they read. So far, they seem to be doing well enough and the business model seems to be working, where the product actually is good enough to be competitive.

That said, it's ultimately a management decision and many, many economists have a paranoid fear of giving out something "for free", because they (correctly) assume there's a bunch of freeloaders out there. Then again, after seeing every single page of Siege of Vracks scanned into an anonymous forum that shall go unnamed, I figure, even with restrictions etc., freeloaders will be freeloaders, and from what I read in those threads, being able to view the product encouraged people to buy who otherwise wouldn't.

Well, paging through my copy. Definitely pretty slick. Very Ordo Hereticus themed (crossbows, lots of options for sanctified weapons, anti-psyker stuff), with a dash of radical stuff.

Surprised no Cleanse and Purify in the talents, seems oddly missing in 2e still, although it looks like SoBs get some stuff to emulate that.

SoB is pretty slick. Uncertain how Lynata will like it, but it does look like it moved a bit away from the "BoM faith magic" and is more a bit just "SoBs are insanely faithful and determined, and their zeal is inspiring." The actual requirements/rewards for being a SoB are kind of interesting. Sororitas is a background and SoB is an elite advance package, but the background itself doesn't give the package. I do think the package is a bit cheap for what it gives, but its got a sizable influence requirement. Interestingly, it seems that they're relying on rule 0 to prevent Sororitas gaining the psyker elite advance, which I guess is fair, but it seems like it should be noted somewhere. Someone who can't gain corruption points likely shouldn't be gaining the Psyker quality, especially when there is also a new talent that can reduce any IP gain with a fate point (and SoBs deal in FPs like theres no tomorrow). Also... while a useless throwaway discussion, nothing in the rules seem to specify no male sororitas.

I'll admit some of the home world options are a bit gamey, but at least it doesn't feel as awful of choices as some of the older DH1 homeworld options. And its pretty nice to be getting more choices.

Backgrounds are slightly more limited, but a good bit of depth on each.

Haven't really thought through how the new roles work, both seem oddly narrow in what they represent in the setting. Fanatic seems to be the angrier, fightier, hierophant, and penitent has a bit of a smattering of aptitudes with a bonus gained when they take damage.

Wish there were a few more talents, but I have to assume that would start to get a bit clunky over time. Whats in there is definitely impressive but I'm don't think is game breaking. Lot of the more character longevity stuff (reduce CP/IP gain by one, although boy those pre-reqs are high). Divine protection (allows spray attacks to not harm allies) is pretty stupid as far as how it would seem in narrative, but i'm not sure I'd say its broken.

I am a bit sad at the lack of tools and other miscellaneous items. Its got weapons, armour, ammo types, armour mods, vehicles, and profane artifacts (sizable section with adventure hooks it seems), but not anything else.

Bunch of minor psychic powers that are nifty, didn't look too closely, looks like Psykers can make themselves scary again.

Just glanced over the length of the inquest rules, looks pretty in-depth. Uncertain how useful they are. There are also a ton of random tables and adventure seeds for dealing with cults. A good half of this book really isn't for players to look at. Lots of extra homeworld sub-options too (theres like 5-8 investigation hooks, each tied to a world, and each world having a custom homeworld bonus), sadly interspersed along the same pages that have creature stat blocks, making it a bit hard to hand out to players to choose and have fun with, but still good to see all the options.

Didn't really see too much power creep. The weapons are nifty, but didn't quite seem like we're dealing with anything crazier than what we already had.

Overall definitely glad I picked it up. Its not quite the IHB of 2e, but it definitely sets a strong baseline for what the ordo based supplements for 2e will look like, and I'm not too worried.

I have some questions if you (or anyone else with a copy) don't mind writing up answers.

I like that a SoB psyker is possible RAW (there was an option for this in RH for DH1), but you're right that not gaining corruption takes away the huge risks involved in some psychic powers. How exactly does this immunity work?

Are the new psychic powers utility powers? The core powers are mostly magic versions of weapons with very little creativity involved. Do we see any of the interesting utility uses that exist in DH1?

What's the most interesting new equipment, in your opinion? Are there any repeats from older DH1 supplements?

Can you do a more involved write up of how inquests work? This is the feature I'm most interested in in this book.

Sororities don't gain CP, and instead get that much in IP-1, minimum 0

Minor powers are:

Aura of fear

Deja vu

Foretelling

Ignite

I'll omen

Impel

Luck

Suggestion

Summon vermin

Weapon jinx

Word of beasts

I would say they're all quite utility, although are made with some combat usefulness

New equipment is hard to say, haven't even scratched the profane artifacts, but first thought is the hydra flamer array, it's a twin set of wrist mounted flamers that hits a 90 degree arc and causes fear

We got things like the purgatus crossbow again, and the condemn or combi-bolt gun

Inquests will read in a bit

Inquests are basically a codified way for players to perform their own investigations. The players dictate what they're investigating and the scope of what they're doing. Basically it's a way to handle slightly more open play than players going through whatever investigation the gm has prepared. It seems its meant to encourage the GM actively engaging the players in what they want to investigate, and helping break down the key steps in such a way that a GM might actually be able to handle some of this on the fly.

They investigate, and the GM gives point weights to various clues they might find. Once they have enough points they make a "revelation" and this results in a confrontation. Do enough of these and the inquest completes. Inquests themselves do reward influence.

Basically it's a set of guidelines to allow players to self start in more free-form play.

How peculiar. What UK outlets normally stock stuff like this? I've picked up all of my Prior RPG purchases as spur of the moment pick-ups in Waterstones, but they don't have Enemies Within just yet. Or any mention of it at all.

Its also not even on Amazon.co.uk

Amazon hates FFG. They always get their stock in months after UK stores.

So would it be fair to say that the Inquest system shifts the burden of work from the GM to the players? Or does the GM still have to prepare a bunch for whatever the players decide to investigate?

It seems more that its intended to be a system to allow players to feel like they're "self starters." Its worded as a way for a party to pursue an investigation with an identified target, instead of pursuing a crime scene with an unidentified target. It might even be a good way for an inquisitor player to manage how they pursue their own goals, rather than just waiting for things to happen or being told what to do. It also does consider that it might be a useful tool for a GM looking for how to structure or pace an investigation, but not really involving the players in identifying the targets or scope of the inquest (essentially abstracting that its the party's inquisitor that does this for them).

I would say it does shift some of the work onto the players, insofar as it becomes their responsibility to find things to do, but it might really put alot more work on the GM, as they need to be ready to handle the various directions one of these inquests might go. Its definitely worded that its the -players- that define the target of the inquest, and that its the -players- that determine the intended goal of the inquest. The GM just has to be prepared to run what this is. I would definitely say the establishment of an inquest almost has to be something done at the end of a play session, to at least give the GM time to really prepare what happens next.

Basically its encouraging stronger communication between the players and the GM for establishing the goals of the party, but it still remains up to the GM to paint the picture and establish the actual threats.

The inquest rules are really just a set of guidelines for establishing the objective, picking the target amount of points (i.e. the size of the investigation), and then some guidelines as to how they get those points, with periodic confrontations.

Its a nifty tool for figuring how to pace a game, but its not really doing much to alleviate the work a GM ought to be doing to ensure it works well.

Interesting. If nothing else it sounds like that would make GMing easier by virtue of laying out exactly what to prepare for. And anything that makes GMing easier (thereby making more people up for giving it a go) is a good thing.

Hey KommisarK, how did you find the mutant background in the book? Does it come across as an interesting option or more restrictive and unworkable?

The inquest rules sound, from what I am hearing, like an opportunity to make the game more of a sandbox style you might find in RT or BC as opposed to mission based such as DW or OW. The benefit of this being you can go either way depending on what your group prefers.

Mutant seems pretty solid, besides the RP landmine you're walking into. The skills are pretty good for survival or combatant type. Talents are just the weapon training. They get to pick one trait from a fairly impressive list of options. They do start with a few CP and a guaranteed mutation (on top of that 1 trait they pick). Equipment is OK, reminds me of Outcast. The background bonus is nifty, they can choose to fail malignancy tests, and can take mutations instead of malignancies (hey, if you're already an identified mutant, why not roll the dice, right?). Aptitudes still build on that survivalist or combatant bent.

That really sounds like a down and dirty Outcast, do they start with a load of CP to get the Mutation or is it just 1d10+guaranteed mutation?

That does sound pretty cool. Do you pick/roll on a special list for the mutant or do you simply roll once on the mutations table?

Just to give a list, the equipment in this book is as follows:

Ranged Weapons
Arquebus

Condemnor Combi-Boltgun

"Deliverance" Light Crossbow
"Drake's Claw" Launcher
Flintlock Pistol
Godwyn-De'az Bolt Weapons (Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Storm Bolter, Heavy Bolter)

"Longflame" Launcher
"Gorgon" Chemical Flamer
"Hydra" Flamer Array

Musket

"Purgatus" Crossbow

"Castigator" Heavy Crossbow

"Sentinel" Plasma Rifle

"Snapper" Repeating Rifle

Grenades
Psychotroke Grenades

Psyk-Out Grenades

Rad Grenades

Spore Bomb

Tears of the Emperor

Whitefire Grenades

Melee Weapons

Axe of Retribution

Brazier of Holy Fire

Electro-Flail

Flail of Chastisement

Fire Gauntlets

Man-Catcher

Power Stake

Praesidium Protectiva

Special Ammunition

"Emperor's Light" Thermal Bolts

"Emperor's Wrath" Shard Bolts

"Heretic's Match" Incendiary Rounds

Purgatus Stakes

Purity Bolts

Sanctified Ammunition

Silver Stakes

Concussion Bolts

Shock Bolts

Protective Gear

Adepta Sororitas Power Armour

Field-Wall Generator

Mouldsuit

Praetor Armour

Rosarius

Armour Upgrades:

Adamantine Chainguard

Auto-Senses

Brazier of Saint Roberto

Ceramite Plating

Devotional Iconography

Hexagrammatic Wards

New Vehicles:

Adepta Sororitas Immolator

Adepta Sororitas Rhino

Repressor Armoured Transport

Van Cleef's Wader

Profane Objects:

Animus Skull

Bones of Cardinal Cassille

Candles of Ending

Carmine Aquila

Chalice of Tears

Eye of Chaos

Foundation Stone of House Dane

Hammer of Saint Lucillius

Libris Maleficarum

Madani's Music Box

Voctram's Effigies

BYE

That does sound pretty cool. Do you pick/roll on a special list for the mutant or do you simply roll once on the mutations table?

The mutant gets one randomly determined mutation. However, for this mutation you roll 5d10 instead of the usual d00.

Thanks HappyDaze!

5d10 locks you at the highest possible result being Wings. Is there a reason stated as to why that is? Things like Regeneration and Warp Made Manifest may not be good for a starting character but I don't see why everything above 50 is locked off when the player can become a Centaur or gain multiple arms, which challenge the game a damned sight more I'd say.

5d10 locks you at the highest possible result being Wings. Is there a reason stated as to why that is? Things like Regeneration and Warp Made Manifest may not be good for a starting character but I don't see why everything above 50 is locked off when the player can become a Centaur or gain multiple arms, which challenge the game a damned sight more I'd say.

50 probably seemed like a nice round number. I'd recommend you just pick out some mutations from the list that you feel comfortable having in your game (make them all somewhat positive ones, or if you include purely negative ones have them allow the player to get both that and a mutation of their choice from the list) and have the player roll on that.

Interesting sounding, definitely can’t wait for my book to arrive. I chose a slow shipping option, and then they went and took 3 days to bother sending it on top, so hopefully Thursday if tracking is right!

I do like the inquest thing too, it definitely falls into FFG’s trend of creative mechanics, giving some more power to the players to dictate the direction they want to go.

Though it makes me hope the Ordo Xenos book isn’t far behind! I’d be tickled if I can buy that one at Gen Con…

Can some one explain the faith powers? I wonder how they work. I was thinking of making new ones to do hidden cults that provide power for a measure of faith.

Got my book here, the artwork in it is gorgeous and that's my only thought right now. Not read any mechanics just yet.

Can some one explain the faith powers? I wonder how they work. I was thinking of making new ones to do hidden cults that provide power for a measure of faith.

Not sure what you mean. DH1e had "Blood of Martyrs" which indeed did have "faith powers" (e.g. spend a fate point to allow an ally to regrow a lost limb. "Its a miracle!"). Generally speaking, it wasn't well received, or at least viewed as massive power creep.

In Enemies Within, SoBs now just have access to a couple speciality talents, much like the Inquisitor elite advance. Thematicly they draw upon the zeal of the Battle Sister, generally through manipulation of the Fate Point economy (they have a few things that allow them and allies to regain Fate Points, as well as a few extra uses of Fate Points for relatively short term but sizable boosts to statistics).

Can some one explain the faith powers? I wonder how they work. I was thinking of making new ones to do hidden cults that provide power for a measure of faith.

I've read them now, and faith powers as you're thinking of don't exist. Instead, since Sister of Battle is now an elite advance, they gain their own talent tree ala Inquisitor or Untouchable. These generally do two things: use your insanity bonus to add to damage, penetration etc, or allow you to use your WP Bonus for the same thing. You can also grant your allies the Hatred talent specific to who you're fighting for that combat. The coolest one I saw however, was a Martyr one. When the Sister burns fate to survive a blow, her allies regain one spent fate point. If she dies, they regain all fate points.

So nothing like the 'Holy Light' ability that the canoness in the core rulebook has?

The coolest one I saw however, was a Martyr one. When the Sister burns fate to survive a blow, her allies regain one spent fate point. If she dies, they regain all fate points.

This is very similar to how SoBs worked in the tabletop game way back when they had their own codex. You had models that would grant your army faith points to spend on powers and if they died you'd get that amount of faith points again. Weird to see that rule again.