Hello Rogue Traders!

This week I’d like to take a moment to talk about the recently released adventure for Rogue Trader , The Frozen Reaches .

The Frozen Reaches is the first of a three-part adventure series— The Warpstorm Trilogy . As befits a game like Rogue Trader , The Warpstorm Trilogy is an epic series of adventures that sees Rogue Traders and their crews undertaking actions that have dire ramifications for the Koronus Expanse and all who live there.

The adventure begins on the prosperous world of Damaris, a rare gem of civilization amongst the Expanse’s wilderness. A flourishing colony world with strong ties to the Imperium, Damaris falls under the threat of invasion from a massive Ork fleet. With their own planetary defence forces insufficient to defeat the threat, Damaris calls for aid from Rogue Traders and others across the Expanse. Should the Explorers answer the call, they will need to take command of the disparate defenders and lead them to victory, while ensuring a rich return on investment.

The Frozen Reaches illustrates many different aspects of a Rogue Trader game, but two primary focuses are diplomacy and leadership. In this adventure, the Explorers are the equals of each other major player on Damaris. They shouldn’t expect to show up in orbit and receive clear and unequivocal orders telling them what to do. Instead, they’ll be confronted by squabbling factions driven by rivalry and conflicting goals. If Damaris is to have any chance of success, the Explorers are going to have to broker deals, play the peacemaker, and likely assume a leadership role in the planet’s defence.

As the adventure continues, the Explorers may well find themselves in command of an entire planet’s defensive forces, required to deploy and lead them in battle against the Ork menace. Again, the Explorers are the ones in charge, and it’ll ultimately be up to them whether Damaris lives or dies. Their actions determine whether they’ll be known as heroes, the saviors of Damaris, or if they’ll slink into the void, their holds loaded with a doomed planet’s spoils as the world burns behind them.

Of course, even if they manage to wipe out the Ork threat, that’s by no means the end of the adventure. In the final act, new allies and enemies reveal themselves, setting the stage for Part II, the Citadel of Skulls.

Aids to Profit

As an addition to this designer diary, we’d like to provide some additional downloads.

First are the Expanded Origin Path (pdf, 392 KB) and Ship and Warrant Path (pdf, 380 KB) from Into the Storm, provided as a pdf for easy use and printout. In addition, you’ll find The Frozen Reach ’s Achievement Point Tracker (pdf, 300 KB), a useful tool for determining the success of this endeavor.

And tune in next time, when we discuss the next exciting supplement coming out for Rogue Trader , Battlefleet Koronus !

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.