One of the stumbling blocks for me, so far, has been creating a strong system for measuring, gaining, spending, and losing wealth. I do like the way FFG has Profit Factor as a stat that you can roll against, but I also feel like making profit simply a -1 to +3 stat for rolling against gives insufficient granularity to wealth. Rogue Traders should always have the motivation to keep bringing in that filthy lucre.

I've basically completely ignored it in my games so far. Currently, the rules assume a system where profit is basically like barter, but collectively rather than individually owned and spent. 1-profit can outfit a battalion, feed the ship for a year, or purchase an artifact-quality eviscerator.

I still feel like this system lacks the right qualities. Perhaps a Profit Factor stat with strata would work...

Obviously, please don't read these if you're actually playing the game.

This is what I have drawn up so far for my current game, which involves two player characters - a Rogue Trader named Wilberforce veBarro who has just been snatched from a comfortable life managing his family's trade mission on a minor Callixus Sector world to command the newly salvaged Blancheviperre, and his dangerous Arch-Militant bodyguard, Khergan the Fist (until recently known as Prisoner 06008, for as-yet unrevealed reasons). Their ship has recently been commandeered under unusual circumstances by a mysterious Inquisitor.

Home Front


Flaxxus Sand - Magos and High Tech Priest
Curiousity, technical assistance, longwinded
Impulse: to investigate, to blather

Gilliam deVorche - Navigator
Impulse: to flee battle, to avoid dangers in the warp

Quintus Xavian - Seneschal
Impulse: to control, to ensure profit, to know

Terrigan Finch - Captain-at-Arms
Impulse: to protect the ship, to defend his honor
Conflicts with Khergan - distrusts the former criminal

Proctor Zephira Qi - Mistress of the Guns

Cartography and Cataloguing Department
Impulse: to control knowledge, to remain secretive
Cast: Ordinate-Major Darrick d'Allezandro

Threat moves:
 - Disseminate useless maps.
 - Show the true location of something dangerous.
 - Discover something.
 - Intrude on something.

Custom move: to get anything out of the Department, roll + Charming. On a 12+, they'll tell you where they are. On a 10+, they'll give you a map. On a 7-9, they'll give you a map, but choose 1:
- It's pretty damn inaccurate.
- Cartography demands a shipment of luxuries and supplies before they hand it over.

The Blancheviperre

Crew population countdown: 6 o'clock, some casualties, underpopulated

Armsmen Population Countdown (2-harm large gang 1-armor): 9 o'clock, on the verge of breaking

Crew morale countdown: 3 o'clock, orcs on lower decks

Hull points countdown: 3 o'clock

Weapons:

Thunderstrike macrocannons (3-harm close/midrange prow messy)

*Hidden Thunderstrike battery (3-harm close/midrange dorsal messy)

Armor: 2-armor void shields

*Hidden Librarium Vault: Special move: investigate family secrets. Roll Adroit. 10+, hold 3, 7-9 hold 1. Answer a question
 - Did Sarina veBarro encounter ____?
 - How did Sarina respond to ____?
 - Is a given legend about the veBarros true?
 - What was Sarina's biggest fear?
 - Where did the Blancheviperre travel?
 - Where did they find great wealth?
 - How did the Blancheviperre defeat enemies in battle?

The Orks in the Hold

Kind: Orks
Impulse: to raid, to cause havoc

Threat moves:
- Cause havoc at inappropriate moments.
- Steal cargo.
- Breed.

Aunt Jezmerelda

Kind: Relative, Rogue Trader
Impulse: Insult, berate, control
Description & Cast: Jezmerelda, immensely fat aged woman.
Custom Move: Whenever Jezmerelda is around, Wilberforce takes -1 Bold.


The Draxxus Conspiracy


Exhibits: Treachery
Darkness of the Future: The Rage Thirsters destroy the demon lord Calligula, as the Committee planned. They take his power and become demon lords themselves, using their knowledge of the Callixis sector to wage terrible war.

Threats

The Committee

Kind: Gathering
Impulse: to own, to corrupt, to manipulate
Description & Cast:

- Charlon diMaggio. Cousin to Wilberforce, former school chum, aboard the light cruiser Major Arcana. Charming. Sly. Bloody smart. Behind the whole operation.
- Corrigan the Fat. Well-armed, heavy cruiser Thunder Chalice. Not the brains of the outfit.
- the Schultzwarg sisters. Katherine aboard the Poison'd Wind and Gundrissa aboard the Pride of Blood.

Threat Moves
 - Offer vast rewards
 - Draw on past loyalties. (Charlon)
 - Lie and manipulate.
 - Attack peripheral holdings.
 - Launch cultist attacks.
 - Orbital bombardment. (Thunder Chalice)

The Draxxus System

Kind: Chaos world
Impulse: to entice, to corrupt, to destroy
Description:

Cast: The demon lord Calligula. Slaneesh.

Threat moves;
 - Entice with visions.
 - Corrupt through dreams.
 - Conceal the true path.
 - Disrupt warp travel.
 - Provoke a horrific choice.
 - Disgorge daemonettes.

Rage Thirsters

Kind: Space Marines (lost)
Impulse: to destroy Calligula, to seek revenge
Description & Cast: For innumerable years the remaining Rage Thirsters have battled across the worlds of the Draxxus System, abandoned by Sarina veBarro. They have not yet succumbed to the temptation of Slaneesh, and they slaughter demons and nightmares in an ending war against the lord of Draxxus, Calligula. They resupply their weapons and armour from the chaos warriors they slaughter, and thus they are still incredibly tainted.

Captain Largath - Ancient battle-captain wielding power sword and teleport pack. Thanks to alterations, he can teleport the entire squad across the entire system
Sergeant Korvan - Sergeant wielding dual power-eviscerators.
Other marines: Erasmus (techmarine), Thalliost (librarian), Argus (devastator), Brominade, Corrian, Hormac, Lester

Squad

Threat Moves
 - Inflict terrible harm.
 - Teleport attack.
 - Ignore pleas for mercy.
 - Call on the past.

Arbites Venator Barghon

Kind: Hunter
Impulse: to hunt Coldwine at all costs
Description & Cast: Hails from the same world as Khergan - an old friend / adversary, both his childhood friend and the person who put him away. Has been persuaded / bribed by Charlon to pursue Coldwine at all costs. There is a warrant with her name on every world in the Callixus Sector.

He commands a fast Arbites patrol frigate, the Lawgiver, which he is using to pursue Coldwine.

Threat moves:
 - Put a warrant out for Khergan.
 - Draw on Arbites resources.
 - Boarding action with the Lawgiver.
 - Outmanuever in the Lawgiver.
 - Master Tracker.

Inquisitor Coldwine

Kind: Inquisitor
Impulse: To take control, to manipulate, to win at all costs
Description & Cast: Inquisitor Bella Elipheth Coldwine, amazing with daggers (3-harm archaic) and eldar pulse rifle (3-harm close/far silent). She is quick with insults.

Khergan's read: How to get her to reveal her weakness? Seduce her.

Retinue: Damega Antares (interrogator), Gear d'Elektro (tech-priest), Mengsk (brute) and 7 others (3-harm gang small disciplined 2-armour).

Threat Moves:
 - Insult and demean
 - Manipulate and threaten
 - Use xenos technology
 - Draw on the Imperial Litanies
 - Use Inquisitorial Seal
 - Launch an assault.
 - Take control of something.

Retinue moves
 Damega Antares: Interrogate prisoner. Fence. Draw on contacts.
 Mensgk: Inflict terrible harm.
 Gear d'Elektro: Investigate xenos technology.

The working rules from which I am running my playstorming sessions can be found here. The rule as they exist in the document are highly unstable and liable to be changed at a moment's notice to better suit the needs of the game.

Arch-Militant

Stats

Choose one:

bold +1 adroit +1 vigorous +2 charming -1 twisted 0
bold +2 adroit -1 vigorous +2 charming 0 twisted -1
bold +1 adroit 0 vigorous +2 charming -1 twisted +1
bold +1 adroit 0 vigorous +2 charming +1 twisted -1
bold +1 adroit -1 vigorous +2 charming -1 twisted +2

Moves:

Choose two:

Death World Veteran
You count as a small squad in battle.

Weapon Master
Choose any weapon group: plasma, chain, las, archaic, power, bolt, melta, flame. You add +1 to harm and +1 to all attack rolls when you wield that type of weapon.

Battle-Hardened
You gain +1 Vigorous.

Leadership (Bold)
You gain a squad of tough bastards (3-harm large squad tough 2-armor), better calibre than the rest of the ship's armsmen. When you direct your squad in battle, roll + bold. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your on these actions: 

• make a hard advance
• stand strong against a hard advance
• make an organized retreat
• fight and die to the last

Power Armoured
You can use power armor (detail), and have one set. When you inflict harm, add +harm to harm dealt. When you roll to seize by force, add +power.

Power Armor:
Power +1 Harm +1 Armor 3
Power +0 Harm +2 Armor 4
Power +1 Harm +2 Armor 2

Plus

Arch-Militant Special
When you sleep with another character, both you and them take +1 forward.

Gear
You can take:
1 signature weapons
2 serious weapons
armour worth 2-armour or power armour if you took the appropriate move

Signature weapons:
Powerfist (3-harm hand ap archeotech power)
Lascannon (3-harm close/far ap las recharge)
Heavy bolter (3-harm close/far autofire loud)
Heavy flamer(3-harm close area messy flame)
Eviscerator (4-harm hand chain messy)
Meltagun (4-harm close ap messy melta)
Plasma pistol (4-harm hand/close ap reload plasma)
Inferno pistol (3-harm hand/close ap area messy flame)
 
And choose one:
Lethal (add +1 harm)
Warp-cursed (add your twisted to rolls made using weapon and to harm rolls you make)
Artifact (+valuable)
Exotic (+xenotech +1 harm)

Serious weapons:
Chainsword (3-harm hand chain)
Bolter (3-harm close/far bolt)
Bolt pistol (3-harm hand/close bolt)
Power sword (2-harm hand ap power)
Sniper rifle (3-harm scope far)
Hellpistol (3-harm hand/close las)


Advances
Take +1 Bold
Take +1 Adroit
Take +1 Twisted
Get a new arch-militant move
Get a new arch-militant move
Get a small army (detail) and leadership
Get a signature vehicle (detail) and drive hard
Get a move from another career
Get a move from another career