So, I'm an old guy and a dad, so this topic may not interest folks. But I like imagining the quieter moments of the characters' lives that occur, or occurred, "off-stage" as it were when I'm working toward running or playing-in something like "Dark Heresy". I understand that it isn't really necessary for GW or FF to devote time to something like this in the published mythos of the 40K universe (if they haven't...perhaps they have and someone can direct me to it.). Afterall, they aren't selling romance novels. Anyway, before a ramble off into a corner, here's as good a starting question as I can think to get opinions on:

Are Inquisitors celibate?

No.

And I think you're really creepy that this was the first question you had about life in the world of WH40k. Seriously, what the ****?

Well, I'm more interested in roleplaying than "roll"-playing, so that's part of it. Wouldn't expect this to interest the 12-14 year olds out there.

People obviously do marry and/or have children, otherwise there wouldn't be any humans in the 40K universe now would there. Unless they are all cloned.

Having people the characters care about intertwined into the backstory of a group of characters can add a lot to a campaign. That can add great emotional depth to the proceedings. Otherwise, it's just a dungeon delve in space.

So, I'm an old guy and a dad, so this topic may not interest folks. But I like imagining the quieter moments of the characters' lives that occur, or occurred, "off-stage" as it were when I'm working toward running or playing-in something like "Dark Heresy". I understand that it isn't really necessary for GW or FF to devote time to something like this in the published mythos of the 40K universe (if they haven't...perhaps they have and someone can direct me to it.). Afterall, they aren't selling romance novels. Anyway, before a ramble off into a corner, here's as good a starting question as I can think to get opinions on:

Are Inquisitors celibate?

It also contains some great inspiration for Dark Heresy.

No.

And I think you're really creepy that this was the first question you had about life in the world of WH40k. Seriously, what the ****?

It comes down to the Inquisitor. He/She is still a person if they choose to be celibate to focus on work it's their buisness. What they get up to in down time between investigations is also understandably their own buisness.

The Eisenhorn and Ravenor series are good examples of Inquisitorial activity for this reason. Eisenhorn deals with the Inquisitor as a person, Ravenor deals more with the team's dynamic with itself.

I agree, a bit too far CPS, it's a legitmate question. Inquisitors are normally presented as anything else in 40k, anatomically incorrect action figures that shoot heretics.

Most of the Black Library novels (At least those I've read involving proper noun characcters like Guant, Cain, and Calpurnia) tend to present them as humans. Romance happens but it's not in detail nor is it sought after and generally there are descriptions of little things happening when they aren't killing the enemy.

Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader at least seem the best for these kinds of things. Acolytes and traders aren't always going to be doing important things group meals, npc interactions not specific to the mission, and even philisophical discussions can happen. Deathwatch and only war are more set for "around the campfire" scenes and celebrations. These are my opinions of course, run it how you wish.

Great responses guys, thanks. I'll check Eisenhorn out. Haven't read that. It just seemed that the role of the Inquisitor having a religious component (as all things do when dealing with a deified ruler) might preclude open relationships, let alone marriage. That trope got spun into the Jedi in the Star Wars universe. Of course, Acolytes probably aren't going to live long enough to have long happy lives with tons of kids running around.

But, someone in the group could have a loved one endangered in the course of an adventure and that could definitely deepen the motivation of the PCs.

Thanks again for the replies.

Depending on the particular Imperial Creed the Inquisitor follows it may neither suggest nor ban celibacy or abstinence for that matter. Again that comes down to personal choice in roleplaying the character.

Be careful with endangering the loved one's thing. A character may mention they have a particular someone they appreciate, but ask the player if they mind that person being put in danger. Some just want it to be part of their backstory and they want it to stay there.

Easy-does-it to counter the descendency/hostage issue

http://dark-heresy.wikispaces.com/i-school

Each of my players started with this talent (After the intro mission was done and they were officially inducted into the =I=)

The Acolyte has been rendered sterile by a mixture of drugs and chemicals. They loose all reproductive qualities, but still feel passion and desire. Similar to methods practiced in some Imperial Guard regiments, this serves to avoid the risk of having a cell member incapacitated due to pregnancy or having relatives used for blackmail or revenge. There is an antidote which negates the sterilization effect, but it must be taken within 25 years, else these effects become permanent.

Good point. I'll ask before doing anything to existing loved ones. Meh, unfortunately, most of my players haven't really cared all that much about this kind of thing in the past. My asking them for things like emotional attachments in their backgrounds or as potential NPCs down the line has been treated as more of a chore than something inspiring. But, as a GM, I need to be able to flesh out the universe a little more, even if it's in my own head.

Woh, Braddoc. Thanks. Wasn't aware of that talent. (Don't actually even have my book yet, get's to me Friday.) But, this is the sort of thing I was thinking would be institutionalized within the Inquisition (canonically speaking of course). Doesn't mean a PC can't have the reversal done of course. But, say I want to have the Acolytes' patron Inquisitor's secret mistress endangered, leading to him sending the Acolytes in to help?

That's...I mean can't you just ask them to keep it in their pants? Why the need to actively remove their ability to reproduce? Noble born characters would take some severe issue with that, same with the battle sisters that deal with familial lines.

As a player I'd be particularly miffed myself.

People obviously do marry and/or have children, otherwise there wouldn't be any humans in the 40K universe now would there. Unless they are all cloned.

Why do they have to marry?

Given the need for manpower, why isn't Imperial society structured differently to the 'nuclear family'?

A couple things:

One, the Eisenhorn trilogy is the closest thing to 'required reading' for DH GMs that Black Library ever put out. Highly recommended.

Two: is anyone else out there old enough to remember the first edition of the Cyberpunk rpg (-set in the far-away year of 2013)? The character generation system had a cool feature where you rolled on some charts (which charts determined by Background; how many rolls determined by starting age), which generated background details, some narrative ('lost love'), some with minor mechanical effects ('big score')- all of which could fuel future subplots, or be ignored, depending on if the gamer was more into 'role playing' or 'roll playing'. As I recall, it was a pretty neat little feature- and it was dropped from the second ed. of Cyberpunk, which mostly gave up on the 'political intrigue' aspects of the cyberpunk genre in favor of straight-up cyborg combat...

Each of my players started with this talent (After the intro mission was done and they were officially inducted into the =I=)

Talent: Sterilization drug

I know I'm going to regret asking this, but why in the name of all that is good in the world would you introduce this into your campaign?

It just seemed that the role of the Inquisitor having a religious component (as all things do when dealing with a deified ruler) might preclude open relationships, let alone marriage

I think this is a (common) misconception based on how the term is usually associated with agents of the church due to its real world origin. In Wh40k, the Inquisition is entirely separate from the Ecclesiarchy, and though technically almost all Imperial citizens are religious due to their upbringing and prevalence of the Imperial Creed, the exact level of "zeal" would differ depending on which planet/culture they hail from, and then even from one individual to another. Some Inquisitors may even have a crisis of faith due to the things they see, and there are so-called Radical Inquisitors whose projects are an affront against the Creed itself - often resulting in Inquisitors accusing other Inquisitors of heresy, hunting them down and dragging them before secret courts to be judged by their peers, in a shadow war between Inquisitorial factions the ordinary citizen is not aware they are even existing.

It is also worth pointing out that, in spite of the obvious similarities of the Ecclesiarchy to the Catholic Church, the Imperial Creed does not mention celibacy anywhere, much like it does not preach any difference between the sexes. The only explicitly celibate organisation I am aware of are the Adepta Sororitas - and even then this is just how they are described in Games Workshop's original, with various Black Library novels ignoring this detail.

Locally "adapted" variations of the faith may, of course, be different and feature all sorts of traits, including celibacy. The above is just to describe the Creed's general content, as explained in the codices.

battle sisters that deal with familial lines

Huh?

I know I'm going to regret asking this, but why in the name of all that is good in the world would you introduce this into your campaign?

I've been active in that campaign for some time and it never really came up. To be honest, I considered it a simple background element based on the Inquisitor's foresight and/or previous experience with other Acolytes or even his own persona. The potential risks associated with unchecked sexual contact are a valid concern.

If I were to play in an Only War campaign I would not be surprised about this or a drug that suppresses the sex drive entirely either, simply because the latter would be a reference to a common rumor about military service.

On a sidenote, I have to agree with cps that this is a bit of a strange question I would not necessarily associate having anything to do with maturity - not gonna pass judgement, though, as I don't know OP well enough yet, and his comment in post #11 does explain why he'd ask it. Would have probably been better to mention this right away to prevent any misunderstandings.

Should've just said the Sororitas group that deals with it. The Famulous would have an issue with certain people's sterilization.

Marriage isn't really something I care about, though a character's background as a member of the noblity might raise some issue there. I was just throwing that out there as a form of relationship a character might have with an off- or occasionally on-stage character/NPC. I was interested in what folks had speculated about or what canon had perhaps illustrated about relationships outside the Ordos of the Inquisition.

In the end I don't feel bound to canon regarding anything at all, but some of my players might. So, I was investigating this topic in hopes of having things like Eisenhorn recommended to me. I will always tweak whatever i run in some ways to better fit my own vision of the 40K universe. But it helps to have something to riff on sometimes.

I'm going to give Eisenhorn a try. I've not enjoyed what little 40K fiction I've read, but of the author's out there who've written it, Abnett's the one who most appeals to me based on work elsewhere.

So...is the Sterilization Drug Talent actually in the game, or a homebrew?

Should've just said the Sororitas group that deals with it. The Famulous would have an issue with certain people's sterilization.

Ohh, yeah - I was confused about the "Battle Sister" part. Sorry.

It'd probably depend on the individual, though. The Famulous don't much care for the average Acolyte, and if the Order is trying to arrange for a child from a specific match, they would not agree with either the mother or father being sent into dangerous Inquisitorial assignments, anyways.

Not that they are likely to gain knowledge of the (potential) parent's Inquisitorial status, but neither would they learn about them being administered such drugs.

Unless the party also includes a member of the Sisterhood, of course. Don't expect her to keep any secrets.

In the end I don't feel bound to canon regarding anything at all, but some of my players might.

Yeah, it's tricky. Especially given that there isn't actually a real canon - but of course the players would appreciate to experience something that conforms to their interpretation of the 41st millennium, so the only recommendation I can provide there would be to try and gauge what this interpretation is, and find some common ground between them.

So...is the Sterilization Drug Talent actually in the game, or a homebrew?

Homebrew. I don't remember how we even got this idea, but the first iteration was a copy of / reference to the aforementioned decades-old real world urban rumor about the Army putting stuff into soldiers' food. I'm not sure how we went from this to what is essentially an injectable condom; I think it was a player (or even Brad, our GM?) mentioning it'd be too limiting for the characters, seeing as to how it could twist their natural responses a la the Chem Geld talent.

At least that's as far as I can remember.

Having people the characters care about intertwined into the backstory of a group of characters can add a lot to a campaign. That can add great emotional depth to the proceedings. Otherwise, it's just a dungeon delve in space.

Agreed. In my group currently we have characters with some ongoing familial stuff as general fluff in the background between missions. It never takes the fore. But little things. It helps enrich the setting you are playing in.

As for your original question. It really varies completely on the inquisitor. There is nothing stopping an inquisitior from having partners. Though some mono-dominant extremists or just generally devout inquisitors and agents may take vows of celibacy either due to personal or as part of an organisation they are part of belief.

And welcome to the forums!

Thanks! I'm excited to dig into this new edition of DH. I may have the party's patron Inquisitor's personal life intersect and interfere with their in-game lives now and then.

Frankly, discussing this kind of thing also helps me get over a creative wall I always run into when thinking about 40K as a setting for roleplay. The universe most often comes across to me as a thin veneer of flesh draped over a miniature game. The combat's great, but as a GM I'm interested in what a Space Marine looks like outside of his armor. What kind of uniform does he wear at a court function? What kind of menagerie does he have in attendance with him? Etc. That sort of thing.

Robes generally, there's art of them out of their armor from Deathwatch books if I remember correctly. The menagerie depends on the Chapter generally. Space Wolves will have and wear different things than a Blood Angel for example. They act very differently too. They certainly don't always wear their gear. They're supposed to honor it and use it when needed, not when they're drinking mead after a victory over Chaos.

A couple things:

One, the Eisenhorn trilogy is the closest thing to 'required reading' for DH GMs that Black Library ever put out. Highly recommended.

Two: is anyone else out there old enough to remember the first edition of the Cyberpunk rpg (-set in the far-away year of 2013)? The character generation system had a cool feature where you rolled on some charts (which charts determined by Background; how many rolls determined by starting age), which generated background details, some narrative ('lost love'), some with minor mechanical effects ('big score')- all of which could fuel future subplots, or be ignored, depending on if the gamer was more into 'role playing' or 'roll playing'. As I recall, it was a pretty neat little feature- and it was dropped from the second ed. of Cyberpunk, which mostly gave up on the 'political intrigue' aspects of the cyberpunk genre in favor of straight-up cyborg combat...

Yeah i loved that. It was also famous for being the system than meant your character could be randomly generated as homosexual.

I like this. I've always felt that DH was/is a horror game. The only way to do horror is to tie the characters into a believable world. It is imperative that they have loved ones, pets, or whatever else that keeps them sane and they hold dear. As ugly as it may sound, messing around with those things are what makes the players bite. Suspension of disbelief. Sometimes the best way to do it is to NOT mess with those things. Whatever it takes to immerse the group.

It's gotta be about more than how much you love that bolter of yours.

To do this, you have to know a little bit more about the setting than the wargame. Especially in DH (IMO). This new book does pretty well with this, I think, but I still understand the OP's reason for posing the initial question. I mean... imagine a romantic entanglement WITH THE INQUISITOR! Or a different inquisitor! Great meat for good stories.

As far as those calling the OP creepy or even a little strange... WTH folks? I don't know him, but I feel like he approached the topic with utmost class. It's not like he logged on here and was like "OH YEAH, TELL ME HOW THEY GET IT ON IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FUTURE!!!".

My apologies, but I felt compelled to speak.

I mean... imagine a romantic entanglement WITH THE INQUISITOR! Or a different inquisitor! Great meat for good stories.

I feel reminded of the Inquisition War novel trilogy. Though I thought that "Inquisitor" was a good read in general.