Imperial Navy

Starting Skills

Command, Common Lore (Imperial Navy), Navigate (Stellar) or Trade (Voidfarer), Operate (Voidship), Tech Use

Starting Talents

Weapon Training (Las or Solid Projectile, Low Tech)

Starting Equipment

Shotgun ( or laspistol and sword), Imperial Guard Navy Flak Armour ( or Good-Quality Void Suit and Flak Vest), Combat Vest, one bottle of amasec.

Background Bonus

The Imperium's Shield: When giving or receiving assistance to a roll (see page 25), this ability grants an additional +5 to the roll. When using Operate (Aeronautica or Voidship), the character receives a +10 to rolls related to formation manoeuvres.

Background Aptitude

Leadership or Tech

Recommended Roles

Assassin, Seeker, Warrior

Okay, this is based on the Imperial Guard background. Similar to the Guard working together to do more damage, Naval personnel work together to boost skill rolls. Formation flying doesn't really involve the assistance idea, so shoehorned that in, too.

Fieldcraft might make more sense than Leadership, due to the Operate skill. A more elegant Background bonus would be nice, too.

I'm not sure.

Enemies Without is being released soon. It's focused on xenos and we know that it will include a vehicle focused role (the Ace). So it seems likely that it will include an official Imperial Navy background.

If so, it's going to be interesting to see how your version compares to it.

You can also check these Imperial Navy background out (made by the user Cogniczar):

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/133936-rogue-trader-to-dark-heresy-2nd-edition/

(It also has a couple of other backgrounds etc).

'Shipboard actions' is useless most of the time, or far too useful sometimes. It doesn't really suit Dark Heresy's themes, really.

Also, Background Aptitudes never give stat Aptitudes, such as Intelligence.

Combat Formation is a more elegant addition than my formation flying. I'd suggest using that instead of my Imperium's Shield ability, but define how large a 'group' is. Also, does it stack with itself?

Okay, an idea:

Imperium's Shield: The character, plus a number of other individuals acting in concert with him, up to his Intelligence bonus, gains +1 Initiative.

This means that multiple Navy characters can buff each other - nice - and at various levels. Squadrons of frigates can buff each other. Squads of armsmen can buff each other. I'd rule against a crew buffing their commander, obviously, but that might need some clarification.