Hi Folks,
I recently began running a Rogue Trader game and the ambitions of my Explorers have got me thinking on a multitude of fronts, and at the foremost of these thoughts (As it's the group's current intention) is Stations. Now in the rulebooks stations are given pitiful attention, one NPC Wayfarer with multiple new components and barely any explanation. While stations appear in the Fluff constantly as linchpins of systems and Imperial control in the Void!
So, while devising ways to give the group some meat to chew on with taking control of a station, I had a thought to adopt the Colony rules from Stars of Inequity across to create orbital colonies. Satisfyingly smashing together the best parts of Starships and Colonies!
What follows will be a breakdown of what I've created over the last week or so, it's yet to be playtested and is still very much in development (I have full intentions of branching these rules off to clear some space between Stations, Colonies and Voidships - rather than making it a strange 'Missing Link' between the two.) But, getting it out here for people to use will help pick out issues I've probably missed, and help fill in some blanks I've been having in regards to components and designs!
So, without further ado.
Bastions in the Void: Imperial Space Stations
Make this in a PDF? What do you take me for, a sane person?
The average space station is a humongous construction filled with tens of thousands of people, typically self sustaining and a sprawling hub of trade into the deepest heart of the Imperium and out to the bleak edges of space. They grow and shrink like any city would and are often the only bastions of civilisation within a system. To represent this, restoration, construction or even the capture of a Space Station and the running of one is now a colonial endeavour, with a number of changes made to represent the differences between the surface and the void.
For the time being, it will be broken down in the same pattern as the Colonial Endeavour from 'Populating the Expanse' in Stars of Inequity.
MEGA EDIT: First Iteration of this post had all of the rules and information lifted straight from my Obsidian Portal. This quickly made the post far too long, and although glorious - I was unable to post it. I have amended some sections with simple links to appropriate pages of my Obsidian portal, as mentioned at the end of the post. While not as pretty, it's much less strain on the Servers!
The Station Endeavour:
The Initial Investment:
Purchasing, rebuilding, or even capturing a Space Station is a costly exercise. Stations are expensive constructions that require multiple tugs to transport, and even then few can be transported through the warp without vast amounts of complication. It requires solid logistics, trade and vast wealth to be effective, but the rewards are incredible. It is important to note that stations are categorically cheaper endeavours than Colonies, but as a result also have much smaller returns due to their restricted size and reliance on trade.
To found a Station, or pay for the costs of restoring one – an initial investment must be made by Explorers. Unless an Explorer can find someone else to pay for the costs, the station will require an initial investment. The effects of this can be mitigated by including the founding of a station as an endeavour, raising the materials and funding to attend to the construction, capture or restoration of the huge construction. In order to understand how much the initial investment in a station costs, consult the following table, adding a value to the initial cost of the station, which is its SP/10 Rounded up.
Station Investment Costs:
Station Function - Creation Cost
Monitor Station - Station Cost + 1
Trade Outpost - Station Cost + 2
Research Mission - Station Cost + 3
Mining and Industry - Station Cost + 4
Naval Bastion - Station Cost + 5
Modifiers
Restored Derelict Station - Halve the Station Cost
Captured Station - Remove the Station Cost
Station Contracts:
If players were to work with an Imperial organisation to found their station, or any powerful individual. They may enter into complex negotiations with them as part of their Endeavour. With this, the Explorers need only pay half of the determined cost of the station. However they only receive quarter of the returned profit factor, rounded up. This represents the backers portion of returns and the debts incurred. At any time during the station’s lifetime the Explorers may negotiate the terms of their arrangement to be more favourable. This is at the very least, this is a Hard (-20) Commerce Check. Explorers may buy their way out of a contract at any time, this requires a further investment of what was originally paid by the backer, or the Explorers may plunder the vaults of the station and flee, but this will come with the expected complications of piracy and fraud.
Foundation:
Once the necessary funds have been put together by the Explorers and any backers, it comes time to found the Station. This is a minimum of a Grand Endeavour, worth 1000 achievement points. For every 200 achievement points over this, the Explorers can increase one Station characteristic by one, excluding size. Firstly the players and Games Master must work together to determine the purpose and goals of their station, and draft the Station Charter. Secondly they must procure the appropriate resources, such as paying bribes, capturing the station or clearing out local space. This is the most intensive portion of the Station Endeavour. Finally, with the station under their control purged of threats or freshly tugged out the Dockyards. Players must actually complete their new bastion in the Void, establishing trade routes, tugging it to position and embarking the new Voidspeople that will fill its armoured halls!
Drafting the Charter
A station charter is much the same as a trade charter or colonial charter, it is a legal document typically signed by a branch of the Adeptus Terra or local power groups that grant the Station its right to exist. It states the intention of the station, the relationship with its backers and leadership, and the structure and organisation of its governing body, as well as their responsibilities. It is at this point that the appropriate amount of PF is deducted from the Explorers. From this step, the game master can determine the future aims and objectives for the Station and the Endeavour to construct it.
Acquiring Supplies
Now that the objectives are clear for players, they can go about putting them into action. Gathering construction crews, mustering armies, hiring Dockyards, gathering resources, paying bribes and clearing star systems of pirates or Xenos that might endanger the system. This stage also includes the drafting of a trade charter to ensure supplies will constantly pass to and from the station. This may be done as establishing a trade route, or an entire endeavour of its own as Explorers construct their own trade charter between loyal worlds and their new station, using ships of their own fleet. This can be treated as a background Endeavour if players have the necessary items. With the sheer volume of spending performed during this phase, Explorers will always attract unwanted attention, GM’s may roll for this or expand on fitting dangers that might harry the following objective. During this phase, the Explorers receive 10 times the Station cost in a bonus to their PF, this is lost once the Endeavour is completed.
Founding the Station
The wall breaks, the war begins, or Players begin to oversee repairs and construction. It is during this phase that they capture the station, clear it of taint and oversee repairs or manage the construction of the new station in vast orbital docks, as well as tugging the station to the correct location. When this is complete, the station is Founded at Size 1. From then on it adds its Profit Factor Value to the Explorers PF. It is important to mark down how much of their PF is tied to the Station, as should players permanently expend PF they have to choose between this or their Existing PF. Selling off assets or parts of the Station to fund lucrative deals. If they expend all of this PF, the Station ceases to be theirs.
Station Size:
Size - Description - Profit Factor Value
0 - Derelict Station - 0
1 - Skeleton Crew - 1
2 - Outpost - 2
3 - Void Base - 4
4 - Space Station - 5
5 - Trade City - 7
Station Structure:
This Section has unfortunately little work, this may be the part I introduce an entirely new component, 'Decks' which represent much of the Infrastructure upgrades of colonies. It's important to note here that stations share the same characteristics as colonies, which are modified by components, decks and similar factors.
One potential rule that is in development but requires covering here is the application of Station Statistics to starship characteristics.
Complacency: Morale for a station does not start at 100, the much harder living conditions (Compared to a colony, a large portion of station crews are simple civilians, unlike a starship.) It begins at 70. For every point of Complacency a station possesses, this value is increased by 10. This means an incredibly well maintained station with many crew-focused improvements will be difficult to break, as colonists fight tooth and nail for what they have. When Morale is lower than the base value, the Station also decreases its Order by one.
Order: Every point of Order a station possesses adds a +10 to command checks made by the Stationmaster.
Productivity: Every point of Productivity adds a +10 to Mass Production rolls. This is a separate house rule I may make a thread for in future, but for most this rule can be treated as providing +10 on all Trade ( Armourer) checks on the station, or even +10/5 to all Tech-Use Checks on the station!
Piety: I have no idea, as it stands.
Station Upgrades :
Stations of course, are very different to colonies. To represent this i've created a number of new components, as well as the new Decks and their rules.
Now some of the actual stations:
Wayfarer Class Space Station:
Hull:
Space Station
Class:
Wayfarer-class
.
Dimensions:
5km in diameter, approx.
Mass:
22.1 Megatonnes approx.
Crew:
10000 rated crew, 80000-100000 inhabitants, approx.
Speed:
Immobile
Manouverability:
Immobile
Detection:
+20
Armour:
18
Hull Integrity:
50
Space:
80
Turret Rating:
2
Ship Points:
60
Weapon Capacity: 3 Keel Weapons
A general class of small space stations, designed to operate without constant support on the frontier. typically built into asteroid fields or other exploitable resources, many have evolved into independent trading communities or refuelling depots, cut off from regular contact with the Imperium.
Complications
Space Station:
By its very nature a space station is completely immobile, including both realspace and warp travel, this means it does not require the same components, a space station requires the following Essential Components: Hull, Genatorium, Void Shield Array, Bridge, and Life Sustainer. In combat, a space station never moves or performs Manouver Actions. Otherwise, it should be treated as a starship during combat.
Huge Constructions:
Although a small station, the Wayfarer is still large enough of a formation to have certain advantages. The Wayfarer class of station is able to take Light Cruiser class components.
Spacedock Piers:
Any space station is designed to dock with space faring vessels, the hull space has already been removed from the vessel for these piers, but 5 power will be required for the component. The Wayfarer station can allow 1 Cruiser class ship to dock with it, or 3 Escort class vessels in its place. These vessels can be repaired, resupplied, stocked with new crew and loaded with cargo. Installing components and other more complex tasks however, require the Drydock component from the station components list. This component also counts as a
Strength 2 Landing Bay
.
Arimaspia Class Space Station:
Hull:
Space Station
Class:
Arimaspia-class
.
Dimensions:
6.5km in diameter, approx.
Mass:
28.4 Megatonnes approx.
Crew:
25000 rated crew, 60000-80000 inhabitants, approx.
Speed:
Immobile
Manouverability:
Immobile
Detection:
+25
Armour:
20
Hull Integrity:
60
Space:
80
Turret Rating:
2
Ship Points:
70
Weapon Capacity: 4 Keel Weapons
The common Imperial Space Station, cumbersome and well defended. The Arimaspia class was born from the Gothic Wars, and has become a staple of the Imperium for its strong defence, while not losing much of its habitation capabilities and duties as a Starport. Able to handle squadrons of Escorts, these stations become bastions on the fringes of Imperial Space, supporting its fleets and bringing light to the fringes of the Galaxy.
Complications
Space Station:
By its very nature a space station is completely immobile, including both realspace and warp travel, this means it does not require the same components, a space station requires the following Essential Components: Hull, Genatorium, Void Shield Array, Bridge, and Life Sustainer. In combat, a space station never moves or performs Manouver Actions. Otherwise, it should be treated as a starship during combat.
Huge Constructions:
A well sized and well armoured construction, the Arimaspia is a bastion in the void. As a result, the space station can be fitted with Cruiser Class components as appropriate.
Spacedock Piers:
Any space station is designed to dock with space faring vessels, the hull space has already been removed from the vessel for these piers, but 5 power will be required for the component. The Arimaspia station can allow 2 Cruiser class ships to dock with it, or 6 Escort class vessels in their place. These vessels can be repaired, resupplied, stocked with new crew and loaded with cargo. However installing components and other more complex tasks require the Drydock component from the station components list. This component also counts as a
Strength 2 Landing Bay
.
Ramilies Class Starfort:
Hull:
Starfort
Class:
Ramilies Class
.
Dimensions:
9km in diameter, approx.
Mass:
54 Megatonnes approx.
Crew:
80000 rated crew, 20000 – 40000 inhabitants, approx.
Speed:
Immobile
Manoeuvrability:
Immobile
Detection:
+30
Armour:
22
Hull Integrity:
75
Space:
100
Turret Rating:
3
Ship Points:
80
Weapon Capacity: 2 Prow, 2 Starboard, 2 Port, 2 Stern, 1 Dorsal.
Ramilies Class Star-forts are a class of gigantic semi-mobile space stations capable of moving through warp space. This class of star-fort exists in scant supply and are vital to the Imperial Navy as forward fleet bases, each one is capable of shortening campaigns by decades through it’s deployment.
Complications
Void Bastion:
Unlike most space stations, the Ramilies Class is mobile, although incredibly slow. The main extent of this ability is it’s power to traverse the Warp alongside Imperial Fleets. As a result, the Ramilies Class may be equipped with a Warp Engine and Gellar Fields from the Station Components list. However, during combat it may not take any Manoeuvre Actions, as it lacks Plasma drives.
Huge Constructions:
Given its monstrous size and warlike design. The Ramilies Class is able to field components up to Grand Cruiser class.
Fleet Fortress:
The Ramilies Class Starfort is not designed as an Imperial Station, and as a result may not be counted as a Colony.
War-Docks:
The War Docks count as the Ramilies’ Spacedock Piers, these immense drydocks allow the Ramilies to Dock up to 4 Cruiser class vessels at a time. Down to 12 Escort class ships at a time. Ships docked with the Ramilies during battle may undertake repairs. This counts as
Hard (-20) Emergency Repairs
carried out by the Ramilies, and success restores all Damaged components to fully working order. Destroyed components cannot be repaired, success on this check also restores
1d5+DoS
Hull Integrity to the vessel. These War-Docks count as Drydocks out of Combat, the appropriate Space has been removed from the vessel’s profile, but 10 power must be provided to this component during construction. This component also counts as a
Strength 4 Landing Bay.
The Pride of the Imperium:
This Vessel is incredibly rare, and is unlikely to ever leave the hands of the Imperium. Similarly, its archaic construction prohibits the use of poorly trained crew. Any attempts to stock the Fort with crew of any rating lower than
Veteran (40)
will be met with power failures, damages and other issues as determined by the GM.
Now, key points to address: This is a massive work in progress, this represents only about a week's work on this, it has not been playtested, it has not been peer reviewed, it has barely been checked. It has a lot of work still to go into it.
Secondly, I am gravely sorry for the amount presented! I had to bastardise whole sections of rulebook in making my own home brew works, which is why I've thrown this (optional) monster of reading before you.
Thirdly, I make reference or use of many of my other homebrew creations, such as mass-productions, revised boarding actions and resource nebulae, to look into these I would point you towards my obsidian portal for the campaign, which will be detailed below.
So, there you have it! The first stage of my rules for Station colonies, with new components, ships and rules for management. A lot of the later sections will simply be slightly altered versions of colony and ship combat rules. I would greatly appreciate anyone looking this over, in passing or in detail: and offering any criticisms. I have already found 101 flaws just reading through this recounting of the information, and I am concerned stations have become overpowered due to poor handling of statistics. I'll iron these out in coming months, but for the time being I'll thank you for reading this, and point you towards the obsidian Portal for this Campaign. I'll point out, updates are glacial. But session logs are in the works as we speak and hopefully all six backdated games will be written up and posted in good time. So, do check out
A House Reborn
the greatest WIP since the Golden Throne!
Have a great day!