Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory Roleplaying Game

The Warhammer 40,000 universe is a sprawling tapestry of gothic horror, brutal warfare, and a touch of dark humor. Over the years, its lore has inspired countless novels, video games, and tabletop games. Wrath & Glory, the roleplaying game, offers players a chance to immerse themselves directly into this rich and dystopian setting, playing as everything from an Imperial Guardsman trying to survive against impossible odds to a Chaos cultist weaving plans in the shadows. With its core rulebook and two expansions—Forsaken System Player's Guide and Threat Assessment: Daemons & Heretics—there's plenty to dig into. But does it capture the essence of the grimdark future? Let's find out.

The Core Rulebook
Wrath & Glory positions itself as an RPG for fans who want to experience the Warhammer 40,000 universe at a more intimate scale. It combines narrative-driven storytelling with crunchy mechanics, making it appealing to both lore enthusiasts and number crunchers. The book allows for flexible play styles, whether you want to roleplay small-scale skirmishes in a hive city or delve into larger conspiracies involving Inquisitors, xenos, and daemons.

The dice system is straightforward but effective, using pools of six-sided dice (d6) where rolls of 4+ count as successes. Particularly notable are the mechanics for Wrath, Glory, and Ruin. These resources allow for narrative twists and heroic feats—or catastrophic failures. Players can spend Wrath to re-roll dice, while Glory is a shared resource that enables team-based heroics. Ruin, however, is the GM's resource to make things go spectacularly wrong for the players, keeping the tension alive. It feels thematically appropriate for the Warhammer universe, where the line between success and catastrophic failure is razor-thin. It's simple enough for newcomers to grasp but layered enough to offer depth to veteran players.

The core book shines in its range of character creation options. You can build an Eldar Ranger, a tech-obsessed Mechanicus priest, or even a lowly Adepta Sororitas novice. Each archetype feels distinct and faithful to the source material, but the sheer number of options might be overwhelming for newcomers unfamiliar with the lore. On the downside, while the system supports a wide range of playstyles, the balancing between archetypes can be wonky. For example, a Space Marine is significantly more powerful than a hive ganger, which can make party dynamics tricky. However, this imbalance is mitigated by the roleplaying opportunities such mismatched groups create.

Forsaken System Player's Guide
The Forsaken System Player's Guide dives deeper into a specific corner of the Imperium, offering new character options, lore, and expanded mechanics. It's a great addition for groups who want a more detailed sandbox to play in, particularly those interested in the machinations of rogue traders, hive gangs, and planetary politics.

This book introduces new archetypes, including more nuanced roles like hive world scum or noble-born dilettantes. It also provides more in-depth rules for specific factions, like the Adeptus Mechanicus, making it easier to roleplay their unique quirks. The guide also adds new backgrounds and homeworlds, allowing for richer character backstories. The titular Forsaken System is an excellent setting for campaigns. It's a sector rife with intrigue, xenos incursions, and Imperial neglect—a perfect microcosm of the larger 40k universe. The book fleshes out this sector with detailed planetary descriptions, notable NPCs, and overarching plot threads. It's a goldmine for GMs who want to craft a campaign with plenty of political and moral gray areas.

While the core book provides a broad framework for the Warhammer universe, the Forsaken System Player's Guide zeroes in on a specific setting, making it an invaluable tool for creating a focused and immersive campaign. However, it's not essential for all groups—those who prefer sandbox play across different settings might find its narrow focus limiting.

Threat Assessment: Daemons & Heretics
If Forsaken System is about fleshing out the heroes, Threat Assessment: Daemons & Heretics does the same for the villains. This expansion provides a wealth of information on some of the Imperium's most dangerous foes, from Chaos cults to daemonic entities.

The book offers detailed stat blocks and lore for a variety of antagonists. Whether you're facing off against a small group of cultists or a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, the encounters feel appropriately dangerous and flavorful. The book also includes tips on how to roleplay these villains effectively, ensuring they're more than just combat challenges.

What makes this expansion shine is its focus on narrative. It offers GMs tools for crafting campaigns centered around Chaos and heresy, complete with hooks, complications, and long-term consequences. The book emphasizes the moral corruption and psychological toll of dealing with Chaos, which is crucial to capturing the grimdark atmosphere. The content here is excellent, but it's very niche. If your group isn't planning to interact heavily with Chaos or daemons, this book will see limited use. Additionally, while it provides some new mechanics, they're not as groundbreaking as those in Forsaken System.

The Good, the Bad, and the Grimdark
There is little doubt that Wrath & Glory and its expansions are a treasure trove for Warhammer 40k fans. The core book lays a solid foundation with its engaging mechanics and rich lore, while Forsaken System and Daemons & Heretics provide the tools to take your campaigns to the next level. However, it's not a perfect system—new players may struggle with the lore, and the expansions cater to specific playstyles.

If you're a Warhammer enthusiast looking for a system that captures the grimdark universe in all its horrifying glory, this is an excellent choice. For newcomers, it might require some extra effort, but the payoff is well worth it.

The strengths here are clear, and many. From the immersive lore, dripping with the gothic horror and bleakness that define Warhammer 40,000 to the flexibility of the system. Which supports a wide range of playstyles as well as narratives. From the small-scale skirmishes to epic, sprawling conspiracies. Of course there are a couple of other things to consider as well. Such as a steep learning curve when it comes to the lore-heavy side of things. Which can be intimidating for newcomers. It is also worth pointing out that there are a few imbalances among the archetypes, but it's really just a minor gripe.

As a whole, the effort here is nothing but top notch and something every fan of the franchise should consider. And remember; In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war—and some truly epic roleplaying campaigns.