Hail and or Howdy All - aka the Emperor Protects!

In today's post I'd like to share with you all our method with using Bounties in Rogue Trader game setting. Now for those of you who don't know "money" or rather the loot given over from most bounties generally fall way under the practical application of said activity - i.e. the money people give other for bounties is "pennies" to the Rogue Trader and their Peers / Scions (i.e. the other play characters who are partners with said Rogue Trader)...

Anyways - if money is of no use in these instances then why bother?!

Faction!

We all know many different Factions exist in the 40k universe and as such a player or rather a character can stand to benefit from interacting with such organizations and groups. That's where we introduced the concept of gaining "Favor" - the gist being the more I do for a certain group the ore likely I will get in "good" with said organization.

Mechanics - thus far, I only use Disposition adjustments and treat each Social category according to the Faction

(Influence Tests - 276 Core Book)
(Social Interactions - 204 Into the Storm; SEE BELOW)

For the most part - most Faction based reactions default to Indifferent

Now character backgrounds or current campaign specifics can and may adjust the character baseline from Indifferent to otherwise based on such miscellaneous details...

Metrics of Play (Generic Reactionary Stages)

9000+ Favorable +30%

5000 Points Advantageous +20%

2000 Points Beneficial +10%

0 Point Indifferent 0%

-2000 Brusque -10%

-5000 Adverse -20%

-9000 (or more) Foul -30%

The numbers above are treated as "points" in this case social currency with a specific Faction. This Faction score either goes up or down depending on the character's actions - in our case with Bounties - a GM could award 10% or the actual money offered as the Faction score earned by that action.

Otherwise a GM is encouraged to have the PCs spend their Faction points calling on favors, gear, and or info...

It is in this way re-playability is ensured as each go at a new campaign offers new combinations and specifics that each group will enjoy uniquely from one another (i.e. how many times can I play this game until I make the same character combination again, was the gist of "re-playability").

Now for - how much do favors, gear, and info cost - that's up to you!

Hope this helps steer you in the course winds ~

Stay GAMING

Morbid

Okay...so I'm going to request a little breakdown, in the form of an example. I'll even feed in some vague particulars, and you please fill in the details of how it might go down, and the end results/net gain?

Participant: Lady Isabella Artymus, Lord-Captain of the Artemis Resplendent, flagship of House Artymus

Mission: eliminate the Crimson Pillagers pirate fleet, known to consist of at least one transport and three raider vessels, who have been harassing trade and merchant ships traveling from the Calixis Sector to several locales in the Koronus Expanse.

Client: Lord Belasco, Calixis Sector

House Belasco is a powerful mercantile effort in the Calixis Sector, and the master of that enterprise, Lord Belasco, has begun to move some of his "interests" into the Koronus Expanse. These may not all be entirely legal, so involving the Imperial Navy, while potentially possible, would not be preferable. Thus, Lord Belasco has decided to hire the services of Lady Artymus, a Rogue Trader well known for hunting down ship-based threats, and the people aboard them who have a habit of making enemies of the powerful.

All right, I apologize if that is so hammy, but I'm needy that way. Could you please show me how this endeavor might work with your system, whether she destroys the enemy, brings back their leader, or fails, all together? Thanks much.

The system presented doesn't determine the outcome of a Bounty - rather it tells you and the player what exactly is up for offer that's worth my while - in this case I've introduced "Faction" in a point-based system in which players can interact with the various organizations across the Imperium.

EXAMPLE

1. Lady Isabella Artymus (PC) accepts the Bounty she comes into the knowledge there then of... (sorry I like poetic prose lmfao)

2. The bounty is for the Crimson Pillagers (Pirate Fleet = wow that's a tall order - the whole crew? lets scale that down to its Captain).

3. Lord of House Belasco is offering 5,000 Throne Gelt for the Capture of its Captain or 2,000 Gelt for his Elimination... (they have questions for him)

4. Now Lady Isabella Artymus (PC) goes out on a crazy adventure;

A. that you can run as the GM - Micro Management of Play Style (i.e. the characters go get their hands dirty themselves)

B. delegate this to some subordinates - Macro Management Style of Play (i.e. there are rules for this in the system by default, no explanation needed here)

5. After successfully bringing in the Captain of the Crimson Pillagers to Lord Belasco - Lady Isabella Artymus is awarded her Gelt (which to her is nothing more than a pittance) - otherwise, she gains 10% of the listed bounty value, in this case (alive) was 5,000 Gelt which equates to 500-Points that now is assigned to House Belsaco (either the GM notes it or the player does - this is a dynasty specific benefit, no character specific; a team reward for the whole group ).

If/when the House Belasco Faction reaches 2000-Points; the group then enjoys a +10% Social bonus to their rolls with that Faction.

Now in the future when dealing with House Belasco the players can opt to "do more" for them in order to ingratiate themselves with that Faction or just cash in what points they have attained thus far and try at getting something or influencing them!

That's the gist of it...

If for the whole Pirate Fleet - I'd up the Bounty reward to 20,000 Gelt (2000 Faction with Belasco, a sure fire way to get in good with them for sure)...

I went straight to elimination rather than capture of a Fleet of pirates - in terms of the outlay of award given herein.