Profit Factor

The Koronus Expanse, by cronevald

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:01:00 -0500

I have always preferred using the inside-cover map of the Koronus Expanse. The full-color one buried in the book proper is full of errors and lacks the “cool factor”. However, FFG has never released the inner-cover map in digital format. The OEF files don’t come with it, and even the best scan left me unimpressed. Additionally, I wanted a map that I could edit as needed for my personal campaign.

So this is where a friend of mine comes in (http://cronevald.deviantart.com/). A fantastic illustrator and comic artist, I got him to draw me a map. Originally I just wanted a line-art map for my campaign, but he decided that simply wouldn’t do.

So now I am happy to present, and offer to the community, a killer map of the Koronus Expanse. Below are some thumbnails and links to the large files. The linked images are huge; 4650x3150 uncompressed TIF that print at 15.5x10.5 300dpi. Enjoy.

Textured
This is the map as given to me. It has a texture layer to give it some depth.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12027669/expanse_textured.zip

No Texture
The image with the texture layer removed. This is a bit smoother and gives it more of a comic book feel.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12027669/expanse_notexture.zip

Line Art
For those who want a non-color version, or one that can be easily updated. This one has a tighter grid and a few additional locations labeled than the above.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12027669/expanse_bw.zip

"The warp calls to me, begging me to swim within its waves once more. Who am I to refuse? That is my..."

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:12:55 -0600

“The warp calls to me, begging me to swim within its waves once more. Who am I to refuse? That is my purpose you know, to swim until I can no longer do so; eventually finding oblivion in either madness or corruption.”

- Tsalie Benetek, Navigator

NPC Warp Navigation

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:02:21 -0600

Recently on the FFG forums there was discussion about the “best” mix of classes for a small group. A lot of the responses mentioned having a PC Navigator, which I personally disagree with. The role of Navigator is one of the easiest to have as an NPC in any campaign. When running a game, in many ways, I actually prefer it. Warp travel becomes a plot device that I can use without feeling that I am infringing on a player when I “need” something to happen.

That doesn’t mean that all of the process must be dictated by me though. I really wanted a way to allow the players to participate, but have always found the rules for Warp Navigation in Rogue Trader to be a bit lacking. They’ve always felt clumsy and slow, especially to use for an NPC. To that end, I was happy to find some house rules via RPG.net that the original poster was willing to share.

The rules below were written by Jordan Goldfarb. Let me make that very clear, I did not write these and in no way claim that I did. Jordan was kind enough to give me the OK to post them so I hope others find them as useful as I do. They manage to streamline the Navigation process and his example encounters are well thought out.

NPC Warp Navigation Rules
originally written by Jordan Goldfarb

Roll once on the Table 1:1 for every five days of travel, or fraction thereof (Acquiring a Good quality Navigator adds 1 to the roll, while a Best Quality Navigator adds 2). Particularly tumultuous routes may modify the roll on Table 1:1—for example, travel through the Maw subtracts 2 from the Basic Events roll. Well-mapped routes add 1 to the roll on Table 1:1.

For every ten days in the Warp without entering Realspace, lose 1 Morale as the crew grows disquieted.

Table 1:1 (Basic Events)

1 or less: Roll on Table 1:2, dropping 10 from the result
2-3: Roll on Table 1:2
4: Roll on Table 1:3, dropping 10 from the result
5-6: Roll on Table 1:3
7 or more: Clear Sailing

Table 1:2 (Troubled Travel)

09 or less : Calamity!!! Events such as sudden Warp Storms, losing the course, numerous lesser Daemons breaching the Geller Field, or the incursion of a Daemon Prince are appropriate. It is possible a Daemonship has noted your passing and will pursue you to the material realm.

10-20: Disaster! Events such as sudden Warp storms appearing on the “horizon”, the attentions of a powerful Daemon from outside the Geller Field, or the incursion of handful of lesser Daemons are appropriate.

21-45: Threat. An event appropriate to a Calamity!!! or Disaster! result could happen without quick thinking and action by the Explorers. Tech-Use, Command, and Psyniscience are often appropriate skills to test.

46-75: Ill Fortune. Events such as fearful dreams across whole decks, poltergeist activity in the arms lockers, or similar are possible. Losses of up to 1d10 Morale or Crew Population are possible, although good leadership and plans by the explorers may mitigate this.

76-00: Lost Time. Add 1d10 days to the required travel time as you make no headway towards the destination.

Table 1:3 (Eventful Travel)

Negative Results: Calamity!!! Events such as sudden Warp Storms, losing the course, numerous lesser Daemons breaching the Geller Field, or the incursion of a Daemon Prince are appropriate. It is possible a Daemonship has noted your passing and will pursue you to the material realm.

0-10: Disaster! Events such as sudden Warp storms appearing on the “horizon”, the attentions of a powerful Daemon from outside the Geller Field, or the incursion of handful of lesser Daemons are appropriate.

11-30: Threat. An event appropriate to a Calamity!!! or Disaster! result could happen without quick thinking and action by the Explorers. Tech-Use, Pilot, Command, and Psyniscience are often appropriate skills to test.

31-60: Ill Fortune. Events such as fearful dreams across whole decks, poltergeist activity in the arms lockers, or similar are possible. Losses of up to 1d10 Morale or Crew Population are possible, although good leadership and plans by the explorers may mitigate this.

61-80: Risk and/or Reward. A situation arises which can be avoided, but may prove profitable to take notice of. Ghost ships full of lost cargos, rogue planets lost in the void, or even omens and portents are examples of such things.

81-00: Lost Time. Add 1d5 days to the required travel time as you make no headway towards the destination.

Sample Warp Travel Events

Calamity

Lost the Course
The course has been lost. The ship must drop into realspace and devise a new course, involving scans of the surrounding stars and Warp currents. The new course, even if devised successfully, should be rough and hazardous. Subtract 1 from all rolls on Table 1:1 for the rest of the journey.
Daemonic Incursion (Daemon Prince or Greater Daemon)
A deadly foe has breached the Gellar Field. Lose 1d5 Crew Populations and 1d10 Morale as it appears and begins its assault. Successful direct confrontation will require PC presence, and may involve a handful of lesser Daemons or converted crew members. Otherwise, it will rampage through the ship, causing 1d10 Crew and Morale damage for every day it is left unchecked. At the end of each such day, test its Willpower at a cumulative -10 penalty. A failure banishes it, while a success doubles the day’s losses.
Daemonic Invasion (Daemonic Legion)
Numerous lesser Daemons have successfully entered the Gellar Field’s realspace envelope. Roll 1d5:
1: Screamers, Flesh Hounds, or other Beasts: They assault the outside of the ship, causing 1d5 Hull Integrity damage, with corresponding Crew and Morale losses doubled.
2: Daemons of Nurgle: The Daemons attempt to make their way to the ship’s Life Support system or supplies. If not stopped within 1d5 hours, the ship is exposed to a deadly plague and/or loses all remaining supplies.
3: Daemons of Slaanesh: The crew is entranced by the deadly whispers of Daemonettes. Lose 2d10 Morale, and resolve any potential mutinies immediately.
4: Daemons of Khorne: An assault on the crew leaves scores of casualties. Lose 2d10 crew and 1d10 Morale. Successfully confronting the Daemons in their rampage halves crew losses and negates Morale losses.
5: Daemons of Tzeentch: A strange fate becomes woven into the ship as the Daemons infuse it with their energies. Subtract 1 from all rolls on Table 1:1 for the remainder of the trip, and all players lose 1 Fate Point expenditure for the session.
Daemonship Attack
A passing Daemonship opens with its hellish broadsides. Resolve an attack as if by a Ryza-pattern Plasma Battery with BS 50, defending with one shield (or three, if possessing a Warpsbane Hull). Repeat for 1d5+1 shots.
Warp Storm Arisen
A sudden Warp Storm engulfs the ship, lasting for 2d10 days. During this time, no further progress is made, but events still occur as normal. Results of “Clear Sailing” on Table 1:1 instead result in violent convulsions shaking the ship for 1d5 Hull Integrity, with appropriate Crew and Morale Losses.
Daemonhost
An important officer becomes possessed and begins wreaking havoc on the bridge. He must be put down for his own good, and for the safety of all.

Disaster

Daemonic Attention (Daemon Prince or Greater Daemon)
A deadly being of the Warp takes notice of the ship and begins to attempt to worm his way in. Results of 1 or 2 on Table 1:1 later in the trip result in its successful incursion, in addition to any other event
Daemonic Assault (Lesser Daemons
A handful of lesser Daemons have successfully entered the Gellar Field’s realspace envelope. Roll 1d5:
1: Screamers, Flesh Hounds, or other Beasts: They assault the outside of the ship, causing 1 Hull Integrity damage, with corresponding Crew and Morale losses doubled.
2: Daemons of Nurgle: The Daemons attempt to make their way to the ship’s Life Support system or supplies. If not stopped within 1d10+1 hours, the ship is exposed to a deadly plague and/or loses all remaining supplies.
3: Daemons of Slaanesh: The crew is entranced by the deadly whispers of Daemonettes. Lose 1d10 Morale, and resolve any potential mutinies immediately.
4: Daemons of Khorne: An assault on the crew leaves scores of casualties. Lose 1d10+1 crew and 1d5 Morale. Successfully confronting the Daemons in their rampage halves crew losses and negates Morale losses.
5: Daemons of Tzeentch: A strange fate becomes woven into the ship as the Daemons infuse it with their energies. The player with the most remaining Fate Points loses one for the session, an ill omens cause 1d5 Morale damage.
Daemonship’s Notice
A Daemonship begins hunting through the Warp, seeking the players’ vessel. When they arrive at their destination, it will follow (or perhaps even precede them!). Run an immediate Space combat between the players and the Daemonship at this point.
Warp Storm Ahead
The players must drop to realspace and wait for 2d10+10 days, or face the Warp Storm result listed under Calamity. There is no guarantee of safety at the corresponding point in realspace, however.

Threat

Reality Shoal
The helmsman must guide the ship past a deadly reef of ‘hard’ Warp, and do so without the aid of the ship’s standard sensors. To pass unscathed, the helmsman must succeed at three Pilot (Space Craft) tests, gaining no benefit from the ship’s Maneuverability. Each failure inflicts 1d5 Hull Integrity damage on the ship, with corresponding Crew and Morale losses.
Temporal Sinkhole
A vortex of swirling energies threatens to drag the ship into a frozen stasis. This can be avoided by either fortifying the Gellar Field with emergency protocols, nedding a Tech-Use test at -20, or by skirting the edge of the vortex, requiring a Pilot (Space Craft) + Maneuverability test at -10. Failure results in being ‘becalmed’ for 3d10 days, suffering Morale degradation and expending supplies as normal, but with no other effects.
Gellar Field Fluctuations
The Gellar Field begins to show signs of weakening, requiring emergency reinforcement for 1d5 days. A Tech-Use test at -10 will shore it up for one day. Sacrificing basic amenities to divert power changes the test’s difficulty to +20, but will anger the crew, causing 1d5 Morale damage. Failure may result in a Daemonic Incursion, Daemonic Assault, or Daemonic Legion result.
Course Irregularities
The Navigator’s plotted course shows signs of unaccounted for anomalies. The ship may either drop to realspace for 1d5 days to adjust calculations, or must deal with one or more of the following effects: Temporal Sinkhole, Reality Shoals, Balefire On Deck, or Daemonic Attention. Of course, dropping precipitously into realspace may have other risks, at the GM’s discretion.
Realspace Hazard
While making a brief drop into realspace to take bearings, the ship encounters a deadly stellar phenomenon, from radiation pulses or dense asteroid reefs or perhaps the nearby gravity shadow of a black hole! Tech-Use tests to strengthen shields and fortify systems or Pilot tests to avoid being ensnared in the anomaly are appropriate, at difficulties from +0 to -30.

Ill Fortune

Poltergeists
Stray eddies of Warp energy are animating various objects aboard the ship, discharging weapons, slamming doors shut, or hurling crates about. Unless the affected area can be consecrated, psychically fortified, or evacuated, lose 1d5-1 Crew Population.
Stray Thoughts
The crew’s surface thoughts start appearing in others’ heads! Any PC keeping secrets must roll a WP test modified by the immediacy of the secret (+10 base, but possibly to as much as -40 for a frequently pondered thought about the person right next to you) or reveal it to anyone the GM deems might “hear.” Furthermore, the crew’s reaction to the officers’ contempt and the petty resentment of their supposed friends causes 1d10 Morale damage.
Whispers of Sedition
The crew is possessed of a treacherous mood for 1d5 days, and any incident could set them off. Each day that the crew is so affected, a PC or representative thereof must make a Charm or Intimidate check at -10 or risk triggering a mutiny exactly as if a morale threshold had been passed.
Balefire on Deck
The energies of the Warp suffuse a random component, setting it aflame! Treat this as a critical effect setting the component on fire, but all fire-fighting efforts are at an additional -10.
Mutation Plague
The crew begins manifesting the blemishes of mutation, necessitating a purge. Either lose 1d5 Crew and 1d5 Morale excising the blight from the crew, or put the hardiest of the twisted crewmen to work, adding 1d5+1 Crew Population to the ship due to their unnatural strength, but suffer a 1d10+1 Morale damage.

Risk/Reward

Distress Call
An astropathic message has been received, indicating the position of a nearby friendly vessel in dire condition. Diverting to find it takes 1d5+1 additional days of Warp travel. The vessel at the other end is genuinely in need, but may be a trap just the same. If rescued from its dire straits, the grateful captain will provide rewards out of his cargo or offer service. Alternately, the ship may be a derelict by the time the players arrive, leading to valuable salvage.
False Distress Call
An astropathic message has been received, indicating the position of a nearby friendly vessel in dire condition. Diverting to find it takes 1d5+1 additional days of Warp travel. However, the vessel at the other end is a pirate or other ne’er-do-well seeking to fresh targets. Defeating the pirates may lead to claiming their plunder or the hulks of their ships.
Derelict
When dropping in to realspace to adjust bearings, sensors pick up the signs of another vessel in nearby space, adrift and alone. It could be anything from a lost treasure ship to a rigged bomb or even a genestealer-infested space hulk.
Ghost Vessel
While in the warp, sensors give the impossible reading of a ship passing close by. The players can attempt to hail or board it, leading to all sorts of possible results, from capturing long-lost cargoes of legend, to massive Insanity Point gain from the wails of the damned.
Rogue Planet
When dropping in to realspace to adjust bearings, sensors pick up the signs of a rogue planet drifting through space, bereft of system and star. Landing on it may yield fabulous treasures, or unearth a secret best left forgotten.
Unexpected Contact
When dropping in to realspace to adjust bearings, the players encounter another vessel, quite surprised to find them dropping in. It could be anything from another Rogue Trader’s flagship or an Explorator scout ship to an Eldar witch’s herald with a cryptic message or an out-of-the-way pirate base.
Portents and Visions
Whether through dreams, phantoms, or strange foreboding omens, the players are given information regarding the future or a great secret—at least, that’s how it seems. The information could be false, or missing some crucial detail.

A GM's Best Friend

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:24:00 -0600

Basics

Every GM is different. Some write novel-length campaign notes, while others simply scribble a few things down and run with it. Either way, the GM needs some way to organize and keep track of game information. I’ve found that Evernote is hands down the easiest way of doing this.

Their tagline is “Remember Everything”, and as a GM, that’s kind of your job right?Here are some key features:

Free. There are some small ads, but nothing crazy. Virtually all features are available in the free version. There is a Premium version which is pretty inexpensive and brings some advanced options, but nothing you can’t live without.
Cloud. Your notes live on their servers. This means you won’t lose them if/when your hard drive crashes. Also, you can access your notes via their desktop app, mobile app, or just via the web. I can get my notes on my PC, my MacBook, my iPad or my iPhone if need. Always sync’d and ready.
Image-text-search. When you insert images that have text within them, some manner of technowizardry on the back-end processes that and lets you search the text inside that picture as if it was actually text. So you can snip a section of official game PDF into your note, and then search on it.
Search. Speaking of search, it indexes everything. So you have a nice simply search bar to find anything inside your notes.
PDF Files. You can also upload/insert PDF files. These can either display as pages inside a note, or work like a traditional attachment.

A Note

So what does a note consist of then? Well, anything you want really. I use a combination of formatted text, screen shots, PDF files and images typically. In the picture below you can see an example section from a note I’ve created. While preparing for a game, I found a note of the Rephenid Cluster being a haven for Freebooterz on the warp route to Lucin’s Breath. My players were headed there anyway, so it seemed fitting. In the note I had created for that game session I added this encounter. As you can see, I took a screen clip of the section from PDF, then added some notes of my own. Ship name, the Ork Kaptin, weapons, etc.

Tags

I use the Tags system to keep things straight. My notes usually are a combination of official rules, house rules, encounters, fluff, locations, NPC’s, Rogue Trader dynasties and on and on. Being able to group and organize this information cuts down on page flipping (I loathe page flipping…) and presents me with just the information important at that time. FFG love to spread out information in multiple books, and this lets me tie all that together. As an example, I’ve snipped the rules for Fear, Exploration Challenges and the like; as well as some nifty house rules for faster NPC Warp Navigation and my own house rules. Evernote lets me bridge all of these into just “Rules” via a simple tag. In the picture below you can see some of the Tags that I use on the left hand side.

Session Notes

Another great way to use Evernote as a GM is to tag all the notes you will need for a game session. This way you cut down even more on the need to reference and search. In the example below I’ve got my main Session note detailing the journey towards the Egarian Dominion, my note about the Egarian Dominion itself, my handy NPC Navigator rules, the rules for NPC star ship combat out of Battlefleet Koronus, and the standard Combat Difficulty chart. I ran this entire session using just these notes.

Conclusion

So there you have a brain-dump of how I use Evernote as a GM to make my life easier. Easier GM life = happier GM = more experience for the players right?

What's this then?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:29:49 -0600

This will be where I blog about random stuff pertaining to the Rogue Trader RPG and likely other 40KRPG products. Of the few sites online it seems most are detail active games or are generally in-character. I hope to keep my posts here focused more on the game as a whole, not just specifically with the campaign’s I am either running or playing in.

Speaking of games I am part of. Currently I run a 4-player game and play in a separate 6-player campaign. I’ve done play testing for the 40KRPG system and bought my first 40k figure almost 20 years ago.

Upcoming topics I hope to cover include using the Evernote app for organizing games, ship combat, NPC Navigation, and a host of other topics.

"So as these realms of stars are, so once were all realms that are now counted amongst the Imperium..."

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:10:49 -0600

“So as these realms of stars are, so once were all realms that are now counted amongst the Imperium of Man: rich with the fear and darkness, and rank with the smell of secrets that belong to the dead.”

- attributed to Rogue Trader Solomon Haarlock