[Krystofor]

Hi all,

I suppose this is the 'sister' thread of one I posted in the Warhammer 40,000 fluff forum regarding the same topic. Under the advice of darkreever, I've duplicated it here. For those of you who are interested, the other thread can be found here.

I'll soon be participating in an Inquisitor game that involves at least 3 players. Now, I'd like to do something a little different from the traditional 'Inquisitor and his retinue' approach. I did a bit of research, and was considering perhaps playing a 'fallen' inquisitor, but one who is not outright evil. To do this, I need to come up with a reason for his fall that doesn't involve demonic posession or anything like that.

Otherwise, I was toying with the idea of something outright nasty - such as a chaos sorceror leading a bunch of fanatics and maybe even a demonhost.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how well these could work in the game, ways I could expand on them or even other 'interesting' options I could consider pursuing?

Thanks,
Krystofor

 

[darkreever]

I did a bit of research, and was considering perhaps playing a 'fallen' inquisitor, but one who is not outright evil. To do this, I need to come up with a reason for his fall that doesn't involve demonic posession or anything like that.

Like I said in your thread in the fluff forum, there are tons of ways to go about a fallen inquisitor, but the first thing that you'll really need to determine is if, at the end of everything, will this inquisitor be good or bad?

Almost every reason for the inquisitor's fall can fit under him/her being good or bad; though thi side chosen helps to determine how far the inquisitor actually fell. (My latest inquisitor character: Jerico, is a fallen inquisitor who fell far from his original standings but remained loyal to his original beliefs, his fall actually strengthening some of them.)

While you don't want your inquisitor's reason for falling to be daemonic possession and the like, what about someone he cares about becoming possessed? Your inquisitor abandons everything to save this person no matter the cost; in the end throwing away some or many of his/her oaths to fight chaos with chaos, thus becoming considered a radical amongst members of the inquisition.

Then there was my earlier idea of the inquisitor being involved in some way with a member of his/her retinue or a good friend and that person sacrificing themself because the inquisitor is more important. The sacrifice in turn tears the inquisitor apart because they would have made the same sacrifice but had been unable to because of who he/she is; and over time hating the inquisition because of that.

Of course, there is also Exarch Thomo's suggestion of:

Your inquisitor has uncovered evidence that one of his superiors may has been subverted by Chaos, but lacking concrete evidence he can't prove anything. The superior Inquisitor, becoming aware of the scrutiny of the loyalist, has launched a succesful campaign and discredited the young inquisitor, branding him as a traitor and heretic. Desperate to clear his name and bring down his enemy he sets out on a quest to prove his innocence and gain the evidence he needs to reveal the true traitor.

There are so many possible reasons for an inquisitor to fall, it really depends what you want to do Krystofor.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how well these could work in the game, ways I could expand on them or even other 'interesting' options I could consider pursuing?

I would wait on possible expansion of your characters backgrounds and motivations until after you have some characters to work with...:C

On another note, I have always found the site:Nexus Hive to be pretty helpful when it came to idea's and all sorts of stuff for inquisitor characters. (Though I would not suggest using some/many of the goodies around there unless there is no problem with that in your game.)

 

[Precinct Omega]

He could simply have lost his faith in the Emperor after being exposed to one too many of the innumerable horrors set against humanity.

Check out the new Dark Magenta (coming soon) for outline rules for exactly this sort of situation.

R.

 

[Krystofor]

Firstly, thanks for the replies.

Secondly, I think I have just about decided on a manner by which my Inquisitor will 'fall' (it's sort of a mix of several of the suggestions - once I've made up my mind about a few things I'll post it). Now to the next order of business. This may seem a strange question, but could someone please explain to me how one actually becomes an Inquisitor (I'm sure there are multiple options), and the steps between being identified by the Inquisition as a potential candidate and actually becoming a full-blown Inquisitor? I ask because I want to get a character history down on paper, and this is the only bit I'm not really sure about.

Finally, I need some ideas for names (just so I can get a feel for the 'style'). After a quick look around, Ashriel Volos springs to mind - but something just doesn't feel right about it.

Thanks again for the help,
Krystofor

 

[Krystofor]

Firstly, sorry for the double post.

Secondly, I've gone away and started writing up a summative background for my fallen Inquisitor and statting out his retinue.

However before I post the Background and profiles which I have already drafted, there’s some information about the game I’m in that should hopefully allow you to give me the most relevant advice you can. The game utilises a ‘points’ system (quite like an expanded version of the system in the back of the rulebook) to try and keep characters balanced. Each player has 500pts to spend on the entire retinue, including equipment, statistics and ‘skills’ (for out-of-combat situations, which will be rather common). The following is an explanation of the system:

***Character Creation***​

INQUISITOR CHARACTER CREATION​

Profile
Each characteristic in the character’s profile costs 0.1 points for 1 point, up to a value of 50. Each additional point beyond 50 costs 0.2 points per 1 point.

Skills
Each level of proficiency in a skill costs 2 points multiplied by the level attained.
Skill specialization costs 2 points per specialization.

For example, if a character gained two ranks in Athletics, it would cost him 6 (2 + 4) points. A third rank would cost an additional 6 points, a forth 8 points, and so on.

Talents and Psychic Powers
Each Talent possessed by a character costs 5 points. The cost of Exotic Abilities are determined by the game master, but generally cost 10 to 20 points.

Psychic Powers cost 5 points plus 5 times the percentile value of the characters Willpower (Wp/100).

For example, if a character had 84 WP, psychic powers would cost him 9.2 (5 + 4.2) points.

Equipment

The cost of equipment depends on its availability as noted in the back of the Inquisitor rulebook.

• Common – 3 points
• Rare – 5 points
• Exotic – 9 points (requires GM permission)
• Legendary – 15 points (requires GM permission)

Standard reloads add +50% to the cost of the weapon per reload. More uncommon reloads must be purchased as if they were separate weapons, although half clips and the like are available (reducing the cost of the reload accordingly).

Armour costs 1 point per point of armour, counting each location separately. This is increased to 1.5 points per point for special armours.

***End of Character Creation***​

Don’t worry too much about the skills, as they are simple enough that I think I can cope. If I could leave about 100 points for skills though, that would be ideal.

As for the background, it's still a little rough, and my knowledge of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is hardly as comprehensive as I would like. So if you see something that seems a little wrong, please point it out so I can amend it:

***Character Background***​

Fallen Inquisitor Namatius Saphrax

A tall, thin figure with silver hair and pale skin, Fallen Inquisitor Saphrax is not immediately as imposing as he once was, although the lack of impact made by his figure is recovered a hundredfold within 20 seconds of conversation. Any aspects of his features that were once appealing have long faded, replaced by prominent cheekbones and hard, emotionless eyes. His once-dominant voice has been eroded by years of pain, replaced by a hoarse, venomous whisper, which, like the hiss of a viper, is more terrifying a herald than the most brutal war cry.

It has been many, long years since Saphrax wore the Inquisitorial seal on his finger and the robes of office on his shoulders. A promising young agent of the Inquisition, Saphrax’s ambitions and career were crushed twofold when he lost a member of his retinue with whom he was extremely close, and unearthed the heretical beliefs and allegiances of the Inquisitor Lord whom he served. While the latter was more dangerous, the former tore Saphrax apart inside, as he became furious with himself and with his position – a position which prevented him from sacrificing his own life in place of hers. Before he could present the evidence against the heretical Inquisitor Lord his superior, realising the danger, marked Saphrax as a heretic himself, stripping him of his title and Inquisitorial seal and sentencing him to arco-flagellation.

Fortunately, Saphrax still had allies in the lower rungs of the Inquisition, allies whom, just days before he was due to be arrested, managed to alert him to the danger and smuggle him from the planet from which he was operating. The years that followed were hard and dark, as Saphrax waged war against both sides – the Inquisition and the heretics whom he had sworn to bring to justice. Constantly fleeing from the former and hunting the latter, Saphrax has been forced to shroud himself in mystery and deceit. Adopting a mantle of heavy black robes and a retinue of unlikely and dubiously trustworthy allies, the fallen Inquisitor laid low for a period of decades, a time during which he relentlessly honed his psychic talents at the cost of his physical condition. Only now, that the stench of evil is growing once more overpowering and the eyes of the Inquisition are turned elsewhere has Saphrax resurfaced from hiding to continue the war, the war that he has ever fought and will never stop fighting.

Fallen Inquisitor Saphrax is a doomed man driven by hatred and anger. The Inquisition tore from him everything he cared about, and for that he despises both it and all who serve it. His faith in the Emperor has waned, although his hatred of heresy continues as strongly as ever before. Now, however, he fights for the people around him, the innocents, who are beset on all sides by foes and deceived by the organisations which they rely on for protection. In essence, Saphrax is still a soul of good intentions, although this soul has become heavily cloaked by the darkness of pain, fury and emotional suffering. He is not evil, not yet, although should he fall even deeper into a world of anger and violence, he may just lose himself to the darkness.

***End of Character Background***​

I'm finding Saphrax particularly difficult to fit statistics to. I want him to be very, very good when it comes to mental abilities and to have a healthy dose of psychic powers. However he will also be underequipped compared to other Inquisitors (probably only with 1 or 2 points of armour in most/all places and with little more than a laspistol and standard sword), and should have rather low physical stats.

If anyone can give me any ideas that would fit with the backstory and make for a fun character, please let me know.

I've also practiced putting stats to two of the possible members of his retinue. Please let me know if I have done anything wrong/have made the characters over or under powered etc. and how I can fix any issues. A breakdown of points value and how it is obtained is included. Note that the backgrounds included here are rather rough, so I’m mostly interested in comments about the statistics side of things rather than the fluff.

***Alaric Amal***​

Alaric Amal, met Saphrax soon after the fallen Inquisitor’s escape from the Inquisition. A man of peculiar opinions, Alaric believes that the Inquisition actually keeps the Emperor prisoner, and that the immortal god would be perfectly capable of taking physical form and utterly crushing the enemies of the Imperium were it not for the bonds that the most powerful Inquisitor Lords impose upon him. Furthermore, he entertains the opinion that fallen Inquisitors are worthy of reverence and worship in their own right; being of such strong faith that they managed to break free of the organisation from which even the Emperor cannot escape.

While such fanatical fantasies border on heretical in nature, Alaric’s aggression towards the Inquisition and his absolutely loyalty to Saphrax is enough for the fallen Inquisitor to tolerate, and occasionally even appreciate his presence. What Alaric lacks in subtlety, strength and cunning, he makes up for in dedication and sheer fanatical zeal. The danger of having Alaric in his presence is, however, not lost to Saphrax. If the fanatic was to discover that the fallen Inquisitor’s faith in the Emperor is severely diminished, then a zealous ally could become a frenzied, backstabbing foe.


Alaric Amal
WS: 63
BS: 54
S: 50
T: 50
I: 54
Wp: 61
Sg: 58
Nv: 78
Ld: 47


Alaric is Left Handed

Skills Total
7.6+5.8+5+5+5.8+7.2+6.6+10.6+4.4 = 58

Talents
Furious Assault = 5

Powers
None

Equipment
Laspistol +2 Reload Common = 6
1 pts of Armour on Chest, Legs, Arms, Abdomen and Groin (Light Robes) = 5
Flail = 3

TOTAL: 77

***End of Alaric Amal***

***Bors Nantres***
​

Bors Nantres, the pilot and soldier who owned the ship used to smuggle fallen Inquisitor Saphrax from imprisonment, did so to repay a life debt which he owed to the disgraced agent of the Inquisition. Saphrax had saved him and his young family from a group of vicious heretics nearly ten years previously. Of course, his actions have resulted in his branding as a criminal and heretic, hunted nearly as fiercely as the man whom he now protects.

Equally skilled behind the controls of a ship and the muzzle of his scratch-built heavy-stubber, Bors is a valuable ally for Saphrax, whose physical condition has deteriorated since his exile. In truth, Bors would readily abandon Saphrax and return to his family if he was given the option, but fears for his own life and for the lives of his wife and children, coupled with a genuine love of the thrill of battle, roots Bors to Saphrax for the entirety of any foreseeable future.


Bors Nantres
WS: 75
BS: 79
S: 60
T: 62
I: 56
Wp: 56
Sg: 59
Nv: 71
Ld: 57


Bors is Right Handed

Skills Total
9+9.8+7+7.4+5.4+6.2+6.8+9.2+6.8 = 67.6

Talents
Quickload = 5

Powers
None

Equipment
Heavy-Stubber +4 Reload Common = 15
3 pts of Armour on Chest, Legs, Arms, Abdomen and Groin = 15
Knife = 3
Frag Grenades (3) = 9

TOTAL: 144.6

***End of Bors Nantres***
​

Given that this is my first Inquisitor game (and as such, a colossal learning experience), any constructive criticism or assistance will be much appreciated. I'll post any changes or new characters here as well.

Thanks,
Krystofor

 

[The_Giant_Mantis]

Interesting ideas..

I love the idea of a really focused Inquisitor.. Too many people go down the all round kewlness root.

The problem will be making him able to survive with low armour and mediocre toughness and fighting ability. To this end, I'd either give him defensive powers, or as many 'remote' powers as possible so he can hide behind walls.

I'd pick a single discipline and stick with it - Most have at least one defense power, and all seem fairly appropriate to his concept save perhaps biomancy. Since I imagine he'll often be using psychic powers from the rear, I'd give him either a force rod or a psi-booster implant if he has any significant ranged powers.. A psychic hood is powerful, but removes a lot of the randomness and fun of psychic power. In general, though it's far more 'cost effective' to load up on willpower or take wyrds, I'd suggest you always want to leave some chance of failure as it makes psi usage much more tactical and fun.

Two skills which are incredibly useful for psychics are 'lightning reflexes' and 'heroic', although some people consider them incredibly cheesy, and neither really seems to fit the concept you have. Regardless, be aware that safely casting a psychic power can easily take a minimum of 3 actions (1 pause for breath to check for fumbled dice, 1 concentration and the casting action) so having a fairly high number of actions per turn is advisable. I'd give this guy a decent initiative, therefore, even if his physical stats suck.

Alaric is a decent meatshield character.. His background is a bit strange.. How many Inquisitors has this guy met? How on earth does he know anything about them as it's a secret society? Given his stats, he doesn't seem very highly placed, so how did he get all this deep 'knowledge'.. I doubt most people in the Imperium even know what the golden throne is.

Bors is interesting, though the whole pilot concept is a bit at odds with how ships in 40k generally work.. They're more kilometer long behemoths than the Millenium Falcon or Serenity, not to mention that it's the navigator who flies them most of the journey. A rogue trader style character would suit better in this position, and have roughly the same 'feel' to him. Stat and equipmentwise.. Drop the heavy stubber. Heavy weapons do not belong in this game, they're ridiculously overkill and it makes very little sense for this guy to be dragging a heavy machine gun around on covert missions and investigations. The grenades also seem a bit off for a character who spends a lot of time in space.. That could go horribly wrong. I'd get a shotgun or something instead.. Or perhaps 2 pistols and gunfighter.

I'm not keen on points systems in Inquisitor, as they really can't ever hope to express the complexity of the game. Still, yours seems okay, and i hope it goes well.