Expanded Star System Generator [v1.0]

Warhammer 40k – Rogue Trader

Compiled by The Amerikan The Star Celestial Objects Orbit & Axis Gravity Atmosphere : Hydrosphere Dominating Terrain Locations of Interest Inhabitants Stellar Secrets

Artwork by: The First Angel

Determine the Star.

1

Dark & Brooding Brown Star (N Class) Vile and Dark, this star is only faintly visible against the void, it’s corrupted brown and purple outline blotting out the light from distant systems. 2 Celestial Bodies in the Solar Zone. Old & Weak Red Star (M Class) The star is a Tiny Pinprick of light against the veil of space. What life might prosper here does so only barely nourished by the burnt out star’s watery sustenance. -1 Celestial Bodies in the Solar Zone. Strong & Bright Yellow Star (K or G Class) The Star is healthy and full of color, bathing the system in an even light and warmth. Not unlike the sun of ancient Terra this star blazes out across space strong and unwavering. Brilliant & Dazzling White Star (F & A Class) The star floods the system with brilliant light, but closer planets are seared by its young heat. +1 Celestial Bodies in the Solar Zone. Searing & Young Blue Star (B & O Class) The young star outshines all other bodies in the sky, making visibility within the system difficult and burning out sensor arrays. +2 Celestial Bodies in the Solar Zone. Special (Roll 1D10)

Expanded Star System Generator 1


Special (roll 1d10) Celestial Anomaly This system is centered on a terrible anomaly and no true star at all. Perhaps it is a crushing black hole, an ancient Xenos construct or even a flickering warp bubble soaking the system in baleful energies. Neutron Star Area difficult to navigate due to extreme gravity. Rarely has planets – but either be radiated rocks or if covered by water then could contain plentiful marine life which would be subject to extreme tides! Unstable Star The star is in the process of dying spewing great goats of radiation into the planetary disc. It may go nova or just burn out slowly. The system has no Habitation Zone. Roll again on the table re-rolling any further Special Tight Binary Star The stars are very close together, but any orbiting planetary bodies are very distant – the system only contains natural planetary bodies in the outer zone. Roll twice on the table re-rolling any further Special. Stable Star The Star has been stable for billions of years and in all likelihood will be stable for billions more – Navigation is easy and life on the planets has had eons to establish itself. Roll again on the table re-rolling any further Special. Small Nebula Located within a small nebula it is impossible to investigate at a distance. The star is unlikely to have habitable planets, but primitive high temperature worlds rich in minerals are quite possible. Roll again on the table re-rolling any further Special. Ancient & Bloated Red Giant The star is a decaying giant swollen & vivid against the blackness of the void. On worlds in this system, the star dominates the sky like the lidless eye of a malevolent god. Planets within the solar zone will be ‘inside’ the stars low temperature outer corona – and only accessible with well shielded ships. Loose Binary Star The stars are far apart forming two separate planetary systems – roll for two systems. Roll twice on the table re-rolling any further Special. Multiple Star System The system contains 3-5 stars and perhaps several protostars as well! This may mean multiple habitation zones.

Once the star has been generated, the next step is generating celestial objects, such as planets, asteroid fields, and debris clouds. These objects are located in three distinct zones around the sun: the Solar Zone, the Habitable Zone & the Outer Zone – Roll for each Zone

(Molten to Searing Temperatures) Roll 1d5 times on this table Nothing – A huge particle cloud covers part of the system, confounding sensors, and peppering ships with tiny debris. (always has an elliptical orbit & Zero Gravity) – (always has a Standard orbit & Zero gravity) A dense band of broken rock that stretches for millions of kilometers circles the star. Dangerous to Navigate, asteroid fields also make excellent hiding places for pirates and raiders. – (always has a Standard orbit & Crushing gravity) Vast worlds of vapor & gas, these behemoths are sometimes mined for their chemical particles. Gas giants also have moons, some of which may be habitable. (Multileveled Gravity, Variety of Atmospheres & Hydrosphere)



Roll 1d10: Satellites: Asteroid

Asteroid Dwarf Planet Terrestrial Artificial field/Rings Planet (Roll 0-1 Asteroid Satellite – Note: Asteroid Satellites have no atmosphere, but may contain, or be made of, Ice – giving it a hydrosphere) - Roll 1d10 for Satellites Roll 1d3 times on the table:

Asteroid Dwarf Planet Artificial - GM’s choice, May be an orbital station, Asteroid Belt Cities, Domed Cities, asteroid emplacement or other constructed facility, ranging from listening posts & research laboratories to military space stations and doomsday bastions. Artificial environments usually contain a regulated environment which determines gravity, temperature & atmosphere of the intended inhabitants

(Hot, Temperate to Cool Temperature) Roll 1d5 times on this table Nothing Dust Cloud Comet (As Above) Asteroid Field Gas Giant (As Above) Dwarf Planet (As Above) Terrestrial Planet (As Above) Artificial (As Above)

(Cold to Frozen Temperatures) Roll 1d5 times on this table Nothing Dust Cloud Comet (As Above) Asteroid Field Gas Giant (As Above) Dwarf Planet (As Above) Terrestrial Planet (As Above) Artificial (As Above)



Once the planet has been determined, unless it has already been given an Obit & Axis, roll on the table below. Usually only Dwarf or Terrestrial Planets will need to roll on this table. A moon will have the same orbit as its parent celestial body, but its axis may be different.

Standard Orbit - Slight Axial Tilt (Seasons) Standard Orbit - No Axial Tilt (No Seasons) Standard Orbit - Extreme Axial Tilt (Extreme Seasons) Standard Orbit - Tide Locked (one side towards the sun, the other side facing away) Elliptical Orbit – No Axial Tilt (No Seasons) Elliptical Orbit – Tide Locked

Dwarf & Terrestrial Planets or Moons only, unless already determined. Dwarf Planets roll -2 on this table (they may be made of dense materials which give them heavy gravity – but the chances are against).

Light “Earth” Standard Heavy

Solar Zone Objects +3, Outer Zone +1 Dwarf & Terrestrial Planets or Moons only, unless already determined.

Type I: Breathable Type II: Breathable (Breath-mask Suggested) Type II: Non-Breathable (Breath-mask Mandatory) Type IV: Hazardous (Environmental Suit Mandatory) Type V: Toxic None

Solar Zone Objects -3 Dwarf & Terrestrial Planets or Moons only, unless already determined. GM’s may also use this table if they wish to determine the Hydrosphere of Asteroid Belts or moons. Note that Hydrosphere can contain Water, Chlorine, Ammonia, Lava Lakes, etc. The Hydrosphere will also determine the Dominant Flora & Fauna on an Inhabited Terrestrial Planet – eg. Dry = Desert, Moderate = Forests/Wetlands, Moist = Jungle/Swamps)

Arid (85-100% Land Mass) Dry (50-84% Land Mass) Moderate (15-49% Land Mass) Moist (5-14% Land Mass) Saturated (0-4% Land Mass)



Dwarf & Terrestrial Planets only, unless already determined, roll for Southern & Northern Hemispheres – Note: May be above or below the Hydrosphere)

– Plains are simply huge flat expanses. Grasses & bushes will be the primary flora. Cold plains are called tundra and warm dry plains are called Savannahs. Barren typically denotes arid hostile terrain, hard, dry and embedded with large rocks. – The world may be dominated by an immense network of caves running throughout the crust. These may be caused by volcanic activity or water erosion. – The result of massive water flows across the planet has carved great canyons into the surface. – The result of continuous impacts from meteorites. These could have ended millions of years ago, or they may still be ongoing. Planets with light gravities are favorable for crate fields. – A planet with a good deal of geological activity can lead to small hills to huge peaks. Depending on the planet’s atmosphere plant life, and soil, mountain areas can support a wide variety of plant forms from trees to grasses. Peaks of mountains on temperate and cold planets may be snow capped, which can cause dangerous avalanches. – Plateaus are large sections of mostly flat land that are elevated above other portions of nearby land. They typically occur in the interior of continents. On a plateau virtually any type of terrain can be found – Volcanoes dominate this hemisphere, perhaps dormant – perhaps not… – (Roll Terrain again for both Hemispheres) this world is a toxic jungle, volcanic wasteland or frozen hell where life is barely possible. These planets are planets which are too dangerous to support widespread human settlement. The environments vary from world-wide jungles harboring carnivorous plants and animals to barren rock-scapes strewn with volcanoes and wracked by Ion storms. These worlds are nearly impossible to colonize but must be properly explored – which necessitates the provision of outposts and other facilities. Some harbor rich mineral, vegetable, animal, or gaseous resources, and the Imperial Guard greatly values troops raised from these harsh places. (GM’s Choice: Crystal Formations, Multi-Biological Levels, Underground forests, etc)

The GM may role for each planet they think lack flavor – once for the Northern & Southern Hemisphere if they wish!

– GM’s Choice – This world is perhaps the birthplace of a saint or former battleground, and may contain a single shrine or the world may be given over to worship & devotion. These types of worlds sometimes form training grounds for members of the adeptus. There are also dark mirrors to places of Imperial devotion – fallen worlds where the inhabitants offer up ceaseless prayers, bloody rites and obscene sacrifices to Dark Gods. – The object contains a hidden base, who (or what) it contains and why it is hidden is up to the GM.



– The world contains a massive fortress. It may be filled with defenders and stocked for centuries of warfare – or may be a long forgotten shell full of cobwebs and bones… – This includes are variety of locations such as orbital stations, asteroid emplacements, and major facilities on Dead Worlds, Death Worlds or on other planets. They are responsible for a variety of research, from animal breeding and domestication to weapons testing and gene-engineering. They also serve as listening and watch posts for planetary and system defense of major planets. The research base might be inhabited or the dusty remains of a missing exploratory mission. – The world contains a sanctioned Imperial Colony. These loyal citizens are dedicated to spreading the word of the Emperor to the far flung reaches of space – or are they running from the Imperium? This is the classic Frontier world full of idealists and desperados. – Scattered throughout the Imperium are a variety of small colonies struggling to eke out a meager existence. Roll again:

– The world contains a small hermitage given over to religious devotion & isolation. – The world contains a Penal Colony or maximum security prison for the worse criminal offenders in the galaxy. Penal Colonies are usually placed on lifeless balls of rock, ice or fire… – There is a Mining Colony or Installation on the Planet. This may take the form of a processing plant in orbit, even using tethered asteroids to transport the substance to waiting transports. – This world contains a massive agri-farm - entirely given over to the cultivation of crops, hydroponics, animal fodder, or animal husbandry. Some are covered in oceans teeming with fish or far stranger; giant lobsters, edible fungus, scoured by swarms of nutritious insects or gas giants home to flocks of flying creatures – or simply provide fresh water. They have few conurbations, with the population spread widely across the planet’s surface – some agrifarms are almost entirely serviced by slave-serfs, servitors or ancient machinery. GM’s should remember that Agri-farms are often clustered around Hive worlds, who cannot survive without the constant supply of food. This world has been given, wholly or in part, over to storage. Perhaps simply containing files of generations of Imperial Legal documents or vast storehouses of the Departmento Munitorum containing supplies and equipment mothballed for use by newly raised Imperial Guard Regiments and as emergency war reserves. – These massive factories set up by the Adeptus Mechanicus are essential for the supply of arms and armor to the Imperium’s combat forces. They may be in full operation or overgrown, neglected and forgotten…



Roll on the inhabitants table to see if the system is inhabited. Usually this role is only made for once, however if the GM wants more than one kind of inhabitant then the GM can roll for each celestial object already generated – particularly worlds with habitable conditions.

– GM’s Choice… All of the items below? None of them? Something nice might happen? I serious doubt it! – Mankind has ever found the galaxy strewn with worlds with minimal, even non-existent life traces, yet possessing clear signs of once having harbored civilization. This ruined world contains the remains of a civilization now blasted and gone. Once perhaps a thriving worlds they now have minimal life – due to disaster, warfare, Exterminatus or some other unknown cause. This often appears to be the result of ecological catastrophe or devastating internecine war, yet no Imperial or alien cause is discernable. They can make excellent military training grounds, providing whatever killed the original population does not rise again or come back… – Tomb or Necropolis worlds containing millennia of dead. Every part of this world may be covered in tomb spires, sepulchers or mausoleums housing a trillion souls and the devotions left by their families to accompany them into the afterlife. – Perhaps this was once an Imperial settlement but over the centuries the planet has warped the original colonists. They may now be stable mutations such as Ratlings and Ogryn with complex, and orderly social structures – however they may also be freakish atavistic mutants who conduct sadistic cannibalistic blood rites. – A Tribe of Primitive and feral humans call one of the worlds in this system their home. Feral worlds are populated by tribal peoples living without the assistance of maintained technology. This may be due to a failed colonization project, religious preference, cultural choice, environment or another reason. Feral worlds can vary widely – from Grox-hunting tribes of ancestor worshipers to wildeyed, post apocalyptic road warriors fighting endlessly amongst the toxic sandstrewn ruins of their civilization. – Feudal Worlds have only the most basic of technologies – their technical base may be just prior or just post black powder, with windmills, pulleys and the like known. The planet may have been cut off from the Imperium by warp storms for many centuries and regressed or may be rebuilding after a long war or planet wide disaster. – There is an industrial human civilization here, perhaps even spreading slowly beyond their home world. If, however, the players are up for a challenge, the GM can decide to raise the stakes and roll on the Optional Human Warp Empire table at the end… – Vile Xenos inhabit this system. Roll again: It is some sort of indigenous bestial creatures that inhabit one or more of the worlds – easily contained and destroyed. Indigenous and intelligent, the Xenos may be advanced or even space faring – far more dangerous and difficult to combat. The system is an outpost for a powerful alien race – this is a job for the Imperial fleet.



Finally the GM can see if the system has any secrets…

– GM’s choice - there may be no secrets here, at least none visiting captains will ever discover… Or not… – The System contains a great natural resource, whether is it a planet of vast ambrosia vineyards or mountain ranges of diamonds… There is, however, always someone who has gotten there first… – Sometimes a world proves too difficult or dangerous to settle, but the potential for exploitation, or risk of reprisal, is too high to be subject to exterminatus. For now the secrets are out of reach, wreathed in acidic vapors, psychic storms, eldritch auto-defenses or chronal fluxes. These worlds are sometimes placed under blockade to protect and warn away passersby, or prevent intruders getting in or the secrets they contain getting out, until such time that the Imperium can properly exploit them. Woe to the treasure hunter who does not heed the warning… “Here be Dragons” – Something long forgotten dwells here – from sleeping clockwork warriors to dormant ships filled with dark carapace Xenos waiting in stasis… – This system is home to a band of pirates who take a dim view on trespassers. – A foul Heretical, Chaos or Xenos cult has taken root here, using it either as a hideout or a place to infiltrate the local population. – the remains of an ancient Xenos civilization can be found here, its secrets and wealth possibly intact. – There is a rift in the very fabric of space here, loosing creatures of the warp upon those that venture too close. – Something calls this system home… whether is it the spawning grounds of the great void whale, the graveyard of the herds of space mantas, the nests of giant asteroid crawling beetle-crabs, or a ship devouring horror of the void that is always hungry… – Roll on the table below: – A vast junkyard of lost, damaged and broken ships exists here. Its rusted space hulks are possibly home to countless lost secrets and dark creatures. Contains the wrecks of 1d5+1 ships in a stable orbit...perhaps worth investigation and salvage...or all ruined and useless now... Perhaps they are one great combined hulk... or perhaps of Xenos design? - Failed Colony on a planet - cities or hives... perhaps with artifacts of interest for the nobles back on Scintilla or other worlds? – a former outpost, research station, automated refueling station of a Rogue Trader Dynasty long gone, listening post, ancient military station... - a now derelict pirate camp... perhaps with hidden treasures and traps left? Or some spare ship parts?



- perhaps the archaeologists simply left or something horrible happened to them... - perhaps on surface, perhaps asteroid or gas mining... Recently vacated or vacant for a long time? - Habitable words show a strong population of animals and crops imported by humans (eg: Grox, Horses, Dogs, etc). Humans MUST have been here, long ago... - A signal beacon. Its purpose could have been to warn visitors away or simply as a navigational aid... - There was a massive civilization in the system... but whatever or whoever built it is now gone. Why? Famine? War? Mass-Exodus? Nothing? – GM’s choice - there may be no secrets here, at least none visiting captains will ever discover… Or not…

If the GM wishes to create a human empire with Warp capable ships, perhaps with control over other nearby systems, lost to the Imperium for possibly thousands of years, Roll again:

– The primary world is a Hive world. Hive Worlds are generally inhospitable, even deadly to human life after centuries of industrial processing. Urban conglomerates, called hives, many miles in height, are the principle population centers. Factory, mining, and atmosphere processing are the main industries, and the worker-populations are only maintained by a high import/export ratio, with the main imports being food and fresh water. – This term can be misleading, even for those worlds not touched by outright war in generations, most inhabitants will carry firearms. Civilized worlds are generally self-sufficient, possess star ports, and are able to defend themselves against most threats they might be expected to face. Most of these worlds in the Imperium would be further categorized as Cardinal Worlds, Garden Worlds, Mining Worlds, or any other of a thousand classifications. – The primary world is a world of administration. Perhaps a world of scrolls, tombs, libraries and teeming public servants. It may be a world devoted to replenishing fleets, a pleasure planet providing shore leave to its soldiers or a great library dedicated to academia. – The world may be at the beginning, middle or end of a long term war zone in a planet-spanning war lasting decades. The planet may be devastated for centuries, with a ravaged environment, cracked planetary crusts, burnt-out cities and plains covered in the bones of the fallen.

Disclaimer: Warhammer 40,000 and Rogue Trader is the property of Games Workshop and Fantasy Flight Games respectively. I claim no right of ownership over the above material, this is a fan compilation, and I in no way seek to benefit or profit from this document. If any representative of either Games Workshop or Fantasy Flight Games feels I have violated any legal terms or copyright, please contact me and I will remove or modify this document to your specifications.


Expanded Star System Generator [v1.0]

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