Background-Based System/Quotes
What was pretty cool was how organically that character's origins came up and then adjusted to accommodate each other.
[...] This comprehensive creation of backgrounds, all interviewing was created by the group.
[...] Now, there is plenty of background and flavor to go around, without the entire party having the same exact background as well. There's plenty of variation to go in there [...]
If you don't know what Into the Storm is, it's an upgrade book or "player's guide" for the Rogue Trader game. So far, this book seems to me to be what The Inquisitor's Handbook was to Dark Heresy. And that is certainly a good thing.
One of the more innovative things I enjoy about the Rogue Trader system is its Origin Path system for character creation. It's a real help because it helps focus character backgrounds and creation in a massive universe of options and realities.
Chapter One: Advanced Origins
Chapter One greatly expands upon the Origin Path system and keeps it backwards compatible by introducing alternate origins at each station. For example, instead of starting out on a Death World, you can start out on a Death World or a Frontier World, which gives different benefits and penalties. Moving down from that, you could pick Scavenger or Fringe Survivor, etc. And on top of that, each of the new origin picks has three different variations to choose from as well. If you choose to be a Fringe Survivor, you could be a Survivalist, Heretek, or Pit-Fighter. (Warhammer Quest anyone?)
All of these new Origin paths do cost xp, however. So people looking to go crazy and power-mad are reined in a bit. I'm going to certainly offer these new Origin Paths retroactively to my players, because many of them are much better fits for their characters.
Another row of Origins is added as well: Lineage. Lineage is an Origin aspect which describes your family and their reputation.
Another cool edition - an Origin path for the Explorer's Warrant of Trade. This is very neat. In this section, the players and GM sit down together and decide the general history and background of the very Warrant they hold.—Review of Into the Storm: The Explorer's Handbook on Warrant of Trade blog