So, I just got done running my first session of Dark Heresy. It was a pretty good session, and we are throughly enjoying the world and some of the mechanics are very well done and neat, but we hit some snags. I would like to get some clarifications if possible.

1. First, can you take a step during a combat round, as in, can a character ready two weapons (two half actions) and then take a 1 meter step afterwards, much like the 5 foot step in D&D?

2. Is there a penalty to BS if you fire from behind another character, another words, I have big bad guy running at me and my friend is in front of me, do I take a penalty to shooting "through" him/her?

3. Can two allies occupy the same 1 meter square on a battlemap if they are using the same corner of a building for cover? The argument was that one character could be crouching and leaning out while the other character stands directly behind them and fires around cover, over the crouched character's head. My gut told me that it was possible, but the character who was standing would take a -10 to his/her BS because of the awkward angle.

4. Does the 400xp you get at the beginning of play count towards making the second rank in your class?

Those were our first few questions. Thanks in advance for any answers.

Emperor be with you!

Renvale said:

Hi there Renvale, welsome to the game. I hope that you find it as enjoyable as I have. Some answers, one guess:

1. Well I haven't played D&D since 2nd ed so I'm not familiar with the 5ft step but in DH you cannot take the same half action twice (p188), and any movement counts as movement. However I would say simultaneously pulling two holstered pistols or blades can be done with a single half action meaning what the player tried is acceptable. I would not allow this with two 'basic' class weapons though (i.e. longarms like rifles, shotguns, bolters)

2. I can't actually say I've seen any line of sight rules in this game. You could always hit them with the 'firing into melee penalty' especially if the person in front of them is moving (at all). This is a very dangerous action and something that was a 'never-ever' when I did my training in the military, so don't be afraid to make them pay. The way we implement the 'firing into melee' rule in my group is it is the -20 to hit, but if you miss, and would have otherwise hit if not for the -20 then you hit your ally. It's not a perfect rule, but it discourages taking the action lightly

3. The sidebar on page 194 states "Humans, Mutants and other similarly sized creatures occupy a single square on the map." So no, technically it is one person per square.

4. Yes, you should reach rank2 at the end of the first game session. 'Starting Experience' on p29 says that you have 400 to spend at the start. It also says "...spent XP determines you characters rank..."

Of course never let the rules prevent you and your group from playing the game you want to play. If you agree that you don't like something, change it or just don't use it.

2. You can shoot "through" an ally as each square on the map is one meter. There is plenty of space for someone to move out of the way of a shot, there is also no penalty for shooting "through" a team mate in this way.

4. Starting XP does count towards the next rank.

1) There is no "Step" in the 40k RPG. After taking two half actions you cannot move.

2) There is no penalty for shooting through a friend. It is kind of assumed that people place themselves to give the best line of sight for their mates. Melee combat is the exception, as characters are assumed to be moving constantly and in unpredictable ways throughout, giving a -20 penalty to shooting into the melee (and the entirely optional rule of causing something that missed by 20% or less to hit a friendly in the combat... I would encourage using this).

3) If using a combat map characters officially take up the whole space (even though if standing close more than 1 person can fit in a metre square). However you are free to allow whatever you like (particularly in the case of narrative combat), and assessing any penalties (or bonuses) that you think are justified. In that example it may also be justified giving one or both characters some penalty to dodge, as they get in each other's way. With just the main book in particuclar you are expected to wing difficulties on the go.

4) As others have said, your starting xp counts towards advancement. The only exception is if they purchase Background packages (not in the main book. They are in the Inquisitor's Handbook and some of the other supplements). Points spent on Background packages are NOT counted.

Renvale said:

1: Short answer, NO. Any movement is basically half or full actions. A half action allows for movement equal to your agility bonus. With a full action you can move twice that. You can move 3 times that if you are making a charge attack into combat. You can go 6 times that if running. Most of this is covered on pg. 192 of the core rulebook.

With that said, in my game I added a 1-meter step. It costs 100 or 200 experience depending on class (the more combat intense the class is, you get it sooner and cheaper). It takes a free action, but can only be done on a players turn (that brings up a good point… the number of Free actions a player may take isn't quantified in the rules but I generally allow players a number equal to their agility modifier).

2: You take a -20 penalty shooting into melee. Some GMs (not me this time, a group I play in) take this a step farther and take away the point blank bonus if you do so, but when they use the rule that way, you don't run the risk of hitting other players. If you don't wish to penalize the players you can rule any miss within 20 points will hit another person in an adjacent square (of course when one player turns another into swiss cheese, this may be another way to penalize them, but I digress). Shooting into melee is covered on pg. 196 in the core rulebook.

3: The closest rule I can find would be the unarmed combat rules on pg.197 of the core rulebook, but those penalties are rather severe. This could easily work as a GM's call, but I simply wouldn't allow it. If pressured, I might allow it, and I would give the minuses you gave for combat but additionally they would also take the same minuses on their dodge chances as well, and if they fail a dodge by 3 or more degrees they knock themselves and the other player prone.

4: The 400 experience at the start always counts towards your next level. This is covered on pg. 29 of the core rulebook.

A couple additonal points:

All the combat rules are covered in the core rulebook starting on page 186, under the heading 'Combat'. Read through this entire section before every game you run for a while, and you will become proficient with it much faster. It's something I did when I first started running the game.

As you run the game, sections of the rulebook that you use frequently you will wish to 'tab' using sticky notes. Particularly pages 113 (talents), 130 (ballistic weapons), 139 (melee weapons), 145 (armour), 162 (Psychic Phenomena), 186 (Combat), 202 (Critical effects), and last 232 (Fear, Insanity & Corruption). You may find others that you will use often in your game; for me these come up every game that I run, and almost every game that I play in.

As a rule, I liken this to when I ran D&D games as a Herald level judge… you don't have to know everything… you just have to know where to find it in the book.

Good Luck!