Origins are a part of creating your character in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. Your origin is essentially the backstory for your character before taking on the Rogue Trader mantle, and is key to creating the specific kind of character you want to play in the Imperium of Man.

Choosing an origin affects directly the kit of abilities and attributes you will have in Rogue Trader. Besides learning what you were doing before the game begins, your character receives Features (unique abilities that some origins have), Characteristic and Skill Modifiers, and Talents.

Full stop, there isn’t a right or wrong origin in Rogue Trader. It will all depend on your playstyle. If you enjoy role-playing characters, pick an origin that catches your eye. But if numbers going up matters most to you, read on to see the best origins in Rogue Trader. And for more tips on creating a character, be sure to consult our guide on the best archetypes in Rogue Trader.

The best origins in Rogue Trader

Image: Owlcat Games via Polygon

As mentioned, there isn’t a right origin to go for in Rogue Trader, but it’s unquestionable that some are extremely useful to run during the extensive campaign. In case you don’t know which origin to pick, here are the three best origins to consider:

• Commissar
• Ministorum Priest
• Sanctioned Psyker

Below, we’ll explain why these are the best origins in Rogue Trader.

Commissar

In the Imperium of Man, respect and fear go hand-in-hand. Many dialogues give you options to enforce people’s respect toward you by threatening them. With that in mind, Commissar fits perfectly in terms of the plot. Commissar’s Feature, “At All Costs!,” buffs attacks, allowing you to jump into action more safely.

Commissar origin gives you Fellowship +5 as one of your Characteristic Modifiers, an attribute that affects Persuasion, Coercion, and Commerce skills, all of which are required in many tests that define your journey through the Koronus Expanse.

Ministorum Priest

While exploring undiscovered corners of the universe is the Rogue Trader’s mission, you might want to use the voyages as an opportunity to spread the religion of the Imperium. The conflict between heretics and the teachings of the God-Emperor is a constant theme in the game, and you might want to take part in this dispute as a Ministorum Priest.

In terms of gameplay, Ministorum Priest is capable of charging the party’s Momentum, a special resource you can use to cast heroic acts or desperate measures — powerful unique abilities that in most cases you can activate only once per battle. At the same time, this origin is the perfect fit if you want to play the role of a tank for your party. With the Toughness and Willpower Characteristic modifiers and Medicae as one of the Skill Modifiers, Ministorum Priests are ready to stand for their allies.

Sanctioned Psyker

If any of the previous two options called your attention, and you would rather play a more grim and mysterious character than bastions of the God-Emperor’s will, then you should go for the Sanctioned Psyker. You have been chosen — or cursed — with psychic abilities which connect you with the warp.

The Sanctioned Psyker origin allows different approaches in terms of playstyle due to the origin’s specialization. You might want to go for a space-battle mage and pick the Biomancer, or might want to tackle encounters from afar, burning enemies as a Pyromancer, for example. In addition to all of this, the origins has Lore (Warp) as one of its Skill modifiers, which is pretty useful to explore the places you visit in the game.

All origins list in Rogue Trader

Image: Owlcat Games via Polygon

Listed below, here’s a full list of all origins available to you when creating a character in Rogue Trader.

• Astra Militarum Commander: Your character has been fighting for the God-Emperor for a long time in the forefront, leading many soldiers into battle. As an Astra Militarum Commander, you have access to a mix of offensive and support skills. Buffing you or your companions’ attacks is part of being an Astra Militarum Commander. This origin gives you Ballistic Skills +5, Perception +5, Athletics +5, and Medicare +5.
• Commissar: One of the ranks among the many under the service of the God-Emperor, a Commissar is a feared figure, a symbol of authority, but one who also has their respect. By picking this one up, you receive Weapon Skill +5, Fellowship +5, Coercion +5, and Athletics +5. As one of the origins in Rogue Trader, Commissar stands out due to its capacity to increase allies’ damage and movement.
• Crime Lord: Playing a Crime Lord means navigating among those cast out by the Imperium’s society. This origin is about taking care of yourself by using the special ability Sure-Fire Plan to buff your character’s actions. Picking this origin gives you Weapon Skill +5, Perception +5, Awareness +5, and Logic +5.
• Ministorum Priest: As a former member of the Ecclesiarchy, you keep your fight against heresy. This origin gives you access to abilities that assist allies by rewarding them for defeating enemies. The ability War Hymn is useful if you want to build up Momentum and use those special abilities during combat. Ministorum Priest receives modifiers of Agility +5, Fellowship +5, Commerce +5, and Demolition +5.
• Navy Officer: By picking this origin, you want to make your character acquainted with traveling in a voidship and all the perils involved in that. Navy Officers have also a lot of battle experience. This origin’s main focus is to use area-of-effect abilities to support allies, reducing the chances of taking damage from various sources. You get Agility +5, Fellowship +5, Commerce +5, and Demolition +5 as a Navy Officer.
• Noble: The nobility of the Imperium is a privileged and powerful group of individuals whose strength comes from their families. As a noble, you can pick an ally to fight for you as your servant. Your role is to stay safe and buff the servant during battles. Nickels get you Intelligence +5, Fellowship +5, Coercion +5, Persuasion +5.
• Sanctioned Psyker: In the Imperium, Psykers are as feared as they are needed. They are the closest you will find to a mage since these individuals can use warp powers, making them extremely powerful and dangerous. If you go for the Sanctioned Psyker, you will also need to pick one of the five specializations — Diviner, Pyromancer, Sanctic, Biomancer, and Telepath — available for characters with this origin. With this origin, you get Toughness +5, Willpower +5, Lore (Warp) +5, and Carouse +5.