Hi,

First: After some fluff and stuff my character, the RT is the only (known) survival of an epic battle againts Nostromo and the Monarch of Wispers. The heretik navigator sold the RT to the dark eldar, and now the RT is an apprentice of Magos Domos (Soul Reaver set). The RT has the FL - Archeotech and the Tech-Use skills, and just learning the Trade - Armourer skill.

The question is: Will he commit tech-heresy if he desing/bulid a sofisticated weapon or a PowerArmor in the future? He is not a priest of Mars, so has he the right to design and build - or impove - "sacred" technology?

Second: I just read the Battlefleet Koronus, the Rules of War section, but I don't completely understand the rules of acquisitioning a unit. What is the modifier for acquiring 10, 1000 or 100 000 person in a unit? It is necessary for defining the strengt of a unit…

Thanks!

As for what counts as Tech Heresy, that's one of those "depends who you ask" sort of thing. One machine priest may say one thing, another another. There are non-mechanicus manufacturing facilities, but they tend not to have the ability to build anything high tech and people tend to be leery of buying from them. Civilian grade power armor would probably be pushing it in terms of the mechanicus comming down on your head, but if it's just for your own personal use I don't see it as being that bad.

As far as what he can design and create goes, Archeotech probably won't be a useful skill for you. Even if you knew how they work you might not know how they are made, and even if you know how they are made you probably don't have the level of skill required to make them, and even if you have the skills you definitely won't have the equipment/tools/facilities to make them (think of trying to build a computer from scrach with the contents of your average tool box). There really aren't any new archeotech devices made for these reasons.

For knowing how to build items with the Technomat and Armorer trades I would suggest the Forbidden Lore: Adeptus Mechanicus skill, since you're far more likely to be able to find the materials and tools required to make those sorts of items.

Regarding acquisition. I don't have BFK, but the rules for purchasing multiples of something fall under the Scale protion of acquisition modifiers in the core rule book (pg 272). You combine the rarity modifier of a single unit and add in the scale modifier of the number of units you'd like.

IE: The PDF, the Emperor's Speed Bumps. They aren't well trained. When the fighting starts morale is… poor since they know the level of value the higher ups put on them, so their bravery is less than exemplary. Nor are they well equipped. But there's lots of them. We'll give your average PDF soldier an availability of Common (+20), the same as the las gun. But wait, that doesn't account for their equipment, so we'll bump that up to Average (+10) and say he's got a poor quality las gun, a single reload, and a uniform that offers one point of armor. Pretty bare bones, but what do you expect? This is bargain basement teritory.

Now a single PDF soldier isn't going to do your Rogue Trader much good, so let's multiply that by a thousand, one Regiment of soldier. A thousand guys is pretty Major Scale, which provides a -10 penalty to your effective Profit factor.

So for a thousand PDF flunkies with bare bones equipment the modifiers even out to a raw roll, just get under your profit factor. Granted they're the chinese food of WH 40k, an hour later your barracks will be empty again.

Spatulaodoom said:

You almost have it on the money there. The type of soldier and his equipment is already factored into the BFK rules. It is hard to follow, so I will brake it down for you.

On page 126 BFK is a box that contains "Men of Quality." This is the experience of the unit you want. Say I want Volunteer (PDF) which is a +0 Acquisition mod.

I next move to Table 4-4 "Unit availabilty by Type", page 125 BFK. I would like to have Mechanised Infantry, so this -10 Acq.

On Table 4-2 "Unit Powers Modifiers" I would like them to be Medium (being normal PDF mech troops) at -10 Acq, at a Modern Tech Level (standard Imperial Technology) with -10 Acq.

Now, going to page 272 RT I use table 9-35 "Acquitition Modifiers" for the scale of them. At Regiment (500 to 1,000 troops) is Major at -10 Acq.

So, right now I am at +0-10-10-10-10 = -40 Acq. which is around Extremely Rare when refering to table 9-35.

You can leave it at this, or, as a smart player, you can refer to page 111 RT table 5-1 which lists "Availability by Population." And when you take this Extremely Rare -40 test and plug it in there at a normal large city (pop 100,000+) your test is now at a Hard Acq (-20).

And viala, at -20 Acq I can find a Medium Modern Mech Infantry Constript Regiment in a place like Footfall.

Toronus said:

As for Unit Stregth per page 124 BFK, this is how much damage it can take according to it's ground wars section.

Questions of Tech Heresy are very subjective. Highly placed individuals in the Imperium (such as Rogue Traders and their closest confidants) have more flexibility in what they are permitted. Having the Tech Use skill doesn't make one a Heretek, nor does having the Armourer skill. There are plenty of examples of those skills on Hive Worlds and within Inquisitional teams. The skills are part of a Senchenal's advancement plan. It is more what you do with the skill that will mark you as a Heretek. If you are making relatively simple things in accordance with the STCs or adding modifications to items you should be ok. If you are trying to incorporate anything you learned from the Dark Eldar, or commit the sins of reverse engineering, or reach beyond the more simple of technologies, or disrespect the machine, or whatever else the local Fabricator decides is Heresy you are in trouble. Out in the Expanse you can get away with a lot more, especially if you have your local Magos on your side. Just remember that playing dumb about your skills around outside Ad Mech agents is a good idea.