Well, at least in the UK, if one is to believe the website of Leisure Games. Not only that, but Frozen Reaces, the adventure for Rogue Trader is also among the releases for this week.

Anyway, as someone who is very eagerly anticipating the release of Blood of Martyrs, I thought I would start this thread to share the good news and also to hear some advanced reviews from you guys who are lucky enough to lay your greedy hands on the tome this week.

Excellent stuff! As I recall, Leisure Games sells direct to games stores, rather than consumers, doesn't it? Which suggests perhaps middle of next week for UK customers, after copies have been distributed to individual stores etc. What a relief, I've been looking forward to these books!

I somewhat hoped that "Blood" would make it to german shelves for the christmas sales...but seems that I have been to bad a big boy

Leisure Games sells to consumers at their bricks-and-mortar store in north London and online. The website says they expect the book to be delivered to the store on the 7th. Another of the London stores, Orc's nest, also expects the book to be in on the 7th, so presumably other stores are expecting it this week too.

from france

so too i am a bad boy it didn't reach france. but well i knew i was a bad boy.

I was wondering about this as well. I spied both as being available on Leisure Games but on the Upcoming section of FFG's website both are still labeled as being "on the boat." Which is it?

So is this confirmed? Is this book out today in europe? What about in America?

Esdevium have it on their releases for this week so it should be showing up around europe this week. US will likely have to wait until FFG say its out.

Kaihlik

Peacekeeper_b said:

I think it is, you can already order it from ebay.co.uk too (for a horrendous price mind you, so I'll definitely wait until it is available on US Amazon).

I recon you won't see the book in the US until next week at the very least - if I remember correctly that was the case with Edge of the Abyss, and it is the case with the Emperor Protects. This also suggests that FFG's Upcoming section shows when books are released in the US.

Peacekeeper_b said:

It's confirmed - I have my copy in front of me right now.

For those who have had a chance to look at it, how is it? I'm curious about Sisters of Battle, but I have this book on my maybe list. The books on Arbites and Guard that are coming later will be must haves, but this one I need to be wowed. What is inside that will wow me?

I´m also interessted in the content of the book. Especially what Background Packages and Alternate Ranks the book offers. Information would be appreciated!

(excuse my bad english)

Temudschin said:

Im just flabbergasted that its in europe but not the states. Nothing against europe, but when I lived there the books always came out in the states first. Now that Im home, its flipped again.

Besides, FFG is in Minnesota! I probably just misspelled a states name, lousy public school education!

Does this mean that Frozen Reaches is also out.

I could bend this into a xmas gift if I play it right. Be nice to get one of these books and not pay for it LOL.

Peacekeeper_b said:

Yup, Frozen Reaches appears to be available from Orc's Nest in London - I ordered it yesterday, it may even be waiting for me when I get home from work! I shall put a brief "first impressions" of it up when I see it.

No idea why a US produced product arrives in the UK first, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!

So come on, No-1, the suspense is killing me! Any thoughts on Blood of Martyrs?

Just been browsing through both books in my local games store. Very nice production values (as you'd expect from FFG).

Blood of Martyrs strikes me as the "Puritan's Handbook" I've been after.

My copy, along with Frozen Reaches, arrived this morning from Leisure Games.

Only had a chance to flip through Blood so far, busy day at work, but its looking good.

The book covers the origins of the Imperial Faith and its presence in the Calixis Sector. It has a breakdown of the arch-dioceses and the Cardinals of the Sector Synod who govern them (and they're a scheming bunch of Richlieus, even at a quick glance!) There's a brief rundown of the Calixian Cults like the Drusians, Vitrian Covenant and the Red Redemption, plus a good amount of info on what the Ecclesiarchy actually does in the Sector. The Saints are listed, with Drusus getting a couple of pages to himself.

The next chapter gives a new set of generation tables for Ministorum characters, plus traits for Shrine World, Famulous Protege and Monastic Upbringing origins. A new set of Background Packages follows, and there are some alternative Career Ranks - the Confessor and the Calixian Witchfinder will no doubt prove popular! This chapter also introduces Cell Directives, which allow players to pool their XP to purchase a "theme" for their group. This is a nice addition, providing both a means of grouping the PCs together and providing them with a special ability in keeping with their chosen theme.

The Sisters of Battle get a good sized chapter - with Careers covering Battle Sister, Seraphim, Celestian, Sister Repentia, Sister Dialogous, Sister Famulous and Sister Hospitaler. Dune appears to have been a big inspiration for the Missionarius Galaxia and the Order Famulous - these are Missionairia Protectiva Bene Gesserit!! (Which is a good thing)

Faith Talents are introduced here too - special abilities granted to those with True Faith talent. This reminded me of Euphrate Keeler and some of the things she (unconsciously) accomplishes in the Horus Heresy novels.

We get a bunch of new Ecclesiarchical weapons and equipment, like the Baptismal Mace and and Witch Cage! Stats for servitors used by the Ministorum are here too, and a handful of standard retainers. We also get Relics of the Calixis Sector for those who want a blessed knucklebone or two in their game.

The book closes with a chapter on running Ecclesiarchy based campaigns and has a mini-gazeteer of the Shrine World Piety Of Seth.

All in all, looks like another winner!

I picked up Blood of Martyrs today in London - God-Emperor knows what the people sitting next to me made of the semi-bondage style nun artwork dotted throughout on the train coming home - I am quite impressed so far. It seems to have quite a bit of useful stuff.

Personally I'm not 100% sure about the Faith Talents and Powers, they smack of being Clerical magic to me, a la D&D, which I'm not keen on for 40K. I think 'Saints' might have those kinds of powers ... not every other Sororitas or Confessor, or whatnot.

That aside there's stacks of good stuff from what I've seen. I really like the expanded detail on the less-combat-focused Sororitas.

One ... thought that seems blindingly obvious reading this though is that it serves to highlight the absurdity of the '3 Seperate Games' mantra. Are we to assume there will be a RT Ministorum sourcebook too? A Deathwatch one after that?

Of course not, you will answer, that would be ridiculous. Yet, this is marketed as a DH book. If they'd just accept people see these games as one larger setting, the books can feature sections much better geared toward each of the three internal settings (DH / RT / and DW).

Adam France said:

The Acts of Faith the Sororitas perform on the field are supposed to be miraculous. It can make normal human women in power armor and int eh open stand up to a battle cannon blast from a Leman Russ. Thats very impressive.

PC's are a cut above the norm and have Fate points. Since the Faith talents are powered by them it stands to reason that only PC's will be doign these things on a normal basis. The Inquisitor's Handbook makes no apologies for the power of the Sororitas as it both powerful and restricted by design.

Its possible to go over board with the Faith talents though as I woudln't want the miraculous to become commonplace.

andrewm9 said:

Pcs are a cut above the norm ... in Dark Heresy?!

Kidding aside, and leaving aside also the weakness of DH pcs, pcs are at the table every week, so if pcs can bung out faith storms or whatever every adventure ... isn't that pretty commonplace?

I think some form of severe limitations are a desirable addition personally, but I haven't fully read the section so I can't say what at this time.

Adam France said:

I know it doesn't seem that way but the game does assume that normal shlubs have score in the low 20's and teens. I realized thats hwo the game is supposed to work when I saw the mutant negotiator from Baron Hopes had like a 23 Fellowship and no social skills. Still in the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king.

Not knowing what the talents are in the book I can't say your opinion isn't justified, but the talents from IH aren't all that impressive except for standing up to Chaos like Fear and Corruption tests (best use of a talent in the game) Every PC except the Sororitas in the game I run has somwhere around 10 to 15 insanity and corruption points but the Sororitas has 0. Its quite a talent but fairly innocous when it comes to actual game play.

I hoep their is no 'Faith Storm" power as this is Faith not the Force. I guess we'll see as more people begin to read over the talents.

andrewm9 said:

'Soul Storm' is the trait/power I was referencing I'm afraid.

Adam France said:

What does it do in rough terms? If it involves blasting people with the power of faith then yes I would agree with you. Thats not how faith should work IMO. If it is I hope that not what the new Sisters of Battle codex will be like. (crosses fingers)

andrewm9 said:

Its not THAT bad!

In rough terms, it generates an energy field that damages psykers, daemons and anyone with corruption points who fall within its radius. Damage is proportional to corruption or increased against psykers/daemons who fail a willpower test. It also blocks access to psychic/daemonic powers for the duration of the encounter to those who fail that test. (Very powerful daemons are immune). Damage can be boosted by burning a Fate Point.

Its balanced by effectively knocking out the person who uses the ability, and it can only be used once in a 24 hour period. (Again, this is very much in keeping with the feel of the kind of things we see in the novels, a desperate act of faith followed by a collapse into catatonia.) You also have to have Pure Faith and two other named faith powers before you can buy this.

InfinityDoctor said:

Now that is cool and balanced IMO.