This is for those that want a more free-form approach to character creation or that are otherwise are unsatisfied with the Origin Path options given in the Rogue Trader book.

First Step: Select a Home World and a Career for your character as usual.

Second Step: Make ten selections from the list below and apply them to your character.
You gain one trained Skill.
You gain two Advanced Skills as untrained Basic Skills.
You gain one Talent.
Increase your Wounds by 1.
Increase your Fate Points by 1. (This counts as two selections.)
Apply a +1 bonus to your group’s starting Profit Factor.
Apply a miscellaneous positive quality to your character. Use the examples given in the Origin Path entries as guidelines.

Third Step: Make five selections from the list below and apply them to your character.
You suffer 1d5 Insanity Points.
You suffer 1d5 Corruption Points.
Decrease your Wounds by 1.
Decrease your Fate Points by 1. (This counts as two selections.)
Apply a -1 penalty to your group’s starting Profit Factor.
Apply a miscellaneous negative quality to your character. Use the examples given in the Origin Path entries as guidelines.

Fourth Step (Optional): You gain either a +5 bonus to any one Characteristic of your choice or +3 bonuses to any two Characteristics of your choice. You suffer either a -5 penalty to any one Characteristic of your choice or -3 penalties to any two Characteristics of your choice.

Fifth Step: Now all you need to do is write up a background that connects all of the pieces you've selected and submit the character to your GM for approval. The GM is well within his rights to limit certain choices (I certainly wouldn't let a character spend all ten selections from the Second Step on buying five Fate Points!), and some Talents (such as Navigator, Psy Rating, and Pure Faith) are almost certain to be barred from selection at all. In general, you should be OK if your selections are similar to what the Origin Path allows, but you should ask your GM for any specific limitations that he wishes to apply. Use this system to tailor the character to your liking, but don't bother to abuse it unless you want to create problems within your game.

Having played with this for a bit now, I like the way it's working out, but I've been fiddling with it in an effort to improve it. I have made a few modifications to the process.

Step 1: Select Home World as usual.

Step 2: Select ONE of the following options: +5 to one Characteristic of your choice OR +3 to two Characteristics of your choice OR +1 Fate Point.

Step 3: Select ONE of the following options: -5 to one Characteristic of your choice OR -3 to two Characteristics of your choice OR -1 Fate Point.

Step 4a: Select EIGHT positive picks. A minimum of FOUR positive picks must be spent on Skills and/or Talents. Adjustments to Fate Points can no longer be selected in this stage.

Step 4b: Select FOUR negative picks. Adjustments to Fate Points can no longer be selected at this stage.

Step 5: Select Career Path as usual.

As an example of how this works:

Step 1: Noble Born with Supremely Connected offering Peer (Academics)

Step 2: +5 Intelligence

Step 3: -5 Strength

Step 4a: Logic, Scholastic Lore (Archaic), Scholastic Lore (Legend), Scholastic Lore (Philosophy), Speak Language (High Gothic), Dark Soul, Foresight, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive)

Step 4b: 2d5 Corruption Points, 1d5 Insanity Points, Brook No Insult (as per High Vendetta)

Step 5: Seneschal

Here we have a studious young noble that has put a great deal of his upbringing into developing his mind. Unfortunately some of his studies have tainted him a bit. He also studied the basics of dueling at his parents' insistance, something that may serve him well in less civilized areas of the galaxy.