Hey!

So, one of my players wants to make a Shrine World (Blood of Martyr Home World) Redemption Firebrand (Background Package, Inquisitor's Handbook) Confessor (Blood of Martyrs Rank 1 Alternate).

Redemption Firebrand & Confessor both give Interrogation as a Starting Skill. Would one of these turn into talented (Interrogation)? I know it works that way in Rogue Trader- so I don't see why it wouldn't also work for Dark Heresy.

There's probably a lot of Origins, Backgrounds & Starting skills that overlap. [Like someone from the Schola would get a lot of basic weapons training, which a lot of classes give as starting skills...]

Is there any official word on what happens in those cases? What's your take on it?

In DH overlaping skills and talents do nothing.

If you feel the player needs a bonus, for what to me seems like a very munchkin attempt at stacking the deck, then go for it. I'm not sure I would in this case.

I wouldnt grant a "Talented" anything as a starting Trait ( since that is what talented is Not a skill )...Howver my group and i came across the same issue awhile back and the result is as follows:

Anytime you have an "overlap" skill from two ( or more sources ) then you simply boost the skill level by +10 ( for example you mentioned that your PC gets interrogation from 2 different sources..so his starting interrogation Skill is Interrogation+10.

This however brings up another question of how to handle later advancements of the same skill....you can either

A) rule that when the next advancement for interrogation would normally be available ( interrogation +10 in this case ) that the PC can take the +20 INSTEAD of the +10 advancement ( since the PC already has the +10 at creation )

OR

B) rule that the PC has to wait until the interrogation+20 advancement becomes available to the PC before they can improve it

OR

C) rule that the PC can make use of the Advancement options and purchase the interrogator+20 skill level if they are willing to pay the advancement costs to gain it earlier than normally allowed

These are the ways weve handled it to date. Hope they help

Thank you very much, it helps quite a bit!

Though to be fair, I am confident the guy isn't doing it to munchkin in the least- he's actually liked the lore behind it (and I am guilty of encouraging the Snowflake syndrome to make use of all of the books )