Warhammer 40K Rogue Trader, 1987

[JagerIV]

I discovered that the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Rule book from 1987 is available for free online, and figured this is something worth sharing with people.

Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader 1987 1E Rulebook GAW00151 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader 1987 1E Rulebook GAW00151

archive.org

Besides an interesting find, it seems a good jump off point to discuss some of 40k, remanence for those old enough to remember the start, and learn as a new person.

I was surprised to find out that the Tyrranids seem to have been in it from the start, I always thought of those as later addition, and how close the space marines seem to have been from the start too, with 1,000 marine chapters and many of the core chapters being named from the very begining.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

I discovered that the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Rule book from 1987 is available for free online, and figured this is something worth sharing with people.

Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader 1987 1E Rulebook GAW00151 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader 1987 1E Rulebook GAW00151

archive.org

Besides an interesting find, it seems a good jump off point to discuss some of 40k, remanence for those old enough to remember the start, and learn as a new person.

I was surprised to find out that the Tyrranids seem to have been in it from the start, I always thought of those as later addition, and how close the space marines seem to have been from the start too, with 1,000 marine chapters and many of the core chapters being named from the very begining.

Tyranids have always been the 'World Ender' threat in 40K.

The 10th edition reveal that the Tyranids will be the mega-threat again because Hive Fleet Leviathan has an huge invasion on the galactic west is a big throwback to that.

 

[Typhonis]

Is Chapter Approved also available? The first supplement for 40k written in 88 or89?

 

[Skallagrim]

It's fun to look back at this and see how much of 40K (in designs, lore and terminology) was inspired by Star Wars and Dune. Some of those elements obviously remain, but it's cool to see how 40K evolved into much more of its own thing, over time.

(Looking back at this, it's also obvious how much of Blizzard's original Warcraft and Starcraft was inspired by early Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, respectively.)

 

[Typhonis]

You also had 2000 AD, Alien and other such influences. It also had a lighter tone with everything being a parody. It didn't take itself seriously.

 

[gral]

It's fun to look back at this and see how much of 40K (in designs, lore and terminology) was inspired by Star Wars and Dune. Some of those elements obviously remain, but it's cool to see how 40K evolved into much more of its own thing, over time.

(Looking back at this, it's also obvious how much of Blizzard's original Warcraft and Starcraft was inspired by early Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, respectively.)

Wasn't Starcraft originally supposed to be a RTS game set on the WH40K universe, except that Blizzard couldn't get the license?

 

[JagerIV]

I think Warhammer was the first to really do the green ork thing. At least I don't believe Tolkien did green orks, so it occurred somewhere between Tolkien and Warhammer.

 

[AnimalNoodles]

I discovered that the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader Rule book from 1987 is available for free online, and figured this is something worth sharing with people.

Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader 1987 1E Rulebook GAW00151 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Warhammer 40000 Rogue Trader 1987 1E Rulebook GAW00151

archive.org

Besides an interesting find, it seems a good jump off point to discuss some of 40k, remanence for those old enough to remember the start, and learn as a new person.

I was surprised to find out that the Tyrranids seem to have been in it from the start, I always thought of those as later addition, and how close the space marines seem to have been from the start too, with 1,000 marine chapters and many of the core chapters being named from the very begining.

This book is one of those legendary books that belongs in every game players library. Its like the first edition dungeon masters guide for AdnD. Its just so full of lore, tables, and such that can be used for anything.

I really miss this era of 40k. God how glorious it was to field a small army of squats against Fantasy Orks in a rorkes drift scenario, or my personal favorite, a strike force of space marines riding on catachan devils fighting rebel Imperial Guard.

 

[Typhonis]

Warhammer sige had rules for mixing Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k. Shoot one of the Chaos books said Khorne didn't care if you killed with a crossbow or with a bolter. As long as it was not magic he was fine. But to a primitive? The bolter may very well be magic.

 

[AnimalNoodles]

Warhammer sige had rules for mixing Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k. Shoot one of the Chaos books said Khorne didn't care if you killed with a crossbow or with a bolter. As long as it was not magic he was fine. But to a primitive? The bolter may very well be magic.

the realm of chaos books mixed fantasy and 40k, and fantasy chaos champions could even get 40k weapons as gifts from thier god. The rules used to be completely interchangeable.

 

[Typhonis]

It was also simpler. No one had weapons with special names. All armies used las canons, bolters, or something simmilar. Though the Eldar had shuriken catapults but those looked better than the modern variant. Of course the shuriken pistol and shuriken canon were added in later.

 

[AnimalNoodles]

It wasnt simpler lol. It was far more complicated. The robot rules alone (shudder).

 

[JagerIV]

It wasnt simpler lol. It was far more complicated. The robot rules alone (shudder).

As an example (and to see if I can copy a page link) vehicle rules assumed turn radiuses.

So, every time a vehicle moved, you had to move it on a curve, based on how fast the vehicle was moving. Imagine modern 40k games were to move around an L shaped ruin you had to take a large arc around it, or take multiple turns to do do a slow speed 3 point turn on intersections. With explicit facing mattering at every step!

A mechanized guard army with six vehicles would take so much longer if facing and turning radius had to be carefully monitored at every step!

 

[AnimalNoodles]

Yeah, those rules were insane. It did have the fortunate side effect of discouraging alot of vehicles, keeping a game based around small units of infantry.

 

[JagerIV]

Yeah, those rules were insane. It did have the fortunate side effect of discouraging alot of vehicles, keeping a game based around small units of infantry.

yeah, I do intellectually respect crunchy rules that force you to behave in more realistic ways. One reason I in theory like Battletech. It does have that detail of facing and crunchyness. Its also a game where managine one mech gives a new player plenty to do, and full rules running 1 lance of 4 mechs is quite a lot.

And its dramatically less popular for it. Even with my theoretical appreciation, when I'm board I'm much more likely to watch/listen to a 40k battle report than a Battletech battle report, because more is happening and its easier to follow what's happening.

 

[AnimalNoodles]

yeah, I do intellectually respect crunchy rules that force you to behave in more realistic ways. One reason I in theory like Battletech. It does have that detail of facing and crunchyness. Its also a game where managine one mech gives a new player plenty to do, and full rules running 1 lance of 4 mechs is quite a lot.

And its dramatically less popular for it. Even with my theoretical appreciation, when I'm board I'm much more likely to watch/listen to a 40k battle report than a Battletech battle report, because more is happening and its easier to follow what's happening

I havent played battletech in many many years, but it was always more fun to play than it was to watch.