Rogue Trader Interest Check [Full]

[Jaded]

I’m curious if there would be any interest in a Rogue Trader game run by an (admittedly newbie to the system) GM.  I am thinking that the bulk of the human characters would be children of one of three members of a Rogue Trader dynasty (each a Captain of a large ship in the fleet), sent off into the Imperium to make their own way until they were needed.  They recently have received a summons from an old family servant summoning them to Port Wander.

The basic (initial) plot would be that their dynasty’s fleet was ambushed and all but a single ship destroyed.  The ship returned to Port Wander, but without any members of the dynasty still alive and onboard.  To make matters worse, the physical Warrant was lost, and is believed to still be on the wreckage of one of the other ships.  The initial goal of the characters would be to recover the Warrant and salvage what they can from the fleet.  After that it will go more sandboxy.

I would be using the Ship Roles from Into the Storm, though I don’t expect to fill them all.  I would also be willing to accept multiple Rogue Traders, though obviously only a single one could be Lord-Captain.  If I get enough players I might be willing to allow the group to have multiple ships fairly early on.  I don't have a specific number of players in mind, but would like to have a maximum of 4-6 per group/ship.  I would be willing to accept some xenos with approval, the assumption being that they were members of the old crew.

I would probably be placing the game in Extreme, and would like some smutty content, but what type of content and how much would largely come down to the individual player.

If I ran the game I would not be going first come first serve, especially to decide roles.  I would be basing it on submitted concepts and hopefully a discussion among the players.

I would be using the Allocating Points method for generating characteristics.

Ship and Warrant Path

I an open to discussion on this, as well as the specific details of the Warrant's history.

The Forging
Fallen From Grace
Reward
Age of Plunder
Battlefleet
Famous

SP: 68
PF: 20

Roles

Lord-Captain

First Officer
Enginseer Prime
High Factotum

Master-At-Arms
Master Helmsman
Master of Ordnance
Master of Etherics
Chief Chirurgeon
Master of Whispers
Choir-Master Telepathica
Warp Guide

Ship’s Confessor
Drivesmaster
Omnissianic Congregator
Chief Bosun
Infernus Master
Twistcatcher
Master of the Vox
Purser
Caro-Artifex
Ship’s Steward

Any interest?  Any comments or suggestions for improvement?

[Pumpkin Seeds]

:: scrambles over:: ME! ME!

[ArcherCC]

I would be more then interested, I'm gooing through the book now to figure out what I would want to play.

[deadmanshand]

Consider me interested.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Kind of thinking Seneschal at this point.

[eBadger]

Is there any good open source for rules online?  I'm somewhat familiar with the setting from my old 40k days, but I've never done Rogue Trader....

[deadmanshand]

Maybe a Death Worlder Arch-Militant. A former Catachan jungle fighter could be fun but if someone else wants to be an Arch Militant I could make a Psyker.

eBadger: Not really. You pretty much have to just have the rules.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

My thoughts are leaning toward a Seneschal from a Penal World.  I like the idea of a woman born and raised among criminals who has a “takes one to know one” sort of attitude.  Always keeps her eyes on the books and the money, willing to put a bullet in the head of anyone that crosses her or her Captain.

[Muse]

Ooh.  I'd love to apply. 

I can play someone from the Rogue Trader household.  :)

[ArcherCC]

I have a concept in mind after reading one of the motivations, but it relies on rolling the right heirloom. Unless the gm would just allow us to choose instead of rolling for it.

[Jaded]

Is there any good open source for rules online?  I'm somewhat familiar with the setting from my old 40k days, but I've never done Rogue Trader....

Unfortunately not.  You can buy a PDF, but I don't know that I recommend that for an online game.

Maybe a Death Worlder Arch-Militant. A former Catachan jungle fighter could be fun but if someone else wants to be an Arch Militant I could make a Psyker.

eBadger: Not really. You pretty much have to just have the rules.

Come up with a brief bio when you decide.

My thoughts are leaning toward a Seneschal from a Penal World.  I like the idea of a woman born and raised among criminals who has a “takes one to know one” sort of attitude.  Always keeps her eyes on the books and the money, willing to put a bullet in the head of anyone that crosses her or her Captain.

Sounds interesting.

Ooh.  I'd love to apply. 

I can play someone from the Rogue Trader household.  :)

Any preferences on career?

I have a concept in mind after reading one of the motivations, but it relies on rolling the right heirloom. Unless the gm would just allow us to choose instead of rolling for it.

What did you have in mind?  Which heirloom were you looking at?




Just to try and expand on the dynasty a bit.  Comments and suggestions are welcome. 

The Caffarel Dynasty

Velaz, Pearle, and Bilye were the three children of Sartak the Bold.  Velaz, born first, spent much of his life in the Imperial Navy.  He rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral before he retired to take up his family’s Warrant.  Pearle, the second child, spent her life building a merchant empire, before returning to aid her brother in his mission.  Bilye was born last, and spent some time in the service of the Inquisition before returning to lend her skills to the family business.

All three of them travelled widely, and were in their thirties to fifties when they returned to their family’s fleet.  Velaz had the most children, it was always whispered among the crew that he had a noblewoman at every port, and there is no telling how many bastard children he left out in the galaxy with little to no knowledge of their true lineage.  Others may have been aware, but none were raised on the fleet.  Pearle and Bilye both had multiple children at various ages, several of whom were raised within the fleet before being sent out to make their way in the galaxy.  There is no way to know exactly how many children all three had, even the records that were kept in case a heir was needed are incomplete at best.

The Caffarel Dynasty had a fleet comprised of nearly a dozen ships, the three most prominent of them being the Dark Forgotten, the Watcher of the Honoured, and the Lonely Lion.

Velaz was 72 at the time of his death.  Pearle was 60.  Bilye was 49. 

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Do you want us to use the Origin Paths?

[ArcherCC]

I was looking at the chainsword, I laid out my character using the origin path and if I go with it, he is a militant high confessor

[Muse]

I do have some knowledge of this system, but not total yet.  Would you rather someone with more experience play the Lord Captain? 

[AndyZ]

Going to keep an eye on this.

[ArcherCC]

Ok I have my base bio an concept here, what do you think Jaded?

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Name: Haddon Emil
Rank: Ship’s Confessor
Bio: Haddon was born on the shrine world of Maccabeus Quintus in the Calixis Sector.  On a world where devotion to the Imperium and he on the Throne is the strongest corruption can run deep. The Emil family had been loyal servants of the God-Emperor for many generations, until the foul slaves of the Ruinous Powers tried to corrupt the entire world.

In the grand scheme of things the ritual performed by the cultists was tiny and insignificant. But for baby Haddon it would change his world. He would never remember the night, he was too young, but he would be told the story later in life.

It was just after 0100 Local time when Markus Emil and his wife were awoken to the screams of their children being drug out of their beds.  Leaping from his bed Markus bolted from the room he shared with his wife only to be struck down by the blow from the stock of a lasgun. The last thing he saw before the light faded was his wife being drug out of their bed by the hair.

Several days later Markus awoke to find he was bound, gagged and hung naked by his ankles over some arcane marking in s massive cavern. To his horror his wife and children were also bound and hung along with more than 70 others.

Markus could only watch in horror as a large group of cultist began to slip through the room in some arcane pattern slice throats seemingly at random until he felt the bite of demonic steel at his own throat, and then he only knew agony as he too was sacrificed to the ruinous powers.

What he didn’t see was only minutes later the arrival of a unit of the Sisters of battle, holy Flamers roaring as they burnt cultist and sacrifice alike. No quarter was given as all present were destroyed.

Back only a few miles from the family home, sequestered in the infant care unit of an Adepta Sororitas hospital was little Haddon hooked up to tubes and a ventilator recovering from a harsh chest infection. News would come to the hospital of the death of his entire family and he would be placed in the Schola Progenium.

Over his years at the Schola Progenium he would hear rumors of his past but never know the truth. During his training he was selected due to his faith in the God-Emperor to study for eventual entry into the Ecclesiarchy.

Upon his 18th birthday he was taken aside by the head abbot of the Ministorum and told the truth of what had happened to his family. Haddon’s only response to this news was
“ The will of Him on The Throne brought me here to bring His light to the unbeliever, the truth has only strengthened my faith. ”

He would spend the next several years traveling the void bringing the Light to unbelievers through word or weapon until the day he found himself on the Rogue Trader ship bound for a new planet. During his voyage though he found he enjoyed the company of the crew, and felt a new place as their guide to the Light. He choose to stay on the ship an guide his new flock, in prayer and in battle.

[Landshark]

Ok i guess the question that needs answering is.
If this will be sandbox down the line do we really need to stick to the game system or just use it as a guide? Sure youll need to know what your class and backgrounds are but are actual stats going to matter? Will dice rolls be actually used?
Ok so that was more than one question...sorry

[Primarch]

I'll pull out my copy of the core book and start writing up a Navigator =D

Possibly to take the role of First Officer.

[HairyHeretic]

I'm interested. If no one has expressed a desire for the role, I'd go for the Rogue Trader.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Kind of angling for the Purser myself.

[Life on Mars]

WOW! A thousand times interest. I love Rogue Trader but have only ever had one chance to play. Would be highly interested in an Astropath Transcendent with the role of Choir-Master Telepathica. I'll get to work on a bio.

[deadmanshand]

Bio time! For position I am guessing Master-At-Arms but I need to sit down and really read the ship roles before I decide that.

Records of the Quarantine Ship Panacea by Flame, Confession #461

The vox file clicks on but is silent for several seconds before a rough voice echoes from it, "Guardsman Mord Barker. Catachan XVIII Regiment. Day 612 of our Imperial quarantine. Day one of my proscribed confessions."

"I was 17 when we set foot on Koralkal VIII. Distress call went out about an arm of a Hive Fleet hitting the sector. The planet was what these Hive Worlders would call jungle so they dropped us surface side. It took an hour for the first man to die. We have playgrounds back home with a higher death rate," Mord said almost laughing. "It took us six hours to find the first Tyranid. Then it started to feel like home real quick. Monsters coming out of the trees. Things belching spores and plasma. Hell."

"The 18th laughed but the other regiments broke. Cowards," he paused to spit. "They died and barely took a thing with them. Most useless sacks of Grox shit to ever pretend to serve the Emperor. By the time we realized we were alone the Hive had cut off communications and left us alone to face the Tyranids. 5000 guardsmen against that."

"The war lasted for 7 years. Brutal fighting from jungle to city. With bolter, lascannon, and fire we fought them. It was Colonel Gator who came up with the idea that turned the tide. Something that we'd do sometimes back home to deal with the Mamorphs. Cover ourselves in their blood. Cover our scent and help us get used to their toxin at the same time. It was a damned good idea no matter what that fool Commisar Breck says."

"The tides changed and finally we exterminated every last thrice damned trace of them from the planet. Not an egg or Genestealer escaped us. Then we called for pickup. 5000 men went down. 942 came up. 30 more would never fight again but we won. Out numbered, cut off from resupply, and surrounded by a horde of the foulest Xenos we'd ever seen - we still won. Scarred and bloody and poisoned by their fluids - we still won."

"Our ride off was supplied by Commisar Breck who read one report, condemned us for heretical methods, and handed us off to the Panacea By Flame. They commanded two years of quarantine for our efforts. Then went over us with the strictest medical auspex. That's when my problems started. Declared me tainted. A mutant. Damaged by the Lictor's blood. Said my nerves will never be right again. That I'll never feel pain again."

Here Mord goes silent for a long moment before speaking again, "Breck wants me executed as a heretic and a mutant. More than a few of the Magos agree with him. My own men speak up for me but it's easy to ignore quarantined men. I think I would already be dead if it weren't for that Rogue Trader. Apparently Breck was less than happy when he used that Warrant to requisition my services once the quarantine was ended."

"I can live with that. End recording."

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Mord Barker
Formerly of the Catachan XVIII "Swamprats"

Home World: Death World (Catachan)
Birthright: Contaminated Environs (100xp)
Lure of the Void: Tainted - Mutant (200xp - Feel No Pain)
Trials and Travails: The Hand of War
Motivation: Endurance
Career: Arch Militant

WS: 35    Int: 25
BS: 50     Per: 40
S: 40       Wp: 35
T: 53        Fel: 17
Ag: 35

Wounds: 21
Fate Points: 2

Traits:

Jaded, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Paranoid, Survivor, Peer (Mutants), Resistance (Poisons), Weapon Training (Flamer), Hatred (Tyranids), Basic Weapon Training (Un), Pistol Weapon Training (Un), Melee Weapon Training (Un), Thrown Weapon Training (Un), Sound Constitution (1), Iron Jaw

Skills:

Survival, Common Lore: War, Dodge, Intimidate, Scholastic Lore: Tactica Imperialis, Secret Tongue: Military, Speak Language: Low Gothic, Awareness

Equipment:

Hellgun (Good Craftsmanship), Catachan Fang (Good Craftsmanship Knife, Mono Upgrade), Enforcer Light Carapace, Void Suit, Micro-bead, Medkit, Manacles, Arms Coffer

XP:

100xp for Advanced Origin (Contaminated Environment)
200xp for Mutation (Feel No Pain)
100xp for Awareness
100xp for Simple Advance (Ballistic Skill)

2014-09-17 18:28:24   At 2014-09-17 18:28:24, deadmanshand (uid: 54173) rolls: 1d5 Result: 2
2014-09-17 18:43:49   At 2014-09-17 18:43:49, deadmanshand (uid: 54173) rolls: 1d10 Result: 2

[Jaded]

Is anyone opposed to having multiple of each career, and potentially multiple starting ships (34/34 SP)?

There are options on page 290 for multiple Rogue Traders, though we would probably have to figure out which character would be the official holder of the Warrant (when it is recovered) and who is the heir.  Though we could potentially go with both being 'shareholder' types.  Thoughts?



Let me know if I missed you below.

Pumpkin Seeds: Seneschal (Purser)
Muse: Rogue Trader (Lord Captain?)
ArcherCC: Missionary (Ship's Confessor)
Primarch: Navigator (First Officer)
HairyHeretic: Rogue Trader (Lord Captain?)
Life on Mars: Astropath Transcendent (Choir-Master Telepathica)
deadmanshand: Arch-Militant (Master-At-Arms)

Do you want us to use the Origin Paths?

Yes, unless there is an alternative method I missed somewhere.

I was looking at the chainsword, I laid out my character using the origin path and if I go with it, he is a militant high confessor

The concept looks good, and the chainsword is fine.  You are looking to be an Arch-Militant and not a Missionary?

I do have some knowledge of this system, but not total yet.  Would you rather someone with more experience play the Lord Captain?

I'm fine with someone who isn't an expert playing the Lord Captain.

Ok i guess the question that needs answering is.
If this will be sandbox down the line do we really need to stick to the game system or just use it as a guide? Sure youll need to know what your class and backgrounds are but are actual stats going to matter? Will dice rolls be actually used?
Ok so that was more than one question...sorry

Hmm?  By sandbox I mean I don't intend to have an overarching plot unless it comes from the characters or their actions (though I may occasionally provide hooks they can choose to follow), not that the rules won't be used.  So rolls will be used.

I'll pull out my copy of the core book and start writing up a Navigator =D

Possibly to take the role of First Officer.

Sounds good.

I'm interested. If no one has expressed a desire for the role, I'd go for the Rogue Trader.

Muse was interested I believe.  Though I'm not opposed to having two Rogue Traders, and would be willing to even start the group with two smaller ships instead of one larger one depending on the number of players we end up with.

WOW! A thousand times interest. I love Rogue Trader but have only ever had one chance to play. Would be highly interested in an Astropath Transcendent with the role of Choir-Master Telepathica. I'll get to work on a bio.

Sounds good.

Bio time! For position I am guessing Master-At-Arms but I need to sit down and really read the ship roles before I decide that.

Looks interesting.

[AndyZ]

Shouldn't the Confessor be a Missionary?

[ArcherCC]

What I meant by militant was a very zeolot combat missonary, charging at th fore of combat screaming littanies of hate, he will be a base class missonary.