Serve the Rogue Trader | Uncover the Mystery of a False Prophet
The light of Terra has faded, cut off by the Great Rift. Within the besieged Gilead system, Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius has a plan to rekindle it...
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 2:00 AM UTC
Sep 15 / Session 46
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 30–40 Sessions
5 / 6 Seats Filled
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One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Schedule
Meet your party members
5/6
About the adventure
Step into the shoes of an agent of the Varonius Vanguard - one of the blessed few defending the vast Imperium of Man in the grim darkness of the 41st Millenium. Investigate mysteries, untangle complicated intrigue and navigate the perilous political landscape of Imperial factions as they struggle to survive the perils of the Great Rift. For three long years, Gilead system suffered from being cut off from the rest of the Imperium. The arrival of Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius seems to have turned the fortunes to the better, but it's a far cry from being safe or secure. Food is growing scarce, there is no external trade, and the political tensions are heating up. And in the depths of the system itself, ancient and long forgotten threats are awakening to sow terror once again... The Great Rift hungers. Will it consume you - or will you find the light beyond?
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(30)
5 years on StartPlaying
886 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Knows the Rules
Average response time: 5 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Greetings from Central Asia! I’m a full-time professional Game Master based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with over 800 sessions hosted on StartPlaying and over a decade of experience running roleplaying games. I specialise in long-form, character-driven campaigns, particularly dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, and faction-heavy adventures. My games combine the structure and depth of published campaigns with the freedom of a home game. I reshape adventures around the characters, their relationships, and the consequences of their decisions rather than forcing the group through a fixed script. I bring more than a decade of professional experience as an interpreter and international tour guide into my games, too.
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Creating your character
Characters will be created by the group together during Sesion 0. If you're joining the game after Session 0, I'll run you through what we have so far and what people are playing. We can work out the details from there. I'm always open for a 1-on-1 session 0 to onboard new players!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You'll need a Discord account and a decent microphone. Preferrably a quiet environment with low background noise for the duration of the session. The only other requirement is signing up to the Forge (the VTT where the game will happen). Both Discord and Forge accounts are free to create and use as a player. You will also need to join the Discord server where the game is going to happen. You will receive the link to it in the Prep Materials section when you sign up to the game.
What Sergey Sakharov brings to the table
I'll bring a fully set up campaign on Foundry, complete with scenic art, battlemaps and tokens - everything you need to visualise your journey through the grim darkness of the 41st millenium! The game will make use of battlemaps for complicated or tactical encounters, though the majority of it will take place in Theater of the Mind. I tend to follow the players' lead in the games. Most of the time my adventures are shaped as "landscapes", with multiple ways to achieve your goals. Railroading is usually not something I do.
Homebrew rules
This game uses a homebrew version of Wrath & Glory called Cinematic Edition. The rules have been altered for a fast, cinematic experience. The game as a result is far less reliant on number crunching and fiddly rules. You can think of it as "Wrath & Glory meets Blades in the Dark". You can review the changes we made here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WSamVK8vbFpcOpcjbtXhB6wHgdIGN0lbxw0Pfp9zsyU/edit?usp=sharing
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Sergey Sakharov creates a safe table
The setting of Warhammer 40 000 is by design quite grimdark and cruel. Violence, eldritch horrors and the grinding cost of living in an extremely oppressive system are all present in the game, with everything that they entail. That said, there are a few lines that won't be crossed under any circumstances: - Explicit depiction of sexual encounters. They may be hinted at, but never "on screen". - No sexual assault of PCs or NPCs. - Gory naturalistic details of violence will be mostly given "at large". I don't delve into the massive amount of bloody details. We'll go over all Lines & Veils during session 0.
Content warnings
Safety tools used