a question about nobility in Dark Heresy

By Adorabilly, in Dark Heresy

Hello all.

I just got a copy of Dark Heresy and some other support books, and I have been reading the forum. I want to thank you all for your informative posts. I am sorry if this has been discussed, but I have used the search function, and I can't seem to find any answer to this question.

I have a quick question about nobility in Dark Heresy. From my reading the only way to start as a noble is to be a hive born and get the nobility background.

Nobility is mentioned a few times in the character creation stage (once for the hive noble, once for the income, and then it is mentioned in the equipment stage that melters and bolters are used by characters who are nobles or important).

Can there be imperial nobles as beginning characters?

On a different front, according to cannon can a psyker be a noble?

Yes to all your questions. You can make a character from an Imperial World and decide that tey were a part of te ruling class there (a noble), etc. It's just tat hive nobles are the most common type of lesser noble to be found in the Calixis sector (mostly because that's where most of te people are and they tend to be te trading capitals of the sector where most money flows trough). Also of note is the suplement, Inquisitors Handbook, in which there's four additianl Homeworld's to chose from -one is Noble to represent characters born into te sector spanning noble houses that are the movers and shakers of Calixian polotics and money.

Edit: however, on the psyker issue, they could have been of noble birth, but upon being taken away to the black shops, the house would more then likely disown the witch. Such a balckmark on the family would draw unwanted attention from unwanted corners never mind the fact tat rarely are the Imperial Psykers returned to were they were born after sanctioning. Once they are sanctioned, they are, more or less, owned by the Adaptus Astro Telepatica and are sent where they are told to go... some ending up serving another noble house. But, in the end, for most nobles, having a psyker in the family would be too great an embarrassment or fodder for their rivals to use against them to allow such to happen (kill it as soon as it's powers manifest in a nice quiet fashion) or become public knowledge. Psykers are, after all, an accepted and somewhat necessary evil (some would argue they are an unnecessary evil though). The only ones who tend to view psykers in a more positive light are the Voidborn, but they're an odd lot to start with.

Ah. I haven't gotten the Inquisitors Handbook yet.

Thanks.

While most of the Dark Heresy supplements are good and provide useful ideas, I think the Inquisitors Handbook is almost essential (almost because an imaginative GM can of course wing most situations).

It fills in most of the blanks in terms of Character creation (Nobility and Forge World born) and weaponry (most Heavy weapons) and gear (particularly survival gear).