I'm in the process of wrapping up a short Rogue Trader campaign, and while me and my players have had great fun running it we have had a few issues with the rules as written.  One of the biggest sticking points with my players are the Career skill trees, the jumbled skill system, and the pace of advancement, as well as some of the combat rules reguarding automatic fire.  The things that worked well for us was the Origin Path system which allowed us to come up with unique backstories while building our characters. 

Most of the problems me and my group have encountered are addressed in FFG's latest entry to the 40k RPG line: Only War.  So for me the solution is simple, update RT character creation rules to OW standards and use OW combat rules.  The problem is that I don't want to throw the Origin Path out, and thus it will have to be redone.

I've created a google doc folder here: https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B5IhPBoHK3FAbWhiMmZFdG1mdnM/edit

My thought process and rational: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H6xA03p6ddJa0P_kErWuA8q4I-Qp9Y-KiJS3w1bDn-8/edit

Homeworlds - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rLcxmb0syrFEfUkGxNG_czG3droZLxWFuJjgtC4tn-c/edit

Birthrights - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H6xA03p6ddJa0P_kErWuA8q4I-Qp9Y-KiJS3w1bDn-8/edit?usp=sharing

Lure of the Void - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RAkOmYM4w7MXtihTUBPdnA3uKOsgtmnZMrJ0mfPIJIY/edit?usp=sharing

Trials and Travails - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YixWae3kdDuMyWeK-vmOXTAve5oPnxRjTaI1LZQxHUg/edit?usp=sharing

Motivation - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zVlHM-nvB7icm1VVC1xj_n636HJ_J0Km2mmY6zdb1CI/edit?usp=sharing

Careers - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A96unmEl3oJ5qDGBQQ9qOUaH89ThJ9ZXKyXY_QR2onk/edit?usp=sharing

Crossovers - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hs1MCi75jfcYKJpaQMjtlBdcCl8qVymxCmMMohPC5CA/edit?usp=sharing

Hordes - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEuN2dEJTakIYZJwNu2v2Hzxb3BjESoZZDpoLVDemaw/edit?usp=sharing

Henchmen (unfinished) - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T6BXBmSfuTknlUfqXqwu6LqvXoP1Jd1Wgg5Z8ZlyoeI/edit?usp=sharing

My current delimas are:

• General balance issues, are there optimal choices?
• Are characters too powerful for people heading a rogue trader dynasty?
• Does the new system promote specialists or generalists.
• Have I missed anything significant which might impact player's enjoyment of the game?
• Have I made any spelling or gramatical mistakes? (hint: yes, I have)
• What do people think of Horde Rules?
• What do people think of Henchmen Rules?

Latest update 13/04/13

Any input is appretiated.

thanks,

Ah, a kindred spirit! Warms my old heart.

This seems to be good work so far, though it deserves a more thorough look through when I'm free. I can't wait to see your finished Orign Path and especially want to see your Specializations. Got any plans to overhaul ship combat or do xenos specializations?

I haven't really gone in to specializations yet, the original ones I did were based on the thread I found by you however I'm going to go over them again before I post them.  One thing I want to add is a greater element of choice, the other is that some Careers to not convert well to OW (such as the Navigatior who does not have a well defined roll outside of steering the ship in the warp).  I don't plan on doing Xenos for awhile and as for ship combat I'll probably use the Ship armor house rule in the RT forum and update a few ship combat actions.  :)

Right now I'm working on a second draft of the Homeworlds which should allow players more flexability in their birthright choices depending on their homeworld choices.

Snap_Dragon said:

Bollocks! I was hoping to see your take on the Navigator. He and the Seneschal are my two favorites, and they're the only ones not easily covered by Only War or my work.

Glad to see someone is working on this. Keep up the good work!

Edit: After reading it again, it seems like there is a bit too much fluff overlap between the Battlefleet & Void-born options. I'm interested in your rational behind the options in Service is Mastery & Able Voidman sections. Otherwise, I really like what you've done so far.

I'm working on a new version of the Homeworld doccument which adds a bit more definition.  I've removed the multiple choice bits and made those advanced options which cost XP but give you different bonuses or change the skills and traits offered by the homeworld.  They also allow you to take diferent options than the adjacent options on the origin path. 

the new Battlefleet has High Officer(which can lead to Vaunted) offers more command skills, and Naval Rating remove the command abilities but allows you to take Scapegrace.  The new Void Born has different types of ships (one which makes it more like a sparefairing child of a dynasty).  This gives a little more flexability in the Origin Path (although it is easier to go down that up) but at a cost in XP.

Snap_Dragon said:

Sounds good! Looking forward to seeing it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H6xA03p6ddJa0P_kErWuA8q4I-Qp9Y-KiJS3w1bDn-8/edit

New and Improved Homeworld options.  I took a page from the Background packages from the Inquisitors Handbook to add more flavour and flexability.  I'll probably make another pass over this as I have probably over assigned a smaller subset of skills and talents since I did not have all the talents and skills in mind when I first wrote this.

The background packages have something called a Transition which allows you to choose a Origin path option rather than the adjacent ones.  Thus I could go from being on a Death World to the Imperial Guard though the Deathworld Legion package.

The Birthright section should also be done shortly.

Snap_Dragon said:

The page is currently locked to people not authorized by you. Might want to open that up.

I was going to leave it till I was finished the first draft, but I guess it's close enough

Took a look at the different birthright options. They all seemed pretty good to me. Anymore updates?

I'll share Lure of the Void in a bit, the holidays has me kind of busy.  

First draft of Lure of the Void is up, along with the updated version of Birthrights.

you can find the repository here:

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B5IhPBoHK3FAbWhiMmZFdG1mdnM/edit

I have added more houserule bits to give a much more distict feel to each of the options presented.  I've also modified them to allow characters to pick up new aptitudes along the way.

Merry Christmas,

I gotta say, I love the Duty to Another option. That's just a clever handful of mechanics. Looking forward to see the rest of the Origin Path; you've done grand work so far.

But no plans for Navigators and Xenos, right?

I'll get around to Navigators and possibly Xenos.  The Xenos are somewhat discouraging as they will very difficult from a balance standpoint.

Duty to Another was what convinced me to go over Birthrights again and add some more interesting mechanics to that.  I also need to add a few more transitions to the Lure of the Void section, but my goal is to have options decrease as you get closer and closer to the end of the origin path.  

Snap_Dragon said:

Navigators are great news. I like them ever so much.

Xenos aren't too hard to balance. The 'Non-Imperial' and 'Speak Not Unto The Alien' traits make them good for not much outside of combat. Orks suffer from being incapable of using non-Ork weapons, being stupid, and being uncharismatic fellas, but they can still manage quite a few roles. I personally love the Kroot's abilities for tracking and the decent mix of sniping and melee. Just a point-for-point tradeoff makes them pretty easy to balance.

I need to get around to make Stryxis rules. They'd basically handle like a xenos Rogue Trader.