[EDIT: Acolytes of my campaign look away now. Spoilers ho, in this thread]

As part of a campaign I'm running, there's a small segment where the Acolyte's Inquisitor wishes to test them in a social setting, by hiding himself amongst a crowd of people. He'll have informed the Acolytes ahead of time that he will be there, but will leave it up to them to have found him.

Prior to this particular instance, the Inquisitor will never have actually shown what he looks like to the Acolytes. They only know his name, as anytime he's contacted them, he's either been wearing full Power Armor (obscuring his face), or in the shadows, so that they cannot tell what he looks like. This will be the first time they meet him face to face, but he wishes to test them anyways to see if they can even figure out who he is.... and if they fail? Well. Clearly they're not up to the tasks he has in mind for them.

Reason I'm making this thread, is because I'm not certain about the regulations of the Rosette, and if an Inquisitor must bear it at all times, or if they are allowed to conceal it, for purposes of stealth and secrecy.

An Inquisitor can do what he likes. He does not have to wear or show any form of ID if he doesn't want to.

I suggest that your inquisitor dresses in the most common clothes he can, you know, "Looks can be deceiving" kind of a lesson Though he might leave a very small clue, like a silver handcuff or something like that.

I'd suggest he'd at least have his rosette on him, just not anywhere the acolytes can see. However he should indeed be wearing the most common clothes the planet has to offer. I suggest he be doing something very minorly telling. Like say they're in a large public sqare, he's sitting at a small coffee shop or something drinking a rare expensive tea someone of his clothing wouldn't be able to afford. Reading a very rare first edition of "The Longing Spheres" of whatever that book was Ravenor wrote. If he wants to be in the crowd have him discussing something a common citizen wouldn't have any idea about with only a few people. Maybe he's a vagrant, but drinking very expensive amasec. The list can go on.

Make sure they have to actually notice the thing that's out of place. Any schmuk can stand in a crowd, but like you said he wants them to find him so he'd be doing something.

I would do something like he's dressed as your bog standard drunken beggar, but on closer inspection he's drinking an insanely rare Amasec that very few below rogue trader's could actually even dream of affording.

Do what the others have said and give him a digital weapon as well for good measure. After all, even in plain clothes does an Inquisitor need some firepower with him.

I would think that most acolytes would be able to pick the greatest threat out of a crowd and that would definitely be an Inquisitor. An Inquisitor's sheer force of personality would leak through a lot of disguises. Granted, some could hide it better than others but you don't get to be an Inquisitor without learning how to project an aura of terrifying authority.

I like the story, can't remember from where, of an Inquisitor who posed as his own advisor, letting one of his servants take the place as the Impressive Inquisitor in Power Armour.

The real Inquisitor was the not-so-impressive looking, hooded psyker/seer/advisor standing behind the powerful figure on the throne.

So perhaps what seems like the most forceful, threatening and authorial presence in the room actually isn't?

I would think that most acolytes would be able to pick the greatest threat out of a crowd and that would definitely be an Inquisitor. An Inquisitor's sheer force of personality would leak through a lot of disguises. Granted, some could hide it better than others but you don't get to be an Inquisitor without learning how to project an aura of terrifying authority.

The Inquisitor in question has the talent "Unremarkable", I think he can make it very difficult for the Acolytes if he wants to In fact if he wanted them to never find him at all, they'd have to have the luck of the Emperor to do so. As has been suggested, they're only going to find him because he's gonna be giving them the tools to do so. He's not the only important/powerful individual that will be present, and as the saying goes, the best place to hide a tree is in a forest.

Write down a bunch of descriptions for people for the setting (a gala, or an open air market or whatever). Just like a dozen different people that make sense for that location with one or two interesting bits of detail for that NPC (like the beggar drinking amasec that upon closer inspection costs a fortune). Let your players look around at their own pace and I guarantee you one of them will latch onto one of the innocuous details and think it is significant. It is significant for (reason you just made up). That NPC is now your inquisitor.

.... and if they fail? Well. Clearly they're not up to the tasks he has in mind for them.

Reason I'm making this thread, is because I'm not certain about the regulations of the Rosette, and if an Inquisitor must bear it at all times, or if they are allowed to conceal it, for purposes of stealth and secrecy.

Don't let them fail unless you want your players (your players , not their characters) left feeling like they have nowhere to go and nothing to do because everything they've tried hasn't panned out.

Inquisitors can do whatever the hell they want with their rosette. The only thing they need it for is for when they need to prove their office - things like getting the PDF to help you or having one of your agents released from Arbites custody.

.... and if they fail? Well. Clearly they're not up to the tasks he has in mind for them.

Don't let them fail unless you want your players (your players , not their characters) left feeling like they have nowhere to go and nothing to do because everything they've tried hasn't panned out.

Yeah. it's usually a bad idea to let major campaign plot points hinge on dice rolls. Whenever I think 'The players will almost certainly spot this clue, so I don't need to develop a Plan B', that will be the one Awareness test where the character with sky-high Awareness rolls a 00...

There will be some VERY blatant clues. And, in a worst case scenario, if the Acolytes are dropping every ball I'm handing them, I can always make the plot hit them. It's not like the Inquisitor is going out of his way, nor pulling the Acolytes out of their way to meet up with them. The gathering has vital clues for their assignment, so yeah. Worst case scenario, just have the next thread of plot show up and force a reveal.

You could have the whole thing be a lie to lure the acolytes into the open.

Have "Mr Bigbad" take them aside and claim to be the Inquisitor, have them lead the PCs on a wild goose chase (or maybe go undercover to "infiltrate" and commit crimes for him) possibly have the thouroughly unimpressed Inquisitor turn up later on. You could even have the PCs try to capture or kill him themselves under orders from "Mr Bigbad."

You could have the whole thing be a lie to lure the acolytes into the open.

Have "Mr Bigbad" take them aside and claim to be the Inquisitor, have them lead the PCs on a wild goose chase (or maybe go undercover to "infiltrate" and commit crimes for him) possibly have the thouroughly unimpressed Inquisitor turn up later on. You could even have the PCs try to capture or kill him themselves under orders from "Mr Bigbad."

Sadly, the Big Bad would not be able to show his face here as he is an Eldar (though the PC's won't be finding that out for some time). I imagine that even if the PC's have never met their Inquisitor before, they'd be able to tell fairly quickly that was not him

That said, I do like the idea of dropping a false lead-- have a character so obvious that it couldn't possibly be him. Kind of in the vein some of the other suggestions, have the obvious man in front, and see if the Acolytes can see the shady figure behind him pulling the strings.

Fair enough the Eldar mastermind apearing in person is pretty improbable but a false communication to lure enemies into the open does sound very Eldar indeed, so do false leads, illusions and psychic puppets.

Fair enough the Eldar mastermind apearing in person is pretty improbable but a false communication to lure enemies into the open does sound very Eldar indeed, so do false leads, illusions and psychic puppets.

Eldar foresight is giving me a lot of tools to really put the Acolytes in some brutal death traps-- stumbling into a room with timed explosives JUST about to go off, for example, or events being set in motion in JUST the right way that sends Acolytes down the most dangerous paths.

Having Eldar as the villain is practically an excuse to go Diablos Ex Machina and actually have it NOT just be an unpleasant coincidence for the Acolytes-- the Eldar know exactly what to do to send the Acolytes (and even an Inquisitor!) where they want.

I would like to ask you some quetions about the place first: where is it? What are the People like who are there? How crowded is it?


Some of the following might seem stupid, but this is what I would try

First, I Need to sort out likely candidate out of the masses

Is there somebody else who seems to be looking for or after somebody?
I expect an =I= to have at least one Bodyguard. Anybody with an open or concealed Bodyguard is a likely candidate.

Is there somebody in heavy armour, with expensive gear/clothing or something else that screams "Inquisitor"?
This "to obvious to be it" can be a disguise as well! Especially if you try to trick somebody who thinks of himself als clever
So, "hte obvious candidate" would be a likely candidate, too!

Is there somebody who seems to have an eye on me/watch me? Or who is avoiding to look at me?
Both are things to notice and both are things hard to conceal if you KNOW someobdy. Those who Show according behaviour would be likely candidates.

Is there somebody most of the other People don´t seem to know?
Finding this out can be easy if the place has "Regulars". Just Chat them up (or try to!) and talk to them about others that are "Regulars" here. Do so with more then one Regulars (one might be a trick) Those that are "new here" or "never have seen here befores" (be tricky, don´t ask plainly) are "likely candidates"

Who is looking like he or she had Age Treatments? Like her or she/ had went to hell
Likelly candidates. That only works if the "crowd" is mall enough so that I can look at each and everyone (a small ball might work, large ball might work not).


That is what I can come up with from the back of my mind. Every likely candidate is somebody you have to talk to. The =I= had talked with us. Even if the Sound of the voice might be changed, the way somebody talks can still give somebody away...and simply good old scrutiny..is he trying to hide that he or she knows me? Simply talk and talk...for as Long as possible and hope for a slip or somethign that tells you "it is not him/her"

and again: this is next to impossible if the crowd is to large!

my 2 cents

This is basically a resort on a pleasure world. Two of the Acolytes are nobleborns, so in a four person party, it will be fairly easy for the two nobleborns to fit in, and the two non-nobleborns to pose as their bodyguards (in fact the Inquisitor will suggest this to them).

Is there somebody else who seems to be looking for something?

Yes, actually. The reason the Inquisitor is there, is because he's learned there's going to be an assassination attempt on someone he believes to be an important lead, and is there in person, to try and catch the assassin in the act (that way he gets two sources of information instead of just one!)

Is there someone in heavy armor, with expensive gear/clothing or something else that screams "Inquisitor"

Most of the individuals the Acolytes will be meeting here are nobleborn, so yeah, a lot will be wearing expensive clothing. The Inquisitor will have placed two of his Acolytes there as well-- one dressed to stand out (basically wearing rags to a gathering like this) and the other in full military dress. There will also be a Rogue Trader that the Inquisitor has worked with in the past, who may be able to point the Acolytes in the right direction (though is just as likely toy with them awhile first, especially if they mistake him for the Inquisitor!)

Is there somebody who seems to have an eye on me?

Oh yes. At least two individuals there (not including the Inquisitor and his retinue) will be taking an interest in the Acolytes, one of them being the assassin the Inquisitor is there to deal with. As I mentioned, the Big Bad of this campaign is an Eldar. And one of the great things about having an Eldar as the villain of a campaign is Eldar have that terrifying foresight that can let them see threats coming and put measures in place to deal with those threats.

Is there someone people don't know?

Somehow I didn't consider this. I do like the idea though! Will have to find a way to implement this, as there would likely be some regulars to whom some of the people (The Inquisitor, the Rogue Trader, the assassin and the Inquisitor's Acolytes) will be new.

As for the size of the thing, it's not gonna be huge, but it's not gonna be small. 20-30 people probably, a lot of them "faceless". I'll probably only focus any attention on perhaps about a dozen of the people there, the Inquisitor, obviously being one of them.

Well you said it was a pleasure planet and there's a large noble pressence. Generally nobles at least know of eachother by their title. Whether they care or respect that person's title is another thing.

Well you said it was a pleasure planet and there's a large noble pressence. Generally nobles at least know of eachother by their title. Whether they care or respect that person's title is another thing.

Interestingly, there is nothing forbidding an Inquisitor from being a Noble. It would be quite humorous and ironic if the Inquisitor's 'cover' was his real identity. =D

Well you said it was a pleasure planet and there's a large noble pressence. Generally nobles at least know of eachother by their title. Whether they care or respect that person's title is another thing.

Interestingly, there is nothing forbidding an Inquisitor from being a Noble. It would be quite humorous and ironic if the Inquisitor's 'cover' was his real identity. =D

This is ironically the case. The Inquisitor in question is based heavily on a PC in a previous campaign (with a different group), who ended up becoming a noble by marriage, back when he was an Acolyte.

hmmmm I would personally make the inquisitor someone who no one would notice someone who is part of the scenery..... try something like a waiter, if you think about it its the perfect identity for an inquisitor, it allows you to eavesdrop without notice (I mean you are supposed to be attentive to people's needs). Acolytes who would think like that would be a great asset to an inquisitor.

You could throw in a few red herrings as has been suggested, a crime lord, an assassin, a rogue trader's seneschal (probably spelt wrong sorry) etc people who look like they should be inquisitors basically so the inquisitor can hide in plain site.