Hey all, im just in the process or ordering the GM Toolkit and im thinking of getting the Creatures Anathema as well. How compatible is it with Rogue Trader? Any rules issue i need to look out for?

From memory, the only thing to worry about are psykers since Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader have different rules for them and some creatures will have powers only detailed in the Dark Heresy core rulebook. I'm not sure if this does come up in creatures anathema, but it does show up in other books.

If you ignore the psykers, there is still plenty of useful material.

When Creatures first came out I thought most of the stuff in it was a little bit on the extreme side for most DH groups, however RT groups probably have access to the level of gear that makes fighting some of the stuff in that book at least not nearly suicidal, after all what is someone who has a hard time keeping his shotgun loaded doing fighting genestealers or lictors

There are several creatures which are great for Rogue Trader in Creatures Anathema. Genestealers, Lictors, Hullghasts, several worlds detailed, xeno's. I am using it for my RT game. Get it.

I do not actually "run" an RT game, but I own the book& the "CA". I would say it is a worthy addition if you can coup with exchanging (RT-unknown) psyker powers with RT-powers. The book offers you

Forbidden Science (a lot of Arcan-Mechanical things, some created/fueld with the powers of the warp)
Death Worlds (Three of them, each with a general description and with one example of its wildlife)
Vermin &Predators (General less exotic beasties... including brutal creatures like the Ambull)
Xenos (with a good coverage on "greenskins" and a nice work on eldar but with xenos like the Simulacra)
Forces of Chaos (a lot of Daemons, two of them VERY suiting for RT. But here you might regret not knowing the Psyker Powers)

All in all, something you will like. Especially if you need some (more) official stats for Eldar, Orks and Tyrants.

Gregorius21778 said:

Or take the simple option of getting hold of the Dark Heresy rulebook and using its system for the powers that aren't in Rogue Trader.

Considering the 2 systems are next to each other (relatively speaking) it would make sense that creature from one would be found in the other.

Personally i bought it as I got my GM Kit and a friend of mine also recommanded the Dark God one if I wanted to include dark Cult...but as stated Psyker work differently so I might pass on that one.

Boneguard said:

Only a tiny part of it is about Chaos psykers. There is tonnes in it about aliens, heretics, all sorts, and the majority of them have access to ships, and so would be found in the Expanse. It really is worth getting.

Despite psykers working differently the old rules seem mmore fiting for unsanctioned psykers should you have the rules for them. Otherwise it is not a huge leap to do the conversion work as the rogue trader discussions posted here explain how.

Your best Orks and Eldar are in Creatures Anathema. You get several types of each. I have used the CA Orks once in a game to good effect, as the ones in RT were fairly weak, and I needed an Ork Boss with armor, which you can do with CA.

I'm currently running a (friend's, as he got bored/lazy/found human company) campaign aboard a ship wherein there's a massive overlap between DH and RT. That is: directly after the events of the 'Haarlock Legacy Pt 1' but set upon a, shall we say: 'heretical' Rogue Trader's starship. I've found Creatures Anathema to be indispensible in running the campaign (a lovely daemon-inspired faction of hullghasts, some rebel grots, and a good deal of the 'Forbidden Science' things; notably a Bronze Malefect which proved a fearsome, though by no means unbeatable monster).

The access to the ideas and hooks is very good for ... stimulating ideas. And having a stock of 'official' stats for enemies is decent if you have to quickly, on-the-fly come up with an incident, it allows you to put your creative juices to making them work well rather than having to create them in the first place.

I also found the Dramatis Personae of Dark Heresy to be extremely useful in fleshing out Port Wander. Since it's the 'adventure between/before adventures' stop, I felt it makes a degree of sense for it to be where folks encounter a ton of reasonably fleshed out, statted PCs. Using Creatures Anathema's 'recurring villain maker' guides is also another decent way to furnish your players with decent recurring allies and NPCs.

To that end, I'd say Creatures works very well in company of Rogue Trader. Not absolutely necessary, but it lessens the load, at this early releases stage, for a GM no end. Lots of inspiration, lots of stuff to work with. Doesn't help on the starships front, but it helps in populating the scenery.

I am planning on using the Enoulians in my first intro game of Rogue Trader when we finally get around to it. Most of the creatures in the book can either be used or the rules can be used to represent something similar. The rules for Eldar Pathfinders, Dire Avengers and Ulthyr Ellarion the noteable Eldar Corsair will no doubt be useful to many people.

Kaihlik