I have had a number of games made much more interesting by random die rolls. I've generated whole adventures on the fly using random tables to help shape events, and my group has enjoyed them immensely. The need to improvise and incorporate random elements into a story is part of the joy of roleplaying for me. That said, I personally do prefer point buy character generation, so the players can have the character they want. After that, the dice shape destiny. However, I can see ThenDoctor's point very well. It's really a matter of preference.

I find myself wondering, and if you want to PM me about this rather than continue to derail this thread that's cool... but what do you feel "the point" of a pen and paper roleplaying game is that point buy character generation defeats it. I'm honestly just curious because you seem to a very different view than I do and I'd love to hear a little more about it.

It's actually the subject of one of the bits of introductory fiction in the Inquisitor game... the idea that the Emperor could have been revived shortly after being placed on the Golden Throne, but they worried that a) people wouldn't believe it was him and b) he might come back "changed". I'll agree with those would say the return of the Emperor would cause a schism in the Imperium between those who believed he was really the Emperor Awoken and those who didn't. As for the Emperor himself, he's an Alpha++ psyker who has been floating in the Warp for the past 10,000 years... rather serious question of his effective Sanity and Corruption scores would need to be considered.

Common is a better availability then Scarce. Common items are more available than Scarce items, so their availability is better. Rare is a worse availability, it is less available. I guess you could interpret it that way, and that's probably what the author's meant, but I know some of my players are going to argue with that wording. "Sigh" I really don't see a rational argument that can be made. The rules doesn't say you can get equipment which is better than Scarce Availability. It says you can get equipment with an Availability of Scarce or better. Rare is not a better Availability than Scarce.

Common is a better availability then Scarce. Common items are more available than Scarce items, so their availability is better. Rare is a worse availability, it is less available.

I'm going to agree with the majority here... your GM is a jerk and you should find, or start, another game without him. However, as for the proof you asked for, as unitled suggested, page 310 of the core rulebook is a place to go. I would specifically cite the second paragraph which reads in part: In the 41st Millennium, the Ecclesiarchy holds sway over the hearts and minds of all but a few of the Emperor’s subjects. The Adeptus Ministorum is a galaxy-spanning order based on Terra, but with cardinals, preachers, and countless other officials tending to their flocks across the galaxy, the Imperial Creed is subject to countless local and regional variations and idiosyncrasies. By dint of its ubiquitous presence across the entire Imperium, it has its own culture and traditions evolved over the centuries.

Does anyone know how long the discount is good for?

I'd love to see all of those, plus Rogue Trader (background or elite advance). I agree with insanit, Navigator is a better fit as a Background. I definitely want to see more background that are not Adeptus Terra (another issue raised in Beta but ignored).

When you change the rules to make encounters easier, and then wonder why the encounters are too easy... I'm not saying I disagree with your house rules btw. I've often run games when 0 wounds = death (not with orks) and still found combat taking a while. However, if you're finding your house rules make the game to easy/not fun, that's a good time to reassess the effects of those rules.

All the Eisenhorn books I read said that. the guncutter was a ship for flying around systems and planets. He had to hitch a ride on a Rogue Trader ship (the name eludes me at the moment) for interstellar travel.

Medics have been in the Codex Imperial Guard for a couple of editions now. Apothecaries have been in Codex Space Marines since at least 2nd edition. Codex Witch Hunters actually includes a model specifically called Chirurgeon. I really don't see why you would think they aren't 40k-ish.

Wow, did they really not fix anything from the last weeks of the Beta?

I disagree. IMO, it is the GM who has failed. In a system where characters have the flexibility in design and growth seen 40K RP, no system can accurately gauge a threat against all types of characters. It is therefore the GMs responsibility to understand both the system and the characters well enough to present scenarios which challenge his group.

Personally, I think the Threat Rating system is a waste of pages and said so during the Beta. There is no reasonable way a character with 1000 exp invested in Intelligence and Lores can face the same threats that a character with 1000 exp invested in Weapon Skill and combat related Talents. Each type of character is good at handling specific types of challenges but nearly useless at others. It is ultimately the job of the GM to balance challenges according to the design of the character in his game and the style of play preferred by his group.

I tend to think of the Guard as either retiring people in place, on or near whatever world they happen to be in at the time, or putting them into staff positions within the guard. I think actually sending retirees back to their homeworld would depend on how far from their homeworld they've gone and how difficult arranging warp transit back home would be. I don't see the Administrum taking the effort to arrange a Navy transport exclusively to return old soldiers to their homeworld... unless (lightbulb!) they were picking up new regiments at the same time. That might make sense actually... send old soldiers home as trainers and recruiters for the next tithe of regiments from that world. The old soldiers could then either retire at home or "re-up" as senior members of the new regiment. That might actually be a logical and efficient idea...