Crap I forgot about the Explorator.  Yeah those tend to stand at the same social level as the missionary and navigator.  Another person that a wise rogue trader should never mess with.  Rogue traders are kinda like Batman.  Their massive wealth and access to technology makes them into a super hero.  The only thing they lack is the skill (which is what xp is for) and the ability to maintain his equipment.  The explorator makes sure your utility belt and bat mobile doesn't break on you when you need it.  Not to mention they are members of the second most powerful religion in Imperium which is actually its own empire with its own army.  Don't treat the explorator like a tool unless you want to literally become his servitor.

Right now the Rogue Trader in our group is cruising for an execution, delivered by me. The character's great and the player's top-notch, but he's having so much fun with his devil-may-care concept that he's constantly spouting stuff that verges on heresy (seriously, I told the GM in private that I was assembling a full dossier on him for potential Inquisitorial sanction by our second session).

He tries to boss my Missionary around, but (as you guys helpfully pointed out) I don't work for him. In fact, by the setup for our campaign, I'm part-and-parcel of the Rogue Trader's warrant of trade. No me, no Missionary, no Rogue Trader. Which is kind of cool, I think.

Right now I'm basically Hell on Earth when it comes to resisting fear tests, plus pretty good at resisting Corruption. I'm handy with a laspistol and not too bad with a chainsword - which means that I've been useful in fights. My investigation-based skills have been handy when I can actually hit my target numbers (not too high right now). Mostly I just want to figure out where I fit in the game as a whole.

Thanks for recommending Blood of the Righteous (edit: sorry, meant Blood of Martyrs), by the way. I didn't know it existed! I've already asked the GM if he minded me taking a look at it, and possibly incorporating parts of it into the game.

Well just be careful too.  Outside of Imperium the only law you have is what the Rogue Trader creates.  If the rogue trader is more popular than you, then all your efforts might blow up in your face and cast you out into space without a void suit on.  Rogue traders had killed loyalists to other factions before and got away with it.  Much like medieval politics you got to look at your surroundings and the people around you.  If they favor the rogue trader, then your pretty much fuck till you get to Imperium port.

You may work for a higher power.  Serve one of the most powerful organizations in Imperium.  Possible allies with the other most powerful organization in Imperium.  All that doesn't matter in the end in the heart of cold dead space where the Emperor's light is so dreadfully dim.  The outsiders and the rouge trader isn't the only threats.

You may serve one of the most powerful organizations in Imperium, but that doesn't mean you reserve the highest authority.  Your a powerful figure, but your also nothing more than a pawn.  Pawns can be sacrifice, or be broken if they are no longer useful.  A wise rogue trader may have some "friends" in the church that out rank you and thus have far more authority over you.  Those clerics who live off the fat of the empire maybe more corrupt than your rogue trader.  They may take you out if the rogue trader bribes them, or politely ask them for their services while offering favors.  The church is your greatest asset and yet your greatest enemy.

The inquisition is a different beast altogether.  It is a organization formed by individuals instead of followers that is blinded by dogma.  Where the church believes the inquisition knows and that is fucking scary.  It doesn't help that the inquisition and your church are bitter rivals.  Oh sure there is a large faction of inquisitors that are loyal to the church, but not all inquisitors share that opinion.  Your worst fear if you press those heresy charges is that you might draw in the attention of the wrong inquisitor.

Yes it is true that rogue traders and inquisitors do not like each other.  It is also true that both groups are compose of individuals and that is the common ground.  Inquisitors expect rogue traders to do some cold trading and minor heresies.  Hell why do you think the laws that says you can have a xeno slave is still around (Into the Storm)?  It maybe because some inquisitors believe that the rogue trader is a sinner, but he may bring about tomorrow's saints.  With you standing in the way it might be a better idea to just silence you for good.

God forbid if the inquisitor is radical.  Then again it may take a radical to save your life.  The inquisition is a nuclear option and one that may do more harm than good.

Quote from: Géza Echs;776765Mostly I just want to figure out where I fit in the game as a whole.

You're the spiritual leader of the ship. You are almost certainly not the only member of the ecclesiarchy on board the vessel, especially if it's a moderately large ship, so you'd be their leader. You're the liaison from the bridge crew to the common crewman. You advise the Captain and crew on matters of faith. Your job is to safeguard the souls of those on board the vessel against the xenos, the daemon, and the witch. You are a diplomat, you bring the word of the God Emperor to the heathen members of humanity who have lived too long away from the light of the Imperium. You bring comfort to the dying, fearful and grieving and fear to the heretic. You administer prayers and rites to keep the ship safe through the warp. You are a bastion of faith and fearlessness and when others cower before the manifestations of Chaos you are the line which shall not be crossed.

You wear many hats, because the work of the Faithful is never done.

Quote from: Doctor Jest;777072You are almost certainly not the only member of the ecclesiarchy on board the vessel, especially if it's a moderately large ship, so you'd be their leader. [...] You wear many hats, because the work of the Faithful is never done.

Actually, I am the only member of the ecclesiarchy on board. The way the ship was designed (by other players), our crew is made up of (incompetent) Tech Priests and Servitors. The players are the only humans (or close to human baseline) on the ship. Thus far the only pseudo-member of the ecclesiarchy we've had on board is the Inquisitor we were ferrying to a particular system when we started the campaign (and have since had very light interaction with).

Which is fun, actually. I'm still giving services on the ship, ministering to the Mechanicum crew, etc. I'm advising the other player-characters of their spiritual wellbeing. And I'm interfacing with the ecclesiarchy presence on planets we do set down on, ensuring local compliance and things of that nature.

Hell, I was the impetus behind our discovering a rather large (system-wide) Chaos cult being run by the local system's governor... The others would've only gone hunting for archeotech without my ferreting out of heresy (we ended up finding the archeotech as well - just with added Khorne cultists).

Quote from: Géza Echs;777179Which is fun, actually. I'm still giving services on the ship, ministering to the Mechanicum crew, etc. I'm advising the other player-characters of their spiritual wellbeing. And I'm interfacing with the ecclesiarchy presence on planets we do set down on, ensuring local compliance and things of that nature.

Hell, I was the impetus behind our discovering a rather large (system-wide) Chaos cult being run by the local system's governor... The others would've only gone hunting for archeotech without my ferreting out of heresy (we ended up finding the archeotech as well - just with added Khorne cultists).

Sounds like you've got the situation well in hand.

Quote from: Doctor Jest;777517Sounds like you've got the situation well in hand.

Thanks!

I really am more curious about mechanical progression than anything else. I don't min/max at all, nor am I particularly interested in optimal builds (though I'm pretty sure that my GM is), but I'm new to the game and unsure of what leads to what over an extended campaign. For example (as I said) I didn't even know that Blood of Martyrs exists, and it looks like it has some interesting progression forks.

I'm okay if Missionaries, like Bards (the one with the most resonance with the Missionary for me, due to a "jack of all trades" feel) and Clerics, don't start developing powerful skills or abilities until later in the game - slow boils are fine by me. I more wanted to know if they ever do develop said powerful skills or abilities, and how to get there.

This may sound odd, but to really go to the source, you may want to check out Classic Traveller Adventure 4 Leviathan. It was produced by Games Workshop for GDW back in the day and centers around an exploratory trading mission beyond the Imperium's border. I think that was the origin of Rogue Trader as a concept.

Quote from: Géza Echs;777898Thanks!

I really am more curious about mechanical progression than anything else. I don't min/max at all, nor am I particularly interested in optimal builds (though I'm pretty sure that my GM is), but I'm new to the game and unsure of what leads to what over an extended campaign. For example (as I said) I didn't even know that Blood of Martyrs exists, and it looks like it has some interesting progression forks.

I'm okay if Missionaries, like Bards (the one with the most resonance with the Missionary for me, due to a "jack of all trades" feel) and Clerics, don't start developing powerful skills or abilities until later in the game - slow boils are fine by me. I more wanted to know if they ever do develop said powerful skills or abilities, and how to get there.

It depends on what kind of missionary you want to be. The missionary can go in several different directions depending on what you want, including being more a jack of all trades. Check out the link I posted a bit upthread, it delves into some of that.

There are also some advanced careers available for the Missionary in Into the Storm as well, if the default advance tree doesn't tickle you.