The one glaring omission from DH is the Inquisitor in training. The Explicator/Investigator is kind of a core part of both the BI novels AND the TT fluff - yet I don't see a career/background/options for this career. I know that many have said that any Accolyte could be an Investigator later on - but thats not really how the fluff presents Inquisitor's in training who are supposedly picked from the moment that they would be entering the Black Ships if they are psykers or would be chosen from the Schola Progenum's greatest students.

As a career option I think the Investigator/Explicator would be great - he could be to the Psyker what the Arbite is to the Guardsman - a social and investigation based Psyker with less raw power and more skills and talents. He might also have some unique talents based on his training from the Inquisition and his social benefits (ie Peer Group - Inquisitors)

While I tend to agree, it's a topic of much debate and rancor. Dark Heresy offically presents Inquisitors and even trainee Inquisitors as unplayablely superpowerful characters... an assement I personally disagree with. Still, Interrogators and Inquisitors are a many and varied breed. I don't think a single career is appropriate for them. Personally, I think they would be better represented as an alternate career rank (see Inquistors Handbook)... with Interrogators being a rank 4+ alternative and a full Inquisitor being a rank 8 alternative. In fact, the Legatine Investigator is very nearly an Interrogators as it stands. Add advances for Psy Rating 1 - 3, with supporting talents and skills and I think you'd have it.

Frankly, I don't really read the book that way. It's implied by the career advances that only a character who has over 15000 XP is worthy of being considered an _Interrogator_, of all things, but at the same time, a reading of several of the sample Inquisitors give the impression that not all of them would be so powerful or experienced.

There's an alternate Rank in the Inquisitor's Handbook of Legate Investigator, available for most careers (Psyker included), that is described as a character being given part of the Inquisitor's authority and offers several advances that would be valuable for any Inquisitor to be. It's even stated that successful Legate Investigators are considered to be on their way to the Rosette themselves.

fimarach said:

Indeed, but you have to remember that Dark Heresy is a game focussed on playing the mooks, redshirts, and lowly expendable indentured servants of the Inquisition. Only such 'canaries' that survive their trials long enough to 'attain the final rank in their respective careers' (see Completing all ranks - DH p43) are considered worthy of even being offered the role of trainee Interrogator , and is its made clear on p43, that is beyond the scope of Dark Heresy ...such characters are 'too powerful' for the DH rules to cope with.

The idea that Dark Heresy is a game where you play Inquisitors, or even trainee Inquisitors is, according to the rules themselves, incorrect.

That's not to say you can't sort thigs out yourself and make the PCs Inquisitors or interrogators, but the rules authors consider that to be beyond the scope of the rules they wrote.

fimarach said:

Indeed. Wierd eh?

fimarach said:

Thats certainly a way to try and shoehorn such characters in, and if it works for you, go for it. I think you've got a fair bit of work ahead though, since Dark Heresy provides no answers to the following (all vital to sort out to allow PC Inquisitors / Inquisitors in training):

What authority does an Inquisitor have?

What responsibilities does an Inquisitor have?

How does he exercise these?

How does an Inquisitor marshal resources?

Etc.

I think all acolytes are Inquisitors in training though only few have the guts, balls and stamina to truly become one. Some of the careers are better suited for the job though, namely:

* Arbitrator: Good stamina, good investigation skills
* Cleric: Rightfully indoctrinated, great social skills
* Adept: Loads of knowledge, Psychic powers later on

Then again, you could always take the Legate Investigator or some of the simular careers to mimic the inquisitor in training.

GrtZ,

S.

Luddite said:

Of course some Inquistors can choice to be a little more subtle!

I disagree that such a career is necessary. Other than to satisfy the fluff, it would really be an unnecessary path. The Acolytes are only redshirts if the Inquisitor does not value their existence. He will not simply look at 4 random individuals and say, "Here, there are rumors of x occurring on x and I need you to save the entire planet." The book seems to imply that he has spotted something special in these individuals and has entrusted them with an important asignment. One that he is unable to perform himself at that time.

Santiago said:

Disagree with this. For the most part why would an Inquisitor actually need stamina and the majority of DH skills? For the most part I see them as administrators whose personal abilities are fairly immaterial. In effect they 'have people' to do such things. They don't have to be the best at anything, only know who is and be able to afford them. They are CEO's and not necessarily ground troops.

From this perspective actually playing one would be fairly dull.

Rashid ad Din Sinan said:

Not true based on Rogue Trader (aka WH40k version 1), 3rd Edition TT, Inquisitor skirmish, the Eisenhorn novels, Ravenor novels, etc etc....

Most Inquisitors are various men of action who take it right to the enemy. That is the nature of the 40k universe - heroes lead from the front.

DH is just stuck with the problem that having an Inquisitor on the team is unbalancing PLUS (as I can attest) having a person role play an inquisitor from the get go is nightmarishly difficult and a terrible smack to roleplaying. So it just SEEMS like they are CEO's and not ground troops.

Again though I have to say I disagree with the idea that an Investigator would be a high level Accolyte - they are not on a power level above an Adeptus Mechanicus Magos really and I find it hard to believe they would be on par with a maxed out DH psyker or Imperial Commander.

Perhaps the point of the Legate Investigator is the right way to go since I guess every Interrogator is a little different. It might be nice to see a background for them as well, maybe from the psyker area ("This one's different...")

Acolytes are essentially the guys who the Inquisitor uses to claim plausible deniablity of involvement

Inquisitors-in-training are just that, "in training". As such, I see them working much more closely with the Inquisitor himself, sort of a master/apprentice kind of thing.

After all, when they "graduate" to full Inquisitor, they'll be wielding true power in the Emperor's name. If it was me, I'd want to keep a close eye on someone if I was going to be handing them that kind of responsibility in the near future.

So i don't see them fitting in with the average group of acolytes. It's not so much the power level, more the background.