Hey everyone! I’ve been playing the Dark Millennium RPG series from Fantasy Flight Games for years now. Currently GM’ing a campaign and I’ve run tons of games in this system - multiple Dark Heresy campaigns (one reached Ascension level), plus Rogue Trader, Deathwatch, Black Crusade, and Only War sessions.
What’s awesome about these games is they all use compatible mechanics, so you can mix elements between them with some GM work. Since the Rogue Trader video game draws heavily from the tabletop RPG, I’m hoping we might see Dark Heresy get the same treatment if RT does well!
Dark Heresy: The original game using modified d100 mechanics from Warhammer Fantasy. You play as Acolytes working under Inquisitors (think being subordinates to characters like Heinrix). Focus on investigation and mystery in the grimdark future. Famous for creative character death - the running joke was to make backup characters because yours will die horribly, go insane, mutate, or somehow survive against all odds.
Rogue Trader: Second release with higher power levels. Less structured narrative, more “give me a ship and let’s explore the galaxy.” Added starship combat and colony building mechanics. Introduced warp travel rules and why Navigators are essential for safe jumps.
Dark Heresy Ascension: Third in the series (technically an expansion). Contains rules for high-level play as Inquisitors, Tech-Adepts, Assassins, etc. Also provides framework for connecting all the game lines together. Basically the epic-level supplement.
Deathwatch: Fourth game letting you play Space Marines! Includes custom chapter creation and even Dreadnought rules. Featured Cohesion and Squad Mode systems for team tactics. Marines advance slower but have more advancement options.
Black Crusade: Fifth release that was hard to categorize - part player game, part GM resource, part alternate ruleset. Play as Chaos cultists or Traitor Marines trying to gain enough Infamy to launch your own Black Crusade from the Maelstrom.
Only War: Final game in the original line, focusing on Imperial Guard regiments. Known for high lethality - you play entire squads and expect frequent deaths. Great vehicle rules including Baneblade mechanics.
After this came Dark Heresy 2nd Edition trying to unify everything, but many players stuck with the original series due to better content variety and cross-compatibility.
Thought this background might interest folks!