[Release] [Black Crusade] Novum et Damnatum 0.1 - The Chaos Primaris Homebrew
Hi everyone,
It’s finally here. After months of work, rewriting, testing, and refining, I’m proud to release Novum et Damnatum, version 0.1, a complete unofficial expansion for Black Crusade, bringing Black Crusade into the 42nd Millennium, and Primaris Space Marines into the dark grasps of Chaos.
A New Age of Heresy
Warhammer 40,000 has changed. The galaxy has been torn in two, the Thirteenth Black Crusade has broken Cadia, and the Primaris Space Marines, Cawl’s “perfect sons”, have marched from the vaults of Mars to the farthest reaches of the Imperium Nihilus.
They were meant to be incorruptible. They were meant to be humanity’s salvation.
They were not.
The New Race: Chaos Primaris
This release introduces a fully fleshed-out new player race:
the Chaos Primaris Space Marine, complete with:
Unique racial abilities like Incorruptible, Inexperienced, and Scions of the Magnificat
A complete list of Primaris implants, including the Belisarian Furnace and Magnificat
Distinct roleplay challenges — beings engineered to be loyal, now driven by doubt, vengeance, or revelation
This release focuses on the Indomitus Founding Primaris, the Unnumbered Sons, those first test subjects loosed upon the stars without heraldry or lineage, before being broken up to join dying- or found new chapters.
You are however the extreme exception, the numerical impossibility for despite all your genetic safeguards, you begun to hear the whispers of the gods.
The Archetypes of the New & Damned
Five fully written archetypes let players embody different paths to heresy:
Intercessor – Balanced, tactical, the soldier made doctrine. Either as a melee fighter or a ranged line-holder
Invictus – A living fortress, entombed in armour and faith in themselves.
Ghost – The unseen killer; death given form and silence.
Destroyer – A weaponized philosopher of annihilation.
Biblioclast – The psychic scholar whose mind has shattered under the weight of truth.
New Character Creation, New Systems & New Gear
Novum et Damnatum introduces far more than just the Chaos Primaris Space Marine Race and its archetypes.
You’ll also find:
A fully reworked “Explore the Passions” system, revisiting Black Crusade’s core moral mechanics for the newly fallen Primaris.
A Legion Legacy system, connecting each Primaris to their geneseed’s original lineage, whether loyal or traitor , with unique bonuses and talent paths, down the line.
Primaris War Gear, meticulously adapted from the tabletop and lore, with thematic functions and tactical differences.
An improved Weapon Modification System, ensuring Chaos can, as always, “find a way.”
The Design Philosophy
The Chaos Primaris are not meant to overshadow their Chaos Space Marine brethren.
In the lore and on the table top alike, they are stronger, tougher and generally speaking made to perfection: but they are inexperienced, and Chaos Primaris such an absolute rarity, that most Chaos warbands will be weary of the corrupted incorruptible one!
These warriors are designed to remain roughly balanced with the existing Black Crusade Core Book archetypes. For all their might, Chaos Primaris are despised and distrusted by most of the Dark Gods’ servants, regarded as unnatural and too pure among heretics.
A party composed solely of Chaos Primaris will find itself shunned and hunted in equal measure, but in their unity, perhaps, lies purpose.
A Note from Me
This has been my most ambitious homebrew yet, as it is the one I wanted to release 95% feature-complete from the start, rather than building it up piece by piece over months or years as I’ve done before. It’s not quite finished yet, but of all my releases, this is the one I’m most proud of from its very first release version onward.
The next version of Novum et Damnatum will polish up the archetypes, include more illustrations, include some GM tools and setting information, as well as, greatly expand the Legion Legacy mechanic that right now really only functions as a nice fluff-piece.
On another note:
We’ve passed 100 patreon! Thank you to everyone who supported me here and on Discord throughout its development. (And don't worry, there will be a 100 patreon special 'soon-ish')
Remember: Perfection is a lie. And lies are the first truth Chaos ever told.
Yours truly,
- Ryjza