Better Territories &
Colonies
A supplement for Rogue Trader
Copyright © 2013 by Metzler
All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may freely be reproduced or used in
any manner by fellow gamers and Warhammer 40k fans, but do provide me with due credit.
This is a role-playing supplement. All characters and events and whatnot portrayed in this
book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living, dead or not born yet is strictly
coincidental. Same goes for places, events and anything else you can think of.
This is a fan-made Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay supplement. It is in no way associated with or
endorsed by Games Workshop, Black Library and/or Fantasy Flight Games. As a fan-made
supplement it is non-profit; I’ve done it in my free time, without desire for compensation.
Available for digital download at: http://darkreign.org
Contact information: PM Metzler @ http://darkreign.org
Designed and written by
Metzler
Editing
Green Knight
Layout
Green Knight w/help from Messiahcide
Cover Art
The Unknown Heretic
Interior Art
The Unknown Heretic
Better
territories &
Colonies
Better territories
•
Better colonies
Example Chapter: Example Title
Territories &
Colonies
I created the below charts to replace the charts in the world
generator section of the Stars of Inequity supplement.
Better territories
Roll 1d10. Apply a -1 modifier if the planet is a limited
ecosystem, and -1 if limited water, apply a +1 modifier if the
planet is vibrant.
1. Wasteland
2. Mountains
3. Hills
4. Brushlands
5. Plains
6. Thin forest/jungle
7. Dense forest/jungle
8. Wetlands/Swamp/Marsh
9. Lake/Island Sea
10. Ocean
Wasteland Roll 1d10
1-10 lifeless (cost of farms and ranches increased by 1 on
this planet)
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-60 rivers
60-70 caves
71-80 desert/no water (+1 to piety rolls, costs of farms and
ranches increased by 1 on this planet)
81-85 evidence of previous war or natural disaster (+1 to +3
profit factor [roll to randomize] if a research station is built)
86-90 nothing of importance
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Mountains Roll 1d10
1-10 lifeless (unlike lifeless in wasteland and hills, this has
no mechanical effect and is just for theme)
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-60 streams and waterfalls
60-70 caves
71-80 fertile valley/grove in mountains (+1 to morale rolls)
81-85 huge/large amount of cliffs (+1 to piety rolls )
86-90 active volcanoes (+1 to piety rolls)
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Hills Roll 1d10
1-10 lifeless (cost of farms and ranches increased by 1 on
this planet)
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-60 streams and waterfalls
60-70 caves
71-80 rocky terrain/boulders
81-90 nothing of importance
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Brushlands Roll 1d10
1-10 rivers
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-70 uneven terrain/broken ground
71-80 good grazing land (cost of ranches decreased by 1 in
this territory)
81-90 nothing of importance
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Plains Roll 1d10
1-10 rocky terrain/broken ground
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-60 rivers
61-80 fertile (cost of farms and ranches decreased by 1 in
this territory)
81-85 exceptionally flat
86-90 nothing of importance
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Thin Forest/Jungle Roll 1d10
1-10 rivers
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 expansive
41-55 notable species
56-60 rocky terrain/broken ground
60-85 nothing of importance
86-90 hardwoods/exotic wood (+1 profit factor to any lumber
mill built)
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Dense Forest/Jungle Roll 1d10
1-10 higher than average humidity
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 expansive
41-60 notable species
70-80 hardwoods/exotic wood (+1 profit factor to any lumber
mill built)
81-85 virus
86-90 plant with useful compound (+1 to +3 profit factor [roll
to randomize] if a research station is built)
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Wetlands/Swamp/Marsh Roll 1d10
1-10 higher than average humidity
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-85 nothing of importance
86-90 virus
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Lake/Inland Sea Roll 1d10
1-10 salt water
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable species
41-50 expansive
51-70 fishing stocks (+1 profit factor to fisheries built in this
territory)
71-80 nothing of importance
81-85 very shallow
86-90 caves at waterline
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Ocean Roll 1d10
1-10 expansive
11-20 warmer than average
21-30 colder than average
31-40 notable Species
41-70 fishing stocks (+1 profit factor to fisheries built in this
territory)
71-75 fresh water
76-80 nothing of importance
81-85 leviathan
86-90 caves at waterline
91-95 roll twice
96-100 roll on the exotic table
Exotic – Roll 1d100
1-10 extreme weather (+1 to +3 profit factor [roll to
randomize] if a research station is built)
11-15 Perpetual fog/mists
16-20 Intelligent local species – tribal (+1 to +3 profit factor
[roll to randomize] if a research station is built)
21-25 sentient plant life (+3 to +5 profit factor [roll to
randomize] if a research station is built)
26-35 Huge Landmark i.e. such as trees, or mountains (+2 to
piety rolls)
36-40 Heaven on earth (idyllic, beautiful) (+2 to morale, +1 to
productivity, and +1 to colony size rolls)
41-45 Ill Omened/haunted (-2 to morale rolls)
46-50 Bizarre Colors (-2 to morale rolls)
51-55 very fertile land (+1 profit factor to all farms and
ranches on the planet)
56-60 Sinkholes/pitfalls
61-63 Intelligent local species - abhuman
64-65 Bio-luminescence terrain/plant life (+1 to +3 profit
factor [roll to randomize] if a research station is built)
66-67 Crystallized terrain/plant life (+1 to +3 profit factor [roll
to randomize] if a research station is built)
68-69 Warp saturated terrain/plant life (-3 to piety rolls)
70-71 Psychic null zone (-1 to morale rolls)
72-73 Natural disaster occurs – meteor strike
74-75 Natural disaster occurs – earthquake/tsunami
76-77 Natural disaster occurs – Warpstorm
78-79 Poor air quality
80-81 Eldar Waygate
82-83 Tyranid spores
84-85 Necron tombworld
86-87 Crashed Spaceship (+1 to +3 profit factor [roll to
randomize] if a research station is built)
88-89 Trapped Daemon (-4 to piety rolls)
90 Explosive Terrain (-1 to morale rolls)
91 Floating landscape/flora
92 Tear in Realspace/Warpgate (-3 to piety rolls)
93 Natural Astropathic Amplifier
94 Sentient Planet (+5 to research colony size rolls )
95 Sentient A.I. (+5 to +10 profit factor [roll to randomize] if a
research station is built)
96 STC (+5 to +10 profit factor [roll to randomize] if a
research station is built)
97 Intelligent local species – hivemind (+1 to +3 profit factor
[roll to randomize] if a research station is built)
98 Intelligent local species – symbiotic relationship with
another indigenous species (+1 to +3 profit factor [roll to
randomize] if a research station is built)
99-100 roll twice.
Better colonies
To found a colony, the Rogue Trader must pay a cost in
Profit Factor. The base cost is 1d5+1.
This cost is modified by each which applies:
-1 if the planet has a vibrant ecosystem
+1 each if atmosphere is thin, thick or tainted, or if
temperature is hot or cold.
+2 each if atmosphere is toxic, or if only ecosystem is “liquid
water”
+3 each if atmosphere is corrosive or if temperature is
burning or ice, or if only ecosystem is trapped water.
+4 if atmosphere is deadly
A newly settled colony begins at size 3, with moral,
productivity, and piety at 5. If the total modifiers of the colony
settlement table were +4 or higher, the colony instead begins
at size 2 with moral, productivity, and piety at 4.
The maximum values for size, morale, productivity and piety
are 15. The minimum value is 0
Colony Size – The size of the colony directly effects the
profit factor of the colony. If this number is reduced to zero
the colony is destroyed.
Morale – The level of morale in a colony influences the
colony’s size, productivity, and piety.
Productivity – This attribute affects colony size. A colony
cannot grow further than its productivity level.
Piety – This attribute has little mechanical effect, but if piety
becomes too low, this will create trouble as determined by
the GM such as cults and rebellion.
At the end of every month in game time, the players will roll
on following colony maintenance tables for each colony they
own. Each player may only use their character’s attributes
towards the rolls for one colony. Additionally, to qualify, a
player may only use their character’s attributes if they have
spent more than half of the month in game time in the
colony’s star system. Otherwise they must use a colony
representative NPC. The order of the rolls for each colony
are morale, productivity, piety, and finally colony size.
Morale
Roll 1d10 and add the representative’s fellowship AND
Intelligence attribute bonuses, plus any additional modifiers.
For example, a character with intelligence 34 and fellowship
41 would have a +7 modifier.
0-6 The colony’s morale decreases by 2
7-9 The colony’s morale decreases by 1
10-14 No effect
15-18 The colony’s morale increases by 1
19+ The colony’s morale increases by 2
Productivity
Roll 1D10 and add the representative’s Intelligence bonus,
plus any additional modifiers.
0-3 The colony’s productivity decreases by 2
4-6 The colony’s productivity decreases by 1
7-11 No effect
12-15 The colony’s productivity increases by 1
16+ The colony’s productivity increases by 2
Piety
Roll 1D10 and add the representative’s fellowship bonus,
plus any additional modifiers.
0-3 The colony’s piety decreases by 2
4-6 The colony’s piety decreases by 1
7-11 No effect
12-15 The colony’s piety increases by 1
16+ The colony’s piety increases by 2
Colony Size
Roll 1D10 and apply the following modifiers. These are
cumulative.
-1 The colony’s morale is less than 5
-1 The colony’s morale is less than 3
-1 The colony’s morale is 0
+1 The colony’s morale is greater than 10
+1 The colony’s morale is greater than 12
+1 the colony’s morale is 15
Colony size results table
0-2 colony decreases in size one level
3-8 colony size remains the same
9+ the colony size increases one level. (If the colony size
would increase to a greater size than its productivity, this
result is ignored.)
Colony Improvements
A colony may build 1 point worth of improvement every
month at no cost to the Rogue Trader. For example, a
colony could build a research station (a 3 point
improvement) in 3 months. Alternatively, a Rogue Trader
may immediately purchase an improvement at the cost listed
in profit factor.
Cost - Name - Function
1 -> Farm -> +1 profit factor. May build one per plains terrain
1 -> Ranch -> +1 profit factor. May build one per brushland
terrain.
1 -> Fishery -> +1 profit factor. May build one per Lake,
Island Sea or Ocean.
1 -> Lumber Mill -> +1 profit factor. May build one per
Woods/Jungle terrain.
3 -> Research station -> +1 profit factor (normally only
worthwhile to build if the planet has an anomaly to be
researched )
1 -> Church -> +1 piety when built. +1 to all future piety rolls
1 -> Factory -> +1 productivity when built. +1 to all future
productivity rolls
1 -> Administration buildings -> +1 morale when built. +1 to
all future morale rolls
Additional colony improvements
The rules in the above paragraph of purchasing an
improvement up to 3 times at increased cost, do not apply to
the improvements in the below table.
Cost -> Name -> Function
1 -> Mine -> +0 profit factor (This is built to be able to use
minerals listed in a territory. The profit comes from the
minerals.) Each mine allows use of one mineral deposit
1 -> Xenos exports -> Planet must have an applicable
species as determined by the GM. +1 to 3 Profit Factor
3 -> Heavy constructors -> A colony with this improvement
may build 2 improvements per month
3 -> Standing Militia -> Grants the colony a standing army of
5,000 troops. Upon completion, this improvement lowers the
PF of the colony by 1 to represent the soldiers wages.
5 -> Space Constructor -> Allows building of advanced
buildings. Must have level 3 factory, and heavy constructors.
10 -> Space station -> Must have space constructor
10 -> Spaceship drydock -> Must have space constructor
Colony profit factor
Controlling an active colony increasing the RT dynasty’s
profit factor. The profit factor added equals the size of the
colony, plus any improvements. For example a size 5 colony
with a farm and a fishery (+1 profit factor each) would add a
total profit factor of 7 to the RT dynasty.
Special Rules
Piety – what if you’re the bad guy? In the rare case where
the players are allied with Chaos and want to undermine the
piety of the colony. Please follow the below rules.
1. A player can choose not to add their attribute modifier to
any colony maintenance roll. While normally this would be
against the player’s interests, in the case where they are
allied with Chaos, by omitting their modifier to a piety roll,
they will make it more likely to decrease.
2. Secret covens. During the colony maintenance phase, the
representative player may choose to encourage a secret
coven. They would roll as per the normal piety table. If
successful, the coven gains a number which is tracked just
like morale, productivity, and piety.
3. A player can build a colony improvement to gain positive
modifier for the coven rule. Use the same rules for the
church colony improvement. However, this improvement can
never be built for free by the colony and must be purchased
out of the Rogue Trader’s profit Factor.
4. The piety and coven numbers represent the allegiance of
the colony. For example if piety is 6, and coven is 3,
approximately 1/3 of the population would be sympathetic to
Chaos. A minority of that 1/3 would be actual cultists, just as
a minority of the other 2/3 non-sympathetic portion of the
population would be fervent imperials.
5. At any time the coven may attempt to take over the planet.
This would be achieved in game through roleplaying and/or
combat and is beyond the scope of this rule set.
Example Chapter: Example Title
Each of the above improvement can be purchased up to 3
times. Each time an improvement is purchased, its cost
increases by one, and its benefits remain the same. For
example, say a colony has a church, they may build that
improvement again, but this time the cost would be 2 instead
of 1. For thematic purposes, this improvement could be a
cathedral. Like the church, it would give +1 piety when built,
and +1 to all future piety rolls. A colony with a church and
cathedral would receive +2 to all piety rolls. Continuing the
example, if the improvement is purchased again, it would
cost an additional 3. For thematic purposes this could be a
grand cathedral. The cost to build all three improvements
would be 6 (1+2+3), and combined they would give +3 to all
piety rolls.