Arch-Militant career book

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

This is the first sort-of-finished playbook for Rogue Trader: Apocalypse. Most of the moves are fairly standard, being taken straight from AW.

The only worries I'm having are around power armour, and gear. I feel like power armour is important enough to the 40k universe to be more than just a "3-armour" line on a character sheet, but I'm not entirely sure the implementation I've suggested here is quite right.

The other issue is around weapon balance, which I'm not quite au fait with yet. In general, the signature weapons are meant to be at about the same power level as the gunlugger's signature weapons, but I think they're a bit more powerful in general.

Overall, looks pretty good to me! Here are my quick thoughts:

First off, do you want to keep sleeping with people as the 'special move' for this game? Nothing wrong with adding a bit of sexiness to the usually sterilized for young adolescents world of 40k, but Vincent pointed out in some earlier post that the sex isn't an integral part of the game unless it's significant to the world you're playing in. I can't really think of a more 'Rogue Tradery' thing to take over its importance, but just a thought.

Next up, on the weapons. I agree that they seem to be a bit in the high power range, but that's without seeing everybody else's standard weapon choices. The main thing that stands out is that there's only one 2-harm weapon even available to the Arch-Militant, and he has the option of taking a 4 harm +1 harm weapon or the 'insta-super-messy-death' weapon, whatever it may be. On the other hand, high value armor might be way more common since 40k types tend to run around in more and better armor than your average wasteland dweller. Unless you already have firm ideas about what weapons should be 1 harm and 2 harm, I might consider trending all of the weapons down by 1 harm, especially if you keep the 'lethal' option for an upgrade (oh yeah, and in a battle, when paired with "Death World Veteran" you could have a totally bonkers Arch-Militant running around inflicting 6 harm on individuals with a lethal upgraded plasma pistol or melta gun. Youch!).

But, if you want Arch-Militants to be totally, ridiculously lethal, then keep it the way it is, cos it's fun to mow through hordes of your lessers!

Oh, the presence of the "special move" is absolutely intended. It's a deliberate choice to add some sexuality to the normally sexless universe of Rogue Trader. I wouldn't keep it if I didn't think it appropriate... the only issue is whether *this* special sex move is appropriate for the Arch-Militant.

You're right about the weapons. I was thinking that I would balance it out with the tendency for warriors in the grim darkness of the far future to run around in ridiculous amounts of armour. And there's not necessarily anything wrong with the Arch-Militant running around inflicting ridiculous amounts of damage on your average individual. The average individual should go down like a weak daisies to an Arch-Militant - hell, the average small squad should go down like a pile of weak daisies.

Regarding sex moves: Awesome! Glad to hear it. I think this move is just fine, if a tiny bit more charitable than the Gunlugger's (automatically give +1 forward to your partner, rather than at your option).

And fair enough that the Arch Militant should be ridiculously dangerous, I don't disagree. All of the Crew characters should be a bit larger than life. One option to make balancing things easier might be to set all of the stats and such for conflicts between "main characters" like PCs and major NPCs, and then have some level of abstraction for goons and mooks and the like. I dunno, almost like an anti-gang rule, where gangs inflict -1 harm on (important) individuals and so forth. Or just ramp up the armor and the damage  because big numbers are more impressive :)

Sure. I could just as easily balance it by saying that all *important* characters essentially are Not To Be Fucked With, and the Death World Veteran makes them even more not to be fucked with.

That's not a bad idea at all. Maybe just make up a tag like "Touched by Destiny" or whatever (come to think of it, this is sort of equivalent of which characters get destiny points and get to explode dice in the FF Rogue Trader RPG) that is applied to all PCs and can be to specific NPCs that, as you say, is just a skin for "Not to be Fucked With"

This character book has gone through a major revision, along with the rest of the rules.

INTRODUCING
the
ARCH-MILITANT

In this dark and dying age, some individuals fool themselves into thinking that there can still be peace and civilisation and glory and comfort. They armour themselves in faith and lies, blind to the one truth of their time:

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.

CREATING YOUR ARCH-MILITANT
To create your arch-militant, select origins, name, look, stats, moves, gear, and Rapport.

ORIGINS
Homeworld: Death world, war world, hive world, forge world, or void-born

Born to be: Scavenger, stubjack, guardsman, zealot, slave, or criminal

Past glories: Renegade, prisoner, mercenary, warrior, assassin, or officer

Enemies: Orks, heretics, daemons, Eldar, arbites, Inquisitor, rebels, pirates, or xenos

Motivations: Endurance, fortune, vengeance, renown, murder, or pride

LOOKS
Man, woman, eunuch, or transgressing

Savage wear, hiver wear, gang wear, guard wear, officer wear, or power armor

Weathered face, savage face, blunt face, rugged face, scarred face or blasted face

Plasma scars, daemon scars, las scars, major burns, bionic limb, or bionic eye

Cunning eyes, hard eyes, scarred eyes, weary eyes, or mad eyes

Sturdy build, hard build, squat build, enormous build, or compact body

STATS
Choose one set:
bold +1 adroit +1 hard +2 charm -1 beyond 0
bold +2 adroit -1 hard +2 charm 0 beyond -1
bold +1 adroit 0 hard +2 charm -1 beyond +1
bold +1 adroit 0 hard +2 charm +1 beyond -1
bold +1 adroit -1 hard +2 charm -1 beyond +2


MOVES
Choose three:

Stone Cold Killer
You gain +1 Hard. (Hard +3)

A Simple Faith
When you pray for the emperor’s guidance, roll +Hard instead of +Beyond, but only in battle.

Endurance Under Fire
When you defy danger, roll +Hard instead of +Bold.

Weapon Master
Select a weapon type. Whenever you wield that type of weapon in battle, take +1 to any moves you make and inflict +1 harm.

Bare-Handed Slayer
Whenever you’re unarmed or unarmoured, you have 1-armour and inflict 3-harm silent (or s-harm, at your option) with your bare hands.

Avenging Guardian
When the fighting starts, mark someone as your ward. When they come under fire, you can roll +Hard to strike back. On a 10+, you get your ward out of fire, and have a chance to inflict harm on the attacker. On a 7-9, you get your ward of the fire, but suffer the harm of the attack.

Death World Veteran
You count as a company (3-harm small 1-armour) in battle.

Commando Infiltration
At the start of every session, roll +Bold. On a 10+, hold 1+1. On a 7-9, hold 1. Whenever you want to infiltrate somewhere, spend your hold and boom, you’re there. If you hold +1, you take +1 forward on arrival. On a miss, the MC holds 1 over you and can spend it at any time to put you in a spot.

Power Armour
You get power armour (detail), and can wear it without penalty. Add its Strength whenever you seize by force or brandish threats, and add its Mobility whenever you defy danger. Whenever someone hinders you, they add your armour’s Vulnerability.

ARCH-MILITANT SPECIAL
When you and another character have sex, you both take +1 forward.

GEAR
You get:
2 custom weapons
1 serious weapon
Fashion worth either 1 or 2-armour at your option

Custom ranged:
Choose base:
Pistol (1-harm hand/close quick)
Rifle (1-harm close/far loud)
Blaster / shotgun (1-harm close area reload messy)
Cannon (2-harm close reload messy)

Options (choose 2):
Bolt (+1harm bolt)
Plasma (+1harm ap plasma explosive)
Inferno (+1harm flame)
Melta (+ap flame)
Las (+ap las )
Heavy (+1harm +messy)
Xenotech (+1harm +xenotech)
Archeotech (+reliable +valuable)
Autofire (+area)
Silenced (-loud)


Custom melee:
Choose base:
Sword (1-harm hand)
Axe (1-harm hand)
Lance (1-harm hand)
Fist (1-harm hand)
Whip (0-harm hand/close entrap)

Options (choose 3):
Power field (+ap power)
Chain (+1harm chain)
Spiked (+1harm)
Elegant (+quick +valuable)
Terrible (+1terror +cursed)
Brutal (+1harm +messy)
Vicious (+1harm)
Shock (+s-harm)
Double-headed (+2harm +unwieldy)
Reliquary (+skulls +valuable)


Serious weapons:
Chainsword (2-harm hand chain)
Bolter (2-harm close/far bolt)
Bolt pistol (2-harm hand/close bolt)
Power sword (1-harm hand ap power)
Sniper rifle (2-harm scope far)
Hellpistol (2-harm hand/close las)
Shotgun (2-harm close area reload messy)


If you selected power armour, choose one of these profiles:
Strength +1 Mobility +1 2-armor Vulnerability +1
Strength +1 Mobility +2 2-armor Vulnerability +2
Strength +2 Mobility 0 2-armor Vulnerability +1
Strength +1 Mobility -1 3-armor Vulnerability +2

HISTORY
On your turn, choose 1 or 2:
One of the other characters has fought beside you in battle. Tell that person History +1.
One of the other characters doesn't understand that their existence is based on violence. Tell that person History -1.
Tell everyone else History +0.

On the others' turns, choose 1 or 2:
You've fought or sparred with one of them. Whatever number they tell you, write down History +3 instead.
One of them reminds you of a world beyond killing and death. Whatever number they tell you, add +1.
Write down whatever number everyone else tells you.

INFLUENCE
You’ve fought for many commanders before, but only one truly had your loyalty. Pick one:
Imperial Guard (detail a Lord General)
Holy Inquisition (detail an Inquisitor)
Adeptus Arbites (detail a Judicator or Venator)
Criminal underground (detail a crime lord)
Planetary governor (detail the system)
A rogue trader dynasty (detail the dynasty)
Give them +1 Influence. In addition, pick another of the above organisations; you’ve fought them in battle before, give them -1 Influence.

ADVANCEMENT
Take +1 Bold
Take +1 Adroit
Take +1 Beyond
Get a new arch-militant move
Get a new arch-militant move
Get a company (detail) and pack alpha
Get a signature vehicle (detail) and hotshot pilot
Get a move from another career
Get a move from another career

Thanks for the interest. Good luck in your progression and future!