Hello!

After long hours of work I finally have ready pdf-versions of many modifications and game mechanic renewals I have been using when being a GM in Dark Heresy.

Background

Dark Heresy was built on the legacy of WHRP 2nd edition, but had many improvements to its system. These improvements however left many problems in behavior of several things and this has seen many adjustment attempts by numerous GMs over the world. The weak points include behaviour of amour (mainly they only give AP), similarity of many weapons even though they should feel somewhat different, lack of ability to be in grave danger when being fired upon or facing melee, the difference between better and weak fighters and shooters is not that high and so on.

Still, even thogh the game has its problems, the setting of this game is very appealing and friendly to both GM and players. It has that something that makes the players willing to play from time to time. Therefore I have made some efforts to overcome these few shortcomings and now after the work is done I share this outcome with you all so that you might enjoy this advanced gameplay.

Advanced Dark Heresy Game Mechanics

These mechanics include some quite major changes in combat actions and also there are many modifications to weapons and armour to represent the ideas I was trying to overcome as explained above.

Changed mechanics introduce ability to deal Critical Damage even when wounds are not reduced below 0 and changes in ways of how Parry and Dodge work make usage of different combat styles much more possible. In addition to this the differences in combat actions are more significant giving many additional angles to any combat. Changes introduce, for example, damage bonuses due to Degrees of Success and as new element a chance of Counter-Attacks.

This package includes full lists of all Dark Heresy weapons, armour, skills, talents, traits and gear and all qualities etc. modified to support the idea of making weapons actually differ in damage and combat style. Armour is given huge differences and skills, talents and traits have some rework done.

Using this package

This package can be used also partly, but the whole is quite weird if only some parts are taken. So I strongly suggest that you take these advanced rules as a whole or you don't take it.

Hopefully this package makes your gameplay Advanced

Yours Sincerely
Kari Salonen

New revised edition available!

Fastest way to get the idea in these rules is to read the modified game mechanics first. After that you'll realize how the new critical hit system alters damaging in drastic way also the modified combat actions introduce many of core functions the system alterations.

The system is somewhat more complex than the normal Dark Heresy, but does not add awfully lot more to remember as the fact is the players and enemies only use couple of weapons and few different armours at a time.

The Package can be downloaded from here: DOWNLOAD ADVANCED DARK HERESY MECHANICS PACKAGE


Character Sheet for Advanced Dark Heresy

Now included in the package at Dark Reign site.

I checked out the advanced rules sets you came up with. My compliments on some well setup rules changes. My group and i looked them over and we are using basically everything youve got in the sets…so far very good as well. Thank you for taking the time to set all of the modifications up.

Nice to hear that these are of use to other gaming groups too

Nice job, miss couple of weapon but overrall its very good

just a little note here: Average roll for 2d10 is actually 11, not 10 Just pointing it out since in character creation it is mentioned that you can swap out an unwanted score with an average of 2d10

To be honest, it just looks like Dark Heresy, with more stuff to keep track of. Sure, you've fixed some problems, but you did it at the cost of making the game slower and more complex. Given that DH is already fairly complex, that isn't a good thing. You also didn't do anything to fix the really glaring problems that DH has. The most obvious one that I can see is that every single one of those plasma weapons is god awful. Recharge on a weapon that barely does more damage than a comparable bolt weapon and still has the potential to kill you? The additional plasma rule doesn't do anything to fix it and is really just… strange.

Overall I'm not a fan. It is much simpler to just port the entire Dark Heresy setting to Black Crusade or Only War.

Hey folks!

I have been playing some more with my gaming groups and I have finished with newer edition of Advanced Dark Heresy that fills gaps in invetories and addresses some of the issues that were left into advanced rules, weapons etc.

Now incuded are also the highly anticipated rules for all the Ascension stuff and characters that finally makes Ascended play some what enjoyable and challenging but rewarding.

The package is stored behind the same link that is there in my initial post. The older version is no longer available due to its obsolete nature.

Character Sheet ready!

Finished my latest addition, the character sheet, that has spaces for all the new stuff and old stuff is also far better presented. The link is added to the initial post.

Not there any more

Sorry, I just begin to read your rules. First impressions are:
1) That's definitely better than basic rules;

2) Thoughts about free reactions and dodging: my short answer is "no". Dodging every attack from every opponent looks wrong for me. Only one reaction (two or three with appropriate talents) also looks wrong so I'd rather rule that character have AB (maybe AB-1, I didn't playtest this rule yet) reactions he can spend on dodging. Parrying should work similar but from WS. Dodging every attack can (and will) greatly overpower agile characters that would dodge virtually any attack with agility score of 55-60 and dodge +20 (these scores can be reached by an agile character in a mid-game).
2.1.) I'd also rule that character can make a Dodge check with -10 penalty to step aside from entire attack (even one that can score multiple hits). Any attacks from enemies that cannot reach character in his new position fails automatically. Such rule will greatly improve agile character's survivability in close quatrer battles with all these corners, barrels and so but don't let the assassin totally escape the punishment/
2.2.) Thanks for the sacrifitial dodge. I missed one.

3) Bracing and recoil. I'd leech this rule for my own homerule set. It looks really good.
3.1.) I'd set Time for Bracing maneuver to 'Half or Full' depending on what kind of bracing character tooks. A military weapon tripod will be set with a Full Action but IMHO it will provide bonus of more than 2 for braced weapon.
3.2.) Also I'd rather not distinguish taking pistol in both hands from ordinary bracing action. It fits similar purposes and still doesn't actually completely mitigate recoil. Child (SB1) firing from bolt pistol will still encounter a problem.

Think I'll read further and comment my further impressions as well.
Nice job, thanks a lot!

Sorry, I just begin to read your rules. First impressions are:

1) That's definitely better than basic rules;

2) Thoughts about free reactions and dodging: my short answer is "no". Dodging every attack from every opponent looks wrong for me. Only one reaction (two or three with appropriate talents) also looks wrong so I'd rather rule that character have AB (maybe AB-1, I didn't playtest this rule yet) reactions he can spend on dodging. Parrying should work similar but from WS. Dodging every attack can (and will) greatly overpower agile characters that would dodge virtually any attack with agility score of 55-60 and dodge +20 (these scores can be reached by an agile character in a mid-game).

2.1.) I'd also rule that character can make a Dodge check with -10 penalty to step aside from entire attack (even one that can score multiple hits). Any attacks from enemies that cannot reach character in his new position fails automatically. Such rule will greatly improve agile character's survivability in close quatrer battles with all these corners, barrels and so but don't let the assassin totally escape the punishment/

2.2.) Thanks for the sacrifitial dodge. I missed one.

3) Bracing and recoil. I'd leech this rule for my own homerule set. It looks really good.

3.1.) I'd set Time for Bracing maneuver to 'Half or Full' depending on what kind of bracing character tooks. A military weapon tripod will be set with a Full Action but IMHO it will provide bonus of more than 2 for braced weapon.

3.2.) Also I'd rather not distinguish taking pistol in both hands from ordinary bracing action. It fits similar purposes and still doesn't actually completely mitigate recoil. Child (SB1) firing from bolt pistol will still encounter a problem.

Think I'll read further and comment my further impressions as well.

Nice job, thanks a lot!

Dodging and Parrying are not quite likely an issue at any given battle as all the opponents will receive +10 to their WS for rolls made to attack for each attacker so any outnumbered agile character is quite likely to fail their Dodge and Parry rolls as they are made as Opposed Tests against the degrees of success scored with the Attack not like the original that was a plain roll against your Skill. This is even furhter made sure by ruling that Dodge fails even when the attacker and dodger score equal number of DoS and that Parry succeeds only partially with draw in DoS.

This makes Dodging quite simple and does not add any additional rolls into the battle, but instead it merely resolves in more sensible way. The "unlimited" amount of Dodging and Parrying is also not unnatural as the characters actions happen in a rather whirlwind-like situation making it quite likely that there are chances to avoid any attacks though chances decrease quite steeply when more than one attacker is present or one attacker makes multiple attacks.

Not there any more

Now they are again