I'm currently running a Dark Heresy campaign with my group. But, I'm still a bit of a novice GM. I've been running the pre made campaigns that FFG has made, and my guys have been enjoying them. I've been thinking of ideas for adventures to do after we've gone through all the ready made ones. I had ideas about trying to convert films like Sleepy Hollow and Brotherhood of the Wolf into a campaign. I feel those have the right feel of investigation and horror that I'd like to continue. I'd also like to try maybe converting some of Lovecrafts stories, as I've heard some of them are like that, too. As I'm still pretty new to this, and that feels like an ambitious undertaking, could I get some tips on how to do this? Also, does anyone have any recommendations of other stories or movies that might work with that. I know I'm being a bit lazy by not coming up with my own completely original story. But, I like those stories and I'd like to try and tell it with my friends. If anyone could help me with this, I'd appreciate it.

If you don't have them already, i'd suggest picking up the Inquisitor's handbook, creatures anathema and Disciples of the Dark Gods.

The Beast House would make an obvious choice for the Brotherhood of the wolf idea, and as such, would make it VERY easy to create your own beastie to terrorize the populace.

As for Lovecraft, mutant cultists, Daemonhosts, sorcerers, Wyrd's are all there for use as well. Psychic Phenomenon effects should be used in abundance.

With the Radical's Handbook as well, you could try a Usual Suspects themed session.

As long as your players don't mind a heavily borrowed plot from your favorite movies, you shouldn't have too much trouble. Though you probably want to throw some curveballs at them once they've figured out what book/movie plot you're borrowing from.

The campaign I made had a theme of loyalty. Basicly the acolytes uncover a plot where thier Inquisitor's Cadre has turned against him, because the Inquisitor is unwilling to work with Xenos against the Tyrant Star(I had a differant take on that then the Harlok trilogy). So as they do missions, they meet one by one these cadre members(Crusader, Judge, Magos, Primaris Psker, Storm-Tropper, Death-Cult Assassin, and Palatine) who are gaging there loyalties at the same time the acolytes slowly learn about the conspiraciy and that their Inquisitor is traped on a death planet. At that point they either break from the Tyrantine Cabal that is hiding the fact that they are working with Eldar to protect the sector from this Tyrant Star, or they join the cabal. This campaign I started in summer of '08 when DH first came out and just finished it recently in Dec '10. Use this idea if want.

Hi Public,

which modul did you already have run? Really all of them? What Rank are the pc at the moment?

I'm a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft, but most of his stories wouldn't adapt too well to DH . Most have very little action, and as far as the mystery element is concerned, it is usually obvious to everyone but the narrator of the story exactly what is going on. Probably the most 'adaptable' one would probably be The Shadow Over Innsmouth - investigating a strange, isolated community with a sinister past, and discovering that the inhabitants are actually hybrid abominations serving unspeakable Gods bent on apocalyptic destruction...

That said, Lovecraft's work is all about atmosphere and cosmic horror themes, which can be great source of insperation for DH . The Call Of Cthulhu , The Dunwich Horror , The Whisperer In Darkness - these are all required reading for any serious horror fan. You can check out his Complete Works here:

http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/

So far, we've run through the Edge of Darkness and Shattered Hope scenarios from the website, and the one that came with the GM screen. Right now they're running through the mission in the back of the rulebook, I forget the name. I started them off with 1000 xp to give them a little more initial xp to work with. Right now, they're just at the start of their third career. I misread the rules on giving xp, and I think I might have given them a bit more than necessary after the third mission. But, that's where they're at. They all seem to e enjoying the game and are very understanding of my having to slow things down and re-read bits of the adventure when they throw a curveball at me, lol.

So, you generally run through all the "free stuff".

I might have a suggestion for more freebies for ya

In the RogueTrader-Support Section of this website, you will find a short Freebee Adventure called "Forsaken Bounty". It is design for an RT to find, enter, salvage and leave an abandoned voidship in a huge "ship graveyard" at the edge of the Imperium.

This can be turned into a DH mission with the following tricks (and added work).

• The pc are tasked with retrieving a certain artefact (looking like a worm) that was in the hand of rival Inquisitor that travelled with the "Forsaken Bounty" (the ship in question which got lost)
• They are given a writ of claim for the Forsaken Bounty ...where the name of the Captain to claim it is till to be filled in. In addtion, they will be transported to Footfall (a nigh-rogue space station at the edge of the Imperium) to find a Captain they are to offer a deal: the writ of claim for the Forsaken Bounty, in exchange for the passage to the ship, the determination of the exact location (which might take a couple of days), the right to enter the wreck and search "for a specific item" they are to bring back & being brought back to footfall (from where they will take the next transporter heeding back to the Imperium).

From that point on, you only have to leave out any space-battles (which is only one) since they would be boring for the pc who would have nothing to do but tweedling there thumbs.

The adventure itself is rather "straight forward" and little to easy. You could live out the "Ghosts" (a group of survivors) so the pc have to puzzle up themselves what is going on (perhaps finding the cabin of the Inquisitor and his personal dataslate).

Regarding your original request:

If you are an novice GM, I would say "do build missions, not campaigns". It might be a little much to buil Rome before breakfast.


In regard of stories and movies, I recommend the shortstory "Sand Kings". It is a sci-fi story about mean spirited collector of exotic (alien) pets who brings himself into trouble.
The story is not only quit entertaining (and perpaps available as part of a used book short-story-collection on the internet) but could be turned into an investigative mission.

In that case, the pc would start with finding and questioning a collector of xenos animals whom was anomousy framed for owning "forbidden xenos" (if you read the story, you will come up with to possible candidates for that). As the pc find out where he lives and visit the site, they will be in for a bad surprise... and then, there task becomes to find out whom sold the illicit creatures.

Might be good for only one or two evenings of play time, but might be fun.

One word of Warning regarding "Adapting Movies":

Movies work quiet different from RPG. That is doubly true for Horrormovies. They really on people doing..well, sometimes pretty stupid stuff. And feature people who are "victim". Hardly the description of your average pc.

"Pact of the Wolves" is a good choice, so. Any movie featuring Investigators and/or combatative types of "heroes" might work quiet well. Make sure your players do not know the movie and/or you are able to "disguise" your source, so!

"Pitch Black" could work for Ordo Xenos. Simply take away the "Crash" and make it a drop-by for a check on a new Mining Colony. "There where no communication last month, and we expected a report". Send in the pc, two or three squads of troopers and a tech-priest (if you do not already have one). In that case, you do have more then enough fodder for the beasties. "Alien II" works the same, essentially.