I’m seeking some advice here…

I have a regular group I play with. It’s mainly your generic D&D style stuff, as they are definitely a fantasy crowd. However, I’m fairly sure they’d enjoy RT if they could just get a handle on the setting.

I did try it once but they seemed rather confused by 40ks mix of gothic and futuristic and, I’ll admit, I probably didn’t help much because I’ve been deep into the 40k setting since the old Rogue Trader days – the fluff is second nature to me.

They are good players who are pretty adaptable but it’s a struggle when I have to explain every concept to them and why certain perfectly logical things don’t really fit in this setting. I mean they accept it to continue… but with a frown that demands more explanation.

In an effort to try this again I was thinking about how to bring this problem into the game and deal with it there. I’m thinking mind-wipe so, in character, they honestly have a good excuse not to know a **** thing about the universe they live in (beyond their own skills and such).

But I thought I might pick your brains first… has anyone else found a clever way to get around this problem? Any advice for me? Thanks!

I'm in a similar situation, but I've decided to go with a slow introduction of 40k elements so the players can learn as they go along. Honestly, if they aren't willing to immerse themselves in the lore you won't get too far.

I wouldn't suggest going with the mind wipe option, at best it only delays the problem. I think you can use the setting to your advantage. Rogue Traders are unique figures in Imperial Society, they are almost expected to be eccentric; so it's OK if they act a little weird. Furthermore, a fair bit of the adventure will take place in the Expanse, away from Imperial society. You can use that as an excuse to slowly introduce individual elements of the lore, let the players digest them, and then move on to the next element.

I read the codex Imperialis to know what was going on in the 40k univers. That made me feel I had a handle on it. Of course that was when it was still in print. The people that I'm running it for that didn't know the universe read the wiki. Of course there's always the reading the sections of the book that explain things, but that doesn't explain everything.

Let me correct my previous statement... I actually started them off in DH which I suddenly realise may have been my mistake, because that does throw you in right at the deep end.

Nikitas, you make some great points there. Thank you. They'll understand if I say that they are basically traders/pirates/privateers IN SPACE then gently fill them in on the details during play (after all - we've done the same sort of thing on a standard boat before!). I'm certain that will make be the easiest route. And yeah... I guess wind wipe is the lazy solution that only puts the problem off.

I very much like your suggestion. I could perhaps stage it as a bit of a "thing of the week" where every session they encounter some element important of the 40k background and have to deal with it in character, so they get a nice drip feed in a way that's understandable.

Excellent. I have many ideas now! Thank for your help both.

From the era of 2nd Edition, (the time of the first Rogue Trader books) there is the "Warhammer 40k fluff bible" (just google it- its a 1mb file) That has a decent enough timeline and description of a number of aspects of 40k, everything from how spaceships and communications work, psykers, navigators, marines, the various power-factions in the Imperium of man etc

Old Battlefleet Gothic stuff is also a worthy read when it comes to everything Imp Navy for what its worth.

All the time your players are able to read and are able to comprehend what they read, they should research the 40k universe on their own. For instance via codices, 40k wiki +++

If you charge them with a task of writing a background-story for their character they will have to find out more of the 40k setting, without you lecturing them, but rather helping them over gaps.

Ohai, didactic shock.

I have the same situation. Me as GM, 5 players; two who are relatively good with the fluff, one who has vague notions, two who were clueless. The thing is, it never was a problem since most players start at low level, basically fresh recruited from their 'day-jobs' to become Acolytes. The average Imperial citizen is quite clueless in any case beyond their immediate surroundings so DH for me was a great opportunity to present the 40K universe to them piece by piece.

What does an average citizen or even guardsman know about the Inquisition. Nothing.

What does he know about the Space Marines? Legendary warriors as powerful as demi-gods, for the rest; nothing

Has he ever been in space or even travel far beyond their home town or hive sector? Nope.

What does he know about alien races? Evil ghost stories, that's it.

What does he know about the finer workings of the Imperium? Nothing except the most basic function- and presence of the Administratum and Ecclesiarchy.

The setting I generally described as a dark, gothic, medieval mindset with a hefty Dune-esque Sci-Fi sauce, the population is kept dumb, technology is archaic, the regime is brutal and xenophobic.

Hive-cities were easily explained, so was the Inquisition. The biggest challenge was for one of the 'clueless' players who wanted to play Adeptus Mechanicus, but after some explaining and showing him lots of artwork he kind of worked it out for himself and got more into it with every session and now he's a devout follower of the Omnissiah!

And between the gaming sessions (sometimes several months due to personal and professional schedules) i pepper eveybody's inbox with tidbits of information and Imperial propaganda. A link from the Lexicanum here, a nice piece of artwork there, a self written little flavour text now and then... The 40K universe is to big and deep to just throw someone in helplessly. Personally I felt it was even nice to have some players without any prior knowledge and this really gave me the opportunity to describe stuff from a fresh perspective; the grimy and pale workforces of manufactoria, the vast gothic cathedrals of ancient space ships, the ominous feel of ancient machine spirits, the disturbing presences during warp travel, the humbling and awe-inspiring first encounter with a certuries-old Adeptus Astartes. It's gratifying to see the look of genuine amazement on their faces as they explore the 40K universe. 40K in one go is a chunk that's too large but serve it in bite-sized chunks and they are sucked in...

Innocence is no excuse!

.

PS: I feel that a player would ebnefit more by know the 40K universe when they want to play RT than with DH, mainly due to the difference in scale. (Little group vs managing a space ship)

I think that you jumping from Fantasy DnD to RT is a big leap, perhaps to big.

You face three problems, the first is the background of the setting.40K is a huge setting with decades of fluff. The key is to introduce your players slowly. The classes are not that much difficult. You got the fighters, the archers and even the wizards and rogues. Swords and armor are easy to understand and nowadays everybody understands the concepts of guns and laser rifles, well who hasn't seen Star Wars? Don't bother with the other guns to start with. Introduce them slowly and make them act in horror as they first meet the bolt gun first. RT is basically Fantasy in Space.

Explaining the world should not be to hard if you do it right. Envision an Empire with an Empiror sitting in his capitol relying on bureaucrats to rule the country. Add petty nobles, warlocks and the like plus the fact that the country is so big that traveling from one side to the others will take years. The country is being threatened from all sides by other Empires. Think China a couple of millenia ago. But now in Space. The Chinese build the Great Wall to keep marauders out and even then they were faced with invasion after invasion they had to throw out. Sound familiar?

Of course the Empire is for humansonly, aliens need not apply. Why? Well everybody says so, they say they are evil and will corrupt your soul. Done. Explaining Chaos is trickier but you could start with introducing cultists as heretics in a monolithic religious view. Hence the Inquisition to track down heretics and judge them. So are the players the Spanish Inquisition and witchhunters? Yep.

The other problem is the system. RT differs from DnD a lot. Might be best to ease them into it. Show them how the game works, do a few mock battles that sort of stuff.

The last part is the scale. Let's face it. In RT you start out as truly epic beings with your own Kingdom, a massive army to smite your enemies and the best 'magical' weapons money can buy. If you hit that level in DnD, GM's start talking about retiring the campaign. With RT you are just starting. Yes, you have the power of a King but there are other Kingdoms wealthier and bigger then you. Not to mention that you are part of a huge emperium and compared to the Emperor you are small fish. You are responsible for 10000 plus souls and own a starship bigger then a Star Destroyer capable of flattening whole countries with just a push of the bottom. It will take somehting toget used to it, even for those familiar with both 40k and the system.

To be honest, I think you are better of with starting with DH. At lower levels, it would play just as most groups are familiar with. There is a patron who wants you to get the magical macGuffin and punish the thieves.

Hope this helps.

I agree with the previouse poster about the scale. The fluff is a challange, but doable. The scale will challenge you throughout the campaign if you aren't prepared for it.

For a smooth transition you need to continually reinforce the scale. You need to make them feel like powerful Rogue Traders, not just adventurers in space. A good place to start is their ship. Their ship isn't just a transport, it's a kingdom, a floating city and fortress, and they are the rulers and administrators. A great way to reinforce that is by giving them administrative tasks. An hostage situation on deck 110 for the Arch Militant. A disagreement between the gunnery crews and the plasma conduit workers that the captain has to judge on. Signs of a new cult for the Senchal to investigate. A loss of faith for the missionary to handle.

Similarly NPCs should treat them with fear, respect, and awe. Planetary governors throw lavish feasts and balls in their honor, courtiers and nobles should vie for their favor, and Lord Admirals and inquisitors should treat them as respected peers.

And remember, their opponents shouldn't be individuals or monsters, but organizations and civilizations.

You can ease them into the fluff, but the scale and tone needs to be established right from the beginning.

One thing I find with new players to RT. Don't give them a ship, and send them out on a mission to start out. (Generally the RT is simply a heir at this point.) Think simple for a the 1st few sessions. If they are a D&D group do an adventure along those lines. For example the PC's shuttle crash lands on a world where there is too much interference for their Vox to work. They are way off their flight path and rescue is not an option. So the PCs have to hike through hostile lands. Get food, water, and transport to make it to the Space Port where they have to get a shuttle. Or do a simple dungedon crawl in a space hulk. They are dropped off and have to face traps, mutants, crazied servitors, and some final boss to get the treasure. (Treasure is being a ST for a toaster, a ship componet, or the like.)

This way the 1st few nights are simple. You don't have worry about ships, profit factor, endevours or having thousands of crew. They can get a grip on the basic mechanics and introduce the settings gradually.

As far as the background for characters it's pretty simple. Tell them that they can be from nearly any culture they can think with the following exceptions.

1)The culture at least gives lip service to the Emperor in some fashion. He might be a Budda or Jesus figure or the Sky God who demands the best best men of feral tribes to fight a wars in the heavens.

2)Most Technology is the domain of Tech Priests. Technology is nearly always treated in a religous context. Maintaince and use is generally wrapped in rituals to "appease the tech spirit".

3)Psykers must be turned over to the Imperium. They are transported away by the Black Ships. Astropaths are taken all the way to Terra to be soul bound to the Emperor. Rogue psykers are generally seen as witches and killed as soon as identified.

4)Mutants are reviled. At best a mutant can expect to be slave or an outcast. On some planet mutants are killed on site. Navigators are tolerated, and are generally treated at least as well as Imperial Nobles and Adepts. This doesn't mean the average Imperial doesn't fear and loath Navigators....

5)All travel between star systems is done through the warp. Basically you are taking a short cut through Hell. It's generally safe as long as you keep up your gellar field.