TEXT: AN INTRODUCTION TO 
  ROGUE TRADER
  
  2
  It is the 41st Millennium
  F
  or more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of 
  mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting 
  carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom 
  a thousand souls are sacriﬁ ced every day so that he may never truly die.
  Yet in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battleﬂ eets cross the Daemon-infested miasma of 
  the warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomicon, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will. 
  Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds, but for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-
  present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants, and worse.
  To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. 
  Yet you are not just any individual—you are an Explorer on a Rogue Trader ship with authority and freedom far beyond the 
  comprehension of the masses. Empowered by an ancient warrant of trade and a warp-capable ship, you will venture into the 
  uncharted voids, discovering new worlds, lost civilisations, and bizarre alien technology. Fortune and glory are within reach. Rogue 
  Traders stand on the threshold of unlimited opportunity and innumerable dangers.
  WHAT IS ROGUE TRADER?
  In ROGUE TRADER, you will assume the roles of a privateering merchant prince, or “Rogue Trader,” or one of his trusted counsellors. 
  You are empowered by an ancient warrant of trade to seek out proﬁ t and plunder amongst unexplored regions of space, outside 
  the Imperium’s grasp. Your ship will take you to new worlds and uncharted reaches of the void, where you will encounter rivals, 
  pirates, aliens, and possibly even daemons of the warp. You will acquire and spend great wealth and riches, and fame or infamy will 
  follow in your footsteps. You will discover ancient and forgotten mysteries and search out the unknown to ﬁ nd lost human worlds 
  and never before seen celestial phenomena. You must survive the dangers of space, not only the threat of vacuum, cold, and deadly 
  radiation, but the things that lurk in the dark void between stars 
  that man was never meant to ﬁ nd. 
  To be part of a Rogue Trader crew is to stand on the threshold 
  of nearly unlimited opportunity. Vast fortunes await on the edges 
  of the galaxy, if you and your fellow Explorers can muster the 
  courage to ﬁ nd and claim them. Renown and riches reward the 
  bold, but the unwary ﬁ nd only an anonymous death. 
  A Rogue Trader’s true reward lies beyond fame and fortune, 
  however. A Rogue Trader who can take risks and wrest them into 
  proﬁ ts by skill, luck, or sheer force of will enjoys something few 
  humans in the 41st Millennium even know. A Rogue Trader’s 
  life is one of adventure and true freedom, the freedom to choose 
  his course, and to see the consequences of his choices for good 
  or ill. This is not to say, however, that the course is not fraught 
  with peril. Foul aliens, pernicious raiders, and even other Rogue 
  Traders will stand in your way on the path to greatness. Your wits 
  and courage will be tested to their utmost limits. To survive is to 
  face even greater challenges—and to wield even greater power.
  PRE-GENERATED CHARACTERS
  The following sample characters have been speciﬁ cally designed 
  for the FORSAKEN BOUNTY preview adventure that begins on 
  page 14 of this booklet. While only three different characters 
  are provided, FORSAKEN BOUNTY can easily accommodate larger 
  player groups by adding additional Arch-militant characters.
  
  3
  CHARACTERISTICS
   Weapon Skill 
  Ballistic Skill 
  Strength 
  Toughness 
  Agility 
  Intelligence 
  Perception 
  Will Power 
  Fellowship
   
  WS 
  BS 
  Str 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  Per 
  WP 
  Fel
   4    4          3   4            3   0           3   1             3   8           4   2             3   3            4   6           5   1
  Character Name: Sarvus Trask 
   
  Player Name________________________________________
  Home World: Port Wander (Void-Born) 
  Career Path: Rogue Trader  
   
   
   
   
  Rank: 1
  Motivation: Renown 
   
   
  Quote: “Remember my name. You will soon hear it spoken across the Expanse.”
  Description: Sarvus Trask is a bold, charismatic man of class and culture; he was born aboard the orbital station of Port Wander and rose 
  to prominence there as a scion of a young and fairly new Rogue Trader dynasty. Founded by Sarvus’ paternal grandfather, Jorvus Trask, the 
  lineage has suffered from hard times and setbacks. Sarvus is determined to bring his family’s warrant of trade back to greatness.
  Awareness (Per)
  Charm (Fel)
  Common Lore (Int)† (Imperium)
  Deceive (Fel)
  Dodge (Ag)
  Pilot (Ag)† (Space Craft)
  Scholastic Lore (Int)†
  Astromancy
  Occult
  Search (Per)
  SKILLS
  Basic
  Skilled
  +10%
  +20%
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  TALENTS AND SPECIAL RULES
  Special Ability: Trask possesses the Commanding Presence special 
  ability. Once per Round, he can grant a +10% bonus to an ally for any 
  Test, as long as the ally can see and hear him.
  Balanced: Trask’s power sword is expertly crafted and easy for a 
  trained combatant to wield. He receives a +10% bonus to his Weapon 
  Skill Tests made to Parry with this weapon.
  Power Field: Trask’s power sword is wreathed in energy that increases 
  its Damage and Penetration (already included in the weapon’s stats). 
  Additionally, when this power sword is used to Parry an attack from 
  a weapon without a power ﬁ eld, there is a 75% chance the attacking 
  weapon is destroyed.
  Two-Weapon Wielder: Rogue Trader Sarvus Trask is ambidextrous 
  and trained to ﬁ ght with both his power sword and pistol at the same 
  time. On his Turn, he can make one Standard Attack with either 
  weapon without penalty. Alternatively, as a Full Action, he can attack 
  with both weapons at the same time. 
  WOUNDS
  Total: 12
  Current_______________
  Fatigue_______________
  FATE POINTS
  Total: 3
  Current_______________
  MOVEMENT
  Half Action: 3m Full Action: 6m
  Charge: 9m 
  Run: 18m
  ARMOUR
  Storm Trooper Carapace Armour
  Armour Points: 6
  GEAR
  Micro-bead, void-breather, set of ﬁ ne clothing, xeno-pelt cloak, 2 
  clips of stub ammo.
  WEAPON
  Name: Kulth Sixkiller Stub Revolver
  Class: Pistol Damage: 1d10+4 Pen: 2
  Range: 30m 
  ROF: S/–/– Clip: 6 Reload: Full
  Special Rules: None
  WEAPON
  Name: Power sword
  Class: Melee Damage: 1d10+8 Pen: 6
  Special Rules: Balanced, Power Field
  The three most important things to know about playing Trask are:
  You are very skilled with a sword and ﬁ ght well in close 
  • 
  combat.
  You are a naturally charismatic leader and are skilled at dealing 
  • 
  with other people.
  You are committed to restoring renown to your family name 
  • 
  and lineage.
  
  CHARACTERISTICS
   Weapon Skill 
  Ballistic Skill 
  Strength 
  Toughness 
  Agility 
  Intelligence 
  Perception 
  Will Power 
  Fellowship
   
  WS 
  BS 
  Str 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  Per 
  WP 
  Fel
   3    5          4   5            3   3           4   1             4   3           4   3             3   7            3   5           4   3
  Character Name: Lorayne Thornhallow 
  Player Name________________________________________
  Home World: Veneris (Imperial World) 
  Career Path: Arch-militant  
   
   
   
  Rank: 1
  Motivation: Vengeance 
   
   
  Quote:“The taste of both war and revenge is sweet upon my tongue. I hunger for more.”
  Description: Lorayne Thornhallow has been many things: mercenary, bounty hunter, and now bodyguard to Rogue Trader Sarvus Trask. 
  Lorayne had a normal life on the Shrine World of Veneris until her seventeenth year. A merchant’s greed ruined her family’s fortune and 
  drove her brother to suicide. Consumed by anger and despair, Lorayne left her home world and wandered, learning the ways of war as a sol-
  dier for hire and then as a bounty hunter, until she ﬁ nally tracked down her prey and made the merchant pay dearly for his ill-gotten gains. 
  Sarvus Trask then took her on as a bodyguard, and she has stayed with him since.
  Awareness (Per)
  Common Lore (Int)† 
  Imperium
  War
  Dodge (Ag)
  Intimidate (S)
  Medicae (Int)
  Scholastic Lore (Int)†
  Tactica Imperialis
  Search (Per)
  SKILLS
  Basic
  Skilled
  +10%
  +20%
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  TALENTS AND SPECIAL RULES
  Special Ability: Lorayne possesses the Weapon Master special ability. 
  With any Basic-class weapon (such as her Locke-pattern Boltgun), she 
  gains a +10% bonus to hit, +2 to Damage (already added in), and +2 
  initiative.
  Tearing: Thornhallow’s Locke-pattern boltgun ﬁ res volleys of armour 
  penetrating rounds that explode upon impact. When rolling for 
  Damage, make two rolls and choose the highest result.
  Combat Formation: Lorayne can direct her comrades to be prepared 
  for danger. Before rolling initiative, any group involving Lorayne can 
  choose to use her Intelligence Bonus (4) for all initiative rolls rather 
  than their individual Agility bonuses. Remember that Lorayne (and 
  only Lorayne!) gains a +2 bonus to her initiative when using her 
  boltgun in combat.
  WOUNDS
  Total: 15
  Current_______________
  Fatigue_______________
  FATE POINTS
  Total: 3
  Current_______________
  MOVEMENT
  Half Action: 4m Full Action: 8m
  Charge: 12m 
  Run: 24m
  ARMOUR
  Enforcer Light  Carapace
  Armour Points: 5
  GEAR
  Micro-bead, void-breather, bolt shell keepsake, medikit, manacles, 
  data-slate full of wanted bounties, 2 clips of bolt ammo.
  WEAPON
  Name: Locke-pattern Boltgun
  Class: Basic Damage: 1d10+7 Pen: 4
  Range: 90m 
  ROF: S/2/4 Clip: 24 Reload: Full
  Special Rules: Tearing
  The three most important things to know about playing Lorayne 
  are:
  You are a master of ranged combat and excel at shooting with 
  • 
  your chosen weapon, a Locke-patten boltgun.
  You have the Medicae Skill and possess some talent and sewing 
  • 
  up wounds.
  You live for the thrill of the hunt and enjoy the hot-blooded rush 
  • 
  of battle.
  
  CHARACTERISTICS
   Weapon Skill 
  Ballistic Skill 
  Strength 
  Toughness 
  Agility 
  Intelligence 
  Perception 
  Will Power 
  Fellowship
   
  WS 
  BS 
  Str 
  T 
  Ag 
  Int 
  Per 
  WP 
  Fel
   3    7          3   9            3   4           3   1             3   6           4   8             3   8            4   8           4   7
  Character Name: Nathin Tsanthos Player Name________________________________________
  Home World: Spectoris (Imperial World) 
  Career Path: Seneschal 
   
   
   
  Rank: 1
  Motivation: Prestige 
   
   
  Quote:“The Expanse brims with stories waiting to be told.”
  Description: Nathin Tsanthos is a visionary and an elitist, a poor combination for the parochial Agri-world of Spectoris. He quietly ar-
  ranged off-world transport with a bribe to the right free trader, and was soon on his way to becoming a much more cultured and educated 
  man. In time, Tsanthos became obsessed with knowledge, pouring his efforts and wealth into obtaining passage into the Koronus Expanse 
  where great discoveries awaited only his autoquill to tell the tale. The Rogue Trader Sarvus Trask encountered Tsanthos and found a kin-
  dred spirit; the scholar agreed to lend his knowledge to Trask’s designs (in return for influence and reputation), and Tsanthos accompanied 
  the Rogue Trader on his voyages thereafter.
  Awareness (Per)
  Common Lore (Int)† 
  Imperium
  Underworld
  War
  Deceive (Fel)
  Dodge (Ag)
  Logic (Int)
  Scholastic Lore (Int)†
  Bureaucracy
  Legend
  Search (Per)
  Tech-Use (Int)
  SKILLS
  Basic
  Skilled
  +10%
  +20%
  x	x	o	o
  o	o	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  x	x	o	o
  TALENTS AND SPECIAL RULES
  Special Ability: Nathin possesses the Seeker of Lore special ability. 
  He may spend a Fate Point to automatically succeed at any Lore or 
  Logic Test in the minimum time required.
  Accurate: Nathin’s Archeotech Hellpistol is an ancient weapon of 
  precision designed to respond superbly in skilled hands. When he 
  declares an Aim action with this weapon, he receives a +10 bonus to 
  his next Ballistic Skill Test in addition to the normal bonus granted 
  by Aiming.
  Quick Draw: Nathin is able to draw his weapon as a Free Action.
  Talented (Tech-Use): Nathin has a knack for understanding and 
  repairing mechanical items and unusual technological artefacts. He 
  gains a +10 bonus to all Tech-Use Skill Tests.
  WOUNDS
  Total: 12
  Current_______________
  Fatigue_______________
  FATE POINTS
  Total: 3
  Current_______________
  MOVEMENT
  Half Action: 3m Full Action: 6m
  Charge: 9m 
  Run: 18m
  ARMOUR
  Xeno-mesh
  Armour Points: 4
  WEAPON
  Name: Archaotech Hellpistol
  Class: Pistol Damage: 1d10+5 Pen: 7
  Range: 35m 
  ROF: S/–/– Clip: 20 Reload: Full
  Special Rules: Accurate
  The three most important things to know about playing Nathin 
  are:
  You are a living repository of knowledge and can call to mind 
  •	
  obscure facts and legends in the blink of an eye.
  You can operate many tech-devices and commune with machine-
  •	
  spirits.
  You desire to see your discoveries and writings exalted one day as 
  •	
  those of a pre-eminent scholar of the Expanse.
  GEAR
  Autoquill, dataslate, micro-bead, two sets of robes, chrono, 2 clips of 
  hellpistol ammo, void-breather.
  
  6
  Rules 
  Summary
  The following pages summarise some of the most important 
  rules in the ROGUE TRADER game, especially those needed to 
  play through the preview adventure, FORSAKEN BOUNTY.
  CHARACTER ANATOMY
  In ROGUE TRADER, each player controls a character, who is 
  also known as an Explorer. Explorers are a varied bunch of 
  individuals who share a common urge to reject a “normal” 
  lifestyle within the Imperium and who instead desire to 
  venture into the unknown. In addition to personality, 
  disposition, background, and moral compass, exactly what a 
  particular Explorer is like is deﬁ ned by set of Characteristics, 
  Skills, Traits, and Talents.
  CHARACTERISTICS
  Characteristics represent an Explorer’s raw ability in a 
  variety of physical and mental areas. There are nine different 
  Characteristics, each rated on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher 
  the Characteristic score, the better.
  Weapon Skill (WS)
  Weapon Skill measures an Explorer’s competence in hand-
  to-hand ﬁ ghting, whether using ﬁ sts, knives, or chainswords.
  Ballistic Skill (BS)
  Ballistic Skill reﬂ ects an Explorer’s accuracy with ranged 
  weapons, such as boltguns and plasma pistols.
  Strength (S)
  Strength is a measure of an Explorer’s physique and determines 
  how much he can carry as well as how hard he can hit with 
  melee attacks.
  Toughness (T)
  Toughness deﬁ nes how easily an Explorer can shrug off injury 
  and how resilient he is to toxins, poisonous environments, 
  and other physical ailments.
  Agility (Ag)
  Agility measures an Explorer’s quickness, reﬂ exes, and poise.
  Intelligence (Int)
  Intelligence describes an Explorer’s acumen, 
  reason, education, and general knowledge.
  Perception (Per)
  Perception measures the acuteness of an Explorer’s senses and 
  determines how accurately he perceives his surroundings.
  Willpower (WP)
  Willpower describes an Explorer’s mental fortitude, indicates 
  how well he can withstand the multitude of horrors in the 
  universe, and serves as a key measure for psychic potential.
  Fellowship (Fel)
  Fellowship is an Explorer’s ability to interact with others, 
  deceive, charm, befriend, or lead.
  CHARACTERISTIC BONUSES
  Except for Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill, all Characteristics 
  have an associated bonus. The Characteristic Bonus is equal 
  to the tens digit of the Characteristic.
  Characteristic Bonuses are often used as modiﬁ ers. Since 
  these bonuses are determined by the Characteristic, they may 
  rise and fall throughout the game. Should a Characteristic 
  take a penalty, that penalty likewise applies to the 
  Characteristic Bonus.
  SKILLS
  The following Skills represent only a sampling of the Skills 
  that will be available in ROGUE TRADER. 
  Skill Types
  Skills are divided into two general categories: Basic and 
  Advanced. Basic Skills are common to citizens throughout 
  the Imperium, while Advanced Skills require special training 
  or experience.
  Awareness
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Perception
  Awareness reﬂ ects a character’s ability to perceive hidden 
  dangers and to notice small details about his physical 
  surroundings. Awareness is not tied to any one sense; it 
  encompasses them all. Awareness differs from Search in that 
  Awareness is more instinctual; it is tested passively or in 
  response to a subtle change. Making an Awareness Skill Test 
  is usually a Free Action.
  GEAR DEFINITIONS
  A micro-bead is a short-range communications 
  • 
  device.
  A chrono is a timepiece.
  • 
  A void-breather is a protective garment worn to 
  • 
  ward off the effects of exposure to space.
  A data-slate is a small, hand-held computer device.
  • 
  
  7
  Charm
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Fellowship
  Charm is used to befriend, persuade, or inﬂ uence others in 
  ways that are generally perceived as positive, or a least non-
  hostile. Making a Charm Skill Test usually takes about a 
  minute.
  Common Lore
  Type: Advanced
  Governing Characteristic: Intelligence
  Skill Group: Adeptus Arbites, Machine Cult, Administratum, 
  Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Creed, Imperial Guard, Imperium, 
  Tech, Underworld, War
  Common Lore is divided into a number of different groups that 
  represent general knowledge about a topic or organization. 
  Making a Common Lore Skill Test requires no time at all; a 
  character either knows something or he does not.
  Deceive
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Fellowship
  Deceive is used to lie, dupe, swindle, or mislead others. 
  Failing a Deceive Test can often provoke a negative, even 
  hostile reaction by the target. Making a Deceive Skill Test 
  usually takes about a minute.
  Dodge
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Agility
  Dodge is used as a Reaction in combat to negate a hit. 
  See Combat Action Descriptions on page 9 for more 
  information.
  Intimidate
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Strength
  Intimidate is used to frighten, coerce, bully, or threaten others. 
  While Intimidate is usually backed up by Strength, the Game 
  Master can allow more subtle uses of Intimidate that rely on 
  Intelligence or Fellowship. Making an Intimidate Skill Test is 
  a Full Action.
  Logic
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Intelligence
  Logic represents a character’s proﬁ ciency at reasoning and 
  problem solving. It might be used to help form a complex 
  plan, extrapolate the interior layout of a structure based on 
  exterior observation, decipher a code, or solve a troublesome 
  mathematic equation. Note that Logic is a theoretical Skill—
  Tech-Use is its practical counterpart.
  Medicae
  Type: Advanced
  Governing Characteristic: Intelligence
  The Medicae Skill is used to treat and repair injuries by closing 
  wounds and restoring the balance of the body’s humours. 
  A successful Medicae Test removes Damage equal to the 
  character’s Intelligence Bonus. A failure by more than three 
  degrees of success inﬂ icts one additional point of Damage. 
  Using Medicae is a Full Action for both the character using the 
  Skill and his patient. Medicae can also be used to determine 
  the cause of death when studying a body.
  Pilot
  Type: Advanced
  Governing Characteristic: Agility
  Skill Group: Personal, Flyers, Space Craft
  The Pilot Skill is used to ﬂ y anything from personal jump 
  packs to small atmospheric and void-capable ships, such as 
  gun-cutters, to large capital ships, such as a Rogue Trader’s 
  frigate. Under normal conditions, a trained pilot does not 
  need to make a Piloting Test, but special manoeuvres, unusual 
  circumstances, or difﬁ cult ﬂ ying conditions do require Tests. 
  Making a Piloting Skill Test is a Half Action.
  Scholastic Lore
  Type: Advanced
  Governing Characteristic: Intelligence
  Skill Group: Archaic, Astromancy, Beasts, Bureaucracy, 
  Chymistry, Cryptology, Heraldry, Imperial Creed, Judgement, 
  Legend, Numerology, Occult, Philosophy, Tactica Imperialis
  Scholastic Lore grants special, learned knowledge in a 
  particular discipline or subject. A Scholastic Lore Test used to 
  recall a fact requires no time at all; a character either knows 
  something or he does not. Scholastic Lore Tests can also be 
  
  8
  used once every 1d10 hours to conduct research in a proper 
  environment (a library, for example).
  Search
  Type: Basic
  Governing Characteristic: Perception
  Search is used when a character is trying to ﬁ nd something, 
  or when he is examining an area for concealed objects, clues, 
  or anything else that might be hidden. Search differs from 
  Awareness in that Search is a deliberate activity. A single 
  Search Skill Test is sufﬁ cient to cover a small room or the 
  equivalent and usually takes several minutes. Larger areas may 
  require multiple Search Tests and much longer periods of time 
  at the GM’s discretion.
  Tech-Use
  Type: Advanced
  Governing Characteristic: Intelligence
  A character can use Tech-Use to repair mechanical items or 
  ﬁ gure out how unusual technical artefacts work. A Tech-
  Use Skill Test can take anywhere from a minute to an hour, 
  depending on the complexity of the task. Extra degrees of 
  success on a Test can reduce the necessary time.
  TESTS
  Tests are the basic way of determining success or failure in 
  a game of ROGUE TRADER. When an Explorer performs any 
  task that could have dramatic consequences—affecting the 
  story, a character’s health, a leader’s reputation, the safety of 
  the ship, and so on—a Test should be performed.
  DEGREES OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE
  For most Tests, it is enough to know whether a character 
  succeeded or failed. Sometimes, however, it is useful 
  to know how well a character succeeded, or how 
  badly he failed. This is particularly important 
  in certain combat situations, such as ﬁ ring 
  a gun capable of a semi-automatic or fully automatic burst 
  ﬁ re.
  Measuring degrees of success and failure in a Skill or 
  Characteristic Test is straightforward. After the percentage 
  roll is made, compare the roll with the modiﬁ ed Characteristic 
  score. For each full 10 points by which the Test succeeded, 
  one degree of success is achieved. Conversely, for each 10 
  full points by which the Test failed, one degree of failure is 
  gained.
  Example: Tod’s character is making an attack and has a BS of 44. 
  He rolls a 22 to hit, and has succeeded by two degrees of success.
  SKILL TESTS
  The most common type of Test an Explorer performs 
  during the game are Skill Tests. Each Skill is governed by 
  a Characteristic. For example, the Dodge Skill is governed 
  by the Agility Characteristic. To make a Skill Test, add any 
  relevant modiﬁ ers to the Skill’s governing Characteristic, then 
  make a percentage roll. If the result is equal to or less than 
  the modiﬁ ed Characteristic, the Test succeeds. If the result is 
  greater than the modiﬁ ed Characteristic, the Test fails.
  Example: Sarvus Trask must make a Charm Test. He has a 
  Fellowship of 51 and Charm +10 as a Skill. Trask must roll a 61 or 
  less in order to succeed.
  CHARACTERISTIC TESTS
  Sometimes an Explorer wants to attempt something not 
  covered by a Skill. In such cases, a Characteristic Test can 
  be used instead of a Skill Test. The GM determines the 
  most appropriate Characteristic for the Test, then the player 
  makes a percentage roll. If the roll is equal to or less than the 
  Characteristic, the Test succeeds. If the roll is greater than the 
  Characteristic, the Test fails.
  TEST DIFFICULTY
  Not all tests are equal. A routine landing at a spaceport and 
  navigating a dense asteroid ﬁ eld at high speed may both 
  require Piloting Skill Tests, but the latter is clearly harder 
  than the former. But how much harder is navigating an 
  asteroid ﬁ eld than landing at a spaceport? This is where Test 
  Difﬁ culty and the role of the GM both come into play.
  In some cases, the Difﬁ culty of a Test is pre-determined by 
  the rules; in other cases, the GM should decide the Difﬁ culty 
  Table 1-1: Test Difﬁ culty
  Difﬁ culty
  Modiﬁ er
  Easy
  +30
  Routine
  +20
  Ordinary
  +10
  Challenging
  +0
  Difﬁ cult
  -10
  Hard
  -20
  Very Hard
  -30
  
  9
  and consult Table 1-1: Test Difﬁ culty to determine the 
  appropriate modiﬁ er. The Difﬁ culty modiﬁ er is applied to the 
  governing Characteristic associated with the Test.
  COMBINING DIFFICULTIES
  There will be instances where multiple factors make performing 
  a particular action easier or more difﬁ cult. If a situation calls for 
  two or more bonuses or penalties, simply combine all modiﬁ ers 
  together and apply the total to the Skill or Characteristic.
  The maximum modiﬁ er that can be applied to a Skill Test or 
  Characteristic Test is +60 or –60.
  THE ROLE OF FATE
  Explorers are unusual people—individuals with abilities, 
  backgrounds, and experiences well beyond those of ordinary 
  citizens of the Imperium. More than anything, the role of Fate 
  in an Explorer’s life is what separates him from the masses. All 
  Explorers begin play with a number Fate Points, which are 
  determined at character creation. For some, these Fate Points 
  represent destiny, a sign that the Emperor has marked them 
  for greatness. For others, Fate represents simple luck.
  COMBAT
  Combat is usually resolved using structured time divided into 
  Rounds, Turns, and Actions. Each character, including Non-
  Player Characters, takes one Turn each Round. The order in 
  which Turns are resolved depends on Initiative Order.
  COMBAT OVERVIEW
  When a new combat begins, follow these steps to determine 
  what happens.
  Step One: Surprise
  At the beginning of a combat, the GM determines if any 
  characters are Surprised. This can only happen once at the 
  beginning of a combat, and there will be many combats 
  where nobody is Surprised. A Surprised character loses his 
  Turn on the ﬁ rst Round of combat because he has been 
  caught unawares by his enemies and may take no actions. If 
  no one is Surprised, move immediately to Step Two.
  Step Two: Roll Initiative
  At the start of the ﬁ rst Round, each character rolls for Initiative. 
  Each character rolls 1d10 and adds his Agility Bonus (the 
  tens digit of his Agility Characteristic). The result of the roll 
  applies for all successive Rounds in the combat.
  Step Three: Determine Initiative Order
  The GM ranks all the Initiative rolls, including those of the 
  NPCs, from highest to lowest. This is the order in which the 
  characters take their Turns during each Round of combat.
  Step Four: Combatants Take Turns
  Starting with the character at the top of the Initiative Order, 
  each character takes a Turn. The character currently taking his 
  Turn is known as the Active Character. During his Turn, the 
  Active Character can perform one or more Actions. Once his 
  Actions have been resolved, the next character in the Initiative 
  Order becomes the Active Character and takes his Turn, and 
  so forth. A combat Round is roughly 5 seconds long.
  Step Five: Round Ends
  Once each character has taken a Turn, the Round is over. Any 
  lingering effects that specify a duration of “until the end of 
  the Round” now end.
  Step Six: Repeat Steps Four and Five as Needed
  Play successive Rounds until the combat is complete.
  ACTIONS IN COMBAT
  During each normal Round, every character gets a Turn 
  to act. On his Turn, a character can take one or more 
  Actions.
  THE CORE MECHANIC
  Determine the a Skill or Characteristic to Test.
  • 
  Add or subtract any relevant modiﬁ ers to the Skill 
  • 
  or Characteristic.
  Make a percentile roll (1d100).
  • 
  If the percentile roll is less than or equal to the Skill or 
  Characteristic being tested, the Test succeeds.
  If the percentile roll is greater than the Skill or 
  Characteristic being tested, the Test fails.
  USING FATE POINTS
  Fate Points allow an Explorer to manipulate situations by 
  mitigating bad results or turning a mishap into fortune. An 
  Explorer has a limited pool of Fate Points, and when a Fate 
  Point is spent, that pool is reduced by one. Spent Fate Points 
  are restored at the beginning of the next gaming session, 
  or possibly under special circumstances in the middle of a 
  game session that the GM deems appropriate.
  Spending one Fate Point allows for one of the following:
  Re-roll a failed Test once. The results of the re-roll 
  • 
  are ﬁ nal.
  Gain a +10 bonus to a Test. This must be chosen 
  • 
  before dice are rolled.
  Add an extra degree of success to a Test. This may 
  • 
  be chosen after dice are rolled.
  Count as having rolled a 10 for Initiative.
  • 
  Instantly recover 1d5 Wounds.
  • 
  
  10
  Types of Actions
  Every Action is categorised into one of the following types.
  Full Actions
  A Full Action requires a character’s complete attention to 
  accomplish. A character can take one Full Action on his Turn 
  instead of taking any Half Actions.
  Half Actions
  A Half Action is fairly simple; it requires some effort or 
  concentration, but not so much that it consumes a character’s 
  entire Turn. A character can take two different Half Actions on 
  his Turn instead of taking one Full Action. A character cannot 
  take the same Half Action twice in the same Turn.
  Reactions
  A Reaction is a special Action made in response to some 
  event, such as an attack. A character receives one Reaction 
  each Round. Unlike the other types of actions, a character 
  usually performs a Reaction when it is not his Turn.
  Free Actions
  A Free Action takes only a moment and requires no real effort 
  by the character. Free Actions may be performed in addition 
  to any other Actions on a character’s Turn, and there is no 
  formal limit to the number of Free Actions one character can 
  take. The GM should use common sense to set reasonable 
  limits on what can be done in a few seconds.
  Action Subtypes
  Into addition to its type, every Action is also 
  categorised into one or more subtypes. Action 
  subtypes don’t do anything in and of 
  themselves, but they are used to clarify what 
  a character is and is not allowed to do in a variety of special 
  circumstances. For example, a character who is Immobilised 
  cannot perform any Actions with the Movement subtype.
  Using Actions
  During his Turn, a character may perform one Full Action or 
  two different Half Actions. A character could, for example, 
  make an All Out Attack (Full Action) or Aim and make a 
  Standard Attack (two Half Actions).
  More Actions
  The combat actions described in this booklet represent only 
  a sampling of the options that will be available in ROGUE 
  TRADER.
  COMBAT ACTION DESCRIPTIONS
  These Actions provide characters with a variety of options 
  in combat.
  Aim
  Type: Half Action or Full Action
  Subtype: Concentration
  The character spends extra time to perform a more precise 
  attack. Aiming as a Half Action grants a +10 bonus to the 
  next Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Test made as an attack. 
  Aiming as a Full Action increases the bonus to +20. The 
  next action the character performs must be an attack or the 
  beneﬁ ts of Aiming are lost.
  Table 1-2: Combat Actions
  Action
  Type
  Description
  Aim
  Half/Full
  +10 bonus to hit as a Half Action or +20 to hit as a Full Action on your next attack
  All Out Attack
  Full
  +20 to Weapon Skill Test, you cannot Dodge or Parry
  Charge
  Full
  Rush at an opponent and make a melee attack with a +10 bonus to Weapon Skill
  Dodge
  Reaction
  Test Dodge to negate a hit
  Full Auto Burst
  Full
  +20 to Ballistic Skill Test, each degree of success scores an additional hit
  Move
  Half/Full
  As a Half Action, move a distance up to your Half Move in metres (equal to your Agility 
  Bonus), or as a Full Action, move as distance up to your Full Move in metres (twice your 
  Agility Bonus)
  Parry
  Reaction
  Test Weapon Skill to negate a hit from a melee attack (must be wielding a melee weapon 
  capable of parrying)
  Ready
  Half
  Draw a weapon or prepare item for use
  Reload
  Varies
  Reload a ranged weapon
  Run
  Full
  Move a distance up to your Run Move, enemies receive a –20 to Ballistic Skill to hit you 
  and a +20 to Weapon Skill to hit you
  Semi-Auto Burst Full
  +10 to Ballistic Skill Test, each two degrees of success scores an additional hit
  Standard Attack
  Half
  Make one melee or ranged attack
  Use Skill
  Varies
  You may use a Skill
  
  11
  All Out Attack
  Type: Full Action
  Subtypes: Attack, Melee
  The character makes a furious attack at the expense of safety. 
  He gains a +20 bonus to his next Weapon Skill Test, but he 
  cannot Dodge or Parry until the start of his next Turn.
  Charge
  Type: Full Action
  Subtypes: Attack, Melee, Movement
  The character rushes at his target and delivers a single melee 
  attack. The target must be at least four metres away, but still 
  within the attacker’s Charge Move (three times your Agility 
  Bonus). The last four metres of the Charge must be in a 
  straight line so the attacker can build speed and line up with 
  his target. The attacker gains a +10 bonus to his Weapon 
  Skill Test made at the end of the Charge.
  Dodge
  Type: Reaction
  Subtype: Defence, Movement
  Dodge is a Reaction that a character can perform when it 
  is not his Turn. After a character is hit, but before Damage 
  is rolled, the character can attempt to avoid the attack by 
  making a Dodge Skill Test. A character must be aware of 
  the attack in order to make the Test. If the Test succeeds, 
  the character gets out of the way at the last moment and the 
  attack is considered to have missed (and thus no Damage is 
  rolled). If the Dodge Skill Test fails, the attack connects and 
  deals Damage normally. Dodge can be used to avoid both 
  melee and ranged attacks.
  Full Auto Burst
  Type: Full Action
  Subtype: Attack, Ranged
  The character hurls a roaring burst of fully automatic gunﬁ re 
  at his enemies. The attacker must be wielding a ranged weapon 
  capable of fully automatic ﬁ re to take this action.
  The attacker makes a Ballistic Skill Test with a +20 bonus. 
  If he succeeds, the attack scores a hit normally. Furthermore, 
  each degree of success scores an extra hit. The number of 
  extra hits scored in this manner cannot exceed the weapon’s 
  fully automatic Rate of Fire. Extra hits can either be allocated 
  to the original target or any other targets within two metres, 
  provided none of the new targets would have been harder to 
  hit than the original target.
  Move
  Type: Half or Full Action
  SubType: Movement
  The character can spend a Half Action to move a number of 
  metres equal to his Agility Bonus. As a Full Action, he may 
  move twice that distance.
  Parry
  Type: Reaction
  SubType: Defence
  Parry is a Reaction that a character can perform if it is not his 
  Turn. If the character is wielding a melee weapon, he can use 
  it to attempt to Parry a melee attack against him, provided 
  he is aware of the attack. To Parry, Test Weapon Skill. If the 
  Test succeeds, the attack is considered to have missed (thus 
  no Damage is rolled). If the Test fails, the attack connects and 
  Damage is rolled normally. Parry can be used against melee 
  attacks but not ranged attacks.
  DODGING AUTO-FIRE AND AREA EFFECT ATTACKS
  When Dodging Fully-Automatic or Semi-Automatic 
  Bursts, each degree of success on the Dodge Skill Test 
  negates one additional hit.
  
  12
  Ready
  Type: Half Action
  SubType: Miscellaneous
  The character draws a weapon or retrieves an object stowed 
  in a pouch or pocket. A weapon or item can also be properly 
  stowed away with this action (but note that simply dropping 
  an item is considered a Free Action). Ready can be declared 
  twice in the same Turn if it is used on two different weapons 
  or items.
  Reload
  Type: Half, Full, or Extended Action (Varies by Weapon)
  SubType: Miscellaneous
  Declaring this action allows a character to reload a ranged 
  weapon. The duration of Reload (Half Action, Full Action, 
  etc.) is dictated by the weapon’s description.
  Semi-Auto Burst
  Type: Full Action
  SubType: Attack
  The character hurls a burst of semi-automatic gunﬁ re at his 
  opponents. The attacker must be wielding a weapon capable 
  of semi-automatic ﬁ re to take this action.
  The attacker makes a Ballistic Skill Test with a +10 bonus. 
  If he succeeds, the attack scores a hit normally. Furthermore, 
  every two degrees of success scores an extra hit. The number 
  of extra hits scored in this manner cannot exceed the weapon’s 
  semi-automatic Rate of Fire. Extra hits can either be allocated 
  to the original target or any other targets within two metres, 
  provided none of the new targets would have been harder to 
  hit than the original target.
  Standard Attack
  Type: Half Action
  SubType: Attack
  The character either performs one melee attack by testing 
  Weapon Skill or one ranged attack by testing Ballistic Skill.
  Run
  Type: Full Action
  SubType: Movement
  The character runs at full speed, covering a distance up to 
  six times his Agility Bonus in metres. Until the character’s 
  next turn, ranged attacks against him suffer a –20 penalty to 
  Ballistic Skill Tests, but melee attacks against him gain a +20 
  bonus to Weapon Skill Tests.
  Use a Skill
  Type: Half, Full, or Extended Action (Varies by 
  circumstance)
  SubType: Miscellaneous
  The character uses a Skill, which typically 
  involves making a Skill Test.
  OTHER ACTIONS
  There are many more combat action options in the full game 
  of ROGUE TRADER. Additionally, the GM may allow players 
  to perform special actions not covered by any of the above. 
  Such improvised actions should usually involve some kind of 
  Skill or Characteristic Test.
  THE ATTACK
  There are several attack Actions in ROGUE TRADER, from 
  the All Out Attack to Full Auto Burst to the straightforward 
  Standard Attack; regardless of which is used, the process of 
  inﬂ icting harm upon on an opponent is resolved the same 
  way. Follow these steps to resolve attacks in combat.
  Step One: Determine if the Attack is Possible
  Melee attacks require the attacker to be engaged in melee 
  with his target. Ranged attacks cannot be made if the attacker 
  is engaged in melee unless he is ﬁ ring a pistol class weapon. 
  In either case, the attacker must be aware of his target. 
  Step Two: Test
  A melee attack requires a successful Weapon Skill Test. A 
  ranged attack requires a successful Ballistic Skill Test. As with 
  other Tests, if the dice roll is equal to or less than the Skill 
  being tested, the attack hits the target.
  Step Three: Determine Damage
  If an attack hits, it damages its target. Each weapon has a 
  Damage listing, which usually involves a die roll, plus or 
  minus some number. Roll the appropriate die, add any 
  relevant modiﬁ ers, and if the attack was a melee attack, add 
  SINGLE SHOT, SEMI-AUTO, AND FULL AUTO FIRE
  Each weapon has a code that indicates whether it is 
  capable of ﬁ ring more than a single shot in combat, and 
  how many shots the weapon expends when doing so. 
  A weapons rate of ﬁ re has three entries to indicate the 
  modes a weapon can be ﬁ red in. The ﬁ rst entry indicates 
  whether the weapon can be ﬁ red singly (S). The second 
  entry indicates whether or not a weapon can be ﬁ red 
  semi-automatically, and the number listed describes 
  the shots ﬁ red. Finally, the third entry describes if the 
  weapon can be ﬁ red on full auotmatic. Any mode in 
  which the weapon cannot be ﬁ red is indicated with a 
  “–”.
  Some weapons can be ﬁ red in more than one mode. If 
  this is the case, each of its different rates of ﬁ re will be listed 
  in its proﬁ le. Characters must choose which mode they are 
  ﬁ ring their weapon in before making an attack.
  Lorayne Thornhallow’s Locke-pattern boltgun has a 
  rate of ﬁ re of S/2/4, meaning that it can ﬁ re a single shot, 
  two shots when ﬁ red on semi-auto, or four shots when 
  ﬁ red on fully automatic.
  
  13
  the attacker’s Strength Bonus. The result is the total Damage 
  applied to the target.
  If any die rolled for Damage results in a natural “10,” there 
  is a chance of Righteous Fury.
  Righteous Fury
  When rolling Damage after a successful attack, if any die roll 
  results in a natural “10,” there is a chance the Emperor’s favour 
  is with the attacker. (This includes a result of “10” when rolling 
  1d5 for Damage.) This result calls for a second attack roll that 
  is identical, all modiﬁ ers included, to the original attack. If 
  that second attack hits, the attacker may roll an additional die 
  for Damage and add it to the Damage total.
  If the additional Damage roll also results in a natural “10,” 
  the Emperor has indeed smiled upon the attacker and the 
  attacker may roll another die for Damage and add it to the 
  Damage total. This process continues until a number other 
  than “10” is rolled on the Damage die. Normally, only Player 
  Characters gain the beneﬁ ts of Righteous Fury. The Game 
  Master may, at his discretion, allow important NPC’s and 
  villains to gain the beneﬁ ts of Righteous Fury as well.
  Step Four: Apply Damage
  From the Damage total, the target of the attack subtracts 
  his Toughness Bonus and his Armour Points (modiﬁ ed by 
  Penetration—see below). If this reduces the Damage total 
  to zero or less, the attack is shrugged off with no ill effect. 
  Otherwise, any remaining Damage is applied to the target. If 
  the target’s Damage exceeds his Wounds, he is killed.
  Penetration
  All weapons have a Penetration rating, reﬂ ecting how good 
  the weapon is at going through armour. When a shot or blow 
  from this weapon hits a target, reduce the target’s Armour 
  Points by the weapon’s Penetration, with results of less than 
  0 counting as 0 (i.e., the armour provides no protection at all). 
  Then, work out Damage as normal. 
  COMBAT CIRCUMSTANCES
  The chances of hitting in combat can be modiﬁ ed in a similar 
  manner to Skill Tests. These combat circumstances can be 
  used to reﬂ ect the effects of terrain, the weather, tactical 
  situations and a variety of other factors. Characters should 
  make as much use of beneﬁ cial circumstances as possible. A 
  good plan, suitable equipment, or skilful use of tactics can 
  often make the difference between life and death for an 
  Explorer. The following circumstances are some of the most 
  common encountered in combat. The GM has the ﬁ nal say 
  about the Difﬁ culty of any particular Test.
  Darkness
  Weapon Skill Tests made in darkness are regarded as Hard 
  (–20), while Ballistic Skill Tests are regarded as Very Hard 
  (–30).
  Difﬁ cult or Arduous Terrain
  Weapon Skill and Dodge Tests made whilst standing in 
  difﬁ cult terrain, such as mud, are Difﬁ cult (–10). Tests made 
  whilst standing in arduous terrain such as deep snow or upon 
  ice are Very Hard (–30).
  Engaged in Melee
  When a character is adjacent to an enemy, he can engage that 
  enemy in melee combat by performing any attack action with 
  a melee weapon. If a character moves away from an enemy 
  whilst engaged in melee combat, that enemy can make a free 
  melee attack against the character moving away. A character 
  engaged in melee combat cannot make ranged attacks unless 
  he wielding a pistol class weapon.
  Helpless Targets
  Weapon Skill Tests made to hit a sleeping, unconscious, or 
  otherwise helpless target automatically succeed. When rolling 
  Damage against such a target, roll twice and add the results.
  Off Hand Attacks
  Weapon Skill Tests or Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack with 
  a weapon wielded in a character’s off hand are considered 
  Hard (–20).
  Point Blank
  Ballistic Skill Tests made to hit a target within three metres 
  are Easy (+30). Note that this bonus does not apply when 
  shooting targets that are engaged in melee combat with the 
  character.
  Shooting into Melee Combat
  Ballistic Skill Tests made to hit a target that is engaged in 
  melee combat are Hard (–20).
  Unaware Targets
  Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack unaware 
  targets (i.e. Surprised targets) are Easy (+30).
  Injury
  As a consequence of ﬁ ghting, characters take Damage. A 
  combatant can take Damage up to an amount equal to his 
  Wounds. When the Damage equals or exceeds the character’s 
  Wounds, he is killed.
  Critical Damage
  The injury rules in this booklet have been simpliﬁ ed 
  due to space restrictions. ROGUE TRADER will 
  include a full array of colourful critical Damage 
  effects, including permanent injuries such as 
  limb loss.
  
  14
  FORSAKEN 
  BOUNTY
  “The Maw. That is what they call the gateway to the Koronus 
  Expanse; an apt name given its history. As long as I have sat the 
  captain’s throne, I have seen countless ships, and souls, vanish down 
  its gullet. Of course they still come, for the Maw leads to a belly full 
  of riches.”
  –Lord-Captain Ezekiel Pengalia
  F
  ORSAKEN BOUNTY is a short introductory adventure 
  intended to give players a chance to experience the 
  ROGUE TRADER game. The adventure follows the PCs’ 
  efforts to ﬁ nd and salvage the Emperor’s Bounty, a vessel lost 
  in the Maw, and encapsulates the core themes of the game—
  proﬁ t and exploration. It will also provide both players and 
  GMs alike with a starting point for further adventures in the 
  dark and perilous Warhammer 40,000 universe.
  GETTING STARTED
  All of the information required to run this adventure has 
  been provided in this booklet, including basic rules and 
  pre-generated characters for the players. Some background 
  information on the setting has also been presented; however, 
  FORSAKEN BOUNTY has been designed as a self-contained 
  scenario and does not require any detailed understanding of 
  the setting. The adventure begins with Sarvas Trask and his 
  crew having ventured into the Maw in search of a lost vessel 
  and the fortune and glory it promises. The Rogue Trader is 
  aboard his ship, the Sovereign Venture—an ancient Imperial 
  cruiser patterned after the grand iconography of his dynasty. 
  The Venture is a formidable vessel, capable of laying waste to 
  cities and navigating the perilous currents of the warp. Of 
  course, of most importance to Trask and his crew are its deep 
  holds and the wealth they can store. 
  A SALVAGEABLE SITUATION
  The focus of this scenario is the salvage of a vessel known 
  as the Emperor’s Bounty. In ROGUE TRADER, this kind of 
  mission is known as an Endeavour (see box). The GM 
  should explain to the players that their purpose in ﬁ nding 
  and recovering the Bounty is to successfully complete this 
  Endeavour, thus increasing their wealth and adding to the 
  glory of their dynasty. As well as outlining the Endeavour, the 
  GM should also give the players a bit of background on how 
  they came into the information leading to the wreck and the 
  other requirements they had to fulﬁ l before beginning their 
  mission. In a normal Endeavour, the PCs would be required 
  to secure these requirements themselves during play; 
  however, for the purposes of this adventure they are 
  considered to have already been secured.
  The requirements for this Endeavour and how 
  the PCs have acquired them are:
  The Location of the Vessel: Recently an Imperial Naval 
  scout detected the Salvation Beacon of the Emperor’s Bounty 
  in the Battleground, a blighted section of space in the Maw. 
  This information found its way into the lower echelons of the 
  Battleﬂ eet Calixis command staff, where it was disregarded 
  until an enterprising young ofﬁ cer sold it, along with the vox 
  frequency to detect the beacon, to Trask and his crew.
  A Writ of Claim: On behalf of Trask, Tsanthos made the 
  appropriate supplications and entreaties to the Administratum, 
  receiving (eventually) a Writ of Claim pertaining to the recovery 
  and salvage of the Emperor’s Bounty. Under the conditions of 
  this claim, the Rogue Trader himself must be the ﬁ rst to set 
  foot on board the derelict vessel.
  Salvage Equipment and Crew: Using a measure of his 
  capital, Trask has taken on a crew of junkers, or salvage men, 
  from Port Wander.
  For the purposes of this adventure, the ﬁ nal amount of Proﬁ t 
  the PCs garner from their actions makes a good benchmark for 
  their overall success or failure. The GM should impress upon 
  the players that, whatever else they achieve, their ultimate goal 
  is the recovery of the Emperor’s Bounty and the Proﬁ t its salvage 
  will bring. Read or paraphrase the following:
  Recently, an Imperial scout vessel detected the Salvation Beacon 
  of the Emperor’s Bounty in the Battleground, a blighted section of 
  space in the Maw. The Maw is a dangerous warp passage that 
  links the Calixis Sector to the mostly-uncharted Koronus Expanse, 
  an area of space that lies beyond Imperial rule.
  Nathin Tsanthos, a scholar of the Expanse, knows that the 
  Emperor’s Bounty is a Lathe-class Light Cruiser, a rich prize indeed 
  if it can be salvaged. On behalf of Rogue Trader Sarvus Trask, 
  Tsanthos made the appropriate supplications and entreaties to the 
  Administratum, eventually receiving a Writ of Claim pertaining 
  to the recovery and salvage of the Emperor’s Bounty. under the 
  conditions of the claim, the Rogue Trader himself must be the ﬁ rst 
  to set foot upon the derelict vessel. To that end, you have set forth 
  upon the Sovereign Venture, a massive and powerful cruiser owned 
  by the Trask dynasty for centuries.
  HOW ENDEAVOURS WORK
  In ROGUE TRADER, a primary goal for the PCs is the 
  acquisition of Proﬁ t. Proﬁ t is a measure of the PCs wealth, 
  both materially and on paper. More than simply what the 
  Lord-Captain keeps stowed in his private chambers, it 
  represents a real scale for the PCs’ success, as well as allowing 
  them to expand their dynasty and acquire and maintain vastly 
  expensive things such as starships, mercenary armies, and 
  space stations. Part of most things the PCs do will be tied to 
  increasing or maintaining their Proﬁ t.
  An Endeavour is a speciﬁ c mission (in the case of this 
  adventure, a salvage operation) that if successful will provide 
  the PCs with a signiﬁ cant bonus to their Proﬁ t. Each 
  Endeavour is different and has a set list of requirements (the 
  things the PCs need before they can start it) as well as a level 
  of reward (Proﬁ t) when it is completed.
  
  15
  THE BATTLEGROUND
  The scenario begins with the Sovereign Venture having just 
  entered the Battleground. Read or paraphrase the following:
  It is several days since you embarked from Port Wander 
  into the darkness and peril of the Maw. In that time, your vessel 
  has been buffeted and battered by the violent warp tides of the 
  passage, and you have had to translate into real space numerous 
  times to maintain your heading. The Sovereign Venture’s Gellar 
  Field—the energy halo that protects all Imperial ships from the 
  baleful entities of the warp—has also been strained by the intense 
  nature of the passage and the volatile nature of the Maw. Now, 
  ﬁ nally, your ship has arrived at the cursed place known as the 
  Battleground, a forsaken stretch of void scattered with the debris 
  of ancient warships. Somewhere here lies the Emperor’s Bounty 
  and the salvage you have come to collect.
  Having reached the Battleground, the Explorers will need 
  to begin their search for the Bounty. This search should 
  take several hours at best and perhaps even a few days (the 
  Battleground is a truly vast place). This is a good point for 
  the PCs to describe themselves to each other and to gain 
  more understanding of their roles aboard the vessel (see PC 
  descriptions). The GM can also use this brief introduction 
  to impress upon the players the lonely desolate nature of 
  the Battleground and its unnatural eeriness. When the GM 
  is ready, he can have the PCs detect the weak vox signal 
  from the Bounty’s Salvation Beacon, leading them to its 
  resting place.
  A GLORIOUS BOUNTY
  Reaching the Bounty, however, is easier said than done, as 
  it lies deep within the heart of a massive debris ﬁ eld some 
  300,000 kilometres in diameter. As the PCs’ vessel approaches 
  the ﬁ eld, read or paraphrase the following:
  Through the vista panels of your vessel, you begin to make out a 
  massive glittering cloud scattered across the void. As you get closer, 
  you can faintly discern the blasted shells of vessels, desiccated and 
  corroded by centuries of unprotected exposure to hard vacuum 
  and solar radiation. It looks like long ago a great engagement took 
  place here that left behind the twisted remains of assault vessels, 
  ordnance, and other detritus of war. Even as you watch, the cloud 
  moves like a sluggish whirlpool of junk, fragments smashing into 
  each other and breaking into showers of debris and dust. You can 
  just make out the weak ﬂ icker of a plasma drive as it leaks a feeble 
  glow out into space near the centre of the chaotic mass of broken 
  vessels and blackened hulks. 
  Once in close proximity to the cloud of debris, the ship’s 
  sensors register all manner of hazards, from ﬂ uctuating 
  radioactive wrecks to hidden unexploded ordnance. In fact, 
  the Bounty itself seems to have suffered serious damage when 
  it drifted into the ﬁ eld several months ago, and both the PCs’ 
  helmsman and Navigator will warn them that taking the vessel 
  PROFIT
  The collective wealth and inﬂ uence of a Rogue Trader and 
  his advisors—the player characters—is measured by one 
  value: Proﬁ t. This value is used to determine whether or 
  not goods and services can be afforded, the scale of the 
  group’s ventures, and their standing amongst peers and 
  other powers of the Imperium.
  In Rogue Trader, the player characters may, if they 
  choose, increase their group’s Proﬁ t by completing 
  Endeavours. Each completed Endeavour adds to the 
  groups Proﬁ t rating, enabling them to grow in wealth 
  and power—perhaps eventually commanding entire 
  ﬂ eets of starships or owning their own planet.
  
  16
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  16
  into the cloud would be a very bad idea indeed. A smaller 
  craft, however, could make the journey unscathed. Sensor 
  sweeps of the Bounty will also reveal that the ship’s Gellar 
  Field is partially active, though weak and ﬂ uctuating—the 
  reason for which the PCs will discover later…
  NAVIGATING THE FIELD
  At this point, the PCs will need to ﬁ gure out the best way 
  to free the trapped vessel from its junk-ﬁ lled grave. It should 
  be made clear to them that taking their own vessel in would 
  not be advisable; even should they reach the Bounty alive, the 
  damage they would sustain would negate any real proﬁ t from 
  the endeavour. Piloting the Bounty out or at least getting to 
  it and ferrying out its most valuable components are their 
  best options for obtaining their prize. The most obvious way 
  to reach the Bounty is by using a small agile craft such as a 
  Guncutter (the PCs have such a craft on board for planetary 
  landing and the like). Such a craft could avoid the worst of the 
  debris and would be too small to trigger any hidden ordnance 
  like mines or torpedoes.
  However, any efforts to navigate the ﬁ eld in a small craft 
  are not without danger and will require a Challenging (+0) 
  Piloting Test. Failing this Test will result in some damage 
  to the craft, as it strikes debris or sets off ancient ordnance, 
  though the craft will still be able to reach the vessel, albeit 
  a little worse for wear. Clever PCs might have the idea of 
  blasting a path through the ﬁ eld with their ship’s guns, 
  making it easier for a small vessel to pass. If the PCs had the 
  presence of mind to do this before embarking, then all the 
  Piloting Tests become Easy (+30).
  THE GUNCUTTER
  The term “Guncutter,” refers to a variety of armed 
  and armoured spacecraft that can be used for 
  in-system space travel, orbit-to-ground 
  transport, hostile landings, or even dogﬁ ghting.
  The Explorers’ particular guncutter is crewed by one or 
  two pilots, one or two gunners, and an engineer. The craft 
  has several weapon systems, crew quarters for six, and a 
  cargo hold large enough to transport about 30 people or the 
  equivalent in cargo). There are six void-suits on board.
  SALVAGING THE CLOUD
  The PCs might also have the idea of searching the rest of the 
  cloud for useful salvage. While most of the debris has either 
  long since been stripped of useful components or wrecked 
  beyond recognition, time and effort could yield some proﬁ t. 
  If the PCs think of undertaking this search, they can make a 
  Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test (as long as they are aboard 
  their vessel with access to its sensors). If they are successful, 
  then they have identiﬁ ed some potentially valuable debris in 
  the cloud and can pass on the information to their salvage 
  teams, adding to their Proﬁ t (see rewards).
  BOARDING THE BOUNTY
  As the PCs approach the Bounty, read or paraphrase the 
  following:
  Up close, the Emperor’s Bounty is in bad shape indeed; large 
  rents score its hull, and its bastions and bulkheads are pitted and 
  worn by months of unshielded exposure to the void. There are, 
  however, a faint glow from the drives and a shadow of light 
  spilling from the vista dome of the bridge, indicating that the 
  vessel’s plasma reactors have not gone completely cold.
  The PCs will be able to ﬁ nd a void-lock without too much 
  difﬁ culty, either near the bridge or along the hull, and make 
  a hard seal against the hull. Faint amber runes indicate that 
  
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  17
  17
  there is still an atmosphere within the ship, and the PCs can 
  proceed without full void suits, though they may beneﬁ t from 
  void-breathers (see running out of air, later). When the seal is 
  broken, a blast of stale dusty air streams into the lock, carrying 
  with it the dry taste of old death. At this point, the PCs are free 
  to search the vessel, and as they wander its dust-ﬁ lled corridors, 
  a few things should become apparent to them:
  Warren of Shadows: While the plasma reactor must still be 
  active, the whole ship is on minimal power. This means that the 
  galley-lamps along the corridors cast only a dim light, leaving 
  most chambers and walkways in shadow. Many portals, reactive 
  plating, and internal auspex devices are not functioning, and 
  all intervox systems are inactive. A Routine (+10) Tech-Use 
  Test will reveal, however, that some conduit lines, namely those 
  leading to the bridge, do seem to be drawing full power.
  Corpses and Dust: Scattered throughout the vessel are the 
  dusty, shrivelled bodies of crew members and servitors sprawled 
  on the decks and slumped over controls. With weapons still 
  holstered and no signs of violence, the corpses don’t readily 
  reveal just what killed them. A Challenging (+0) Medicae 
  Test will reveal that they probably died of asphyxiation.
  Locks and Seals: As they explore, the PCs will also discover 
  that much of the vessel is sealed off by imposing pressure 
  doors, including most of the lower decks and reactor levels. 
  These doors are encrusted with dust and glowing with scarlet 
  runes, indicating toxic atmospheres or vacuum beyond. Cutting 
  through the doors or restoring atmosphere to the chambers 
  beyond will take time and it will be far easier to open them 
  from the bridge.
  Whatever the PCs decide to do, they will eventually need to 
  get to the bridge to try to gain control of the vessel and restore 
  power to its systems. The GM can either suggest this to the 
  players, or if they have brought any NPCs with them, they will 
  make the suggestion. Alternatively, their exploration may just 
  lead them there in due course.
  Extra Muscle
  It is possible that the PCs might decide to bring along some 
  extra crew members to help. Though the Venture has a massive 
  crew (approximately 100,000), they are not soldiers, and most 
  of them are essential to the running of the vessel. Of the three 
  extra places available in the guncutter, the PCs can either take 
  some salvagemen or are few of their less important crewmen. 
  Assume that crewmen or salvagemen have all Characteristics 
  of 25 and always go last in the Initiative order. They will be 
  all armed with stub automatics (30m; S/3/–; 1d10+3, Pen 
  0, Clip 8, Reload Full).
  PCs might also decide to send others in their stead aboard 
  the Guncutter. If this happens, the GM should let the player 
  controlling Tsanthos know that under the clauses of the Writ 
  of Claim, the Rogue Trader himself must be the ﬁ rst to set 
  foot on the object of salvage for it to be valid in the eyes of 
  the Administratum, not to mention that no true Rogue Trader 
  would refuse the glory of claiming such a prize personally.
  THE TALE OF THE EMPEROR’S BOUNTY
  The Emperor’s Bounty fell afoul of a deadly Halo Device known 
  as a Psycharus Worm, brought on board by its unsuspecting 
  captain, Janrak Spargan, while travelling the Expanse. The 
  device remained inactive in the care of Janrak for much of 
  the return journey to the Calixis Sector until it was examined 
  by his Navigator, Orden Hyort. A Navigator from House 
  Benetek, Orden was a loyal member of Janrak’s crew and had 
  served with him for many years. He was, however, singularly 
  unprepared to deal with the Psycharus Worm and its ancient 
  evil. No sooner had he touched the cursed artefact than it 
  clawed its way onto his face and latched over his third eye, 
  forcing it open. Drinking deep from the link to the warp, the 
  Worm infused Orden with unnatural power and dark alien 
  desires. Compelled by the Worm, the Navigator vented much 
  of the ship atmosphere into space, killing hundreds of the 
  crew. He then attempted to take control of the vessel using 
  the Worm’s powers to animate the corpses of those killed to 
  aid him. A bitter and bloody struggle ensured in which most 
  of the remaining crew, including Janrak, were killed. Though 
  the few survivors were not able to kill Orden or destroy the 
  Worm, they did manage to scuttle the vessel, preventing him 
  from taking control. Thwarted, Orden now waits for another 
  chance to escape.
  THE JAWS CLOSE
  The bridge of the Bounty is a disquieting sight, littered with 
  bodies and blanketed in dust. Unlike in the rest of the vessel, 
  there are signs of conﬂ ict here. Bulkheads bear las burns 
  and bolt shell impacts, corpses are twisted in violent 
  death, and spent casings are scattered across the 
  deck. Exploring the bridge, the PCs will quickly 
  discover the epicentre of the combat. Read or 
  paraphrase the following:
  HALO DEVICES
  Halo Devices are xeno artefacts discovered amidst the 
  ruins of ancient alien worlds in the Halo Stars. Possessed 
  of strange and potent properties, they can fetch high prices 
  within the Imperium where collectors covet their ability 
  to empower the human form and defeat even mortality 
  itself. Needless to say, possession of such dangerous xeno 
  archeotech is highly heretical.
  THE PSYCHARUS WORM
  Long before the coming of man, the Halo Stars and the 
  Expanse were home to strange and terrible xeno empires. 
  Occasionally, artefacts from these lost civilisations are found 
  by traders, explorers and smugglers and ﬁ lter back into 
  the Imperium. The Psycharus Worm is one such device. 
  Appearing like a tarnished brass maggot some six inches 
  in length, the worm is cold and greasy to the touch and on 
  ﬁ rst inspection appears to be nothing more than a macabre 
  curio. However, when linked to the warp it possesses a 
  terrible intelligence and the power to animate the dead and 
  the never-living into vile warp puppets.
  
  18
  Stepping over the fallen corpses of the ships crew, you ascend to 
  the command plinth and the foot of the Lord-Captain’s throne. At 
  the base of the throne lies what must be the remains of the captain 
  himself, broken and contorted, wires and tubes roughly severed or 
  torn free from their housings. In his place atop the throne, a man 
  in the robes of a Navigator sits, his head bowed, apparently dead. 
  Curiously, the man’s hood is thrown back, revealing a strange 
  metallic worm-like device attached to his forehead where his third 
  eye would be. Suddenly the Navigator’s head snaps up, and he 
  regards you with empty dead eyes.
  Orden immediately sees the PCs, and their functioning 
  starship, as an opportunity to escape his prison; of course 
  they are only useful to him dead. The ﬁ rst thing that happens 
  is all of the portals to the bridge seal, crashing down with 
  pressurised hisses. Then a baleful crimson glow begins to 
  build around the Worm as it gathers its power. All of this only 
  takes a few seconds, during which time the PCs may decide 
  to either attack Orden or talk to him. Such efforts, however, 
  are futile, as he does not respond to questions and is protected 
  by a powerful psy-shield that causes all but the most powerful 
  bolts and blasts to arc off and melee attacks to glance aside. It 
  should become immediately apparent that the device on the 
  Navigator’s head is somehow protecting him from harm (see 
  Fighting Orden below).
  As soon as the bridge is sealed, twisting cords of warp 
  energy writhe out from the device on the Navigator’s 
  forehead to dance among the dead. A second later, the 
  corpses begin to stir. At ﬁ rst, only a few lurch clumsily to 
  their feet and stagger toward the PCs with murderous intent, 
  but soon dozens are pushing themselves up from the dusty 
  ﬂ oor. A motley collection of crewmen and servitors (some 
  hauling themselves up from the control pits, others tearing 
  themselves free of their stations) converge on the characters in 
  a shambling mass. The GM should start by having six human 
  or servitor Warp Puppets (see page 19) attack. These start 
  several metres from the PCs, giving the players some time 
  to react. After 2 rounds, six more join the ﬁ ght and then 
  after 5 rounds, another 12. In addition to animating the Warp 
  Puppets, as soon as he awakens, Orden begins to purge the 
  bridge’s atmosphere, causing streams of dust to ﬂ ow toward 
  the vents. From that point, the Running out of Air rules apply 
  (see below). Note that during this ﬁ ght Orden will not attack 
  the PCs himself, preferring to ﬁ rst gauge their abilities. If 
  physically harmed himself, he will ﬂ ee.
  FIGHTING ORDEN
  With the power of the Worm protecting him, it will be 
  almost impossible for the PCs to harm him directly. The GM 
  should make it clear to any PCs that direct attacks against the 
  Navigator that their blows or blasts are being stopped by 
  some kind of shimmering crimson shield. Characters 
  with Scholastic Lore pertaining to legends, the 
  occult, or the Tactica Imperialis can make a 
  Challenging (+0) Test to recognise this as a 
  powerful psy shield. The shield does ﬁ cker, 
  however, and does not seem to be completely substantial. 
  This instability is a result of the intermittent power surges 
  from the Gellar Field interfering with the power of the Worm. 
  The Game Master should encourage the Player Characters 
  to make Challenging (+0) Logic Tests to make the 
  connection (most spacefarers, the void-born especially, can 
  tell when the Gellar Field is raised or lowered from the way 
  their skin crawls). The ﬂ uctuations do not, however, affect 
  the shield’s strength, and it is practically impossible for the 
  PCs to breach it (see Orden’s Proﬁ le). There are, however, 
  other ways for them to hurt Orden. The GM should allow 
  the PCs a Challenging (+0) Awareness Test to notice the 
  cracked vista panels or exposed power conduits leading to the 
  captain’s throne tipping them off to these options:
  A Sizable Explosion: If the PCs can cause a sizable 
  explosion, possibly using salvage charges or making a Difﬁ cult 
  (–10) Tech-Use Test to overload the power cisterns within 
  the captain’s throne, then Orden will be visibly hurt and 
  retreat into the Navigator’s Oculus (using the Warp Puppets 
  to cover his escape), barring the way behind him.
  Breaching the Hull: Using explosives or any weapons 
  with a Pen of 4 or more, the PCs can blow out the bridge’s 
  vista panels and plunge the chamber into hard vacuum. This 
  will force Orden to retreat (as above) lest he be dragged into 
  the void. Any PC not wearing a void suit will immediately 
  suffer 2d10 Damage, not reduced for armour, and begin to 
  suffocate (see Running out of Air).
  RUNNING OUT OF AIR
  At several points during the PCs’ time on the Bounty they 
  might ﬁ nd themselves running out of air. This circumstance 
  has the following effects:
  For the ﬁ rst 5 rounds, each PC will feel light headed 
  • 
  and suffer –10 on all Skill Tests.
  Each round after the ﬁ fth, each PC must make 
  • 
  a Toughness Test with a cumulative –5 penalty 
  or suffer one point of Damage (A character’s 
  Toughness Bonus and Armour is no protection!). If 
  a PC suffers Damage equal to his Wounds, he will 
  fall unconscious and die in 1d5 minutes.
  If the PCs are wearing their void-breathers, they can ignore 
  these effects altogether. 
  
  19
  ESCAPING THE BRIDGE
  Regardless of whether or not the PCs can drive off Orden, 
  they will need to escape the bridge before it empties of air 
  or they are overwhelmed by Warp Puppets as they rise again 
  and again. There are a couple of ways for the PCs to get off 
  the bridge:
  Breaching the Portals: If they brought extra men or 
  equipment with them, they might have the ﬁ repower or tools 
  to cut through one of the portals. This is not an easy task and 
  will take three men working in concert for 3 rounds, during 
  which they must be protected. Alternatively, a PC can make a 
  Hard (–20) Tech-Use Test to manually open a portal from 
  one of the main control panels. This process requires the PC 
  to work undisturbed for 3 rounds.
  Down the Vents: As a Full Action, a PC can blast open 
  one of the air vents and leap down into the dark. Finding 
  a vent that leads somewhere other than a rapidly spinning 
  fan requires a Challenging (+0) Search Test. If multiple 
  characters attempt this Test, only one needs to succeed. If the 
  PCs fail or if they simply choose a vent at random, the PCs 
  have run afoul of some grinding machinery, plummeting drop, 
  or similar peril and must make a Challenging (+0) Agility 
  Test or suffer 1d10+4 Damage. At the GM’s discretion, he 
  can expand on this section, having the characters scrambling 
  for their lives while Warp Puppets clamber down the vents 
  behind them (possibly meeting messy ends in fans).
  WARP PUPPETS
  These disgusting parodies of life are animated bodies under 
  the Worm’s control. Sluggish and clumsy, they offer no real 
  danger singly, though in numbers they can be deadly.
  Warp Puppet Proﬁ le
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  33
  13
  64
  21
  11
  ––
  12
  13
  ––
  Wounds: 6 
   
   
  Movement: 1/2/3/6
  Skills: None. 
  Talents: Weapon Training (as appropriate).
  Traits: Meat Puppet (see below).
  Weapons: Warp-enhanced jagged debris (1d5+6; Pen 2) or 
  laspistol (30m, S/–/–; 1d10+3).
  Gear: None.
  Meat Puppet: Neither dead nor alive, the Warp Puppets are 
  just objects animated by the power of the Psycharus Worm. As 
  such, they cannot truly be killed. When they reach 0 Wounds, 
  they will collapse for 5 rounds before rising again with new 
  gaping wounds and missing limbs. Only massive damage 
  inﬂ icting 15 points of Damage in a single hit can put 
  them down for good. The GM should allow PCs 
  to hack up inactive puppets with melee weapons. 
  Warp Puppets only ever use the Charge or 
  Standard Attack actions.
  
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  ORDEN, THRALL OF THE PSYCHARUS 
  WORM
  Little of Orden now remains, his mind hollowed out by the 
  Psycharus Worm. What he does remember comes only to him 
  brieﬂ y as ﬂ ashes of human memory amidst alien images and 
  the desires of the Worm.
  Orden Proﬁ le
  WS
  BS
  S
  T
  Ag
  Int Per WP Fel
  53
  13
  34
  51
  47
  40
  39
  58
  12
  Movement: 4/8/12/24   
   
  Wounds: 21
  Skills: None. 
  Talents: None.
  Weapons: Energised Fists (2d10+4).
  Armour: None.
  Gear: None.
  In addition, as long as the Worm has a link to the Warp, 
  then it will be able to regenerate Orden even if he is killed.
  THE EMPEROR’S GHOSTS
  Once the PCs have escaped the bridge, their two main goals 
  will no doubt be to contact their vessel and get back to their 
  guncutter. Unfortunately, they have been cut off from both. Vox 
  signals are only answered with static, and the routes back to the 
  void-seal they entered through have been sealed and purged 
  of atmosphere. Attempts to reach their vessel are met with 
  packs of Warp Puppets (at ﬁ rst a few, but then more) as well as 
  the perils of trying to pass through airless chambers. The GM 
  should play up the fact that the PCs are trapped, allowing them 
  to cut through doors or ﬁ nd alternative paths only to run into 
  impassable obstacles. All the while they will be stumbling into 
  groups of Warp Puppets and be forced to retreat or engage in 
  brief ﬁ re ﬁ ghts, possibly using up precious ammunition. After a 
  few attempts to reach their ship, they should come across Erart, 
  one of the few survivors of the Bounty.
  A bedraggled and ﬁ lthy man in an ancient shipsuit 
  approaches from the shadows, holding out his hands and 
  asking the PCs not to shoot. If they comply, he approaches 
  and tells them his name is Erart and he knows a safe place 
  they can hide. If the PCs want to question him, he tells them 
  it is not safe to talk where they are and offers to tell them all 
  he knows when they are below decks. If he has to, he pleads 
  with them to follow, but ultimately if they wish to stay, he will 
  leave them alone. If they do follow him, he leads them into a 
  series of code-locked service tunnels and down into the bowels 
  of the ship, explaining that the Worm’s powers are weaker near 
  the reactor. In this disgusting warren of corridors, they come 
  across the other survivors, emaciated scavengers, ironically 
  more horriﬁ c looking than the Warp Puppets.
  Initially distrustful of the PCs, the survivors will 
  need to be convinced the PCs are there to help. This 
  convincing can be roleplayed out with the PCs 
  presenting reasons to the survivors’ leader 
  Erart. Depending on his choice of a method of persuasion a PC 
  can make a Routine (+20) Charm, Deceive, or Intimidate 
  Test, but as long as the PCs agree to try to destroy Orden 
  and get them off the vessel and out of the Battleground, they 
  eventually offer their help. Erart then tells them the Tale of the 
  Emperor’s Bounty (see page 17) and what he knows about the 
  Halo Device (which he calls the Worm). He tells them of the 
  attempt to kill Orden and their ill-fated battle on the bridge. It 
  was during that battle that they realised the true power of the 
  device and its abilities. They also came to the conclusion that 
  the device was somehow drawing its power from Orden and 
  preventing them from killing him.
  There is hope, however. Before he died, the captain surmised 
  that the device must somehow draw power from the warp, as it 
  only became active in the presence of Orden and his third eye. 
  It also remained inert when the ship was in transit, shielded 
  from the warp by its Gellar Field. Erart believes that if the 
  Gellar Field could be brought to full strength it might sever 
  the device’s power supply and allow them to kill Orden. Of 
  course, this idea remains only a theory as one of the ﬁ rst things 
  Orden did when he killed the crew was deactivate the Core 
  Cogitator and purge its machine spirit, allowing the Worm free 
  reign over the ship’s systems. Without the Cogitator and the 
  machine spirit, the Gellar Field cannot be fully raised.
  At this point, Erart tries to convince the PCs they should be 
  the ones to travel to the Core and awaken the machine spirit. If 
  the PCs ask him why they have never done this themselves, he 
  tells them that he has never been able to get the Cogitator to 
  respond to him (the truth is, however, that all of the survivors 
  are too terriﬁ ed to leave the safety of their tunnels and too 
  weak to then try to kill Orden).
  If the PCs choose not to try to awaken the machine spirit, 
  then they will have to wait for rescue.
  AWAKENING THE MACHINE SPIRIT
  To reach the Core Cogitator, the PCs must pass though a 
  substantial portion of the ship. While this journey should be 
  harrowing—taking them past heavily damaged hull passages, 
  debris-ﬁ lled cargo holds, and leaking gravity pumps— the 
  PCs should be able to make it without serious problems. Once 
  they reach the Core, read or paraphrase the following:
  You crawl out into a vast cylindrical chamber with energy 
  feeds and ﬂ uid interchangers spiralling both up and down into 
  the darkness. Suspended amid the chaos of tubes and wires is a 
  collection of massive brass spheres surrounded by inactive servitors. 
  You have reached the Core Cogitator.
  To awaken the machine spirit, the PCs must ﬁ rst enact the 
  correct rituals and supplications. This will not require any 
  Tests, so long as they follow instructions given to them by 
  Erart, though it will take the better part of an hour as they set 
  off rune-cascades and ﬁ ll ﬂ uid reserves bringing the ancient 
  machine back to life. Alternatively (if the group did not 
  accompany Erart or wish to do this themselves), a successful 
  Ordinaty (+10) Tech-Use Test can awaken the machine-
  
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  spirit. Once active, the machine spirit’s interface, the leathery 
  head and torso of a servitor, addresses them, asking them to 
  identify themselves. The GM should play the machine spirit 
  as a coldly logical personality, remembering that it is not truly 
  alive. It is up to the PCs to satisfactorily answer the machine 
  spirit’s following questions and then convince it to raise the 
  Gellar Field:
  Who are you?: Only if one of the PCs identiﬁ es himself 
  as the captain will the machine spirit become responsive. If the 
  PCs have forgotten the captain’s name (told to them by Erart 
  during his story), allow them an Easy (+30) Intelligence 
  Test to remember.
  Why is there a time discrepancy in the Core 
  Cogitator?: The PCs cannot merely explain that the machine 
  spirit has been ofﬂ ine, as it does not understand this concept 
  (having been designed to stand eternal vigil over its vessel). 
  Instead they must come up with a story; if they blame warp 
  transition or similar phenomena, the spirit will be appeased.
  The machine spirit continues to ask these questions until 
  they are answered. After satisfactorily answering the questions, 
  the PCs are free to ask the Core Cogitator their own questions. 
  Regarding the state of the vessel, they will be able to learn little 
  more than they already know. If they ask it to raise the Gellar 
  Field, it will tell them that this is not required as they are not 
  in transition. If they explain about Orden and the Halo device, 
  it will fail to understand. To convince the machine spirit to 
  raise the ﬁ eld, the PCs can use the following arguments:
  The captain wants to test the ﬁ eld
  • 
  The ship is approaching a warp rift, and the Gellar Field 
  • 
  is needed to strengthen the Void Shielding
  The vessel is preparing for a transition and the Navigator 
  • 
  wants the ﬁ eld raised early
  A warp entity has invaded the ship and must be purged
  • 
  Other logical arguments may also work at the GM’s 
  discretion. Note, however, that it is not possible for the ship 
  to enter the warp (it has suffered too much damage), a fact 
  known to the machine spirit. If the PCs get stuck, the GM can 
  allow one of them to make a Challenging (+0) Logic Test 
  to work out one of these likely tactics.
  CONFRONTING THE WORM
  Once the machine spirit is awakened and the Gellar Field 
  active, the PCs are now ready to return to the bridge and 
  kill Orden. The Worm will try to impede their progress, 
  either throwing Warp Puppets in their way or trying to vent 
  sections of the ship. Clever PCs should be able to get to the 
  bridge with stealth, taking advantage of information provided 
  by the machine spirit. The GM should allow the PCs to come 
  up with a plan to reach the bridge and avoid the bulk of the 
  Warp Puppets and, as long as it sounds reasonable, should 
  allow it to work. Once they reach the bridge, though, they 
  are in for a ﬁ ght. Orden now stands before the throne in a 
  ring of 12 Warp Puppets, and as soon as he detects the PCs, 
  he attacks, his ﬁ sts haloed in energy. Fortunately for the PCs, 
  his psy-shield is down, and he can be more easily harmed by 
  their weapons. In addition, without its link to the warp, the 
  Worm cannot regenerate him.
  CONCLUSION
  Once Orden is dead, the Psycharus Worm once again becomes 
  inert, little more than a cold alien object, and any surviving 
  Warp Puppets fall where they stand. The PCs might try to 
  destroy the device, but it will resist damage from any kind of 
  personal weapon. Even in the presence of psykers, it remains 
  dead and inactive. What the PCs do with the device is up to 
  them, but whatever they decide, it will surely spell trouble in 
  the future. It is also up to the PCs to decide what to do with 
  the survivors. Kindhearted PCs may ferry them back to the 
  Calixis Sector or even offer them service, though it is also 
  possible to sell them off or ﬂ ush them out an airlock should 
  the Rogue Trader so choose. The PCs can now continue with 
  their salvage operation unhindered and are free to return to 
  their vessel and leave the Battleground behind.
  REWARDS
  For their efforts aboard the Bounty each character should 
  receive 500xp. They will also have completed the Endeavour 
  to salvage the Emperor’s Bounty, adding a bonus of +10 to 
  the PCs’ Proﬁ t as operations slowly strip the vessel down. 
  This bonus is modiﬁ ed depending on the actions of the PCs 
  during the adventure:
  If they successfully scanned the debris ﬁ eld: +2
  • 
  If their Gun-cutter was damaged: –1
  • 
  If they managed to move the vessel outside the cloud, 
  • 
  making the salvage easier: +5
  If the 
  • 
  Bounty suffered serious damage, from ship to ship 
  weapons or the like: –3
  If the PCs decided to enlist the help of the survivors in 
  • 
  the salvage: +2
  If their own vessel tried to enter the cloud: –8
  • 
  either throwing Warp Puppets in their way or trying to vent 
  sections of the ship. Clever PCs should be able to get to the 
  bridge with stealth, taking advantage of information provided 
  by the machine spirit. The GM should allow the PCs to come 
  up with a plan to reach the bridge and avoid the bulk of the 
  Warp Puppets and, as long as it sounds reasonable, should 
  allow it to work. Once they reach the bridge, though, they 
  are in for a ﬁ ght. Orden now stands before the throne in a 
  ring of 12 Warp Puppets, and as soon as he detects the PCs, 
  he attacks, his ﬁ sts haloed in energy. Fortunately for the PCs, 
  his psy-shield is down, and he can be more easily harmed by 
  
  22
  Lead Developer
  Ross Watson
  Additional Writing & Development
  Owen Barnes, Sam Stewart
  FORSAKEN BOUNTY Written by
  Owen Barnes
  Editing
  Mark O’Connor
  Graphic Design
  Kevin Childress
  Cover Art
  Sacha Diener
  Interior Art
  John Blanche, Sacha Diener, Clint Langley, Colin MacNeil
  Art Direction
  Zoe Robinson
  Production Manager
  Gabe Laulunen
  Managing RPG Developer
  Michael Hurley
  Publisher
  Christian T. Petersen
  GAMES WORKSHOP
  Licensing Manager
  Owen Rees
  Licensing & Acquired Rights Manager
  Erik Mogensen
  Intellectual Property Manager
  Alan Merrett
  Special thanks to Nelson and Graeme. Also, thanks to all staff of the 
  GW Design Studio—your work is an inspiration.
  Head of Legal & Licensing
  Andy Jones
  Special Thanks to Our Playtesters
  “The Lurkers in the Valley” Ed Browne with Meric England, 
  Loren Overby, Jeff Poff, Lisa Poff, Vern Wester, “No Guts 
  No Glory” Sean Connor with Mathieu Booth, Steven Cook, 
  Les Hedges, Nick Hodge, Chris Pitson, Stephen Pitson, 
  Benn Williams with Kat Glass, Chris Lancaster, Matt Ricicki, 
  Rebecca Williams, Eric Young, and Tod Gelle
  FANTASY
  FLIGHT
  GAMES
  Fantasy Flight Games
  1975 West County Road B2
  Roseville, MN 55113
  USA
  Copyright © Game Workshop Limited 2009. Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer 40,000 Role Play, Rogue Trader, 
  the foregoing marks’ respective logos, Rogue Trader, and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/
  devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters, products and illustrations from the Warhammer 
  40,000 universe and the Rogue Trader game setting are either ®, ™, and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2009, variably registered 
  in the UK and other countries around the world. This edition published under license to Fantasy Flight Publishing Inc. All rights 
  reserved to their respective owners. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any 
  form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
  Product Code RTP1
  Printed in the USA
  For more information about the Rogue Trader line, free downloads, answers 
  to rule queries, or just to pass on greetings, visit us online at
  www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  CREDITS
  
  23
  
  FORSAKEN BOUNTY is an introductory adventure 
  for the ROGUE TRADER roleplaying game. Adrift 
  in a dangerous region of space, a derelict vessel 
  offers a tempting opportunity. Rogue Trader 
  Sarvus Trask and his crew are determined to 
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  all is not as it appears. The seemingly-abandoned 
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  in the way of Trask’s ambition.
  An introduction to privateering adventure as a 
  Rogue Trader in the grim darkness of the far future. 
  Welcome to Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay.
  A set of basic rules are included to help players and 
  Game Masters become familiar with the ROGUE 
  TRADER roleplaying game.
  This free booklet gives you a taste of the thrilling 
  new roleplaying game from award winning 
  publisher Fantasy Flight Games. ROGUE TRADER will 
  be available August 2009.
  FREE
  NOT FOR RESALE
  FORTUNE AND MENACE AWAIT ON THE DARK FRONTIER!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/UNSORTED (help requested)/Roleplaying Games/Rogue Trader/Scenarios/Demo/Forsaken Bounty.pdf