My player asked me today - can he hunt for a titan that may be lost (with the intent of owning it)...

Along the lines of the Space Marine Game;

A cogitator (computer) screen of the Adeptus Administratum provides an overview of the Imperial Forge World of Graia in the Segmentum Tempestus, one of the planets controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus that specialise in the production of weapons and tools of war for the Imperial armies. Graia is also home to the Titan Legion known as the Legio Astraman ("The Morning Stars") and to the extremely rare facilities of the Ajakis Manufactorum that is capable of constructing and repairing Warlord-class Battle Titans.

So my player would like to search for a similar facility (and situation) in order to exploit the Titan for himself - lol

Is this feasible?

Can a solitary Explorator "own" said Titan?

Would fluff-savvy canon purists allow such an event of play in their Rogue Trader Campaign?

Just a though / question...

Please Advise,

Morbid

So the recovered Titan would almost certainly still be the property of the Titan Legion the same way recovered Space Marine gear is still the property of the Space Marines.

They'd be quite happy to get one back, and no doubt reward the RT/Explorator appropriately. They'd be quite upset if the RT stole their property, and no doubt reward the RT/Explorator appropriately.

Does the RT group have a ship capable of transporting a titan?

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/1/1a/Warlord_Titan_docked2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111011071233

I'm guessing it's a little tall for most cargo decks.

The guy driving the titan is usually, although not always, permanently tanked in the command console, so there's that to consider.

In addition learning to pilot, control, repair, etc the titan via trial and error seems like it would have a good chance or resulting in a totaled titan. Hopefully you've got plenty of spare parts, or maybe a spare titan.

Displeasure of the Titan Legion aside, I see it as a logistical nightmare to attempt. I'd just turn it over to the Ad Mech and ask for some of their nice toys in return, like say maybe a couple of Land Raiders.

This situation actually came up in a game I was playing in. The player of our missionary has a minor case of megalomania and always wants to amass the biggest empires/toys, regardless of the scope of the game.

As the RT for that particular campaign, I chose not to pursue it for a few reasons:

I just didn't think it was feasible. As Spatula pointed out, everyone from the AdMech to the Inquisition would probably want my fabulous 'Trader butt in a sling afterwards if we decided to keep it. This isn't even counting the trouble we would have in maintaining and transporting the thing, probably requiring some kind of homebrewed Titan-class Hangar stuffed into one of the huger classes of ship.

Even ignoring all this in favor of the (admittedly persuasive) argument of having the biggest, baddest gun in the Imperium, there's the question of what kind of conflict would be so massive as to risk the deployment and collateral damage of a Titan. It would have to be one hell of a land war, one where you don't care about the shape of the city/continent afterwards, and one where you won't run into one of the aforementioned parties who will ask to see your registration sticker.

Then there's the whole problem of staffing and arming the thing. Finding ammo would be a pain, and as far as I remember there are very few people who can drive a Titan. An PC Explorator might have the Tech-use or Piloting necessary to serve as the main pilot, but it would be a pretty tough roll. I remember reading somewhere that the Machine Spirits in titans are really cantankerous bunch, so there's that to deal with as well.

All that being said, if I GMed a game I would allow a crew to search. It might be a long time spent searching, and they might find nothing for a while, but I would totally allow them to try and keep one. If only to make them jump through all the above hoops. Every time their ship got visited by the AdMech or Militarium would be like Weekend at Bernie's with a 400 meter robot. Admittedly, I'm not a super purist for canon, but I've never let that get in the way of messing with some players.

I totally agree and understand you both - well said!

Thanks Guys I will refer to this data with my player - he is super open minded so he just wanted to know the "why" not aspect to it all!

Stay Gaming Guys

Morbid

I ran out of time for talking earlier but I did want to mention that the guy playing the Explorator in my group decided he wanted a mecha too, so I wound up putting something together for him.

Here it is.

Gargoyle type repair and salvage frame. An ancient long legged walker type vehicle that is considered the template that many walkers after it including the venerable Imperial Dreadnought borrowed heavily from. The Gargoyle is as comfortable in the weightlessness of the void as it is on the surface of a planet, and is intended to be able to function more efficiently on the cyclopean scale of many of the imperium's works than a relatively antlike human. It's not exactly lost/archeo tech, but due to the high tech nature and great expense of building each walker, especially the micro-fusion plant, it is extremely rare. Some consider it not worth the cost, even given it's extraordinary capabilities, considering just how cheap human labour is.

While not intended as a combat machine, it is quite sturdy, and in the past Gargoyles have been modified into potent combat walkers, able to tear their enemies to pieces in hand to hand combat or lay down withering salvos of firepower.

The pilot sits inside a small pilot's compartment in the walker's chest. The compartment is reasonably comfortable, even for long periods of time since it was meant for long 12+hour shifts. Piloting the walker requires the Drive (walker) skill. The controls are complicated, having to cover the arms, legs, thrusters, tools, sensors, communication etc, and without the use of an MIU the driver suffers a -10 penalty to all tests related to piloting and fighting from the machine.

Type: walker

Manoeuvrability: +10

Cruising speed: 60kph

Tactical speed: 10m

Armour: 22 all

Structural Integrity: /25

Crew: Pilot

Carrying Capacity: Up to 12 metric tonnes, can tow 24.

Size: Enormous (lower end of)

Equipment: auspex, built in multi-tool, chronometer, electromagnetic rivet/nail gun, MIU interface, Melta-drill/cutter, Spotlight, radiation shielding, life support system with a 3 day duration, Tow cable, vox caster, welding torch, zero-g impellers (flier 10 in zero g and no penalties to maneuver), and micro and macro manipulators (able to wield human sized tools). It's power supply utilizes a micro fusion plant which will last for 1 year of heavy use before requiring refurbishing and refuelling, a process that takes a couple of days in appropriate facilities.

Weapons: Melta Drill (Stars of Inequity page 94, but reduce the penalty to attack to -10 and no fatigue concerns obviously)

Servo fist blow (Class: Melee, Damage 2d10+14I pen 0, Unbalanced)

Electro rivet gun ( Class: Basic Range: 15m Damage:1d10+2I RoF: s/2/- Pen: 2 Clip: 30 Reload: 3 full Qualities: Reliable, Availability: Common)

Special rules: Ground vehicle, Walker, Re-enforced Hull, strength rating 70(14) unnatural strength (x2).

Modification for war can increase the armor and hull integrity to 35, replace the rivet gun with a pistol or basic weapon, and put a basic or heavy weapon over the shoulder (retobi missile launcher, las cannon, heavy bolter) in place of the spotlight. The War Walker incorporates an ammo magazine into the back between the main thrusters tripling the ammo of back mounted weapons. Most las and pure energy based weapons can run off the vehicle's micro-fusion cells, but a Las cannon or other high drain weapons result in a brief low power period (1 round -10 to all activities). Or weapons can run off their normal amunition load. The war walker generally keeps the melta drill as a melee weapon. These modifications reduce the vehicle's manoeuvrability to 0 and speed to 45mph/8m tactical.

Pilots of Titans are Called Princeps. they are generally Nobles of a Houce that is born to pilot the Titans, they are trained and usually have the willpower, and nature/genetics the Titans Machine Spirit likes/requires.

A random person plugging themselves into a Titan will have to do battle with the Machine Spirits Willpower not to be entirely consumed by it.

My Explorator had the opportunity to pilot a Knight Errant titan but passed on the opportunity due to (Having successfully passed a Forbidden lore test) knowing that he may be completely consumed by the Titans own force of will.

I did however make a deal with the House that own the lost titans to have one serve aboard our vessel while two others resumed protection duties of the planet they were housed on.

Also I got mad kudos from Mars/AdMech and the Knight House for doing as I did. The gubbins flowed freely my way, and thus to the ship and the other characters.

The Adeptus Mechanicus love technology being found for them. That's the job of the explorators on paper.

Titans are more trouble than they're worth for Rogue Traders, unless you plan a seriously bloody war well away from prying Imperial eyes. Or you've got Titan Legions as allies.

Perhaps a reward could be their aid in a suitable war?