WARHAMMER 40K IMPERIUM MALEDICTUM - An Introduction: Mutants, Mayhem, and Middle Management
Release Date: 04/10/2025
PLANESCAPE POSTMORTEM 2 - Featuring Existential Dread, Multiversal Collapse, and a Quasit with a Lot of Opinions
The RPGBOT.Podcast
What do you get when you mix a disappearing god, a multiverse glitch, and a talking squirrel? Apparently, therapy. Show Notes: In this second helping of the Ash Ely Planescape Postmortem, the hosts dissect the juicy narrative meat of a campaign marinated in memory loss, Mind Flayers, and metaphysical trauma. From the desperate hunt for Orochalcum to the chaos of battling Cathraxus (yes, that Cathraxus), our hosts recount the highs, lows, and emotional collateral damage of storytelling across the planes. The episode dives deep into the decisions that shaped the campaign—like letting players...
info_outline
PLANESCAPE, AN RPGBOT.POSTMORTEM - Asher's Weird, Wonderful Multiverse
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts gather for a postmortem discussion on Ash Ely’s recent Planescape campaign—a wild ride through the Outer Planes where philosophy hits like a fireball and bureaucracy is deadlier than any dragon. With plenty of laughs and genuine reflection, the crew discusses their favorite moments, mechanical experiments, player decisions, and the challenges of storytelling in a setting where time is subjective, death is optional, and your base of operations might just be a sentient castle. This is a deep-dive into what makes a great campaign weirdly...
info_outline
ABBERATIONS: Nothing says 'Fun Game Night' like Psychic Trauma!
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this Remastered Episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we summon the horrors that make your players ask, ‘Can I roll to nope?’ In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast team delves into the weird, the squishy, and the utterly incomprehensible world of Aberrations—those delightful horrors that break the rules of reality and challenge players’ expectations. From Mind Flayers to Gibbering Mouthers, the hosts explore how these creatures can be used to discomfort, disorient, and delight your game table. Whether you’re looking to run a horror campaign, design a disturbing encounter, or just want to...
info_outline
HORROR SUBCLASSES - D&D UA 2025: Screams from the Spreadsheet
The RPGBOT.Podcast
New horror subclasses just dropped, and we’re here to reanimate them, roast them, and regret reading the action economy aloud. Support our friends at , because your dungeon shouldn't look like it was sketched during a Zoom call. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT crew proves that horror isn’t just for the subclasses—it’s also in trying to sync microphones. After wrestling with some haunted audio gremlins, the hosts dive headfirst into the latest Unearthed Arcana drop from Wizards of the Coast, which brings a trio of spooky new subclass options to the D&D table. First up: the...
info_outline
STARFINDER GALAXY GUIDE REVIEWED! - Space is Weird, Math is Hard, Let's Play Anyway
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Crack open your Core Rulebook, dump stat Charisma, and calibrate your resolve points—because it’s time to roll initiative against entropy itself with the Starfinder Galaxy Guide, where space is weird, and the rules are weirder. This episode is brought to you by —because your players will never know you prepped their dungeon during the loading screen of Baldur’s Gate 3. In this multidimensional episode of The RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts open with an honest and humorous take on Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the emotional nuances surrounding both. The discussion then shifts into exciting...
info_outline
EVIL CHARACTERS (Remastered) - Dubious (anti)heroics
The RPGBOT.Podcast
If your evil character isn’t at least pretending to be helpful, they’re not evil—they’re just unemployed. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the dark, morally murky world of evil characters in tabletop RPGs. With Ash leading the charge, the conversation focuses on how to play a character with evil tendencies without destroying the game, the party, or your friendships. The hosts explore different shades of evil alignments, the narrative value of morally compromised PCs, and offer practical advice on how to maintain group cohesion when one of the players...
info_outline
OTHER WORLDS 3 RECAP - The Great Pizza Debate
The RPGBOT.Podcast
From pizza to invisibility puzzles and rogue mechanics, Episode 3 of Other Worlds takes you on a whirlwind ride through culinary hot takes, heist mechanics, and the joys (and pains) of Pathfinder 2. In Episode 3 of Other Worlds, the RPGBOT.Podcast team serves up a delightfully chaotic mix of culinary hot takes and deep tabletop RPG insights. Randall makes a chicken Caesar abomination. Tyler admits that he enjoys pineapple on pizza. The pizza talk eventually turns toward more tabletop territory, but not before a quick anecdote about a friend with a professional pizza oven makes...
info_outline
OTHER WORLDS 3 - Reflections, Revelations, and Really Weird Drinks
The RPGBOT.Podcast
This episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast is brought to you by Dungeon Flow. – Because your dungeon deserves more than graph paper and panic. In Episode 3 of Other Worlds, the RPGBOT crew mixes magical mayhem with mundane mischief. What begins with a hilarious debate on olives and grooming spirals into a multi-layered roleplaying session filled with stealthy maneuvers, magical puzzles, and mirrored mysteries. The players explore the social dynamics of fantasy bartending, wrestle with illusions and invisibility, and uncover a portal to a parallel world that forces them to confront questions of...
info_outline
LANGUAGES (Remastered) - Perfect for Parties that Talk First and Think Later
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the often-overlooked tool of language in tabletop RPGs—how it shapes worlds, defines characters, and enhances immersion. Whether it’s a dwarven curse word, a whispered draconic threat, or a gnomish pun that lands like a rock in a puddle, the power of language can turn a good campaign into an unforgettable one. The discussion explores the practical, narrative, and mechanical implications of language in TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. The hosts share ideas for incorporating multilingualism into your campaign...
info_outline
W40K IMPERIUM MALEDICTUM HTP 4 - Episode Recap and How to Play Discussion
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Ever wonder what happens when you mix dark gods, self-driving cars, and a dysfunctional team of grimdark misfits with questionable decision-making skills? Welcome to the Warhammer 40K actual play recap you didn't know you needed. Episode Summary In this delightfully chaotic recap, the RPGBOT crew careens through a whirlwind of topics, from the pending excitement of new Pathfinder 2 classes to the mechanized nightmare of self-driving job loss. But the star of the show? A deep dive into the ridiculous, horrifying, and sometimes oddly comedic world of Warhammer 40k: Imperium Maledictum. The gang...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast team dives headfirst into the chaos, corruption, and cosmic bureaucracy of Warhammer: 40,000 - Imperium Maledictum—where your worst day in HR is just the beginning.
Links
- Imperium Maledictum Core Rulebook (affiliate link)
- Starter Set (affiliate link)
- Imperium Maledictum Digitals on DriveThru (affiliate link)
In this episode, the RPGBOT hosts take a deep dive into the dark, dystopian world of Warhammer 40,000 through the lens of its RPG adaptation, Imperium Maledictum. The conversation blends humorous banter with insightful analysis, offering listeners both entertainment and education.
The hosts start with an overview of the setting’s lore, including the Emperor's role, the brutal nature of the Imperium, and the ever-present threat of Chaos. They explore the concept of Grimdark, the loss of advanced technology, and the unique role of the Eldar as twisted space elves. The discussion covers how these elements shape the game's tone and influence character creation.
Further into the episode, the group breaks down the game's mechanics, including its D100 system, critical injuries, corruption and mutation, psychic powers, and the use of factions and patrons. They also touch on gameplay themes, such as horror, political intrigue, and the struggle of ordinary individuals caught in a merciless galaxy.
Throughout the episode, the hosts celebrate the flexibility of Imperium Maledictum, brainstorming campaign ideas and character concepts, while emphasizing that storytelling and narrative immersion are central to the experience.
Key Segments:
1. Warhammer 40K Lore Overview
- The Emperor’s role as a guiding force in interstellar navigation.
- Humanity’s decline in the face of ancient alien threats and rogue AI.
- The dark, magical nature of the Warp and the emergence of Chaos Gods.
- Eldar as corrupted, tragic analogs of fantasy elves.
- The Imperium as a bureaucratic and religious nightmare.
2. The Grimdark Tone
- “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war” – and it shows.
- Every victory feels like a loss; choices often have no good outcomes.
- The concept of technological regression and lost knowledge.
- Humanity’s struggle framed as a desperate survival in an uncaring universe.
3. Game Mechanics
- Uses a D100 system with degrees of success for outcomes.
- Initiative is fixed, reducing bookkeeping during combat.
- Critical injuries, healing, and long-term character impact.
- Mutation and corruption as central elements—both physical and narrative.
- Psykers (psychic users) are powerful but dangerous to use.
4. Setting of Imperium Maledictum
- Focuses on the Mecarion Sector, conquered by Solar Mecarion.
- Earth (Terra) is portrayed as a decaying industrial monolith.
- Patrons (influential NPCs) shape missions and character growth.
- Factions within the Imperium provide unique gameplay hooks.
5. Themes and Campaign Ideas
- Encourages stories beyond combat—mystery, horror, political drama.
- Game supports both serious and comedic storytelling styles.
- Emphasis on ordinary characters in extraordinary situations.
- Ideas floated include office politics in a hive city and noir-style investigation
Key Takeaways:
- Imperium Maledictum is a spiritual successor to Dark Heresy, steeped in lore and focused on immersive storytelling.
- The Emperor is vital not just spiritually, but also functionally, enabling warp travel.
- Warhammer 40K's aesthetics are intentionally excessive and impractical.
- The setting has shaped, and been shaped by, decades of science fiction and fantasy.
- Characters are vulnerable—critical injuries, mutation, and corruption are ever-present.
- Psykers function like wizards, with significant risks attached to their powers.
- Patrons and factions provide narrative depth and mission structure.
- Combat is strategic and punishing, but narrative drives the gameplay.
- The game encourages creativity in character creation, campaign themes, and tone.
- Scenarios can range from horror to satire, showcasing the game's flexibility.
If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It’s a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners.
If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings.
Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
Ash Ely
Randall James
Producer Dan