I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, Google returned little of interest.

What are some interesting, good or otherwise recommended Starting Acquisitions?

I find there are now so many books, and various rules to take into considerations (vehicles get -10, rules for getting troops where unclear, etc) that the whole prospect seems a little daunting.

So, post your favourites here! And/or comment on others, validating or pointing out errors in their calculations. I can maintain a list of the better ones in this first post, if there is an interest.

Stick to the format below, for ease of collation please

Item, Source (Availability, Craftsmanship, Scale, Other modifier if applicable)

Starting Acquisitions (total acquisition modifier 0 or more)

===========================================

Locke-Pattern Conversion Field, Into the Storm p 131
(Extremely Rare, Common, Negligible [-30 +0, +30 = 0])

Stylish and practical, and might just save your life!

Guncutter, Into the Storm p183
(Very Rare, Common, Negligible, Vehicle [-20 +0, +30, -10 = 0])

Get around in style, safety, with plenty of fire-power and space for loot. What's not to love?

For the budding Freebooter:

Best Craftsmanship Big Choppa with Spiky Bitz and Sparky Knobz, Into the Storm p 144
(Average, Best, Negligible, Combined [+10 -30, +30, -5 = +5])

Show dem humies who'z da biggest with this marvel of violence! Best Craftsmanship gives one free Kustom Bitz, and a combined acquisition gives another. There's even room for yet one more, if someone comes up with a suitable mod.

I don't think that, RAW, you can acquire vehicles on the initial acquisition, though I've allowed it before. The Locke-pattern Conversion Field (Ext. Rare) is pretty standard. The psychic familiars from Navis Primer are excellent starters for Astropaths. They won't fit your format because they're customizable.

I don't think that, RAW, you can acquire vehicles on the initial acquisition, though I've allowed it before.

Can you provide a citation for this? I don't claim to be an expert on these rules, but I've not seen such a restriction anywhere (that I can recall)

The psychic familiars from Navis Primer are excellent starters for Astropaths. They won't fit your format because they're customizable.

Can you "acquire" these? The text seems to indicate you create them yourself. But table 4-7 describes the relationship between Availability and Craftsmanship. But how would these interact? Would getting a single, Good Quality familiar result in a combined penalty for Craftsmanship AND Availability? Ie, Very Rare, Good, Negligible [-20,-10,+30 =0]?

The personal force field is pretty much it. First thing I took on my RT.

I don't know if you need to acquire a guncutter. Your ship should start out with some small craft, and a cutter's pretty standard. It has two autocannon and two twin-linked heavy bolters, if your crew wants to risk that in combat to hover around, let them.

Power Armour's also popular, but less so with the force fields being available.

I've allowed ship components before.

People keep talking about this not being allowed (and appearantly vehicles as well), but I can't find the restriction in the texts, so... yeah.

I've never heard of a restriction on vehicles from the starting acquisition.

My personal favorite is always a pair of Belasco Dueling Pistols. At Very Rare (-20), it's within the scope of a starting acquisition, even if your GM doesn't count a matched set as +30. You can toss them when something better comes along, but as I said, they're my favorite.

My current c haracter's pair is Best Quality with red-dot sights, which he's carried with him forever. And I'm thinking we might be able to rig them up to my new power armour so ammo is no longer an issue (and thus, I can give them the upgrades that cut my ammo in half).

Also, sorry to side-track, does anyone remember what book those 'holy' lasgun power packs are from? I'm currently combing my DH books, trying to remember where it was.

I've allowed ship components before.

People keep talking about this not being allowed (and appearantly vehicles as well), but I can't find the restriction in the texts, so... yeah.

The restriction on ship components is more an extension of scale not applying to acquiring ship components, so it's difficult to find anything good where your acquisition modifier balances out properly.

Holy lasgun packs are the Soubirous Power Pack in Daemon Hunter on page 76. You can also get sanctified ammo from Rogue Traders's Faith and Coin.

The restriction on ship components is more an extension of scale not applying to acquiring ship components, so it's difficult to find anything good where your acquisition modifier balances out properly.

IIRC, you should still be able to get certain ones.

Most people I play with have the starting acquisition roll tied to your PF, to the point where I actually forgot it wasn't until this thread reminded me... man, no wonder my latest game got a little crazy, we rolled 60 PF to start with (we've since lost 20).

Well, if you're looking for words and wanting to get technical and all, then the rule says,

"Explorers may also select some additional weapons, armor, and equipment, from Chapter V: Armory." Rogue Trader, p. 13.

and

"They may choose a single item with a total Acquisition Modifier of +0 or more without the need to make an Acquisition test." Rogue Trader, p.272.

Being that there are no vehicles in the core book, that rules them out. That also rules out all the cool equipment from later books, and multiple item acquisitions (which negates the word "some" I outlined in bold print, implying multiple items and demonstrating the contradiction already in existence).

I don't follow this at all. I've not only gone with vehicle acquisition and multiple item acquisition, but also multiple vehicle acquisition where allowable under the +0 limitation.

And I love the point brought up by Blood Pact. It should be tied to PF, and will be in my next game.

Most people I play with have the starting acquisition roll tied to your PF, to the point where I actually forgot it wasn't until this thread reminded me... man, no wonder my latest game got a little crazy, we rolled 60 PF to start with (we've since lost 20).

How do you do this? The starting acquisition isn't rolled at all, you simply choose an item with a total modifier of 0 or more, and get it. No roll at all. How do you make PF tie into this?

It may make sense, but it also means that those who start with the least chances of getting good gear, also start with even worse gear than those more fortunate.

Well it started as a houserule, I think. And it got stuck in my head simply by me considering PF to be just another modifier... which it isn't I realize.

It hasn't mattered too much, considering we've been able to make plenty of rolled acquisitions (which we'll be making less of now that we've done so catastrophically).

I've always assumed the 'anything with +0 modifier' meant anything. The more interesting the better. And it being not tied to PF because it is the kind of stuff a PC picks up before joining the ship.

So, for someone with true faith: Idiota Libri Exorcismus. Exact stats, who knows? Maybe a bonus to forbidden (demons)

For a xenos hunter: a gun-maintenance servitor. Acts as an arms coffer, reloader, and golf caddy. "Target is 200m away, heavily armored, and approaching at 60 mph. May I suggest the lascannon Sir?"

Also, treasure maps.

@SpoonR See now that's the sort of imagination I like. I might just arrange for a caddy servitor for my group. They've already got robo-arbitor. EDIT: Altough your Servitor seems to be malfunctioning as it's mixing measurement systems.

@SpoonR See now that's the sort of imagination I like. I might just arrange for a caddy servitor for my group. They've already got robo-arbitor. EDIT: Altough your Servitor seems to be malfunctioning as it's mixing measurement systems.

and in 40k that is strange

Actually, yes. 40k is universally metric, except for weapon calibres for some reason. Although, given how confusing weapon calibres are TODAY, I can't imagine how they'll look in the forty-first millennium.

Cloud of three hundred+ modified Servo-skulls

(7 x 7 x 7 cube of servo skulls) 343 total

(not very good at melee, but has a good sound system, can act as "vehicle")

The cloud can aid certain skills:

Awareness B PER DH p. 98, RT p. 77, DW p. 95

---------------

Shadowing A AGL DH p. 106, RT p. 86, DW p. 104

• Your voidsman tells you frankly that the cloud will be easy to track, hard to hide, and will suffer mightily under area-effect attacks and electronic warfare.
• Your seneschal tells you frankly that these do not lend a serious air to you as dynasty leader, some may think you foolish, and there will be many situations in which they may be inappropriate.

this was the inspiration for this idea

If the player had wanted to risk more PF the cloud of skulls

could have had attacks, heavy cover, gang up bonus, swarm etc. etc.

okay this wasn't a beginner's aquisition.