Planet generator

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The Imperium contains millions of settled planets. Such is the number of these planets that an almost limitless variety of environments can be created for the setting of your game. Below is detailed a method for generating planetary information, and a standardized layout for presenting the information. The steps below allow the generation of a planet within the Imperium that holds some form of settlement and society.

Obviously, there are many more planets in the galaxy that are devoid of life than there are which bear civilisation: in any star system, usually only a few of the planets will be settled. Often most of the planets in a system are simply too inhospitable, even for the most inventive of colonists and most lengthy of terraforming projects. The steps detailed below for generating a planet will create a planet that is within the parameters where civilisation can be easily established, or made possible by the stubbornness of humanity and the technology of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Some of the steps have tables which allow you to randomly generate traits for the planet, all of which use a d100, and some of which will then require the rolling of one or more d10 to get a further definition. Other steps have no random tables, and are merely a suggestion of what kind of details you should create for the planet to make it complete and distinctive.

When generating a planet you can use as many of the random tables as you wish, or you can simply select one of the options from each table. While it can be entertaining to randomly generate as many of the planet’s features as possible, a planet is sometimes being created because it is required for a particular scene or scenario in a game of Dark Heresy, so the randomly generated traits may not be suitable or desirable: the GM should ignore or reroll any features that do not suit the requirements or tone of the game being played, or simply select the most suitable.

The details generated by this system provide only the basics of a planet’s size, geography and social basics. The details, colour and flavour must be added by the Dark Heresy GM (or other 40k RPG) and players as required by their campaign.

Check out the System generator for fluffing the system the planet in question is present in. For Forge Worlds, use the Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World Creation Tables and the Dark Mechanicus Forge World Creation Tables as well for extra fluffing. If you are here from Astartes Chapter, Adepta Sororitas Order, Imperial Guard Regiment etc. creation tables and already rolled for planet terrain, you can fudge the rolls here as necessary.

For an external source, we would recommend Role Generator's Planets module, which can be used for non-40k generation as well.

Class:[edit]

The class of a world describes what type of planet it is, what kind of civilisation and society can be found on the planet, what level of technology is commonly used on the world, and what kind of relationship the people of the planet have with the Imperium.

Planet Class (d100)
01-15 Hive World: The most heavily-developed worlds in the Imperium, covered in hive arcologies, with populations often peaking at the tens or low hundreds of billions (though it can go much, much higher). Life is generally good on the surface, but generally sucks eggs on the underside and is just run-of-the-mill lower middle to upper middle class daily grind for the vast majority in the middle. The most heavily populated Hive Worlds are Ecumenopoli and the entire surface of the planet can be covered in hundreds of floors of buildings and go down potentially tens of kilometers underground. Needless to say, an Ecumenopolis Hive World has a frankly absurd population and needs to produce some manner of cheap and sufficiently energetic food to sustain itself to a certain degree if it doesn't have at least one Agri-world exporting crops to it (and sometimes even then some native food production is needed).

Keep in mind that this generator was made with the relatively densely-populated Calixis sector in mind. For other sectors, these worlds will be a much rarer sight, and it is pretty much a safe bet that if a sector only has one Hive World (that is to say, very rarely as most of the time every sub sector has one at least, if only for manpower requirement in the grimdarkness of the Milky Way Galaxy) it is the Sector (or Sub Sector) capital. If rolling multiple worlds, this world type needs at least one nearby Agri-world to feed its citizens.

16-19 Penal World: Class of Imperial world that functions as a military prison planet. A single such world's population consists entirely of criminals drawn from hundreds of different worlds. May double as a Mining World or Agri-World or have a similar low skilled and repetitive labor intensive trade, or simply exist as a one stop shop for Penal legion recruits (even then, they may still produce military gear if only to free up the actual industrial planets for more expensive stuff).
20-27 Agri-World: Lightly-urbanized worlds which have been completely converted for use in food production, be it natural or hydroponic; grain, vegetables, meat and hide, or the occasional alien fungus or maggot casserole. Sometimes ruled directly by the Administratum or under Mechanicus authority through a Knight House.
28-32 Forge World: Overworked factory planets owned by the Adeptus Mechanicus to pump out all sorts of goodies for the Astra Militarum: Guns, Titans, Ships, Power armor, or simple consumer goods are all manufactured in continent-spanning manufactorums. The Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World Creation Tables aren't a bad supplement for this result.

If rolling multiple worlds, this world type needs at least one nearby mining world to supply it with raw materials.

33-38 Mining World: Metal and mineral-rich planets, covered in city-sized mines and refineries, producing a fuckton of raw materials for the local Forge world, possibly extracting plasma (for direct use or as a fusion catalyst for nuclear transmutation to needed materials) from the stars or rare gases from the Gas Giant they orbit as well. Often the retirement home and final resting place for criminals and 'criminals' alike.
39-44 Developing/Civilised World: 'Adolescent' colony Worlds that just sort of sat there and were allowed to develop on their own before the IoM came around asking for tithes. Often highly balkanized and highly culturally diverse, yet decently developed with a population somewhere in the million-billion bracket, up to around 10 billion or so, and may have one hive city for a capital pushing the population maxing out at 15 to 20 billion or so. The balkanization is not strictly under national lines (indeed, the Administratum would prefer to deal with one governor and the factions of the planetary one world government rather than disparate states if the world is advanced enough) and the divide may be factionalism under a single planetary government, the factions being composed various nobles and the rich burghers or the purveyors of certain produced good for example.
45-49 Fortress World: Well-guarded and armed to the teeth, these worlds are the haunts of the best of the Astra Militarum, and may even be graced by a passing Space Marine chapter. Military service is often on these worlds what agriculture is on a primitive world: Everybody does it, has done it for generations, and will do it until everybody dies.
50-53 Feudal World: Sword-and-Psykery worlds whose development peaked in the late medieval/early renaissance age, but stalled at gunpowder, castles, thatched roofing, and courtly intrigues, though it may be improving on its own. These worlds generally keep to themselves, unless something has gone seriously wrong. If there is any Imperial presence here it will typically be limited to an Ecclesiarchial mission or an Imperial Knight house.
54-58 Feral World: Wild, backwater worlds that only technically qualify as a colony, with nomadic hunter-gatherers fighting tooth-and-nail to live another day. May be a failed colony, or a plain Death World. Many inhabitants don't even know there is an Imperium, only that sometimes weird men come to recruit soldiers to fight in the Skyfather's wars in distant stars.
59-64 Shrine World: So you go to church every Sunday? How about living there? How about having your whole planet being one mega-Vatican, covered in shiny gothic cathedrals and temples, and living and breathing its own brand of the Imperial Cult? Naturally, these worlds are often dominated by the Ecclesiarchy, and many a true believer from around the galaxy makes pilgrimage here.
65-68 Cemetery World: Consecrated worlds that serve as the final resting place of the Martyrs and heroes of the Imperium. They may range from the mausoleums of a noble house or a brave Space Marine company, or the unmarked and paved-over field from a nearby hive world.
69-73 Pleasure/Paradise/Garden World: Walled gardens where the rich and powerful can unwind and sow their oats, with the populace living to wait on them hand and foot, or step aside and make art, music, and pretty things. Often a beautiful place to live, as long as nobody takes it too far.
74-76 Death World: If it's not the molecular acid rain, it's the Rape-spiders. These worlds are near impossible to live on. Anyone who can live here more than ten years would make a perfect Space Marine.
77-80 Frontier World: A newly discovered, newly settled, poorly-explored world that's a bit rough around the edges. Usually, inhabitants must fend for themselves while their sponsor world focuses on other matters.
81-83 Quarantined World: Something bad has happened here, but not quite bad enough for Old Reliable. Instead, all access to this world has been cut off while the upstart WAAAGH!, crotchrot epidemic, or warp outbreak runs its course, one way or the other.

Whatever happened, roll 1d100 on this table to establish this world's original class, before everything went to shit in a stain. If this is rolled then roll again to determine the original class, rerolling rolls of 93 and 94 as Forbidden Worlds are already quarantined by definition. If you hit 81, 82 or 83 again reroll, or maybe it was quarantined for a long time and records as to why have been lost or classified so the sector government is uncomfortable with lifting the quarantine but it is likely not bad enough to for a full Forbidden World.

84-89 War World: You know the mantra. In the grim darkness, there is only war. There's only been war here for generations. It's likely nobody remembers what all the fighting is about, and the thing they've been fighting over was long since destroyed, and that that thing is the planet itself.

But it wasn't always this way. Roll 1d100 on this table to see what this world was originally like before one thing led to another. If this is rolled then either roll again or maybe the fightings been happening here for so long that it's literally always been at war as far as records are concerned

90-92 Dead World: Be it naturally barren, Tyranids, Exterminatus, natural disaster, unsustainable living, the end result is the same: No atmosphere, no civilization, not a cell of life to be found, short of Terraforming which will probably take decades at the bare minimum.

The vast majority of planets are lifeless, but this particular world was once inhabited. Roll 1d100 on this table to establish this world's original class. If this is rolled again then it's always been dead (classifying as a Barren World which was incapable of supporting life in the first place and significantly raising potential mining resources), but that wont stop the Imperium if it really wants to set-up here for some reason.

93-94 Forbidden World: As on a Quarantine world, for one reason or another, Imperial Authority has barred access to this world. Usually a very good reason. So good they won't tell you what it is. They have a good reason for that, too. They can tell you it, but only if you ask, and anyone asking that many questions is either an Inquisitor or a heretic.
95-98 Xenos World: This world is the homeworld or colony of a primitive xenos race, and lies outside the control of the Imperium of Man. Usually tolerated as long as they pose no threat to the Imperium, and aren't sitting on anything too valuable. Occasional orbital bombardment to break up larger gatherings and keep technology low might be undertaken. If the Xenos race, no matter how minor or peaceful, begins the stage where it starts to have large amounts of Psykers popping up then they may be cleansed for safety of the Imperial domain. May also be an Exodite world under a deal between the resident Craftworld and the sectors Imperial government to be left alone or even a filthy Tau (or other Regional Xenos Power) colony that was left to them for strategic reasons or as a peace treaty as there are more important frontlines to send resources and manpower towards.
99-100 Gas Giant: A giant planet made mostly of hydrogen and helium gas, with no solid ground to speak of. If anyone lives here, they live in the drifting cloud cities. More likely, though, it's the myriad of moons these planets tend to have, that have been settled. If you really like this table, you'll really like this type of planet. If the planet size is rolled very high, you can rule it to be a Brown Dwarf rather than a Super Jupiter. Check out the System generator table for a better way to determine whether its a (relatively) small Gas Dwarf, a regular Gas Giant, a Gas Titan or a Brown Dwarf.

Tech Level:[edit]

The level of technology common on a planet will determine its society and economy, and will limit what is available to be bought and traded there. The tech level given for a world is not an absolute limit on what can be found there; it is simply a measure of what technological level the indigenous people possess, and is what is most common on the world. An ‘Industrial’ world can still have a spaceport in orbit and a ‘High Imperial’ settlement as its capital; the mass of the locals are simply kept at the lower level so that they may be more easily controlled and administered.

The tech level of a planet is determined by generating a value based on the class of the world. Find the class on the first table below, and use the listed value to determine the planet’s tech level, as defined on the second table.

Tech Value
Hive 36+2d10 (Hive worlds are very likely to have a disparity between the Upper and Lower hives, though it's mostly a matter of wealth)
Penal 15+3d10
Agri 15+3d10 (Agri worlds are likely to tech have disparity between the Capital and the rest of the planet)
Forge 50+1d10
Mining 15+4d10 (Mining worlds may have disparity between the Capital and rest of the planet and if you roll low you can fluff it as such)
Developing 20+2d10 (Civilized worlds may have disparity between the Capital and rest of the planet and the capital can be up to High Imperial)
Fortress 40+2d10
Feudal 5+1d10
Feral 1d10
Shrine 20+4d10
Cemetery 20+3d10
Pleasure 35+2d10
Quarantined/Dead Use prev. class
War Prev. class
or 20+2d10
Death 4d10
Frontier 15+2d10
Forbidden 6d10 ±1d5 (for edge cases such as a roll of 6 to make a stone age forbidden world)
Xenos 6d10 ±1d5 (for edge cases such as a roll of 6 to make a stone age xenos species, high rolls can fluff it as Regional Xeno Power or an Eldar Exodite world)
Gas Giant 30±4d10

\*Quarantined worlds and Dead worlds are worlds that previously had another class before being subjected to whatever event gave them their current class. Use the value for the planet’s original class. War Worlds are the same, except that a backward world can't sustain total war conditions without a tech upgrade; use prev class for what tech it had before the outbreak of the war, *but* if it was formerly Feral or Feudal, roll 20+2d10 for the tech the war is being fought with, or rule it as Low, Mid or High Imperial if the war is to a scale where off world Imperial Forces had to intervene in. Also note that Gas Giants orbital habitats need a relatively high level to function and low rolls can be assumed to be one of its likely numerous moons.


Tech Level
01-05 Stone Age: Inhabited by people who live in small family groups, dwell in caves or rough shelters and use only the most basic of tools made of stone. People survive by hunting and gathering.
06-10 Bronze/Iron Age: The people have started to learn how to shape and work bronze, and later iron to make more effective tools and weapons. They are also living in more substantial and sturdy buildings. Hunting and gathering is still common, though small farms may be seen dotted about.
11-15 Steel Age: The use of iron has evolved into the manufacture of alloys to make steel for weapons, armour and tools. Farming and trade are ways of life for most people, and civilization has started to gather in fortified villages and towns. The ruling classes live in large stone castles. Communication networks of couriers and carrier birds are common.
16-20 Pre-Industrial: The underclass lives mostly by farming, and there is a richer class starting to make use of new technologies and mechanical devices to aid in manufacturing. Printing presses make education and distribution of information more efficient.
21-25 Industrial: Has completely moved on from small farms and independent manufactories. Everything is mechanized and automated. The population mostly lives in large cities, and computers are starting to become common in all things. Solid projectile weapons are the norm for military forces, and advanced armour has started to appear for personnel and vehicles. At the very end of this stage, nuclear power and advanced computing systems can be found.
26-30 Early Space: Has developed basic space flight, and may have established settlements on its own moons, and even close neighboring planets in the same system. Basic las weapons and early coilguns may have been developed. Beyond this point, it is almost a guarantee that the multicultural empires and nation states of earlier periods vanish in favor of planetary unification (this may occur earlier if an empire is sufficiently successful, out of necessity to combat a Xenos invasion or through shrewd negotiations).
31-35 Advanced Space: Has explored their own system, and colonised any viable planets to be found there. Las weapons are common, and cybernetics are starting to become practical.
36-40 Warp Space: Has seen the development of warp drives and Geller fields, and the inhabitants are capable of traveling the galaxy beyond their own system. Powerful computers are common. Cybernetics and advanced medical techniques have been developed that border on Imperial level augmentation and rejuvenants. Primitive models of more advanced weapons, like plasma and needle weapons, are rare but present.
41-45 Low Imperial: The advanced technologies of the Imperium start to be seen, but are not always available. Standard issue and common weapons and armour can be easily found, but rare, expensive or very high tech items are still unavailable most of the time (no items with rare or very rare availability can be found on these worlds), though the PDF will likely have such weapons for their specialists.
46-50 Mid Imperial: Most of the technology of the Imperium can be found. Only the most obscure or scarcely found items of technology can’t be found on these worlds (very rare availability items cannot be purchased). The PDF is guaranteed to pack plasma weapons and other demanding ordnance for its specialists. Most Imperial worlds are at this level.
51-55 High Imperial: The peak of Imperium technological advancement outside of the greatest hive worlds and Adeptus Mechanicus worlds. Anything and everything that can be bought on the open market can be found on these worlds, and the local troops have access to the most advanced weapons, armour and equipment such as hellguns, plasma weapons, power weapons, melta weapons, bolters and Carapace Armour can be found deployed to the PDF (and indirectly the Imperial Guard recruits) and Enforcers more commonly than other planets and the rich strata almost certainly equip their security forces with the open markets top end.
56-60 Advanced: Have access to limited or developing technology. In the Imperium of Man only the greatest hive worlds and forge worlds have this level of technology. Although it wouldn't be surprising if some Inquisitors, who at least can be trusted to not fuck up all the time by both their fellows and the Mechanicus, have a planet or two that run an actual research facility that legitimately researches new technology. Extremely advanced weapons and armour are available in this planet and its manufactora can produce some of the most demanding (and commensurately deadly) weapons available to mankind. Such weapons can include graviton/grav weapons, conversion beam weapons, photon-thruster weapons and ordnance special even for being Titan or Voidship grade. At its peak, the deadly Vortex weapons that tear open holes in reality can even be produced, but such materials need to be handled with extreme care. Further, who knows what manner of technological horrors a planet so blessed to have survived the Iron War, the Age of Strife, the Great Crusade, the Horus Heresy and the Long War so unusually intact, or at least was able to rebuild may contain?

Size of Star:[edit]

The size of the star that a planet orbits can have a significant effect on the economy and military importance of the planet, as the gravity well projected by the star determines the size of the system’s warp zone.

Size (d100)
01-05 Tiny
06-15 Small
16-75 Medium
76-85 Large
86-95 Huge
96-100 Giant

Galactic Position:[edit]

The coordinates which describe the planet’s location in the galaxy. The coordinates are given as 5 pieces of information, and is written with each separated by a slash, like this: AB/CDE/FG/123/456.

The first two letters are used to indicate what Segmentum the planet is in. The codes used are: SO for Solar, OB for Obscurus, PA for Pacificus, TE for Tempestus and UL for Ultima.

The next piece of information is a three letter code that indicates the sector of space that the planet is in. In the case of Calixis, CAL is used. Every sector of the Imperium has its own three digit code that is used in the coordinates of planets in that sector (presumably, they at least try to avoid repeats within Segmenta at least, the Imperium wouldn't have existed as long as it had if the Administratum were THAT bad).

Third is a two letter code that indicates what sub-sector of the indicated sector the planet is in. Calixis’ sub-sectors use the following codes: PE for The Periphery, MM for the Markayn Marches, MA for Malfian, GR for Golgenna Reach, JR for Josian Reach, DM for Drusus Marches, AD for Adrantis and HA for Hazeroth.

On the last page of this article is a chart of the Calixis Sector. This chart is divided into squares, each of which is 2 light years across. The squares are numbered across the bottom (Trailing) edge and up the left (Rimward) edge. These numbers are used as grid reference coordinates to indicate a planet’s location within the sector.

The first three-digit number is used to indicate the planet’s grid reference along the Trailing edge. The second three-digit number is used to indicate the planet’s grid reference up the Rimward edge. The first two digits in each case indicates what square the planet is in, and the third digit is a measure of how many tenths of a square the planet lies into the square. Using this system it is easy to give the location of any planet in the Imperium.

Obviously this system is not precise enough for stellar navigation, but it adequately fills the role of allowing us to plot a planet’s location for purposes of game-play.

Sector:[edit]

The galaxy of the Imperium is divided into administrative sectors, each of which has its own sector governor and administratum infrastructure. While each sector’s administration and authority is obviously still beholden to the powers of Holy Terra, they are mostly self functioning and largely autonomous due to sheer scale involved. A sector usually also has a Conclave of the Inquisition assigned to watch over it, led by a Lord Inquisitor. If the sector has multiple Inquisitor Lords (presumably the majority of sectors due to sheer population involved) then the senior most Inquisitor Lord of an Ordo in the sector will be the Master, giving three for each major Ordo (Malleus, Xenos and Hereticus) and one Master will be promoted to Grandmaster of the Sector Conclave (the Master post is then filled by the next senior Inquisitor Lord of that Ordo).

Sub-sector: All sectors are divided into sub-sectors, and this is which sub-sector the planet can be found in.

Planetary Governor: One person on each planet is held responsible for the payment of the required tithe when the Imperium shows up to collect. The manner in which the planet is governed and the methods used to gather the tithe are beyond the concern of the Imperium. All the powers of Terra care to know of planetary politics is who the responsible individual is (the Sector, or at least Sub-Sector, government will pay more attention if there are troubles). The title used on the planet varies from place to place; ‘Governor’ is simply a generic title used for bureaucratic ease. Internally they may be President, Dictator, King/High King (but NEVER Emperor, that is super ultra Heresy for daring to claim any sort of closeness to the guy who is literally your God), Castellan or whatever, but as far as the Administratum is concerned, these are merely identifiers when compared to their actual post as a Governor of the Adeptus Terra.

Adepta Presence:[edit]

The branches of the Adeptus Terra are present on different worlds in varying degrees. To determine what Adepta are present on a planet, and to what extent they are involved in the planet’s politics and daily life, consult the tables below. At each class of world each branch of the Adeptus Terra is listed with a dice value. Roll the indicated dice for each Adepta and consult the ADEPTA PRESENCE table below to determine the normal everyday presence and influence that Adepta has on the world.

Following the tables there is a brief explanation of what each level of presence means. For purposes of simplicity, the Inquisition and Adeptus Ministorum are included here as well, even though they are not strictly branches of the Adeptus Terra. The system is very broken however, and you’re best of just using your own method to determine these numbers

Adeptus\World Hive Penal Agri Forge Mining Developing Fortress Feudal Feral Shrine Cemetery Pleasure Death Frontier Quarantined / War / Dead / Forbidden
Administratum 4d10 2d10 2d10 2d10 2d10 1d10 5d10 1d5 N/A 2d10 1d10 2d10 1d10 1d5 GM's Discretion
Arbites 3d10 4d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 N/A 3d5 N/A N/A 1d10 1d5 2d10 1d5 N/A GM's Discretion
Astra Telepathica 3d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d5 2d10 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d5 2d10 1d5 1d5 GM's Discretion
Astronomica 1d10 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d5 N/A 2d10 N/A N/A 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d5 N/A

GM's Discretion

Mechanicus 2d10 1d10 1d10 5d10 3d10 1d10 3d10 N/A N/A 1d5 1d5 2d10 1d5 1d5 GM's Discretion
Ministorum 3d10 2d10 2d10 1d5 2d10 1d10 4d5 1d5 N/A 4d10 3d10 2d10 1d10 1d5 GM's Discretion
Inquisition 3d10 1d10 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d25 1d5 N/A 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d5 1d5 GM's Discretion

For each Adeptus, the result you obtained corresponds to a line on this table, indicating how important is the presence of this adeptus :

Roll Adepta Presence
01-03 None. No purpose at all best used for Xenos Worlds or Feral/Feudal Astartes homeworlds/recruitment worlds where they don't want interference.
04-06 Token. For administrative purposes only.
07-09 Slight. Specific duties; not involved in wider planetary affairs.
10-12 Small. Involved, but quietly and unobtrusively.
13-15 Moderate. Has offices and planetary duties, and are widely known.
16-18 Notable. A powerful force in its own area of the planet.
19-21 Significant. Controls its area, and has a say in wider planetary matters.
22-24 Major. A powerful and influential force throughout the planet.
25+ Dominating: One of, if not the, most powerful and influential forces on the planet.

Size:[edit]

The size of a world is defined by its equatorial circumference. The smallest planets may have a circumference of only 5,000 kilometres, and the truly massive planets may reach 500,000 kilometres. (To provide a sense of scale, Holy Terra herself has a circumference of 40,000 kilometres).

Roll Size (in thousands of km)
01-10 Miniscule: 1d10+4
11-20 Tiny: 2d10
21-35 Small: 4d10
36-75 Average: 10d10
76-85 Large: (10d10)x2
86-90 Huge: (10d10)x3
91-95 Enormous: (10d10)x4
96-100 Massive: (10d10)x5
Gas Giant Modifier: +55

Axial Tilt:[edit]

The degree by which a planet leans to the side on its axis determines how severe its seasonal variations are. A planet with no axial tilt experiences no change of seasons, with a greater tilt causing greater variation in seasonal conditions. Thus, it gets hotter in the summer, and colder in the winter. The northern hemisphere will experience summer while the southern has its winter, and vice versa.

For the table below, the planet's temperature is modified for its summer and winter, but stays as given for its autumn and spring. The rolled modifier is applied to both the maximum and minimum temperatures given, so, for instance, ±10°C to a 30°C world, with a 50°C equator would result in a seasonal range of 20°C to 40°C, with 40°C to 60°C equatorial temperatures.

The seasonal modifier may move the temperature into another bracket on the temperature table. When this happens, the affects of the new bracket take effect.

For reference, Earth's axial tilt is 23.4 degrees.

Tilt
d100 Axial Tilt Seasonal Variation
01-05 None None
06-15 Slight (1-5°) ± 5°C/41°F
16-30 Notable (6-15°) ± 10°C/50°F
31-70 Moderate (16-25°) ± 20°C/68°F
71-85 Large (26-35°) ± 40°C/104°F
86-95 Severe (36-45°) ± 60°C/140°F
96-100 Extreme (46°+) ± 80°C/176°F

Length of Day:[edit]

The length of a planet’s day, the time taken for it to complete a single revolution around its polar axis, is given as a number of standard hours. The roll to randomly determine the length of a planet’s day gets a modifier based on the size of the planet:

Size Modifier

Size Modifier:
Miniscule -30
Tiny -20
Small -10
Average No Mod
Large +10
Huge +20
Enormous +30
Massive +50


Length of Day (d100)
01-05 1d5 hours
06-15 1d10 hours
16-25 2d10 hours
26-35 3d10 hours
36-45 4d10 hours
46-65 5d10 hours
66-75 6d10 hours
76-85 7d10 hours
86-90 8d10 hours
91-95 9d10 hours
96-100 10d10 hours
101-120 (10d10)x2 hours
121-150 (10d10)x3 hours

Length of Year:[edit]

The length of a planet’s year is given as the number of Terran days it takes to complete one full rotation of its local star. Divide the rolled number by 365 to see how many Terran years this is. To determine how many local days make up a local year, simply multiply the number of days in the year by 24, then divide that number by the length of the planet’s day.

Length of Year (d100)
01-10 10d10 Terran days
11-20 (10d10)x2 Terran days
21-30 (10d10)x3 Terran days
31-40 (10d10)x4 Terran days
41-50 (10d10)x5 Terran days
51-60 (10d10)x6 Terran days
61-70 (10d10)x7 Terran days
71-80 (10d10)x8 Terran days
81-90 (10d10)x9 Terran days
91-100 (10d10)x10 Terran days

Satellites:[edit]

Now determine how many orbiting satellites the planet has. Satellite can have their own terrain, atmosphere and other details generated randomly as well if you so wish.

The roll to determine the number of satellites orbiting a planet gets modified by the size of the planet:

Modifiers
Miniscule -30
Tiny -20
Small -10
Average No Mod
Large +10
Huge +20
Enormous +30
Massive +40
Gas Dwarf +50
Gas Giant +60
Gas Titan +70
Brown Dwarf +80


Number of Satellites (d100)
01-20 None
21-40 1
41-70 1d5
71-80 1d10
81-90 2d10
91-100 3d10
101-110 4d10
111-130 5d10
131-150 6d10

Gravity:[edit]

Most planets that have civilization on them have a gravity that is equal to Terran gravity, or close enough that humanity can easily adapt to life there. Extreme worlds that are populated tend to have the habitats in artificial gravity, though if they are low tech the population maybe a form of abhuman suitable to live here (with the normal humans presiding over or living alongside the abhuman population presumably in the capital with higher tech in artificial gravity zones).

Roll Gravity Level
01-05 Very Light (0.1 to 0.5 G): Don't trip and fly into orbit! +4 Agility bonus for movement, +8 to Strength and Toughness levels for Encumbrance, +4 Strength for Throwing. Jumping and leaping distances get quadrupled, fall damage gets quartered.
06-15 Light (0.5 to 0.7 G): Lightfooted. +2 Agility bonus for movement, +4 to Strength and Toughness levels for Encumbrance, +2 Strength for Throwing. Jumping and leaping distances get doubled, fall damage gets halved.
16-90 Standard (0.8 to 1.2 G): Normal or easily adaptable. No modifiers.
91-95 Heavy (1.3 to 1.5 G): A bit of a workout. -2 Agility bonus for movement, -4 to Strength and Toughness levels for Encumbrance, -2 Strength for Throwing. Jumping and leaping distances get halved, fall damage gets doubled.
96-100 Very Heavy (1.5 to 2 G): Don't trip and shatter your bones! -4 Agility bonus for movement, -8 to Strength and Toughness levels for Encumbrance, -4 Strength for Throwing. Jumping and leaping distances get quartered, fall damage gets quadrupled.

Atmosphere:[edit]

The gasses that make up a planet’s atmosphere are numerous, and occur in varying degrees and proportions. A detailed description of a planet’s atmospheric makeup is not necessary for gaming purposes; we need only be concerned with whether or not humans can breathe easily, and how dangerous the air is if it is not within the range that is conducive to human respiration.

Gas Giant Modifier +60 Roll Atmosphere

Atmosphere
01-70 Normal: Safe to breathe
71-85 Bearable: A Bearable atmosphere can be breathed normally for a short time, but carries a slight abnormality, will create an unfavourable taste in the mouth, and will prove fatal if breathed for too long. Any character subject to such an environment without a respirator or rebreather can breath normally for a number of hours equal to their Toughness bonus, and must then return to a normal atmosphere (natural or artificial). Being subject to a bearable atmosphere for any longer will give the character one fatigue level per hour. Once the character falls unconscious due to fatigue they will die one hour later if not provided with proper air to breathe.
86-92 Tainted: A Tainted atmosphere is even more dangerous. A character can only breathe a tainted atmosphere for a number of minutes equal to their Toughness bonus, and then gain a fatigue level per minute longer. Once unconscious due to fatigue, the character will die one minute later if still in the tainted atmosphere.
93-97 Poisonous: A Poisonous atmosphere is made up of gasses that are quickly lethal to humans. A character can only survive unhampered in such conditions for a number of rounds equal to their Toughness bonus, and then gain a level of fatigue each round until unconscious. They will die after one more round in the poisonous atmosphere.
98-100 Deadly: In a deadly atmosphere, a character will survive for a number of rounds equal to their Toughness modifier, gaining a fatigue level each round, and will then die instantly. At the GMs discretion, the natives of a planet, through evolutionary change, may be able to endure a bearable, tainted or poisonous atmosphere without penalty.

Hydrosphere:[edit]

The hydrosphere of a planet is how much water the surface and the atmosphere contains. This can be water vapour in the air, streams and rivers, lakes, seas and oceans.

Hydrosphere
01-10 Waterless: This world is completely deprived of water. Bring your own bottles.
11-20 Parched: This world Has some water but it is hard to locate and make use of. Perhaps all of the planet’s moisture is vapour in the air which must be farmed, or held in reservoirs deep underground and must be mined.
21-35 Arid: This world is mostly dry, having large desert landmasses, infrequent rainfall, and a peppering of oases. There is also usually a substantial water table underground which can have wells dug into it. There will be some small seas and oceans.
36-55 Average: This world has appreciable oceans, seas, lakes and rivers, and gets frequent rainfall, but also sees its fair share of inland deserts.
56-70 Damp: This world has swollen seas and oceans, with a high sea level resulting in vast inland seas. The broken-up continents get average to high rainfall, but soak up the moisture like a sponge, making it damp year-round.
71-80 Moist: This world has enormous oceans, a ton of rainfall, permanently sodden ground, and likely something big, toothy and tentacle-y lurking in those bogs and jungles.
81-90 Watery: This world is mostly ocean, with only a few island landmasses and microcontinents.
91-100 Aquatic: This world is one giant ocean, with no land whatsoever. Any settlements will have to take the form of underwater bubble-towns, drifting space yachts, or flying cloud-cities.

Temperature:[edit]

The mean temperature of a planet is one of the most significant deciding factors on how much shelter and technological assistance humans require to comfortably survive there. Temperature is always given as a range, as there will invariably be variations from equator to poles, and through the seasons.

Temperature
01-05 Bitter (-201°C/-330°F or lower): As cold as it gets. Maybe too cold for an atmosphere. Only the best heating and most complex equipment can keep the habs habitable. Going outside means flash-freezing and becoming part of the icy terrain.
06-10 Cold (-200°C to -101°C/-328°F to -150°F): Chances are, this world is made of ice, and any 'oceans' are either rock-solid, or not water at all. Giant heating networks and sealed structures are a must. If you find yourself outside, you'd better be wearing top-of-the-line protective equipment. Any sad sod finding himself outside without at least 23 parkas lasts a number of rounds equal to their toughness bonus before re-enacting the end of The Shining.
11-20 Chilly (-100°C to -41°C/-148°F to -42°F): Cold, but not uninhabitable. Sealed buildings are still a good idea, but smaller heating systems should work just fine. Going outside requires exceptionally warm clothing but this planet is still likely to be inhabited in numbers larger than a few outposts. If unprotected, you'll last a number of rounds equal to your toughness bonus, after which you gain +1 fatigue until unconscious. Death follows in one round.
21-35 Frosty (-40°C to -11°C/-40°F to 12°F): Tundras and snowbound taigas abound, but the settlements only need minor tweaking -- small windows, thick walls, the usual. If unprotected, you'll last a number of minutes equal to your toughness bonus, after which you gain +1 fatigue until unconscious. Death follows in one minute.
36-60 Average (-10°C to +30°C/14°F to 86°F): Humans are comfortable in normal clothing and need only the most basic of shelters to survive. Honestly just walk outside, chances are it'll be within this range.
61-75 Warm (+31°C to +50°C/88°F to 122°F): Depending on moisture, this world may either be a baked desert, a steamy jungle, or even a storm-wracked archipelago. Architecture will require plenty of cross-breeze. Tolerable until it hits the high forties but it'll still be dangerous if out of the shade too long. If unprotected, you'll last a number of minutes equal to your toughness bonus, after which you gain +1 fatigue until unconscious. Death follows in one minute.
76-85 Tepid (+51°C to +100°C/124°F to 202°F): A world on the edge. Any hotter, and any water will just boil away. If outside and unprotected, you'll last a number of rounds equal to your toughness bonus, after which you gain +1 fatigue until unconscious. Death follows in one round.
86-90 Hot (+101°C to +150°C/204°F to 302°F): Any water has long since boiled away, leaving this a parched or waterless world. Vast power networks and strong construction are required to keep any sealed settlements reasonably cool. If you find yourself outside, you'd better either be wearing top-of-the-line thermal protection. Otherwise, you'll last a number of rounds equal to your toughness bonus before boiling alive like a clam.
91-95 Roasting (+151°C to +300°C/304°F to 572°F): A scorcher, a tortured wasteland, an oven, where exposure and spontaneous combustion are synonymous.
96-100 Searing (+300°C/+572°F or more): Fire tornadoes and acid rain! Glass storms and semi-liquid rock hail! One of the most extreme environments imaginable. You can forget about any kind of life that's not inside a liquid nitrogen and ceramite bunker. Unless you're inside said bunker, or are part dragon, you're gonna burst into flame instantly, no matter what you're wearing.

Terrain:[edit]

Some planets have a single dominant terrain type, a particular model that describes all of the land to be found on the planet. Other planets have more than one terrain present. Roll on the first table below to determine how many terrains the planet has, then generate each on the second table.

You can divide a planet between different terrains by having more than one landmass with a terrain each, or simply divide a landmass into regions of each terrain. You could even overlap and mix different terrains. Exactly what the terrain will look like will depend on other factors, like the temperate and hydrosphere of the planet. You must decide yourself how the terrain manifests when combined with the other planetary traits. Also note that terrain is not exclusively made up of just one ore two things, but to a pilgrim or a tourist or an IG regiment that is being briefed this is what is generally expected.

Gas Giants do not roll here as they have one terrain - gas clouds - whether or not something lies in the middle and what that might be is up to GMs discretion, including possibly air floating continents.

Number of Terrains
01-20 1
21-40 2
41-60 3
61-80 4
81-100 5


Terrain Types
01-05 Grassland
06-10 Savannah
11-15 Continual Forest
16-20 Broken Forest
21-25 Hills
26-30 Mountains
31-35 Plateaus
36-40 Dormant Volcanoes
41-45 Active Volcanoes
46-50 Broken Rock
51-55 Flat Rock
56-60 Columns
61-65 Moor
66-70 Barren
71-75 Swamp
76-80 Caves
81-85 Ravines
86-90 Sandy
91-95 Islands
96-100 Cliffs

Climate:[edit]

Created by the combined effects of the planet’s qualities, such as terrain, temperature and hydrosphere, the climate is a brief description of the prevalent conditions on the surface of the world. You will have to look at the contributing factors, imagine how they will interact, and give a brief description of what it is like on the planet. If you want the planet to have climactic variations, maybe for different regions, or through changing seasons, describe them here.

Native Flora and Fauna: If you wish, you can create the details of any native plant and animal life on the planet. Doing this can breathe some personality into a planet, bring it alive and make it distinctive from the millions of other planets in the Imperium.

Countries and Continents: How is the planet divided? Is the entire population united as a single political body, or are there rival or friendly factions or countries? Does land on the planet form a single mass, or does it form continents divided by oceans? These are details that you must decide based on the other features of the planet and the requirements the planet has to fill in your campaign.

Population:[edit]

The population of a planet in the Imperium can vary from a few dozen settlers or scientists on a frontier world up to the billions on a hive world.

Note that the Imperium does contain worlds with a population higher than that possible on the following table. The reason for the maximum on this table is that Dark Heresy is set against the backdrop of the Calixis Sector where the capital of Scintilla has, at 25 billion, the largest population in the sector. If you are generating a world that is to be set outside of the Calixis Sector, you may wish to extend or modify this table to create even larger populations.

The roll to determine the population of a planet gets two modifiers applied, based on the class and size of the planet.

Planet Class Modifier
Hive World +40
Penal World -10
Agri-World No Mod
Forge World +20
Mining World +10
Developing World -20
Fortress World +20
Feudal World -20
Feral World No Mod
Shrine World -10
Cemetery World -20
Pleasure World No Mod
Quarantined World No Mod
War World No Mod
Dead World -40
Death World -30
Frontier World -20
Forbidden World No Mod
Xenos World No Mod
Gas Giant -50


Size Modifier
Miniscule -30
Tiny -20
Small -10
Average No Mod
Large +10
Huge +20
Enormous +30
Massive +40


Roll Population
01-05 10d10
06-10 (10d10)x10
11-15 (10d10)x100
16-20 (10d10)x1,000
21-25 (10d10)x10,000
26-30 1d5 million
31-35 1d10 million
36-40 5d10 million
41-50 10d10 million
51-70 1d10 hundred million
71-90 1d5 billion
91-100 1d10 billion
101-110 2d10 billion
111+ 3d10 billion

As stated previously, population numbers may not be accurate outside of Calixis. Conservatively, Terra alone has hundreds of trillions. Realistically, more like hundreds of quadrillions to a quintillion. Hive Worlds can grow absurdly huge. Since Terra is the biggest, keep it under this. At a minimum though, tens of billions at least for a relatively small Hive World.

Society:[edit]

Although all planets of the Imperium are beholden to the authority of Holy Terra, the Emperor cares little for how any individual planet is organised. Different social structures exist, and even within each of the broad definitions on the table below there can be variance and variety. You can define the politics and social structure of the planet as broadly or as narrowly as you desire or is required.

Obviously the types of society on the following table contain certain options that are more compatible with certain types of planet than with others. For example, a forge world will almost always have a Religious (Machine God) society, but very few, if any, other worlds will. More than with any other section of planet generation, the GM should consider rejecting unsuitable rolls, or simply selecting the most suitable option. If the planet has more than one country or continent, you can even have different society types playing against each other for dominance, like a feral world being made up of separate tribes, a feudal world having competing kingdoms, an industrial era world having separate nations or a civilized world having competition between different agencies and noble families. However, all must bow before the Administratum, and rights and provenances of citizens, nobles or else matter little if the Imperium doesn't receive its fair (the law requires that we state this) tithe, the Lex Imperialis is not obeyed, the Imperial Cult or its approved local form or the Machine Cult of the Mechanicus is not properly obeyed, then the lives of the rulers of politically disunited worlds or the Planetary Governor(regardless of whether they are a king/queen, dictator, elected official or a puppet to the power cliques)'s in a one world government and its factions are forfeit.

Society Type
01-08 Democratic Republic: The government is run, at least on paper, on the principles of civil rights, freedom, and equal treatment and representation under the law. The population is responsible for electing their leaders and representatives, and for making important civic decisions. In addition, the government is often divided into three codependent branches: Legislative, administrative, and judicial.
09-17 Elected Dictator: The population or a designated body politic elected a man into the role of dictator, who then holds absolute power. Their will is law, the law is whatever they will. A dictator often has a group of advisors, and an administratum for day-to-day management, but in the end Dear Leader's decision is final.
18-26 Hereditary Dictator: The role of dictator is hereditary on this planet. When one person retires, a designated successor, usually a close relative, inherits their position. The successor holds absolute power over the law and their people upon coming of age. This transition is not always peaceful, and rarely seamless.
27-35 Tyrannical Dictator: The dictator has illegally seized power, and often rules with a bloody fist as they purge or 'disappear' the planet's dissidents, political enemies, scapegoats of the day, and anyone who poses a threat to the tyrant's ambitions. This brand of leadership can be the result of a warlord, a particularly psychotic heir, or even, distressingly often, a rogue democratic leader who played the long game and finally made his move. After all, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and is absolutely sought by the absolutely corrupt.
36-44 Elected Monarchy: The world is ruled by a monarch who, while ruling by fiat, is bound by a written constitution and a governing body, with the power to veto any declarations made that violates said constitution. Here, the monarch is elected by either the governing party, or by the people at large.
45-54 Hereditary Monarchy: The world is under the rule of a long line of monarchs, who pass the crown from generation to generation by a complex code of inheritance. The monarch is, however, limited by the constitution and the governing body, whose job it is to keep the monarch in check. Results may vary spectacularly.
55-63 Military Junta/Dictatorship: The world’s culture is either built around a military cause, or there have been events in its history which caused a great demand for military action and organisation. Either way, society is ruled by the military. Rather than noble or bureaucratic rank, Military rank is the position of highest political authority. Everything is arranged and run in a military fashion. The Imperial Guard (and/or the Imperial Navy) have major influence here.
64-72 Religious (Local): Planetary society has either been built around, or founded because of, a local religious sect. Or events have brought the church to the fore of all politics. This religion functions as the planet's government, and everyone must follow, or at least not bad-mouth, the religion. Depending on the religion's origins and compatibiity with the Imperial Creed, it is likely to have a close eye kept on it.
73-81 Religious (Ministorum): Live for the Emperor, Work for the Emperor, die for the Emperor. The Ecclesiarchy, the state church or the Imperium of Man, functions as the planet's government, making sure everybody, top to bottom, follows their branch's interpretation of the Imperial Creed. Or at least aren't spouting HERESY!! Likely to host an Adepta Sororitas Order Militant and multiple Orders Non-Militant.
82-90 Religious (Machine God): The Church of the Machine God functions as the planet's government, and makes sure all the trains run on time. Obviously, the default on Forge Worlds, and other worlds governed by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
91-99 Oligarchy: On this world, a small body of wealthy people, not necessarily of noble birth or having military, religious or bureaucratic rank, rule the area. They may be merchants, artisans, or some other type of guild members, but whatever their origins or source of wealth, they keep their authority only through that wealth and the fact that they finance society from their own pockets. A world producing an important specialty good will see the Imperium backing those with knowledge and means to make it (possibly and preferably infintely long) over other power cliques or alternatively a rich class may have already been present in such a scenario and the Imperium saw fit to retain it. The Planetary Governor will either be a puppet of the guild/society/mafia council or be its most powerful member.
100 Direct Control by the Administratum or Offworld Appointed Goverment: This world has direct and constant control by the overall Imperial bureaucracy or a direct representative of it as possibly due to being a strategic location making the Imperium unable to trust its important governance to the locals, its status as a sub-sector or sector capital or having been recently colonized, conquered, (re)discovered and forcibly integrated or (re)discovered and peacefully integrated (in the latter case, it maybe that a planet is in a lower tech level that the Imperium saw fit to increase due to a benefit or because it's politically divided, possibly across regional lines of multiple nation states, but an Imperial-accepting political class needed a neutral arbiter of power before settling into the new form of a single planetary government). Some edge cases include important fortress worlds or naval bases the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Navy have under military governorship, or possibly an Astartes Chapter or Sororitas Order Homeworld whose government may answer to them depending on political involvement. If such is the case, roll again for what form of government is subordinate to the Astartes or Sororitas.
  • If the planet is the homeworld of an Adeptus Astartes Chapter and/or an Adepta Sororitas Order, refer to a roll of 100 first.

Economy:[edit]

The economy of a planet is a description of how the people of that world manage their resources and finances. Look at the important contributing factors from the other aspects of the world determined in this process (class of world, population and society in particular), think about your own ideas for the world and the function you wish it to fill in your campaign, and note as many points as you can, or desire, about the planet’s economy.

Examples of detail you could give are: What is the local currency called? Do imports from other worlds get paid for in cash or simply a trade value to be swapped directly for exports? How extreme is the gulf between the poor and the wealthy on the world? How much does wealth dictate about lifestyle and opportunities on the world? This is an example of an area where the GM and players can go into as much detail as they wish, or simply create only the bare essential facts.

Exports: Decide what the planet produces that will be valuable on other planets. The produce of a planet is traded to merchant captains who ship it off across the stars.

Imports: Whatever the planet is in need of is brought to them by the merchant captains and traded for exports.

Here is a chart of trade goods for exports and imports. Keep in mind that a planet could have unique or unusual goods not on the list, or that some planets would find it difficult if not impossible to produce certain goods at a surplus. Roll D12 or choose.

Trade Goods Common Goods Luxury Goods
1.Agriculture: Plant based food. Fruits, vegetables, fungi, algae, anything grown and edible. Can also include spices and herbs. Perhaps some non-edible plants for making medicine or chemicals.

Must be export if agri-world.

Basic staple foods, such as wheat or rice. Algae chips, bread, anything cheap. Plants with basic healing or mass use chemical properties. Simple decorative plant tissue. Exotic fruits, rare mushrooms or pungent spices. Difficulty cultivated miracle cures or extremely deadly poisons. Substitutes for industrial chemicals. Beautiful, long lived flowers providing clean air and recycling hazardous waste from the air and soil.
2.Animal Products: The hides, flesh, bones and byproducts of fauna can have a multitude of uses.

Must be export if agri-world.

Processed grox meat is many a citizen's favorite meal. Eggs, fish and milk can all be plentiful depending on the planet's biome. Exotic hides for ostentatious coats, bones to make regal tool handles, and the most succulent meats to dine on after a long day of oppressing Imperial subjects.
3.Minerals: Rocks from the ground that have value. Used in construction, technology, currency or decoration.

Must be export if mineral world.

Basic materials for the construction of buildings, machines, etc. Valuable and rare gems, precious bullion or marble.
4.Lumber: The body of a tree, used in construction of buildings, furniture, gun stocks and more. It may be half rotten or break from a stiff breeze, but it's plentiful and takes less time to grow than the average lifespan of a guardsman. Good enough to toss into a standard Imperial vehicle engine to burn. Regular old trees to jumpstart ecosystems or help clear the air aboard ships and stations. Wood of a unique color or with peculiar qualities makes for fine lawn chairs or even structural support due to special properties. Creating fanciful colored fire, possibly burning for a very long time, or even living plant tissue creating flames for extremely long lasting and clean torches. Magnificently effective oxygen producing and waste recycling trees.
5.Weapons: Tools made for putting holes in people. Either require contact with the target or fires projectiles. Swords and knives, gunpowder firearms, nothing more advanced than the humble lasgun. Fancy alloys folded over a thousand times to produce rapiers of exceptional quality, or powerful and arcane weaponry like meltas or plasma guns. Maybe the planet's culture has a unique and crazy weapon found only there like a super lasgun? Or maybe even super advanced weapons like Grav Guns or Vortex Warheads?
6.Vehicles: Deliver people from point A to point B. Large civilian transports designed to transfer citizens from their manufactoria shift to their hab block. Mass produced combat vehicles to print out by millions. Luxury vehicles and custom craft to cruise in style. Extremely sophisticated war machines capable of turning the tides of battles on their lonesome.
7.Fuel: Generates power, which is released as heat, light or electricity. Coal, oil, and promethium laced with local contaminants. Low grade reactors. Basic renewable generators. Highly potent promethium that can burn twice as many heretics with half the amount. Efficiency is loyalty! High grade reactors powering entire hive cities. Advanced renewable generators capable of sustaining a war machine for centuries out of passive starlight.
8.Spacecraft: A vehicle capable of flying through the void of space. Those without warp drives cannot leave the system but are much cheaper than those with one. Cheap intrasystem crafts, mass transports or Escorts (Corvettes, Destroyers, Frigates) to bolster Imperial fleets. Nothing much larger than a Light Cruiser. From the personal craft of noble families to gargantuan mass transporters to Cruisers or even Battleships of the Imperial Navy. Components of Space Stations sent to be assembled in place.
9.Alcohol/Drugs: Alters the mental state of the user, usually to create a sense of euphoria or ecstasy, though long term effects may be unpleasant. Alcohol is typically drunk, while drugs can be smoked, snorted, consumed or injected. Cheap swill or chemicals that will tear up your guts worse than an enraged grox. You're better off drinking unrefined promethium. The finest wines in the galaxy, usually only available for a limited season. Or maybe hookah's are all the rage among the nobles?
10.Contraband: Shit The Man doesn't want you to have. In a totalitarian, theocratic regime like the Imperium, there's a lot that can fall under this. Illicit chems or texts that speak out against the Imperium's rule. Scandalous works and dangerous knowledge that shed light on things man was not meant to know. The real good stuff that'll fly you higher than a Cruiser suffering a reactor detonation. Xenotech and other darker knowledge is in incredibly high demand by the elite; while anyone caught with such heresy is to be executed, some secrets can bring a fate worse than death...
11.Workers People born or vat grown specifically to serve the Imperium. Worlds like these tend to have larger populations than most. Guardsmen, menials, and servitors. Not much to say, really. Tempest scions, essential adepts, and powerful tech priests, people from these worlds tend to be the Imperium's best of the best.
12.General Goods Products that don't fall into the any of the previous examples. Menial attire, low value thrones, and administrator's tools. High born outfits, highly valuable thrones, and the fanciest decorations you'll find in the galaxy.

Due to the economy being obviously important, you are encouraged to use the previous table as more of a recommendation or what the world is famous for instead of being stuck with a monolithically dedicated planet, unless of course its an Agri-World or Forge-World who are actually dedicated, though what form of product they are famous for can still be chosen, and no Forge World worth its name wont at least make basic weapons, vehicles and aircraft and at least some void-capable assets for example.

Conflicts:[edit]

Decide if there are currently any violent conflicts underway on the planet. This could be a civil war between rival factions (such as contenders with equal claim to the throne, a trade war, or a popular uprising whether airing legitimate grievances or well... you know) a struggle to fight off invading xenos forces (or even to conquer the native xenos!), a war against insurgents or terrorists, criminal gangs going at each other harder than usual, or any other type of conflict you can think of taking place on the world.

This is one of the details about the world that should be discussed between the GM and the players to create the right type of environment and mood for your game, or decided on by the GM as a suitable backdrop to their scenario or campaign idea.

Defences:[edit]

These are the planet’s local defence forces, always present and alert, against mankind's many enemies, both foreign and domestic. These defences do not include any Imperial Guard or Navy forces that may be sent here by the larger Astra Militarum. The forces that can be mustered in defence of a planet and its settlements come in a few different forms, which are described below:

Enforcers: The local law enforcers and security forces. Generically referred to as the Enforcer Security Forces (shortly Enforcers), planets can have unique names for them.
Militia: Part time soldiers, who have civilian jobs but can be called upon to fight when required.
Standing Army: The normal full time, fully trained warriors of the planet. Usually known as the Planetary Defence Force (PDF). If Guard recruitment is being done here, you should also determine the name of the regiments at this point (if you haven't already rolled them up and named them that is).
Armoured Force: Any tanks and APCs.
Titan Force: Some worlds have mighty titan war machines stationed there permanently.
Private Army/Armies: Wealthy people/organisations can have their own private armies.
Naval Force: Ships belonging to the Imperial Navy (or for more richer areas local defence fleets, Rogue Trader Dynasties, Cartel/Corporation fleets etc.) that are usually stationed in orbit.
Orbital Station(s): Space stations with defence weapons, like lasers and missiles.
Missile Silos (planet): Missile silos that can launch missiles over the surface of the world.
Missile Silos (orbital): Silos with the ability to launch against ships in orbit.
Defence Lasers: Huge laser batteries that can fire on orbiting ships.
Mercenary Force: Hired muscle, brought in to fight for money.

To determine what forces are present on a world, first find the class of world on the tables below, and the three pieces of information given for each type of force for that world. The first bit of information is a percentage chance of the planet having that type of defence force present: simply roll a d100, and on a result equal to or less than the number given, the planet has that type of force present.

Additionally, the rolls to determine the planet's defences get modified by the tech level of the planet.

Tech Level Modifier
Stone Age +18
Iron Age +15
Steel Age +12
Pre-Industrial +9
Industrial +6
Early Space +3
Advanced Space No Mod
Warp Space -3
Low Imperial -6
Mid Imperial -9
High Imperial -12
Advanced -15

The second bit of information is what dice to roll on the FORCE SIZE table to determine what size of force of the given type is present on the world. The third bit of information is what dice to roll on the FORCE QUALITY table to determine what quality that force is, if it is present on the world. Simply make all of these rolls for each type of defence force and record the results.


HIVE WORLD

Enforcers: 99% / 3d10 / 2d10

Militia: 99% / 3d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 99% / 3d10 / 3d10

Armoured Force: 99% / 3d10 / 3d10

Titan Force: 30% / 2d10 / 2d10

Private Army/Armies: 30% / 2d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 99% / 3d10 / 3d10

Orbital Station(s): 50% / 2d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (planet): 85% / 3d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 70% / 2d10 / 2d10

Defence Lasers: 30% / 3d10 / 2d10

Mercenary Force: 10% / 3d10 / 2d10

PENAL WORLD

Enforcers: 99% / 3d10 / 2d10

Militia: 10% / 1d10 / 1d10

Standing Army: 30% / 1d10 / 2d10

Armored Force: 3% / 1d10 / 1d10

Titan Force: 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Private Army/Armies: 40% / 1d10 / 1d10

Naval Force: 30% / 1d10 / 2d10

Orbital Station(s): 30% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (planet): 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Defence Lasers: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Mercenary Force: 30% / 2d10 / 2d10


AGRI-WORLD

Enforcers: 90% / 1d10 / 1d10

Militia: 75% / 1d10 / 1d10

Standing Army: 50% / 1d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 5% / 1d10 / 1d10

Titan Force: 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Private Army/Armies: 30% / 1d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 25% / 1d10 / 2d10

Orbital Station(s): 5% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (planet): 5% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 5% / 1d10 / 1d10

Defence Lasers: 15% / 1d10 / 1d10

Mercenary Force: 30% / 2d10 / 2d10

FORGE WORLD

Enforcers: 50% / 2d10 / 2d10

Militia: 20% / 1d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 60% / 2d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 90% / 3d10 / 3d10

Titan Force: 70% / 3d10 / 3d10

Private Army/Armies: 5% / 1d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 90% / 3d10 / 3d10

Orbital Station(s): 80% / 2d10 / 3d10

Missile Silos (planet): 90% / 2d10 / 3d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 90% / 3d10 / 3d10

Defence Lasers: 90% / 3d10 / 3d10

Mercenary Force: 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

MINING WORLD

Enforcers: 95% / 2d10 / 2d10

Militia: 60% / 3d10 / 1d10

Standing Army: 5% / 2d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Titan Force: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Private Army/Armies: 20% / 2d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 5% / 1d10 / 2d10

Orbital Station(s): 15% / 1d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (planet): 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Defence Lasers: 30% / 1d10 / 1d10

Mercenary Force: 10% / 1d10 / 1d10

DEVELOPING WORLD

Enforcers: 90% / 3d10 / 2d10

Militia: 90% / 2d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 90% / 3d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 50% / 2d10 / 3d10

Titan Force: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Private Army/Armies: 15% / 2d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 15% / 1d10 / 2d10

Orbital Station(s): 10% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (planet): 75% / 3d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 65% / 2d10 / 1d10

Defence Lasers: 40% / 1d10 / 1d10

Mercenary Force: 40% / 3d10 / 2d10

FORTRESS WORLD

Enforcers: 50% / 2d10 / 4d10

Militia: 10% / 2d10 / 5d10

Standing Army: 60% / 3d10 / 3d10

Armoured Force: 80% / 4d10 / 3d10

Titan Force: 65% / 2d10 / 3d10

Private Army/Armies: 15% / 2d10 / 3d10

Naval Force: 75% / 3d10 / 3d10

Orbital Station(s): 90% / 5d10 / 4d10

Missile Silos (planet): 95% / 4d10 / 4d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 80% / 3d10 / 5d10

Defence Lasers: 95% / 3d10 / 5d10

Mercenary Force: 15% / 3d10 / 5d10

FEUDAL WORLD

Enforcers: 75% / 2d10 / 2d10

Militia: 99% / 2d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 99% / 3d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 0%

Titan Force: 0%

Private Army/Armies: 90% / 2d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 0%

Orbital Station(s): 0%

Missile Silos (planet): 0%

Missile Silos (orbital): 0%

Defence Lasers: 0%

Mercenary Force: 85% / 2d10 / 2d10

FERAL WORLD

Enforcers: 20% / 1d10 / 2d10

Militia: 99% / 3d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 90% / 3d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 0%

Titan Force: 0%

Private Army/Armies: 99% / 2d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 0%

Orbital Station(s): 0%

Missile Silos (planet): 0%

Missile Silos (orbital): 0%

Defence Lasers: 0%

Mercenary Force: 0%

SHRINE WORLD

Enforcers: 60% / 2d10 / 3d10

Militia: 20% / 2d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 40% / 1d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Titan Force: 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Private Army/Armies: 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 10% / 1d10 / 2d10

Orbital Station(s): 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (planet): 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Defence Lasers: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Mercenary Force: 0%

CEMETERY WORLD

Enforcers: 10% / 2d10 / 2d10

Militia: 0%

Standing Army: 10% / 1d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 0%

Titan Force: 0%

Private Army/Armies: 10% / 1d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 0%

Orbital Station(s): 0%

Missile Silos (planet): 0%

Missile Silos (orbital): 0%

Defence Lasers: 0%

Mercenary Force: 0%

PLEASURE WORLD

Enforcers: 90% / 3d10 / 2d10

Militia: 10% / 2d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 40% / 2d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 5% / 1d10 / 2d10

Titan Force: 0%

Private Army/Armies: 30% / 3d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 5% / 2d10 / 2d10

Orbital Station(s): 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (planet): 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 1% / 1d10 / 2d10

Defence Lasers: 15% / 2d10 / 2d10

Mercenary Force: 30% / 2d10 / 2d10

QUARANTINED WORLD: As original class, though may not be fully equipped, manned or functioning, depending on the circumstances of the quarantine and the time quarantined.

WAR WORLD: GM’s discretion.

DEAD WORLD: GM’s discretion.

DEATH WORLD: GM’s Discretion.

FRONTIER WORLD

Enforcers: 50% / 2d10 / 2d10

Militia: 30% / 2d10 / 2d10

Standing Army: 5% / 1d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Titan Force: 0%

Private Army/Armies: 20% / 1d10 / 1d10

Naval Force: 1% / 1d10 / 1d10

Orbital Station(s): 0%

Missile Silos (planet): 0%

Missile Silos (orbital): 0%

Defence Lasers: 0%

Mercenary Force: 20% / 1d10 / 2d10

FORBIDDEN WORLD: GM’s Discretion.

XENOS WORLD: GM’s discretion.

GAS GIANT

Enforcers: 30% / 4d10 / 2d10

Militia: 75% / 3d10 / 3d10

Standing Army: 15% / 2d10 / 2d10

Armoured Force: 0% / 1d10 / 1d10

Titan Force: 1% / 1d10 / 5d10

Private Army/Armies: 60% / 2d10 / 2d10

Naval Force: 55% / 5D10 / 3d10

Orbital Station(s): 95% / 3d10 / 2d10

Missile Silos (planet): 0% / 1d10 / 1d10

Missile Silos (orbital): 30% / 1d10 / 1d10

Defence Lasers: 0% / 1d10 / 1d10

Mercenary Force: 80% / 1d20 / 1d20


Force Size
01-03 Tiny
04-06 Small
07-10 Medium
11-15 Large
16-20 Huge
21+ Massive


Force Quality
01-04 Poor
05-09 Poor/Medium
10-15 Medium
16-20 Medium/High
21+ High

Imperial Guard Recruitment:[edit]

Decide whether the world has a tradition of supplying Imperial Guard regiments to the Imperium. How many regiments, if any, have been founded on this world? Is there anything about these Guard regiments that makes them distinctive or noteworthy? These are details that must be decided by the GM/players, again to add flavor and distinction to the world. You can also add if the planet is a Adeptus Astartes Chapter or Adepta Sororitas Order homeworld, or some planet specific things like Titan Legion for Forge Worlds. It may also have a Schola Progenium.

Contact With Other Worlds[edit]

The Immaterium allows travel between any world given proper preparation and navigation, but there exist relatively safe, stable, and high-traffic warp routes between populated planets. Note which, if any, stable warp routes radiate from the planet, and to what other planets they lead.

Dark Heresy Planetary Information Data-Sheet[edit]

Planet Name:
Class:
Tech Level:

Size of Star:
Galactic Position:
Sector:
Subsector:

Planetary Governor:
Adepta Presence:
Adeptus Arbites ( ); Adeptus Astra Telepathica ( ); Adeptus Astronimica ( ); Adeptus Mechanicus ( ); Administratum( ); Adeptus Ministorum ( ); Inquisition ( )

Size:
Axial Tilt:
Length of Day:
Length of Year:
Satellites:
Gravity:

Atmosphere:
Hydrosphere:
Temperature:
Terrain:
Climate:
Native Flora and Fauna:

Countries and Continents:
Population:
Society:

Economy:
Exports:
Imports:

Conflicts:
Defences:
Enforcers ( / / ); Militia ( / / ); Standing Army ( / / ); Armoured Force ( / / ); Titan Force ( / / ); Private Army/Armies ( / / ); Naval Force ( / / ); Orbital Station(s) ( / / ); Missile Silos (planet) ( / / ); Missile Silos (orbital) ( / / ); Defence Lasers ( / / ); Mercenary Force ( / / )

Imperial Guard Recruitment:
Contact with Other Worlds:

Warhammer 40,000 Faction Creation Tables
Imperium Adeptus Custodes Shield Host - Grey Knight Brotherhood - Imperial Guard Regiment - Imperial Guard Regiment Commander - Imperial Knight House - Inquisitor - Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-Priest - Legiones Skitarii - Legio Titanicus - Renegade Space Marine Chapter - Sisters of Battle Order - Space Marine Battle Brother/Chapter Master - Space Marine Chapter - Tempestus Scions Regiment - Underhive Gang - Noble House
Chaos Chaos Space Marine Warband - Chaos Space Marine/Daemon Prince - Chaos Warband - Heretical Cult - Lost and the Damned Regiment - Renegade Knight House - Dark Skitarii Force - Traitor Titan Legion
Xenos Creature Creator - Dark Eldar Kabal - Eldar Craftworld - Harlequin Masque - Genestealer Cult - Necron Dynasty - Ork Warboss - Ork Klan - Tau Cadre - Tyranid Hive Fleet - Wych Cult
Planets Forge World Generator - Dark Mechanicus Forge World Generator - Planet Generator - Solar System Generator
Misc. Power Armour - Custodes Power Armour