Rogue Trader Bands for 7th edition

I have loved the WH universe since around 1989 or 90 when I somehow got my hands on RT at Waldenbooks in Miami International Mall. I don't even know if that's a place anymore, it could be a spice-induced hallucination. (remind me to spend some ranting space on the influences of Dune upon Star Wars and hence upon GW)

"You virus-bombed our entire planetary system, and for this we shall bill you thricefold!"

I often mention Inquisimunda but have not yet had a chance to play since my usual group is hardcore 40K folks and I am sure they might be into it but I haven't got the sack to ask.  I don't go as much as I did a year ago, since all I do in my spare time is watch my kid and play RPGs.  I still dream, though - Dream!  How can I keep my core army of badly-converted and lackadaisically kit-bashed Imperials as my favorites and then every so often include some filthy heretical xenoid scum for shits and giggles?

 Why, with Rogue Traders and retinues as a minor allied contingent!

I think this'd need some classically stolen races, maybe. The Hrud; Tarellian Dog Soldiers, maybe some Ambulls or Zoats. I don't know.  I think it'd probably end up being a lot like an Ordo Xenos retinue and might be a good deal of fun but the whickering snicker of it is that of course you're not fettered by convention. If you wanted to "go unbound" then of course you can field whatever troops you like within a couple of possibly restrictive spacing guidelines

Anywho; just ordered myself a minor Emperormas present, a box of fantasy ghouls to convert into arcoflaggelants.  My wife was not amused.

Find me on Pinterest and see where my brain is at in terms of conversions. I haven't been very brave about it, yet, so most of this is just trash talk.

I can maybe post a retinue of Ordo Xenos in a bit and some attached forces and see how it plays out.

Also, had a pipe dream about Dark Elves - they are crazy cheap on eBay like they must be horrible disappointments on the board and so out of favor or something. Watching Voltron the other day I always liked the evil space goblin look of the bad guys (Haggar and her ultra-android troops). Maybe I make a Ultrabeast out of this doll up in my attic space but surely that would leave me accurséd. I think about getting some cheap plastic elves for their legs and arms and torsos, and some goblinoid heads.  Convert a Prince Lotor and Haggar the Space Witch and some foot troops and flyers, and off you go!  Here's a thumb in your eye, GW!

Although turns out since my last post they have opened up the veins of the Specialist Games line and pumped some reanimator juice in there...  just need some Hive terrain and maybe a couple of new orlocks and ratskins and I will be Satis Bene if you get my drift

"This is Dr. West, of our Marketing and Neuronal Plague Department"

Too bad - as much as I love Mordheim it looks like Frostgrave may be my next big thing.

Luck and XP Boosts for DCC

I love DCC's simple XP awards.  Easy to tabulate, but they make for slow advancement and the implication is maybe that long, marathon play sessions and extensive campaigns are the norm.  I do a lot of brief games and short campaigns and to go from a funnel-0 to 3rd or 4th level may take a great deal of time at the rate given in RAW, so I am fumbling and groping through these new standards.  For a RP heavy game with a couple of brief combats and some good exploration, which I want to promote in the Barrowmaze, tonight's session gives about 23XP for DCC characters, enough for a 5th adventure character to finally make it to level 2 (this is +Alex Perucchini 's Sr. Juan Pistolero, pragmatic and straight-forward bandito from the southern Mexican territories possibly Chihuahua).  I will probably adopt something like this for the Castle Gargantua games and also for the Purple Planet.  I like to see characters advance, and Doug's come pretty close to dying a couple of times.  I note also, this implies a great deal of me doing Fear checks that I sometimes miss, as well as abusing Ruin from Transylvanian Adventures pretty blatantly.

Luck Awards:

take up a roleplay opportunity, make people laugh +1 Luck

do some bold combat stuff, hilariously: +1 Luck

do a clever solution to a problem with your non-magical gear: +1 Luck

Die in a way that makes recovery impossible during the game - but cook up an answer for off-screen antics that’s better than just death (Adjudicated - possibly a follower or quest)

Acquire a mission from death before being turned over after dying, explain the mission: +1d4 Luck but your Patron is attached and maybe jealous

Use a magic-item without knowing what it does/trying: +1 Luck after

Opting to use a Dungeon World-style resolution (2d6 plus stat) when a mechanic does not otherwise exist:

    Fail +1 XP

    No/AND: +1 XP

    Yes/AND: +1 Luck

Carouse off-screen, and report it - WITHOUT USING LUCK (maybe needs a carousing table) Bonus XP as the table adjudicates

Play Report to a wide audience e.g. DCCRPG group on G+ :+1 Luck for that character

XP awards for a group (this implies Reaction Rolls and Morale, I think)

Per room/area explored: +1

Peacefully negotiate an encounter: Double

Establish trade routes: +1

Trade goods: +1

Communicate with foreign or new people: +1

Learn something about a culture: +1

Spread news: +1

Learn news/rumors: +1

Haggle (in character): +1

Solve a puzzle: +1

Uncover a conspiracy: +1

Per day of land or sea travel: +1 to a limit of 7

Per thousand GP/Equivalent treasure recovered: +1 to a limit of 10 (this has application in Barrowmaze and other OSR type stuff but not in the grand scheme of DCC stuff, mostly)

Use a class skill in an encounter: +1 XP per encounter