The Imperium categorizes worlds based on their primary purpose.
These classifications are useful because they quickly communicate:
Environment
Economy
Society
Military importance
Possible adventures
However, many worlds contain multiple characteristics.
A Forge World may have farming districts.
A Hive World may contain ancient ruins.
A Fortress World may have civilian communities.
A Shrine World may hide dangerous secrets.
Hive Worlds are among the most populated worlds in the Imperium.
They contain enormous cities called hive structures that may stretch from the surface into the upper atmosphere.
A single hive may contain:
Billions of citizens
Industrial zones
Noble districts
Criminal territories
Religious centers
Military installations
Forgotten lower levels
Hive worlds often have extreme social divisions.
Upper levels may contain:
Nobility
Administrators
Wealthy merchants
Political leaders
Lower levels may contain:
Workers
Criminal organizations
Gangs
Forgotten populations
Survivors
The distance between levels often creates entirely different cultures within the same city.
Possible adventures:
Investigating crimes
Fighting gangs
Discovering forgotten sectors
Exposing corruption
Exploring abandoned infrastructure
Tracking cult activity
Forge Worlds are industrial planets controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Their primary purpose is producing:
Weapons
Vehicles
Machines
Technology
Replacement parts
They are covered with:
Manufactorums
Factories
Processing facilities
Machine temples
Research centers
Life revolves around production and technology.
Citizens may be:
Factory workers
Servitors
Tech-priests
Engineers
Researchers
Security personnel
Many forge worlds contain secrets hidden deep within ancient facilities.
Possible adventures:
Recovering lost technology
Investigating machine failures
Protecting research
Dealing with Mechanicus politics
Exploring forbidden laboratories
Fortress Worlds exist primarily for defense.
They are built around:
Military installations
Defense networks
Weapon systems
Training grounds
Strategic positions
Examples include worlds guarding:
Warp routes
Borders
Important systems
These worlds often value:
Military service
Discipline
Sacrifice
Preparation
Entire generations may grow up expecting war.
Possible adventures:
Defending against invasion
Investigating sabotage
Supporting military operations
Hunting infiltrators
Recovering lost equipment
Agri-Worlds produce food and biological resources for the Imperium.
They may contain:
Vast farming regions
Processing facilities
Artificial ecosystems
Livestock areas
Agricultural technology
These worlds may appear peaceful compared with war zones.
However, they remain strategically important.
A destroyed Agri-World may affect millions of lives.
Possible adventures:
Protecting harvests
Investigating environmental problems
Fighting predators
Discovering hidden threats
Protecting supply routes
Shrine Worlds are centers of Imperial faith.
They contain:
Cathedrals
Pilgrimage sites
Religious monuments
Holy relics
Ecclesiarchy institutions
These worlds attract:
Pilgrims
Priests
Religious officials
Visitors
Political figures
They may also attract those seeking to exploit religious influence.
Possible adventures:
Protecting relics
Investigating corruption
Resolving religious conflicts
Discovering forgotten histories
Death Worlds are extremely dangerous environments.
They may contain:
Hostile ecosystems
Extreme climates
Dangerous creatures
Limited resources
Human settlements survive through adaptation.
Possible adventures:
Survival missions
Exploration
Hunting dangerous creatures
Recovering lost expeditions
Discovering ancient ruins
Frontier colonies exist beyond established Imperial infrastructure.
They often lack:
Military protection
Reliable communication
Immediate support
They depend heavily on local leadership and adaptability.
Not all populations live on planets.
Many exist in:
Orbital stations
Mining platforms
Shipyards
Research facilities
Space habitats
These locations create unique environments because everything depends on:
Life support
Supply chains
Maintenance
The Imperium depends on enormous networks of trade and transportation.
Shipping lanes connect:
Worlds
Military bases
Forge facilities
Agricultural regions
Trading hubs
Control of these routes is strategically important.
A world may be valuable not because of what it produces, but because of where it is located.
A planet may control:
A safe Warp route
A strategic crossing point
A supply chain
Access to unexplored regions
Possible dangers include:
Pirates
Chaos raiders
Lost ships
Navigation failures
Smuggling
Sabotage
Xenos activity
When Franz creates a new world, it should have a purpose.
A world should answer:
Examples:
Produces resources
Guards territory
Supports trade
Holds ancient secrets
Houses a civilization
Define:
Environment
Climate
Architecture
Technology level
Population centers
Examples:
Endless factories
Frozen wastelands
Ancient ruins
Massive cities
Alien landscapes
Consider:
Social classes
Culture
Government
Religious beliefs
Local traditions
Possible rulers:
Planetary governor
Noble house
Military commander
Adeptus Mechanicus authority
Religious leadership
Independent faction
Every interesting world has conflict.
Examples:
Political struggles
Resource shortages
Invasion threats
Hidden corruption
Ancient mysteries
Rival factions
A useful campaign world should provide:
Something unknown exists.
Examples:
Ruins
Lost technology
Hidden regions
Something threatens stability.
Examples:
War
Rebellion
Rival factions
Players should influence outcomes.
Examples:
Support one faction
Negotiate peace
Expose corruption
Choose who receives resources
When creating a new Area, define:
Name:
What is the world called?
Classification:
What type of world is it?
Location:
Where is it within the campaign?
Appearance:
What does it look like?
Population:
Who lives there?
Government:
Who controls it?
Major Factions:
Who influences events?
Resources:
Why does it matter?
Threats:
What dangers exist?
Secrets:
What is hidden?
Adventure Hooks:
Why do players care?
The most interesting worlds often combine classifications.
Examples:
A massive city-world built around military defense.
Adventure themes:
Military politics
Infiltration
Urban warfare
A Mechanicus world with religious importance.
Adventure themes:
Technology disputes
Relic recovery
Forbidden research
A remote colony surviving against dangerous environments.
Adventure themes:
Exploration
Survival
Discovery
A world is more than a location.
A world is a collection of:
People
Problems
Resources
History
Choices
The best planets feel alive before the players arrive and continue changing after they leave.