Editing Warhammer 40,000 (section)

===First edition (''Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader'') (1987)===
{{main|Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader}}
The first edition of the game was titled ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader]]'', and its rules are based on ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine | author     =<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title      = Warhammer 40,000 | magazine   = White Dwarf | issue = 93 | pages = 33–44 | publisher  = Games Workshop | date       = September 1987 }}</ref> "Rogue Trader" had been the game's working title during development. The "Rogue Trader" subtitle was dropped in subsequent editions. It was published in 1987.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rogue Trader|first=Rick|last=Priestley|year=1987 |orig-year=1992|publisher=Games Workshop|location=Eastwood|isbn=1-872372-27-9}}</ref> Game designer [[Rick Priestley]] created the original rules set (based on the contemporary [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle#Second edition|second edition of ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'']]) alongside the ''Warhammer 40,000'' gameworld. The gameplay of ''Rogue Trader'' was more oriented toward [[Role-playing game|role-playing]] rather than strict wargaming with instructions for a third person to act as gamesmaster to umpire the game.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Priestley |first=Rick |title=Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader |date=1987 |publisher=Games Workshop, ltd |isbn=978-1-869893-23-1 |publication-date=1987 |pages=6}}</ref> This original version came as a very detailed, though rather jumbled, rulebook, which made it most suitable for fighting small [[skirmisher|skirmishes]].<ref>{{cite journal|date=June 2008 |title = The High Lords Speak |journal = White Dwarf |issue = 343|pages = 35–36| publisher = [[Games Workshop]]}}</ref> Much of the composition of the units was determined randomly, by rolling [[dice]]. A few elements of the setting (bolters, lasguns, frag grenades, Terminator armour) can be seen in a set of earlier wargaming rules called ''[[Laserburn]]'' (produced by the now defunct company Tabletop Games) written by Bryan Ansell. These rules were later expanded by both Ansell and [[Richard Halliwell (game designer)|Richard Halliwell]] (both of whom ended up working for Games Workshop), although the rules were not a precursor to ''Rogue Trader''.<ref>''White Dwarf'' (June 2008) pp. 34–35</ref>

Supplemental material was continually published in ''[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]]'' magazine, which provided rules for new units and models. Eventually, ''White Dwarf'' provided proper "army lists" that could be used to create larger and more coherent forces than were given in the main rulebook. These articles were from time to time released in expansion books along with new rules, background materials and illustrations. Ten books were released for the original edition of ''Warhammer 40,000'': "Chapter Approved—Book of the Astronomican", "Compendium", "Warhammer 40,000 Compilation", "Waaagh—Orks", two [[Realm of Chaos (Warhammer)|"Realm of Chaos"]] ("Slaves to Darkness" and "The Lost and the Damned" - the books covering both WFB and WH40K), {{"'}}Ere we Go" and "Freebooterz" (for Ork players), "Battle Manual", and "Vehicle Manual". The "Battle Manual" changed and codified the combat rules and provided updated stats for most of the weapons in the game. The "Vehicle Manual" contained a new system for vehicle management on the tabletop which was intended to supersede the clunky rules given in the base hardback manual and in the red softback compendium; it had an inventive target location system which used acetate crosshairs to simulate weapon hits on the vehicle silhouettes with different armour values for different locations (such as tracks, engine compartment, ammo store, and so on). "Waaagh—Orks" was an introductory manual to Orkish culture and physiology. It contained no rules, but background material. The other Ork-themed books had army lists for major Ork clans and also for pirate and mercenary outfits.

Games Workshop released two important supplementary rulebooks for this edition: ''Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness'' and ''Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned''. These two books added the Chaos Gods and their daemons to the setting along with the Horus Heresy origin story.

The artwork of the 1st edition books was a mishmash of styles from a variety of science-fiction works, such as [[H. R. Giger]], ''Star Wars'', and ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000AD]]'' comics. In subsequent editions, the artwork of ''Warhammer 40,000'' moved towards a more coherent aesthetic based around gothic architecture and art.