Let's Make A Rogue Trader House (using the lifepath from Into The Storm)

Uzumaki

Uzumaki

Just bein' ahwnist
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Feb 4, 2013
The recent activity in the 40k thread has got me all riled up for Rogue Trader but my friends who play Rogue Trader don't live near me anymore. So let's make a Rogue Trader Dynastic House (capitals!) and maybe that will satisfy me. It's actually really fun, and almost as intricate as character creation.

Generally you go around the group in a circle taking turns making choices, but since there's no circle I guess it's first come, first served. I'll type out the full description of each pick made. Keep in mind that each choice on the lifepath has to be adjacent (either directly or diagonally) to the choice that came before it.

SP are Ship Points, how powerful the Dynasty's ship is.

PF is Profit Factor. A Rogue Trader's wealth is so vast and complex it cannot be expressed in mere throne gelt, so instead we have this. It's also how you measure the wealth of entire worlds and other large entities.

lifepathip.jpg


So the first pick is in what age was the Warrant of Trade granted? Age of Rebirth is the earliest, the Waning is the most recent.
 
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Hmm, I'm interested. Also, I've got a 2 week vacation, so I've got time to do this.
However, like I said, I'm a newbie at this.
 
Randall Fragg said:
Hmm, I'm interested. Also, I've got a 2 week vacation, so I've got time to do this.
However, like I said, I'm a newbie at this.
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All you have to do to jump in is pick one of the choices on the top row. It dictates what age in Warhammer 40k history the dynasty was granted it's Warrant of Trade, the document that gives it the powers of a rogue trader house. You can google the names for more information about them than you probably need if you care.

And that would be the extent of it, you wouldn't need 2 weeks off so much as 2 seconds.
 
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I'm going to save myself typing this first one up, since all the ages are extensively documented elsewhere.

The only new information is the part about "A scion of a Rogue Trader House established during this age is steeped in duty and zeal, ever determined to take the word of the Imperial Creed to those who would deny it."

On to the next person's pick:

Fortune and Fate is the state the predecessors of the current warrant holder left the House in before they took control. The three available from where you are is Rising Star, Ascending and Stable.
 
Ascending

Most Rogue Trader Houses undergo significant fluctuations in their fortunes, and a firm hand on the tiller is required to safely navigate the peaks and troughs. A dynasty said to be in the ascendant enjoys an upturn in its fortunes and an increase in its influence and prestige. Such a house proves itself a worthy investment to any who would join it in its endeavors, and its head will have little difficulty in attracting allies and backers.

The only real problem a Rogue Trader in such a position may find is that of jealous rivals. Few dynasties survive long without attracting the ire of their peers, whether they become engaged in bitter trade wars or actually exchange broadsides out in the void. A successful House may find its position coveted, with hidden hands at work against it. The most successful Rogue Traders are those who learn to anticipate, and deal with such enemies before the fortunes of their House can be affected.

On to the next person's turn:

Acquisition is next. This is how the House was granted it's warrant of trade. We are in range of Blackmail, Prize-Of-War and Ecclesiarchial Bequest.
 
exball said:
View attachment 11030

You actually want to be at the beck and call of the most insane religious group ever.
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You mean the most influential group in the Imperium that will give us all the power to do whatever we want. I don't think anyone would want to mess with us or deny our requests if we have ties to the Imperial cult. It gives us the ability to morally justify our action as we exploit various peoples for our own gain. Plus you can use it as a way to get help from other imperial institutions like the Navy. "You dare to refuse aid the Ecclesiarchy? Sounds like heresy to me Admiral." I think the possible benefits outweigh the risks.
 
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Burned Man said:
You mean the most influential group in the Imperium
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The Ecclesiarchy tends to have people get taken out by "Ork snipers" when they dig around too much in Inquisitor, Rogue Trader, or Space Marine business. The writ technically makes you more powerful than the Ecclesiarchy, unless of course they gave it to you.
 
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exball said:
The writ technically makes you more powerful than the Ecclesiarchy, unless of course they gave it to you.
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That's what I assumed was happening, we get the writ from the Ecclesiarchy and use that influence to build up the type of power Rogue Traders are known for. The way I see it a Rogue Trader is only as powerful as their fortune and fleet and since we are starting a dynasty from scratch it can't hurt to have a powerful benefactor. I might be over thinking but I believe it has better long term prospects than blackmail and prize-of-war. Depending on the blackmail whatever leverage we have would be temporary and could only be as relevant as whenever who we had by the balls dies. Prize-of-war is alright, it's cool to be a war hero but that only lasts until you die and people forget your name and your heirs can't use it anymore.
 
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exball said:
The writ technically makes you more powerful than the Ecclesiarchy, unless of course they gave it to you.
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Yeah, that's the idea. When you take Ecclesiarchy the idea is that they pulled strings to get you the Warrant (since they can't technically grant them on their own). Also, while a Rogue Trader speaks with the voice of the Emperor in the places outside of Imperial control, inside the Imperium itself it helps to have friends in the cult.

Ecclesiarchial Bequest

The Ecclesiarchy does not hold the power to grant a Warrant of Trade, for that privilege ultimately lies with the Adeptus Terra and the High Lords, but, in common with many of the Imperium's highest institutions, it does have great influence in the matter. Many of the crusades launched by the Imperium against recidivist systems or vile aliens are thanks to the fiery oratory of the Ecclesiarchy's Confessors and Redemptory Priests. Such individuals preach war and redemption across dozens of worlds, igniting the zealous passions of the Imperium's subjects until vast rallies are held where millions of would-be martyrs call for the preacher's demands to be granted and war to be taken to the enemy.

Though the preachers utilise simplistic, even crude methods to gain the support of the masses, they are highly adept at the far subtler ways of ensuring their voice is heard. Even while the confessor preaches hate and bloodshed to the masses, his agents move amongst the Imperium's institutions, making promises of great favour and wealth to those who aid them, and making veiled threats to those who seek to obstruct them. One such promise the adepts might issue is the granting of a Warrant of Trade, the confessor's allies ensuring that certain individuals with the power to grant such a reward are spoken to, in return for certain favours being performed.

The story is starting to pull itself together. I can definitely see something like this going down in the Age of Redemption. Anyway, on with the show:

Sanction has a weird name that is not only non-descriptive, but gives a false impression of what it means. It's basically reputation; what your House is known for. You're in range of the Fall of the Tellurian Combine, the Meritech Wars and the Angevin Crusade. These are all local to the Koronus Expanse/Calixis Sector general area, which in turn is the part of the Imperium specifically developed for the RPGs, so a lot of people who are more book/wargame oriented might not be familiar with them. So I'll give a brief overview of each:

Fall of the Tellurian Combine: The dominant financial power in the Calixis Sector is proven to be a front organization for the Brotherhood of Horned Darkness, a chaos cult. The organization is so widespread and powerful that, rather than risk outright civil war with an open purge, the Inquisition is forced instead to engage in a shadow war against the combine that lasts 3 years before they have completely purged it's taint (in the process weakening the governments of nearly every world in the sector).

Meritech Wars: The Meritech Clans were a powerful group of voidborn human secessionists who were backed by a a Heretek conspiracy known as the Logicians. They became powerful enough to threaten the stability of the Calixis Sector (as well as a neighbouring sector) until the Imperium showed up and did exactly what you'd imagine they'd do.

Angevin Crusade: The crusade that brought the Calyx Expanse under imperial control, transforming it into the Calixis Sector.
 
exball said:
I always liked the Meritech Wars.
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The first game of Rogue Trader I ever played had a Meritech Shrike as the PC's ship. It's pretty badass looking and one of the only Heretek ship designs I'm aware of. Nice little ship too.

The Meritech Wars

In the early years of the third century of M.41 the Calixis Sector faced a threat capable of destabilising the entire region. In the dark void between the Calixis and Ixaniad Sectors was to be found a small cluster of dozens or so worlds, ruled by the scavenging Meritech Clans. In 211.M41, the clans declared their secession from the Imperium, and began to amass a sizable military might which they deployed against the interests of both of the neighbouring sectors.

The Imperium's response was to launch an overwhelming assault upon the worlds of the Merates Cluster, smashing the home worlds of the Meritech Clans. The Sector Governess Myram Harvala mustered a great force, which in addition to the Imperium's armies, included a number of Rogue Trader Houses. Many of these Houses were newly raised, and their Warrants of Trade granted thanks to the sponsorship of the Governess, on the condition of their aid in the forthcoming war.

The ensuing conflict raged for seventeen years, and saw the complete eradication of all life from the worlds of the Merates Cluster. The Meritech Clans fielded all manner of heretical technology, later found to have been supplied to them by a heretical tech-cult known as the Logicians. The Rogue Traders were at the forefront of much of the fighting, and although a great many of them were never to emerge from the wars, many other established the fortunes of future generations, acting as ruthless and highly dependable mercenaries for the Governess. Such dynasties are opportunist in nature, highly mercenary and able to bring to bear formidable military force in the pursuance of their fortunes.

The next step is Contacts. This is where the House has influence, having operatives and family members insinuated into it and where you have friends and favors owed. Basically, these are what the strings the House pulls to get things done are attached to.

You are in range of Merchant Houses, Missionaria Galaxia, and the Adeptus Mechanicus. Merchant Houses is basically trade routes and banking guilds and stuff. The others can be wiki'd.

(If burning man and randall want to make one more pick each that'd be the full lifepath)

Edit: just going to go ahead and tag them @Burned Man @Randall Fragg
 
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Adeptus Mechanicus

It is not uncommon for the paths of Rogue Trader and Explorators to cross, particularly out amongst the unexplored systems beyond the Imperium's borders. On occasion the two factions will have cause to join forces, and as both generally have quite different objectives to their exploration this is often a successful course of action. There are plenty of times however when the interests of the two groups will clash, such as when the Explorator Fleet wishes to strip mine a newly discovered world while a Rogue Trader wishes to trade with its native population, or a particular Explorator Archmagos decides they want something the Rogue Trader has or that they know too much.

Nonetheless, many Rogue Trader maintain ties with Explorators they have worked alongsidei n the past. by doing so, the Rogue Trader can utilize information the Explorators have gathered, gaining exclusive access to systems the Explorators have discovered. Frequently, an Explorator Fleet will pass through a system, exploring and cataloguing it but classifying it as having little or no interest to the Adeptus Mechanicus. A Rogue Trader with contacts with the Explorator Fleet will know of such worlds long before his rivals, and have a unique opportunity to investigate them for opportunities from which his House might profit.

Last one is Warrant Renown, which is pretty much self explanatory. You can be Famous or Unknown. Then we have to interpret all this into something coherent.
 
Not exactly sure what to pick. With Unknown, isn't it less likely that people will want us dead?
 
Unknown gets you more starting money, because you can get away with more criminal activity, but famous means you have a more badass spaceship because that's just how things work.

Famous would put starting PF at 32, Unknown would put starting PF at 36. 30 is about the level of a powerful hive guild or an impoverished noble, 40 is the level of a planetary noble, planetary merchant house or a weak imperial governor. It's also the difference between 52 and 56 ship points, which at that important benchmark could be difference between a well outfitted frigate and a basic light cruiser.
 
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