1. The Explorator is adamant to salvaging this lathe pattern Mechanicus cruiser, they currently have a Sabre (as the pre made ship from the RT book). I want them to also run the Dark Frontier, can a frigate tow a light cruiser? Are fleet "bound" in the warp? Would you let them save the light cruiser at all?

I am unsure on how I want the two ship to follow to dark frontier, I was thinking about having the Emperor Bounty jump by it self leaving behind the frigate... They would end up doing Dark frontier with a near crippled ship and could use the system's salvage to do some repaires to their new but battered light cruiser.

2. After Dark Frontier how does the Navigator know where he is and how did you play the coming back to base sequence?

My players have just left for the 1st time dock ever (new captain and all) from Port Warden and have never seen or been beyond the Maw (the battle ground behind their 1st destination within the Maw... They have a knowledge of Footfall but no true base of operation there.

I am being to hard?

more to come

It could possibly tow it, but in warp things are usually only "bound" if they are attached. By why do it personally? For my players the reason they had to be there in person was to stake a claim, survey, and clean out any possible "infestations". In the end they are business men. Once they have established their claim, made it safe, and left a few guards they headed back to Footfall and contracted the towing out.

Would I let them salvage a Light Cruiser? Sure! It is getting it up and running that is the issue! They have to find someone to repair it (quest for the admech), and find couple rare parts (miscellaneous quests), and figure out how to get weapons and crew (more quests here).

Finally, it takes YEARS to repair and refit a ship of that size. And that is fine, weeks to months pass every time they warp jump, so two years in game terms is 6-12 sessions, depending on how focused your games are.

So over the course of 6-12 sessions, after performing numerous side quests, they have a new ship! Sounds fair to me.

No, you aren't being too hard. RT is all about this kind of stuff, and it is a good way to get them into the proper mindset. They need to learn to think as the heads of a powerful organization with tens of thousands of mouthes to feed, not like an adventuring party.

Typically I make them do every micromanagement thing ONCE, and then assume they have the contacts (in that area). Setting up shipping companies, towing contacts, finding a weapons dealer on footfall, sellers for their products, shipyards to refit their ships, etc. etc. etc. After the first time the senchal can handle it "automatically", as long as they are within their area of influence. Of course, if they flew off into a different area they would have to start from scratch.

I think it is a good thing to deal with the micromanagement like this for a few reasons. First it reinforces the "feel" of the game and encourages them to utilize more of their resources than they normally would. But since they only have to do it once it doesn't bog down the game.

Second, it gives them that "dynasty building" feel, like their power is growing, their contacts improving. Again, without bogging the game down in microeconomics.

Finally, it gives them a feeling of home and exploration. They have a base of operations, and they are strong there, with lots of contacts. It is a safe haven. When they need repairs, or crew, or stuff, their first reaction is to head "home". This also provides a sense of exploration when they are out beyond the reaches of their influence. They are alone in uncharted territory.

Well I have decided to have them do a Greater endeavor with the 2 quest:

Salvage

1. The Forsaken Bounty

- Free the lathe light cruiser from the cloud

- Establish basic repair (there is a field of debris to help) (if the critical first rolls fails the cruiser warp or sub light engine overload causing the 1st part fo the endeavor to fail but still allowing them to establish a scrapping operation)

- Scavenging for resources (may find useful tech within this previously unexplored part of the battlefield.)

2. Dark Frontier (some modification moslty to population size, their crew will be a squelaton crew if they save the lathe cruiser they will need to forge alliance to replenish their crew and try to do patch work on the very baddly damaged lathe cruiser)

- Establish a lasting bond with one community to salvage the different resources of the system.

- Clean the system of all Void Wasp

3. The Voyage back home

- Establish there location within the Koronus expense.

- Rescue the Void Raven (their original frigate which will be playing hide and seek with a bunch of raiders as they are trying to seek the Rogue trader near footfall they will encounter it mid travel within the asteroid heavy system on their way to footfall, the frigate's navigator took a suicide gamble to ride the cruiser's warp signature, they where ejected somewhere along the way from the battleground to the Dark frontier when the navigator died because fo the strain of following the worm's cutting path through the warp and the resulting tide it created in it wake.) and maybe capture another ship...

- Find a warp route towards Footfall (there will be a very damaged map in the newly recovered ship's capitain cabin but should it be trusted?)