Alien Expansions

By deinol, in Rogue Trader

What I would really like to see is a series of books focusing on the major alien races. Eldar, Orks, Tyranids, Tau, etc. Style them like the Skaven book for WFRP 2E. Details on the races, their culture, and how to make characters with them. These can either be used as villains in the normal 3 games, or optionally as players in either Rogue Trader or their own games. If they are written under the assumption you have the Rogue Trader (or another core book), you can easily fit all the rules and background info in something like a slim 128 page book.

I love all 3 games, but I would like to see some exploration into the alien races. Of course, another Creature book (for either RT or DW) would be nice as well.

Yeah. An Elder book would be handy for a start. I would imagine that FFG will get round to releasing rules for other alien races in some form or another. The Kroot and Ork rules in Into The Storm were very informative and well written, and to be honest I don't think it would be at all hard to run an all alien game if you wanted with just the information released so far and a bit of imagination.

Interesting idea, Nids would be good for an enemy, although having a guant for a psyker thrall could be entertaining. Orks could very well work on a RT ship, just don't let any one play an inquisitor, unless he doesn't mind the service gretchin. Eldar are to deceptive to trust, or else they would have added them as play able characters. Ork free booters will fit for thrones and other shiny bits, kroot are also managable. you can possibly use eldar, you would just need to create a chain of possible home worlds, origen path and carrer classes.

*points to the planned "Xeno Compodium" for Rogue Trader that'll be released next year*

Hopefully that'll have what you want.

Xeno Compendium will be very nice, but I still really want an Eldar book. I'm sure others are just as interested in some of the other major races.

Writing enough material about the Eldar to fill a book without going over the bounds of what GW's IP guys will permit would be tricky, I'd imagine.

Errant said:

Writing enough material about the Eldar to fill a book without going over the bounds of what GW's IP guys will permit would be tricky, I'd imagine.

Maybe I'm not understanding the nature of the license. I'm not asking for the invention of a bunch of new IP, the lore about Eldar already exists in GW's material. I just want RPG stats for things like Harlequins, Exodites, Aspect Warriors, Guardians, etc.

Maybe I'm not understanding the nature of the license. I'm not asking for the invention of a bunch of new IP, the lore about Eldar already exists in GW's material. I just want RPG stats for things like Harlequins, Exodites, Aspect Warriors, Guardians, etc.

When FFG wants to detail major setting parts in a way that necessarily influences the already existing parts, they have to ask GW with a large pretty-pretty-please. For example, they'd probably run into trouble if they wanted to detail Cadia - which is one of the reasons they decided on creating the Calixis Sector, the Jericho Reach and the Koronus Expanse instead of taking the already known and popular planets like Fenris, Catachan and so on.

They got permission for Deathwatch, creating the Deathwatch from the game that is no longer just the Ordo Xenos militant backup.

For Eldar, I'd imagine you'd have to detail large parts of their culture that were only sketched before to make them interesting and playable, which may or may not conflict with these license issues.

Seems like there is a large Eldar fan base in Rogue Trader. I'm not to sure that Eldar will be a playable race outside of house rules. The new books coming out seem to be adding larger detail to Eldar ships, you may not be able to play as a Farseer but you can hijack ones ship if you can survive the encounter.

The other thing that would be nice about it is getting it all in one place. Right now there a couple Eldar stats scattered here and there in a few books. If we had a book that looked at them as a threat, giving stats for most of the unit types you'd expect from the table top, and maybe an optional appendix that has a career path for the exiled Eldar pirate who could possibly work as a Rogue Trader crew member. Orks I could also see getting similar treatment.

Has there been any indication of how much material will be in the Xeno Compendium?