Alright... lets get to the part that I am having an issue with. My group managed to get two colonies started, just Industrial and mining Colonies. Now, then my Navigator, who is basically an NPC, fails several rolls in the Warp and they get spit out 1d5 years into the future. They rolled a 10, so 5 years in the future and I am like.. "Ok... that is kinda sad but alright." They had put some people in charge before they left, good people with enough skills to do the job right but most likely will need some help here and there. Which I was fine with, so I figured that their colonies were going to crash and burn because they were left basically left on their own for 5 years.

So I have them roll, not telling them what it was for because that would mess up the rolls in my mind. So for the next ten minutes I hear them rolling under 20, for EVERY single roll. I watched them do this, over and over again. The people in charge managed to keep this place in check so well that by the rules given in the book, they reached size 10, which is a Hive World, and they now have atleast 36 more Profit Factor.

Basically at this point, I have no idea what I am going to be able to do about this. There total profit factor is 70ish. Now, I have no idea what I should do because, just due to sheer Emperor Blessed Luck, they managed to the impossible and I am at my wits end trying to figure out how to make this game keep going while keeping it entertaining for my players.

EDIT:

I fixed the problem and reduced them down to two size 4 cities, and now they kinda just don't want to do the colony thing anymore... so they are planning on doing other things.

Alright, so a brand new problem has appeared..... They want to basically go out and find planets, then sell them to other Rogue Traders like the Winterscales or that one crazy *****. Here in lies the problem, I have no idea how to do this... because they aren't doing it by contract, because literally all they are not putting forth ANY PF to do this.

This makes me feel like, though I can't blame them for this because I would do the same thing, trying to make something out of nothing or having high reward for little to no risk and that could quickly get out of hand. Even if I do allow this, what is the cost of a system filled with most likely useful materials. I know there was some kind of tech thing that basically gave you the stats of a planet, and told you how much ore or whatever was in it but I can't remember what it was called or if you can even make it.

That is a lot of profit factor, but how are they defending these worlds? If these administrators are that competent, they're going to invest quite a bit of that profit factor in void defenses - especially since the Rogue Trader hasn't been seen in years. Purchasing void ships will decrease their available profit factor, and give your players a few more options. If they're not keeping the colony guarded then some other Rogue Trader can just come along and press-gang the Warp out of it, Orks could raid it for the lolz, or any sort of problem could have happened.

Yes, the set up a significant enough defense system around this planet. It is about as well protected as your average Hive worlds are. Not amazing just yet but it can take out your average pirate fleet or what have you. I just have no idea how much to deduce out of the total PF of these people. How much should they be spending on defense and what not..

Also, I am a avid follower of the Hos Dynasty.

Well, one thing to mention is that the RAI for colonies was everything happened in a year for it. So the max u could get in five years is a size 5 colony. RAW it's every month or three or something like that, which is a little absurd in my opinion. 5 years is a long time, and as Erathia mentioned anything can happen. So, have it increase how u would like it. The PC's were not there, so how the colonies progressed, developed, and survived is totally at the GM's control. Obviously, u wanted input on them rolling, which is great. So some really good stuff happened; however, the PC were not there no take advantage of that, so maybe someone else did. It's not the PCs fault they were gone 5 years, so punishing them would be considered unfair. But in order to progress the game at a steady rate, u have to step in and take control.

Maybe one colony got split into two because another RT came in and helped them out. So now there are two size 5 colonies (or two size 3), with one being owned by te PCs and the other an NPC RT. Maybe the other colony was raided by orks, but they successful defeated them because they hired mercenaries and free captains to patrol the void. Also, isn't it like every so often u have to roll for misadventures? Have u rolled for those yet? Could be some interesting things happen in those 5 years. PCs declared dead, IoM administrators tithed the heck out of the dynasty, etc etc. Like I said though, punishing them would be considered unsportsmanship; however, several nusciances should of arisen.

I'm sorry. Misfortunes, not misadventures. Page 283 RT core. And colony growth is every 90 day cycle, while resource depletion is yearly, and colony calamity and misfortunes (pg 117 SoI) are random.

Alright. I will do just that.... maybe I will throw them into the Whitescale/Chorda War... make them choose a side or something... or maybe kill them both. Depends on what they want to do, but atleast that gives me a direction.

Though it turns out we might have a bigger problem because it seems like our entire group is not really sure what they are doing... but if you have any more tips let me know because I am going to need it.

Having a Hive City is actually a really valuable resource inside of the Expanse because it's a great recruiting world for voidsmen. You take the violent gangers for your troops, the downtrodden workers as your voidsmen and the occasional rising star for your senior staff. If you really do have two largely developed worlds then this is an excellent opportunity for something much larger than your average pirate band to come along and try to annex them. In my campaign Winterscale is very much the kind who will take what he wants, and if he can't have it will destroy it so he or someone like him may come along to take them.

I think the storytelling opportunity is that you have two well-developed worlds, so find something that differentiates them (manufactury of plasma versus bolt weapons for example) and then think of a reason why you have to choose one or the other. Maybe they both simultaneously suffer an attack, one from Rak'Gol and one from Chaos and the Dynasty has to choose which one to save. If they get creative and save them both somehow (not your job to think of how), then your players have earned this great reward. Otherwise one has been reduced to ashes because the Expanse is a harsh place.

The 90-day growth cycle is another ill-considered and arbitrary mechanism created by someone at FFG that probably never played a game of RT while keeping actual track of the passage of time and the difference between time in the "real" world and the time passage in the Warp.

Do it for a bit in one of your games and see if decades don't pass while your players only age a few years.

I'm sorry, but humans just don't reproduce that quickly. I'm not into a quick lesson in demographics so you'll have to look it up on your own. Clones? In Vitro? Who is bringing in these new colonists while your heroes are caught in temporal limbo? Might not they want a piece of the pie for having turned the colony into something successful? Did this fantastically lucky governor conjure up new colonists out of the Warp with his newly awakened psychic powers?

Bah. That's all I have to say.

Did this fantastically lucky governor conjure up new colonists out of the Warp with his newly awakened psychic powers?

Oh man that would be an amazing plot hook.

Though it turns out we might have a bigger problem because it seems like our entire group is not really sure what they are doing... but if you have any more tips let me know because I am going to need it.

Can you elaborate more on this? Did a carrot to a plot hook get dangled and they didn't bite? Are they changing their mind every 30 mins after making a plan? Is half the group wanting to do plan A and the other plan B? Is everyone working together or against each other?

If everyone is getting along and having fun, then it really doesn't matter if they advance the plot hook or not. Happens sometimes. I've had 2 sessions go by and it's nothing but joking and laughing and messing with the NPCs and other PC's. Good times though.

Yea... it is more like.. They have no real idea what to do next. They have this power infront of them and they don't really know what to do with it. Basically they just got handed the keys to a multi-billion dollar corperation, and while they know how to keep the day to day stuff going they have no idea how to make the business better or what to do with all this wealth and power.

So... that is kinda my problem at this moment, and I honestly figured that if I gave them a direction or someone to fight they might do a much better job. I honestly don't know really though.

Have upper management present them with several choices, or give them a pile of things and ask what they want to do with them. The paralysis of choice is a large problem of RT, the trick is to put enough blinkers around their eyes that they can sort from a few choices instead of dozens.

"Greetings m'lord-captain, as your predecessor requested, we've completed a survey of activities that could benefit the Dynasty in the near future. If we do x, we could achieve y within two years, but we'd need to do z and bribe e."

Yea... it is more like.. They have no real idea what to do next. They have this power infront of them and they don't really know what to do with it. Basically they just got handed the keys to a multi-billion dollar corperation, and while they know how to keep the day to day stuff going they have no idea how to make the business better or what to do with all this wealth and power.

So... that is kinda my problem at this moment, and I honestly figured that if I gave them a direction or someone to fight they might do a much better job. I honestly don't know really though.

It really depends on your group. Some groups like to devise their own Endeavors, and will work toward them with little input from the GM. They have a goal, and wrote it all out for you. All the GM needs to do is set the tone and elements that fit the Endeavor (surprises are a most though : ) Other groups are mostly used to the GM creating the Endeavors, with the PC's following suit. Like written adventures that give plot hooks enticing the PC's to go after the prize at the end. These Endeavors the GM creates can be tailored to specific PC's desires, background stories they/you created (like a long lost Aunt and new information surface on her whereabouts), or at the GM's fantasy.

Looks like you have the previous mentioned group. Absolutely nothing wrong with this, because it allows you to be more prepared and streamlined on how events enfold. Obviously, all PC's and groups get side tracked and go "Squirrel!!" from time to time. All you have to do is reel them back in, by having that squirrel be a new section of your Endeavor. No need to fight with the PC's when all you have to do is incorporate their ideas. This last part might be what is happening with you.

Anyhoot, don''t hesitate to ask for ideas around here. The people on this forum have great information and experience, as you can tell from the posts of Errant, Erathia, and the rest. If in need, simply post the question or PM someone if you're afraid your players might notice it.

If these colonies are so successful without the RT crew, maybe they would prefer to continue without them? What would the players do if the colony's commanders told them they were not going to be paying their tithes (profit factor) any more thank you very much.

Alternatively, perhaps both the colonies have grown in competition with each other, and are on the verge of all out war? The players have to try to use diplomacy to sort out the mess, or cut their losses and pick a side in the fight.

RTs that don't know what to do with power becomes pawns of RTs that do.

Also... now my players want to get their hands on stuff from the Dark Heresy Books, like some of the Las-gun Variants or something and I don't know what to do about that now, but your advice really helped me quite a bit. I am just hoping that everything goes well when we have our game in... 2 days

Be careful allowing things from other systems, as Lasguns in Dark Heresy are (usually) underpowered than the ones in RT, and Lasguns in Only War are massively overpowered with their variable setting rules. My ruling is that if something doesn't exist in RT then I will let them get it, but I still get to decide on the availability.

Based off of my completely cynical view of players I'm assuming they either want the Fury Assault Laspistol or the Synapse Disruptor. I'd allow the former at an increased rarity, and the latter was mercifully reclassified as an exotic weapon in RT.

The damage output of lasguns has never had an impact on my games and I doubt it ever will.

Character A: "I want to try out my new super turbo-charged heavy laser that's so big it takes an Eldar grav sled and 6 eunuchs to pull it around."

GM: "You see a wave of orcs coming over the ridge. Your skill at commerce lets you quickly estimate that there must be close to 40k of them."

Thank you very much guys

Alright, so a brand new problem has appeared..... They want to basically go out and find planets, then sell them to other Rogue Traders like the Winterscales or that one crazy *****. Here in lies the problem, I have no idea how to do this... because they aren't doing it by contract, because literally all they are not putting forth ANY PF to do this.

This makes me feel like, though I can't blame them for this because I would do the same thing, trying to make something out of nothing or having high reward for little to no risk and that could quickly get out of hand. Even if I do allow this, what is the cost of a system filled with most likely useful materials. I know there was some kind of tech thing that basically gave you the stats of a planet, and told you how much ore or whatever was in it but I can't remember what it was called or if you can even make it.

This seems like the kind of thing most Rogue Traders wouldn't buy. I shall now list the problems I see with this to you. You are under no onus to divulge any of this to your players.

1) A Colonial endeavour is expensive, and a long-term one would require massive resources to fund and equip, so a Rogue Trader with a very small mercantile force isn't likely to be interested in this. Those that have the resources to do so will want to found an expedition close to where their existing base of power is, in which case they probably already know about the planet.

2) People are going to be suspicious and ask "If this planet is so good why don't you colonise it?". Even if it's not a scam, if this works this is going to open up knock-off maps that claim to be from your players but aren't, and therefore diminish everyone's trust in the whole system.

3) When you're founding a colony you don't want anyone to know about it because this is how we get pirates. Saying you'll sell this to everyone means theoretically anyone could learn about this.

4) It's possible to track people through the Warp, so once word gets out about your business model some enterprising Navigator can just follow to where you've been and pay you nothing

5) If you really do find extremely good planets, people might just kill you and find out where the information is from your cogitators.

6) No one is going to respect them anymore because they basically subsume themselves into the scouts of whomever does the actual work.

There are probably more, but I'll see what comes up after some reflection.

Those are the EXACT reasons I thought of why this would never work, but they want to be able to make money basically not doing what Normal Rogue Traders do. We talked and they said that all they want to is be able to explore new places, kill some stuff and make alittle bit of money, they seem to have little to no interest in doing the colony kind of thing, which from what I can see if the 'easiest' way to make money. So... now after fixing the Colony issue, they tell me that Colonies are not really what they were looking to do so I have honestly no idea what a Rogue Trader place is going to do to make a large amount of money without using some broken content, like Achivement points and stacking some things.

simple salvage ships or sell artifacts you don't have to have colony's to make lots of money.

You don't need SoI to play RT. Before SoI came about with the rules of Colonies, endeavors of PC's still succeeded. With that said, their is nothing wrong with what your PC's are doing. However, as Erathia mentioned above, there are expectations out there. If a PC simply took a ship to a system, scanned the system from the out reaches of it, and then left to sell the information, hardly any one would buy it (unless the scan picked up ancient derelict void ships floating in space, a huge abandoned xeno space station, an Eldar warp gate, etc etc sitting right next to them).

As with anything, people will want proof of what they found, and intelligent people (like most RT Seneschals) will want concrete proof. The PC's can get this proof several ways. Listed below is just my opinion of how they can go about this.

1) Scanning the planet/moon/asteroid from orbit. This would only provide a rudimentary analysis of what is there. Xeno ruins, dense metal and minerals, rogue radio signals, liquids, etc etc. Further examination will either require landing or fly overs by specialized shuttle craft and crew.

2) Landing and determining what something is will require experts with the right equipment. If you happen to send armsmen armed with shotguns to investigate a lake and determine why it's green, they might simple come back and say PVT Joe drank some and died. If you send miners with bulldozers into some xeno ruins to excavate it, don't be to surprised that they blew up or destroyed stuff you could of sold for a huge profit.

3) Sending NPC's to do everything is a recipe for disaster. People will go missing, mysteriously die, become spooked, hear shadows, see voices, fall into a trap, get devoured by a man eating plant saying "Feed me Seymour", etc etc. So, sooner or later, the PC's will need to intervene and assist if they always allow NPC's to run the show.

4) Some Seneschal's will want more then just the head of a beast you killed. They will also want the Warp Routes you discovered, have you sign a non-disclosure agreement, and wipe your data banks, so no one else has this the information but them. Others might want you to guide them back there. And a few will have plans to kill you once you do.

5) If the PC's start selling fabricated/misleading/omitted information, then news will start getting around. As Erathia mentioned, people will stop dealing with the PC's, and may even conduct outright violent actions as retribution. This could also affect their current PF, in the form of Misfortunes. Who wants to back someone that can't get the information right, or is making enemies of everyone?

Well honestly, they will more then like literally sell all honest information. I just have no idea, if they do manage to make friends with a powerful Warrent Holder like Winterscale or Chodya, what they would sell it for. This gives me more then enough ammo for adventure because they would literally have to go down to the planets and do some stuff, but after they do all of it how much PF would you get out of something like this.

ASSUMING everything when perfect.