Got a new player who is an experienced roleplayer but not in 40k. Need to get them up to speed quickly with the 40k background.

Resources to point them at?

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Imperium

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Inquisition

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Space_Marines (because they are iconic...)

http://darkreign40k.com/drjoomla/index.php/background/general-background/1067-imperial-view-of-technology

Anything else? Do not want to overload them but at the same time give them enough so they are not drowning. I'm looking for something that explains the 40k universe to a roleplayer not familiar with it.

Thanks.

Every one of my players knew nothing of WH40K when we started playing, and my experience is that if you yourself have all the requisite knowledge, the best way to impart that knowledge to another is to simply sit down and talk at him. That way if he has any questions he can ask them, and you know that you have touched on all points that are pertinent to your campaign.

If at all possible, simply design the upcoming adventure to be somewhat introductionary of Imperial culture.

Otherwise, just give him the basics yourself. For now keep specific aliens, daemons and so on out of the picture and try to just describe how the Imerium is beset on all sides and a short rundown of how the Imperium works.

1st! "He's" a "She"

2nd thanks for the advice. I'll grab her 30 mins before the game session on go over it. I've asked her to know what's on her character sheet more than the game mechanics, am also going to go over the background & the style of gameplay...

I'd honestly give her more than 30 minutes before the game - not only because there is a lot to talk about and she may have questions with complicated answers, but because dumping all that on her right before the game could cause shell shock, leaving her overwhelmed and uncertain. I'd try to find a time during the week before the game to talk to her about it - even if it is over Windows Messenger or the phone (I like Messenger better for giving you time to thoroughly draw an image in words, but then I don't much care for phone conversations) so she has some time to think about what you've told her and figure out how her character fits within the framework of that knowledge; not to mention come up with questions she might not have thought of immediately.

Get her to play a character with a Feral World background

That's pretty restrictive, but certainly a possibility if she doesn't feel comfortable with the lore. Though she could also be from a Feudal or Developing world and potentially know just as little about the Imperium.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. None of my players knew anything about 40k before we started playing Rogue Trader. Half the fun was introducing them to the setting.

Just show as you go.

It is not a 24 hour thing, but a part of my prep-work for 40K virgins that are going to play in my DH game is to loan them my copy of the Eisenhorn omnibus at the earliest chance.

Definately handle the intro stuff earlier than the game day if you can manage it in any way, for the reasons that have already been mentioned... It gives her time to digest what she has been shown/told, think more about her character, formulate questions and generally get a bit more comfortable with the setting, at least in the most basic terms.

I would avoid the pidgeon-holing of character options too. MOST Imperial citizens are pretty ignorant of things they are not meant to know, which is just about everything beyond "God-Emperor good, minimal career competency good, heresy bad, aliens bad, muties bad, wytches bad, ignorance good!" This means that most character backgrounds can comfortably support the "ignorant newbie" theme at least as it relates to how the Imperium and it's foes work. You can even avoid the CHARACTER being ignorant of the setting by making sure she ends up with a few appropriate common lore skills on her character sheet, then nudging her along with little data-nuggets that her character would know about but she herself does not. "You remember from a rather impassioned sermon you heard while in the Schola that pilgrims embarking on the 'Path of Fire and Tears' traditionally wear plain red robes and wear no other ornamentation besides an Aquilla necklace and a badge of pilgrimage provided by the Ecclesiarchy upon the taking of vows." (or whatever fits your current story arc.)

Thanks for all the advice...

We're working with some logistical problems. Her Internet is down and she doesn't have time for internet at work. So my normal method of passing documentation is down. We've got by with a few hurried phone calls.

Things will be fine, she's an experienced roleplayer and we've all done LARP for 10+ years together (considering 75% of that is made up on the spot...)

The other problem is the characters are all rank 7 ~9500+xp so she will start with a bit of a large learning curve as she'll be started near that level

It'll be fine!

If you want to smooth out her learning curve, let her char start at a lower level and earn bonus xp until it catches up with the other characters.

I'm in a similar position, an aquaintance who are interested in playing WH40k. She wanted some basic info on the world. I'll share her the links from this thread. Thanks!

Found the links I sent out to my players when I started the campaign almost a couple of years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperium_(Warhammer_40,000) (pretty good for people with no experience of the setting)

http://app.fantasyflightgames.com/dark-heresy/calixis.shtml (info on the sector)

Finally this for further info... http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=70&efcid=3&efidt=24359

Handy 1,2,3...

This may be a rough one to introduce depending on real world opinion, but you should probably let her know its a patriarchy in that opening few minutes. There are certainly individual women in the setting whom are strong and recognized as such, but on the whole, sans reputation, she can expect definitive NPC bias against her for being a her.