Can the Rogue Trader's Exceptional Leader ability be used on Aquisition Tests? I can't see any reason why not reading the rules and Errata, although I'd limit it to once per 'shopping trip', whether that's a visit to Port Wander or something similar. What are other people's views on this?

I would say no.

It is not a skill test and I can't see how it would help because it is a test against Profit Factor.

I would allow the "Exceptional Leader" Trait for the Commerce prior to the Acquisition Test....

Santiago said:

Exceptional Leader applies to any one test. It is not limited to a Skill Test, so there is nothing stopping it from being used for making an Acquisition Test.

Thanks for both your opinions, I appreciate the feedback. I'm inclined to agree with HappyDaze - it doesn't say that it only applies to skill tests. I also take into account that given there have been clarifications of how the ability can be used in different situations, and no one felt the need to restrict this - I can't believe my players are the first ones to ask this. I think it represents the Rogue Trader being involved in the process, but letting one of the other PCs take the lead, and that seems reasonable for a 10% bonus. My group also has a terrible profit factor, so this means that they have a slightly better chance to get the thing they want the most as a group at any given time. I could equally see why some GMs would take the opposite view - it does feel a bit like an abuse of the ability, even to the player that raised it.

An aquisition test isn't something you do in one round and the person who the RT gives the bonus must be able to see and hear him. So I guess that would mean that a rouge trader who gives a bonus to a aquisition test would have to follow the explorator around, motivating him as he looks through shelves, talks to people and works the banking system to aquire the funds needed for purchase. It doesn't really sound like the kind of thing a RT would do and I would assume the RT has shopping of his own to attend to when theres a chance.

Graspar said:

So you envision the RT doing shopping on his own, but can't picture him accompanying the Seneschal on such a task? There's really little the RT should have to do on his/her own, especially as they are know for working with those that have necessary skills and then inspiring them to give 110% (or +10% at the least).

If the Rogue Trader is willing to spend the time to stick around, or at least remain in immediate contact. with whoever else is doing the shopping, then I see no reason why it shouldn't apply. This would be entirely consistent with how Exceptional Leader works in other situations.

How does one exceptionally lead at shopping, anyway?

Errant said:

When the boss is right there with you, you just try harder to get/do whatever it is he wants. There are many examples that make far less sense than this one, so I'd suggest just accepting the rules as they are or you'll be asking how this ability "should work" every time the RT uses it.

The problem I have with applying Exceptional Leader to acquisitions is that it is effectively mean that optimal acquisition relies on having anyone but the Rogue Trader make the actual chek.

In most circumstances, Exceptional Leader still relies on a rudimentary competence from the person being inspired, and if the Rogue Trader is more skilled than his subordinate, its a task he may be better served performing himself. However, since acquisition tests rely on a common trait, use of exceptional leader means that every time the group (or any given individual within it) wishes to make a purchase their best chance of success is to send out someone other than the Rogue Trader just so they can roll the dice for the final check, and having the Rogue Trader tag along to oversee the process. It is never, regardless of the level of competence of the characters involved, optimal to have the Rogue Trader himself make an actual acquisition check.

In my opinion, the effect of individual competence, influence and charisma on acquisition is factored into the process prior to the actual acquisition roll, and exceptional leader is relevant to this process. However, the actual acquisition check itself is simply a method of determining objectively whether the resources that that the character has been able to bring to bear (thanks to his individual skills, and possibly with the additional motivation of the Rogue Trader) on this occasion are sufficient to meet the requirements of the supplier as already established (again, thanks to his ability to negotiate a favourable deal, possibly with assistance from Rogue Trader oversight) by the proceeding interaction and/or skill checks.

The Problem i see with using Exeptional Leader on aquisition tests is that it effectivly gives 10 extra profit factor.

Imho that is a bit much.

Cyric313 said:

I agree it is a lot, given how much trouble the Explorers go to for each individual Profit Factor point, and no doubt for some people too much to allow. However, for me and my game, it's good that the group can get a significant bonus on the thing they want the most. My group has a low starting Profit Factor, and got a bit demoralised when they worked out just how difficult it would be to acquire things, or even fix their ship if it got damaged. Being able to assign a +10 bonus to one test (assuming the Rogue Trader is involved in the process, as people have previously discussed) will be quite important to their continued progress and their ability to recover from ship-damage.

i tend to agree it's not suppose to be used for the aquisition test. The aqusition test is using the assets you have to aquire an item, an abstract concept for a player to get stuff. Exceptional leader is more about the effect of having the Trader having additional influence over another person to achieve more, which to my mind goes against the spirit of the ability.

You can't inspire a gun to to do +10%, but you can inspire the person to shoot better. You successfully aquire an item or you don't, you can't inspire your resources to be worth more; you can inspire your senechal to perform beftter during a negotiation and get a better deal, but he can't alter the value.

Citizen Philip said:

true, but Profit does not represent only cash, goods or money : it represents also favours, the ear of the right person, the right connexions. You won't receive a Holy relic from the Eccliesarchy with money from exemple : you must convince -trhough the profit factor- to be worthy and faithful enough for it.

Mordechai Von Razgriz said:

I don't disagree with you in spirit, but to my mind the acquisition test already represents everything you can bring to bear on an acquisition. There are plenty of possible events related to an acquisition that can be fully influenced by the exceptional leader ability, but if the RT or any of their agents are attempting to acquire something the profit factor value already represents everything that can be brought to bear.

I would ask the opposing question, if I could, which is: is there any reason why, when a test was being made, the personal influence of the RT is not already included? In theory the only people making the test is the RT themselves or their trusted retinue of retainers.

Keep in mind that for the Rogue Trader to give his bonus to an Ally he needs to be able to see them and they need to be able to hear him. If you then check "Table 5-2: Availability, Population, and Time" You'll see that most of the better items take a long time to find. Therefore to give his bonus the Rogue Trader has to stay with the other PC for the whole time. This means that he can't be doing something else. Therefore unless the acquisition is important to the ship or he's got a lot of free time the Rogue Trader can't help with the roll without giving up the chance to do something better.

Which is a better choice for the Rogue Trader - Wandering about the port for a d10 weeks trying to help the Void-Master find that Best Quality Power Axe [Very Rare base + Best Quality = Near Unique = 1d10 eeeks in an area of 100,000 to 1,000,000 people] he really wants, or supervising the repairs to the ship and trying to hustle up new endeavors? If the Rogue Trader really wants to do it, let him, just emphasize the time it takes.

pnewman15 said:

That table is for the initial Commerce/Inquiry to find the item or services, not the Acquisition test itself.

It's the same with the navigation(warp) tests of a navigator. Can the RT give him the +10 on one check? Theoretically, he could give him the bonus on each and every one of the checks needed for a warp travel, but does the RT really spend all of the time in the navigator's sanctum?

pnewman15 said:

That's not how you determine the time it takes. It is very rare and thus always uses very rare as its base time, which in the case of your example would be one week. Best quality makes it take 3 times longer, so 3 weeks. But that is sending out servants to do your shopping for you. If you personally are out there working on it as well, then the time is reduced by one step, so from 3 weeks to 3 days provided they can make a commerce test. So, the RT could tag along with the void master for 3 days to give her a much greater chance of succeeding while her own servants go out in search of whatever else, and since she is in the markets anyway, she can look for her own stuff as well, which means she'll also be able to make a commerce check to reduce the time. It really sounds like a win all around for the RT to accompany someone while they are looking for cool new gear.