Houserule Ship Component idea!

By Gavinfoxx, in Rogue Trader House Rules

I don't know - I mean you could, it depends on the GM, but the manufacturing of engineered products and biochemical processing seems like extremely different beasts - its hard to imagine they use any of the same machinery, personnel or set up. You can make a better argument about the Reclamation & Medicae Decks. Librarium & Laboratorum doesn't make any sense to me.

I could believe a homebrewed heavy frigate built around a Manufactorum similar to how we have transports built around Main Holds and carriers built around Flight Decks, but it'd probably be something you'd have to be on good terms with the Mechanicum to get your hands on.

Personally I think the way achievement points is listed is idiotic, so I can't really comment on that.

I think Quicksilver has the right approach where if you want something like this it has to be built from the ground up. Another important point to remember is that the Mechanicus always keeps its best stuff in-house, so it's entirely possible there are hyper advanced research lab ship components and they're not available because they're restricted to only the most senior Explorators who don't venture around with Rogue Traders.

You want to know what it should look like but enough of us are having problems agreeing it should look like anything at all. Perhaps a Custom Ship Hull that has these mandatory, integrated components would require them taking up less space, but still require power would be a reasonable compromise?

Make that Librarium of Alexandria -class ship, with sister ships named Librarium of Pergamum, Librarium of Cordoba, etc.

Make that Librarium of Alexandria -class ship, with sister ships named Librarium of Pergamum, Librarium of Cordoba, etc.

...they would all die to Fire!-crits, sadly :(

Obviously they have thousands of corridors lined with adamantium-encased, sealed-receptacles in which the scrolls will stand the test of time, and best-quality fire suppression systems for dealing with such a clear design flaw.

Even if they don't in reality, that's part of the myth of this lost Wonder.

How about this:

Temple of Knowledge

This Temple is a fantastic piece of archeotech and engineering, kept lovingly updated by some of the most powerful members of the imperium, placing what would normally be many more components, usually spread throughout a fleet in anything other than an Ark Mechanicus, in a single area so that a single ship can usefully do a myriad tasks befitting exploration and the obtaining of knowledge. It has a myriad linked components: places of worship of the Emperor in his guise of the guiding light of human knowledge, or as his incarnation as the Omnissiah, as well as various Imperial saints associated with blessings of sanctioned, appropriate individuals working towards tasks of learning and discovery for the greater humanity. It has things such as: a Librarium where, rather than being stocked mainly with books and scrolls, writings can be etched microscopically onto durable disks of sapphire or diamantine for later storage and retrieval, including facilities necessary to transfer traditional media onto this method; a Laboratorium, where small artefacts can be studied; a small-batch rapid prototyping manufactorum, with the curious, lost-to-time name of a 'Skunkworks'; it has a small research hospital where humans can be treated or ailments investigated or upgrades installed to the flesh. Some of the capabilities are less compared to their larger, dedicated equivalents, but the sheer usefulness more than make up for it.

Space 5, Power 5, Ship Points 10, Archeotech
*Can only be put in a Heavy Frigate, sufficiently sized Transport (Space and Hull both of at least 40), Light Cruiser, Cruiser, or Larger ship
*+10 to crafting or repair checks of small items or small batches of items, including via Trade checks, as well as medicae tests, all non forbidden lore investigation tests, as well as forbidden lore archeotech, and, at GM's discretion, any forbidden lores directly associated with sanctioned Imperial technology, like Mechanicum, Astartes, Ecclessiarchy, or Inquisition (when dealing with Mechanicum/Space Marine/Sororitas/Inquisitorial technology, for example, as well as analysis of other obviously non-Chaos, human-created technology in general, such as from a rediscovered Developing World that was not a colonized from a descendant of STC-derived colonization effort). Further, at GM discretion, sometimes extended actions such as Triage may work for more crew than otherwise when making use of this component, and other similar benefits.
*Counts as having Good Quality Superior Damage Control for this component only, even if that component and upgrade are not otherwise on the ship
*Cannot be made Best Quality; is already Archeotech
*+25 to all endeavors due to the multi-faceted utility

Edited by Gavinfoxx

That seems more reasonable, though I'd probably do slightly less space and more power. The "All Non-forbidden Lore" doesn't quite work for me. It's hard to imagine it having exceptional details on, say, Common Lore: Ecclesiarchy. Though I suppose it might be easier to handwave over those than deal with a 10 item list. If your going to add Forbidden Lore: Archeotech, I'd add Forbidden Lore: Mechanicus as well.

I wouldn't let anyone buy this, but it's the kind of thing I might let players find on a long lost Mechanicus ship.

I guess Forbidden Lore Archeotech, Mechanicum, Astartes, and Inquisition? At least regarding their technology? As the main 'technical' aspects of the Imperium?

This is all easily explained by repeating "It's a grim and dark setting" to yourself over and over again in a spooky voice.

You've pretty much written up the explanation as to why that component is ridiculously overpowered right there, but I'll finish up the summary statistics. Combined you have 9 power, 7 space and 10 ship points. You can cut down on power and space by assigning good quality components to give yourself 6 power, 6 space and 14 ship points. Regardless we keep that record of this costing 26 points. Your component costs a net total of 16 points, and that's not factoring in the extra bonus from having two more built in upgrades for that component alone. It's ridiculously overpowered.

So, I was looking through my books, and can' find the little bit, be it a box on the side, or what, that discusses quality decreasing size and draw of components. Which book is it in?

Yeah, the AdMech usually do the science, and on ships of their own. It might seem that they have a lot of components that seem to do a lot of the same thing, but that is part and parcel with the clannish ways of the Tech-Priests; once you are cool enough to be above the sloggers with the Guard armor regiments, you will focus on one sort of thing, possibly very narrowly, and in an effort to keep your revelations to yourself, at least at first. So, you need an area that does what you want, but also lets you shut out the others, who obviously want to pirate your superior ideas, and allow them to follow the same scheme. It doesn't make sense, but 40k often is that way. Besides, spreading out the components increases the chances that the one in question isn't the one you lose to ship damage. Imperial ships are also very large, with copious amounts of power and space, and if you are NOT a Rogue Trader, probably a specific focus. While the mentioned chain of components was a bit of a power and space drain, a Mechanicum science vessel will have that space, and not feel a need to justify filling it with what a Rogue Trader might, to broaden its abilities.

This is all easily explained by repeating "It's a grim and dark setting" to yourself over and over again in a spooky voice.

You've pretty much written up the explanation as to why that component is ridiculously overpowered right there, but I'll finish up the summary statistics. Combined you have 9 power, 7 space and 10 ship points. You can cut down on power and space by assigning good quality components to give yourself 6 power, 6 space and 14 ship points. Regardless we keep that record of this costing 26 points. Your component costs a net total of 16 points, and that's not factoring in the extra bonus from having two more built in upgrades for that component alone. It's ridiculously overpowered.

So, I was looking through my books, and can' find the little bit, be it a box on the side, or what, that discusses quality decreasing size and draw of components. Which book is it in?

Yeah, the AdMech usually do the science, and on ships of their own. It might seem that they have a lot of components that seem to do a lot of the same thing, but that is part and parcel with the clannish ways of the Tech-Priests; once you are cool enough to be above the sloggers with the Guard armor regiments, you will focus on one sort of thing, possibly very narrowly, and in an effort to keep your revelations to yourself, at least at first. So, you need an area that does what you want, but also lets you shut out the others, who obviously want to pirate your superior ideas, and allow them to follow the same scheme. It doesn't make sense, but 40k often is that way. Besides, spreading out the components increases the chances that the one in question isn't the one you lose to ship damage. Imperial ships are also very large, with copious amounts of power and space, and if you are NOT a Rogue Trader, probably a specific focus. While the mentioned chain of components was a bit of a power and space drain, a Mechanicum science vessel will have that space, and not feel a need to justify filling it with what a Rogue Trader might, to broaden its abilities.

Battlefleet Koronus has component quality and the relevant modifiers.

Re the complaint about the amount of space required, have you not seen any of the art work in the books? The Imperium is all about grand gestures of worship, not efficient use of space. Take into consideration the number of statues, shrines, paintings and stained glass that will be built into the holy tech you are employing.

Regardless of a particular rogue traders feelings towards the religions of the imperium, those who craft, man and maintain imperial tech are trained from birth to be zealous in their faith.

Consider less what would be optimal in such a rigid environment and consider more the potential encounter settings or room for the players to add additional quirks to their ship, getting more invested.

The thing is that space is deliberately left abstract in the books. It's a balancing tool for stuff, not meant to be taken literally.

And this thing DOES take up a lot of space! Five space is not anything to scoff at!

Make that Librarium of Alexandria -class ship, with sister ships named Librarium of Pergamum, Librarium of Cordoba, etc.

Your PCs mission...should they choose to accept it is to locate and thoroughly search all 3 ships for ONE lost scroll secreted somewhere aboard them...BWAHAHAHAHA....Adventure twist....They must locate the scroll BEFORE a chaos cult/pirate group finds it and takes the scroll for themselves...Reason..The scroll contains long lost information reguarding how to ......? ( something incredibly enticing for all to acquire )

Then you find it, and it's blank, because Tzeentch is that sort of a *****. ;)

Then you find it, and it's blank, because Tzeentch is that sort of a *****. ;)

LMAO! Yep he certainly is and that would seriously piss off some PC's. Especially when they started to thumb through the other scrolls there and realized....oh snap...they are now ALL blank....then the ships power goes out and everything goes dark, doors lock, and gravity plates shut off as the ship begins orbital degradation.

I had a thought.

The difference between a ship with a medicae and a ship with the Medicae Deck component is the difference between a small chamber for treating officers and a sizable hospital for treating the crew. The difference between a ship with a launch bay and a ship without is the difference between a ship that has a few shuttles and lighters crammed into a few odd places and a ship that has flight after flight of heavy landers ready to go.

The difference between a ship with a trophy room and a ship with the trophy room component is the difference between a quiet lounge where you and your buddies can enjoy a few bottles of port and admire your stuffed 'nid head...and having a small mall dedicated to your sheer awesomeness.

I had a thought.

The difference between a ship with a medicae and a ship with the Medicae Deck component is the difference between a small chamber for treating officers and a sizable hospital for treating the crew. The difference between a ship with a launch bay and a ship without is the difference between a ship that has a few shuttles and lighters crammed into a few odd places and a ship that has flight after flight of heavy landers ready to go.

The difference between a ship with a trophy room and a ship with the trophy room component is the difference between a quiet lounge where you and your buddies can enjoy a few bottles of port and admire your stuffed 'nid head...and having a small mall dedicated to your sheer awesomeness.

That about sums it up yep...

And yet, there is still an appropriate point for a happy medium, which is why I made the component that I made, and I think the current version of it works well.