BFG:R - Rogue Trader

[horizon]

By Andrew Christlieb & Horizon:


ROGUE TRADERS

<Ship Profiles>
> Forgeship
Andrew envisioned as from fanatic:
http://www.specialist-arms.com/fanatic/90btf.pdf

FORGESHIP 290PTS
(Exorcist Grand Cruiser model)
Bound together by ancient treaties and deeds of promise, the Adeptus Mechanicus have a long standing relationship with the Black Templars. Various physical assets are offered by the Mechanicus, most notably Forgeships and the fleet resources they hold. Forgeships are however, usually obsolete vessels converted solely for their role as fleet support. The weaponry afforded a Forgeship befits its function and reluctant presence in a battle, being long range and broadside only.

Forgeship:
Any suitable Grand Cruiser Model

Cruiser 10 hits
speed 20cm
turns 45
shields 3
armour 5+
turrets 3

variant one:
port weapons battery 60cm strength 10 left
starboard weapons battery 60cm strength 10 right

cannot come to new heading, less then equal (?), allows 4 more AC to be fielded by the fleet then normal.

> Lunar, Carnage, Tyrant and Murder Class per standard BFG:Revised profile.

Galleon (WR17)
Trade Galleons are the largest vesselsused by Rogue Traders. A Trade Galleonrivals an Imperial Cruiser in size and firepower. Since Rogue Traders constantlyupgrade and change their personal Trade Galleon, these vessels may become quite eccentric. Therefore it is impossible to designate a standard class of Trade Galleons, and the term Trade Galleon is usually applied to any large vessel in service of a Rogue Trader.
A large percentage of Trade Galleons are based on the Gothic or Lunar class cruiser frame. A famous example of this is the Archis Nova: originally intended to be a Lunar class cruiser, it's building was abandoned when traitors seized power in the system where it was being built. After helping Imperial forces to retake the system, Rogue Trader Emil Bosquera was awarded the vessel, which was finished to his own tastes as a Trade Galleon.
The infamous Rogue Trader Nicius Ravenclaw actually managed to buy an unfinished hull from the planetary governor of Corinth. This hull, only know as Hull 354,was thought to be cursed by local dockworkers and was never finished.
Ravenclaw towed Hull 354 out of the system with his two Lorcha’s Vexator and Sabazius. After three decades, Hull 354 returned to Corinth Fleet base as the Domitor Astra. Most of the local dockworkers still think that the ship is cursed, but so far she has performed outstandingly and has enabled Ravenclaw to claim several big prizes, including the renegade grand cruiser Doomhammer.
On the other hand there are many Trade Galleons of unique or obscure origins, suchas the Blessed Voyager, a cruiser from the Dark Age of Technology luckily discovered by Rogue Trader Julius Kaeron when he was sent off-course by a warp storm. Other famous ships of this type include the Helion's Talon, an infamous pirate vessel witnessed several times cooperating with Ork pirates, and the Andromeda, a ship noted for dealing with forbidden tech in the Gulf of Damocles.

140 points
Cruiser: 8 hits
Speed 20cm
Turns 45*
shields 2
Armour 5+
Turrets 2

Choose pattern:
* Imperator:
Port Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 10 L
Starboard Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 10 R
Prow weapon Batteries strength 30cm 4 LFR

Archis Noca:
Port Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 4 L
Starboard Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 4 R
Port lance battery 30cm strength 2 L
Starboard lance battery 30cm strength 2 R
Prow weapon Batteries strength 30cm 4 LFR

Domitor Astra:
Port Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 4 L
Starboard Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 4 R
Port Launch Bay (fighters/a-boats) strength 2
Starboard Launch Bay (fighters/a-boats) strength 2
Prow weapon Batteries strength 30cm 4 LFR


Merchantman per wr17
The Merchantman is a step down from the Trade Galleon, equal in size to an Imperial light cruiser, being a compromise between the raw firepower of a Trade Galleon and the fast and nimble Lorcha. Just like its larger cousin, Merchantmen come from a lot of different sources. Most of these vessels started their life as super heavy cargo vessels but somehow ended up in the hands of a Rogue Trader, and, due to the Rogue Traders love for modifying his vessels, most of them are made unrecognisable after a few or many refits. Merchantmen are cheaper to run and maintain than a fully fledged Trade Galleon and they attract less attention (for a Rogue Trader vessel that is), making it a less preferable prey for space pirates. That's why most of these ships ply established spacelanes, although some adventurous Rogue Traders not able to afford the larger Trade Galleons use them for exploratory purposes.
Some examples of this kind of vessel are Romulus & Remus, sister ships which cover the dangerous route between Mars and Armageddon; Itzar's Green Hide, a Merchantmen built using part of the Hulk of an Ork cruiser; the Lar'shi'fannor'o, possibly the most powerful Merchantmen ever; and the mysterious Kalandras, a Merchantmen which is said to trade between Eldar Exodite worlds and other, even darker alien species.

85 points
cruiser 6 hits
20cm speed
turns 45
shields 1
armour 5+
turrets 2

Choose pattern

Remus:
Port Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 6 L
Starboard Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 6 R
Prow weapon Batteries strength 30cm 4 LFR

Vesprugo
Port Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 4 L
Starboard Weapon Batteries: 30cm strenght 4 R
Port Launch Bay (fighters/a-boats) strength 1
Starboard Launch Bay (fighters/a-boats) strength 1
Prow weapon Batteries strength 30cm 4 LFR

Escorts
Xenos Vessel, whatever you want and agree with opponent. 
Standard pattern
50pts
escort 1 hit
25cm speed
turns 90*
shields 1
armour 5+
turrets 1

Dorsal weapons battery 30cm strenght 2 LFR
Prow Lance battery 30cm strength 1 F

Xenos escort may pick the Xenos upgrade for free.

> Recommissioned Escorts

   Recomm Variant 1 ; Cobra
   Recomm Variant 2 ; Firestorm
   Recomm Variant 3 ;

Per BFG: R profiles. Or more exotic variants?


> Transports standard BFG R
-------> Q-ship change
-------> Armed freighter 2wb @30cm.

> Standard Escort standard BFG R (eg Sword)

SPECIAL RULES
Maximum Number of upgrades:
Trade Galleon: 3 upgrades, 2 exotic
Merchantman: 2 upgrades, 2 exotic
Cruisers: 2 upgrades, 1 exotic
Light Cruisers: 1 upgrade, 1 exotic
Xenos Escort Squadrons: 1 upgrade, 1 exotic
Recom Escort Squadrons: 1 upgrade, 1 exotic
Transport Squadrons: 1 upgrade, 1 exotic

You can buy a number of upgrades, as allowed in the list above, from the following list:

Short list Imperial: 15pts per upgrade 
 
1)Improved Sensors: +1 Leadership
 2)Targeting Matrix: Weapons receive a left shift
 3)Secondary Reactors: +2d6 AAF / +1d6 AAF and +5cm speed?
 4)Plasma Boosted Batteries: All 30cm Batteries are exchanged for 45cm Batteries
 5)Heavy Hull Plating: +1 Hit point
 6)Armored Prow: Prow adds 6+ armor
 
<<<<add more?>>>

For +20pts you may take an exotic upgrade, due their rarer availability, the result is more chance of what the Rogue Trader found then what he would like:

Exotic List
Re-roll results that are not possible on the ship
 

2)Alien Hull:
--> in the endphase roll a D6, on a 5+ 1 lost hit point is restored *not intended for escorts

3)Eldar Holofield Tech:
--> right shift against batteries, 6+ save against lances

4)Displacement Drive:
--> On CTNH special orders the ship may move the first 15cm of its movement in any direction except the rear arc before turning

5)Tau Tracking systems:
--> Exactly the same as the Tau Messenger has

6)Penance Shields:
--> The RT ship is immune to the detrimental effects of Marks of Slaanesh, presence of Spectral Daemon ships, and any other psychic attacks such as Necron Seplechures and Tyranid ships with the Psychic Scream evolution
 
7)Leaf on the Wind:
--> You may always attempt AAF, BR, or CTNH special orders, even if other ships have failed their command checks already. You may also re-roll the dice for any attempt to navigate celestial phenomena
 
8)Expert Troops:
--> +1 to boarding and hit & runs, -1 to hit & runs against this ship.

9)Extra Lance:
--> +1 Dorsal 30cm Lance L/F/R *not intended for escorts

10)Nekulli Energy Shields:
--> +1 Shield, Nekulli shield technology is highly efficient and any ship refitted with them will not change their base size, even if this refit brings them from 2 to 3 shields. *not intended for escorts

11)Exotic Torpedoes:
--> Add additional torpedo options to your ship. Roll D6:
 
1)Boarding Torpedoes
2)Kel-Dach Torpedoes (Melta Torpedoes)
3)Demiurg Torpedoes (Speed 30cm, arc Any)
4)Tau Torpedoes (Per Tau)
5)DE Leach Torpedoes (Per DE)
6)Eldar Torpedoes (Per Eldar)
 

12)Exotic Attack Craft:
--> Roll D6: *not intended for escorts +40 for special bombers too much/ too little? (+25 for bombers, +15 for this) I think the TH halving launch strength makes up for the price difference nicely without any additional cost)
 
   1-2) Thunderhawk Gunships (Replace all ordinance with Thunderhawk gunships following all    rules for those craft. The ships launch capacity is halved, rounding up.)
   3-4) Darkstar Bombers (Replace your bombers with Darkstar bombers following all rules for    those craft.) *you must have already purchased bombers!
   5-6) Manta Bombers (Replace you bombers with Manta bombers following all rules for those    craft.) *you must have already purchased bombers!
 

 
 
 





FLEET LIST
Rogue Trader Fleet List.

Fleet Commander:
You may include one Lord Captain in your fleet who comes with his own a personal cruiser without restriction, selected from the cruiser options in this fleet list, and improves its leadership to the value shown. You must include a Lord Captain in your fleet even if its less than 750 points.
 
0-1 Rogue Trader
Leadership 9.... 75pts
Leadership 8.... 50pts
 
The Lord Captain comes equipped with one additional refit for his personal ship included in his point cost.

0-5 Veteran Captains
You may include up to five  Veteran Captains in your fleet. Each  Veteran Captain must be assigned to a capital ship or escort squadron and improves its leadership by +1 with a maximum of 9. If you choose to place a Veteran Captain on an escort vessel note which ship the Bond-Captain is on as the escort squadron will lose the benefit if his ship is destroyed.

Veteran Captain (leadership +1, max of 9)... 15pts
 
A Veteran Captain may be given a single re-roll, which he can use on his own ship or squadron only, for +15 points. A Veteran Captain may also purchase up to one additional refit for his personal ship at the listed cost.

 
Capital Ships
 
Forgeship
You may include up to one Forgeship in your fleet if your fleet is worth over 750 points.
 
0-1 Forgeship...... 290pts

Grand Cruisers
You may take one Grand Cruiser per 1000 points, additionally it must be accompanied by at least one escort squadron or transport squadron consisting between 2-6 models.

Vengeance..........xxx
Avenger.............xxx

Cruisers
Each cruiser must be accompinied by one escort squadron or transport squadron consisiting of 2-6 models.
 
Lunar................... 180pts
Carnage............... 180pts
Tyrant.................. 175pts
Murder................. 170pts
Galleon................ 140pts
 
0-12 Lightcruisers
 
Dauntless............. 110pts
Endeavor............. 110pts
Siluria.................. 100pts
Merchantman........ 85pts
 
Escorts
 
Xenos vessel......... 50pts
Sword................... 35pts
Havoc................... ??pts
Recom escort........ 30pts
Iconoclast.............. 25pts
 
Transports
The fleet must include at least one squadron of escort-sized cargo ships of any type, whether or not the scenario requires transports, in a squadron of 2-6 ships. Any number of cargo ships beyond this number may be taken, organized in squadrons of 2-6 ships, containing only cargo ships. Heavy transports may also be taken, in squadrons of 1-4 Heavy transports. Heavy transports may not be taken in squadrons with escort-sized cargo ships and they may not make up more than 1/3 of the fleets total transport value.

Escort Carrier....... 60pts
Q-ship................... ??pts
Heavy Transport... 40pts
RT Cargo vessel.... 20pts
Armed Freighter.... 20pts
Cargo Transport..... 10pts


The link to the doc: [outdated!]
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CNrMhFMvRF1-11nAEqPP--96ohLtdhzpqi8Km1oFWt8/edit?usp=sharing

A mixture of Warp Rift 17, The HA rules and some Rogue Trader in it.

[horizon]

Added profiles.

Forgeship to be done.

Afterimagedan, can you work from this?

[afterimagedan]

This is great!

[Cneo]

Very good.

[horizon]

Added Forgeship.

[harec]

Actually vey nice 

[Cyk0]

I understand the desire to take a forge-ship straight up and I like the simplistic armament, but I actually think It feels slightly high tech with its speed (No problem for something gifted to spacemarines from mechanicus)

If I was to totally ignore model issues and links to other ships, instead simply going from a stat perspective I would like it to be a grand cruiser still but with only 15 move (to keep with the theme of slow command ships, and here it can even be fixed with upgrades).
Keeping the batteries and adding a 2 capacity launch bay (seems like something needed for a rouge trader flagship)
   
That being said I have no idea what the model would be for such ship so I will satisfy myself by saying that you probably mean the Avenger and not the Exorcist based on the stat line since the Exorcist actually has launch bays (Even though launch bays are fitting for it as a part time cargo hauler)

I am also thorn about the upgrade list, maybe it should not be rolled to differentiate it from the mechanicus list, or maybe only allow it on the Imperial upgrades. Trouble is that the other upprgades are rolled with 2d6 so the chance to get the different ones are very varying that combined with an ability to by them all for the same cost gives of strange wibes from a design perspective do you want them to be of different  rarity or not?

Personally I would go with straight up buying of imperial upgrades and with differing cost depending on usefulness (opens up for for more than 6 so you could include really minor 5 point ones a swell). Might need two point costs for each to differentiate between escorts and capitals, and it also gives you a simple way of displaying for example a 15/- price if something is unavailable for one category of ships. And then I would have the alien ones only obtainable by rolling on the table (fixed cost per roll 15/5), with careful consideration to the placement of the different upgrades on the random distribution curve (have some really nice ones on the ends) Then I would limit a ship to a certain number of upgrades of either type forcing the player into a choice of either going with safety or chance when upgrading.

Sorry if I barge in here being new and all, those were just some general thoughts take what is nice to heart and throw away the rest.

[horizon]

Hi Cyk0,

On the Forgeship, yeah, it needs tweaking. I made a carbon copy from that fanatic issue.

A speed drop would be no problem to me.
The model: whatever floats one boat I say: Rogue Traders are a lot of times unique so any Grand Cruiser model could be a forgeship, even a repulsive could be modelled into it.

The upgrade list:
If someone spends points he can pick them, if not it is random. It is the same approach as the original Rogue Trader rules from SG/GW.

Could you elobarate your idea some more?

Just throw all your ideas in.

[Cyk0]

Well I will try to break down my thinking about upgrades.

First of what is the feel that would be appropriate for rouge trader fleet vessels. Personally I think they should encompass a colorful mix of old and new with individuality and some alien thrown in. What I don’t want them to feel like is a uniform mainline military feel, I also don’t want them to fell to powerful. That being said while the ships are not as powerful as a top of the line imperial battle cruiser, they might very well be augmented by wondrous ancient or alien technology that might make the same battle cruiser green with envy (or maybe with disgust due to xenos taint)

So where does that leave the ships and the upgrades. I like that the ships start out cheap and simple without bells and whistles and with short range and relatively weak weapons. That makes it feel like the basic is an armed merchant ship. So now onto the part that makes is a personalized part of a rouge trader fleet the upgrades and modifications.

You have given more upgrade slots to the rogue trader vessels than the commission basic military cruisers, the difference could even be increased a bit more since its way easier to upgrade a lover end ship with “headroom” in the space and power departments than a military ship (though the fact that they are not battle/heavy cruisers help).
 
I like the Idea that the upgrades are split into two parts, but I would like to make more use of that. But I think the division of choices shouldn’t limited so for example a trade galleon could get a maximum of 3 (or maybe even 4) but how the player uses those is up to him or her (especially since I intend exotics to be random only)
I feel the list of imperial upgrades should represent what a rogue trader would be able to accomplish with political connections and a big lump of money at a well equipped dock. For this reason I think that list should contain relatively mundane things (as it does) and it should also be possible to choose from. I even think it could be taken one step further removing the roll altogether (that allows you to be more free with the number of upgrades) and simply giving each upgrade two costs for example boosted plasma batteries might cost 15/5 indicating it would cost 15 for a cruiser and 5 for an escort. That pricing model gives you options to include upgrades of differing utility without wrecking the pricing and it also gives you a simple way to indicate that a upgrade is unavailable for escorts or cruisers so for example if boosted batteries for some reason should be unavailable for escorts its price would be 15/-

Exotic upgrades represent exceptional items inherited found or bartered from aliens the common thing here is that the acquisition comes down a bit to chance, and that the technology is badly understood. So I feel keeping this list entirely random is totally okay. This also allows us to utilize the non linear distribution of the results when rolling 2d6, so we can push the more strange and maybe powerful equipment to the low and high results and place some relatively mundane stuff at 6, 7 and 8. This will make a roll on the exotic table a bit of a gamble but also something that could potentially give you a very nice bonus to your ship.

[horizon]

So in essence (to confirm the angle you have):

Imperial list = buyable only
Exotic list = random only

Galleon & Merchantmen: increase number of possible upgrades.

At the same point values, but without the extra +5 to pick?

So an Imperial upgrade is 15 points (or as you say +/- 5 to that), an exotic upgrade 15 points.

Correct?

[Cyk0]

Basically yea

And you have the option of giving individual point values to the different imperial upgrades if you feel that they are not equally good, you cold also town in some more if you find any suitable ones.

And you should move around stuff in the exotic list so that the most desirable stuff are on the low and high numbers with the less desirable stuff occupying the middle around 7 (so that its hard to get the good stuff)

Also you probably don't need limit the number of exotic upgrades for ships (it just goes with the general upgrade limit)

And as I said I think the forge ship could have changed stats to be more interesting with the fleet. Slower, ad some small launch bay capacity for fluff utility for a rouge trader. Maybe lower shields to two and give it a ridiculous amount of possible upgrades.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Well Im sure we could come up with a few more Imperial options in a pinch. +1 wing capacity (capitol ship only) is something that could be added fairly simply and would allow for the carriers to have increased launch capacity. Some options on the Forge ship seems in order too (strictly structural changes? Swapping weapons systems and such, 6 guns for 2 wing flight decks?)

[horizon]

So:
Forgeship:
FORGESHIP 300PTS
Any suitable Grand Cruiser Model
Bound together by ancient treaties and deeds of promise, the Adeptus Mechanicus have a long standing relationship with the Black Templars. Various physical assets are offered by the Mechanicus, most notably Forgeships and the fleet resources they hold. Forgeships are however, usually obsolete vessels converted solely for their role as fleet support. The weaponry afforded a Forgeship befits its function and reluctant presence in a battle, being long range and broadside only.

Cruiser 10 hits
speed 20cm
turns 45
shields 3
armour 5+
turrets 3

variant one:
port weapons battery 60cm strength 10 left
starboard weapons battery 60cm strength 10 right

variant two:
port weapons battery 60cm strength 6 left
starboard weapons battery 60cm strength 6 right
port launch bay strength 2
starboard launch bay strength 2


To add:
+5 Imperial Upgrades

[Cyk0]

Yea that would work, Personally I would make it cheaper and drop shields by 5 and maybe even one shield... The idea being that the user should use the upgrade tables to bring it on par with the opposition (and possibly to make it keep up with its own fleet)

[horizon]

Hmm, I think the speed at 20cm is okay-ish. If it drops to 15cm, the +5cm upgrade will be such a mandatory choice to most it won't be special anymore. I think so.

Shields to 2 is fine.

pricing ~270 ?