Hey all. My first RT crew is returning to port from their first real voyage in the expanse. Fun is being had by all, and there's an appropriate amount of paranoia, humor and grim darkness going on.

However, I've run into a problem that I didn't anticipate: Two of my players are looking for recommendations of books and movies for additional information and inspiration for their characters. I find that I'm drawing blanks for 'em; they're playing the Seneschal and the Explorator. Our Void Master helmsman is well versed in the universe but might could do with some inspiration for his characterization too...

For generic WH40K themes/mood, I'm recommending Gaunt's Ghosts to them, as well as Ciaphus Cain, and telling them to watch Alien/Aliens and a few other movies that I forgot from our brainstorming session. I believe at one point that somebody suggested the Seneschal take notes on how the Hutts do business. However, those are the only 40k series I've read, and I don't even know if there are any (Titanicus, maybe?) that focus on the AdMech at all.

Since sadly the 40k series seems to be missing a recommended reading/viewing section, would any of you honored forum goers have any recommendations to help out my players (and myself)?

I'm partial to "Horatio Hornblower" books and the officer characters in them when I modelled my rogue trader's personality and method of leadership. Its very much a case that I'm 100% dedicated to the principles of the warrant- explore, conquer, take prize ships and carry the law of the Imperium into the darkest shitholes of the galaxy and light them up with plasma broadsides if they mess me around. The captains word is law and there is no countermanding it in front of the crew... ever.

They made a TV show based on it if you don't want to read the books, another good movie worth watching is Master and Commander if you want to get into the whole wooden ships and iron men mind set. You probably won't go wrong with any of the notable Spanish, or Portuguese conquistadors of note or Chinese explorers like Zheng He either if you're looking for non-anglo saxon equivalents.

Mechanicum is part of the Heresy series but does convey the feel of being an Adept of the Machine God. Other then that there is the Battlefleet Gothic series - Execution Hour and Shadow Point - that portray the interplay between the various factions on a vessel in a time of war, including a moment where the Magos of the Lord Solar Macharius takes command of the vessel.

The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer is also recommended, because it is a fully in-character book and really seeks to give you the grunts-eye view.

Special mention must go to Frank Herbert's Dune saga; books, film & TV series. It's very similar to 40k, probably not by accident, but say no more.

It's got very good depictions of many of the RT characters; Seneschals = Mentats, Astropaths = Bene-Gesserit (sort of), Navigators = Navigators, etc.

The entire situation on Dune itself is the stuff of RT, just substitute Dune's Emperor with a Sector Governor, or maybe Winterscale. Also, note that the dreaded Sardaukar = IG Stormtroopers, no real Astartes equivalent appearing.

Plasmafest said:

I just feel the need to make sure that what you meant was that Dune came first, in 1965.

Are you looking for 40K sources or any source?

Non 40K sources:

For a top flight "Golden age of sail" source, try the Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin novels. RT writers have repeatedly cited them as a major influence. Or even watch the movie, which is great too.

If you want an insight into the "Great Trading House" concept, try James Clavell's "Noble House," an '80's bonkbuster covering rival trading dynasties in pre-1997 Hong Kong. It's not great, but it's a nice pageturner, and makes a fun holiday read, especially if you're in the sun a lot and don't want anything too challenging!

40K sources:

There are actual Rogue Trader novels from the Black Library, but I admit I haven't got around to reading them.

If it's 40k setting and background you want, try the Eisenhorn/Ravenor novels by Dan Abnett, which remain probably the best view of the "civilian" side of the Imperium...although the books are a little divergent from RT on how Rogue Traders operate in terms of both Modus Operandi and scale..

For profit and plunder is a thread on this forum and it is a pretty good one.

Rogue Star - Rogue Traders

Star of Damoclese - Rogue Traders

Fifteen Hours - Imperial Guard

Deathworld - imperial Guard

Mechanicum - The Mechanicus

Let the Galaxy Burn - Varied Short Stories

Deathwing - Varied Short stories

There is so much 40k written I can't really recommend any non 40k books to give a feel for the setting when it is so beautifully illustrated by the actual 40k novels.

Thanks kindly for the recommendations so far. I hadn't seen Mechanicus before, so I'll grab that.

The Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian stuff is great, and I'm using it for ideas from a gm end. I'll recommend that to 'em too, though sadly only one of them will have the time to read it all. I'm basing the Navy quite a bit on it, as well as naval Rogue Traders.

as for sources, I'm personally looking for any materials, the Explorator is looking for 40k and specifically AdMech material, and the Seneschal is looking for good old scum and villainy inspiration.

The one book I would strongly recommend for the Explorator is Titanicus by Dan Abnett. A big part of it covers the goings on in a Forge - a brilliant insight into the worldview of the AdMec. Both socially and their literal different perspective.

Everything that has been suggested so far is rock solid. The first three Horus Heresy books, while focused on the Astartes, do have some great material on the Imperium, it's founding and how humanity is viewed by the Space Marines. If you can find them, I'd check out the 40k comics Daemonifuge, The Redeemer, Kal Jerico and Titan.

In addition, I've been reading up on my Renaissance history lately and I've found a lot of inspiration for my current RT games there. Check out anything about the Medici family (for social/intrigue roleplaying options) and the quest for a sea route to India (for exploration and endeavor inspiration).

chromeraven said:

Lexicanum web site contains tons of data.There is a portal in it to a admech lexicanum site

This bears mentioning: Anything you WANT to fit into 40k, WILL fit into 40K somehow, somewhere.

I know that doesn't really help with getting into the groove of the setting, but the setting can reflect whatever it is that a player can want, provided the basics are covered.

Larkin said:

Very good point, Larkin. The 40k universe is big enough to encompass anything you want. Any tone, setting, nuance or theme will work in 40k, done right. That's the beauty of it.

40k is pretty all-encompassing alright so I'll try to break this down into themes or genres.

For the Rogue Trader creepy scifi horror in space vibe -

Alien

Aliens

Event Horizon

Pandorum

Doom and Ghosts of Mars (both not great to be honest)

For the OMG WTF! dystopian futureshock of 40k -

Dune (both the Lynch movie and the miniseries)

Twelve Monkeys

Mad Max 2

Logans Run

Soylent Green

Total Recall

Starship Troopers

For warp/psyker weirdness -

They Live

Dark City

Scanners

Carrie

The Foundation series bu Asimov is also pure gold. It is the (well, one of the) source of inspiration for the Mechanicus (handling tech as a religion in order to control it) and the Rogue Traders.

And the books are really good in any case

Admech are an odd one to get your head around but i'd recommend anything that deals with mystery religions (i.e. those that keep their teachings secret and progress by initiation through ranks, scientology is pretty much the only current real world example but they used to be much more common) and anything that deals with wizards of a scholarly nature.

Admech are very much wizard-priests of technology. The psyker is not the wizard equivalent in 40k, the Techpriest is. They study mysterious lore, taught largely by powerful mentors, progress through degrees of initiation where they learn greater and dark secrets, take apprentices, know things man was not meant to know. And this colours their attitudes too. They are enlighened and the rest of mankind is not. They occupy a sacred place of knowledge, the rest of mankind grubs around in the dirt, feeding off their scraps. Tech priests have sacrificed much to acquire their knowledge and power and aren't about to share with any that won't similarly sacrifice and follow their teachings.

Here are some sources of good Rogue Trader information from Warhammer 40K material:

The Rogue Trader series by Andy Hoare: (Rogue Trader, Star of Damocles, and Savage Scars)
A Rogue Trader and his two feuding offspring (all three are Rogue Traders) try to salvage their failing dynasty by going to the edge of the Imperium of Man to engage in endeavors. Basically focuses on Rogue Traders, but an Astropath, a Void-Master (Spacecraft), and a Void-Master (Small Craft) are present in a minor fashion. Profit mongering and intrigue abound when they join up with various military endeavors. There is mentioning of ship’s components as well. The dynasty has three ill-repaired vessels: one cruiser and two light cruisers.

Shira Calpurnia novel number two: Legacy by Matthew Farrer
Various private and public factions (including a Navigator House) unite for their own profit to back the legitimate heir in his claim to a Warrant of Trade. The former Rogue Trader’s staff (basically all Seneschals and one Arch-Militant) put forth their own heir in order to keep control of the Warrant of Trade in the dynasty’s hands. The Adeptus Arbites have to into resort to extreme actions when intrigue turns into violence while they settle the competing claims.

Eisenhorn Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus by Dan Abnett.
The traveling merchant Tobius Maxilla is the master of the Isolde-pattern bulk clipper “Essene”. He is something of a rogue and smuggler who likes and deals with the finer things in life. Maxilla is a good pattern for a smuggling rogue trader.

Double Eagle by Dan Abnett
This book is an excellent read about flight combat operations and good source material for Void-Masters with the small craft specialization.

Shira Calpurnia novel number three: Blind by Matthew Farrer
A space station suffers a murder of a high-ranking Imperial servant. It gives excellent background of what a ship or station in the void is like.

this one may seem odd, but i always considered 20,000 leagues under the sea and by extension league of extrordenary gentalmen good insperation for DH, and RT. captian nemo just screams rouge trader to me. on that vien just about any good movies about submarines works as well to get the feel of what it must be like in the ship. had the idea to use hunt for red october as a one off story, replace the russian and american fleets with two rogue trader houses in the mist of a non-shooting war. one other off the wall example is an older anime called "banner of the stars" i think it was. during a few episodes they have the commanders of capital ships, these also seem like good starting spots, one scene where the commander of a fleet is taking a bubble bath in his room during a major battle comes to mind. as for 40k specific stuff, cant think of anything that has not been mentioned already.

Here's one that's a bit specific, but for Seneschals (and just to watch in general), I wholeheartedly recommend 1959's Operation Petticoat with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. It's a WWII comedy revolving around an ill-fated submarine in the Pacific Theater. Grant's character, LTCMDR Sherman (the boat's captain) does a decent Rogue Trader bit, but honestly, Curtis's LTJG Nick Holden just screams Seneschal to me.

An illustration from the movie's IMDB entry:
LTCMDR Sherridan: Where is Lt. Holden?
Lt. Watson: When the air raid started they took off. All he said was, "in confusion there is profit."

It's not a 40k movie by a long shot, but it's good for some character inspiration I think.

Honestly: nobody mentioned Firefly yet? That's pretty much it for me on the low-powered end. It even has chaos-like thingies (reavers), it has an imperium (though our heroes are on the bad side of it) and if you scale it up a notch ... it's perfect.

Now I want to play a sexy tech priest that's into the thing you do in the dark...

The TV show Metalocalypse, for the adventures of fabulously wealthy lords of Metal.

Especially this episode, which shows how a Rogue Trader with comand of many minions conducts an expedition in to the jungle:-

http://www.rocktube.us/HX3rqmyOIgx/Metalocalypse_Season_2_Ep_9.html

AluminiumWolf said:

Oh dear lord I love that show.