Armoury TIME
Just because a large community actually has the
The 41st Millennium is a dangerous place, rife
with war and conflict, and if an Acolyte hopes to
survive he must make sure that he is well armed
and equipped. This chapter deals with some of
the many types of weapons, armour and gear
that exist within the Imperium. Equipment,
especially weapons and armour, make up a vital
part of an Acolytes resources and the difference
between success and failure on a mission can
often come down to having the right gear.
Availability
Having the money does not always guarantee the
desired goods or services are at hand. Squalid
medieval worlds are a lot less likely to have
expensive goods than the marketplaces of a hive
city. Moreover, finding a high-quality weapon
on a backwater planet is far more difficult than
locating such a weapon in a teeming metropolis.
To reflect availability, each piece of equipment
or service has an associated Availability, ranging
from abundant to very rare. GMs can use the
following guidelines as a starting point for
determining whether a place has such an item or
not. Characters searching for a particular item or
service must make a successful Inquiry Test
modified by the Availability of the item, Table
5-3: Consequences of Availability in Dark
Heresy, page 126 provides a baseline modifier
for Inquiry Tests to find an item in a community
of 1,000 people or less. For communities larger
than 1,000 people, reduce the Difficulty for
finding an object by one step for communities of
10,000 or less, or two steps for communities of
10,000 or more. If the community has 100
people or less, increase the Difficulty by one
step. Dark Heresy, Table 5-4: Availability by
Population, page 126 shows how the Difficulty
changes based on population size.
1
item a character seeks does not necessarily mean
that it is easy to locate. The larger the
community, the more time it takes to track the
item down. A communitys size determines the
base time it takes to find the item. Each degree of
success reduces this time by a certain amount
(minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months,
depending on the base time). See Dark Heresy,
Table 5-5: Availability and Time on page 126.
The GM should make the roll in secret for
particularly dangerous or costly items, to
emphasise the struggle and possible risks
entailed by such searching.
Craftsmanship
Not all goods are of the same quality. In the
vastness of the Imperium, and beyond, the
craftsmanship of items can vary widely from
crudely made, mass-produced materials to
handcrafted masterpieces.
Normally, Craftsmanship has little effect on
game play for regular goods and services. As a
general rule items of Poor Craftsmanship are
more prone to failure and breaking while Good
and Best Craftsmanship are more durable,
though it is up to the GM how and when these
effects might enter play. In the case of weaponry
and armour, there are effects on the items
performance or weight (as detailed later), but in
cases of general goods and services, differences
of quality are merely descriptive. The GM may
reduce the Difficulty of certain tests, but it is
entirely at his discretion. Unless specifically
stated, the Craftsmanship of any object is
considered Common.
Craftsmanship Cost Multiplier Availability
Best 10 Drop 2 steps
Good 3 Drop 1 step
Common 1
Poor 1/2 Increase 1 step
 Weapons
Weapons are divided into several groups
covering a plethora of ranged weapons, dealing
with everything from crossbows to plasma
cannons, and melee weapons covering all
manner of close combat weaponry. Unless they
are of Poor quality, all weapons come with an
appropriate holster, sling, or carrying strap as
part of their cost so they can be stored on the
characters body.
All weapons have a profile that is presented
using the following statistics, providing players
and GMs with all the relevant information
needed to use them:
Name: What the weapon is called.
Class: Describes what class the weapon is,
either a melee, thrown, pistol, basic or heavy
weapon.
Melee weapons can be used in close combat.
When using a melee weapon you add your SB
to the damage you inflict.
Thrown weapons cover anything propelled
by muscle power alone and covers knives, axes,
spears and such like. Unless they are also
classed as melee, thrown weapons cannot be
used in close combat (or if they do, they count
as improvised weapons). When using a thrown
weapon you add your SB to the damage you
inflict (with the exception of explosives such as
grenades).
Pistol weapons are fired one-handed and can
be used in close combat. However, when a
pistol is used in close combat, the firer gains
no bonuses or penalties to hit for range or
targeting equipment. Pistols with the Scatter
quality fired in melee are considered to be
firing at Point-Blank range for the purposes of
determining any extra hits.
Basic weapons normally require two hands
but can be used one-handed with a 20 penalty
to hit.
2
Heavy weapons always require two hands
and must be braced in some way, usually
either on a bipod or tripod but equally it could
be a windowsill or sandbag (or the firers
shoulder in the case of RPG launchers), to be
fired without penalties. Firing a heavy weapon
without bracing incurs a 30 penalty to hit
and prohibits Semi-Auto and Full Auto fire.
Range: All weapons are given an effective
range on the weapons tables. Short range is
below half of this number, Long range is above
double, Extreme range is above three times and
maximum is above four times. Below 3 metres is
Point Blank range. A lasgun, for example, has a
given range of 100. Short range is 3-50 (from
Point Blank to half the given range), Medium is
50-200 (from Short to double the given range),
Long is 200-300 (from two to three times the
given range) and Extreme is 300-400 (from three
to four times the given range). For ranged
bonuses and penalties see Dark Heresy, Chapter
VII: Playing the Game, pages 198-199).
Weapons cannot be fired at targets more than
four times their range distance.
RoF (Rate of Fire): Tells you if the weapon
can be fired either on Semi-Auto or Full Auto
and how many rounds/ charges it expends when
doing so. A weapons RoF has three entries to
indicate the modes a weapon can be fired in. The
first entry indicates whether the weapon can be
fired singly (with an S). The second entry
indicates whether or not a weapon can be fired
semi-automatically, and the number listed
describes the shots fired. Finally, the third entry
describes if the weapon can be fired on full
automatic. Any mode in which the weapon
cannot be fired is indicated with a .
Some weapons can be fired in more than one
mode. If this is the case each of its different rates
of fire will be listed in its profile. Characters
must choose which mode they are firing their
weapon in before making their attack.
Dam (Damage): The Damage the weapon
does and the type of damage it inflicts (as shown
in brackets): (E) Energy, (X) Explosive, (R)
Rending, (I) Impact.
 Pen (Penetration): Reflects how good the
weapon is at going through armour. When a
shot or blow from this weapon hits a target,
reduce the targets Armour Points by the
weapons Penetration, with results of less than 0
counting as 0 (i.e. the armour provides no
protection at all). Then work out Damage as
normal. So for example, if a weapon with a
Penetration of 3 hits a target with 5 Armour
Points, the target will only count as having 2
Armour Points against any damage the hit
causes. Note that Penetration has no effect on
fields, but it does affect cover.
Clip: How many rounds/charges the weapon
holds when fully loaded.
Rld (Reload): How many Actions the weapon
takes to reload. This is generally Half (for a Half
Action) or Full (for a Full Action). Some
weapons can take a number of Actions over
several Rounds. The number of Rounds is given
as a number, for example 2Full means that
reloading takes 2 Full Rounds.
Special: This tells you if the weapon has any
special qualities, such as creating a blast when
fired or needing to recharge between shots.
Wt (Weight): Represents how much the
weapon weighs, normally in kg (kilograms).
Cost: Indicates the standard value of the
weapon within the Imperium. Cost is always
represented in Thrones.
World: If this weapon is common on a
particular type of world or a specific planet.
Availability: This identifies the weapons
availability (see Dark Heresy, Table 53:
Consequences of Availability, page 126).
USING WEAPONS WITHOUT A TALENT
Many of the weapons described in this chapter
require a Talent to use them effectively; lacking
the necessary ability makes weapons particularly
dangerous to employ. Still, there are bound to be
circumstances when a character needs to use a
weapon for which he does not have the Talent.
Doing so imposes a 20 penalty on the relevant
Test. If the weapon has the Flame special quality,
the target is granted a +30 to his Agility Test to
avoid being hit. In addition, when a ranged
3
weapon is used untrained, it counts as having the
Unreliable quality, increasing its chance of
jamming.
WEAPON CRAFTSMANSHIP
All the weapons detailed here are of Common
craftsmanship. For weapons of better or worse
manufacture use the following modifiers:
Poor: These cheaply constructed ranged
weapons are more prone to malfunction. A
ranged weapon of Poor craftsmanship has the
Unreliable quality. If the weapon already has this
quality then it will jam on any failed rolled to hit.
Melee weapons of Poor craftsmanship incur a
10 penalty to tests made to attack due to their
shoddy design.
Good: More carefully constructed and finished,
these weapons are consequently more reliable.
Ranged weapons of Good craftsmanship have
the Reliable quality. If it already has this quality
there is no further effect beyond the obvious fine
workmanship of the weapon. If a weapon
normally has the Unreliable quality, a good
craftsmanship version of that weapon does not
become Reliable; the two qualities cancel each
other out and the weapon ends up having
neither. Melee weapons of Good craftsmanship
add a +5 bonus to tests made to attack.
Best: A work of art as much as a weapon, these
items are created by skilled artisans and are often
centuries old. Ranged weapons of Best
craftsmanship never suffer from jamming or
overheating. If a roll would result in either of
these occurrences, simply count it as a miss
instead. Melee weapons of Best craftsmanship
add a +10 bonus to tests made to attack and add
1 to the Damage they inflict.
WEAPON SPECIAL QUALITIES
Some weapons possess special qualities to
represent such things as special damage or
unusual effects.
Accurate
Some weapons are designed with precision in
mind and respond superbly in skilled hands.
They grant an additional bonus of +10 to the
firers Ballistic Skill when used with an Aim
Action; this is in addition to the bonus granted
from Aiming. When firing a single shot from a
single Basic Weapon with the Accurate quality
benefiting from the Aim action, the attack gains
an extra d10 of damage for every two degrees of
success to a maximum of two extra d10.
Balanced
Some weapons are designed so that the weight of
the hilt balances the weight of the striking end,
making the weapon easier to wield while making
quick manoeuvres. Balanced weapons grant a
+10 bonus to Weapon Skill Tests made to Parry.
Blast (X)
Many missiles, grenades and some guns create
an explosion when they hit their target. When
working out a hit from a Blast weapon anyone
within the weapons blast radius in metres,
indicated by the number in parenthesis, is also
hit. Roll Hit Location and Damage individually
for each person affected by a blast.
Defensive
A Defensive weapon, such as a shield, is
intended to be used to block an enemys strikes
and is awkward when used offensively.
Defensive weapons grant a +15 bonus to tests
made when used to Parry, but take a 10 penalty
when used to make attacks.
Fast
The size and speed of this weapon makes it hard
for an enemy to protect against. Opponents take
a -20 penalty to their Weapon Skill Test when
attempting to Parry an attack from a Fast
weapon.
Flame
Flame weapons project a cone of flame out to the
range of the weapon. Unlike other weapons,
flamers have just one range, and when fired, cast
fiery death out to this distance. The wielder
makes a Ballistic Skill Test to determine only if
4
the weapon jams. If it doesn't, the weapon fires
successfully. All creatures in the flames path, a
cone-shaped area extending in a 30 degree arc
from the firer out to the weapons range, must
make an Agility Test or be struck by the flames
and take damage normally. To calculate
reduction from armour, assume anyone caught
in the flame's path has been hit in the body. If
they take damage, they must succeed on a
second Agility Test or be set on fire. Cover does
not protect characters from attacks made by
Flame weapons.
Normally when a weapon is fired without the
appropriate talent or a heavy weapon is fired
without bracing, the wielder suffers a 20 or 30
Ballistic Skill penalty, respectively (see page 130).
As Flame weapons do not require a Ballistic Skill
Test to hit, anyone in the area of effect of the
flames gains a +30 bonus to their Agility Test to
avoid damage (but not to avoid catching on fire!)
instead.
Flexible
Some weapons are made up from lots of loosely
connected segments or supple woven hides,
including chains and whips. Weapons with this
quality lash about violently when used to attack
and cannot be Parried.
Inaccurate
Weapons with this quality are either badly
designed or simply woefully made, and
regardless of the care taken when used, offer
little better than a lucky chance to hit. No bonus
is gained from the use of the Aim Action with
such weapons.
Overheats
Certain weapons are prone to overheating, either
because of poor design, reckless overcharging, or
the use of superheated ammunition. When a
weapon overheats, the wielder suffers Energy
Damage equal to the weapon's damage with a
Penetration of 0 to the arm location holding the
weapon (if the weapon was being held in both
hands, the wielder is assumed to have taken
damage to both arms, but does not suffer twice
the Damage). The wielder may choose to avoid
taking this Damage by dropping the overheating
weapon; it lands somewhere within a 1 metre
radius of the wielder. This is a Free Action. A
weapon that has overheated must spend the
Round afterwards cooling down and may not be
fired again until the second round after
overheating. A weapon with this Quality does
not Jam, and any effect that would cause the
weapon to Jam (i.e., sabotage, certain psychic
powers) instead causes the weapon to overheat.
Power Field
Crackling arcane energies wreath a weapon that
has this quality, drastically increasing is ability to
rend flesh and armour as compared to a normal
weapon of its type. When you successfully use
this weapon to Parry an attack made with a
weapon that lacks this quality, you have a 75%
chance of destroying your attackers weapon.
Certain weapons, such as those with the Warp
Weapon quality, are immune to this effect.
Primitive
Weapons with this quality are perfectly deadly
against unprotected flesh but have a hard time
cutting through modern armour. Any armour
that does not also have the Primitive quality
doubles its Armour Points against attacks made
by weapons with this quality. For example,
Guard Flak Armour (AP 4) hit with a Great
Weapon (Primitive quality and Pen 2) would
provide 6 points of armour: (4x2)-2.
5
Recharge
After it has been fired, a weapon with the
Recharge quality must spend time building up a
charge before it can be used again. This weapon
can effectively only be fired every other Round.
Reliable
Based on tried and true technology, Reliable
weapons seldom fail. If a Reliable weapon Jams,
roll 1d10. Only on a roll of 10 does it actually
jam, otherwise it is simply considered a miss.
Scatter
The standard ammunition of these weapons
spreads out when fired, hitting a wide area of the
targets body. If fired at a foe within Point Blank
range, this weapon scores an additional hit (use
Table 6-7: Multiple Hits on page 190 of Dark
Heresy) for every two degrees of success on the
attackers Ballistic Skill Test. However, the
widening spread of small projectiles hampers its
effectiveness. If a character is hit by a weapon
with this quality at Long or Extreme range, all
his Armour Points are doubled against that
attack.
Shocking
Shocking weapons can Stun their opponents
with a powerful surge of energy. A target that
takes at least 1 point of Damage from a Shocking
weapon, after reduction from Armour Points
and Toughness Bonus, must make a
Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or become
Stunned for a number of Rounds equal to half
the Damage they suffered. If the character hit is
wearing non-Primitive armour, they receive a
+10 bonus to this Test for every Armour Point
on the location hit.
Smoke
Rather than inflicting Damage, these weapons
throw up dense clouds of smoke to create
concealment. When a hit is scored from a
weapon with the Smoke quality, it creates a
smokescreen 3d10 metres in diameter from the
point of impact. The screen lasts for 2d10
Rounds before dissipating, though adverse
weather may reduce this time. See Dark Heresy,
page 210 for more information on the effects of
Smoke.
Snare
Weapons with this quality are designed to
entangle enemies. On a successful hit, the target
must make an Agility Test or be immobilised.
An immobilised target can attempt no other
actions except try to escape the bonds. He can
attempt to burst the bonds (a Challenging (+0)
Strength Test) or wriggle free (a Challenging
(+0) Agility Test) in his Turn. The target is
considered to be Helpless until he escapes.
Storm
These are purpose-built assault weapons
intended to shred targets apart with a flurry of
rapid-fire projectiles. Weapons with the Storm
quality double the number of shots they fire on
any mode, and likewise double the number of
hits scored on an enemy. For example, a Storm
weapon firing a Full Auto Burst scores two hits
for every degree of success, up to a maximum of
twice the weapons listed firing rate.
Tearing
Tearing weapons are vicious devices, often using
multitudes of fast moving jagged teeth or
fragmented or explosive ammunition to rip into
flesh and bone. These weapons roll one extra die
for Damage, and the lowest result is discarded.
6
Toxic
Some weapons rely on toxins and poisons to do
their real damage. Anyone that takes Damage
from a Toxic weapon, after reduction for
Armour and Toughness Bonus, must make a
Challenging (+0) Toughness Test with a -5
penalty for every point of Damage taken from
the Toxic weapons attack. Success indicates
there is no further effect from the weapon.
Failure however deals an immediate 1d10 points
of Impact Damage to the target with no
reduction for Armour or Toughness Bonus.
Twin-Linked
A twin-linked weapon is formed by combining
two identical weapons together, which are fired
by a single trigger pull (or button press). Twin-
linked weapons are built this way in order to
increase the chances of scoring a hit on the
enemy through the crude expedience of blasting
more shots at them. This type of weapon is a
popular feature on Imperial armoured vehicles
where its bulk and rapid ammunition
consumption are non-issues. A Twin-Linked
weapon fires twice as many shots, on all modes,
as the original weapons that were linked
together, and grants its firer a +20 bonus to hit
to his Ballistic Skill. The weapon may score one
additional hit beyond its normal total as long as
the attack succeeds by two or more degrees.
Finally, as each weapon has its own ammunition
feed, its reload time is doubled.
Unbalanced
Weapons with this quality tend to be overly large
or with weight focused on one end, allowing
them to make powerful attacks but preventing
quick defensive movements. A weapon with this
quality imposes a -10 penalty when used to
Parry.
Unreliable
Badly maintained or constructed or simply of a
sloppy design, these weapons are more likely to
misfire than others. An Unreliable weapon
suffers a Jam on a roll of 91 or higher on the
firers Ballistic Skill Test.
Unstable
Weapons with this quality use ammunition that
is both volatile and unstable and can react
unpredictably when detonated. When an
Unstable weapon scores a hit, roll 1d10. On a
score of 1 it inflicts only half Damage, on a score
of 29 it deals normal Damage, and on a score of
10 it inflicts twice the normal Damage.
Unwieldy
Huge and often top-heavy, Unwieldy weapons
are too awkward to be used defensively.
Unwieldy weapons cannot be used to Parry.
LAS WEAPONS
Produced by the millions on countless forge-
worlds, laser (las in parlance) weapons are by
far the most numerous type of weapon in the
Imperium as they are the basic tool of countless
soldiers of the Imperial Guard. While complex
to manufacture, their STC design is extremely
well understood and their great ruggedness
makes them the perfect weapon for the myriad
soldiers of the Hammer of the Emperor. Las
weapons can be found on almost any developed
planet, even outside the Imperium, and can be
found in the employ of xeno mercenary tribes
who favour them for the same reason as their
human betters. Aside from the very common
lasguns and las pistols, much larger lascannons
and multi-lasers are often mounted to Imperial
vehicles, and gigantic lance batteries arming
Imperial Navy battleships work off the same
principles as their humble infantry counterparts.
Las weapons work by emitting short, sharp
pulses of laser energy from high capacity fast-
discharge generators, with a flash of light and a
distinctive snap like the cracking of a whip when
the trigger is pulled. While there are many
variations of lasguns and pistols, produced in a
multitude of different styles and patterns, almost
all use a totally interchangeable power pack
whose design is sanctioned by the Departmento
Munitorium; Cadian lasguns facing the forces of
Chaos near the Eye of Terror and las pistols
carried by Adeptus Mechanicus Explorators in
7
the far reaches of Ultima Segmentum are
powered by a functionally identical power
source. The liquid metal core of the pack stores a
vast amount of thermal energy, and can be
recharged from any sort of standard power
source ranging from hive hab conduits,
shipboard transmission lines, or even the
generators of idling Imperial tanks. In a pinch,
simply exposing the charge pack to intense heat
or light over time will fill its reserves once more,
and Guardsmen cut off from resupply have been
known to toss their charge packs into campfires,
finding them blackened but both usable and
charged in the morning.
To use las weapons without penalty, a
character must have the Pistol Training (Las),
Basic Weapon Training (Las), or Heavy Weapon
Training (Las) talents.
RECHARGING POWER PACKS
Aside from their ease of use, the abundance of
ammunition in the form of standardized power
packs is a central reason for the staggering
number of las weapons in use by the forces of the
Imperium. Las power packs can be charged in
the field from almost any power source.
Characters may make an Ordinary (+10) Tech-
Use Test to charge a power pack as long as there
is some kind of power source available.
Examples might include municipal power jacks
in a hive city, portable battery units for powering
large equipment, or even currently-operating
machines. The time the pack takes to charge is
determined by the power output of the source
and is ultimately up to the GM, though
characters should expect at least an hour or so.
Alternatively, a power pack can be charged
simply by tossing it into open flames. This takes
around twenty-four hours, and permanently
reduces the packs Clip size by half the first time
it is charged in this fashion. A flame-charged
power pack causes a las weapon it is used in to
lose the Reliable quality, if it has it, or gain the
Unreliable quality if it doesnt. Each time a pack
is recharged in this way there is a 30% chance it
will be permanently rendered useless.
Las Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Duelling Las (Belasco) Pistol 45m S/-/- 1d10+5 E 5 1 Full Accurate 1.5kg 250 - Very Rare

Duelling Las (K-A) Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 4 1 Full Accurate, Tearing 1.7kg 220 - Very Rare

Hellpistol Pistol 35m S/2/- 1d10+4 E 7 40 2 Full - 4kg 2,500 - Rare

Laspistol (generic) Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+2 E 0 30 Full Reliable 1.5kg 50 - Common

Civitas Pistol 25m S/2/- 1d10+1 E 0 25 Full Reliable 2kg 35 - Common

Fury Pistol 20m S/2/5 1d10+2 E 0 30 Full Reliable 1.5kg 100 - Scarce

Mark IV Pistol 70m S/2/- 1d10+3 E 0 15 Full Accurate, Reliable 1.75kg 150 - Rare

Palatine Pistol 20m S/3/- 1d10+2 E 0 20 Full Reliable 1.1kg 100 - Average

Steel Burner Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 2 10 Full - 2.5kg 100 Fenksworld Very Rare

Las Gauntlets Pistol 50m S/4/- 1d10+4 E 1 20 Full Reliable 3kg 350 - Very Rare

Series-S Venom Pistol 10m S/-/- 1d10+1 E 0 15 - - 0.5kg 120 - Scarce

Not including power pack

Duelling Las
Based around the philosophy of a one shot
kill, Duelling Laspistols (or just Duelling Las for
short) are commonly worn as signs of wealth
and status by hive nobles and Rogue Traders.
While ostentatious and certainly designed with
image in mind, a Duelling Las is still nonetheless
a very deadly weapon that can generate an
extremely powerful las blast, and are accurate
enough to hit a single Throne at distances most
comparable pistols would only be able to hit a
man-sized target.
The Belasco Duelling Pistol is a product of
the famed Belasco Deathworks on Malfi,
engineered for a much longer effective range
than most laspistols and featuring an intricate
housing that looks impressive when tucked into
a belt or sash. In spite of its potency, it is capable
of using standard laspistol power packs, though
it drains them entirely with a single shot. It can
be used with an overcharge pack to the
detriment of the weapons reliability: if loaded
with one, it gains the Overheats quality.
The Khayer-Addin Forge in Gunmetal City
produces another high quality pistol known
simply as the Khayer-Addin Duelling Las. Its
range is somewhat inferior compared to the
Malfian design, but its use of a unique (and non-
sanctioned) charge pack allows it to fire a more
concentrated blast of significantly higher power.
Guns of this type hold a particular spot in
folklore in Gunmetal City, where theyre
popularly known as Valentines after a
mythical Metallican gunslinger of ages past.
Each power cell for a Khayer-Addin Duelling
Las has a base cost of 20 Thrones and is
considered Scarce on Scintilla and Rare
elsewhere. It cannot be combined with a hotshot
or overcharge pack.
Hellpistol
A popular sidearm among Inquisitorial agents
and Imperial Guard officers, Hellpistols are
probably best known for their use by crack
Storm Troopers. Thanks to their heavy-duty
focusing equipment and discharge cells,
Hellpistols have a far superior ability to burn
though well-armoured targets, and can cut down
all matters of foes that would mock an ordinary
laspistols bolts. Hellpistols are somewhat
bulkier than most sidearms due to their external
power supplies, though few would argue the
value of their destructive power against the cost
of the extra mass.
A Hellpistol makes use of a capacitor weighing
10kg that is normally slung at the small of the
users back, with a cable power feed connecting
it to the pistols grip. This configuration

8
provides the stated Clip size in the above table.
Larger power packs intended for prolonged
combat operations can be used instead; these
increase the Clip size to 150 and weigh 25kg.
Hellpistols can also make use of standard
laspistol charge packs though their power-
hungry nature consumes them quickly (its Clip
size becomes 10). If used with an overcharge
pack, its Clip size becomes 3 and it gains the
Overheats quality.
Hellpistols include a hard-wired Targeter,
granting its user a +10 bonus to Ballistic Skill
Tests made to attack with it. This built-in device
does not count towards the weapons one sight
limit.
Laspistol
Laspisols are common and widespread devices
used by Guardsmen and gangers alike thanks to
their ease of use and simple, reliable design.
Many laspistol patterns exist within the
Imperium, and the most common types, such as
the Galaxy-M used by Cadian sergeants or the
Lucius-pattern favoured by Krieg gunners are so
similar that, functionally, they may as well be the
same weapon. There are also more exotic sorts of
laspistols that include various unique features.
Civitas Pattern: This is a simple utility
weapon of extremely ancient design, and can
commonly be found as a self-defence pistol
carried by hab-workers or serving as a backup
weapon to gangers wielding powerful if less
reliable autoguns. It is bulkier and less efficient
than common military patterns due to its cheap
manufacture, but even if left in a drawer or stuck
to the bottom of a desk for decades, a Civitas
owner can rest assured that his weapon will
always shoot.
Fury Assault Pistol: A quick-firing laspistol
suitable for use by shock troops and capable of
laying down a barrage of las-bolts. The Furys
range is inferior to most laspistols due to its
rapid discharging cells, but it is an ideal weapon
to use against large numbers of foes. It is often
paired with a close combat weapon, such as a
chainsword, and many of its users rarely shoot it
9
once theyve closed into hand-to-hand combat
with the enemy.
Mark IV Command Laspistol: Well made for
accuracy and beam cohesion, this type of
sidearm can rival full-size lasguns for striking
range. The Mark IV is a favourite of Imperial
Guard squad leaders, allowing them to engage
foes at the same distance as their soldiers can,
and its bright and narrow beam can also be used
to point out targets of opportunity, even
during a pitched battle situation.
Palatine Compact Laspistol: A superior
laspistol manufactured by the Takara Fane of
Gunmetal City. The Palatine has equal stopping
power to many other laspistols in spite of being
nearly half the size of a standard military
pattern. It is easy to conceal and easier to carry
all day, making it equally popular with hive
nobles as well as mercenaries and assassins.
Given Takaras image as a provider to exclusive
clients, Palatine pistols with heavily embellished
and decorated housings are manufactured to
order, with some costing upwards of three times
the base models price.
The Palatines small size and smooth body
grants a +10 bonus to Sleight of Hand Tests
made to conceal it.
Steel Burner Heavy Laspistol: The Sollex sect
of the Cult Mechanicus produces this handheld
lascannon at its headquarters on Haddrak in
the Drusus Marches. Aside from equipping
Sollexs own Tech-Guard and Magos Militants,
the Sollex Pattern-VII (as it is officially known)
is manufactured for distribution on Fenksworld
as well. The Steel Burner is a favoured pistol
among those with the Thrones to spare, but it is
especially treasured in the Volg hive where
weapons with the ability to defeat well-protected
creatures are always in high demand and short
supply. The Belasco Deathworks and the Takara
Fane have all tried to reproduce this weapon in
their own forges without success.
Sollex las weapons can use standard power
packs but drain them more quickly than most
due to their powerful beams. They can be used
with hotshot or overcharge packs, but gain the
Overheats quality as their generators arent
designed to safely handle the extra power. Sollex similarly to a las power pack. Because of its
las weapons have Scarce Availability on strange appearance, its user does not appear to
Fenksworld and are Very Rare elsewhere. be armed if searched while carrying it unless the
searcher is familiar with the Venoms design.
Las Gauntlets
These strange weapons use standard power
packs but otherwise have very little in common
with other las weapons used in the Imperium,
and there has been some speculation that they
may even be of xenos origin. Each fits over the
forearm with controls built into a glove and the
user sights down the line of his arm. Las
Gauntlets produce a thin raking beam rather
than the crisp blast of most lasguns which
creates an impressive visual. They are primarily
considered the plaything of nobles and are often
used for hunting game at closer ranges, while
those who employ them for real combat are far
between. There are a select few examples of
assassins who favour style over efficiency using
Las Gauntlets to kill their marks.
Because of their strange architecture, Las
Gauntlets gain the Unstable quality if used with
an overcharge pack and cannot be used with
hotshot packs at all.

Series-S Venom Compact Pistol

This Belasco-made pistol is a highly unusual
pattern and one benefitting the treacherous
reputation of Malfi. The Venom is a highly
compact laspistol designed for covert use. It
takes the shape of a flat disk that is grasped in
the hand, with the short barrel-emitter
projecting between the middle fingers. It is fired
by applying pressure to a hidden trigger, and
must be firmly grasped before it will shoot as a
safety feature. Eminently concealable, the
Venom is an excellent tool for murder and
espionage, making it widely favoured both on
Malfi and beyond, though it is neither as
expensive nor rare as its other local rival, the
infamous Mariette pistol.
The Venom is powered via an internal non-
removable power cell rather than Munitorium-
sanctioned power packs. It cannot be reloaded,
but can be recharged via a standard port

10
Las Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Assault Lasgun Basic 50m S/-/5 1d10+3 E 0 120 2 Full Reliable 4.5kg 250 - Average

Hellgun Basic 110m S/3/- 1d10+4 E 7 30 2 Full - 6kg 2,700 - Rare

Hellgun (Dlaku) Basic 100m S/3/5 1d10+3 E 4 40 2 Full - 9kg 500 Lathes Scarce

Lascannon Heavy 300m S/-/- 5d10+10 E 10 5 2 Full - 55kg 5,000 - Very Rare

Lascarbine (generic) Basic 60m S/2/- 1d10+2 E 0 40 Full Reliable 3kg 75 - Common

Death Light Basic 80m S/3/- 1d10+5 E 2 18 Full - 7.2kg 250 Fenksworld Scarce

Locke Basic 60m S/2/- 1d10+4 E 0 40 Full Unreliable 2.5kg 100 - Scarce

Minerva-Aegis Basic 60m S/4/8 1d10+2 E 0 40 Full Reliable 4.1kg 150 - Scarce

Lascutter Heavy 5m S/-/- 2d10+3 E 6 10 2 Full - 8kg 370 - Rare

Lasgun (generic) Basic 100m S/3/- 1d10+3 E 0 60 Full Reliable 4kg 100 - Common

Drusus Prime Basic 100m S/2/- 1d10+3 E 0 50 Full Reliable 7kg 50 - Common

Mark III Basic 100m S/3/- 1d10+3 E 0 60 Full Reliable 4kg 75 - Average

Roth Basic 120m S/2/- 1d10+2 E 0 60 Full Reliable 4kg 175 - Rare

Stormfront Basic 100m S/3/- 1d10+3 E 0 60 Full Reliable 5kg 200 - Very Rare

Laslock Basic 70m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 0 1 Full Unreliable, Unstable 4kg 40 - Plentiful

Long Las Basic 150m S/-/- 1d10+3 E 1 40 Full Accurate, Reliable 4.5kg 100 - Scarce

Multi-Laser Heavy 250m -/-/10 3d10+3 E 4 60 3 Full - - 2,000 - Scarce

Twin Lasgun Basic 100m S/2/- 1d10+4 E 0 18 Full Tearing, Unreliable 7kg 220 - Rare

Not including power pack

Merovech Assault Lasgun
Class: Basic (Las)
An unusual lasgun intended for use by
Imperial Navy boarding teams and equally
popular among pirates and other scummers who
deal in up-close work, this sturdy weapon
includes two separate receptacles for charge
packs. When one is depleted, the user can switch
over to the other as a Free Action, effectively
granting an immediate reloading. This has
obvious utility in a situation where having to
stop and fumble for a fresh charge pack can have
lethal consequences. It also features an integral
bayonet for close quarters encounters. The
Assault Lasguns range is inferior to that of most
others since the second charge pack takes up
valuable stock space and the barrel had to be
shortened to keep its overall profile similar.
This weapon can also be fitted with any
combination of standard, overcharge, and
hotshot packs, allowing a skilled trooper a lot of
flexibility. In melee, the Assault Lasgun is
considered a mono-edged spear.
Hellgun
Class: Basic (Las)
Hellguns are the favoured weapons of the
Imperial Guards crack Storm Troopers, and are
also frequently used by their Inquisitorial
counterparts as well. With heavy-duty focusing
equipment and discharge cells, a hellgun is
capable of burning through a heavily armoured
enemy with ease.
A Hellgun makes use of a capacitor weighing
10kg that is normally slung at the small of the
users back, with a cable power feed connecting
it to the guns charge port. This configuration
provides the stated Clip size in the above table.
Larger power packs intended for prolonged
combat operations can be used instead; these
increase the Clip size to 120 and weigh 25kg.
Hellguns can also make use of standard lasgun
charge packs though their power-hungry nature

11
consumes them quickly (its Clip size becomes 8).
If used with an overcharge pack, its Clip size
becomes 3 and it gains the Overheats quality.
Hellguns include a Targeter that is hard-wired
into the weapon, granting its user a +10 bonus to
Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack with it. This
built-in device does not count towards the one
sight limit.
Dlaku Crusade Hellgun
Class: Basic (Las)
This ancient pattern of Hellgun is closely
associated with the Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii
Secutors, and was once used by those cohorts
during the Angevin Crusade to conquer the
Calixis Sector. Out of reverence for that history,
this antique Hellgun pattern is still commonly
used by the Secutors of the present, and is
manufactured in the Mechanicus famed Lathe
Worlds. The Dlaku-pattern differs markedly
from newer Hellguns, favouring rapid-fire over
beam intensity and lacking the built-in Targeter
that is a hallmark of the weapons manufactured
by Voss and Lucius. It is powered by an external
capacitor (weight 10kg) typically attached to the
Secutors back, though it can make use of both
standard lasgun charge and overcharge packs
(Clip size becomes 12 or 6, respectively) or
newer backpack units (weight 25kg, Clip size
becomes 150).
The Dlaku Crusade Hellgun has an
Availability of Scarce in the Lathe system and
Very Rare on other Forge Worlds, and is
typically not encountered anywhere else.
Man-Portable Lascannon
Class: Heavy (Las)
Most commonly encountered on Imperial
armoured vehicles, lascannons are devastatingly
powerful weapons capable of accurately
punching through heavy armour at long range.
By stripping down a vehicular lascannon of
extraneous hardware, a man-portable version
can be created for use by heavy weapons teams
or in fixed defensive positions. Lascannons
require separate power packs which cannot be
recharged once depleted, so they are virtually
12
always deployed as part of a two- or three-man
team and rarely moved during an ongoing battle.
A man-portable lascannon can be dismantled
into the lascannon (25kg), power pack (15kg),
and tripod (10kg), allowing two or three
characters to move it around without becoming
drastically encumbered. Setting up or taking
down a lascannon takes at least one minute.
Lascarbine
Class: Basic (Las)
Lascarbines are shortened and lightened
versions of the more typical lasgun, intended for
use at close quarters by assault troops or as a
more effective weapon than a pistol by vehicle
and artillery crews. Like lasguns, lascarbines
exist in a massive number of makes and patterns
and are manufactured throughout the
Imperium, with most being similar enough to be
virtually interchangeable. Some more unique
lascarbines are listed here. All lascarbines are
compact enough that they impart a -10 rather
than -20 penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests if wielded
with one hand, and can also be fired in melee as
if they were pistols.
Death Light Lasgun: Made to the
requirements of Fenksworlds Magnagorsk
guild, the Death Light is another Sollex sect
product that produces fearsomely powerful las-
bolts compared to similar weapons of its size.
Officially known as the Sollex Pattern-IX, this
compact weapon includes a folding stock and is
commonly used by low-ranking Tech-Guard
soldiers. It can burn through the thick insulation
suits worn by many in the Magnagorsk hive, and
is sought after among those seeking a reliable
and potent weapon who dont might the
excessive weight of a gun designed for use by
augmented Skitarii troops.
Sollex las weapons can use standard power
packs but drain them more quickly than most
due to their powerful beams. They can be used
with hotshot or overcharge packs, but gain the
Overheats quality as their generators arent
designed to safely handle the extra power. Sollex
las weapons have Scarce Availability on
Fenksworld and are Very Rare elsewhere.
 Locke Pattern: This lascarbine looks similar
to a Galaxy-pattern used by Cadian shock troops
but with a significantly enlarged housing around
the charge port and a heavier barrel. The Lockes
discharge capacitors are grossly oversized, and it
fires a wide beam with significantly more punch
than common lascarbine models. However, its
machine spirit has not taken well to this
modification, resulting in frequent jams and
misfires. In spite of this, there are many shooters
in the Calixis Sector who believe the increased
firepower merits the risk that their weapon will
fail at an untimely moment.
Locke pattern lascarbines can be used with
overcharge or hotshot packs but can become
dangerously unstable and gains the Overheats
rule. If the weapon overheats, roll 1d10. On a 9
or 10, the Lockes housing violently explodes,
ruining the weapon and inflicting damage as a
Frag Grenade (including the Blast size).
Minerva-Aegis: Popular with the more
notable mercenary companies and private guild
armsmen, the Minerva-Aegis is a very
sophisticated lascarbine that features a high
cycle-charge chamber that can let off a rapid
pulse of las-bolts. This advanced feature is a
product of research on the Aegis Data Fragment
13
which the Mechanicus has seen fit to title to the
Takara Fane of Gunmetal City; in small measure,
it is a mass-produced archeotech weapon, and a
sign of discerning judgment and ample funds
among those who wield them. Its complex
design requires the use of much higher quality
raw materials than most lasguns which leads to
the Minerva-Aegis expensive cost and its status
as the sign of a successful mercenary.
Mezoa-Pattern Lascutter
Class: Heavy (Las)
Lascutters emit a dagger-shaped blast of
extremely high energy and are most commonly
used to cut through bulkheads and thick, heavy
structure walls. Most lascutters are too large to
be used except on wheeled carriages or
construction servitors: the Mezoa-pattern
mentioned here is one of the few that is small
and light enough to be man-portable. Lascutters
are markedly inferior to plasma or melta
versions of the same tool, but are also much
easier and less dangerous to operate, and can be
used by anyone familiar with las weaponry.
Mezoa-pattern lascutters are commonly used by
combat engineers to carve through barricades or
bypass enemy ambushes in built-up areas.
 A lascutter can be used to cut through walls
and other large objects up to 5 cm thick at rate of
25 cm per round. This consumes one shot from
the lascutters clip. The Mezoa-pattern lascutter
is powered by two standard lasgun charge packs,
which are drained equally with each use and
must both be replaced when reloading. It cannot
be used with overcharge or hotshot packs.
Lasgun
Class: Basic (Las)
Nothing is more synonymous with the
Imperial Guard and other ground troops than
the lasgun. Ubiquitous and widespread, lasguns
are reliable, sturdy, and exist in a myriad of
different patterns and makes, most of which are
similar enough to be considered the same
weapon. These common lasguns can be
equipped with different sorts of charge packs,
and all include the appropriate hardware to
attach a one-handed melee weapon as a bayonet.
Because of their extremely high production
figures, lasguns are used by cultists, gangers, and
other foes of the Imperium almost as often as its
loyal defenders. Some more exotic patterns of
lasguns are listed here.
Drusus Prime Pattern: This simple lasgun
was made in large numbers to equip the growing
forces of Saint Drusus followers during the
Angevin Crusade, and can still be found in the
armouries of various PDFs in the Calixis Sector,
and some dusty (though still wholly functional)
examples hang on the walls of descendants of
warriors from that time. While official
production of the Drusus Prime ended centuries
ago, many of those extremely robust weapons
can still be found in use, and clones are
manufactured in smaller forges throughout the
sector. According to collectors, authentic
Crusade-era lasguns can be identified by the
more detailed stamping of Saint Drusus likeness
on the housing, which is crude or absent entirely
on reproductions. In all cases, these bulky and
blocky weapons are very robust, and can easily
be used as a bludgeoning melee weapon (treat
this function as a staff).
14
Mars-Pattern Mark III Lasgun: Made in
large numbers on the forges of Malfi and
Scintilla, this particular pattern of lasgun has
been in use since M36 and was chosen as the
standard model for most Imperial Guard
regiments raised in the Calixis Sector. It is
mentioned by name in the Imperial
Infantrymans Uplifting Primer as the
Guardsmans Friend and is combination of
easy to use sights and ergonomic grips make it
one of the more popular lasguns employed by
the Imperial Guard.
Roth Lightning Lasgun: An unusual pattern
of lasgun, the Roth is fairly unremarkable at first
glance until one recognises that its power packs
are loaded into a port under the stock, rather
than the centre housing. By moving back the
innards of the gun, the Roth can use a longer
barrel while maintaining the standard lasgun
profile. This pattern is favoured by
sharpshooters who operate in situations where
the more accurate but unwieldy long las can
impair movement.
Stormfront Lasgun: This is a local variant
of the very widespread Kantrael and is only
encountered in any large numbers in the Calixis
Sector. A polished wood stock and brass
hardware create a more classic look than the
blockish greens and camouflaged polysteel of
other lasguns, and its suitability for use in close
combat with a folding bayonet makes it popular
with Guard regiments that favour assaults, such
as the Brontian Longknives. If used as a melee
weapon, treat the Stormfront as a mono-edge
spear with the Balanced quality.
Laslock
Class: Basic (Las)
Sometimes known as blaze guns or las-
muskets, these are extremely primitive and
rudimentary lasguns that are often scratch built
by scav-workshops and insurgent armourers;
they are not manufactured commercially or used
by any official Imperial authorities. Laslocks are
variously assembled from industrial components
or ruined lasguns that have been shoddily
reconstructed, and are powered by clunky
battery units and temperamental power
capacitors. Their reliability is far lower than
common lasguns, both in terms of shots fired as
well as the power of the beam itself, and a laslock
is just as likely to produce a very large and
powerful blast as it is a fizzle of sparks.
Laslocks cannot be used with any normal
power packs. Their battery units can be
scavenged from all sorts of hardware, with a base
cost of 2 Thrones and an Availability of Plentiful
on Hive and Forge Worlds and Abundant on
most others.
Long Las
Class: Basic (Las)
The long las is a snipers lasgun, heavily
optimized for accuracy and beam cohesion over
long range. Because of their substantial barrels
and adjustable stocks, a long las is difficult to
manoeuvre in tight spots or in close combat,
though this is a minor concern to most common
military users. Most long las are fitted with a
large tubular noise dampener at the muzzle
which significantly reduces the volume of the
gun firing. However, the bright laser beam can
give away the firers position, something that
expert marksmen believe is an unacceptable risk.
All common long las patterns are considered
to have a silencer installed, and usually include a
telescopic sight which can be replaced with other
sights with an Easy (+30) Trade (Armourer)
Test or an Ordinary (+10) Tech-Use or Trade
(Technomat) Test.
Multi-Laser
Class: Heavy (Las)
Multi-lasers are variously described as fast-
firing lascannons or giant hellguns, and are
highly effective weapons against enemy infantry
and lightly armoured vehicles. A multi-laser fires
in long bursts of powerful concentrated las-bolts
that pale into comparison to a full-size
lascannon but can still punch through common
infantry armour with ease. This makes them
excellent suppression weapons, and as a result
they are most frequently employed on Chimera
armoured personnel carriers and Sentinel
15
walkers where they can feed from the vehicles
power systems and support attached soldiers.
Because of their power requirements and the
inability of portable supports to adequately
stabilize them, multi-lasers are never deployed as
infantry-portable weapons.
Twin Lasgun
Class: Basic (Las)
Also known as a Lasburst Gun, twin-barrelled
lasguns of this type were once popular as far
back as the Age of Apostasy due to their heavy
firepower. With both barrels firing a single
intense beam, a Lasburst can inflict savage
oblong wounds on those hit by it. However, they
have always been finicky and temperamental
weapons, and with the Imperial Guards
emphasis on guns with high reliability since then
this sort of weapon was doomed to obscurity. No
major forges have produced twin lasguns for
millennia, but many of the old models are still in
use by mercenaries and hunters, and a few lesser
munitions factories are known to produce
replicas for those who dont mind their tendency
to chew up charge packs.
If a twin lasgun jams, there is a 50% chance
that its charge pack is ruined.
POWER PACK BOMBS
Guardsmen who are in the know have been
able to improvise their lasguns into bombs by
cutting out certain safety features and setting the
charge packs to build up a runaway energy
reaction. Such a manoeuvre would only be
sanctioned during an emergency, such as to
cover a withdrawal or prevent weapons from
becoming captured by the enemy. Any basic or
pistol-class las weapon with a charge pack that is
at least half full can be made to explode like a
Frag Grenade with a Difficult (-10) Tech-Use
Test. The gun explodes 1d5+1 Rounds later.
SOLID PROJECTILE
WEAPONS
Commonly known as slug-throwers, solid
projectile weapons are extremely common
throughout the Imperium and are popular
Imperial servants and citizens as well as
renegades and recidivists alike. While a distant
second to las weapons in the ranks of the
Imperial Guard, members of the Inquisition and
Adeptus Arbites often use solid projectile
weapons, and gangers are especially pronounced
about their love for slug-throwers: ease of
manufacture, versatility in combat, bewildering
array and varieties, and, of course, the satisfying
sound they make when rattling off bullets at a
foe. Slug-throwers can offer a weapon for all
occasions. Where theres a will, theres a gun.
Handheld solid projectile weapons tend to be
broken down into two major categories:
autoguns and stubbers.
Autoguns are synonymous with the
Imperiums forges and munitoriums, with the
first patterns coming into being during the Great
Crusade and propagating throughout the galaxy
since. Today there are likely as many styles of
autoguns as there are stars, and they come in all
shapes and sizes, from simple autopistols that
can be strapped to the side of a gangers boot to
massive vehicular autocannons that can punch
through any personal armour and violently
explode its wearer, and even the great
macrocannons of Imperial Navy battleships fall
into this style of weapon. Most autoguns use
square caseless rounds that are just as ubiquitous
as the guns themselves, and it isnt unheard of worlds isnt unknown. Stubbers have by and
for bullets to be used as currency on some large been replaced by autoguns in the millennia
particularly brutal worlds and among underhive since the formation of the Imperium, but some
scummers. styles have persevered in spite of their antiquity,
Stubbers are far older, and go back as far as and the occasional stubber design of a totally
known history reaches. Compared to autoguns, new vintage has rolled off more than a few major
stubbers use metal-cased ammunition, spraying forges in the last millennia.
hot spent cartridges into the air when fired. On To use the various classes of solid projectile
the whole they are significantly simpler than weapons you must have the Pistol Training (SP),
autoguns, and finding indigenous stubber Basic Weapon Training (SP) or Heavy Weapon
patterns on more highly-developed feudal Training (SP) talents.

16
Solid Projectile Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Autopistol (generic) Pistol 30m S/-/6 1d10+2 I 0 18 Full - 2.5kg 75 - Common

Disposable Pistol Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+2 I 0 8 2 Full Inaccurate, Unreliable 2kg 15 - Ubiquitous

Encarmine Pistol 20m S/3/8 1d10 I 0 24 Full - 2kg 90 - Average

Hecutor Pistol 30m S/3/6 1d10+3 I 0 15 Full Reliable 2kg 175 - Average

Naval Pistol Pistol 20m S/3/- 1d10+4 I 0 6 Full Tearing 3kg 120 - Scarce

Orthlack Mark IV Pistol 20m S/-/6 1d10+4 I 0 12 Full - 2.5kg 75 - Scarce

Puritan-14 Pistol 20m S/3/6 1d10+2 I 0 15 Full - 1.7kg 100 - Scarce

As shotgun Pistol 15m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 1 Full Scatter

Salvation Pistol 10m S/3/- 1d10 I 0 7 - - 0.7kg 80 - Common

Talon Mark III Pistol 30m S/2/6 1d10+2 I 0 18 Full - 2.3kg 70 - Common
Primitive, Reliable,
Flametongue Pistol 20m S/-/- 1d10+6 I 0 2 2 Full 2kg 140 - Rare
Tearing
Hand Cannon (generic) Pistol 35m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 2 5 2 Full - 3kg 65 - Average

.54 Tranter Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+5 I 2 7 Full Unreliable 3.5kg 95 - Common

Carnodon Pistol 35m S/3/- 1d10+4 I 2 6 Full Accurate 2.5kg 200 - Scarce

Fate Bringer Pistol 40m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 2 5 2 Full Accurate, Reliable 1.6kg 200 - Rare

Stormchild Pistol 35m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 2 5 2 Full - 3kg 65 - Average

Inaccurate, Scatter,
Hack Shotgun Pistol 10m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 1 2 Full 3kg 60 - Common
Tearing
Mariette Pistol 20m S/2/- 2d5+3 I 0 1 2 Full Tearing 0.5k 400 - Rare

Mercy Killer Pistol 20m S/-/- 1d10+2 I 0 1 2 Full Inaccurate, Unreliable 1kg 10 - Plentiful
5
Panoptic Pistol 35m S/2/- 1d10+3 I 0 2 Full Reliable 2kg 225 - Rare
(x2)
Ripper Clip Pistol 20m -/-/6 1d10+2 I 0 12 Full Inaccurate, Unreliable 3kg 40 Volg Common

Ripper Pistol Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+1 I 7 8 Full Tearing, Toxic 4kg 2,000 - Extremely Rare

Shotgun Pistol Pistol 10m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 1 Full Reliable, Scatter 1kg 60 - Average

Stub Automatic (generic) Pistol 30m S/3/- 1d10+3 I 0 9 Full - 1.5kg 50 - Plentiful

Armsman-10 Pistol 35m S/3/- 1d10+3 I 0 13 Full - 1.5kg 75 - Plentiful

Dorcas Pattern Pistol 30m S/3/- 1d10+3 I 0 9 Half - 1.5kg 125 - Rare

Phobos Stubber Pistol 30m S/3/- 1d10+3 I 0 9 Full - 1.3kg 50 - Plentiful

Stub Revolver (generic) Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 0 6 2 Full Reliable 1kg 40 - Plentiful

Scalptaker Pistol 35m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 0 6 2 Full Reliable 2kg 40 - Plentiful

Autopistol quite a bit of firepower in a relatively small

Small but effective, autopistols are the
preferred backup weapon of many military types
who need a compact but rapid-firing gun for
situations where their main long-arm is
unsuitable. They are also the sidearm of choice
for many gangers and outlaws as they conceal
package that can be stuffed into a pocket and
carried all day, while more than a few of those
scummers have met their end from another
autopistol wielded by an Arbitrator opposite his
suppression shield. Numerous autopistol
patterns throughout the Imperium are similar
enough to fall into this weapons entry, while the

17
fanes and forges in the Calixis Sector produce
some more exotic variants as listed below.
Disposable Pistol: Stripped down to the bare
minimum of functioning parts, autopistols of
this type can be commonly found in shipboard
and flyer survival kits, and exist in a multitude of
shapes and sizes in just about every corner of
Imperial space. Because they are poorly made
and prone to misfiring, with a clip that is
intentionally hard to remove as a precaution
against it coming loose, most accomplished
pistol fighters consider these weapons easier to
throw away than to reload. Even the most
destitute of the Imperiums citizens can typically
afford to stuff one of these weapons into their
belts, while there are assassins who have been
known to use such pistols simply because they
can be effortlessly discarded after completing a
contract. Disposable pistols cannot be equipped
with any special ammunition.
Sulymann Encarmine Service Pistol: This is
a fairly advanced autopistol that crams a large
number of bullets into its small frame. This
combination of small size and high capacity
makes it a common sidearm by second liners
such as plainclothes enforcers, hauler rig crews,
and construction foremen. It also enjoys
widespread popularity as a self-defence weapon
for hab-workers who dont trust shaky, panicked
hands to reloading a fresh clip (or taking steady
aim for that matter).
Hecutor 9/5 Combat Autopistol: Often
regarded on Scintilla as the prince among
pistols, this exceptionally well-made autopistol
is one of Hax-Orthlacks most famous products,
and for centuries Hecutors have flown off the
forges of Gunmetal City into waiting holsters as
fast as the workers can make them. It is a firm
favourite among Metallican gunslingers and
Malfian bloodsworn alike, showing that even the
feuding parties of the Scintilla-Malfi dispute can
put aside their differences if only to agree on the
superiority of the Hecutors design.
Naval Pistol: Heavy-duty autopistols that
have long been associated with the Imperial
Navy, naval pistols are solid and rugged, easily
being capable of being used as a club in melee
18
combat. They are considered part of a ships
arsenal rather than an issued weapon, and the
name of the vessel to which they were attached is
stamped into the pistols housing. Naval pistols
from famous warships are thus particularly
sought after by collectors, though this has
dubious legality and weapons of this type are not
offered for sale by any forges that manufacture
them. Naval pistols are designed to make use of
specialty fragmenting ammunition which can rip
through the bodies of mutinying ratings without
causing major damage to a ships hardware and
systems. In a pinch, they can also be used with
other types of autopistol ammunition (but lose
the Tearing quality in doing so).
Naval pistol ammunition has a base cost of 30
Thrones on the black market and are Rare items.
Orthlack Mark IV Thollos: This large-calibre
autopistol has a strong following among junior
officers of many Calixian Guard regiments as
well as Planetary Defence Forces who favour its
superior stopping power when compared to
regulation sidearms. As an Orthlack weapon it is
also considered to have the tacit approval of
Lord Sector Hax, and it has become a tradition
among old military families for sons and
daughters to receive a commemoratively
inscribed and personalized Thollos to mark their
first commission.
Hax-Orthlack Puritan-14 Double Pistol:
Squat and ugly, the Puritan-14 is a pure combat
pistol meant to impress with killing power rather
than looks. The area ahead of the pistols grip is
occupied by a muzzle-loading shotgun chamber,
giving the weapon a very boxy and, according to
gangers, business-like look. This pistol is
produced explicitly for Lord Haxs Magistratum
enforcers, and is the standard sidearm of the
elite Crimson Sashes unit. Many have also
turned up in the hands of Adeptus Arbites
troopers who share the Magistratums approval
of brutally efficient weapons, and there are more
than a few on the black market as well. The
Puritan-14 can fire its autopistol or shotgun
barrel at the firers discretion but cannot shoot
both in the same round. Firing the shotgun
imposes a -10 penalty to the users Ballistic Skill
unless the weapon is held in two hands, owing to
its fierce recoil.
Sulymann Salvation Holdout Pistol: The
Salvation is an extremely compact pistol no
larger than a thick deck of cards and intended
for use by merchants, adepts, and common
citizens who are untrained in weapons. It is
entirely self-contained and easy to use with no
extraneous levers or knobs, but is also ill-suited
for anything but emergency self-defence use
since it must be partially dismantled to reload its
internal ammunition supply.
The Salvations small size grants a +10 bonus
to Sleight of Hand Tests made to conceal it, and
the firer suffers no penalties for shooting it
without the appropriate Talent.
Sulymann Talon III Autopistol: The Talon is
a fully-automatic, medium-calibre pistol that
offers a good combination of firepower and clip
capacity in a package that is modestly easier to
wield than more common autopistol types. It is
easily maintained and uses a lot of commonly
19
available parts, and Talon shooters have been
known to replace broken components with those
borrowed from machines or hab equipment with
no loss of function. This pistol enjoys
widespread appeal among gangers and enforcers
alike and many street battles in Gunmetal City
and Hive Sibellus lower levels have been fought
with both parties using the Talon III.
This pistol can be used with common military
autogun clips, increasing its Clip size to 30 at the
expense of making it harder to manoeuvre. The
added bulk imposes a -10 penalty to Ballistic
Skill Tests made to attack with it unless the
shooter uses two hands to hold it.
Flametongue Howdah Pistol
The Fykos Forge of Gunmetal City is a
prestigious clan of master gunsmiths who
specialise in elaborate and finely made hunting
weapons, and the Flametongue pistol is no
different. This simple and reliable weapon
resembles a master-crafted hack shotgun that is
chambered to fire huge, custom-made soft alloy
rounds that break apart on impact to cause
horrific wounds. Intended as a last line of
defence should a hunter be ambushed by a
dangerous thin-skinned predator, there is an
expression among professional game hunters
that anything that cant be put down with both
shots from a Flametongue is probably something
that shouldnt be hunted in the first place.
Flametongue rounds have a base cost of 10
Thrones each and are Rare.
Hand Cannon
Hand Cannon is a common expression to
refer to very large stub automatics or revolvers
that are intended to fire heavy-calibre shots.
Pistols of this type are not combat weapons by
design most are intended for use in hunting
dangerous creatures, but their large and high
velocity projectiles can be used to fell men just as
easily as beasts. Most only hold a few thumb-
sized bullets within them, and shooters who
intend to take hand cannons to a gun battle are
well advised to aim carefully. Because of fierce
recoil, hand cannons must be fired with two
hands or else suffer a -10 penalty to the shooters
Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack with them.
Revolver-type hand cannons can be unjammed
as a Half Action rather than a Full Action.
.54 Tranter: This is a giant stub automatic
with an operating system more commonly found
on full size autoguns. Because they use a
removable clip rather than an internal cylinder,
the Tranter can be reloaded more quickly than
most hand cannons, making it at least somewhat
suitable for use in a battle. Pistols of this type are
sometimes referred to as a poor mans bolter
due to their great takedown power. However, the
weapons operating parts are notoriously finicky
and it is prone to jamming, a trait rarely found
among stubbers. That said, the pistols
intimidating size and shape as well as the racket
it makes when shooting means its still quite
popular in spite of its lack of reliability, and
underhive workshops and heretek tinkerers
produce this pattern of hand cannon on every
major hive and forge world. The Belasco
20
Deathworks also produce this pistol, and while
having a higher quality of fit and finish, their
version is somehow just as prone to jamming as
the underhive knock-offs.
Because of its monstrous size and recoil, even
among hand cannons, the .54 Tranter is
considered a Basic weapon unless the shooter as
at least a Strength Bonus of 4.
Westingkrup Carnodon Precision Pistol:
No mere blunt tool, the Carnodon is finely made
and well-balanced, with some claiming it fits in
the hand better than many lighter autopistols.
This stub automatic is intentionally designed to
resemble a bolt pistol, bulky yet elegant, and is
an accurate and powerful weapon when placed
in skilled hands. Carnodon pistols fetch a high
price in arms markets, so wearing one is a sign of
status among underhive gangs in Scintillas Hive
Sibellus, while more than a few troopers of the
Adeptus Arbites have spent their own wages to
pick up a Carnodon of their own thanks to its
many positive qualities (not the least of which
being the intimidation factor of blowing a
gangers head clean off). A few have also been
picked up by Acolytes of the Calixian Conclave
and enforcers of Calixis great houses.
Khayer-Addin Fate Bringer Revolver: A
perfectly balanced and sleek pistol, this very
large stub revolver looks smaller than it actually
is thanks to its attractive shape. Well-made
revolvers of this type are commonly used to
settle affairs of honour among hive nobles as
they have the requisite combination of
showmanship and killing power necessary to win
a duel in one shot. They also make fine hunting
weapons and target pistols, and a few assassins
have been known to make use of a Fate Bringer
as a means to execute a target at range (or one
who is fleeing) when a larger sniper rifle
would be impractical.
Stormchild Hand Cannon: The Stormchild is
a venerable and proven design taking the form of
a massive hinged-frame stub revolver. While
totally lacking in subtlety with a wide barrel,
thick frame, and massive report, the Stormchild
offers a lot of firepower in a very affordable
package. For less than the price of most
autopistols, a shooter can put a big enough slug
in the air that can knock a man out of light
armour or damage grav-cars and other civilian
vehicles. Stormchilds are manufactured by most
forges in the Calixis Sector and are commonly
used by naval boarding parties, Administratum
inspectors, and as a self-defence weapon by more
paranoid civilians. Its size and weight allow it to
be used as a club in melee combat, and most
feature a wide pommel for just this purpose.
Hack Shotgun
Known by a wide variety of nicknames on
different worlds and systems, this is a
conventional twin-barrelled shotgun cut down
to the smallest possible size, fitted with a pistol
grip and rigged to fire both barrels at once.
Although very short-ranged and anything but a
precision weapon, a hack shotgun can obliterate
an unarmoured target with a salutary effect on
nearby bystanders. Hack shotguns make a nasty
surprise to pull out of a boot holster or a grav-
cars glove compartment, but they are by no
means a suitable weapon for heavy combat, as
many a ganger has found out while being
gunned down by carapace-wearing enforcers.
A hack shotgun fires both barrels at once,
consuming two shotgun shells with each firing.
It can also fire one shell at a time at reduced
damage (change Damage to 1d10+4 and lose the
Tearing quality).
Mariette Cylinder Pistol
Named for the Malfian noble house said to
have originated the design, the Mariette is an
extremely concealable stubber crafted from
polyflex and ceramics with no metallic or
powered components. Its four chamber-barrels
are self-contained and the whole pistol is
designed to break down into a handful of small
parts that can be concealed inside some
innocuous object, such as a data-slate, or hidden
around the wearers body. Disassembled, the
Mariette is almost totally imperceptible as a
weapon, making it a top choice for those who
want a gun on themselves in situations where it
would ordinarily be forbidden; this makes it
21
popular with nobles and VIPs and those who
would try to kill them alike, a truly Malfian
weapon if there ever was one.
When disassembled and hidden a Mariette is
almost impossible to find (-30 penalty on Search
Tests), and the parts dont show up on scanners
or auspexes as weapons. Mariette barrel-
cylinders are themselves Rare items with a base
price of 100 Thrones each, cannot be configured
with any special ammunition, and are not
individually reloadable.
Volg Mercy Killer
So named because its a mercy if it kills what
youre aiming at, this weapon is typical of any
number of crude, scratch-built pistols used by
the desperate and the oppressed across the
realms of mankind. Fashioned from whatever
materials are on hand, these single-shot stub
pistols are far from accurate and can be as
dangerous to the shooter as whats being shot at.
In the Volg hive, the provision of Mercy Killers
has gone far and above enterprising criminals
home-brewing up guns: the higher powers on
Fenksworld see to it that Mercy Killers are
manufactured en masse to subsidize the non-
stop violence there. Indeed, a Mercy Killer and a
handful of bullets cost less in Volg than a
trencher of parboiled murk fungus with an
obligatory demi-litre of recyk water to wash it
down with.
Mercy Killers cost 2 Thrones on Volg and
similar hives. If a Mercy Killer suffers a Jam
result, roll 1d10. If the result is a 9 the pistol
explodes, inflicting its Damage on its firer and
destroying the gun.
Panoptic 0-5 Automata Pistol
More art than weapon, Automata Pistols are
more likely to be found in a private collection
than a gangers holster giving their unique
creation. These pistols are tied to the Myrmidon
Warsmiths of the Adeptus Mechanicus, taking
their name from the Panopticon Orbital
fortress/manufactorum which serves as one of
the Mechanicus headquarters in the Calixis
Sector. Would-be tech-priest armourers under
tutelage are given complex and randomly
incomplete patterns for this weapon, and
through skill and divination must produce a
complete pistol to the satisfaction of their
master. Once completed, this examination pistol
is vaporised on a plasma-fired altar to the
Machine God and the aspirant is granted the
equivalent of a journeymans title. It is quite
common for tech-priests who have studied at the
Panopticon, even high-ranking Magi, to
continue to make Panoptic pistols in this
ritualistic way as a form of meditation or while
contemplating a difficult task. Sometimes these
reproduction pistols are retained as a personal
armament, given as a gift to a favoured servant,
or offered for sale to interested buyers.
These intricate automata-guns feature two
separate ammunition cylinders and count as
22
being fitted with a Fire Selector upgrade. They
can use any special ammunition regardless of
whether it was designed for use by autoguns or
stubbers, and count as a Best quality weapon
when wielded by the tech-priest that crafted it.
Volg Ripper Clip Pistol
Known locally as the zip gun or chopper,
this bulky pistol is purposely designed to be as
cheap as possible to manufacture and maintain.
The Ripper Clip is made from industrial spares
and crude pressed metal parts, and might pass
for a construction tool such as a nailer or riveter
at first glance. The riveter appearance is further
compounded by the sheet metal strip, holding a
line of stubber bullets, which is forcibly
wrenched through the pistol as it fires, clattering
to the ground along with the hot bullet casings
when the weapon is expended. Despite the guns
many shortcomings, theres no shortage of
buyers in Volg, as it is a place where any extra
firepower can keep your corpse from the meat-
sumps for a while longer.
Ripper Clips have Common Availability in
Volg and are Scarce elsewhere.
Belasco Ripper Pistol
This highly rare pistol is intended for those
who often set foot on Death Worlds whether for
adventure, sport, or some other line of work, and
need a compact weapon that can fell mighty
beasts and other terrible creatures that lurk
within the jungle or under the sands. Though at
first glance looking like a common if over-built
autopistol, a Ripper Pistol is a precision weapon
built to fire massive armour-piercing stub
rounds that fragment after penetrating the
targets body. After shredding through flesh and
bone, the fragments release a potent neurotoxin
into the victim creatures bloodstream to ensure
that if the grievous wound didnt do the job, its
nervous system dissolving will. Ripper Pistols are
often the final word in terminal close
encounters, and there are more than a few famed
explorers and hunters who are alive today thanks
to the (large) investment made in one of these
weapons. While a Ripper Pistol would certainly
be just as effective against men as beasts, such
use would be excessive in every sense of the
word, and even using a bolt pistol would be a far
more economical option.
Ripper Pistols use specialty ammunition that
is considered Very Rare with a base cost of 100
Thrones each. A true experts weapon, Ripper
Pistols cannot be used with any other type of
ammunition.
Shotgun Pistol
A Shotgun Pistol is a compact weapon holding
a single shotgun shell and using a tip-up barrel
to facilitate reloading. Simple and reliable,
shotgun pistols have a variety of applications in
close-range destruction, but are perhaps best
known in naval circles where they are often
carried by petty officers and bosuns to
discourage mutiny among press-ganged crews.
Shotgun pistols are known as Persuaders
among ratings and anyone else with a nautical
background, and may be referred to by any
number of more colourful titles (Foehammer,
Castigator, Justicar, and so forth) by
terrestrial users.
Because of its strong recoil, a shotgun pistol
imposes a -10 penalty to the firers Ballistic Skill
unless wielded with two hands.
Stub Automatic
Mechanically simple and robust, stub
automatics are one of the more prevalent types
of slug-throwing pistols around. They typically
take the form of slide-action handguns with a
clip inserted into the pistols grip and eject spent
bullet casings to the shooters right side.
Stubbers like this are older than the Imperium
itself, and while there are still many forges that
produce modern patterns of this tried-and-true
weapon, its likely that theres still plenty truly
ancient pistols in use, possibly without the
knowledge of their current owners. Some more
unique stub automatics are listed here.
Hax-Orthlack Armsman-10 Service Pistol:
This bulky and intimidating high-capacity
stubber is a common sidearm for enforcers,
household troops and mercenaries throughout
23
the Calixis Sector. The design is copied from the
traditional Scorpio-pattern naval pistol popular
throughout Segmentum Obscurus, and Hax-
Orthlack has been mass producing this stubber
for almost as long as its forges on Scintilla have
been operating. The Armsman-10 has been
contracted to Lord Haxs Magistratum cadres as
their standard sidearm since that organizations
inception, though it can be found on many other
worlds in the employ of a variety of owners.
Armsman pistols are machine-stamped with the
insignia of the contracting organization at the
time of manufacture, and the more rare
examples lacking this sigil or cipher are
considered unlucky by the more superstitious
shooters. Perhaps due to its association with the
heavies of various establishments, the Armsman
is encountered much less frequently in the hands
of underhive gangs and other scummers.
Dorcas Pattern Trophy Automatic: Once
manufactured on Cantus in the Markayn
Marches, this pistol became widely associated
with the Insurrection there in 440.M41. Many
Dorcas pistols were taken from the battlefield as
trophies by victorious Guard regiments, and
after the Insurrection was concluded the pistol
became something of an award in and of itself.
Tradition has since resulted in replica Dorcas
Patterns being issued as commendations to
soldiers and junior officers among many Guard
units (including some that did not participate in
the Cantus Insurrection at all), while relics from
the war itself are highly valued by collectors.
Functionally the Dorcas is a fairly unremarkable
stubber except for its angled and funnel-like
loading port which allows fresh clips to be
rammed home quickly with ease.
Phobos Stubber: The Phobos is one of the
most widespread single patterns of stub
automatic and can be found in almost every
corner of the Imperium. It is cheap to
manufacture and a functional, if unimpressive,
design that is unique among stubbers in that its
specific pattern has demonstrably been in
production since prehistory. Its long association
with Terra has resulted in it being an
exceptionally common sidearm among
Administratum adepts who refer to it as the forges turn out many of these pistols every day,
Sigma-9 after the opening code-line of the the average ganger seeks to carry almost
relevant requisition form needed to obtain one. anything else. This scorn is entirely unfounded;
The Fane of Doru in Gunmetal City and the those who live fast and die young in the
Belasco Deathworks on Malfi (where it is known underhive view its ubiquity as a hab-proles
as a rake in local parlance) notably produce gun and cannot see past that to any of its finer
this pattern and export it throughout the sector. features. Scalptakers are the most common
individual pattern of stub revolver in the Calixis
Stub Revolver Sector, and almost any accomplished shooter has
Stub revolvers are among the most basic and handled one at least once, with some still
simplistic slug throwers still in use in the swearing by its humble efficiency in the face of
Imperium today. Weapons of this type were countless more expensive and superior makes.
likely among the first firearms ever made by The Scalptakers swing-out cylinder is
humans, and Administratum scholars studying somewhat uncommon among stub revolvers and
late feudal worlds have noted the extreme gives shooters the ability to load single rounds at
similarities between indigenously-developed a time. The firer may load one round as a Half
sixguns and the stub revolvers tucked into their Action, useful for loading specialty ammunition.
own robe sashes. Stub revolvers have few moving The weapons size and weight allow it to be used
parts, and while many patterns and styles are as a club in melee combat.
produced by large forges throughout the
Imperium, others of equivalent quality
can often be made simply by higher grade
scav-workshops as anyone with even a
rudimentary understanding of mechanics
and access to a few machining presses can
make one, much to the consternation of
the Adeptus Mechanicus. This type of
pistol is also quite easy to use, and given
their inexpensive cost, stub revolvers are
often the first choice of many common
Imperial citizens who desire temporal
protection to go along with that of faiths
eternal. In the unlikely event that a sub
revolver should Jam, clearing it takes only
a Half Action instead of a Full Action.
Westingkrup Model 20 Scalptaker:
An enviable example of robust and
utilitarian design, the Scalptaker is a
fantastically reliable pistol, firing true after
almost any amount of abuse or
mistreatment. This fact is not lost on
professional fighters, frightened hivers
and frontier colonists alike, who often
choose the Scalptaker as a backup sidearm
over more powerful pistols for this very
reason. However, in the depths of Infernis
in Gunmetal City where Westingkrups

24
Solid Projectile Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Absolution Basic 220m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 6 Full Accurate 4kg 250 - Rare

Assault Cannon Heavy 120m -/-/10 3d10+5 I 5 200 2 Full Tearing, Unreliable 50kg 7,000 - Very Rare

Assault Stubber Basic 100m -/-/6 1d10+4 I 3 200 2 Full Storm 21kg 1,300 - Rare

Autocannon Heavy 300m S/2/5 4d10+5 I 4 20 2 Full - 55kg 1,000 - Scarce

Autogun (generic) Basic 90m S/3/10 1d10+3 I 0 30 Full - 3.5kg 100 - Average

Alcher Mark IV Basic 60m S/-/10 1d10+3 I 0 40 Full - 3.5kg 85 - Average

Armageddon Basic 100m S/2/6 1d10+4 I 0 15 Full Reliable 8.5kg 100 - Average

Creed-9 Basic 50m S/3/10 1d10+3 I 0 35 Full - 3.6kg 115 - Average

Full
Spectre Basic 80m S/3/10 1d10+3 I 0 20(x3) - 6.5kg 375 - Rare
(each)
As shotgun Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 4 2 Full Scatter

Combat Shotgun (generic) Basic 30m S/3/- 1d10+4 I 0 18 Full Scatter 6.5kg 150 - Scarce

Ironclaw Basic 30m S/2/- 1d10+4 I 0 12 Full Reliable, Scatter 6.5kg 80 - Scarce

Vanaheim Basic 40m S/3/6 1d10+4 I 0 15 Full Scatter 8kg 300 - Average

Heavy Stubber Heavy 120m -/-/10 1d10+4 I 3 200 2 Full - 35kg 750 - Scarce

Hunting Rifle Basic 150m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 0 5 Full Accurate 5kg 100 - Scarce

Nomad Basic 250m S/-/- 1d10+5 I 3 4 Full Accurate, Reliable 10kg 2,000 - Very Rare

Pump-action Shotgun Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 8 2 Full Scatter 5kg 75 - Average

Slayer Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 6 3 Full Scatter 3.5kg 70 - Average

Shotcannon Heavy 40m S/3/- 2d10+4 I 0 24 2 Full Scatter, Unreliable 12kg 700 Void Scarce

Shotgun (generic) Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 2 2 Full Reliable, Scatter 5kg 60 - Common

Blackhammer Basic 20m S/-/- 2d10 I 0 1 2 Full Inaccurate, Scatter 4.7kg 250 - Rare

Meat Hammer Basic 30m S/-/- 2d5+6 I 0 1 3 Full Scatter, Tearing 5kg 80 - Scarce

Steadholder Basic 100m S/-/- 1d10+4 I 0 6 Full - 5kg 60 - Plentiful

VI Crank Cannon Heavy 70m -/-/5 1d10+5 I 0 100 3 Full Unreliable 38kg 500 - Average

Void Speargun Basic 10m S/-/- 1d10+2 R 2 1 Full - 1.5kg 45 Void Average

Not including ammo pack

Fykos Forge Absolution Sniper Rifle
Class: Basic (SP)
The Fykos Forge is best known for its high
quality and expensive hunting weapons, and
there are many among the Calixian elite who
consider a Fykos-made gun as a prerequisite for
any kind of serious expedition. The
Absolution Sniper Rifle is an oddity among
weapons manufactured there, being an explicitly
military design with a functional and no-
nonsense appearance. While lacking in frills and
aesthetic features, the Absolution is built to the
same standard of accuracy and quality as any of
Fykos much more ornate and expensive hunting
instruments. Absolution rifles are far less
ubiquitous than Guard-favoured long las
weapons and simplistic and basic compared to
needle rifles used by snipers and assassins alike,
but they have the advantage of versatility as they
are designed to use autogun ammunition. This
sniper rifle is used in limited numbers by Lord
Haxs Magistratum enforcers on Scintilla, and

25
has found some followers among the Adeptus
Arbites and other security forces.
This weapon has a built-in silencer and
includes a telescopic sight, which can be
removed and replaced with other types of sights
with an Easy (+30) Trade (Armourer) Test or
an Ordinary (+10) Tech-Use or Trade
(Technomat) Test. It can be used with any type
of autogun ammunition.
Assault Cannon
Class: Heavy (SP)
Assault cannons are among the most powerful
slug-throwing weapons in production, and are a
relatively new armament as far as the
Imperiums arsenal goes. Six rotary barrels are
spun by an external motor to force a vast volume
of diamantine slugs into the air, and a powered
ammunition feed forcibly stuffs new rounds into
the gun at a blistering rate. Because of their
extremely rapid consumption of ammo and
staggering recoil, assault cannons are almost
always deployed as a vehicular weapon, and even
a mighty Space Marine would have some
difficulty using one as a handheld armament.
The listed Rate of Fire and Clip size are purely
statistical conveniences; in realistic terms, assault
cannons can fire over a thousand shots in a
single Round. An assault cannon requires an
external ammunition hopper weighing 35kg to
gain the stated Clip size.
Echon Mark III Assault Stubber
Class: Basic (SP)
Heavy stubbers are used by a variety of forces,
including some Imperial Guard regiments, as a
support weapon for advancing assault troops.
The weapons bulky and unwieldy size is
detrimental to this role, however, and some
enterprising arms makers have concocted a
specialized stubber more useful for attacking on
the move. It is essentially two heavy stubbers
with shortened barrels in a stripped-down,
shared housing which puts forth a large volume
of shots at once. An assault stubber also has a
number of features designed to make it easier to
manoeuvre, such as a top-mounted pistol grip,
26
and the weapon is designed to be fired from the
hip. This assault stubber is not manufactured in
the Calixis Sector but has been imported in large
quantities, and is a favoured weapon for
mercenary companies and some Planetary
Defence Forces who require mobile firepower
but cant obtain or afford bolt weapons.
An assault stubber includes a backpack ammo
pack weighing 25kg that provides the stated Clip
size, and is considered a heavy stubber for the
purposes of compatible specialty ammunition.
Autocannon
Class: Heavy (SP)
Another ancient weapon, autocannons are
basically large-bore stubbers that fire heavy
mass-reactive explosive shells at a modest rate.
The hammering of an autocannon is often
sufficient to stop a charge by a large amount of
troops, either by its fearsome report or simply
blowing apart swaths of the enemy ranks.
Autocannons are typically installed on Imperial
armoured vehicles but are also commonly used
as heavy support weapons by two-man teams,
though some especially burly soldiers have been
known to man-haul an autocannon around by
themselves. Autocannons are fed by a removable
drum, which is usually tended to by the second
man in a heavy weapons team.
Autogun
Class: Basic (SP)
Autoguns are a staple weapon across the
Imperium, and after lasguns are likely the most
common rifle-type gun handled by Imperial
citizens. They are simpler than lasguns and can
be cheaply manufactured on worlds which are
less developed, but any sort of implied inferiority
flies in the face of their ubiquity in hives and
frontier worlds alike. Most autoguns are rapid-
firing automatics that use standardized low-
calibre caseless rounds, easily stocked on almost
any world in the Imperium, and many hive cities
stockpile huge caches of these weapons with
which to arm the middle-hive citizens in the
event of a planetary invasion. Autoguns can also
be commonly found in the employ of gangers

and recidivists, household enforcers, PDF
soldiers, and even some xenos have been known
to wield weaponry compatible with Imperial
ammunition. Most autoguns are similar enough
to be considered the same type of weapon, while
some more unique patterns are listed here.
Alcher Mark IV Combat Autogun: A fairly
simple weapon among autoguns, this pattern can
be widely found in the arsenals of many PDFs
throughout the Calixis Sector. The basic controls
(one shot or full automatic) are well-suited
towards troops in those organizations whose
training usually isnt as good as their
counterparts in the Imperial Guard, and the
Alcher employs larger-size clips than most
autoguns to keep up with the rapid shooting.
Armageddon Pattern Autogun: This pattern
of autogun has its origin on the war-torn world
of the same name in Segmentum Solar, and
many of the Imperiums foes who have invaded
that planet found themselves cut down by its
27
large-calibre bullets. In the Calixis Sector
clones of this pattern are manufactured by the
Belasco Deathworks as well as lesser forges on
Malfi, and after being heavily used during the
Tranch Insurrection it is widely distributed in
the Malfian Subsector. Uncomplicated, loud,
and lethal, the Armageddon is an
unapologetic brick of a gun that can make an
effective melee weapon simply on the
providence of its heavy construction and
shrouded barrel (treat as a staff when used in
this way), and many examples have stood up
to abuse and kept shooting in ways that would
make lasguns seem fragile.
Hax-Orthlack Creed-9 Autogun: There
are few autoguns better suited for close-
quarters warfare than the Creed-9. This
Orthlack gun is based off of an out-sector
pattern formerly used by Naval boarding
parties, and makes many compromises to
improve its handling. Made with lightweight
materials and using a collapsing wire stock,
the Creed-9 is only slightly larger than
military autopistols and is a favoured weapon
for numerous kill squads and private troops of
noble houses and Chartist Captains. Many of
Lord Haxs Magistratum enforcers in Hive
Sibellus carry these compact autoguns under
their long green coats to ensure that they are
always well-armed against scummers who arent
deterred by their reputation for excessive force.
Because of this association with elites and
professional troopers, many Creed-9s sport
numerous upgrades such as red dot sights,
expanded mag-ports or fire selectors.
The Creed-9 is compact enough that it imparts
a -10 rather than -20 penalty to Ballistic Skill
Tests if wielded with one hand, and can also be
fired in melee as if was a pistol.
Cadence Spectre Assault Device: One of
the few widely known weapons produced by
Cadence, the Spectre deserves its superlative
title. Technically, it is a heavily reinforced
autogun with a tri-mag shot selection system,
giving it a huge volume of fire and the ability to
seamlessly switch between different ammunition
types. There is also an integral shotgun mounted
below the main barrel shroud, giving the user
even more firepower and a hidden heavy punch
to boot. A finely crafted and functional weapon
in every respect, the Spectre is intended for use
by mercenaries and other heavies expecting to
get into serious firefights. The weapons only real
detractors are those who question its high cost
among autoguns, which isnt far off from that of
an unquestionably superior bolters.
The Spectre may fire as an autogun or shotgun
but not both during the same Round, and is
considered to have three magazines and a fire-
selector upgrade installed.
Combat Shotgun
Class: Basic (SP)
Combat shotguns are bulky, hard-hitting
weapons designed to shoot the same type of
shells as those commonly used by frontier
settlers and hunters, the ability to blast apart an
unarmoured target just as applicable in a hive as
on the plains. A combat shotgun is separated
from other shell-firing smoothbores by its self-
loading operation, with some having more in
common with autoguns than other shotguns.
Combat shotguns hammer out an intimidating
racket when fired, and while they may be
something of an unofficial symbol of the
Adeptus Arbites, their firepower is appreciated
by other Imperial organizations and criminal
enterprises alike. Most combat shotguns look
more like oversized autoguns with huge
ammunition drums, while others are
intentionally designed like pump-action versions
except with a self-loading feature. Combat
shotguns of this type have a Clip size of 8 and
take 2 Full Actions to Reload, but can load a
single shell as a Half Action, useful for
employing specialty ammunition. Some unusual
patterns found in the Calixis Sector are listed
here.
Cypra-Mundi Ironclaw Shotgun: Naval
combat shotguns such as this one are designed to
withstand the rigors of the void and have a
reinforced and weighted stock, making this
weapon suitable for use as a melee weapon (treat
as a staff). Ironclaw shotguns are common
28
shipboard weapons within Battlefleet Calixis,
and numerous merchant vessels, Chartist ships
and other voidfaring types have followed suit
with large storage lockers that unlock
automatically to arm the crew against boarders
or to suppress mutinies. Of course, more than a
few rating rebellions have succeeded in the
capture of a ship specifically because a large
volume of Irontalons were accidentally released
into their hands via the same method.
Vanaheim Skitarii Assault Shotgun: A
terrifying weapon made even more so by the
Skitarii Tech-Guards often wielding them,
Vanaheim shotguns are brutally efficient
weapons that form the standard armament of
most Skitarii-Provosts charged with enforcing
law on forge worlds controlled by the
Mechanicus. Skitarii are as uncompromising as
the Vanaheims they carry and use these
shotguns to violently put down everything from
hab-worker crime rings to full scale labour-helot
uprisings (with equal force).
The Vanaheim includes a built-in red-dot
laser sight which does not count against the
weapons one sight limit as well as retractable
saw-bladed bayonet, allowing the Vanaheim to
be used as a mono-edge axe in melee.
Heavy Stubber
Class: Heavy (SP)
Another ancient weapon that is still in use due
to its mechanical simplicity and ease of
manufacture, heavy stubbers are one of the few
military stub weapons that can commonly be
found in the arsenals of many armed forces.
Most Imperial Guard regiments have replaced
these weapons with bolters, but a few holdouts
remain, and there are still quite common among
smaller PDFs and as mainstay support weapons
on lower-tech worlds. The more professional
hive gangers also seem to be able to acquire these
weapons with alarming frequency, and many
gang wars have come to an abrupt end thanks to
a grav-car with a heavy stubber pintle-mounted
in the rear compartments.
A heavy stubber can be equipped with an
ammunition drum instead of a belt hopper,
reducing its Weight to 30kg, Clip size to 40 and
Reload time to a Full Action.
Hunting Rifle
Class: Basic (SP)
Hunting rifles are accurate and powerful
stubbers that can commonly be found in the
hands of frontier settlers and expert hunters
alike. Simple and robust to a point, most hunting
rifles are manually operated repeaters that can
drop game (beast or otherwise) from a long
distance in the hands of a skilled shooter, and
while by and large a civilians weapon, many
have been pressed into use in more combat-
oriented roles where they are still quite
functional. Most common hunting rifles include
a telescopic sight.
Nomad Hunting Instrument
Class: Basic (SP)
Possibly the most famous weapon produced in
Gunmetal City, the Nomad is unquestionably
the most accurate slug-thrower available in the
Calixis Sector, and according to some can put
two bullets through one hole a kilometre away.
Allegedly the design was the work of Angevins
personal gunsmith, while some explanations go
that the Nomad is far older and hails from a line
produced on Holy Terra itself. Either way, Fykos
Forge produces perhaps ten of these exquisitely-
crafted weapons in a year, invariably to
commission and even then only to those who
actually intend to use the weapon. Each one is
customized to some degree, either for length of
stock, trigger shape or pressure, or the choice of
materials for the housing. It includes a bracket
for mounting a sight though none are included
with it as any true hunter will doubtless already
have the exact one theyd like to use.
The Nomad uses special stub ammunition
which is considered Rare, with a basic price of 20
Thrones each.
Pump-action Shotgun
Class: Basic (SP)
Simple and practical, pump-action shotguns
are manually-operated slug-throwers which
29
replace a standard shotguns lower barrel with a
tubular ammunition supply. Popular with
settlers defending their homes and gangers in
search of cheap firepower, all could agree that
there are few things as satisfying (or terrifying)
as the sound of a shotguns pump being racked.
Much like stubbers, shotguns of this type are a
truly ancient design that likely predates known
history, and have been produced by major forges
and scav-workshops alike for their low cost and
high capacity. Most common pump-action
shotguns can load a single shell as a Half Action,
useful for deploying specialty ammunition.
Westingkrup Slayer Pump Shotgun: The
Slayer is a classically functional design from the
Westingkrup Fane in Gunmetal City, intended
as a backup weapon for vehicle crews and PDF
troopers, but can now be commonly found
among a variety of users throughout Calixis. The
Slayer can be instantly recognized by its blockish
body and stockless design, ending in a simple
pistol grip that allows for quick aiming, even in
confined spaces. It is said that almost as many of
these shotguns end up in the hands of deep-hive
scum as are supplied to the Munitorium for
reasons which remain unclear, although one
cannot criticise their choice of weapon. One
local variant, referred to as the Bonefinger, is
crafted from heat-resistant ceramics and used
for hunting dangerous Scoldbats in the upper
reaches of Hive Tarsus. A weapon made of
conventional materials might warp fail in such
extreme conditions, and this particular pattern
has caught on with scavengers who get
dangerously close to geothermal heat sinks and
plasma reactors whilst looking for appealing
junk to collect.
The Slayer is compact enough that it imparts a
-10 rather than -20 penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests
if wielded with one hand, and can also be fired in
melee as if was a pistol.
Naval Shotcannon
Class: Heavy (SP)
A massive shotgun-like weapon, shotcannons
are explicitly designed tools of mayhem meant to
lay waste to boarders within the confines of a
ships companionways
and passages. A
shotcannons shells are
more than twice the size
of those of most shotguns,
and can reduce a man into
a spray of flesh and
clothing even through
reinforced void suits. Due
to extreme recoil,
shotcannons are typically
operated from fixed
positions or on mag-
tripods where they can be
quickly deployed against
the deck or any other
available surface.
Shotcannon shells are
designed to function within a void environment, Imperium fall into this weapon type; a few more
and the shotcannon loses the Unreliable quality unique patterns available in the Calixis Sector
when fired there. Shotcannon shells have a base are listed here.
cost of 15 Thrones each and an Availability of Scatheros Blackhammer Defence
Scarce around large space stations and planetary Shotgun: Notorious for its sheer destructive
dock yards, while the shells and shotcannon power, the Blackhammer comprises of a
itself have an Availability of Rare elsewhere. carefully fitted barrel to an equally well-crafted
stock and firing mechanism, all constructed to
safely fire an enormous shell nearly twice the size
Shotgun
of those used in standard-size shotguns. Each
Class: Basic (SP)
Blackhammer shell is custom-made and filled
Shotguns are among the most basic ranged
with dozens of pellets the size of stub rounds,
weapons mass-produced in the Imperium.
backed by a massive charge; the Blackhammers
Elaborate patterns manufactured by large forges
high quality construction is necessary to prevent
may have polished wood stocks and inlaid
the gun from coming apart when it fires.
designs, while humble metal and resin housings
Blackhammer shotguns are intended for use as
are typical for those made in scav-workshops
emergency failure to stop weapons by hunters
and on low-tech worlds, but at their core all
and explorers on dangerous feral and death
standard shotguns consist of a pair of chamber-
worlds, but examples have turned up in the
barrels into which one shell each is loaded. Being
hands of under-hive gangers who put their
so rudimentary and uncomplicated, even
massive firepower to good use in obliterating
cheaply made shotguns will almost always fire
rival scummers and other victims.
when the trigger is pulled even after enduring
The Blackhammers recoil is too strong for
incredible abuse or neglect, a fact not lost on all
most shooters to handle. Unless the firer has a
matters of Imperial citizens from settlers and
Strength Bonus of 4 or higher, the weapon
hive-workers to gangers and Administratum
imposes a -10 penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests
inspectors. A shotgun can load one shell at a
made to hit with it. Blackhammer shells have a
time as a Full Action. Both barrels can also be
base cost of 20 Thrones each and are Very Rare.
fired at once which gives the attack the Tearing
Volg Meat Hammer Scattergun: Volgs
quality. The vast majority of shotguns in the
violent gangers have created an even more brutal

30
and savage variation on common shotguns to
stamp their authority on any who dare to cross
them. The Meat Hammer, so named for its
ability to turn the flesh of its victim into a
splatter of unrecognisable bits, is a triple-
barrelled open-choke shotgun which fires all
three shells at once. This firepower can all but
annihilate a living body, and when fired at point-
blank range (as Volg gangers are wont to do) can
even punch through light personal armour on
sheer force alone.
The Meat Hammer requires three shotgun
shells to fire and will violently disassemble itself
due to unbalanced recoil forces if attempted to
be fired with two or less shells loaded.
Westingkrup Steadholder Rifle
Class: Basic (SP)
Made in the millions by Westingkrup and
copied by dozens of lesser forges throughout the
Calixis Sector, the Steadholder is a heavy-calibre
stub rifle loaded by a very distinctive lever
mechanism. The Steadholder may not be the
finest or most famed weapon to come from
Gunmetal Citys forges, but it is the absolute line
between death and starvation on the margin of
many worlds and justly respected for that.
Steadholders and their clones are by and large
intended for use on frontier and agri-worlds as
basic, no-nonsense weapons for hunting and
protection from wild creatures, but many never
leave the worlds they are manufactured on,
frequently appearing in the hands of low-rent
thugs and under-hive scum. A considerable
number have wound up in the hands of
Redemptionists, who issue these saviour guns
to new (and often untrained) initiates where
their low cost and ease of maintenance can be
put to good use.
Steadholders can fire any type of stub pistol
ammunition.
Volg VI Crank Cannon Stubber
Class: Heavy (SP)
The Volg VI has one simple virtue its ease of
manufacture. The Crank Cannon uses cheaply
made parts and standard heavy stubber
31
ammunition; it is a purely hand-powered
weapon, the firer literally cranking a handle to
grind ammo belts through the breach and rotate
the weapons quadruple barrels. Crank Cannons
are installed in great numbers throughout Volgs
exterior industrial works to be manned by the
worker-exiles in the event that some of the Volg
under-hives more treacherous forms of
wildlife come up for a meal. The Big Six, as it
is popularly known, has proven a great success
despite its obvious drawbacks, and this uniquely
Volg weapon has somehow ended up being
produced in large numbers by the lesser forges
on Fenksworld and exported to cheaply supply
low-grade PDF troops and the private arms
market across the sector. A real brute to use,
especially for long periods, its unsurprising that
Crank gunners are often marked by noticeably
overdeveloped right arms.
Void Speargun
Class: Basic (SP)
A straightforward and easy-to-use weapon,
void spearguns are designed to tear holes in void
suits. Most models use a simple recoilless gas
discharge system to propel a hardened spike at a
reasonable speed, but some models are even
simpler and take the form of a heavily modified
crossbow. Being struck by a void spear can cause
serious injury or death if the victim is
particularly unlucky, but the main application is
in ripping a hole in their void suit which will
generally cause them to become extremely
distracted in trying to repair the rip before they
suffer from decompression. Obviously, this
weapon is only meant to be employed during
void operations, but it can still be used (at
extremely close ranges) inside of ships as well.
Five void spears and a gas cartridge sufficient
to fire them cost 1 Throne and are Scarce outside
of environments where they are commonly used
(such as dock yards and space stations). In
atmosphere, a void speargun cannot be fired at
anything at Long or Extreme range.
 mighty Space Marine legions that would go on to
BOLT WEAPONS re-conquer the galaxy. The Adeptus Astartes are
There may be weapons that can burn through still commonly associated with bolt weapons due
armour better, hit targets further away, or be to their almost uniform use of them. These
more economical to mass produce and service, weapons are far larger and more powerful than
but no weapon could possibly claim to be as the smaller counterparts designed for mere
Imperial as the bolter. Bolt weapons combine a humans, but while these humbler weapons are
high level of technological precision and but a shadow of the power of a Space Marines
engineering with deliberate brutality; only man holy instrument, only a fool would
could possibly devise such an armament. Bolters underestimate their killing power.
fire rocket-propelled mass-reactive shells known To use bolt weapons without penalty, a
appropriately enough as bolts, which streak to character must have the Pistol Training (Bolt),
their target with a roar and explode into jagged Basic Weapon Training (Bolt), or Heavy
fragments after piercing the body of their Weapon Training (Bolt) talents.
unfortunate victim.
The superiority of bolt weapons cannot be
contested, but they are out of reach of many
Imperial servants due to the cost and difficulty
of supporting them. Bolters require skilled
maintenance using very exact rituals and
blessings for them to remain functional, and
even individual bolts must undergo a brief
prayer during manufacture to ensure ignition.
A bolter may only be several times costlier
than high-quality autoguns, but keeping a
steady supply of bolts for it to fire as well as
the necessary pre-battle hymnals and
consecrations sets it squarely as the weapon of
an elite. Wielding a bolter is an immediate
sign of status and respect, and many boltguns
in use today are centuries old, handed down
from veteran to successor, and some have long
legends attached to them of their great lineage.
Whether a bolter is a relic or freshly
manufactured, brandishing one is an instant
sign of the wielders connections (or guile).
Bolt weapons are loud and thoroughly
terrifying to see in action, and the distinctive
noise made by their bolts sailing towards an
unfortunate foe can be a potent weapon in and
of itself.
Bolters are literally as old as the Imperium
itself, and have been firmly connected to it
from the beginning. Techno-barbarians that
savagely fought for control of Terra during the
Age of Strife wielded early bolter-like
weapons, and their unification by the Emperor
led to bolters becoming synonymous with the

32
Bolt Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Angelus Basic 100m S/-/- 2d10+2 X 5 3 3 Full Accurate, Tearing 11kg 2,000 - Very Rare

Boltgun (generic) Basic 90m S/2/- 1d10+5 X 4 24 Full Tearing 7kg 500 - Rare

Godwyn-Deaz Basic 90m S/2/- 1d10+5 X 4 30 Full Reliable, Tearing 6kg 1,000 - Very Rare

Locke Basic 90m S/2/4 1d10+5 X 4 24 Full Tearing 7kg 900 - Very Rare

Scourge Basic 90m S/2/- 1d10+5 X 4 24 Full Reliable, Tearing 10kg 650 - Very Rare
Accurate,
Solo Basic 100m S/-/- 1d10+5 X 4 24 Full 7kg 500 - Very Rare
Reliable, Tearing
Bolt Pistol (generic) Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+5 X 4 8 Full Tearing 3.5kg 250 - Rare

Garm Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+5 X 4 8 Full Tearing 4.5kg 350 - Rare

Godwyn-Deaz Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+5 X 4 6 Full Reliable, Tearing 3kg 550 - Very Rare

Mauler Pistol 30m S/3/- 1d10+5 X 4 6 Full Reliable, Tearing 2.7kg 375 - Very Rare

Sacristan Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+6 X 4 6 Full Tearing 3.3kg 380 - Rare

Cane Bolter Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+5 X 4 1 2 Full Tearing 3kg 600 - Very Rare

Heavy Bolter Heavy 120m -/-/10 2d10+2 X 5 60 Full Tearing 40kg 2,000 - Very Rare
Reliable, Extremely
Psycannon Heavy 120m S/-/5 2d10+5 X 5 40 3 Full 20kg 12,000 Malleus
Sanctified, Tearing Rare
Spitfire Pistol 20m S/-/- 1d10+3 X 0 3 Full Tearing, Unreliable 3kg 75 Volg Scarce
Extremely
Storm Bolter Basic 90m S/2/4 1d10+5 X 4 60 Full Storm, Tearing 9kg 4,000 -
Rare
Reliable, Storm, Extremely
Godwyn-Deaz Basic 90m S/2/4 1d10+5 X 4 60 Full 12kg 9,000 -
Tearing Rare

Angelus Bolt Carbine away their firing position can be remedied by

Class: Bolt (Basic)
A specialist version of what is already a
specialist weapon, the Fykos Forges Angelus
Bolt Carbine is jokingly termed as such as it
would make a lightweight and handy weapon if
the firer was a Space Marine. The Angelus is a
truly new weapon devised only in the last few
centuries once several fanes of Gunmetal City
were granted rights to begin constructing Solar-
pattern heavy bolters. This weapon uses those
very large 1-calibre bolt shells, storing three
packed end-to-end within the guns finely
crafted stock. As it lacks an external clip and is
longer and narrower than most bolters, a layman
might mistake an Angelus for a heavy sniper rifle
right up until hearing the signature roar (and
subsequent blast) of its bolt. While lacking any
kind of subtlety or stealth applications, the
Angelus has an undeniable ability to blow apart
well protected foes at long range, and the
professional mercenaries and Inquisitorial
Agents who most often make use of this bolter
can reliably argue that any concerns about giving
killing the entire enemy party from well outside
their own engagement range.
Boltgun
Class: Basic (Bolt)
Boltguns are the epitome of individual
firepower in the Imperium and those lucky
enough to be gifted or issued one of these superb
weapons are truly blessed. The sound of bolts
being fired has been enough to rout much larger
cultist forces, while the more dedicated enemies
are handily taken care of as the mass-reactive
bolt shells shred their bodies into mush even
through the best common armours. Boltguns are
typified by a squat, boxy body with a pistol grip
and stockless frame, making them somewhat
shorter than common autoguns in spite of their
much greater power, and feature multiple
attachment points for extra sights, exterminator
cartridges, and so on. Boltguns use standard .75-
calibre bolts from a sickle clip. At the cost of
reliability, most boltguns can be used with a
boxy ammo drum instead, increasing the Clip

33
size to 60 but either gaining the Unreliable
quality or losing the Reliable quality if it has it.
Only boltguns that use a standard mag-port
(those with a standard Clip size of 24) can use
these drums. Boltguns for use by humans come
in a variety of patterns and marks made by
artificers across the Imperium, most of which
can fit into this weapons entry. Some patterns
that include more unique features are listed here.
Godwyn-Deaz Pattern: This pattern was
designed specifically for the Adepta Soroitas,
blessed by the Canonesses of the Orders, and
presented to a hopeful when they officially
become a Battle Sister. The Sisterhood considers
the venerated Godwyn-Deaz bolt weapons
heirlooms; each one is carefully maintained by
highly specialized servitors and trusted servants,
and those with the privilege to see these weapons
up close have commented both on the quality of
their make as well as the presence of several
features which have been omitted from more
recent patterns. This style of boltgun was once
used in considerable numbers during the Age of
Apostasy and holds great significance for the
Adepta Soroitas giving their founding in the
wake of those dark times. It is not only a
powerful weapon against the enemies of
mankind, but also a symbol of the Emperors
judgement and of the Sisters personal
connection to her faith.
Locke Pattern: Unusual among Imperial
weapons, this pattern of boltgun has a
mysterious lineage and it is unclear when or
where they were first made. Locke boltguns are
capable of putting down a withering barrage of
fully automatic fire; this is a rare feature, giving
the headache of maintaining a supply for even
well-disciplined bolt expenditures. For those
whose connections or wealth permits such
extravagance, the Locke has unwavering merit as
a partner in destruction.
Scourge Mark II: A favoured mark among
well-equipped expeditionary troops, the Scourge
boltgun is based on a Martian pattern now
manufactured in Gunmetal City. It features a
wicked saw-toothed blade permanently attached
as a bayonet, allowing the shooter to rip open
34
any enemy hoping to gain an advantage in close
combat. Armed Ecclesiarchs accompanying
Sisters of Battle are known to carry this style of
boltgun, and it is particularly common within
the arsenal of the Abbey of Dawn on Iocanthos,
a world where close quarters battles are often the
order of the day. When used in close combat, a
Scourge boltgun counts as a mono-edged axe.
Perinetus Solo Boltgun: Some sects of the
Adeptus Mechanicus frown on this weapon as
skirting tech-heresy as many of its internal
workings have been left out and deliberately
simplified as an attempt to make an inexpensive
yet reliable boltgun for use by troops who
normally would not hope to have access to such
superb arms. The artificers of the Perinetus
Forge in the Periphery succeeded admirably at
this task, but with the opposite of the intended
result once it was discovered that the longer
barrel and reduced moving parts have resulted
in a very accurate bolter. Demand for the Solo
has constantly exceeded supply as there are
many who would benefit greatly from taking
down their foes with a single bolt shell, and
virtually all of them consider the loss of semi-
automatic burst fire a price worth paying.
Bolt Pistol
Class: Pistol (Bolt)
Carrying a bolt pistol is a sign of the wearers
status just as much as it is a powerful and
effective sidearm. Being gifted one of these fine
pistols immediately sets its owner ahead as a
favoured servant, while those who can obtain
one through their own devices display their
wealth and excellent discretion all at once. A bolt
pistol is effectively a highly shortened boltgun,
lacking range but just as deadly compared to its
full-size counterpart thanks to most of a bolts
velocity coming from its internal rocket
propulsion. Bolt pistols use the same .75-calibre
bolts from a narrow single column clip, and
those fortunate enough to have both a boltgun
and bolt pistol to their names can freely share
their precious bolts between them. Bolt pistols
are manufactured in many of the Imperiums
greater forges for issuance to Imperial Guard
officers and Adeptus Arbites elites, while
heirloom examples made many centuries ago are
often passed down in private hands or among
the ranks of the Inquisition. Whether fresh from
the forges or venerated and festooned with
purity seals, few which carry a bolt pistol wish
they had something else. The most widely
produced marks of bolt pistol fit into this
description; some with more unique features are
listed here.
Garm Pattern Service Pistol: This bolter is
commonly carried by the grim Commissars
attached to Imperial Guard units. The Garm is
well suited to this role by these feared and
respected leaders its large size and inlaid
insignia can be easily seen from a distance when
a Commissar waves it in the air to inspire his
troops, while the oversized muzzle placed
squarely at face level is often enough to
embolden cowering Guardsmen (though more
vindictive Commissars might follow up with a
summary execution anyway).
Specifically designed to inspire fear, a Garm
Pattern bolt pistol grants a +10 bonus to
Intimidate Skill Tests when used to threaten
anyone familiar with the Commissariats
authority. This is in addition to the Carry a Big
Gun rule (see The Inquisitors Handbook, page
232 for more information).
Godwyn-Deaz Pattern: A companion piece
to the Godwyn-Deaz boltgun, this pistol is a
35
favourite of the Adepta Soroitas for many of the
same reasons as its larger counterpart. The single
largest user among the Sisterhood are the elite
Seraphim jump troops, who often go into battle
with one of these bolters in each hand and
aggressively cut down multiple enemies at once.
It is also a common sidearm for a squads Sister
Superior and other Sisters who wield a close
combat weapon in their other hand.
Cinder Crag Mauler Pistol: The Mauler is
a highly sought-after bolt pistol manufactured
by the Cinder Crag Forge of Gunmetal City, who
make these fine weapons to commission for
those with deep pockets and the desire for an
exclusive sidearm. Maulers are hand made by a
small cadre of artificers using the finest materials
and alloys, with the heavy work performed by
specially designed servitors. The resultant
weapon is both extremely sophisticated and
blessed with a well-disposed machine spirit that
will see its owner through where even other
bolters may fail.
For twice the listed price, a Mauler may be
made to commission using the commissioners
exact biometric data. This counts as a Best
Craftsmanship weapon when wielded by the
hand designed for it, and an included gene-lock
circuit in the grip ensures only that hand can fire
the pistol.
Sacristan Bolt Pistol: This class of bolt pistol
is produced under license for the Ordos Calixis
by the Fane of Orthlack on Scintilla, this
association immediately marking it as an
Inquisitors Sidearm. The Sacristans killing
power is augmented by a grav-accelerator inside
its bulky housing that increases the velocity of its
bolts, making it somewhat more potent than
most bolt pistols. This is an attractive feature to
Inquisitors and their minions who wish to keep
away from overt displays of power by only
packing a sidearm, and while few would doubt a
bolt pistols efficiency at killing, fewer still would
doubt a Sacristans.
Unless held with two hands, the Sacristan
imposes a -10 penalty on Ballistic Skill Tests
made to attack with it.
Cane Bolter
Class: Pistol (Bolt)
Those with the resources and connections to
own their own bolters are often the same types
who choose to flaunt their assets, sporting
brusque and overwhelming attires and festooned
with bandoliers of pistols and clips. Some,
however, attempt a more subtle though no less
deadly style that favours concealed and hidden
weapons. Local customs or specific situations
might also dictate leaving ones weapons behind,
and while carefully tucking a pistol away within
the folds of ones robe or a hidden pouch on the
wearers body might appeal to some, others
prefer a weapon they can have right out in the
open. Cane bolters are exactly as they seem: an
ostentatious walking stick that just happens to
conceal a single bolt and firing mechanism in the
upper end, with a breakaway false bottom that is
torn off when the bolt is launched. The handle
must be unscrewed for a new bolt to be loaded,
so they are by and large weapons of surprise and
opportunity. A cane bolter can be equipped with
any boltgun or pistol ammunition its owner
might happen to have available.
Heavy Bolter
Class: Heavy (Bolt)
Rarely deployed outside of military
organizations, heavy bolters are oversized and
fully-automatic boltguns designed for heavy
36
suppression and destruction of enemy infantry
and light vehicles. Heavy bolters fire a larger 1-
calibre bolt that gives them dramatically more
power and improved range, and dug-in heavy
weapon teams armed with this type of bolter can
tie up a very large opposing force. Heavy bolters
are common weapons on Imperial armoured
vehicles, with Twin-Linked mounts featured on
super-heavy tanks and fixed defence turrets. A
heavy bolter is fed via an attached ammunition
drum and can be ported by one man, with an
assistant carrying a tripod and additional bolt
shells. Particularly brawny troops or those in
power armour have been known to schlep a
heavy bolter as an individual assault weapon,
typically using a backpack ammunition feed.
A heavy bolter using an ammunition drum
uses the stated statistics. It can be used with a
backpack ammo pack weighing 25kg instead,
reducing its weight to 35kg, increasing its Clip
size to 200, and doubling its Reload time.
Psycannon
Class: Heavy (Bolt)
Psycannons are extremely powerful and
mystic weapons used almost exclusively by the
Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition. A psycannon is
similar to a greatly modified heavy bolter and
fires special custom-crafted bolts charged with
psychic energy and possessing ritually inscribed
silver tips backed by a rare isotopic explosive.
Each blessed round can unerringly penetrate the
psychic defences and shields of a target, making
them a coveted weapon for Inquisitors planning
to hunt daemons and witches. While powerful
weapons against psykers and warp entities, a
psycannons true power is revealed when it is
wielded by none other than a psyker itself. Each
shot can be imbued with a measure of the
psykers mental force, bringing ruin to his target
with each shot. Psycannons are exceptionally
rare weapons, making standard bolt weapons
seem ubiquitous in comparison. Each is
handcrafted by special artisan-armourers
watched and sanctified by the Adeptus
Ministorum, and the knowledge to create these
weapons is wisely guarded.
 Psycannon bolts ignore all protective benefits
granted by psychic powers (including bonuses to
Dodge) and the increased Toughness Bonus
from the Daemonic Trait. Psycannons also have
in-built Suspensors, so the wielder counts as
possessing the Auto-Stabilised Trait. Finally, an
individual with a Psy Rating may imbue the
psycannon with additional Damage equal to his
Psy Rating. This is considered a Minor Psychic
power with a Threshold of 10 that can be used as
a Free Action. Psycannons are always Good
Craftsmanship weapons; this is reflected in their
rules. Psycannons fire special handcrafted bolt
shells that are Extremely Rare with a base price
of 250 Thrones each.
Volg Spitfire Bolter
Class: Pistol (Bolt)
The Spitfire is an imitation bolt pistol, in
reality little more than a flare or line launcher
modified to fire crude impact-detonated
warheads. According to popular myth, the
Spitfire was first patterned by an exiled
Magnavar tech-adept to help combat swarming
Maw-flukes. While a pale substitute for an actual
bolt pistol, Spitfires became an immediate
sensation among Volgs scav-workshops and the
more talented arms dealers as they can provide
much needed firepower to a place filled with
unseen horrors. In Volg, carrying a Spitfire with
its primitive but functional exploding shells can
mean the difference between living another day
and being carried off into the darkness below.
Spitfires use modified distress flares fitted with
a crude impact detonator; almost a mockery of
the precision and arcane rituals used in the
creation of bolts. Nonetheless, they are still quite
deadly: Spitfire shells ignite flammable materials
on impact, and any Critical Hits inflicted on a
target forces an Agility Test, with failure
indicating that the victim has been set on fire by
the Spitfires ramshackle payload.
Spitfire shells are far from stable and any Jam
result automatically incurs an Explosive Mishap
(if the shell explodes, Damage is directed at the
firer, who must also Test Agility or be set on
fire). Likewise, Spitfire ammunition that is hit by
37
an explosion or flame weapon (such as the
wearer being within a grenades Blast radius) has
a 50% chance of exploding, dealing 1d10+3
points of Explosive Damage to the user.
Spitfire shells are Scarce with a base cost of 5
Thrones per reload.
Storm Bolter
Class: Basic (Bolt)
Storm bolters are truly devastating weapons
created by the very careful and time-consuming
process of combining two boltguns together into
one implement of the Emperors wrath. A storm
bolter can literally saw a well-armoured target in
half, while an unprotected man would be
reduced to a fine mist with a few chunks of flesh-
pulp decorating his cohorts. Storm bolters are
exceptionally difficult weapons to craft in no
small part due to the frustrating travails of
wheedling two machine spirits into functioning
in concert with one another, as that harmonious
cooperation is the true source of a storm bolters
exponentially greater power. Because of the great
effort and skill required to create them, storm
bolters are typically only made on the greatest of
the Imperiums forge worlds, such as Ryza in
Ultima Segmentum and even Holy Mars itself.
Storm bolters can be most commonly found as
auxiliary weapons attached to Imperial
armoured vehicles, with small numbers endowed
as personal weapons to especially favoured
Imperial officers and senior agents of the
Inquisition. The Sisters of Battle are known to
make use of storm bolters with some frequency
with a specific pattern assigned to their arsenals.
Godwyn-Deaz Pattern: This pattern of
storm bolter is based off of the standard
Godwyn-Deaz boltgun used by the bulk of the
Sisters of Battle, and is issued as a reward for
Battle Sisters who have proven themselves in
combat prowess and spiritual dedication to be
worthy of such firepower. It is exceedingly rare
outside of their ranks.

MELTA WEAPONS
Also known as melters and cookers, melta
weapons deliver supreme close-range firepower
capable of burning through almost any armour
and incinerating whatevers on the other side.
Most work by combining highly-pressurised
gases into an unstable sub-molecular state,
which is fired out in an intense blast of heat that
can turn even adamantine plate into molten slag
(and any unfortunates caught in its path into a
vaguely pink vapour). Meltas make little noise
when theyre fired; the loudest report is a
distinctive hissing noise as water in the air is
evaporated, possibly followed by the violent
explosion of whatever was just hit. This makes
them eminently useful weapons to commandoes
and infiltrators who can neutralize parked
enemy vehicles long before they can enter battle.
Meltas are most commonly issued to specialist
anti-vehicular troops as while their power is
unmatched, their short range and sparse number
of shots are major liabilities to inexperienced or
undisciplined soldiers.
Melta weapons are fairly rare on the battlefield
as only a few forge worlds are allowed to
produce them in any quantity. The Adeptus
Mechanicus formerly enjoyed a complete
monopoly on such fearsome weapons and they
have been loathe to allow their widespread
dissemination. Giving a meltaguns ability to slag
Melta Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen
even the heaviest vehicles and battle servitors,
this is perhaps unsurprising. Curiously, meltas
are not the sole provenance of mankind, and
different xenos races have been known to make
use of remarkably similar guns in remarkably
similar ways. While doubtlessly inferior to those
of the Imperiums forges, scholars have
questioned if the aliens are simply copying these
devastatingly effective weaponry for their own
purposes or if it is the inverse that is true.
Regardless of their provenance, those who wield
meltas will universally agree that there are few
better weapons for close combat.
To use melta weapons without penalty, a
character must have the Pistol Training (Melta),
Basic Weapon Training (Melta), or Heavy
Weapon Training (Melta) talents.
Inferno Pistol
Class: Pistol (Melta)
By and large, inferno pistols are valuable relics
as the technology to reproduce them is poorly
understood by all but the greatest forges. An
inferno pistol compacts the massive firepower of
a meltagun into a parcel that is deceptively small,
often no larger than a common autopistol
pattern. This has limited its range even further,
with some noting that you could almost throw
one as far as its bolt of destruction will reach.
However, as a close-range annihilation device,
inferno pistols have no equal. Because of their
Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Inferno Pistol (generic) Pistol 10m S/-/- 2d10+4 E 12 3 Full - 2.5kg 7,500 - Very Rare
Extremely
Mars Pistol 20m S/-/- 2d10+8 E 13 3 Full - 2.5kg 12,000 -
Rare
Extremely
Seraphim Pistol 10m S/-/- 2d10+2 E 10 6 Full Reliable 2kg 9,000 -
Rare
Meltacutter Basic 10m S/-/- 2d10+4 E 10 5 3 Full - 30kg 600 Hive & Forge Scarce

Meltagun (generic) Basic 20m S/-/- 2d10+4 E 12 5 2 Full - 8kg 4,000 - Rare

Mars Basic 20m S/-/- 2d10+8 E 13 5 2 Full - 7.5kg 9,000 - Very Rare

Ultima Basic 40m S/-/- 2d10+2 E 8 8 2 Full - 10kg 2,500 - Rare

Multi-Melta (generic) Heavy 60m S/-/- 4d10+12 E 12 10 2 Full Blast (1) 55kg 8,500 - Very Rare
Extremely
Mars Heavy 60m S/-/- 4d10+12 E 14 10 2 Full Blast (1) 40kg 14,000 -
Rare
Thermal Lance Heavy 10m S/-/- 2d10+4 E 12 2 2 Full Accurate 55kg 3,000 - Rare

38
extreme rarity they are also statements of the
wearers power and status just as much as their
desire to reduce a foe in full power armour to a
bubbling pool of goo. Those who bear one of
these exclusive sidearms count themselves in the
company of Inquisitors, Canonesses, Rogue
Traders, and Space Marine Captains, to name a
few. Aside from a handful of effectively
interchangeable patterns, there are also few
more unique marks which are listed here.
Mars Pattern: Inferno pistols manufactured
in the Adeptus Mechanicus great forges on
Mars itself are unquestionably a cut above any of
those made on lesser worlds. This is doubtless by
design: the truly elite of the Machine Cult are
extremely disinclined to let the unbridled power
of melta weapons promulgate throughout the
Imperium, much to the binary grumbling of
Fabricators and Magi from Voss Prime to
Estaban and everywhere in between. Mars
Patterns are most commonly wielded by
members of the Mechanicus themselves,
although a few have leaked out of the red robed
39
clergy as awards to high ranking Adeptus that
have done much to benefit the Machine Cult.
Seraphim Inferno Pistol: What one does well
two does better, and this maxim is frighteningly
applied to inferno pistols often issued in
matched pairs to veteran Seraphim jump troops
of the Adepta Soroitas. A Seraphim who has
proven herself time and time again to be worthy
of deed and pure of faith may be granted two of
these exquisite pistols with which to bring ruin
to those foes she finds beneath her. This mark of
inferno pistol is of unknown origin and
sacrifices a small measure of firepower for
greater clip size and more reliable functioning, a
Seraphims combat style leaving little room for
venting fouled gas canisters.
Matched pairs of Seraphim Inferno Pistols are
designed to be used at the same time by the
specially trained Sisters who wield them. If the
firer possesses the Dual Shot talent and fires
both weapons at once, this attack increases its
Damage by 1d10 and doubles is Penetration.
 Meltacutters have an absolute maximum
range of 10 metres and do not receive any
bonuses to hit for firing at closer distances.
Unless the wielder has a Strength Bonus of 4 or
more they suffer a cumulative -10 penalty to
Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack with it for
each point their Strength Bonus is below 4.
Meltacutters use standard meltagun canisters for
ammunition.

Meltagun
Class: Basic (Melta)
Meltaguns are the most common and versatile
melta weapon used in the Imperium, and are
often used by Imperial Guard anti-armour
teams, Dominion Squads of the Sisters of Battle,
and a multitude of other groups who have need
of short range obliteration at their disposal. On
hive worlds where meltaguns are made there are
even the occasional gangers and Redemptionists
who happen to acquire one through some sort of
provenance; these users waste no time in putting
such extraordinary firepower to good work,
often using ammunition from stolen
meltacutters from the factories above. Aside
from annihilating enemy armour and sending
opponents into puffs of steam, meltaguns can be
pressed into service to quickly breach barricades
or create an entrance through bulkheads, and
Meltacutter
just about any team dealing in close quarters
Class: Basic (Melta)
battles could benefit from having a man on a
Meltacutters are specialized tools used to cut
meltagun.
and weld slabs of metal in macro construction
The meltagun description assumes the use of
facilities and manufactorums. Extremely large
attached gas canisters. A meltagun may instead
and cumbersome, a meltacutter can still make a
be equipped with a compact backpack canister
very effective killing device if used as a weapon.
weighing 10kg that doubles the weapons clip
A meltacutters reach is quite short but can
size. As with inferno pistols, most meltagun
quickly breach most sealed bulkheads and
patterns can follow the listed figures, while some
reduce a fully armoured Arbitrator to hot gas
more unique patterns are provided here.
and ash with ease. When a hive worker or
Mars Pattern: When the Mechanicus allowed
labour-helot revolt spills over into the forges
for other forge worlds to begin production of
themselves, these are often the first tools to be
meltaguns the high Magi of the Priesthood of
looted in anticipation of the retaliation of the
Mars ensured that only watered down versions
worlds masters. As a result, the trade and
of these exceptionally potent weapons would be
deployment of these necessary tools is carefully
made away from their sacred manufactoriums
monitored, leading to frequent delays in
on Mars. Those reserved for the elites of the
obtaining spare parts or opening new
Machine Cult are significantly more efficient,
production lines.

40
boasting greater firepower and reduced bulk at
the same time, and can most typically be found
in the employment of Skitarii Tech-Guards and
Magos Militants in good standing with the
Martian Priesthood. A meltagun is already an
impressive weapon, but to wield one of those
from Mars own great forges is a display of
wealth and influence all its own.
Ultima Pattern: This meltagun is the most
common type employed by Imperial Guard tank
hunters, and has been optimized to provide a
substantially longer range and reduced weight at
the expense a modestly inferior lethality. It is
also significantly simpler to manufacture than
other patterns which has allowed for Guard
regiments to equip significantly more specialist
troops, and anything that might survive being
struck by an Ultima Pattern likely wont survive
a follow-up shot from another hunter. Ultima
Pattern meltaguns are produced by Voss, Lucius,
Mezoa, and others large forges, and have
recently begun in the Calixis Sector from the
Lathe Worlds as well.
Multi-Melta
Class: Heavy (Melta)
This terrifying heavy weapon is created in
typical Imperial fashion by forging two large-
aperture meltaguns together. Both barrels fire at
once in an incredibly powerful blast that can
obliterate all but the heaviest armour and leaves
an area of several square metres scorched to dust
and a few wisps of vapour. They are dedicated
anti-vehicular weapons; using a multi-melta on
enemy troops would be excessive in every sense
of the term, and even a mighty Space Marine
would likely be felled by a direct hit from one of
these annihilation engines. Multi-meltas are
typically only deployed as defensive weapons
aboard Imperial armoured vehicles, although the
Retributors of the Adepta Soroitas are known to
carry them in small numbers, and they are also
frequently chosen for installation on high-end
battle servitors. A multi-melta generates an
incredible amount of heat when fired, and the
residual blowback can be dangerous to the firer.
As a result, vehicle crews typically wear
41
insulative suits or heavy armour for protection
against this effect.
Unless the firer is wearing thermally
protective clothing or armour that provides at
least 5 APs to the head, body and arms, he
suffers 1d10 Energy Damage from the multi-
meltas muzzle blast. Multi-meltas are fed by a
backpack gas canister weighing 10kg which is
included in the weapons statistics.
Mars Pattern: Like other types of melta
weapons, the Tech-Priests of Mars reserved the
best for themselves. Multi-meltas produced by
the great Martian forges are actually quite
similar to those that they have allowed to be
produced on other worlds. Their biggest
departure is a much more efficient gas
compression and dispersion apparatus, making a
Mars Pattern significantly lighter and safer to
shoot as well. Mars Pattern multi-meltas do not
deal damage to the firer due to excess heat.
Thermal Lance
Class: Heavy (Melta)
Thermal lances are something of a more
refined and efficient meltacutter. Using a long
and thin containment cylinder rather than bulky
focusing beam emitters, a thermal lance is
significantly lighter and easier to port around,
allowing them to be used by workers directly
rather than mounted to heavy servitors. Thermal
lances require a few moments to steady and align
the aperture, but once braced are exceptionally
accurate and easy to control, allowing for very
precise cuts to be made through the largest
construction slabs and unfinished components.
They are just as often used in demolitions as well
with wreckers being able to cut through
bulkheads and structural supports in a methodic
and surgical process. Thermal lances are not
intended to be used as weapons, but a trained
user can employ them to slice through armoured
opponents just as well.
Thermal lances use standard meltagun
canisters for ammunition and can be equipped
with the same backpack unit which weighs 10kg
and doubles their clip size.

PLASMA WEAPONS
Plasma weapons are fantastic pieces of tech-
artifice whose art is almost lost in the Imperium.
Though once common during the Dark Age of
Technology, the STC for plasma weapons has yet
to be recovered, and many of the Adeptus
Mechanicus most skilled plasma artisans sided
with the traitors during the Horus Heresy. At the
present only a few forge worlds truly understand
a plasma weapons functions and the necessary
rituals and oaths to create one of acceptable
quality, and their small numbers combined with
excellent combat attributes makes them highly
sought-after guns.
Plasma weapons function off of a deceptively
simple principle of accelerating a hydrogen
plasmoid bolt to great speed, with the resultant
kinetic impact and tremendous energy release
sufficient to explode men and machines alike
from a more than adequate distance. A foe hit
with a salvo from a plasma gun is consumed in a
miniature solar explosion, reduced to a deep-
fried husk or simply annihilated from existence
with nary a speck in remains. Plasma weapons
are fed from external flasks containing elemental
hydrogen suspended in a photonic state, which
provides the fuel necessary for the plasma
reaction. Once energized in a photohydrogen
42
fuel core, this plasma bolt is flung at its
unfortunate victim via rings of electromagnets
which contain the raw energy as well as guide it
to its final destination.
As weapons that contain a miniature fusion
device and use arcane magnetic fields to propel a
highly unstable projectile, a plasma weapon is by
no means the most dependable (or safe) gun to
bring to the battlefield. Aside from a low refire
rate, most plasma weapons can become
dangerously overheated if their byzantine
workings fall out of a very narrow range of
acceptable tolerances. A plasma gunner must
therefore be of sound aim to make his low
volume of shots strike true as well as familiar
with the subtle proclivities of his weapons
machine spirit. Being able to read the ebb and
flow of a plasma weapons mechanical humours
is a key asset when one might need to rapidly
fling an overheating gun a safe distance away. A
pattern of particular burns on the palms can
instantly identify a man as a plasma gunner
whos experienced a mishap with his weapon, a
class of people ranging from veteran Imperial
Guardsmen to wealthy Rogue Traders.
To use plasma weapons without penalty, a
character must have the Pistol Training
(Plasma), Basic Weapon Training (Plasma), or
Heavy Weapon Training (Plasma) talents.
Plasma Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability
Blast (1), Overheats,
Plasma Blaster Basic 60m S/-/- 2d10+8 E 8 6 2 Full 20kg 7,500 - Very Rare
Recharge
Plasma Cannon Heavy 120m S/-/- 2d10+10 E 8 80 5 Full Overheats 38kg 8,500 - Very Rare

(Maximal) 4d10+10 E Overheats, Recharge, Blast (3)

Plasma Gun (Ryza) Basic 90m S/2/- 1d10+7 E 7 40 5 Full Overheats 9kg 3,000 - Very Rare

(Maximal) 100m S/-/- 2d10+7 E 9 Overheats, Recharge

Extremely
Clovis Basic 60m S/3/5 1d10+5 E 6 40 5 Full Overheats 20kg 6,000 -
Rare
(Maximal) 70m S/3/- 2d10+5 E 8 Overheats, Recharge

Mezoa Basic 90m S/2/- 1d10+7 E 6 40 5 Full Overheats 17kg 2,200 - Very Rare

Sunfury Basic 80m S/3/- 1d10+10 E 6 20 5 Full Overheats 12kg 3,000 - Very Rare

Plasma Pistol (Ryza) Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+6 E 6 10 3 Full Overheats 4kg 4,000 - Very Rare

(Maximal) 40m S/-/- 2d10+6 E 8 Overheats, Recharge

Kronos Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+6 E 6 10 3 Full Overheats 4kg 5,000 - Very Rare

(Maximal) 2d10+10 E 8 Overheats, Recharge

Extremely
Wrath Pistol 40m S/-/- 1d10+8 E 6 8 3 Full Accurate, Overheats 5kg 6,500 -
Rare
Not including ammo pack

Plasma Blaster Plasma Cannon

Class: Basic (Plasma)
A plasma blaster is a crude but functional
expedient designed to create a weapon with
similar firepower to a plasma cannon that is
significantly more portable. Twin barrels are
powered by a single set of standard plasma flasks
and fusion generator, creating a significantly
more potent ball of starstuff that can wipe out
multiple enemy troops at once as well as defeat
light vehicles by slagging through their armour.
A number of concessions had to be made to
obtain this firepower in a (reasonably)
lightweight package, and plasma blasters suffer
from a significantly shorter range and lower
number of shots available thanks to more rapid
and less efficient consumption of hydrogen.
Plasma blasters include a functional if dangerous
rapid reloading system that violently ejects spent
plasma flasks from the weapons housing,
leaving the firer only needing to insert fresh
ones. Care must be taken to ensure that no body
parts are in the path of these jettisoned canisters
as examples of the errant vessels penetrating
flakboard walls have been noted.
Class: Heavy (Plasma)
Monstrous weapons in every definition,
plasma cannons are essentially grossly oversized
plasma guns that can cause utter havoc on the
battlefield as blasts of solar intensity are flung
about. Plasma cannons are most often found
attached to Imperial armoured vehicles where
their mass and necessity for external
ammunition supplies are non-issues, and can
benefit from large liquid cooling systems to
minimize the possibility of dangerous
overheating. No Imperial Guard regiments make
use of plasma cannons in the infantry role, but
well-funded (and brave) elite mercenaries acting
under the authority of rich noble houses and the
personal troops of Rogue Traders have been
known to port these frighteningly potent
weapons around with them.
Plasma cannons can be fired on a Maximal
setting for greatly increased firepower. Firing in
Maximal mode consumes six shots from the
weapons clip and gains the Damage and Special
Qualities listed. The plasma cannon rules listed
assume the firer is equipped with a backpack
ammo pack weighing 25kg which provides the

43
stated Clip size. A plasma cannon can be used and contraction of its magnetic containing fields
with standard plasma flasks in a pinch, with two to release swift spurts of plasma, effectively
flasks providing a Clip of 4. chopping up a single charge into multiple
smaller projectiles. While crude in design, this
Plasma Gun (Ryza) capability represents a feature from the ancient
past of plasma weaponry, and there are some
Class: Basic (Plasma)
within the Machine Cult that believe the tech-
Plasma Guns are the most common form of
adepts of Clove might have acquired a partial
plasma weapon in use within the Imperium, and
STC or data fragment from the Dark Age of
many well-organised Imperial Guard regiments
Technology and are guarding it jealously, with
include a plasma gunner in each squad of
this Mark IV plasma gun as a product of that
veteran troops. While this is something of a
knowledge.
dubious honour, giving plasma weaponrys
The Clovis plasma gun has a Maximal setting
generally temperamental nature, only a minority
similar to those made on Ryza that can be
of Guardsmen would honestly rather use their
employed on either single shots or semi-auto
standard-issue lasgun after seeing the efficiency
bursts. If fired on semi-auto the Clovis totally
of their plasma gun in vaporising the enemy.
depletes its energized hydrogen and must wait
Ryza, a forge world in Ultima Segmentum,
two Rounds instead of one while the fusion core
produces the largest share of plasma weapons in
builds up a plasma charge. Firing on the
use in the Imperium. For reasons still unknown
Maximal setting consumes 3 shots (9 if fired on
to most, the techno-magi of Ryza understand the
semi-auto) and cannot be used if it doesnt have
art of plasma weaponry better than any other
at least that many shots remaining in its clip.
save for perhaps the Martian priesthood
Mezoa Pattern: The Mezoa Pattern,
themselves, and plasma weapons manufactured
manufactured on that world in the Gothic
on this world are of exceptional quality and ease
Sector, is typical of any number of lesser grade
of use. Ryzas plasma weapons are found
plasma guns that hail from forge worlds without
everywhere from the holsters of high-ranking
Ryzas intimate knowledge of their art and
Imperial officers to the main batteries of
design. While certainly functional and deadly
Warhound Scout Titans.
enough, these plasma guns typically lack a
Plasma weapons made on Ryza generally
Maximal setting and are significantly more
include a Maximal setting which discharges a
bulky and heavier to schlep around due to their
much larger blast over longer range. Firing on
inefficient induction coils and unnecessarily
Maximal depletes readily available plasma within
large fusion core. The sheer volume of plasma
the fusion chamber, and the weapon cannot be
guns produced by Ryza makes them similar in
fired again until it refills (gaining the Recharge
number to those from lesser forges combined,
quality as described). Firing on Maximal
but the inferior characteristics of these sub-
consumes 3 shots from the plasma weapons clip,
standard patterns does tend to reduce their black
and cannot be used if it does not have at least 3
market cost, and having any plasma gun is
shots left.
certainly better than having none at all.
Clovis Mark IV: This curious plasma gun is
Mark III Sunfury Assault Gun: A high-
produced on the hive world of Clove in the
power weapon issued to some Imperial Guard
Hazeroth Abyss and is capable of rapid-fire. Its
units that often must face heavily armoured foes,
plasma blasts are somewhat smaller and less
the Sunfury is an example of a deliberately
intense than those of comparable patterns, but
simplified plasma gun that is easier for
the fully automatic capability is of immediate
Guardsmen and PDF troopers to handle. It lacks
interest to tech-scholars and other artificers.
a Maximal setting and has a reduced range
According to those who have studied it, the
compared to similar plasma weapons, but its
Clovis plasma gun makes use of rapid dilation

44
normal power shots are of a significantly greater
intensity so as to eliminate the need to switch
between modes and deal with the recharge time.
The tech-adepts of forges with the ability to
produce higher-quality plasma guns tend to
derisively refer to these hard-hitting but simple
weapons as plasma clubs due to their
perceived use as the guns of under-trained and
thuggish troops.
Plasma Pistol (Ryza)
Class: Pistol (Plasma)
Plasma pistols are favoured sidearms of high-
ranking Imperial servants, wealthy nobles and
inscrutable Rogue Traders. With a highly
condensed fusion core and miniature magnetic
acceleration coils, plasma pistols have a reduced
range compared to full-size plasma guns but
their firepower at distance is unmatched among
similarly sized weapons. Plasma pistols are
powered by a single flask that is installed in a
socket ahead of the trigger, and often have
ornate and ergonomic grips that further increase
their value and the showmanship of their
wielders. As with plasma guns, the finest pistols
are made on Ryza where the art of plasma
weaponry is still understood, and these finely
crafted weapons are likely the single most
common pattern in Imperial service. Fairly
standard and utilitarian versions are brought
into battle by veteran Guard leaders, tank
commanders and even the Princeps of mighty
Titan walkers, while more decorated and flashy
pistols can be spotted at the hips of Inquisitors,
Cardinals, and other elite Adeptus.
Plasma weapons made on Ryza generally
include a Maximal setting which discharges a
much larger blast over longer range. Firing on
Maximal depletes readily available plasma within
the fusion chamber, and the weapon cannot be
fired again until it refills (gaining the Recharge
quality as described). Firing on Maximal
consumes 3 shots from the plasma weapons clip,
and cannot be used if it does not have at least 3
shots left.
Kronos Pattern: The Kronos plasma pistol is
a local product of the Lathe System in the
45
Calixis Sector that is unique for its
extraordinarily powerful Maximal setting. With
an absurdly oversized fusion unit and heavily
reinforced muzzle emitter, the Kronos can rival
an inferno pistols raw destructive ability while,
while offering more modest firepower with
normal shots. Aside from only being able to fire
on single shots, it is otherwise similar to plasma
pistols manufactured on Ryza. Just why this
potent instrument of the Omnissiahs divine fury
is available for sale (at exorbitant price, of
course) while the Tech-Priests jealously guard
lesser weapons and equipment remains another
inexplicable mystery of the Mechanicus.
When fired on the Maximal setting, the
Kronos consumes 5 shots from its clip; this
feature cant be used if it has less than 5 shots
remaining. The Kronos gains the Recharge
quality when fired on the Maximal setting, but
must spend two Rounds rather than the
standard one before it has finished recharging.
Khayer-Addin Wrath Plasma Pistol: This
plasma pistol is heavily optimized for accurate
shooting and long range, making it extremely
unusual among other plasma weapons. Though
fully capable of use as a combat weapon, the
famed Khayer-Addin forge of Gunmetal City has
designed this gun as a duellists piece. It lacks a
Maximal setting and cant be fired on semi-
automatic, typical for plasma weapons that are
manufactured outside the purview of the master
tech-artisans of Ryza, but its accuracy is superb
as far as pistols go. Finely crafted, and
correspondingly rare, these pistols are most
commonly used by the segment of Scintillas
nobles who view duelling as not only a means to
settle affairs of honour but also to make
absolutely sure that the offending party wont be
able to insulting them (or anyone else) again. At
least a few have also wound up in the hands of
accomplished gunslingers that hold accuracy
and takedown power above volume of shots.
 immolates them down into blackened heaps.
FLAME WEAPONS Other combinations of chemicals and volatile
Flamers, as they are more popularly known, are substances can be used if Promethium is not
indiscriminate terror weapons used to displace available, and most Imperial flamers include a
entrenched enemies and bring the light of the pilot light to ignite these substitutes.
Emperor to all matters of His foes. All flamers To use flame weapons without penalty, a
work in roughly the same manner, projecting character must have the Pistol Training (Flame),
gouts of burning fuel at the target, and have been Basic Weapon Training (Flame), or Heavy
used by mankind in some form or other since Weapon Training (Flame) talents.
the dawn of time. They are reasonably simple
weapons, most consisting of a canister of fuel,
an air compressor to shoot the fuel at the
target, an ignition system, and a housing with
controls to store it all. By and large flamers
manufactured by scav-workshops in
underhive slums are of similar utility to those
churned out in mass from Imperial forges
destined for Guard regiments, and it isnt
difficult to find a flamer on almost any world
in the hands of all sorts of users. The Sisters of
Battle and Redemptionist cults are particularly
fond of flamers due to their purifying effect
on the sinful and wicked, while the famed
Catachan Jungle Fighters are known for their
almost psychotic love of burning enemies out
of heavy foliage and other sorts of cover.
Numerous breeds of xenos make use of flame
weapons as well, as the threat of being lit on
fire is one thing that communicates quite well
over species gaps.
Flame weapons of the Imperium typically
use a highly flammable substance known as
Promethium to produce their terrible effects.
Promethium is refined on many worlds from a
variety of substances, including the
atmosphere of gas giants, ancient organic
mineral deposits, and even frozen liquids
encountered on ice worlds. It is used for a
variety of purposes other than igniting the
enemies of the Emperor, such as fuel for many
types of vehicular engines and as a base
component for numerous everyday
commodities. Promethium intended for use in
flamers is designed to spontaneously combust
on contact with oxygen, and is of a thick
consistency so it sticks to whatever it lands on.
Those not killed by the initial fireball will die
horribly as the sticky, slow-burning gel

46
Flame Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Flamer (generic) Basic 20m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 3 3 2 Full Flame, Unreliable 6kg 200 - Scarce

Burst Basic 5m S/-/- 1d5 E 0 10 2 Full Flame, Primitive 3kg 50 - Scarce

Flame, Toxic,
Nightfire Basic 20m S/-/- 1d10+5 E 2 3 2 Full 7kg 400 - Very Rare
Unreliable
Salamander Basic 10m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 1 3 2 Full Flame, Unreliable 6kg 250 - Scarce

Gas Torch Basic 5m S/-/- 1d10+1 E 2 20 5 Full Flame, Unreliable 20kg 150 Hive Average

Hand Flamer (generic) Pistol 10m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 2 2 2 Full Flame, Unreliable 3.5kg 200 - Rare

Destroyer Pistol 15m S/-/- 1d10+5 E 2 5 2 Full Flame, Unreliable 2.1kg 750 - Very Rare
Extremely
Seraphim Pistol 10m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 2 6 Full Flame 2kg 1,000 -
Rare
Heavy Flamer Heavy 30m S/-/- 2d10+4 E 4 30 2 Full Flame, Unreliable 20kg 1,000 - Rare

Stingray Basic 15m S/-/- 1d10+3 E 2 4 Full Flame 3kg 100 Void Scarce

Tox Spray Basic 10m S/-/- 2d5+5 E 0 3 3 Full Flame, Toxic 8kg 200 Hive Scarce

Not including ammo pack

Flamer
Class: Basic (Flame)
Flame guns, known more popularly as flamers,
are the most common type of flame weapon used
by the military forces of the Imperium. Most
assault squads in the Imperial Guard have at
least one or two men armed with flamers, and
they are also commonly wielded by specialised
shock troops and others who can make the best
use of fires intimidating effects. All common
patterns of flamers are designed to make use of
attached fuel canisters with enough Promethium
for a few shots, which is normally sufficient for
frying enclosed troops and enemies behind
cover. This configuration provides the listed
figures. Flamers can also be used with a
backpack fuel canister and hose feed weighing
6kg and providing double the listed Clip size, or
a larger rig weighing 25kg with enough fuel for
60 shots. Most flamers produced in the
Imperium can fit into this category, while some
more unique patterns are listed here.
Anoxis Burst Flamer: Also known (very
informally) as Haxs Breath, this flamer variant
is designed primarily as a tool of intimidation
and for crowd control rather than outright
annihilation. Its fuel mixture ignites before
leaving the weapon, resulting in a quick burst of
heat that will singe eyebrows and burn loose
clothing but is unlikely to cause serious injury
unless the target is within arms reach of the
firer. Burst-pattern flamers are commonly used
aboard ships as a means of quelling angry ratings
as their minor output is unlikely to start a
shipboard fire, but some have wound up being
used by the Adeptus Arbites and planetary
enforcers to gently encourage riots to disperse.
Voss Nightfire Flame Device: A pure
terror weapon, the Nightfire is most commonly
used by troops in full protective suits due to its
doubly terrible effects. It uses a special fuel
compound made of highly purified Promethium
mixed with virulently poisonous chemicals; it
not only scorches the flesh of its victims but
those who survive the fire find themselves
inundated in toxic smoke.
When fired a Nightfire flamer produces a
cloud of smoke that expands 2 metres beyond
the normal 30 degree arc in all directions,
including in the direction of the firer. Each
Round any characters are caught within the
smoke they must succeed on a Challenging (+0)
Toughness Test or take 1d10 Impact Damage
with no reduction from Armour or Toughness.
The smoke remains dangerous for 1d10 Rounds
and totally dissipates another 1d10 Rounds later
though adverse weather conditions may clear it
away faster. Characters wearing a re-breather or

47
within a sealed suit of armour are immune to
this effect.
Nightfire fuel costs twice as much as standard
flamer fuel and is considered Rare.
Salamander Assault Flamer: The Salamander
started out as a field-improvised weapon rigged
up by Enginseers at the front during the Tranch
War, and was picked up by several forges in the
Calixis Sector after many Guardsmen found its
performance to be exceptional for the fast-paced
open warfare there. Salamander flamers use an
inert propellant gas combined with a wide, thin
nozzle that forcefully sprays Promethium over a
significantly wider area. Troops equipped with
Salamander Assault Flamers can burn down a
numerically superior force with total ease, and
against lightly armoured foes like cult mobs the
effect is spectacular to say the least.
Salamander flamers project flame over a 45
degree arc rather than a normal 30 degree arc as
described in the Flame quality.
Gas Torch
Class: Basic (Flame)
Gas torches are industrial tools that project an
incandescent vapour used to clear away fungal
growths and other obstructions (vermin nests,
desiccated corpses, and so forth) from a hive
citys labyrinthine duct-systems. While not
intended for use as a weapon, the availability of
gas torches to low-rent gangers and other
underhive scum see them pressed into service as
improvised flamers that can still be perfectly
deadly as many unsuspecting rival gangs and
upper hive enforcers have fatally discovered.
Gas torches use bulky packs of pressurised and
highly reactive gas to produce their effect. If an
individual wearing a gas torch is attacked from
behind and suffers Damage, there is a 50%
chance that the gas tanks rupture and explode,
dealing 2d10 Explosive Damage with a Blast of 4.
The wearer suffers double that Damage result
and may not make an Agility Test to try and
avoid the blast.
Gas Torches have an Availability of Average
on Hive Worlds and are Rare on most other
developed worlds within the Imperium.
48
Hand Flamer
Class: Pistol (Flame)
Hand flamers are just as they sound: a flamer
cut down in size to be used as a pistol-like
weapon. Although they have a very short range
thanks to a much smaller air compressor, at
personal distances a hand flamer is an
exceptionally effective weapon. Warriors who
favour close combat often employ a hand flamer
in their off hand to soften up a group of foes
before righteously smiting them with their melee
weapon. The Sisters of Battle and particularly
zealous members of the Ecclesiarchy are perhaps
the most enthusiastic users of hand flamers, for
much the same reasons as they enjoy the full size
counterparts as well. Just as with normal flamers,
hand flamers are reasonably simple weapons,
and the majority of all patterns manufactured in
the Imperium can fit into this description. A few
with some more unique features are listed here.
Cadence Destroyer Pistol: A weapon
produced only to commission by the mysterious
Cadence tech-artisan cult, the Destroyer is an
extremely sophisticated hand flamer that uses
force-compression technology similar to that of
a plasma weapon to create a superheated
thermal-incandescent blast that burns far hotter
and with greater fuel efficiency than most other
flame weapons. About the only thing that the
Destroyer has in common with other Imperial
hand flamers is the ability to use standard-size
Promethium fuel canisters. This flamer has a
strong association with the Inquisition of the
Calixian Conclave, and if the stories are to be
believed, the first commissioner of the Destroyer
was none other than the legendary Inquisitor
Ark-Ashten of the Ordo Xenos.
Seraphim Hand Flamer: Like much of the
Adepta Soroitas reliquary-arsenal, hand flamers
issued to elite Seraphim jump troops are
exceptionally well-crafted weapons that are a cut
above their more commonplace counterparts.
Seraphim who have demonstrated particular zeal
in punishing the enemies of the Emperor may
swap their bolt pistols for a pair of these
excellent hand flamers and use them to great
effect in annihilating swaths of lesser foes. An
efficient canister socket allows fresh
Promethium tanks to be loaded with much
greater speed than most flamers, an invaluable
advantage to Sisters hurtling through the air on
their jump packs. Seraphim hand flamers
include an additional function that projects a
very short burst of flame that consumes minimal
fuel, and those Sisters that carry these superior
pistols can use them effectively in close combat.
If armed with two Seraphim hand flamers, a
character with the Dual Shot talent can make a
combined attack with both weapons.
Ammunition is consumed from each flamer as
normal, but the attack deals 1d10+10 Energy
Damage and targets hit by its flames suffer a -20
penalty to their Agility Tests to avoid its effects.
This penalty stacks with that from the Cleanse
and Purify talent. A Seraphim hand flamer can
be used to make melee attacks against single
opponents which deal its normal Damage as
long as the weapon has at least one shot left in its
Clip. This attack does not have the Flame quality
and so will not set targets on fire; likewise, the
weapon does not Jam if the wielder rolls a result
that would ordinarily cause one. Individual
melee attacks do not consume fuel, but a
49
protracted battle may end up spending some
over time.
Heavy Flamer
Class: Heavy (Flame)
Enormously oversized flamers sometimes
sporting two nozzles, heavy flamers are designed
to bring fiery ruin to huge swaths of terrain at
once. The great amount of flaming Promethium
hurled out by these weapons more closely
resembles an inferno at a processing plant than a
battlefield weapon, and a heavy flamer is quite
possibly the least subtle armament that can be
hauled by troops onto a battlefield. Heavy
flamers are most commonly employed on
Imperial armoured vehicles where a large
amount of fuel can be carried with (relative)
safety, though small numbers are also carried
into battle by Guardsmen for special situations.
In this role one trooper carries the flamer itself
while his assistant hauls its fuel and a backup
weapon such as a lascarbine. Especially strong or
power armoured soldiers are capable of wielding
a heavy flamer and its fuel supply by themselves.
Among those who believe in the purifying power
of fire, a heavy flamer is its ultimate expression extremely unfortunate victim(s) through a jury-
as far as individual weapons go. rigged spray gun. The effects of the mixture on
Heavy flamers include a backpack fuel tank flesh are truly horrific and most armour offers
weighing 25kg that provides the listed Clip size. little protection from the burning and sickening
poisonous fluids. Notoriously, tox sprays are
Anoxis Stingray Rifle used by the gangers of Hive Volg on Fenksworld
Class: Basic (Flame) to execute traitors and informants in the most
The Stingray is not actually a flamer at all but gruesome manner possible and without doubt
produces similar results (horrible burns) by there are few worse ways to die.
directional microwave projection instead of a Although not a true flame weapon, victims hit
fiery jet of Promethium. This causes immediate by a tox sprays attack must still succeed on an
blistering heat on organic substances, such as Agility Test or else the terrible effluence clings to
unruly crewmembers or boarding parties, but their bodies and causes further chemical burns
will not damage most shipboard equipment and as though they were on fire. Characters in sealed
is extremely unlikely to start a fire. This makes armour and those lacking organic bodies are
the Stingray an exceptionally useful weapon for effectively immune to being attacked by a tox
use aboard ships in the void. Planetary users who spray. If the tox spray suffers a Jam, the weapon
can acquire a Stingray often find them to be just ruptures explosively, inflicting the weapons
as efficient as their voidsman counterparts, but Damage as a two metre blast with double the
the microwave beam can be significantly rolled Damage inflicted on the user. Tox sprays
hampered by rainfall, high humidity, and other are Scarce on Hive Worlds and Rare on other
atmospheric weather conditions. developed worlds.
Targets caught in a Stingrays 30 degree arc
suffer a -10 penalty to their Agility Tests to avoid
the weapons effects, but cannot be set on fire by
it. If raining or extremely humid the Stingray
gains the Primitive quality and its Range is
reduced to 10m. Stingray rifles use standard
lasgun charge packs to provide energy for their
microwave beam, and can be used with
overcharge packs with the usual effects.
Stingrays can also be used with hotshot packs
but with extreme danger: if the weapon suffers a
Jam it catastrophically explodes, dealing Damage
to the firer as though he were hit with the beam.
Stingrays are Scarce around large space
stations and planetary dock yards and are Very
Rare elsewhere.

Tox Spray
Class: Basic (Flame)
Tox sprays are terrifying weapons founds in
the hands of the worst type of gang scum in the
most polluted hive sumps. The weapon uses an
absolutely foul mixture of highly corrosive
industrial residue and toxic waste contained
under high pressure, which is unleashed on its

50

PRIMITIVE WEAPONS
Even in the 41st Millennium there are many
worlds within the Imperium that have a very low
technological base, whether still developing or
having regressed back to a more primitive state.
Weaponry of this type is typical to that which
was once used on Terra in ancient prehistory,
and there are Administratum scholars who
believe that the growth of such undeveloped
worlds may closely resemble that of Holy Terra
itself. Many explorers and investigative groups
have found it to their advantage to maintain
proficiency with these very low-tech weapons so
that they can make use of local hardware while
conducting business on such backwater and
regressed planets.
Primitive weapons of this sort can sometimes
be found on more built-up planets, including
Hive worlds, as the product of cheap scav-
workshops and other low-grade smiths, and
while far from effective compared to autoguns
and stubbers, any gun is better than none at all.
This class of weapon refers to any of a broad
range of low-complexity ranged armaments,
including black powder-fired guns as well as
muscle-powered devices like crossbows and
javelins among a wide variety of others. To use
primitive weapons without penalty, a character
must have the Thrown Weapon Training
(Primitive), Pistol Training (Primitive), Basic
Weapon Training (Primitive), or Heavy Weapon
Training (Primitive) talents.
Bolas
Class: Thrown (Primitive)
Bolas are a simple but highly effective tool
meant to tangle up an opponent. Most are
constructed from several dense balls of stone or
wood (sometimes as many as eight) held
together with heavy cord; examples
manufactured on more developed Imperial
worlds might be made of resin or plasteel bound
together with wire, but function in essentially
the same way. Bolas are held in one hand and
swung above the head where their mass allows
them to pick up speed, then flung at the legs of a
51
foe to entangle them where their mass and
inertia can knock even a strong man off his feet.
Bolas are not explicitly offensive weapons, and
someone hit by a set of them is likely to only
suffer injuries from being knocked over. This
makes them a favoured choice for bounty
hunters and enforcers, including some more
eccentric Arbitrators, as they can be used in the
aid of apprehending a fleeing target.
Volonx Bone Bolas: The nomads and hunters
of Volonx have created a nastier style of bolas
that is intended to inflict much more harm on
their victim. The weights are made from bone
and cords embedded with sharp teeth from
native sand sharks meant to cause lacerations as
it entangles its target. The porous shark teeth are
typically soaked in poison made from mashed
skem plants, giving it several victims worth of
virulent toxic kick. A target tripped up by
Volonx bone bolas is likely to be sent into
anaphylactic shock from exposure to the poison
along with being planted on their faces by the
bolas more typical effect.
Volonx Bone Bolas are Very Rare outside of
that planet.
Bow
Class: Basic (Primitive)
Bows are unlikely the first missile weapon
designed by man in ancient prehistory, and tens
of millennia later are still made by tribal bowyers
on feral worlds and niche weapon artisans on
more developed planets. While undeniably
inferior to any kind of modern gun in terms of
firepower, range, and ease of use, a bow is almost
completely silent while firing. This is an
attractive quality to assassins and more eccentric
gangers who have enough faith in their aim to
justify the slow attacks and lack of armour
penetration. Bows made on feral and feudal
worlds are almost universally made of special
types of wood selected for their flexibility; those
designed for Imperial hunters and hitmen may
be made of any variety of synthetic materials.
Composite Bow: This is a more advanced
style of bow is found on later feudal worlds and
is made of multiple pieces of wood, sinew and
Primitive Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Bolas Thrown 10m S/-/- 0 0 1 - Primitive, Snare 1.5kg 10 - Average

Inaccurate, Primitive,
Bone Bolas Thrown 8m S/-/- 1d5 I 0 1 - 2kg 15 Volonx Rare
Snare, Toxic
Bow Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 1 Half Primitive, Reliable 2kg 10 - Common

Composite Bow Basic 40m S/-/- 1d10+2 R 1 1 Half Accurate, Primitive 3kg 50 - Scarce

Longbow Basic 50m S/-/- 1d10+2 R 2 1 Half Primitive 3kg 20 Feudal Average

Crossbow Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 1 2 Full Primitive 3kg 10 - Common

Heavy Crossbow Basic 80m S/-/- 1d10+4 R 2 1 4 Full Primitive 6kg 75 Feudal Rare

Hunting Crossbow Basic 50m S/-/- 1d10+1 R 1 1 2 Full Accurate, Primitive 2.5kg 100 Imperial Scarce

Drive Nailer Basic 5m -/3/- 1d10+1 R 4 15 3 Full Primitive 7kg 50 Hive Common

Flick Bow Pistol 15m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 1 Full Primitive, Special 1kg 30 - Scarce
Inaccurate, Primitive,
Flintlock Pistol Pistol 15m S/-/- 1d10+2 I 0 1 3 Full 4kg 10 - Common
Unreliable
Deuce Pistol Pistol 15m S/2/- 1d10+2 I 0 2 5 Full Primitive, Unreliable 2kg 40 - Average

Hand Crossbow Pistol 15m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 1 Full Primitive 1kg 200 - Rare

Haywire Rifle Basic 10m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 2 6 1 Full Special 5kg 400 - Very Rare

Hunting Boomerang Thrown 10m S/-/- 1d10 I 0 1 - Primitive .5kg 50 - Common

Impaler Heavy 30m S/-/- 1d10+5 I 2 1 2 Full Primitive, Unreliable 22kg 100 Hive Scarce

Javelin Thrown 15m S/-/- 1d10+SB R 1 1 - Primitive 1kg 8 - Plentiful

Inaccurate, Primitive,
Musket Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 2 1 5 Full 7kg 30 - Common
Unreliable
Inaccurate, Primitive,
Blunderbuss Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+ 2 I 0 1 2 Full 4kg 20 - Plentiful
Unreliable
Siskan Musket Basic 40m S/-/- 1d10+3 I 2 1 5 Full Primitive 8kg 65 Sisk Scarce

Razor Disk Thrown 10m S/-/- 1d10+SB R 1 1 - Primitive .5kg 50 Fedrid Average

Scrap Cannon Heavy 15m S/-/- 1d10+3 R 0 1 3 Full Scatter, Unreliable 40kg 150 Hive Very Rare

Sling Basic 15m S/-/- 1d10-2 I 0 1 Full Primitive .5kg 10 - Plentiful

Blast (2), Inaccurate,
Thunderclap Exotic 9m S/-/- 1d5+3 X 0 1 - 1kg 45 Volonx Very Rare
Primitive, Unstable
Vibe Spear Thrown 10m S/-/- 1d10+2+SB R 1 1 - Primitive, Snare, Special 2kg 14 Endrite Scarce

horn fused together under pressure to give the
bow a permanently drawn shape. Composite
bows are both accurate and quicker to use than
classic bows, but require substantial
craftsmanship and access to better materials, as
well as a higher degree of care in maintenance.
Composite bows offer some significant
advantages over primitive black powder guns,
and like normal bows some are manufactured on
more advanced worlds for their combination of
attractive features.
Longbow: Longbows are explicit weapons of
war, often taller than their users and far too
unwieldy for use in hunting game. A longbows
arrows are designed to be propelled at range
with great speed and sufficient power to
penetrate personal armours worn by enemy
troops, and a classic tactic to employ these
weapons is where a multitude of archers release
a massive flurry of arrows on a ballistic
trajectory to rain death upon an opposing army.
A longbow is almost invariably crafted from the
dense heartwood of old-growth trees as these
provide sufficient strength to contain the great
tension necessary to propel an arrow at sufficient
velocity. Many feudal worlds have entire sections

52
of law devoted to the protection of such trees
from logging by commoners as their depletion
would be a crippling blow to the manufacture of
new longbows. Due to their great bulk and the
difficulty in drawing, longbows are far rarer than
other bow-style weapons as far as manufacture
on more advanced Imperial worlds.
Crossbow
Class: Basic (Primitive)
A semi-mechanical weapon, crossbows are
wooden-stocked with a sturdy metal bow that is
held back by a trigger-activated release. Short,
heavy arrows known as bolts are flung out of the
weapon at great speed, though pulling the bow
itself back into firing position requires
considerable effort and time. Crossbows are
easier to use than regular bows since they can be
left loaded and grabbed just before combat,
whereas a bow will always need to be readied
and drawn first.
Heavy Crossbow: Also known as arbalests,
these monster crossbows must be braced with a
foot in a special stirrup near the bow and
winched into firing position with a windlass
before a bolt can be inserted. This process is
almost as lengthy as reloading a musket, but the
force created by a heavy crossbows bolt is
incredible among primitive weapons and have
been known to penetrate a horseman and his
horse at the same time. Soldiers armed with
heavy crossbows must be well-disciplined to fire
their shot at the right moment, as a charging
enemy likely wont give them enough time to
reload. They are also stable and exceptionally
accurate, and expert sharpshooters at a besieged
castle have been known to take out men
operating catapults of the attacking force.
Hunting Crossbow: Effectively a crossbow
manufactured using present techniques and
materials, crossbows of this type are used on
many worlds by huntsmen, frontier settlers, and
others who value its simple action and quiet
operation. Unlike traditional crossbows found
on feudal worlds, hunting crossbows usually
include a variety of convenience features,
53
including detachable stocks, pistol grips, and the
ability to mount sights much like a hunting rifle.
Hunting crossbows can use bolts made of
laminate plexichrome or armaplas along with
more traditional ones. These bolts cost twice as
much as normal bolts and when used with a
hunting crossbow cause it to lose the Primitive
quality.
Drive Nailer
Class: Basic (Primitive)
One of the first weapons to appear in the
hands of heretics in a hive uprising, the drive
nailer is simply a high-power nail or rivet-
driving gun of the type common to the millions
who toil in hive construction and reclamation
crews across the Imperium. With its power
setting turned up to maximum and safety
features disabled, drive nailers can make a messy
but effective weapon. They have a very short
effective range as the nails or rivets lose velocity
quickly, but nevertheless are often sufficient to
give rioting hivers enough firepower to steal
better weapons from unlucky enforcers and PDF
troops whove found themselves nailed to a wall
or bulkhead.
Flick Bow
Class: Basic (Primitive)
A flick bow is a curious compact-size hand
crossbow that is designed to fold up into a
package that can be tucked away inside a boot,
muffler, sleeve, or purse. It is therefore a
common choice for coachmen, ladies of
negotiable affection and criminal gangs on many
medieval worlds, although the finest crafted
examples are made by the artisans of Balecaster
and wouldnt look out of place in an Inquisition
armoury. The span of a flick bow folds inwards
and its grip tips back to form an oblong shape
suitable for concealment.
A flick bow requires a Half Action to be
unfolded and locked in place before it can be
loaded and shot. The bow is not designed for
long-term tension, so it cannot be left in the
expanded position for long periods of time.
When folded up, a flick bow grants a +10 bonus
to Sleight of Hand Tests made to conceal it.
Flintlock Pistol
Class: Pistol (Primitive)
These primitive black powder weapons can
take many forms, from finely crafted pistols
constructed for the nobles of low-tech worlds,
elegant yet simple sidearms for use by cavalry
soldiers, or simple pipe and powder affairs used
by underhive scum. In general, a pistol of this
type is essentially an extremely short musket
with a built-in ramrod that wont come lose
during close combat. Many have reinforced
pommels made of iron or brass explicitly for use
as a club in melee combat as few enemies would
give the firer enough time to reload. Flintlocks
are the most common form of primitive pistol
although similar weapons might be rigged to fire
with a match or percussion cap depending on
the level of advancement of the particular world.
Deuce Pistol: A double-barrelled variant that
is particularly popular on many worlds where
duelling is common, and it also serves as a useful
hunting sidearm as well. These types of flintlock
pistol are almost assuredly manufactured to a
high level of precision and are often markedly
more accurate than their contemporaries,
54
though their usefulness is still far below a
modern autopistols. Most models of deuce
pistols feature separate triggers, one for each
barrel, thus allowing the wielder to fire twice
before having to reload. Assuming the powder
takes, both barrels can also be fired at once by
pulling both triggers simultaneously.
If both triggers are fired at once, a deuce pistol
adds 1 to its Damage and gains the Tearing
quality. The listed Reload time assumes the firer
is reloading both barrels; reloading just one
barrel takes three Full Actions.
Hand Crossbow
Class: Pistol (Primitive)
A hand crossbow is more or less a normal
crossbow thats been shrunken down to a size
suitable for one-handed operation complete with
a pistol grip. This size is suitable for firing and
reloading by horsemen, coach guards, and others
who cant manage the bulk of a full-size
crossbow. They can also be easily dismantled
and re-assembled and are almost completely
silent when firing. This makes them a favoured
weapon of assassins on medieval planets, while
higher-tech killers may opt to use such a weapon
for exactly the same reasons, especially if using
poison-coated bolts.
Haywire Rifle
Class: Basic (Primitive)
Haywire rifles are not the issue of feudal world
gunsmiths at all, instead being the product of
deliberate design to make a weapon that is as
mechanically simple as possible for a very
particular purpose. Haywire rifles are designed
to shoot specialty stub ammunition that contains
a directed energy discharge, effectively passing
through augmetic armour and machine plating.
Due to these debilitating effects on holy engines
and other pieces of equipment, they are severely
proscribed by the Adeptus Mechanicus, who
view a haywire rifles lack of a machine spirit
with particular hatred and disgust. Haywire
rifles are produced by a handful of skilled (and
clandestine) armourer-cabals in the Calixis
Sector, and there are some that have suggested
the only reason these groups havent been wiped
out by Mechanicus Secutors is due to special
protections being offered by high authority.
Whether this implies the sectors nobility, the
Inquisition, or some other dark power varies
from source to source.
A haywire rifle doubles its Pen value and gains
the Tearing quality against targets with the
Machine or Mechanicus Implants Trait as well as
those judged by the GM to be similar in nature
(such as the lock system for a blast door).
Haywire rifle ammunition has a base price of 20
Thrones each and is considered Very Rare. A
haywire rifle can be used with normal stub pistol
ammunition instead, gaining those qualities as
normal (such as a Pen value of 3 for man-
stopper bullets).
Hunting Boomerang
Class: Thrown (Primitive)
Boomerangs are deceptively simple weapons
made of two pieces of finely crafted and shaped
wood or horn that are joined together to make a
V-shape. When thrown by a trained user, a
boomerang will spin with great speed and fly for
a short period, and can hit game animals with
remarkable accuracy. A boomerang imparts
enough force to break bones of smaller creatures
and makes little noise while sailing through the
55
air, enabling a hunter armed with one to silently
kill his quarry.
Boomerangs occasionally turn up on more
advanced worlds as a novelty item, but some are
used for exactly the same purpose as their
primitive counterparts. If made of modern
materials (metals and synthetics, plasteel, and so
forth) a boomerang deals Rending instead of
Impact Damage, and can benefit from the
Mono-edge upgrade.
Impaler
Class: Heavy (Primitive)
This is something of a giant harpoon cannon
that employs high tension springs or industrial
cabling to hurl a projectile at a target with great
force. Crude and simplistic to a point, weapons
of this type are often wielded by slab-muscled
gang heavies and degenerate mutant scum in
many underhives of Imperial cities. Impalers
make use of a section of sturdy pipe or
reinforcing bar thats had one end ground to a
sharp piercing tip as a projectile. Though a poor
substitute for a more proper gun, up-hive
enforcers and gunslingers have found it
remarkably hard to laugh about its inferiority
whilst pinned to a wall by a metre-long spear.
A Strength Bonus of at least 4 is required to
operate the reloading mechanism of an impaler.
Javelin
Class: Thrown (Primitive)
A lightweight flexible spear that is specifically
designed for throwing, javelins lack the rigidity
to be used as a melee weapon but can he hurled a
surprising distance by a skilled user. Javelins are
common sights on worlds that have devolved to
total savagery as they are very simple to make,
while sophisticated versions that are designed to
splinter or bend on impact to cause more severe
injury are employed on some more developed
planets. Chariot-mounted warriors of Monrass
are especially fond of this style of javelin, and
carry them in clusters on their carriages.
The throwers Strength Bonus is added to
Damage inflicted by a javelin as though it was a
melee weapon.
Musket
Class: Basic (Primitive)
Muskets are the simplest type of gun
manufactured in notable quantities and almost
exclusively use black powder and a muzzle-
loaded shot to bring down an enemy. Most are
smoothbore weapons with separately loaded
powder and shot that must be rammed into
place with an included ramrod, with ignition
provided by a flint and hammer. The lengthy
reloading time along with generally poor
accuracy makes these weapons markedly inferior
to any type of more modern rifle, and outside of
feudal worlds they are only used by the most
desperate or ill-equipped renegades. Muskets
fire a projectile thats nearly as big as a bolters,
and while not nearly as effective as one of those
holy instruments many armoured knights have
found themselves blasted straight out of their
plate suits by a direct hit from a musket.
Blunderbuss: This is a very basic type of
musket with a wide barrel that is designed to be
easy to reload from horseback or inside a coach.
Its funnel-like muzzle can also be used to load
loose shot pellets instead of a single ball, making
it something of a primitive shotgun. A feudal
blunderbuss will often be decorated with a motif
of fire-breathing creatures around its muzzle due
to the loud report and giant flame produced
when firing, while those scratch-built in
underhive workshops are often little more than
tubes with a firing mechanism using ball
bearings or industrial scrap for ammo.
If loaded with loose shot a blunderbuss Range
decreases to 10m and it gains the Scatter quality.
Siskan Father Shot Musket: Fanatical
theologians dominate the feudal world of Sisk
and recorded that in the tradition of their
colonial founding is the admonishment that
Siskan defence is built upon the bones of our
forefathers. This expression is taken quite
literally by many and is best exemplified by the
muskets made on that world.
Formed in the main from a human thighbone
and incorporating other osseous bodies in a
variety of functions, these components are
traditionally those of the wielders ancestors as
56
this supposedly provides a stronger bond
between the weapon and its owner. This
exquisite firearm is a highly desirable object in
many noble circles due to its intrinsic (if
gruesome) beauty and fine craftsmanship.
Utilising an iron-capped tooth as its striking
mechanism, the Father Shot is considered to
be a reliable weapon with a reputation for lucky
hits, and is undeniably a masterfully-crafted
weapon whose accuracy comes close to that of
far more sophisticated stubbers and autoguns. In
certain seedy areas of Sisk, down on their luck
artificers are willing to create trophy muskets of
comparable quality from bones brought to them
by well-paying customers. They seldom ask
where the materials come from, as their patrons
all too often have the steely glint of revenge in
their eyes.
Fedrid Razor Disk
Class: Thrown (Primitive)
The hunters of Fedrid employ an unusual
thrown weapon on their expeditions, which is
simply known as a razor disk. About the size of a
standard dinner plate, the weapon features a
sharpened edge all around its outer surface.
Numerous holes, made at 45 degree angles,
pierce the disks surface so that when thrown the
air passing through the holes creates a low
humming sound. This can be used to scare birds
hiding in tall grass where they can be caught
with nets or shot, while the noise itself is useful
in tracking a disk thats been thrown into the
dense Fedrid undergrowth as it strikes game.
Scrap Cannon
Class: Heavy (Primitive)
For underhive gangs who cannot steal or buy
more effective heavy armament, the best they
can bring to a turf war is an aptly-named scrap
cannon. Made from a crudely reinforced length
of pipe packed with black powder and rammed
with nails, bolts, and anything else nasty scraped
from the underhive floor. Scrap cannons are
hugely unwieldy and not actually very lethal,
especially if its targets are wearing any kind of
half-decent armour. However, they look scary
and make an impressively enormous bang and
pyrotechnic blast when fired, which is often
enough to scatter poorly disciplined gangers and
other sorts of underhive scum. As an added plus,
ammunition is more or less free.
Individuals successfully hit with a scrap
cannon must Test for Pinning. Scrap cannons
are Very Rare items outside of underhive areas
and are Average within their depths.
Sling
Class: Basic (Primitive)
Slings are a surprisingly difficult weapon to
master and are far easier to construct than they
are to build. Most are made from a simple
leather square firmly attached to two lengths of
cord, which are usually provided with a leather
or wooden handle on each end. With a projectile
often a rock on the square, a skilled user can
swing the sling with considerable speed,
releasing the projectile with a snap of the wrist.
On more advanced worlds slings may be used to
hurl metallic balls or more aerodynamic
projectiles, and those confident of their skill
might even use them to throw hand grenades as
well. Slings made on developed Imperial worlds
are typically made of more sophisticated
materials, such as elastic cords and flakweave
pockets, but are used in the same way.
If a character uses a sling to propel a grenade,
replace the grenades Range with that of the sling
and leave other statistics unchanged. If the sling
suffers a Jam, the projectile flies off 3d10 metres
in a random direction (see Missing on page 196
of Dark Heresy).
Volonx Thunderclap
Class: Thrown (Exotic)
The tribal warriors of Volonx are famed for
their strange scavenged weapons. Perhaps the
strangest (and most suicidal) employed by these
innovative fighters is the thunderclap. A thrown
weapon with a surprisingly good range, a
thunderclap vaguely resembles a boomerang
with a 45 degree bend about a third of the way
along its length. At each end a fearsome piece of
sharpened bone juts out, whilst the innards are
57
packed with a primitive and volatile explosive
that detonates when striking a hardened surface.
When thrown, the weapon flies in a wide
circular arc, and can return to the thrower if it
does not strike a target. Ideally, the thrower will
then be brave and nimble enough to catch it
again, without blowing themselves to pieces!
If a character throws a thunderclap and
misses, it attempts to return to the throwers
location. Catching a returning thunderclap
requires the catcher to succeed on a Challenging
(+0) Agility Test; failure means the thunderclap
flies an additional 1d5+1 metres from the
throwers position before landing, while failure
by three or more degrees results in the
thunderclap exploding directly on the thrower.
In this case, the thrower cannot make an Agility
Test to attempt to avoid the blast.
Vibe Spear
Class: Thrown (Primitive)
This nasty weapon, haling from Endrite in the
Drusus Marches, appears to be a simple spear of
fresh-cut wood to the untrained eye. However,
any scrutiny of the spearhead reveals tiny
backwards-curving barbed thorns protruding
from the fibrous point. Once embedded into a
target, the barbs bite deep and the thorned head
may break off in the wound, with any
subsequent movement seeing the barbs dig
deeper into the victims flesh. The Endrites use
vibe spears to bleed and wear down prey
animals, but they make effective weapons of war
too. Removing the barbed point without causing
further harm is a delicate business.
Any living creature without the Machine trait
injured by a vibe spear must pass a Challenging
(+0) Toughness Test or also suffer 1 level of
Fatigue. Successfully removing the spear
requires a Challenging (+0) Medicae Test. A
failed Test still removes the spear but inflicts a
further 1d5 Damage which is not reduced by
Toughness or Armour.

LAUNCHERS,
GRENADES, AND BOMBS
In a galaxy raked by war and disorder there is a
high demand for extremely destructive
ordnance. Being able to blow away a large mass
of enemies at once can be a major equalizer to
servants of the Imperium, who all too often find
themselves outnumbered by foes whose quantity
(almost) makes up for their lack of faith. To that
end, the forge worlds of the Imperium send out a
steady stream of explosives, grenades, bombs,
and weaponry designed to chuck them at the
enemies of the Emperor.
This section includes several types of weapons.
Launchers are designed to propel another
weapon, typically a grenade or missile, at a foe
that is beyond throwing range, and vary widely
from simple tubes attached to the bottom of
Imperial Guard lasguns to devastating hunter-
killer missiles ordinarily deployed from
armoured vehicles. In most cases, a launchers
Damage and Qualities are dictated by the
projectile it is firing. Grenades and missiles are
portable destructive devices that can run a
Launchers
Name Class Range RoF Dam
gamut of purposes, from shredding ones foes to
laying down a smokescreen to cover a tactical
manoeuvre. They differ in that while grenades
can be armed and lobbed by hand, missiles must
be fired by a compatible launcher weapon.
To use launcher weapons without penalty, a
character must have the Pistol Training
(Launcher), Basic Weapon Training (Launcher),
or Heavy Weapon Training (Launcher) talents.
Throwing grenades requires no special training
or talents and is simply resolved through a
Ballistic Skill Test, while setting explosives and
bombs is resolved through the Demolition skill
(see Dark Heresy, page 101).
Bola Launcher
Class: Basic (Launcher)
This weapon looks vaguely like a miniature
missile launcher but is much less deadly, though
its firers intentions may not be. A bola launcher
uses compressed gas to fling a standard set of
bolas at high velocity and with considerably
greater reach than even a skilled bola thrower
could manage on muscle power alone. Being
clocked by a set of bolas fired from a bola
Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Bola Launcher Basic 20m S/-/- 1d5+1 I 0 6 Full Primitive, Snare 12kg 250 - Rare

Disposable Launcher Heavy 175m S/-/- 1 - 20kg 600 - Scarce

Grenade Launcher Basic 60m S/-/- 6 2 Full 9kg 500 - Scarce

Aux Special 45m S/-/- 1 Full +2kg 250 - Rare

Gorge Basic 60m S/-/- 1 2 Full Reliable, 8kg 300 Hive Average

Mezoa Basic 80m S/-/- 1 Half 10kg 400 - Scarce

Voss Basic 60m S/3/- 6 2 Full Inaccurate, 13kg 1,000 - Very Rare

Hunter-Killer Missile Heavy 350m S/-/- 3d10+6 X 6 1 - - 65kg 2,000 - Very Rare
50 Inaccurate, Extremely
Mole Mortar Heavy S/-/- 2d10+2 X 2 1 Full 50kg 4,500 -
200m Shocking, Blast (4) Rare
50
Mortar (generic) Heavy
300m
S/-/- 1 Full Inaccurate 40kg 1,500 - Rare

50
Locke Heavy
300m
S/-/- 6 2 Full Inaccurate 48kg 3,000 - Very Rare

Missile Launcher Heavy 250m S/-/- 1 Full 22kg 2,500 - Scarce

Retobi Heavy 200m S/-/- 5 2 Full Unreliable, 35kg 3,000 - Rare

RPG Launcher Basic 120m S/-/- 1 Full 15kg 1,200 - Scarce

Damage, Penetration, and any special qualities are determined by the ammunition fired

58
launcher can cause injury due to the speed of the
bolas, so they are not recommended for use on
delicate quarries. A bola launcher has the
advantage of storing several sets of bolas in a
removable clip, allowing for multiple takedowns
before the weapon needs to be reloaded. This
sort of weapon is most commonly employed by
bounty hunters and trackers, though more
unsavoury types have been known to employ
them for sinister purposes involving kidnapping.
Disposable Launcher
Class: Heavy (Launcher)
Cheap single-shot missile launchers like this
are produced to equip PDF troopers and other
forces that need simple but hard-hitting
firepower. They are by and large a reinforced
armaplas tube with a protective cover on each
end and a folding pistol grip and sighting
system, with a single frag or krak missile
preloaded and ready for use. Disposable missile
launchers are regarded by the Departmento
Munitorium as ammunition rather than
weapons and many armouries throughout the
Imperium are stacked to the roof with crates of
these weapons. This has led to numerous
examples finding their way onto the black
market, much to the chagrin of the Adeptus
Arbites and planetary enforcers.
Disposable missile launchers are intended to
be fired once and then thrown away, and may
not be reloaded.
Grenade Launcher
Class: Basic (Launcher)
Grenade launchers are a favourite weapon of
many Imperial servants and scummers alike for
their ease of use and ability to deliver all sorts of
unpleasant things into the midst of a group of
foes. Grenade launchers use compressed gas
(provided by a built-in compressor) to propel
grenades far further than even the strongest arm
possibly could. This puts the firer safely out of
harms way and allows the power of a grenade to
be deposited in tactical situations. Most
common grenades can be fired by a grenade
launcher; those made to Munitorium standards
59
include a device that automatically pulls the
arming pin of a hand grenade when fired,
allowing grenades to be safely stored within a
launchers clip. The pins are left in the launchers
clip after the grenades have been fired, and
particularly seasoned grenadiers have been
known to maintain large necklaces or other
charms made from the numerous pins of
grenades they have fired. The most common
types of grenade launchers employed by the
Imperial Guard and Adeptus Arbites take the
form of a large, stocky gun with a pistol grip and
a revolver-style chamber into which multiple
grenades can be loaded. Other grenade launchers
with more unique features are listed here.
Aux Grenade Launcher: This simple one-
shot launcher is designed to be attached under
the barrel of another basic weapon, such as a
lasgun, allowing the firer the option to shoot a
grenade instead of their weapons usual attack.
Aux launchers are reloaded by pivoting the
barrel downward on a hinge and loading a new
grenade into the breach. This is not the fastest
process on the battlefield, and many users
simply keep a grenade loaded at all times and
seldom bother reloading once fired until a lull in
combat presents itself.
An aux grenade launcher counts as a basic
weapon when attached to one. It can also be
used on its own as a pistol, and are typically
employed in this fashion to launch signal or
illumination rounds.
Gorge Grenade Launcher: The Gorge is a
very basic single-shot launcher that resembles an
oversized shotgun. It has a break-open action
which allows grenades to be loaded this is
rather sluggish due to the Gorges robust design,
but a grenadier can shoot with total confidence
that his grenade will launch. Its simplicity does
not diminish its effectiveness, and it is a popular
support weapon used by enforcers, mercenaries,
and PDF troopers. Gorges are especially
common on hive worlds where they can be made
in scav-workshops and lesser forges, and
widespread availability on the black market
makes it one of the easiest ways for recidivists
and rebel groups to obtain extra firepower.
 The Gorge requires two hands to fire, but can
be easily and safely swung with one and counts
as a club in melee.
Mezoa Pattern: Grenade launchers produced
by the Mezoa forge world are designed for
simplicity and range as well as ease in firing. A
long barrel and stable grenade chamber
improves accuracy compared to other launchers,
and the weapon automatically opens after firing
to permit a rapid reload. Though it can only
hold a single grenade, skilled users can load a
new one with enough speed to keep up a steady
barrage of shots, even while on the move.
Voss Assault Launcher: This grenade
launcher resembles more common patterns but
with the addition of a clockwork cylinder
mechanism that must be wound up during
reloading. The cylinder remains under tension
and can fire off its grenades with a frightening
pace, making it an excellent choice for shock
troops who need to suppress a large enemy force
at once. The violent motion of the cylinders
rotation tends to make the assault launcher want
to jump out of the shooters hands; they are
known for their volume of firepower, not
pinpoint accuracy.
sensorum suite make adjustments to the
missiles path to lead it almost unerringly to its
target. Armed with a krak warhead and leaving a
corkscrewing spiral of smoke behind it, the sight
of a hunter-killer missile bearing down on ones
position is almost certain doom.
The listed rules are for a hunter-killer missile
attached to an infantry tripod so that it can be
hauled around in the field; vehicular versions
weigh 10kg less. A hunter-killer missiles
guidance systems grant a +20 bonus to Ballistic
Skill Tests made to attack with it and reduce
penalties for shooting at Long or Extreme range
by half. Additionally, a hunter-killer missile may
reroll a failed attack as long as it was by two
degrees of failure or less. Hunter-killer missiles
take a few moments to get up to speed and do
not benefit from shooting at Short or Point-
Blank range (not that it would be wise to employ
one at such distances regardless!).
Mole Mortar
Class: Heavy (Launcher)
Mole mortars are curious devices that look
like something between a handheld missile
launcher and a typical mortar weapon. As the

Hunter-Killer Missile
Class: Heavy (Launcher)
This specialty missile is a
marvel of Mechanicus
engineering that is almost
capable of firing itself. Because of
its very large weight and back
blast it is usually mounted to
Imperial vehicles, with wide
stubby patterns used on tanks
and armoured personnel carriers
while longer and thinner
versions are attached to the
wings of flyers. Hunter-killer
missiles are fitted with an
advanced guidance system and a
large fuel supply, giving them
exceptional range and accuracy.
Once fired, a hunter-killer
missiles internal cogitator and

60
name suggests, a mole mortar fires a special
tunnelling torpedo that mimics the ballistic arc
of a normal mortar except in a reversed fashion
underground rather than in the air. They are set
to explode just beneath the surface of their target
which can often catch the enemy unprepared.
The resulting underground blast can have
devastating results on structures as well as
enemy troops; those not killed or maimed by the
blast itself are typically sent flying by the
concussive force. A mole mortar can also be used
to destroy enemies in subterranean tunnels, and
are particularly effective in collapsing bunkers.
Tunnelling torpedoes are advanced munitions
that use a powerful drill in the nose to bore
through rock and earth. A small and unstable
power field generator assists in sliding through
dense surfaces; its operational life span provides
just enough time for the tunnelling torpedo to
reach its point of detonation.
A mole mortar launcher includes a small
guidance cogitator that the firer manipulates to
guide the torpedo to its target. Firing a mole
mortar is a Full Action if the firer wishes to use
the guidance cogitator in this way. It can be fired
blind as a Half Action like other weapons, but
the firer takes a -10 penalty to his Ballistic Skill
Test and if the weapon misses it deviates by
3d10+5 metres (see Dark Heresy, page 196).
Mortar
Class: Heavy (Launcher)
A mortar is a classic artillery weapon that can
fling a substantial explosive warhead on a high
ballistic trajectory. Infantry mortars are typically
hauled into place by a two-man crew and
deployed in a defensive position where they can
bombard an enemy. Mortars are especially
useful at displacing troops in entrenched
positions as their high angle of attack will often
cause a mortar shell to land directly in an enemy
trench or dugout. The majority of mortars used
in the Imperium are fairly simple tube affairs
with a sturdy base plate and adjustable braces to
allow for adjustments to aim and angle. Mortar
crews are usually used by two men, with one to
load and fire the mortar (by dropping the shells
61
down the barrel) and another to direct and aim
the weapon by visually spotting the enemy or
relaying targeting information by voxlink from a
forward observer.
Locke Pattern: This specific mark looks much
like many types of functionally identical mortars
produced throughout the Imperium, but it is
designed to use a rotary ammo drum rather than
muzzle-loaded shells. This provides it with a
substantially greater rate of fire as the firer need
only move the drum to its next shell and press an
ignition stud rather than physically dropping
another mortar into the tube. One downside to
the Lockes design is that the firer cannot singly
load individual mortar shells down the muzzle
like on most mortars; a new drum must be
loaded to fire a different type of ammunition
than those already installed.
Missile Launcher
Class: Heavy (Launcher)
Missile launchers are precision destructive
devices that fire extremely powerful warheads.
By and large the purview of dedicated tank
hunters and demolition teams, a missile
launcher is a bulky but uncomplicated affair
composed of a large tubular housing with a
pistol grip and ignition system. A missile is
INDIRECT FIRING
Mortars and similar Launcher weapons are often
fired in a suppression mode where the targeted
enemy cannot be seen and only their rough
location is known. In these cases, mortar shells
and the like can be fired without any actual line of
sight required. When firing in this manner, a hit
means that the shell still scatters 1d10 metres
from the target point, while a miss scatters 2d10
metres instead.
Often such weapons are fired in conjunction
with a spotter who directs fire from the weapon.
Any ally with an auspex or who can see the target
can spend a Half or Full Action to spot for the
mortar fire. In this case, the next shot by the
mortar only scatters 1d5 metres on a hit, and
gains a +10 or +20 bonus (respectively) to its
Ballistic Skill Test.
 loaded from the rear of the launcher and locked cumbersome handling. Rather than individually
into place, often by an assistant, leaving the job loading missiles from behind, the Retobi uses a
of sending the missile on its way to the firer. giant clip-loading system that can stack several
Imperial missiles are built for maximum missiles atop one another that drop into the
accuracy and stability over range, and can make launch tube after the previous one is fired. This
minor course corrections and adjustments as allows one man to operate it with devastating
they scream towards their target. A missile efficiency at least in theory, one soldier could
launcher is only as accurate as its user, however, destroy an entire armoured company on his
and tank hunters and kill teams alike always put own. Aside from its bulk, the Retobi is plagued
their steadiest (and most disciplined) members with a stubbornness to use the newer styles of
in control of it when possible. missiles in use by the Imperial Guard, and an
Retobi Pattern: The Retobi is an ancient and uncooperative machine spirit has sent more than
comparably rare mark of missile launcher due to a few tank hunters to the Emperor when the
its temperamental machine spirits and rather launcher misfires and sets off the entire clips
worth of missiles at once.
Grenades
Name Dam Pen Special Wt Cost Availability RPG Launcher
Anti-Plant 3d10 E 0 Blast (3) .5kg 40 Very Rare Class: Basic (Launcher)
Bilge Bomb 2d10 X 0
Blast (4), Toxic,
.5kg 20 Common
Short for rocket propelled grenade,
Unreliable
an RPG Launcher is designed to fire
Blast (10), Smoke,
Blind - -
Special
.5kg 25 Scarce modified grenades at high speed and
Bloodfire Special - Special .5kg 55 Rare
considerable range far beyond that of a
Blast (1d10+3),
typical grenade launcher. It is a fairly
Choke Gas - - .5kg 40 Scarce simple weapon composed primarily of a
Special

Filament 4d10+4 R 6 Blast (1), Tearing .5kg 300

Extremely launch tube and firing system with a
Rare pistol grip; rockets are loaded at the
Fire Bomb 1d10+3 E 4 Blast (3), Primitive .5kg 5 Plentiful front, and one man can usually handle
Frag 2d10 X 0 Blast (4) .5kg 10 Common all of the operations in the field. The
Mark III Solid 2d10 X 0 Blast (5) .8kg 10 Scarce
rockets themselves are uncomplicated
affairs made of a solid propellant charge
Hallucinogen - - Blast (10), Special .5kg 40 Rare
with fins that deploy once the projectile
Howler - - Blast (3), Special .5kg 25 Scarce is in flight. A grenade can be installed at
Krak 2d10+4 X 6 - .5kg 50 Rare the top, and a small secondary charge
sets it off on impact with a hard surface
Nail Bomb 1d10+1 X 0 Blast (2), Unreliable 1kg 5 Average
(the side of a tank, a barricade, body
Photon Flash - - Blast (15), Special .5kg 60 Scarce armour, and so forth). An RPG launcher
Plasma 1d10+6 E 6 Blast (1) 2kg 100 Very Rare can be extremely useful and versatile to
Smoke - - Blast (10), Smoke .5kg 5 Common
any combat situation depending on what
type and how many grenades are
Starflare 1d10+5 E 6 Primitive 1kg 30 Scarce
available to the firer.
Stunner - - Blast (10), Special .5kg 45 Rare Most types of grenades can be used
Thermal 1d10+3 E 6 Blast (2) .6kg 60 Rare with an RPG launcher; see the individual
grenade entry for compatibility. Blank
Toxin Special - Blast (10), Special .5kg 90 Rare
rockets, ready to be loaded with a
Extremely
Virus 3d10 I - Blast (8), Special .5kg 500
Rare
grenade, have a base price of 10 Thrones
and are Scarce.
This Damage only affects plants and other flora
A thrown grenades Range is the throwers Strength Bonus x 3 metres

62
Anti-Plant Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
Anti-plant grenades contain a medley of
chemicals and other toxic substances designed to
reduce almost any kind of flora to a foul-
smelling muck that deprives the enemy of cover
while not seriously harming other materials.
Aside from thwarting ambushes and revealing
hidden foes, anti-plant grenades can also be used
to create improvised landing zones or to quickly
clear foliage for camp sites or building locations.
Bilge Bomb
Used With: Thrown
These crude weapons are packed full of
poisonous fungi, chemical waste, diseased flesh,
and other grotesque substances. The canisters
burst open on impact, showering the area with
caustic sludge and noxious vapours. While their
effect is not very powerful, unprotected targets
can be brought down by the toxins, if not by the
sheer nauseating smell of the attack. Bilge bombs
are a favourite of foul creatures that lurk on the
black decks of large spacecraft throughout the
Imperium, but comparable bombs can be crafted
in the foul underhive of many hive cities as well.
Blind Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
Blind grenades explode with a burst of dense
dark grey smoke that obscures normal vision
while scattering thousands of particulate IR
bafflers and EM spectrum chaff to befuddle
advanced visual sensors. The effect is short-lived,
but while it lasts it provides an excellent cover
for advancing forces or to facilitate a quick
withdrawal. A blind grenades vapour discharge
dissipates after 1d10+1 Rounds though weather
conditions may significantly reduce this time.
Characters within the blast area while the smoke
remains are considered to be Blind.
Bloodfire Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
This terribly unpleasant grenade is packed full
of a poisonous gas that attacks the nervous
63
system, causing a horrible burning sensation and
convulsive paralysis that are extremely painful
and potentially lethal. Anyone within a Bloodfire
grenades must pass a Difficult (-10) Toughness
Test or suffer 1d10+3 Impact Damage with the
Toxic quality, with no reduction from Armour
and Toughness. A rebreather or respirator
provides a +30 bonus to this Test, and a
character in a sealed suit is immune to its effects.
Choke Gas
Used With: Thrown, GL
A particularly indiscriminate and potentially
lethal weapon designed for crowd control and
riot dispersal, choke gas contains a powerful
irritant that attacks the eyes and respiratory
system. A few lungfuls of the thick bluish gas can
reduce the most ardent mobs to a sobbing,
coughing morass. Choke gas grenades can be
found in the arsenals of Adeptus Arbites
precinct-forts on almost every planet, and while
undoubtedly effective, it is not a weapon of first
choice within cities (especially hives) as it has a
tendency to spread through built-up areas and
into air filtration systems where it can kill or
seriously harm those of weak constitution.
Each Turn that a character is caught in the
blast radius of choke gas they must make a
Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. A gas mask
provides a +20 bonus to this Test, while
filtration plugs are totally useless as the choke
gas attacks the eyes as well as respiratory system.
Failure inflicts one level of Fatigue, and multiple
Rounds are cumulative. The harmful effects of
choke gas last while the character is within the
blast area plus 1d10 Rounds. If a victim of choke
gas fails the Test by four or more degrees, they
also reduce their Toughness Characteristic by
1d10 for 1d5 - 1 hours. Successive failures are
cumulative, and it is possible to die from choke
gas by having ones Toughness reduced to 0.
Choke gas clouds linger for 1d5 x 3 minutes
before dispersing, though weather conditions
may significantly reduce this time.
Filament Grenade
Used With: Thrown
This exotic and arcane grenade carries many
tens of metres of compressed segments of
monomolecular wire that expand into a cloud of
deadly razor-sharp filaments on detonation. The
resultant barely-visible blast slices through
armour, flesh, and bone, and victims cut to thin
slices by a filament bomb often do not realise
they are dead even as their bodies fall to pieces.
Filament bombs are coveted weapons for elite
assassins and Inquisitorial agents, and some
suggest they may be of Xenos manufacture.
Regardless of where they come from, death at
the hands of a filament grenade is one of the
most absolute, if swift, ways to die.
Fire Bomb
Used With: Thrown
A primitive handheld incendiary device that
can be fashioned from readily available materials
on most Imperial worlds, fire bombs normally
take the shape of a fragile canister of flammable
liquid with a fuse made from cloth or other
material that the liquid can soak into. Once the
fuse is set aflame, the bomb is hurled at the
enemy; the canister breaks open on impact to
release a shower of burning liquid. Fire bombs
are common during large riots where the
malcontents can use them to forcibly scatter
lines of enforcers, and many Arbitrators bring
chemical extinguishers with them to such events
in anticipation of having these weapons hurled
at them.
A target caught in a fire bombs blast must
succeed on a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or
catch on fire. Characters wearing a sealed suit of
armour who take no damage from the blast itself
cant be set on fire in this way.
Frag Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
Fragmentation, or frag, are the most
ubiquitous variety of grenade when a hiver or
voidsman mentions a grenade in general, hes
likely referring to a frag. Frag grenades use an
explosive charge to shatter a heavily notched
64
metallic shell into dozens of deadly pieces of
shrapnel that fly out in every direction. Most
Imperial models are either round or cylindrical
and are about the size of a clenched fist, and
while primarily a military weapon, many fighters
outside the Imperial Guard choose to carry a few
frags just in case.
Gunmetal Solid Mark III FG: The forges of
Gunmetal City are known to produce a slightly
heavier version of standard frag grenades. While
not as easy to carry in large numbers, the Solid
Mark III offers an improved blast radius and is
the choice of professional grenadiers throughout
the Calixis Sector.
Hallucinogen Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
Hallucinogen grenades are a special type of
(usually) non-lethal weapon that induces a
EXPLOSIVE MISHAPS
Whenever a Jam results from throwing or launching
a grenade, missile, mortar, and similar weapons,
something unfortunate has happened that may have
disastrous consequences! Roll on the table below to
determine the results.
Roll Result
1-5 Dud. The explosive or round fails to
explode. If fired from a launcher, there is a
50% chance that the projectile fails to launch
or lands harmlessly amid its intended
targets; if the former, the jam must be
cleared normally.
6-8 It might be ok Nothing happens, yet.
Roll again on this table next Round. This
may have unfortunate implications if the
firer is clearing a jam at the time.
9-0 BOOM! The round or explosive
immediately goes off with any and all effects
centred on the firer. If this was the result of
firing a launcher the results may be even
worse; non-lethal grenades, like howlers
and smokes, must be cleared as though
jammed, while an explosive like a frag or
krak grenade destroys the launcher as well as
setting off any other grenades that are
loaded into it!
variety of short-lived psychological states and
delusions. A hallucinogen grenade releases an
almost invisible cloud of gas that profoundly
warps the minds of those who breathe it in, and
their comparative rarity as well as unpredictable
GAS WARFARE
Many types of grenades listed in this segment
disperse smoke, fumes, gases or vapours that are
intended to have some harmful effect on those
within their clouds. There are several gear options
that can protect an Acolyte from choking, being
poisoned, or otherwise incapacitated; these are
the most common ones. Unless otherwise stated,
these protective items provide the same benefits
for all gas-type weapons. See the Gear section for
more details.
Filter Plugs: These simple plugs are inserted into
the nostrils and help filter out pollutants and
harmful gases. They are cheap and available, and
many hivers on more polluted worlds wear them
on a daily basis. Wearing filtration plugs grants a
+10 bonus to any Toughness Test made to resist
the effects of gas.
Gas Mask: Typically covering the entire face, a
gas mask uses a self-contained filter canister to
provide much better protection than simple filter
plugs. Its also useful for keeping irritating
vapours out of the eyes. Gas masks can be worn
for long periods of time, though they are far from
comfortable. A gas mask provides a +30 bonus to
Toughness Tests made to resist the effects of gas,
and the wearer may reroll failed tests.
Re-Breather/Respirator: A re-breather is similar
to a gas mask except it provides its own air supply
which allows a wearer to survive in all but the
most hostile environments. A character wearing a
re-breather is immune to most gases and can
even survive underwater. Re-breather canisters
have enough air to keep the user alive for about
an hour before they must be replaced.
Sealed Armour: Wearing a void suit, power
armour, or environmental body glove can totally
isolate the wearer from outside conditions,
allowing them to survive in the harshest
locations. Unless otherwise stated, wearing sealed
armour provides total immunity from gases.
65
outcome marks them as a tool of a very small set
of specialist users.
All living creatures within a hallucinogen
grenades blast must make a Difficult (-10)
Toughness Test, with failure causing them to be
overcome with delusions and hallucinations for
1d10 Rounds. Roll a d100 and refer to
Hallucinogen Effects on page 137 of Dark
Heresy to determine the nature of and results of
these hallucinations for the duration of the
grenades effect. Wearing a gas mask only
provides a +20 bonus against this effect, and
filtration plugs are totally useless.
Howler Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL
These grenades are designed to explode with a
sustained burst of sonic energy lasting 1d5
Rounds, intended more to deafen and
disorientate than wound. They generally cause
no physical harm beyond loss of hearing and are
most commonly used for incapacitating enemies
with extremely painful noise. Howler grenades
are often employed by professional bounty
hunters, Inquisitorial agents, and other fighters
who have some compunction against killing
their targets, but they can be used just as easily to
disrupt a group of enemies before gunning them
down. Characters within a howler grenades
blast radius who lack heavy hearing protection
are automatically deafened, and must pass a
Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or be
Stunned while the grenade is active. Failure by
three or more degrees results in the deafness
being permanent.
Krak Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
Krak grenades incorporate a small but
extremely powerful charge designed to defeat
armour with a concentrated blast. This heavy
directed firepower can be used in a variety of
ways, most commonly to punch through bunker
walls or attack armoured vehicles. Krak grenades
do not produce a blast effect and their very
narrow explosion makes them impractical for
use against people, but skilled grenadiers with
sharp aim have been known to make use of them
in an anti-personnel role. A man directly hit by a
krak grenade will likely leave nothing behind by
a pair of smouldering boots.
Nail Bomb
Used With: Thrown
Frag grenades are often heavily proscribed
items on hive worlds due to their ability to cause
wanton amounts of death in a hive citys
confines and dense crowds. Criminal scum and
scavengers often produce their own crude
variants to more easily obtain indiscriminate
firepower, and the frequent use of nails as the
primary shrapnel ingredient leads to these
improvised grenades being generally referred to
as nail bombs. Any sort of canister, often lengths
of pipe or old food cans, is typically packed full
of a crude explosive compound along with
whatever shrapnel is available nails, metal
spoil, crushed glass, and other assorted nastiness
along with a home-made fuse that hopefully is
reliable enough not to kill the user.
Along with scummers on hive worlds,
primitive black powder grenades used on more
developed feudal worlds produce a similar effect
to a nail bomb, though with a correspondingly
higher degree of finish and care in construction.
Photon Flash
Used With: Thrown, GL
Photon flash grenades are extensively used by
various enforcer types to disorient and surprise
their targets, and are favourites for covering the
entry into a hostile building. After landing, a
photon flash grenades chemical-powder core
ignites and produces a flash like a small star,
causing temporary blindness to anyone nearby.
The flash is bright enough to overload cheap or
primitive vision protection systems, so even
better-equipped gangers and scum can still be
disabled by one. Anyone caught in a photon
flash grenades blast must succeed on a
Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or be
blinded for 1d5 Rounds.
66
Plasma Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL
These use a deliberate plasma containment
failure, causing a blast of heat and light to burst
forth like a miniature sun. Plasma grenades are
similar to a compressed hydrogen flask used as
ammunition by plasma weapons; the fuel is
maintained in an excited state by a small
onboard generator, with the resultant blast
closely resembling a hit from a powerful plasma
weapon. However, this apparatus becomes
unstable over time, and plasma grenades have a
short shelf life as some recidivists have
discovered the hard way after looting Imperial
armouries to supply their own men.
Smoke Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
A more basic form of blind grenades, these
simply generate a voluminous cloud of coloured
smoke that obscures vision and little more.
Smoke grenades can be useful for signalling
friendly forces from a great distance, while kill
teams equipped with IR goggles and auspexes
can make use of a smoke grenade to confuse and
hinder an opposing force that lacks such
equipment. Smoke grenades are cheap and easy
to manufacture, and can produce a variety of
colours for signalling purposes.
Starflare Grenade
Used With: GL, RPG
Starflare grenades contain a powerful long-
burning pyrotechnic charge that is intended to
provide illumination to dark areas. When fired
into the air a starflare grenade ignites at the top
of its path and deploys a small parachute. It takes
about one minute for a starflare grenade to
return to the ground, during which time it
provides bright illumination in a 100 metre
radius and shadowy illumination a further 100
metres beyond that.
If fired directly at a character, a starflare
grenade uses the listed Damage and Penetration
values, and the target must succeed on a
Challenging (+0) Agility Test or be set on fire.
Stunner Grenade
Used With: Thrown
This grenade carries a gas that disorients its
victims through neurological bio-agents that
cause a stupefying effect but no actual physical
harm. Covert operatives and well-equipped
thieves make use of these devices in situations
where no permanent harm is required or it is
more desirable to leave opponents temporarily
incapacitated. Stunner grenades are weapons of
opportunity and are ineffective against
opponents wearing any kind of protective gear,
as more than a few would-be professionals have
found out the hard way. Anyone within the blast
area of a stunner grenade must succeed on an
Ordinary (+10) Toughness Test or be Stunned
for 1 Round plus a number of Rounds equal to
the degrees of failure of the Test.
67
Thermal Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL, RPG
Also known as inferno grenades, this powerful
weapon uses an incendiary fuel mixture
designed to violently melt its sturdy outer casing,
with a subsequent explosion that causes liquefied
metal shards to fill the blast area. While they are
not as powerful as a melta-bomb, they are easier
to handle and use, and offer a wider area of
destruction that can easily ignite enclosed areas
into blazing conflagrations. They can also burn
down most barricades and lesser internal
structures, and are often used by suppression
teams during uprisings for just that purpose. In a
bind, a thermal grenade can be employed as a
means of sabotaging equipment as the high-
intensity heat can warp metal. Anyone caught
within a thermal grenades blast must succeed on
a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or be set on
fire.
Toxin Grenade
Used With: Thrown, GL
Deadly and fast-acting chemicals, viral agents,
and other unpleasant substances fill these
bloated-looking grenades. The toxic cocktail is
specially formulated to permeate through a
victims skin as well as their respiratory system,
and can even seep through light protective gear.
As a result they can be just as dangerous to the
user as their target since only the best protection
can offer immunity to its effects.
Any characters caught within a toxin
grenades blast area must succeed on a Difficult
(-10) Toughness Test or suffer 2d10+4 Impact
Damage with the Toxic quality. This Damage is
not reduced by Armour or Toughness. Gas
masks provide a +10 bonus to this Test while re-
breathers offer a +20 bonus; both allow a reroll
on a failed test. Filtration plugs are totally useless
as the toxins can still attack through the mouth
and eyes. Only sealed armour can offer total
protection characters wearing such a suit are
effectively immune to a toxin grenades effects.
wearing sealed armour automatically takes the
listed Damage with no reduction for Armour or
Toughness. Each character who takes Damage
from a virus grenade allows the virus to
propagate further, and any previously-
unaffected targets within 1d5 metres of them are
then attacked by it as above. This process
continues until there are no victims left for the
virus to attack or 1d5+5 Rounds have passed
from the virus grenades initial use, after which it
mutates into a harmless strain.
Frag Missile/Shell
Used With: Missile Launcher/Mortar
A large-size fragmentation device meant to
obliterate exposed enemies. Frag missiles and
shells are fairly similar to one another, each
incorporating what looks like an inflated frag
grenade attached to a rocket motor or propellant
charge depending on which launcher will be
firing it. The greatly increased explosive charge
as well as shrapnel quantity makes a blast from a
frag round far more deadly, even for well-
armoured targets. Although they use the same
warhead, frag missiles and shells are not
interchangeable.

Virus Grenade Krak Missile

Used With: Thrown, GL
This grenade houses a tiny sample of the
horrific life-eater virus culture that was once
used (in much greater quantities) as a tool to
execute an Exterminatus on a condemned world.
Though far weaker and designed to burn out on
its own after a short while, the effects of a virus
grenade are still terrible as organic
matter is reduced to a sickening Missiles and Shells
sludge, its victims only capable of Name
Used With: Missile Launcher
Krak missiles offer superb armour penetration
thanks to their very large focusing charge and a
detonator rod in the nose that ignites the
warhead at the optimum moment to ensure
maximum destruction of the target. Krak
missiles are typically used against enemy tanks
Dam Pen Special Wt Cost Availability

watching in horror as their bodies Frag 2d10+2 X 4 Blast (4) 1kg 75 Average
slough off in great sheets. Once Krak 3d10+10 X 10 - 1.5kg 150 Scarce
loose, a virus breaks down biological
Minefield 2d10 X 1 Blast (1) 2kg 100 Rare
systems in mere moments before
Scatter Special 0 Blast (10) 3kg 175 Very Rare
leaping to a new victim, leaving little
more than sticky puddles of Scatter Special 0 Blast (10) 3kg 175 Very Rare

putrefied waste in its wake. Starflare - - Special 1kg 60 Scarce

Anyone caught within a virus Tunnelling
2d10+2 X 2 Blast (4), Shocking 3kg 200 Very Rare
grenades blast area who is not Torpedo

68
due to their ability to defeat even heavy armour,
but they also make fine choices to demolish
bunkers and create openings in buildings too.
Minefield Missile/Shell
Used With: Missile Launcher/Mortar
This type of weapon is a handy method to
quickly and safely deploy a large number of
mines at once. Minefield rounds are designed to
explode at a pre-determined point along their
trajectory and shower the ground with tiny
submunitions that arm on impact and patiently
wait until an unfortunate victim walks across
them. Minefield rounds are thus an easy way to
deny access to a given area to opposing forces,
and can be used defensively to set up an
explosive cordon around a strategic location.
Minefield rounds saturate the ground with
miniature mines in a 10 metre radius from their
point of landing. Anything passing through this
area that is larger than Puny sets off mines which
attack with the listed values, once for every
metre the trespasser attempts to move through
the area. Each 1 metre area of the minefield
has sufficient mines to attack 5 times before all
mines are expended. Aside from using
specialized mine removal equipment, mines
can be quickly cleared away by attacks from
weapons with the Flame quality.
multiple attacks for the purposes of attempting
to avoid the individual blasts.
Starflare Shell
Used With: Mortar
This is an extremely scaled-up version of a
starflare grenade and works on roughly the same
principles. After exploding at altitude, a starflare
shell provides bright illumination in a 300 metre
radius and shadowy illumination out to a total of
500 metres, and takes roughly five minutes to
burn out as it nears the ground.
Tunnelling Torpedo
Used With: Mole Mortar
A specialty munition to be certain, a
tunnelling torpedo is designed to be used with a
mole mortar. Once fired it uses a powerful
boring drill backed up by a miniature power
field to rapidly tunnel through earth, stone, and
anything else that might be in its way before
reversing course and exploding just beneath the
feet of its unsuspecting victims.

Scatter Missile/Shell
Used With: Missile Launcher/Mortar
Also known as cluster bombs, rounds of this
type spread a large amount of grenade-sized
bomblets over a huge area, and timely
deployment of a scatter round can utterly
obliterate an entire enemy company at once.
The sound of dozens upon dozens of bomblets
going off in sequence is more akin to the
report of a Vulcan Mega-bolter than any
explosive, and the only thing more satisfying
than the sight of the rounds detonation is
observing the total carnage left behind on
ones enemies.
A scatter shell deploys bomblets equivalent
to a frag grenade into every 1 metre area
within its blast area. These are considered

69

EXOTIC WEAPONS
Despite their different patterns and marks, even
unusually-designed lasguns and bolters are
similar enough for a warrior whos familiar with
one to pick up another and smite his foes in the
Emperors name. Some weapons, however, are
far and apart from others, each with totally
unique functions and purposes. Lesser Imperial
servants will likely never even see, much less
hold, any examples of these exotic armaments,
and their cost, rarity, or difficulty of use keeps
them squarely in the court of resourceful and
well-connected specialists.
Exotic weapons cover a wide range of guns
and other devices that do not fit into other
weapon categories. Most are particular and very
specialized compared to others that are similarly
classified as exotics; in general, exotic weapons
require an individual Talent to use. For example,
a character wishing to tangle up his opponents
with a web pistol must have the Exotic Weapon
Training (Needle Pistol) talent. Some career
paths include specific Exotic Weapon Training
talents as part of their normal advances, but
most characters will have to obtain one through
an Elite Advance. Exotic weapons are still
classified as Pistol, Basic, or Heavy weapons and
must obey all relevant rules for their class (use in
melee, bracing requirements, and so forth).
Exotic weapons typically make use of equally
exotic ammunition. In general, assume exotic
ammunition is Very Rare with a cost of 20
Thrones each unless otherwise stated in a
weapons description.
Dartcaster
Class: Pistol (Exotic)
Dartcasters come in a variety of forms, most
using pressurised gas or a crossbow-like

Exotic Weapons
Name Class Range RoF Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt Cost World Availability

Dartcaster Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 1 Full Toxic 2.5kg 600 - Rare

Artifico-Biologis Pistol 20m S/-/- 1d5+2 R 2 3 2 Full Accurate, Special 1kg 1,000 Forge Scarce

Digi-flamer Pistol 3m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 2 1 3 Full Flame .1kg 6,000 - Extremely Rare

Digi-laser Pistol 3m S/-/- 1d10+3 E 7 1 3 Full Reliable .1kg 9,000 - Extremely Rare

Digi-mine Thrown SBx3m S/-/- 3d10 X 5 1 - Blast (3) .1kg 2,000 - Extremely Rare

Digi-melta Pistol 3m S/-/- 2d10+4 E 12 1 3 Full - .1kg 20,000 - Extremely Rare

Digi-needler Pistol 3m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 1 3 Full Toxic .1kg 11,000 - Extremely Rare

Graviton Gun Basic 30m S/-/- Special - 3 2 Full Blast (5), Special 5kg 3,500 Forge Very Rare

Heavy Webber Heavy 70m S/-/- - - 3 Full Blast (5), Snare 14kg 1,200 - Rare

Aegis-Redback Heavy 80m S/-/- - - 4 3 Full Blast (6), Snare 17kg 2,000 - Rare

Needle Pistol Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 6 Full Accurate, Toxic 1.5kg 1,250 - Very Rare

Glavian Needler Pistol 30m S/3/- 1d10-1 R 0 7 Full Toxic 1kg 950 - Very Rare

Needle Rifle Basic 180m S/-/- 1d10 R 0 6 2 Full Accurate, Toxic 2kg 1,000 - Very Rare

Rad-Cleanser Heavy 30m S/-/- 2d10+2 E 7 20 - Blast (2), Recharge, Toxic 26kg 7,000 - Very Rare
Razorweb
Heavy 10m S/-/- 2d10+4 R 5 1 Full Blast (1), Tearing 3kg 10,000 - Extremely Rare
Launcher
Rocketfire Gun Basic 80m S/-/- 1d10+5 I 4 6 Full Tearing 4kg 1,000 - Very Rare

Shock Blaster Pistol 20m S/2/- 1d10+2 E 4 7 Full Shocking 3kg 650 Forge Scarce

Sonic Rifle Basic 30m S/2/- 1d10+3 X 2 8 Full Shocking, Tearing 3.5kg 800 Void Rare

Webber Basic 50m S/-/- - - 1 Full Blast (5), Snare 8kg 1,800 - Rare

Web Pistol Pistol 30m S/-/- - - 1 Full Snare 3.5kg 1,200 - Rare

70
mechanism to fire small metal slivers at great
velocities. These have only modest wounding
capability, and while many hivers would be
suitably incapacitated by having a metallic dart
embedded in their bodies, a furious cultist might
not even notice. As a result, most users intent on
causing real harm saturate their darts in
powerful poisons or other chemicals. The most
common choice is needler toxin (this is reflected
in the listed rules), but almost any sort of poison
or other substance can be administered by a
skilled user. A bounty hunter might use a
tranquiliser compound to quietly subdue a
mark, while an Ordo Malleus agent could
employ blessed silver darts filled with sacred oils
as a means of combating warp-spawned fiends.
Particularly nefarious users have been known to
drain a hallucinogen grenade for its mind-
altering ingredients and apply them to a dart,
visiting its effects on an unfortunate victim
without the collateral results (or obvious
evidence) of chucking the grenade itself.
Artifico-Biologis 0.5I Hypo-Pistol: This fine
crafted and intricate handgun is carved from
clockwork and brass, an obvious Cult
Mechanicus device that is typically used by
Magos Biologis and their agents to subdue living
specimens. By employing a cunningly-designed
mechanical spring, a hypo-pistol fires a short-
range injector dart fitted with a penetrating
filament that delivers a chemical payload directly
into the targets bloodstream. Though nominally
a tool of Mechanicus Magi, it is found with some
frequency in the hands of bounty hunters,
scummers and some enforcer types who want to
take their prey alive.
The usual payload for a hypo-pistol is strixis
tincture, a powerful soporific. Any living target
that takes Damage from a hypo-pistol must
succeed on a Hard (-20) Toughness Test or fall
comatose for 1d10 x 3 minutes. On a failure by
three or more degrees, the target remains
comatose for a further 1d5 hours. The special
filament injectors are designed to cause minimal
harm to a victim. Roll for Damage as normal to
overcome the targets Armour and Toughness,
but reduce any excess to just 1 point. Hypo-
71
pistol ammunition is Scarce, with each dart
having a base cost of 8 Thrones.
Digital Weapon
Class: Pistol or Thrown (Exotic)
Digital weapons, or digi-weapons for short,
are incredibly miniaturised guns so advanced
and so sophisticated that they can be worn on a
finger as a ring, yet still pack the same firepower
as a full-size pistol. Digi-weapons appear to be
perfectly ordinary jewellery until a powerful las
bolt or gout of flame violently issues forth from
tiny, almost imperceptible apertures, making
them perfect choices for deep infiltration or
situations where weapons are absolutely
forbidden. They can also make a nasty surprise
attack, and more than a few assassins have met a
sudden and violent end as their mark unleashes
a melta blast from their ring finger. Digi-
weapons are presumably a form of archeotech
that extremely few tech-artisans are capable of
creating, and the great craftsmanship and high-
quality materials required to produce just one
weapon puts them squarely in the realm of the
Imperiums elite.
Digi-weapons require both the Exotic Weapon
Training (Digital Weapon) talent as well as the
relevant Pistol Training talent for the type of
weapon being used (Flame, Las, Melta, or Needle
Pistol). Digi-mines are an exception they need
only be armed, usually by a hidden trigger or
switch, and then thrown where they explode like
a grenade. Alternatively, a digi-mine can be used
in conjunction with the Demolition Skill to
explode at a later time or as a booby trap.
Reloading a digi-weapon is a slow process
requiring a special recharging device (included
in the cost of the digi-weapon) about the size of a
personal cogitator. An entire clip for a suitable
pistol type a promethium tank, hellgun
capacitor, melta canister, or needle pack is
installed into the device and totally exhausted to
recharge the digi-weapon. Digi-mines are an
obvious exception as they are consumed in the
blast when triggered.

Graviton Gun
Class: Basic (Exotic)
An extremely unusual and little understood
relic, so-called graviton guns were likely never
intended for use as weapons to begin with.
When fired at a target area, the energy field
generated by the gun creates a sudden and
powerful gravitational flux. Whilst unlikely to do
more than knock living creatures violently to the
floor, the effect can be extremely damaging to
the internal mechanisms and moving parts of
vehicles, with a particularly pronounced effect
on skimmers and other devices with their own
grav-engines becoming quickly destabilized and
overloaded by the flux field.
72
Everything caught within the guns blast area
is violently pressed to the floor and must make a
Very Hard (-30) Strength Test or be knocked
down. Being thrown to a solid surface from a
standing position and forced to the ground in
this way is enough to inflict 1d5 Impact Damage
roll to determine the affected hit location. Note
that what the character falls against may make
this effect worse, and if the character falls any
appreciable distance then they take Falling
Damage as normal (see Falling on page 210 of
Dark Heresy).
The gravity flux remains for 2d5 Rounds.
Anyone attempting to move or perform physical
actions within the field must succeed on an
Opposed Strength Test versus the gravity flux,
which is considered to have Strength 60
(Unnatural x2) each Round. Additionally, a
graviton guns flux field may wreak all matters of
havoc: brittle objects shatter, loose flooring
collapses, containment vessels rupture, vehicles
and machinery fail catastrophically, and any
other chaos the GM deems appropriate.
A graviton gun uses two lasgun charge packs
to provide the energy to generate a flux field.
Overcharge or hotshot packs can be used in a
graviton gun but offer no special benefits. A
single charge pack can be used, reducing the
Reload time to a Full Action and Clip size to 1.
Heavy Webber
Class: Heavy (Exotic)
This particularly huge webber is cumbersome
and difficult to handle but has correspondingly
huge takedown power. Aside from being able to
entangle a whole band of scummers at once, a
heavy webber can project its sticky filament nets
far enough away to put the shooter outside the
range of some autoguns. Heavy webbers use a
very large web chem canister that allows them to
be fired several times before being expended,
making it a more suitable choice for high-
intensity situations where multiple targets need
to be apprehended. A heavy webbers webs break
down on their own after 1d5+2 hours.
Aegis-Redback Pattern: Held by the Adeptus
Mechanicus of the Lathe System, this advanced
heavy webber pattern is produced under license
by the Hax-Orthlack manufactorums on
Scintilla. It is a standard issue item in most
Adeptus Arbites arsenals in the Calixis Sector,
and can also (perhaps unsurprisingly) be found
in the employ of Lord Haxs Magistratum
enforcers. Unlike most heavy webber marks, the
Aegis-Redback stores its web chem in a canister
on the wearers back, making the weapon itself
significantly easier to port around while still
providing a larger volume of shots. This quality
has led to some of its users, especially the
Magistratum in Hive Sibellus, to be rather
overzealous in its use. Of course, most innocent
bystanders would prefer to be caught in its web
than blown apart by a riot gun.
Needle Pistol
Class: Pistol (Exotic)
Needle pistols are incredibly dangerous
weapons when put in the right hands, and while
some believe that a needler is a pale shadow to
the power of a bolter, there is no denying a
needlers ability to kill with almost complete
impunity. Needle pistols use a low-power laser
to noiselessly propel small slivers of crystallized
toxins that produce no flash when leaving the
weapon; the projectile painlessly dissolves into
the victims bloodstream, leaving no obvious
evidence behind, and most men killed by a
needle pistol likely never even knew theyd been
shot. Needle pistols are favoured by assassins for
their lethality and stealthy features, but many
have turned up in the hands of agents, enforcers
and well-equipped scummers alike.
Glavian Needler: This advanced and elegant
needle pistol is designed for close-range work
and can spit out toxin needles at a patently
alarming rate. This makes it a truly fearsome
tool against opponents who lack armour heavy
enough to harmlessly shatter the incoming
projectiles. While already a fine holster pistol, a
Glavian needler can also be constructed as a
wrist gun that is stored up the owners sleeve and
fired with a special glove or nearly-invisible
wired stud that is attached to the palm by
adhesive. While far less common, these hidden
73
versions have been used in a number of high-
profile assassinations and other crimes, and have
led to the expression Glavian handshake being
a euphemism for murder. The Belasco
Deathworks is the only major forge in Calixis
that produces this style of needle pistol.
Wrist gun Glavians cost an extra 300 Thrones
and can be converted between the concealed
version and standard pistol grip in about an
hour (this work requires no Skill Tests). When
suitably hidden, a wrist gun Glavian needler
grants a +20 bonus to the wearers Sleight of
Hand Test to conceal it. When in this
configuration reloading takes twice as long due
to the awkward positioning.
Needle Rifle
Class: Basic (Exotic)
Needle rifles are longer and more stable than
their pistol counterparts but operate on much
the same principles: silent, accurate, and utterly
lethal. Many military snipers make use of needle
rifles to fell targets of opportunity, such as
enemy command staff or political leaders, and
many insurrections have been cut short when a
charismatic leader suddenly drops dead after
being imperceptibly shot with a needle rifle from
half a kilometre away. A needle sniper must have
very careful aim and always look to exploit
weaknesses in his targets protection, as even
simple flak armour used by countless warriors of
the Imperial Guard has a reasonable chance of
deflecting a needle. Of course, as most would not
even realize that the deadly projectile has
bounced off them, a well-hidden sniper could
certainly try again.
Rad-Cleanser
Class: Heavy (Exotic)
Rad-cleansers are potent weapons said to be
relics of the long-past Dark Age of Technology,
and they are certainly powerful and terrible
enough in effect to justify that mythic claim
regardless of its veracity. Victims caught in a
rad-cleansers blast suffer an agonising death as
their tissues are blown apart on a cellular level
and they are boiled alive from within. Even

metals may combust in the powerful blast
created by a rad-cleanser. These horrific
weapons require very specific materials in the
creation of their fission cores and are difficult to
manufacture while being heavily proscribed by
the Cult Mechanicus as well. Despite this, the
retinues of many Magos Militants wield at least
one of these devastating weapons, suggesting
that some sanctioned group or facility in the
Calixis Sector possesses whatever baleful
knowledge is necessary to create such a
frightening weapon and does so with relative
and disquieting frequency.
The Toxic quality in the rad-cleansers profile
represents massive radioactive contamination
74
and should be treated accordingly. A rad-
cleansers bulky reactor-core unit is able to
produce adequate purifying radiation for
decades, but heavy use can deplete the available
reserves faster than the rad-cleanser can
replenish them. A rad-cleanser automatically
adds 1 shot to its Clip (up to the normal
maximum of 20) every 1d5 hours for the
lifetime of the reactor-core, which may well be
longer than the weapons current owner.
Razorweb Launcher
Class: Heavy (Exotic)
This terrible weapon fits onto the users
forearm, with a wide and thin barrel projecting
beyond the fingertips. The triggering
mechanism sits in the palm and is activated by
making a specific squeezing motion which
releases a gout of smoke. In reality, the aptly-
named razorweb launcher fires nearly a
kilometres worth of hyper-condensed
monofilament wire in a deadly cloud of
impossibly sharp threads. The razorwebs
target is cut to ribbons as the strands
effortlessly pass through armour, flesh and
bone with such speed that the victim often does
not realize his own death even as he crumples
to the ground in a bloody heap. Razorweb
launchers are thought to be of human
manufacture but no fane or forge in the Calixis
Sector has ever taken credit for the weapons
production (possibly due to the similarities
between its monofilament ammunition and
certain xenos weapons). Despite this, razorweb
launchers are bought and traded in high-end
arms markets throughout the sector, and the
bazaars at Port Wander at the edge of the Drusus
Marches always seem to have at least one on
hand.
A razorweb launcher is considered a heavy
weapon as the firer must obtain a very specific
and stable posture before releasing his filaments,
lest any kind of disturbance cause the strands to
erratically deviate and go awry, possibly back at
the firer himself.
A razorweb launcher makes use of
ammunition canisters that contain incredible
lengths of monofilament wire, hyper-condensed
with an attached power field generator. This
provides just enough threads for one shot, albeit
one that can utterly annihilate a man at
conventional pistol ranges. Each one has a base
cost of 500 Thrones and is Extremely Rare.
Rocketfire Gun
Class: Basic (Exotic)
Rocketfire guns are curious weapons that
resemble primitive bolt guns. As its name
implies, a rocketfire gun launches a small solid-
fuel rocket that accelerates to top speed through
the weapons long barrel. Unlike a bolt, the
rockets are spin-stabilised by angled exhaust
vents in the base of the projectile, and leave a
dramatic swirling smoke trail in their path. A
rocketfire guns lethality is primarily due to the
crushing impact of the high-velocity shell
slamming into the targets body, which can
create nasty wounds in spite of lacking an
explosive charge like a bolter. This does tend to
produce a reduction in power as a rocketfire
guns projectile loses speed at distance, however.
Rocketfire guns are produced on a number of
Imperial worlds that have progressed past the
feudal stage but have not yet been ushered into
the tech-dominion of the Adeptus Mechanicus,
and some scholars believe they represent a
precursor to the Imperiums own bolters.
Outside of these worlds they fetch a high price
due to strong competition from collectors and
weapons aficionados.
A rocketfire guns projectile becomes less
effective at range as it loses speed; subtract 1
point from both the Damage and Penetration
values against targets at Long range and 2 points
at Extreme range. Rocket ammunition for a
rocketfire gun has a base price of 30 Thrones and
is Very Rare.
Aegis Anbaric Shock Blaster
Class: Pistol (Exotic)
This unusual weapon is a highly specialised
rarity, even among the more militant Magi and
the Skitarii, and doubtless a product of the
mysterious Aegis Data Fragment. Taking the
75
shape of a bulky, tubular pistol, a shock blaster
discharges a blast of electromagnetic force
capable of completely overloading a humans
nervous system or disrupting the control
systems of servitors. A shock blaster can also
have highly detrimental effects against electronic
systems and cogitators, and can totally blank
data slates that are caught in its path.
Shock blasters increase their Damage by 2
points against targets with the Machine trait. A
shock blaster uses lasgun charge packs to
provide the energy for its electromagnetic field.
Overcharge and hotshot packs can be used
instead of standard charge packs but offer no
special benefits.
Demerite Screamer Sonic Rifle
Class: Basic (Exotic)
Most sonic weapons require a huge weapons-
support platform in order to generate enough
power to be effective in a battlefield situation. In
the tight spaces aboard ships, however, sonic
weapons the size of autoguns can generate
enough power in a directed burst to split
eardrums and cause severe, disorienting pain.
The Screamer as it is popularly known is
intended for use to quell mutinies and other
shipboard disturbances without the risk of
collateral damage that shotguns and gas weapons
can entail, though the high cost of manufacture
(typical of weapons of this type) usually means
that they are only found in the arsenals of larger
ships. The Demerite pattern is known for its
integral gene-lock which is coded to specific
security troopers as an added precaution against
the weapon falling into the wrong hands. A
sonic rifle is not intended to kill, though it is
certainly capable of doing so through vibration
and pressure that can cause horrible internal
injuries as its targets organs rupture like rotten
fruit. Aside from its expense and rarity, the only
serious argument against the use of a sonic rifle
is that it is useless in an airless environment.
Sonic rifles use standard lasgun charge packs
to provide energy for their attacks. Overcharge
and hotshot packs can be used instead of
 out miscreants at their leisure, and they also
WEB WEAPONS make a handy option to quickly end a hostage
Webbers, heavy webbers, and web pistols fire situation by webbing the hostages and their
masses of adhesive filaments which expand in the captors at once. A webbers webs break down on
air to form a web of sticky, near-unbreakable their own after 1d5 hours.
material. Targets are quickly entangled in a
painful though nominally non-lethal embrace; if
Web Pistol
they attempt to struggle the filaments constrict
Class: Pistol (Exotic)
even more, further entrapping them and
Web pistols are smaller and handier webbers
eventually becoming quite dangerous to those
that can be wielded with one hand. They have a
trapped within. In addition to the normal effects
significantly shorter range and only produce
of weapons with the Snare quality, each time an
sufficient webs to immobilise a single individual,
ensnared character fails a Strength or Agility Test
so a web pistol wielder must choose his shots
to escape he imposes a cumulative -10 penalty on
carefully. Particularly devious users might use a
all future tests to escape those webs. Should this
web pistol in conjunction with a melee weapon,
exceed -30, the character takes 1d5+1 Damage
entangling an opponent and leaving them
with no reduction for Armour each time he
helpless to defend against subsequent attacks
attempts another Test to escape (even if he
from the wielders primary weapon. A web
succeeds). This constrictions is very specific if
pistols webs are much finer and less numerous
multiple characters are entangled in the same
than heavier version, and break down on their
web, likely the result of being on the receiving
own after 1d10 Rounds.
end of a webber or heavy webber, only those who
attempt to escape take these penalties (or
Damage, for that matter).
standard charge packs but offer no special
benefits.
Because sound waves require atmospheric
pressure to function, they have no effect in a
void or vacuum or against characters wearing
sealed armour.

Webber
Class: Basic (Exotic)
Also known as webguns or glue guns, webbers
are the most widespread type of web weapon and
are often called into play by agents of justice to
subdue those violating the Emperors Law.
Webbers have a fairly long range and substantial
coverage, allowing them to cover and entangle a
small group of people at once. A webbers web
chem canister only has enough for a single shot,
however, so they are commonly issued in
tandem with another basic weapon or pistol to
use when reloading is impractical (or lethal force
is necessary). Several webbers can be employed
at once to incapacitate an entire crowd, allowing
enforcers to pick through the captives and sort

76
Melee Weapons
Despite the wide range of ways available to kill
the enemy at all sorts of distances, there is still
plenty of use for weapons designed for close and
personal combat. For some it is a matter of
honour to look their foe in the eye, others simply
another way to ensure their survival in a
dangerous galaxy. After all, a simple sword or
hammer will inevitably be more reliable than
even the finest and most impressive of firearms,
which are dependent on ammunition, often
noisy, and prone to failure. Like ranged
weapons, melee weapons come in different
classes and each requires its own relevant talent
to use without penalty. Unless otherwise stated,
users add their Strength Bonus to the Damage
inflicted by a melee weapon.
PRIMITIVE WEAPONS
Basic hand weapons are a common sight
throughout the Imperium and beyond, and in
many places it would be unthinkable to go forth
without at least one such weapon visible on your
person. Depending on the planets level of
technology, and the wealth of the user, these can
range from simple metal swords to precisely
manufactured blades made of exotic materials,
though both will chop through a man just as
well. Primitive weapons are generally the most
simple brand of melee weapon, carried by feral
hunters and soldiers of the Imperial Guard alike,
and typically have a hard time penetrating
modern armours. To use primitive weapons
without penalty, a character must have the
Thrown Weapon Training (Primitive) or the
Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) talents for
ranged and melee attacks, respectively.
Armoured Gauntlet
The heavy gauntlets of carapace or power
armour can make a surprisingly effective
weapon in a pinch, especially against lesser foes.
Similar weapons can also be scratch-built by
sewing powdered lead into the knuckles of heavy
77
leather gloves, and shipboard voidsmen and
hive-workers alike have fabricated their own
punchers by stripping down protective heat
mitts made for handling overheated conduit
pipes or plasma coils. Gangers are known to
fabricate their own punchers as tools of
intimidation as well as face-smashing; these
home-made weapons are often studded with
points or other metal hardware to make them
look more frightening.
Axe
An axe sports a brutal blade at the end of a
sturdy haft, giving it magnificent chopping
power. This makes it functional as both a tool
and a weapon, and the same axe that splits wood
can be just as easily used to cut down an
opponent. Axes generally lack the reach as well
as the precision of a sword, and are harder to use
defensively due to their poor balance, but a
strike offers significantly greater ability to maim
and kill as it rips through flesh and shatters bone
with the same ease as it fells a tree.
An axes qualities and Damage can also be
used to figure a basic weapon equipped with a
long bayonet.
Bastard Sword
Bastard swords are so named because they are
roughly halfway between a traditional one-
handed arming or longsword and a much longer
two-handed blade, and are sometimes known as
hand-a-half swords because of it. Specialised
blades like this are common on feudal worlds
with a love of swordsmithing, and are the
featured weapons of Warlord Vervai Skulls elite
Harrowguard on Iocanthos. Most warriors
would need both hands to wield a bastard sword,
and those of sufficient skill and strength to use
just one are immediately set apart from their
peers in the realm of swordsmanship. Because of
their versatility and size, bastard swords are
sometimes used by off-worlders, often upgraded
with a mono-edge to cut through armour.
A bastard sword may be wielded in one hand
if the user has a Strength Bonus of at least 4;
otherwise, it requires both hands to use.
Primitive Weapons
Name Class Dam Pen Special Wt Cost World Availability
Armoured Gauntlet Melee 1d5 I 0 Primitive 0.5kg 35 - Common
Axe Melee 1d10+1 R 0 Primitive, Unbalanced 4kg 10 - Scarce
Bastard Sword Melee 1d10+1 R 1 Primitive 5kg 20 Feudal Scarce
Boarding Pike Melee 1d10+3 X 2 Special 4kg 30 Void Common
Brass Knuckles Melee 1d5-1 I 0 Primitive 0.5kg 5 - Plentiful

Buckler Melee 1d5-2 I 0 Balanced, Primitive 1kg 30 Feudal Common

Club Melee 1d10 I 0 Primitive 2kg 5 - Abundant

Flail Melee 1d10+2 I 0 Flexible, Primitive 4kg 20 Feudal Scarce

Great Weapon Melee 2d10 R or I 2 Primitive, Unwieldy 7kg 70 Feudal Rare

Hammer Melee 1d10+1 I 0 Primitive, Unbalanced 4kg 10 - Common

Warhammer Melee 1d10+2 I 1 Primitive 2kg 35 - Common
Improvised Weapon Melee 1d10-2 I 0 Primitive, Unbalanced Varies - - Abundant
Knife Melee/Thrown (3m) 1d5 R 0 Primitive 0.5kg 5 - Abundant
Bolo Knife Melee 2d5 R 2 - 2kg 50 Malfi Common
Combat Knife Melee 1d5+3 R 0 Primitive 3kg 40 - Average
Kraken Tooth Dagger Melee/Thrown (5m) 1d5+1 R 1 - 0.4kg 200 Void Rare
Sigilite Blade Melee 1d5 R 3 Defensive 0.8kg 85 Landunder Rare
Trophy Knife Melee 1d5+1 R 1 Balanced, Primitive 0.5kg 700 - Very Rare

Man-Catcher Melee 1d10 I 0 Primitive, Snare, Unwieldy 8kg 60 - Scarce

Moon Blade Melee/Thrown (5m) 1d10 R 0 Fast, Primitive, Unwieldy 3kg 25 Munsk Rare

Punch Dagger Melee 1d5+1 R 2 Primitive 0.5kg 10 - Uncommon

Punisher Baton Melee 1d10 I 0 - 3kg 50 - Rare

Scythe Melee 1d10+2 R 0 Primitive, Unwieldy 5kg 12 Feudal Uncommon

Shield Melee 1d5 I 0 Defensive, Primitive 3kg 25 Feudal Average

Guard Shield Melee 1d5 I 0 Defensive, Primitive 1.5kg 100 - Scarce
Mirror Shield Melee 1d5-1 I 0 Defensive, Primitive 3.5kg 60 Sepheris Rare
Naval Shield Melee 1d5+2 I 0 Defensive, Primitive 7kg 75 Void Average
Defensive, Recharge,
Suppression Shield Melee 1d10 I 0 4kg 250 - Rare
Shocking
Tower Shield Melee 1d5+2 I 0 Defensive, Primitive 10kg 60 Feudal Rare

Spear Melee/Thrown (10m) 1d10 R 0 Primitive, Unwieldy 3kg 15 - Common

Spetum Melee 1d10 R 2 Primitive, Unbalanced 6kg 45 Balecaster Rare

Steam Drill Melee 2d10 I 3 Primitive, Unwieldy 18kg 100 - Very Rare

Stiletto Melee 1d5-1 R 2 Fast, Primitive, Unbalanced 0.2kg 25 - Uncommon

Devils Kiss Melee 1d5 R 3 Fast, Primitive 0.3kg 70 Landunder Rare

Staff Melee 1d10 I 0 Balanced, Primitive 3kg 10 - Plentiful

Sword Melee 1d10 R 0 Balanced, Primitive 2.5kg 15 - Common

Long-Sabre Melee 1d10+2 R 2 Balanced, Primitive 3kg 70 Fervious Very Rare

Render Melee 1d5+1 R 0 Primitive, Tearing 1.2kg 50 Landunder Rare

Sabre Melee 1d10 R 0 Balanced, Primitive 2kg 15 - Common
Short Sword Melee 1d10-1 R 0 Primitive 1.5kg 12 - Common

Requires two hands to be used effectively

78
Boarding Pike
One problem with utilising powerful close
combat weapons aboard ship is that they can
easily punch through hull plating. Boarding
pikes are a simple yet effective shipboard
solution, using a strong shell charge mounted at
the end of a reinforced metal staff. A trigger in
the grip arms the charge, which explodes the
next time it is firmly struck against something.
The explosion blasts into flesh with gruesome
effect, but with little or no collateral damage to
the surrounding area. Once the charge is
expended a boarding pike is typically thrown
away, though the sturdy shaft itself can be used
as a staff in melee if necessary.
Brass Knuckles
Also known as knuckle dusters, these solid
metal weapons are worn with a base against the
palm and a thick ridged band over the foremost
fingers, turning a simple punch into a powerful
hit that can break bones when employed with
sufficient force. Brass knuckles are generally
thought of as a weapon of thugs and scummers,
though almost anyone who fights regularly
might employ a set for their convenience and
ease of use in making sudden attacks.
Use the figures for brass knuckles when pistol
whipping an opponent with most pistols.
Buckler
A buckler is a small shield about the size of a
dinner plate that offer some protection without
sacrificing mobility. The bucklers modest size
makes it inadequate for protection against
arrows and crossbow bolts, but its light weight
allows it to be easily used as a striking weapon in
its own right. These qualities put it rightly in the
realm of swordfighters and duellists, and the
armsmen of noble houses on feudal worlds often
decorate their bucklers with the insignia of their
patrons and families.
On Acreage, a buckler-style weapon with
small metal spikes protruding from the shields
edge is a favoured item for those with a penchant
for sneaky attacks. Acreage bucklers have
identical statistics to comparable shields but can
79
be thrown with a range of 8 metres, and
generally look more impressive too.
Club
Clubs are the simplest and most basic melee
weapons, often little more than a sturdy length
of wood possibly with a knot or of a thicker
diameter at the business end. Aside from tucked
into the loincloths of feral worlders, clubs can
also be found in the employ of hive gangers
(often as weapons to threaten or intimidate) and
basic truncheons carried by local enforcers
would fall into this category as well.
Sturdy, reinforced pistols can be used as a club
in melee combat.
Flail
A take on a grain farming tool on some
worlds, flails consist of one or more heavy spiked
balls attached to the weapons pole, utilising
lengths of chain or metal rods to build up
considerable velocity before crashing home with
a brutal impact. Flails are difficult to use in
combat but can have devastating results when
wielded properly.
Great Weapons
Enormously oversized swords, axes, hammers,
and other weapons are often employed by the
most brutish of a feudal armys warriors and are
sometimes carried by chieftains and other nobles
as a sign of strength and power (even if they
themselves couldnt hope to wield such a weapon
effectively). A great weapon invariably requires
two hands to wield and can inflict serious
damage even against enemies protected by rigid
feudal armours, though they leave little to
subtlety or skill in their use.
Hammer
This is a heavier version of the regular hand
tool used to drive nails or rivets and makes use
of a large weighted end to inflict a harder and
deadlier blow than similar hafted weapons.
Hammers are simple and straightforward, often
reflecting on the personality of their users who
dont care for swordplay or complex manoeuvres

and would rather simply splatter their
opponents brains over the floor.
Warhammer: Mounted on a longer pole grip
than a regular hammer, warhammers generally
have a thinner striking head and may include a
sharply pointed reverse, making it an ideal
choice to penetrate light armour and cause deep
wounds thanks to concentrating the force of
impact to a much smaller area. Many of the
more zealous Imperial servants favour a
warhammer as an enduring symbol of the
Emperors righteous justice, and it figures
prominently on the heraldry and insignia of
numerous organizations.
Improvised
Table legs, long wrenches, lasgun stocks,
severed limbs, artillery shell casings, and any
other myriad instruments not normally intended
for use as a weapon but serviceable enough fit
into this category. Any handy weighted object
80
can be used as an improvised weapon, though
most would prefer to only employ it as long as
its necessary to obtain a better one.
Smashing an opponent with the butt of most
basic weapons usually counts as attacking with
an improvised weapon.
Knife
A short blade with an adequate handle to hold
at a variety of grips, knives are ubiquitous back-
up weapons for warriors all across the
Imperium, from lowly hive scum to the elite
soldiers of a planetary governor. Though of only
modest killing power, a knife is much more
mobile than larger weapons, and makes a
particularly good implement of intimidation as
well. Knives are produced in almost
innumerable makes and natures, with some
serving very specific purposes (such as a psykers
psykana mercy blade, intended as a weapon of
suicide should the psyker be faced with
imminent corruption or possession) while others
might be nothing more than eating utensils.
Bolo Knife: This is a heavy single-edged
cutting tool suitable for hacking through dense
foliage that doubles as a brutally effective man-
killer. Bolo knives have a particular reputation
on Malfi, a world once covered in far more
jungle than at the present, where it has a
murderous reputation in local folklore in spite of
still being used as an everyday tool. Malfian
bolos are typically crafted from plexsteel and
feature an inwardly curving blade exactly 40
centimetres long that features a distinctive
widened tip. This makes it perfect for heavy
slashing blows, and in skilled hands can lop a
limb off or open a mans torso up in a single
stroke. Malfis jacker-gangs and dacoits
invariably carry bolos on their bodies at all
times, most with acid-etched glyphs marking
noteworthy kills or other exploits. Bolo knives
are Common on Malfi and Rare elsewhere.
Combat Knife: Combat knives can only
liberally be called knives to begin with, often
featuring a straight blade the size of a human
forearm with a clipped point that is both
intimidating in profile and can make for nasty
piercing and slashing attacks, and are commonly
used as bayonets by the Imperial Guard. They
also make fine can openers.
Kraken Tooth Dagger: Gleaming pearlescent
knives of this type are often carried by veteran
voidsmen who typically claim their blades are
fashioned from enormous teeth found lodged in
the hulls of their ships or on debris encountered
in the void. Whether or not these knives are
actually a product of horrific gargantuan
creatures that lurk on the edge of system space,
ready to attack unfortunate vessels just as they
emerge from the warp, is more or less
inconsequential to the void born that carry them
as good luck charms. Many are decorated with
intricate scrimshaw carvings depicting
horrendous tentacled beasts tearing ships apart,
which in the strange proclivities of the void born
is supposedly said to ensure safe passage for the
vessel they crew. Many are sought after by
collectors for their artistic merit and intrinsic
craftsmanship, and there are plenty of Rogue
Traders who have been known to sport a kraken
tooth dagger on their belts.
Landrian Sigilite Blade: Named after a
half-forgotten holy figure from a time long past,
the Sigilite is a curious weapon wielded by the
gelt-brokers of Landunder who broker the price
with crystal miners for the load yielded from the
deep-sea mineral chimneys. Traditionally a
weapon of self-defence to protect the broker
from robbery, the Sigilite is outlandishly formed
from a set of intersecting crescents sharpened
along their edges and tapering-off to wicked
points. The blades curious shape, combined
with the twirls and circling passes o the gelt
brokers knife-work, allows it to deflect
incoming blows before delivering savage, raking
counter-attacks.
It a Sigilites user has the Counter-attack
talent, he does not take the usual -10 penalty to
Weapon Skill Tests made to attack when using
that talent to follow up a successful Parry.
Trophy Knife: Many fighters use the remains
of their kill to fashion a memento of the action,
and those who battle xenos are no exception.
Among Guardsmen who commonly go to war
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against such foes there is a thriving secondary
business in many regiments where the claws and
teeth of terrible alien creatures are removed and
honed into valuable weapons. Each is a unique
creation representing some of the monstrous
races that have threatened the sector, some even
unknown by scholars. They serve to show off the
battlefield prowess of a warrior to their fellow
troopers, and are fine weapons in their own
right. Of course, a trophy knifes final
dispensation is often as a collectors mantelpiece,
and even after intermediaries have skimmed
their cut of the profits a Guardsman will often
have enough left over to buy a commission (or
pay his way out of his service early).
Man-Catcher
Man-catchers are simple yet effective tools
designed to apprehend a target at distance or
within a crowd. Most are formed of a long pole
with a spring-loaded claw at the end that is
designed to grapple around the targets neck or
an extremity and allow for a swift capture.
Targets latched on by a man-catcher are then
forcefully wrenched to the ground by their
attacker. Man-catchers are used on many feudal
worlds throughout the Imperium, but can also
be found in the employment of low-rent
enforcers who cant afford or obtain webbers,
and have some shipboard use as well as effective
methods to corral mutineers.
Balecarne Moon Blade
These strangely-shaped blades are primarily
used by the elite Crescent Brotherhood of the
Balecarne tribe, who originate from the feral
world of Munsk in the Josian Reach. Over time,
the tribe has spawned sister-tribes on the
neighbouring worlds in the system, making
these blades somewhat more common.
Moon blades are crescent-shaped cutting
weapons each about 30 centimetres in length.
The wielder usually holds a blade in each hand,
gripping it in the centre, with a piece of leather
wrapped around the middle of the blade to
protect the users palms. The points of the
crescent point outwards, away from the wielders
body. Moon blades are difficult to use and take
many years to fully master, but even an
intermediate user can wield them with deadly
force. Experts, such as the aforementioned
Crescent Brotherhood, can make use of their
blades as short-range throwing weapons as well.
Punch Dagger
Punch daggers, also known as push or T-
knives, have a fairly typical blade attached to a
T-shaped handle that is carried in the palm
similar to brass knuckles, allowing a simple
punch to be improved with a nasty piercing
wound. Punch daggers are particularly effective
in confined quarters and tight spaces, and are
often carried with the blade tucked into the boot
by enforcers and scummers alike.
Magistratum Punisher Baton
A byword for brutality on Scintilla, this heavy
baton is intended to smash limbs, crack skulls
and wantonly crush any resistance with
overwhelming force. The baton is a polymer
sheathed, metre-long rod of strengthened
plasteel with a hollow core part-filled with a
dense liquid metal alloy that augments the force
of struck blows. These weapons are most closely
associated with Lord Haxs Magistratum in Hive
Sibellus, but they are carried by enforcer cadres
and other heavies across the sector as a cheap
and effective alternative to shock weapons.
Scythe
Scythes are principally an agri-tool intended
to reap grains for harvest, but they have a long
history of double duty as weapons often used
by peasant uprisings or farmer-militias. When
used as a weapon, a scythes blade is typically
moved in line with the shaft to be used as a long
chopping weapon; the typical shape of a scythe
used for agriculture is far from practical due to
the awkward swings a wielder must make,
although the wicked point can still cut clean
through an inexperienced opponent. Scythes are
often used as props in rituals or to convey
specific images; often, this invokes themes of
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death, with the wielder reaping lives just as his
weapon reaps crops.
Shield
A shield is a useful protective device that can
be made from any of a large variety of materials.
Their uses, shapes, and specific employments are
just as varied. In general, a shield is intended to
be used in a defensive role as a means to deflect
an enemys melee attacks, though they may have
a number of other features depending on the
exact mark or pattern used.
Guard Shield: Some Imperial Guard
regiments make use of shields made of thin but
sturdy plasteel plates that can provide protection
from incoming projectiles and fragments as well
as to turn aside an opponents blades. Many
include a small glassteel visor so the user can
peek out from behind the shield without
sacrificing protection.
A Guard shield can be used as cover against
ranged attacks, providing 6 Armour Points to all
hit locations as long as they are stationary or
using the Tactical Advance action, though the
user must expose at least one arm to attack.
Sepherin Mirror Shield: Made famous by the
Royal Scourges of Sepheris Secundus, the mirror
shield is an ornate rectangular device capable of
covering about two-thirds of its wielders body.
Constructed from layers of metal and stained
crystal-silicate glass, bearing the colourful crests
and armorials of the nobility, the refractive glass
gives the shield a mirrored effect that supposedly
deflects evil spirits (although it can also repel las
bolts as well). As such, it is considered an
exemplar of ennobled warfare and affairs of
honour on a world where such advanced
weapons are restricted to the elite retainers of
the ruling barons.
If used as cover against ranged attacks, the
shield is large enough to protect the arm that
carries it and the wearers body, though it may
shield the head instead (if the wearer is taking
cover behind a barricade, for instance). This
provides 8 Armour Points (Primitive) to those
locations; thanks to its reflective construction, a
mirror shields APs are not considered Primitive
against las weapons.
Naval Shield: Shipboard armsmen, boarding
crews, and other naval troops often utilise
shields of this type for personal protection as
they protect their ship. Each shield is a huge and
solid plasteel plate in a roughly rectangular
shape that is uncomfortable to carry for any
prolonged period but offers superior protection.
Unlike most Imperial shields they are totally flat
and have a smooth surface so they can be used as
emergency hull and bulkhead sealers. A Naval
shield is large enough to totally conceal the
users body, and boarding parties facing
defensive strong-points often make use of these
shields to create a solid wall of plasteel that
completely covers themselves and their allies.
A Naval shield can be used as cover against
ranged attacks, providing 8 Armour Points to all
hit locations as long as long as they are
stationary or using the Tactical Advance action,
though the user must expose their head and at
least one arm to attack.
Arbitrator Suppression Shield: This type of
shield is produced for the Adeptus Arbites and
the aquila emblazoned on its front is often the
first sign of an Arbitrator raid as it is thrust
through a recently-breached door. Suppression
shields are large ceramite slabs with a minor
outward curve, sufficiently large to completely
cover an Arbitrators form but still
manoeuvrable enough to be used in close
quarters. Each one has an arc-lumin built in on
an upper corner, with a powerful shock plate
taking the form of the aquila symbol at the
shields centre. Arbitrators who cant draw their
shock maul in time can rely on a quick smash
from their suppression shield to do the job. A
suppression shield includes a small but much
appreciated feature in the form of a lock-grip
opposite the arc-lumin, which can securely
anchor a basic weapon to where only one hand is
required to use it. This gives Arbitrators the
flexibility to use their issued weapon instead of a
sidearm while conducting assaults from behind
their shields.
83
A Suppression Shields lock-grip allows its
user to wield a basic weapon with one hand.
After making a successful melee attack, a
Suppression Shield must spend a Round
building up a charge (per the Recharge quality),
during which time it can still be used to make
attacks though it gains the Primitive quality and
loses the Shocking quality. As long as the user is
not Surprised (see Dark Heresy, page 187), a
Suppression Shield provides 4 Armour Points to
the users arm and body locations (which stacks
with any worn armours). It can also be used as
cover against ranged attacks, providing 4 APs to
all hit locations as long as they are stationary or
using the Tactical Advance action, though the
user must expose at least one arm to attack.
To use the Suppression Shields shock plate,
the user must have the Melee Weapon Training
(Shock) talent.
Tower Shield: An immense barricade of
wood or metal, tower shields are more of a
mobile barrier than an active means of defence.
Tower shields find their most frequent use on
feudal worlds where warfare places a heavy
emphasis on massed archer attacks; troops
protected by a tower shield can endure almost
any arrow shower, while those with lesser
protections are riddled like archery targets.
Simple plated iron examples are a common sight
in the canyons and narrow passages of
Coseflame, while the inland bronze and wood
shields found on Monrass are considered works
of art in their own right.
A Naval shield can be used as cover against
ranged attacks, providing 8 Armour Points
(Primitive) to all hit locations as long as long as
the user is stationary or using the Tactical
Advance action, though they must expose at
least their head and one arm to attack. A tower
shields great bulk and mass imposes a -2 penalty
to the users Agility Bonus due to its difficulty in
handling, though most would rather be slower in
moving than dead from an arrow storm.
Spear
Spears are simple but effective weapons made
of a piercing tip, often made of stone or metal,
securely fastened to a sturdy wooden shaft.
Spears are advanced weapons on feral worlds
since they give their users a small measure of
reach against dangerous beasts, and are still in
use on most feudal worlds by cheap troops and
as anti-cavalry weapons.
A spear can be used as a melee weapon against
opponents that are up to 2 metres away from the
user thanks to their length.
Spetum
This pole-arm is equipped with three single-
edged prongs on the business end and is most
commonly found on Balecaster as a ceremonial
weapon by the Inner Guard of the Star Sanctum.
Although the opportunity to use these weapons
in combat is somewhat rare, the warriors who
form the Inner Guard are highly trained in its
use, having spend countless hours honing their
technique to achieve complete mastery. The
Spetum is an exceptionally fine weapon that is
far removed from the humble fishing trident it
resembles, and those that make their way off
Balecaster end up used in battle just as often as
added to the collections of wealthy aficionados.
Steam Drill
These bulky and temperamental devices are
crude mining rigs used on worlds such as
Sepheris Secundus and Coseflame where more
sophisticated tools, like the breacher units
favoured by the Mechanicus, would be
impossible to maintain. Powered by a weighty
and scolding hot backpack steam compressor
that provides pressure to turn a huge boring
drill, they are not intended for use as weapons
due to their unwieldy size and mass. Of course,
such a tool could inflict horrific damage on any
unfortunates that manage to get in the way of
the drill head.
Steam drills require a Strength Bonus of 4 or
more to be effectively used as a weapon. Weaker
characters suffer a -10 penalty to their Weapon
Skill Tests made to attack with it for each point
their Strength Bonus is below 4. The bulk of a
steam drill and its power rig imposes a -10
penalty to the users Agility while carrying it.
84
Stiletto
A long dagger equipped with a thin and
narrow blade, stilettos are designed to slip
between armour and puncture heavy clothing
where they can go on to pierce vital organs. A
stiletto is not designed for prolonged combats as
its light construction and lack of an edge makes
it useless for anything but piercing thrusts, but a
skilled fighter wielding a stiletto can often end a
combat before it really begins. Stilettos are
favoured weapons of assassins and many include
narrow grooves in the blade suitable for dipping
in poison, and they are often carried as
secondary weapons by feudal armoured knights.
In the latter, a stiletto is not a combat weapon,
but is intended to be used to give a mercy killing
to a mortally wounded enemy, as no noble
warrior would allow another of his peers even
an opponent to die slowly on a battlefield.
Landrian Devils Kiss Stiletto: The Devils
Kiss is a long and narrow knife that is quenched
in blood during forging and sharpened only
along the last five centimetres, leading to a
needle-like tip. In the cities of Landunder, the
Devils Kiss is also the name of a blade clan
notorious for quiet and subtle killing, their
victims bleeding out from a single, almost
invisible, puncture wound. It is said that unless
you are learning the fatal tricks of the clan, you
will never see this deadly blade except with your
own blood wetting it. Off world, Landrian
stilettos fetch a high price due to their rarity and
excellent craftsmanship. Such is the quality of a
Devils Kiss that a mono-edged example could
rival a power blade in its ability to perforate even
modern, well-made armour without the
crackling and luminescent power field, and they
are a favourite of Death Cult Assassins for just
this reason.
Staff
A staff is a very simple weapon formed in the
main from a sturdy length of wood about a
metre and a half long that is well balanced and
easy to wield. Though suitable for use as a
walking stick, a trained user can use a staff as an
effective bludgeoning instrument, and the art of
stick-fighting is popular on many primitive and
developed worlds alike. Generally a staff will take
the form of a humble wooden rod that is a
common sight among pilgrims trekking
throughout the galaxy as they retrace the steps of
saints, but far more elaborate and decorated
versions might be carried as a symbol of office or
rulership, and novice sanctioned psykers often
use a staff topped with the symbol of the ever-
watching eye to indicate their allegiance to the
Emperor and the Scholastica Psykana.
Basic ranged weapons that are well balanced
and constructed for use in clobbering an
opponent count as a staff when used in melee.
Sword
Swords are the classic melee weapon of
chivalric knights and men-at-arms alike, and are
used by almost innumerable classes and types of
fighters throughout the expanse of the
Imperium. In general a sword will have a
striking blade with a single or double edge and a
grip suitable for use with one or both hands, but
any number of other features blade length,
curvature, thickness, presence of lack of a cross-
guard, intention for chopping or thrusting
vary widely with the design of the blade. A sword
might be a simple iron blade built expressly for
war, a finely wrought piece of art as beautiful as
it is deadly, or even concealed within a cane or
walking stick.
Fervious Long-Sabre: The Fervious long-
sabre is an overly-long sword with a dramatic
curve designed for a two-handed grip. It is very
sharp among feudal weapons since the metallic
ores of Fervious are extremely stubborn and
difficult to work with, requiring numerous
folding and reforging to work out the impurities.
This creates a naturally razor-sharp edge that
holds quite well, even after hacking through
armoured opponents. Long-sabres are wielded
by the nobles and wealthy armsmen of Fervious,
but can also be found among the many death
cults that world generates. Fervious society is a
bloodthirsty and violent one, founded on ritual
murder as a means to gain status and wealth,
and those in positions of power and authority
85
invariably carry one of these swords to ward off
assassins and other would-be usurpers.
Landrian Render: Renders are considered
cursed and ill-omened blades on Landunder,
and even off-worlders who dont subscribe to the
local mysticisms might be inclined to agree after
looking at the arm-length butcher blades
numerous serrations and teeth. A render is
designed to take its victim apart slowly, piece by
piece, and has many deliberate concessions
made to create excruciating wounds that heal
poorly. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the weapon
shares its name with Landunders Render clan,
nominally meat-mongers and tanners who have
been repeatedly linked with murder cults and the
worst criminal atrocities.
Sabre: A favoured weapon of cavalry troops
and other mounted warriors, sabres are popular
weapons on worlds such as Iocanthos and
Volonx that are famed for their horsemen.
Sabres possess a curved single-edged blade
designed to make downward slashes and have
excellent balance that allows a rider to keep a
hand free to control his mount. The sabres
elegant yet functional construction causes it to
persist in many more sophisticated climes, and
Imperial Guard officers and hive nobles often
wield mono-edged sabres for their graceful and
distinctive appearance (as well as lethality in
battle), and there are several patterns of power
swords with a blade that specifically resembles
that of a sabres.
A sabre increases its Damage value by 1 when
wielded by a user who is mounted or has another
significant height advantage over his opponent.
Short Sword: Short swords have a slightly
reduced lethality and reach compared to their
full-size counterparts but are significantly easier
to wield in cramped or confined spaces, making
them popular with naval armsmen and boarding
parties. They are also the largest size of blade
that is still suitable as a backup weapon, and are
carried by some Imperial Guard regiments with
a penchant for hand-to-hand combat.

CHAIN WEAPONS
Chain weapons are popular amongst many
warriors in the 41st Millennium as most races
and planets have the basic technology to produce
these brutal and highly effective weapons.
Roughly taking the shape of several types of
typical (Primitive) melee weapons, all weapons
of this type do their damage with fast-moving
chains of serrated teeth often made of ceramite
and other hard metallic materials that replace
the bladed edge that is normally found there. A
powerful motor in the base sets the teeth
spinning at a wickedly high speed, and even
glancing blows can rip open a man like a piece of
rotten fruit. The vicious teeth can even grind
through armour, and while not intended for use
against heavily-armoured opponents a severe
blow from a chain weapon can still strike true
while any lesser blade would be harmlessly
turned aside. Chain weapons are loud and make
an angry buzzing noise as their visibly dangerous
teeth spin around, and the sight of a revving
chain blade can be a powerfully intimidating tool
in its own right. Chain weapons are most
commonly associated with warriors of the
Imperium; they are favourites of Imperial Guard
officers and sergeants, naval boarding parties,
specialist assault troops, Redemptionist fanatics,
and much larger versions are often wielded by
stalwart Space Marines. Some Xenos are known
to employ their own chain weapons as well,
obviously in deference to the superiority of
mans ability to make war with these fine
weapons. To use chain weapons without penalty,
a character must have the Melee Weapon
Training (Chain) talent.
Chainsword
Chainswords are the most common make and
style of chain weapon, and are much loved by
those who wield one for their ease of handling
and the gory spray of satisfaction they leave
when rending an enemy apart. Most
chainswords follow the style of the Mk. Xf
Hells Teeth pattern which employs a flat, boxy
housing that contains the spinning chain and its
86
motor. There is a curved opening at the front
and along one side of the housing so the teeth
can rip into foes struck while the wielder can
safely grasp the enclosed side to aid in attacking
or defence. This also prevents the user from
being maimed by their own chainsword if it is
knocked back against them. There are more
exotic or unusual marks of chainswords as well,
and some are listed here.
Drusian Crusader Chainsword: Replicas
of the weapon carried by Saint Drusus during
the Angevin Crusade are quite popular in the
Calixis Sector, and the worlds that celebrate
Drusus Day often have throngs of faithful
gathered in the streets outside his shrines with
these weapons thrust into the air in honour of
his memory. A Crusader chainsword has finer
teeth set into a long and sweeping housing with a
basket hilt, making it extremely nimble as well as
quite attractive in a spartan fashion, and those
who can afford to commission a sword of their
own often have them inlaid with intricate
patterns or precious stones.
Locke Pattern: Particularly fanatic wielders of
chainswords often remove some or all of the
protective housing that covers half the blade,
allowing them to make more devastating cuts
and thrusts at the expense of personal safety. The
Locke pattern is manufactured to meet this
demand, freeing zealots up from the tedious
armourers work in modifying their weapons so
they can turn their blades on the Emperors foes.
The exposed chain makes the Locke pattern
more dangerous for the user, but those who
favour this style of weapon have little concern
for injuries they may sustain from accidental
hits, and often wear the scars from such injuries
as badges of pride.
Any character that rolls an unmodified 96-00
on their Weapon Skill Test while wielding a
Locke pattern chainsword risks losing control of
the chain blade and must succeed on a
Challenging (+0) Agility Test or else hit
themselves with the weapon instead. This attack
deals normal Damage but has a Pen value of 0
and does not add the wielders Strength Bonus.
Chain Weapons
Name Class Dam Pen Special Wt Cost World Availability

Chainsword Melee 1d10+2 R 2 Balanced, Tearing 6kg 275 - Scarce

Drusian Melee 1d10 R 2 Balanced, Fast, Tearing 7kg 250 - Average

Locke Melee 1d10+5 R 2 Special, Tearing 6kg 400 - Scarce

Chain Axe Melee 1d10+4 R 2 Tearing 13kg 450 - Rare

Chain Knife Melee 1d5+3 R 2 Tearing 2.5kg 80 Hive Scarce

Crimson Crown Thrown (SBx4m) 1d10+2 R 2 Special, Tearing 0.5kg 2,000 - Very Rare

Eviscerator Melee 1d10+10 R 5 Special, Tearing, Unwieldy 12kg 750 - Rare

Requires two hands to be used effectively

Chain Axe
A chain axe is designed to offer all of an axes
strength at cleaving through a foe like a cord of
wood with the added rending power of a roaring
chain blade. Chain axes are weapons of absolute
brutality with little room for subtlety or careful
combat manoeuvres, and are well-designed for
those who favour a fast and hard offence against
their foes. Compared to chainswords, chain axes
are rare weapons that go far to show their
wielders zeal for smiting his opponents.
Chain Knife
Chain knives work on the same principle as
their larger kin, and often take the appearance of
a short cleaver or wide dirk with a squat and
murderous look to them. Powered by a compact
cell in the hilt, the weapons buzzing teeth rip
through flesh with ease and splatter onlookers
with hot gore. Chain knives, also known
variously as buzz blades or chain rippers, are
almost entirely a hivers weapon and are
widespread among gangers of the Sibellian
underhive and the fighting cages of Malfi. On
Landunder, the buzz blade is infamously the
province of the labour gangs that control the
docking airlocks of the eight cities, notorious as
they are for quelling dissent with a single ragged
cut to the belly. In this, Landrians have
developed a special killing art whose aim is to
leave the victim screaming in agony for as long
as possible before death.
Crimson Crown
This highly non-standard chain weapon is
intended to be thrown, and is not produced by
any major forge in quantity; whether they are
ancient relics or the product of small but skilled
tech-adept cabals is anyones guess. A crimson
crown takes the form of a metal circlet roughly
the width of a human forearm and the thickness
of a palm that is surrounded by sharpened metal
teeth. A crimson crown is a heavy and awkward
weapon to wield, but once activated a brace of
micro-gravlifts nearly cancel out its mass, and a
central grip enables the weapon to be thrown
with frightening speed and accuracy. The
rotating action signals the crimson crowns
internal motor to roar to life, making it safer for
the wielder to throw as its flesh-tearing teeth
only start spinning once the weapon is released.
The speed of its flight as well as a chain weapons
customary brutality sends its victim to the
ground in a spray of blood and viscera; the chain
stops several moments after impact, leaving its
owner to pry it free of his victim.
A power discus can be used by characters
without the Thrown Weapon Training (Power)
talent if they have both the Melee Weapon
Training (Power) and Thrown Weapon Training
(Primitive) talents. It must be thrown at least 3
metres for the teeth to spin up; if flung at a closer
opponent, it loses the Tearing quality.
Eviscerator
Eviscerators are almost comically-oversized
chainswords that are often just as tall if not taller

87
than their wielders and roar fiercely as their
teeth spin on both sides of the totally exposed
blade. They are sacred to witch-hunters and
Redemptionists who view an Eviscerator as an
instrument of the Emperors divine might and
hate, but may end up in the hands of well-
equipped gang heavies and other warriors who
want to see their foes split in twain and with a
whole lot of mess to go with it. An Eviscerator is
a true terror weapon that makes a terrific racket
when in use, and the sheer volume and size of its
teeth can rival a power weapon in terms of raw
destructive capability. Even light vehicles are not
immune to an Eviscerators army of spinning
teeth, and there are anecdotal stories of these
88
weapons hacking through the legs of walkers.
They are difficult and tiring to use for any period
of time, but most who wield an Eviscerator will
end a combat in very short order.
Any character that rolls an unmodified 96-00
on their Weapon Skill Test while wielding an
Eviscerator risks losing control of the chain
blade and must succeed on a Challenging (+0)
Agility Test or else hit themselves with the
weapon instead of their target. This attack deals
full Damage, including Penetration and the
users Strength Bonus. Roll to determine hit
location normally, but re-roll if the hit would
indicate a blow to either arm.

POWER WEAPONS
Sheathed in a power field of crackling arcane
energies, a power weapon greatly amplifies the
force of the wielders swings and thrusts,
disrupting the matter that makes up armour and
its wearer all at once. Many of these weapons
conceal their true nature with power packs
subtly incorporated into the grip and energy
projection veins down the blade, appearing as a
totally normal if well-made weapon until
activated amid crackles of lightning running
down their length. Regardless of whether its
generators are hidden within or obviously
attached with conduit cables, power weapons are
dramatic implements that can go from ordinary
blades to cleaving and smashing engines of
destruction in a matter of moments.
Because of the great cost of manufacturing the
power field generators themselves, power
weapons are almost exclusively the province of
the wealthy and well-connected, such as high-
ranking Imperial Guard officers, Rogue Traders,
Inquisitors, and others who are afforded such
luxuries. However, power weapons are the
unquestioned champions among those meant
for use in close combat, and most who can
obtain such devices are the types who like to use
them as well.
When deactivated, a power weapon counts as
a Primitive weapon of the same type with the
mono-edged upgrade and can be used without
penalty by a character with the Melee Weapon
Training (Primitive) talent. Otherwise, a
character must have the Melee Weapon Training
(Power) to use power weapons without penalty.
Power Axe
As with the simple axes wielded by
commoners and feudal warriors, a power axe
makes use of a heavy blade atop a stout haft that
dramatically increases its chopping power.
When combined with a power field, even a
heavily-armoured foe can be split in half like a
piece of kindling. Power axes somewhat clumsier
than more common power swords, but those
89
that wield them believe the extra lethality more
than makes up for a slower swing.
Loi Pattern: This particular mark of power
axe is a product of the Loi Metalworks Armoury
on the world of Lo and differentiates itself from
others of its type by a much longer haft and
harsh, cleaver-like blade that is significantly
longer as well. Sometimes referred to as a power
glaive, the extended dimensions of the Loi
pattern allow it to be swung with a wider arc and
correspondingly greater force. Several
Inquisitors of the Calixian Conclave favour this
pattern, whether for their personal use or that of
their senior acolytes and agents; these
prominently feature Inquisitorial iconography
on the business end, making sure that those laid
low for their heresies will know their doom at
the final moments.
Omnisian Axe: No mere power weapon,
this is a holy icon of the Cult Mechanicus that is
granted to tech-adepts and Enginseers who have
shown their faith to the Machine God in battle.
An Omnisian axe is forged of the finest materials
and to absolute tolerances using secrets of
tempering and field generation, and are among
the finest power weapons manufactured
anywhere in the Imperium. Many have saw-
toothed blades or backs to invoke the ancient
prehistory of engineering, and all are invariably
decorated with sacred equations and symbols of
the Mechanicus. Tech-Priests who wield these
superb weapons often use them as exaggerated
(and wholly unnecessary) walking sticks and
badges of office, and the bearer is most often
regarded as a figure blessed by the Machine God
as a furious incarnation of its power in war.
The wielder of an Omnisian axe receives a +10
bonus to Interaction Tests involving followers of
the Cult Mechanicus, and the weapons machine
spirit is so advanced that it acts as a multi-tool
when wielded by an adherent. An Omnisian axe
may never be bought or deliberately obtained
it is gifted only to Tech-Priests by their
superiors, and to wield one without that blessing
is a suicidal act.
Power Weapons
Name Class Dam Pen Special Wt Cost World Availability

Power Axe Melee 1d10+7 E 7 Power Field, Unbalanced 6kg 2,700 - Very Rare

Loi Pattern Melee 1d10+8 E 9 Power Field, Unbalanced 7kg 3,200 - Very Rare

Omnisian Axe Melee 2d10+4 E 7 Power Field, Unbalanced 8kg Tech-Priest Only Extremely Rare

Power Blade Melee 1d10+3 E 6 Power Field 1.5kg 1,750 - Very Rare

Serpentine Melee 1d10+2 E 6 Fast, Power Field 1.5kg 2,000 - Extremely Rare

Power Discus Thrown (SBx4m) 1d10+4 E 5 Power Field, Special 0.2kg 10,000 - Extremely Rare

Power Fist (gauntlet) Melee 2d10 E 9 Power Field, Unwieldy 12kg 3,200 - Very Rare

Power Fist (glove) Melee 2d10 E 7 Power Field, Unwieldy 7kg 3,000 - Very Rare

Power Longsword Melee 1d10+7 E 6 Power Field 4.5kg 3,500 - Very Rare

Power Maul (high) Melee 1d10+5 E 5 Power Field 3.5kg 2,500 - Very Rare

Power Maul (low) 1d10+1 I 2 Shocking

Power Field, Sanctified,
Power Stake Melee 1d10+7 E 5 1kg 20,000 - Extremely Rare
Unbalanced
Power Sword Melee 1d10+6 E 6 Balanced, Power Field 3.5kg 2,500 - Very Rare

Power Sabre Melee 1d10+5 E 5 Balanced, Power Field 3kg 2,700 - Very Rare
Power Field, Recharge,
Thunder Hammer Melee 2d10+2 E 10 15kg 4,000 - Very Rare
Shocking, Unwieldy
Witch Lance Melee/Thrown (10m) 1d10+5 E 6 Power Field, Special 5kg 2,800 - Very Rare

Requires two hands to be used effectively

Add twice the wielders Strength Bonus to Damage
Power Blade
Power blades are modest dagger-sized
weapons that are infinitely more dangerous than
their size suggests because of their power field.
Though only slightly larger than any of a
multitude of knives popular throughout the
Imperium, a power blade can still punch
through almost any armour as though it were
made of wet parchment, and a particularly
serious wielder might go so far as to use a kick to
drive an impaled power blade deeper still into
his opponents body.
Khayer-Addin Serpentine Blade: Blades
concealed in walking canes, umbrellas, and other
innocuous objects are far from uncommon
among the Calixis Sectors wealthy and
connected, but the Khayer-Addin Forges
Serpentine escalates this concept to an entirely
higher level. The Serpentines incredibly thin
blade is forged from the highest-quality
adamantine alloys to ensure strength in spite of
its slender shape, and it is capable of generating
a power field from a sophisticated unit no longer
than a common autogun clip that is concealed
within the handle. Khayer-Addin produces this
exclusive weapon by commission and no two are
exactly alike, though most take the form of
elaborate walking sticks or rods of office. The
Serpentine may be drawn normally or erupt
through its decoy housing with a field burst to
create a suitably dramatic deployment, and most
users typically keep one or two spares to
conceal their weapon again after its use is no
longer required.
Power Discus
Few would consider throwing a costly and rare
power weapon at any enemy as anything other
than madness, but the archeotech power discus
is designed to do just that. A power discus is
formed of a seamless silvery disc with a mirror-
like gloss finish no more than 30 centimetres
across, roughly five centimetres in thickness in
the centre but tapering to whisper thin edges

90
that can inflict cuts on a careless wielder. A
power discus has almost no weight to it in spite
of its size and construction, and when thrown it
flies almost noiselessly through the air until a
power field crackles to existence around it. The
power discus generator activates once it detects
the airborne spinning motion, and deactivates
several moments after its movement ceases
(often embedded into an object behind the
opponent it just cut through). Most who own a
power discus are wealthy collectors or
aficionados, but they make perfectly deadly
combat weapons to those who can afford their
cost and dont mind hunting through
underbrush or tangled hive-works to recover a
thrown discus thats gone awry.
A power discus can be used by characters
91
without the Thrown Weapon Training (Power)
talent if they have both the Melee Weapon
Training (Power) and Thrown Weapon Training
(Primitive) talents. A character wielding a power
discus risks cutting himself when throwing the
weapon if he lacks adequate protection for his
hands. If the wielder rolls an unmodified 91-00
on his Ballistic Skill Test when attacking, he also
takes 1d5 Rending Damage whichever arm is
wielding the weapon.
Power Fist
Power fists are heavy armoured gloves or
gauntlets with a built in power field generator
that can turn a simple punch into a blow capable
of completely obliterating an opponent and
putting holes through the side of thick
bulkheads. The broad surface of a
power fists field means a struck foe
is disrupted over a wide area;
armour is punctured and rent open
like fabric, while an unprotected foe
erupts in a shower of ruined flesh as
though a grenade had exploded
inside their bodies. Power fists are
imprecise instruments that are poor
choices for swordplay and quick
manoeuvres, but their destructive
power is unquestioned.
Power fists are usually produced
in two distinct patterns: a sturdy
power glove that can be worn on
its own, and the large gauntlet that
is designed to interface with a suit of
power armour and maximize on the
users greatly increased strength.
Glove-type fists are favoured by
Imperial Guard officers as they
mesh well with carapace suits and
are only modestly encumbering,
while the larger gauntlets are most
commonly used by power-
armoured crusaders and
Inquisitorial agents who have no
need for subtlety or drudging work
in the course of their duties. Despite
their differences, both are extraordinarily deadly
weapons.
Power fists provide Armour Points to the arm
covered by them but impose a penalty to Skill
Tests involving fine dexterity made with that
hand on account of the bulky digits. Glove-type
power fists provide 6 APs and gauntlet-type
power fists provide 8 APs; these do not stack
with worn armour, so count whichever provides
more APs when calculating reduction. A glove-
type power fist imposes a -5 penalty to Skill Tests
involving fine manual dexterity, while the
gauntlet-types penalty is -10. A glove-type
power fist requires an external power flask
weighing 5kg, typically carried on the belt or on
an equipment pack.
Power Longsword
Most power swords are designed to be easy to
wield with one hand, but two-handed patterns
with a much longer blade are made for those
with a particular zeal for close combat. While
somewhat more difficult to handle, a power
longsword can put much greater force on its
blows to rend open heavily-armoured opponents
or thrust deeply into the guts of even the largest
beasts and aliens. Officers of the Brontian
Longknives, already well known for their love of
blades and melee battles, are known to be
particular enthusiasts for these weapons, and
they are also often found in the employ of
militant operatives of the Ordo Xenos who
desire a potent weapon to use against foul
creatures of great size and power.
Arbitrator Power Maul
This weapon is designed to look similar to the
shock maul used by rank-and-file Adeptus
Arbites troopers but is far more capable thanks
to the use of a variable power field generator.
Most power weapons are only designed to be
switched on or off, but a power mauls more
sophisticated field can be adjusted with a
selector stud set into the base of the shaft. At
maximum power it is just as deadly as any other
power weapon and can be used to smash
through walls or annihilate opponents, but at a
92
reduced setting produces just enough energy to
duplicate a shock mauls incapacitating jolts.
This gives veteran troopers and judges the
flexibility to exert as much restraint as they feel
is necessary, and the power mauls simple
appearance reduces some of the class division
that exists in most Imperial institutions. Veteran
Arbitrators who become judges or proctors may
be presented with one of these simple but highly
effective weapons as an award for dutiful service,
and most are quite eager to put it to use at once.
Power Stake
The power stake is another item in the
Inquisitors arsenal that is designed to be as
much a symbol as it is a weapon. It takes the
form of a solid metre-long shaft of cold-forged
iron, tapering to a wicked point on one end. The
other end is fashioned into a handle, containing
the power field generator and suitable for
gripping in combat as well as use as a walking
stick. Thousands of etched runes, prayers against
the psyker and invocations against the warp,
decorate the shaft of the weapon, giving it a
wrinkled look from a distance. These weapons
are the progeny of the noted witch hunter
Inquisitor Rykehuss of the Calixian Conclave,
and carry his hatred of psykers and witches. He
has commissioned dozens of these bane stakes
and issued them to favoured minions and other
servants of the Emperor deemed to harbour the
same fanatic zeal as he himself for the
persecution of these unclean mutants and scum.
A successful attack with a power stake is
crippling against witches. This weapon deals an
additional 1d10 Damage for every point of the
targets Psy Rating. Power stakes are invariably a
Best craftsmanship weapon and grant their user
a +10 bonus to their Weapon Skill when
wielding it (the +1 Damage bonus has already
been added to the profile).
Power Sword
Power swords are the most common type of
power weapon, at least as far as these rare and
valuable arms can be considered. A power sword
is an immediate sign of the wearers status as
well as their preference for close range combat,
as few weapons are as functional, deadly, and
immediately ostentatious as a power sword.
Depending on the mark, power swords might be
simply elegant weapons that could pass for a
conventional blade or obvious tech-marvels that
ripple energy along their exposed power cabling.
Regardless of whether its wielded by an
Inquisitor, Imperial Guard officer, or Rogue
Trader, a power sword sets its user apart from
those below his station.
Power Sabre: This sweeping single-edged
blade is often made as a power weapon for
wielders that value a sabres swift cuts and basket
hilt but would like something with quite a bit
more bite. A power sabre is somewhat less
effective at cutting down an armoured opponent
than the thicker blades of normal power
swords, but when wielded by a skilled
swordsman the blade seems to become just a
flash of light as it darts around before striking
true. Power sabres are often wielded by
Commissars for their dramatic appearance and
wicked point, though anyone regardless of
their skill could appreciate ones appearance.
A power sabres excellent handling grants its
wielder an additional +5 bonus to Weapon Skill
Tests made to Parry; with the Balanced quality,
the wielders total bonus to these Tests is +15.
Thunder Hammer
Normally carried into battle by heroic Space
Marines, thunder hammers are also made in a
shape that can be wielded by mere humans,
though it is by no means easy to do so.
Compared to other power weapons, a thunder
hammers power field is employed to build up a
devastating charge which is released on impact
with a foe, rending them asunder with the force
of a lightning strike (hence the name). Those
who are not utterly obliterated after being
struck, reduced to a smouldering pile of cooked
flesh and ruined armour, are often sent reeling
from the meteoric force of the blow as energy
courses through their bodies. To carry a thunder
hammer is a sign not only of the wielders wealth
93
or connections, but of true faith in the justice
and might of the Emperor.
A thunder hammer takes time to build up
maximum energy. After striking an opponent it
loses the Shocking quality for one Round (per
the Recharge quality), but can otherwise still be
used to attack normally.
Witch Lance
A potent weapon that is a mix of the techno-
arcane and the sacred, witch lances are designed
to destroy rogue psykers and witches utterly and
without mercy. These heavily modified power
weapons take the form of an ornate spear, pike,
or some other pole-arm with a cold iron and
adamantine blade and haft. Contained at the
weapons heart is a pressure-release reservoir of
concentrated promethium mixed with sacred
oils and anti-psy compounds. Should the lance
successfully impale a victims body, this mixture
is explosively vented, utterly consuming them in
a blast of holy fire. Although ostensibly intended
for use against psykers, a witch lance is a
perfectly useful weapon against any enemy of the
Emperor, as it is guilt, rather than warp power,
that causes them to ignite.
Whenever Righteous Fury results while a
character is attacking with a witch lance, the
weapon deals an additional 2d10 Energy
Damage that ignores Armour, and the victim is
set on fire. This extra Damage is considered
Holy, which has certain effects on Daemonic
creatures and warp entities (as will be noted in
their descriptions). These effects are in addition
to the normal effects of Righteous Fury. The
witch lances internal reservoir has enough fuel
to castigate five of the Emperors foes before it
must be refilled; the mixture has a base cost of
100 Thrones and is Very Rare.

SHOCK WEAPONS
Shock weapons are designed to be generally non-
lethal, attacking the subject with incapacitating
force through electrical shocks that are
discharged on impact. Being hit with a shock
weapon is painful and causes mild burns on the
skin, but generally will not result in debilitating
injury, maiming, or death, making them very
useful for crowd control and encouraging
workers to venerate the Emperor through their
labours with more enthusiasm. To use shock
weapons without penalty, a character must have
the Melee Weapon Training (Shock) or Thrown
Weapon Training (Shock) talents.
Electro-Flail
Electro-flails are groups of tendril-like lashes,
attached to a short staff or handle and swung in
sharp, quick snaps. These flails have a short
reach, but as they strike in devastating masses of
hits they can be extraordinarily effective at
incapacitating a foe. Electro-flails are common
sights at manufactorums that use forced labour
as they make an intimidating, whip-like crack as
they strike an obstinate worker, and there are
many types of servitors with electro-flails
implanted in their limbs specifically to assist
forge overseers in quelling any potential unrest.
Neural Whip
This nasty weapon resembles a conventional
whip with a thicker length that delivers a
powerful electrical shock from a heavy power
Shock Weapons
Name Class Dam Pen
pack in the grip. Neural whips cant be rightly
considered a non-lethal weapon; the whips
terrible lacerations alone could kill, never mind
the shock discharge that is sufficient to stop the
heart and lungs of those with weaker
constitutions. The electrostatic charge in the
whip seems to help it fly further, and a labour
foreman or press-gang captain of sufficient skill
can send its painful touch over the heads of well-
behaved mendicants to savage a miscreant in
their midst.
A neural whip can be used against a target up
to three metres away, but loses the Flexible and
Tearing qualities against adjacent opponents as
the whip cannot build up the high speed or
twisting movements that cause its frightening
effects when used on foes further away.
Officers Cutlass
The cutlass has a long tradition of naval
service dating to prehistory, and many can still
be found aboard voidfaring ships of the present.
Swords carried by junior officers and lead
ratings often will have a shock generator built in
to the handle that greatly increases the force of
cuts and blows with a sharp electrical discharge.
An officers cutlass offers an additional
versatility in that the shock can also be delivered
through the armoured guard to make a
significantly less deadly but just as incapacitating
blow, a handy feature during a mutiny or revolt
among superiors that would prefer to keep losses
to a minimum.
A character wielding an officers cutlass can
Special Wt Cost World Availability

Electro-Flail Melee 1d10+2 I 0 Flexible, Shocking 4.5kg 375 - Rare

Flexible, Shocking, Special,
Neural Whip Melee (3m) 1d10+1 E 0 4kg 500 - Rare
Tearing
Officers Cutlass Melee 1d10 R 0 Shocking, Special 3kg 200 Void Scarce

Shock Glove Melee 1d5 E 0 Shocking, Special 1.5kg 100 - Scarce

Shock Maul Melee 1d10 I 0 Shocking 2.5kg 150 - Average

Shock Staff Melee 1d5+3 I 0 Shocking 2kg 100 - Scarce

Shock Staff (spike) Melee 1d5+1 R 2 Shocking 2kg 125 - Rare

Shock Star Thrown (SBx3m) 1d5+2 R 0 Shocking .2kg 350 - Rare

Requires two hands to be used effectively

94
strike with the guard instead of the blade, which
deals 1d5 Impact Damage with a Penetration
value of 0 and the Shocking quality.
Shock Glove
Shock gloves are designed to deliver an
electrical jolt as part of a punch, and are most
commonly used by gangers and low-life
enforcers as a cheap but effective way to inflict
pain and terrorize victims, but they can be
95
devastatingly in brawls and other situations
where an opponent might not know exactly
whats on his attackers hands until far too late.
Higher quality shock gloves do exist, however,
often looking simply like ordinary gloves for
keeping the hands warm or even light elegant
mitts worn by nobles and dilettantes at formal
functions and other gatherings.
A shock glove can be used as a melee weapon
with the listed profile, but can also deliver the
effects of the Shocking quality as part of an them out for ridicule or more official
Unarmed attack, benefitting from any talents or persecution depending on the world and the
abilities the wearer may have. They can also be nature of the riot. Shock mauls are nominally
used to shock a victim any time the wearer is in non-lethal weapons, though an enthusiastic
direct contact with the victims skin, whether user can make them perfectly deadly by aiming
grappling an unarmoured opponent or dancing for vulnerable areas and generally just
at a ball. administering an excessive beating.
The bulk and appearance of a shock glove are
factors of their quality. The attributes listed Shock-Staff
below are in addition to the regular modifiers for
Shock-staffs are basic and somewhat oversized
Craftsmanship as described previously:
shock weapons that are primarily intended for
Poor: Overly-large and covered in a mess of
use in herding press-ganged crews aboard ships,
wires, these look intimidating but are hard to use
though they can be found in similar planetary
in an actual fight due to their bulk. Any attempt
applications as well. Formed in the main from a
to conceal their true nature suffers a -20 penalty.
long haft of metal or plasteel, a shock-staff has a
Common: These have an appearance similar
simple single-power shock emitter mounted at
to sturdy armoured gauntlets with some
one end with the generator installed in the other.
extraneous cabling that occasionally cracks or
Most use a flat shock-plate, either a plain surface
pops with electricity.
or one decorated with the ships insignia or
Good: No more bulky than any sort of
naval badge, but some varieties instead feature a
reinforced gloves, these can pass for regular
nasty-looking spike on the end that is designed
armour or equipment for handling hot items.
to pierce the insulated suits worn by reactor and
The wearer gains a +10 bonus for attempts to
engine crews, and are typically the favoured type
hide the weapons purpose.
used by scummers and other dregs due to the
Best: Finely crafted and well-fitting, these can
more fearsome appearance.
be perfectly disguised as mesh or leather gloves,
and could even pass for stylish clothing worn by
naval officers or hive nobles. The wearer gains a Shock Star
+20 bonus to conceal the nature of these gloves, This tiny metal throwing disc contains a small
and they do not show up as weapons on an power cell as well as conventional cutting edges.
auspex and other scanners. A target hit by a shock star suffers the usual
lacerations from the stars blades and points as
Shock Maul well as a debilitating jolt as its power cell
discharges on impact. A shock star cant be
Standard equipment for Adeptus Arbites
turned on or off; it simply activates when it
troopers, shock mauls are carried by other
strikes something at sufficient velocity, and a few
enforcers and a wide variety of authority-types
users have been shocked by their own stars
throughout the Imperium, and the sound of a
carried in a pocket or belt thanks to a sudden
shock maul being powered up is often sufficient
impact as a result of a fall.
to persuade a ruffian to cease misbehaving.
A shock star can be used by characters without
Because of their use by Arbitrators, shock mauls
the Thrown Weapon Training (Shock) talent if
are commonly associated with the Emperors
they have both the Melee Weapon Training
Law and its swift retaliation for misdeeds. Hive
(Shock) and Thrown Weapon Training
riots are often met by a line of suppression
(Primitive) talents.
shields and shock mauls; hivers returning to
their toils the next day can be immediately be
identified by obvious burns from being
clobbered by a shock maul, which may single

96
 will have to obtain one through an Elite
EXOTIC WEAPONS Advance. Exotic weapons are still classed as
Some melee weapons are designed in such a way Melee or Thrown weapons and must obey all
that they are completely set apart from more relevant rules for use in combat.
common patterns of blades and hammers used
throughout the Imperium. Whether they are Breacher
tools that make handy weapons, archeotech
A breacher is a high-power drilling device
implements from a lost age, Xenos armaments,
made from hyper-dense adamantine alloys and
or those weapons that simply must be used
fitted with a matter-wave generator, designed to
differently to obtain a useful feature or
drill through the toughest materials and ore
capability, exotic weapons are a class in and of
deposits, break up blocks, and puncture
themselves.
bulkheads. Breachers are sometimes designed as
Like their ranged counterparts, exotic melee
a heavy rig that is slung over the wielders
weapons cover a wide range of devices and arms
shoulder and held with both hands, but they are
that do not handily fit into other weapon
more commonly implanted into the flesh of a
categories. Most are unique or specialized
servitor or bonded labourer. However, a
enough that each one requires an individual
breacher can also be employed as a slow but
Talent to use. For example, a character wanting
devastatingly potent weapon capable of ripping
to rend his foes asunder with a breacher drill
through armour and flesh with ease, and there
must have the Exotic Weapon Training
are many examples of Mechanicus Secutors that
(Breacher) talent. Some career paths include
have fused a breacher to one of their bionic arms
specific Exotic Weapon Training talents as part
for just such a purpose.
of their normal advances, but most characters
Because of its bulk and vibration when
Exotic Weapons
Name Class Dam Pen Special Wt Cost World Availability

Breacher Melee 1d10+5 R 4 Special, Tearing, Unwieldy 18kg 750 Forge Scarce

Bulkhead Cutters Melee 1d10+3 R 6 Tearing, Unwieldy 8kg 100 - Average

Chain-Sticks Melee 1d10+1 I 0 Fast, Primitive, Toxic 1kg 30 Fervious Scarce

Double Flail Melee 1d10 I 0 Balanced, Flexible, Primitive 4kg 28 Penolpass Scarce

Energy Blade Melee 1d10+6 E 7 Balanced, Power Field 1kg 5,000 Forge Very Rare
Balanced, Defensive,
Forearm Power Blade Melee 1d10+1 E 4 1.5kg 2,200 - Very Rare
Power Field
Extremely
Fractal Sword Melee 1d10+1 R 8 Balanced 1kg 10,000 -
Rare
Garrotte Melee 1d10 R 0 Flexible, Primitive, Unwieldy 0.5kg 30 Hive Scarce
Flexible, Primitive, Special,
Groxwhip Melee (3m) 1d10+3 R 0 4kg 45 - Scarce
Tearing
Lightning Chain Melee 1d10+1 I 0 Flexible, Primitive, Shocking 4kg 100 Acreage Very Rare

Lightning Gauntlet Melee 1d10 I 0 Primitive, Shocking 2kg 80 Acreage Very Rare

Sieve Blade Melee 1d10-1 R 0 Primitive 0.5kg 200 - Rare

Soft Sword Melee 1d10 R 2 Balanced 1.5kg 400 - Rare

Vivisector Melee 1d5+5 R 4 Tearing, Unwieldy 1.5kg 650 Forge Rare

Requires two hands to be used effectively

Do not add the wielders Strength Bonus to Damage with this weapon

97
activated, a user must have a Strength Bonus of 5
or more to use a rig-mounted breacher as a
combat weapon. Weaker characters suffer a -10
penalty to Weapon Skill Tests made to attack
with it for each point their Strength Bonus is
below 5.
If used as an implant, the user may add double
their Strength Bonus to the breachers Damage,
and the weapon rolls 2d10 rather than 1d10
when successfully inflicting Righteous Fury.
Bulkhead Cutters
As the name suggests, these are designed to
slowly rip open tough metal bulkheads and deck
plating. Bulkhead cutters are worn more than
wielded: a huge row of mechanical teeth grind
along below the users forearm, extending about
30 centimetres beyond their hand, and a large
and sturdy frame with an included gauntlet
protects the limb from sparks and flying
fragments. The cutter itself is supported by a
load-bearing harness that the user dons over
their torso which also stores the power supply,
making this heavy tool easier to use for long
98
cutting jobs. Bulkhead cutters are not designed
for use as weapons, but a user who has learned
the proper motions can make use of them as
terrifyingly effective if imprecise armaments for
melee combat, and more eccentric boarding
crews might arm a man with one over his void
suit to assist with cutting through obstacles
(including defenders of the boarded ship!).
Fervious Chain-Sticks
Some of the more disciplined but no less
vicious warriors of Fervious create these
weapons by binding two batons together at the
base with a length of tough sinew. Amateurs
often hit themselves with the free-swinging
baton, but a trained fighter can make pulverizing
strikes with ease, and the erratic movement is
hard for an opponent to predict. The batons
themselves are formed from trees that produce
vicious slivers; to add insult to injury, even cured
wood is still poisonous if it enters the
bloodstream, and a competent wielder will often
soak his batons in serpent venom to magnify the
effect. Of course, the stick-fighter must use great
care to avoid poisoning himself during combat,
and most wield a sturdy gauntlet or mitt on one
or both hands just in case.
Similar weapons are produced locally on
several more advanced worlds, including
Scintilla. These use sturdy plasteel rods linked
together by a strong chain, and many
incorporate a liquid reservoir core to amplify the
force of struck blows. These are often wielded by
flashy gangers and recidivists as they look almost
as impressive as the savage battering they can
inflict. Modern chain-sticks lose both the
Toxic and Primitive qualities due to their
superior though decidedly non-poisonous build.
Penolpass Double Flail
The lithe warriors of Penolpass, whose
fighting style more closely resembles a dance
than combat manoeuvres, heavily favour double-
ended flails for the versatility and hitting power
that they offer. The weapon has an unusual
structure, consisting of two spiked heads
attached to chains affixed on either end of a
stout wooden shaft. Given the complexity of this
weapon, using it effectively requires a great deal
of skill. The true masters of the double flail
those of the Penolpassian Blood Order can
make its use a deadly, though beautiful, art
which is unmatched amongst feudal world
disciplines throughout the Calixis Sector. In rare
cases, the weapons shaft can split to produce
two smaller flails, giving the wielder even more
flexibility in combat.
Sollex-Aegis Energy Blade
The aptly-named energy blade is a product of
information obtained from the Aegis Data
Fragment, and with the use of focusing crystals
refined by the Divine Light of Sollex, this
archeotech weapon can be produced in limited
quantities in the forges of Haddrack. The energy
blade produces a beam of coherent high-energy
plasma that materialises from the armoured hilt,
appearing as a blazing column of blue-white fire
that dances wildly in anticipation of burning
through a foe. This weapon is potent beyond
even most power swords, and the vast majority
99
of them are wielded by Tech-Priests of Sollex.
They are sometimes gifted to parties and patrons
that have done great deeds or favours to the Cult
and to wield one of these exquisite weapons is a
sign of respect (and material) connections with
the Adeptus Mechanicus of Calixis.
Whenever the energy blades wielder
successfully Parries another weapon with two or
more degrees of success, the energy blade
automatically destroys the other weapon, even if
it possesses a power field. However, the almost
weightless blade means the force of the swing
contributes nothing to the weapons destructive
power. As a result, the wielders Strength Bonus
does not increase its Damage. Furthermore,
should an Attack or Parry with an energy blade
fail by five or more degrees, the insubstantial
plasma column ceases cooperating with the
wielder and strikes them instead, using its
normal Damage and Penetration values (roll to
determine hit location).
Owing to the harsh actinic light and blast
furnace roar that the blade produces, the wielder
cannot attempt to be stealthy while the energy
blade is switched on. The blade is powered by a
plasma pistols ammunition flask, which is worn
on the belt and cable-fed to the hilt. A plasma
flask can keep the blade lit for up to 10 Rounds
before it must be replaced; reloading a Sollex-
Aegis energy blade requires 3 Full Actions.
Forearm Power Blade
While the idea of a defensive power weapon
might seem ridiculous to many, the forearm
power blade is a testament to what creative (and
well-funded) tech-adepts can do. As the name
implies, a forearm power blade is stored on the
wearers arm in a bracer or gauntlet; it has a wide
and short shape, and is stored in a retracted
position when not in use. At the wearers
command, the blade springs forth along the line
of their arm and can be used to make very swift
parries and deflective manoeuvres. Its position
makes it awkward to attack with, so it is most
often used in tandem with another melee
weapon. The power blades mounting keeps the
wearers hand free, and when deactivated they
can easily wield a basic weapon or perform any
other tasks that might be necessary. Forearm
power blades are typically strapped to the
wearers arm, but some more elaborate designs
might be integrated with clothing or armour,
and high-ranking Inquisitorial agents and
Ecclesiarchial crusaders often have these
weapons permanently integrated into the bracers
of their power armour.
Activating (Readying) a forearm power blade
is a Free Action. If the wearer has the Quick
Draw talent, it can be activated as part of a
Reaction (such as to Parry a melee attack).
Fractal Sword
This pale blue and translucent blade is actually
formed from a diamond-like living crystal that is
harvested from an unknown planet in the
Koronus Expanse. An anonymous and doubtless
fabulously wealthy Rogue Trader farms them
from this world, and after reaching Port Wander
the swords make their way into the hands of
collectors and rich fighters throughout the
Calixis Sector. When the blade is struck by
sufficient force small slivers of it break off amid
a terrific screeching noise akin to nails on a
chalkboard. The crystal constantly grows and
replaces shards as they are struck off, resulting in
an edge that is perpetually sharp as long as it is
used with some frequency; letting it go to seed
through disuse results in the blade becoming
rough and awkward to wield, though sufficient
chopping will hone it back to its original razor
thickness in short order. Each tiny sliver that
breaks free from a fractal sword is a crystalline
seed, and close examination reveals a similar
shape to the blade itself, albeit in extremely
minute form. If planted back on the fractal
blades home world, a new sword would grow
from it. Naturally, the Rogue Trader who
discovered this fantastic planet has gone to great
lengths to keep its location a mystery.
Because of their natural sharpness and ease in
swinging, a fractal sword is always considered a
Good craftsmanship weapon, granting its
wielder a +5 bonus to their Weapon Skill when
using it. Better or worse craftsmanship versions
100
simply do not exist. If a fractal sword is
destroyed, such as by being successfully parried
by a power weapon, the blade will grow back
from the handle in 1d5-1 hours. If the rolled
result is a 1, the break immediately re-sets as if it
had never been broken at all.
Garrotte
This simple weapon is little more than a length
of sturdy wire with handles on each end,
designed to be used to strangle a victim from
behind by forcibly closing their windpipe. In the
hands of a master, this humble tool can be every
bit as lethal as a boltgun, and can also be used to
incapacitate, rather than kill, if its wielder so
desires. Due to the close proximity necessary to
use this weapon, the Moritat death cult considers
it one of the last and most intimate martial
forms taught to their members.
All attacks with a garrotte are counted as
Called Shots to the Head, and as such suffer a -
20 penalty to hit (this is normally offset by the
garrottes intended use as a weapon of ambush).
Subsequent attacks after a successful hit,
regardless of Damage, receive a +30 bonus
instead as the garrotte has already been applied
to the victims neck. Should the weapon cause
Damage to the target after reduction from
Armour, the attacker may cause Wounds
normally (though these are reduced by
Toughness, as usual) or inflict half the value,
rounded up, in levels of Fatigue (see Dark
Heresy, page 200 for more information on
Fatigue and its effects). A garrotte is considered
to have the Snare quality on any Round in which
it inflicts Damage or Fatigue on its victim,
though the attacker gains none of the usual
benefits from his victim being Helpless as he
must already devote his full attention to
maintaining the garrottes grip.
Groxwhip
A groxwhip is formed out of strong metallic
cable interspersed with wicked-looking barbs
and hooks, making it a decidedly frightening
weapon to behold. Whether or not groxwhips
are actually used in the herding of the beasts of
the same name is a matter of debate, but most
onlookers could think of no other application
that such a disastrous-looking weapon could
possibly be used for. A groxwhip is perhaps
somewhat less effective than the more common
neural whip at persuading a miscreant to
behave, but they have the advantage of not
requiring any sort of power cell to function, and
can inflict terrible injuries on a man who isnt
wearing decent armour.
A groxwhip can be used against a target up to
three metres away, but loses the Flexible and
Tearing qualities against adjacent opponents as
the whip cannot build up the high speed or
twisting movements that cause its frightening
effects when used on foes further away.
Acreage Lightning Chain
At a glance, this length of spiked chain
roughly a metre-and-a-half long appears to be a
completely mundane and unremarkable, if
painful, looking weapon. However, the unique
alloys found on Acreage allow it to somehow
store kinetic energy, which is released in the
form of blue-coloured sparks when the chain
moves with any kind of sharp, excessive force.
When properly used in combat, victims of a
lightning chain attack not only receive dreadful
lacerations and broken bones, but also suffer
101
burns from the writhing energy fields that
spark when the chain is in motion.
Constructed as they are, a lightning chains
entire length becomes charged and conductive.
As a result, the wielder must wear thick gloves
made from the tough hides of certain animals
native to Acreage; these provide sufficient
insulation so that a lightning chains wielder isnt
shocked by his own weapon during normal use,
although accidentally striking ones self with the
hitting end of the chain is always possible.
Acreage Lightning Gauntlet
These are made from the same metal alloys as
the Acreage lightning chain, giving them similar
shocking properties. They are often worn by
knights and other well-paid soldiers of Acreages
armies, who incorporate them as fixtures of their
sturdy plate armour. A lightning gauntlet cannot
be swung as fast as its chain counterpart, so the
kinetic effect is somewhat lessened, but it is still
far more deadly than an ordinary punch, and
being struck in the face by a lightning gauntlet is
likely to cause serious harm, if not death, to the
unfortunate victim. The gauntlets are
constructed atop gloves and bracers made of the
same insulating leather as a lightning chains
wielder uses and offer similar protection against
being accidentally shocked.
Sieve Blade
Original examples of this weapon were made
from the hollow, spiky fronds of the
spindlethorn plant, where it would be loaded
with the venomous sap of the same for use
against predators. While some purists insist on
a weapon grown in the old ways, similar
examples constructed from modern materials
have become popular with a number of cults and
Assassinorum operatives. The flat sides of the
blade have hundreds of tiny pore-like holes,
allowing the substance inside to spread into any
wound it causes. A reproduction sieve blade
otherwise resembles a common short sword with
a slightly wider blade.
Any hit with a sieve blade that causes at least
one Wound will also inject a dose of whatever
substance its owner has placed in the hollow.
However, due to the indiscriminate nature of
this delivery system, a dose is expended out of
the blade on any successful hit; if the sieve blade
scrapes harmlessly off the targets armour, the
dose is wasted as it dribbles out on the victims
protective gear and clothing.
A more sophisticated sieve blade, costing an
additional 100 Thrones, includes a pressure
valve in the grip to hold the dose within; it is
released by a stub on the pommel, which is
typically done when the wielder believes he has
scored a firm strike. This version only expends
the dosed substance at the wielders discretion,
and the decision can be made after Damage has
been rolled.
Soft Sword
Also known as an assassins belt, soft swords
are forged from a polymorphic material that has
been of great interest to Mechanicus Magi since
it was discovered on planets near the Heathen
Stars. Normally flexible like thick cloth, when an
electrical current is run through the material it
suddenly springs to the consistency of well-
tempered steel, and can be employed just like
any other weapon. Soft swords are of particular
utility to those who desire a more unassuming
appearance while still remaining armed, or who
102
want a hidden weapon should their obvious ones
be removed.
While inactive, a soft sword does not show up
as a weapon on an auspex or similar scanner.
When readied, it can act as either a sword or a
staff (dealing Impact rather than Rending
Damage) at the wielders choice.
Vivisector
The Vivisector is a long ornate gauntlet that
locks over the users forearm with sufficient
clearance to be worn over most types of armour.
Servo-augmented articulation extends over the
fingers, which are tipped with laser cutters, bio-
solvents, shears and flensing instruments. While
the ignorant may confuse a Vivisector with a
medical device, this is no instrument of healing.
A Vivisectors true purpose is to dismantle and
portion organic tissues in a forge worlds flesh
works as well as servicing and maintaining
servitors; to a Tech-Priest, it is simply another
tool to use on biological machinery. Of course,
these same qualities allow it to be used as a
horrific melee weapon, and while perhaps
unsuited for full-scale battles, a single savage
blow from a Vivisector has administered the
justice of the Cult Mechanicus to many labour-
helots who have dared rise up against their
masters. Other scummers and recidivists that
have tried to mug or murder a lone enginseer for
whatever foul purpose have been similarly
dispatched as the apparently weapon less Tech-
Priest proves his Vivisector is far from just a
simple tool.
A Vivisector grants the wielder a +10 bonus to
Medicae Tests for the purposes of repairing
servitors or conducting autopsies. Its frightening
appearance is also a useful tool in and of itself,
and grants the wielder a +10 bonus to
Interrogation and Intimidation Tests as well. For
an additional 500 Thrones, a Vivisector may be
upgraded with stronger bio-solvents and other
corrosives that give it the Toxic quality as well.
 Upgrades
used to augment this to some extent. Upgrades
enhance the performance or capability of a
weapon in some way, and can perform a variety
of functions. Upgrading a weapon requires a
successful Trade (Armourer) Test, whose
While a weapon is only as efficient as its wielder difficulty depends on the upgrade itself. Trade
whose performance in combat is no better (Technomat) can be used instead, but the
than his faith in the Emperor various types of difficulty increases by two steps.
modifications and additional equipment can be The cost and availability of each upgrade
refers to the component itself, not the cost of
Weapons Upgrades
attaching it. Characters that cant perform that
Name Weight Cost Test Availability
work will usually have to pay separately for an
Backpack Ammo Pack +25kg 100 +10 Rare armourer to do the labour. Some weapons may
Bipod +2kg 10 +30 Average already have one or more upgrades already
Calamity Vent +0.5kg 250 +0 Very Rare installed; in this case, simply add the cost of the
upgrade to the weapons cost. An upgrade may
Combi-Weapon Special Special -20 Special
modify a weapons weight as well. Upgrades
Combi-Weapon (Military) Special Special +0 Special
usually do not modify a weapons availability,
Compact x 1/2 50 +0 Average although especially rare ones may be an
Dipole Mag-Lock +0.5kg 75 +30 Average exception at the GMs discretion.
Duplus Ammo Clips - 10 - Scarce

Exterminator +1kg 35 +30 Common

Backpack Ammo Pack
Upgrades: Most non-primitive ranged weapons
Exterminator Cartridge +0.5kg 50 +30 Average
Most ranged weapons store their ammunition
Extra Grip +0.5kg 25 +10 Average in clips, canisters or packs attached to the
Fire Selector +0.5kg 50 +20 Scarce weapon itself, but for extended battles or
Force Weapon - 3,500 -20 Very Rare situations where the user doesnt want to reload,
a large external supply can be carried in a
Forearm Weapon Mount +1kg 300 +0 Scarce
backpack. A backpack ammo pack employs a
Gene-Lock Circuit +0.5kg 100 +0 Rare powered feed for projectiles or a cable supply for
Lathe Blade - 2,500 -20 Very Rare other sources that plugs into the weapons
Melee Attachment +0.3kg 5 +30 Plentiful loading port, keeping a steady supply of
ammunition ready to be fired at the wearers
Mono Edge - 40 -10 Scarce
foes. Because of its bulk, backpack ammo packs
Motion Predictor +0.5kg 1,000 +10 Rare
are often employed by fighters wearing power
Red-Dot Laser Sight +0.5kg 50 +20 Scarce armour, but a brawny trooper can muscle one
Sanctified Weapon - 500 Very Rare along if need be.
Silencer +1kg 10 +30 Plentiful A backpack ammo pack is the size of a normal
backpack, but has half of its volume given over
Spoor Targeter +1.5kg 3,000 -10 Very Rare
to ammunition storage and a feed mechanism.
Suspensors x 1/2 2,500 -10 Extremely Rare Most las, solid projectile, bolt, melta, plasma,
Targeter +1.5kg 2,250 +0 Rare and flame weapons can be used with a backpack
Telescopic Sight +1kg 35 +20 Average ammo pack. Grenades and rockets used by
launchers are too large for any sort of
Tripod +5kg 20 +30 Common
meaningful feed line, and exotic weapons in
Vox Operated +0.3kg 500 +10 Rare
general are varied to such an extent that trying to
This upgrade requires the attentions of a suitable member of the Ecclesiarchy make a backpack ammo pack for one would be a

103
tech-nightmare in and of itself. Some weapons,
such as man-portable lascannons, already
include an external ammunition or power source
and cannot benefit from this upgrade. Unless
otherwise stated, a backpack ammo pack can
provide sufficient ammo for 300 shots for las
weapons (high-powered hellguns and hellpistols
consume this more quickly), 80 shots for plasma
and melta weapons, 200 shots for bolt and solid
projectile weapons, and 60 shots for flame
weapons. Note that some weapons may not be
compatible with a backpack ammo pack in spite
of their type, often due to design considerations.
Creating a backpack ammo pack for a stub
revolver, for example, would likely be
impossible. The GM has final discretion on what
may or may not be upgraded with a backpack
ammo pack.
Bipod
Upgrades: Heavy weapons
A bipod consists of two telescoping metal legs
attached to a weapons barrel or housing,
allowing it to be stably deployed on any sort of
flat surface, including windowsills and low walls.
Bipods are sometimes used on sniper rifles to
help steady the snipers aim, but their main
application is in bearing some of the weight and
recoil of heavy weapons. When fitted with a
bipod, a heavy weapon can be Braced as a Half-
Action, and the firer can use it to attack targets
within a 90-degree arc of his position.
Calamity Vent
Upgrades: Plasma weapons
These emergency cut-offs are carefully
installed into the capacitance rings of plasma
weapons and are designed to activate if a
dangerous overload is detected by a small
cogitator unit. Instead of dumping heat into the
weapons housing, often causing injury to the
firer, the calamity vents cause it to be harmlessly
expelled in a gout of searing blue flame away
from the firers hands and body. When they
function as designed, a calamity vent gives the
plasma weapons wielder a surprise but nothing
else, the overheat dissipated and weapon ready
104
to be used again. However, these intrusions do
not sit well with the machine spirits of most
plasma weapons, and a mishap with one can be
worse than if the weapon had been allowed to
overheat in the first place.
If a plasma weapon with calamity vents
overheats, roll 1d10. On a roll of 4 or higher, the
vents function as designed and the plasma is
jettisoned safely. This attack is simply treated as
a miss, and the weapon does not need to spend a
round cooling off. On a 2 or 3, however, the
overheat is still vented away, but it goes directly
into the wielders face instead! Resolve this as if
the wielder was shot by the plasma weapon,
including the normal Damage and Penetration
values; the wayward blast hits the wielder in the
body unless they had used the Aim action just
before the overheat, in which case it hits them in
the head. On a result of 1, the vents have caused
a catastrophic feedback loop and the plasma
weapon violently explodes; treat this as though
the weapon had rolled maximum Damage with a
Blast of 3. The wielder cannot attempt an Agility
Test to avoid the blast.
Combi-Weapon
Upgrades: Any two Basic weapons
A combi-weapon is formed from two weapons
that have been combined together, giving a
fighter a high degree of versatility. Combi-
weapons are typically formed from two different
types of weapons; the firer can choose to shoot
either one at will, without having to switch
between two separate guns (not to mention
carrying both at once). A combi-weapon starts
off with a primary weapon, typically an
autogun or bolt gun, with a secondary weapon
attached under it. Most are formed using a more
powerful, but less versatile, firearm as the
secondary weapon. Combi-weapons are
uncommon armaments not only due to the
valuable weapons that are used in their
construction, but due to the difficulty of getting
two distinct machine spirits to cooperate with
one another. As a result, combi-weapons are
often very finely crafted, and many become
heirloom items whose choice in individual
weapons speaks volumes about the original
commissioner of the gun in the first place.
Combi-weapons of this style are invariably
produced by commission in the Imperiums
greater forges; the Fane of Fykos in
Scintillas Gunmetal City is probably the
best known producer of combi-weapons in
the Calixis Sector.
When armed with a combi-weapon, the
user may fire either weapon, but not both,
in any given Round. A combi-weapons
primary weapon uses the same statistics as it
would on its own, while the secondary
weapons Clip size is reduced by half (round
up) as it must be made small enough to fit
below the primary without significantly
altering its profile. A combi-weapons cost is
usually that of the primary weapon plus
double that of the secondary weapon, and its
rarity is one step rarer than whichever
weapon is the rarest of the two. The GM has
the final say on which weapons may and
may not be combined.

Combi-Weapon (Military)
Upgrades: Any two Pistol or Basic weapons
A simpler style of combi-weapon is
employed by the Adepta Soroitas and other
well-equipped military organizations. military combi-weapons cost is just the
Military combi-weapons are Munitorium- combined cost of both of the weapons used to
sanctioned tools that are produced on many make it, and its rarity is equal to the rarer of the
forge worlds, and are often carried by Imperial two weapons. A military combi-weapon may be
Guard assault troops, Sisters of Battle, formed from two Basic weapons, two Pistol
Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, and even Space weapons, or a Basic weapon with a Pistol
Marines are known to wield combi-weapons weapon as the secondary.
employing their own divinely-powerful (and
divinely-large) guns. This type of combi-weapon
Compact
makes no attempt to reconcile the quibbling
Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic Las, Solid
machine spirits of the individual weapons; the
Projectile, Flame, Bolt, or Plasma weapon
secondary weapon is intentionally designed so
By reducing the size of the barrel and clip, a
that it can only be fired once between reloads,
weapon can be made significantly smaller. This
keeping the amount of cross machine
assists in concealment, handling, as well as the
interference to a minimum.
ease of carrying an otherwise heavy gun all day.
A military combi-weapons secondary weapon
Compact weapons are favoured by those that
can only be fired once before needing to be
believe in subterfuge more than pure firepower.
reloaded; its RoF becomes S/-/- and Clip size
A compact weapons weight, clip size, and range
becomes 1. Its weight is also reduced by half. A
are all reduced by half, and its Damage is also

105
decreased by 1 as well. If the weapon has the
Accurate quality it loses it, as there is insufficient
barrel remaining to adequately stabilize the
projectile for pinpoint shots. Pistol class
weapons grant a +10 bonus on Sleight of Hand
Tests made to conceal the weapon, while Basic
class weapons can be used in melee combat as if
they were pistols.
Dipole Mag-Lock
Upgrades: Any Pistol or melee weapon that can
be wielded in one hand
Mag-locks are common pieces of equipment
used to secure articulated sections of power
armour together. They are also used in a wide
variety of other applications, such as on large
monotask cargo haulers. Enterprising armourers
have found that the use of a dipole mag-lock can
also replace a holster or baldric for users wearing
carapace or power armour. When fitted to a
weapon, the dipole mag-lock causes it to stick
to a paired plate attached to the users armour.
The mag-lock is usually released by a small stud
on the weapons grip, though more advanced
(and expensive) versions might use a proximity
trigger, vox-link operation, or some other
somatic cue to produce the same effect.
A dipole mag-lock grants the Quick Draw
talent for the upgraded weapon. If the user
already has Quick Draw, the weapon may
instead be drawn as part of a Reaction, such as to
produce a pistol while diving for cover, or to
draw a melee weapon to Parry an incoming
attack. A dipole mag-lock is only usable if the
character is wearing carapace or power armour,
as lesser armours lack the suitable rigidity to
support a weapon attached to them.
Duplus Ammo Clips
Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic Las, Solid
Projectile, or Bolt weapon with a removable clip
These double-ended clips store twice as much
ammunition (or two charge packs) as the
standard models, and when one runs dry, the
user simply flips it over and inserts the other
end. This significantly shortens reload time, and
106
experienced users can load a fresh clip with
almost no dead time at all.
A duplus ammo clip reduces a weapons
reload time by half when used to switch between
its stored ammunition. For example, a weapon
that normally takes two Full Actions to reload
becomes a single Full Action. If the user also has
the Rapid Reload talent, it further decreases to a
Half Action. Duplus ammo clips cant be used in
a weapon with a fire selector due to their size.
Exterminator
Upgrades: Any Basic weapon or melee weapon
without the Flexible quality that deals at least
1d10 Damage
This small device stores highly compressed
Promethium with a gas cartridge to propel it,
and is designed to be attached to another
weapon. On command, it can unleash a burst of
purifying fire just like a flamer, and is something
of a poor mans combi-weapon that can be
encountered among many different groups.
Redemptionists are especially fond of them, and
have been known to affix Exterminators to their
melee weapons in addition to whatever other
ordnance they may wield (Eviscerators are a
particular favourite). Once fired the
Exterminator burns out and must be discarded.
However, they are cheap to manufacture and
produced in significant quantities; it is easier to
consider an Exterminator to be a unit of ammo
rather than a weapon upgrade.
The wielder of a weapon fitted with an
Exterminator may choose to fire it instead of use
the weapons normal attack for that Round. Its
effect is identical to a standard flamer. Because
of its weight, an Exterminator can be
detrimental to a melee weapons handling; if
attached to a melee weapon with the Balanced
quality, it loses that quality as long as the
Exterminator is attached (including after it has
been expended).
Exterminator Cartridge
Upgrades: Any weapon
An even smaller Exterminator, the Cartridge
version could easily fit in a pocket and can be
attached to just about any other weapon.
Although its flame is somewhat less impressive,
few would expect a cumbersome heavy stubber
or missile launcher to suddenly spew forth a
column of fire at them.
An Exterminator Cartridge uses the same
rules as the normal Exterminator except it
counts as a standard hand flamer. It can be fired
in melee combat even if attached to a Basic or
Heavy weapon.
Extra Grip
Upgrades: Any Basic weapon
Most Basic weapons can be fired with one
hand, but the extremely awkward balancing and
position of the grip make this an emergency
measure at best. For those wielders who must
keep a hand free, an extra grip is a valuable
upgrade. As the name suggests, this installs a
second grip along with a trigger near the
weapons centre of gravity, allowing it to be held
more naturally with one hand. Though
functional, some precision is lost as it becomes
difficult to aim carefully.
A Basic weapon with an extra grip can be fired
with one hand without incurring the usual -20
penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests. However, its
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range is halved and it gains the Inaccurate
quality while being wielded like this. An extra
grip does not remove the weapons standard grip
and trigger, and it can still be held with two
hands and used at its normal capabilities.
Fire Selector
Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic Solid Projectile or
Bolt weapon
Some weapons have the ability to use different
types of ammunition readily, but this usually
requires switching clips to do so. A fire selector
is a mechanical device that replaces the weapons
feed port, and when paired with a special clip,
allows the user to select between ammunition
loaded inside. This creates a somewhat bulky
look, but few would argue its efficiency in
combat, and fire selectors are common additions
among professional mercenaries, assault troops,
and other types of operatives.
A weapon fitted with a fire selector can have
any combination of specialty or unusual ammo
loaded into its clip. At the start of the users
Turn, he can use the fire selector to chose which
type of ammo he wishes to use for that Round.
Force Weapon
Upgrades: Special, see text
A force weapon is capable of channelling the
mental power and aggression of a psyker into a
deadly, reality-rending force. It is said that force
weapons were originally designed by the
Emperor himself, and the Holy Ordos of the
Inquisition carefully guards the method of their
manufacture. Force weapons are created by re-
forging the blade of a high quality weapon with
an arcane psi-convector and channelling
circuitry, which take the form of a precise
serpentine pattern visible on the sides of the
blade under close observation. Axes, swords, and
staffs are the most common type of force
weapon, but theoretically almost any solid
weapon could be remade as a force weapon.
Force weapons are perhaps best associated with
the Ordo Malleus famed Grey Knights, but they
are also carried by psychic Inquisitors and some
sanctioned psykers in the military service to the
Imperial Guard.
A Best craftsmanship Primitive melee weapon
that has received the Mono Edge upgrade can be
reforged into a force weapon. Chain weapons
lack enough suitable surface to inscribe the
sacred runes and psi-convector, while a power
weapon would have to have its power field
deactivated for the psykers own channelled
force to run through it; such a weapon would be
extravagantly expensive, at any rate. The force
weapon retains all its normal properties
(including the benefits of Best craftsmanship)
and can be used by anyone, but only a psyker
can bring out its true potential. The weapons
Damage and Penetration values increase by one
point for every point of the wielders Psy Rating;
for example, a force staff wielder with Psy Rating
3 would add 3 points to his weapons Damage
and Penetration.
In addition, whenever a psyker damages an
opponent with his force weapon, he may channel
yet more psychic energy into the instrument,
turning his hatred of the opponent into a killing
power in and of itself. Treat this effect as a
psychic power with a Threshold of 6 that is a
Free Action to manifest. If the psyker succeeds
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in manifesting the power, he and his victim
make Opposed Willpower Tests. Every degree of
success by the psyker allows him to deal an
additional 1d10 Energy Damage; this extra
Damage is pure psychic force and ignores the
victims Armour and Toughness.
When wielded by a psyker, a force weapon
cannot be destroyed by another weapon with the
Power Field quality.
Finally, for an additional 200 Thrones, a force
weapon may include a psy-focus that is
integrated into its form, giving the weapons
wielder its benefits any time the weapon is held.
Forearm Weapon Mounting
Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic weapon (see text)
A heavy bracing replaces the upgraded
weapons trigger and grip, allowing it to be fixed
along the line of the users forearm. A special
cable-attached glove is provided to control the
weapons functions and triggering. This
arrangement keeps the wielders hands free,
allowing them to use other weapons or perform
fine manipulation while keeping their attached
weapon ready to be used at a moments notice.
The weapon is usually turned on its axis with the
clip positioned straight up or towards the
wielders body to assist in reloading. It also
creates a strong visual impression as bolts, flame
or plasma blasts seem to erupt from the users
outstretched arm.
A weapon fitted to a forearm weapon
mountings range is reduced by 30% but
otherwise functions normally and is always
considered Readied. Pistol class weapons can be
used by anyone in a forearm weapon mounting.
If the user is wearing full power armour, the
increased size of the arm and augmented
strength can be used to mount a Basic weapon in
this way instead.
Gene-Lock Circuit
Upgrades: Any non-Primitive ranged weapon
This upgrade is designed for those who have a
special dislike of the idea of being shot with their
own gun. A gene-lock circuit is installed in the
grip and interfaces with the weapons firing
mechanism, and prevents the gun from being
discharged unless it is deactivated. Most use a
reader strip that matches the thumb or palm
prints of the weapons owner; users who wear
gloves or heavy armours can have a tensiometric
pad instead, while more sophisticated versions
might use a micro-needle to take a sample of the
wielders blood or a proximity detector linked to
a subdermal implant. Regardless of its exact
construction, a weapon upgraded with a gene-
lock circuit will not fire unless wielded by the
hand that was keyed to it.
Gene-locks are excellent precautions against
theft and being disarmed in combat, but they are
far from immune to the predations of a skilled
tech-adept. A gene-lock can be reset to a
different owner or simply shut off so the weapon
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will function for anyone with a Hard (-20)
Tech-Use Test that takes about an hour.
Normally there are no consequences for a failed
Test, though specially-crafted gene-locks might
include some sort of booby trap.
Lathe Blade
Upgrades: Any edged melee weapon with the
Primitive quality
The astronomical and gravitic alignment of
the Lathe worlds creates conditions where metal
alloys of rare and singular properties can be
manufactured. If used in the construction of a
bladed melee weapon, an armament of exquisite
quality can be made. A Lathe blades edge is
paper thin, yet is flexible enough to withstand
savage blows in combat. They are also virtually
indestructible even the devastating action
of a power field cant shatter one. A Lathe
blades cutting power rivals that of a power
weapon simply on account of its
construction, and there are some users who
favour these weapons for their quality and
repute. There are others who prefer the lack
of a power weapons crackling arcane energy
field, and there is certainly something to be
said for a Lathe blades ability to kill quietly.
A weapon forged as a Lathe blade loses
the Primitive quality while increasing its
Damage and Penetration by 3. Lathe blades
are invariably of Best craftsmanship and
give their wielder a +10 bonus on Weapon
Skill Tests (the extra Damage is already
factored in). Finally, a Lathe blade cannot be
destroyed by being parried by another
weapon with a power field.
Melee Attachment
Upgrades: Any Basic weapon
Basic weapons are usually too
cumbersome to be used against an opponent
in melee combat. By fitting a close combat
weapon under the Basic weapons barrel, a
handy and immediately available melee
weapon can be created. A melee attachment
creates a sturdy hardpoint for a one-handed
edged melee weapon to be fixed to. Most
lasguns already have this upgrade installed, and
some military-type autoguns include it as well.
A knife or similar blade allows the Basic
weapon to be used as a spear, while a longer
weapon like a sword allows it to be used as an
axe. Use the Damage and Penetration values of
those weapons or that of the mounted weapon,
whichever is favourable, and special qualities
having to do with Damage Power Field,
Tearing, Toxic, and so forth are maintained as
well, while the spear and axe retain their other
qualities as normal (such as the axes
Unbalanced quality). Either one requires both
hands to wield.
Mono Edge
Upgrades: Any Primitive melee weapon with
the Primitive quality
Normal knives and swords can cut through
flesh and bone just fine, but typically have a
much harder time puncturing armour made on
any of the Imperiums many forges. By reforging
the blade with a monomolecular edge (Mono for
short), these simple weapons stand a much
better chance at digging through an opponents
protective gear and mangling the soft flesh
behind it. A mono edged blade never loses its
sharpness no matter how often it is used as each
slice and chop causes the blade to hone itself
rather than becoming duller. Mono-knives and
swords are fairly common equipment for better
equipped fighters throughout the Imperium.
Only an edged weapon can benefit from
having a monomolecular edge, however this
upgrade can also be used to represent a similar
modification or re-design of blunt weapons too;
a hammer might have a pneumatic accelerator
built into the head, while a staff could have a
liquid metal core that enhances the force of
struck blows. In all cases, the weapon loses the
Primitive quality and increases its Penetration
value by 2. Note that weapons which have
received the Mono Edge upgrade cannot benefit
from any other upgrades that require a weapon
to have the Primitive quality.
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Motion Predictor
Upgrades: Any ranged weapon with a Full
Automatic setting
Motion predictors are something of a poor
mans targeter, although that expression is
somewhat inaccurate as they are still costly
pieces of wargear. A motion predictor uses an
onboard cogitator unit to calculate a targets
movements and literally chases them with a
full auto barrage. Motion predictors are most
often employed by mercenaries and the crack
troops of noble house militias; elite Imperial
Guard Storm Troopers are provided with more
advanced targeters instead.
A weapon fitted with a motion predictor
grants its wielder a +10 bonus to his Ballistic
Skill Tests made to attack as part of a Full Auto
Burst. This stacks with the Full Auto Bursts
usual +20 bonus for a total bonus of +30. The
weapon uses ammunition at the normal rate, but
its maximum number of hits are halved (round
up) to reflect some wasted rounds as the motion
predictor tracks the target.
Red-Dot Laser Sight
Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic weapon
This simple but highly effective sight projects
a low-power red laser at whatever the weapon is
pointed at. The firer is able to determine exactly
where his shot will land simply based on where
the dot created by the laser lies. Being painted
by a laser sight can be a potent tool of
intimidation as well, the targeted character
having exact knowledge of where a bullet or bolt
is about to land on them. A red-dot laser sight
automatically shuts off if the weapon it is
attached to is fired on Semi-Auto or Full Auto as
the vibration can destroy the focusing lens if it is
powered up. They cannot be attached to Heavy
weapons for the same reason.
A weapon fitted with a red-dot laser sight
grants the wielder a +10 bonus to his Ballistic
Skill Test made to attack whenever it is fired on
single shot. If used to threaten a character as part
of an Intimidate Test, it grants a +10 bonus to
that Test as well. A red-dot laser sights counts
towards a guns one sight limit.
Sanctified Weapon
Upgrades: Any Primitive or Chain melee
weapon of Good or Best craftsmanship
The prayers and blessings of those of true faith
in the God-Emperor of Mankind, coupled with
the ancient lore of Ecclesiastical alchemistry, is
able to turn a mundane blade into a fell weapon
that can cut down the foul denizens of the warp
and other unnatural horrors. Once soaked in
anointing oils, affixed with purity seals and
blessed in the name of the Emperor, even a
humble sword can become a powerful weapon
against warp-spawned fiends.
The effect of this upgrade is to make the
Damage caused by the upgraded weapon be
counted as Holy, which has certain effects on
some Daemonic and warp creatures (as will be
noted in their description). It also takes on a
distinctly sacred appearance, which can put the
wielder in better graces when interacting with
members of the Ecclesiarchy.
Silencer
Upgrades: Pistol and Basic Solid Projectile
weapons without the Scatter quality
A silencer is a large can-like device fitted to
the muzzle of a compatible weapon. Its internal
baffles absorb the sound and flash of gunfire,
making it far harder to detect by its victims (and
sparing the shooter from future deafness). It is a
favourite of snipers, assassins, and other types of
operatives who value stealthy approaches.
Awareness Tests to hear or spot shots made
with a silenced weapon suffer a -20 penalty and
can only be attempted within the weapons
standard range. At the GMs discretion, the
targets of a Suppressing Fire action may receive a
bonus on their Tests to resist Pinning as the
racket of automatic gunfire greatly enhances the
intimidating effect.
Spoor Targeter
Upgrades: Any ranged weapon without the
Blast, Flame, or any similar qualities
This rare and highly specialized gun-scope
contains extremely sophisticated spoor-sniffers
and miniature cogitators linked directly to the
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attached weapons firing mechanism. A spoor
targeter prevents a gun from being fired when
pointed directly at someone it has been
programmed to recognise as an ally, making it
literally impossible for the user to shoot his
comrades in the swirling confusion of combat.
Because of their cost and very specific purpose,
spoor targeters are typically only employed by
the most elite of the Imperiums combat troops:
squads of Inquisitorial agents, Adeptus Arbites
kill-teams, and so forth.
A spoor targeter may be loaded with the
profiles of up to 10 allies. This process takes
about 10 minutes and requires a successful
Routine (+20) Tech-Use Test. Once the allys
profile is loaded into the targeter, the attached
weapon cannot shoot that ally. Even if pointed
directly at them, the weapon simply refuses to
fire. The user may unleash a fully automatic
volley into a melee combat involving his allies
with absolute confidence; if any shots would hit
an ally the spoor targeter recognises, either
count them as misses or resolve them against
another enemy, whichever is more appropriate
for the situation. A spoor targeter counts as a
sight towards a guns one sight limit.
As a tool that is employed by the Inquisition, a
spoor targeter is designed not to leave its user
helpless should an unfortunate situation arise.
To this effect, it can be switched off at any point.
Suspensors
Upgrades: Any Heavy weapon
These plates and studs are similar to those
employed on skimmers and grav-cars, effectively
reducing the mass of a weapon they are attached
to. Elite Imperial troops make use of suspensors
to make their Heavy weapons more portable,
allowing one trooper to haul around the weapon
as well as its ammunition with surprising speed.
A Heavy weapon fitted with suspensors can be
fired without bracing first, giving its shooter
great mobility and the ability to support his allies
during tactical advances and manoeuvres. As a
result, suspensors are an invaluable asset to
assault teams and other forces that rely on
moving quickly.
 A Heavy weapon fitted with suspensors has its
weight reduced by half, and the operator is
considered to have the Auto-stabilised Trait as
well (see Trait Descriptions on page 329 of
Dark Heresy). Note that suspensors do not
reduce the weight of external ammunition
supplies, such as a man-portable lascannons
power cells or a heavy flamers Promethium
tanks. Subtract the weight of the ammunition
supply first, then factor the suspensors
reduction on the remaining weight.
Targeter
Upgrades: Any non-Primitive ranged weapon
Targeters are incredibly valuable and sought-
after devices that boost the efficiency of any
weapon they are attached to. A miniature
guidance cogitator along with a multi-spectrum
omni-scope calculates and tabulates ballistic
information and other values, such as windage,
and aggregates them into easily-readable data
that is displayed on a cable-attached visor or
some similar item worn by the user. Armed with
112
this knowledge, a trained shooter can make far
more accurate shots in any condition. Targeters
are standard-issue wargear for the Imperial
Guards elite Storm Troopers as well as their
Inquisitorial counterparts, and may be employed
by well-funded mercenaries, bounty hunters,
and other private troops as well.
A targeter grants a +10 bonus to all Ballistic
Skill Tests made to attack with the weapon it is
attached to. Additionally, the shooter is always
aware of his exact distance to a target within the
weapons range, as well as how much
ammunition remains within the weapons clip.
Telescopic Sight
Upgrades: Any Pistol with the Accurate quality
or any Basic ranged weapon
Also known as a sniper scope, a telescopic
sight magnifies distant targets, making them
easier to shoot than with the naked eye alone.
Basic sights will just include a rudimentary but
functional set of crosshairs, while more
advanced models might include adjustable
reticules or range-estimating stadia marks as
part of the sight itself. Telescopic sights are
usually employed by marksmen and hunters to
better pick out a far-away victim, but assassins
who prefer to do their work from a healthy
distance make use of them as well. There are
anecdotal stories of snipers betraying their
position when sunlight glints off the lenses of
their scopes, and as a result some sharpshooters
believe that a true sniper wouldnt use a
telescope, their own eyes being far superior to
any mechanical device.
When the shooter takes an Aim action, a
weapon with a telescopic sight ignores penalties
to Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack a target at
Long or Extreme range.
Tripod
Upgrades: Any Heavy weapon
A tripod is a large and sturdy three-legged
mount commonly used by Imperial Guard heavy
weapon teams. A tripod attaches to a weapons
centre of gravity and allows the wielder to turn it
in any direction, a handy feature for use in
defensive positions such as dugouts and
pillboxes. Because of their bulk and that they do
not offer any benefits until the weapon is set
down, a tripod is usually carried separately by an
assistant, with the gunner planting the weapon
down via a mag-lock onto the tripods central
shaft after reaching a suitable point.
Bracing with a tripod is a Full Action. Once
Braced, the firer may attack any target within a
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180-degree arc of his position.
Vox Operated
Upgrades: Any non-Primitive ranged weapon
(including Grenades)
For some users, simply clicking a switch or
pressing a stud just isnt good enough. A
specially coded vox receiver can be integrated
into a weapons firing mechanism and other
innards so that the user can operate it simply by
speaking the appropriate command words. This
includes firing, switching fire modes, and
ejecting a spent clip (though it must be replaced
manually as normal). Weapons with a fire
selector upgrade can have it operated vocally as
well, and some who make use of this esoteric
upgrade take particular appreciation of stating
out loud exactly what type of projectile they are
about to blast a foe with. For security reasons
each receiver is usually keyed to a specific voice
pattern to prevent unintended operation at a
potentially disastrous moment.
A vox operated weapon can be adjusted and
fired without direct physical manipulation but
otherwise has no immediate statistical effect.
The receiver can pick out the shooters voice
from around 10 metres away, though this range
may be extended or reduced based on ambient
noise. Vox operated weapons may have some
other situational utility; for example, if the
wielder has been apprehended by his opponents
who are presently rifling through his equipment.
Ammunition Ammunition
Name Cost/Amount Availability

Arrows/Quarrels 1/30 Common

Without ammunition, even the most exquisite
firearms are reduced to glorified cudgels. Bolts, 0.75-calibre 15/1 Rare

Different types of weapons make use of different Bolts, 1-calibre 20/1 Rare
ammo, and while some simplifications are made Bullets 1/30 Plentiful
with regards to ease of playing the game, no
Charge Pack (pistol) 10/1 pack Common
amount of effort, no matter how valiant, will
Charge Pack (basic) 15/1 pack Common
ever make a lasgun charge pack fit into an
autoguns feed port (much less allow it to Exotic Ammo 20/1 Very Rare
shoot!). The table details the availability as well Flamer Fuel 3/1 Scarce
as how much the ammunition costs. Weapons
Hellgun Capacitor 50/1 pack Rare
that fire single projectiles (Solid Projectile, Bolt,
Lascannon Power Pack 30/1 pack Rare
and Primitive weapons) as well as refillable
Flamer tanks are calculated based on the price of Melta Canister (pistol) 20/1 pack Very Rare
individual projectiles, while those that use Melta Canister (basic) 15/1 pack Rare
containerized ammo (Las, Melta, and Plasma Melta Canister (heavy) 40/1 pack Rare
weapons) is for one tank, pack or canister that
Plasma Flask 18/1 pack Rare
usually provides a full clips worth of shots.
Check the weapons entry for further Plasma Tank 50/1 pack Very Rare

information. The weight of ammunition is not Shot 1/20 Common

listed; unless the weapon includes a set weight,
such as a flamers optional 10kg fuel tank,
assume a full clips weight weighs 10% of the
weight of the weapon itself.
This section is for standard ammo types,
which allow a ranged weapon to function as its
individual entry describes. Unusual and specialty
ammunition is listed in the next section.
Arrows/Quarrels
Used With: Bows, crossbows, and similar weapons
Arrows and quarrels come in a variety of
shapes, sizes, and materials ranging from crude
wooden sticks with flint tips (common on feral
worlds), finely crafted shafts with iron or steel
heads and feather fletching (standard for feudal
armies), or metallic shafts with razor-sharp
points (for bows made on more advanced
planets). Because of their characteristics, an
arrow or quarrel may be re-usable once the firer
has plucked it out of his victim (or a piece of
scenery, in the event of a miss). Arrows are used
for hand-drawn bows, while crossbows and
similar weapons use quarrels.
Shotgun Shells 1/15 Plentiful
Bolts
Used With: Bolt weapons
The ammunition used by bolters are precisely
engineered and fine-crafted projectiles designed
to utterly shred ones foes in the Emperors
name. Each bolt contains a mass-reactive
warhead and rocket propulsion cell in the base.
After slamming into a victim at bone-shattering
speed, the bolt violently explodes to rend their
bodies apart. Bolt guns and pistols almost
invariably use .75-calibre bolts that are totally
interchangeable, while heavy bolters use more
powerful 1-calibre bolts that are powerful
enough to be anti-vehicular weapons. Bolts are
difficult to manufacture, and their ammunition
is consequently expensive; this factor is what
keeps bolters out of the hands of most common
Imperial servants.

114
Bullets
Used With: Most Solid Projectile weapons
without the Scatter quality
Bullets is a general term for ammunition
used by most slug-throwing weapons with the
exception of shotguns. There are several types of
bullets: caseless ammo burns up entirely when
fired, and is used in most autoguns and
autopistols, while stub rounds have a metallic
case that is ejected after the gun is fired, and are
used in stub revolvers and automatics, hand
cannons, hunting rifles, and some other
weapons. Whether a Solid Projectile weapon
uses caseless ammo or stub rounds will be listed
in its entry. Almost all weapons that use caseless
ammo are interchangeable, which is a major
advantage of that type of weapon. Stub rounds
are more specific and can only be used for one
type of weapon: for example, the heavy-calibre
rounds used by a heavy stubber are far too large
to fit, much less be fired, in a stub revolver.
Charge Pack
Used With: Pistol and Basic las weapons
These liquid-cored thermal batteries store
energy for las weapons, and are famously robust
and easy to use. Pistols use smaller charge packs,
while Basic weapons employ larger models, but
otherwise any charge pack will function in just
about any las weapon. Because of their ease of
availability, charge packs are also sometimes
used as a power source for equipment and Exotic
weapons too.
Exotic Ammo
Used With: Exotic ranged weapons without a
specific ammunition type
Exotic weapons usually make use of equally
exotic ammunition; for some, obtaining a
reliable supply of ammo can be just as difficult, if
not more so, than acquiring the weapon itself.
This type of ammo can be used to represent
needler cartridges or web chem canisters, being
the most common types of Exotic weapons used
in the Imperium, but they may also be used for
unique stub ammunition, crystal shards, and
other strange projectiles. Unless an Exotic
115
weapon has its own type of ammunition
specified in its entry, use the rules for Exotic
ammo when acquiring new reloads.
Flamer Fuel
Used With: Most weapons with the Flame quality
Liquid fuel is used by most flamers regardless
of whether they are simple hand flamers or the
giant incineration devices mounted to Imperial
armoured vehicles. Promethium is the most
common choice, but backwater worlds might
make due with crude alcohols or oil, and most
flame weapons include a pilot light to ignite
these sub-standard fuels. Most types of flamer
fuels can also be ignited and burn things down
by themselves as well.
Hellgun Capacitor
Used With: Hellguns and Hellpistols
Hellgun capacitors resemble multiple banks of
charge packs linked together in a series, the
energy charge becoming more powerful with
each bank until reaching the level of strength
associated with a hellguns penetrating shots.
The capacitor itself fits into the backpack rig
when in use, and can be recharged just like a
standard charge pack.
Lascannon Power Pack
Used With: Lascannons
These enormous thermal batteries serve the
same purpose as standard charge packs but are
much different in construction to accommodate
the far more potent energy required by a
lascannon. They cannot be recharged and must
be discarded once depleted.
Melta Canister
Used With: Melta weapons
Inferno pistols, meltaguns, and similar
weapons use a special mixture of chemicals that
are stored in pressurised canisters and fired at
the enemy as a superheated gas. A melta weapon
makes an instantly recognisable hissing noise for
a few seconds as the canisters pressure equalizes
with that of the weapon; very often a harbinger
of doom for the melta gunners enemies. Care
must be taken with the storage of melta canisters
as they can rupture with great force if stored
improperly and roughly handled.
Plasma Flask
Used With: Plasma weapons
These heavily reinforced flasks store volatile
photonic hydrogen in a magnetic field, ready to
be compressed, energized, and spit forth at an
unfortunate victim by the plasma gun. Unlike
most weapons, almost all plasma weapons make
use of the same type of flask, which helps
simplify the supply lines to some extent. Most
plasma guns use two flasks, while pistols use one,
and they are fully interchangeable. Plasma flasks
are known to have a shelf life, slowly becoming
unstable over time if they are left in storage for
too long without adequate appeasing rituals.
Plasma Tank
Used With: Plasma Cannons
A plasma tank is essentially a very large
plasma flask with added safety devices and a
cable hose feed, designed to be worn on the back.
This provides a steady supply of solar firepower
to plasma cannons, whose rapid consumption
116
especially in the Maximal mode would drain
normal plasma flasks in just a few shots.
Shot
Used With: Most Primitive firearms
Solid lead or stone projectiles, usually just a
simple ball, are used by early muzzle-loading
guns like muskets and flintlock pistols. Some use
a single ball, while others use multiple smaller
projectiles, but all are propelled by a powder
charge that is poured down the barrel or into the
breech before the shot itself is tamped into place.
The listed cost includes the projectiles as well as
a suitable powder charge to propel them.
Shotgun Shells
Used With: Shotguns (all types)
Shells for use in shotguns contain a number of
small projectiles that expand into a deadly cloud
after leaving the weapons muzzle. They are
especially lethal at close range where a victim is
likely to be struck by every single projectile; men
lacking sturdy armour are simply ripped apart.
Shotgun shells are usually large metal cartridges
resembling oversized stub rounds, but mono-
poly versions are also common, and may be
colour-coded to identify what size and how
many projectiles are contained by the shell.
UNUSUAL AMMO Ammunition
Name Cost/Amount Availability
Few things in the Imperium are created equal,
Acid Bolts +8/1 Very Rare
and munitions are no exception. There are many
types of specialty and unique ammunition that Acid Shells 16/1 Rare
function differently from the standard fare that Airtorch Canister +10/1 pack Extremely Rare
most militants use. Some types of unusual Amputator Bullets 12/1 Extremely Rare
ammo are costly to produce or intentionally
Amputator Shells 10/1 Extremely Rare
restricted by authorities, making them difficult
to obtain, while others are only suited for certain Blazer Shells 4/1 Common

situations and would be inappropriate for a Bleeder Rounds 10/1 Rare

general combat. Regardless of the exact purpose, Blessed Ammunition +50/clip Very Rare
unusual ammo is somehow different from more
Dumdum Bullets 1/2 Scarce
common types, and their usage is one of the first
divisions between common fighters and Executioner Shells 150/1 Very Rare

professional warriors. Unless otherwise stated, Expander Bullets 1/1 Scarce

unusual ammo weighs the same as standard Explosive Arrows/Quarrels 1/5 Scarce
types and can only be used with certain weapons
Hotshot Pack 15/1 pack Scarce
as detailed in its description. Only one kind of
Hyper-Density Penetrators 100/1 Rare
unusual ammo can be used at once (i.e. their
effects cannot be combined), and like standard Inferno Bolts 20/1 Very Rare
ammo types, unusual ammo for different Inferno Shells 12/1 Rare
weapons is not usually interchangeable. A Man-Stopper Bullets 5/6 Scarce
bleeder round for an autopistol will fit in an
Microburst Flask 35/1 pack Very Rare
autogun, but an amputator shell for a shotgun
wont fit in either of those weapons. If a weapon Nephium Fuel 14/1 Very Rare

uses specialty ammunition already, such as a Organgrinder Bolts 50/1 Extremely Rare
Naval Shotcannon or Nomad sniper rifle, add Organgrinder Bullets 15/1 Very Rare
the cost of the unusual ammo to the weapons
Organgrinder Shells 20/1 Very Rare
own ammunition and increase its rarity by one
Overcharge Pack 12/1 Common
step, using the rarer of the two as a starting
point. If this would push the ammunitions Psycannon Bolt 250/1 Very Rare
availability beyond Extremely Rare, the Snare Shells 10/1 Rare
combination is simply not possible. Solid Bolts 25/1 Very Rare

Tempest Bolts 200/1 Extremely Rare

Acid Shells/Bolts
Tracer Bolts +2/1 Scarce
Used With: All shotguns and Bolt weapons
Acid shells replace their multiple pellets with a Tracer Bullets 1/10 Average

single slug containing a large amount of Void Rounds 5/1 Scarce

incredibly corrosive acid that can eat through
almost any material. An unarmoured man will
have his flesh melted from his bones in
moments, while even heavy protective gear can
be worn away with alarming speed. Acid bolts
function in the same way as their shotgun
counterparts, replacing their mass-reactive
warheads with a vessel containing the same acid.
Effects: Change the weapons Damage to 2d10
Energy with a Pen 0. If the target takes any
damage after reduction for Armour and
Toughness they suffer the same effects as being
set on fire for 1d5 Rounds, representing the
awful chemical burns that the acid can cause. If
the unmodified Damage roll is more than 10, the
targets worn armour has its AP reduced by 1 on

117
the hit location; multiple hits can reduce the
armours APs to 0. Damaged armour can be
repaired with a Difficult (-10) Trade
(Armourer) Test; see Expanded Skills, page
240 of The Inquisitors Handbook for more
information.

Airtorch Canister
Used With: Any Pistol or Basic Melta weapon
Whilst regular melta weapons are known for
the tight focus of incredibly superheated blasts
they generate, a specially modified Airtorch
chemical mixture can be used to cause an almost
uncontrolled reaction that sets the air itself on
fire. The blast roars forth in an overwhelming
swath, and unfortunate firers have occasionally
been burnt to a crisp by their own meltagun
when using an Airtorch canister.
Effects: The weapons range is halved and it
gains the Scatter quality due to the extreme
spread of the blast. However, it also gains the
Overheats quality as the intense heat is often
simply too great for even a meltagun to handle.

Amputator Rounds
Used With: Any Pistol or Basic Solid Projectile
weapon, including shotguns
Amputator rounds are so named for their
frightening tendency to blow the limbs off of
unfortunate victims hit by them. Amputator
rounds replace the bullet or shot pellets with
explosive micro-shrapnel that can shear flesh
and shatter bones.
Effects: Add 2 to the weapons Damage. If the
attack results in Critical Damage, add an
additional 1 point to the total Critical Damage
suffered by the target.
Blazer Shells
Used With: All shotguns
These shells are packed with pyrotechnic
materials instead of shot pellets, producing a
huge gout of flame when the shotgun is fired.
The intensity of the fire is somewhat less than
burning Promethium from a proper flamer, but
it is far easier to carry a few blazer shells than a
bulky flame weapon, and shotguns are more
easily obtained by most users anyway.
Effects: Change the shotguns Damage type to
Energy and replace the Scatter quality with the
Flame and Primitive qualities. The range
decreases to 15 metres or half the shotguns
normal range, whichever is lower. Because of the
duration of the flame, a shotgun using blazer
shells can only be fired on single-shot mode.
Bleeder Bullets
Used With: Any Pistol or Basic Solid Projectile
weapon without the Scatter quality
Bleeder rounds are designed to break into
sharp, irregular fragments, causing ragged
wounds that do not heal well. For added effect,
they are laced with strong anti-coagulants to
increase the likelihood that the victim will
simply bleed out from their injuries.
Effects: As long as the weapon deals at least 1
point of Damage after reduction for Armour and
Toughness, the victim takes an additional 3

118
points of Damage as their wounds are
aggravated. Creatures with the Daemonic or
Machine Traits are immune to this extra
Damage, along with any other targets immune to
the effects of Blood Loss.
Blessed Ammunition
Used With: Any Bolt, Flame, and Solid
Projectile weapons
The truly faithful of the Imperial Creed, when
properly equipped with the correct unguents,
incense, and oils, can render the ammunition of
weapons most suitable into devastating
implements of the Emperors justice when
employed against the foul warp-spawned
creatures that threaten the Imperium. This work
is usually performed on sacred bolters and
purifying flamers, but even a humble autogun
can benefit from it.
Effects: The weapons Damage is counted as
Holy, which has certain effects on some
Daemonic and warp creatures (as will be noted
in their description).
Dumdum Bullets
Used With: Stub pistols and hand cannons
These heavy, blunt bullets are designed to
cause maximum damage against soft tissue and
can tear great gaping holes in an unprotected
target. However, these same qualities make them
ineffective at penetrating any decent armour.
Dumdum bullets are commonly used by gangers
and other low-rent scummers as their usual
victims dont wear carapace breastplates.
Effects: The weapons Damage increases by 3
but it also gains the Primitive quality.
Executioner Shells
Used With: Shotguns that use standard shells
An Executioner is an incredibly sophisticated
piece of ammunition with more in common with
a missile than a shotgun shell. Each contains a
miniature propulsion and stabilisation system as
well as a tiny guidance cogitator. After being
sighted in and fired, the shell can literally lock
on and track its victim. Once targeted by an
Executioner, doom is almost assured. The
119
mechanisms that are used to provide this deadly
capability are little understood and can only be
replicated by a handful of forges throughout the
Imperium, and as a result they are highly rare
items that are typically only issued to veteran
troopers of the Adeptus Arbites. Agents of the
Inquisition are also known to make use of them
on occasion, and giving where they are made,
likely employed (on a strictly non-official basis)
by Skitarii Tech-Guards and Secutors of the
Adeptus Mechanicus.
Effects: The weapon loses the Scatter quality,
but adds +4 to its Damage and Penetration.
Executioners ignore any cover the target may be
benefitting from, and when fired at Short or
standard (but not Point Blank, Long or Extreme)
range the firer may reroll a failed Ballistic Skill
Test made to attack with it (including if the
target successfully Dodged the first roll).
Expander Bullets
Used With: Any Pistol or Basic Solid Projectile
weapon without the Scatter quality
Vicious to the point that they are outlawed on
some worlds, these dense shells are designed to
hold their shape until after piercing the targets
body, after which they shred open to cause their
victim further suffering through internal
wounds and ripped organs.
Effects: Increase the weapons Damage and
Penetration by 1.
Explosive Arrows/Quarrels
Used With: Bows, crossbows, and similar weapons
Careful use of modern explosives can turn
even the humble bow into a wholly deadly
weapon whose operation though not result is
completely silent. The arrow or quarrel might
have a hollow body filled with an impact-
sensitive blasting substance, or coated and
soaked in an unstable alchemical compound.
Regardless of its specific means of action, the
projectile violently explodes with the power of a
small bomb when it strikes its target.
Effects: The weapons Damage type becomes
Explosive and it loses the Primitive quality, but
the awkward balancing of the projectiles imposes
a -10 penalty to the firers Ballistic Skill Tests
when using the explosive arrow or quarrel.
Hotshot Pack
Used With: Pistol and Basic Las weapons
Though similar in design and construction to
standard charge packs for laspistols and lasguns,
a hotshot pack is specially designed to expend all
of its stored energy in one powerful blast.
Snipers in the Imperial Guard often use these
charge packs to give their long las rifles some
more punch; the fact that they go dry after one
shot is of little concern to troops who are
supposed to kill with one shot anyway.
Effects: A weapon using a hotshot pack
increases its Damage by 1, its Penetration to 4
(weapons that already have Pen 4 or higher dont
increase any further), and gains the Tearing
quality. The weapons clip size becomes 1 and
therefore can only be fired on single shot mode.
When using a hotshot pack, the weapons
reliability decreases by one step; if the weapon
has the Reliable quality it loses it, and if it
doesnt it gains the Unreliable quality. If the
weapon is already Unreliable, it instead gains the
Overheats quality.
Some las weapons may have different
consequences for using a hotshot pack; if
applicable, these are described in their entries.
Hyper-Density Penetrators
Used With: Hand cannons, hunting rifles, and
all shotguns
Famously nicknamed Lathe Body-Blowers
for their incredible effect at ploughing through
vulnerable flesh, these bullets are cast from a
unique dense metal alloy only made possible by
exploiting the strange gravitational forces within
the Lathe System. A victim hit by a hyper-
density penetrator can be totally blown in half as
the great mass and velocity of the projectile tears
through armour as easily as flesh and bone.
Hyper-density penetrators produce extreme
recoil and pressure, and can only be used in the
sturdiest of weapons.
Effects: Hyper-density penetrators increase
the weapons Penetration value by 2 but halve its
120
range. The weapon gains the Tearing quality if it
didnt already have it to begin with. If used in a
shotgun it loses the Scatter quality.
Inferno Shells/Bolts
Used With: All shotguns and Bolt weapons
This type of round is augmented by a
phosphor-gel that ignites as the projectile(s)
strike their target. Shotgun shells are the most
common type due to their availability and the
fact that the large volume of the shell is optimal
for storing the flammable additive. Inferno bolts
function on much the same principle, the mass-
reactive warheads composition altered to
include phosphor-gel that sets the target ablaze
as well as blowing it apart.
Effects: Targets hit by an inferno shell or bolt
must succeed on a Challenging (+0) Agility
Test or be set on fire. Aside from other
characters, an inferno shell or bolt can be used to
ignite certain objects (flammable liquids, plants,
sleeping grox, and so forth) at the discretion of
the GM.
Man-Stopper Bullets
Used With: Any Pistol or Basic Solid Projectile
weapon without the Scatter quality
These projectiles are made of a solid hardened
core that is designed to easily puncture armour
and cover that an enemy might be hiding
behind. The wounds they make are no more
grievous than normal bullets, but they can still
have quite an impressive effect once the target
realises that the flakboard wall he is shielded by
offers him absolutely no protection at all.
Effects: Increase the weapons Penetration
value to 3. Weapons that already have Pen 3 or
higher dont gain any additional benefits from
using man-stopper rounds.
Microburst Flask
Used With: Any Pistol or Basic Plasma weapon
The photonic hydrogen stored in these flasks
has a much higher concentration of heavy ions,
which has a number of effects on the burst of
plasma produced when the weapon is fired. A
Microburst flask produces bolts that are smaller
and less intense, but with a significantly higher
velocity and density. The lower temperature of
the fusion core also makes the plasma weapon
significantly safer for its user as well.
Effects: Plasma weapons using a Microburst
flask decrease their Damage and increase their
Penetration by 2 each. Range is increased by 10
metres, but the weapon cannot be fired on the
Maximal setting (if it has one), and it
additionally loses the Overheats quality.
Nephium Fuel
Used With: Any Flame weapon that uses
standard flamer fuel
Nephium is an unstable accelerant that is
normally used in extremely high temperature
forges in the creating of adamantine plates and
other very dense metal alloys. However, while it
is dangerous to do so, encapsulated Nephium
121
motes can be mixed in with the Promethium fuel
used by flamers to produce devastating tongues
of fire that can rival a meltagun in intensity. The
use of Nephium as an additive is common
knowledge among the Adeptus Mechanicus but
most others would have no idea of its potency;
among those that do, only a certain few would
risk using it in spite of its great potency.
Effects: Increase the flame weapons Damage
by 2 and it gains the Unstable quality. Agility
Tests made to avoid the flames from Nephium
fuel suffer a -10 penalty. If the weapon suffers a
jam while using Nephium fuel, roll 1d10. On a
result of 9 or 10 the fuel tank or canister
spontaneously combusts in a terrible
conflagration; treat this as an explosion with a
Blast equal to how many shots the flamer had
left in its clip (up to a maximum 10) that deals
the flamers Damage and Penetration to
anything within that area, including the penalty
to Agility Tests to avoid it. The flame weapons
wielder may not make an Agility Test to attempt
to evade the blast and suffers double the Damage
result of the blast.
Nephium fuel and regular fuel cant be
combined in the same weapon, though a fuel
tank or canister can be partially filled with it.
Organgrinder Rounds
Used With: Hand cannons, hunting rifles,
shotguns that use standard shells, and all Bolt
weapons that use 0.75-calibre bolts
Most types of unusual ammo, regardless of
their exact function, are designed to make their
weapon immediately more lethal towards its
victims. The grisly organgrinder rounds are an
exception to this rule, intended explicitly to
cause a slow, lingering death from an
excruciating wound. After striking the victim, an
organgrinder round deploys spiralled ridges that
lacerate flesh and bone into a pulp of viscera.
These also dramatically slow the projectiles
speed, ensuring that the round will be left inside
the victims body to cause further complications
and misery. These rounds are difficult to forge
and can only be used in the largest slug-throwing
weapons due to their diameter; of course, a bolt
is plenty big enough to accommodate their
terrible payload.
Effects: Organgrinder rounds work similar to
a weapon with the Toxic quality. If the target
takes Damage after reduction for Armour and
Toughness, they must succeed on a Toughness
Test; the round imposes a -10 penalty on this
Test for every point of Damage it successfully
dealt. If the victim succeeds then the round has
failed to operate; on a failure, the round works as
designed, immediately causing another 2d5
points of Rending Damage that are not reduced
by Armour or Toughness. Even if the victim
survives, the round remains within their body
until removed, which requires a Medicae Test as
though the victim was having a broken limb
amputated, with the same difficulty and
consequences of failure (see Damage & Healing
on Page 211 of Dark Heresy). If left untreated,
an organgrinder round can cause further
complications even years later. If the victim ever
takes Critical Damage again, the organgrinder
round shifts and worms about, increasing the
Critical Damage result by 1. If the Critical
Damage affects the same hit location that the
round is still embedded in, the victim takes 2
more Critical Damage instead.
If organgrinder shells are used in a shotgun it
loses the Scatter quality, while organgrinder
bolts change the damage type of their weapon
from Explosive to Impact.
Overcharge Pack
Used With: Pistol or Basic Las weapons
Overcharge packs provide a more rapid beam
discharge than standard charge packs, which
increases the weapons power, though it also
runs out of energy more quickly as well.
Guardsmen who have proven their merit in
battle are often issued these packs as they can be
trusted to make their shots count even in a hectic
combat, and many accomplished snipers were
first identified as common soldiers using
overcharge packs to great effect.
Effects: Increase the weapons Damage and
Penetration by 1 but halve the clip size.
122
Psycannon Bolts
Used With: All Bolt weapons
Typically only the legendary Grey Knights can
readily access psycannons, fell bolt weapons that
can cut down even horrendous daemons and
warp-spawned filth with ease. However, the
Ordo Malleus is able to manufacture individual
bolts with a small measure of a psycannons
power for use by trusted servants and others who
often battle the foul denizens of the unknown. A
psycannon bolts mass-reactive warhead is
augmented by psy-anathemic compounds and
are blessed and sanctified to strike true against
the daemon and the witch, and can rip through
warp-stuff and psychic barriers with remarkable
efficiency. Of course, a psycannon bolts superior
construction can still rend even a non-psyker to
shreds in the Emperors name. Psycannon bolts
are a jealously guarded secret of the Ordo
Malleus, and even the Tech-Priest Magi of the
Mechanicus are forbidden from trying to
examine or study them. Only an Inquisitor can
issue psycannon bolts, and just to carry one of
these pieces of ammunition without the Malleus
blessing is likely sufficient grounds for
execution, or worse
Effects: Against all targets, any Critical
Damage inflicted by a psycannon bolt is
increased by 5. Warp entities, Daemons, and
creatures with a Psy Rating can use their
Armour and Toughness to reduce Damage from
a psycannon bolt normally, but they suffer
double Damage from any that remains; for
example, if a witch reduces a psycannon bolts
Damage to 4 from Armour and Toughness, it
then suffers 8 Damage from the bolts unique
and holy construction. A psycannon bolt is
invariably a Holy weapon, which has additional
effects on Daemons and warp creatures, and it
completely ignores warp and psychic barriers,
shields, and armour (such as Daemonic
Resilience, Telekinetic Shield, and so on).
Snare Shells
Used With: All shotguns
These shells replace much of their shot pellets
with small capsules of web chem which explode
into a mass of ensnaring sticky filaments.
Contact with the air causes them to solidify,
making it almost impossible for the target to
escape. Using snare shells is not as effective as a
proper webber or web pistol, but the fact that
they can be used in any shotgun with no special
training makes them an extremely handy
accessory to use. Snare shells can still kill an
unfortunate victim who takes a strong hit, so
they are poor choices where a safe capture of the
target is absolutely necessary.
Effects: A shotgun using snare shells reduces
its Damage by 2 but gains the Snare quality. The
sticky webs created by one break down on their
own after 1d5+1 Rounds.
Solid Bolts
Used With: All Bolt weapons
Bolters are best known for the horrific injuries
that their mass-reactive warheads cause, but
some forges are known to produce bolts
designed expressly for piercing even the heaviest
armour by replacing the warhead with a solid
monolithic core of super-dense alloy. The
bolters usually devastating effect is somewhat
reduced, but against the greatest beasts (or
123
armoured vehicles) the extra penetration can be
the difference between life and death.
Effects: Increase the weapons Penetration
value by 3 but remove the Tearing quality. The
weapons Damage type changes from Explosive
to Impact.
Tempest Bolts
Used With: All Bolt weapons
Tempest bolts are designed to be extremely
destructive towards machinery and cybernetics,
allowing them to be used in cutting down even
monstrous servitors and other such targets.
Tempest bolts contain a miniature plasma-shock
generator that releases a pulse of electromagnetic
and thermal energy on impact, which can be
debilitating against almost any target but is
especially destructive to machinery. Giving what
an effective weapon this would be against
members of the Cult Mechanicus, it is perhaps
not surprising that only they hold the secrets to
manufacturing tempest bolts. Only the great
forges of Mars itself can manufacture these bolts,
and that is entirely by design. The forces of the
Magos Militants of a number of forge worlds,
including the Lathes in the Calixis Sector,
maintain a stockpile of these bolts specifically for
use in hunting down hereteks and traitors, and as storage drums of Promethium or stockpiled
they may be gifted to trusted allies who ammunition in an open dump.
accompany the Destructor Covenants on such
expeditions. Of course, even the forces of the Void Rounds
Emperors most holy Inquisition are not above Used With: All Solid Projectile weapons
the scrutiny of the Magi, and those who have Conventional slug-throwers usually do not
callously demanded supplies of these bolts seem work as well in airless environments as the lack
to frequently suffer terrible accidents of a of atmospheric pressure causes propelling gases
mechanical nature at a later point. to lose force more quickly. The absence of air
Effects: The weapon gains the Shock quality also tends to increase jams due to overheated
and changes its Damage type from Explosive to barrels and chambers. Void rounds are designed
Energy. Increase the Damage and Penetration to remedy these problems. They are
value by 3 when used against targets with the manufactured as stub ammo, caseless bullets,
Machine trait or other mechanical objects (such and shotgun shells, all coated with a special heat-
as door lock mechanisms, cogitator cores, and absorbing laminate that also seals the barrel and
anything else the GM deems appropriate). chamber, ensuring that each round will function
just as it would on a planetary environment.
Tracer Rounds Effects: The weapon functions normally in an
Used With: All Solid Projectile and Bolt weapons airless or void environment. If used in
Most heavy weapon teams use tracer rounds atmosphere the rounds reduce the weapons
in their support weapons whenever possible as Damage by 1 due to their coating slowing down
they make it far easier to guide and adjust a the projectile via air resistance.
firing pattern. Tracer rounds include a dab of
pyrophoric chemical on the back of the
projectile; this flares brightly once the bullet or
bolt leaves a hot barrel. Of course, this also gives
away the firers position, and can make return
fire more accurate as well, leading to the popular
Guard expression tracers work both ways.
Tracer rounds could be manufactured for
theoretically any weapon that uses a physical
projectile, but they only have any significant
appreciable benefit to weapons firing in long
automatic bursts.
Effects: The weapons firer gains a +5 bonus
to Ballistic Skill Tests when firing the weapon on
Full Auto. In certain ambient conditions, the
bright tracers also allow other characters
(including enemies) to immediately pinpoint the
firers location. If used in areas of fog, mist,
shadow, smoke, or darkness, anyone with line of
sight to the firers position gains a +5 bonus on
Ballistic Skill Tests made to fire back at them.
Because tracer rounds have a small amount of
burning chemical on the back of them, they may
be able to ignite very flammable substances such

124
 Armour
The 41st Millennium is not only filled with
dangerous enemies but also dangerous weapons,
either of which could easily maim or kill in a
heartbeat. Nearly every race in the galaxy has
developed defensive measures, ranging from
simple animal skins to highly sophisticated
powered battlesuits and protective energy fields.
Mankind is no exception, and the abundance of
armours within the Imperium is such that even
everyday clothes might offer some protective
value. Military personnel and Imperial agents
are almost always equipped with some sort of
personal armour, be it cheap layered padding
that can turn away knives or artificer-crafted
power suits that can withstand almost any
attack. Regardless of what shape it takes, armour
exists to protect the wearers body from harm
of course, any true servant of the Emperor would
know that while armour may protect the flesh,
only faith can protect the soul.
Worn armour provides Armour Points (APs)
to various locations on the body, as described in
their entries. Some kinds of armour might have
special properties as well, which will also be
noted where appropriate.
Armour Type: What sort of armour it is.
Location(s) Covered: What locations the
armour covers. These are the same as the
possible hit locations for an attack: arms, legs,
body, and head. An armour that states All
means it has suitable components to protect
every location.
AP (Armour Points): How many Armour
Points the armour provides for the locations
covered. Note that any armour that provides 7 or
more APs inflicts a -30 penalty on the wearers
Concealment and Silent Move Tests.
Wt (Weight): Represents how much the
armour weighs in kilograms.
Cost: This indicates the standard price of the
armour in the Imperium.
125
Availability: Identifies the armours
availability; see Consequences of Availability,
page 126 of Dark Heresy.
ARMOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP
All of the armours listed in this section assume
they are of Common craftsmanship. Armour
that is made to a higher standard or that which is
poorly made or designed has several gameplay
effects aside from the obvious appearances.
Poor: Badly fitted, seriously damaged, or just
designed by someone having no business doing
so, Poor armour is generally difficult to wear.
Characters wearing Poor craftsmanship armour
take a -10 penalty on all Agility Tests as the
armour seems to deliberate hinder them.
Good: Well constructed and often sized for
the wearer, Good armour is much easier to wear
and more comfortable too. The first time the
wearer is successfully attacked in each Round
this armour increases its AP by 1.
Best: Finely wrought and perfectly fitted in
every way, even heavy suits of Best armour move
effortlessly with their wearer as though they were
a second skin. Best craftsmanship armour
weighs half as much as normal and has 1 more
AP at all times.
Use the armours base AP to determine if the
user suffers any penalties for encumbrance or
wearing heavy armour
MIXING ARMOUR
You can mix pieces of armour, but their
protective qualities do not stack when worn in
the same locations. In cases where an area which
is covered by multiple pieces of armour is struck,
use the most beneficial armour to calculate
Damage reduction. For example, if a character
wearing a mesh vest (4 AP) and a flak coat (3
AP) is hit in the body, the mesh vests AP is used
while the flak coats is ignored. If the attack
happens to be a blast, the flak coats is used
instead, as flak armour counts as AP 5 against
blasts and similar effects.
 PRIMITIVE ARMOUR Fervious Banded Mail
This type of armour is made from layers of
Primitive Armour is the norm on many feudal
tough, laminated strips of hide, bonded or sewn
and feral planets, though low-grade protective
to cushioned leather. On Fervious, it is
gear and sturdy clothing found on the lower
specifically intended to protect against the razor-
levels of hive worlds fits into this category as
sharp long-sabres that that worlds smiths are
well. Protection at this level often consists of
famous for. It is also highly effective at stopping
reinforced animal hides (fur shawls or ganger
arrows and crossbows while being reasonably
jackets simply depends on the worlds tech level),
easy to move in, making it popular with warriors
metal plating worn over the chest, chainmail, or
who want to stay mobile or cant afford heavy
combinations of these and other crude methods.
plate armours. Due to the callous nature of
Primitive armour will rarely stop a las-bolt but
Fervious culture, where murder is an acceptable
can turn aside a blade and is usually better than
way of dispatching rivals, paranoid nobles often
no protection at all. Primitive armour only
make use of these as well. Some are decorated
counts half of its AP value (round up) against
with fineries and furs, intended to be worn as
attacks from weapons that do not also have the
part of the nobles dress attire for daily affairs.
Primitive quality. A suit of feudal plate armour
will easily ward off blows from swords and
Beast Furs
arrows, but a shot from a bolt pistol will likely
The pelts of various creatures can make
plough right through it.
suitable clothing, with the denser types having
When calculating the effects of Penetration, a
adequate strength to fend off blades and claws.
Primitive armours APs are halved against non-
The nature of the furs is highly dependent on
Primitive weapons before reduction for the
their world of origin and whos wearing them.
weapons Penetration value.
Feral savages might wear ragged strips
Primitive Armours of fur sewn together to provide
Name Location(s) Covered AP Wt Cost Availability rudimentary protection and warmth,
Bracers Arms 1 0.5kg 10 Plentiful while ermine or sand-fox furs can be
Ganger Leathers Arms, Body, Legs 1 5 kg 25 Average finely bound into luxuriously soft
coats or vests for hive nobles, trading
Heavy Leathers Arms, Body, Legs 2 7 kg 100 Common
magnates, and other well-to-do
Beast Furs Body 2 10 kg 5 Average
citizens.
Bone All 2 12 kg 20 Scarce

Quilted Vest Body 2 2 kg 10 Common Bone Armour

Scrag Furs Body 2 7 kg 5 Common On many feral worlds the strongest
Banded Mail Arms, Body, Legs 3 12 kg 50 Rare
material available is bone, and so it
falls to this crude substance to provide
Chain Coat Arms, Body, Legs 3 18 kg 50 Average
some measure of protection. Bone
Grox Hides Body 3 14 kg 60 Common armour is made from the skeletal
Scale Armour Arms, Body, Legs 3 15 kg 1,000 Very Rare remains of beasts, the design and
Silkmail Arms, Body, Legs 3 5 kg 150 Rare shape wholly dependent on the world
of origin and the type of animal bones
Mirkers Greaves Legs 4 8 kg 50 Average
used.
Plate All 5 30 kg 120 Scarce
There are a few common themes, no
Heavy Plate All 6 28 kg 300 Scarce matter where the armour was made.
Volcanis Shroud All 6 20 kg 350 Average The skull is usually hollowed out and
Xeno Hides Body 6 22 kg 5,000 Very Rare
serves as a helmet, with the user
looking out through the mouth, while

126
ribcages and thick bone plates form the
breastplate. Sometimes the armour is also
dressed in furs and hides, but more often than
not, the bone is on full display to give the wearer
a fearsome appearance. This quality also sees
bone armours crafted on some feudal worlds and
even more advanced planets as well, though
usually only for ritualistic purposes.
Bracers
Bracers are worn on the wrists and forearms,
and may be made from hide, leather, or metal.
They serve a dual purpose in offering modest
protection, turning the blade of a dagger or
sword, as well as assisting archers to steady their
wrist when drawing a bowstring.
Like many types of armour, bracers are often
decorated, from finely carved and intricate
designs, to being inlaid with precious stones and
metals to show the owners wealth. Like many
other sorts of primitive items, bracers have
found their way into Imperial society, primarily
as a fashion accessory. Clever wearers might also
use a bracer to conceal a useful gadget or piece of
equipment, like a refractor field generator or
hidden communication device.
Chainmail Coat
This armour is formed by links of small metal
rings that are bound together, making a
protective suit that offers excellent protection
against blades, though arrows and quarrels can
sometimes force their way through by splitting
the individual links. Chainmail is extremely
flexible and moves with the wearer, but it is also
quite weighty and tiring to wear as most of the
armours mass hangs from the shoulders.
Ganger Leathers
Leather jackets and pants are common
clothing worn by gangers and other scum on
countless hives throughout the Imperium.
Ganger leathers are often studded with metallic
spikes, barbs, fastener pins, and any other
combination of accessories that make the wearer
look more intimidating towards potential
victims and rivals. While not technically an
127
armour by any stretch of the imagination, there
are many gangers whove had a knife turned
aside by their sturdy jackets; these lucky leathers
are often worn perpetually thereafter.
Grox Hides
Grox are exceptionally common beasts on
many worlds that are farmed in massive
numbers to feed meat-hungry citizens of the
Imperium. Livestock or no, they are famed for
their foul tempers and thick hides; the latter can
be formed into protective clothing without even
being cured or tanned, and rebellions on agri-
worlds commonly yield peasants decked out in
the hides of the creatures they were previously
tasked with tending.
Heavy Leathers
Feral warriors and low-rent troops on feudal
planets often make due with leather armour as it
is simple and inexpensive to create on any world
where there are suitable beasts to tan. On more
advanced worlds, long leather coats and dusters
are worn as fashion items or for protection from
rain, and they are obligatory among bikers and
other two-wheeled enthusiasts.
Heavy Plate Armour
More developed feudal worlds have often
unlocked a sufficient understanding of
metallurgy to craft massive suits of all-
encompassing plate armour. These heavy plate
armours often require weeks worth of labour by
several smiths at once, and are often decorated
with elaborate engravings and flourishes. A
knight in heavy plate can often wade through
whole squads of lesser troops, riddled with
arrows like a spine-hog but with hardly any
injury to show for it. Heavy plate is usually
reserved for the most elite warriors and the
militants of the nobility due to the cost and
workmanship required to create it. Because of its
exquisite appearance and value, there is also a
thriving collectors market for complete sets of
heavy plate armour on many worlds throughout
the Imperium.

Mirkers Greaves
These rather unusual forms of leg wear and
boots are common in one form or another to the
ill-fortuned (but often well-paid) men and
women who are sent to hunt vermin and clear
debris in the thousands upon thousands of
kilometres of sewer and drainage systems that
riddle most hive cities. The blind, rancid things
encountered in these sumps are usually more
than capable of biting (or even burning) through
most fabrics, and mirkers greaves are usually
reinforced with polyflex and metal plates, and
sometimes razored or studded for good measure.
Although used in nearly every hive city to some
extent, they are unsurprisingly widespread daily
wear on Volg.
A kick from someone wearing mirkers
greaves has the same effect as if they were
punching using knuckle dusters.
128
Plate Armour
Strong articulated suits of iron or steel plates
are the preferred gear for feudal knights and
well-paid men-at-arms. These typically consist
of a number of large plates that can articulate or
slide over one another, with chainmail links
covering the joints and other areas. Armour of
this type is a notably expensive piece of
equipment due to the large amount of metal as
well as a skilled smith necessary to make it;
many feudal worlds that practice ransoming
captured knights back to their respective camps
do so out of the value of their plate armour just
as much as the knight himself.
Quilted Vest
Sturdy fabric garments are worn underneath
most types of metal armour used on feudal
worlds; this provides essential cushioning to
reduce the force of blows that strike the armour,
as well as to prevent chafing and other non-
combat-related ills. If worn on its own, it can
provide a modicum of protection by itself,
though it is a poor substitute for just about
anything else. On more advanced worlds,
heavier clothing worn for protection from the
cold or just to show the wearers taste in fashion
can also function as a very modest form of
armour in a pinch.
Monrass Scale Armour
The Monrass Scar Dragons are in danger of
vanishing from that world since their scales are
valued for the construction of a particularly
durable form of armour. Despite their fearsome
nature, men who are eager to reap the rewards
that the creatures skin can bring have hunted
the Scar Dragon to near extinction. Once killed,
the hunters skin the dragon and drag off the
carcass to be sold as meat (which is very tough
but still considered a delicacy for its delicious
taste and supposed health benefits). The scales
are the turned into suits of armour. It is a highly
skilled job that can only be performed by a
member of the Scale Jakkers Guild. The
manufacture of such armour takes many
months, as each scale needs to be properly
aligned and then bonded to the tough hide that
forms the basis of the suit.
For reasons yet unknown, suits of scale
armour seem particularly resistant to fire and
heat-based attacks, the wearer often able to
emerge even from a stream of burning
Promethium without serious injury. Some who
have witnessed the effectiveness of the armour
have spoken of establishing a captive dragon
population off-world in order to farm the
creatures as a source of fire-proof outfits.
Monrass scale armour retains its full
protective value against Flame and Melta
weapons, and grants the wearer a +10 bonus to
Agility Tests made to avoid catching on fire and
subsequent Tests to put the flames out.
Scrag Furs
Made from the hide of the ill-tempered and
ill-smelling Scrag Bear, this armour is cheaper
than other types of fur due to its distinctive
stench that outlives the bear itself for many
years. The odour, somewhere between rancid
ham and vomit, ensures that the wearer of scrag
furs is not a popular fellow.
A character wearing scrag furs takes a -10
penalty on all Fellowship Tests made in the
company of anyone with a sense of smell.
Acreage Silkmail
Chainmail is a staple defence on many feudal
worlds throughout the Imperium, but the
armour-artisans of Acreage produce some of the
absolute finest examples. Far finer and lighter
than common mail and entirely more
comfortable, silkmail, as it is known, is favoured
by the nobility of Acreage and highly prized by
off-worlder collectors for its workmanship.
Volcanis Shroud
The shroud is a common name for an
integrated suit of heavy protective gear including
a temperature-insulating under-suit and a heavy,
hooded blast coat of polymer and ceramite-alloy
weave. The entire shroud is treated with a flame-
repelling laminate, providing superb protection
129
against blistering heat. This garb takes its name
from the vast magma-fed forges of Volcanis
deep beneath the surface of Mars itself, and suits
like this are a staple of heavy industrial hives and
forges throughout the Imperium. In Magnagorsk
on Fenksworld the shrouds are almost everyday
wear for both the foundry guilders as well as
other workers who tend to almost every function
of that flame-ensconced hive, though they are
almost as common in the industrial vaults of
Scintillas Gunmetal City and Ambulon as well.
A Volcanis shroud is not considered Primitive
against Flame and Melta weapons and provides
its full AP against fires, acids and corrosives of
all types. However, the extreme bulk of the
shroud imposes a -10 penalty on any Agility
Tests the wearer makes while wrapped up in it. A
Volcanis shroud includes a rebreather and
photo-visor, and when both are worn with the
hood pulled up and fastened it counts as sealed
armour for the purposes of resisting gases.
Xeno Hides
Many frightening creatures exist on the
periphery of the Imperium, and among the brave
and daring there is a well-organized trade of
pelts, skin, and hides from some of the more
notable monstrosities. Some are so tough and
heavy that they can serve as armour rather
effectively, harmlessly turning blades aside and
even absorbing weaker las-bolts. The only thing
more interesting, and perhaps more frightening,
than the ability of these dead husks to protect
their wearer is what sorts of feral horrors must
have worn them in life. Xeno hides are often
worn by hardened barbarian warriors who
occupy feral or death worlds shared with these
creatures; such is the ferocity of these beastskin-
wearing fighters that planets of that sort often
serve as recruiting grounds for the Imperiums
legendary Space Marines.
 Flak Armours
FLAK ARMOUR
Name Location(s) Covered AP Wt Cost Availability
Flak armour is likely the most
Flak Gauntlets Arms 2 1 kg 50 Average
common type of personal body
armour in the galaxy, thanks Flak Helmet Head 2 2 kg 25 Average
primarily due to the huge Light Flak Jacket Arms, Body, Legs 2 4 kg 80 Scarce
infrastructure that exists to turn it Flakweave Cloak All 3 8 kg 80 Scarce
out for the Imperial Guard. Untold
Flak Jacket Arms, Body, Legs 3 6 kg 100 Average
millions of Guardsmen going to war
on a thousand worlds at any given Flak Vest Body 3 5 kg 50 Average

time go forth with at least some Flak Greatcoat
modest protection from their flak Guard Flak Armour
armour, and that ubiquity ensures
that there are often ample surpluses, not to
mention stolen quantities, of flak armour
available to reach the arms market. Flak armour
is made of layered ablative and impact absorbing
material the more layers, the greater the
protective qualities of the armour. It is
particularly effective at saving the wearer from
shrapnel and flying fragmentation from
explosive weapons. Artillery bombardments,
detonating grenades, and other explosions tend
to cause the most casualties in battle, so the
Munitorium has placed special emphasis on
deflecting or absorbing these attacks while
keeping production costs as low as possible.
Better armour exists, of course, but there is
nothing that could be made and supplied on the
same scale as flak.
Because of these properties, as long as the
wearer is not directly hit or on the target spot of
detonation, flak armour counts as having AP 5
(6 for Good and Best craftsmanship versions)
against damage from weapons with the Blast
quality.
Flakweave Cloak
This heavy cloak includes a separate hood and
cape that is fastened around the shoulders, and
vaguely resembles an Ecclesiarchial mantellum.
It is made from many thin flakweave layers that
move smoothly over top one another as the
wearers body is in motion, which permits ease
of movement in spite of the cloaks weight. It
offers a reasonable degree of protection while
not appearing unlike normal if heavy clothing,
Arms, Body, Legs 4 9 kg 150 Average
All 4 11 kg 300 Scarce
and the expansive folds of the cloak can also
allow the wearer to stow a lot of hardware
against their body without being too visually
conspicuous to outside observation.
Flak Gauntlets
Flak gauntlets are formed in the main by
sturdy plates worn around the arms over a
reinforced fabric glove that reaches up to the
elbow. Theres usually an additional plate to
protect the back of the hand as well, and more
advanced models might even include
reinforcement on the tops of the fingers too.
Flak Greatcoat
Perhaps best associated with fearsome
Commissars, flak greatcoats offer excellent
protection while simultaneously looking stylish
as well as protecting the wearer from the
elements. It uses thick, overlapping flak plates
fused together into a flexible fabric, and is often
decorated with regimental insignia and awards
for use in conjunction with a uniform or even as
one by itself. Aside from Commissars, Imperial
Guard officers and some civilian fighters are
known to favour this type of armour due to its
imposing yet classic appearance.
A flak greatcoat only protects the wearers
arms unless it is fully buttoned or secured
around the front of the body.
Flak Helmet
Flak helmets variously take the form of
rounded ballistic shells or stiff, low-brimmed

130
hats, both invariably formed of rigid flak layers
designed to protect the head. Suddenly
incapacitating injuries strike the head more than
any other area, so even the most backwater PDF
troops and low-rent mercenaries will often at
least have a flak helmet if nothing else.
Flak Jacket
Standard combat gear for many militants in
the Imperium, a flak jacket covers the entire
torso with a flexible fabric tunic that includes
rigid plates within. Some models have long
sleeves to protect the arms, while others end
above the elbow and use separate gauntlets. All
will invariably include sturdy boots or leggings,
and the outfit has a distinctively military-looking
appearance, often riddled with pockets and gear-
clips to store equipment. Light flak jackets use
thinner plates and offer proportionally inferior
protection, but unlike the heavier versions they
can easily pass for everyday clothing.
Flak Vest
This is essentially a reduced flak jacket that is
only designed to protect the torso. This makes it
lighter and easier to wear while still offering
protection to a mans largest target area.
131
Undercover enforcers and investigative agents
often make use of armour like this to maintain
some personal safety while trying to appear as
average hivers or non-militant adeptus.
Guard Flak Armour
Guard Flak Armour is the heaviest type of flak
armour commonly produced, and is designed
purely for combat. It consists of carbon-fibre
and thermoplas strips wrapped around a
lightweight flexible metal frame, which is given
its final shape by a ruggedized outer shell. It is
therefore significantly more rigid than other
types of flak armour, making it ill-suited for
concealment but significantly more robust
against bullets and shrapnel. Most patterns
consist of a strong breastplate with articulated
shrouds for the shoulders, a close-fitting helmet,
gauntlets with bracers, and tall boots with knee
pads, giving the Guardsman fairly good
protection for his entire body. Gear-clips and
tac-harnesses are often added to keep handy
equipment (grenades, charge packs, and so
forth) readily available.
Guard Flak Armour of at least Common
craftsmanship includes an inbuilt micro-bead in
the helmet as well as a removable gas mask.
MESH ARMOUR Mesh Armours
Name Location(s) Covered AP Wt Cost Availability
This advanced and extremely
Mesh Cowl Head 3 0.5 kg 100 Rare
lightweight armour may well be of
alien origin, but it is purely Mesh Gloves Arms 3 0.5 kg 120 Rare
Imperial in construction and Mesh Combat Cloak All 4 1.5 kg 350 Very Rare
execution now. Mesh armour is Mesh Vest Body 4 1 kg 150 Rare
formed from bonded lattices of
Shield Robes Arms, Body, Legs 4 2 kg 5,000 Very Rare
thermoplas cells that are
seamlessly linked together in high-intensity violence but who cannot afford strutting about
presses, creating an armour that is extremely in more obvious forms of protection.
light and flexible yet just as good, if not better,
than the more common though cheaper flak Mesh Combat Cloak
suits. Mesh armour protects the wearer by This armour offers a superb combination of
responding to impacts and heat by suddenly protection and easy wearing characteristics,
becoming extremely rigid; once the blow has making it a favourite of just about any fighter
been deflected, the material returns to its who can afford its expense. Depending on style,
normally soft and flexible state. It is a favourite a mesh combat cloak could easily pass for a long
of agents, assassins, and others who expect raincoat, outerwear for a chilly day, or if suitably

132
decorated, a cape or robe fit for a nobles
masquerade ball. The folds of a combat cloak are
long and loose enough to cover the wearers
arms and legs, while a removable hood offers
protection for the head as well. A mesh combat
cloak is worn similar to the much more common
(and less expensive) flakweave cloak, and
possession of one is a sure example of a fighters
financial standings (or that of his employers).
Mesh Cowl
Mesh headgear can take the form of a close-
fitting cowl or mask, a hood attached to a duster,
or a wide-brimmed hat paired with a tall collar
(this look is particularly favoured by witch-
hunting Inquisitors and their henchmen).
Thanks to meshs lightweight properties, no
matter what style a cowl takes, it can be donned
quickly, which is handy when the wearer is
trying to blend in with groups that do not often
wear hats.
Shield Robes
When not clad in their well-known power
armour, the Adepta Soroitas will usually wear a
set of these fine mesh robes, which serve
perfectly for devotional study or martial
training. They are also traditionally worn by the
Orders Non-militant in their support roles as
well as noviciates as they are being instructed in
the ways of the Sisterhood. Aside from their
signature power armour, these robes are often
the only clothes that a Battle Sister will wear.
They are not exclusive items to the Adepta
Soroitas, however, and clerics and other
Ecclesiarchial servants who often find
themselves in battle will wear them as well. They
are often stylized and detailed with images from
the lives of saints, iconography meaningful to
the wearers favoured cult, and other holy works.
Shield robes include the Ecclesiarchy Overlay
upgrade.

Mesh Gloves
Although usually looking no different
than common fabric gloves worn for
fashion or protection from cool weather,
the mesh construction can allow the
wearer to literally grab an attackers knife
by the blade and yank it out of his hand.
Powdered steel is sometimes sewn into
the knuckles and backs of the palm to
create a more painful punch, which can be
useful in situations where the wearer cant
use a more effective weapon.

Mesh Vest
This plain but no less effective vest can
be easily worn under almost any kind of
clothing, protecting the wearers vitals
while allowing him to operate undercover
with almost no difficulty in concealing his
armour. Most are simply pulled over the
head, the wondrous construction
stretching effortlessly when being put on
but becoming a sturdy shield against
blades and bullets immediately thereafter.

133
CARAPACE ARMOUR Carapace Armours
Name Location(s) Covered AP Wt Cost Availability
Carapace armour, so named because
full suits of it make the wearer Carapace Helm Head 4 2 kg 250 Rare

resemble some kind of plated creature, Carapace Greaves Legs 5 3 kg 375 Rare
are the heaviest and most protective Carapace Vambraces Arms 5 2 kg 300 Rare
suits that are mass produced in the
Arbitrator Carapace All 5 15.5 kg 1,350 Very Rare
Imperium. Carapace is formed from
heavy interlocking plates of armaplas Enforcer Carapace Arms, Body, Legs 5 15 kg 575 Rare

or ceramite, moulded to the shape of Magistratum Carapace All 5 16 kg 1,100 Rare

the wearers body, that are relatively Carapace Chest Plate
thin but still extremely strong; a
Storm Trooper Carapace
carapace-armoured trooper can often
withstand a direct hit from a lasgun blast with
little if any injury to show for it. The suits make
use of the same principles as the plate armour
worn on feudal worlds: individual plates move
and slide over top one another, with flakweave
panels installed to protect the joints. Carapace
armour is more costly to create than other types,
and it can also be tiring to wear for long periods
of time. As a result, it is usually only worn by the
Imperial Guards elite Storm Troopers and their
Inquisitorial counterparts, Navy response teams,
and hit squads of the Adeptus Arbites these
fighters can usually afford to don their armour
just before combat begins, and often do not
march long distances on their own.
Arbitrator Combat Carapace
Worn by even novice troopers in the field all
the way up to the stern judges and marshals, the
Adeptus Arbites are probably best known by
their fierce-looking carapace suits. Arbitrator
carapace is a full body suit of articulated
ceramite plates, with broad shoulders and
reinforced boots and gauntlets meant for
hands-on work. A visored helmet covers the
head and most of the face, and can be fitted with
a rebreather for use during gas attacks or patrols
in underhive sumps. While the armour itself is
more or less standardized, Arbites agents often
customize it based on their rank and roles.
Troopers controlling cyber-mastiffs usually don
a storm coat over their armour to hearken back
to the protective coats worn by dog handlers in
prehistory, while judges and marshals often affix
a golden eagle insignia or ornament to their
Body 6 7 kg 600 Rare
All 6 17 kg 3,750 Very Rare
helmets, literally bringing the symbol of the
Emperors Justice to recidivists and scummers
while keeping their hands free to use weapons
and other combat gear.
Arbitrator combat armour includes an integral
micro-bead and Good craftsmanship photo-
visor in the helmet. The micro-bead can power
an attached vox-amplifier, which can turn the
wearers shouts into deafening roars, and small
stab-lights can be attached to the armours
shoulders. These systems can be powered by a
small battery unit or a lasgun charge pack, which
has enough energy for up to a weeks worth of
continuous use (about 170 hours).
Carapace Chest Plate
A sturdy carapace breastplate shrouds its
wearers torso with several armaplas plates,
keeping organs and other vitals safely ensconced
from blades and bullets alike. Carapace chest
plates are usually too large and rigid to conceal;
instead, they are typically worn in conjunction
with a lighter and more comfortable mesh or
flakweave armour on the wearers limbs, giving
them solid protection for the most essential body
parts without sacrificing ease of movement.
Carapace Greaves
Strong boots totally enclose the wearers shins
and calves, with separate plates for the top of the
foot and thighs. Flakweave protects the joints
and an articulated segment covers the front and
sides of the knee, which gives a stable surface for
kneeling too.

134
Carapace Helm designed to resemble a skull, with a vent-like
Carapace headgear inevitably takes the form of respirator and individual flash-reactive
a sturdy helmet due to its construction, and by eyepieces, while rugged but elegant styling make
and large has a distinctly military appearance. the wearer vaguely resemble a Terran cohort of
Regardless of their exact shape, most carapace the Adeptus Custodes, right down to the leather
helms include mounting positions for photo- balteum worn at the waist. The skeletal visages of
visors and rebreathers. carapace-armoured Magistratum enforcers are
often the last things seen by a recidivist in Hive
Carapace Vambraces Sibellus, assuming the Arbitrators dont get to
him first.
These vambraces totally protect the wearers
The suit of armour includes a respirator,
arms, with tubular armaplas or ceramite sections
micro-bead, and photo-visor in its helmet. The
for the forearm and upper arms and fully
respirator normally functions as a gas mask, but
articulated sections for the elbow and hand.
can also be used as a closed-cycle rebreather, and
Some versions totally protect the back of the
with all parts of the Magistratum carapace worn,
wearers hands and may have segmented
the wearer is concealed to be in sealed armour as
sections for the digits as well, often bonded to a
long as the rebreather is active.
mesh or flakweave glove to maintain flexibility.
Because of their sturdy construction, a punch
from a carapace-armoured fist is often just as Storm Trooper Carapace
deadly, if not more so, than a knuckle duster. The elite of the elite, Storm Troopers in the
service of the Imperial Guard and Inquisition
Enforcer Light Carapace alike often must face the fiercest resistance from
aliens, heretics, mutants, and other forms of
So named because it is a frequent choice for
Emperor-forsaken scum while performing their
PDF heavies and the private troops of noble
duties. As a result, they are invariably equipped
houses and planetary leaders, enforcer light
with the finest armour that can be reasonably
carapace is a lightweight suit of armour that is
mass-produced. Storm Trooper carapace is
fairly easy to wear and maintain. It is more costly
heavily reinforced over all areas, and while tiring
than lesser armours, but is still modestly priced
to wear for any extended period of time, it offers
for how much protection it offers. Enforcer
the best protection possible without resorting to
carapaces individual plates are designed to be
power-assistance. The armour is also equipped
easily replaced if they become damaged, which
with an array of useful gear that helps the wearer
helps keep operating expenses reasonable. Of
act decisively and efficiently in battle, whether
course, it can also be considered something of a
purging dens of cultists, gunning down warp-
bad omen to receive a suit of armour with a
spawned fiends, or infiltrating enemy positions.
single obviously new plate.
Storm Trooper carapace includes an integral
auspex unit with wrist display and a backpack
Magistratum Combat Carapace
attachment for a vox-caster or grav-chute. The
This articulated carapace suit is produced by
helmet is equipped with a removable rebreather,
the forge of Hax-Orthlack for the Lord Sectors
photo-visor, micro-bead, and there are clip
Magistratum enforcers on Scintilla, but is also
attachments on the side for lamp packs, vid-
sold to similar organizations on other hive
recorders, and other useful gear. The armours
worlds throughout the Calixis Sector. Though its
integrated systems can be powered by a small
armour protection is modest, designed to turn
battery or a lasgun charge pack, which has
away knives and low-calibre guns typically used
enough energy for up to a weeks worth of
by ganger scum, the Magistratum armour is very
continuous use (about 170 hours).
well designed and almost completely encloses
the wearers body. The helmet is deliberately

135
POWER ARMOUR Power Armours
Mankind has always placed a strong Name Location(s) Covered AP Wt Cost Availability
emphasis on wearing armour in battle, Lidhl Power Armour All 6 35 kg 6,300 Very Rare
and while most races in the galaxy
Light Power Armour All 7 40 kg 8,000 Very Rare
employ some kind of personal
protection, only humanity has truly Artificer Armour All 7 22 kg 32,000 Extremely Rare

gone to such lengths in turning its Soroitas Power Armour All 7 35 kg 20,000 Very Rare
warriors into mobile battle fortresses. Dragon Scale All 8 20 kg 7,500 Tech-Priest Only
Power armour is the fullest realisation
Ignatus Power Armour All 8 15 kg 22,000 Extremely Rare
of the Imperiums drives at personal
Power Armour All 8 65 kg 15,000 Very Rare
protection, formed in the main from
enormous overlapping ceramite plates Heavy Power Armour All 9 150 kg 24,000 Extremely Rare
that are far too heavy for their wearer This armours AP is 1 higher on the Body location
to easily move in without the aid of
Inquisitorial cells and cabals, can regularly
power assistance systems built into the suits
obtain. There are also numerous rituals and
frame. Like the boltgun, power armour is a rare
liturgies that must be performed during
but instantly recognisable symbol of the
maintenance and the donning of the armour as
Imperium. Its use dates back to the Age of Strife
well heavier suits typically require extra help
and the Emperors Great Crusade, and is
just to put on, much less to awaken the machine
perhaps best associated with the Imperiums
spirits necessary to keep the armour functioning.
mighty Space Marines, though smaller and less
All power armour requires a constant power
sophisticated suits are forged for lesser humans
source to operate and increases the wearers
as well. Power armour has evolved and shifted
Strength Characteristic; see the individual entry
over the millennia, but in virtually all cases they
of each for details. A user must wear all of a suit
are venerated objects maintained with religious
of power armours components in order to gain
duty and dedication. Some suits, especially those
its benefits, though the helmet can be removed
worn by the Adeptus Astartes, may be thousands
for wearers who wish to see things with their
of years old, scarred and scratched after
own eyes or who dont mind bullets whizzing by
centuries of war but still no less effective at
their skulls. As long as the suit is powered, its
protecting their wearer than the newest marks
weight does not count against the wearers
and patterns. Power armour uses a sophisticated
carrying capacity, and unless otherwise stated,
network of electrically-motivated fibre bundles
wearing a full suit of power armour counts as
that move with the wearers motions, carrying
being in sealed armour, making the wearer
the weight of the bulky ceramite plates while
immune to gases and airborne toxins, among
greatly enhancing the wearers physical strength
other effects.
as well. Most power armour is totally enclosed
once its various segments have been fitted, and
with the aid of built-in rebreathers and an
Artificer Armour
Magnificently crafted of the finest materials
oxygen supply can keep the wearer alive even in
and invariably custom-fit to the wearer, artificer
the oblivion of the void for long periods of time.
armour is exquisitely designed and almost
Power armour requires a great deal of skill and
always commissioned by a wealthy patron.
raw materials to craft, and only certain armour-
Because of the great care taken in its forging,
artificers of the Adeptus Mechanicus possess a
sparing no expense and often dredging through
full understanding of its manufacture. As a
data-vaults sectors away for inspiration, artificer
result, it is a prohibitively expensive item that
armour provides excellent protection while
only the best-funded and equipped forces, such
being remarkably lightweight and easy to move
as the Sisters of Battle and high-ranking

136
in. The motor-fibre network has been treated
with special unguents and solutions that make it
nearly silent in operation as well, making it quite
possible to be stealthy while wearing the suit a
feature that Inquisitors, the most common
wearers of these master-crafted armours, often
find most useful in the course of their duties.
Artificer armour is considered to be of Best
Craftsmanship and therefore does not inflict any
penalties on the wearers Concealment and
Silent Move Tests. When powered it provides a
+10 bonus to the wearers Strength
Characteristic, and includes a built-in auspex
with wrist display, though a wearer with a Mind
Impulse Unit can also have that information
piped directly into their mind if desired. A
micro-bead is integrated at the throat, as most
wearers of these magnificent armours choose not
to wear the helmet. Depending on the
commissioners preferences, a suit of artificer
137
armour may have hexagramatic wards, a
targeter, or a forearm power blade installed at
the time of construction; the commissioners
choice is included in the cost. Artificer armours
power supply is internal and spread throughout
the suits frame to improve the wearers balance.
Because of its superior construction, this armour
uses very little power; its power supply is
adequate for an entire week of combat
operation. Less intensive activities, such as
walking around during an investigation or
navigating a space hulks airless passages, use far
less energy, and the armour could operate for up
to a month on a single charge. Should this
armour ever lose power it ceases offering a
bonus to Strength and instead imposes a -10
penalty to the wearers Agility Characteristic, but
can otherwise still be worn; its seals are
automatically opened to prevent suffocation
should the wearer be helmeted at the time.
Dragon Scale
This armour is designed to be worn by the
warrior-priests of the Magos Militant and the
field enginseers assigned to frontline duty with
the Imperial Guard, and is almost more of an
augmetic than a suit of armour. Each set of
dragon scale is individually hand-forged from
adamantine and ceramite plating woven with
prayers of permanence and micro-etched with
sacred machine code and fractal incantations of
defence. A tech-priest fitted with a set of dragon
scale is protected by the equivalent of a full suit
of power armour, but with only minimal
encumbrance due to the direct interface with his
cyber-mantle, and because it draws power from
his potentia coil, it will never require recharging.
Among Mechanicus Secutors and the ranking
Magos Ordinatos, who are likely the most
devoted members of the Priesthood as far as
heavy augmetics go, a set of dragon scale is often
permanently attached to the tech-priests cyber-
mantle, forming a new and much more effective
skin and flesh while also doing a fine job of
hiding what little offensive biologics remain on
the priests body.
Dragon scale upgrades the tech-priests
respirator unit with a closed-cycle supply, and
they are treated as wearing sealed armour as long
as it is worn. A Good Craftsmanship photo-visor
is integrated into the helmet, with separate
models for tech-priests who still have organic
eyes and those who have wisely replaced them
with bionic equivalents. While worn, dragon
scale provides a +10 bonus to the tech-priests
Strength Characteristic. Good or Best
Craftsmanship dragon scale increases this bonus
to +20, but also increases the wearers size by one
step; an average Magos would become Hulking,
while a heavily augmented one with the
Machinator Array talent would become
Enormous. Unless the tech-priests potential coil
is somehow damaged, this armour never
becomes unpowered.
Heavy Power Armour
Standard suits of power armour turn the
wearer into a fierce juggernaut that can wade
138
through storms of lesser weapons and lesser
enemies with ease. However, for those who
absolutely require the most physical protection
possible, some forges create even more
monstrous armours. Heavy power armour
makes use of additional plasteel plates and a
laminate coating to bulk up the wearers body
even more, with a bulging rack of power cells
festooned with thermal radiator fins attached to
the back of the chestplate to activate hugely
oversized motive bundles. Elaborate bracing
protects the most vulnerable areas, and with
such massive shoulders and a gorget, the
wearers helmeted head looks almost comically
small in comparison. Almost no considerations
have been made for utility outside of combat: the
mitten-like gauntlets are useless for any sort of
tasks that require dexterity, the power cells
radiators make the suit stand out like a beacon to
those with IR goggles, and the expansive plates
moving atop one another make a racket akin to a
pair of grav-cars colliding whenever the wearer
moves. However, excluding Space Marines or
the most heavily augmented Mechanicus Magi,
there are none more capable of withstanding
punishing blows in combat than a heavy power
armoured warrior.
Heavy power armour is cumbersome to the
extreme, imposing a -20 penalty to any Agility
Tests the wearer may make. Acrobatics,
Contortionist, and Dodge Tests are simply
impossible, as are any Skill Tests involving
manual dexterity (repairing a cogitator, picking
a lock, playing cards, and any other uses the GM
deems appropriate). Heavy power armour grants
a +20 bonus to the wearers Strength
Characteristic and increases his size by one step,
so a standard human would become Hulking.
The helmet includes an inbuilt micro-bead and
vox-caster, Good Craftsmanship photo-visor,
and an auspex display. The combat systems
contained within the reinforced arms allow the
wearer to wield ranged weapons as though they
were wearing recoil gloves, and the servo-
bracing grants the wearer the Auto-stabilised
trait. The armours power cells have enough
energy for 12 hours of continuous use, and can
be recharged from most standard power sources;
it takes roughly twice as long to charge, so a fully
depleted power cell would need to be recharged
for a full day. Should the suit become
unpowered, the armours vents open
automatically to ensure the wearer doesnt
suffocate, but movement is nearly impossible.
Most wearers simply topple over, immobile and
all but helpless; if the wearers Carrying Weight
is above that of the armour (see Carrying and
Lifting on Page 215 of Dark Heresy), they can
still stumble around awkwardly by succeeding
on a Hard (-20) Strength Test; success allows
the wearer to make a Half Move each Round for
a number of Rounds equal to the wearers
Toughness Bonus, after which they must succeed
on another Hard Strength Test to keep moving.
Even still, all physical actions suffer a -30 penalty
until the wearer is extracted from his unpowered
suit or receives power once more.
Ignatus-pattern Power Armour
Ignatus power armour is produced by skilled
Mechanicus artisans for the express purpose of
equipping agents of the Inquisition, and many
militant Inquisitors and their ranking minions
have plunged headlong into battle with the
enemies of the Emperor whilst girded by this
fine style of power armour. Ignatus-pattern suits
are a cut above the marks that are manufactured
for dilettante nobles, mercantile cartels, and the
personal troops of a wealthy Rogue Trader;
while similar in function, with large ceramite
plates articulated by motive-fibre bundles, this
pattern also has many finer features that are
useful to a warrior in the service of the
Inquisition. They are almost exclusively
decorated with religious iconography and
symbols of the Holy Ordos, with many likewise
flourished with the personal insignia of an
Inquisitors cadre.
Ignatus-pattern power armour has the
equivalent of a Good craftsmanship photo-visor,
micro-bead, and an auspex display built into its
helmet. These devices can be controlled by
speaking to the armours machine spirit, though
the wearer can also commune with his armour
139
with a cerebral plug or Mind Impulse Unit. The
wearers size increases by one step, so an average
human would become Hulking, and as long as
the armour has power, it grants a +20 bonus to
his Strength Characteristic. The backpack power
supply is an extremely high quality unit, capable
of providing enough high-discharge energy for
five days of continuous combat operations; work
that requires less energy, such as walking around
or conducting investigations, might let a suit of
Ignatus power armour function for several
weeks between recharges. Should the armour
become unpowered, however, its joints lock up
and systems shut down, leaving the wearer
extremely vulnerable. Movement is all but
impossible, though the wearer can still (slowly)
work his way out of an unpowered suit. This
takes about an hour and inflicts one level of
Fatigue on the wearer.
Lidhl Power Armour
This style of light power armour is on the low
end of protective value. While little better than a
good carapace suit in terms of warding off
bullets and blades, it is far easier to move in
thanks to its power assistance, while the fairly
simple design and construction requires much
less specialized knowledge and liturgical rituals
to coax the machine spirits into action. Higher-
ranking Imperial Guard officers of various
regiments throughout the Calixis Sector are
known to favour this type of armour for these
reasons, often decorating them with awards and
achievements; some are explicitly crafted to be
suitable for wear as a uniform in the field.
Lidhl power armour grants the wearer a +10
bonus to their Strength Characteristic as long as
it has power. The backpack power supply has
enough energy for 1d3 days of operation, after
which it must be recharged. This can be done
from most power sources and takes exactly
twelve hours. If the armour becomes unpowered
it ceases offering its bonus to Strength and
instead imposes a -20 penalty to the wearers
Agility Characteristic. Without power the
rebreathers and life sustainers cease functioning
as well; this can suffocate the wearer, though
pulling the helmet off will obviously prevent this
fate.
Light Power Armour
Light power armour is a generic term for suits
of power armour that are smaller and less
protective than larger and heavier styles. While
less impressive to behold and possessing inferior
protection, light power armour is also easier to
move in and requires less in the way of arcane
tech-rituals and specialized equipment to use.
Though still rare and expensive, it is likely one of
the more common types of power armour in use,
with many wealthy operators nobles on
planetary expeditions, the trusted underlings of
militant Rogue Traders, and even the best
established recidivists and gang lords in
various parts of the Calixis Sector.
140
Light power armour grants the wearer a +10
bonus to their Strength Characteristic as long as
it has power. Power is provided by a cell unit on
the back; a standard non-military supply has
enough power for 1d5 hours of use, while a more
costly and efficient unit can keep the armour
operating for 12 hours (at an extra cost of 1,000
Thrones). If the armour loses power it no longer
increases the wearers Strength and instead
imposes a -30 penalty to the wearers Agility
Characteristic as the wearer must stagger around
and force the fibre motive bundles to move with
his own muscle. Without power the rebreathers
and life sustainers cease functioning as well; this
can suffocate the wearer, though pulling the
helmet off will obviously prevent this fate.
Power Armour
As close to standard as these exceptional
types of armour can be called, power armour
wraps its wearer in a sturdy suit of ceramite
plates and electrically-motivated fibre bundles,
allowing him to strut about with remarkable
ease despite the great bulk of armour that
weighs more than the average hive ganger.
Because of the bulky size and noisy operation,
power armour is usually only worn by the most
militant fighters with a large amount of Thrones
to burn, and some of these suits, commissioned
centuries earlier, can still be found in use by the
original wearers descendants or other warriors
in the employ of that organization. Many sets of
power armour are elaborately decorated with
specific motifs or ornate embellishments, such
as family heraldry or planetary and sector
insignia. However, it is said that the plain and
featureless suits are by far the most
intimidating, as they represent mysterious and
shadowy groups with great financial strength
and no doubt shadowy and nefarious objectives.
Power armour grants the wearer a +20 bonus
to their Strength Characteristic as long as it has
power, and the wearer increases by one size
while wearing it (an average human would
become Hulking). For an additional 500
Thrones, the armours arms may be reinforced
with an auto-brace rig, making the wearer
always considered to be Braced (as per the
Bulging Biceps talent). A rack of power cells
stored on the back provide energy for the
armours motive fibre network. A standard non-
military unit lasts for 1d5 hours; a more efficient
(and expensive) power unit costing 1,000
Thrones can provide power for up to 12 hours
before it must be recharged. Should the armour
lose power it no longer increases the wearers
Strength and becomes a stiff prison that just
barely moves, and then only under great effort.
The wearer must succeed on a Very Hard (-30)
Strength Test just to move; their Agility
Characteristic suffers a -30 penalty, and all other
physical actions suffer a -10 penalty as well.
Without the rebreathers and life sustainers, the
wearer is at risk of suffocation inside their
armour. This can be averted by pulling the
helmet off (a successful Challenging (+0)
Strength Test), though if the wearer hadnt
donned the helmet in the first place this is not a
concern.
Soroitas Power Armour
The custom power armours worn by the
militants of the Sisters of Battle are expertly
crafted relics that have changed little from the
Age of Apostasy, and demonstrate a level of
quality and techno-craft that is only surpassed
by the armour worn by the Space Marines
themselves. These suits were originally
commissioned by Goge Vandire himself; with
the most talented armour-artificers at his
disposal, the mad High Lord saw to it that his
Brides of the Emperor would have the finest
protection possible for unaugmented humans.
Each suit is powered by a small fusion device
stored on the wearers back, similar to those used
by the Adeptus Astartes, and can keep the
armour running forever with proper care and
maintenance. The Orders of the Adepta Soroitas
keep close watch and sustention over their
armours, and many are used by numerous
Sisters after their previous wearer is killed or
retires to a non-militant order. As a result, they
are exceptionally difficult to obtain outside that
organization, although there are at least a few
141
examples of these great protective suits going
unaccounted for.
Soroitas power armour grants the wearer a
+10 bonus to their Strength Characteristic as
long as it has power. The helmet includes an
inbuilt micro-bead and a targeter that grants its
Ballistic Skill bonus to any non-Exotic ranged
weapon held by the wearer. The backpack fusion
unit provides power for the armour indefinitely,
though it can be damaged. If the wearer sustains
Critical Damage to the Body location and the
attack originated from behind them, consult the
chart below in addition to the normal injuries
suffered by the wearer. Any problems that are
sustained continue until the unit can be
repaired, which requires a successful
Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test. If the suit
loses power, the vents in the helmet open
automatically to prevent the wearer from
suffocating inside her own armour.
FUSION UNIT CRITICAL DAMAGE
Damage Result
1-3 Unaffected: The power unit shrugs off
the attack and continues functioning
normally, though the wearer may be
worse for wear
4-5 Damaged: The power flow has been
diminished or interrupted due to
damaged components, causing system
failures and difficulty moving. All
benefits grated by the armour (except its
inherent AP) are lost, and all physical
actions suffer a -10 penalty.
6+ Unpowered: The suit completely shuts
down as its fusion unit sputters out. The
wearers Base Movement decreases by 2,
and she must succeed on a Difficult (-
10) Strength Test to move more than a
Half Move every Round. All physical
actions suffer a -20 penalty.
OTHER ARMOURS Other Armours
Name Location(s) Covered AP Wt Cost Availability
Most forms of armour worn in the
Environmental
Imperium can be divided up into Envelope
All 1 5 kg 625 Rare
categories based on their common Blur Field Cloak All 2 6 kg 800 Rare
features. All mesh armour protects
Synskin All 2 2 kg 2,500 Very Rare
the wearer by using thermoplas cells
that harden on impact, while Preysense Mask Suit All 3 7 kg 650 Rare

carapace armours rigid armaplas Slither Boots Legs 3 6 kg 500 Rare

plates do the same. There are, Wind Armour All 3 18 kg 2,200 Rare
however, forms of armour that
Hardened Body Glove Arms, Legs, Body 3 5 kg 300 Scarce
simply cannot be classified as any
one given type. These are either Boarding Armour Head, Body/Arms, Legs 5/3 20 kg 1,225 Rare

uniquely constructed, worn Hospitaller Armour Head/Arms, Legs, Body 4/5 20 kg 10,000 Very Rare
differently, or have some kind of Armoured Body Glove Arms, Legs, Body 5 7 kg 1,300 Rare
inherent feature or ability that sets
scanner waves that common IR sensors and
them apart from other armour types. Whether
auspexes generate, making it significantly harder
designed for special purposes or made from rare
to spot the wearer with such equipment.
materials, armours dumped into this category
Attempts to detect the wearer with an auspex,
are likely about as similar to one another as an
IR goggles, or similar gear take a -20 penalty.
Aquila Lander is to a pair of boots.

Blur Field Cloak

Armoured Body Glove
A blur field is a curious side effect of
This form-fitting armour is crafted from
Mechanicus attempts to mimic Eldar holofields.
armaplas micro-fibre that is bonded together in
While not nearly as effective as that xenotech, a
a similar style to the more common mesh
blur field integrated into a cloak can significantly
armour. An armoured body glove is costly and
disrupt the wearers shape, and is much more
difficult to craft, as even the most skilled
economical (and less heretical!) to produce. A
armour-artisans must often start over several
blur field does not hide so much as distort the
times when microscopic imperfections turn up
wearers silhouette, rendering it difficult to focus
in the bonding process, but the protection it
on or identify details. It also causes interference
offers is incredible considering its mass and
in some types of electronics, and hinders the
flexibility. It is also much more comfortable to
ability of systems that use pattern recognition by
wear than any light carapace suit, making it an
fouling their scanners.
ideal choice for operatives who must remain
A blur field cloak can be used as armour, or
undercover for days at a time. Assassins and
worn over heavier suits; its APs do not stack,
Inquisitorial agents are likely the most common
though it still provides its other benefits. A blur
users, as they must frequently undertake such
field imposes a -10 penalty on all sight-based
missions and usually have suitable funding for
Tests made against the user while it is active,
the more costly equipment, but well-equipped
Ballistic Skill and Weapon Skill Tests made to
bounty hunters and house enforcers are known
attack, as well as any attempts to locate the
to sport it as well.
wearer on an auspex or IR goggles. The blur
For twice the listed price, an armoured body
fields generator can use most common power
glove may be manufactured with a removable
cells or a lasgun charge pack to operate; either
hood that, when pulled up, provides the same
one lasts for about five minutes. The blur field
AP to the head location. This version is treated
takes 1d5 Rounds to power up once activated but
with a special laminate coating that absorbs
can be disabled as a Half Action. Because of the

142

network of wiring and cables that produce the
blur field effect, an attack that punctures the
cloak can cause additional harm to the wearer;
any attack that successfully inflicts Damage on
wearer (it is not totally reduced by Armour and
Toughness) also gains the Shocking quality if the
cloak is active, and the wearer does not gain the
usual armour bonuses to their Toughness Test.
Boarding Armour
When conducting offensive actions, repelling
enemy boarders, or conducting investigations in
perilous black holds, Imperial Navy armsmen
and the militants of armed merchant ships often
don these armoured kits which provide
protection from blades and bolts along with the
hard vacuum of the void. Boarding armour
consists of a sealed void suit that has been
reinforced with a full flakweave skin, while a
strong ceramite breastplate and helmet protect
143
the most important areas. Most
styles of boarding armour, which
can be quite varied, include a
backpack-mounted impellor unit
that gives the wearer some
mobility in a low or zero gravity
environment.
Boarding armour grants 3 APs
of flak armour to the wearers
Arms and Legs, and 5 APs of
carapace armour to the Body and
Head. The wearer is considered to
be wearing sealed armour and can
operate safely in the void as long as
the suits rebreather canister lasts
(usually about an hour). Canisters
can be replaced without removing
the armour, and most wearers will
carry a spare as a precaution.
Boarding armour includes an
inbuilt micro-bead and photo-
visor in the helmet, and there are
external pouches and gear-clips to
attach useful items (seal patching
kits, lasgun charge packs, a
grapnel/clasp, and so forth). The
boarding armours impellor can
propel the wearer in zero or
reduced gravity conditions with a Movement of
6, but its bulk imposes a -10 penalty on all
Agility Tests once the wearer returns to anything
like normal gravity.
Environmental Envelope
Professional travellers and explorers in the
Imperium are an uncommon and foolish (some
would say) sort; the costs of travel, combined
with dangerous voidfaring and the questionable
customs of Imperial citizens from other worlds,
means most will never leave the (relative) safety
of their homeworld. However, those that do go
out into the unknown often despair over the
many environments they must prepare for as
they travel between systems. Bulky void suits are
frequently impractical, especially when a given
worlds atmosphere is simply unpleasant rather
than dangerous or deadly, and there are few void
suits that actually provide any armour
protection to their wearer. Travellers on the
frontiers of the galaxy have an especially difficult
time of it, for if they discover a planet with
unexpected environmental conditions, the
proper equipment may be long months away.
Several of the worthies of the various Malfian
noble houses decided that the situation of
exploration in the Calixis Sector was intolerable
and set about designing a series of form-fitting
full body suits that can withstand multiple
extreme conditions while still maintaining their
wearer in relative comfort. The suits were a great
success at once, and various models are
produced in small quantities on Malfi, Vaxanide,
and Scintilla. Environmental envelope is a
generic name for a wide variety of suits; these are
often named after the house line that produces
them, such as the Mariette Explorer Glove or
Hax Hostile field suit.
An environmental envelope covers the
wearers entire body and sustains them at a
constant temperature, despite all but the most
extreme external conditions, making them ideal
as outerwear for desert worlds and a useful inner
layer for particularly cold environments. Pockets
within the suits recycle sweat and other bodily
fluids, cooling or warming them as necessary, in
order to regulate temperature and provide
emergency water rations. The suits are
waterproof, which makes them useful in marshy
terrain, and capable of keeping the wearer dry
while conducting underwater expeditions.
Wearing an environmental envelope makes
the wearer immune to most conditions one
might encounter on a planet, such as extreme
heat or cold, toxic or acid rain, and other
unpleasantness. Note that this protection is
limited, and while the envelope could keep the
wearer alive and comfortable in a scorching
desert, it would be burnt to a crisp (along with
its owner) in short order by a plasma reactor or a
baked world perilously close to its star. A
rebreather that uses standard canisters can keep
the wearer alive underwater or in poisonous
atmospheres, and an environmental envelope
also includes an inbuilt micro-bead and photo-
144
visor. The envelope grants the wearer a +10
bonus on Survival Tests, and as long as the
rebreather is active they are considered to be in
sealed armour. The envelope can be worn in
conjunction with other armour to gain its
effects; its AP stacks with lighter armour, but can
never increase the wearers Armour to more
than 5. This means that it could be worn with a
suit of Guard Flak Armour and still count, but
would be ignored if worn with Light Carapace or
any type of power armour.
Hardened Body Glove
Intended as a covert form of personal armour,
the hardened body glove comprises a form-
fitting suit made up of a flexible mesh fibre
material that tenses when struck to disperse the
impact. The suit is also reinforced with micro-
scale inserts hardened ceramic lamellar plating
over vital areas. Because of how well it follows
the form of the wearers body, it can be easily
worn under loose-fitting or other specially
tailored clothing, making it a very handy choice
for troops engaged in undercover operations,
bodyguards at formal functions, and anyone else
who desires good physical protection without an
overt show of doing so. Because it moves and
even feels like clothing, physical contact doesnt
produce a tactile response indicative of armour,
and certain types of body gloves are even
disguised to look like clothing in their own right.
For twice the listed cost, a hardened body
glove can be purchased with a sealable hood that
covers the head, changing the Locations Covered
to All. This version has inherent stealth
features that make the wearer harder to detect
with auspexes, IR vision, and other equipment,
imposing a -20 penalty on Tests made to notice
the wearer with any such gear.
Hospitaller Armour
Often serving in combat zones, a Sister
Hospitaller requires more protection than her
allies in the other Non-militant Orders. The
distinctive armour is a welcome sight to injured
guardsmen and Acolytes alike, an angel of mercy
sent by the God-Emperor himself. In addition to
its protective qualities, the hooded habit is often environment. The wearer simply melts into the
coated in incense and unguents and the rest of background on thermal scanning, rendering him
the armour is sealed and treated against toxins, far harder to spot with IR goggles and other gear
an invaluable feature for someone who that looks for heat. Because the likely users of
inevitably must work in foul conditions. Various such a device will likely find themselves in
tools and equipment suitable for medicae work harms way, the suit is built into a flakweave
are integrated into the armour so the Sister can outfit to provide some protection should their
immediately start treating casualties without the camouflage prove inadequate. Of course, it can
need to haul separate gear with her. Many of also be wrapped around or worn under heavier
these implements are also quite suitable for use suits of armour for those who expect trouble but
in interrogations, however, and it is not still want to confound thermal detectors.
unheard-of for an Inquisitor to request the
assistance of a Sister Hospitaller to aid
(under close supervision) in cracking a
particularly defiant subject.
Hospitaller armours rebreather and
purity treatments grant the wearer a +20
bonus to resist toxins or diseases that do not
penetrate the armour (such as a poison
dart), regardless of whether the gas
ordinarily reduces the effectiveness of such
items. These features also grant a +10 bonus
on any Fear Test with an olfactory
component (such as rotting bodies).
Hospitaller armour includes a
diagnosticator, an injector rig to quickly
apply serums and drugs to the wounded,
and a chain blade to cut a victim out of
damaged armour or a crumpled vehicle. The
chain blade can be used as a weapon in
conjunction with the injector rig; treat this
as a chain knife with the Toxic and
Unwieldy qualities.

Preysense Masking Suit

While visual masking will often confound
sentries and simple scanners, often ones
own body heat will give you away to an
auspex or thermal sensor. Preysense
masking suits use a simple but effective
method to thwart detection by using a liquid
cooling agent that circulates through
capillaries throughout the exterior of the
garment. A small integrated cogitator causes
the cooling system to activate when
necessary to maintain the suits exterior
temperature to that of the local

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 A preysense masking suit provides a +20
bonus to the wearers Concealment Tests when
opposed by any kind of infrared sensor or
detection, including creatures whose sight is
based on heat. This effect can be sustained for up
to an hour before it must be turned off to allow
the cooling agents to recharge, which takes
another hour. It provides the listed amount of
flak armour to the locations indicated; the suit
can be worn with most other armour but its APs
do not stack. The preysense mask suits shielding
is not powerful enough to block out the heat
created by bulky suits of power armour; if the
wearer is already in armour that provides 7 or
more APs (taking the usual -30 penalty to
Concealment and Silent Move Tests), the suit
has no effect.
Slither Boots
Slither boots are designed for exploration on
worlds with polluted or hostile environments
where the soil itself is destructive and toxic. The
salt-fens of Acreage, acid storm wastes of
Grangold, or deadly slime jungles of Vaxanide
can cut any expedition to a halt in short order as
the ground itself eats away a travellers footwear
and exposes them to the toxicity of their
surroundings. Locals simply avoid such places
whenever possible, whilst the unprepared
adventurers often return horribly injured, or not
at all. Those equipped with slither boots,
however, can brave almost any terrain. Slither
boots are highly advanced footwear that
incorporate a variety of materials, including
ceramite-woven leather and a circuitry-
embedded inner frame, to ward off the
environment. Instead of breaking down into
mush, slither boots slowly bleed off chemicals
that shield the wearers feet and legs from acidic
or alkaline soil and muck. Finally, as their name
suggests, slither boots do not slip. Regardless of
how tractionless a surface may seem, the soles of
the boots exude small gelatinous tendrils that
help compensate for the wearers movements.
Slither boots provide a +10 bonus to Agility
Tests made to maintain footing in treacherous or
slick conditions, and their Armour Points are
146
doubled against corrosives and other
disintegrating substances that the wearer might
find himself stepping in.
Synskin
A favourite of assassins and others who prefer
stealth to brawn to accomplish their tasks,
synskin is a highly advanced bio-reactive body
glove with an inert, non-reflective surface that
moulds itself perfectly to the wearers form,
offering absolutely no encumbrance other than a
slightly clammy sensation. It has many curious
properties that are not fully understood by many
priests of the Mechanicus, much less the
operatives who wear them, but for deep
infiltrations and espionage there are few better
options, and that knowledge alone is usually
enough for even the most seasoned agent. The
suit is less donned and more poured or
stretched, appearing as a block or sheet of a
matte black rubbery substance when dormant.
The stuffs properties become apparent when the
wearer thrusts a limb through the synskin and it
binds perfectly to their form, with the wearer
applying it to the rest of their body by simply
pulling and stretching it until no slack remains.
Care must be taken to ensure that the wearer is
also familiar with how to safely create openings
in the substance, as it is entirely possible to
suffocate by foolishly thrusting ones head into
the material. Synskin is similar, though less
advanced (and far less costly), than the highly
specialized stealth suits used by the Officio
Assassinorum, and there are some that believe
that shadowy and enigmatic organization is
responsible for their creation.
Synskin grants the wearer a +20 bonus to
Concealment and Silent Move Tests, and renders
him invisible to infrared scanning and Dark
Sight. Synskin can be worn under other armour
though its stealth properties are reduced and its
armour points do not stack. If worn in
conjunction with other armour, it no longer
grants a bonus to Concealment or Silent Move,
Tests, but the wearer is still rendered invisible to
IR goggles and dark sight unless their armour
provides 7 or more APs, in which case it is
simply too large and cumbersome to be
adequately hidden by synskins stealth features.
Wind Armour
Wind armour, a seemingly fanciful concept, is
built and designed to deal with a very real
problem. There are many worlds in the Calixis
Sector that boast powerful storms the
infamous Splinter Winds of Baraspine travel at
147
over 700 kilometres an hour, and are more than
capable of stripping an armoured man to dust
inside of one minute. Against such force, even a
void shield would be hard-pressed to cope.
Understanding that simply trying to stand
against the wind was ultimately foolhardy, the
designers at the Fane of Doru on Scintilla came
up with a clever idea of creating a series of auto-
reactive ceramsteel plates that would redirect
wind force. The aerodynamic shape
allows the wearer to advance in
lighter storms, and at least hunker
down to survive the more intense
ones. Wind armour is formed from a
light articulated carapace suit that has
an enclosed body glove under it, with
a closed-cycle air supply and other
features all designed to keep the
wearer alive in the most severe wind
and storm conditions. While popular
with explorers, it is not designed for
combat and its protection against
weapons is inferior to other types of
carapace armour.
Wind armour includes an inbuilt
vox-caster and photo-visor in the
helmet along with an advanced air
filtration life sustainer whose tank
lasts three times as long as a standard
rebreather. The tank can be replaced
without removing the suit as a Full
Action. As long as the life sustainer is
active the wearer is immune to the
effects of dire storms and wings, and
counts as being in sealed armour,
though only within an atmospheric
or aquatic environment; it cannot
protect the wearer from hard
vacuum. Replacement sustainer tanks
have a base price of 60 Thrones,
weigh 1 kg, and are Rare.
ARMOUR UPGRADES Weapons Upgrades
Name Weight Cost Test Availability
Depending on their construction and the
preferences of the owner, suits of armour will Cameleoline Coating +1 kg 600 -20 Very Rare

often include various pieces of useful equipment Ecclesiarchy Overlay +2 kg 1,000 +10 Rare
built in to their frames. Flash-reactive films and Hexagramatic Wards +1 kg 2,500 -30 Very Rare
visors protect the wearers eyes from glare and
Sanctified Armour +0.5 kg 1,500 Very Rare
photon grenades, rebreathers and air filtration
Shock Field Generator +2 kg 1,200 -10 Special
systems keep out poison gases and toxic
vapours, auspexes detect hidden opponents, and This upgrade requires the attentions of a suitable member of the Ecclesiarchy
a micro-bead or vox-caster lets the wearer stay Ecclesiarchy Overlay
in touch with allies outside of earshot. However,
Upgrades: Any armour
the bulk of these features are simply analogous
Comprised of a battery of extensive
to individual pieces of gear or equipment that
Ministorum-approved iconography, engraved
can be donned on their own by anyone who can
prayers, mottos, and purity seals, an Overlay can
afford to purchase one.
be applied to both armour as well as sturdy
Armour upgrades refer to a very specific set of
clothing, and immediately marks the wearer as a
modifications that add some kind of extra
particularly vocal follower of the God-Emperor.
function or capability that must be integrated
Such accoutrements can inspire other members
into a suit of armour to obtain their benefits.
of the faithful, put the wearer in good graces
Some upgrades can only be added to certain
with the Ecclesiarchy, and is utterly revolting to
types of armour; this will be listed in the
wicked heretics and other creatures who shudder
description where appropriate. Adding these
away from the radiant light of the Emperor.
upgrades to a suit of armour requires the Trade
The wearer of an Ecclesiarchy Overlay receives
(Armourer) Skill, and may have other
a +10 bonus to Command and Fellowship Tests
requirements depending on the nature of the
when trying to inspire, lead, or rally the faithful,
upgrade itself.
and a +10 bonus on Charm Tests when
fraternizing with members of the Ecclesiarchy.
Cameleoline Coating Additionally, the aura of purity that is radiated
Upgrades: Any non-Primitive armour by this regalia punishes foul warp-denizens and
This substance is laminated onto the exterior other cretins. Any supernatural creatures within
surfaces of a suit of armour, mimicking the 20 metres of the wearer take a -10 penalty on all
effects of the better-known cameleoline cloak Willpower Tests.
without the need for a separate garment that
might get caught on obstructions or provide a Hexagramatic Wards
handhold for an enemy in close combat.
Upgrades: Carapace and power armour that
Armour treated with a cameleoline coating
covers the Body location
acts as though the wearer were wearing a
Powerful wards, null-psy lattice circuits and
cameleoline cloak, giving them a +20 bonus to
prayers of protection are woven and etched into
Concealment Tests and counting the wearer as
armour carrying this upgrade, often visually
being at Extreme range as long as they take no
represented by ornate carvings and graven icons
movement actions. If applied to power armour,
embellishing its surface. Armour upgraded in
which ordinarily imposes a -30 penalty to the
this way not only serves to protect the wearers
wearers Concealment and Silent Move Tests, it
body, but their soul as well.
instead cancels out the penalty to Concealment
Armour with this upgrade provides its wearer
entirely, but does not count the wearer as being
with a +20 bonus on Tests made to resist any
further away.
direct psychic attack or manipulation used

148
against them. This effect persists regardless of
what type of armour receives this upgrade.
Furthermore, the armour provides double its
normal Armour Points against attacks of psychic
force or warp energy that directly deal Damage
(such as the Psychic Blade or Fire Bolt psychic
powers), and keeps its normal value against
attacks with the Warp Weapon effect. This
quality is dependent on the type of armour
worn: a carapace breastplate only provides those
additional bonuses against attacks that hit the
Body location, while a full suit of power armour
applies it to the wearers whole form.
Sanctified Armour
Upgrades: Any non-Primitive armour that
provides 3 or more APs
Created with great care by Ministorum priests
and often performed on the robes of militant
clerics and power armour of the Sisters of Battle,
sanctifying armour turns it into a bastion of holy
might against the corrupting powers of the warp
and the unclean. Sanctified armour nearly
always features engraved prayers or knit symbols
on numerous areas, while large holy symbols are
set or hang over the chest and along each limb.
Finally, the entire suit is blessed and anointed
with sacred oils, taking on a glossy sheen that
never becomes dirtied, no matter how many
blades strike it or heretic blood is spilled over it.
Sanctified armour is often paired with an
Ecclesiarchy Overlay to create a truly glorious
tribute to the Emperors might in battle.
Sanctified armour grants the wearer the
following benefits. First, it provides a +10 bonus
on Tests made to resist any direct psychic attack
or manipulation used against the user.
Additionally, it provides full Armour Points
against attacks made of psychic force or warp
energy that deals damage directly, as well as
attacks made with the Warp Weapon effect.
Finally, punches and kicks made by the wearer,
whether using unarmed attacks for lighter
armour or the armoured gauntlets of carapace or
power armour, are considered to be Holy in
nature and will have additional effects on some
149
Daemonic creatures and warp entities (as will be
noted in their descriptions).
Shock Field Generator
Upgrades: Carapace and power armour
Shock weapons are commonly used by the
Adeptus Arbites, among many other sorts of
enforcers and authority types. Usually this is in
the form of a melee weapon, such as the
ubiquitous shock maul, but there are some
groups who make use of a more unusual but no
less effective way to deliver a nasty jolt to
scummers and recidivists. By incorporating a
shock field generator directly into a suit of
armour, anyone who successfully lands a blow
against the wearer is rewarded with a shock as
the current travels through their weapon and
into their bodies. The wearer is grounded by
virtue of the generator fields design equally
charging their armour, so he is at no risk of
shocking himself. Allies, however, are another
story, and most shock field generators will have a
hidden emergency cut-off to facilitate a
wounded wearer being dragged away by a
comrade. The elite White Hands of the Adeptus
Arbites on Scintilla are the largest known users
of shock field generators, incorporating them
into their carapace armour as an extra line of
defence against the underhivers that they all too
often must go to war against.
Any successful melee attack made against the
wearer of a suit of armour with a shock field
generator can shock the attacker. If the weapon
is conductive anything not made of wood,
glass, ceramite, or a similar material the
attacker must make a Toughness Test as though
they were struck with a weapon with the
Shocking quality. This effect targets the wearer
in the arm (or leg, if making a kick) used to
make the attack, and includes unarmed attacks
unless the wearer has some kind of non-
conductive gauntlets or gloves.