Sanctioned Events

What are Sanctioned Events?

Sanctioned Events are player-run games set within the Death Unto Darkness universe. They are officially recognised by the Game Team and form part of the ongoing canon of the setting.

Alongside Campaign Events, Sanctioned Events allow members of our community to tell their own stories within the Prosperitas Sector, explore their characters, and contribute to the wider narrative of Death Unto Darkness.

Anyone may organise a Sanctioned Event, and the Game Team will support organisers wherever reasonably possible.

Before committing to an event concept, please discuss it with the Game Team. Early conversations help identify conflicts with ongoing plotlines, answer setting questions, and ensure your event fits naturally within the wider narrative.

Playing a Sanctioned Event

When taking part in a Sanctioned Event, please follow these guidelines:

If you are playing a new character, you must submit it to the Game Team for approval at writingteam.deathuntodarkness@gmail.com, even if you do not intend to take that character into Campaign Events. Character approval sits with the Death Unto Darkness Game Team, not the Event Team.

Please be timely in reaching out to the main Game Team regarding Unique Traits. Sanctioned Event teams are not able to write or assign these for you, so they must be handled directly with the Game Team in advance if required. Please inform the Game Team of any significant changes to your character resulting from a Sanctioned Event. These events are part of canon, and outcomes will carry ongoing consequences. If the Game Team is not informed, those changes cannot be reflected in future play.

Remove any “Get a Ref” cards from Card Decks unless the Event Team explicitly instructs otherwise. Treat the Event Team and Crew of a Sanctioned Event with the same respect expected of the Death Unto Darkness Game Team. Their wellbeing and comfort are a priority, and poor behaviour at any event reflects on your standing within the system. This is not a situation where standards are relaxed.

All standard System Policies and Ethos continue to apply.

Running a Sanctioned Event

If you want to run a Sanctioned Event then the first place to start is chatting to us, and after that, submitting a form

• Follow all Death Unto Darkness policies, safety standards, and community ethos.
• Any rules changes, monster stats and lore must submitted to the Game Team at least two weeks before the event.
• Include a brief overview of the plot, setting, and any rules changes.
• Inform players of any amendments to the standard rules before the event.
• Not admit individuals excluded from Death Unto Darkness events.
• Report significant character developments and event outcomes after the game so they can be integrated into ongoing canon.

The Game Team reserves the right to refuse approval for any event that conflicts with the setting, community standards, or wider campaign narrative.

Game Team Support

We want Sanctioned Events to succeed and will support organisers wherever practical.

We can:

Provide setting and lore guidance. Help develop plots and adventures where invited. Assist with event administration where practical. Review event concepts before submission. Loan props and equipment where available. Attend as Storytellers where members of the Game Team choose to do so.

Organisers remain responsible for planning, staffing, and delivering their own events, including managing finances and ticket sales. While we will always aim to help, our primary responsibility remains the delivery of Campaign Events.

Sanctioned Events must not be run for profit.

Crewing Sanctioned Events

Sanctioned Events are an important part of the Death Unto Darkness community, and we encourage players to support them in the same way they support Campaign Events.

Anyone who crews a Sanctioned Event will receive a standard crew credit for the purposes of booking future Campaign Events.

We encourage organisers to make use of volunteer crew where appropriate, and we encourage our community to support player-run events through their time and effort. Strong Sanctioned Events strengthen the setting as a whole, and the Game Team is committed to recognising those who help make them possible.

Plot Guidelines

The best Sanctioned Events tell memorable, self-contained stories with meaningful consequences.

When planning your event:

Keep the focus on local or regional stories rather than sector-wide crises. Avoid introducing major changes to the setting without prior approval. Ensure outcomes can reasonably become part of the wider canon. Follow the Controversial Themes and Dark Roleplay Policy.

Actions taken during Sanctioned Events may influence future Campaign Events, provided the Game Team has been informed of the outcome.

Setting Restrictions

Certain subjects require prior approval before being included in a Sanctioned Event.

This includes:

Major NPCs. Inquisition leadership and politics. Noble Houses and sector-wide political organisations. Significant changes to planets or the wider setting. Xenos species and technology. Aeldari factions. Chaos factions tied to ongoing campaign plots. Space Marines. Named Daemons and major Warp entities.

The following may not be used in Sanctioned Events:

Adeptus Custodes. Sisters of Silence. Grey Knights. Officio Assassinorum. T’au. Tyranids. Necrons.

Wherever possible, create new stories that complement the existing setting rather than reshape it.

Themes of the Setting

Death Unto Darkness portrays the Imperium as authoritarian, oppressive, and deeply flawed.

Sanctioned Events should reinforce this tone. Stories involving mutants, abhumans, psykers, slavery, or similar themes should reflect the realities of Imperial society rather than seek to resolve or soften them.

Using the Warp

The Warp is a constant presence within the setting and may feature in Sanctioned Events.

If your event includes Warp decks, rituals, daemons, ghosts, or other Warp-related mechanics, please discuss your plans with the Game Team during the approval process.

Final Advice

If you're unsure whether an idea fits the setting, ask.

We would much rather help refine a concept early than request significant changes later.

Sanctioned Events are an important part of Death Unto Darkness. They allow our community to tell new stories, expand the setting, and leave a lasting mark on the Prosperitas Sector, while supporting the shared narrative that brings our world to life.