The ship components from (the second) Rogue Trader were another element of the Dark Heresy-era Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay that left an impression with me, and easily the type of building block I created the most of in the past. Though not implemented below, I very much considered bringing that (sub-)system into Epic Roleplay – or maybe rather the other way round. Instead I opted for a more open, less confined, and more easily generalised (beyond voidships) system of building a base for the characters from individual components.
This optional rules module covers the use of permanent bases – be it a Rogue Trader’s flagship, a Space Marine fortress monastery, a hivegang’s hideout, or some other place of anchoring and retreat for the retinue – as part of the game.
A base of operations is characterized by the facilities it sports. Each facility gives the retinue access to one or more benefits. Benefits may require a skill test to successfully activate. Normally, a character is only allowed to make one such skill test (total) between missions.
A base of operations may gain additional facilities or lose current ones as a result of developments in the campaign.
Sample facilities:
Hypnoindoctrinator
With a successful Morale test, at the beginning of a mission you gain either one Lore (often Forbidden Lore [local for the mission location]) or you replace an existing Hatred talent with Hatred of a specified group, the Lore or change of Hatred persist only for the duration of the mission.
Commonly found on Space Marine bases.
Rejuvenator
With a successful Medicae test, between missions you may remove one skill or talent from another character to be replaced by a new randomly generated skill or talent.
Rejuvenation technology is very rare, with the Inquisition maybe having the best access to it.
Barracks
Barracks allow for the housing of a Force without having to support and supply it on the field. A single barracks facility is usually sufficient to house 1,500 points of troops. The facility might be limited in the type of troops it can support.
Barracks are amongst the most common facilities.
Teleportatorium
With a successful Techcraft test, the retinue may deploy to a mission location via teleportation. Follow the rules for teleporting Grey Knights.
Almost only found on voidships and there very rare.
Holy Shrine
With a successful Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) test, you gain either Insanely Faithful or Hatred (Chaos, Eldar, Orks, Squats, or Tyranids) as an additional talent for the duration of the mission only.
Powerful relics, such as martyr’s bones, and places of faith are common enough around the Imperium for such facilities to be found in many places.
Crew Reclaimation
When a character would die as a result of casualty recovery, they instead receive the Mindless and Bionic Enhancement talents upon being returned to the base if another character succeeds at a Medicae or Techcraft test. If they already possess these talents or ever lose either of them, they immediately die without a chance at a second reclaimation.
Advanced servitor creation facilities are mostly found in bases controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Forges
When a character rolls on the Wargear table for an advance, they may make a Techcraft test, if successful, the equipment is of superior quality (i.e., a Superior Weapon or Superior Armour).
Also mostly found with the Adeptus Mechanics.
Extensive Armory
At the beginning of a mission, a character without a weapon gains their choice of either a Basic Weapon or a Close Combat Weapon. The wargear is returned to the armory once back at the base.
Commonly found across Imperial bases.
Medicae Center
With a successful Medicae test, the time needed for another character to recover from a wound may be halved.
Commonly found across Imperial bases.
Cadet School
When making a new character, before rolling the initial career, you may instead decide to make a character of a career specified as part of the facility.
Though human lives are the Imperium’s most abundant resource, depths of recruitment pools and thus rarety of such facilities are dependent on the specialty in question.
Fighting Pit
Roll Casualty Recovery. If you survive un-wounded, gain the Skilled Fighter talent.
Found with some Imperial Guard regiments as well as any number of criminal organisations.
Ancient Library
Between missions, a character with the Knowledge Seeker talent may try to learn one of a number of Forbidden or Scholastic Lore skills specified as part of the facility without suffering the normal penalty.
The Administratum is perhaps the most common but not the only organisation in whose domains such facilities are to be found.
Sample base of operations:
Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator Factoryship
This vessel sports the following facilities: Forges, Crew Reclaimation, Survey Data Vault (Ancient Library [Scholastic Lore: Astromancy; Forbidden Lore: Archeotech]), and Explorator Vessel (Cadet School [Techpriest]).