The first major decision you’ll make in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader revolves around an interaction with Kunrad Voigtvir. Kunrad is quite literally the first NPC you’ll meet in Rogue Trader; immediately after creating your character, you’ll be thrust into a conversation with him that (it’s implied) your Trader may not want to be in. Still, Kunrad is relatively friendly; while other NPCs, in this introductory chapter, are quick to accuse you of being a sycophantic, ignorant, even heretical rube, Kunrad seems genuinely interested in who you are and where you come from.
However, in a succinct introduction to the Warhammer setting, Kunrad quickly betrays your Trader, demanding that you use your Valancius blood to open the door to the Warrant Chamber, where he hopes to seize the Warrant of Trade and take over the position of Rogue Trader for himself. You may make a pivotal story decision, for the very first time: should you go along with Kunrad’s demands and open the chamber, or resist under threat of death? Here’s what each option changes in the first chapter of Rogue Trader, and which one you should choose.
What Happens If You Help Kunrad?
Pros & Cons Of Helping Kunrad
There are a couple of different ways to side with Kunrad: you may attempt to ally with him, offering to seize the Warrant together, or simply do what he asks as soon as he does so.
This option is only available if you’re not playing as a Sanctioned Psyker; if you are, the game defaults to resistance (see below).
Either way, if you agree to help Kunrad by opening the door willingly, he’ll be grateful for your obedience. You’ll then have a chance to talk to the Archaeotech device that holds the door shut. Recognizing you as a member of the Valancius bloodline, and the current danger you find yourself in, it’ll ask you if you need help. Say yes, and it’ll activate a series of turrets around the room, killing all of Kunrad’s minions – although the man himself manages to narrowly escape.
Kunrad won’t get the Warrant of Trade, though, and the rest of the mission will proceed as normal. This option doesn’t affect your relationships with your Rogue Trader companions (the first of whom you’re about to meet) or the ending you get. Nor does it have an impact on your character’s alignment, even though each choice could easily be sorted into one of the main categories.
What Happens If You Resist?
Pros & Cons Of Denying Kunrad
Again, you may have several options to deny Kunrad’s orders: try and convince him to stand down if your Coercion is high enough, simply say no, choose to play as a Sanctioned Psyker, et cetera. However, no matter what you choose, Kunrad will strike you with a Chaos Weapon, causing you to begin hearing a voice inside your head. You have another opportunity to resist it, but it doesn’t really matter what you do – you’ll be forced to do Kunrad’s bidding anyway.
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The scene, and the rest of the mission, plays out almost exactly the same way: you summon the turrets, Kunrad escapes, you get into the Chamber, and you move on. However, as you play through the remainder of the prologue and the first chapter of the game, you’ll notice that something else appears to be speaking to you from inside your head – a warp entity. Kunrad implanted it in you when he hit you with the Chaos Weapon, and it’ll stick with you for a while.
The warp entity doesn’t actually affect your gameplay or future roleplaying options, as far as I can tell; however, it does occasionally offer commentary on things you see, say, and do. There’ll be a pretty major choice coming up soon where you’ll get to see the impact of that, although it won’t affect your options. You’ll also have the opportunity to get rid of the warp entity soon if you don’t want it around anymore.
You Should Resist Kunrad’s Orders
A Stronger Character Moment
Although it has little impact on the story or gameplay, I’d recommend resisting Kunrad when given the chance to. It makes for a much stronger character moment than simply giving up the moment you’re caught off guard, and really sets up the rivalry between your trader and Kunrad well. You’ll encounter him again later, and choosing to resist at this first opportunity puts you in a better position than simply acquiescing to his demands.
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Besides that, having a warp entity around for the first couple of chapters is a nice little narrative device. You’ll learn a lot more about the setting through its commentary, and, admittedly, it’s a pretty cool character backstory. Again, the entity doesn’t affect your gameplay or dialogue options in any meaningful way, but its presence contributes a lot to the atmosphere.
Still, there’s merit to the alternative choice: you may wish to play as an inexperienced character, who doesn’t fully grasp how hostile the setting is until much later in the story, and so surrenders as soon as they realize they’re outmatched. Otherwise, though, resisting Kunrad’s orders is the best option available in this Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader quest.
