So, several years ago, maybe, certainly some time ago, at least, I wondered about a couple of interesting ideas for xenos hulls, and have two that I've kind of fixated on, based on elements from my main Rogue Trader story, and I was wondering if anyone might be willing to help me figure out mechanical ways to handle them? NPC ships can potentially suffer, in space combat, when they have to go up against an even semi-optimized crew of players, where each is doing "something" every Strategic Turn, and with really good numbers, while the NPC has regular crew values, and such. So, to harden them up, I had two ideas for some specific enemies to my story.

The first is for Orks. While I don't have a scenario where they are the main enemy of a chapter, as most of the published stuff either focuses on Eldar, Chaos, or the races new for FFG RT, I like using them as side-battles, in between other episodes, and want the Ork ships to really take a pounding, but survive for it. They are made of junk, and kind of have no business even working (I know Orks "make it work", and that there are actually sounder principles behind it than just that), so I like the idea of whole chunks blowing away, but then seemingly not effecting the ship; those parts were superfluous armor plates, or redundant components. Something like "the ship can lose some armor value, instead of losing Hull Points (and thus Crew and Morale)", but i don't know how to word it, and to balance it, properly. I was thinking something like "subtract 5 from Armor to negate the damage, sort of like gaining an extra Void Shield", but again, I wasn't sure how to make it work. As i type this, though, I suppose I could note that many Ork ships seem to have more Hull Points, with their cruisers, for example, having around 20 extra HP, so should that maybe be enough, and ignore some wanky system?

The second is Nurgle. Later in the story, after the Warpstorm Trilogy, and one other OC campaign, against invading Tau, the Expanse is visited by the Plague Wind fleet of Raiders, under the patronage of Nurgle. Originally, I wanted these ships to do something like the above, sort of copying the "blisters" from Star Wars Mon Cal ships, before I decided that could better serve Orks, while Nurgle-hulls could have cancer, and "regenerate", as the hull plates metastasize, and re-knit wounds, if you will; imagine if Deadpool's cancer-healing factor was part of a ship. I'm not sure how much healing is fair, though, and how often?

That's about it. Anyone with some ideas, please feel free to let me know, and also please have a good one!

I like your ramshackle Ork ships - I spotted a bit I hadn't noticed in the Rogue Trader Core book the other day (bottom of page 191 in my copy) that you could fit extra components on the outside of your ship and that these would be destroyed after absorbing the first hit that made it through your shields so if you stuck some extra 'Lotsa Boyz' components on the outside of your Ork ships they should do what you want while killing a lot of Orks in a messy way as well

Regenerating ships are a good idea too - depending on what your PCs have I would make it a certain amount per turn kicking in on the turn after taking damage.

The amount would depend on how many hits your pc's are currently generating per turn with an aim to counter one or two of their hits per turn?

Weren't there many fancy rules in specific examples?

I doubt Ork ships would lose hard 'ard parts too easily. They lack finesse, but can build sturdy fings, after all. If anything, existing ‘Uge Armour Plates capship upgrade (-5 to Man, +2 Armour:all locations) fits better. And It's a helluva big island, Mac Repurposed Asteroid with save vs. CH for Roks. Now, how reliable all the gubbinz inside are… looking at the compiled table, there's "Jury-rigged" - on a Critical Hit attacker may roll 2x and choose. If an ill-repaired Rak'Gol ship has have this, so could do others. And many Ork ships built in haste or not overseen by a Big Mek for the last few years could well have this too.

As to Nurgle, good point. Pestilaan shows some increase in Armor and HP at the expense of Speed/Man/Det (vs. non-bloated light cruisers). Regeneration sounds cool, but they already have outrageous special rules this probably should be a variant Emergency Repairs action, with Invocation by a sorcerer instead of Tech-use by a mechanic. This would be noticeable in Warp as well as on sensors, and also keep the sorcerer/wyrd NPCs occupied. Maybe also something like Stoic Machine Spirit - save vs. having components damaged/unpowered. To think of it, maybe a low save as default, but boosted when they're chanting, which gives them a fitting default action. Another one would be specific version, e.g. toughening the engine when it's boosted (Flank Speed) so that it's less likely to be crippled.

For assistance you might try looking up a file ( the name for it i found to DL it ) is BFG Additional Ships Compendium 1.4 It includes all the Orc, some Eldar, Kroot, Demiurg, Fraal, and some more Imperial ships. Just remember the conversion formula for converting from BFG to RT is...

Movement and Weapon Range: 5cm = 1VU

Wounds: Hits x10 ( approximately )

Armour: Armour x5 ( approximately )

I tried to upload the file but it was far too big for the paltry little half meg max file size were limited to now. ( the file size of mine is 3.7 meg ) At any rate you should be able to find it easily enough and it will give you a wealth of 55 ships information for you to peruse at your leisure. I hope this will help Venkelos. Its been too long my friend.

Make the extra components count as a kind of spaced armor?

10 hours ago, incinerator950 said:

Make the extra components count as a kind of spaced armor?

How that is supposed to look?

It's not a rule in BFG/RT, I was just saying to make one up since the point of spaced armor is to apply extra projection, usually by detonating rounds before primary contact on tbe outer defense so the bulk of the projected heat and force is wasted before fully penetrating the armor.

Not helpful but it's an idea.

On 3/25/2018 at 12:49 PM, incinerator950 said:

It's not a rule in BFG/RT, I was just saying to make one up since the point of spaced armor is to apply extra projection, usually by detonating rounds before primary contact on tbe outer defense so the bulk of the projected heat and force is wasted before fully penetrating the armor.

Not helpful but it's an idea.

I see what your talking about now. Modern armor uses this principle ( some do anyway ) to disperse and blunt types of armor penetrating warheads abilities. Similar to Chobham / Ablative armors.

The UK was working on an armor specifically for the US APCs ( and their own by extension ) awhile back ....it saw the Bradley taking multiple RPG hits on its side armor without a breach whereas normally it would only take 1 or 2 well placed hits to breach and kill the crew before...this new design saw it taking over 40 direct strikes with minimal penetration. ( It utilized different layers of armor interlaced with conductive lattices between them...Normal HEAP ( High Explosive Armor Penetrator ) rounds with RPG's especially use superheated copper to literally stab through the targets armor to allow the blast from the round's detonation to reach inside the target and wreak total havoc. The new armor saw those latticed conductive layers electrically charged and when the superheated copper would complete the circuit by cutting between the layers...the electrical charge would literally vaporize the copper-jet..and sometimes part of the explosive..depending on the material ) completely blunting the blast against the armor surface. Enough repeated strikes in same area eventually breached as it would wear down over time and hits...but in the meantime....

It's an old concept going back to layered armor. I don't want to throw the topic completely off with armor history but essentially if you're putting a wreck or intentionally putting layers of armor over it, it should do something.

If you were going to do it ( i really dont see any difference between orks that we KNOW do it and what the Imperium could do in similar albeit better fashion ) What i would do to reflect it though is to give the ship more armor with that method...i would impact its ability to Maneuver. The same as adding armor from the original tables as a supplemental component. Since it is being added on top of the existing regular armor though i would go more towards also impacting the ships Speed rating ( after so much extra armor has been added ) AND ...because its essentially scrap armor...i would require that it had to be "bought" separately for each area and each point of extra scrap armor reduced Maneuver by an equal amount ( point for point to reflect the armor inherently getting in the way of some of the retro thrusters and damping their ability to work effficiently.

Would the extra scrap armor stack with the current regular armor...Yes. Would it be worth it...Meh...up to the PC and GM to decide.

On 3/25/2018 at 8:49 PM, incinerator950 said:

It's not a rule in BFG/RT, I was just saying to make one up since the point of spaced armor is to apply extra projection

No reason why this won't simply fall under existing extra armor components.

On 3/27/2018 at 9:17 AM, Cobramax76 said:

i would impact its ability to Maneuver. The same as adding armor from the original tables as a supplemental component. Since it is being added on top of the existing regular armor though i would go more towards also impacting the ships Speed rating ( after so much extra armor has been added )

Something close enough to start — Excess Void Armor: Armor +3, Maneuverability -3, Speed -2; Space 2(<LC)/3(≥LC); cumulative with the Armour Plating, SP 2.

Bolted-on excess armor could skip Space cost as [External], but transfer it to Maneuverability: Armor +3, Man -5/-6(if ≥LC), Spd -2, SP 2.

Aadjustments for quality: Power goes to Speed, Space to Maneuverability. Thus it's still Armor +3, but [Poor] is {Man -6/-7, Spd -2, SP 1, ML -1d5} or {Man -5/-6, Spd -3, SP 1, ML -1d5}; [Best] is {Man -4/-5, Spd -1, SP 4, ML +1d5}.

"Scrap" version (using SoI artefacts rules, as a Xenotech:Ramshackle not consuming power) on top of this would have: -3 to ( Space →) Maneuverability to -8/-9, ignores the first Critical hit, and -1 Morale (if the crew isn't Orky enuff).

36 minutes ago, TBeholder said:

No reason why this won't simply fall under existing extra armor components.

Something close enough to start — Excess Void Armor: Armor +3, Maneuverability -3, Speed -2; Space 2(<LC)/3(≥LC); cumulative with the Armour Plating, SP 2.

Bolted-on excess armor could skip Space cost as [External], but transfer it to Maneuverability: Armor +3, Man -5/-6(if ≥LC), Spd -2, SP 2.

Aadjustments for quality: Power goes to Speed, Space to Maneuverability. Thus it's still Armor +3, but [Poor] is {Man -6/-7, Spd -2, SP 1, ML -1d5} or {Man -5/-6, Spd -3, SP 1, ML -1d5}; [Best] is {Man -4/-5, Spd -1, SP 4, ML +1d5}.

"Scrap" version (using SoI artefacts rules, as a Xenotech:Ramshackle not consuming power) on top of this would have: -3 to ( Space →) Maneuverability to -8/-9, ignores the first Critical hit, and -1 Morale (if the crew isn't Orky enuff).

I like this idea very much. Thanks.