So our rogue trader campaign is progressing along nicely and we've all started devouring the potential ships we could get from BattleFleet Koronus. In the entry for Kroot it mentions that they can be hired to serve as part of a Rogue Trader's fleet, but with no real indication of how it's done. Considering the thing's basically a mobile space station I've been pondering how my Kroot shaper would get one.

So I'm jotting down ideas on how one might get it.

1) Give it a SP cost of 80-85. It comes with about 16 SPs worth of guns and most of the big boy ships run in the 60 to 72 range with just their basic hulls. However the warsphere isn't quite as manueverable, nor immediately customizable. So this makes it a big purchase for powerful explorers, but not impossible. ALthough....would this include the crew?

2) Just acquire some 300,000 best quality kroot and say they come with a warsphere. This also comes out to somewhere in the 80 to 90 modifier range although I'm fairly certain most hired hands don't come with their own space ships.

3)Gather up a lot of interesting trophies, slices of interesting genetic material (fried eldar wings anyone?) and seek out one. Then spend a session or two working to establish a link between the Explorer's kroot and the kindred on board the warsphere. Maybe combine with an acquisition roll to gather the trading meterials needed and the information on where the sphere is at?

Sorry if this is all a bit slipshod. But that's one reason I'm hoping for input.

I don't think I'd allow the Kroot to be a permanent Acquisition, at least not a full Warsphere. If nothing else, their Upkeep should keep rising meaning that they are a limited term ally.

They're mercenaries, though. Quite loyal as far as the breed goes. Provided the Rogue Trader doesn't renege on their contract, there's no particular reason for them to leave his service.

Which is one reason my PC (sometimes NPC) has begun looking to bring more Kroot into the Dynasty. It's a countermeasure to the growing number of orks used as boarding fodder and also because so far he's made out like a bandit while serving the Captain.

But yes I can see where you'd need something worthwhile to make it profitable to keep a warsphere on the books. I figure the events in our campaign leading from Lure of the Expanse to Frozen reaches will give the group the reasons they need.

So about how often do you think an upkeep test would be needed to convince the kroot to stay around? Obviously if the sphere is damaged there'd need to be some negotiations, and periods where the sphere is stuck doing nothing but prowling the void, with no planets to hunt on might be another.

The blurb about the Warsphere makes it pretty clear that the Kroot are not typically in the business of hiring their warspheres to serve as battleships. If you wanted to get a Warsphere, you would have to hire all the kroot on it and they would use the Warsphere as their own transportation.

In terms of firepower what class of imperial ships does the warsphere equal? The warsphere is equivalent with an imperial cruiser ,or imperial battlecruiser, or grand cruiser or imperial battleship?

thor2006 said:

It's more akin to a moving space station than a ship.

I would think that it would depend on the type of kroot you were hiring. If it were the type that likes to chow down whenever they see some orks? Then in addition to any normal pay that they would want so they can stay supplied, go out of your way to waylay some ork ships or worlds. If they prefer to eat predators or the like, then find some worlds to do some beast trade and give them a cut off the top (reduction in Profit Factor gained). Whatever their particulars that they like to eat since they likely would gather mainly of one type on board a Warshere to make it easier for their Shapers to help them with their diet.