Rogue Trader - Character Creation and House Rules

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Rogue Trader - Character Creation and House Rules

Post by Montresor »

Creating a character in Rogue Trader is a four step process. The use of the Origin Path means that the creation process for characters is both more involved, and more streamlined.

As yet, a writeable PDF of the character sheet does not exist.

All players should look at and download a copy of the Origin Path chart, which tracks the development of a PC. Each choice on the path influences the starting statistics, skills, and talents of a character. Due to the size of the list, and the information for each entry, I cannot provide a summation of all of the entries. I will, however, respond to selective questions from players as they decide upon which track to follow.

Stage 1 - Generate Characteristics

The prime Statistics in Rogue Trader are:
Weapon Skill - Competence in hand-to-hand fighting.
Ballistic Skill - Competence in ranged combat.
Strength - A measure of physical strength.
Toughness - A measure of physical fortitude.
Agility - A character's reflexes and poise.
Intelligence - A measure of reason and knowledge.
Perception - A measure of how easily one can deduce their surroundings.
Willpower - Mental fortitude, resilience to horror and insanity.
Fellowship - A measure of the character's charm, confidence, and social ability.

Statistics are either generated by spending 100 points between your characteristics, or rolling randomly. If the first option is selected, each characteristic begins at 25 points, and may have up to 20 points spent on it (no characteristic may start higher than 45). This method leads to slightly above average stats to begin with. If the second option is chosen, I will roll a player's statistics (they must tell me which they would like to be the highest and the lowest etc - each stat has 2D10 added to the base score of 25). I will also replace the lowest result with a score of 36.

Stage 2 - The Origin Path

The Origin Path

Players select the path to their chose career (listed in the bottom row) by first choosing their Homeworld option. All options chosen from then on must be either one space directly or diagonally below the chosen box. There are too many options here to list them all, but I will respond to player's questions about these in PM. It is adviseable to have a look at the rulebook for these, though it is not necessary.

Stage 3 - Spend Experience Points

Each player in Rogue Trader is considered to be far above the level of an ordinary human within the Imperium. Not only does this relate to their resources, but also their experience. After stats and the Origin are determined, all players will spend 500 Experience Points on characteristics, skills, or talents. Individual details on the options will be provided to each player, once they have completed Stage 2.

Stage 4 - Select Equipment

Players may attempt to acquire additional items, armour or weapons once they have spent their experience points. They may make one attempt to acquire an item (based off the Profit Factor, and the items rarity). Options will be given to players once they finish Stage 3. There are far too many options to list them all here.
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Post by Montresor »

Starting Bionics

The Explorator is the only class which has the option of starting the game with bionic attachments. However, some players have expressed a desire or interest to begin with some. Players may use their Acquisition roll to begin the game with one (please note, Acquisition rolls may fail), or they may expend 200XP to acquire one. All Bionics acquired in this fashion will be of Common quality, and are subject to approval by me.

Mechadendrites are not allowed, excapt for the Explorator.

This rule only counts for character creation. XP will not be used in the future to acquire items of bionics. Furthermore, I will only allow bionics of a simple nature to be acquired (i.e., you can get a bionic eye which enhances your vision sense, though it does not provide aiming bonuses or infrared etc).
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Post by Montresor »

Crew Morale

In Rogue Trader, there is a 'character sheet' for the vessel. All players will receive a copy of this, so that they may easily see the capabilities of the ship on which they travel.

However, unlike the sheet's intention, I will not be giving precise values for every element of the vessel. This is especially true of the Crew's Morale, a vital factor in the game. Instead of a precise figure, player's will only have a general idea of the crew's overal morale. If they want a more precise idea, they will have to find this out for themselves.

Likewise, this rule goes for the exact status of supplies and ammunition. Individual officers are tasked with maintaining these at appropriate levels, and basic store acquisitions would usually be the domain of the Seneschal. However, exact figures may never be known unless a character actively investigates this or conducts a census.
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Post by Montresor »

EXPERIENCE POINTS

I have not yet decided the exact method of awarding experience points. Players with the RT book should ignore the section in the GM's chapter about XP awards.

The most likely method will be awarding experience points at the end of an 'adventure' or major thread, as well as general participation posts.

As for spending experience points, this will be done in strict accordance with the rules, as well as with the game's 'reality' taken into account. For instance, a player who wishes to arbitrarily get the skill Forbidden Knowledge (The Warp) must be able to justify why their character does so. As such, all experience point expenditure must be run by the GM.
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Post by Montresor »

Invisible Rolls

Initially, the GM will make all rolls. Later, if players wish to try their hands at self-GMing, they can make all rolls themselves. However, in all encounters arbitrated by the GM, the GM will determine all tests and rolls.

The usual practice for indicating results will be done Out of Character, indicated in brackets and another colour. For example:

[OOC - You make a Hard Scrutiny test, scoring 28 and succeed by two steps. This indicates... ]

In order to preserve the sense of mystery and disconnection for the game mechanics, it may often be useful for the GM to not mention that they have made any rolls at all. It may also be the case that the GM may announce the score from a roll when, in fact, no test was ever made. This is done not to penalise the players, but merely to try and get them out of the rather gamey-habit of being aware of things outside of their character's knowledge.

Consider the example of an RT vessel emerging from Warp Space near an asteroid field. A pirate raider vessel awaits in ambush, anticipating the RT's arrival for whatever reason. The GM makes a roll to see if the RT's ship or the characters detect the raider. They fail. If the GM announces they have made the test, players will naturally become suspicious that there is something to be detected in the field, and may take actions which would be otherwise unrealistric. On the other hand, the GM may announce that standard detection tests were made and that no-one passed...even though the GM never made the tests (because nothing is there to be detected). The purpose of this is to create tension and anticipation where threats do not exist and, thus, to reduce adventure predictability.

Tests may sometimes be utterly crucial, and sometimes completely irrelevant. It's up to the players to ponder which is which.
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Post by Montresor »

Planetary Bombardment and Atmospheric Entry

The background detail in the 40k setting on inter-stellar ships entering planetary atmosphere is inconsistent. I have chosen to adopt a system which reflects both the setting, and the use of warships in real-world history.

Battleships and some larger Cruisers have historically been the only vessels envisioned as being capable of use against shore batteries. In the 40k setting, I have chosen to reflect this in that only Battlecruisers and Battleships posses the weaponry capable of reliably bombarding a planet's surface from the atmosphere.

Macrobatteries will burn up as they enter a planet's atmosphere, and lances will have their laser/plasma blasts dissipated to nothing (or reduced to a super-fine and ineffective laser beam) if fired onto a planet. To have any hope of using a lance beam against the surface of a planet, a ship must enter the atmosphere of a planet. Even then, without guidance from the ground, a lance is likely to be innacurate.

Certain classes of ship, from Cruiser down, may sometimes be fitted with weapons capable of fire/virus bombing a planet. If this is the case, then bombardment from space will be possible. Note that the Invictus does not possess any weapons capable of doing this, nor does it have torpedo launch tubes.

Finally, inter-stellar ships of the size of the Invictus were constructed and launched in space. If they are ever forced to land on a planetary surface themselves, they will never be able to re-enter space. This is why the Invictus carries a small complenent of shuttles.
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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