I tried doing a search to see if anything like this exists, and I've decided the search engine is trying to give me a brain hemmorage... so with risk of being flamed I'll post my request here...

I'm going to be beginning a new DH campaign shortly, the problem is most of the players are new to the 40k universe. I was wondering if anyone had worked up a "Welcome to the Imperium, here's what you need to know" packet for people new to the setting?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

Grail the Black Hand

Serving The Blood God since 1993

The following is almost entirely copied from the Core Rulebook, pages 18-19 (Imperial Worlder) with some minor revisions and additions from sidebars in Inquisitors Handbook.

Life in the Imperium

The Imperium of Man is the largest empire ever know. It covers an utterly vast area of the galaxy and a bewildering variety of worlds. From advanced technological societies to drudging feral worlds, countless planets offer their fealty to the immortal God-Emperor of Man.

Such is the size of the Imperium that it is almost impossible to conjure an image of a typical Imperial world. In truth, no such thing exists. Amongst the millions of worlds of man there is endless variety, though some broad categories can be identified. Agri-worlds, for instance, are little more than vast farms producing food for the good of the Imperium. Similarly, mining worlds produce ore and raw material for use in the vast factories of the forge worlds or the continent spanning cities of the hive worlds. Cardinal worlds are given over entirely to the priesthood of the God-Emperor. The harsh realities of interstellar travel make most worlds isolated. Some are so utterly remote as to be out of contact for centuries. Others are totally dependent on streams of food and raw materials for their survival.

Despite the size of the Imperium, the galaxy is vaster. The worlds of the Imperium are under constant threat of attack, both physically and spiritually, by enemies from within as well as without. The Imperial Cult surrounds itself with an atmosphere of superstition, demanding fealty to the immortal God-Emperor who for many citizens of the Imperium is so distant as to be little more than a myth.

Major technological and scientific advances in the Imperium come from the rediscovery of forgotten secrets from the Dark Age of Technology. These secrets are jealously guarded by the Cult of the Machine. The reliance on these ancient templates creates a mish-mash of technology on many worlds. For example, it is possible for a planet’s industry to rely on gigantic steam powered monorails for long distance transport yet still be unable to produce smaller versions of these aged devices, resorting instead to horse-drawn carts for commuting.

Most Imperial worlds are ruled by a planetary governor who assumes absolute control either by birthright or election. The nobility frequently assume all positions of power and privilege on a planet while the lower echelons of the class structure comprise militia, workers, fanatics, slaves and dregs.

With religion, superstition and fear dominating so much of society, deviancy is rarely tolerated. For those who cannot accept their place in this crushing society, there is only the place of the outcast. Many worlds harbor countless crazed individuals – workers who have lost their place in a zero-tolerance society or who have realized that the galaxy is not only unimaginably vast but full of hate and hostility. Such realizations often lead to paranoia or outright insanity, and Imperial worlds are rife with broken individuals, prophets of doom, criminals and gutter trash.

Most Imperial citizens spend their lives trudging from their hab-stacks and tenement blocks to dreary and repetitive jobs in the manufactorum, the service-corps and work crews. Life represents a somewhat bleak monotony against which they struggle to make something of their sparse conditions, raise families and hope never to suffer the attentions of the nameless horrors that they fear are lurking in the dark universe beyond. What little mass media exists is rigidly controlled by the Imperial Cult and the state for reasons of security and moral instruction. Rampant materialism, outside of the rarefied classes of the highborn and wealthy, is all but unknown.

Still, even the most unimaginative hab-dwellers need some kind of diversion and entertainment to take their minds off their hardships and fears. While the Imperial Creed provides great solace for many, the average citizens like their pleasures simple, direct and visceral – taverns, refectories, music halls and cook-shops offer the most commonplace daily escapes, while visits to the holo-lantern shows, circuses or the greenery of an arbor dome are costly and rare excursions.

Thank you much, I haven't had time to really sit down and read the text of the Core, mostly focusing now on the game mechanics. This works as far as informing players about the overall Imperium, but I'm looking for something a bit more informative... The background here works and I'll definitly point it out to my players, but it doesn't talk about the things that make up the Imperium... The Ecclesiarchy, the Administratum and the like, and their roles within it... This is all information I think that a new Inquistorial agent should have or at least have access to... As well as a run down on the enemies of mankind.

Grail said:

Ignorance is a virtue, armour and shield. Don't be so willing to destroy it ;-)

That is to say, if they start off as rank 1 acolytes, then that above and their own little specialty is all they need to know. If their mission demands that they know something more in order to succeed, they will be instructed, else, these unproven sub-agants might just prove to be a danger to themselves and everybody else with such damning knowledge. Besides, there's a wondrous joy that comes from educating the players about the 40k universe through the game and what happens to their players.

Beyond that, they may know of the divisions of the Adaptus Terra, but not necessary and rank 1 acolytes certainly wouldn't know anything of the Enemies of Man beyond "If it ain't human, burn it! If you gotta ask if it is, burn it! Ave Imperitor!" The nuances come latter once they get used to that... it's more profound that way. Also, you can talor the knowledge they get to the character they bild and the Lore Skills they have. That right there will tell you what they know and what they don't ;-)

The trouble is, there is so much background material it would be easy for a new player to get overwhelmed. I actually lost a player that way... he was so overwhelmed by the complexity of the background that he just stopped coming to games. Better and more rewarding, I think, to give new players a basic overview and let them learn detailed complexities of the setting as they go.

One thing which has worked well for me is give the players a prelude and encourage them to play characters that know F**k all about anything. I did this, and had a Hive Worker and Mind Wiped assassin. The Prelude allows you to describe their (very) little slice of the Imperium, so they have a point of reference.

One of the other things I did was print out a list of Thoughts for The Day, taylored to fit the character's beliefs, which the players found very helful.

there were still a few times where their ignorance was problematic, particualrly when discussing Tech Heresy, I pretty much had to spell out when something was.

Also a one point a player suggesting parley with the leader of the mutant underhive army surging through the hive, "because he obviously must have some goals", at which point I had to point out that apocalytic suicide cults standard tropes in 40k.

There is a surprisingly good summary of the major institutions in the Imperium farther back in your DH core rulebook. There was also a fan-produced "Imperial Primmer" that was released soon after the game came out that was about 26 pages of intro to the overall 40K universe. Not sure if this is still out there due to GW's purge of fansites and content, but you never know...

I made sure to make several photocopies of the one page intro that is published in all the 40K novels and most of the mineatures game books and handed one to each player at the first session.

I've never run a DH campaign from scratch, I sort of ended up inheriting one from someone else.

But I think if I was to introduce some people into WH40k (not my players they've probably been at it longer than I have), I think it would start off with PC's doing their usual pick careers, pick a name, pick gear... choose life and all that ****. Then as some point while enroute to get their on the ship to go meet "The Man", they get pick pocketed, have no ID or tickets, then stand around figuring out what to do, I'll shanghai them into either the Imperial Guard or Navy... and if they complain about it bitterly enough to run away, I'll stick them in a penal legion.

Welcome to 40k

MKX said:

That sounds like a great way to get your players to run away... from the game itself. Make 40k as dark as you like, that's what it is, but they're playing to play Acolytes (probably). And you can't quite just shanghai an Arbitrator out of nowhere. Even 40k has some standards.

www.lexicanum.com

This wiki will help make heads or tales of most the stuff, the different types of worlds and what each faction in the Imperium does.

Thanks for all the great input guys... The game begins tomorrow and what I've gone with is a writeup I've done on what I think they, as new agents, would be told... I've also kinda decided to go forgoe the "Well you've known each other for years" approach and go with "You met 2 minutes ago..." I think that'll let them get to know the other characters and themselves really, in a more organic and flowing way.

MKX said:

Actually my roommate had an interesting idea to walk into that concept right away... where they all begin as a penal work gang, co-opted by an Inquisitor who was short on time and manpower for some job.