Warhammer 40,000 RPG: Imperium Maledictum Shows Off Patron Rules

By Christian Hoffer - December 16, 2022 07:00 am EST

Cubicle 7 is beginning to reveal more details about its upcoming "street level" Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying game Imperium Maledictum. The new game will be released this year and offers players a chance to explore the Macharian Sector, a stronghold for the Imperium of Men beset by a variety of threats from within it ranks and from outside factors. Players will take on the role of characters working for a powerful Patron, a force in the Macharian Sector who provides players with missions and is working towards an inscrutable aim.

In a blogpost posted to Cubicle 7's website, more details were provided about the mechanical role Patrons will play in Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay Imperium Maledictum. Players and the Gamemaster will collectively choose a Patron, who has a faction from within Warhammer 40K lore (such as the Inquisition, the Astra Militarium, or another group from within the Imperium of Man) and ultimately determines the type of campaign the players will take on. A group working for an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos might be seeking out alien threats, while a Tech-Priest might be seeking aid in managing a horde of manufactorums. Each Patron has a Motivation and a Demeanor, which ultimately chooses their goals and how often they interact with the parties. A Patron will also have Influence with other factions, which helps to determine how much help another faction will provide during the course of missions.

Mechanically, Patrons will have Boons and Liabilities that will benefit and hinder the players. Boons provide players with certain mechanical and narrative advantages. For instance, players might choose a Patron with a hefty armory, granting them access to more powerful weaponry. However, for every Boon a Patron has, the GM will be able to choose a Liability, which ranges from rival factions or a critical character flaw the players will have to work around. These Boons and Liabilities help provide a quick framework for a campaign, allowing players to hit the ground running on their first missions.

The Patron system will provide a unique entry point to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, helping to explain why relatively inconsequential characters are dealing with potentially system-shifting missions and threats.

Cubicle 7 also provided ComicBook.com with an exclusive piece of art from Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay Imperium Maledictum. The piece, titled "Anomalous" is by Felix Tisch and shows a Psyker beset by daemons. The full description of the art reads: The curse of the Psyker is found on almost every world of the Imperium, and despite the endless vigil of the Black Ships, the Ordo Hereticus, and the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, not all who bear it are found. As in the rest of the Imperium, the Macharian sector is rife with those unlucky enough to burn brightly in the Warp. Their powers are an uncomfortable necessity to the Imperium, as they facilitate both travel and communication across the vast expanse of the galaxy. However, their mere presence draws the attention of daemons, and untrained and unwary psykers have at times damned entire worlds."

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