Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader — Merchant princes beyond the Imperium

"Ambition knows no bounds. Neither does the Koronus Expanse."

Diced100

Players3–6

Prep~60 min

Foundry VTTCommunity

Complexity

What is this system

Fantasy Flight Games' 2009 RPG about Rogue Trader dynasties — captains holding a Warrant of Trade from the Emperor himself, free to fly beyond the Imperium's borders, to trade, wage war and claim new worlds. The same d100 engine as Dark Heresy's first edition, but at a very different scale: from session one you command a starship kilometres long, and characters start far more capable than acolytes. The line is out of print; Cubicle 7 sells the PDFs. Of the 40k RPGs this is the swashbuckling one: Dark Heresy and Imperium Maledictum are about intrigue inside the Imperium, Wrath & Glory is dice-pool heroics, and Rogue Trader is about gold, stars and the unknown.

Setting

The Koronus Expanse, an uncharted region beyond the Maw, a warp passage out of the Calixis Sector. Lost worlds, xenos ruins, Ork raiders, Eldar secrets and obscene profits for whoever survives. Your ship is your home, your army and your most expensive character.

What it looks like at the table

Your Rogue Trader needs a regiment of veteran Guardsmen for a landing on a feral world. That is an Acquisition test against Profit Factor 42; the GM applies −10 for scarcity, so the target is 32. The d100 shows 19: the regiment is yours. A week later an Ork raider drops out of the warp. Your Void-master rolls Pilot to swing the ship broadside-on, and the macrobatteries open fire. Capture that ship and it counts toward your Endeavour's objective — and more Achievement Points.

Playstyle

Exploration Combat Space

Key mechanics

Origin Path

Characters are built along a chain: home world, birthright, lure of the void, trials, motivation, career. Players' paths cross, and the group's shared history writes itself.

Profit Factor

Nobody counts Thrones. Want a ship, a regiment or a cargo? Roll against the dynasty's Profit Factor. Endeavours earn Achievement Points that raise it; misfortunes and failures drag it down.

Your own starship

The group builds its ship from a hull, essential components and weapons, balancing power and space. Void combat is its own mini-game, with every player holding a post on the bridge.

First-edition d100

Roll-under percentile tests with Degrees of Success, reversed digits for hit location, Fate, Insanity and Corruption — the same core as Dark Heresy 1e, Deathwatch and Only War.

What people say

Rogue Trader focuses on the journeys of 40k's rascally merchant explorers, allowing for more adventurous stories and more diverse parties—even including xenos characters.— Robin Valentine, PC Gamer

Art & materials