Extremis Diabolus: Radical Inquisitors

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

If you have not noticed, thread reader, I enjoy reading about the fallen heroes. Rouge Space Marines and Imperial Guard regiments that have somehow been seduced to give up fighting for the Emperor and fight for another cause (not necessarily Chaos).

Another fallen catagory I enjoy (especially after reading the Eisenhorn Omnibus, which I recommend to all) are Inquisitors that will even use the tools of the enemy to achieve their means. They are ruthless, intelligent, and not a little dangerous. They tread the fine line between heresy and mere criticizm. So, here are some rules I made for them...

Extremis Diabolus

Just as there are many foes that face Mankind, so, too, are there differing philosophies of how to fight them. The Inquisitor is a detective, hunting down the Alien, the Heretic, and the Daemon. But there are factions that differ in their views on how to go about destroying these threats, the main difference being whether to destroy anything and everything tainted by these enemies, or to harness their powers and technology for humanity’s use. The Inquisitor that believes the latter will be branded a “radical” at best (other terms, such as “heretic”, “traitor”, and all other manner of derogatory titles will more often be used…).
There are three factions within the Inquisition that are deemed “radical”: the Xanthites, who wish to harness Chaos for humanity’s use, the Recongregators, who work towards replacing the corrupt Imperium’s officials with persons willing to bring about change, and the Istvaanians, who work to strengthen the Imperium through conflict. All these beliefs would not be stood for by the Adeptus Astartes, the Ecclesiarchy, and other, more puritan Inquisitors. But these Inquisitors, because of the very powers they attempt to harness, are not the most easily brought down…

Radical Inquisitor:
This is an upgrade to an Inquisitor from either Codex: Daemonhunters or Witchhunters (or Alienhunters, whenever that comes out…). This may NOT be chosen for an Inquisitor Lord!

• +5 points
• The Inquisitor has Ld 9
• May count as an HQ choice.
• The Army the Inquisitor is in may not include Grey Knights or Sisters of Battle.
• Choose either Diabolus Xenos, Hereticus, or Malleus

Diabolus Xenos:
The Inquisitor is working a little too closely with the Aliens he is supposed to be hunting down, using their technology, artifacts, and, in some cases, psychic powers. But can the Inquisitor distinguish the line between the Imperium and who he is really helping…

The Inquisitor may choose one Codex from the following list: Dark Eldar, Eldar, Necrons, Orks, Tau Empire, and Tyranids. Wargear that normally affects only troops/vehicles from the respective codexes affects the army the Inquisitor is part of instead (for example, a Talissera from Codex: Tau Empire would bond the Inquisitor and the squad he is with, not a squad of firewarriors or battlesuits) The Inquisitor may take up to 50 points worth of equipment from this codex as allowed by the list below:
Dark Eldar: May take weapons and wargear from the armoury as if he were an Archon.
Eldar: May take weapons and wargear from the armoury, and may take one psychic power from the list of Farseer psychic powers or from the list of Warlock psychic powers. Note that the Inquisitor must make a psychic test for Warlock powers.
Necrons: The Inquisitor may take wargear from those available to a Necron Lord. He may take a Staff of Light for 30 points (which counts towards the 50 point limit).
Orks: The Inquisitor may weapons and wargear from the armoury as if he were a Warboss.
Tau Empire: The Inquisitor may take weapons or wargear from the Tau Infantry armoury (he may take an Honor Blade). He and his acolytes (if any) have access to Pulse Rifles at 5 points and Pulse Carbines at 10 points.
Tyranids: The Inquisitor may take weapons and biomorphs from those available to a warrior brood.

Diabolus Hereticus:
The Inquisitor instigates non-Imperial cults and helps them achieve their goals in order to hunt down other cults, retrieve artifacts, and thwart the machinations of mankind’s enemies. But helping cultists who wish to subvert or destroy mankind is a paradox puritan Inquisitors find unacceptable…

The Inquisitor may choose 0-1 Rogue Psyker to be part of his retinue and 0-2 Troops choices from the Witchhunter’s Adversary List, as well as 0-2 entries of Cultists from the Alpha Legion rules. Instead of a Rogue Psyker, a Psychic Apocalypse may be chosen, either for an HQ choice, or for the Diabolus hereticus Inquisitor himself (he may choose a psychic power from the list at +20 points). The Inquisitor may also choose up to 20 points of wargear from Codex: Chaos Space Marines.

Diabolus Malleus:
The Inquisitor will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Even if that means consorting with Chaos itself to destroy the Emperor’s enemies. But consorting with the Ruinous Powers, even if to turn them against the Emperor’s foes, is heresy at its worst…

The Inquisitor may chose up to 50 points of weapons and wargear from Codex: Chaos Space Marines. The Inquisitor may also choose up to one psychic power from the Chaos Space Marines psychic powers list. His acolytes also have access to the Chaos Space Marines armoury. Add 0-1 entries of Traitors to the troops choices as per the Adversaries List in Codex: Witchhunters.

As always, post your thoughts.

[Torquemada Coteaz]

hmm... nice.
Though I'm tempted to try and make an entry for "controlled inquisitors" since i read a 40k novel where an inquisitors had microchips inserted into his brain brining him into the control of an Eldar farseer, so that he can thwart the nightlords character's plans and give the Nightlord's primarch's crown to the eldar.
That book was pretty awesome.
Perhaps we may go further and allow inclusion of not only warger but units from the some of the xenos codex lists? but limiting the hereticus/malleus codex more? I can definitely see a radical xenos inquisitor joining an ork clan and trying to turn it against another one.

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Originally Posted by Torquemada Coteaz

hmm... nice.
Though I'm tempted to try and make an entry for "controlled inquisitors" since i read a 40k novel where an inquisitors had microchips inserted into his brain brining him into the control of an Eldar farseer, so that he can thwart the nightlords character's plans and give the Nightlord's primarch's crown to the eldar.
That book was pretty awesome.
Perhaps we may go further and allow inclusion of not only warger but units from the some of the xenos codex lists? but limiting the hereticus/malleus codex more? I can definitely see a radical xenos inquisitor joining an ork clan and trying to turn it against another one.

I think that would be a really good idea! I know Inquisitor Ravenor called an Eldar farseer "Lord" in the last Eisenhorn book. And he would probably try to utilize his friendship to try to further his goals... yeah! Perhaps merely making an Inquisitor of the Xenos Diabolus avaliable to all Xenos Codexes?

The reason Hereticus Diabolus got so many extra list choices was that I limited the armoury options, and the Chaos Marine armoury is not as different from the regular Inquisitorial armoury as the Tyranid biomorph options or the Eldar armoury, for example.

[Torquemada Coteaz]

Originally Posted by Inquisitor Rosenadel

I think that would be a really good idea! I know Inquisitor Ravenor called an Eldar farseer "Lord" in the last Eisenhorn book. And he would probably try to utilize his friendship to try to further his goals... yeah! Perhaps merely making an Inquisitor of the Xenos Diabolus avaliable to all Xenos Codexes?

The reason Hereticus Diabolus got so many extra list choices was that I limited the armoury options, and the Chaos Marine armoury is not as different from the regular Inquisitorial armoury as the Tyranid biomorph options or the Eldar armoury, for example.

well on the inquisitor as sort of "Dogs of War" or "mercenary" style doesn't really go. I think we should limit the races:
Tyranids would not use the Inquisitor (maybe absorb the genecode, but nothing like puppeteering. at least not beyond the range of using neurotoxins or biochem to turn him against his friends in a rage of bloodlust)
I dont think the orks would possess the intricate technologies needed
Eldar and DE definitely, possibly tau in the "near future" (from the POV of "now" in the 40k universe)
chaos, though not xenos, could have taken control of inquisitors through variety of means (just look at poor ol' valinov)

Also i was sort of referring to being able to take just units from other xenos codecies and combine with it by limiting the original Inq codex units even more (like no assasins or allies or something)

Oh and I'm guessing marines will definitely not ally with radicals? being zealous and pure and all

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Originally Posted by Torquemada Coteaz

Also i was sort of referring to being able to take just units from other xenos codecies and combine with it by limiting the original Inq codex units even more (like no assasins or allies or something)

Oh and I'm guessing marines will definitely not ally with radicals? being zealous and pure and all

Well, I wasn't thinking of them as mercenaries, per se, but as them infiltrating and such. But I guess that is kinda ridiculous...

I think you could keep allies: just make whatever Xenos the ally (you can only have one). But limiting other choices: most definitely.

Well, Marines might. If an Inquisitor told them to. Uriel Ventris used a Hrud Fusil weapon at the instruction of Inquisitor Kryptmann to kill a Norn Queen. But Sisters of Battle and Grey Knights would most definitely not. However, I think Deathwatch occasionally use alien weaponry, according to the Index Astartes. So maybe they would ally, but I doubt it. But normal Marines might. Might.

[Torquemada Coteaz]

I can think of some that wont ally:
DA (unless fallen involved :P)
Black Templars -hates xenos, psyckers, the works. and more than other chapters.

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Originally Posted by Torquemada Coteaz

I can think of some that wont ally:
DA (unless fallen involved :P)
Black Templars -hates xenos, psyckers, the works. and more than other chapters.

Well yeah. There are always exceptions. But you can still have SM allies if you have a daemonhost. But then again, the SM might not know what it is and therefore be ok with it.

But anyway, he would probably be deemed way to radical for any Imperial forces to help him much anyway, so limiting to just the alien codex and the limited Inquisitorial codex is probably best.

[Dan296]

two things.
did u write this or did u find it somewere? cause its really good.

however, i dont like the tyranid options. i think they should only be able to choose 1 weapon and up to 3 biomorphs, or something like that. otherwise, it would be kind of unbalanced.

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Originally Posted by Dan296

two things.
did u write this or did u find it somewere? cause its really good.

however, i dont like the tyranid options. i think they should only be able to choose 1 weapon and up to 3 biomorphs, or something like that. otherwise, it would be kind of unbalanced.

Ah, yes that would be better. I had forgotten to put a limit on that one. Thanks!

Yes, I did make it myself. I have made so many rules (most would never work because they're complicated or ridiculous)... I have a notebook just for rules I dream up. And I have even more on my computer. Most won't ever get posted. Just the good ones.

[Torquemada Coteaz]

hehe. all of mine are on paper.
i haven't really looked into actual xenos-codex stats so i havent really came up with any unit thats original
i have a 2 inch binder with quite the many pages
and another for concept arts :P

Excellent! I love this list actually. What angers me about GW is that they talk about the seduction of Chaos, and show how it brought low even primarcgs, but normal Inquistors and Chaplainsnow-a-days are somehow almost (almost) immune. I had been wanting a small army to play with, I may take these rules, tweak them a bit, and go with it. It would make sense for a heretical inquisitor that went to Chaos to be of a certain one of the 4 Gods, in my opinion, or if he was undivided, have some limits. Plus, what if a heretical inquisitor worshipped tzeenetch... Wouldn't they get some psychic influence... I think you might want to think of maybe letting the tau type take kroot merc. body guards, since kroot are tau already, etc.. And Chaos fallen inquisitors should be able to take a mark, with proper adjustments. We should so hammer out a mini-Codex between us two!

[Torquemada Coteaz]

well the thing is, the primarchs were more human personality wise than the chaplains and inquisitors of now-adays. plus the modern people are much much MUCH more aware, and much much MUCH more faithful in the emperor. the reason horus can be swayed is in his deep sadness/anger at emperor leaving and what not, and his brothers because of anything from jealousy to blood-hunger.
mind you, many a chapter (or companies) along with guards, commissars and whatnot still fall to the predation of chaos.
And im hoping by two you mean three lmao

YEah... Of course I meant three.. Damned words look too much alike. KEyboards should be smited.

[Torquemada Coteaz]

hmm just a thought.
perhaps stages of radicalism?
first is learning forbidden knowledge
second is using daemonhosts and allies and such
third is like, making your self a xenos race's god, accepting chaos daemonhood to "combat other chaos" or something similar?

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Originally Posted by Torquemada Coteaz

hmm just a thought.
perhaps stages of radicalism?
first is learning forbidden knowledge
second is using daemonhosts and allies and such
third is like, making your self a xenos race's god, accepting chaos daemonhood to "combat other chaos" or something similar?

This could work, limiting each stage by making less and less Imperial army options avaliable, and more radical options.

This was never intended to be a codex, mind you, just some rules to represent radical inquisitors... I've tried writing codexes and it's really long and hard work. I have not ever finished on I started. But if you would like me to be involved in making further rules, I'd be glad to help!

[Torquemada Coteaz]

ah. well in that case nevermind xD.
It'd be cool to write up the stats and rules for a full codex. but the playtesting stage is a bummer