Stone Magnet wrote:I've tracked down Dark Heresy but Rogue Trader is elusive...
Rogue Trader has only just been released, and I think most people didn't get their regular mail order copies until a week or two ago. My brother has one, and I have ordered one for my own use.
Of course, not that I would endorse piracy
...but I imagine typing in "Rogue Trader RPG download" would prove interesting. Check out the official page on Fantasy Flight's website just to get a basic idea of the game.
Of course, when I set the forum up I will post all the legit info I can find.
For now, keep in mind that these are the career classes:
Rogue Trader - the Lord-Captain of the ship. A member of an established mercantile family, with enormous legal authority to advance the cause of humanity.
Missionary - basically what it sounds like; on a mission to spread the Faith of the God Emperor of Mankind to the galaxy (meanwhile smiting heretics and vile xenos wherever they are found).
Explorator - basically a high-level tech priest charged with advancing the exploration of the galaxy.
Arch-Militant - a high-level fighter (ex-soldier, bounty-hunter etc...the true professional kind of warrior).
Seneschal - a kind of scholar/spy/merchant...an interesting career. Imagine something like a hands-on Prime Minister/Factor for a Rogue Trader family.
Void Master - a ship's officer, basically.
Astropath Transcendent - a psyker of great talent, primarily used aboard the vessel for inter-galactic communication.
Navigator - the ship's navigator, crucial for traversing the Warp (those guys with the third eye which can kill with a glance).
Something to keep in mind about this game is that it doesn't play like most RPGs. The characters start off fairly experienced, and have access to finances and equipment well and truly beyond the scope of traditional characters. These are not the sort of people who spend their time rifling through slain enemies for a few coppers.
The stakes and rewards in Rogue Trader are high. Play is often focussed on Endeavours (trade/exploration missions, establishing colonies etc). The Rogue Trader's ship usually has a compliment of about 20,000 crew and receives financial backing from inter-stellar merchant families, and legal authority to do almost anything in the uncharted zones of the galaxy.
40k is a vibrant and interesting setting. It is well established and hugely detailed. That said, there is a wealth of info out there on it for the uninitiated. It is not a setting for people who want to play My Pretty Pony
Humanity has become a sprawling galactic empire where necessity dictates injustice and brutality as the only sure means of survival. That which is not prescribed is vigourously hunted down to extinction. Dark Gods work against existence, slowly and surely eroding the fabric of reality, bent on the destruction of everything living.
Keep in mind that Rogue Trader is not the 40k wargame (though it's the same setting), the focus is different. Playing the alien races is not a possibility, and the same goes for playing Space Marines. I am open to negotiation when it comes to character types, however.
Finally, there will be only one Rogue Trader character (and there must be one to start the campaign). Give serious consideration to the career if you're interested. It will take a player with a good commitment, as much of what everyone does hinges upon what the Rogue Trader does (this is not to say he/she is the main character or the sole focus, however).
