Tabletop RPG · since 2008 · #88 most discussed

Dark Heresy

Agents of a grim, fascist far-future empire investigate heresy and conspiracy, with dangerous fights and a bleak mood.

Percentile (d100)Sci fid100roll underclassesinvestigationhigh lethalitytactical gridCampaignsNeeds a GM

6.5

Geek rating

From 16 firsthand play reports in 4 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.3.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion5.6 / 10

63 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Heavy. Hype 3.0 for its age.

Have you played it?

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What players say

At the table

Dark Heresy tables describe a grim, deadly 40k game that mixes investigation with occasional brutal fights. Several groups ran it for years, while one GM got about four months before the players asked for D&D 5e. Some of the thread material covers other Warhammer games, so the evidence for Dark Heresy itself is modest.

What works

It captures the grim 40k atmosphere, and the core mechanics are approachable enough to start simple and add complexity later. (thread)
Groups still play it years on and report enjoying it. (thread)
Alternating 2-3 sessions of investigation with one deadly fight held up over multi-year campaigns. (thread)
Published adventures reward investigating and making allies, since that makes the final fight easier. (thread)
It stretches to other styles, including a mansion dungeon crawl and a tactical, Ghost Recon-style game. (thread)

What tables struggle with

Combat balance is uneven, and melee characters can feel underwhelming. (thread)
Some commenters call the system serviceable rather than good, and say characters benefit from extra starting XP. (thread)
Critical hits can cause lasting injuries such as lost limbs, eyes and fingers, and recovering from them can drain the party's resources. (thread)
The meatiest rules are about combat even though the game is pitched around investigation, and some adventures have fights that can't be avoided. (thread)
Party conflict can derail a table. One first session ended with a player leaving after a character was shot and the GM refused to allow PvP. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups that want a gritty, lethal tone and are happy to avoid fair fights.
GMs willing to set expectations about PvP and the Imperium's consequences in a session zero.
Tables that don't mind fudging or allowing partial successes on narrative checks.

In players' words

"My group still plays Dark Heresy and we still enjoy it." (thread)
"the combat is exceedingly unbalanced and can leave certain players (melee especially) feeling underwhelming." (thread)
"My 2 year Dark Heresy game tended to go 2-3 sessions of investigation/no combat and one of absolutely brutal horrible combat." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

7.6

Are the Warhammer RPGs (Rogue Trader, Dark Heresy and/or Fantasy) really less combat oriented than DnD? Generally, what are they like?

Dark Heresy GMs and players describe campaigns that mix investigation with brutal, risky combat, and several ran long games (up to 10 years) that held up fine. The main downsides are lethality and permanent injuries, plus rules that are heaviest on combat even when the game is about investigation. 8 firsthand · 80 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

Are Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader/Only War still worth playing today?

Players who ran or played Dark Heresy describe a crunchy, atmospheric percentile game that still holds up and that tables enjoy. The main complaints are uneven combat balance, with melee characters feeling weak, and a system that is more serviceable than excellent. Much of the thread is about Imperium Maledictum, Rogue Trader and the other FFG games, and those reports were not counted. 6 firsthand · 12 comments

Open on Reddit

4.5

Made A Mistake As GM And Lost A Player

The only real firsthand report is the OP's first Dark Heresy 2e session. The group was enjoying the grim 40k setting until a player's character shot another's and the player quit, so the thread is mostly about GM handling of PvP and not about the game's mechanics. The commenters mostly give general table advice, and none of them clearly describe their own Dark Heresy play. 1 firsthand · 114 comments

Open on Reddit

5.0

My players only want to play D&D

The thread is about getting a D&D-loyal group to try other systems. Dark Heresy comes up only once as firsthand play: the OP ran Dark Heresy 2nd edition for about four months before the players asked to go back to 5e. The OP gives no detail about how the sessions went. 1 firsthand · 352 comments

Open on Reddit