I never got around to running Shades of Twilight in Dark Heresy.

It was just too much of a straight-forward action adventure.

However, I was thinking how much more rich and vibrant a game it could be if adapted to Rogue Trader.

Instead of grabbing a group of acolytes, saddling them with a Space Marine and flinging them at a Space Hulk that will be reduced to rubble in 14 hours, how much more interesting would the game be if a Rogue Trader crew simply found the Twilight floating in space.

Obviously, a few things need to be switched around. The Deathwatch Marine would be attached to the other boarding party, who would then be encountered soon after the Dark Eldar encounter. The players would learn all the opening backstory, including that the Space Hulk will soon be reduced to space dust, only after they are already on board and commited to the course of action.

The Acolytes are there for the sword, while the Rogue Trader crew are there for the loot. Hunted by Dark Eldar and plangued by ghosts, with a traitor in their midst, this takes a fairly boring action adventure and really turns it into something altogether different.

You've got a great idea here, although I must point out that my players in DH really loved this adventure, so I wouldn't dismiss it as boring.

The sword is actually the sort of thing a Rogue Trader might look for as a personal weapon. Blessed by one of the most important Saints in Imperial history, used by a powerful Inquisitor, made using long-lost technology...sounds like the type of thing a Trader would wear with pride!

AngryBoy2k, you are right. Shades of Twilight was an excellent adventure.

However, our players are pretty much a pack of gun-toting psychopaths and assorted scum. To run it for them would have been very one dimmesional. It would have been like shooting them out of a cannon. All the nuance of the story would have been lost on them and it would have been reduced to a series of combats. That is primarily due to the nature of the group.

On the other hand, Rejoice for you are True was great for them because it took them out of their element and forced them into alot of situations for which they were ill-equipped.

Now as Rogue Traders, if they get themselves into that mess, rather than being railroaded into it by the Inquisition, it will be a whole different game. Also, including the Deathwatch Space Marine and Acolytes in the capacity of competitors for the loot will make them alot more interesting.

Hodgepodge, yes, the sword would make a great weapon for a Rogue Trader, assuming that they can keep it from the Acolytes.

BlkSabbath74 said:

Also assuming the RT doesn't get caught with it by a member of the Inquisition or high ranking official of the Ecclesiarchy Being a blessed relic of the Inquisition would make it an ill advised trophy to parade about with. If s/he's in the Imperium, she can be sanctioned quite easily.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Brother Praetus said:

There's nothing illegal about possessing the relic of a saint (in fact, it's encouraged, even if the "relics" in questions are 99.99999999999% fakes), and the Inquisitor is belonged to vanished several centuries ago. Also, RTs regularily strut around with xeno tech proudly displayed, so most authorities are probably glad to see them wearing something more pious.

Hodgepodge said:

This is a point we can go back and forth on with neither side willing to concede their opinion.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Well, not necessarily. The Inquisition or Ecclessiarchy might be interested in the details of how you got the sword, and technically the Big I can go after anyone (although a Rogue Trader is a relatively tough target). So there could be consequences if the GM wanted to make that a plot hook. On the other hand, there are two Saint Blessed items on the Heirloom Item list alone, and one of those specifically gives bonuses to interacting with Imperial authorities, so the rules are pretty clear on having a relic being a-okay.

Hodgepodge said:

This is exactly what I was getting at. Now should our swashbuckling Rogue Trader recover both relics and turn over the book, I could see a slim possibility that he may be allowed to keep the sword. However, whether he recovers and keeps the book, if he makes no contact with the Inquisition about what happened, I could see them hunting him down; not because he has the sword so much as on suspicions that he also has in his possession the accompanying librum.

Hodgepodge said:

Yes, true. There is nothing wrong with possessing a Saint's relic. As stated though, there can be some repercussions when said relic is viewed to be the property of the Ordo Malleus of the Emperor's Holy Inquisition. It makes for a lot of interesting possibilities to say the least.

-=Brother Praetus=-

For sure. And the book is itself very different from the sword, being the exclusive property of the Grey Knights and a significant repository of forbidden lore and Inquisitorial military tactics.

Also, one of the misfortune adventure seeds is high ranking Inquisitors making a public visit to the Trader, not for any untowards reason even. Just being affiliated too closely with the Inquisition can be bad for business, and so even if the Ordos just want to touch bases on the Sword, it could still be a problem if the GM wants to run with it.

And if you don't mind using 1.5" squares, the tiles that come with Space Hulk would be a nice touch. Of course that would mean you had Space Hulk, which would then mean you had Genestealers. And you wouldn't want to just not use Genestealers, would you?

Genestealer stats can be found in CA.