This article is designed for people who are are looking for advice about Inquisitor. The article is divided into two sections, the first half gives an overview of the game and attempts to answer some of questions that are frequently asked by people who have never played the game before. The second half of the article is rather more detailed and contains advice for people who have decided they're interested in the game, have read the rulebook, and are looking for some advice as to what to do next.
Inquisitor Overview
- What is Inquisitor? -
Inquisitor is often described as a narrative skirmish game, and primarily deals with the intrigues and opposing viewpoints of the Holy Inquisition, with Inquisitors frequently coming to blows over their differing philosophies. Unlike most of the games set in the 40k universe, Inquisitor is not set on the front-lines of a war zone where vast armies clash, but on the front-lines of another war; a shadowy secret war where there is no wrong and right, no good and evil, only shades of grey.
Those of you who have read Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn will have a good idea of what the game is designed to represent - an Inquisitor and his closest followers fighting a secret war to defend the Imperium against powerful, well-connected enemies. As in Eisenhorn, the characters in Inquisitor are often not members of the Imperial military; they are usually not renowned heroes just men and women gathered by an Inquisitor because they have the skills and determination necessary to fight the encroaching darkness. Often they die alone and unremembered by the millions of citizens whose lives they have saved. Inquisitor is your chance to tell their story.
Of course, you could just play Inquisitor as a highly detailed skirmish game, but generally you'll find that without the story element, players will get bored and go back to games like Necromunda and Kill-team which are designed with these small scale skirmishes in mind. A good Inquisitor campaign will have players desperate to find out what's going to happen next, and often as the characters develop the story will flow organically from one game to the next.
- What kinds of characters can I play? -
The simple answer is that you can play as anyone in the Imperium (or even as someone from beyond it's borders). Warbands are typically led by a powerful individual such as an Inquisitor, Rogue Trader or Tech-Priest, but their warband or retinue can include warriors, scribes, psykers, assassins, servitors and anyone else you'd care to mention.
New players often make warbands consisting solely of archetypes taken straight from their favourite army, and although there's no reason an Inquisitor couldn't recruit a Stormtrooper, Battle Sister or Imperial Guard Sniper; these players are missing out on some of the fun of the game. With Inquisitor you're not restricted by army lists and codexes, so let your imagination run wild.
- Can I play as a Space Marine? -
You can, but it's worth remembering just how tough, and how rare the Astartes are. Space Marines in Inquisitor live up to their superhuman reputation – they are incredibly powerful; able to punch a man's head off his shoulders or charge through a hail of gunfire unscathed. And this is how it should be - they are humanity's finest after all. However, their prodigious strength, deadly weapons and the near invulnerability their power armour affords them means that should one appear on the tabletop, the entire game will often revolve around them distracting players from the real objectives and skewing the narrative. For this reason, their use is often discouraged or restricted.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't still have an Astartes themed warband. Why not have a band made up of a trusted Chapter Serf accompanied by a failed Neophyte and a servitor? Perhaps they were sent on some secret mission by the Chapter Master, during the course of which they might cross paths with an Inquisitor on a mission of his own.
- In Warhammer 40k I play Chaos/Orks/Eldar/Necrons/Tau etc, can I use them in Inquisitor? -
Chaos players will find it easy to fit a warband into a game of Inquisitor. They could play a warband consisting of a Cult Magos attempting to overthrow Imperial rule; or as an Inquisitor who has delved too deeply into the forbidden and succumbed to the power offered to him by the Dark Gods. Players who want xenos-themed warbands will probably find it more difficult to fit their characters into the game, as Inquisitor is generally Imperium-centric. That said it's not impossible to run a xenos-themed warband, you just have to think outside of the box a little more - see below for a few ideas.
Non-Human Warbands | Tyranids | Genestealer Cults are tailor made for Inquisitor. A warband might include the Cult Magos, a hybrid and a brood brother. Other options include the sad deluded fools who have come to worship the Great Devourer. | | Eldar | As you'd expect, Eldar in Inquisitor are highly skilled but fragile; even so even a single Ranger is capable of taking on an opposing warband. For this reason Eldar warbands typically consist of just 1-2 members, and are usually made up of outcasts such as Pirates and Rangers. | | Dark Eldar | The Dark Eldar have been known to sponsor anti-Imperial cults, and so a good Dark Eldar warband might include a Haemonculus with a couple of his rather nasty creations. | | Necrons | The Necrons themselves are not well suited to Inquisitor, being either extremely powerful or mindless automatons - however there are rumours that some within the Adeptus Mechanicus worship an ancient God who is buried beneath the sands of Mars... | | Tau | The Tau have made many attempts to bring Imperial worlds into the Greater Good without resorting to force. A warband of Gue'vessa (human renegades) commanded by a Water Caste envoy would make a great warband. Or how about a secretive Fire Caste black ops character accompanied by reconnaissance drones. | | Orks | Generally Orks are not well suited to Inquisitor; they care nothing for the subtle plots and intrigue that are the staple of Inquisitor campaigns. However, if you do want to play as Orks then how about the Freebooterz - an ork pirate kaptain and his crew? Or a bunch or renegade grotz who have struck out on their own. |
- How do I know whether my warband is balanced or fair if there are no points values? -
Simple answer, you don't. But then Inquisitor is not about perfectly balanced teams fighting to the death; and some games may well be won through use of brains rather than brawn. That said, it's no fun if your warband just gets slaughtered by the opposition before you get anywhere near your objective. The Games Master (GM) is there to ensure that everyone has fun and no one feels that they don't have a chance. He may do this by restricting the number of powerful characters on the board, or by giving the more powerful side more difficult objective to perform. The ideal situation is for the GM to sit with the players while they develop their characters, and ensure that each warband is roughly equal and then make adjustments as necessary over the course of the games.
It's worth pointing out that although it might be fun to design characters who are great warriors, armed with the best weapons and finest armour, the sorts of heroes who can scatter entire armies – these are often not the most fun to play. If your opponent is totally outclassed then the game probably won't be much fun – where's the glory in slaughtering an opponent who had no chance in the first place? (On the other hand, if your opponent does manage to beat you, he'll be able to brag for weeks!) Characters need to be at such a level that they have to strive to succeed, you don't want to make it too easy for them, and you definitely don't want the game to turn into an arms race as players take ever more powerful weapons and armour in order to defeat their opponent.
Think of Inquisitor as being like an action movie – Die Hard is exciting because Bruce Willis is one unarmed man against a whole building full of terrorists (and that's before he loses his shoes!). When he wins in the end, we all cheer because we watched him strive to overcome the odds. If Die Hard had starred Batman instead of Bruce Willis it'd have been over before the opening credits and we'd all be waiting for the real villain to turn up and make it a real challenge.
New players will no doubt notice that at the back of the rulebook is a Ready Reckoner that attempts to assign points values to characters, and they may be tempted to use it. Experience has led veteran players to conclude that the Ready Reckoner is worse than useless, it doesn't give an accurate indication of how powerful a character is and can often be misleading. Therefore, use of the Ready Reckoner is strongly discouraged.
Remember, with great power comes great responsibility – Inquisitor gives you unrivalled power in designing your characters, be sure to use it wisely.
- How much does it cost to get started? -
Less than you'd think. The rulebook is free (see below) and all you need to play your first game is one character each. Most games are played with 2-3 players, each with 3-4 characters (any more than that and the game slows to a crawl due to the level of detail involved), so even a good sized warband costs less than a couple of squads for 40k. A good way to think about it is that a single Inquisitor miniature is about equivalent to a squad in 40k, both in terms of their effect on the game and the amount of time you'll spend converting and painting them – when thought of in those terms, Inquisitor can seem a lot cheaper than at first glance.
- Do I have to play at 54mm? -
Of course not, many players play Inquisitor using 28mm models (known as Inq28) by simply using a scale of 1 yard = 1/2" (or 1yard = 1cm).
There are pros and cons to both 54mm and 28mm. The 54mm models are undeniably cooler, are better proportioned and somehow feel more like real characters than the rather impersonal little grunts we're all used to killing in droves in games of 40k. On the other hand, it is true that you can build a whole 28mm warband for the cost of one 54mm miniature.
The real disadvantage to Inq28 is that the temptation to use a squad of Grey Knights, a Daemon Prince, or a Necron Lord can prove impossible for some people to resist; and while such things might make a great climax to an Inquisitor campaign, they're not really suited to most games.
- Do I have to build all new terrain to play at 54mm? -
The lack of 54mm terrain is a common reason new players give for playing at 28mm, but in reality this is a non-issue. Much of the terrain available from GW works great at 54mm. Hills, jungles and ruins can be used without difficulty, and the imposing proportions of the Cities of Death terrain means that they too are well suited to 54mm gaming. In addition, Necromunda terrain is perfect for playing games of Inquisitor - what does it matter if the odd doorway is a touch small? If you're one of those people who prefers to make their own terrain, then it should be obvious that with a bit of thought it's easy to make terrain that will work perfectly well for both 54mm and 28mm.
- There aren't many 54mm models in the Inquisitor range, so why would anyone play at 54mm? -
The 54mm models give huge scope for conversion, especially when you realise that many of the parts designed for the 'heroic' proportions of the 28mm range will work perfectly well on 54mm models. The larger scale means parts are not as fiddly, and sculpting is easier as you don't need a magnifying glass to see what you're doing – in fact many people find that their converting, sculpting and painting skills improve no end when working at the larger scale.
In addition, 54mm (or 1/32) is a very common scale and there is a huge range of non-GW models who with a little conversion work will fit perfectly into the 41st millennium. Some alternate manufacturers include Andrea Miniatures, Pegaso Miniatures and Romeo Models. In addition, companies like Tamiya and Airfix do 1/32 military miniatures which are a good source of cheap NPC goons.
- Isn't Inquisitor a dead game now that Specialist Games is no longer around? -
Inquisitor is far from dead, and as long as players continue to play then it won't die. Like the rest of the Specialist Games range, Inquisitor no longer gets much in the way of support from GW. Fortunately there is a hard core of dedicated players who have taken on the mantle of support, and in many ways this has worked to benefit Inquisitor. Unlike most games, the Inquisitor ruleset is designed to be treated as little more than a set of guidelines for players to take and expand as they see fit, and for this reason the distinction between 'official' material produced by GW and 'unofficial' fan produced material is essentially meaningless.
The fan community is producing a steady stream of material for the game, in the form of new rules, scenarios and more - many of these are published by Dark Magenta (see below) in their on-line fanzine. Recently Dark Magenta have also started to publish sourcebook detailing some of the many factions of the Inquisition (in the same manner as the Thorian Sourcebook published by GW). A group of fans have also started work on overhauling the ruleset with the intention of creating Inquisitor v2.0 - these plans are at an early stage, but already there has been some interest from the games designers at GW.
- The rules look complicated - don't games take forever to play? -
New players can feel overwhelmed when they first read the rulebook, there are a lot of rules and loads of modifiers, but don't worry - as with most games, the rules are a lot simpler than they first appear. You probably will find yourself referring to the rulebook quite a bit at first, but almost all of the charts you need are collected together on a single A4 reference sheet.
The important thing to remember is to have fun and if the rules are getting in the way of either the story or your enjoyment, then do what most experienced players do and ignore them! The GM is there to arbitrate the game and to make sure it's fun - if a player wants their character to do something that's risky and exciting, then the GM isn't there to punish him by imposing stiff penalties. In fact he probably ought to give them a good chance of success (even if it means ignoring a few rules), because a game where characters heroicly leap between buildings, dive through plate glass windows and swing across bottomless pits is more fun than one in which everyone cautiously skulks around and never does anything remotely dangerous.
The biggest mistake new players make is to have too many characters on the table - this is understandable if they're more used to playing whole armies in 40k, but it slows the game down to a crawl. The consensus is that a good size for a fast paced and fun game is for each player to have 2-4 characters, and not to have more than about 10 characters in total (some of which may be NPCs controlled by the GM).
If you're still feeling overwhelmed, issue 1 of Dark Magenta (see below) contains a great set of 'training' scenarios designed for the express purpose of learning the rules.
- Okay, I'm interested - where do I go now? -
Well, the first thing to do is get hold of a copy of the rulebook, which can be bought from the GW on-line store. Alternatively, the Living Rulebook is available to download free from the Resources page under the Specialist Games->Inquisitor section of the GW website. The Living Rulebook (or LRB for short) contains all the rules in the bought version (in fact it's a more up-to-date version of the rules), but does not include the colour sections showing pictures of the models.
Next you need to get some models and design a warband. Many new players often find it helpful to get some feedback on their characters by posting them on an on-line forum (see below), if you do this it's worth writing a couple of paragraphs of background so people know something about the character. That way you're going to get more useful feedback to help you come up with a well-rounded character, and more importantly, one who's fun to play.
The Conclave (http://www.the-conclave.co.uk) is the only on-line forum dedicated to Inquisitor, and is a great place to discuss the game and find other players. Many other wargaming forums (such as this one) also have a sub-forum dedicated to Inquisitor or the Specialist Games range in general, so finding other players is not difficult. In addition, members of The Conclave organise regular gaming days at Warhammer World (including the annual Inquisitor Grand Tournament each December) and new players are always welcome.
There is also an on-line Inquisitor fanzine, Dark Magenta (visit http://www.darkmagenta.co.uk). Dark Magenta contains articles on all aspect of the Inquisitor hobby including rules, battle reports and modelling and converting.
Starting to play Inquisitor
- Inquisitor is described as a narrative skirmish game, but all the rulebook really details is the mechanics of the game. Where does the narrative bit fit in? -
One analogy some people use is that a game of Inquisitor is a bit like an episode of a TV show like Babylon 5 or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At the start of each game the GM sets the scene, describes what has brought the warbands together and what they're looking to achieve - in a sense he's painting the picture of what happens in the first 30 minutes of the episode; the characters investigating what's going on and figuring out what they're going to do.
The actual game of Inquisitor is the last 10-15 minutes of the episode - all the pieces are in place and all that remains is to carry out the plan, this is usually the action scene, the big fight (of course, not every episode ends with a fight, just as not every game of Inquisitor turns out that way either).
To continue the analogy - a campaign is like the entire season of the show, it may start out with a series of seemingly unrelated investigations and small battles all leading up to the confrontation with the big bad boss in the last episode. Over the course of the season the characters are developed and we find out more about them, but they don't necessarily get more powerful - hence the lack of a real levelling-up system in Inquisitor; the character development is more story-wise than stats-wise.
Without the story, Inquisitor is just a series of meaningless little skirmishes - with it, it's a whole lot more. As you play you'll find that characters develop in your head suggesting all sorts of side plots - they'll develop grudges and alliances that weren't intended when the campaign started, they'll come up with ideas about how to defeat the big bad that you'd never even considered, and then the story really starts to develop and come alive in an organic way.
- How do I go about designing a scenario? -
Scenarios in Inquisitor can be as simple or as complicated as you like, but when designing scenarios there are three main things that need to be considered. Firstly there's the Objectives - what do the characters want to achieve? Secondly, there are the Impediments - what is there that might prevent the characters achieving their aims? Last but not least is the Story - the Objectives and Impediments relate directly to the mechanics of the game, but the Story is what brings it to life.
- Objectives -
The Objectives in an Inquisitor scenario usually fall into one of four broad categories.
- The characters must neutralise or destroy someone or something.
- The characters must find something (or someone) and take it off the board.
- The characters must reach a specific point on the board and hold it at the end of the game.
- The characters start at one point on the board and must reach some other point.
I've deliberately described the objectives in very simple terms because it's better if the players have clear objectives. In some games the opposing warbands will be given the same objective, for example they are both there to steal the same item, but more complicated scenarios can be run by giving each player different, perhaps conflicting, objectives. For example, one warband might be there to meet a contact get something from him and carry it off the board, but their opponent is there to kill the leader of the first warband and capture the contact. Alternatively, players can also be given more than one objective - for example their primary objective might be to steal some data files, but if they cannot achieve that task then their secondary objective might be to capture a member of the opposing to interrogate. The other option is for the objectives to change as the game progresses, for example a player might think they're there to meet a contact but when the contact is shot by a mysterious sniper their Objective will change to 'hunt the assassin'.
- Impediments -
An obvious Impediment in most games is the other warband(s) and in many games, the fact that there are two or more opposing warbands is sufficient to make an exciting game, however often the game can be made a lot more interesting by adding more Impediments. These might take the form of one of more characters controlled by the GM - these are known as non-player characters (or NPCs for short). For example, the NPCs might be guards who patrol the board, civilians who wander around and get in the way, or perhaps even local wildlife who may be hostile.
Other impediments might relate to the terrain - maybe the scenario is set in a swamp and movement is difficult, maybe it's foggy or dark and visibility is reduced, or maybe the atmosphere is potentially explosive and firing weapons is likely to cause an explosion. Alternatively, the Impediments might be some form of security system, locks that need to be bypassed or broken, or automated sentry guns, or perhaps sound activated alarms.
Another set of Impediments relate to the Objective itself. If the Objective is an NPC then he may not want to co-operate with the players and they'll have to find some way to persuade him. If the Objective is an object then it might be large or heavy making it difficult for the characters to move or fight while carrying it. There may also be a time-limit and the Objective must be achieved before it runs out.
As you can probably see, there are an almost infinite variety of Impediments that can be used in your games, and books, movies and computer games are all great sources of inspiration.
- Story -
Finally there's the Story, in a sense this is both the most and least important element of the scenario. The GM could tell the players 'The winner will be whoever gets that red counter and carries it off the board. Once you get close to the counter, you'll need to make a Sagacity test in order to get it. There are some NPC patrolling and there's an alarm that will be activated if you make too much noise.' That description would be enough to play a game, but Inquisitor is a narrative skirmish game and the above description is severely lacking a narrative element.
A far better description would be the following;
'You have heard rumours that the Book of Lancar, an ancient tome of forbidden knowledge, is being kept under guard in a secure facility belonging to a powerful Xanthite cell. You have resolved to steal it to either use it's secrets for yourself or to keep it out of the hands of those who would misuse it. The facility is being guarded by Inquisitorial troops and has a complex security system. The book is protected by a power field, but a successful Sagacity test should allow you to deactivate it. There is also a sound activated alarm, so if you make too much noise the guards will be alerted to your presence and escaping the facility will be that much more difficult.'
The two descriptions of the scenario give the same facts as far as the game is concerned, but the second has more of a story element and while that story might not effect the game at hand, it may well come into play later. For example, what does the Book of Lancar contain? Was it actually the genuine article or a decoy designed to bring the player characters out into the open? If it was a decoy, who planted it? If it was the real thing, are the Xanthites going to attempt to steal it back? What are the characters going to do with the book now they have it? Destroy it? Use the knowledge contained therein to create a powerful weapon with which to oppose the forces of Chaos? The answers to these questions might come into play later in the campaign and might inspire the next scenario you play.
- What do the various characteristics represent? And what's an appropriate level for my character? -
Sample stat-lines for characters are given in the rulebook, but a lot of players, myself included, tend to ignore them in favour of the descriptions of each characteristic given of page 23 of the rulebook (p15 of the LRB). Below are expanded descriptions of the stats and some indication of what sort of person, or how much training, it would take to reach each level. While some people like to randomly generate stats for their characters, I advocate simply choosing values that fit the character. - Weapon Skill -
An ordinary citizen would have a WS around the 30 mark. A regular soldier would have enough training to bring their WS up to around 50, while a hardened veteran might have about WS 65 to 70. A swordsman who has spend his whole life training might have WS 80 or more but having dedicated his life to this one aspect is unlikely to have high BS or mental stats. Only assassins and the like will have a higher WS.
- Ballistic Skill -
Most ordinary humans would have a BS of between 30 and 40. A trained soldier might have 50 to 60, a veteran might have a BS of about 70, and someone who has trained extensively might have BS as high as 80. Only the a character who has undergone and inordinate amount of training (like a Vindicare) is going to have a BS much higher. Again, anyone who has trained to a high level with firearms is unlikely to have dedicated as much time training in hand-to-hand combat or to improving their mind.
- Strength -
A regular citizen might have a strength of around 30 to 40. A fit human such as a soldier would be strength 50. Only those who do extensive weights training and the like are likely to have a strength over about 65 to 70.
- Toughness -
A normal human might have a toughness of around 40. While a very fit and healthy human might have a toughness of around 50 to 60. Only a substantial amount of strength training and body-hardening exercises are likely to raise a characters toughness much higher than 70.
Strength and Toughness are related, both being in part down to muscle. As a general rule there is unlikely to be a gap of more than about 15 between a characters S & T characteristics, but there will be exceptions - for example, a very fat man might have a high toughness but a much lower strength.
- Initiative -
Most normal humans will have an initiative in the range 30 to 40. Training, such as that undergone by a soldier, might raise this to around 50 to 60. Exceptional individuals might reach 70 to 75, but it would take years of extensive training to raise ones initiative above 80.
- Willpower -
An ordinary citizen is fairly weak willed with a willpower around the 35 mark, while a tough veteran might have a willpower around 50 to 60. Exceptional individuals might have WP in the 70 to 80 range. For psykers, a WP of 60 is fairly average for a Sanctioned Psyker, a particularly powerful or well trained psyker might have WP 75 and exceptionally focused psykers such as those recruited into the Inquisition might have WP 80 or more. Anyone who has reached this sort of level of psychic mastery is likely to have neglected their physical form and so will probably have fairly low physical stats.
- Sagacity -
An ordinary citizen with a simple job as a labourer or low-level technician might have a sagacity of around 30. One who is well educated (say to degree or masters level) might have an Sg of 50 to 60. Highly educated characters such as Tech Adepts, Military Commanders and the like might have a Sg of 80 or more but these people will be extremely few and far between. Again anyone spending enough time on their studies to reach this level is unlikely to have high physical stats. Of course Sagacity doesn't just cover book-learning - it's possible to have an intelligent but uneducated character with quite a high Sg characteristic. This is probably best covered by the GM applying appropriate bonuses & penalties to Sg related tests based on the character taking that test.
- Nerve -
Most ordinary citizens will duck for cover at the first sign of trouble and will have Nv around 20. A trained soldier might have a Nv characteristic around 40 to 50 and a veteran around 50 to 60. Only those characters the most exceptionally brave (or foolish) characters are likely to have a Nv over 75.
- Leadership -
Most citizens would have a Ld around 30, while trained soldiers would have an Ld of around 60. Officers might have a Ld around 70 and only the best leaders, (generals, Inquisitors and the like) would have a Ld over 80.
Unlike some of the other characteristics, Leadership isn't something that can really be learned - training can only enhance a characters innate ability. Therefore leadership ability is something a character will either have or not have - it's possible to find someone who has never had the chance to demonstrate his leadership ability, but under the right circumstances might be a more than competent leader. - My character is an Inquisitor/Magos/Rogue Trader/Guardsman etc, how many Special Abilities should he have? -
Skills and Special Abilities should not be chosen simply for the benefit they bring, but should be used sparingly in keeping with the characters background. A few carefully chosen skills and/or abilities can work wonders in distinguishing one character from another. Of course not all characters need to have any skills or abilities - some can be adequately represented by their stats alone, so it's impossible to say how many skills a character should] have - generally a good rule of thumb is that 0-4 is a reasonable number for most characters.
A character shouldn't just be given a load of shooting skills just because he's supposed to be a fantastic shot. A high BS represents someone who's a great shot; the shooting skills are there to differentiate between different types of good marksmen.
For example, you might have two Guardsmen with almost identical stats and equipment, but by giving them different skills you can really emphasise the different strengths of each one. One might be a trained sharpshooter who prefers to sit in cover lining up the perfect shot in an attempt to take out his target in one shot so maybe Deadeye Shot would be appropriate for him. The other might have been a light trooper trained to move rapidly and shoot on the move so might have the Hipshooting ability. When used in this way, Special Abilities can really emphasis the talents of a character.
Agility Skills
- Acrobatic & Catfall - these are really only suitable for especially lithe and agile characters - usually ones who have an above average Initiative.
- Dodge - this skill doesn't necessarily have to only be given to characters with a high Initiative - slower characters may still try to dodge incoming fire - they're just less likely to succeed.
- Lightning Reflexes - there are three versions of this skill in existence, but all represent characters who can think on their feet and rapidly assess a situation and come up with the best course of action. It should only be given to characters who embody these traits - not necessarily ones with high Initiative as that characteristic represents more than just a characters ability to think on their feet. That said, it would be extremely unlikely for a character with a poor Initiative to possess this skill. Shooting Skills
- Deadeye Shot - this skill is really only appropriate for real firearms experts with a great deal of natural skill enhanced by a lot of training.
- Fast Draw - this skill takes a great deal of time to learn but isn't necessarily dependant on having a high BS. Anyone can learn to rapidly draw and fire a pistol, although only skilled gunfighters are likely to bother.
- Gunfighter - this is a skill that can usually only be gained through practice, therefore is usually associated with characters with an above average BS. Of course some characters may train in this skill because they think it makes them look cool wielding two guns at once. They might end up able to use a gun in each hand without degrading their ability to hit something, it just so happens that they couldn't hit anything anyway. A character who is ambidextrous won't necessarily have this skill (and vice-versa).
- Hipshooting - this is another skill that is only likely to have been developed with years of practice (although some people may just be naturally good at aiming while moving). The character need not be a really great shot, just one who has learnt to compensate for his own movement as he aims.
- Quickload - this skill is only likely to have been gained by years of practise with a given set of weapons and equipment - for example by a Guard Veteran who's carried a lasgun on countless battlefields or by a seasoned gunfighter who has used the same weapons for years. It's probably not appropriate for characters who change weapons fairly often and should never be used solely to avoid high reload times.
- Rock Steady Aim - this skill probably has more to do with a characters nerve and discipline than his skill at shooting. It is most fitting on characters with a great deal on combat experience and who have high Nv and/or Ld. Close-combat Skills
- Blademaster - represents a character with superb knife fighting skills not necessarily one with a general high skill in hand-to-hand combat. Of course, neither should this skill be given to someone with a particularly poor WS.
- Deflect Shot - this skill represents a character with extremely fast reflexes and a great degree of precision when wielding a blade. It is usually associated with characters with a substantially above average WS and I.
- Feint - this skill represents a character who has trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat and has become skilled at wrong-footing his opponent. It is usually associated with characters with a substantially above average WS.
- First Strike - similar to Gunfighter, this skill isn't necessarily dependant on having a high WS, but only a skilled warrior is likely to take the time to learn it.
- Furious Assault - this skill is appropriate for character who are more concerned with landing quick furious blows - they don't necessarily have to be the worlds best swordsman as it is concerned more with the manner in which they attack rather than their skill. Other Skills and Abilities
- Handedness - around 90% of people are right-handed with the majority of the rest being left-handed. Truly ambidextrous people are extremely rare although apparently it can be learnt. The ambidextrous ability should only be used in very rare cases, not just as a matter of course to avoid penalties for being off-handed. For those who have trained extensively to use a gun in each hand the Gunfighter skill is more appropriate.
- Force of Will & Nerves of Steel - these should be reserved for characters either too stupid to know when to run, or on those characters whose free will has been taken away - for example arco-flagellants and servitors. Exceptionally brave individuals would be better represented with a high Nerve characteristic.
- Heroic - the character is a natural hero - he might not be a great swordsman or gunfighter, but when push comes to shove he'll get up and give it his best even in the face of overwhelming odds. As such, this skill isn't really dependant on characteristics, but should really be justified in the background.
- Leader - this skill should be given to those who have great natural leadership ability and are accustomed to command. Obviously it is associated with characters with a high Ld characteristic.
- Medic - to be given to characters who have had some medical training (they may well have a high Sg too) - this would usually be evident in their background.
- True Grit - this skill is usually associated with characters with a high Toughness, though a high Toughness is not sufficient in itself. The skill represents someone who can fight through pain that would cripple other people - an ability so extraordinary should really feature in the background for the character.
- Fearsome - this ability should really be used for characters who are very very scary. Although Quovandius has it, most people wouldn't consider being a bit ugly as sufficient justification for being Fearsome. - What sort of equipment should my character carry? -
The first thing to say is try not to go too overboard on equipment. A basic weapon, a backup pistol and a close-combat weapon is usually plenty for most characters. In Inquisitor las weapons are good guns (not mere flash-lights!), stub/auto weapons and shotguns are great guns and bolt weapons are awesome and can dominate the game. Power weapons and bolt weapons are easily capable of taking someone out of the game in one hit, and with usually only 3-4 characters per side you don't want the game to be over too quickly. That's not to say you shouldn't use them, but one or two in a warband is plenty, they certainly shouldn't be as prevalent in Inquisitor as they are in 40k. Grenades in Inquisitor are weapons of mass destruction, but a couple of each character is fine - they're powerful but risky to use.
With armour, robes, flak & carapace are probably your best bet. Power armour may be common on the battlefields of the 41st millennium, but Inquisitor isn't generally set on the battlefield - it's about the secret wars behind the front-lines. You can hardly infiltrate an enemy cult, or sneak into a rival Inquisitor's HQ if you go round wearing power armour. The other good reason to avoid power armour is that it makes you almost immune to las and solid shot weapons, and being nigh on invincible doesn't make for the most fun game for your opponent.
At the end of the day, like stats, the equipment should be appropriate for the character. Don't just load up on the best of everything just because it'll make you all powerful in the game - that's really against the spirit of the game. Unfortunately it seems to happen all to often, people realise they can have any character they want and the power goes to their head and they design a power-armoured, boltgun & power-sword wielding psyker carrying everything but the kitchen sink.
Author Kaled100 is an avid Inquisitor player. So much so that he managed to take first place at the 2008 Inquisitor Grand Tournament at Warhammer World. With this expertise, it's no wonder how useful this guide is 
- How can I link my games of Inquisitor to other games set in the 41st millennium? -
Inquisitor could actually dovetail rather well with other games such as Dark Heresy and 40k. Dark Heresy is intended for playing characters up until they reach the rank of Inquisitor - IIRC it says something like once they reach that point they pass beyond the scope of that game. Inquisitor is the perfect place to take their adventures - you could still use Dark Heresy to chronicle the investigations of their acolytes and switch to Inquisitor for those times when the Inquisitor is forced to step in and take action. Alternatively, you could use Inquisitor to follow the behind the scenes battles, and then switch to 40k for those times when the Inquisitor is forced to don his power armour, pick up his most powerful weapons and march to war.
|
