A pretty frequent complaint about DH2e's character creation is that it really needs another stage to help define it. I agree, so I figured I'd take a stab at doing it myself, because I was bored. Here's the half finished rules, because I'm not sure if I'll ever finish this anyway, plus suggestions are nice.
Call to Duty
Every Acolyte has a story to tell. The Inquisition is not in the business of recruiting mundane individuals, and to that end, every Inquisitorial Agent's past is defined by some specific event or circumstance which brought them to The Holy Ordos' attention, defining them as individuals. When creating your character, select a Call to Duty from the following options, applying all the listed effects.
Fated Survivor
The galaxy is host to myriad dangers and horrors, things which the common Imperial citizen is likely never to witness. Xenos beasts, snarling Daemons and far worse inhabit the dark corners of the galaxy, waiting to prey on the valorous members of Imperial society. Those who are exposed to these terrors are almost certainly marked for death. However, a rare few survive, escaping from or defeating the horrors that indiscriminately slaughter their allies.
The Inquisition is quick to pounce on such fated individuals, both due to their skills and the fact that may simply have seen too much; the Holy Ordos do not like tales of the universe's horrors spreading amongst the populace, after all. If these fortunate survivors are deemed worthy enough to be recruited, they quickly find themselves situated in the retinue of an Inquisitor, allowing their experience with the horrors of the galaxy to be put towards making The Imperium a safer place.
Effects: Your life threatening encounter has left scars both mental and physical, but has also left you jaded, far less susceptible to the horrors of the galaxy than your comrades. Gain 1d5 Insanity Points. Replace one body part of your choice with an Average quality (Rating 2) bionic replacement. When testing to resist Fear effects, you gain a +10 modifier to your Willpower test.
Forbidden Lore
While the Inquisition does all they can to conceal any dangerous, heretical or otherwise proscribed knowledge from leaking out, particularly driven or unlucky individuals may stumble onto information that no common Imperial citizen is meant to know. Once such forbidden lore has been discovered, it's only a matter of time before The Inquisition come knocking.
Fortunately, some Inquisitors of a less extremist bent may take mercy on such individuals, praising their resourcefulness in uncovering what was never meant to be uncovered. These discoverers of proscribed knowledge quickly find themselves applying their horrifying discoveries to combat the heretics and horrors of the galaxy.
Effects: The dangerous knowledge you've discovered is forever etched into your mind, keeping you awake at night as you ponder the horrifying implications. Gain 1d5 Corruption points. Select any Specialty. You gain it at no XP cost, and any Remembrance tests which call upon this specialty gain a +20 modifier.
Mind Cleansed
Some individuals know things that are simply too dangerous to know, memories that are so difficult to bear that they simply must be eradicated. While the usual recourse in such situations is simply to put the unfortunate individual to the firing squad, some rare individuals are deemed important enough to be kept breathing.
These select few are exposed to agonizing chemical, psychological and telepathic treatments, their minds slowly remoulded until any memory of their past is all but eradicated. Much of the individual's personality is generally lost in the process, leaving them as a blank slate; something many Inquisitors highly value as potential agents.
Effects: The rigorous Inquisitorial conditioning you've been subjected to has shaped you, steeling your mind, but stifling your personality in the process. When gaining Insanity, you reduce your gains by two, to a minimum of one. Additionally, you gain a +20 modifier to any tests to resist mental control or manipulation. However, when using Charm or Scrutiny in a social situation, you take a -15 modifier to the test.
Widespread Renown
Not all Acolytes find service in the Inquisition through horrifying experiences. Some Inquisitors prefer to target less damaged stock for recruitment, drawing their agents from the more renowned members of Imperial society. Famed bounty hunters, inspiring sergeants, talented Arbitrators, all are likely candidates for a place in the Holy Ordos.
While the talent of these individuals is assured, their use in the Inquisition has its downsides, as their prodigious reputation is often difficult to shake off, resulting in unwanted attention at the worst possible moments.
Effects: You’re infamous amongst those who matter, well known for your deeds and talents. Your Influence is increased by 1d10 points, and any Brag tests you attempt gain a +15 modifier. However, fame is inescapable, and blending into the shadows is that much harder when you’re well known. Any Subtlety decreases caused by your actions are increased by 3, and you take a -10 penalty when using Disguise or Deceive to conceal your true identity.
Outcast
The various organisations that make up The Imperium hold an especially fierce brand of hatred for those heretics who would betray the tenets of their own faction. Priests who study profane texts, Enginseers who dabble in Xenos technology; the fate of all such heretics is more or less the same: exile. If these heretics manage to avoid the death penalty or worse, they’re surely chased from their organisation, all ties they once had cut entirely.
Such individuals often gain the attention of particularly radical Inquisitors, however. Particularly open minded Inquisitors cherish the insight someone who’s willing to operate outside of Imperial sanctions can bring, as such individuals who haven’t turned against The Imperium entirely are few and far between. Naturally, these individuals make brilliant acolytes, willing to resort to measures that more close-minded acolytes would never consider.
Effects: You’ve been utterly burned by your former organisation, and their distrust for you still burns strong. Reduce your Influence by 1d10 points, and gain the Enemy talent appropriate to the Background organisation which you’ve betrayed. However, you’re far more comfortable with pushing beyond the harsh restrictions the Imperium imposes. You make Forbidden Lore tests at a +10 modifier, and any Corruption gains resulting from failed Forbidden Lore tests are reduced by one, to a minimum of one.
Penitent
Committing crime in the Imperium is a dangerous prospect; with Enforcers and the Arbites more than eager to crush any would be malefactors. But even the wrath of a righteous Arbites Judge can’t match the terror a criminal feels when they’re hit with the terrifying realisation that the one they’ve just crossed is an Inquisitor. Most such criminals soon find their skull host to a bolter round, if the Inquisitor in question is more merciful than most.
However, some Inquisitors opt away from some of the more vicious punishments, taking those who’ve wronged them into the Inquisition as acolytes, so they might repent in the service of The Emperor. Many see this as a fate worse than incarceration, but many more see it as a golden opportunity, be it to repent, or to continue their recidivism on a grander scale.
Effects: Your recidivist nature has granted you a great skillset to draw on as an Inquisitorial agent, but garners you significant mistrust at the same time. When acquiring goods or services through legitimate channels, you count your Influence as 10 points lower. However, your life of recidivism lends itself well to keeping your actions concealed, and any Subtlety gains are boosted by 3. Additionally, you gain Peer (Underworld). As well, at the GM’s discretion, you may start play with a bomb collar attached, the remote held by your Inquisitor, or one of his agents.
