Need some advice and info, playing Rogue Trader for the first time.

[Razgriez]

So, I just joined my first ever Warhammer 40,000 RPG, a Rogue Trader game. GM has stated that in addition to my own character I'm creating, I will also be assigned a Missionary character. My character can either be created using the standard 25+2d10 dice rolls for stats, or 25 base +100 Point buy.

So, need some advice here:

First off: What's a good class for a new player? And how should I play/kit out the character, and the Missionary secondary character?

Question two: When a talent says its "Universal" does it mean "you know how to use this in general"? i.E. Melee Weapon Training (Universal), would mean I can use any Melee weapon with no penalty, right?

[Aneurin]

So, I just joined my first ever Warhammer 40,000 RPG, a Rogue Trader game. GM has stated that in addition to my own character I'm creating, I will also be assigned a Missionary character. My character can either be created using the standard 25+2d10 dice rolls for stats, or 25 base +100 Point buy.

So, need some advice here:

First off: What's a good class for a new player? And how should I play/kit out the character, and the Missionary secondary character?

A good class? Honestly, most of them are pretty solid. Maybe stay away from Astropaths and Navigators until you've got a bit more of a handle on the system, since psykers can be a little... different.

Arch Militant is probably the most straight forward - you're a cross between a general and a bodyguard, and you're very good at killing things.

Explorator is very hard to do wrong. You're basically going to be replacing all your squishy bits with metal and laughing at anyone foolish enough to shoot at you with anything less than an anti-tan rifle. You've also got all the handy techy and knowledge bits going on.

Void Master... can be of limited use depending on what's going on. Being the ace ship-gunner/pilot/driver isn't all that handy if you don't spend all that much time in places you can drive/fly/shoot the ship's guns. It's got lots of secondary roles it can fill, like most RT careers, so it's not going to leave you high and dry but its main thing is being pilot/driver/gunner.

Seneschal is a mixture of spymaster, ninja and butler. You'll know lots of things, and be very good at finding them out. Lots of social bits, sneaky bits and a moderate amount of combat bits stuck in there.

Astropath is... you're basically playing a psychic telephone. I've always been a little fuzzy on why anyone thought it would be a good idea to make Astropaths, as opposed to a regular sanctioned psyker, playable. But they've got some nice mind-reading powers, as well as some mind-control (if it doesn't make you uncomfortable) and there are some passable set-them-on-fire powers you can get later.

Navigators are probably a bit complicated for a first timer, what with all the Warp Travel rolls you need to make. They're semi-psychic mutants who fly the ship through the Warp, and without one everyone gets eaten by daemons. It falls into the Void Master trap, though, of having one special area they're tricked out for and when they're not doing it they're kinda missing out a bit. Personally, I've always relegated Navigators to an NPC role and just had Warp Encounters happen when they're dramatic or interesting, so I may well be selling them short here.

Missionaries are very social, very tough and ever-so-slightly pyromaniacs. You're the ship's chaplain in many ways, exhorting the faithful and damning the heretics (while setting them on fire) and bringing the Light of the Emperor to the godless masses of the Expanse.

Rogue Trader... the archetypical swashbuckler and all-round charasmatic rogue. Bit of a jack-of-all-trades outside of leadership and social, but it can do a bit of everything eventually which is handy for providing assistance. You're pretty much the boss.


Again, aside from Navigator and Astropath any and all of those should work pretty well for your character, and even those should be okay. Just pick a focus, one thing you want to do well, and go for that. It's kind of hard to go too far wrong. I can do more specific advice with a bit more of an idea of what you want to play/do/get out of the game, this is all a bit general.

For your missionary second... um... I dunno. They can make a decent first aider, thanks to their access of Medicae. Depends whether you want them as a full character, or just a sort of minion that follows you around. Giving a missionary a flamer of some sort is seldom a bad idea, anyway.

Question two: When a talent says its "Universal" does it mean "you know how to use this in general"? i.E. Melee Weapon Training (Universal), would mean I can use any Melee weapon with no penalty, right?

Yep, basically.

[Razgriez]

Well, I'm familiar with 40k lore (having played the table top, and read some of the novels, notably Gaunt's Ghosts and the Ultramarine/Uriel Ventris series of novels), and yea, certainly understand that for the two "mage" classes, (Astropath and Navigator), they tend to have things go the most wrong (Astropath, Perils of the Warp. Navigator: Getting the entire ship lost in the warp)

I do agree, was kinda surprised they want the ship's Astropath as a player character, but I guess they figure that if you want to play a Sanctioned Psyker, use the DH 1st edition rules (speaking of which, DM mentioned something about using those rules, but since I don't have DH 1st edition, and it's no longer available from Fantasy Flight Games due to loss of the license, I wouldn't know the differences between that version of Psychic power rules and RT's)

The missionary second character from what I understand is not a tag along henchman, but rather, a full second character to play, since the party all have two characters, for times when the crew is separated. Apparently, the crew could use some medicae expertise, seeing as the primary healer consist of a "grot who uses a chainsaw, a flamethrower, and jumper cables pulled from the ships bulkhead and is still better than the actual ships surgery". No that's not an exaggeration or figure of speech. It really is a Grot surgeon, and the soldiers are basically going "Yea, we'll take our chances with the Psykers, over the chainsaw wielding grot"


Now regarding weapon training, I noticed that some of them have "Weapon type (Universal)" as their starting skills or talents, but then in their advancement charts mention the same talent listed, either as (Universal), or as as a specific type.

Example, the Void-Master has listed as starting with both Melee and Pistol Weapon Training (Universal), but in the Rank 1 Advances, it mentions them again for 500 XP, and Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) for 100 XP.

So is the starting Skills, Talents, and Gear presume a "pre-purchased/set up" character having spent their initial XP already? or do you start with them always, and if you purchase those again you get some kind of bonus?

Another question: Can you give me an example of how each crew member reacts to Combat. One case of "Planet side/boarding actions/on a station" and the other during Ship to Ship combat. Granted a few are obvious (Astropath/Navigator Ground: "Blast them with Psyker/Third Eye abilities". Arch-Militant: "Which weapon do I want to use today?") but what about the rest?

[Aneurin]

Well, I'm familiar with 40k lore (having played the table top, and read some of the novels, notably Gaunt's Ghosts and the Ultramarine/Uriel Ventris series of novels), and yea, certainly understand that for the two "mage" classes, (Astropath and Navigator), they tend to have things go the most wrong (Astropath, Perils of the Warp. Navigator: Getting the entire ship lost in the warp)

Fair enough, sorry to throw all that unneeded stuff at you then. But I've found it pays not to assume.

I do agree, was kinda surprised they want the ship's Astropath as a player character, but I guess they figure that if you want to play a Sanctioned Psyker, use the DH 1st edition rules (speaking of which, DM mentioned something about using those rules, but since I don't have DH 1st edition, and it's no longer available from Fantasy Flight Games due to loss of the license, I wouldn't know the differences between that version of Psychic power rules and RT's)

They work very differently. RT's system, and the system that all the 40k RPGs since have used, is a lot more... restrained. A bit safer for the user, and less hideously powerful, too.

The original Psyker system's based on WFRP 2e's magic system, turned up to 11. When FFG took over the series (just after Dark Heresy 1e's corebook was first released, I believe) they started re-writing things, which is why RT and DW look so different in places.

The missionary second character from what I understand is not a tag along henchman, but rather, a full second character to play, since the party all have two characters, for times when the crew is separated. Apparently, the crew could use some medicae expertise, seeing as the primary healer consist of a "grot who uses a chainsaw, a flamethrower, and jumper cables pulled from the ships bulkhead and is still better than the actual ships surgery". No that's not an exaggeration or figure of speech. It really is a Grot surgeon, and the soldiers are basically going "Yea, we'll take our chances with the Psykers, over the chainsaw wielding grot"

...Yeah, building your Missionary for Medicae might not be a bad idea at all.

Erm, general build advice; you get lots of nice flamer talents, so grab a flamer and don't worry too much about BS, since you'll seldom need it. Do grab a weapon with longer range, though, as a back-up in the event something doesn't want to get in burning range. You'll also typically be close enough to the enemy that melee is a real possibility, so be able to at least survive it even if you don't want to excel.

Don't skimp on the social and religious side of things; they're what your character is best at. You'll be the party face - or one of them, at least - and you'll be the one talking the unwashed masses into letting your Rogue Trader do... whatever mad scheme they're attempting this time.

Now regarding weapon training, I noticed that some of them have "Weapon type (Universal)" as their starting skills or talents, but then in their advancement charts mention the same talent listed, either as (Universal), or as as a specific type.

Example, the Void-Master has listed as starting with both Melee and Pistol Weapon Training (Universal), but in the Rank 1 Advances, it mentions them again for 500 XP, and Melee Weapon Training (Primitive) for 100 XP.

So is the starting Skills, Talents, and Gear presume a "pre-purchased/set up" character having spent their initial XP already? or do you start with them always, and if you purchase those again you get some kind of bonus?

Anything listed as a starting Skill/Talent/Gear you start with. Unless it says to only choose a set number in which case you only get the set number,

Those skills and talents are listed again on the advancement table because there was, according to some throwaway reference somewhere or other, a plan that later supplements would modify the starting profiles of the careers and potentially cause them to lose access to those skills/talents. It never seems to have happened, but that's why it's there.

You can't purchase them again.

Another question: Can you give me an example of how each crew member reacts to Combat. One case of "Planet side/boarding actions/on a station" and the other during Ship to Ship combat. Granted a few are obvious (Astropath/Navigator Ground: "Blast them with Psyker/Third Eye abilities". Arch-Militant: "Which weapon do I want to use today?") but what about the rest?

Uhm. Okay, I'll do what I can.

Personal combat:

Rogue Trader

You split your actions between giving someone a +10 bonus and killing things with a sword and pistol. Also bossing everyone around 'cause you're the boss and they darn well better remember it.

Void Master

You're either sharp-shooting, or warming up the car. And by car I mean heavily armed APC/jet.

Explorator

You're either splattering things with your axe, splattering them with large amounts of weapons fire, or scaring the bajeezus out of the enemy with sub-vocalised fear waves and the way their weapons keep bouncing off you. Seriously, Explorators are terrifyingly tough after a few ranks.

Seneschal

You're either laying down some suppressive fire since you're not a great shot, or trying to sneak around the enemy to catch them in a crossfire or invalidate their cover.

Missionary

You'll be roasting any melee nasties that try to get close to your friends, or trying to get close to an entrenched enemy so your flamer can get around that pesky cover.

Arch Militant

You're going to be laying down the hurt on the biggest, baddest thing there. Or mowing down all its friends while the Explorator keeps it busy. As a secondary thing, you may also be bossing around any armsmen you've brought with you.

Astropath

You'll mostly be hiding in cover, trying to fry someone's brain while hoping nothing too Warpy happens. And you will need to be in cover, since everyone will start shooting you when you start glowing.

Navigator

You'll be melting people's faces with your Navigator powers and trying not to get shot, because everyone's a bit stuffed if you get killed.


For ship-to-ship... that's actually much harder to explain.

The Explorator will probably be doing something Technical so you can all go faster, or not explode.

The Missionary and Rogue Trader will both be rallying the crew, and maybe leading some boardings or hit-and-runs.

Any Medicae-oriented PC might be doing triage and reducing the (horrifying) number of casualties you'll take.

The Seneschal may well be on the sensors, scanning the enemy and helping everyone else shoot better.

The Arch-Militant will probably be blowing things up, but may do a few hit-and-runs as well.

The Void Master will either be blowing things up or flying the ship. The Rogue Trader may also take a turn at flying the ship.

I... forget what the Astropath and Navigator can do. I think the Astropath can provide a ship-wide telepathic field. Presumably the Navigator sits in their sanctum and prays they don't die?

[Razgriez]

Fair enough, sorry to throw all that unneeded stuff at you then. But I've found it pays not to assume.

No apology needed, I didn't mention my experience with 40k lore in the first place.

So according to the GM, the Missionary he's handing over to me is focused on social abilities (notably, bluffing). If I don't tune him to medicae (the GM is open to that), who else is decent for the party healer? So that the House's soldiers don't have to rely so much on biomancy psychic abilities or Dr. Grot's homemade, plasma-drive powered defibrillators

[Aneurin]

Arch Militants get Medicae at Rank 1, but without an Int focus (and a lack of upgrades to it later) they're not wonderful at it. They'll more be your emergency first aider, rather than someone you want cutting you open looking for bullets.

Explorators get Medicae at Rank 2, but since they're Int focused and they get improvements to it later they're pretty good at it. Plus they can make anyone who dies on the table into a servitor, which means they're still useful-ish.

Missionaries start with Medicae, and get advances to it a little earlier. They also get Master Chirurgeon two ranks earlier than Explorators. Though Int's pretty expensive for Missionaries to buy up, actually, which I'd forgotten about - I don't play them very often. You'd still be pretty good at it, though.