So, here’s the system I referenced earlier, copied from View From the Edge: The Cyberpunk Handbook (©1988, R. Talsorian Games).

LIFE EVENTS AND PROBLEMS TABLE

For every year past age 16, roll 1d10, then move to the indicated Section.

1. Make a Friend (go to A)

2-3. Make an Enemy (go to B)

4. Lose a Friend (your choice) (go to B1)

5-6. Romantic Involvement (go to C)

7-8. Disaster Strikes (go to D)

9-10. You Get Lucky (go to E)

A: MAKE A FRIEND

Choose or roll sex of friend (even=male, odd=female)

Choose or roll your relationship to this friend:

1. Like a big brother/sister to you

2. Like a kid brother/sister to you

3. A teacher or mentor

4. A partner or co-worker

5. An old lover

6. An old enemy

7. Like a foster parent to you

8. A relative

9. Re-connect with old childhood friend

10. Met through a common interest

B: MAKE AN ENEMY

Choose or roll sex of enemy (even=male, odd=female)

Choose or roll your relationship to this enemy:

1. Ex-friend

2. Ex-lover

3. Relative

4. Old enemy from childhood

5. Person working for you

6. Person you work for

7. Co-worker or partner

8. Boostergang member

9. Corporate executive

10. Government official

(Go to B1)

B1: CAUSE OF THE DISPUTE

This enmity started when one of you (choose or roll one):

1. Caused the other to lose face or status

2. Caused the loss of a lover, relative or friend

3. Humiliated the other

4. Accused the other of cowardice or some personal flaw

5. Deserted or betrayed the other

6. Turned down offer or job or romantic involvement

7. Caused imprisonment or exile of other

8. Was a romantic rival

9. Foiled a plan of the other’s

10. Business or professional rival

(Go to B2)

B2: REACTION OF INJURED PARTY

If the two of you were to meet face-to-face, the injured party would most likely (choose or roll one):

1-2. Go into a murderous, killing rage and attack

3-4. Avoid the other person

5-6. Cause indirect injury any time it’s possible

7-8. Ignore them

9-10. Verbally attack

C: ROMANTIC INVOLVEMENT

How’s your love life? If you came up with this choice, you had some kind of romantic/sexual involvement that year, even if it was mostly a series of fast affairs and hot dates.

1-4. happy love affair

5. Tragic love affair (Go to C1)

6-7. Love affair with problems (Go to C3)

8-10. Fast affairs and hot dates

C1: THE TRAGEDY

Choose or roll one:

1. Lover died in accident

2. Lover mysteriously vanished

3. It ‘didn’t work out’

4. A personal goal or vendetta came between you

5. Lover kidnapped

6. Lover went insane

7. Lover committed suicide

8. Rival cut you out of the action

9. Lover imprisoned or exiled

10. Lover killed in a fight

(Go to C2)

C2: MUTUAL FEELINGS

Choose or roll one:

1. They still love you

2. You still love them

3. You still love each other

4. You hate them

5. They hate you

6. You hate each other

7. You’re friends

8. No feelings either way; it’s over

9. You like them, they hate you

10. They like you, you hate them

C3: THE PROBLEM

Choose or roll one:

1. Your lover’s friends/relatives hate you

2. Your lover’s friends/relatives would use any means to get rid of you

3. Your friends/relatives hate your lover

4. One of you has a romantic rival

5. You are separated in some way

6. You fight constantly

7. You are professional rivals

8. One of you is insanely jealous

9. One of you is ‘messing around’

10. You have conflicting backgrounds or families

D: DISASTER STRIKES!

Roll 1d10:

1. Financial loss or debt: Roll 1d10x100. You owe this much in Eurodollars. If you cannot pay now, you will have this debt to pay- in cash or blood.

2. Imprisonment: You have been in prison, or possibly some type of hostage. Roll 1d10 for length of term, and add this to your age. Do not roll for events during this time.

3. Illness or addiction: You have contracted either an illness or drug habit during this time. Lose 1 point from REF as a result.

4. Betrayal: You have been betrayed in some manner. Roll another d10. On a 1-3, you are being blackmailed. On a 4-7, a secret was exposed. On 8-10, you were backstabbed by a friend in career or romance (you choose).

5. Accident: You were in some type of terrible accident. Roll 1d10. On a 1-4, you were terribly disfigured and have an ATT of 1. On a 5-6, you were hospitalized for most of a year. On a 7-8, you lost a year of memory. On a 9-10, you constantly relive nightmares of the accident.

6. Lover, friend, or relative killed: You lost someone you really cared about. Roll 1d10. On 1-5, they were killed accidentally. On a 6-8, they were murdered by unknown parties. On a 9-10, they were deliberately killed and you know who did it.

7. Falsely Accused: You were set up. Roll 1d10. On a 1-3, the accusation was theft. On 4-5, it’s lying. On 6-8, it’s murder. On 9-10, **** or assault.

8. Hunted by the Law: You are hunted by the law for crimes you may or may not have committed. Roll 1d10. On a 1-3, only a couple cops want you. On 4-6, it’s the local cops after you. On 7-8, it’s the State police or militia. On 9-10, it’s the FBI or equivalent national force.

9. Hunted by a Corporation: You have angered some local corporate honcho. Roll 1d10. On a 1-3, it’s a small, local firm. On a 4-6, it’s a larger corp with offices statewide. 7-8, it’s a big, national corp with agents in major cities. On 9-10, it’s a huge multinational with armies, ninja and spies everywhere.

10. Mental or Physical Incapacitation: You have experienced some type of mental or physical breakdown. Roll 1d10. On 1-3, it’s some type of nervous disorder, probably from some bioplague- lose 1 pt. REF. On a 4-7, it’s some kind of mental problem: you suffer anxiety attacks, phobias. Lose 1 from your CL stat. 8-10, it’s a major mental problem. You hear voices, are violent, irrational,depressive. Lose 1 from your CL stat, 1 from REF.

E: YOU GET LUCKY

Roll 1d10:

1. Make a powerful connection in City Government. Roll 1d10. On a 1-4, Police Chief. On 5-7, it’s District Attorney. On 8-10, it’s mayor’s Office.

2. Financial Windfall: Roll 1d10x100 for amount in Eurodollars.

3. Big Score on job or deal: Roll 1d10x100 for amount in Eurodollars.

4. Find a Sensei: Add +2 to Martial Arts Skill.

5. Find a Teacher: Add +2 to any INT based skill

6. Powerful Corporate Exec owes you 1 favor.

7. Local Nomad Pack befriends you. You can call upon them for 1 favor per month, equivalent to a Family Ability of +2.

8. Make a friend on the Police Force. You may use him for inside information at a level of +2.

9. Local Boostergang likes you (who knows why. These are Boosters). You can call upon them for favors equivalent to a Family Ability of +2 once a month. But don’t push it.

10. Find a Combat Teacher: Add +2 +2 to any pistol, rifle, assault weapon or Hand to Hand weapon Skill.

-None of this is anything a decent roleplayer couldn’t make up themselves, of course, but I think it’s fun to see if randomization can produce an interesting, coherent narrative. It wouldn’t be too difficult to adapt something like this to Dark Heresy . I would prefer a system that put more emphasis on the character’s background/homeworld type, and maybe even some use of game mechanics (“Make a Fellowship Test; if unsuccessful, the relationship ends badly”)…

I remember a Rogue Trader game whose entire plot was about a rogue trader who was a bit too eager to go for short-lived romances without marrying and/or producing dynasty heir, but producing a lot of frustrated lovers. Which eventually lead to trade war, 6 assasination attempts, total change of power balance in malfi subsector, capture and subsequent execution of promising ragged helix pirate princess, exterminatus extremis declared upon innocent colony and a very, very, very dangerous decision to go for the call of own heart, not wallet and marrying a woman who we all knew to be inquisitor by then.

I remember a Rogue Trader game whose entire plot was about a rogue trader who was a bit too eager to go for short-lived romances without marrying and/or producing dynasty heir, but producing a lot of frustrated lovers. Which eventually lead to trade war, 6 assasination attempts, total change of power balance in malfi subsector, capture and subsequent execution of promising ragged helix pirate princess, exterminatus extremis declared upon innocent colony and a very, very, very dangerous decision to go for the call of own heart, not wallet and marrying a woman who we all knew to be inquisitor by then.

Cool. Did he get a second date?

He got himself wife, kids and -30 Profit Factor along with oh so many problems with inquisition watching and scrutinizing his every step in not always good-looking business of rogue trade.

On the other hand, having a jealous ex-lover among inquisitors would have probably caused way more trouble.

That's a very nice table, I don't think working it to a 40k vibe would be hard either. It'd be nice if the next book in the line is some sort of IH style thing. I'm hoping for a sector guide myself, I know others are hoping for a Tome of (Insert ordo here).

Although that might mess with character creation giving them essentially another divination, I guess you are guaranteed a downside though so that's nice.

I think there is plenty of room in 40k for social connections (Not to be confused with rampant over-sexuality!). In fact it's about the only thing Imperial society leaves room for! Connections to family, church, community and yes, the God Emperor of mankind, are arguably all that an Imperial citizen really has! In a number of background novels, there are plenty of references to family units. There is a whole family that is referenced throughout the Gaunts ghosts series. (Their son actually grows up and joins the 'first and only' within the series!) I also remember a poignant reference to a family's shrine to a child who had left their world to Join the Imperial guard (Eisenhorn I think!).

I'm pretty close to CPS's opinions on gender stuff, but I'm willing to chalk up the op's question as being about celibacy in the monastic context (no romantic relationships at all) that was just poorly phrased. I think it's worth saying that it comes off as him jut asking whether inquisitors ****, which IS a kind if weird/creepy question to start off with.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having some sex in the game of everyone at the table is cool with it. Even having a background about your character being sterilized or made a enunuch could have some interesting roleplay. Those things have no reason to be mechanically represented, though, and it's a particular madness of gamers that thy think sex needs game mechanics but social interaction should just be roleplayed. That's more about what people prioritize to have mechanics than what I think people should be roleplaying, btw.

So yeah, op, were you intending to ask about sex right off the bat, or did you mean more are inquisitors prohibited from having romantic relationships? If the former, them CPS was right that it is a creepy question to start out with.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having some sex in the game of everyone at the table is cool with it. Even having a background about your character being sterilized or made a enunuch could have some interesting roleplay. Those things have no reason to be mechanically represented, though, and it's a particular madness of gamers that thy think sex needs game mechanics but social interaction should just be roleplayed.

Whoa up there, good sir/ma'am. I can't claim to know every gamer in the world, but the ones I do know value some RP mechanics and I have yet to meet ONE who thinks sex should have mechanics.

So you guys don't want me to post my FATAL scans is what you're saying? ****.

So you guys don't want me to post my FATAL scans is what you're saying? ****.

Just take the **** dice and roll for anal circumference.

We're aiming for historical accuracy here.

I'm pretty close to CPS's opinions on gender stuff, but I'm willing to chalk up the op's question as being about celibacy in the monastic context (no romantic relationships at all) that was just poorly phrased. I think it's worth saying that it comes off as him jut asking whether inquisitors ****, which IS a kind if weird/creepy question to start off with.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having some sex in the game of everyone at the table is cool with it. Even having a background about your character being sterilized or made a enunuch could have some interesting roleplay. Those things have no reason to be mechanically represented, though, and it's a particular madness of gamers that thy think sex needs game mechanics but social interaction should just be roleplayed. That's more about what people prioritize to have mechanics than what I think people should be roleplaying, btw.

So yeah, op, were you intending to ask about sex right off the bat, or did you mean more are inquisitors prohibited from having romantic relationships? If the former, them CPS was right that it is a creepy question to start out with.

I know this has all been covered before but the fact that the post is titled;

should be enough for anyone with half a brain to realise where the poster was coming from.

The fact that someone might find it creepy probably shows more about their mentality and thought processes than said OP.

[...]

The fact that someone might find it creepy probably shows more about their mentality and thought processes than said OP.

Celibacy has always, to the best of my knowledge, had to do with serving higher causes and avoid distractions or remaining pure in one way or another - at least in theory, practice has been questionable to say the last. Never about being asexual as such, but rather choosing to abstain (or, in some cases, having that choice made for you; but honestly, once we go down that route, it's not really celibacy).

Celibacy in 40k may well have quite a bit to do with not falling prey to She Who Thirsts. There's sound arguments to be made in character to crack down on what could very well be seen as a gateway activity. 'course, this backfires hard, and makes said practise all the more desirable, which explains how something so notoriously UNSUBTLE as Slaanesh manages to get a rep for secrecy.

I think the mechanics should only come into play if a child is possible or papa nurgle feels like messing with the players if mechanics ever come into the issue at all or if the issue ever comes up.

The fact that someone might find it creepy probably shows more about their mentality and thought processes than said OP.

You might be right about this insofar as I've encountered a lot of really creepy basement dwelling gamers and have come to expect the worst.

Celibacy in 40k may well have quite a bit to do with not falling prey to She Who Thirsts. There's sound arguments to be made in character to crack down on what could very well be seen as a gateway activity. 'course, this backfires hard, and makes said practise all the more desirable, which explains how something so notoriously UNSUBTLE as Slaanesh manages to get a rep for secrecy.

On one hand, discipline, servitude, authority, abstinence and structure are all proven to work extremely well against the influences of Chaos. There's a reason for the eldar aspects and the craftworld structures. There's a reason asceticism and self-flagellation is a thing in the Imperium.

On the other hand, the Imperium is all about the greatness of man and mankind's manifest destiny, to populate the galaxy and spread to all corners of the universe. Apart from the higher ideals of the Imperium regarding nothing short of mankind's eventual apotheosis (implied, if not a stricture) as the chosen of (the) God(-Emperor), the down-to-earth machinery and drudgery of the Imperium grinds down countless millions each and every day.

Only blood moves the wheels of history. Rearing children might very well be one of the true pillars of overall society, each child a servant of the God-Emperor, a spear in His hand, a rifle in His army, a seed on His field, a page in His book, a mouthpiece of His glory.

As always when there are two hands or more, this might go either way. There are no doubt people adhering to both faiths, in the Imperium, and I'm sure both of them raise good points. It reminds me of The Psyker Question. Are psykers the warp's playthings, or are they a necessary cog in Imperial society? We have puritans that want to kill all psykers, ever. And we have radicals that wants to give them completely free reign.

As such, I'm sure that we have priests that will advise complete celibacy, no doubt with a host of altar boys at his command, and we will have priests that are married to six wives, six children with each. And the inquisitors will similarly mirror this, not because they are part of a religious institution, but because that's how the Imperium rolls.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having some sex in the game of everyone at the table is cool with it. Even having a background about your character being sterilized or made a enunuch could have some interesting roleplay. Those things have no reason to be mechanically represented, though, and it's a particular madness of gamers that thy think sex needs game mechanics but social interaction should just be roleplayed.

Whoa up there, good sir/ma'am. I can't claim to know every gamer in the world, but the ones I do know value some RP mechanics and I have yet to meet ONE who thinks sex should have mechanics.

Bully for you, but up thread there is a group that put a lot of thought into making a sterilization talent and the old dark heresy has the chem geld talent which both adds mechanics to something that doesn't need it AND assumes that characters are being seduced against their will. I won't go so far as to say the people who write these things up are scummy (unless there's a longstanding pattern of it), but it is worth being called out as being creepy.

If the OP comes back as clarifies that he wasn't intending to only bring up sex, I think CPS would owe him an apology, though. Like I get that Internet context and pop culture context focuses on the sex part of celibacy, but the context of the post was worth CPS giving te benefit of a doubt and asking rather than jumping to conclusions. You can't improve people's behavior by going on a witch hunt.

I don't think there's anything wrong with having some sex in the game of everyone at the table is cool with it. Even having a background about your character being sterilized or made a enunuch could have some interesting roleplay. Those things have no reason to be mechanically represented, though, and it's a particular madness of gamers that thy think sex needs game mechanics but social interaction should just be roleplayed.

Whoa up there, good sir/ma'am. I can't claim to know every gamer in the world, but the ones I do know value some RP mechanics and I have yet to meet ONE who thinks sex should have mechanics.

Bully for you, but up thread there is a group that put a lot of thought into making a sterilization talent and the old dark heresy has the chem geld talent which both adds mechanics to something that doesn't need it AND assumes that characters are being seduced against their will. I won't go so far as to say the people who write these things up are scummy (unless there's a longstanding pattern of it), but it is worth being called out as being creepy.

If the OP comes back as clarifies that he wasn't intending to only bring up sex, I think CPS would owe him an apology, though. Like I get that Internet context and pop culture context focuses on the sex part of celibacy, but the context of the post was worth CPS giving te benefit of a doubt and asking rather than jumping to conclusions. You can't improve people's behavior by going on a witch hunt.

Somebody posted about a weird sterilization talent they went to the trouble to write, so I figured it was Germaine to the discussion to point out how often games having weird sex rules comes up.

So, the title of this OP is emotional attachments, friends, family and fluff of life, not boinking in space.

I also have only a nebulous idea of what everyday life might be like in the Imperium, and although celibacy wouldn't necessarily be the first, given how prominent sexuality is in our culture, and in cultures throughout history and across the globe (whether sexuality itself is exhibited or repressed), it probably wouldn't be the last either.

The core book gives us some ideas of how the common workers can spend some of their time off drinking, gambling and pursuing some of the simpler pleasures from bachelor life, but with a population numbering 300 billion, there has to be lots of mommies and daddies. I feel like family situations are pretty well covered for nobility, but not so much for what we would term a 'nuclear family'. Does such a concept exist in Askellon? What percentage of people really come out of the Schola Progenum? How extensive would someone's social network be? Do mother's get maternity leave? Women are often left out of the descriptions of workplaces in the Imperium, is this because women aren't allowed in the workplaces, only to certain positions or are relegated to baby factory status? How many days a year to kids go to school? Can someone get a few hours off from their work to go to their kid's piano recital? Are there latch key kids running the streets everywhere?

Maybe these aren't the most important questions, but they do help flesh out the world, and make it more accessible. Some of that type of information goes a long way to informing what makes adults the way they are.

I wouldn't worry about a flame war between me and fdsfsdg now that he's got me on ignore. My opinion of him is still below sea level but he's chosen to put blinders on getting called out on the **** he says.

I'm going to stand by my reaction to the OP. He rambles on for a bit and his first question to open the discussion is whether inquisitors **** other people. That was the conversation he wanted to have, and the rest of it was backtracking (I laughed real hard about the role/rollplay bit). He could have asked any number of questions about how to get his players to flesh their characters back-stories out or how to tie their past into the campaign, but he opened on a question of sex. That's creepy to me.

No, I didn't open on a question of sex. I asked if Inquisitor's are "celibate", which encompasses far more than sex. And I most certainly didn't "backtrack". I don't know anything about you whatsoever, except that you posted the first response to my first post on this forum. And it was a pretty shallow, narrow-minded and immature one. So I stand by my original reaction to your post responding to my original query. If you don't want to be referred to as a 12-14 year old, then try harder not to sound like one. And if you want to run anyone new to this forum off with vapid little posts like the one you lobbed up here on this thread, then by all means keep at it. It only takes one sour apple to ruin the whole batch.

For everybody else who responded to this thread, thanks for your posts. A lot of good references to "canon" (what there is of it), as well as individual ideas. Got my book today, so I'm diving in.

I don't know why everyone jumped to physical interactions anyways. I always took celibacy to mean abstaining from marriage, and therefore physical relations with others, for the sake of something else. You've obviously all got your minds in the gutter *kidding*

I wouldn't worry about a flame war between me and fdsfsdg now that he's got me on ignore. My opinion of him is still below sea level but he's chosen to put blinders on getting called out on the **** he says.

I'm going to stand by my reaction to the OP. He rambles on for a bit and his first question to open the discussion is whether inquisitors **** other people. That was the conversation he wanted to have, and the rest of it was backtracking (I laughed real hard about the role/rollplay bit). He could have asked any number of questions about how to get his players to flesh their characters back-stories out or how to tie their past into the campaign, but he opened on a question of sex. That's creepy to me.

No, I didn't open on a question of sex. I asked if Inquisitor's are "celibate", which encompasses far more than sex. And I most certainly didn't "backtrack". I don't know anything about you whatsoever, except that you posted the first response to my first post on this forum. And it was a pretty shallow, narrow-minded and immature one. So I stand by my original reaction to your post responding to my original query. If you don't want to be referred to as a 12-14 year old, then try harder not to sound like one. And if you want to run anyone new to this forum off with vapid little posts like the one you lobbed up here on this thread, then by all means keep at it. It only takes one sour apple to ruin the whole batch.

For everybody else who responded to this thread, thanks for your posts. A lot of good references to "canon" (what there is of it), as well as individual ideas. Got my book today, so I'm diving in.

I would advise you the same was advised to me: Certain individuals on this forum are worthy of the ignore function! There are some people with whom I rarely agree but are still able to keep the conversation respectful (I'm specifically thinking of Nimsim in this case. Thank you for keeping it a "debate"! ) In one case, another poster and I argued until we ended up being friends! (At least for my part. Shout out to GauntZero! ) In your case, (And in a rare moment of agreement!) I think CPS owes you an apology as Nimsim suggests! If not, I recommend you put him on ignore as a few of us, sadly, have had to do!

Blefuscu if you were honestly just trying to start a conversation about everyday life in the Imperium I'm sorry if I offended you. But reading your first question the only thing I saw coming out of it was weird RPG sex stuff, and lo and behold someone posted exactly that on page 1. I wasn't trying to run you out. I can only hope you'll judge for yourself whether you want to see what I write and not be swayed by those here I have a history with.

Cps your such a idiot and I do hope you get ban from the forum some day.

As for you Blefuscu. Your a pretty cool guy and I am sorry you got scum questioning your motives. Though thankfully you stand up to him. Just take my advise and put cps on ignore since he does deserve it.

Now for your question. No inquisitors are not celebite. Some choose to be of course, but many more don't. Unlike real life the 40K warhammer inquisitors do not work for the church. In fact while there is a large faction of inquisitors that suck up to the church many other factions don't. Some factions are even secular in their beliefs as they have to deal with many imperial creeds and what is normal to them is strange to the inhabitants in other worlds.