It's here, ladies and gents! I've used the framework of Only War (the beta, more specifically) to create a modernized Dark Heresy - a sort of Second Edition, if you will - with a lot of conversion work. There's content brought in from all across the game lines (lots of Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader) plus a heaping spoonful of homebrew. The power-level is somewhere between basic Dark Heresy and the current Only War. I hope you take a look, and as the title says; Please, Evaluate and Critique Honestly.

The link leads to a Google Docs folder, with four documents inside; Specializations, Home Worlds and Origins, Elite Advances/Background Packages, and Converted Talents.

http://tinyurl.com/b5gc2s3

I would love to see some people playtest this, as my group has recently scattered to the four winds.

Sounds interesting,

I'll see if I can get my current group to have a look at it seeing as we currently have a mix of RT, DH, and OW characters in the group anyway.

Regards

Surak

Hrm. I am actually attempting something quite similar, but this gives me great motivation. I've always enjoyed your work and hope to use your converted specializations in my conversion (with due credit, of course).

I like what you've done with Backgrounds, but I'm wondering if you've modified the character creation process at all away from the Creation Points system. There isn't a specific document that tells me that you haven't so I'm wondering how this all fits together. I've actually adopted the RT style of Backgrounds, in which a vague event is given for the player to develop however s/he sees fit.

I like how you've organized the Home World system, as I've always believed the benefits were organized very poorly and you've done a nice job cleaning that up. However, this ties back into my question of "Are you still following the point-buy system?"

Also, how are the Converted Talents meant to be picked up by Acolytes?

I would love to help with playtesting, if you are in need of players. I believe we've played 2 games via IRC in the past, so you should have my ID.

It's also very re-assuring to see others gearing up for the release of OW by trying to immediately convert it to DH

Kainus said:

The converted Talents have assigned Aptitudes, and function just like those already in the book.

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with any point-buy system, so I don't know what you're talking about.

I'm too busy to playtest any time soon, but would love to see other groups take a whack at it.

I've been updating the documents more and more, and will continue to do so. Please, keep checking in on them! I put up my changes to some of the Armoury, some of my Vehicles, and some xenos weapons for the more Radical folks among us.

Updated with more Background Packages and Elite Advances, Familiars, light Crafting rules, an updated Armoury, more Converted Talents, and Abhuman Specializations (Orgryn, Ratlings, and Squats.)

It's basically become a living document at this point. Stay tuned!

Snazzy.

It seems like you've taken this a little further than just a straight-Dark Heresy conversion. Or maybe I'm not just used to Ogryns running around with a Rosette

I really like your Familiar Handler Elite Advance and how you've broached the topic of familiars in general. I was considering making it a Tier 3 Talent with either Tech/ Leadership or Tech/ General, or something along those lines, but that may just be me attempting to keep my Elite Advance list as short as possible. Although, I wonder if the amount of Familiars controlled should be reduced/ determined by the player's characteristics at all. Perhaps Int Bonus to a maximum of 5?

Also, is Killer's Eye a homebrew Talent? I can't seem to find it anywhere and I'm really liking it.

I feel like you may have blunted the uniqueness of Home Worlds by removing the more complicated Traits from them. I think I understand why you did this, but Void Born seems oddly bland without "Charmed". Perhaps those traits are just nostalgic and cumbersome (words used to describe the entirety of Dark Heresy), so I'm not sure how to feel about this. Sorry for the run-around on this one.

I am excited to see your conversion of Dark Heresy's Psychic Powers

Kainus said:

Haha, yes. It's sort of just become "what can I do with Only War as a framework?"

The familiar rules are basically a slapped-together combination of those found in Book of Judgment and Navis Primer. I'm a big fan of Elite Advances, and want it to grow as massive as possible. That idea of tying it to Int makes a lot of sense to me…

Killer's Eye is from Hostile Acquisitions, I believe.

I wanted to make the Home Worlds somewhat bland, but I miss some of the special abilities. Maybe they work best as Tier 1 talents? Accustomed To Crowds certainly could. I'll have to take a look into that.

Just now starting to go through your documents, but I wanted to make sure I understand the process.

Characters are now created as in Only War, and using your documents they can still access any of the Dark Heresy released careers? I guess I just need to understand if if I am using DH for anything other than the fluff using your 2e conversion.

Thanks

Aric

aaw7272 said:

The DH books are basically for fluff-only with this. My Specializations are what you play as :3

Am I correct then that all your material is added on to what is in Only War already?

Have you covered all the Talents up through Lathe Worlds?

Is the Enforcer the replacement for the Arbitrator?

Isn't there a Commisar in Only War?

Sorry if I am being a pest, I really like the updated rules in Only War and really appreciate your efforts to "update" the earlier games to this system. I just want to make sure I am understanding the process of incorporating them. I have a new game starting up very soon and really want to give this version a try.

Aric

aaw7272 said:

I have brought in what I think I can safely say is a majority of the talents from Dark Heresy up to The Lathe Worlds, and a decent chunk of those from Rogue Trader up through The Navis Primer. A few of the Comrade Advances from Only War became Talents as well.

The Enforcer is the Arbitrator's replacement, yes.

There is a Commissar in Only War; however, my system has generally weaker gear at character creation than in Only War core. Hence my re-fiddling of that specialization.

You're no pest! I hope you can get a game going soon. I've got a tentative playtest group soon, so I'd love to compare results!

One last question for now (I am sure I will have more as I write my adventure).

Is there a specific reason for the highlighted sections in the Talent list?

Thanks again for working on this

Aric

aaw7272 said:

Highlighted talents are homebrew. Highlighted aptitudes I changed from their original in Only War. Ditto goes for requirements or benefits.

Wow. I really appreciate the work you're doing on this.

I just want you to know that even though I'm working on my own conversion, your work has been indispensable. The Talent and Ranged Weapon charts are a joy.

Also, you might want to consider "Interrogator" or "Mind-Cleansed" as Elite Advances. I'm also working the rules for Ascension directly into my conversion so the rules are actually built to handle "What happens next".

Just some food for thought

Kainus said:

Thank you! I can't wait to see your final product. Cybernetics, Wargear, Drugs, and Poisons are next on my list, along with revised Vehicles.

Interrogator would definitely be good to include; in the meantime, consider using the Writ of Authority advance? Mind-Cleansed I've puzzled over for awhile, and I still can't think of a good idea for what to do with it.

I also have ideas for an Ascension rules inclusion. Storm Troopers, Battle Sisters, Primaris Psykers, and Crusaders are definitely on my lis for "higher-level" Specializations list. Inquisitors maybe. I really want to write up some Temple Assassin stuff, too.

I have to apologize for the unfinished Bestiary. It's rather tedious work, but I need to finish that!

Ranged Weapons are up. Melee weapons are up. Special ammunition is up. Armour is up. Wargear is up. Cybernetics are up.

Very nice. I really like the "Drugs" section and the description for Recaf, Lho-sticks, and Amasec

I have players rolling up a Cleric and a Guardsman using your Home World and Specializations. I'll let you know how it goes.

Kainus said:

Ah, yes. Most of the work happens at around 2 AM, so there's some… loss of discretion, shall we say.

That sounds great! I can't wait to hear the results. I might have a chance to playtest soon (Enforcer, Assassin, Psyker, and something else) and we'll see how that goes.

So, my players showed the same concern about the loss of the Void Born's "Charmed" trait. The Void Born player ended up getting over it, but I swapped out the talents for Void Born because they can be anything but "Unremarkable". Instead, I gave him Disturbing Appearance (a variant of Disturbing Voice) and Peer (Void Born). The loss of "Charmed" stopped being an issue after that.

I changed the Charactersitic Bonus given when you select your Specialty to a first, free Characteristic Advance in that characteristic. I think this will prevent PC's from having absurdly high stats in the late-game, since most games don't use an entirely random method of Characteristic Generation and it isn't uncommon to see a well-optimized psyker with 60+ WP. Of course, if you do use a random method, it might be best to keep it as a Characteristic Bonus.

On top of that, my players expressed a desire to have a choice of which Characteristic gains that free advance. I let them take that free advance in any Characteristic that they had an Aptitude for. Our Guardsman ended up taking his first free advance in Perception. Fine by me.

Guardsman thought that "Weapon Training (Las or SP, Heavy )" should be "Choose Two: Weapon Training (Las, SP, Heavy) by ruling that not all Guardsman would have proficiency with Heavy Weapons. I also swapped out the "Finesse" Aptitude for "Fieldcraft", since I find it bizarre that Guardsman aren't proficient with operating on the field of battle.

However, this is remedied for a Guardsman wanting to play a Sniper or any such variation of a Specialty by implementing your Characteristic Substitution system (I actually called it Variant Specialties, inviting players to come up with a name for their modified Specialty). Perhaps I'm less concerned with balance and more concerned with player customization, but I think this is a wonderful system. I'd actually come up with same exact one a few weeks back and found it hilarious that we had the same idea. My Guardsman ended up swapping Defense out for Offence, claiming that he was a Penal Legionare. Hey, it works for me.

I'm also tinkering with your Interrogator career at the moment.

Kainus said:

Ah, I had been rather unhappy with the Void Born origin. Your changes make a lot of sense.

That change (free Advance instead of a free bonus) is clever! I quite like that.

Finesse was chosen for the large number of Ballistic Skill-related Talents out there that use Finesse as their secondary Aptitude, along with it being the Aptitude for Weapon Training talents. That said, Fieldcraft and Defence make for a pretty handy combination. I think I'll make that change!

The Interrogator is one I'm not happy with. He's definitely a WIP, as I struggle to define his role. Is he a social character? Is he a Jack Of All Trades? I can't decide, hence his lousy status.

Good to hear all of this, I hope the game goes well!

Also important; I've started work on the Psychic Powers (a combination of those from Only War, Black Crusade, and N01-H3R3's "Forbidden Lore" document) so that psykers actually do something.

Plushy said:

Well, characterizing an Interrogator is tough because, like Inquisitors, there is no archetype for an Interrogator. Sure, they're Inquisitors-in-training and are likely WP based characters who likely have investigative skills, but that's just about where the similarities stop. You simply can't compare Carl Thonius to Gideon Ravenor beyond their investigative nature.

In my conversion, Interrogator is an Elite Advance (actually called a Prestige Advance) since it is a title that an Inquisitor gives to only his most trusted and proven Acolytes, I've re-titled the Specialization to "Inquisitorial Operative" for my purposes. However, the concept largely remains the same.

This is what I've got on my MS Word at the moment.

Inquisitorial Operative
Starting Aptitudes: Intelligence or Fellowship, Willpower, Perception, Fieldcraft, Social, Ballistic Skill
Starting Skills: Awareness, Common Lore (any one), Forbidden Lore (any one), Scrutiny, Interrogation or Charm or Decieve
Starting Talents: Disturbing Voice or Jaded, Orthoproxy, Weapon Training (Las, Low-tech),
Starting Gear: Laspistol and 2 magazines of ammunition, Data-Slate, Icon of Holy Wrath (IH) , Bodyglove (AP 1 all)
Starting Wounds: 7+1d5

In case it's useful: I tried to combine what I could find about psy-powers from Black Crusade, Tome of Fate, Forbidden Lore and some forum entires about minor powers.

The WIP-result is here .

I also initiated a chat about some DH skills/talents that have disappeared in later games, related to Psychic powers.

I'll be looking forward to your final result.

@Kainus: I think for now the Writ of Authority advance will work for representing an Interrogator. Anyone can choose it, and it represents the extra authority involved rather well.

@Smeg: I think I'm happy on my current Psychic Powers list (just finished, yay!) but I've added Corpus Conversion and Blasphemous (now Sorcerous) Incantation as talents.

Not much left to add, other than Advanced Specialties!

Great job. Please get hired by FFG and have this published officially.