Rogue Trader - The Frozen Reaches (OoC)

[Henry the 57th]

Originally Posted by Maugan Ra

Yeesh. Lots of purchasing and so on. Still, it all seems fine so far.

Well, I'm done for the night, I think. You want me to write an IC post about it before I go to bed?

[Maugan Ra]

Unless there's a particular reason why not, then yes, you learn about the message from Damaris.

Also, just to clarify, starship components are usually quite difficult to acquire. War components, like guns, take a -30 flat modifier on the acquisition test, and 'Etheric' components like auspexes and vox networks suffer a -20. This is in addition to their rarity values, as represented on page 207. I'm pretty sure you got enough successes on the rolls to pass anyway, but bear it in mind.

[cgrela]

Wow, this is what I get for sleeping.

I guess I'll make some commerce rolls of my own. Or would the two weeks we will be in port be long enough for our Lady-Captain to make the roll instead? I'll try anyway. Sigma is vox-casting down to the local Mechanicus for a Ryza-pattern plasma cannon and Mezoa-pattern plasma gun.

Plasma Cannon: (1d100)[46] v. 30
Plasma Gun: (1d100)[16] v. 30

In case I missed anything in my calculations (and I probably did), this is how I got to the target number:
PF 20
+30 Single item
-20 Very Rare item

[Lucretia]

I was using the rules in Battlefleet Koronus to come up with the modifiers. A supplemental component costing 2 SP will run you a Very Rare (murder-serveritors, munitorium). One costing 1 SP will be Rare (medicae deck).

EDIT: The trade off in using the Battlefleet Koronus rules is that it becomes harder to get items with a high SP, even if they're just holds and the sort. Meanwhile, it becomes marginally easier to acquire weapons of war and the like.

If you'd rather only use the flat rules provided in the Core Rulebook, then it'll make about 90% of my future acquisitions significantly easier, while making the other 10% harder. I'd prefer to use the more detailed rules, though, since it takes SP differences into account. It just feels better to me.

As for Commerce checks, I can't make them after you've rolled against PF.

[cgrela]

Well, I guess either you can roll the commerce checks instead, or we can say that Sigma picked up the plasma gun on the last day after you've made any commerce checks.

Edit: If you're making commerce rolls, I'd like to add in bionic limbs, blackbone bracing, and augmented senses.

[Winthrow]

Time for a couple of Acquisition rolls.

Commerce for Lucretia in helping me acquire the weapon I wish for.
(1d100)[60] vs 80 2 DoS
(1d100)[96] vs 40 5 DoF

Solo Boltgun
(1d100)[77] +10

Fire Selector +30
(1d100)[28]

Organgrinder rounds
(1d100)[37] +0

Blackbone Bracing (if allowed, not sure if we can manage time for installment)
(1d100)[62] +10

Hopefully I haven't messed anything up with this

Edit: The way I read this is that I failed with all except the fire selector that I'll have installed on my bolt pistol.

[Lucretia]

No, you didn't do the Commerce correctly.

This is for everyone: First off, you can roll Commerce on my behalf. Unless I have told you specifically otherwise, Tazya will work to better her crew.

Second off, the way you perform acquisition rolls is as follows:

1. Figure out what you want, knowing the Rarity, the Scope, and the Craftsmanship modifiers.
2. Roll Commerce before rolling against Profit Factor. This is an opposed check, and on Footfall, the merchants have a Commerce of 40. Anatazya has a Commerce of 80. Thus, roll 1d100 v. 80 and then 1d100 v. 40. Calculate DoS and DoF. For each DoS we are from their DoF, we gain 2 PF. If we had DoF and they had DoS, we have effectively a lower Profit Factor.
3. Roll a d100 against the modified Profit Factor.

That should do it. Follow those steps in the future and we should have fiscal happiness.

[Donan]

Would Peer (Miltary) let Ulrich know of some contacts who might be able to help find a broker?

[cgrela]

Okay, lets see if I can do this right:

Plasma cannon:
(1d100)[93] v. 80
(1d100)[53] v. 40

Plasma gun:
(1d100)[88] v. 80
(1d100)[84] v. 40

...and nobody succeeds, making my roll unmodified, and thus while the plasma cannon remains out of reach, Sigma has a shiny new ancient plasma gun.

[Lucretia]

You already made the Profit Factor check. You cannot retroactively test Commerce for them.

[Henry the 57th]

Do you even have to roll a test to find a broker? I thought it was just for the negotiations.

[Lucretia]

I figured there might be a roll that would show whether we found a ludicrous or a reasonable broker. I'm interpreting this as an Interaction Challenge, so it'll have a variable number of Degrees of Success. Things like the test to find the guy would add to it -- in addition to being one of the reasons Taz brought Luff with her on this away mission.

[Baveboi]

It will be known now as I waited far too long (apparently I am the only one who has chores during the day ). I will make a brief sending to everyone. This has gone for far too long. Five acquisition rolls should be what, an entire evening? Besides mounting the megaton heavy equipment, of course.

[Lucretia]

If we put each negotiation at a remarkably high thirty minutes per, it's still not too long. For some of them, with higher DoF, it was probably shorter. And we have this nebulous two week period of warped temporal mechanics that should cover all the commerce/acquisition checks succinctly.

Does Carlyle have any items he's interesting in looking for?

[Baveboi]

Originally Posted by Lucretia

Does Carlyle have any items he's interesting in looking for?

I am honored, my Lady, but I must say that being a humble servant of His light I required naught but nourishment and the barest of cares. However, I will later acquire a bolter pistol for the sake of self-defense, but for now my staff and flash-light should do.

I must inform that while I am typing, I have two younger siblings (one 11, another 5) writing and duct-taping me. Not to mention touching the mouse and the keyboard all the while they destroy my last ounce of dignity.

OH NICE. I have duct tape on my glasses now too.

PS: I now look like a mummy and I have to shower. Will be back in 20, then I will go out and be back later tonight. Will do my best to sum all my responsabilities before I leave.

[Maugan Ra]

Just decided to introduce you to a broker character. He's from one of my other RT games, and reusing NPCs is much easier than inventing an entire new individual.

Also, Baveboi - Dignity is overrated anyway.

[Lucretia]

I already like the Colonel. I imagine him being voiced by Edward James Olmos.

[Lucretia]

Those storm-troopers behind the Colonel made me realize that, despite the 5,000 troops we have, we might actually need people with some real statistics. So I will try one last thing -- after all, since some of our crew aren't making very many / any checks, it should be feasible. Of course, it might go the way of the last test...

(1d100)[6] v. 80 <- 7 DoS
(1d100)[42] v. 40 <- 0 DoF

Nonmerc Infantrymen!
(1d100)[79] v. 44

20 + 10 (Footfall) + 14 (Commerce) + 30 (Feral) - 20 (Heavy) + 0 (100 Troopers [Standard]) + 0 (Infantry) + 0 (Common) - 10 (Professional) = 44

[Lucretia]

And a fate reroll: (1d100)[43] v. 44

EDIT: Wait, it may be 34. Does the bonus from Footfall apply to hired mercenaries? Or can we apply it to personal troops as well?

EDIT2: It's worth mentioning that, specifically, they'd be mercenaries hired on as retainers.

EDIT3: I'm glad Taz knows Luff's mind to an extent!

EDIT4: Gah, the excitement is making the wait painful!

[Baveboi]

Luc, dear. You are way too excited. It's hard to keep up.

[Lucretia]

Pffft.

TOO excited? There's no such thing as too excited.

But would you rather have a disinterested, an uninterested, or an interested Rogue Trader?

EDIT: Someone just asked me how long it's been since the Xanatov Dynasty was killed and the Castle was brought out of the gravity well. I'm of the opinion it's been about six months.

[Baveboi]

Too true, my Captain. It surely is a benediction of the holy God Emperor, that we are graced with a leader to rival the charisma of Lord Solar Maccharius.

Originally Posted by Lucretia

EDIT: Someone just asked me how long it's been since the Xanatov Dynasty was killed and the Castle was brought out of the gravity well. I'm of the opinion it's been about six months.

Hum. It sounds a tad too short. That way your first to second port would be here in Footfall (that would explain the teleporting without care, ). Warp travel might be fast, faster or not, but warp jump points and cautionary maneuvers require that we spend weeks or even months around pockets of nothingness or around the outer rims of specific star systems. /navigatorial knowledge

[Henry the 57th]

You know, it occurs to me that I should go ahead and roll to see how long my power armor's battery can last for.

(1d5)[5]

Edit: Awesome!

[Lucretia]

Baveboi: the fall of the Xanatov Dynasty was extremely recent, and then there was the extraction of the Castle from the gas giant it had been kept in. That she was looking for the last few components in Footfall supports the claim that this is likely their first stop since getting the ship out.

Also, I've never heard of it taking weeks to plot a course.

Henry: Nicely rolled!

EDIT: Also, I intend to use the teleportarium a lot. A lot. It's too cool to not use.

[Baveboi]

Captaaaaaain. The Master of Etherics is bullying me.


@Luc: Warp travel is anything but predictable. All kinds of problems can arrive. Sometimes its impossible not to translate into real-space to evade the stronger warp winds. Warp jumps are fast, not instantaneous, and the faster and the longer you go, the greater the risk of complications.

Dang, first time I see a human reassuring a psyker about warp-tech.

[Lucretia]

Originally Posted by Baveboi

@Luc: Warp travel is anything but predictable. All kinds of problems can arrive. Sometimes its impossible not to translate into real-space to evade the stronger warp winds. Warp jumps are fast, not instantaneous, and the faster and the longer you go, the greater the risk of complications.

I can't find any rules that indicate what you say to be true. Perhaps you could link or cite lore that supports the claim? I totally agree that the Warp passage itself may take weeks or months -- I'm pretty sure it'll take 5-10 days to get to Damaris if we're already in the same sector, and 30-60 if it isn't -- but it seems like a Navigator can plot it in a few hours, depending on how well he rolls.

And the teleportarium isn't warp tech. It's archeotech. Infallible and absolute, crafted from the time when Man knew Science! To question it is to question the Emperor! Other boisterous propaganda!

As for the Master of Etherics, it may be a more common reaction than you think. I'm considering getting a null and having him turned into a servitor, name him Parsifal.

[Baveboi]

@Luc I don't think that could work. I mean, he ain't nearly charismatic enough.

I can't possibly unify all the knowledge I gathered about warp travel, but the Lexicanum page is a good reference of what I talk about. I know it as not being the norm, but there are cases amidst warp-travels that one must translate to real space to cross some places. Most known of this cases, being the eye of terror. Not even the chaos fleets can cross its borders without taking heavy damage.

[Henry the 57th]

So, have we got the mercenaries now?

Also, did Luc's attempt to hire some other mercenaries as retainers succeed?

[Lucretia]

Originally Posted by Baveboi

I can't possibly unify all the knowledge I gathered about warp travel, but the Lexicanum page is a good reference of what I talk about. I know it as not being the norm, but there are cases amidst warp-travels that one must translate to real space to cross some places. Most known of this cases, being the eye of terror. Not even the chaos fleets can cross its borders without taking heavy damage.

I wasn't questioning things like translating into realspace at the edge of a warpstorm. My doubt is that it takes weeks or months to perform a calculated jump or to prepare for a piloted jump.

Chronologically, the search for the Gallifar Heavy First would have happened before meeting with Colonel Jameson. The way I understand it (there's two weeks being crunched in at the moment), this is the timeline:

1. We arrive at Footfall.
2. We get off via teleportarium.
3. Taz spends the first day buying ship components.
4. Over two weeks, power armour, a plasma gun, a fancy book, some goggles, a pair of contacts, all of the various nonshippy components are obtained. This is when we would have obtained the Gallifar.
5. Carlyle receives the astropathic message.
6. Towards the end of the two weeks, but not on the absolute last day, the Confessor, Enforcer and Captain meet with Colonel Jameson in order to try and fill the barracks with 5,000 troops. They manage to get 4,500.

Next up we'll leave for Damascus and punch some greenskins in the face!

EDIT: It's very likely my understanding of the chronology is incorrect, so please -- like all things I do -- feel free to point out issues that you think might exist.

[Baveboi]

Originally Posted by Lucretia

I wasn't questioning things like translating into realspace at the edge of a warpstorm. My doubt is that it takes weeks or months to perform a calculated jump or to prepare for a piloted jump.

Oh, it can. Just roll badly as a Navigator while plotting the jump and boy, even a system-to-system travel can take more than a month.
Thank gods boss is Navigating our ship for now. Or is he?

Boss, you really need to update first post.