Now that it is established what the House begins the game with, a House management session should be run to expand and build on the starting values and generate new story seeds.
News from the Imperium
- Births – Has a rival or allied House just gained a new heir? Has a recent birth shifted an important line of succession? Might the birth be proof of an illicit affair?
- Marriages – Marriage means an alliance, and the joining of two Houses might have a powerful effect on local politics. Should a Ruler marry a concubine, they might be snubbing potential alliances for love, which may upset their allies.
- Deaths – The death of a Ruler creates a clear power vacuum and may leave their Heirs squabbling and their House weak. Any change in leadership can shift the general attitude of the House. But deaths of noted Advisors, Warmasters, and Mentats may also weaken a Ruler who relied on their council of skills.
- Random Events – The GM’s Toolkit offers a multitude of tables to generate events that can be used as Imperial news.
- Timeline – The Dune timeline (Dune Core Rulebook, p. 26–27) offers many events that might be noted across the Imperium at particular times, depending on when the campaign is set.
Income
Will be determined by both your Primary and Secondary domains.
Upkeep
Military Power
Population Loyalty
Lifestyle
House Skills
| Skill 0-4 | No Cost |
| Skill 5-6 | 2 Wealth |
| Skill 7 | 7 Wealth |
| Skill 8 | 8 Wealth |
| Skill 9 | 12 Wealth |
| Skill 10 | 24 Wealth |
- Advisor: 5 Wealth
- Chief Physician: 5 Wealth (15 if Suk Doctor)
- Scholar: 5 Wealth
- Spymaster: 5 Wealth
- Swordmaster: 5 Wealth (15 if Ginaz)
- Treasurer: 5 Wealth (+1 per Treasurer already employed)
- Warmaster: 5 Wealth
- Bene Gesserit-trained: +5 Wealth to normal cost
- Any Other Role: 2 Wealth
Events
During any session of House management, the unexpected might occur. It might be good or bad, but whatever it is will often grant a new hook for an adventure. To see what fate has in store, the GM should roll 1d20 on the Events table, consulting the column that applies to the House’s current status level. The more powerful a House is, the more fate has in store for it. An Opportunity is a positive event, which creates the potential for the House to gain something. A Crisis is a negative event, which threatens to take something away from the House.
Ventures
Apart from spending their Wealth on personal comfort, most nobles also want to see their House grow and prosper. They can do this with ventures, special projects to upgrade and improve their domains, alliances, and planetary holdings.
A House begins each session with two ventures. Additional ventures can be bought for 10 Wealth per venture. Any unused ventures can be ‘traded in’ for +3 Wealth at the end of the session, as that frees up a few finances.
If a Ruler wants to get more work out of their people, they can introduce forced labor. After calculating their total ventures for this session, they may reduce their Population Loyalty by 1 to gain one extra venture. This may only be done twice and cannot reduce the Population Loyalty lower than 0. Unfortunately, the love of the people takes time to return. If any forced labor has been used, Population Loyalty costs +5 Wealth next session, +10 if it was reduced to 0.
Each venture is an opportunity for a role-playing scene and a group narration to generate more of the story of the player characters’ House. If the House makes an alliance with the Bene Gesserit, they might be visited by a Reverend Mother to finalize the deal. An action against an enemy might lead to a scene where the player characters break into a facility. If possible, avoid simply picking an option and rolling some dice. Rather, the GM can use each venture as an opportunity to build on the House’s narrative and generate new and exciting plots and subplots.
Generally, the players are assumed to be able to work together to determine what ventures their characters’ House embarks upon each House management period, but if they cannot come to an equitable agreement, the GM should assume that the player whose character has the most highly ranked role within the House is able to decide, beginning with the Ruler, the Consort (if married) or the Heir(s) (in order of birthright), etc.
Construction Ventures
CLAIM DOMAIN
Secondary:
Resources: 12
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 5
Primary:
Resources: 24
Skill: Understanding
Successes: 5
When a House has built an area of expertise up to a production level where it can supply the Imperium at large with a product, the House can attempt to make it a primary or secondary domain. Until this is done, these facilities don’t generate enough Wealth or Resources to make a difference, as they are only being traded domestically, or the scale is not profitable.
Only a secondary domain can be turned into a primary domain, and both types of domain must have a minimum number of the correct domain facilities dedicated to only that area of expertise. If a House has 10 spaces of factories to produce engine parts, it can’t also turn them into a new domain producing spacecraft parts. The House needs a new set of factories for that. A primary domain requires 25 dedicated domain facilities, a secondary domain requires 10.
Given the cost of upgrading a domain, this is usually a venture that should require several attempts, or at least several consecutive House management sessions to save up the resources.
DOMAIN FACILITY
Resources: 5
Skill: Variable
Successes: 1
Domains need facilities to produce their goods. Each type of domain requires a certain type of facility. For example, a factory that makes machine parts might not also be able to make weapons. Each domain facility is designed and built to generate a particular area of expertise. Each type of facility requires a different skill to build. The GM may adjust the suggestions below, depending on the type of domain (such as Battle for anything Military or Communicate for Artistic institutions). These facilities alone do not make a domain; that requires marketing and trade off-planet to build the produce into a business (see Claim Domain). Domain facilities might be:
- Farms (Discipline) – These areas of land might serve as fields for crops or pasture for animals. They are good for most farming areas of expertise.
- Factory (Discipline) – Industrial areas that can produce a variety of goods. Working conditions within each vary, depending on the items being made. Usually used for creating Machinery or for Industrial produce.
- University (Understand) – Often situated in garden and parkland, these academic institutions can produce expertise or Understanding on almost any subject. Expertise training offered is more like that from a large university. Understanding is more akin to a research lab but for academics. While each has a different style, Artistic, Political, Religious, and Scientific domains often require universities for most of their areas of expertise.
- Laboratory (Understand) – These places usually produce scientific areas of expertise. But it is possible for Military or Assassin organizations to also test new weapons and poisons.
- Training Camp (Discipline) – As workers usually require large-scale mass training in specialized areas, these training camps are dedicated to just that. They house the potential workers for the duration of their training in a barracks and might include study as well as training exercises.
If a House has enough domain facilities, it may begin to produce profit without becoming a domain. A House must have six domain facilities producing the same area of expertise to gain the following bonus:
- Artistic, Espionage, Political, and Religious facilities produce +2 Wealth between them.
- Farming, Industrial, Kanly, Military, and Scientific facilities domains produce +1 Resources between them.
EXPAND ESTATE
Resources: Variable
Skill: Understanding
Successes: Variable
This holding is the mansion, palace, or castle of the House itself, and thus every House has one. It is assumed to be situated in one of the planetary spaces occupied by the main domain of the House. This is
where the House’s rulers and most important advisors live and work. The estate is normally surrounded by a supporting settlement and provides billets for the House guards, which form the core of any standing army.
Every House begins with an expansive estate suitable to accommodate the noble family and their servants. This estate takes one full space that may not contain any other facility or part of a domain. But it has no real defenses or fortifications unless it is upgraded. The estate can be fortified like any space for the same costs (see Fortification). Estate expansions do not use up additional spaces on the planet.
The estate may also be developed in the following ways:
@ Stylish Appointment
Resources: 12
Successes: 2
At great expense, the noble family ensures the estate interior and facilities are in line with Imperial fashion
to impress their guests. The estate is not suitable to entertain other nobles in the comfort they expect.
@ Luxurious Appointment
Resources: 16
Successes: 3
Requires Stylish Appointment as a prerequisite. The estate’s interiors are so impressive, all diplomatic
tests made by the hosts will have the Difficulty reduced by one step.
@ Palatial Appointment
Resources: 20
Successes: 4
Requires Luxurious Appointment as a prerequisite. The estate’s interiors are of a standard fit for the
Emperor to visit. All diplomatic tests made by the hosts with have the Difficulty reduced by two steps.
@ Escape System
Resources: 20
Successes: 4
The estate has a series of tunnels, secret doors, or panic rooms that reduce the Difficulty of any escape
actions by two steps in the event of a siege or invasion.
EXPAND LAND
Resources: 6
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 1
Land is the untamed wilderness of a House’s domain, which
can be built upon and developed later. More-powerful
Houses claim much larger territories than their less-influential
counterparts. Land does not generate any resources
by itself, nor does it cost anything to maintain. But clearing
land gains 1 additional space for the planet/moon up to its
maximums as set by the GM (usually 80 for a planet
and 30 for a moon). This venture can also be used to clear
already occupied land to demolish the previous holding,
which is removed to gain the space.
FESTIVAL
Resources: 2
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 0
The House funds a civic festival of some form. It might be a parade, a harvest festival, an academic open day, a bullfight, a gladiatorial contest, or whatever the people of the House might find entertaining. Usually, it celebrates what the House does best and so it is often linked to their domains. It makes the people feel listened to and looked after and may help reveal spies in their midst. At the end
of House management, the player character can ask the GM a question about the state of the people and
any current enemy espionage activity in their territory as if they have spent Momentum to Obtain Information. The GM may increase the Resource cost for the first of these festivals, because setting one up is more expensive.
FORTIFICATIONS
Resources: Variable
Skill: Discipline
Successes: Variable
Any facility can be granted additional protection with fortification. This is usually applied to military buildings but can be done to factories and other civilian facilities.
Standard Fortifications (Resources: 4, Successes: 1):
The area gains one fortifications asset.
Enhanced Fortifications (Resources: 8, Successes:1):
The area must already have standard fortifications. It
may now use two fortifications assets.
GREAT MONUMENT
Resources: 8
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 3
This large construction honors past victories or noted heroes of the House. It might be a statue, memorial, or even a museum. Great Monuments are generally built to serve the vanity of the House nobles rather than for a functional reason. Each carries the ‘Impressive’ trait.
HIDDEN AREA
Resources: 10
Skill: Understanding
Successes: 4
This area has been disguised or hidden to avoid the detection of the facility. While it can be done to
military facilities, it is most commonly done to create secret spice stores. The area in question gains the trait ‘Hidden’ which can be applied to any facility that does not have Standard or Enhanced Fortifications. Once fortified, any area is too large to hide effectively. As a storage area it can contain up to 20 Resources.
INDUSTRIALIZE
Resources: 2
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 2
After undertaking this venture, a House can build a second holding on an occupied space by cramming the population or facilities together or even on top of each other. The Population Loyalty in such an area (and all adjoining areas) is considered 1 level lower.
MILITARY BASE
Resources: 2
Skill: Battle
Successes: 0
A military base is a standardized facility that can be adapted and expanded for several different uses. They
can be built in spaces already used for a domain, but not in more than a third of the domain’s total allotment of planetary spaces. They also cannot be built in any space already over industrialized. Bases grant no specific bonus but can be developed with several of the Military Development options.
MILITARY DEVELOPMENT
Resources: Variable
Skill: Battle
Successes: Variable
This holding represents a series of military options that allow the House’s standing army to defend the territory more easily. These developments can be added to any estate or military base, and as such do not take up extra spaces. Some developments can be added to a facility multiple times, but it is perfectly fine to have the maximum of all such developments in a single facility.
@ Develop: A House may develop defenses in the following ways:
@ Command Bunker (Resources: 6, Successes: 2): This Holding now has one ‘Command Bunker’ asset during Warfare scenes.
@ Garrison (Resources: 8, Successes: 1): The space/holding now has an ‘Infantry’ asset attached to it. Up
to four garrisons can be added to a single facility.
@ Landing Pad (Resources: 8, Successes: 1): This option purchases two ornithopters and grants them space to land and be stored inside the complex, where they will be protected by its fortifications. As many as four landing pads may be added to a facility.
@ Sentry Posts (Resources: 6, Successes: 2): Add +1 to the Difficulty of any attempt to move covertly in
this space/holding.
@ Shield(Resources: 10, Successes: 3): Add one ‘Shield’ asset during Warfare scenes. Shields cannot be moved or attacked through while active.
@ Shuttle Platform (Resources 4, Successes 3): A spacecraft the size of a shuttle can land at the facility and can be protected by the fortifications. No shuttle is provided with this development. Any larger ship
(such as a frigate) must land at a full spaceport.
@ Vehicle Bay (Resources: 10, Successes: 1): The space/holding now has a ‘Tank Unit’ asset attached to it. Up to four vehicle bays can be added to a single facility.
MINE
Resources: 10
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 2
Mines produce a raw material, but they are not renewable, and the materials being mined will eventually be expended. Each mine generates 2 extra Resources each House management session. Roll 1d20 every time the mine produces materials; if the roll is lower than the number of years the mine has been active, the mine is now exhausted and will no longer produce.
Once a mine has ‘tapped out’ it is considered an uncleared space for all other purposes, but no mine can
ever be built on that space again.
ORBITAL FACILITY
Resources: 10
Skill: Understanding
Successes: 3
Instead of clearing space on a planet, the House can construct a space facility that can accept holdings like any other space. Each successful use of this venture grants another space, in orbital or outer space, that can be used like any other. Further spaces can be added to the facility, or they can be considered new space stations. The GM may rule that certain facilities cannot be built in space (like a coal mine, for example) although many Houses have orbital laboratories and processing plants.
PLANETARY FEATURE
Resources: 4
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 1
These constructions are minor statues, facilities, and landscaping projects that grant no benefit but add to
the setting of the player characters’ House. One such holding can be built in any space that has not been
over-industrialized or overpopulated. The nature of these holdings is up to the players. One might be a summer retreat, statue, managed park, air racetrack, or anything else the players can think of to add something unique to their House’s homeworld.
PLEASURE DISTRICT
Resources: 10
Skill: Understanding
Successes: 2
A pleasure district provides entertainment for the local people. Each pleasure district on the planet reduces the cost of Population Loyalty by 1 Wealth.
SPACEPORT
Resources: 10
Skill: Understanding
Successes: 3
While spaceships can land on any large-enough open space, a properly equipped port allows them to refuel efficiently and for their goods to be disseminated more efficiently. Having a spaceport means up to half of the House’s Wealth or Resources can be converted by trade (instead of only a third).
TRANSIT SYSTEM
Resources: 4
Skill: Move
Successes: 1
This system links areas by way of rail, road, or even air. When installed, pick four specific spaces on the planet. These areas are now considered linked for purposes of movement. Multiple Transit Systems can be built to create a transport network across the planet. Any single space may be linked into up to five Transit Systems.
STORAGE FACILITY
Resources: 2
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 0
This large silo stores 10 Resources. Additional silos can be constructed to hold more. This allows a House to store more of its Resources at the end of House management.
Boon Ventures
Boons are ventures in just the same ways as construction ventures. However, they use Wealth rather than Resources and grant a much less tangible benefit. Boons represent favors and alliances that can be called upon by the player characters on behalf of their House in later adventures. As such they are a form of one-shot talent or a trait.
Boons also generate status. Each successful attempt to gain a boon grants a bonus of +1 status to the House. Each failure removes 1 status. This applies in addition to any other status losses or gains as noted for each boon. Developing holdings does not adjust status except for gaining domains. Gaining a new secondary domain adds 5 status; gaining a new primary domain adds 10 status.
BALK ENEMY
Wealth: 5
Skill: Battle
Successes: 1
The House takes time to stymie the actions of their enemy Houses and curtail their activities. Until the next House management session, it costs the GM 3 Threat rather than 1 to bring an enemy House into a scene.
BENE GESSERIT ALLIANCE
Wealth: 10
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 4
The House has discovered its goals line up with those of the Sisterhood … for the moment. All Difficulties to tests made against a Bene Gesserit agent are reduced by one step, until the next House management session.
CHOAM AGREEMENT
Wealth: 5
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 2
The House has made a trade deal with CHOAM for a better market price on their goods. Pick one of the
House’s domains — it grants an extra 10 Wealth next House management session.
CHOAM INFLUENCE
Wealth: 10
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 3
The House has worked to gain an influential position within CHOAM, perhaps some executive posting or a minor directorship granted by the Emperor or a powerful Major House. The player characters can use this influence to gain an additional success on any trade negotiation with another House. This bonus can only be used once.
CULTIVATE INITIATIVE
Wealth: 10
Skill: Understand
Successes: 2
The House’s staff and personnel are encouraged to speak their mind and take initiative, for their successes reflect well upon their betters. All minor supporting characters created in the next adventure who serve the House have the Bold talent, affecting one skill chosen when the supporting character is created.
CULTIVATE OBEDIENCE
Wealth: 10
Skill: Understand
Successes: 2
The House’s staff and personnel are loyal and respond quickly and efficiently to commands. All minor supporting characters created in the next adventure who serve the House have the Cautious talent, affecting one skill chosen when the supporting character is created.
CULTIVATE UNITY
Wealth: 10
Skill: Understand
Successes: 3
The House spends time and resources on training their agents to work well together. At the beginning of the next adventure, the Momentum pool starts at a minimum of 3.
ENLIST ALLY
Wealth: 20
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 3
The House makes new alliances and promises of assistance with another House of equal power and status. Until the next House management session, the players can spend 1 Momentum to bring this allied House into a scene in the same way the GM can spend Threat to do the same with an enemy House. The allied House can be reasonably trusted and sides with or helps the player characters as much as it can without damaging its own interests.
ESTABLISH REPUTATION
Wealth: 20
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 3
The House works to ensure a certain reputation they have built (see Gain Reputation, p.112) becomes
permanent. This can only be applied to a specific House trait that has been maintained at least three House management sessions concurrently. The GM may also insist the House performs some act that epitomizes this reputation to fix it in the minds of the Landsraad, such as a brutal act to gain the ‘Brutal’ trait, etc. Once successful, this trait becomes a permanent House trait.
FAVOR OF THE BENE GESSERIT
Wealth: 10
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 1
The House has managed to curry the favor of the
Sisterhood. When dealing with any Bene Gesserit agent
or Sister, the player characters may call in this favor and
gain one additional success on any test. Once used, this
boon is gone.
FAVOR OF THE SPACING GUILD
Wealth: 15
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 1
The House has a lucrative trade contract with the Spacing
Guild, enhancing their ability to trade goods between
worlds. The player characters can spend this influence to
add an additional success to any test made with a Guild
agent of any form. Once used this boon is gone.
FILL A HOUSE ROLE
Wealth: 25
Skill: Understand
Successes: 1
The House employs an expert to perform one of the House roles that is currently unoccupied. This role may require upkeep in further House management sessions. If the role is to be filled with a Mentat, there is an additional 10 Wealth charge for this venture.
FUND DISCOVERY
Wealth: 30
Skill: Move
Successes: 4
The House assists the Guild in locating new planets worth colonizing or exploiting in the galaxy. The funds are useful for the Guild’s exploratory actions but are really a bribe for the Guild to give this information to the House first. With a new discovery, the House can petition the Emperor to allow it to expand its territory.
GAIN REPUTATION
Wealth: 20
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 4
The House spends some time and resources trying to spread rumors about its reputation and goals to build its name. Until the next House management session, the House gains a new House trait to reflect the reputation they are trying to project. The trait is removed on the next House management session, but if it is maintained three times in succession, it might be made permanent with another venture (see Establish Reputation, p.111). If the House takes an action directly opposing this trait (such as leading a sneak attack after gaining the Honorable trait) the GM may instantly remove the trait.
GAIN TERRITORY
Wealth: 50
Skill: Communicate
Successes: 5
If a new planet is discovered, the Houses of the Landsraad fight hard to be the one to claim the new prize. Who it is awarded to is entirely at the discretion of the Emperor. So only a House in the favor of the throne and in possession of the news of the discovery has a chance of such an award. Sometimes it is given to a House Major to manage; in other times it might be granted to a group of Houses Minor to see if a House Major arises from among them. The House must therefore be considered in the Emperor’s favor (gamemaster’s discretion) and have successfully helped the Guild discover a new planet this House management session.
If the House is successful in their attempt, they gain control of a new planet with an amount of empty spaces determined by the gamemaster (see p.92). In general, such an acquisition should ideally be a full adventure, both as a political endeavor and as a colonization or exploitation effort. However, if the players want to expand their House through the House management system alone, this grants them that option.
GUILD ALLIANCE
Wealth: 10
Skill: Move
Successes: 4
The House has discovered its goals line up with those of the Spacing Guild … for the moment. All difficulties to tests made against a Guild agent of any form reduced by one step, until the next House management session.
HEIGHLINER CHARTER
Wealth: 40
Skill: Move
Successes: 2
At great expense, the House has paid to divert a Guild Heighliner on a direct route of their choice. The House may move any nonmilitary assets to any other planet instantly, establishing them before the start of any new adventure. Military assets may be moved at additional cost by combining this with another venture (see Warfare, p.116).
HUMANITARIAN AID
Wealth: 20
Skill: Move
Successes: 3
The House provides food and aid to another beleaguered House in need. This gains them support for their charitable efforts, adding +2 to their status. The House also gains the temporary trait ‘Charitable’ until the next House management session. To pursue this venture the House must have some sort of farming domain.
IMPROVE SKILLS
Wealth: See table
Skill: Variable
Successes: See table
The House invests in equipment and personnel to increase one of the House’s skills. If the test is successful, the skill increases by +1, to a maximum of ten. The skill used must be the skill being increased. The cost in Wealth and the Difficulty of the roll are determined by the table below:
| Current Skill | Wealth Cost | Difficulty |
| 4 | 20 | 2 |
| 5 | 30 | 3 |
| 6 | 40 | 4 |
| 7 | 50 | 5 |
| 8 | 60 | 5 |
| 9 | 80 | 5 |
| 10 |
MOUNT INVASION
Wealth: Varies
Skill: Battle
Successes: 1
This venture is used to send an invasion fleet against another planet. Details for doing so are found at the end of the chapter (see Warfare, p.116). This venture is exceptionally expensive, costing 10 Wealth per unit.
PREPARE FOR WAR
Wealth: 30
Skill: Battle
Successes: 2
The House spends some time either developing better defensive strategies and fortifying, or planning an invasion. On a successful test, for the next warfare conflict the House engages in the Momentum pool begins at maximum (6 Momentum). Each House management session that passes without a warfare conflict reduces this bonus by 1 Momentum.
REDUCE STATUS
Wealth: 20
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 3
To appease the other Houses of the Landsraad and make themselves look less threatening, the House takes a back seat in Landsraad politics to reduce their status. When the test for this venture is made, the House’s status is modified by –1 for every success on the test, to a maximum of –5. However, if the test is a failure, the House gains 3 status, and it also gains 1 status for every complication rolled on the test. In this case the House has been so quiet and kept out of everyone’s way that other Houses are wondering what the player character House is up to and are paying close attention to its activities (even if it is not doing anything particularly noteworthy)!
SABER RATTLING
Wealth: 10
Skill: Battle
Successes: 3
The House flexes its military power with a show of strength, although it stops short of an outright attack.
This intimidates their peers, adding 2 to their status. The House also gains the temporary trait ‘Aggressive’ until the next House management session. To pursue this venture the House must have some sort of military domain.
SECRET STORE
Wealth: 10
Skill: Discipline
Successes: 4
The House agrees to store something secretly on behalf of another House. It might be spice, atomics, maybe even a spy or criminal(s). Whatever it is, the other House is willing to pay handsomely to get it out of their territory while others are looking for it. If the test is successful, the item is hidden until the next House management session, where the player character’s House is remunerated with either 10 extra Wealth or 5 extra Resources. If the test fails, the item is discovered, and the House gains the trait ‘Criminal’ until the next House management session and loses 1 status point. They will also suffer a Difficulty penalty of one step in all dealings with the House they have failed.
End of Turn
At the end of the turn the House can stockpile up to 10 Resources, unless they have Storage Facilities. Any amount of Wealth can be hoarded, however a House stockpiling too much Wealth may become the target of thieves and embezzlers.
Personal Ventures
At the end of House management, it is time to ask the individual player characters what they have been getting up to in their ‘off hours’, either for themselves or their House. Each player character has the option to perform a personal venture, such as the ones listed below. There is only time for one venture apiece, although it does not necessarily represent the sum total of all the player character has been up to. This simply epitomizes the main project the player character has been working on. Players are free to detail more of their characters’ activities and ventures each session, but they can only get a benefit from one venture.
AFFIRM ALLEGIANCE
Skill: Communicate
Difficulty: 2
The player character spends time with an allied House or faction to maintain the good relationship they have with their House. They gain the trait ‘Friend of X’ where X is the House or faction they have spent time with. The trait is removed at the next House management period, or if the character openly acts against their ‘friend’s’ interests.
COMBAT TRAINING
Skill: Battle
Difficulty: 2
The player character may pick a weapon they have been training with. When fighting with that weapon they may consider its Quality 1 point higher (maximum 4). The benefit of this extra training fades by the next House management session.
CRAFT ITEM
Skill: Understand
Difficulty: 2–4 (gamemaster discretion)
The player character takes on a mechanical project to craft or repair a new asset. If they make at least two
successes, they gain a new asset of a particular type of machine of their choice. If they achieve four successes, the asset has a Quality of 1. For higher Difficulties, the gamemaster might allow characters to create new pieces of technology. However, they must be careful to describe what such an asset will be capable of and that it does not break Butlerian proscriptions. The Difficulty is 4 for such items and they cannot have a Quality greater than 0, given they are prototypes
CREATE COMPOSITION
Skill: Communicate
Difficulty: Various
The player character attempts to create an artistic composition of some form. It might be a statue, a song,
a poem, a stylish outfit, or anything else they are moved to create. If the character gets at least one success, they create something worthwhile, and it may be considered a new asset. For every additional success the character gains beyond the first, the work of art gains 1 level of Quality. If they create a statue, they probably don’t carry it around with them, but its reputation might still grant them a bonus, for example.
DEVELOP CONTACT
Skill: Communicate
Difficulty: 2
The player character takes time to build up a new contact in an area of their choice. The player should
give the contact a name and specify either what planet they can be found on and what House or faction they are a part of. The contact can be considered a new contact asset for the character. A failed test means the contact still does not trust the player character.
HEAL COMPLICATION
Skill: Move
Difficulty: 1
The player character undertakes a physical or mental fitness regime to remove a problematic complication. If they are successful, the complication is removed.
SKILL TRAINING
Skill: As specified
Difficulty: 1–3 (gamemaster discretion)
The player character spends some time honing a particular skill (which will also be the active one for the
skill test). If they gain at least one success, once in the next adventure they may choose to add an extra d20 to any skill check using this particular skill. If they gain three or more successes in the test, they may add an extra d20 on two such tests (but not on the same skill test). If unused, the bonus is lost at the next House management session.
MONITOR ENEMIES
Skill: Move
Difficulty: 3
The player character makes a point of spying on an enemy House or faction. If they are successful, they
may either add a single d20 to the next test they make against that enemy or may ask the gamemaster one question about their plans. Complications gained from the test alert the enemy to the infiltration and possibly put the character in great danger.
ROMANTIC CONNECTION
Skill: Communicate
Difficulty: 3
The player character takes some time to build a romantic relationship with someone. They may be
doing so simply to gain an asset, although their feelings could be genuine! The player should detail a little about this new romantic partner, who becomes both a contact and an ally for them. The relationship ends if the player character does not continue to pursue it next House management or chooses to make it permanent with marriage (using the Seek Consort venture, following).
SEEK CONSORT
Skill: Communicate or Discipline
Difficulty: 4
The player character offers a proposal to a romantic partner in the hope of forming a marriage or at least
making the relationship a more permanent one such as that with a concubine or spouse. The attempt can
only be made with a romantic partner that has been maintained successfully for three House management sessions. If the test is successful, the character and their partner enter into a long-term affair. The partner can be considered an ally and contact with a Quality of 2, and someone the character can trust (if desired).
Hopefully the character will see them as more than an asset, but this is not necessarily the case, especially in morganatic marriages or those solely to incur House loyalty and forge alliances. When it comes to Heirs, the House may step in to disallow any marriage. But otherwise, any player character marriage gains the House +1 bonus status as well, because everyone loves a wedding.
SEEK HOUSE FAVOR
Skill: Discipline
Difficulty: 3
The player character makes a point of proving their worth, dedication, loyalty, and use to their House. If
successful in the test, they reduce the Difficulty of all interactions with their superiors in the House by one
step until the next House management session.
TRAIN SUBORDINATES
Skill: Understand
Difficulty: 2
The player character undertakes a training regime with a human asset under their control (such as soldiers). The asset gains +1 Quality. The Quality of any asset may only be improved as much as +2 by this method.
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This is a fan site devoted to running Dune: Adventures in the Imperium by Modiphius Entertainment, based on Dune created by Frank Herbert and owned by the Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. No use of eithers’ intellectual property on this page is meant to constitute a challenge to either entities’ rights and is intended under fair use provisions. We encourage you to buy a copy of this fine RPG, if you use one of the links provided on this page we’ll receive a small fee that will help support expansion of the material found here. The planetary illustrations here are mostly from the core book and NASA. Art not coming from Modiphius, or NASA are fan works either from myself or other fans, I credit other artists where I have a source available and would appreciate your help finding the origin of other fan art included without attribution. In many places I cite the Dune Encyclopedia, a collective work released in 1983, which I got from a book of the month club accidentally and was my entry point to the Dune universe, I would love to have a link available so you could get your own, but it appears to be out of print.