So i was thinking (i do it a lot ,sometimes hurts) about how to give players more options to be special commando unit while not giving them too much freedom and turning game into dark heresy. Right now i think that we got little bored with recon that, kill this, sabotage there in ork infested planet. So i had this idea about players now veterans after two tours of duty gonna get chosen by inquisitor for a special task unit. While still officialy part of the guard they gonna do top secret missions by the order of inquisition. I created new regiment with backstory and some ploot hooks. Maybe you can give me some opinions how does this look. For starters the regiment.

Name: Gladius Veritatis

Hoimeworld: Varies. Recruits come from all types of worlds.

Military Specialty: Special operations ,highly classified

Order of Battle: About ++Redacted by order of Inquisition++ soldiers plus support personel operating in cells counting ++Redacted by order of Inquisition++ people. Most cells operate independently having minimum contact with each other. Whole regiment was deployed once due to major chaos incursion. Each cell have their own commanding officer who gets orders directly from Colonel or Inquisitor

Commanding officer: Techincally Colonel Artus Valenfor but he does not have any real power since he is just a mouthpiece for the inquisitor. He is tasked mostly with logistics and communication. Each cell have their own CO (mostly lieutenant)

Description : Gladius Veritatis was created by Inquisitor ++Redacted by the order of of Inquisition++ in 794.M41. Most of the currently serving soldier are veterans who had showed great willpower and combat prowess. Fought xenos, chaos and survived. There are also inquisition storm troopers serving in some of the cells but current troop numbers and their assigments are unknown. Each cell is independent and carry their task without imperial guard or inquisition support. Because of that their equipment varies in each cell. They have to secure assets on the ground or wait for supplies which is rare due to travel lag.

As for plot hooks i thought something like planetary invasion but on much less scale.

The regiment must land on some major hive world where a little rebelion is going one (some workers or slaves rebeled in mines/manufactorium etc.), find their contact, establish a safehouse, then raid on some gang controlled warehouse to secure equipment for later missions then wait for orders/investigate. Inquisitor sent them there because he suspect that this little rebelion is cover up for something far sinister.

I didn't want it too much dark heresy style since i want to keep it military on some level. And i wanted it to be fluff compatible as much as possible.

What are your opinions guys and girls?

Sounds pretty cool!

Here are some ideas for building the regiment:

Resist (Fear) seems a usfull thing to have if you are gonna be a commando for the holy ordos.

So maybe take "Maverick" for Commanding officer.

An the "Covert Strike" special equipment doctrine (hammer of the emperor) would fit your idea very well, yes?

If you need more points, maybe "The Few" is a good regimental drawback to simulate each cell operating on its own.

I was thinking about making regiment less stiff due to the fact that players will roll character only if they die so now they will use skills and talents from previous regiment. As for equipment they will get their kit from class and standard regiment kit with few exceptions like that they can choose their standard weapon from list (noting too fancy shotgun, lasgun, pistol, autogun and such) and armor they gonna wear (flak coat or light carapace). Hovever if i would build it by rules i think that drawback "the few" and covert strike fit this idea. I am more interested how does it whole idea look from fluff perspective

Could just do what I did and use mixed regiments with a core regiment appropriately based to their new job. Then people can effectively play whatever they like as far as their previous lives go.

When it comes to the inqsuisition there's no right and wrong when it comes to fluff as there seems to be as many modus operandi as there are inquisitors. So having an inquisitor setting up cells of imperial guard fits right in.

The fluff does mention that guardsmen on Inquisitorial missions get mindwiped/ killed off if they survive, but that's just for standard guard units who got drafted by the Inquistor as an emergency.

I was wondering about that too. If it will make sense that they actualy won't be mind wiped/killed to prevent leaking secrets or some vital info. Another aspect is why inquisitor just won't send acolytes, sororitas, deathwatch? Only explanation i have so far is that inquisitor just prefer trained veterans and mind wiping/killing is a waste of good resources. But if anyone have something better in mind feel free to post it.

Not to rain on your parade but it all seems a bit redundant to me.

The inquisition already has its own human muscle, in the form of the Inquisitorial Storm Troopers.

I rather doubt the Inquisition would feel the need to duplicate that effort, especially considering the amount of training (and no doubt conditioning to ensure loyalty) those guys already get. For that reason alone, I don’t see it happening. The fluff suggests that it is not that easy for inquisitors to take over (large) military assets. A few men? Sure! A fast ship to transport an inquisitor? Grumble, grumble, okay…An entire regiment? Not without a hell of a lot of blowback….It took a lot of effort to get that regiment there, from politicking to resource management. So that individual inquisitor better have the support of his local conclave or there will be a lot of ‘splaining to do….note that when it comes to imperial politics, inquisitors are not all powerful, not by a long shot.

That’s not to say an individual inquisitor wouldn’t pick up a few squads of formidable guardsmen for his private use but setting up an entire regiment? Not likely.

And there is no need if you want to have fun as players and GM. By all means have your inquisitor “commandeer” a squad for his own mission(s).

Now imagine that squad without decent logistical support as they can’t play the inquisitor card without drawing attention. Maybe they do have a bag of money….So every time they want something special, they need to visit the black market….And run the risk of running afoul of MP’s or Commissars….or have to locate the guardsman with the meltagun. And persuade him somehow to part with it. Or just steal it from him….

Perhaps a paper-pushing officer is now after them to haul them to a penal legion for desertion (A team anyone?) because the inquisitor never made it official (no paper trail….).

By simply cutting the cords between the squad and their parent regiment, you still have your squad of troopers but there is a lot of potential plots/hazards as they now have fallen through the cracks of the army system. They will have to navigate through the system with the covert support of their sponsor but without a cushy setup of a inquisitorial regiment…

Or you could simply have them sent to the storm trooper training schools (as happens with quite a lot of promising veterans). After a few sessions there, they can join the storm troopers and use that regiment with all benefits and advantages…

I thnik you misunderstod my point. It;s not like inquisitor gonna draft full regiment into his service. For the sake of OW rules it's presented in form of a regiment but main idea is that for example inquisitor recruited one squad of cadian, another from catachan, two soldiers from tallarn one tech priest etc. enlisted something like 200 soldiers then divided them into cells and each one operate on different planet/sector/sub sector. They do special missions for inquisitor. Everything you said i stated in first post that they must operate without official support. Only problem i see so far is how it would work. Motivation for Inquisitor decision since like you said they have their own human muscle so why he would recruit veterans from IG and let them continue to serve instead of just mind wiping/killing them after each mission.

The way i see them is like the last Chancers penal legion (except of course these guys aren't convicts) Stormtroopers are good but they are not the best in their field. I can see an Inquisitor looking trough regimental list cherry picking the best for his little inquisitorial regiment.

Inquisitor: "Private Deerhurst: Awarded iron Aquilla for killing a ork nob in single combat. Yes, we'll need him in the Gladius Veritates, who's next? Lt. Darling: best marksman in his regiment, ok he's on aswell. Catachan Commandos: Dutch, Poncho, Billy, Blaine... Expert jungle fighters, hmm, killed an unknow xenos, hmmm man portable assault cannon specialist?! Imperator be praised! Say, scribe! Arrange for their re-asignment right now!"

Well an Inquisitorial Stormtrooper regiment would be handled much like the Kasrkin. So it could have specialists.

Write your own House Canon, I say. =)

Technically, an Inquisitor can requisition anything from PDF units to entire Guard regiments, Navy battleships, AdMech Titan detachments and Marine Chapters. In practice, their authority will be limited by their own colleagues growing suspicious of people leeching the Imperium's military strength for their own private campaigns.

And besides, that's just how GW wrote it in the rulebook --->

Write your own House Canon, I say. =)

Indeed. There is no ultimate truth , anyways, and individual readers/gamers have just as much right to ignore what has been written before as the people working on the official products.

The only thing that should matter is whether or not the players in your group are aboard for any changes to whatever interpretation they might follow.

Technically, an Inquisitor can requisition anything from PDF units to entire Guard regiments, Navy battleships, AdMech Titan detachments and Marine Chapters. In practice, their authority will be limited by their own colleagues growing suspicious of people leeching the Imperium's military strength for their own private campaigns.

And besides, that's just how GW wrote it in the rulebook --->

Write your own House Canon, I say. =)

Indeed. There is no ultimate truth , anyways, and individual readers/gamers have just as much right to ignore what has been written before as the people working on the official products.

The only thing that should matter is whether or not the players in your group are aboard for any changes to whatever interpretation they might follow.

We'll never see eye to eye on this, Lynata .

I simply refuse to accept that the Imperium solved the problem of Horus having too much (undisputed and unlimited) power by giving undisputed and unlimited power to thousands of humans. I believe they have the power to investigate anyone and anything. Not run the Imperium as they see fit. (YMMV)

By your reckoning, the High Lords of Terra could arrange for a full blown crusade, only to have some pimply inquisitor pop up and abscond with the entire force....just because he's an inquisitor.

The scenes about the inquisition taking over the campaign on Vraks (with the inquisitor-Lord requiring the approval of a conclave before being allowed to do so) show IMO that there is no such thing as a blanket authority. That's just what inquisitors want the unwashed masses to believe....

At the levels of peers of the imperium, an inquisitor is just another player. A powerful one for sure but one whose authority can easily be shut down by 'owning' your own inquisitor...."What's that? You want to take my PDF regiments to fight some war in the sector? I'd love to comply but unfortunately this other inquisitor says they have to stay here. Sorry about that...."

Which actually means that they have technically unlimited power. It's just that so do others . And then there's those who have enough power to resist even so, because they can f.ex. "prove" that the Inquisitor is a heretic. Or arrange an "accident" for the Inquisitor.

None of that means that Inquisitors nominally have unlimited power. Just not practically .

From my perspective is that inquisitor have enough power to draft a few squads of IG, arbitres or PDF becuase he needs them and nobody sane would refuse. Also he can recruit any imperial citizen into his service or request any military assistance. Of course he must have good reason and explain himself after that but considering quotes like this:

" I carry with me an Inquisitorial Seal. It is a small, unassuming object contained in a neat box of Pluvian obsidian. It is a modest thing. Relatively plain, adorned with a single motif and a simple motto. Yet with this little object I can sign the death warrant of an entire world and consign a billion souls to Oblivion."

The Question is not does he can create a special task unit which serve him, but why he would do that. I just need some good fluff compatible explanation why just not use chamber millitant

At the levels of peers of the imperium, an inquisitor is just another player. A powerful one for sure but one whose authority can easily be shut down by 'owning' your own inquisitor...."What's that? You want to take my PDF regiments to fight some war in the sector? I'd love to comply but unfortunately this other inquisitor says they have to stay here. Sorry about that...."

Here you kind of just repeated what I said in my second sentence.

Inquisitors also investigate each other, and there is a huge shadow war going on in the background, with deals, alliances and IOUs that basically attach unofficial levels of authority to individual Inquisitors. Officially, each one can do the same stuff, but most of them will voluntarily tread more careful out of fear of attracting attention. And then you have the Inquisitor Lords, who have so many connections that they can raise war hosts such as this .

Besides, isn't the concept of preserving the Imperium by distributing authority to more people how things are done? Including the High Lords of Terra, who act in place of the Emperor.

The scenes about the inquisition taking over the campaign on Vraks (with the inquisitor-Lord requiring the approval of a conclave before being allowed to do so) show IMO that there is no such thing as a blanket authority. That's just what inquisitors want the unwashed masses to believe....

Well, Forgeworld's Vraks book also suggests that the Sisters of Battle, whose main job is policing the priesthood, apparently have zero interest in stopping a rogue Cardinal and/or saving a bunch of their own Sisters who were his bodyguards and ended up being imprisoned damsels in distress for the Space Marines.

I'm not sure the author of the book was very knowledgeable in how the GW main studio had set up Imperial relations between the different organisations and their agents.

I enjoyed the book for its description of the Death Korp's campaign, but personally I don't count FW's books to portray the setting in quite the same way as Codices and WD do - which is understandable, as it's a different team writing the stuff. That's why I specified the aforementioned post to refer only to the TT rulebook, not any other sources. Ultimately, each of us has to choose which version of the setting to adhere to ... hence the 2nd part of my previous post.

I could think of multiple reasons here:

#1 The Inquisitor is not affiliated to any of the big three Ordos, thus he/she can't really call on the forces aligned to them expecting they'd answer.

#2 The Chamber Militant is already busy or too far away. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of Inquisitors in the Imperium, all following their own investigations. The Chambers Militant are too small to cater to every single one's needs all the time, so some Inquisitors may recruit local forces to deal with a threat, or even keep a small household band of veteran troops that travels with him/her (see the link above).

After reading some of thes posts. I just came up with something like this.

Inquisitor started to recruit veterans from different regiments since he can't rely on chamber militant anymore. Some time in the past. One planet was suspected of harboring fugitives from one of dark cults or something like that, he requested aid since he knew that this cult was too strong for him and his accolytes to destroy but he was denied aid because other inquisitors from conclave dismissed this threat as ravings of few shady witnesses. That decision caused the catastophic chain of events and led to chaos incursion dooming planet to exterminatus. After that he knows that he must rely on himself and his own forces to get the job done.

Personally I take a pretty broad view of what Inquisitorial Stormtroopers actually are .

I think you have the Scholar Progenum type which are there to escort prisoners, act as bodyguards, guard Inquisitorial assets, undertake 'rendition' style missions and generally be hyper competant soldiers and most importantly they have incredibly good will power. However I view these guys as very puritan. They probably have a pretty fixed view of what the Inquisition is meant to be doing and if an Inquisitor went into battle with say a Deamon Host or was negotiating with bizzare alien life forms then the Inquisitor may find themself being fragged by the storm troopers.

Then I think you get the baddest of the bad Imperial Guard troopers who are inducted into the Inquisition on a slightly more flexible basis. Some of these are just your standard 'inducted' guardsmen but in my background some are from specific regiments designed to undertake any mission without question.

So for example in my home brew Hadros Sector you have the Morbus Mor Deathmark Commandoes. These guys have served for 25 years minimum in the Morbus More heavy infantry Guard regiment and are then inducted into the specialist Commando regiment which is often used by the Inquisition (think Ascension Level Stormtroopers with all the trimmings + bionics and gene gland enhancements as needed). These guys will and can face down Astartes. Maybe not 1-1 but they fight dirty .

After lately reading gods of mars i think even BL authors take canon lightly since most of stuff that was in that books was non-canon for me. So after all i think any explanation is good

Plausible deniability.

Hard to deny Inquisitorial Stormtroopers with their armor all cover in the big ][, much easier to deny some rowdy veteran mercenaries who have no official affiliation with the Inquisition. Just because Inquisitors CAN do things, doesn't mean they want to be seen to do something, or have it lead back to them. I figure their politics are even more brutal than those of the Imperial Guard or planetary governments.

On top of that, veteran guard bring all sorts of skills, least of which is NOT coming from what amounts to the Imperial Military Academy. I imagine Stormtroopers are indoctrinated, but also very proper. They aren't likely to slum it up with the locals, or blend in at all. They may have qualms taking action against the Ministorum, or other Inquisitors.

TL;DR Inquisitorial Stormtroopers stick out like a sore thumb.

^ Good points, AmPm.

After lately reading gods of mars i think even BL authors take canon lightly since most of stuff that was in that books was non-canon for me.

"There is no canon."

-- Aaron Dembski-Bowden, author, The Horus Heresy [ src ]