Hey!
I've recently started a pretty decent rogue trader game with 3 players: An explorator, a Void-Master and of course a Rogue Trader. The game's been going ok so far but I've had some issues.

-First off, my RT is THAT guy: Though he is an experienced player, our Lord Captain's been acting a bit weird. He doesn't seem to follow the game very well and spends more time thinking about acquisitions then following the story. I often have to push him into taking decisions to get the game going. When he does make decisions he goes around tearing people's faces off (a line of action he pursued even though it cost him a good chunk of sanity) or using transports to pursue assassins through narrow tunnels in Port Wander (which ended up crashing). There have been consequences to all these actions but I feel like I'm only alienating the player from the game.

-The Explorator arm wrestles orks, has space google and can commune with the machine spirit of his god **** gunship. Making him a more efficient pilot than the freaking void-master. I was wondering how I could counsel my Void-Master player so that her character can match his.

-The Explorator also has some Nekron stuff tied to his origins and I can't find much crunch about these guys. It's been serving the story pretty well though. Just that I'm not sure if there's anything I can use for when they actually show up.

Otherwise a great game with some awesome players and I'm looking forward to our next game.

Communing with the machine spirits isn't an instantaneous affair. Sure, you can get it to pilot the ship without touching the control yoke. It's still going to be a laborious process that takes time to both begin and end. Meanwhile your pilot can fly the ship past an asteroid within half an inch flying by the seat of his pants.

Honestly, Explorators need a lot of curbing in terms of what they can do versus how long it should take them to do it.

Not sure how the Space google thing is working, you'll have to be more specific.

On the whole, necrons and mechanicus tend to mix oddly, what with the Omnissiah's true origins and such (well, supposed origins). Most statistics for Necrons however are in the Deathwatch books.

The Rogue trader may be a bit more of a problem. I'd actually suggest having a serious mishaps happen to his dynasty while this trader is dicking around, which severely damages his profit factor. Either he lets his dynasty degrade or actually starts doing endeavors.

As for the face ripping thing.... meh. Whatever. If you want, you can start keeping track of his insanity points in secret, not tell him when he gets a disorder, and hit him with hallucinations.

Unless he takes pleasure at the act of face-ripping. That might be toeing the border of corruption.

Communing with the machine spirits isn't an instantaneous affair. Sure, you can get it to pilot the ship without touching the control yoke. It's still going to be a laborious process that takes time to both begin and end. Meanwhile your pilot can fly the ship past an asteroid within half an inch flying by the seat of his pants.

Honestly, Explorators need a lot of curbing in terms of what they can do versus how long it should take them to do it.

Any idea on how to put this in game terms? He usually aces his tech-use skills and I would like to stay fair.

Well, I suppose that depends. What kind of ship is it, how old, and how is he communing with the Machine spirit? Is he using an artifact or just his Mechanicusness?

Well, I suppose that depends. What kind of ship is it, how old, and how is he communing with the Machine spirit? Is he using an artifact or just his Mechanicusness?

Just his MIU and he's using it for his personal gunship. Oh! And by space google I mean is Cortex Implants. He just likes to refer to it that way.

As for my RT, the problems I'm experiencing with him are more on a meta gaming level. For an example he's currently trying to take over a smuggling ring between Port Wander and Footfall. All well and good but I kind of feel like I'm doing the work for him as he doesn't really propose any course of action that feels context related. On their arrival on Footfall, I decided to split the group up with their own tasks at hand. Everything was going smoothly for the others but he was just confused the whole time. Not knowing what it was is character was doing at all. He does seem to enjoy himself regardless though and I do appreciate him as a player I'm just not feeling his character and I don't feel as though more punishment would motivate him to further develop his character.

How is the Explorator a better pilot? His Agility should be lower, and the piloting skills are elite advances. The Void Master gets to chose a type of ship related roll to reroll and can have a MIU easily as the TechPriest. Note that communing with the gunship doesn't make him a pilot. Knowing how to talk to a ship and how to fly the ship are not the same thing. He gets the +10% from the interfacing, but still needs the skill and Agility to pilot.

How is the Explorator a better pilot? His Agility should be lower, and the piloting skills are elite advances. The Void Master gets to chose a type of ship related roll to reroll and can have a MIU easily as the TechPriest. Note that communing with the gunship doesn't make him a pilot. Knowing how to talk to a ship and how to fly the ship are not the same thing. He gets the +10% from the interfacing, but still needs the skill and Agility to pilot.

You're absolutely right. It would seem that we mixed up drive and piloting... Thanks for pointing that out!

No problem. Tech Priests can do a lot, but they really have to work to be good pilots.

-The Explorator also has some Nekron stuff tied to his origins and I can't find much crunch about these guys. It's been serving the story pretty well though. Just that I'm not sure if there's anything I can use for when they actually show up.

Hiyas!

Howsabout him being prophesised as "The One Who Bridges The Gap" betwitxt them Necs & the living? Or "the Great Betrayer" - the one who sets the Necrons on the Path of Cosmic domination (via giving them info about the Imperium etc.), sorta like Gaius Baltar?

Will he be up to the task? The Necrons can send envoys, or Testers...

Issat too crazee?

L

As for my RT, the problems I'm experiencing with him are more on a meta gaming level. For an example he's currently trying to take over a smuggling ring between Port Wander and Footfall. All well and good but I kind of feel like I'm doing the work for him as he doesn't really propose any course of action that feels context related. On their arrival on Footfall, I decided to split the group up with their own tasks at hand. Everything was going smoothly for the others but he was just confused the whole time. Not knowing what it was is character was doing at all. He does seem to enjoy himself regardless though and I do appreciate him as a player I'm just not feeling his character and I don't feel as though more punishment would motivate him to further develop his character.

Hiyas!

Is this the ACTUAL PLAYER

not knowing what to do next,

RPGing an airhead RT,

or not paying attention to the ACTUAL game?

L

It seems like you need to slap an audit down on the RT - have a bunch of Imperial quaestors and scribes waiting for the ship when it next docks at an Imperial port, with authority from 'pon high to inspect the ship and update records about the dynasty. This would require the RT and his command staff to get their affairs in order sharpish and host the officials, catering to their requests. In turn this should mean that your RT's player has something to focus on lest his precious dynasty be torn apart by bureaucracy .

Of course the players might choose to ignore such requests and leave port, possibly going so far as to cause harm to the Imperial delegation - should such a course of action occur it can only be so long before other RTs and perhaps even Inquisitorial forces are brought to bear on the dynasty...

Well the players still have a very loose claim on the warrant. Thing is, I don't think this player cares too much. It would be fine with me if he was playing any other career but it's kinda lame when your RT is not fleshed out and doesn't follow the events conspiring against him. Again, I don't feel further punishment would really motivate this player.

He's actually been too quiet in the last games. And to say the truth, I really don't mind problem players as long as I can keep them interested and coherent. What would really help is some kinda carrot I can attach to a stick. But what can you offer to someone who already has everything?

As for my RT, the problems I'm experiencing with him are more on a meta gaming level. For an example he's currently trying to take over a smuggling ring between Port Wander and Footfall. All well and good but I kind of feel like I'm doing the work for him as he doesn't really propose any course of action that feels context related. On their arrival on Footfall, I decided to split the group up with their own tasks at hand. Everything was going smoothly for the others but he was just confused the whole time. Not knowing what it was is character was doing at all. He does seem to enjoy himself regardless though and I do appreciate him as a player I'm just not feeling his character and I don't feel as though more punishment would motivate him to further develop his character.

Hiyas!

Is this the ACTUAL PLAYER

not knowing what to do next,

RPGing an airhead RT,

or not paying attention to the ACTUAL game?

L

To further this...

The player has absolutely, positively no business being a Rogue Trader. That role is probably the most taxing/involved of any role one can play in any RPG. If this guy simply "doesn't get it," then it's time the mantle was passed to someone who is better suited to the role.

It looks to me like your RT is out of their depth a little, perhaps they are just not that invested in the setting or just want to take a more passive role in the story? Maybe suggest he deligates to the other players more. (He's the captain, he can tell them to do the boring work for him!). Alternatively you could have an NPC step in as a temporary captain to make the tough decisions - maybe an older, more respected RT, or an Inquisitor (perhaps an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor who just happens to be investigating Necron activity in the area...).

If hes interested only in acquisitions and not being the head of the dynasty he should be prodded into swapping to a Seneschal and allowing a player who wants to be RT to take his place.

Well the players still have a very loose claim on the warrant. Thing is, I don't think this player cares too much. It would be fine with me if he was playing any other career but it's kinda lame when your RT is not fleshed out and doesn't follow the events conspiring against him. Again, I don't feel further punishment would really motivate this player.

He's actually been too quiet in the last games. And to say the truth, I really don't mind problem players as long as I can keep them interested and coherent. What would really help is some kinda carrot I can attach to a stick. But what can you offer to someone who already has everything?

An easy fix to it would be to discuss with the player if he would feel comfortable transfering the Warrant to someone else (if you have valid PC candidates) or an NPC. If he agrees, then next session let the/a misfortune happen where the new Warrant Holder takes over. Maybe like -1 to PF or something, with a quarter to half of the session being the New RT inducted in. And this would be a prime opportunity to introduce other important NPC's and RT's showing up at the party, and maybe even some endeavor opportunities for the PC's (like an Ecc. member A wants his Drusian faithful to be transport to X world to cleanse the Xeno filth from it, Retired Guard General B has a mercenary mission in sector 32432 and requires an escort, Ad. Mech delegation C has a new "toy" they want to test, Crime Lord D has "supplies" he needs "acquired," etc etc.).

Problem is we're a small group and no everyone else's character is well worked out and not. The player actually wanted to be senechal before we started so I don't think that would be such a leap. We've got another player coming in but since this will be is first experience in the 40k setting, I don't see him playing the RT.

I've givem it some thought and I was considering maybe giving the player some sort of angle that might interest him more. Since he seems a bit suicidal, maybe having him slowly slip into corruption and madness, gradually making him an antagonist. Of course, I will need his consent for this.

Problem is we're a small group and no everyone else's character is well worked out and not. The player actually wanted to be senechal before we started so I don't think that would be such a leap. We've got another player coming in but since this will be is first experience in the 40k setting, I don't see him playing the RT.

Like I said, an NPC can work. And someone becoming the Warrant Holder doesn't have to change to the RT career. A Missionary can be the Warrant Holder/RT, an Arch-Militant can become the Warrant Holder/RT, etc etc. Not to mention, the RT doesn't have to have control of a/the Warrant to be in the RT career. Pirates are technically RT careers, without Warrants.

I've givem it some thought and I was considering maybe giving the player some sort of angle that might interest him more. Since he seems a bit suicidal, maybe having him slowly slip into corruption and madness, gradually making him an antagonist. Of course, I will need his consent for this.

No problems there. Consent would be greatly advised if he was to be an NPC. Having a PC be the antagonist is great for experienced groups, but less experienced ones should keep it simple. Of course, if everyone is having fun, then experience is not required.

So give them an NPC Rogue Trader. Either make him a drooling idiot who just happened to be next in line for the Dynasty (so now the players make all the decisions) or he's a quadriplegic Ravenor-expy who listens to his advice and orders his crew to act on his behalf (so now you the GM can make decisions as the NPC, after listening to any advice the players may or may not have). Now the Acquisition-focused wants-to-be-a-seneschal can be a Seneschal, and you don't have to wait for any one person to make decisions because the entire crew has input.

edit: Ninja'd

So give them an NPC Rogue Trader. Either make him a drooling idiot who just happened to be next in line for the Dynasty (so now the players make all the decisions) or he's a quadriplegic Ravenor-expy who listens to his advice and orders his crew to act on his behalf (so now you the GM can make decisions as the NPC, after listening to any advice the players may or may not have). Now the Acquisition-focused wants-to-be-a-seneschal can be a Seneschal, and you don't have to wait for any one person to make decisions because the entire crew has input.

edit: Ninja'd

I suppose if nobody else in the group can possible play a Rogue Trader competently, then an NPC is the only recourse. But, good god ****, that just feels wrong.

Bear in mind that it is always possible that nobody has the inclination to play a Rogue Trader at this time. Why restrict player choice?

Bear in mind that it is always possible that nobody has the inclination to play a Rogue Trader at this time. Why restrict player choice?

If nobody has the inclination , desire or ability to play the Rogue Trader... wait for it... wait for it... don't play Rogue Trader.

So if nobody has the inclination, desire or ability to play an Inquisitor, players shouldn't play Dark Heresy, or Dark Heresy: Ascension? Either way, you have a GM controlled chain of command issuing instructions.

Here's another example: If nobody has the inclination, desire or ability to play a Navigator, since that means that none of the players can navigate the ship does that mean they shouldn't play Rogue Trader?

Maybe I'm drawing erroneous parallels- if so, feel free to point out the errors in my metaphor. In any event, you are now both restricting the players ("Someone MUST play the Rogue Trader") and the GM ("If nobody wants to play the Rogue Trader, you can't run the game you want to run").

*retconned out*

Sorry, that was rude, let me try again. Ahem.

I'm afraid that, at this time, I find that I must disagree with you on every level. I value choice and creativity, and prefer to allow myself, the GM, the opportunity to run the game I want to run while compensating for and taking advantage of the player's choices, however unconventional they may be, as well as giving my players the opportunity to run the characters (and fulfill the fantasy) they choose to.

Three players all want to play Arbitrators in a DH game? Sure, let's rock that, how can we make them unique? Two players want to play Missionaries in RT? I'm down. Two people want to play RTs? Sure. Two people want to play RTs, each with their own ship? Well, let me think: you'll have to share Profit, and you'll get an increase to the ship points you can spend at game start, but you'll share a common pool. Also, you'll have fewer people on each ship, which means that actions stack less effectively. Yeah, I can balance that. Roll with it.

As the GM, it's your job to run the game you want to run while having fun and making sure your players are having fun. Restricting choice, whether via railroading or at character creation, is never fun. I'm not saying that I'd allow someone to make a wholly inappropriate choice (No, you can not bring a Khorne Berserker into RT, nor a Grey Knight into BC), but that doesn't mean I'm going to force the issue and make them draw straws until they figure out who plays the RT.