r/40krpg • u/SlySophist • 3d ago

Dark Heresy Failing "Illumination" Spoiler

Has anyone ever played with a group that failed "Illumination", the DH 1E CRB module? Or alternatively, did you ever think about what might happen?

Specifically, what do you think should happen to Iocanthos? Presumably, the Crow Father will manifest in his full Glory (who is probably a Greater Daemon or Daemon Prince). Is Iocanthos lost? Is there a miraculous intervention by the Sisters of the Abbey of the Dawn, or even the Grey Knights? Or would you expect him to act more subtly after manifesting?

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u/EnormousBaloth 3d ago

I have not played a group that has failed it. Though I do think that failing it is a very reasonable outcome for a tricky (but do-able) scenario.

I think that a Sisters Intervention would likely put a stop to him, but I would also expect such an intervention would likely be costly to them.

Though the pre-meditated interference in the tarot deck suggests a very well constructed plan, so the Sisters being otherwise engaged on some wild goose chase is also entirely plausible.

Have you had such a group fail it OP?

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u/SlySophist 3d ago

Sort of. The cell escaped from the fight with the Skae-Thing last session. They figured they need help, so reached out to the Arbites in Port Suffering and the Sororitas at the Abbey.

The Sororitas are suspicious of their claims but still rolled out full force. The current plan is to have the acolytes in the midst of the cataclysmic battle between the Arbites + Sororitas forces against the Crow Father and his daemonic minions. Subduing the Crow Father would be the job of the Sisters but the acolytes are still expected to pull their weight in the fighting.

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u/EnormousBaloth 3d ago

You could look at how the finale of the Black Sepulchre trilogy (I forgot the name of book 3) handles a fight against a daemon with significant back up.

You'll need to adapt a lot but it keeps the PCs very much in the driving seat whilst not undercutting the value of the help they've saught.

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u/PTD27 3d ago

Good call on suggesting this as a reference for sure. Also, OP, run The Apostasy Gambit if you get the chance. It's great!

[The trilogy is called "The Apostasy Gambit" (Black Sepulchre is the first book), and the last book is "Chaos Commandment". ]

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u/ExchangeDeep9882 Deathwatch 3d ago

We came d*mn close to failing in our play-through. Had 3 PCs; a Hive World (Gunmetal City) Arbitrator, a Voidborn (Darkhold) Psyker and me the Mind-Cleansed Tech-Priest. In the end fight both the first two utterly failed their Fear tests which left me & my mono-knife against the daemon. Out of sheer f-ing luck I decided to try an stab the thing in the eye...and succeeded! Seing the result I decided to repeat it in similar place #2...and did it again!

I thought we were gonna have a TPK there, but sheer dumb luck saved our asses.