So, if you've ever read any of my other questions before, you might be aware that I sometimes choose to ask maybe dumb ones, but I was flipping through RT, and something made me wonder, so here it is. The book has some info for Xenos origin equipment, and a Rogue Trader has a certain amount of leeway to flout the laws of the Imperium, but how are you supposed to use such tech? It is a strong practice in the Imperium that all superior, aka xenos, tech is banned/reviled. Even Tech-Priests, who normally love machines of all kinds, seem to somehow be willing to look at, say a shuriken catapault, and cringe at its amazing design, compared to their lumbering, "archaic" guns. Assuming you could acquire some xeno-tech, how could you ever use it? Your on-board tech-priests (Explorators) are just as likely to refuse involvement with alien tech, and even if you can persuade them (they are loyal and friendly to you), going to an Imperial station, whether for refit or refueling, will get one in trouble. Several are external upgrades, which is great, except when one wants to hide their grav sails from superstitious Imperials, and the Tech-Priests of said station have no association with you, and so are even less likely to assist you in their installation (since many installs require docking facilities.) Assuming you can acquire such relics, how can you make the best of them?

Some alien relics are "black box" items. As long as they aren't physically destroyed, they continue to function without need for inconvenient things like regular maintenance, a crew, or in some cases, a power source.

However you are correct in that many xenos items would require someone knowledgeable to keep them functioning.

In my mind, the Rogue Trader would have two choices here:

1) A rogue Tech-Priest.

2) A xeno technician of that race.

Cavgunner said:

1) I like, especially because you'll already have one (an Explorator), more than likely. Just have him have the right skill set, and a bit of the right temperment, and he could have your xeno-tech running, assuming it doesn't need a starbase to get installed.

2) So what, you suggest having an Eldar Bonesinger, or maybe a Tau Earth Caste/Fio'El riding around on the ship? While I rather like the idea, could a Rogue Trader get away with it?

Being that the Rogue Traders travel where there is no Imperium, unless they bring it with them, could one assume that there would be some star bases out in the Vast, and you could use their services, without the xenos flag of your installing tech getting your Warrant censured? Not sure who's manning it, but if the Santarchs, which are human, could be all the way out there, and if the Emperor had to travel vast distances to reclaim worlds of mankind, it could stand to reason that there are some far-flung human settlements, or just some that are a bit lax on the Imperial Creed, and would do your upgrades anyway, for cash.

Things like grav-sails are listed as something you "extend" so they would be mostly hidden from plain view. Now granted, a good focus augury scan will reveal them (unless you have Wolf in Sheep's Clothing). Basically, Rogue Traders who use some a lot of xenos-tech items take that risk when they return to the Imperium. They may be able to flex their Warrant of Trade to get around that. However, beyond Port Wander I'd make that a bit harder. They could look at bribing people as needed to keep hush-hush about the components, or investigate ways to hide it.

As far as actually maintaining it. This can be done by Mechanicus, but as mentioned you would need a more...open minded one. Otherwise, Footfall has some known heretek's as well as other smaller places in the Expanse. Those could be used when needed for maintenance of them.

I'd start by doing this.

1. Define what the Xeno/Archeo item is and can do, everything that it can do. Separate each discreet function.

2. Define what it might be able to do for the players if properly worked. Some of the functions from the above list might simply not make it to this one as they are truly incompatible. You should define what game effects it has, like adding to APs, or the Ship's stats, or if it's personal gear.

3. Set a research difficulty. I'd say any example of that tech would be at a negative except for truly simple things. The person researching will roll Forbidden Lore ___ for their research. They should need to make rolls for every thing they think this item can do. Set a time for when they can make each extended roll. If the item can theorhetically do 4 things, the PC might give up after discovering 3 things. Or the PC might discover everything in it, but believe there is still more. I'd say the time frame would be one roll every adventure rather than set a number of weeks/months/years. This way progress can be mad (or not) within an easy to remember timeframe. Rolls should be made by the GM and kept secret.

4. Once the player has discovered (or believes they have) all the things the item should do, they then have to take the time to bend it to their will. They make another Forbidden Lore roll of the same type, keep track of the degrees of success, this is how well they comprehend it. They then make either a Tech Use or appropriate Trade roll at a high penalty (like hellish -60). For every 2 degrees of succes made on the Forbidden Lore roll in this step though, reduce the difficulty by 10, to no more than 0. Again, set an amount of degrees needed to complete it and a timeframe like any extended roll. Agin GM makes the roll and keeps it secret.

5. Side effects. Aside from the danger of being discovered with this tech, it should have side effects, especially if it's Xeno tech, Archeo tech might work without flaws if properly researched. An easy side effect for the ship would be loss of Morale or even Crew. If it's personal gear then maybe insanity, corruption or even mutation might be appropriate. The TechPriests of Mars and the Ecclesiarchy are probably right about some things in regard to Xeno tech and the threat it represents.

Referencing the question if you could get away with Xenos Crew.

You certainly can, read up on into the storm where both Kroot and Orks are allowed as playable PC's. Now normally "just having one" would obviously mean instant heresy (hell with the suggested answer, which I'm getting to, your'e still going to have to be careful), however in the book they mention xenos may be "Sanctioned".

This places a brand on them assuring that they're under the command of a Rogue Trader. The trader himself, or one of his representatives, must be WITH the Xeno at all times off the ship and have the papers showing the Xeno's sanction which makes them exempt from all but the most pious of Inquisitors (since many see themselves as above normal law). So in short, yes you could get away with it quite easily (I wouldn't imagine you could with Eldar though seeing as how they are a big no no even for a Rogue trader to talk to let alone have aboard, but you could always just hide them when hitting surface via disguise or simply tellling them to stay on the ship when in a more civilized imperial area that's not tolerant of the alien.)

Dark Bunny Lord said:

Also note - it's incredibly rare to be able to sanction a xenos (even for a Rogue Trader), and also incredibly expensive to find out who/how to go about getting them sanctioned, because it's not everyday knowledge that you can have that done.

For an individual xenos - sure, a Rogue Trader could probably pull it off. For 25.000 or more... unlikely, and you'd probably get shot for asking. So no, you couldn't "get away with it quite easily".

MILLANDSON said: