This indeed could be a good way to replace the inquisitors handbook by 3 big ordo tomes.Each one should have around 250 pages though, similar to the IH and Radicals Handbook.

Or even more similar to the four tomes of Chaos in BC. (Where power creep is apparently highly sought after! )

4 ? Hah - I am still waiting for my favourite one ! I hope it sold well enough to make it possible to finish grandpa nurgles tome.

Point!

Yeah, I'd rather not have to be waiting as long as a year for a book that's useful for my campaign.

But like the Inquisitor's handbook, it is useful for EVERY campaign, while an Ordo Malleus book is useful to ONLY Ordo Malleus players (look at Daemon Hunter, then look at Inquisitor's handbook)

I think a general expansion sourcebook that EVERYONE benefits from as the first release is best, then go into the three Ordos

I disagree on that.

Even if ordo "tomes" would have a spcial topic/focus each, the stuff tney include if done right, would be useful for anyone.

As I said above, it is as simple as looking at Daemon Hunter, then the Inquisitor's Handbook, or Blood of Martyrs then Inquisitor's Handbook. By being a focused book, they will cover less ground, except in one direction, which is fine. Daemon Hunters is GREAT for Ordo Malleus groups, but like with BC, having a limited focus book with a couple "neat" things in it as the first is annoying. And I do think the BC line suffered for that.

Yeah, I'd rather not have to be waiting as long as a year for a book that's useful for my campaign.

But like the Inquisitor's handbook, it is useful for EVERY campaign, while an Ordo Malleus book is useful to ONLY Ordo Malleus players (look at Daemon Hunter, then look at Inquisitor's handbook)

While I don't want to be the guy who pees on the parade, I do think its worth remembering that the IH is how it is as a happy accident rather than intentional design. When BI found out they were losing the license they released a rough copy of it that basically had ALL the stats for things that had been working on for future suppliments in it. The books layout is a testament to this (as someone who owns the original BI black and white soft cover printing). In its original release form the thing is a **** eyesore, and painfully hard to find what you want in.

However it is undeniably one of the most useful sourcebooks because of this. It wastes little to no time exploring things we don't need, but it's clearly a result of BI trying to release what they had, while they could when the game's future was seriously in doubt (it was released before FFG confirmed they were picking up the license) I have serious doubts in would have been released as it was if it wasn't for that, so perhaps it should be treated as an anomaly.

For myself, I much prefer the way BI dealt with the suppliments for WHFRP. The problem (nearly) EVERY FFG release has is the syndrome of being unfocussed. We get huge swathes of extra background, but the weapons for various factions or races are often scattered between up to three or four source books, sometimes across different game lines. WHFRP on the other hand was much more straight forward 'Tome of Corruption' was comprehensive on Chaos, 'Tome of Salvation' was comprehensive for priests, 'Children of the Horned Rat' had all the rules for the Skaven race as PCs and NPCs. If this game line could be improved by one thing it would be a return to that format for suppliments.

Well, I see the equivalent to the Inquistor's Handbook as Into the Storm, which is the book that comes RIGHT after the core as the next to get. Look at how Hammer of the Emperor added to the Only War line. I just find the "all rounder" books the best for the 2nd book (that isn't a GM screen or new adventure), I want future books to go greater into detail on various subjects, but you can't beat the usefulness of a big ol' book for everyone.

As for the layout of IH. Yeah, without an index it suffers and it can be a hassle looking up that ONE certain weapon or item, but on the other hand, I love how it covers every section....just needed an index.

Usually a lurker- If someone else is going to jump onto the bomb-strapped bus I might as well join them. It's worth pointing out that the game "Inquisitor" had an eldar pirate prince and ranger option as characters who could join an Inquisitorial warband, complete with model, rules, and named character fluff. There's also the William King novel "Farseer" which is quite literally about eldar romping about with a rogue trader.

Yes - I also read that novel (its not bad at all).

These are good examples of eldar being able to blend in, if the correct circumstances are given.

Playing a xenos in Dark Heresy would be like playing a Jew working for the Gestapo.

It's plausible (Jews did in fact work for the Gestapo!) but I wouldn't feel very comfortable doing it.

Unless the campaign is designed for that type of 40k reality. While 40k cannon material is the most popular, imagination is the most important. No sense in limiting the imagination.

That's true, but publishing a book catering to one interpretation of the admittedly completely fictional universe de facto makes that interpretation the standard one.

I agree, however a supplement for an alternate version of the setting would be nice. Perhaps a book dedicated to different xenos playable characters. They could have a race per chapter.

It's one thing to cater to something that is possible but without precedent. It's another thing entirely for there to be document-able precedent in dozens of different pieces of source material, from Inquisitor Czevak (an Inquisitor Lord who was granted access to the Black Library by the Eldar and the "primary source" of 40k knowledge on the Eldar within the Imperium) to the sources cited above.

This is the latter. It might not be in tune with the tone of the organization's most conservative elements like the Amalathians or the Monodominants, but it happens somewhat often and is strongly supported by Games Workshop's fluff.

It's not in tune with the tone of the Imperium period, which is an explicitly genocidal government of which the Inquisition is the, well, secret police really.

Sure radical Inquisitors would be willing to work with the xenos filth -- for the same reason that Nazis who would have been viewed as dangerously unorthodox were willing to work with Jews and Slavs and so forth.

However, the motivation is not an issue for the Inquisition doing it -- it's for a xeno doing it. They would be out of their mind.

"Yes I shall work for an organization that advances the agenda of the huge government that explicitly states that it wants to wipe out my species. This is a wonderful idea!"

The only way it's going to work is if the Eldar is itself manipulating the Inquisition as part of its own plan, In which case, why is an Inquisitor going to have this xeno that has no loyalty to the Imperium whatsoever working for him in close proximity to secret information?

Either that, or the Eldar is completely immoral and willing to sell out his own species for -- something. And again, why would the Inquisition want to employ this completely amoral monster?

(Well Ok blackmail would also work -- but then again why?)

To sum up, a xeno working for the Inquisition is quite literally in the position of a Jew working for the Gestapo in order to uncover threats to Nazi Germany.

I can see a release schedule being:

General Handbook -> 3 Ordos Books -> Radical Book

Then mixed in bestiaries and such, plus adventures.

I can see a release schedule being:

General Handbook -> 3 Ordos Books -> Radical Book

Then mixed in bestiaries and such, plus adventures.

I would welcome this so long as each books stays focussed and, as metioned, avoid power creep. I don't want Malleus being more powerful than Hereticus just because the Hereticus book came out first.

Radicals dont need their own book.

Every ordo-book should have its own radical section as well as a puritan section.

And as it was originally intended, there is on Big radicals book. It's called Black crusade!

1. It could serve as a catch all for the ideas left out of the other books

2. It could cover xenos races serving with/under the Inquisition

3. It would cover radicals without them trying to purposefully trying to destroy the imperium (for BC)

Radicals in ordo books:

1.: Ordo Hereticus book: cults & their rituals, mutants, abhumans, warp weapons

2.: Ordo Xenos book: xenos as PCs, Xenos as allies (reinforcements), Xenos artefacts & weapons

3.: Ordo Malleus book: Daemon hosts, daemonic rituals, daemonic pacts, daemon weapons

I think its important the books be crunch heavy, rather than spending a long time on fluff.

On that, another book: The Askellion Sector Primer: Basically comprehensive gazetteers for all the worlds in one place. Featuring extra homeworlds and backgrounds as well at the beginning.

Well GZ, there is always limited page count...

I can see a release schedule being:

General Handbook -> 3 Ordos Books -> Radical Book

Then mixed in bestiaries and such, plus adventures.

I would want the Bestiary earlier in the release schedule. After the General book (since that would contain stuff that effects character creation) but before the Ordo books (since that would mostly be higher-level stuff). You can never have too many Adversaries to choose from!

However, the motivation is not an issue for the Inquisition doing it -- it's for a xeno doing it. They would be out of their mind.

"Yes I shall work for an organization that advances the agenda of the huge government that explicitly states that it wants to wipe out my species. This is a wonderful idea!"

To sum up, a xeno working for the Inquisition is quite literally in the position of a Jew working for the Gestapo in order to uncover threats to Nazi Germany.

Another option is that, since Eldar take their 'marching orders' from Farseers who are trying to interpret the most likely outcome of future events, it's possible that an Eldar has been assigned a mission to assist a specific Inquisitor against a common foe, based on glimpses of the future that indicate said foe will inflict more harm on the Eldar than the Inquisition. And of course the Eldar would have the secret agenda of quietly manipulating the Inquisitor to lead him away from possible Eldar targets...

Adeptus-B, I meant mixed into the general release schedule, prolly earlier. Worlds of the setting, bestiary, etc. are a definite must have.

Radicals dont need their own book.

Every ordo-book should have its own radical section as well as a puritan section.

I agree with this. Once my players looked at the radicals handbook they got REALLY excited and then the problems arrived. "But what's the downside?"

"well, you'll probably die?"

"so?"

In a game where lethality is already built in pretty heavily, death wasn't really a deterrent. Especially since there's nothing really stopping a radical from using puritan tools and weapons as well. As long as the people supplying the items are unaware of the daemonhost the Acolytes recently used to burn down a habcomplex reported to house cultists.

Radicals dont need their own book.

Every ordo-book should have its own radical section as well as a puritan section.

I agree with this. Once my players looked at the radicals handbook they got REALLY excited and then the problems arrived. "But what's the downside?"

"well, you'll probably die?"

"so?"

In a game where lethality is already built in pretty heavily, death wasn't really a deterrent. Especially since there's nothing really stopping a radical from using puritan tools and weapons as well. As long as the people supplying the items are unaware of the daemonhost the Acolytes recently used to burn down a habcomplex reported to house cultists.

You can always try the "you will die a horrendous death and daemons will devour your soul" approach. ^^