Fans of Warhammer 40k RPGs, rejoice! Cubicle 7 has revealed the cover art for the upcoming Warhammer 40k RPG Imperium Maledictum, illustrated by Álvaro Jiménez. Cubicle 7 shared the art in a blogpost on January 13, and promises that the game will launch in “early 2023”.
The cover image shows off three Imperial agents approaching a burning temple somewhere in the Macharian sector, a region of space that the legendary Astra Militarum general Lord Solar Macharius conquered for the Imperium of Man. “From left to right, the agents are a Zealot in service to the Ecclesiarchy, a Recidivist Penumbra, and a Savant of the Adeptus Mechanicus” the post states, adding that a forthcoming character creation preview should shed some light on what those different roles mean.
In December, Cubicle 7 previewed the Patron system from the game, a collaborative system for players and game masters to design a powerful political figure from one of the Warhammer 40k factions. Patrons will gives the players their missions, grants them boons, and also makes their lives hell with their liabilities. That preview suggests that Patrons will work a little like Crews from Blades in the Dark, playing a big role in determining what kinds of adventure your characters will undertake.
While Cubicle 7’s other Warhammer 40k RPG, Wrath and Glory, uses an unusual tabletop RPG dice system, Imperium Maledictum uses a classic d100 system, similar to the revered (but sadly discontinued) Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader RPGs. That’s not the only similarity: the information page for Imperium Maledictum promises “grievous injuries and violent dismemberment” for any characters who put their fists ahead of their wits.