Ok, so I've not been shy about not being happy with my first read-through of the combat rules. However, combat isn't the heart of roleplaying... characters are. So, I did a little experiment with character creation.

Lilly Ryan, Rogue Psyker

Homeworld: Hive World, Background: Outcast, Role: Mystic

WS 35 BS 30 S 30 T 30 Ag 40 I 45 P 35 WP 45 F 45 If 30

Skills: Acrobatics +0, Deceive +0, Evade +0, Intimidate +0, Navigate +0, Psyniscience +0, Stealth +0, Survival +0

Talents and Traits: Evasive, Weapon Training (chain, SP)

Corruption: 12

Psy Rating 1, Psy Powers: Telepathic Link, Influence, Warp Perception

Lilly is a favorite 40K roleplay character who I made before Dark Heresy came out... a hive ganger wyrd. It's interesting to me that I am able to create her under these rules without much problem at all. That speaks of a level of flexibility when it comes to character concepts. At the same time, the lack of options when it comes to starting skills will mean that any other Outcast character will have the same basic skills, except only what they buy from their Role. Advances are expensive, so there isn't a lot of flexibility there.

One question that Lilly brings up is, do Rogue Psykers start with Malignancies? The rules for Malignancies say that a character each time their corruption increases by 10, but it doesn't mention starting Corruption.

One other thing I noticed in creating a character is the lack of Imperial World as a homeworld option. That seems a rather glaring omission to me.

How would she look at rank 6? Will she scale up appropiately?

How would she look at rank 6? Will she scale up appropiately?

That would be an interesting experiment. I'll see and post the results, but first I need to look over the Talents rules in more depth. She doesn't have any except those she started with yet.

On another note, something I observed was the Hive World Bonus and Outcast Bonus. It seems odd to say, but I dislike that they don't have names. I always used to think the names of traits in the prior 40K-RP games was a little corny, but suddenly not having them makes me realize how evocative they are. It means something different to say I use my Wary Trait then it does to say I use my Hive World Bonus .

Just an observation.

I quote:

• If characters who do not have the Adeptus Astra
Telepathica background gain the Psyker elite advance,
they are not sanctioned, and do not gain the Sanctioned
trait. These characters count as rogue psykers

• If the character does not have the Sanctioned
trait, immediately gain 1d10+10 Corruption

That solves your Corruption question.

I quote:

• If characters who do not have the Adeptus Astra

Telepathica background gain the Psyker elite advance,

they are not sanctioned, and do not gain the Sanctioned

trait. These characters count as rogue psykers

• If the character does not have the Sanctioned

trait, immediately gain 1d10+10 Corruption

That solves your Corruption question.

No it doesn't - he already knew that and even noted the rolled Corruption level in the statblock.

What he's asking is, does that 10+ Corruption gained at chargen means he starts with a Malignancy?

I see no reason that a corruption score of higher than 10 at chargen shouldn't result in a malignancy.

"Each time a character’s Corruption
increases by 10, that is, whenever his Corruption bonus
increases, he suffers a Malignancy."

Ah, but - the counterargument could run - her Corruption hasn't increased. It started that high.

I'm not saying I agree with that, but they did ask us to mention places where the rules caused questions, confusion and debate. This is the one I've found so far.

Sounds like it's one for the beta email address. Would be good to have a clear "including corruption from character generation" in there to stop confusion like this.

I'd rule it that, since everyone has 0 Corruption by default, and that it is then gained during character creation, that you get the Malignancy.

Agree with Plushy.

Agreeing with Plushy. Sounds weird that corruption gained before you actually take controll over the character has no bearing on mutations.

I'd rule it that, since everyone has 0 Corruption by default, and that it is then gained during character creation, that you get the Malignancy.

This is certainly the way I've always seen it played in DH1 games.