I have 2 questions. First off, do radical inquisitors still worship the emperor? Also, I want to play a cleric but my gm is running a radical campaign. Any ideas on how to run a cleric in such a campaign?

1.) Yes radical inquisitiors still believe in the emperor, otherwise they would be heretics instead of radicals.

2.) I think your cleric should get aquainted with sorcery. Its all the rage with radical clerics of the imperium. On the other hand you could go the route of the joining the ranks of the Red Redempion, although that could put you at odds with your group.

Well, it depends. The difference between radical and heretic is, in the end, nothing more than a formality. Discovery means condemnation, and many radical Inquisitors have abused their power to pursue personal goals before being stripped of their authority. It's not an absolute, though. Radicals can be idealists (merely "fighting fire with fire") - it's just not a rule and each case has to be judged individually.

As far as clerics are concerned ... heh, this might indeed be a problem, as the Ministorum is pretty adamant when it comes to such matters. However, whilst there is no true "radical" movement amongst the clergy, there are varying degrees of faithfulness. Indeed, some clerics may become disillusioned with what they have seen and learned, or even corrupted by the power they wield, becoming more like politicians rather than practitioners of their faith, and not following what they themselves publicly preach. Perhaps the adventures of your group will turn your character into one such being, bereft of his ideals but accustomed to the darker truths of Imperial politics; an able diplomat who can use the Ecclesiarchy's clout to the advantage of himself, his group and his Inquisitor. Perhaps even for the good of the Imperium, be it because he too believes that "the ends justify the means" or simply because the Imperium is the foundation of his power and influence and thus needs to be maintained.

In rare cases, clerics may also get pushed "over the edge" and clearly fall into the "radical" category, be it because they have become unwitting pawns of agents of Chaos (such as the renegade Cardinal Xaphan , who was manipulated into leading a fanatic purge through his own diocese, throwing the entire Scarus sector into turmoil and civil war) or because they truly believe in some warped idea they are committed to pursue in the errant belief to do the right thing (such as Lord Deacon LaHayn , who secretly trained and bred an army of psykers with whom he believed he could free the Emperor from His imprisonment on the Golden Throne).

Either way, you could be in for some interesting roleplaying.

Hmmm....

It doesn't take much to be a radical I think. Simply beliving in improving the Imperium by educating it's citizens would be enough for example. Whether or not that is Heresy is subjective and dependent on ther ability of someone to prove/prosecute it and to gather the support to do so. Remeber, these definitions are largely political.

A Cleric may love the Emporer and the Imperial citizens, but may hate the Ecclesiarchy/Administratum, and only remain a part of it so that they can use the influence thereof to further their goals. A radical perhaps, but only a heretic so far as whether or not a puritan/political rival could actually do something about it.

Sorcery is definitely heresy though, and for that you shall burn!

1. Some do, others do not. A lot of Inquisitors are not the “worshipping type” though anyway, as many have a rather opportunistic approach and behaviour. Still, most do their “work” for the Imperium and the Emperor (often in that order).
Furthermore it really depends on their respective radical creed. Most Recongregators probably “worship” the Emperor (in their personal interpretation), while most Phaenonites certainly do not.

2. You could play a Forsaken Cleric as mentioned in the Radicals Handbook. Especially, if your Inquisitor is of the Xanthite or Oblationist creed. If he is an Istvaaninan or Recongregator it gets a little more difficult. As a Libricar it could work again rather well with an ultra zealous Cleric (e.g. Red Redemption).

Lynata said:

Discovery does not automatically mean condemnation. There are several radical Inquisitors that are held in high esteem or at least tolerated. The Inquisition is a multifarious organisation and most realize that this is part of its strength.

I can't remember which book, but one Ordos Xenos Inquisitor actually showed up to conclave with a retinue of three dozen Kroot. The puritans of course leaped to their feet and drew blades, but the remainder did not. In fact, they didn't even step in or object to the Kroot defending themselves and their Inquisitor as they cut down a number of other Inquisitors. Of course when the Kroot then started devouring the corpses, it proved a little too much, and they fought free of the Tricorn palace (a full dozen Kroot and Inquisitor Forstav actually escaped, I found it on page 173 of Ascension), but my point is that radicalism is part of the privilege and even duty of being an Inquisitor, the Rosette being a sign of trust in the man/woman to do what is necessary to secure the future of the Imperium, even if they resort to means considered to be Heresy if they were anyone else. As an Acolyte, you become an expendable extension of that trust and authority, and while the lack of true Inquisitorial power and (hopefully!) the hand of your patron shields you from discovery somewhat, you also have no means of defending yourself from the Holy Ordos if discovered.

When it comes to using Chaos, however, Sorcerer's will be put down by anyone besides another Sorcerer, and Oblationists believe that only they may use it and will kill even another Inquisitor who uses it if he does not follow their creed. Everyone else will most certainly put them down like a rabid dog, simply because they are unsanctioned Psykers purposely dabbling in the arts which call Daemons, and the inherent risk of even a Sanctioned Psyker is comparable to running your hand over a candle flame while Sorcery by a Cleric would be trying to dip the wing of your Aquila lander into a Star without vaporizing yourself.

If you do allow him to become a Sorcerer, make sure the player understands the actual risk of using it. You're far, far, far more likely to incur perils then a Psyker, and you often gain corruption merely by using the powers. The character will, eventually, die as a result of using the powers. Even with the Emperor's luck, it will happen, so he should never use the powers unless there is no other option, at least at first while he gains some I & C points, then as his sanity is frayed he might see it as "necessary" more and more often.

I think also you need to consider that even in the Imperium, not all priests are fire-breathing zealots. Your priest could be a pragmatic man, brow-beaten by living in a grim and careless galaxy, thus open to other ideas. Alternately, he could disagree with the radicalist ideas of the others, but believe that he can "straighten them out" or provide a sort of moral compass for the others. He may even feel that by leaving them, he would be abandoning his flock only for them to fall further - which would be a dereliction of his duties.

from france

short answer because it s late here.

remenber that radicalisme is not always associated with demon/xenos or santa claus. my self i played a arbitrtor who as taken the saboteur career before returning to is previous career. he is a totally faitfull man. he belive in the emperor. but he is a recongregator and in that he is also absolutely radical. that why he took the saboteur career. more than wind bag noble who thing that lives of lesser "men" can be bought for fun have ended with a grenade therapy in their mouth or where the sun never shine (see dominion tank police for a better idea) . other who militate for law not justice or stability not better lives ended with a bullet in their heart. for those one nothing personal but it alow more progressist one to take control. and as power corrupt i watch them too.

did i mention that he is a radical? hum yes but hellping chaos/ xenos and whatever like no way.

I recommend having your Priest player read up on the various Radical factions- all of which will have (at least) a few sympathizers within the ranks of the Ministorium.

In my opinion a cleric can be a good addition to any party even one of a radical bent. As people have already mentioned you could go the whole hog and become a forsaken priest, essentially a sorceror with inquistional sanction or there are many more sutble variations. There is the idea that your cleric has seen the Ministorum for what it really is, a corrupt palace of temporal power rather than the guardians of the faith as it should. Your cleric may rile against what he sees as the wanton excesses and byzantine intrigues his fellows immerse themselves in rather than tending to their flock, he may have become a rabble rouser or demagogue pointing out these faults to anyone who will listen. These view points would fit nicely with an inquisitor of an Istvaanian or Recongregator persuasion, using the priest to ferment discord in the local populace for their own ends. There are plenty of historical figures from the Protestant Reformation to help you round out a character, Martin Luthor, John Calvin and John Knox, all deeply religious men but who saw the Catholic Church as corrupt and oppressive.

The other option is to go for a character that is completely straight lace that acts as the groups moral compass. The group may use forbidden means to achieve goals but the line between being a pragmatist and being a heretic is a thin one. If the group starts to use tainted artifact or sorcery because it is easier then they are walking the path to damnation and my need to be 'saved from themslves'. Your character may even have been placed there by your inquistor specifically because he or she is all too aware of how easily power corrupts and believes that a cleric with keep the acolytes true to their vocation of serving the God-Emperor.