I''ve been discussing with a friend about an idea for a DH campaign and was wondering how it holds up.

A group of acolytes are hunting a dangerous heretic on a derelict ship / in an underhive / insert any dark spooky place with their inquisitor. The men and women have served together for a long time and the inquisitor is a charismatic, bold individual. The kind of guy you''d follow to Hell and back. The group corner the heretic, only to be ambushed themselves. The villain offers the inquisitor power and glory for a price, to which the inquisitor surprisingly agrees. The acolytes are deemed as a sacrifice and have to escape an overwhelming onslaught of warp entities and madmen.

The acolytes, shocked by the inquisitors betrayal, manage to escape the situation and are captured and questioned by an another inquisitor, as well as suspected of heresy. However, they are given a chance to redeem themselves and clear their charges. All they need to do is to finish their mission, as well as to hunt down the traitor inquisitor.

It certainly sounds like a good hook for a campaign. There are suggestions in the Radical''s Handbook (the section entitled "The Master has Fallen, the Servants Stand True") It gives them a great motive to avenge themselves and prove that they are loyal.

Lazzuu said:

Sounds like it could be a blast! It sounds like a really good idea although you would probably need to run at least one previous investigation with the Inquisitor before the betrayal to allow the characters to form a relation with the Inquisitor.

Gurkhal said:

Thanks, Mnesimache. Radical''s Handbook will probably be the next supplement to buy either way.

I agree Gurkhal, there needs to be a prelude mission to flesh out the inquisitor and the retinue - as well as to get the players into the setting and have them develope their characters a bit before the slaughter.

The main source of influence for the idea was the final episode of the older Berserk anime. Some of you might be familiar with Eclipse. SPOILER ALERT! http://www.youtube.com/watch►v=CmI-v_bW8oo

Sure. It can work.

A warning: Make the betrayal believable. Remember Revenge of the Sith where Anakin was like "no I won't turn to the dark side" and Palpatine was like "do it so i can save padame" and he was like "oh… well… okay!"? Remember when he was like "what have I done?" and literally 30 seconds later was totally okay with being evil? Yeah that sucked. Set it up. Sell it. Push the Inquisitor beyond his limits, break him, and in a moment of desperation have him cave in. Deus Ex Machina sucks. Have a *good* reason for the Inquisitor to go over.

Throw in another kink though. Drop just enough evidence that the Inquisitor allied himself to the target not to gain power but to get closer for the kill. Especially if he's the type who is willing to sacrifice everything to get the job done. After all, the acolytes escaped a very capable Inquisitor and a death trap. Don't lay it on thick, but let the PCs ask themselves every now and again whose side the Inquisitor is really on.