I've gotten a lot of private messages and a couple public requests asking about my house rules, so I'm just starting a thread to post them. These are the ones that work for me. They aren't all mine. I've borrowed liberally from others on this same forum. It might take me several posts to add all the files I'm using. I might just give links. Some of these are incomplete, some are deliberately vague. Here they are as they appear on my website in roll20. I'd just post the link to there but those of you that use that medium will understand that I don't want traffic in an ongoing campaign. Some of this material is specific to the campaign in question, but I'll leave it there to provide would-be roll20 GMs an idea of the info they might want to provide prospective players. Most, if not all these house rules originally had explanations attached to them. My players told me they weren't necessary so I took them out. It would seem they didn't appreciate reading a book after reading a book to play a game. Go figure.

House Rules

These are the House Rules that I intend to use. They are negotiable to a certain extent. Let me know if you see any possible issues. I've playtested most of them. The rest I have as good advice from people on various forums, mostly FFG's.

Game sessions will be twice per month on Friday nights. I'm planning on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month, but that part is entirely negotiable, and somewhat mutable. Game sessions will be from 10 PM - 1 AM EST, or 3 AM - 6 AM GMT (not including Daylight Savings Time).

Mathhammer is taken into account, but not adopted in its entirety. Most of these changes are put in place to bring starship combat in Rogue Trader more in line with combat from Battlefleet Gothic.

I fully encourage players to find ways to break the rules. I will usually provide a fix by reinterpreting the rules, but sometimes I just have to make some House Rules. If I have to make House Rules to fix something you broke, then I will reward you. Rewards are usually a permanent bonus to acquisition tests for your character. Don't break the PF/AP system. I already know it's broke and I do have a fix but it will change other parts of the game we probably really don't want to change. I don't recommend trying to break the personal combat systems. It's my experience that parties tend to bring along waves of NPCs with them and firefights follow horde rules or narration scenes. Don't expect to get too fancy.

Starship Combat

• Macrocannon and bomber damage is calculated per hit.
• Armor is -12.
• Torpedo damge is -12.
• Lances have no range modifications and each strength point fires separately. DoS count only for crits.
• Broadsides' Strength are halved and fire twice (STR 5 broadsides would fire at STR 3 and STR 2).
• Shields go down for the entire round.
• The Abstract Method is used to keep track of small craft losses. Attack craft used in battle always make a maintenance check after that battle.
• Small craft form Wings made up of squadrons. A Wing can have as many squadrons as Flight Crew Rating/10 (rounded down).
• The damage of bombers is 1d10 + Flight Crew Rating/10 (rounded down).
• Ships firing or being fired at are at -10 for augur checks.
• Light Cruisers have a 90 degree turning rate.

Profit Factor/Acquisition

• Ship Purchases/Sales/Prizes – Purchased ships cost PF equal to 10% of their SP cost, including components. Ships can be sold for an equal amount. Both sales and purchases can be further modified by skill checks. Prize ships added to your fleet reduce PF by 5% of their SP cost, to account for maintenance, salaries, ammunition supplies, etc. Repair and recruitment are handled separately.

• Colonies – I use Stars of Inequity, but had to simplify. Some of these rules are too cumbersome, some are just destructive, some break the PF system too quickly. In the new system PF is easier to generate at lower levels of colony growth and follows the Law of Diminishing Returns. Growth is greatly slowed. Much depends on the number of ships that visit your colony(ies). Space Docks and Stations increase PF. Orbital Defense Platforms decrease PF. Planetary defenses decrease PF.

• Ships that voyage with your flagship might reduce your PF if they aren't "working" ships. Working ships are those with components that enable their mission (ships on Trade Endeavors need cargo hold components to be considered working ships). Ships working independent missions (i.e. background endeavors) require components that enable those missions. "Escorts" for convoys on Background Endeavors reduce that Endeavor by 1-3 PF each.

• When making Acquisitions, if you miss the check by 5 DoF, a Misfortune ( Rogue Trader p. 284) or Unwanted Attention ( Into the Storm p. 223) will be generated.

• Initial Acquisitions - Your Initial Acquisition is NOT limited to single items. Your Dynasty's starting PF can grant you additional Initial Acquisitions.
  • PF < 28, 1 Initial Acquisition
  • PF 28-43, 2 Initial Acquisitions
  • PF 44-59, 3 Initial Acquisitions
  • PF > 59, 4 Initial Acquisitions

• Generally speaking, personal acquisitions can be made once every week in a suitable market. Large-scale military acquisitions and starship components can only be made once per month in a suitable market.

Personal Combat

• Righteous Fury grants a 1d5 crit against most opponents.

• Monstrous Creatures don't suffer critical hits. Instead, ignore their toughness bonus. They have many more Wounds, though.

• I don't keep close track of Extras (Mooks, Joes, etc.). They just get put out of commission unless they're fanatics.

• Ranged attacks follow the newest rules (i.e. Only War and DH 2.0). Standard Attacks are at +10. Semi-Auto fires at +0 with an extra hit per 2 DoS. Full Auto fires at -10 with an extra hit for every DoS.

Dramatic Moments
Dramatic Moments are special one-use abilities that play like cards do from other games. You earn Dramatic Moments by being cool, doing things in-character that are disadvantageous in terms of metagaming, and simply making us all laugh. At the end of each game session, each player gets to nominate or vote for one player they think added the most to the session. The player with the most votes gets a Dramatic Moment, GM breaks ties. The GM also gets to award a Dramatic Moment. Dramatic Moments are generated randomly. Each is self-explanatory. They have obvious times to be played.

Ship Components

• Teleportarium – Into the Storm has limiting factors on p. 150. I use all of them.

• Astropathic Choir Chambers are necessary to gain the effects of the Astropathic Relays found on p. 163 of Rogue Trader. To recap them...
  • Astropathic Choirs - for each Astropath in the Choir, add +1 to Psy Rating (max. +10). If "Pushed" beyond this, weaker members of the choir are in risk.
  • Dispersal Scoop - Psyniscience +10 to detect astropathic signals.
  • Hexagrammatic Warding - all rolls on the Psychic Phenomena and Perils of the Warp tables are at -10.
  • Focus Power tests are +10.
  • Psychic powers have their range increased by 5 VU's.

• Pilots Chambers add +5 to Flight Crew Rating.

• Miloslavs no longer have x2 speed

• Small Craft Repair Decks add +10 to the Acquisition roll for maintenance.

• Landing Bays hold twice as many squadrons of Aeronautica instead of double-sized squadrons. This affects large-scale land warfare.

• Nova Cannons have 1.5 listed maximum range (i.e. 60 for a Mars-pattern)

Miscellaneous

• Playing Aliens - No. Well, maybe, but probably no. Let's just stick with no.

• Crossover Characters - No. Well maybe, but probably no. Crossover characters with psychic abilities? NO. Space Marines? NO.

• No Psychic or Navigator powers outside the core rules may be chosen without previous permission.

• Don't purchase the Commerce AND Barter skills. They do the same thing.

• Halo Barges are larger than in published materials. They carry 4 different types of standardized cargo containers: bulk storage, tanker, passenger, and troops. It takes about an hour to switch a single craft's container. Bulk storage is good for about 100 tons of cargo, 2 armored vehicles, 5 walkers, or 10 bikes. Tankers also carry around 100 tons, but usually include pumping and fire extinguisher systems. Passenger containers seat about 100 people in relative comfort, while troop containers can carry a company in cramped conditions.

• Warp Travel – I like the idea of common reverses and setbacks from Warp travel, but I don't like the frequency of catastrophes in Navis Primer. The core rules didn't have enough detail for my last group, so I made up new charts that borrow much from both books, but require less die rolling than Navis Primer.

• Experience - Experience telescopes. This serves two purposes. New characters develop quickly so we can get into the meat of the game faster, and if you lose your character it won't hurt as much. I like to see early development. At the same time, I like plenty of playtime in the mid-to-high levels.
  • Sessions 1-5 = 1000 XP each
  • Sessions 6-10 = 900 XP each
  • Sessions 11-15 = 800 XP each
  • Sessions 16-20 = 700 XP each
  • Sessions 21-25 = 600 XP each
  • Sessions 26-30 = 500 XP each
  • Sessions 31-35 = 400 XP each
  • Sessions 36-40 = 300 XP each
  • Sessions 41-45 = 200 XP each
  • Sessions 46+ = 100 XP each

Navigation
You can chart Warp Routes and you can chart systems. Both requires successful use of the Astrography skill. Charting Warp Routes gives advantages in Navigation (Warp), travel times, and AP bonuses (as listed in Into the Storm) . Charting systems affects Navigation (Stellar), in-system travel times and modifies the following types of encounters: radiation bursts, solar flares, gravity tides and riptides, asteroid fields, ice rings, dust clouds and rings, gas giant rings, and nebulae.

Routes of the Koronus Expanse
The Maw – the Maw, from Port Wander to Footfall, requires a single success to navigate. If any navigation test fails it is an automatic Warp Storm encounter. The Navigator can avoid the Warp Storm by dropping out of the Warp to any of the Stations of Passage. This can be done 4 times in a single passage, but no station can be visited more than once. and once bypassed cannot be chosen. The Station of Passage are, in order, The Battleground, The Witch-Cursed World or The Temple, and The Hermitage.

Sub-Sector Routes Astronomicon

Winterscale's Realm Stable Visible

Ragged Worlds Unstable Obscured

Heathen Stars Stable Visible

Accurse Demense Unstable Obscured

Cinerius Maleficum Unstable Obscured

Cauldron Surly Shrouded

Foundling Worlds Surly Obscured

Unbeholden Reaches Haunted Shrouded

Rifts of Hecaton Haunted Lightless

I won't show my charts here but the steps are largely the same.
Step 1. Determining the Time and Distance
Step 2. Diving the Auguries
Step 3. Entering the Warp & Locating the Astronomicon
Step 4. Steering the Vessel & Warp Encounters
Step 5. Leaving the Warp & Determining Time

Charting Warp Routes
Charting new routes requires successful use of the Astrography skill.
Warp Gates are +30 to your skill check
Stable routes are +10 to your skill check
Obscured routes are -10 to your skill check
Shrouded routes are -30 to your skill check
Imperial Date Class 0-2 +10 to skill check
Imperial Date Class 3-5 -10 to skill check
Imperial Date Class 6-8 -30 to skill check
Imperial Date Class 9 -50 to skill check
Lightless routes cannot be charted (there are myths and legends of exceptions, of course)
Success results in starcharts of Poor Craftmanship plus one level of quality per 2 DoS.

Elite Advances
Elite Advances for Skills cost 300 XP. You can't purchase the +10 advance unless you're at Rank 4 or are willing to suffer 1d10 Insanity, and can't purchase +20 until Rank 7 or suffer the same fate. Elite Advances for Talents cost +100% XP. You can't purchase them at a rank earlier than their usual career can, unless you are of that career. You can reduce the XP cost to 150% if you are willing to pay 1d5 Corruption.

Alternate Career Ranks
I'm not fond of these, but I'm open to using them. They will be strictly controlled and people who want to build a character with multiple alternate career ranks will likely be disappointed. These are to be used to give flavor to a character story, not grant characters powers they don't usually have access to. If all you're looking for is a unique talent, consider going the Elite Advance route instead.

Origin Paths
Follow these strictly. I'm sure there are some great stories to explain why a character might deviate from them, but I'm equally sure those same stories can be told within the origin path. Some Lineage combinations will not be allowed. Some are just too unbalancing. If your Origin Path duplicates a skill without advancing it, I will advance it (e.g. If you get Language - High Gothic twice, it will advance to +10).

Armsmen, Household Guard, Companions, etc.
Armsmen are the armed crew members, the policemen of your ship. These are the people with access to an armory of some type. They are 5% of the crew. This number can be increased with the acquisition of more equipment.

The Household Guard your Dynasty begins play with is equal to your starting PF x 10. The Household Guard is more highly trained and better equipped than your Armsmen. Their numbers can only be increased through military acquisition.

Each character gets 40 companions to start with. If you play an Astropath, your Choir has to come out of that 40. If you play a Navigator, your relief must come from that number. Each character can have a number of specialists to help them out with their duties, people much like themselves, but with lesser or fewer attributes, skills, and talents. These specialists will be the source of highly trained NPCs as the game progresses. The rest are toughs, mercenaries, and hired assassins that are devoted to keeping your character alive. These are more highly trained, equipped, and motivated than your Armsmen or Household Guard. In addition, I want to see NPCs with names and connections to your character. I don't want to see a party full of orphan stories. Bring the family along: spouses, concubines, children, siblings, family retainers, fill them out and give them life.

Game Play
I foresee lots of exploration (ruins and stellar systems), colonization, establishment of trade routes, starship combat, intrigue, alien contact, and mysteries. There is opportunity for both large fleet battles and for massed ground combat. I don't foresee lots of personal combat. The potential will be there, of course, but it's my experience that RT players like to send in the hired help first, and either is fine with me. Sometimes, character involvement will prove necessary. I want to hear from every player what they like in a campaign, and the role they picture their character in as the most beneficial to the party. I will be tailoring encounters to make sure all played careers are involved in every story.

The following are links that further explain some of the above rules. These are usually seperate posts on the webpage, though some are deliberately hidden from the players (e.g. Navigation encounter charts - I don't want the players thinking in terms of die rolls for this)

The Telescoping Experience System is designed specifically for this game. In my experience campaigns run for 2 years before someone moves, gets a new job, etc., and the game needs to end or falls apart. This seems to be changing with venues like roll20 permitting people in far-flung cities to play consistently, but I'm keeping the format. The experience system is designed, then, to provide 2 years worth of play-time. Your mileage may vary.

Dramatic Moments - This section is still under construction, but here is the link

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oPwcmyRVqh6G6azwZbB4aj_TGhSxRaZn6BMHB5orFjE&authuser=0

Here's another entirely different posting in the House Rules section, called Character Classes.

This section may take some time to develop. Some character classes can be be done on the fly. Some need an extensive background to make the story work. I'll pay the line out as I write to see how it develops.

Rogue Trader - Rogue Traders are not an absolute necessity, but they do make the best captains. They have the best social skills. They have useful knowledge skills. They are excellent at melee combat and can, with work, make good shots. A Rogue Trader's background story can determine much about the rest of the party. Their story often determines the Warrant Path, the Dynasty's past and current fortunes, and influences the motives of other party members. Another aspect to consider is the Lord Captain's influence on the backgrounds of the multitudes of NPC's. Consider the crew of a Rogue Trader that makes their fortune by smuggling versus the crew of a Rogue Trader that makes their fortune by trading legally. You probably just had pictures in your mind of two very different crews. Now consider the crew of a Rogue Trader that makes their fortune off conquest. You can see just how influential this character can be to the course of the game. Keep in mind that every single player could be a Rogue Trader. They might all be scions of the Dynasty. It's not uncommon in games to see the Dynasty's fleet grow to large numbers. Each one needs a captain.

Navigator - Some areas of the Koronus Expanse are easier to reach than others. The Astronomicon isn't visible everywhere and Warp currents can change drastically from subsector to subsector. While Navigators aren't essential as PC's, they become critical if your Dynasty wants to explore those hard to reach regions. Plus, the Houses of the Navis Nobilite have a more sophisticated (some might say diabolical) diplomatic network than even the Rogue Traders Dynasties. The Dynasty's flag isn't the only one flying from the ship. So the choice of Navis House also becomes of paramount importance. Navigators make for interesting characters. They have "powers," but they also have unique knowledge skills, and can make very good combat characters, both in melee and ranged combat.

Seneschal - Seneshcals, like Rogue Traders, have excellent social skills. They tend to specialize in covert operations more than Rogue Traders, though. Few careers have as many knowledge skills as the Seneschal, and none have their knack pursuing the guise of a master spy. These are probably the best choice for a 4th or 5th player in a game, as their utility is second to none. Other careers are more essential, though, so I don't recommend them in a small party. An NPC Seneschal can always be hired (of course then they don't come with generations of loyalty to the Dynasty, either).

Astropath - There's no overstating the importance of this career. Yes, their position can be filled with an NPC or 10, but NPC's never get the attention to detail that a PC receives, and this career is one where detail can pay off big. The core psychic abilities are probably the best ones. Lots of players like to turn their Astropath into cranial artillery. I feel this is a waste of their ultimate potential, but of course the GM's cooperation is necessary to make the best Astropaths shine. Telepathy is possibly the best skill for spying in the game. Want to know what your rivals are up to? What better way to find out than by reading their minds. It's hard to say whether Telepathy or Divination is the creme de la creme. Knowing future possibilities can pay more dividends than telepathy since not every encounter the explorers might run into involve their known rivals. What about those xenos just over the horizon? Who knows what's going on in their minds?

Missionary - Missionaries are an overlooked career. They don't have the Rogue Trader's same skill set of knowledges, but they can be every bit as good a leader, and they can come with a very obvious ally in the Adeptus Ministorum. I don't recommend this path for new players, but experienced players could get some real mileage in a game where the Missionary is the Warrant Holder.

Arch-Militant - This is another career that can make a decent Lord Captain. Yes, they are combat-centric characters, but what if your Dynasty wants to earn its bread and butter through conquest? These characters tend to dominate in mass combat situations as well as dungeon crawls. Still, if you're not experienced then these characters tend to fall into stereotypical roles that might not be as fun to play in a game of as epic a scale as Rogue Trader.

Explorator - This character class is probably the most essential in most games. Certainly, no other career starts with high tech knowledge like this class does. This is the character that will transform your ship into a legendary beast of war, assuming you can get them to focus on that and not on making themselves into an epic beast of war. Some players like to focus on that aspect. They do well when a teenager is GMing, though they also tend to be annoying in those games.

Void Master - This is the most ignored of all character classes. I don't know why. Void Masters are the actions heroes of this game system. They can become literally anything. They can even become everything...simultaneously. Certainly, if you are going to start with a smaller vessel that relies on maneuver and gunnery, then this character is essential. Of course, that also means that specialized Void Masters can be hired as NPC's to fill the roles you need them for.

Here are some of my latest thoughts.

Character Creation

Flaws - All characters need flaws. This is what drives them forward. Real flaws have no derived benefit. They give other players freedom to react to them, instead of requiring them to react in certain ways or in certain circumstances. The best flaws are not diseases or weaknesses that cannot be helped. They are a choice. They must be a choice or they cannot be overcome. The best flaws are something that can be hidden, at least for a time. They get revealed at some point and the character must now face the reality of that flaw in public. This causes a situation where a character suffers a fall, or finds redemption by overcoming that flaw. Flaws have to hinder those around the character with the flaw. Don’t destroy your character, though. Make them lovable, or at least admirable.

• Minor flaws - imperfections that distinguish one character from another (e.g. noticeable scars, picking one’s nose, a thick accent)

• Major flaws - greater imperfections that hinder a character’s behavior in some fashion. This should be the driving purpose of a character. It probably isn’t overcome until the story’s climax. The story’s climax might even be the focal point of that flaw. This flaw is what leads the character to corruption or redemption. Examples might be cowardice, an overwhelming need for a particular revenge, or a desire for immortality.

• Tragic flaw - for our purposes, this is the fall that drove your character to their present position. This is the backstory that defines the starting point. If your character has suffered no fall, then the flaw is probably hubris, unless you’ve got some really good storytelling technique.

Virtues - Just as characters have flaws, they also have virtues. Ideally, their defining virtue is the vehicle by which they overcome their defining flaw.

Here’s a good place to start...

http://theshatareu.wikia.com/wiki/Heroic_virtues,_heroic_flaws

http://www.booklaurie.com/workshops_flaw2.php

Nine Types and their Common Flaw

1. Nurturer - Pride

2. Achiever - Deception

3. Romantic - Envy

4. Observer - Avarice

5. Defender - Fear

6. Adventurer - Gluttony

7. Controller - Lust

8. Mediator - Sloth

9. Perfectionist - Anger

Sub-types include Self-preservation, Intimacy, and Social

And then there's the pitch, the starting point of the campaign, the long-term objectives outlined for players that want them, with plenty of wiggle room for those that don't.

The Dynasty is ancient. The date on the Warrant of Trade is smudged and faded. Some say it goes all the way back to Malcador the Sigillite. Others say it's an amended Letter of Marque dating to the time of the Meritech Heresies. Those who hold the latter view shouldn't voice their opinions in front of you. Either way, it's a very old document.

Regardless the origin, it's the past few generations that decided the current fortunes of the Dynasty. Father picked up the broken pieces that were left him and put them carefully back together. He refitted a ship, secured the family's capital and investments, and established new holdings and lines of credit. He stepped on some toes in the process and that's what got him killed. Father didn't have the Ecclesiarchal backing that Grandfather had. Grandfather was a very pious man, Father less so. Now you have the Warrant and it's your job to pick up where he left off.

Grandfather was the person who really established the Dynasty in the Koronus Expanse. Before him, the Dynasty was entrenched in the Calixis Sector. He inherited young, lived a very long time, and built the Dynasty into a power to be reckoned with. He reinvested all the Dynasty's wealth into new colonies in the Expanse then he lost in it all, and none even know how or why. He just disappeared, along with the fleet he'd carefully built up. The Dynasty's wealth and influence in the Calixis Sector was leveraged against those colonies and when they failed, so did the Dynasty.

Grandfather was one of the early explorers in the Koronus Expanse. It was he who established the colony of Damaris, probably the Expanse's best-developed Imperial world. The Damaris Run was very profitable in his day, but fell off after he disappeared. None knew the route he'd taken and the well-mapped routes are so long as to remove a good deal of the profit from the trips. In fact, Grandfather had established several colonies that he used to visit on the same voyage, and they are now all lost.

Grandfather was an explorer, an imperialist, a merchant prince, and a trader militant. He built a Dynasty that was very visible, very powerful, and had many powerful enemies. Father was a smuggler, a back-room dealer, a man who indirectly siphoned off the profits of others. Father was far less visible, but he made powerful enemies just the same. The Lo Pan and Sult Dynasties cornered his ship off Landsunder. The attack was illegal but it might be decades to see justice done. Father died when the bridge was wrecked by lance fire. You were leading a damage control party. Aram Sult called for you to strike your colors. You were just too angry to comply. As your ship fell into the planet a veritable miracle occurred, or maybe it was plain dumb luck. Your ship traveled a perfect slingshot arc and shot your ship hours away from pursuers. You ordered all non-essential systems shut down and went into Silent Running.

After affecting emergency repairs you set course for Port Wander. There's a naval installation there and the Imperial Navy should protect you from hostile action, as well as provide more permanent repairs. Your old allies, the Marner and Winterscale Dynasties are supposed to be headquartered there, too. Maybe it's time to to renew old friendships. The Winterscales are supposed to be the ascendant Dynasty in the Koronus Expanse these days. The Lo Pan Dynasty employs House Yeshar Navigators, and they can track ships through the Warp. You know your enemies can't be far behind. Maybe it's time to disappear into the Koronus Expanse like Grandfather did. Make a fortune there and return with the wherewithal to turn the tables on Lo Pan and Sult. What you need right now is time and distance.

Acquisitions - tables compiled and condensed, with changes, especially for mass ground combat

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17CrqNZmazPpI0qhBwK98aGk3Jgexzscj4CIEpNpBwDI&authuser=0

Mass Combat House Rules - this part may be hard to decipher. I'm on old-time wargamer and know exactly what it says. Most might have a hard time reading it, but since it wasn't designed for mass consumption, I've never made it more explicit, but I'm willing to enlighten.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1njT2vbliK1QRUtINoXD7rkdw3WbKExctu_o5fyzZEzc&authuser=0

Ye Olde Warrante of Trade -for those players that want to know the limitations of their document (mileage will vary per campaign(

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SaHb-neu-ezr2Txucddq7_o2CEPEl_93nnTdg5izUCo&authuser=0

Colonization - my rules are super-condensed Stars of Inequity with a large dose of vagueness. I do this to put a degree of the Unknown in.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d5Xyb3p6-ZAJW6kc2Ptu9BE0e9RwCJuvU4-LjcXr_CY&authuser=0

Navigation - my own home brew, that borrows considerably from Navis Primer. This link has been posted on this forum before, but for those that want it all in one location, here it is again.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-MtWrnHF5DK8DwQ2pT9S1LMBlEK7N5FywZT3DarpwPI/edit?usp=sharing

And just for the heck of it, I'll post the details of the campaign as envisioned. First there's the file called Powers of the Expanse. I'm assuming 30k active stars in the Expanse and twice that number of stellar remnants. Powers lists 60-some RT Dynasties and 20-some Navis Houses, their alliances and rivalries, and something of their numbers and influence. Also listed are many other organizations that have been presented in FFGs publications. I've always liked their ideas, if not their execution. I won't be using any (well, maybe 1) of their published material to send the players on, but most of them are background events to give the campaign flavor. There is an attempt at cataloguing the total numbers of shipping out there. This was done only to give me ideas about shipping traffic. Note that these numbers are considerably smaller than many of the numbers thrown around here, but I wanted a sandbox.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1o05rQibSrT5IPwXmqbPH_g5jYOlIhieIh_WqVzYVC3s&authuser=0

And just in case the question comes up of how I plan a campaign, these two files outline the progress of the campaign and the treasure map that permits it. There are choke points, but since I dislike linear adventures there is lots of room for deviation. The first file is a prediction of the initial stages of the campaign (still being played out), and a description of the Sandbox Cluster, a small grouping of 9 star systems inside a supernova bubble surrounded by a warp storm. This limits the scope of the campaign, gives plenty of room for exploration and exploitation, lots of treasure, and intrigue in boatloads. Much of it probably won't happen but I wanted to cover all my bases in at least outline form.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lq8pr5KjWd0bc23S-uDcvjfSzLhPUGDuvwt5Is4WPaY&authuser=0

This second file is an unfinished interpretation of the Star Map, the driving plot device in the campaign. Both the Star Map and all the star systems are generated on Paint. I then imported them into roll20. That venue gives me the advantage of being able to layer all the map information like a GIS map, giving the players a little bit at a time as they discover it.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1W30R8sO6voKyspf7dO3ETOTn4EEEahJSXQyztpd8fVs&authuser=0

There's a ton more files I have but they are largely works in progress. I detail individual dynasties, navis houses, and other organizations as I need them. I also have a file of "common ship designs," which are anything but common, and largely swiped from other published material, but they give me something to work with for encounters.

As a last comment, I have liberally borrowed from Quicksilver and Erathia in their posts on this forum. Both have loads of good suggestions. I also use the thoughts of Philip Sibbering on his webpages, Philverse, as I love his interpretations of 40k lore.

You need to link to your kickass navigation rules! Actually, can you link to all of your rules subsystems? Also some of your links are private, can you make them at least 'anyone with the link can comment'? Edit: Oh, most of those are in the google documents, sorry...

The Navigation rules are one of the links provided. I think I set everything to view only. Comments should be available though. If they aren't, let me know. You can just as easily post comments here. I'll answer them and modify my files as we go.

I generated my star systems with that excel file out there that generates star systems, ships, tech items, and maybe more. I don't remember the name of the guy that made it off-hand. I then extrapolated (read: justified) those systems with 40k lore and grouped them in my sandbox. I tied them together with an overarching storyline.

Can't view, like, the last four.

I double-checked the share options and reposted the links. Hope that fixes it for you, though I kinda doubt it. Let me know if you still aren't having any luck.

I've seen other people in there (anonymous animals of various stripes) and even granted Comment status to those that want it (you do have to request it). Nobody has posted any comments, though, heh.

Everything after navigation, IE:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o05rQibSrT5IPwXmqbPH_g5jYOlIhieIh_WqVzYVC3s/edit?usp=drive_web

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lq8pr5KjWd0bc23S-uDcvjfSzLhPUGDuvwt5Is4WPaY/edit?usp=drive_web

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W30R8sO6voKyspf7dO3ETOTn4EEEahJSXQyztpd8fVs/edit?usp=drive_web

All say:

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I just set it to "anyone with the link can comment." If you still can't reach the file the problem is most likely on your end.

I certainly don't mean to offend, but I feel it appropriate to ask the basic questions, just in case I'm talking to a non-technical person. Do you use Chrome? Do you have Google Drive? Google Docs? Are you signed into your google email account when clicking on the link?

If you have the correct apps and still can't view you can send me a private message on these boards, and provide me with your email, and I'll be happy to grant that email access seperately.

I applaud and salute this effort - in my lowly opinion the game as published needs tooling...

It works fine now. And I use google documents all the time.

Well Don, I had no intention of "publishing" the material, but I guess in providing an open link to anyone that reads this forum I did exactly that. These are just the notes I used to get a campaign ready for a group of friends. Actually, I had originally developed the campaign for a group of strangers that I'd meet on the internet, but the Over the Hill Gang decided we'd all play online together. As to what "tooling" means, I'm a bit in the dark. Certainly, the whole project needs organization for others to be able to effectively utilize it. The notes are fine for me, of course, since I know exactly what I meant.

I've been asked enough questions about campaign design that I just decided to present what I have ready for the campaign just started...my latest development. I created a sandbox. I randomly generated a dozen star systems and picked 9 that seemed the most promising. They have loads of treasures to tempt the most greedy rogue traders. There are developed colonies, mineral wealth galore, xenos and xenos' ruins, archeotech by the boatload, everything that I'd normally add to a campaign. I located them within a short distance of one another. I isolated the sandbox with a warp storm, albeit one with navigable corridors. I provided a background story to link the Dynasty's past to the sandbox and dribbled clues around the known parts of the Expanse to seed the party's path with incentives. In the final tally, it's an open game, so they can ignore it all and do whatever they like. I can always use this stuff for a later campaign.

Next, I tried to give the Expanse some life. Living campaigns have other events occurring. Dynasties don't live in a vacuum. I didn't feel like drawing it all up myself, so I used published adventures (my players won't know them; this is their first game of RT, though they are mostly veterans of 4 decades of RPGs). The party doesn't participate in them, but they provide storylines for the dynasties that will become The Dynasty's allies and rivals. I made allowances to permit The Dynasty to participate in some of those events (i.e. the Damaris Waaagh!, the Battle of Footfall) if they should wish.

I've opened those files to anyone that wishes to comment. Please do so. I'm happy to take some spare time to further organize and refine my thoughts. If someone were particularly involved and expansive I'd be willing to even let them edit the files. I work in a collaborative environment.

Wow - thanks so much for posting, this is a huge help for my upcoming game!

If just one GM finds this a bit helpful then the posting was worthwhile. The work was already done, and for the enjoyment of friends. If more people find it promising then I'm happy to take it further. Otherwise, it's in an outline form that works for my campaign.

I'm delving further into the workings of roll20. I've added background music, though I find the selections rather limited, even if there are literally thousands of choices. The venue was obviously built around D&D. I'm still on a free account but if we go much further, I'm going to switch to a pay account. It's a small amount of money. Maps are easy to upload, though the basis has to be done beforehand. I can add GIS-style layers as I want them, and that's invaluable, even if I don't much care for the tools. I also love the ability to upload photos ahead of time. They bring lots of atmosphere to the game and the internet is full of good art. So far the players are really into the whole package and very impressed. I need to work on my self-generated art. I'm not a graphics person at all.

So, I hate to ask you this as this is a very very stupid question.

What do you mean by Imperial Date. And how does that work with creating charts and maps.

I looked at how the normal System works by how close it is to the Sol System or is that just how close you are to the Sol system gives you a bonus?

That's a very pertinent question and not stupid at all. It's also been a bit of a can of worms around here. Call it the navigator in me. Accurate navigation is impossible without an accurate time piece. I assumed this was one of the Astropath's duties upon coming out of warp. Other GMs like to hand-wave it away or come up with a more colorful replacement. I like that the astropaths have one more important position on the ship (they get to be the radio and the clock). For an explanation of Imperial Time, check

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Dating_System

I keep close track of time in my campaigns. I like it that 3 years go by for the party while the people at Footfall age 20 years. It just adds flavor to being a voidman.

I am interested in doing the very same thing in my game, that is why I am asking about how it works. So in order for someone to basically gain assess to... lets say Imperial Date Class 0-2 class map, I am assuming that the Astropath would need to do what? Call up Sol or something like that and get their date and then what?

IM40KU (In My 40K Universe) part of the process of becoming an Imperial planet involves a ceremony wherein the Astra Telepathica sets a planet's clocks. From that point on, as long as that planet has an unbroken string of astropaths on the planet, it can be considered to have the 3-5 dating class (unless a warp storm breaks out on the planet). Astropaths know which planets have the most accurate times and use those as reference points. It takes hours or days to establish time after leaving the warp, and much is dependent on local warp conditions.

But yeah, 0-2 time class just doesn't exist out in the Koronus Expanse. That would require a telepathic choir to contact Sol system, which is possible but how would they know how long the message took to deliver and then get back? Time is reckoned along strings of planets, each passing along its latest information on time. I figure that there is a string of Imperial planets leading out from Earth that keep time. Call it a sacred duty.

This has been of great assistance to me and hopefully my ongoing game, the reference for time is grand, straight up getting absorbed into my game, I have begun to process of utilizing your resourced judiciously, having a 'snapshot' of the expanse with hard numbers lets me plan and (hopefully) will let me respond to my players accurately, especially the political network, I found it particularly difficult myself.

Looking forward to using your many well thought out systems.

Many thanks.

Powers of the Expanse alone is worth the price of admission! I'm straight-up stealing it

Thanks so much for this.

So, firstly, it feels really nice to know I'm not the only one keeping obsessive track of dates in my Rogue Trader games.

Secondly...I've been using the wrong dating system and the massive bound journal that one of my PCs has been keeping - all hand written, in character, with a fountain pen - ARE ALL WRONG.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

40K time is nearly impossible to keep track of, as is. I don't know why they went for the 1000-part division of a year, other than the Euro-obsession to keep everything in decimals. What we've done is to change the year to 333 days, each 3/1000 is a day, and drop the remaining one at the end of each year? Why? Because it's easier, but it still keeps the 40K format, and my current players really like the flavor. We haven't bothered to rationalize they "why" of it all. Maybe they moved the Earth closer to the Sun. It doesn't matter since the campaign will never see Holy Terra.

I've noticed people spending hours in Powers of the Expanse. I've updated it with minor tweaks. I've done much more work on Campaign Progress and The Star Chart, though the former is still largely in outline form. I'll be consolidating some of the files at some point, but I'll post the new links if/when that happens.

The 1000-part year is called out as a purely administrative (or Administratum) thing - no-one actually uses it in real life, they have months and days. I've acquired a Roman Catholic liturgical calendar and I'm using that to give every day an association with a 40k-ified saint

I like that idea. I might have to steal that one.

This Saturday is 0449015M02 (i.e. June 13th 2015)

The most difficult part of it all below:

- Enter in the date you want here - it will give you a number ranging from 1 to 365

http://mistupid.com/calendar/dayofyear.htm

Next

- Take the "Day Count" you got from above, now figure out what percentage of 365 that number equals? (i.e. what % is 164 out of 365 = 44.93150684)

- Now take your Percentage and figure out what % of that value is from 1000 (i.e. what is 44.93150684% of 1000 = 449)

http://www.percentagecalculator.net/

Notes:
The rest of the values indicate Check Sum and Hundreds Year Count - ranging from 0 to 999 per Millennia ( 0 449 015 M03 )

The Final value is the actual Millennia that the Hundreds of years above falls into (i.e. 1,000 AD / 2,000 AD for our real life aka 01 & 02 herein)

Hope this helps some

Stay GAMING

Morbid

Actually, it's 015.M03. We are now in the 15th year of the 3rd Millenium, which ends with the year 3000.

AHH duh... lol (let me fix my game confirmation)