Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum | Review

In this article, we are pleased to offer you a review of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum. First of all, we want to thank Cubicle 7 for sending us a digital copy. Imperium Maledictum is their second official role-playing game line inspired by the famous miniatures game Warhammer 40,000, by Games Workshop.

Anyone interested in purchasing the manual can visit Cubicle 7’s online store. The volume costs $55.99. The digital version is also available for $27.99 and the collector’s edition for $111.99. There are also various accessories in the shop, such as the master’s screen, dice shooters and dedicated adventures.

Review of Imperium Maledictum: the Handbook

Imperium Maledictum consists of 368 pages. This is a manual that is decidedly full of content, although readable and very well organised. The summary text boxes are extremely intelligently written. It is possible to recognize the rules ones from the setting ones just by the colour, and the former has a much more evident contrast in terms of visual impact. They are a bit reminiscent of the futuristic and backward monitors typical of the setting.

The illustrations, considering the foliation of the manual, are not very many. Especially when comparing it with other Cubicle 7 products. However, this is a very good choice: other images would have excessively increased the size of the manual. The choice not to inflate the volume is further enhanced with quality. Every single artwork doesn’t just perfectly reflect the “grimdark” style of Warhammer 40,000: they are simply beautiful. 

The manual of Imperium Maledictum presents itself with very high quality from every point of view. Its writing is extremely accurate, without ever lapsing into misplaced literary ambitions. The parts of the rules are precise and full of examples; that of a well-developed setting and above all focused on game ideas, rather than on sterile completionism. This is not a product aimed only at miniatures game lovers nor at those of the old edition of the role-playing game. Imperium Maledictum collects the ashes of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, on the market in six different role-playing games, each focusing on a specific aspect of the setting. Dark Heresy It is Rogue Trader they were certainly the most played declinations.

Between Innovation and Tradition

From his previous incarnation, Imperium Maledictum resumes the system based on the d100. By adding characteristics, skills and related specializations (Characteristics, Skills and Specializations) you obtain the value below which to keep the result on the 100 die. The higher this value, the greater the chances of succeeding in the venture. A typical feature of this system (which dates back to the first Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay of ’86) is that the fight has dedicated characteristics, without relying on the classic strength and dexterity of the moment.

However, to this very classic scheme, Imperium Maledictum adds a wide series of innovative elements. The management of distances in combat occurs, for example, through zones, and not exact measurements. External situations that influence the test give advantage or disadvantage, as in the fifth edition of the most famous role-playing game in the world; the original application of this mechanic allows, instead of an extra roll, to invert tens and units of the result.

Review of Imperium Maledictum: a Broader Scope

Surely among the most interesting innovations is Superiority, a system that reflects the tactical and strategic advantage that can be obtained in combat. Superiority also influences the enemy’s resolve in battle. The latter, when in too much difficulty, can choose to retreat, surrender or start a desperate, all-out fight.

Another certainly important element is the presence of the Patron. One of the most peculiar (but also controversial) elements of the old Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay it was the need to buy more manuals to be able to fully explore it. The game system simply did not allow to reconcile the too wide range of power levels to choose from. Every single game of that edition was dedicated to a specific faction and its members.

The system of the Patron solved this problem. The characters of Imperium Maledictum are always simple agents of the empire of man (called Imperium); they are only indirectly affiliated with a faction. Their Patron does though have a patron and as an intermediary with it, assigns the relevant missions. This NPC acts as a point of reference for the whole party. Therefore, for each new gaming group, it will be possible to create, through a specific group mechanic and a dedicated card, a Patron affiliated with a different faction, exploring completely different themes of the setting. And above all without having to change the game.

What Game Are We Playing?

There is an important clarification to make. Cubicle7 is currently carrying out two distinct game lines related to the world of Warhammer 40,000. About Warhammer 40,000 Wrath & Glory we have already written a review (more than positive). It is not our habit to compare multiple games, but in this case, it is necessary to clarify things a little.

Imperium Maledictum allows a game that has its action component (it is still inspired by a board wargame), but it is focused on interaction and investigation. It leads the characters to immerse themselves in the various worlds that the setting has to offer; above all, it pushes them to extricate themselves from the interests of various factions. Wrath & Glory, while exploiting the same setting in an equally faithful manner, is designed to offer a more action game with a cinematic edge.

All the Emperor’s devoted subjects are willing to ferret out heretics and wage war on the Xenos. The two games allow you to do both things, each with its peculiarities.

Review of the Imperium Maledictum Setting

In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.

It’s not easy to summarize the entire lore of Warhammer 40,000. We are talking about a game with almost forty years of history, for a story that covers more than ten thousand. In a nutshell, after technology allowed humanity to conquer the entire galaxy, it found itself falling back into an era of barbarism. Fragmented, divided and heterogeneous as never before. The crusades wanted by the Emperor of Humanity brought back unity.

This is the most powerful psyker to ever exist. With mysterious origins, he managed to reconquer the entire planet Terra and, thanks to hosts of genetically and surgically enhanced soldiers, the entire galaxy. The planet is also called Terra: the High Gothic of the empire borrows a lot from the sound of Latin, almost mimicking it.

The Emperor of Humanity had to face alien threats and, above all, Chaos. A multifaceted force that draws power from the unconscious and longing of living creatures. Human beings have the greatest potential in this regard; as a result, their rise has fueled Chaos more than ever before.

A (Nice) Bit of History

Obviously, we proceed by simplifications. Throughout history, some primarchs, the “genetic children” of the Emperor, have turned against him. This is precisely because of Chaos, which corrupted them, triggering a true civil war of galactic scope. In the final phase of this conflict, the Emperor prevailed, but at the cost of his own life. Now he is reduced to a mutilated and inert body in the Golden Throne, a psychic beacon that allows you to travel the Warp with relative safety. However, these events also required the sacrifice of thousands of psykers per day.

The Warp, if you’re wondering, is like Hyperspace but composed of active psychic energy. And if you’re wondering this too, yes, both Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000 have some elements in common: both are inspired by Dune by Herbert. However, the two settings evolve along extremely different lines; the points of contact are more conceptual than actual.

In the game’s present, 10,000 years have passed since the Emperor’s incomplete death. The Imperium has fallen into an era of strong obscurantism. Archaeotechnology is considered heresy, as is anything that contradicts the cult of the Emperor himself. He is seen as a divinity on earth. Far from the utopia he dreamed of, the citizens of the Imperium live a life of exploitation and misery, in an attempt to keep up what remains of his dream.

Review of Imperium Maledictum: Beyond the Status Quo

In this review of Imperium Maledictum it is necessary to underline something new. Compared to its predecessors, the game offers a further idea: the Cicatrix Maledictum. It is a real tear in reality that opened thanks to the forces of Chaos. This rift has left half the galaxy far from the light of the Astronomican, the psionic beacon powered by the Golden Throne and the Emperor. It was the Astronomican that allowed communication and travel in the Warp with relative safety. This is a major disruption of the status quo that has torn the social fabric of half the worlds of the Imperium, which are only now recovering. This leads the characters to grapple with an unstable situation to say the least.

There are essentially four main threats to the stability of the Imperium:

• The xenos, usually hostile alien races. The galaxy is populated by the refined and corrupt Eldar and the brutal and incomprehensible Orks. From further away come the monstrous Tyranids with their hive minds and the Tau with their highly advanced technology. All they have in common is the threat they pose to humanity.
• The Chaos, the ultimate enemy of the setting. Four deities (Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeench and Slaanesh, respectively associated with violence, decay, mysteries and hedonism) formed from the needs of mortals, and command hosts of demons. Chaos feeds on emotion, shaping the Warp and turning it against humanity. And against everyone else, including Chaos himself.
• The heretics. Anyone who denies the Emperor is a heretic. As well as witches, i.e. unsanctioned psykers.
• The empire itself. Without its central authority, this has fragmented into dozens of factions. Some are of galactic importance, others exercise their power only on individual worlds. And the internal struggle for power ends up becoming the main enemy of humanity itself.

The Focus of the Game

It is therefore little surprising that the focus of the game is completely centred on the clash between the various factions. The manual dedicates a large section to their description, which we will review later. In particular, it focuses on their forces in the Macharius sector, the portion of imperial space in which Imperium Maledictum is settled. It analyzes their interests, centres and flows of power. It also delves into the rumours circulating about each of them.

The various Worlds, or the planets in the sector, are also examined in a similar way. They are presented with general descriptions, major cities, notable locations and adventure hooks. The intention in getting more than just painting a setting appears clear; the goal is to make sure that every single element described is alive and that every paragraph contains something that can be actively played.

Review of Imperium Maledictum: Creation of the Patron

Precisely these elements become fundamental ingredients of character creation. The first step is group one. It is up to all players to create the specifications of the patron who will assign them missions; this can be chosen from one of the following factions:

• Adeptus Astra Telepathica. The empire’s insurance against psykers. Too easily they can give in to the lure of Chaos and channel it through their own powers. The Astra Telepathica is responsible for identifying them and bringing them to the Black Ships. Here these individuals will be trained as Sanctioned Psykers or sacrificed to allow the Emperor’s Golden Throne to function. Or execute them on the spot, of course. Especially now: since the opening from Cicatrix Maledictum the number of psykers is constantly increasing.
• Adeptus Mechanicus. In the Imperium it is forbidden to carry out research beyond what the Emperor has already created; recovering archaeotechnology dating back to ancient times is heresy. The role of the Mechanicus, a sect of tech-priests and researchers, becomes very delicate. They deal with the spirit that dwells in every machine and try to push research as far as possible. Or until they are discovered, of course.
• Inquisition. Neither more nor less than what the name might suggest. A group of hunters, magistrates, judges, jury and executioners who are responsible for tracking down and destroying the enemies of the empire. To the motto of “Burn the heretic, kill the mutant, destroy the Xeno!”. This is how its three main orders take care to eliminate any enemy of humanity: with blind faith, sacred fervour and absolute authority.
• Adeptus Administratus. Every Empire needs bureaucracy and police forces. Control of the territory becomes essential. The Administratus extends its apparatus across the entire galaxy, wherever the Imperium claims so much as an asteroid. With the inevitable corruption that the management of power brings with it.
• Astra Militarum. Whether expanding the borders of the Imperium or protecting them, the army always plays a leading role. Humanity’s military strategy is simple: cannibalize the population of entire worlds to make them cannon fodder. A tactic as brutal as it is effective.
• Adeptus Ministrorum. The Emperor was a visionary who dreamed of a secular humanity, free from all superstition. The bitter irony, after having been reduced to an eternal stasis of semi-life, his figure was the object of a process of divinization. And the Adeptus Ministerrum is the faction that manages the cult, going so far as to control entire worlds to make them its sanctuaries. Take care to look after your interests in the meantime.
• Imperial Navy. Transport and military ships, both large and small nations, have always played a fundamental role in the Empire. Now that the light of the Astronomican has disappeared, their importance has increased exponentially. The militarization of its hierarchies is strong, but unlike the Astra Militarum the Imperial Navy spends most of its time in the void between the stars.
• Rogue Trader. Extremely over-the-top figures, these merchant princes are among the most prominent figures of the empire’s nobility. On board their ships they are launched to explore new planets, sometimes with the authority of plenipotentiaries in the name of the empire. They boast unique rights and privileges, but in exchange they take on all that it means to travel into the unknown. They are the true scouts of the Imperium. Nobles, ambassadors, merchants, pirates, spies. Intriguing and multifaceted figures offer one of the most popular gaming styles of the old edition.
• Infractionists. Criminals, smugglers, thugs, renegades. The idea that the Imperium could keep all the outcasts at bay would be simply ridiculous. Even more so now that half of the Galaxy cannot communicate with the other half. Ending up recruited into their ranks, even unwillingly, is often too easy. Sometimes there is simply no alternative.

Character Creation

The Patron faction involves a whole series of advantages and disadvantages that are added to the character sheet. Some are fixed, others can be chosen from a specific list. This is a rather advanced customization, which is further refined with the choice of Role. This is selected individually by each PC. The choice is between Interlocutor, Mystic, Savant, Penumbra, Warrior and Zealot. These six options have very clear names: just read them to get a clear idea of ​​what they allow. The role is perhaps the criterion that most identifies the capabilities of a player character.

The game really allows for an incredible variety of combinations. These are obtained by crossing the six Roles with the nine possible factions of the Patron and with the eight Origins of the character available.In fact, each planet has its own specific classification; this helps to understand the dominant themes, as well as influencing the character’s abilities and skills. We therefore have various types of Worlds, which represent the Origins of the character and his advantages (and disadvantages).

The Worlds of Origin of the Characters

• Agri worlds: they are the granaries of the empire. On their surface, most citizens simply work the land to feed the entire galaxy.
• Feudal worlds: anchored to a medieval government and tradition. These worlds typically produce the Imperium’s best warriors.
• Feral worlds: poorly welcoming to human life. These worlds are dangerous not only because of the local fauna but also because of the flora and environmental conditions. Often, however, the Imperium cannot give up their natural and strategic resources.
• Forge worlds: real open-air factories. Here the entire population is dedicated to the creation and maintenance of the crumbling imperial technology. An endless industrial army that lives its life according to its work.
• Hive worlds: the worlds with the densest population density ever. Their inhabitants live wherever even possible. Here the empire grows its reserves of soldiers, workers and any other human material it may need.
• Shrine worlds: the headquarters of the Adeptus Ministerrum. In these worlds there is no more freedom than in others; but for the people, often being forced to stay on their knees to pray is better than breaking their backs in the factories.
• Schola Progeium: more than a world, an institution based on the immense spaceships called Black Ships. For a character who chooses this Origin, the home world will be nothing more than a distant memory of early childhood. On the other hand, he will have the possibility of becoming a Sanctioned Psyker. A dubious privilege, but one that certainly grants immense power.
• Who was born in the Void is not rooted in an actual place but in a spaceship. The devices to maintain them in the cosmic vacuum are so large, and often unknown, that they end up hosting generations of entire city-states. Dynasties of travellers follow one another, characterizing them as real people.

Review of Imperium Maledictum: Final Touches

To definitively complete the PC we have to distribute some points among Skills, related Specializations and Talents. The latter also allow you to obtain effects not normally foreseen by the regulation. In the case of psykers also to obtain Powers capable of bending reality. A peculiar choice to also include a talent that allows you to become a Psychic Null; they are an individual literally devoid of a soul, who have a very important social malus and become a living anathema for any warp or psionic entity. Warning: this allows you to put even demons in difficulty, but does not exclude any allied psykers. This is a very delicate choice, which must be evaluated by the entire gaming group.

The finishing touches are three features that cannot be increased or acquired with experience, unlike the other elements of the card. Their score can vary, positively or negatively, only through narration and game choices.

• Influence determines the weight the character can have on a faction. It differs from that of the Patron because it acts only on a single agent. However, as you start influencing more people in a faction, your score grows on a new scale.
• Fate is that mixture of determination, predestination and favour of the Emperor that allows the character to rise among ordinary mortals. A resource that can be spent temporarily or permanently to obtain immediate benefits. Spending Fate allows you to “get around” the rules, and is often a character’s last lifeline.
• Corruption is instead the index of how much Chaos has touched the character, changing him in body and soul. His score can be reduced but at a very high cost. It is certainly easier to acquire new Corruption than to clean it up. Few things are as frowned upon as mutations.

Accessories

Imperium Maledictum is accompanied by a wide range of gaming tools; everything that a good manual should not miss; especially if we’re talking about a game with such detailed mechanics. We find a good section of equipment, weapons and vehicles; rich enough to reflect all the options that longtime lovers will love. Yes, there are also the beloved ones’ power armour. Moreover, the combat system proceeds to assign damages by location; this allows you to exploit a complex but practical system of critical and disabling wounds. 

The appendices at the end of the manual present the tables for using them very well. They also summarize the conditions that characters may suffer, and present a series of suggestions for critical failures. Who is already passionate about Warhammer 40,000 you will find some very useful things tables for quick character creation. A veteran player may already have in mind what to play. This table presents various options characteristic of the setting; pre-generated crosses of Origin, Faction and Role allow it to be replicated in the game.

Review of the Tools for the Game Master

The tools available to the Game Master complete the rules for managing downtime (a tool now indispensable for larger games) and the bestiary. Despite the name, this section of the manual focuses on characters within the Imperium. It mostly features statistics of other humans to interact with, easily re-adaptable to the footprint. The manual clearly specifies not only to present adversaries but also potential allies or simply neutral spectators.

Advice for the Game Master is now an obligatory step in many manuals. Imperium Maledictum is no exception. Although this section does not reach twenty pages, it is incredibly dense with content. There are tools for smart combat management and external complications that make it more interesting. Some paragraphs present the classic golden rule, the zero session and the main one’s security tools. In particular, the latter is fundamental for a game with such potentially traumatic themes. It’s nice to see them displayed in an overall historical system. The traumas, it is specified, belong to the characters and not to the players.

Having presented the various themes on which the campaign can be based, one follows a short guide about managing investigative sessions. This has always been a concern for every storyteller due to the high frustration that they tend to generate in players. The paragraph suggests some very important techniques that can be adopted to better manage this type of game. They are concise advice for practical application.

Conclusions of the Review of Imperium Maledictum

Let’s draw the sums of this review of Imperium Maledictum. We are talking about a little jewel; although “small” is not the most appropriate adjective. Not for a manual that exceeds 350 pages and proves to be so full of content. Cubicle 7 has succeeded in the difficult task of taking a role-playing game that has its mechanics in the 1980s and giving it a current and fresh tone; all while maintaining the deeply immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.

It’s obvious from this review that Imperium Maledictum easily makes its way into the hearts of long-time enthusiasts. However, the game also has everything you need and more to attract newcomers to the world of Warhammer 40,000. Practical management (but which does not fail to wink from time to time to the dynamics of wargames) will require a little more attention, initially. Don’t worry: a little practice makes it immediately easy to master. The game has a few summary tables, all of which are very practical to find in the manual. They are more than enough to easily manage such a large regulation.

If you want to immerse yourself in the grimdark atmospheres of the 41st millennium, extricate yourself from the meanders of the Imperium’s power struggles and claim your place in the world in the name of the Emperor, don’t miss the opportunity to add Imperium Maledictum to your collection. For the Emperor!

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