Hellebore said:

To be fair, we haven't yet seen an in-game system for very senior acolytes of the Inquisition. The Ascension book is likely to cover this.

I imagine that the book will have rules for 15,000+ characters, with likely ranks for explicators, interrogators and the like, probably all the way up to Inquisitors.

I would have thought - unless FFG disagree with the majority viewpoint on this thread - that all 15,000+ characters would be eligible for these Inquisitorial ranks.

I imagine that the book will have rules for 15,000+ characters, with likely ranks for explicators, interrogators and the like, probably all the way up to Inquisitors.

It's more likely that inquisitors will be reserved for the Deathwatch-equivalent of Ascension.

Lightbringer said:

Frankly I hope they do, the majority viewpoint has never really meant much to me (at one point the majority thought Hrud were Space Skaven on the basis of one ambiguous picture, look where that went) and I think Hellebore's reasoning is entirely sound. This is why I specifically exempted Techpriests from being able to become inquisitors in the rules I wrote some time ago.

"Lots of people think it could happen" should never outweigh "It really shouldn't happen" when it comes to entering new material into canon.

When I think about about, the obvious duties as an inquisitor a Tech Priest would be perfect for are chasing up tech heresy. And Ad Mech covers that themselves don't they? I don't know what organisation does in particular but it's mentioned a lot.

There isn't an ordos dedicated to it as far as I've seen (although it makes sense if there was, and if there was they I guess the TechPriests would need to be in it.)

Otherwise maybe there's a general distrust of Tech Priests by Inquisitors. The =I= only answers to the Emperor (While not being directly conected to the Eclesiarchy) and the Tech Priests are a seperate cult so maybe they aren't recruited for that reason. Conflict of interests if you will.

From what I've understood of the canon material, as long as an acolyte has the approval of at least three Inquisitors and an Inquisitor lord, said acolyte can be promoted to become an Inquisitor. Regardless of the past of said acolyte or standing within any particular organisation.

If someone decides that three Inquisitors along with an Inquisitor lord wanted to make a techpriest an Inquisitor, then it is perfectly possible. Or are you going to argue that NO Inquisitor or Inquisitor Lord what so ever would want to make a techpriest an Inquisitor? (think carefully now before you answer, since Inquisitors have done stranger and abundantly more heretical deeds in the past )

I'm saying it falls under the same category as Space Marine Inquisitors in terms of "Stuff that could, technically be possible given the selection procedures we currently know about , but equally would be silly and make the game a much less interesting place"

and it's not Three Inquisitors AND an Inquisitor Lord, it's three Inquisitors or an Inquisitor Lord.

I'm saying it falls under the same category as Space Marine Inquisitors in terms of "Stuff that could, technically be possible given the selection procedures we currently know about, but equally would be silly and make the game a much less interesting place"

Your comparison with Space Marines is not very valid, since the Astartes are way to busy with fighting wars (open ones that is) to bother themselves with the cloak and dagger venues that Inquisitors take delight in. They don't even have a choice in the matter, and the Inquisition isn't allowed to simply steal manpower from Astartes chapters either (the Deathwatch being a joint operation, but not an obligation for any Astartes Chapter to follow).

Techpriests on the other hand are only obligated to their cult for religious reasons, the same way a cleric is obligated to the ecclesiarchy. But they are still their own individuals (more or less). If a cleric decides to go on a missionary journey, no Bishop will show up and say: "No you can't do that, because im ORDERING you not to."

While a Space Marine would certainly be considered a deserter and have his honor stained if he tried the same stunt without the conscent of his chapter master. So while the Inquisition can certainly steal manpower from different organisations in the Imperium (even the Adeptus Mechanicus), Astartes Chapters are not by Imperial Law the same kind of push-overs like the rest.

Also I fail to see the correlation between the concept of an ex-techpriest becoming an Inquisitor and your statement of "less interesting". The potential is simply too interesting to just ignore. While you are entitled to your opinion of course, just like I am entitled to mine.

Now comes the point of why yours and Hellebores ideas should be considered canon (or on par with canon), instead of anyone elses. Tricky debate ain't it?

Varnias Tybalt said:

No they aren't. The Cult of the Omnissiah is one part of the Adeptus Mechanicus, not the entirety of it. The Adeptus Mechanicus as a whole is an ultra-secretive initiatic organisation with a virtually absolute monopoly on scientific thought and technological understanding. Any Tech-Priest of sufficient capacity to be even remotely appropriate as an Inquisitor will have been initiated deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the machine over the years and decades, to the point where the considerable amounts of valuable knowledge in his head (which is more valuable than the head they're kept within) is too large for the Mechanicus to comfortably let it go...

A Magos becoming an Inquisitor? With the amount he knows, do you honestly think that his superiors would let him simply leave to follow some other path? Whether sworn or born to the Adeptus Mechanicus, you serve the purpose they determine for you, merely a single cog in a vast machine. By comparison, the rest of the Imperium is a liberal paradise...

Personally, I file this under "theoretically possible, but so unlikely as to be unheard of".

I would think that a tech priest could become an Inquisitor or a Magus but never both. I can't see the other Magos trusting him enough to be instructed in the deeper secrets of the order. He cannot server two masters and at the point of reaching the level of Inquisitor or Magos he would need to make that decision.

Ascension says that they can't.

But since when have you guys let Ascension (or any "rule" book) tell you what to do?

I am sure the people in this thread have waited patiently the last 7 years for that response

Gonna have to come back with a hard no on that question. The Imperium and the Mechanicus are conjoined in practice, but are seperate legal and jurisdictional entities. Put simply, the AdMech has no authority over Imperial servants and citizens, and vice versa. A Tech Priest can certainly form a mutually beneficial alliance with an individual Inquisitor, even invoke the Inquisitor's name, but they remain allies rather than servant/master, at least in theory. The Inquisition would never tolerate a citizen or official of the Mechanicus wielding the expressly Imperial authority of the rosette. To even try would probably result in a large body count.

Not feasible, between feudal division and Ecclesiarchy.

However, the practical difference can be negligible - if one is a Magos Militant hellbent on rooting out tech-heresy and/or a certified Techsorcist, and happens to be the old trusted advisor to an Inquisitor.