I'm new around here. Has it been mentioned whether or not you will be able to make Xenos (alien) crew members for RT? I am talking Eldar, Kroot, Tau, etc.

Thanks for any info!

Scott

While there is no definite information, it's considered unlikely, at least for the Core book.

I'm hoping for Kroot mercenaries and captured Ork slaves. At the same time, it might be fun to use the rules to run an Ork Freeboota' campaign.

Attila-IV said:

Well that would get my players going. I cut them loose on the Star Wars Galaxy as a bunch of Privateers and it was both amazing, Stunning and Hillarious what they did with the concept. Let them play Orks and do something similar? Oye vey...They will have a gothic Lance Battery, a regiments worth of new Las Carbines, Two Exterminatus missles and the Emperors polka dot underpants in their holds before anyone knows what happened.

Heh, heh, just kidding, they could never get the Exterminatus bombs.

Attila-IV said:

Captured ork slaves? Not going to happen evar! First off orks don't get captured they die fighting. Second, moving an ork from planet to planet would be the stupidest thing any person in the imperium could do. Orcs are made of fungus and shed spores when damaged, killed, or possibly whenever they take a dump, we are not sure except that wherever there is 1 ork, more of them spring out of the ground shortly after. Dragging an ork around the imperium would have the Inquisition up your tailpipe so fast you wouldn't believe it.

Granted it could be fun for a few missions as the party figured out they were causing ork infestations on every planet they visit. And then the running and the screaming...

Depends wether the Rogue Trader knows that, and what retroactive continuity is in play. There was a time when Orks didn't reproduce by spores.

LEGION3000 said:

Actually, in the novel Gunheads by Steve Parker, the Cadians captured some orks. Course the orks had their legs blown off before hand, but all the same.

And in the TT, Dark Eldar capture opponents as slaves, including Orks. And necrons and tyranids. But, it is what it is.

If Orks are a PC race, it'll probably be as Freebootaz rather than slaves.

As for the spore thing, one Ork is unlikely to spawn a Waaagh. Most of the spores he leaves behind will die, the rest will probably just grow into mushrooms, then die. You need a certain number of spores before you get enough to produce a viable Ork settlement.

honestly im hoping for every humanoid xeno to be able to play except necrons becuase they are to static and overpowered though i would love necron tech!

Way back when, someone posted stats for an "Eldar Outcast," i.e. pirates. I believe that you could spin it towards the Dark Eldar as well. If I remember correctly, people said they thought it was too powerful. It may be perfect for Rogue Trader...

Honestly I don't expect any playable Xeno's to be put into Rogue Trader. However, as a profit making venture, which is the underlying goal with Rogue Trader, a book that is all about playing Xeno crews - whether as one here or there, or an entire ship of Orks could be a great idea. You'd have to buy the Main book AND this book to have a Ork ship of freebooters, or Eldar raiders, Tau Girl pile ups and such.

One of the traits of a 'stereotypical' Rogue Trader has always been a Xenos sidekick, so I'd be surprised if we don't eventually see a sourcebook for them.

I think that we may see something more along the lines of abhuman PCs rather than Xeno. I know people are clamoring to play a xeno but I personally have my doubts about seeing it. Mind you I am not against it. I would however like to see official rules on PC ogryn, ratlings, and (striken from record).

It would be good to have the option for xenos PCs, especially as they have always been said to feature in RT's retinues to a greater or lesser extent, but I suspect that if it is an option it will be in a seperate book, as said.

Truth is that stat wise, and traits wise, it would be no problem, as it would just be another "Home World", with the requisite different base stats for rolling them up, and a couple of traits. Only a couple of extra pages (at most) per race. The problem somes with careers, and to a certain extent, explaining why they are PCs. The characters are unlikely to fit the careers which have been designed with humans in mind, and they are what would take up more space and time. Then, as said, I am not sure it is easy to explain why they are PCs. The PCs in RT seem to be those who perform very important roles in the ship, providing leadership to various groups etc. This doesn't work for Xenos, as 1) simply wouldn't be trusted by your average deck hand, and 2) it is quite unlikely that a RT would trust his ship to a Xenos either. He may allow him to act as a personal advisor or bodyguard in his retinue (where he can always keep an eye on them), but the problems that using him as a "department head" would cause would mean it is unlikely that they will see use more widely in the ship.

well honestly it depends on the xeno in question in my opinion the imperium stands xeno that look like humans themselves (something about the whole heresy of the human template bs...) like Ravenor had an eldar on his ship and trusted him with a lot.

macd21 said:

I ran the Forsaken Bounty last night, and the group liked it so much we're playing another one-shot on July 4th (heh).

To point, I'm letting one of the players bring in a Eldar Ranger type, courtesy of Creatures Anathema . He's a big Eldar fan, so he's be playing Trask's xeno sidekick. I do plan on reducing the amount of skills and powers for the Ranger profile - the ability scores look about right though.

Having Xeno PC's is not very hard to do, you just need a way to modifiy the origin path to represent the nature and experinace of the characters past. Past that point the classes and class advancement may need to be fixed for fluff but more or less the skill and talent types are universal reguardless of race with the exeption of necron or if you want to be a psykers pet tyranid.

The above is the simplistic mechanic view of how, now the hard part of how will a group containing a Xeno/ Xeno's work in refrence to the 40k universe. My GM with a great amount of persuasion may allow it, however the full extent of the realistic nature of the imperium and there view on xenoswill come to haunt the group later in game as the party expands its renoun and influence.

as an example the group may have problems with high ranking planetary governors( the common masses have no real say or rights there of But can be very dangerous and deadly when driven to anger, after all the majority of the imperium either hates or fears Xenos) all the way to frequent visits from your local neighbor hood Inquisitor.

well, hopefully this should answer why Xenos can be used in RT. The answer is upto your GM if they can and weither it will have any negitive modifiers to how the kronus expanse with react to this

IMO Xenos PC's would really only work if everyone was playing the same race (like the ork freebooterz - one player can be the captain, then you can hav a Nob (sergeant/squad leader) Mekboy, Pilot, Weirdboy etc etc
or a Eldar Pirate party with Pirate Prince, Bonesinger (eldar version of a tech priest) Aspect Warrior/Exarch Warlock/Seer etc

or a Kroot raiding/hunting party (bunch of homicidal cannibals rampaging across the galaxy lol )

you have to be very careful when introducing xenos to a human game - yes some RT's deal with xenos but both humans and xenos don't trust each other - Eldar will only help someone if it will benefit them, Kroot can be mercenaries but remember they eat flesh and Orks will just bash you to death

Nice necro, by the way. It's like what, 6 months?

the concept of having xenos in RT is possible not user frendly, my point was simply how. not the inevitable action of the party turning on each other due to the fact that one or more of there number was xeno, (if they don't do it anyway) . it would be something to attempt but best be reserved for a non-serious game. for example the party is either part of or founders of a renagade rogue trader house or pirate group. But as i mentioned in this recent statment. save for a game with fun in mind.