Warhammer 40,000: A rogue trader Set in a frontier system on the edges of the Imperium of Man, it delves deep into this small corner of a vast galaxy. Owlcat Games has used the vast and extensive lore of 40K to make the Koronus Expanse an engaging and fascinating place to explore, but if you're not familiar with the wider setting it can be a little confusing.
There are in-game measures in it Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader intended to help new players catch up: certain phrases are highlighted and hovering over them brings up the definition, plus there's an in-game encyclopedia too. But if you want to get started, this is the knowledge you need to know to feel at home A rogue trader immediately.
The empire of man
Image: Owlcat Games
Humanity is united under one banner in the 40K universe: the Imperium of Man. The Imperium is a ruthless and cruel regime, built around the worship of the God-Emperor of Mankind, who rests on a Golden Throne. The God-Emperor maintains the Astronomicon, the lighthouse that allows ships to travel safely through the void. Every element of the Empire is built around the Emperor, from the religious ecclesiarchy to the bureaucratic administration.
The Imperium of Man is a society built around fear, hatred and oppression of the witch, the heretic and the mutant. Furthermore, The Imperium has the firepower to back up these tendencies, thanks to the Imperial Navy and Guard, the Ecclesiarchy's Sisters of Battle, and of course the setting's iconic Space Marines.
A rogue trader
Rogue Traders are extremely powerful captains who explore the frontiers of Imperium space. They are free from the crushing laws of the Imperium in a way that only a few can enjoy. They can trade with xenos, map new worlds, and even enjoy a little heresy as a treat. Rogue Traders exist as dynasties, where a trading order is passed within the house from a trader to their heir. At the beginning of A rogue traderthe player has been drafted as a potential heir to serve a powerful Rogue Trader house.
The Warp
There is a second dimension that exists parallel to realspace, and it is called the Warp. The Warp reflects the emotions and psyche of conscious beings; it is a swirling, extra-dimensional world of power. It is also home to Chaos, the Primordial Annihilator, a corrupting force.
It is impossible to avoid the Warp completely; Voidships in 40K have access to faster-than-light travel by plunging through the Nightmare Realm. To survive the journey, each empty ship is equipped with a Geller Field to keep the Warp at bay. Additionally, voidships require a Navigator, an Imperial-approved mutant with a third eye, to get from point A to point B.
Some people are particularly sensitive to the Warp and can take advantage of it. These psykers are incredibly powerful and serve as the 40K equivalent of wizards or Jedi. Because the Warp is chock-full of demons who love nothing more than to cause murderous trouble in the name of Chaos, psykers are incredibly dangerous. In A rogue trader, this manifests itself through a mechanic called Perils of the Warp. Idira Tlass, your ship's psyker, was capable of either being the MVP of a battle… or summoning a giant demon into my backline as she screamed about the spiders under her skin.
The Adeptus Mechanic
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The Empire is full of contradictions. They despise the mutant, while relying on mutated Navigators to travel the galaxy. The Adeptus Mechanicus, who are essentially the IT department for the entire Imperium, boast another contradiction: they worship the Machine God, the Omnissiah, and use their vast knowledge to appease the Machine Spirits that reside in complicated pieces of technology.
The Imperium has banned AI, so the Adeptus Mechanicus use human brains in servants or servo skulls to create computer systems. They produce the Empire's tanks, guns and military equipment. The Mechanicus also has ritual knowledge of how to treat machine spirits within technology; an unhappy Machine Spirit leads to rebellious technology that won't work.
The Adeptus Mechanicus is not a monolith; the faction is constantly at war over issues of theology, philosophy, and technology. However, most citizens of the Imperium avoid these red-robed cyborgs.
A rogue trader offers players plenty of opportunity to learn more about the world of Warhammer by exploring their environments, chatting with companions and following every question. However, Owlcat Games didn't hesitate to delve deep into the Warhammer canon, so starting with these concepts in mind might make the ride a little easier.