Hello, Rogue Trade r fans! My name is Sam Stewart, and I am the new Associate RPG Developer at Fantasy Flight Games. I am honored to announce that Ross has granted me with responsibility for the Rogue Trader line of Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay.

Now, I’m guessing the first question on everyone’s mind is: “Sam? Where the heck is Ross?” Don’t worry, Ross is still the Senior RPG Developer for Warhammer 40K Roleplay here at Fantasy Flight. As we move forward with a great deal of exciting new Warhammer 40K products, I’ve been brought on board to manage Rogue Trader .

However, that doesn’t tell you all much about me. Since my college days, I’ve been long-time fan of the Warhammer 40K universe. I’ve been a loyal servant of the Emperor ever since, with a massive Imperial Guard army, a robust cell of Deamonhunters, and a sizable Imperial Navy fleet for Battlefleet Gothic . College was also where I first started playing roleplaying games. Like so many roleplayers, I got my start in Dungeons and Dragons , branched out into Iron Kingdoms , Planescape , and Midnight – a harbinger of things to come, perhaps? Like so many Warhammer 40K fans, I was ecstatic when Dark Heresy was announced, snapping up one of the first copies on the shelf of my local game store.

I’ve been a writer and an editor for most of my professional life, first at a newspaper, then here at Fantasy Flight Games. While at FFG, I began spending my free time doing more and more work for the RPG department, starting with Phyrr and the Xothic Blood Locust in Creatures Anathema , and culminating in my work on Rogue Trader and the upcoming Ascension .

Being tapped to work on Rogue Trader is a dream come true for me. I have always been fascinated with the titanic flying cathedrals that are Imperial starships, as well as the lithe and graceful Eldar sailing vessels, and the flying junk-heaps with teeth the Orks pilot. I’m also a huge fan of movies and literature about the high seas and Age of Sail, from Treasure Island to Master and Commander (book and movie). Rogue Trader is a chance to combine that love with my love of the 40K universe, and I’m deeply excited to give this my all – and am looking forward to interacting with you, the fan community, on a regular basis.

The Future of Rogue Trader

I’m sure everyone wants to know where Rogue Trader is headed. Ross and I have spoken about this at some length, and I plan to continue the trend of his excellent work on the Rogue Trader Core Rulebook. As to plans for the line, our first goal is to get the Rulebook on store shelves as soon as possible. Next, we’ll be producing the Rogue Trad er Game Master’s Kit .

And after that? Well, let’s just say a course is plotted, and our ship stands ready to proceed. Let’s go see what lies off the edge of the map, shall we?

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.