Let me preface this particular entry of the Let’s Study with this: Imperium Maledictum understands that running a noir-ish investigative game set in the Warhammer 40,000 setting requires a boatload of detail.
Therefore, I will not go into the fine detail of the setting here as Imperium Maledictum already does a fantastic job of it, with loving detail. But I will be hitting the main sections and what to expect just so you can see how incredibly deep this rabbit hole goes.
The Macharian Sector
The key setting for Imperium Maledictum is the Macharian Sector, so named after the Lord Solar Macharius, the greatest general the Astra Militarum has ever known. This section opens up with the history of this general, his deeds, his chosen generals, and his eventual end, and the end of his glorious Macharian Crusade.
There’s a ton of interesting detail here, and the way that the glories of conquest collapsed into infighting with the loss of Lord Solar Macharius repeats a theme of how the Imperium is prone to self-serving corruption, something that will show up time and again.
The sector itself is given attention next, with details on governance, trade, faith, technology and other elements, along with sidebars that have paragraphs on the various Sector Merchant Guilds, Noble Houses, Criminal Cartels, Knight Houses, Cults, Navigator Houses and Rogue Traders. Again, this is a gold mine of names and faction sketches that would serve any GM well.
Worlds of the Macharian Sector
This section is broken up into the five sub-sectors that make up the Macharian Sector, with each one sporting anywhere from four to fourteen different planet profiles. Each planet is given a full description, along with possible details on notable Hive Cities, Personalities, Plot hooks or Rumors.
Each of these entries could very well be the basis of an entire campaign’s worth of investigation and adventure with a little work from the GM.
Impressions
Short as this entry may be, I want to take the time here to commend the writers for the sheer amount of heavy lifting done in these chapters. Imperium Maledictum is the kind of game that relies heavily not simply on mechanics, but also in arming a GM with the kind of setting detail that reinforces the kind of mood and themes that are uniquely Warhammer 40,000.
Cubicle 7’s team clearly understands the source material, and uses that understanding to full, horrifying effect.
Next up in this series, we’ll take a peek at the Game Master’s sections and wrap up with a final review!
For those curious about Imperium Maledictum, it’s a great time to get started as Cubicle 7 has just released the Starter Set!
You can pick up the PDF of the corebook for $29.99 and the Starter Set for $19.99
You can also choose to grab these over at the Cubicle 7 Webstore
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