Hi all,

So I have just started running a game of Rogue Trader, and while new to the universe myself, I have read the core rulebook. My players, on the other hand, don't have the book and I am not going to have them buy one as we are more of a board game group and only play RPG's every few weeks or so. What would be the best way for me to convey the world to the players so they can really get a grasp on what the universe is like and what kinds of things are possible? Traditional D&D fantasy is easy, but I am finding this universe more difficult to get the players engaged and explore all of the possibilities.

Thanks.

- Blade Runner (the feel), Dark City (the feel, the alien within), Enemy at the Gate (PDF and IG), Aliens (Genestealers), Enemy Mine (Kroots).

Fluff and more fluff and all the fluff you need, not 100% accurate but more then enough to fill your needs > http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Warhammer_40,000

40k role play resources > http://darkreign40k.com/drjoomla/

Go on youtube and show them the cutscenes from Fire Warrior and Dawn of War.

Also, showing them artwork from the setting is good. Take every opportunity to convey to them the sense of scale the 40k universe has. That's really what sets it apart from other sci-fi settings other than its gothic tone. Also emphasize the theme that 'goodness and hope are like a flickering candle trying to push back the darkness.'

The Dune movie. While the story might be annoying, the concept of nobility is quit the same.

Gregorius21778 said:

Whaaa...!!!????

huh?

but...

Heathen.

ItsUncertainWho said:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... I bet he likes the movie Ultramarines, lol.

crisaron said:

"Heretic coming at me at range. Should I use my .75 mini-rocket launcher semi-auto pistol? ... No, sword! -Lob!-"

ItsUncertainWho said:

Compared to the book, the movie is a horribly paced mish-mash of empty scenes and poor dialogue. The miniseries was better, and that's saying a lot.

sketchesofpayne said:

Dawn of War intro: As soon as my players saw the Dreadnought hammering the orks with the assault cannon, they were sold. CHAAAAARGE!

Errant said:

Wow, someone else who liked the SciFi miniseries. I thought I was the only one.

Frank Herbert approved of David Lynch's adaptation, even the weirding modules. Lynch did a very good job of visualizing and condensing a very, very dense book.

The serie was okay, but I preferred Lynch take on the universe and I personally believe he kept the most interesting part of the story only.

No one has mentioned Event Horizon yet?

Classic salvage operation of a warp corrupted vessel.

The universe of the well-known video-game Starcraft is pretty close to the Warhammer 40k-universe. In fact, WH 40k was an inspiration for the designers of Starcraft. youTube will offer lots of Star-Craft cinematics that could have been made for WH 40k as well.

Moreover, Starship Troopers will be a good impression of what's going on in such a grim, dark universe.

At last, if you're looking for an impression how Rogue Trader plays, the "Firefly"-TV-series will be a good example. Well, of course the spaceships in 40k are much, much bigger than the "Serenity", but Firefly shows very well how a ship crew of Rogue Traders will be thinking and acting. And the Reavers are pretty close to space-chaos-marauders.

Pandorum: Crew-member awakens from cryostasis aboard a space hulk. Hijinks ensue.

Judge Dredd: Adeptus Arbites on a hive world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbNb_IvKpZ4 This is a good intro for newbies to the setting.

Errant said:

An Ascension Arbites, maybe. Not a Dark Heresy one.

Also I had forgotten how awesome that Fire Warrior cinematic was at depicting Imperial ships. Look at the turning radius on that thing!