3rd Edition Fantasy Battle and Rogue Trader

Vermintrude

Member
Thought I would ask this question here in the hope that someone can give me an answer....

According to the Rogue Trader rulebook you can use the 3rd Edition Fantasy Battle rules in combination with it. I like the idea of a setting that combines both sci-fi and fantasy (like Shadowrun).

My question being has anyone tried it and if so what are your thoughts on it?

Cheers
 

Fimm McCool

Member
I'm pretty sure there's a thread here somewhere discussing the mix of WFB and Rogue Trader, but I can't find it just now.

As you'd probably expect the balance between fantasy and sci-fi weapons doesn't directly equate. A bowshot from a goblin should do significantly less damage than even an autogun, especially to a model in sci fi armour, whilst a crossbow and boltgun bolt both being S4 is clearly wonky. Nevertheless the rulesets are basically the same, so there's no problem technically running the two together.
 

Zhu Bajie

Member
Rogue Trader is basically a sci-fi supplement for Warhammer Fantasy 2nd Edition, and it was published during 2nd edition, so any references it makes to the Fatnasy game is to that version rather than 3rd. They share the same core rules, same scaling points system, most of the same creature profiles (for those that overlap). You could mix with 3rd, but a lot of the rules that 3rd adds like formations doesn't really make sense well for most futuristic troops.

Fimm McCool":29hmzy7f said:
A bowshot from a goblin should do significantly less damage than even an autogun,

Well, that's a valid opinion, but not one Rick Priestly shared when writing Rogue Trader. Thing with any D6 system is the range of differentiation between weapons and armour is going to be reasonably small, and given that most troops only have one wound, and a kill is a kill, and the points values are about the same. Once you accept the limitations of the system, then the scalability between tech levels isn't really an issue. Sure, Space Marines in armour not much better than medieval plate mail being taken down by gobbos with pointy sticks it's not to everyones tastes, but to me that's what Rogue Trader has always been about, and part of the whole space fantasy medievalist gothic nonsense.
 

Vermintrude

Member
Many thanks for your replies, they are all greatly appreciated.

I didn't know the reference to the fantasy battle rules was the 2nd edition, I have always assumed it was 3rd edition.
 

rattylee66

Member
It seems strange today how Sci-fi AND fantasy have grown apart as genres. Back in the day there were lots of films and cartoons that mixed both. HE Man being one such cartoon. I am sure we saw them as pretty much the same thing. Even the Dragon riders of Pern books started as Fantasy and went through Sci-Fi. I can remember playing a game where we the Norse were raiding and a pretty young amazon lady pulls out a bolter pistol and happily pops off one of the chaps in chain mail. Came as a bit of a shock but it was an unexpected twist to the game and it added a fun element. There is a great little article in The First Citadel Compendium entitled Warhammer and Science Fiction!. It talks about all sorts of interesting items like your down to earth everyday musket and rifles to bolt and laser pistols, grenades and my favourite Flight packs.

Imagine a jet propelled Dwarf shooting across the battlefield. I cannot even imagine what a Skaven or Goblin would make of it. I guess it's best just to take cover :lol:
 

Orjetax

Member
I’m a big fan of this.

I’ve been playing more 40k second ed, but love to use primitive ogryns and have started a chaos cult army with primitive beastmen.


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I played alot of realm of chaos using 40k RT rules. RoC was for 3rd ed warhammer fansasty mainly, but just let you mix and match a bit. Great fun. You have to fudge the rules a bit sometimes, as 3rd ed has alot of rules for units and so forth. SO you might end up with a magic instrument that gave you +1 to changing formation. Also alot of the creatures like gorgon or basilisks have special rules that you have to port over to 40k.

If I was gaming some mixed fantasy scifi Id probably go with just 40k rt rules.

Also, bows vs guns. Dead is dead, you cant be deader or less dead. An arrow will pierce a car door so armour isnt all that against a short bow.....
 
Nah, it was tested many times. Arrows usually don't pierce plate armour - they usually break or bend or bounce and even if they do pierce, they can't deep enough penetration to actually wound.
And these are from longbows.

Shortbows? Not a chance.

Car doors aren't plate armour.
 
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