Rogue Trader - Registration and Discussion Thread

[Montresor]

it takes some of the fun out of it when you make it look like a quote from a journal article.

Care to back that up with references? I'll accept only Chicago footnote style.

[Malachi]

[Dorian]

Look its ch1mpgays gf

[Montresor]

Malachi wins.

I've just upped some brief details on all of the ship's essential locations. There are many more important or noteworthy places on board the vessel, and I intend to add a schematic marking their relative locations (a complete map of a 70+ storey vessel is just not doable or necessary).

Some locations will be added shortly after we start, while others won't be added unless a player 'explores' them.

There are a few more details to add which are essential, but I will not be starting late because of them. I'll start the game tomorrow night. Players can take their time to reply in this first week, in case they are working things out, or want to spend more time reading the details I have added.

And I also edited the stats of the ship because I forgot to add the crew rating. The crew of the Invictus are rated as Crack ratings.

[Loredoctor]

Look its ch1mpgays gf

[Montresor]

And just so more people have this running in their brain over and over and over and over....

Here's the original:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wpGPqWrjeQ

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

So... got some more questions about the 40k universe, if anyone feels like enlightening:

Astropaths... who owns them? I know they're collected up as kids by the black ships, trained for a while, bonded with the Emperor, and now they're out here. Are they on loan to the Amphaels by the Imperium, or are they set free once they've finished their training?

In terms of the Invictus, I'm guessing they have nothing to do with the wall of communication gear on the bridge? That's all for local-system coms (Vox) and whatnot, right?

Likewise, what about Tech-Priests? We've got bunches and bunches of them on-board the ship... several hundred, just from skimming Montresor's notes so far. They seem to belong to the Mechanicus guys on Mars... how is it that the Amphaels managed to get them? And not just like we're borrowing them for a special project... but they're just more valuable slaves aboard the ship. They couldn't just walk out, though. And Garrius still has full rights to blow them away on a whim.

So, I guess... what's the chain of authority here?

[Dorian]

The tech priests arent slaves, or really ours to command. they worship machine spirits and as such they see the ship as a giant living thing that they must keep active in order to house its machine spirit. Really we have little to no say over them and rely on them wanting to keep the ship active in order to them on side as such. The last thing we would want to do is offend them, as they are the only ones who can keep the ship running

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

So... how would they react if we were to make a suicide run with the Invictus while they were on it? (Suicide run to do something noble, like ramming some enemy ship so that the other frigates in the fight could then win the battle without us.)

Hell, in the Plasma Drive and Warp Drive, there aren't any civilian officers... the Engineseers are directly managing the ratings under them, yet they have no authority to do so? (Except for "I know what I'm doing" authority.)

This seems like a mgmt structure just waiting to melt down when something stresses it.

[Montresor]

Astropaths are members of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and, due to their crucial role, they have a lot of power. On the ship, they are used for inter-stellar communication. Comms officers control the regular communications, like vox comms, beacons, ship-to-ship, ship-to-planet etc.

The engineseers are all members of the Machine Cult, which has a general autonomy within the Imperium. They will take orders, but it's more like they're doing you an extreme favour. They know their duty, and they fulfill it. The engineseers are the very lowest rung of the Machine Cult, barely more cogent of the mysteries of technology than many. They understand that if you press this button then x happens, or if you apply the sacred unguents then the machine is appeased...but it's only at the higher levels that techpriests begin to truly grasp the forbidden mysteries of technology. To this end, only Malachi and the Venerant would be knowledgeable beyond rote capabilities.

All ships of the size of the Invictus would have many techpriests. Their tenure would have been negotiated even before the ship's constrcution, and simply carried on in the same fashion after Amphael acquisition. The techpriests would make their own arrangements to secure replacements and so forth. It's very likely that, due to the Invictus being built on a Forge World, the techpriests would consider the ship theirs in spirit.

What is worth keeping in mind is that the Warrant of Trade grants the Rogue Trader the authority of a High Lord of Terra once outside the borders of the Imperium. In theory, he could tell anyone to do whatever he pleased, in practice, only a fool would treat a techpriest as a servant.

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

Do we pay them to be here doing this for us? (Or pay the Machine Cult on their behalf... however they want to word it.)

[Montresor]

Do we pay them to be here doing this for us? (Or pay the Machine Cult on their behalf... however they want to word it.)

The Amphaels would cover their basic expenses. It's unlikely this will ever lead to an upkeep roll, unless the ship suffers a lot of damage, the crew is seriously depleted at some stage, or they are used to staff an outpost you establish, for example.

[Montresor]

The game has officially begun.

There will be more background, crew, clan, location details coming, but we have enough to start for now. Please post in the Port Wander thread, where the campaign begins. I have deliberately not written in the opening post of the campaign any details about the locations of the PCs. All that I would like to dictate is that the Rogue Trader, the Explorator, and the Navigator are on their way from somewhere else in the port - how and when is up to those players.

Drak-Kung, Zarkov, and Andrea are expected to be at the parade before the new arrivals. It's up to you if you are already there in the crowd, or whether you are on your way.

Enjoy, and thanks for everyone's patience in getting this started.

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

The game has officially begun.

Enjoy, and thanks for everyone's patience in getting this started.

Huh. I'm almost going to mis all the prep-work... it's been kind of fun getting to know the setting and trying to invent the most interesting possible section of it to inhabit.

[Dorian]

Hey guys

Massive weekend at work this week. Possibly wont be able to post for a few days. Sorry if this holds stuff up.

Just consider that Garrius is being a rude late guy

[Montresor]

Hey guys

Massive weekend at work this week. Possibly wont be able to post for a few days. Sorry if this holds stuff up.

Just consider that Garrius is being a rude late guy

That's ok. It's fitting that he should arrive last of all - anyway, there's much to do to keep everyone busy and introducing their characters etc.

[Dorian]

Thanks mate. This weekend is stress central for me. Cant wait to get it out of the way

[Montresor]

Thanks mate. This weekend is stress central for me. Cant wait to get it out of the way

Yeah, as I said, people could take a week to post for this opening - considering all the stuff to read on background etc. When you do introduce yourself, just hurry it along to the point where you can interact with the others.

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

We may get to spend the whole week arguing amongst ourselves and the consortium, then blow the whole deal for you, by the time you get here.

How's that for blowing the GM's story... we can nuke it before the main guy even shows up.

[Injerian Praetus II]

The tech priests arent slaves, or really ours to command. they worship machine spirits and as such they see the ship as a giant living thing that they must keep active in order to house its machine spirit. Really we have little to no say over them and rely on them wanting to keep the ship active in order to them on side as such. The last thing we would want to do is offend them, as they are the only ones who can keep the ship running

They also worship the Omnissiah, who is likely the Dragon - a C'Tan (Necron god).