This week I bring to you a special preview of the Koronus Expanse, from the lips of one who has been there and returned safely to the bosom of Imperial space. His name is Ibraham Totimus, and I bring his words to you via the Rogue Trader Sarvus Trask, a mutual friend.

Many of you may remember Knowledge Is Power, the 2009 Dark Heresy release schedule that I wrote back in the early days of this year. Knowledge is Power projected the plans for Dark Heresy in 2009, announcing six new books for the line.

Unfortunately, some of those releases have been late in arriving on the shelves at your local game store. Many factors go into the construction of an RPG book, and any snag along the way can cause issues that push the release date back. In this case, we encountered some unforeseen and severe art issues.

The FFG approach is to provide the best-quality game we can. Instead of rushing the books to print, we made sure these issues were resolved before moving forward with the release schedule. This was not an easy decision, but at FFG, we always strive to make the best possible product. You’ll be glad to know that these issues have been addressed, and the Dark Heresy books are proceeding at full steam ahead!

The delays to Dark Heresy have led to some speculation that the Dark Heresy line is being neglected in favor of Rogue Trader. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Dark Heresy is a vibrant game line that has many excellent releases lined up for years to come. Stay tuned to our website and attend the Dark Heresy seminars at Gen Con to hear the latest word. There are many more books on the way to empower the Inquisition’s works in the name of the God-Emperor.

In fact, The Radical’s Handbook is at the printer right now, and hot on its heels is Damned Cities, the second book in the Haarlock’s Legacy series, followed by Ascension—a sourcebook that offers your Dark Heresy characters the opportunity to ascend to higher tiers of power and authority. All three of these books are proceeding at the best possible speed, so keep your eyes on this space for more information, previews, and discussions about the future of Dark Heresy!

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the grim darkness of the far future. Players take on the roles of Acolytes serving the Inquisition, rooting out heresy and corruption from within the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man.

BrookM wrote:Now if only FFG could stick to their set release dates I'd be pleased as phlegm punch.

BrookM wrote:Uhm, what are you on about? Please? I am talking about FFG, NOT GW. Sheesh.

Greetings, Rogue Trader fans!

This week I am pleased to present a guest designer diary by scribe Sam Stewart, the author of the Starships chapter in Rogue Trader.



Sam Stewart Speaks!

So the other day, Ross asked me if I could put together a designer diary going over how to construct a space ship in Rogue Trader. Well, I’ll take any excuse to write about Rogue Trader’s starships, so I pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment, fired up the ol’ auto-quill, and got to work.

The first thing to determine is the ‘budget’ I’m working with. Rogue Trader has rules for determining your starting Profit Factor and Ship Points, with more of one meaning less than the other. To find out how much of each you start with, you roll a single 1d10 on Table 1-5: Starting Profit Factor and Ship Points (found on page 33 of the core rulebook). There are five possible results, ranging from wealthy Rogue Traders with small, modest ships, to impoverished Rogue Traders who still cling to the mighty vessels their dynasty possessed when it was wealthy.

I rolled a “7,” giving me an average amount of Profit Factor and Ship Points. Apparently, the dynasty I’m building this ship for is a relatively new player on the galactic stage, with lots of resources to draw on. Those resources mean I have 50 Ship Points to play with when constructing this vessel. Now that I know how many Ship Points I have, I’ll turn to Chapter 8: Starships to actually build the ship.

First I have to decide what kind of ship I’m going to build, and that means selecting a hull type. There are five different types of hulls, from slow and lumbering transports, fast and fragile raiders, multi-purpose frigates, long-range light cruisers, and heavy and powerful cruisers. The ship’s hull is also what I’ll be spending the most Ship Points on. A complete list of hulls can be found on pages 194-196.

I decide to go with a Sword-class frigate, a venerable mainstay of the Imperial Battlefleet. It has a good balance of Speed, Manoeverability, armour, and potential firepower. It also costs 40 Ship Points, leaving me 10 to purchase Components to augment the starship with. As we’ll see, 10 Ship Points will be plenty to construct this starship (I would always make sure I have at least 5 left over after selecting a hull).

Before I go any further, I have to see what my new ship has gone through before ending up under my pen. That entails rolling on the two Complications tables found on page 197 and 198. The first table, Machine Spirit Oddities, determines some of the quirks my ship’s machine spirit has picked up over its many years of service. There are 10 possibilities, and I roll “Resolute.” My frigate is a bit slower than other ships, but is tougher and easier to repair.

Next, I roll on the second table, Past Histories. Starships in the 40k universe are very old, often owned by many owners, and rebuilt and refurbished countless times. This table suggests some of the activities the ship (and its crew) has been involved in in the past. I get the result “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” meaning this ship has sophisticated masking systems to conceal some of its weapons; perhaps it used to be a pirate vessel, or served time as a Q-ship in the Imperial Navy.

Next, I have to pick out my ship’s Essential Components (listed on page 201). These are things the ship needs to run, like life sustainers and a bridge. There are seven categories of Essential Components, and every ship needs one Component from each category (no more, no less). However, since every ship is expected to have them, most Essential Components do not cost Ship Points. I will have to keep an eye on my ship’s available Power and Space, however. Each component will take up some of each of these resources (which are provided by the ship’s Plasma Drives and Hull, respectively). I’m starting with 45 Power and 40 Space, but my Past History takes up 2 Power right off the bat, and things like my Void Shields and Warp Drives take up even more. Most of the Components I select are the most basic, bare-bones versions, but I use a little extra Power, Space, and one of my remaining Ship Points to upgrade my Bridge to a combat oriented bridge, and buy a more powerful Augur Array. At the end I have 9 Ship Points, 14 Space, and 16 Power left over.

Now comes the really fun part—adding the Supplemental Components. These are things like cargo holds, augmented systems, and (of course) guns. Not essential, but you’ll be glad you have them. (A list of Supplemental Components is found on page 204.)

First, weapons. A Sunsear Laser Battery and set of Mars Pattern Macrocannons for my two Weapon Component slots means my frigate hits hard at long range, and even harder up close. To beef them up even more, I’ll install a Munitorium packed full of laser focusing crystals and macro-warheads. All three Components combined take up 12 Power, 9 Space, and 4 Ship Points. (As a side note, my ship’s Past History will allow me to conceal all three Components from prying scans, giving my opponents a nasty surprise!)



Next, I’ll take a Cargo Hold and Lighter Bay to ensure my frigate can participate in trading endeavors. I’ll also add a Librarium Vault and a Trophy Room. The Librarium is full of accumulated lore on any number of topics, and what Rogue Trader wouldn’t want a grand hall dedicated to his accomplishments? Finally, in the lowest reaches of the ship, I’ll install a set of cryo-pods to store a cadre of Murder-Servitors, invaluable when conducting hit-and-run raids on other ships.

That’s the last of my Power, Space, and Ship Points, and I’m left with a credible and dangerous ship to explore the Expanse with. All I need now is a name, and in honor of the brilliant novels by Patrick O’Brian, I think I’ll call her the Surprise (it’s certainly fitting).

And there you have it: a new ship ready for some plucky Rogue Trader to take into the Koronus Expanse.

gil gerard wrote:Has anyone here actualy played Dark Heresy? I am just wondering if it's any good and if Rogue Trader is a stand alone game or more like an add-on to Dark Heresy? Are the 2 games compatable or are they different systems?
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, anyone know how many pages the Rogue Trader core rules are?

Hello, Rogue Trader fans! My name is Sam Stewart, and I am the new Associate RPG Developer at Fantasy Flight Games. I am honored to announce that Ross has granted me with responsibility for the Rogue Trader line of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay.



Now, I’m guessing the first question on everyone’s mind is: “Sam? Where the heck is Ross?” Don’t worry, Ross is still the Senior RPG Developer for Warhammer 40K Roleplay here at Fantasy Flight. As we move forward with a great deal of exciting new Warhammer 40K products, I’ve been brought on board to manage Rogue Trader.


However, that doesn’t tell you all much about me. Since my college days, I’ve been long-time fan of the Warhammer 40K universe. I’ve been a loyal servant of the Emperor ever since, with a massive Imperial Guard army, a robust cell of Deamonhunters, and a sizable Imperial Navy fleet for Battlefleet Gothic. College was also where I first started playing roleplaying games. Like so many roleplayers, I got my start in Dungeons and Dragons, branched out into Iron Kingdoms, Planescape, and Midnight – a harbinger of things to come, perhaps? Like so many Warhammer 40K fans, I was ecstatic when Dark Heresy was announced, snapping up one of the first copies on the shelf of my local game store.


I’ve been a writer and an editor for most of my professional life, first at a newspaper, then here at Fantasy Flight Games. While at FFG, I began spending my free time doing more and more work for the RPG department, starting with Phyrr and the Xothic Blood Locust in Creatures Anathema, and culminating in my work on Rogue Trader and the upcoming Ascension.


Being tapped to work on Rogue Trader is a dream come true for me. I have always been fascinated with the titanic flying cathedrals that are Imperial starships, as well as the lithe and graceful Eldar sailing vessels, and the flying junk-heaps with teeth the Orks pilot. I’m also a huge fan of movies and literature about the high seas and Age of Sail, from Treasure Island to Master and Commander (book and movie). Rogue Trader is a chance to combine that love with my love of the 40K universe, and I’m deeply excited to give this my all – and am looking forward to interacting with you, the fan community, on a regular basis.

The Future of Rogue Trader

I’m sure everyone wants to know where Rogue Trader is headed. Ross and I have spoken about this at some length, and I plan to continue the trend of his excellent work on the Rogue Trader Core Rulebook. As to plans for the line, our first goal is to get the Rulebook on store shelves as soon as possible. Next, we’ll be producing the Rogue Trader Game Master’s Kit.


And after that? Well, let’s just say a course is plotted, and our ship stands ready to proceed. Let’s go see what lies off the edge of the map, shall we?

As we move forward with a great deal of exciting new Warhammer 40K products...

H.B.M.C. wrote:Let's start a chant: