Hi sorry for the newb question but we are playing dark heresy 1st edition without the errata and we have a rule query about the min/max modifiers. As far as I can see the limit pre errata is +30/-30 to any skill check made. So if I had a good quality pistol with a targeter and firing on semi auto at a target at point blank range on the floor it would normally be + 80 but because of the min/max rule I would be limited to +30. Also does this apply to psychic powers that provide bonuses such as knack etc.. Playing tonight so any answers much appreciated.

It was changed in Ascension to +60/-60

Hi Thanks for the reply much appreciated, but does the min/max regardless of the total still work as suggested or are we misreading it. It has been suggested that the limit only applies to the level of difficulty the GM can assign to a skill check. So in my example the +80 could occur but the maximum minus applied by the GM in terms of difficulty would be ether -30/-60 reducing the bonus to +50/+20. Any help appreciated. I realise the GM has final say on the roll needed, we are just trying to figure out what the maximum bonus/ minus rule applies to. I think it is a limit on the combined bonuses/ minuses on any particular roll another person thnks it only applies to the max limit the GM can generally apply after our bonuses. This is a new system , and a new GM and we are all trying to get the rules right.

Min/max is weird.

Under normal rules +30/-30 is the maximum you can obtain. So hypothetically, if you fired an accurate pistol, at point blank range with a red dot sight that you did a full action aim for (a total of +70 if I didn't do my math wrong)....

You'd still only get a +30.

This does come in handy when there's negative modifiers though. So for example, if you decided to add in a Called Shot to my equation above, you'd get a -20, which would immediately be cancelled out by other modifiers so you'd still get +30 (since you're "technically" getting a +70 bonus, the -20 is still only bringing you down to +50, which is still over the cap). And you'd always get +30 up until you hit more negative penalties than your "excess" bonuses.

The only exception to this outside of Ascension is when firing Full-Auto weapons, in which case it is possible to get +60/-60.

Looks like I have a bad memory . Core Rulebook, p. 197, box "Combining Difficultes":

"If the situation would apply two or more penalties, simply add the modifiers together to a maximum of –60.

...

If the situation would apply two or more bonuses, add the modifiers together to a maximum of +60."

So, even with corebook only it is +60/-60. And ColArana is right about combining bonuses and penalties: you add and subtract them, if the end result is greater than +60 or less than -60 - you limit the result to 60 .

That is a great help, much clearer. We don't have a hardcopy of the rulebook Ver 1 so we are reading rules off of smart phones and tablets. hoping to get a hard copy soon.

Don't forget to download free resourses (bottom of the page ), first of all the Errata

Back at the start the maximum modifiers to the roll were +/- 30. However, there were some things that were not clear (did the difficulty modifier count, or was it only other random bonuses that mattered? What about skill mastery... was that a bonus, or did it change the target number before modifiers were applied?), and then they errataed it so that attack rolls had a maximum of +/-60. There was never any official statement extending this to characteristic checks and skill checks, but they did in the later games, so extending these in DH1 had some justification.

Personally I think a cap of +/-30 actually is ok. There is a lot of bonus hunting in 40k RPG, and in combat particularly it is quite easy to get massive bonuses, which renders things almost automatic. It matters less for skill checks, as usually the modifiers you might find are less common.