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[Humourous] Exceptional Leader

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Like all GMs and DMs since the dawn of Gygax, I am periodically convinced that my players are secretly committed to the destruction of any game system they come into contact with.  Of course, my group are very definitely not power gamers, but like gathering of people who are slightly too clever for their own good, they just can't seem to resist finding that one lever that will topple the campaign or game mechanics and pulling on it a little bit.  This generally is not an issue, because: 1) They are more concerned with having a good time than being ub3r l33t powergamers, and 2) After years gaming together I've gotten pretty good at predicting likely areas in an adventure of game system where this might happen and adjusting accordingly (although they still manage to toss me a curveball every once in a while).

Which brings me to our last session.  The Rogue Trader loves his "Exceptional Leader" special ability, as does the rest of the party, and he's used it to great effect so far in our campaign.  He's been great about generally not using it in ways it was not meant to be used, but this most recent session he wanted to use it to help the Void-Master who was off the ship piloting his Aquila over the surface of an unexplored world.  I told the RT that he could not do so because he could only use it on people that could see and hear him.

That's when the curveball flew in.

"So, they have to see and hear me?" asked the RT?

"Yes" I replied. "You can give orders and try to motivate people through skills over the vox, but not use your +10% ability."

The Rogue Trader looks slyly at the Void-Master. "Just to confirm, they have to see and hear my character, right?" He asked.

"Yesss......?" I said, seeing the wind up on the pitch already, but not sure where it was going to fly.

"Oh, well in that case, do we have any video recorders on the ship? I'm going to make some motivational videos for my crew!" He announced triumphantly.  The little rotter.

At this point the gaming session devolved into an in-depth discussion of how the videos would be produced and presented.  They settled on making a big array of videos for "every conceivable" situation, all in the same general format (Family Guy fans will probably recognize it).

          **START VIDEO**

          Cue inoffensive doctor's office lobby-type muzak

          "Hello! I'm Luken Torvaldson, your Lord-Captain and Rogue Trader!  It's great to see you all here to today, I sure hope your boss doesn't know you're            watching vids while on the company dime" - chuckles plasticly - "What's your name?"

         **2 Second Pause**

         "Hey, that's a great name, but I'm going to call you 'Sport.'  You are watching this video to become inspired in how well you -" (Overdubbed, bored            sounding voice) "FIGHT A GREATER DAEMON."

         "Well, I'm here to tell you it's as easy as pie if you just remember this simple acronym: 'AMSTYABTIOALAGK' - Always Make Sure You Are Behind The           Inquisitor Or At Least A Grey Knight."

At that point I got a word in edgewise and told them that no, motivational videos would not provide the +10% bonus.  They were so tickled with the idea of the videos anyways, however, that I am half-concerned they may try to make some next session.  When they started talking about making all of the ratings and bilge scum watch a video called "Unions Make The Emperor Cry" (a la the horrid videos that places like Walmart make their staff watch) I started secretly drawing up plans for Morale Damage and a Mutiny. lengua.gif

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I love your players. Thats exactly the kind of thing my own bunch get distracted by.


While trying to start a Crusade into the Jericho reach, one of their objectives was to rile up the church sufficiently to make them apply pressue to the nobility. To this end they've been supporting the Drusian cults and weakening the Thorian cults.

Our Rogue trader however twigged to the fact that he has a fellowship somewhere around 65. With his charm and command skills at +20, the talents air of authority and great Orator (i think thats what its called) this makes him an exceptional public speaker. Furthermore our religiously minder psyker carries a book looted from the Light of Terra that gives him +20 on roles when dealing with the ecclesiarchy as long as he quotes from it. One quick lend later and our Rogue trader has a speaking-to-huge-numbers-of-religious-people roll of 105.

So the players decided to organise a few rallies, large at first but eventually growing to millions of people, mostly redemptionists. The Rogue trader would show up, get 7 or 8 degrees of success on a public speaking roll and whip the crowd into a war-hungry, mutant hating, xeno burning, emperor loving mob.


After the eigth Hive world they've done this on, they are becoming somewhat notorius and the inquisition have started to pay attention (mass public disorder does that).

Of course, videos of his speeches are being distributed widely.

This same Rogue Trader also has a scribe to chronicle his life, firmly believing that he will one day be an imperial saint and that an accurate (or rather worshipful) biography of his merely human day would be a good thing.

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