What is Imperium Maledictum?

Imperium Maledictum is a new Warhammer 40,000 roleplaying game set in the glorious Macharian Sector, forged from the thousand worlds conquered by Lord Solar Macharius, one of the greatest commanders in the long history of the Imperium.

Centuries after the Lord Solar's death and elevation to sainthood, the Macharian Sector is — at first glance — a bastion of Imperial might. In truth, the entire sector balances upon the knife-edge of peril; beset by heresy and betrayal from within and alien menaces from without. For the rule of the Imperium to prevail, servants loyal to the throne must step forward and pledge themselves to the sector. Their trials shall be lethal, their rewards paltry, and their likely fate a thankless death. But in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, who could hope for more? 

Imperium Maledictum uses a familiar but refined d100 system to draw players into tales of intrigue, betrayal, and conspiracy. Players take on the role of Imperial adepts and citizens recruited by a powerful Patron. These influential figures use teams outside the usual chain of command to undertake grim and perilous missions, furthering their often inscrutable interests. To succeed, players must weave their way through the complicated web of competing organisations that make up the Imperium. They must navigate a realm where a whispered accusation can be as deadly as any bolter, plumbing the depths of the most lethal hives and navigating the often far more insidious threats that grace the courts of the highborn.

Do you have what it takes to survive the grim and treacherous adventures in the 41st Millennium?

The gratitude of the powerful is a heavy weight to bear

Plucked from Obscurity

Where the lives of most of the Imperium’s countless billions of citizens are spent in endless, drudging toil, you have been chosen. Whether by luck or accursed misfortune, a true power in the sector — your Patron — has lifted you out of obscurity, to use what skills you have in pursuing their own inscrutable agenda. You are bound to them, almost certain to die in their service, but in return enjoy freedoms far greater than those of the average Imperial citizen. You will travel the sector, witness events and vistas beyond the imagination of most citizens, and perhaps outright forbidden to them. From the lush fields of an Agri-World, to the sterile manufactorums of a Forge World; from the decaying bowels of gigantic hive cities, upwards into the glittering spires which pierce polluted skies, and further still into space, travelling the stars in voidships that make perilous passage through the daemonic realm of the Warp.

Your life only has value as long as you are useful to your Patron. You are a deniable and often expendable asset that can be used to advance their interests, and tossed aside when you are no longer fit to serve their purpose.

Your Patron

The first step of your adventure in the perilous Macharian Sector is for everyone playing the game to collaboratively create a Patron. Your Patron is a powerful individual who has gathered you together as a team to advance their Faction’s goals or serve their own agenda. Patrons are usually unflinching servants of the Imperium, though their precise goals and methods vary wildly, and may be at odds with other Imperial factions. Your choice of Patron will strongly influence your experience of Imperium Maledictum, and every player — including the GM — should be involved.

Creating a Patron is a collaborative process between the players and the Gamemaster. Your patron will have very different goals, depending on what part of the Imperium they represent, and this will influence the missions you undertake, the enemies you face and even the resources at your disposal. To create a Patron, you’ll need to decide on which faction they represent and their place within it, what motivates them, their boons and liabilities, and how much influence they really have.

Faction & Duty

The whole group determines the Patron’s Faction. They may be members of the Inquisition, the Astra Militarum, the Adeptus Mechanicus, or any one of the nine major factions in the Macharian Sector. This step more than any other influences the type of game you will be playing. So choose carefully!

A Patron’s Duty defines how they serve their faction — are they a powerful Tech-Priest ruling over a swathe of manufactorums, or perhaps an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos, tracking inhuman threats to the Imperium?

Motivation & Demeanour

Your Patron’s Motivation defines their aspirations and goals, while their Demeanour will define much of how they interact with the party. The players can choose, or they may allow the dice to decide! 

Boons and Liabilities

One of the most important steps of Patron creation is choosing their Boons and Liabilities. Patron Boons are powerful abilities that can be drawn upon between or during missions. Well-armed patrons may provide their servants with the use of rare and precious bolt weapons with which to lay waste to their enemies, while more subtle individuals may provide false identities to allow the party to operate undercover. 

However, for every Boon a Patron enjoys, the GM is allowed to secretly choose a Liability. This might be an old enemy, a rival faction, or a dedication to the Emperor that borders on the obsessive. Whatever the case might be, these liabilities are sure to come back to haunt the players. 

Influence

Power is a currency all of its own in Imperium Maledictum, and while players may accrue some connections and Influence of their own, their Patron operates at a far higher level. Patrons have relationships with other factions and that ebb and flow during the course of the game — often because of player actions during missions. Factions with whom a Patron is friendly might provide assistance to the characters, while those that hold a grudge against the Patron are likely to be suspicious of anyone acting in their name.

Patron creation is a vital part of Imperium Maledictum and helps to shape the missions and investigations your party will undertake. However, for those in a rush, we’ve also included a number of sample patrons so you can get straight into making your character.

Over the coming weeks Cubicle 7 will sharing more information on Imperium Maledictum, ahead of its launch in early 2023. Be sure to follow us on  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,  subscribe to our newsletter, and keep an eye on our website so you don’t miss anything!