Hi all,

Question for you regarding Rogue Traders - specifically, their special ability to once per round as a free action give a +10 bonus to an ally that can see or hear them. What do you all think of this ability?

The reason I ask is that it seems a bit ridiculous. Although I 100% agree with it being suitable during strategic turns with starship combat, its kind of nuts during regular gameplay. For example, an explorator is trying to recall what a certain xenos species is using Forbidden Lore (Xenos) - a skill his Rogue Trader does not possess. How does the RT give the +10 bonus?! Chanting "You can do it!"? Or another example, in the middle of combat, the RT is fighting in melee against an ork, doing his best not to get killed while his seneschal tries to get a blast door open some 20 meters away. How does the RT grant him the +10 bonus?

I'd just like your thoughts on this ability and to see if any of you have modified it in any way. Like I say, I think its highly appropriate in regards to starship combat, strategic turns, etc.

Also, please forgive me if I've misinterpreted anything - at work right now and don't have access to my books.

-Thulis

Situation one:

he makes sure everyone shuts the hell up so the explorator can concentrate on the job at hand.

Situation two:

no idea, i'd rule it doesn't work in that circumstance. Only vague one is that the seneschal is somehow inspired by seeing his boss slicing up the bad guy and deftly dodging his hits, but that doesn't work for all players and it's vague anywho.

I basically ask for an explanation, if either myself or a player can come up with a good one the bonus applies. If not, then they don't get it.

I always just assumed it was an inspirational thing. The rogue trader is able to get more out of people then they believe themselves capable of because that's just what good leaders do.

In the combat situation its reasonable that the rogue trader could be checking in with him.

"So Ted, how's that door thing coming along?"

"Oh you know its coming..."

"Well, if you don't get it open soon you can kiss that bottle of amsec I promised you goodbye. Cause you know we'll all be DEAD!"

"No pressure or anything. Right?"

"You know what Ted? Next time you're fighting the Orks and I am opening the door. How would you like that?" +10 security

-click- "I got it! Its open!"

"I never doubted you for a second Ted."

NGL said:

Keeping in mind that all this would occur as a Free Action?

Again, the ability isn't a huge deal... I've run a campaign or two and half the time my players forgot about it. But in some of the situations where they did remember and they used it, it made absolutely no sense.

It does make sense, it's encouragement. It's not practical tips or indepth analysis, it's incentive and encouragement. That or harsh, cruel threats. More than enough to get anybody to give that lil' extra effort.

"If you don't kill that ork this second, I swear to the Emperor I'm gonna fire you!"

"Hello ninja, I'd just thought I'd drop in via vox and inform you that if you succeed at this without anybody noticing you, you'll get a bonus. And by bonus I mean space blow."

"Tech-Priest, if you boost this engine enough for us to get away without the glorious solid gold paintwork of my ship getting scratched, I'll get you the money to have a statue of the Dread Magos put into the Enginarum, made of Solid Adamantine."

"Missionary, if you incite these people into righteous rebellion, I'm sure those priests back home will be all that closer to declaring you a saint!"

"One bottle of the finest Quadishian wine to the man or woman who brings me the best deal on a new ship!"


That's WS/BS, silent move/concealment, Tech-use, Fellowship roll, Commerce. Want me to apply it to another skill using only a single sentence or less?

The way I see it, it quite clearly states "once per round". During Narrative Time rounds do not "exist". Therefore Exceptional Leader can only be used in combat of some kind (or at least structured time). This means that in your first example, I would not allow the use of Exceptional Leader at all.

And in your second example I go with what others have said: It is an inspirational thing. A good leader makes sure his dudes keep a cool head and concentrate on what matters.

I've never been much fond of the whole "it only works in combat" idea for much of anything. After all, you're fully allowed to make forbidden lore rolls during combat, if you feel like it. So let's say your tech-priest is trying to remember how a door works, RT can't help, it's not combat. Then an ork shows up, pulls a gun. Now he can, because it's combat.

Where does that make sense?

Truth be told, +10 is no major thing. It's nice, certainly, but it's not a game breaker, since there's equipment to give you that, or more, to almost any roll you can think of, and for RT's, personal equipment is an easy thing to get.

But here's a House-rule to make it more fun, if not necessarily sensible: Use of exceptional Leader requires it to be roleplayed out. The Rt must shout, say or somehow voice encouragement, threats or incentive to justify the bonus. Gm's should be EXTREMELY lax about what constitutes sufficient encouragement, but some modicum of sense should be applied.

Can't guarantee it'll make it any more sensible, but I can assure you it will make things more fun if the Rt's has to actually earn it through boombastic speechifying!