System generator

Shamelessly pirated from the Rogue Trader (RPG), mostly Stars of Inequity, and modified for more detail in the description with less detail about the mechanics. Tables for randomly generating a Star System a pioneering Exploratory Fleet might discover, or is already a bastion the Imperium. For individual planets, check out the Planet generator as well. Alternatively, see GURPS Space.

For an external source, we would recommend Role Generator's Planets module, which can be used for non-40k generation as well.

System Properties

System Features; make 3 D10 rolls (min 1)

D10	Feature	Effects
1	Bountiful	Lots of mineral wealth. Choose one to all of: Add one extra Asteroid Belt/Cluster Increase minerals available on asteroid belts/clusters by 1d10-5 rolls Increase minerals available on planets by 1 roll Each planet has a 40% chance to have extra 'Exotic Resources' available
2	Gravity Tides	Treacherous skies. Choose one: Add 1d5 Gravity Riptides Maintaining a stable orbit around the planets in this system requires a skilled pilot. Interplanetary travel in this system is made at double speed, but is risky.
3	Haven	Peaceful system of garden worlds. Choose one: Add one Planet to each of the three Solar Zones Add +1 to Atmosphere Presence rolls and +2 on Atmosphere Composition rolls for Planets in the Biosphere zone Add +2 to Habitability rolls for Planets in all zones
4	Ill-Omened	Cursed, either in fact or in legend. Crew morale will suffer just by arriving and will stay fragile until you leave.
5	Pirate Den	A wretched hive of scum and villainy. You must be cautious. D6+4 ships are present, including a beefy flagship, and 50% chance of a space station base.
6	Ruined Empire	A Xenos or Dark Age civilization once lived here. Choose one: D6-2 Planets gain a Xenos Ruins Resource. Increase Abundance of each by D10+5 (out of 100) D6-2 Planets gain an Archaeotech Resource. Increase Abundance of each by D10+5 (out of 100) In either case, this affects a minimum of 1 Planet and if there are more Resource deposits than planets the remainder are Derelict Stations or Starship Graveyards.
7	Starfarers	There are several planets and a civilization (human or xeno) which spans them. Minimum 4 Planets in the system; add more wherever if it falls short. The native civilization inhabits D6+3 Features, planets first. Any planet with a native civilization has this one, with Development level Voidfarers, Colony, or Orbital Hab, with at least one Voidfarers in the system.
8	Stellar Anomaly	Some star systems don't fall into the neat "planets orbit star, stars orbit galactic center" bucket. This is one; there's some fuckhueg negative space wedgie affecting the local gravity. Remove any 2 Planets generated in the system as they or their orbits are destabilized. Navigating within and through this system is easier since these wedgies are used as Navigator's landmarks. Local Warpspace is also calmer, but sudden reversion to realspace is more dangerous with a high chance of Gravity Riptide, Solar Flare (even if not near a star), or Radiation Burst.
9	Warp Stasis	A calm Warp isn't always good; sometimes it becomes "becalmed in the Warp". Double the base time for any trip entering or leaving this system and the time to send or receive an Astropathic message. It may also be harder to use psychic powers of any kind in the system.
10	Warp Turbulence	This isn't a true Warp Storm, but that may not be much consolation. All Warp jumps into or out of this System are more difficult. Some of the following may also be true: One planet in the System is the center of a very small Warp Storm, making it inaccessible and the rest of the system even more difficult to navigate. Psychic powers have stronger effects than usual here Psychic powers are easier than usual to manifest here Perils of the Warp and the corruptive influence of the Warp are stronger here

Star And Solar Zones

Roll for star strength and size, which then determines how much stuff is in each of the three Solar Zones; Inner Cauldron, Main Biosphere, and Outer Reaches

Star Properties; D10

Roll	Meaning
1	Mighty: Blazing, overpowering blue or blue-white light. Strong Inner Cauldron, weak Main Biosphere.
2-4	Vigorous: Steady white light. All zones normal.
5-7	Luminous: Well past its peak brightness, but steady yellow or yellow-orange. Weak Inner Cauldron.
8	Dull: This star will live for millennia more, but it is unmistakably dying. It is large but dim, usually red. Strong Outer Reaches.
9	Anomalous: Dis's fuckin weird. It may be bilious green, nearly-invisible purple, or just about anything else. Make any one zone strong or weak.
10	Binary: Two stars. Roll D10; 1-7: the stars match; reroll once. 8-10: they're different; roll once for each. Reroll 9s and 10s, but if the stars match a 10 can mean it's a three-star system. Star characteristics are set by the appropriate roll; zone strength is set by the lowest roll, subtracting 1 for each extra star, min 1.

Zone Crowdedness

Zone Strength	# of System Element rolls
Weak	1d6-3, min 1
Normal	1d6-1, min 1
Strong	1d6+1, min 3

System Elements

Zone Features; D100 each

Inner Cauldron		Main Biosphere		Outer Reaches
Roll	System Element	Roll	System Element	Roll	System Element
01-20	No Feature	01-20	No Feature	01-20	No Feature
21-29	Asteroid Cluster	21-30	Asteroid Belt	21-29	Asteroid Belt
30-41	Dust Cloud	31-41	Asteroid Cluster	30-40	Asteroid Cluster
42-45	Gas Giant	42-47	Derelict Station	41-46	Derelict Station
46-56	Gravity Riptide	48-58	super dust Cloud	47-55	Dust Cloud
57-76	Planet	59-64	Gravity Riptide	56-73	Gas Giant
77-88	Radiation Bursts	65-94	Planet	74-80	Gravity Riptide
89-100	Solar Flares	95-100	Starship Graveyard	81-93	Planet
				94-100	Starship Graveyard

Element Descriptions

Asteroid Belt: A thinly-spread ring of rocks which may have once been a rocky world. This poses a minor navigational hazard for all travel in its Solar Zone, and has D6-1 Mineral Resource deposits.

Asteroid Cluster: A denser, cohesive group of asteroids, usually the remains of a shattered planet or moon. It is confined to a small volume but is a serious navigational hazard within its extent. It also has D6-1 Mineral Deposits, either within the asteroids or in the remains of ships destroyed trying to navigate it. Pirates often use these as cover.

Derelict Station: An old, empty space station. If there is a space-capable civilization in the system, it was their creation. Otherwise, roll on the Station Origins table and give it D6-1 (min 0) Archaeotech or Xenos Ruins Resources.

Dust Cloud: The leftovers of an asteroid field or solar flare, these can be used as sensor cover but are basically irrelevant beyond that.

Gas Giant: Usually not a useful planet directly, but frequently home to rocky moons which could be much more promising. Use the Planet generation table below.

Gravity Riptide: A major navigation hazard and one that's very hard to detect from a distance.

Planet: A rocky world, potentially suitable for human habitation. Use the Planet generation table below.

Radiation Bursts: Not localized, but affecting the whole Inner Cauldron. Detecting an imminent burst is tricky but possible, and a skilled Enginseer's care for the augur arrays, or taking refuge behind a planet or moon, can protect the sensors; otherwise they will be damaged and difficult to even begin repair on for several hours. Even when there is no active burst, lower-level radiation makes all augurs and sensors noisy and unreliable in the area.

Solar Flares: Not localized, but affecting the whole Inner Cauldron. They are essentially unpredictable, and any journey through the Cauldron has a 10% chance per day of being hit by a solar flare, which is nearly as damaging as void combat weapons. Multiple instances of this each add 10% to the daily chance of being hit by a flare.

Spaceship Graveyard: A number of dead ships, floating in the void. Roll on the Graveyard Origins table to determine how they got here, and add an Archeotech or Xenos Ruins Resource to the graveyard, split among D10+2 small caches spread across the dead fleet. Roll Abundance normally, but a roll which is lower than 3 per cache instead generates an Abundance of (3 per cache + D6 - D6), and a roll which is higher than 10 per cache generates an Abundance of (10 per cache + D6 - D6).

Ruin Origins

Derelict Station Origins; D100

Roll	Origin
01-10	Eldar Orrery: Wraithbone station with many cloistered cells, and psychic signatures of long-gone power
11-15	Eldar Gate: Wraithbone contraption in the shape of an enormous door. What could it possibly be?
16-30	Ork Rok: From a distance, this looks like an asteroid, but it's hollow and full of Ork 'technology',
31-45	STC Defense Station: A commonplace core pattern found across the Imperium, customized to defend a human colony.
46-65	STC Monitor Station: A commonplace core pattern found across the Imperium, customized with extensive augurs and communications tools.
66-75	Unknown Xenos Defense Station: A heavily armed station of unrecognizable origin, clearly not built for human occupants.
76-90	Unknown Xenos Monitor Station: A station of unrecognizable origin, with many sensor arrays and clearly not built for human occupants.
91-95	Necron Station: Station made of the Living Metal characteristic to the Necron xenos. Purpose unclear, probably defended by Canoptek robots.
96-100	Unusual Human Station: Structure and markings indicate this was built for humanity, but it is unlike usual patterns of station.

Spaceship Graveyard Origins; D100

Roll	Origin
01-15	Wrecked Battlefleet: Whichever side fielded these, they lost badly, and all hulks belong to the same force. 2D6 ships, most or all shattered beyond any value.
16-20	Fleet Engagement: Massive conflict raged here, with many hulks from both sides. 1d10+6 hulks, plus possible unexploded mines, torpedoes, or attack craft. A few might be worth salvaging.
21-35	Lost Explorers: Ships lost to overextended supply vaults, or failure of vital systems. D3 ships but most or all are salvageable.
36-65	Plundered Convoy: Plundered transports and cargo ships drift here, from an ancient shipping lane. D6+1 ships are here, all boardable but dsifficult to salvage and probably thoroughly picked-over.
66-90	Skirmish: Wrecks from a small battle, from two different sides, drift here. D6+2 hulks, all heavily damaged but possibly sturdy enough to salvage.
91-100	Unknown Provenance: Bizarre assortment of different vessels drifting past defies easy explanation. Dozens of utterly ruined ships, D6 hulks with some integrity remaining. No shared origin is plausible.

Planet Properties

Gross Properties

Gravity and Surface Composition

Planet Body (Size and Mass); D10

Roll	Meaning: Rocky Planet
1	Small, Light: The already-small world is low in metals, and so has even lower mass than it appears.
2-3	Small: Too small for strong gravity or abundant resources. Subtract 5 from the result of its Gravity roll.
4	Small, Dense: As Small but with higher gravity and more mineral resources available.
5-7	Large: Worlds of this size can range across a vast spectrum of possible types.
8	Large, Dense: As Large but with higher gravity and more mineral resources available.
9-10	Vast: Huge and voluminous, worlds of this type strain the upper edges of the possible size for a single world. Such planets tend to be of middling density, as they are already more massive than is common. Add 5 to the result of its Gravity roll.
Roll	Meaning: Gas Giant
1-2	Gas Dwarf: Considerably more massive than most rocky planets, but small for its kind. Subtract 5 from the result of its Gravity roll.
3-8	Gas Giant: Vastly more massive than any rocky world, with accordingly powerful gravity.
9-10	Gas Titan: The titans among gas giants are larger than some small stars, and may even be 'Brown Dwarfs', arguably closer to being stars than planets (the difference is that a true star can maintain fusion reactions, Brown Dwarfs can't). Roll another D10; on an 8+ this is a Brown Dwarf; its Gravity roll is an automatic 10 and its moons are generated as if they were one Solar Zone closer to their star. On a 1-7 it is an 'ordinary' titan and merely adds 3 to its Gravity roll.

Dense: A Dense planet adds 5 to the result of its Gravity roll. Increase the Abundance of any Mineral Resources it holds by 10.

Light: Subtract 2 from the result of its Gravity roll, and halve the Abundance of any Mineral Resources it holds.

Gravity; D10

Roll	Meaning: Rocky Planet	Orbital Feature Rolls
-6-2	Low Gravity: Subtract 10 from its rolls for Orbital Features and subtract 2 from its roll for Atmospheric Presence. Maneuvering on this world may be difficult for those not accustomed to it.	D2
3-8	Normal Gravity: Approximately the same gravity as Terra's standard 1 G. No effects.	2D3-1
9+	High Gravity: Add 10 to this planet's rolls for Orbital Features and add 1 to its roll for Atmospheric Presence.	D6+1
Roll	Meaning: Gas Giant
-4-2	Weak: Weak gravity for a gas giant, though still stronger than almost all rocky planets. Subtract 5 from its rolls for Orbital Features.	D6
3-6	Strong: Enormous gravity field, normal for its type. No effects.	D6+D3
7-9	Powerful: Objects well beyond its immediate surroundings feel its pull. Add 5 to its rolls for Orbital Features.	2D6
10+	Titanic: Even the system's star is affected by this world's gravity. Add 15 to this planet's rolls for Orbital Features.	3D6

Air and Orbit

Orbital Objects; D100

Roll (Rocky)	Roll (Gas)	Feature
-9-30	-4-15	No Feature: Nothing interesting added to the planet's orbit.
31-45		Large Asteroid: An asteroid large enough to be detectable by sensors, but not visible except as a fast-moving star to the naked eye, occupies a stable orbit around this planet.
46-60	16-40	Planetary Rings(Dust): A wide ring of fine particles circles the planet. This isn't a hazard to navigation, but does make sensor readings noisier. If this is rolled multiple times, enlarge the rings rather than adding more sets of rings. Sensor readings get progressively harder as the rings get larger.
61-90	41-70	Lesser Moon: Large enough to have a noticeable gravity well, but smaller than even a small rocky planet and often not massive enough to be a proper hydrostatic spheroid. Roll D10; on a 6+ it is rich enough in minerals to count as a Mineral Resource, generated normally but with Abundance reduced by 5.
	71-85	Planetary Rings(Debris): A narrow band of asteroids or chunks of ice extends out around the Gas Giant. The spread is limited enough that they can be avoided with a short detour, but if the detour is skipped, navigating them is like navigating an Asteroid Field system feature. If this is rolled multiple times, increase the size and density of the rings, making the needed detour longer and the navigation through them harder.
91-100+	86-100+	Moon: A true moon, massive enough to form a proper hydrostatic spheroid. Generate this as a new Rocky Planet, but its mass must be less than its primary. If the primary is a rocky world, the moon's Body must be less than the primary's Body. If the primary is a gas giant, the satellite's Body must be less than (the primary's Body+4).

For a gas giant, you're done here. For rocky planets, continue to generating its atmosphere and biosphere.

Atmosphere Density; D10

Roll	Meaning
-4-1	None: No atmosphere,or almost none. Operating on its surface requires the usual tools and protection for working in vacuum.
2-4	Thin: The atmosphere is very thin, making any dangers from toxic gases reduced but also making it very difficult to breathe.
5-9	Moderate: The density of the air is normal or nearly so, and imposes no extra strain.
10+	Heavy: Air so thick it is crushing. Any dangers from toxic gases are more severe, and breathing the dense, heavy air is stressful, preventing unaugmented humans from getting proper rest.

If no atmosphere, you're done here. If there is one, continue:

Atmosphere Composition; D10

Roll	Meaning
1	Deadly: You're basically swimming in an acid ocean. Even with total environmental seals, you're probably living on borrowed time. If the atmosphere is Heavy, you're definitely living on borrowed time.
2	Corrosive: Poisonous to breathe and deadly on contact. If you're a SPEHSS MARINE you can probably make it a minute or two without a total environmental seal, but without it you're probably living on borrowed time.
3-5	Toxic: Poisonous to breathe, but only mildly harmful to walk through. You'll need a rebreather but not a full isolation suit.
6-7	Tainted: Trace elements will be harmful to breathe with long-term exposure, though spending a week or so breathing it shouldn't have much effect. Not great for colonization but fine for short-term exploration.
8-10	Pure: Rejoice! The air is clean and breathable by even the frailest of constitutions.

If the atmosphere is Toxic or worse, you're done here. If it's at worst Tainted, continue to the biosphere.

Biosphere

Climate; D10

Roll (Zone)			Meaning
IC	PB	OR
1-6			Burning World: The most moderate climate on the planet at night is still hotter than a nuke in the Sahara
7-9	1-3		Hot World: Most of the planet is incredibly hot, but some sheltered patches are merely as hot as the Sahara.
10	4-7	1	Temperate World: Praise the God-Emperor, this world is mostly habitable.
	8-10	2-4	Cold World: Most of the planet is incredibly cold, but some sheltered patches are merely as cold as Siberia.
		5-10	Ice World: Blizzards in Antartica got nothing on this planet.

If the planet has no atmosphere, its climate is instead extreme, based on the Zone it inhabits. Inner Cauldron airless planets are Burning Worlds, Outer Reaches Ice Worlds. Airless worlds in the Primary Biosphere can be either, either decided at random (use 1d2) or based on which other Zone their orbit is nearer to. Roll on the Water and Life table next, using the column corresponding to the planet's type. If the world is Burning or Ice-bound and a result indicates it bears extremophile life forms, the world bears 'Trapped Water' as described in that result, and additionally you may choose to ignore the life rolled and treat it as a pure Trapped Water result. You may optionally roll even if the world has no atmosphere or a toxic atmosphere, in which case it may bear extremophile organisms which do not make use of water in their biology.

Life and Water; D10

World Type:Roll				Water and Life
Temp.	Hot Cold	Burning Ice	Toxic Airless
<0	<2	<5	<6	Hostile: Not only is there no water, it would be difficult or impossible to introduce any.
0-1	2-3	6	7-8	Inhospitable: There is no water or life to be found on this world.
2-3	4-5	7		Trapped Water: Whether vapor, ice, or mixed with severe contaminants, water exists here but is very hard to come by.
4-5	6-7			Lifeless Oceans: Liquid water is readily available, but no native life exists. (Yet?)
6-7	8-9			Minimal Ecosystem: Native life exists, but it is limited in form or distribution and without much variation.
		8-9	9-11	Minimal Extremophiles: Native life exists in the extreme conditions, in isolated pockets.
8-11	10+			Thriving Ecosystem: Native life is diverse, plentiful, and wide-ranging; most or all parts of the planet have native species.
		10+	12+	Thriving Extremophiles: Despite the harsh conditions, native life is plentiful and wide-ranging
12+				Abundant Ecosystem: Native life is so rich that it has numerous properties uniquely useful to the galaxy, if you can find them

Regardless of whether the world bears life or water, next roll for the distribution of its land.

Land Distribution; D10

World Type: Roll			Meaning
Hostile Inhospitable	Trapped Water Extremophiles	Lifeless Oceans Standard Ecosystem
1-9	1-7		Unbroken Surface: The planet's crust is uniform without substantial cracks or segments
		1-3	Supercontinent: All dry land is one contiguous cluster, with only a few small islands set apart
10	8-9	4-6	Few Continents: D3+1 landmasses make up the land surface, divided by oceans or something more exotic
	10	7-10	Many Continents: 2D3 landmasses make up the land surface, with many islands and archipelagos besides.

Environment and Riches

Territories

Base Terrains

Territory Number Modifiers

Planetary Details	Territories
Base rolls
Hostile	N/A
Inhospitable	0
Trapped Water	D2
Lifeless Oceans	D3
Extremophiles	D3
Standard Life	D6
Size-based modifiers
Body: Small	-3
Body: Large	-1
Body: Vast	+2
(n+1) Landmasses	+Dn
Ecosystem modifiers
Ecosystem: Minimal	+0
Ecosystem: Thriving	+2
Ecosystem: Abundant	+3

A world which is Hostile never has territories. One which is Inhospitable does not usually have territories, but may have them if modifiers add some.

Territory Type Modifiers

Planetary Details	Roll Modifier
Base roll	D6
Modifiers
Inhospitable	-2
Minimal/Thriving Extremophiles	-2
Trapped Water	-1
Lifeless Oceans	+0
Minimal/Thriving Ecosystem	+1
Abundant Ecosystem	+2

Base Terrain Type; D6 + modifiers

Roll	Base Terrain
less	Hybrid Terrain
0	Wasteland
1	Mountain
2	Wasteland
3	Mountain
4	Plains
5	Swamp
6	Waterways
7	Forest
more	Hybrid Terrain

Hybrid Terrain: Roll twice; the territory is a mix of the two types rolled. (Reroll results of Hybrid Terrain.) If  you roll two of the same terrain, the terrain is that single type, but has the Unusual Location trait and rolls for twice as many further traits as normal. Rather than double the number of traits, you may instead use the normal number of traits but select/roll up to half its traits from a different terrain type.

Wasteland: Frozen tundra, scorching sands, or many other things in between. Defined by being inimical to life, even native life. Wastelands are frequently found in regions of extreme heat or cold. You may add an additional copy of the Extreme Temperature trait after generating traits randomly.

Mountain Range: a chain of mountains, stretching across the landscape. Usually frost-capped peaks, but sometimes volcanic fissures. Useful for navigation.

Plains: grasslands, savannahs, stony plateaus, or other wide, flat expanses of land. Usually support some life, and sometimes a great deal of it.

Swamp: Abundance of water, not dangerous in itself but often hosting deadly disease and toxic creatures

Waterways: Whether large river, inland sea, or particularly interesting patch of ocean, this territory is all water.

Forest: an abundance of large-scale flora, and usually many other species, especially when tropical. Usually, but not always, trees.

Terrain Traits

For each territory, roll 2D3-1 to determine number of traits, then roll D100 on the table for the territory's base terrain type to select a trait. Reroll traits incompatible with previously-rolled traits. If the terrain is a hybrid, either divide the rolls evenly between its two base types, or make each roll normally but pick which table's result to use based on whatever criteria you wish. (Most traits can be applied more than once, intensifying the effect.)

Territory Traits

Wastelands		Mountains		Plains		Forests		Swamps		Waterways
1d100	Roll Territory Trait	1d100	Roll Territory Trait	1d100	Roll Territory Trait	1d100	Roll Territory Trait	1d100	Roll Territory Trait	1d100	Roll Territory Trait
01–20	Desolate	01–25	Boundary	01–10	Broken Ground	01–05	Exotic Nature	01–10	Expansive	01–15	Expansive
21–40	Expansive	26–50	Expansive	11–30	Expansive	06–25	Expansive	11–30	Extreme Temperature	16–35	Fertile
41–70	Extreme Temperature	51–65	Extreme Temperature	31–45	Extreme Temperature	26–40	Extreme Temperature	31–45	Notable Species	36–60	Notable Species
71–75	Notable Species	66–75	Foothills	46–70	Fertile	41–65	Notable Species	46–65	Stagnant	61–70	Shoreline
76–80	Ruined	76–85	Notable Species	71–85	Notable Species	66–80	Unique Compound	66–75	Unusual Location	71–80	Stagnant
81–95	Unusual Location	86–95	Unusual Location	86–95	Unusual Location	81–95	Unusual Location	76–95	Virulent	81–95	Unique Compound
96–00	Roll again twice and apply both results	96–00	Roll again twice and apply both results	96–00	Roll again twice and apply both results	96–00	Roll again twice and apply both results	96–00	Roll again twice and apply both results	96–00	Roll again twice and apply both results

Boundary: Boundary mountains are very difficult to cross. They bisect a continent, separate two other Territories, or bisect a single other Territory into two almost-unconnected pieces. Passage across the boundary will be via a small handful of traversable passes - or they may have no passes and only traversable by air or around the ends.

Broken Ground: This Territory has only the semblance of even ground. Its apparently flat expanses are actually riven with small fissures, which could be a relic of tectonic activity or simply a side effect of local burrowing creatures. These fissures may be created in the past and currently static, or active and unstable. Crossing this Territory on the ground is often disastrous; double all travel times and expect to encounter sinkholes.

Desolate: This territory is harsh and unforgiving, even by the standards of Wastelands. It has no oases, natural springs, or other potential sources of life or easier conditions. Survival is even harder than in a usual wasteland, and it is impossible to find water here.

Exotic Nature: Rather than trees, vines, or other true plants, this forest is made of something much stranger. This might be groves of living crystal, spires of chitin or bone, or mounds of dormant, oozing flesh. The only constant is that the pseudo-flora are growing, either alive or as if alive, and that the pseudo-plants do not possess minds, even at an animal-intelligence level. (An unusual species/pseudo-species within the forest may possess minds, just as an unusual plant species may possess minds. But the varieties which make up the bulk of the forest do not.)

Expansive: The boundaries of this Territory are greatly extended beyond a typical example of its type. Typically it is at least 150% the size of other territories on the world. If there are several continents, this territory will typically take up most or all of a continent. (If it is a Waterways territory, it is a large sea or a true ocean.)

Extreme Temperature: Extreme heat or cold pervades this Territory. If the Planet already has an inclination towards one extreme, this territory is even worse in that regard, more extreme by 20° to 40° C. Alternately, a Territory can provide an extreme temperature opposite the one common on the rest of the Planet, such as a range of volcanoes on an ice world, making the local temperature more moderate by 10° to 20° C. If the planet is broadly moderate in temperature, this region is extreme in the direction of your choice, generally with an average temperature of 50°/-30° C (hot/cold, respectively). Multiple instances of this trait stack and create progressively larger shifts in temperature; a forest on a temperate world with 3x Extreme Temperature(Hot) will have an average temperature in the 150° to 180° C. If this creates absurd results, e.g. a forest where the average day is 300° C and would boil the sap from the trees, reroll the trait.

Fertile: This plain or waterway is rich with nutrients and excellent for life. Local flora thrive her and are particularly abundant and vigorous. An area like this is likely to be a primary source of an Organic Compound Resource, if the planet has some, and it also often makes for a useful agricultural outpost.

Foothills: Most of the peaks in this mountain range are dwarfed by a single larger example, towering above the rest. This is a very useful aid to navigation and is usually high enough in elevation to provide an excellent location for surface-to-orbit transport facilities.

Notable Species: One of the Planet’s more noteworthy native species is found only in this Territory. Generate a new species for this purpose, using the species generation tables below. This sometimes instead indicates the presence of an unusual local variation of a more widespread species, dramatically different from other specimens in coloration, temperament, or physique. Often these have special adaptations to better exploit the Territory in which they live. This species is likely to be a source of an Organic Compound Resource if the planet has some.

Ruined: This wasteland was created not by nature, but by conflict. It may be a scar of fused glass from an orbital lance strike, the shattered shells of an ancient barrage, or in the worst cases the spilled energies of the Warp and the footsteps of Daemons. Terror and ruinous taint are constant companions when exploring Ruined territories.

Shoreline: This territory is along the coast of an ocean or sea, and borders another territory on the planet. It may divide up that territory or separate it from another land territory, much like a boundary mountain range.

Stagnant: This swamp or waterway houses little in the way of life, and even less in activity. There is little or no flow to its waters, and what life exists is largely microscopic, hidden, and sessile. It is a silent, still place, ill-suited to vigorous activity and difficult to traverse and map. If it a waterway, it is a lake or inland sea without meaningful inflow or outflow, and it will have large buildups of impurities making it inimical to life.

Unique Compound: A strain of local flora that can only be found in this forest or waterway contains a substance of great value. The Planet has an additional Organic Compound Resource, provided by these plants. Its exact nature and Abundance are generated normally.

Unusual Location: In most cases, Territories are located where local conditions would be most likely to create the relevant base terrain. This is the exception, whether it is a forest in a frozen polar region, or a wasteland surrounded by verdant fields. This Territory exists where it does not belong and perhaps where it should not be.

Virulent: The marshy pools here are foul cauldrons of plague worthy of Nurgle's favor. The adaptations this spurs in the local wildlife make them just as bad, or worse. Merely camping within it requires constant vigilance to remain healthy, drinking the water without thorough treatment can inflict a variety of maladies, and all wounds risk immediate infection, sepsis, and/or necrosis.

Reasons to Investigate

Resources

Resource Prevalence (Minimums are 0)

Planet Size	Mineral Resources	Other Resources
Small	D3-1	D3-1
Large	D6	D6-2
Vast	D10	D6-1

Resource Type; D10

Roll		Resource Type
Life	No Life
1-2	1-3	Archeotech Cache
3-4	4-6	Xenos Ruins
5-8	7-10	Minerals
9-10		Organic Compound

Abundance: Every resource present has an Abundance rating from 01-100 (or occasionally higher). Starting Abundance is generated with a D100 roll. Exploiting the resource gradually lowers the abundance rating as you scoop up the valuables and sell them off elsewhere.

Abundance Rating in Words; D100

Roll	Meaning
<1-15	Minimal: Not enough to support an ongoing extraction project.
16-40	Limited: Enough to support a small-scale extraction for a few years.
41-65	Sustainable: Extensive reserves, a small operation could sustain itself on this.
66-85	Significant: Easily accessible and plentiful, good for a sustainable small colony or an aggressive extraction rig.
86-98	Major: Vast potential, both short- and long-term. Startup costs to make good use of it will be high and competitors will be tempted to cut in.
99+	Plentiful: It would take at least a decade to exhaust this even with the most aggressive extraction operation the Imperium could mount.

Archeotech Cache: This planet has a number of isolated pockets of valuable archeotech, each with one or a handful of examples. Archeotech voidship components count for 10 Abundance, man-portable examples count for 2-3 each. This is rarely if ever one big vault of lost technology.

Minerals: Inorganic valuables, whether industrial material like iron, copper, or lead - all with enormous supply but even more enormous demand, primarily for the Imperial war machine -, ornamental like gold and gemstones for the nobility or to decorate the glorious state and church of the Emperor, radioactives for obscure purposes within the Adeptus Mechanicus, or exotic materials like the raw materials needed for manufacture of adamantium, ceramite, and promethium or unique ornamentals.

Mineral Type; D10

Roll	Mineral Subtype
1-4	Industrial Metal
5-7	Ornamental
8-9	Radioactive
10	Exotic Material

Organic Compound: Found only where there is life, these have even more varied uses than minerals. The most common are substances which can be prepared into medical uses, either for curatives or for juvenat treatments; toxins which can be sold to aspiring poisoners; and vivid ornamental substances from feathers to dyes to horn, bone, or leather, sharing that it is rare enough and recognizable enough to serve nobility's taste for conspicuous consumption and exotic fashions. More exotic substances, from novel combat drugs to singing flowers or trunks made from still-living wood, are also possible.

Organic Compound Type; D10

Roll	Organics Subtype
1-2	Curative
3-4	Juvenat Compound
5-6	Toxic
7-9	Vivid Accessory
10	Exotic Compound

Xenos Ruins: The difficulty in finding things of value for the contents of Xenos ruins is primarily finding artifacts - most often art objects or things of archaeological interest, technology is rare - which have not decayed over time. Some races, such as the Yu'Vath and Necrons, leave relics which do not decay, but most of these still have active or passive defenses which make extracting valuables dangerous. Necron ruins attack the body, usually via Canoptek drones, while Yu'Vath leavings attack the mind, with passive fields of the Immaterium driving those within the ruins to terror or even lasting insanity.

Landmarks and Encounter Sites

To Be Improved

Landmarks; D100

Roll	Meaning
01-20	Canyon
21-35	Cave Network
36-45	Crater
46-65	Mountain
66-75	Volcano
76-100	Exceptional Landmark

Common Landmarks

Canyon

Canyon Landmarks usually take the form of a vast trench, carved into the soil or bedrock. Sometimes they represent a network of smaller canyons, or retain the imprint of whatever force shaped their course. The largest and deepest canyons extend through the crust of a planet, so that their roots are filled with seething magma. Major canyon networks are often used to assist mining operations in the surrounding area by providing easier access to buried minerals.

Cave Network

Extensive ranges of tunnels and caves can be found beneath the surface of many worlds. Systems of this sort that also connect to the lands above can represent an unusual form of Landmark. In some cases, a single cavern of immense proportions can be a Landmark instead, but it is rare for a natural cavern to remain stable at such a size. Landmarks of this sort cannot normally be used as a reference point for Navigation (Surface) Tests. At the GM’s discretion, it might be possible for Explorers to follow their course with a scanner or similar technology, and gain the navigational benefits through the device.

Crater

In most cases, a Crater Landmark represents the impact point of an object originating beyond the planet, usually a meteor. Some craters show signs of being formed from a long- ago barrage by orbital weaponry, instead. This type of Landmark can also represent a large depression in the planet’s surface formed by a more local source, such as a valley shaped by tectonic forces.

Mountain

Whether solitary or part of an extended range, Mountain Landmarks are among the most impressive sights on any world that features them. These towering peaks can extend to twenty kilometres in height, or more. More than one Rogue Trader has set the seat of their authority on a colonised world, atop the highest mountain that could be found. Such fortresses offer unparalleled protection from ground attack, as well as making excellent locations for surface-based defence lasers and similar weapons. The awe-inspiring view can prove a valuable reminder of the Rogue Trader’s power to visitors, as well. The vast size and rigid definition of Mountain Landmarks makes them the ideal visual cue. Using Mountains to as reference grants an additional +10 bonus to Navigate (Surface) Tests.

Volcano

Volcanoes can take a wide variety of forms, varying in size and shape based on the conditions that formed them. Those with a sufficient presence to qualify as a Landmark are generally huge fire-mountains, or occasionally an extensive series of volcanic vents. In any form, they are as notable for the haze of superheated air and occasional cloud of spewed ash as for their size. Outright eruptions are rare, but utterly catastrophic when they occur. Treat an extinct volcano as a Mountain Landmark.

Exceptional Landmarks

Glacier

These Landmarks are often found on ice worlds, or near the polar regions of worlds with an abundant supply of water. These huge, frozen mountains are usually formed of ice, although the range of substances that they could contain is greatly expanded on the coldest worlds. Glaciers are only found on Planets with a Climate result of Ice World, or a Habitability result of Trapped Water or higher.

Inland Sea

The lakes of some worlds are so big as to stretch the definition of the word, demanding a more appropriate term to describe their expansiveness. Such features are common on worlds with an undivided landmass, although they can potentially be found wherever there is a continent large enough to surround one. Any sufficiently large, land-locked body of water can be an Inland Sea Landmark. Inland Seas are normally only be found on Planets with a Habitability result of Liquid Water, Limited Ecosystem, or Verdant. At the GM’s discretion, a frozen version can be found on Planets with a Habitability result of Trapped Water. The Landmark also represents phenomena like reservoirs of fluid chemicals such as quicksilver, which can be found on a Planet without any water.

Perpetual Storm

Unusual atmospheric conditions can result in persistent or even wholly stable weather patterns in a limited area. The affected region might constantly be overshadowed by banks of thunderheads, riven by lightning, or simply blown about in a constantly circulating wind. Such effects are usually dangerous to anyone caught without shelter, although rare benign cases have been discovered. Drive and Pilot Tests to pass through a Perpetual Storm suffer a –20 penalty. Storms with harmful effects such as electrical discharges or corrosive precipitation typically inflict 1d10+3 Energy Damage for every half hour of exposure, although examples exist that are either more or less dangerous. Perpetual Storms are only found on Planets with an Atmosphere result of Moderate or Heavy.

Reef

Oceanic reefs are typically too limited in size or spread to qualify as a Landmark, but some worlds house notable exceptions. In some cases, these vast formations are created by thousands of generations of native aquatic life, while others represent eroded tracts of coastline, or even sunken continents. Reefs are often spread out over a wider area than other Landmarks, making up what they lack in height through an impressive amount of coverage. Reefs can only be found on Planets with a Habitability result of Liquid Water, Limited Ecosystem, or Verdant. At the GM’s discretion, the remnants of a Reef can be found on a Planet without water, indicating the presence of ancient oceans on a Planet where they no longer exist. The largest of these extinct reefs provide an additional Navigation bonus, in the same manner as a Mountain.

Whirlpool

Certain tidal forces can create a vortex in the oceans of a world that churns and seethes without end. They are usually lethal to any efforts at nautical travel in its vicinity, but even the land is not be wholly safe from its influence. Whirlpools that lie near a shoreline sometimes exacerbate issues with local tectonics, causing tremors or earthquakes, and eventually tearing the entire coast apart. Whirlpools can only be found on Planets with a Habitability result of Liquid Water, Limited Ecosystem, or Verdant. In addition, they are rarely found on Planets without at least two Orbital Features influencing the tides.

Life

• Native Species, subsapient
• Inhabitants, sapient
  • Race
  • Tech Level