So... Anyone done anything on playing a Commissar?
I would think its the officer path for the Guardsman... But maybe people think differently?


They are very interesting characters... Someone must have done something about them, right?

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You can do the Guardsman Officer Path. I found the Cleric to be a very good way to get to the core of what a Commissar is, a raving lunatic with a pistol and a mouth that won’t stop running.

I believe that there have been some fan supplements made over at Dark Reign .

You can always take the Chaliced Commisar Operative alternative career rank in the Inquisitor's Handbook page 60-61

Although nothing official really captures the experience of starting out as a Commissar cadet and eventually leading men in near-suicidal charges and shooting traitors, I'd agree that the Chaliced Commissariat is about as close as you get and Cleric is good too. After all, the Commissar isn't much by himself. It's his authority over others that makes him a Commissar and as you are usually not attached to an Imperial Guard Regiment in DH you really wouldn't be terribly useful. A Commissar is a creature of the battlefield, a place that Acolytes are often not found on.

numb3rc said:

Then again, only some Commissars are trained in such a manner. As noted in several more recent sources, Commissars are also recruited directly from the ranks of Departmento Munitiorum Stormtroopers.

Can anyone tell me about the Chaliced Commisar Operative alternative career rank?

I don't own it!

It's in the inquisitors handbook (dont know what page off the top of my head though)

daispike said:

Drakar said:

It = The Inquisitor Handbook!

Go buy IT!

It’s a very good book that should be a priority for you to purchase.

Essentially, it's a commissar for the PDF forces. Sector Lord Hax is of the opinion that he needs a special cadre of men to watch over the armed forces of his sector. There's also a certain enmity between them and the "true" Commissariat of the IG since the time where a Chaliced tried to exert authority over IG members on Tranch - his men shot a group of guardsmen for retreating. The "true" commissars of the IG decided that the Chaliced had no jurisdiction over IG troopers, making the executions simple murder, and had every representative of the Chaliced present on Tranch shot. Since that time, the Chaliced restrict themselves to policing the PDF.

As for the career, it's got a special rule which I personally consider absolute bull - when you're recognizable as a member of the Chaliced, you gain +10 to Inquiry and Intimidate against PDF units, but -10 on Charm and Command .

From what I remember from various sources the Commissars are both political and disciplinary officers of the departmento munitorium. Who are described as being fanatically loyal to the Emperor. It has been mentioned in a few novels that they are most busy when not on the battlefield helping to ensure that Regimental Commanders keep their units at a reasonable level of discipline (guess like modern soldiers the IG get rather roudy when not in battle ). I seem to remember some fiction where they are also on Imperial Navy ships for the same reason. As for playing one you could make it a sort of Elite package for either Clerics or Guardsmen, or use the one listed from the Inquisitors Handbook when and if you get a copy of it. Hope this was helpful.

Also, if you read into the IG fluff (particularly Guant's Ghost), in the book Necropolis there is a special police force within Vervunhive who style themselves after the Holy Commissarat. How shameful when a bunch of crooked government lap dogs think themselves on par with one who's trained since childhood in the Schlolarium. Needless to say a few Hellguns took care of them eventually

And yes, there is a fan supliment on the Dark Reign sight and a very good one at that if you want a pre-made casting for a Commissar.

Cifer said:

Given that it applies very specifically to the Chaliced Commissariate (whose authority has been very publically ignored, as you already noted), I don't see it as being that inappropriate.

Further, even in the Departmento Munitorum, the role of a Commissar is not inherently to command, but rather to oversee, endorse and inspire. A Commissar isn't the one giving the orders... he's there to keep one eye on the one giving the orders (orders he has endorsed on behalf of those he represents), and the other on the ones carrying those orders out, to make sure everything is as it should be. If a Commissar is in a situation where he has to command soldiers directly, then something has already gone wrong. With that in mind, it shouldn't actually be that important for a Commissar to have any particular expertise in the Command skill, beyond the basic. Some do, but they don't represent all Commissars...

breaking my silence to reply to this thread.

www.geocities.com/peacekeeper_b/commissar.pdf

Back to silence

Given that it applies very specifically to the Chaliced Commissariate (whose authority has been very publically ignored, as you already noted), I don't see it as being that inappropriate.

The penalty applies specifically to the PDF, over which they have authority.

Further, even in the Departmento Munitorum, the role of a Commissar is not inherently to command, but rather to oversee, endorse and inspire. A Commissar isn't the one giving the orders... he's there to keep one eye on the one giving the orders (orders he has endorsed on behalf of those he represents), and the other on the ones carrying those orders out, to make sure everything is as it should be. If a Commissar is in a situation where he has to command soldiers directly, then something has already gone wrong. With that in mind, it shouldn't actually be that important for a Commissar to have any particular expertise in the Command skill, beyond the basic. Some do, but they don't represent all Commissars..

And that's why he doesn't get the actual Command skill in his advancement scheme. But would you argue that his authority to shoot the men under his command and the fear inspired by his office would make them less likely to follow his orders?

Further, inspiration of troopers is handled by... the Command Skill.

Cifer said:

It isn't, actually. I'd handle it using Charm or Intimidate, as appropriate for the situation - it's not a matter of being their superior officer, they aren't under the Commissar's command so using Charm (precedent set by the use of the Charm skill to confer Hatred talents with Litanies of Hate) to inspire, or Intimidate to motivate them with fear (a bonus would apply for the threat of execution, a larger one if you've already demonstrated that it's not just a threat), rather than Command (which is specifically to make people follow your orders, as noted in the Rulebook, with a difficulty set by circumstances, as with everything else).

As an aside, though it may not look like it, Command is one of those skills that is often useful without a test, like Speak Language and Literacy (in both those cases, it is more frequent to simply allow a character with the appropriate skill to pass; the requirement is the ability to test, which means possession of the skill as both Speak Language and Literacy are Advanced). Assuming a reasonably skilful and well-respected Imperial Guard Captain with Fel of 41, Command +10 and Talented (Command). Should his men honestly fail to enact his orders 39% of the time (61% chance of success on a Challenging Test). Indeed, should such a situation even require a Challenging Test? Ordering around men who are specificially yours to command, to perform exactly the kinds of things you'd expect of them, shouldn't be particularly difficult.

The matter of testing against the Command skill would, then, come into play when issuing orders that are not necessarily the kind of things you'd expect your men to do, and/or when dealing with men who, while subordinate to you, do not fall within your little section of the chain of command - giving orders to the platoon leaders of a company other than yours, for example.

With that in mind, even with someone suffering penalties to Command Tests, the commonplace, simple orders when dealing with people under your authority are a matter of insignificance - you give the orders, and your men follow those orders. It's only when the situation becomes less certain that the matter of testing (and thus the penalty) comes into play; resentment towards the Chaliced Commissar is likely to cause people to be more reluctant to follow more unusual orders.