Im having to write up stats for NPC's that I have mentioned in passing in our groups campaign so far, but who havn't seen combat but I can see that probably may develop that way. I need some imput from people out there on what essential skills the characters should have.Some of them I already have definite ideas on but I would like some second opinion. Ill give a short bio on each one and I would like ideas on the following:

Starting stars : +20 DH level or + 25 like RT?

Skills/Talents: Not all of them (!) just the ones that you think would be good for their role or character:

Similar characters ideas from the 40K roleplay from other systems.

Items/Tropes?

Mechanicum - Surveyor Tech Priest : Hired by the Tenax Dynasty to lead a team of surveyors Dres Lhaps, he was born on an Imperial world. No particular personality or quirks so far, but the in game surveying rolls have been +3 degrees so he must be good,The Dynasty has provided him with the following to aid the dynasty: A platoon of specialised surveyors. A Platoon of Combat Servitors with heavy weapons.
A platoon of Augery/cartographer Servitors. 3 Converted Halo Barges with high spec augers.1 Chiropteran Scout 1 Guncutter with Anti plant missiles

Captain of the Zaster: Rhudge Miles is the ship captain of an unarmed transport ship that carried ship components partly owned by the Dynasty and an Imperial governing house. A rogue and a chancer, though clearly not much of a fighter as he seemed nonplussed of the near mutiny that happened on his ship from the colonists.

New Colonist Leader: Tahly Steppes is a former Mid Hive hired gun. He caused problem for the dyansty after he led a colonists sit in after they refused to disembark because of the onboard squalid conditions. He had the balls to start a unarmed fight with the Rogue trader when backed up with 15 other colony lieutenants. Lucky to still be alive. Trust only the Seneshal for some reason. Negotiated certain rights for the settlemnt with the Rogue Trdaer. Seems to be a bit of a hot head but doesnt seem to have know how of actually how to run a colony.

Imperial Guard Captain: Captain Perez is the capatin of D-Company, Combat Pioneers of 200th Frontier Rifles, seconded to the Dynasty. An aristocrat like all the offivers in the regiment, resplendant in his cuirass he and his company were left with the colony as part of a background endevour as the Rogue Trdaer reasoned that he could get the colonists to work better. Also as a combat pioneer he has experiece with setting up installations and defending them.

Administratum Functionary : Sebastian Sauba A collegue from the Schola Progenium of the Rogue Traders days, he seems to be a bit of a busy body. After the Rogue trader managed to expunge an agri world of Orks, he decided to settle his HQ there. He seems to be both smart and dumb. He was quick to see the social problems left after the orkd defeat, but at the same time gave away sensitive information to the militia leader which could have derailed a political marriage and caused mass panic.

Sinth Factory Agent: Name unknown. A shining mask of grinning steel. He is the representative of the Sinister Governing house that owns 25% of the Dynastys second ship, a Transport Vessel called the Zaster. Has kept to himself mostly but put his foot down on one occasion. Forced the Rogue trader to go back on a deal he had with a Blood Axe Leader. Has an intrest in the newly liberated agri world- though no one knows what its exactly is. Carrys a needler pistol, a cane a top hat and dark but well cut clothes.. Always followed by two bodyguards. NOT a pysker (rogue trader made sure

Astropath Cela : Left on Madidae Cavus, a long lost human planet to keep in contact with the dyansty when they hopped back to the Imperium to get men/materials for their endevours. Must be a decent diplomat and negotiator as the world fell in with the imperium without much trouble when the Dyansty came back. Reads the Imperial tarot, prophetic reading about "the gate of dreams is opening". Silent but not your typical zoned out astropath.

Madidae Cavus PDF commander: General Gholf led a pre-emptive ground attack on the Ork held agri world ignoring the dyanstys plea to wait for them to return with men and materials. The attack on Ork town while initially impressive ground down into a stalemate and some of the Orks managed to fleet in a small ramship. Unable to break the last bastion of resistance it took some Skulduggery on part of the rogue trader to get the blood axe clan to tuen on their own to bring the war to an end. A smart silver haired old man, he is a soldiers soldier leading from the front, even a bit impulsive for his age. Inisisted on the Dynasty with providing his army with Imperial made weapons as part of the deal for the worlds integration with the Imperium. Visceral fear of the local ancestral xenos (as yet unencountered) called the Red Lacromorphs. Extensive intelligence network that allows him to know about the terrible happenings on the mining world and the governement conspiracy.

Mechanicum Shipwright : No name or function just as yet. I had to create him I needed a ill defined dynasty character to help the Madidae Carvus engineers install imperial components on their ageing starships. Might come in usefull in later sessions.

Militia Commander : Lowry Rare is the leader of the Agri- world resistance. Helped the PDF attack Ork town and became one of the heroes of the war. Wary of the Rogue Trader. Probably will become the worlds leader.

Chief Priest of the Agri World : No name as yet but probably one of the friction point in the future. Adept Sebastian Sauba has doubts whether their strange beliefs can be reconciled with the Ministorum creeds. Bushy Eyebrows and robes. Unusure how he managed to survive during ork occupation.

The Bride : One of the more absurd points of the campaign. In order to facilitate the agri-worlds entry into the Imperium without much social unrest, it was agreed that one of their high caste would marry the. (wait for this...) navigator as in their lore it was foretold that the worlds deliverance would come with the marriage of one of their own to the three eyed traveller. The navigator accepted (!-probably not strictly allowed considering how they like their bloodlines) So we have a high caste country bumkin girl aboard the ship who was willing to marry a navigator, and one that has lived under the yoke of orks for all her life. Absoluely no name has been given to her, while quite fetching she does have blond hair with make her apparently something of a mutant on her own world. Apparently. Ideas on how we can develop this?

The Mining world Official: Maron Krest. Comes from a mining world that provides materials for this isolated human warp empire. Wants independance from their current rulers from madidae carvus even as they become part of the Imperium. Copulent but suprisingly able. He seems to be a keen negotiator. Seeks to undo the terrible situation on his world and the works of Dr Physik Zamato

Dr Physik Zamato : The goverment official in charge of certain sections of the Agri-World. As part of food rationing on the Madidae Carvus, undesirables and overpopulated habs were sent to the mining world to be turned through strange chymistry into worker zombies to increase production, on whom he has complete control. He has deep connections and resources in the agriculture ministry and other governments departments, including the exiled Madidae Cavus dictator. He has begun to turn even the local mining community population into zombies, which have the officials riled. The Madidae carvus military want to isolate the mining planet as they belive the zombification process has mutated to become a gene keyed virus that may become higly contageous. Not much more is known about this individual yet. Seems to be part of a secret government program.

The Bride: Our Mrs. Reynolds?

Consider making her a latent psyker. That way, if the PCs decide they don't like her much, they can hand her over to the Inquisition, or the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, or just boot her out an airlock and be reasonably justified. Unsanctioned psykers are extremely dangerous after all, and you said she was "apparently" a mutant. On the other hand, it gives her some room to develop if they decide they like having her around.

I'm a fan of strong female characters, myself. Even for NPCs. Someone who's lived in slavery to orks their whole lives might be meek and submissive, but on the other hand they could have an inner reservoir of steely determination, or relish this opportunity to stretch her wings and live freedom to the fullest. One option: If I'm your wife, I'm **** well going to act like it! The Navigator is clearly nobility of some sort, perhaps the wife adopts an authoritative air, tries to become something of a manager or majordomo to the mutant, slipping into the Explorers' inner circle of confidents and advisors. She could prove to be quite capable, if she's willing to educate herself.

Bandersnatch said:

I had toyed with the idea of making her a latent pysker myself, and I was thinking of stating her up as some sort of mischief aboard the ship as a narrative thread.Question: are latent psykers immediatly apparent to astropaths or navigators? or can they just develop overnight?

Captain Harlock said:

While the skills might indicate that he is an experienced leader, he is not. Actullay, Tahly Steppes is a f**** natural. This has much to do with his straight, upfront & honest manner. As a hired gun, he learned much of the petty games nobles and other "power mongers" play... and he had enough of it. That is one of the two reasons he quit his professions and decided to become a colonist. When he starts to talk up against the bad things done to "the common man", he means it. And everybody listening to him just knows this. That is why he is able to rally men behind him without even recognizing it until the point that their is a crowd behind him, cheering him.

The enemy is left open as a game option; the second reason he quit the job. Sooner or later, your RT will be fed up with him. Because he will make his live miserable at every attempt. Then, people will come to the RT´s colony. Bountyhunters. They are looking for certain people. Will the RT allow them to do their job? Even help them? Even if this could let to a lot of upraising and perhaps a full blown revolt? Or will they deny access to their colony? Will this ease the relationsship with Tahly Steppes? What will the headhunters do if "legal access" is denied to them?

As for Skills, I only listed things I suppose him to be good at and those one might not expect him to have. I would suggest to turn him into some kind of official colony spokesman, elected by the people.

Gregorius21778 said:

Great! I didn't expect such detail, and Ill definetly use him as above. Infact I'll make sure that he pisses the Dynasty one too many times so this gunslinger can be used as a kind of wandering NPC for other people in the RT community. Might be worth writing a thread on the GM section for 'wandering NPC's of the expanse' , interesting characters that people are willing to put up and share.

Give yourself 10XP

Captain Harlock said:

Sorry I meant 100

Captain Harlock said:

Captain Harlock said:

Sorry I meant 100

Do you have some more information about the two mentioned worlds? Especially "general society" and "Tech-Level" would be very interesting.

Captain Harlock said:

WS: 30 BS:30 S:35 T:40 Agility:30 INT:38 PER:36 WP:36 Fel:24

Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las; SP); Binary Chatter; Electrial Succour; Energy Cache; Heavy Weapon Training (Las; SP); Iron Jaw; Luminen Charge; Pistol Wearpon Training (Universal); Talented (Command); The Flesh is Weak (2); Unshakeable Faith (Omnissiah);
Skills: Awareness; Command; Common Lore (Tech); Drive (Ground Vehicle; Walker); Literacy; Logic; Pilot (Flyers); Scholastic Lore (Numerology); Secret Tounge (Tech); Speak Language (Low Gothic; Tech-Lingua); Tech-Use; Trade (Shipwright)+10;

Talcius Bosch is as unobtrusive as a Tech-Priest can be. The only thing special about him is his knack for organising work groups and his throroughness in regard to his duties. If the players recognize this talent and cultivate him, they might turn it into a future resource (perhaps in form of a once-every-combat bonus in regard to some Tech-Use test).
But their is one thing....special...about Tech-Priest Bosch. He is...superstituos. Not in the common sense of the word, he is a staunch believer in the Credo Ominissiah. His study of Numerology effected his perceiving of how things are meant to be done. To the point where he will destroy every x-th piece of worth if he things that this special number is "unfavourable" in the given situation. He will of course recycle the parts and repeat the work, but this takes time. This leads, of course, to a waste of time and resources which will dimish every achievementpoints on an endeavor he had a substantial part in by 25 points. If he is not keept in check and throughly monitored.

Gregorius21778 said:

Yes. World notes were the first things I wrote to give a sense of the background. Here are the main worlds from this tiny warp from the campaign we are playing in. More facts and figures than narrative. Thanks for your effort. Ill add himas he is.

MSFT 7 : Madidae Cavus

1 Moon (With missile defences)
Average Sized: 45000 Km
Large Axial Tilt: (+40/-40)
10 Hour Days
Standard Gravity
Normal Atmosphere Damp Hydrosphere Hot Temperature
Vast Savannah’s, Broken Forests, Sandy areas, (Bit Like Africa)
71% water
Tech: Low Imperial level and era of strife throwbacks debased technology
Population: 4.5 Billion (62% workers, 18% can bear arms, 20 % Other)
Government: 9 Oligarchs, 1 planetary dictator (in 'traditional' exile) Small but powerfull federal planetary civil service that runs dwindling food and comodity supplies.
387 of 558 Million live in the Powerblocks, others are migrants
Equivalent Tithe grade: Civilised World
Society: Oligarchy

Defence Capabilities

Enforcers: Large body who are well trained and equipped with religious links. Work In precincts of 10 men. Known colloquially as the night spears for their raids during the night time.

Militia: Large numbers of poor medium training and quality. Usually in the pay of Lords, bosses or other rich and powerful individuals. Some might be religious militia.

Standing Army: Average amount with average training and equipment

Armoured forces: Huge amount of medium quality.

Missile Silos: Medium amount of questionable quality

Orbital Missile Defences: amount of questionable quality.

Power blocks

The Holy peaks of Madendo Bara – Religious people high in the mountain peaks
The Patriarch

GTC - Pop: 12 Million Militia
Behkta- Pop: 21 Million No Militia (Enforcers)
Jhim Pop: 3 Million No militia (Enforcers)
Ghovama Pop: 21 Million No militia (Enforcers)

The United Kingdoms of Ashegai Teda - Decadent collection of loosely connected kingdoms

Kingdom of Phatrik Pop: 24 million No militia
Kingdom of Hokumba Pop: 33 Million Militia - missile silos
Principality of Neh Veila Pop: 15 Million Militia
Kingdom of Bahaili Pop: 6 Million Militia
Kingdom of Koo sak Pop: 3 Million Militia

The Southern Republics of Bru Paza (Elected dictator) -socialist block of countrys rules by a elected dictator.
Chairman Taku

Cheedol Pop: 69 Million Militia
Ree Pop: 24 Million Militia
Juak Pop: 24 Million Militia

The Northen Leagues of upper Stakulinga - Higly Industrialised nations with connection to the military complex
President Bidu

RIB Pop: 9 Million Militia
Arico Pop: 3 Million Missile silos
“The Moor” Pop: 6 Million Militia

The benevolent empire of Coombria -Basketcase southern nations. Anarchy ,
Generallissimo Rampage

Ten: Pop: 24 Million Militia
Booma Pop: 78 Million Militia

Oligarchs and political Leadership

6 Power - block Oligarchs
3 Who ‘buy’ their authority, generally part of the federal governemnt.

Powerful Figures

Marshal ‘Sakir’ – Chief Religious enforcer
Doran , King of Migrants – ‘Gypsy’ King of vast numbers of migrant workers
Hereditary Star ships captains (3)- captains of three dilapidated ancient starships that hold this empire toghether. No navaigators , limited warp range jump.
Mining World - chief official, appointed civil servant
The Planetaery dictator –lives in isolation in a underwater palace in a ocean world in a weird traditional exile
Spaceport Captain - Missile silos 12 Million employees, closest the planet has to a federal area

PDF

Army supreme chief of staff – General Gholf

Main base Southern Continent: Average training and equipment, With a Huge amount of Medium Quality Armoured Fighting Vehicles.

Savannah Raiders: 50 Regiments, Armoured Walker Good Quality:
Air Arm: Flyer Heavy Best Quality 38 Squadrons
Drop Troops: 60 Regiments, Landing Pods, Best Quality

Scouts: 40 Regiments: Jet Bikes, Common Quality
Rapid Reaction Armour: 1 Regiment: Heavy Skimmer APC’S Common Quality
Tactical Infantry support: 7 regiments Self Propelled Artillery, Common Quality
Super Heavy Transports: 714 Heavy super heavy Vehicles, Common Quality:
Desert Scouts, 1 Company, Light Road Wheelers, Common Quality,

Note: large number of military was due to a genociadal war that the planet fought with a local xeno-form known only as the ‘red lacromorphs’ 800 years before whom the inhabitants hold in mortal terror as a folk memory.

Religious Troops

18 Pontifex Urba –loosely connected to the Ministorum cult after missionary ship landed on MFST 9 in the distant M36
350000 Priests
6 million Enforcers

OCCHIO outer in system world.

Temperate World - 4 Moons
Average Sized: 65000 Km
Tech: Mid Imperial level- Research and military outpost early warning centre
Large Axial Tilt: (+40/-40)
36 Hour Days
Light Gravity
Normal Atmosphere
Damp Hydrosphere
Average Temperature
Caves, Islands Brocken Rock, Sandy, 87%
Population: 64
Society: Oligarchy

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MFST 9 - SHRINE OF THE EMPRAH ASCENDANT

Strong and Bright Stars

Gas Giant- Ten Moons largest one holds a ccrash landed ministorum missionary vessel which was thrown off course in the expanse 4 millenia ago, which has been converted into a cathedral of sorts.
Shrine Moon
Slight axial Tilt + 5 -5
Day 21 Hours long
Standard Gravity
Poisonous atmosphere
Average Hydrosphere
Tepid temperature
Terrain: Island swamps and moors, 72 % water
(Religious Priesthood-throwback to Ministorum)
Population two million. (22% are priests, 33% workers, rest Are either enforcers or officials)
Enforcers: Large/Medium-High
Arbites-Notable
Mechanicus- Token priesthood with flawed and debased traditions going back to M36
Ministorum Major - all forms are debased. Initial contact may leed to suspicion that they believe in doctrines from before the Apostasy .

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MSFT 11: ORC HELD SYSTEM

277 Accounted for Blood Axews
331 Accounted for snakebites
231 Bad Moons
Rest are Deathskulls

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MSFT 14: MINING WORLD

Strong and Bright Star

Habitable world- Mining Planet
Average Size 36000 Km
Moderate Axial Tilt +20 -20
400 million
Day lasts 44 Hours
1 Satellite
Standard Gravity
Normal Atmosphere
Parched Hydrosphere
Average Temperature
Continual Forrest, Broken Forest and Columns 45% water
Run by an appointed officials from Madidae Cavus
Enforcers: Large Medium High
Orbital Station: Small/ Medium
Defence Lasers: 1 battery, badly manned
4 Mining settlements
Enforcers 1200000

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MSFT 15: SHIP GRAVE YARD

Habitable World-
Medium Size
Slight Axial Tilt + 5 - 5
Day length: 19 hours
Standard Gravity
Bearable Atmosphere
Watery Hydrosphere
Hot Temperature
Mountains Volcanoes 85% water
Nine moons

Gas Giant- 5 moons- Ship Graveyard
13 ship wrecks from the cataclysmic naval engagement, 5 of them red lacromorph vessels

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MSFT 16 PARADISE WORLD

Paradise World- Seat of the supreme dictator (The Planetary dictator has to live in traditional exile. But runs the civil service from this planet)

Small world- 4 moons
No Axial Tilt all year round!
Day is 7 hours long
Standard Gravity
Atmosphere is deadly!!!
Aquatic World
Roasting atmosphere
Under water hills and continuous barrier reefs of outstanding beauty. One large underwater palace that was created as a personal residence for the leader of theis warp empire.
Population: 50- The High Oligarch
59 Enforcers/Small Medium High

Gregorius21778 said:

Yes. He is by far the dynasty's most sinister hanger on NPC, a functionary of the planetary governor that petitioned for the dynasty's ancestors to be elevated to rogue trader. The Planetary in governor in question is from a hive world that is influencial in the affairs of the imperium and had access to bio-technology that is extreemly rare. All his agents wear a grinning steel face mask. In the case of the dynasty they still own 25% of the the second starship they have ( bought with borrowed funds - Finances in arrears ships trait) His agents are sinister as hell and is mostly used as a plot device to for the GM to veto a dynastys course of action or shove them into a direction. If they dont obey all sorts of accidents may happen like the newly established colony will not get its food supply on time.

Captain Harlock said:

Er. Missing a few zeroes on the Ork population count, aren't you?

Errant said:

Suprisingly no. This is the population after the Madidae Cavus military drop and what the dynasty had to mop up. We played it as a seperate converted Armageddon boardgame game (games workshop 1992 ) which we converted to simulate what happened after the military drop and the human uprising. Through this game it suggested a number of characters and evenst that occured before the rogue trader would arrive.

1) General Gholf, Major Bility were the outstanding units of the game, Driving deep into the ork half.

2) Most of the human rebels were easily crushed even with the help of the Military drop troops. The only human rebels to survive the end of the war were the men from Factory 2 (led by Lowry Rare) that saw off multiple reprisal attacks on their factory.

3) While the military drop was a success, most of the armoured units were exhausted in the grim urban fighting, including all their super heavy transports. While they hold the ork town they only now have reserve infantry units, and a couple of units of armoured walkers. As such they only can hold what they have gained.

4) The orks are bolted up in eastern Ork Town. The Blood Axe reinforcements have arrived strengthening their numbers. Unit for unit its clear the orks have better numbers even though their forces are exhasted too.

5) A good portion of Badmoons fought their way to 'da kroozer', a small dilapidated ship the orks had their human slaves welding up to escape the planet. These left the planet at the end of the game with general Gholf literally turning up to see them blast off.

6) Unit of the game was a Blood axe gretchin unit, which saw off an infantry unit, a Bike/Cavalry unit and a super heavy transport.

This is the situation which the Dynasty finds when it arrives to help the beleaguered drop troops, which they delt with quite efficiently much to the suprise of general Gholf.

Gregorius21778 said:

These are nice ideas and add a level of complexity to things if they are left in the background, probably meaning that the Dynasty will have to come back to sort out situation that SAUBA cant handle or even for the human ships to suffer mechanical failures at the most inopportune moments. A Numerology obsessed Mech Adept is a great idea. Its random stuff like that, personal quirks that adds to the grotesqueness of the setting.

Captain Harlock said:

Skills: Awareness; Barter+10; Blather; Carouse; Chem-Use; Ciphers (Sinth Factory)+10; Command; Commerce; Common Lore (Imperium; Administratum; Guilds&Merchant Houses)+10; Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus; Imperial Navy; Koronus Expanse; Rogue Traders); Concealment; Deceive+10; Disguise+10; Dodge; Evalute; Forbidden Lore (Archeotech; Pirates; Xenos), Inquiry+10; Interrogation; Intimidate+10; Literacy; Scholastic Lore (Archaic; Bureaucracy; Heraldy; Philosophie); Scrutiny+10; Secret Tongue (Sinth Factory)+10; Speak Language (Low Gothic; Traders Cant); Trade (Trader)+10;

Talents: Air of Authority, Chem Geld; Decadence; Enemy (Rival House); Exotic Weapon Training (fill in); Jaded; Light Sleeper; Mimic; Orthoproxy; Peer (Administratum; Government); Pistole Weapon Training (Universal); Resistance (Fear; Poisons); Secret Body Cavitity;Total Recall;

Implants/Trait: Baleful Eye (p.148); Maleable Face*

The Maleable Face* is a special modfication to the users Face, an perhaps a well hidden secret of the Sinth Factory House. While the wearer can not turn into anybody, he is able to look alike somebody...and less like himself. This is triggered with electrical stimuli, but will only work for a couple of hours.

The Factory Agent uses this to slip from board. In the guise of one his bodyguards. Thereby, he is able to meet people without the RT taken immediate notice of it.

In general, a Sinth Factory Agent is part embassador, part business agent and part secret agent. In his hidden body cavity e carries poison that will only take effect after days. He would be not beyound assasinating somebody if it serves his masters.

Addition to the Sinth Factory Agents:
...and of course, he is secretly seeking of ways to turn situations in a way that will make the RT Dynasty more dependt on the cooperation of the Sinth Factory. This will of course not to the point where it will definitevly harm the RT Dynasty in a larger scale (this would threaten the Sinths own longterm investment)... but he might secretly steer things into one direction or another.

The Forbidden Lore was added to underline the fact that "in trade and war, all is fair".

@Your planets
Thanks for the list. Could you expand a little about the "general technology" and (if already developed) some special points of culture (if any) of the worlds. Like "certain customes" (if their are any). This would help to define npc whom are of the said world (which are a fair number).

Gregorius21778 said:

Please see below. I had to consult on the background as we take turns to be GM. I have written up the following communique as a handout. As yet there hasnt been much roleplaying on the world beyond the spaceport.

Communique

Sent: Astropath Cela – Crypted Transmission.
From: Adept-Minoris, Guerrilla - Madidae Cavus Space Port
To: Adept-Provost, Sebastian Sauba – MSFT 11 –Administratum office

Like instructed here is a report on the world of Madidae Cavus. I’m sure that you have already read Severine’s report on the world, but like all Seneschals she omits details that go beyond facts and figures that may affect the Tenax Dynasty. I on the other had prefer a more detailed prose, the daemon being as they say, is in the details.
Much of these are just initial observations, not just of my own but also of Talcius Bosch, who when not ruminating about the numerology engrams of the starship component parts, has proved to be a invaluable font of information and opinion, even if the mech priests pedantic expositions of the Omnissiah Creed do get tiresome.

Madidae Cavus is a medium sized planet with oceans. The land mass is patchwork of vast savannahs and broken forests, with deserts predominating in the southern continents. The atmosphere however is rather damp, and in the northern continents monsoons are rather frequent. The world’s large axial tilt means that its summers are except ally hot and its winters icy. If the world had any fauna it must have been long since consumed as there are few beasts with the exception of fish of any type around, or none that I have seen at least.

It’s difficult to come to a generalisation about the people and their habits. As you can imagine due to the planets hot climate and the people are generally tanned or dark skinned with wide variations around the globe. They live in towns and cities generally with the southern continents having the greater industrial output and larger habitations. On the whole there are no great urban conglomerations on the planet. To spare themselves the heat, many of the hab stacks are half buried in the ground to avoid the excessive heat and withering rain. While people do and can venture outside for their daily affairs, the planet is criss-crossed with underground transportation tubes with a surprisingly efficient if dreadfully overcrowded maglev trains. Their robes of the people seem long and flowing, with leather impermeable overcoats for when it rains.

The cultures vary across the planet (I will describe the political power blocks separately later), but as a rule unlike many footfallen folk the inhabitants of Madidae Cavus are a rather gregarious lot (the effusive celebrations when the Dynasty’s delegation arrived was gaudy and rather tasteless. I hate woodwind instruments and cymbal clashing). However a number of things become apparent in the general disposition of its people. The common people identify quite strongly with their political power blocks and are quite parochial, but the elites while small in number are interconnected at a planetary level, and with the exception of the odd commercial war, can and do work together. The world is run by the council of 9, Oligarchs and political strongmen for whom the merest whim is law. However much of the day to day power is in the hands of the planetary ministry’s who are under the sole control of the Diktator (who by tradition does NOT reside on the planet- more on this later) Five of the Oligarchs come from each of the five power blocks. The Diktator occupies a seat and the last three are positions which are ‘bought’ by cartels or rich individuals.

While their elite are as backward as the most penniless of hive world nobles, the class distinctions are quite stark. The elites control all the commerce and all the power. Some are nobility, other are Families who hold hereditary commercial concerns. Others are members of the Planetary Civil Service. All live in armoured compounds and are protected by armies of militia and enforce their will through the barrel of the gun than through rule of law. There isn’t really a middle or economic class, much of the planetary economy being forward planned by the planetary civil service even in the northern leagues. While normally would lead to inefficiency or decadence, a near genocidal war this planet had to fight for its survival in its distant past seems to have ingrained within the planets population the opinion that the planetary ministries and the elite know better. The agriculture ministry with its hold on the food supply is particularly powerful. The only people that seem to be outside to this class structure are the travelling migrant workers who form a world wide mobile workforce. Its is a closed community led by a self styled ‘king’ who guard their right to roam jealously and wield considerable economic power despite being treated as little better than beggars.

If blind deference to the political class elite is accepted as a fact of life without rancour, then their emotions regarding two other institutions, the Church and the Military, are more pronounced. The church of the Emprahs Ascendant, based on the nearby world MFST 9, provides Madidae Cavus with its religion and a structure of barely obeyed laws. It seem that sometime in its distant past M36 by initial reckonings, but we are verifying this as we speak) a Ministorum missionary vessel crash landed in a nearby system. Their version of the imperial creed is quite quaint and somewhat altered but is clearly recognisable despite four millennia of isolation. Where it differs starkly is that its priests are also the sergeants of posse’s of enforcers. Infact ‘Enforcer’ and ‘Man of the cloth’ are relatively interchangeable in the minds of the people. They are a respected and relatively feared force on this planet at least, operating mostly at night. They are answerable only to the off world Ministorum shrine, but make a point of interfering only in moral matters, though they do come to blows with the elites on occasions. They have no rigid organisation but all answer to someone called, Father Sakir, though we haven’t found out exactly who this individual is, save that he appears to be a wandering troubleshooting magistrate who seems to be everywhere at once if gossip is to be believed (An honorific title? Multiple individuals?) There are 18 Pontifex Urba, or what passes for in their cult, in the 18 main cities, major religious figures who to my knowledge are limited to leading pilgrimages off system to the shrine than taking a serious hand in the affairs of the planet. Apparently the pilgrimages are a one ticket affair, the pilgrims almost always becoming part of the church and donning the garb of an enforcer.

Quite what the Xeno ‘Red Lacromorph’ is we still have not discovered, but the planet spends a large amount of its wealth maintaining a standing army to stay ready to fight off a menace that attacked the world over two millennia ago. They form a separate organisation and are mostly based in the southern continent, and are much loved by the population at least in their popular imagination as deliverers of the planet, though I get the feeling that their constant demands for the maintenance of men and materials grates on the nerves of the political elite. Of course the loss of the agri-world in recent years to the orks has strengthened their position. While not a warlike the people of Madidae Cavus admire their military and it’s a great privilege for a family member to join their ranks.

The planet’s true military capabilities however are patchy. This is a small human warp empire that is tenuously kept together by three very old starships, two of which seem to be an old transport class that are seldom seen in the Imperium an Iconoclast destroyer. That they still work and ply the immaterium is a miracle. It seems that the military and the Northern Leagues of Stakalinga train men and women who are capable of maintaining these ageing vessels. This ability to maintain starships may explain that while their broad technological base is generally low imperial, they still have access to some higher if debased mysteries of the Omnissiah.
Firearms are widespread, especially amongst the elite’s militia, lasguns being the preserve of the military. Their armoured vehicles are corrupted STC designs which are solid converted farming landcrawlers with added weaponry, which if my sources are corrected the military maintain in large formations. Some of them have been converted as armoured skimmers. They also maintain large numbers of walkers which are all but identical to our own Guard sentinels, useful for the forests. I saw the other day what I took to be a scaled down version of an Imperial Guard Leviathan, though looking again it also bore some resemblance to the Imperial Guard Crassus, a blasphemous tech hybrid in any Mechanicus. Of more interest to my Mechanicum colleague were the jetbikes, which in the Imperium are a near lost design. He wailed on hearing that the majority of them had been sent to fight the orks (I gathered that most of the armoured and motorised units were exhausted in the attack on ork town). We’re unsure on their ability to maintain these vehicles, or weather they are altered from their STC design. Certainly they are not common.

On a more civilian level the people have access to the kind of Imperial Technology to maintain a basic lifestyle, things such as chronos and isotropic fuel rods, but the ability to maintain them is jealously guarded by the elite and their retainers, their frequency is somewhat below what you may find on a typical Imperial World. The paucity of fertile growth in some regions and the loss of their agri world, seems to have accelerated their understanding of biochymistry to alleviate the food shortages, though we are not sure the extent of their blasphemous meddling with ancient knowledge.

To finish off here are some short description of the main power blocks. If they sound like stereotypes they are, second hand descriptions from those we have spoken to in the federal spaceport. We plan a more detailed survey when theses tiresome delegates from the civil service stop their petitions for more information on the Ork defeat on the agri-world (Which I hope you will send quickly)

Holy Peaks of Madendo Bara: Living high in the planets only mountain range these are a religious and ascetic people. A somewhat hidebound and humourless their mountain towns crawl with enforcers.

United Kingdoms of Asegai Tega: Decadent and traditional, a patchwork of villages and towns united by a noble Castes. Normally the butt of jokes being a sedentary and laid back people. Society however is dominated by the concept of the clan warrior. There is talk that their hills hide ancient intercontinental missiles silos (they denys this) which has caused no amount of inter power friction.

Southern Republics of Bru Paza: Formed during the Lacromorph invasion these collections of states provide most of the military manpower. Diligent and hard working, while they have a good industrial base their tired economic planning method born of ceaseless unimaginative factory assembly lines, has meant that it has lost some of its power in respect to the Northern Leagues which create more bespoke and finer goods.

The Benevolent Empire of Coombria: formed recently this is the personal fiefdom of Generalissimo Rampage, a former military captain who saw a chance to colonise the normally empty southern peninsula after the military was forced to cede some of the vast land to save money. An anarchic collection of towns and villages populated by millions of military drop-outs, rogues and gypsies. Recently had to be accepted as having as seat on the council of oligarchs after sly political manoeuvring

The Northern Leagues of Stakalinga: The Most industrialised power block on the planet, their cities hugging the vast Stakalinga river. While the land is wet, moist and unpleasant, it has become the industrial heart of the planet. Treated as arrivistes they were the first to welcome the dynasty’s delegation and pledge support to the Imperium

The Space Port: Not exactly a power block more a federal state, it houses not only the worlds only working space port but also most of the civil service ministries and organisations and abounds with enforcers and military personnel, it still houses a substantial population and is the hub of political power.

Hi there,

while I just "floated" the text (will not have much more time till weekend), you and your other GM should think about putting this stuff up somewhere. Perhaps over their at DarkReign40K.

If you add a couple of stats and adventure hooks / crude outline for endeavours, I think other RT-GM will find this a very worthwhile read.

Gregorius21778 said:

Ive got quite a bit more, but asd the campaign is ongoing the Dynasty wants its loot befor they give the warp channel routes but yes Ill make it available in a slighly less verbose form on Dark Reign/or the GM threads here. I hope I can use you NPC ideas as they soundapt for the setting,

Captain Harlock said:

High-Priest Esimion, Leader of the Cult

WS: 20 BS:26 S:31 T:34 Agility:28 INT:36 PER:38 WP:50 Fel:50

Talents : Air of Authority; Good Reputation (Believers); Hatred (Orks, the Faithless); Insanely Faithfull; Litany of Hate; Master Orator; Peer (Believers; Farmers/Agri-Workers); Pistol Weapon Training (SP); Inspire Wrath; Rival (Ministorum);

Skills (only a few important ones): Awareness, Command+10; Scrutiny+20; Performer (Singer)+10; Charm+10; Intimidation+10; Scholastic Lore (Local Religion; Philosophy;Beasts)+20; Trade(Farmer);

As it is tradtion, Esimion was a farmer before he headed the call. Only those who have worked the land can really serve the faith. Only they have their self rooted into Earth and can grow in faith to the heights that they are shelter for those flocking around them.

As the Orks came, the High-Priest was enraged. They spoiled and raped the land with their stinking war machines, they burned the earth and slaughtered the flock. Esimion lead his people far away, into the mountains. There, he stayed with his people until they learned that the orks where beaten back.

Esimion is a fanatical follower of the Religion that head figure he is. A true believer. In the times of the Ork Invasion (which he saw as the opening act to the final End of Times), he was enligthend on how important it is to protect the believers and (more importantly) to protect the faith. Since all of this was only brought upon them since the people of his world failed in their face. A renewal is needed, they need to get back to the faith of old, where everyone was rooted into the believe or was rooted out.

This stance will become a real problem as soon the Missionaries Galaxia show up. If the meetings are not carefully monitored, the RT will have religious civil war on his colony, which might go on for decades in which now profit will be head. A fact the Ministorum could not care less about. But how to get along with the fanatic High-Priest?

This npc is aimed at being a problem guns cannot solve. Of course, the pc can simply kill the High-Priest (and the Ministorum is likely to demand him burned as a heretic if things are not handled carefully). But this will lead to a revolt of the believers, and a number of minor cult-leaders will turn to charismatic revolutionaries with a Martyr as an example.
Will the pc find a way to make both the Ministorium and “the old face” happy? Can the Archeo-Explorer find evidence of a root in early Imperial Believings? If not, will the RT forge it? Are skilled assasines a solution? Could the Axbiter-Tribe be paid for an attack, as the Sinth Agent supposes? How could the Head Missionary of the Ministorum be handled?

=============================================================================================================
Hi Harlock,

I occupied myself with to many projects, so it was a while. Strangely, no-one else bothered to give any further advice to you regarding your npc. I start to Fear that as soon as I touch a topic, the rest of the forum will not touch it any longer. Turning me into a kind of death-of-topic-sentence

Anyway, at least I can provide some ideas for the Priest. It is not much, but perhaps it will help you. I refrained from giving him any good stats besides Willpower and Fellowship. Skills are not complete, either. This will need some more work.

@Using the stats I provide
Feel free to use any & all what I provide in this topic in any publishing of your material. If you want to be nice/flater me, just give my Forum-Username a small one-line-nodd in the end of the post/document you use to publish your material.

Gregorius21778 said:

No worries. It was great that you put so much effort into doing this for a total stranger so a big thumbs up and you will def get a bi-line when I get this mass of information toghether. Incidentally what the name of the dynasty that your group plays? I might even sneak a mention in the material as the scoundrels who came 'after' the dust has cleared as it were.

One last question. The campaign is moving on to the "Mining moon that wants independence but is overrun by government Dr Zamato and his zombies"

Problem is when this idea came out it was almost a background story, but now has evolved into the next storyline thread. Any Ideas (anyone out there not just Gregorius21778) how I can run this without it turning into a pastiche of day/dawn of the dead? No stats or mechanics, just themes to make it intresting,I just fear it turning into a rogue trader and troops land on planet and cleanse zombies and their mad scientist overseer. (what was I thinking.....)

It doesnt have to be GRIMDARK. But there has to be a few more interesting complications than a game session with the lasgun on full automatic.

Captain Harlock said:

[To expand on the mentioned Guncutter-down-scenario]

After a flight (or perhaps "fighting retreat") through woods and to some hidden quarters of the resistance (perhaps the points where they intended to stash the weapons... with a detour in a home/fabric/mine run by some sympaziers to lose the forces on their trail...). There, the pc should have the option to have a Astropath to have contact to their ship... so they can prepare another "rendezvous" with a shuttle/cutter to be pict up

Of course, the "air controll" will be hot on their heels, as is the planets regimes military. I think you could gain some inspiration from old-style WWII military movies about "men-on-a-mission".

If you do not have any woods left on this world... a now-abandoned mining settlment could work. The resistance could use different abandoned (depleted) mines as hideouts/weapon caches/what ever. As part of the "flight", you could have a deadly "hide and seek" in the mines..perhaps with your pc having some ambushes and "deploy traps" to hinder/disencourage those hunting them.

But we want zombies!!
Have some zombies along the regular troops the government uses for hunting rebells. Add a zombie handler. Hords of zombies (50 to 100 coming in) are a good reason to motivate your pc to flee. Not that they could not destroy them..they could run out of ammo! (that is one of the things the government military is using them for)

Some zombies might be "lost" in the mines as well...or even worse: after the government found out that the rebells use abadoned mines, the government "traps" those with abandoned zombies. Okay, sometimes they get out. And might hurt the populace before they get caught. But their is a reason for the rebellion, right?

Captain Harlock said:

Regarding your little Mining-World-Zombie-War:

On which sie is General Gholf? Is he loyal to the Dicator (who "installed" Dr. Physik Zamato) or does he shares the fears and views of Maron Krest?
In the first case, things could get interesting for your pc as they might have to turn against him at some point...are would need to use political manouvering and other underhanded tactics.
If his loyality has changed due to the work of Dr. Zamato, he might be won over for an outright rebellion against the "excilled dictator". Your pc could bring the world back under imperial sway be starting a military campaign and design themselves as new Imperial Commanders of this new "colony". With the decision of whom to hand the power after the coup. After all, they do not REALLY want to stay to manage the day-by-day affairs of a world.

Doctor Physik Zamato [The Heretek]
This name is not his real name. In fact, Dr. Zamato is a heretek and renegade Genetor (see ItS p.82) who belonged to the arch-heretek ex-Magos Umbra Malygrys and was part of his explorator fleet. In fact, he belonged to the Tech-Priest caste of one of the vessels of the fleet. As the purge of the Ordo Hereticus and the Light of Sollex destroyed Malygrys, the renegade that would become Dr. Zamato escaped and fled deeper into the Expanse. Till he met the government of the "exiled dictator" and agreements where made...
Dr. Zamato continues the forbidden work of Magos Malygris with the intention of developing it further.

WS: 26 BS:36 S:35 T:42 Agility:28 INT:43 PER:31 WP:45 Fel:32 Wounds:25

Skills: Awareness+10; Barter; Chem-Use+10; Ciphers (Malygris Codex; Madidae Carvus Government)+10; Command; Common Lore (Machine Cult, Tech; Madidae Carvus)+10; Deceive; Disguise; Dodge; Drive (Ground Vehicle; Hover); Forbidden Lore (Archeotech; Mutants)+10; Forbidden Lore (Warp; Adeptus Mechanicus; Xenos); Literacy+10; Logic+10; Medicae+20; Pilot (Universal); Scholastic Lore (Beasts; Legen; Numerology); Scrutiny+10; Security+10; Speak Language (Ship Cant; Explorator Binary; Low Gothic, Tech-Lingua); Tech-Use+20; Trade (Chymist; Technomant; Explorator)+10; Trade (Voidfarer);

Talents: Autosanguine; ProSanguine; Basic Weapon Training (Universal); A Machine of Fleseh (2x; see Traits) Binary Chatter; Chem Geld; Combat Formation; Concealed Cavity; Crushinig Blow; Die Hard; Disturbing Voice; Duty Unto Death;Electro Graft Use; Enemy (Adeptus Mechanicus; Inquisition); Energy Cache; Fearless; Feedback Screech; Foresight; Hatred (Adeptus Mechanicus; Inquisition); Heigthend Senses (Sight; Sound); Infused Knowledge; Iron Discipline; Iron Jaw; Jaded; Melee Weapon Training (Universal); Logis Implant; Luminen Shock; Master Chirurgeon; Paranoia; Rite of Awe; Rivael (Adeptus Mechanicus);Pistol Training (Universal), Total Recall; True Grit;

Traits: Mechanicus Implants; Regeneration; Tough Hide;

Weapons & Armour: Good Quality Plasma Pistol; Digi-Laser; Mesh-Laced robes (AP:3; all), Subcutan Armourweavings (+1AP, all), Ghost Sword;

As a Genetor, Zamato looks more human then most members of the Mechanicus. But he still shuns "Imperials" for a fear of questions regarding his originys. He took great pains to alter the apperance of his implants and uses his "Disguise" skill to hide himself under enourmus hooded robes to ensure that he is not seen. His voice is...strange, but not clearly mechanical (altough he has a number of implants regardig his voice).

Zamatos main concern are his experiments. If there is a revolt going on against the current Dictator and the balance starts to tipp against his favour, he will send agents for discreet negotiations. On the other hand, if the only reason for the Dicator being attack is Zamato and his experiemence, he would be quick to blame him in total and would provide details about his secret labs.

While Dr. Zamato himself is not impressive in battle, he will be guarded by special servitors of his own design and perhaps some foul bioconstructs he would be able to unleash. Perhaps going so far as to threat any incoming attack force with the release of a horrible bio-weapon if his compound would be attacked. This would of course force the RT to re-think tactics so that hey would go in commando-style "with a few good men".

If it comes to command of Troops, use Dr. Zamatoes INT or WP instead of Charm if he is commanding/coordinating Servitor Troops and/or mind-washed bio troopers.

If the RT are joining into a devils bargain and take Dr. Zamato on board of their ship, they would have a heretic cabable of offering gland warrior modifications and (you as the GM)-knows what not. For the price of hiding a hunted heretek.

Gregorius21778 said:

Ha ha . You're lucky we still have not got round to the mining world (the dynasty being distracted by NPC and events that you suggested)

General Gholf is so far a power unto himself. He is loyal to the military/the people/the government in that order. Generally he is one of the 'good guys'. Right from the dynasty translated in the system the two factions that were most enthusiastic at teh arrival of the imperium were the church (with the exception of the religious ledaer, but he was neutralised early on through some nifty political work by the seneshal PC) and the military who viewed the Imperium as natural allies against the common threats (red lacromorphs? Zombies? Other xenos? Still a mystery). In the case of Dr Zamato the military believe that the zombie workers carry a strain that has become virulent and may pass on to the general population which is why they dont mind the mining planet to become independant govermentally in return for self imposed quarantine. If the bio-threat to the population is eradicated then so much the better. This is where the Rogue Trader dynasty comes in. Infact the last session ended with some disagreement with teh PC's with how to manage the threat or even f the dyansty should get involved in the affairs.

I think when we played the metting bwtween Gholf, Maron Krest and the RT General Gholf was almost dismissive of Maron Krest, as if the independence of teh mining world was a nuisance, but better than the alternative of mass contagion. (This wasnt my choice...I slip between GM and RT role. The RT is my PC, but most of the time he is an absent NPC pouring over tomes in the librarium and yelling down the Vox if the explorers are slow going. When he takes centre stage othef members of the group take the GM role. Which tends to add to the bizzareness of the adventure threads)