How do YOU play Rogue Trader?

[Frank FJA]

I was just curious since, in my eyes, Rogue Trader is "The game of games" meaning you can really play the game in a bunch of different ways and styles.

Aside from the fact that My friends and I usually make up rules on the fly, We generally play RT with a sort of narrative attitude, but only casual.
For instance, we hate vehice rules so we either don't use them or just make up stats and say that move 12-30'' or something. And we strictly ONLY use Scatter Dice for scatter weapons and the like. We never really level up our models, other than Realm of Chaos crazy mutations lol. Generally I play only Skirmish or Very small scale battles (myabe 3 or 4 squads of 5 with a hero). And we always either make stupid scenarios or cool story based ones (usually 1 player vs the GM) that are a lot less streight forward. If we have enough people we give each player a single model to level up and exploare the board! sometimes we even use our fantasy models with the ruleset.

So do you play in RPG or wargame style? Or both? and If both how? Do you use the Battle manual?

 

[ramshackle_curtis]

I tend to enjiI think one does have to heavily mod the rules though. We played quite a few games of Realm of Chaos and the system was shockingly open to exploitation! SO yeah, house rules the mofo.

Oyr house rules:
.
Grenades are purchased once, and then remain for campaign.
Toxin Grenades do 1 wound and you get a respirator save.
You can use both warhammer 3rd ed and rogue trader weapons, although many warhammer weapons wont be useful in 40k.
Most recent weapon stats can be found in the compendium(???)

Armour stacks, so mesh, flack and power gives you a save of 1+. Same with shields. However, light armour can be sold for 2 points and bought as 1 point flack, so please feel free to exploit the two cost tables for equipement to your best advantage. Use 40k armour not FB.

Use psionics from 40k rules, but you have to take the fist spell/power for each level from your patron power.

where you can, please try to avoid using warhammer 3rd ed and use 40k equivelent. If this is not possible then please discuss a solution with your opponent/GM/List.

 

[Mr Papafakis]

That armour stacking mod sounds a bit strange Curtis. It's like a warrior wearing two sets of plate mail Couldn't you just say "this suit of "X" armour is a super duper one "?

Just doesn't make aesthetic sense to see a humanoid creature walking around with three sets or armour, all cobbled together

 

[Fimm McCool]

Mesh and Power or Mesh and Flak could work together, like a knight wearing plate over mail (unless this is already taken into account in the rules) but I'd agree Power over Flak would make you very sweaty... mind you they do have those massive air-conditioning backpacks for a reason!

 

[Mr Papafakis]

I thought that was just to process their urine back into drinking water

 

[dieselmonkey]

I thought that was just to process their urine back into drinking water

Much like the armour stacking, that appears to be taking the piss.

 

[Asslessman]

Just got my transparent sheet to play with the manual

Your way to play teh game seems really nice to me, and I'm actually looking for the same things as you are in games of 40k. That has led me to consider conforntation might be even more adpated to it (other subject I guess).
RT is the "pick and play" game by essence for me. Just a mean toget aliens and adventurers to fight for a certain reason to give players the oportunity to act silly via their models.

 

[Coopdevil]

The answer for us is "not as often as we'd like because of the overhead of creating a scenario".

So we've start looking at playing 2nd (a game I have no memories of playing "in period") because the random mission cards and strategy cards effectively make a scenario for you, one that you can then embellish with narrative stuff.

For example, having printed out and sleeved a set of cards last night (my copy of 2nd is rulebook only so lacked them) I dealt myself a dummy hand and got

Mission - The Assassins (kill enemy CO) along with
Strategy - Divine Inspiration +1ld to all troops and
Strategy - Ambush. Deploy a unit up to 24" in and already in overwatch.

That random draw immediately creates a background - Marines sent to lure the enemy CO into a trap and delighted to be doing it because the enemy are heretics or belong to a rival religious sect.

 

[daddyorchips]

irregularly and with gusto.

 

[Piers B]

I just play RT a bit like an RPG on the table... with lots of cannon fodder.

But im in the process of writing my own rules so hopefully that will give me what I want.

 

[Red Orc]

Not played in ages, but when I did, it was with shampoo bottles, improbable alliances (at least to modern eyes) and lots of Orc/ks. Castles too, sometimes with airfresheners on them as a 'communications array'.