Hello, Rogue Trader fans!

This week I’d like to take some time to talk about our next upcoming book for the Rogue Trader line, Lure of the Expanse.

Lure of the Expanse is actually three linked adventures in one book: Eye of the Needle, The Heathen Trail, and The World Beyond. Each adventure can be played individually, or linked together to form a grand Endeavour that will see the Explorers travel across the Expanse, striving with their competitors, and risking their lives and profits to become legends of the Expanse.

The first adventure begins in the disreputable port of Footfall, at the far end of the Maw. Footfall is where the Koronus Expanse begins, the first port outside Imperial authority. Footfall is a freeport established by the Rogue Trader Parsimus Dewain, and has quickly evolved into a lynchpin of operations within the Expanse. It’s location at the end of the Maw makes it a vitally important station, but does not mean it is a safe place to visit.

Footfall is technically “ruled” by its liege, although the real powers behind the throne are the shadowy organizations that have a stake in the lawless port. Lieges who have exceeded their very limited authority have ended up replaced very quickly by a liege more amiable to suggestions from his hidden backers.

The situation is further complicated by ancient tradition that states that the station is actually ruled by the most powerful Rogue Trader who happens to be in port. Some Rogue Traders, such as the notorious Calligos Winterscale, take this authority literally, and when he is present he presides over the port like an Imperial governor. Most Rogue Traders, however, take a hands-off approach, and so long as the powers of Footfall do not interfere with their affairs, they are happy to leave those powers to their own devices.

Eye of the Needle includes a detailed gazetteer of Footfall, with enough information that GMs can create their own adventures in the lawless port, as well as expanding on the Eye of the Needle adventure if the group wishes. As one half of the ‘gateway’ into the Koronus Expanse (the other half being Port Wander), Footfall promises to be a vital part of many adventures in the Expanse, and beyond providing exciting adventures, Lure also contains vital information about this nefarious port...as well as other fascinating locations throughout the Expanse.

Stay tuned for next designer diary, when I discuss some of the design philosophies behind the Lure of the Expanse adventures. Until then, I wish you clear space and fair sailing!

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

You are a Rogue Trader, an explorer with a sacred mandate to venture beyond the limits of the Imperium in the name of the Emperor. Whether you live the life of an outlaw privateer, or as a scion of an ancient noble line, as a Rogue Trader you have the power and the tools to challenge all rivals for supreme control of the riches lurking in the uncharted reaches of space.

Now, you can bring the light of the Emperor to the darkest corners of the Koronus Expanse. Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming sourcebook for Rogue Trader, Lure of the Expanse!

Lure of the Expanse features three adventures set amongst the unexplored stars beyond the Imperium. Wealth and glory await those with the courage to venture into the farthest reaches of space.

In Eye of the Needle, your Explorers will travel to the perilous port of Footfall to learn of a dark prophecy of long-lost riches. In The Heathen Trail, the Explorers find themselves on the path of uncountable riches... but they must cross the wild tracts of the Heathen Stars. Threats abound, but can the Explorers transform danger into rewards? Finally, in The World Beyond, the Explorers discover the location of the legendary treasure world. Now, can they prevail against a host of enemies?

This spring, explore the dark frontier of the Warhammer 40,000 universe with this collection of exciting adventures for Rogue Trader. Opportunity abounds. Will you answer the call of the Expanse?

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Greetings to all Rogue Traders!

As we approach the end of an exceptional year for the Explorers who scour uncharted regions of the galaxy, we would like to offer you a little something special as you brave your chosen path towards adventure and profit.

Please enjoy the following player's aid called Drydock. This document, while brief, will help streamline ship construction including a walkthrough of the shipbuilding process, and both the Essential and Supplemental component lists. In addition, the last page provides a welcome summary of starship combat, listing the available Manoeuvre, Shooting and Extended actions available during combat.

You will find Drydock, and a wealth of other material, available for download on the Rogue Trader Support page.

Happy Holidays and thanks to everyone for making Rogue Trader such a success! 

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that the Rogue Trader Game Master’s Kit is now available at your local game store and at our webstore!

The Game Master’s Kit comes with a sturdy, full color, four-panel Game Master’s Screen, packed full of tables and information for quick referencing during game sessions. In addition, the kit features a sourcebook containing an NPC starship generator and a random star system generator, allowing Game Masters to quickly fill in the blank spaces on the map for their players to explore, and populate them with diverse adversaries.

The Game Master’s Kit also includes a new adventure for the Rogue Trader line, Whispers on the Storm. Take your Explorers deep into the Koronus Expanse... Fortune and peril await!

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Greetings, Rogue Traders!

Last week a transport broke free of the warp and delivered a shipment to our warehouse. I’m pleased to announce that the Rogue Trader Game Master’s Kit has arrived, and is being shipped out to stores even as I write this.

The Game Master’s Kit comes with a sturdy, full color Game Master’s Screen, packed full of tables and information for quick referencing during game sessions. In addition, the kit comes with a booklet containing an NPC starship generator and a random star system generator, allowing Game Masters to quickly fill in the blank spaces on the map for their players to explore, and populate them with diverse adversaries. In addition, the Game Master’s Kit includes a new adventure for the Rogue Trader line, Whispers on the Storm.

Whispers on the Storm sees the characters presented with a profit-filled opportunity, and a powerful ally. However, in the Expanse nothing is what it first appears, and this holds doubly true for the situation the characters find themselves in.

Just why has Captain Keel traveled into the Koronus Expanse, and what could prove so threatening that he has brought an Imperial cruiser with him? Where is Svard, and what secrets lie below churning cloud decks, within the orbiting Installation 23?

Players must discover the answers to these questions if they hope to triumph, or even survive. Success promises riches…and the chance for the players to build a dynasty from conflict and war. However, should they fail, the burning wreckage of their ship will be lost forever beneath Svard’s storms.

Keep your eyes peeled for more cool information about the Game Master’s Kit. Until then, may all your endeavours bear profit!

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Deep within the generatorium-crypts below Footfall's void shield projectors, two hooded figures meet in the steam-filled tunnels.
"You'll be sure not to let on where you got this?" one figure says, as he glances fugitively from side to side. "If my masters learn what I..."
"Your masters are far away, my friend," the other responds. "Give them to me."
The first hands over a data slate, and several sheafs of parchment. "I copied these, they were submitted with the report."
"Good, good," the individual replies, already reading the hurried scrawl. "Now go, and enjoy your reward."
The first turns and flees down the passage. The other is so engrossed in the information contained on the data-slate, he does not notice him leave. Nor does he notice the single las-shot that echoes down the passageway a minute later.
Finally, he tucks away the data-slate and parchment, and smiles. Master Winterscale will be pleased...

Hello, Rogue Trader fans!

The history of the Imperium is full of half-truths, legends, and lies. Delving into the truth of matters is often difficult, and sometimes impossible. However, after much effort we have unearthed some of the secrets of the Koronus Expanse, a history of deeds and events both grand and nefarious. Now it falls on you to sort the facts from the fantasy.

Download it here, or on the support page.

A History of the Koronus Expanse, high-res (pdf, 30mb)
A History of the Koronus Expanse, web-quality (pdf, 1.6mb)

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Resolved henceforth in the name of the Most Beneficent God-Emperor of Mankind, the High Lords of Terra grant Warrants of Trade to those brave souls listed here, and to all of their line, from this day unto the end of time....

The list of Officially Sanctioned Rogue Traders (pdf, 784kb), consisting of fans who personalized their copies of Rogue Trader Collector’s Edition, is now on the support page!

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

The time is here. The Emperor has entrusted you with the sacred duty to explore the galaxy and bring it under his protection and control, and your commission begins today.

Rogue Trader is now on sale at retailers and in our webstore!

In Rogue Trader, you take on the role of a Rogue Trader and his most trusted counsellors, empowered by an ancient warrant of trade to seek out profit and plunder amongst unexplored regions of space. Your ship will take you to new worlds and uncharted reaches of the void, where you will encounter rivals, pirates, aliens, and possibly even creatures of the warp. You will acquire and spend great wealth and riches, and fame or infamy will follow. You will discover ancient and forgotten mysteries and search out the unknown to find lost human worlds or never before seen celestial phenomena. You must survive the dangers of space, for beyond the threat of vacuum and deadly radiation lurk things Man was never meant to find.

Head over to the description page to see more information on this ground-breaking RPG, then see your friendly local game retailer or visit our webstore! If you have any questions about your Rogue Trader Collector's Edition purchase, please contact store@fantasyflightgames.com.

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

A battered trading vessel has just docked at the FFG warehouse, having braved the perils of the galaxy to deliver its precious cargo. The freighter’s crew faced untold dangers to spread the word of the Emperor to our offices, and very soon, the same sacred responsibility will fall to you.

Sam Stewart and Ross Watson celebrate the recent arrival of a shipment of Rogue Trader Collector's Edition

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that copies of Rogue Trader will soon be on their way to distributors!

Regular editions of the much-anticipated core rulebook will begin shipping to distributors next week, and Collector’s Edition copies are already being hand assembled and shipped out by FFG employees. But if you ordered a copy of Rogue Trader Collector’s Edition, please be patient. Due to the meticulous preparation process involved in personalizing these rare artefacts, we can only send out roughly fifty copies per day.

Prepare your crew, ready your weapons, and set a course for wealth and glory. Soon, you will claim your prize...

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

Hello, Rogue Trader fans!

This week I'm proud to present Rogue Trader writer Tim Huckelbery, and his musings on the Armoury Chapter. 

Hi there folks, I’m Tim Huckelbery and one of the sections I wrote for in the Rogue Trader core book was the Armoury section, which, luckily enough, is what we’re going to talk about in this Designer’s Diary. So settle in, pour yourself a few fingers of wobble, undo your holster’s thumb break (this place looks a little rough), and I’ll talk a little about my role in Rogue Trader weapons and gear section.

I got started working on the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay line way back in the initial Dark Heresy development days, when I handled the core rulebook's armoury section. That was my first gig writing for a roleplaying game, and I’ve been contributing to the line ever since.

I’ve always enjoyed the “techie” parts of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I love trying to figure out how they could work in a semi-realistic manner with a minimum of resorting to “handwavium” (aka, waving your hands in the air and saying “well that’s how it works here, we’ll ignore all the laws of physics”). I normally to keep things inside the realm of solidly possibly technology—except, of course, this is a universe where painting a vehicle red will indeed make it go faster (at least for Orks). It’s a setting where along with the four basic fundamental physical forces like gravity or electromagnetism, you also have things like Faith and Warp Energies that can be just as powerful. Which means writing about the various weapons and gear involves an interesting mix of techno-speak and theology at times, and makes working on them a fun challenge.

So speaking of working—writing for the Armoury section for Rogue Trader was both easily familiar but sometimes difficult to do. Obviously we wanted to use many of the same weapons and equipment from the first game in this new book, especially as they are meant to be compatible together, but we didn’t want to simply reprint what we’d done before. So the task was to provide the 'staple' weapons of the 41st Millennium while keeping them new and interesting for Dark Heresy fans.

The result has many of the mainstay items of the Warhammer 40,000, but most have minor variants and twists to keep them fresh. We’ve also added quite a lot of new items, especially new bits of xenos technology. As the important crew on a Rogue Trader's vessel there will be lots of contact with aliens and many opportunities to trade/find/steal their devices! You’ll see eldar shuriken catapults, ork sluggas, kroot rifles, and other famous alien items, alongside the new and mysterious Crux Beam Guns, deadly Fractal Blades, and more.

As your characters are more powerful and have access to a wider variety of gear, we’ve also included higher end items like Digital Weapons and a broad variety of personal bionics so players can customize their bodies as well as their clothing. You’ll also find little bits like alternate firing modes for plasma weapons, and fun new things like groxwhips, shock gloves, warhammers (how could we not have them for this game!), and power mauls. Overall I think players will get some interesting gear to work with as they set out to explore the Koronus Expanse. It’s a dangerous place, and you’ll be wanting to be fully kitted out before embarking on your voyage.

You may have noticed there is a lot of “we” mentioned above. That’s because this book had a strong collaborative effort going from the start. From the beginning, all of the writers for Rogue Trader were brought together thanks to the wonders of the Internet. This allowed us to discuss topics, propose ideas, pass around drafts for critique, and in general all work together to make this the best possible book we could. I have to say this was the best part of working on the game—all of the wonderful ideas that bounced around (some of which bounced right out of this book, but may still turn up elsewhere), checking our worksite to see who had posted up what new things for review, and in general having a great bunch of people to collaborate with for the project. It was a great period of time with lots of late nights and scattered Warhammer 40,000 reference works (my work room floor was covered with old books and magazines for many months), but a really wonderful experience.

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.