Dark Heresy 2E Extended Homeworld, Background, and Role Options

Homeworlds

Home World - Cohort World
"I'm doing my part!" -246010-200111-Lans, Krieger 
The Imperial Guard is quite possibly the most vast organization in the galaxy. It has an insatiable need for soldiers to prosecute the countless campaigns against Mankind's numberless enemies. These soldiers are generally drawn from the Tithes from almost every world in the Imperium. While most worlds export numerous goods in addition to any Guardsmen, some worlds, such as the infamous Krieg, specialize in producing soldiers as their primary tithe. People from these worlds are trained from early childhood to fight against

any who would deny Mankind its destiny.

Characteristic Modifier

+Strength

+Weapon Skill

-Perception

Fate Threshold

3 (Emperor's Blessing + 5)

Home World Bonus

Death to the Enemies of Mankind - When fighting an enemy who he has the hatred talent against, a character from a cohort world treats all of his weapons as if they have the Proven (X), where X is equal to half of his Weapon Skill Bonus rounded up, or increases the Proven Quality by 1 if it already has it. 

Krieg Alternate Bonus

Nameless, Faceless, Selfless - Conditioned from birth to die in service to the Imperium, those from Krieg care nothing for their own lives. When forced to make Fear or Pinning Tests, they ignore any penalties, treating it as a +0 test before any positive modifiers.

Homeworld Aptitude

Offense

Wounds

9+1d5

Homeworld: Fortress World

"These colours don't run from cold, bloody war!" -Jus Latian, dying Cadian Standard Bearer

Fortress Worlds are those imperial worlds that are under constant attack. Whether their foe is Xenos, Demons, or Heretics, one thing is certain- a human born on a fortress world has never known peace. Raised from young

childhood to defend their homes, such men and women are among the hardiest the Imperium can muster.

Characteristic Modifiers:

+Toughness

+Willpower

-Agility

Fate Threshold

3 (Emperor's blessing + 7)

Home World Bonus- Hold the Line!

Whenever a fortress world character uses the Terrify special use of the command skill, he counts as having the Fear (2) Trait. In addition, whenever a Fortress world character must roll to resists pinning or fear while under the effects of the Inspire special use of the Command skill as a War Cry or Rousing Speech, he gains an additional +10.

Home World Aptitude

Defense

Wounds
10+1d5

Homeworld: Imperial World

"Blessed is the mind too small for doubt." -Thought for the Day

A blanket classification for the vast bulk of planets under the dominion of the Imperium, they are generally more technologically advanced than a Feudal World, but perhaps less mechanistic than a forge world. They generally more peaceful than a frontier world, but not as idyllic as a garden world. They produce more food and goods than a death world, but not as much as an agri-world. In short, they occupy every position between the extremes, and for that their citizens constantly thank the God-Emperor.

Characteristic Modifiers:

+Fellowship

+Willpower

-Strength

Fate Threshold

3 (Emperor's blessing + 4)

Home World Bonus - Blessed Ignorance

Whenever a character from an Imperial World would gain Corruption, he gains half of that amount instead, rounded up. This benefit is lost if the character has 1 or more ranks in any forbidden knowledge skills related to the cause of corruption.

Homeworld Aptitude

Social

Wounds
7+1d5

Backgrounds

Background: Death Cult

"Welcome to the everlasting danse, sacrifice" -Sister Atalia before skewering her next victim.

A member of one of the numerous cults that make death their obsession and object of religious devotion. They excel at bloodshed, and are capable of tracking their targets under the most punishing of circumstances. A dark shadow of the more mainstream sects of the Imperial Cult, a number of death cults are fanatically loyal and dedicated to the Emperor. However, any organization that so revels in blood and death is vulnerable to corruption by the Ruinous Powers, or things older and more terrible still...

Starting Skills

Athletics OR Acrobatics

Awareness

Common Lore (Imperial Creed)

Stealth

Survival

Starting Talents

Weapon Training (Low-Tech OR Chain, Solid Projectile)

Starting Equipment

Warhammer OR Chain Axe, Stub Automatic, Armoured Bodyglove, 3 doses of Slaught, Stummer

Background Bonus

Slaughter Rites: A Death Cultist may reroll damage on any melee attack against a target he wounded the previous round in melee combat. He may also spend a fate point to cause his attacks against the target he wounded in the previous round to gain the Vengeful (9) quality for the rest of an encounter. 

Background Aptitude

Offense OR Fieldcraft

Background - Explorator
"It belongs in a reliquary!" -Polus, Magos to the thieving tech-scavengers of the Tempest Litany.
Beyond the reaches of the Imperium lie countless worlds filled with horrors - and wonders. While it is primarily the role of Rogue Traders to plunder what they may from these planets, the Mechanicus also sends out fleets of ships to attempt to retrieve secrets from the dark age of technology. While many die on such expeditions, the bounties they recover more than make up for whatever is lost. The tech-priests sent on such expeditions be necessity acquire skills more suited to fieldwork than their more academically inclined bretheren.

Starting Skills

Awareness

Dodge

Tech-Use

Medicae OR Operate(Surface)

Common Lore (Tech)

Starting Talents

Mechadendrite (Weapon)

Weapon Training (Solid Projectile OR Las)

Starting Traits

Mechanicus Implants

Starting Equipment

Ballistic Mechadendrite (Las Gun OR Autogun)

Combat Shotgun OR Long Las

Monotask Servo Skull

Flak Armor

Background Bonus

Armory of the Machine God - When attempting to acquire wargear within the remit of the Mechanicus, an Explorator counts its rarity as two levels higher (E.G. A Grav-Gun would count as Rare, while Tempest Bolt Shells would count as Very Rare)

Background Aptitudes

Tech OR Fieldcraft

Background - Law Enforcement
While the Adeptus Arbites is tasked with enforcing Imperial Law across the million worlds of the Imperium, each of those million worlds has entirely distinct laws and customs. It falls to whatever passes for local governance to legislate and enforce them, but any but the most hellish, anarchic nightmare planets have some form of law enforcement or another. These men and women tend to be less martially adept than the Arbites, more often concerned with relatively petty matters such as theft or pedestrian murder. They are adept at wringing information out of subjects and putting together pieces that other may overlook, skills any Inquisitor appreciates.

Starting Skills
Charm OR Intimidate 
Scrutiny
Interrogation
Awareness
Scholastic Lore: Judgement

Starting Talents
Weapon Training (Solid Projectile, Low-Tech)

Starting Equipment
Cosh (DH1E Book of Judgement)
Hand Cannon
Flak Cloak 
Manacles
12 Lho Sticks

Background Bonus
Eyes of the Law - Law Enforcement characters may re-roll failed Awareness and Scrutiny checks, and may substitute their Perception bonus for Degrees of Success when using these skills. 

Background Aptitudes
Social OR Fieldcraft

Background - Mercenary Soldier

There are innumerable petty conflicts conflicts on any one planet in the Imperium at a given time, and the overwhelming majority of them fall far beneath the notice of those capable of calling in the forces of the Imperial Guard. Simply put, nobody cares about which petty lord is in control of a backwater river crossing - nobody except the lords and the mercenaries they hire. There are countless men and women willing to sell their guns, swords, or even fists to the highest bidder, and many Inquisitors find use for the less scrupulous, more adaptable nature of these soldiers of fortune over the soldiers of the Imperial Guard. 

Starting Skills

Dodge

Intimidate

Commerce

Command OR Operate Surface

Common Lore: Underworld

Starting Talents

Weapon Training (Solid Projectile, Low-Tech)

Starting Equipment

Combat Shotgun

Imperial Guard Flak

Sword

Combat Vest

Background Bonus

Gunpoint Negotiations - a Mercenary Soldier may reroll Commerce and Intimidate checks, and may use Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill instead of the normal characteristic.

Background Aptitudes

Social OR Offense

Background - Mind Cleansed (Adapted from 1E Inquisitor's handbook)
"It's a magical place." -Lars Krell, instinctively repeating her memento chant implanted into her mind on Titan.
There are secrets that are too terrible to know and live. Unfortunately, this does not prevent them from occasionally being discovered.

Usually, the one who discovers them is (perhaps mercifully) summarily executed. However, on rare occasions the person is question possesses something that makes a different solution necessary. In such cases, they are instead mind cleansed- all that they were, wiped away and replaced with a blank slate. The mind cleansed are effectively newly made people in the shape of whatever the inquisition desires. Despite this, some Mind Wiped acolytes report occasional flashes of what can only have been their lost

history.

Starting Skills

Deceive

Intimidate

Dodge

Inquiry OR Interrogate

Athletics

Starting Talents

Weapon Training (SP OR Las, Chain)

Starting Traits

Through a Mirror, Darkly- The process of creating a Mind Cleansed is imperfect, and some rare stimuli (such as people, places,

or even sights or sounds) may bring disjointed fragments of their past roaring back; in such cases, they must make a +0 willpower check or roll on the shock table.

Starting Insanity and Corruption

Begin Play with 1d10 insanity and 1d10 corruption

Starting Equipment

Laspistol OR Autopistol, Chainsword, Flak Armor,

Background Bonus

Imperial Conditioning - The Mind Cleansed gain a +10 to resisting fear and any attempts to control or possess their minds.

Background Aptitudes

Defense OR Social 

Background: Missionaria Galaxia

"Yea, thine allfather hath been with thee and thou has been known to Him for all time, for the Emperor's eye is upon all!" -Father Sol Katalan, Missionary preaching to the newly-found human tribe of Krost IV.

Almost every sect of the Imperial Creed seeks to spread it to every corner of the galaxy, or perhaps even beyond. In addition, millennia of expansion has scattered holy relics across countless worlds. As such, the Missionaria Galaxia is dedicated to gifting the Emperor's light to those benighted souls without it, and to recover any sacred items they come across. While many die in the attempt, those that survive frequently develop skills and devotion that would be useful to any inquisitor.

Starting Skills

Charm

Common Lore (Imperial Creed)

Deceive OR Stealth

Navigate (Surface)

Awareness

Starting Talents

Weapon Training (Flame, Low-Tech)

Starting Equipment

Flamer, Whip, Flak Cloak, Laud Hailer, Grapnel and Line

Background Bonus

Tongue of Flame- The character can spend a fate point to add +40 to a social test.

Background Aptitude

Social OR Fieldcraft

Background: Schola Progenium

"Three things make the Imperium great: Faith, Plasteel, and the Lasgun" -Director Septimus Pyranos, in a Scholam Auditorium speech.

Progena are those who are taken in by the Scholam Pregenium after their parents perished in service to the emperor. They can

range from the child of an Imperial Guard officer to the offspring of a Noble lost in the far reaches of space. They are trained

to be the backbone of the Imperium, filling roles from administrators to commissars. As such, they are rigorously trained to

be adept at both mental and martial skills, particularly the ways of command.

Starting Skils

Command

Charm

Common Lore (Imperial Creed, choose one Imperial Institution)

Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis )

Intimidate OR Inquiry

Starting Talents

Weapon Training(Solid Projectile, Las)

Starting Equipment

Lasgun OR Autogun, Imperial Robes, Micro Bead, Mono-Task Serv0-Skull, Data Slate

Background Bonus

Raised for Command: When interacting with a member of any imperial organization that draws from the Progena, such as the Administratum, Arbites, or Ministorium, this character has a +10 to all interaction checks. In addition, he may spend a fate point to automatically succeed at these checks with FelB DoS.

Background Aptitude

Social OR Leadership

Background – Wilder

“Truly, to live a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency is the greatest gift the God Emperor can provide.”

The Imperium is made up of planets with extreme contrasts, from death worlds to paradise planets. Of course, the level of technology from planet to planet and even from settlement to settlement can vary greatly.  Those who live in areas with few of the splendors of advanced civilizations learn to make do with what they have. The resilience and ingenuity typically developed by such people frequently make them well suited to the desperate struggles a Warband must endure to complete its mission.

Starting Skills

Athletics

Awareness

Medicae

Navigate (Surface)

Survival

Starting Talents

Weapon Training (Low Tech)

Starting Equipment

Bow and 20 Arrows OR Crossbow and 20 Bolts

Spear

Heavy Leathers

Medikit

Field Suture

Background Bonus

Resourceful Crafting: When using the Crafting special use of the Survival skill (or other skills involving low-tech crafting), crafting takes half as long and the quality of the product is increase by one level.

Background Aptitudes

Fieldcraft OR Defense

Roles

Role - Ballistic Savant

"Killing's easy. Just point, click, and the rest is applied physics." -Alexei Tull before wiping out the Big Smile gang.

While the vast majority of the Imperium believes that ignorance is a blessing, some individuals have learned that to destroy your

enemy, you must first know them. While this knowledge helps them thwart the enemies of man, some of the more puritanical members

of the Imperium believe that they go altogether too far.

Role Aptitudes

Intelligence, Knowledge, Ballistic Skill, Finesse, Agility

Role Talent

Field Vivisection OR Weapon Tech

Role Bonus

Knowledge is Power - When inflicting damage with a ranged weapon on a target on which he has training in the relevant forbidden lore skill, the Ballistic Savant counts his weapon(s) as having crippling x, where x is equal to his ranks of relevant forbidden knowledge. 

Role - Cell Leader
"You secure that shit, Erie!" -Frella Justinian, Interrogator to her acolyte before the drop to the quarantine world of LI-616.

While every Inquisitor is the ultimate authority in his or her domain, no single human is capable of coordinating the vast networks of information, resources, and acolytes their lofty work requires. As such, they are forced to delegate some responsibilities and oversight to trusted subordinates. These subordinates, in turn, may delegate some of their tasks, and so on until they reach the Cell Leader. In charge (in name, at least) of a cell of acolytes, the Cell Leader is trusted by his superiors to make sure the warband survives long enough to succeed and is acutely aware of the cost of failure. Though usually the leader of a cell in action as  well as title, few Inquisitors care which of their acolytes commands the others, as long as the job gets done. 

Role Aptitudes

Fellowship, Leadership, Toughness, Willpower, Defense

Role Talent

Iron Jaw OR Die Hard

Role Bonus

Get Down! - When an allied character within a number of meters equal to the cell leader's fellowship characteristic fails an evasion test, the cell leader may immediately use his reaction to make a command test with a penalty equal to 5 x the degrees of failure on the evasion. If he succeeds, the character counts as having succeeded at the evasion with a number of degrees of success equal to the number scored on the command test. (E.G. an assassin fails her dodge test with 3 DoF, and gets hit 4 times. The cell leader may use his reaction to make a -15 command test. He scores 2 degrees of success; the assassin dodges 2 of the hits.  

Role – Combat Medic

“Stop whining about your missing arm and start shooting one handed!” - Medicae Hile, after cauterizing the shoulder.

Many of the injuries an acolyte faces can only be repaired through extensive surgery, require extensive bed rest, or other drawn-out, time consuming methods. Of course, none of those things are possible in the middle of a firefight. Many cells have agents who are trained in the art of keeping a man on his feet just long enough to see the current fight through. Though often less technically minded than more traditional surgeons, charging through hails of gunfire or into the midst of a terrible melee to save an ally requires grit, skill, and determination that few Imperial citizens would sneer at.   

Role Aptitudes

Fieldcraft, Defense, Agility, Intelligence, Willpower 

Role Talent

Jaded OR Hard Target

Role Bonus
Medic's Oath: A Combat Medic may use a Full Action to move up to his Charge movement rating towards an ally who is suffering from Critical Damage. At the end of this movement, he may immediately use the First Aid special use of the Medicae skill on that ally. If suppression or fear would prevent him from doing so, he may spend a Fate Point to immediately end the effect and take the action.

Role – Commando

“Them Space Marines may be the ‘tip of the spear’, but we’re the spiky bit on the Warhammer that rips up the enemy’s armor so they can stab ‘em.”

The Imperial Guard is known as the Hammer of the Emperor for a reason, but sometimes a more precise tool is necessary. For this reason, many different institutions field specialist operatives, trained to assassinate commanders, cripple supply lines, and otherwise strip away an enemy’s advantages until the killing blow can be struck. These tactics are frequently useful to an Inquisitor’s warband, where stealth and precision are even more of a matter of life and death. 

Role Aptitudes   

Finesse  Offense  Strength  Ballistic Skill  Agility 

Role Talent

Bulging Biceps OR Grenadier

Role Bonus

Tactical Assault – If the Commando is wielding one or more ranged weapons, he may spend a Full Action to move up to his Charge movement rating towards a distant foe. At the end of this movement, he may immediately make a ranged attack action against his target at a +10 modifier. 

Role: Explorer

"Beyond the black are things the likes of which even the Emperor has never seen" -Captain Malc Charon's last astropathic message before disappearing into the Molochian Nebula

The vast stretches of space are filled with the remnants of ancient, dead cultures. Even on many civilized worlds, there are countless unexplored ruins from ages past, some even pre-dating the God Emperor's crusades. While most loyal citizens of the Imperium are too frightened of (or forbidden from) exploring them, some men and women are brave or foolish enough to attempt it. 

Those that survive often find nothing more than the dust of ages, but on occasion, they discover powerful relics from long ago. While the legality of their action is dubious at times, none can argue with their never before seen results.

Role Aptitudes

Intelligence, Agility, Fieldcraft, Knowledge, Perception

Role Talents

Jaded OR Takedown 

Role Bonus

The Undiscovered Country - In addition to the normal uses of Fate Points, an Explorer may spend a fate point to pass any Survival or Navigate test with a number of Degrees of Success equal to his Intelligence Bonus. 

Role – Frontline Leader

“See how they fall before bolt and blade! We will yet win this day!”

Most of the commanders of the Imperium lead their troops from the front line. This is mostly from a deeply ingrained warrior culture rather than a particularly well thought out strategy, but it is not without tactical merit. Displays of courage and skill from a Frontline Leader can greatly inspire his followers, and turn the tide of a losing battle.

Role Aptitudes

Leadership  Offense  Fellowship  Weapon Skill   Ballistic Skill

Role Talent

Ambidextrous OR Swift Attack

Role Bonus

Kill the Head and the Body Will Die – When a Frontline Leader kills an Elite or Master rank enemy, he may immediately make a +0 Command test. If he succeeds, all of his allies gain a +10 to their attacks against lower ranked enemies until the end of the next round. 

Role - Inspector

"You give me something or I will break your fucking jaw." -Quintus Dec, Enforcer Detective

Inspectors are aggressive detective types that have a keen eye for details while also defaulting to bad cop in most situations. They want leads, clues, and answers and are willing to coax, force, and beat the truth out of suspects in their hunt for heresy.

Role Aptitudes

Fieldcraft, Willpower, Strength, Perception, Social

Role Talents

Coordinated Interrogation OR Face in a Crowd

Role Bonus

You're Not Telling Me Something - In addition to normal uses of Fate points (page 293), an Inspector character may spend a fate point to Automatically succeed at a Scrutiny or Intimidate skill with a number of degrees of success equal to his Perception Bonus for Scrutiny and Willpower Bonus for Intimidate.

Role – Interrogator-Surgeon

“Despite his initial bravado, by the end he told me everything we wanted to know.” - Adept Nemo, after interrogating a traitor guardsman.

Many, maybe even most of the people an Inquisitor or band of Acolytes talk to are hesitant about telling them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. While almost all Inquisitors are skilled at drawing it out, by one means or another, many lower acolytes are not so skilled, so many war bands have a dedicated member for making people tell them things they would not wish too. Since torture is a crude and unreliable tool, such acolytes frequently employ far more subtle and terrible methods of information extraction.

Role Aptitudes

Knowledge, Social, Intelligence, Willpower, Perception

Role Talent

Coordinated Interrogation OR Clues from the Crowd

Role Bonus
We Have Ways of Making Men Talk - An Interrogator-Surgeon may spend a fate point to automatically succeed at an Interrogation or Scrutiny test with a number of Degrees of Success equal to his Intelligence Bonus. 

Role - Operative
"You don't understand, gentlemen. I was never really here." -Kelle Primm, Imperial Throne agent, AKA "Lilith Juvenal", thirty-five minutes after calling for the purge of house Linnaeus.

While many within the Imperium prefer a "Blood and Thunder" style of operation, a few outliers acknowledge the usefulness of subtlety. All but the most puritanical of Inquisitors fall into the latter category and prefer agents that can operate in the shadows until the time is right to strike. An operative is such an agent, capable of fitting in with any group and possessing the skills to assist with almost any undertaking their masters may require of them.

Role Aptitudes

Social, Fellowship, Fieldcraft, Intelligence, Agility

Role Talents

Clues from the Crowd OR Peer (Choose One)

Role Bonus

Social Chameleon - An Operator excels at blending in with different groups, from an Apex Prince to the scum of the Underhive. He may spend a fate point to automatically succeed at Deceive tests with FelB DoS and Linguistics tests with IntB DoS.

Role – Rector

“All of the data in the galaxy is useless if it cannot be understood by those who need it.”

While Sages are undoubtedly the best of the best when it comes to finding and processing data, Rectors are superior at expressing information and extrapolating the best course of action from it. Virtually every ruler, from a feral world’s chieftain to a forge world’s lead Magos to even a Lord Inquisitor have a number of learned advisors to aid them. While those in power have an unfortunate tendency to ignore any contradictions to their wills, when a Rector is paired with a receptive master, it can be the difference between life and death for an entire planet.

Role Aptitudes

Social  Knowledge  Fellowship  Intelligence  Perception

Role Talent

Archivator OR Peer (Choose One)

Role Bonus

Proof Positive - When the Rector has references to back up his recommendations, he gains a bonus of 5 times his ranks in the Logic skill on any social interaction test to convince someone to follow his advice. 

Role – Witch Hunter
Of the countless threats that assail the Imperium every moment of every day, witches and rogue psykers are among the most dangerous, and the most insidious. Almost indistinguishable from any other innocent Imperial citizen, it takes a special kind of person to hunt them down and purge them. These people are the Witch Hunters. Trained (theoretically at least) to ferret out and exterminate the worst kind of traitors, they set about their duties with incredible zeal and indefatigable determination. It is well known that their pyres consume the lives of as many innocents as heretics, but they can rest assured that, without their efforts, far, far worse calamities would be certain.

Role Aptitudes

Willpower, Perception, Weapon Skill, Social, Fieldcraft

Role Talent

Witch Finder OR Deny the Witch

Role Bonus

Suffer not the Witch to Live-In addition to normal uses of Fate points (see page 293 of the Dark Heresy Core Rulebook), a Witch-Finder can also spend a Fate Point to pass an opposed Willpower test with a number of degrees of success equal to his Willpower bonus. In addition, whenever he inflicts a hit with a melee or a ranged attack with the Psyker trait, he inflicts X additional damage where X is equal to PR/2.