T.S. Luikart was a major contributor to the development of Dark Heresy. He wrote a fair amount of material in the core book including the GM’s chapter, a bunch of Talents, and the overall structure of psyker abilities. He contributed material and a lot of ideas to the Inquisitor’s Handbook and wrote the bulk of Purge the Unclean.

1) First, tell us a little bit about yourself? 

This marks my 31st year gaming, so I’ve been at it for a while. I’ve been writing freelance for various games for around a decade now.

2) How were you introduced to Warhammer 40,000 and/or roleplaying? 

My cousin taught me to play 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons one summer and I never looked back. I sampled just about every type of game that passed through my local hangout store so I was introduced to Warhammer fairly early on. When a new “science fiction” version of Warhammer was announced, I was all for it. My battered original copy of Rogue Trader sat by me through all my work on Dark Heresy.
 
3) Why do you think the Warhammer 40K setting has been so successful? 

It holds up a fun-house mirror to what is best and worst in us: honour and courage, lies and cowardice, hope and faith, apathy and cruelty.

4) Do you have any memorable moments from playing Warhammer 40K and/or Dark Heresy? 

I had an NPC that my play test group adored and I loved playing: Tonk, the Ogryn “Pickpocket”. I think I can sum up Tonk and his most significant contribution to the beleaguered Acolytes he accompanied in one quote: “Little zappy man made Tonk feel off… so Tonk smash his head into wall… (Tonk pauses to count, gives up after twenty seconds of upward staring) … many times.”
 
5) What are your non-gaming influences? 

That’s a bit broad, don’t you think? I think I’ll answer with: I’m a big fan of reading history, as it tends to repeat itself with uncomfortable frequency.
 
6) What was/is your role in the development of Dark Heresy? 

Ben Counter, Chris Pramas and I planted the seeds that eventually grew into the Calixis Sector. I wrote a fair amount of material in the core book including the GM’s chapter, a bunch of Talents, and the overall structure of psyker abilities along with a fair number of powers. I contributed material and a lot of ideas to the Inquisitor’s Handbook. Finally, I pitched all the scenarios in and wrote the bulk of Purge the Unclean.

7) What would you like to see for Dark Heresy that has yet to be done? 

It’s done, it just isn’t out yet. Disciples of the Dark Gods is a lovely, nasty book. Something is seriously wrong with Bligh and French. I mean that in the best possible way of course.

Beyond Disciples a sourcebook on hives and underhive games would make a kick arse supplement for FFG to work on.
 
8) What are you working on at the moment for Dark Heresy? 

I’ve been working on a set of “niche” abilities that are career path specific which require the use of a Fate Point. Basically, the Sister’s Faith abilities are an application of an idea we we’re kicking around in the design phase and I wanted to “finish the job” as it were.
 
9) What are your favourite films? 

All of Miyazaki-sama’s work. Pixar is running a close second these days. 
 
10) What career path would you have followed in the 40K universe? 

A Cleric. Kick ass for the Emperor, regular meals, and seeing as how the Imperial Creed has many interpretations, I would steer for one of the non-chaste branches of the faith.
 
11) How was working for Black Industries/GW like? 

Everyone working for Black Industries and the Black Library were great fun to work with. Games Workshop, on the other hand, is a… difficult taskmaster. 
 
12) Which rules (or fluff) that you've created for Dark Heresy are you most proud of? 

Whichever ideas made you go “That is f-ing awesome” when you read them. If I have to be specific: the mining world of Soryth, the agri-world Spectoris, and the appendices of Purge the Unclean.
 
13) Were you surprised by BI rewriting some of your rules for psionics? 

Nope, goes with the territory. The problem is that a few things were changed without considering their impact in other parts of the design. I built the system to mesh well, if you “break the weave” of the mesh in one place, you have to repair elsewhere or threads will pull out…
 
14) What is your opinion on Dark Reign and other fan-sites? 

Shine on you crazy diamonds.
 
15) How do you view the fan-community? 

The very best fans encourage creativity in others and contribute interesting ideas. I distrust “fanbois” in the main because they’re frequently fanatics who’ve abandoned reason for “coolness”. It’s okay to like or even love something, but you can still acknowledge flaws and know that it doesn’t have to be done “one way”. I think one of the major flaws of WFRP (which I’ve worked to avoid with 40KRP) is that there is a relatively small but very vocal group that continually insist that WFRP can only be played one way and if you aren’t doing it their one way, you aren’t doing it “right”. I rather hope 40KRP never succumbs to that.
 
16) What do you feel is missing from the Dark Heresy rulebook or the Calixis setting?

More descriptions of some of the horrors that lie beyond the Rim as well as ways to use Xeno threats other than “well, these guys invade”. Fortunately, you’ll get some of that with Disciples. A whole sourcebook could easily be devoted to “Imperial Society within the Calixis Sector” – I don’t think that it is missing per se as there is enough in the books to work with, but I think most groups could really use it to flesh out their games. Cheers.


T.S. Luikart, thank you!