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Inquisitorial Ships

Started by Vladilek, August 18, 2011, 06:18:41 AM

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Inquisitor Goldeneye

Thanks for the feedback, fellas.

As regards the size/ number of troops it should be able to house; I did do a little research to look up what might be a reasonable amount, but I seem to have got the numbers mixed up. Can anyone suggest a better figure?

On ther other hand, I quite like Dapper's idea about it being a Dropship, with atmospheric flight and planetary landing capabilities...

As for the Necron 'Black Box', Goldeneye wants it close on hand to study (Necrons being somthing of an obssesion for him). It isn't actually connected to the ship's power systems, but it could be powered up on short notice in a 'We've tried everything else, and we're going to be destroyed anyway if this doesn't work so we might as well give it a shot' type situations.
'A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.' -  William Wordsworth.

Ynek

Quote from: Inquisitor Goldeneye on September 13, 2011, 10:25:25 PM

Length: 1.8 miles.

Crew: Aprox. 800, plus servitors.

Apologies. When I origianlly read this, I thought it said 1.8 KILOMETRES, rather than miles.

But a ship of 1.8 miles would be approximately 2.9 kilometres.... Which is quite a large vessel, by Imperial standards, as shown below:



At 1.8 miles/2.9 kilometres, Goldeneye's ship would actually be closer to a light cruiser than a frigate or dropship. It already dwarfs the Imperial Dauntless Class....

For a ship of this size, we're talking a crew of at least a few thousand, depending on just how much extra manpower is needed to handle all the delicate and venerable systems of a ship of this age and complexity. The ship itself is unique, so it could have any number of crew, but I would probably say at least a couple of thousand.

As for how many troops it should be able to carry, a large Imperial transport such as a troop carrier (which is actually marginally smaller than a Dauntless) can carry several full regiments (never mind platoons) of men, complete with support staff, medicae, tanks, walkers, superheavies and ordnance. Basically everything that an invasion force could need or want could be carried by a mere handful of Imperial troop transports.)

That is, of course, assuming that Goldeneye's ship is a troop transport. It could just as easily be a cargo vessel...
"Somehow, Inquisitor, when you say 'with all due respect,' I don't think that you mean any respect at all."

"I disagree, governor. I think I am giving you all of the respect that you are due..."

Inquisitor Goldeneye

Ah... I see.

Yes, there may have been an element of the old Imperial/ Metric confusion going on here, and of course, my ignorance of 40K ships (beyond a few broad generalisations) didn't help.

Thanks for the feedback, it seems I need to go away and have a serious rethink of The Oath's dimensions.
'A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.' -  William Wordsworth.

Akuro Adenn

I think that having a ship is not beyond the means of the Inquisition, especially if it is within reach of a Rogue Trader. You may, however, find issues with getting anything bigger than a Frigate unless it has a long history with the Inquisition anyways. And you won't be getting something bigger than a Light Cruiser- Anything else is way too big and obvious. All in all though, I could see a lot of Inquisitors running around with their own Frigate. Or Transport, if they were wanting to be more subtle.

I think the presence of a ship would put more character into an Inquisitor's story. Where did it come from? How did it get refit like it did? Did the Inquisitor seize it himself, or was it passed on by his mentor?

Remember that a ship is unlikely to directly interfere with scenarios, aside from the owner being able to call down a Valkyrie for Evac. Yeah, he could just have a Valk hovering behind him, blowing up everything he points at, but Isn't that a problem for pretty much every guy that has one modeled? Its all about what the GM allows. In short- Think about how it will add to the story.

Koval

Quote from: Akuro Adenn on June 12, 2012, 01:03:31 AM
I think that having a ship is not beyond the means of the Inquisition, especially if it is within reach of a Rogue Trader. You may, however, find issues with getting anything bigger than a Frigate unless it has a long history with the Inquisition anyways. And you won't be getting something bigger than a Light Cruiser- Anything else is way too big and obvious.
I've found a way to justify a Dictator before, but that was strictly a one-off and not something I'm likely to repeat (the short version is that it was decommissioned, then repurposed as a black-ops vessel, and is owned by an extremely stubborn old lady who thinks a multilaser is a perfectly reasonable personal defence weapon*). I'm generally not keen on Inquisitors having giant ships as a general rule, largely because they'd be misusing their authority if they just hoiked an active warship out of its parent fleet and expected the rest of the fleet to get on with it.

QuoteAll in all though, I could see a lot of Inquisitors running around with their own Frigate. Or Transport, if they were wanting to be more subtle.
I generally limit it to frigates or Q-ships, or the odd raider if I feel contrary. A couple of my characters don't even have their own ships, though, but that's either because I've not yet designed ships for them, or (in Haines' case) because he restricts his activities to one subsector and tends to hitch a ride to and from the subsector capital on other people's ships.


*The Inquisitor in question used to be extremely active considering she's well into her third century, but is now confined to a tank-chair and needs a giant gun in order to remain as active as before. It helps that she can disguise it as part of her life-support system, and it helps even more that she doesn't actually need the life-support in the first place.

Dolnikan

Most of the inquisitorial personel we have in our games lack their own ships, mostly because they have little need for the massive number of people one needs to crew them, that means more chances of treason, it is hard to fully control a spaceship. Also, most planets are regularly visited by traders, and entering a planet undercover is much easier when one arrives as a simple traveller rather than with an entire spaceship arriving nearly without cargo for the planet and staying longer than would be expected.
Circles of the wise My attempt at writing something, please comment on it if you have any advise.

Akuro Adenn

@Koval- I agree that they shouldn't have free access to huge ships, with the definite hard limit being at the light cruisers, which should be a rarity. That said, it is not beyond the reach of an affluent or ambitious Inquisitor. But then again, we're talking about the possibility here. I'm not saying every Inquisitor gets handed a ship when they get their badge. I'm saying that one way or another, they have the ability to claim a ship as fitting. Should they do so, its up to them to make it work right.

@Dolnikan- That massive number may be unneeded in the context of the retinue, but all the same, it is convenient because of the likely-hood of at least a few retinue potentials being housed within. And to its governing, that is what a hierarchy of officers is for. You keep the top ones in line, and they keep their underlings in line, and so on ad infinum. As for how they keep their activities low key, that one is up to them (And a great opportunity for more Story). A puppet Rogue Trader or would be Naval scout is likely to be the excuse that they'd use.

Dolnikan

The problem is that there are many crewmembers, making it relatively easy to sneak in agents who can strike when the time is right. It also makes tracing the inquisitor a lot easier, a ship is a lot harder to lose than a small group of people.

Of course inquisitors can get anything they like, but they often want to avoid doing what entering a system with a warship will certainly do, alert everybody to their presence.

The problem with a ship is that once certain enemies know about it they will see it as a target.
Circles of the wise My attempt at writing something, please comment on it if you have any advise.

Knobby2

Ive got several characters across gw games,

My rogue trader has his own cargo ship has a very small living crew, and a lot of servitors, less cost too maintain no food or washing bill ;), it is a modified cargo ship with a guest deck for various passengers, it has been used by an inquisitor posing as a down on his luck noble,

One inquisitor I used for a large 40k campaign was the overall leader of the imperium faction player's he had access to a full fleet of 73 ships at his disposal, but this was an amalgamation of 4 fleets, and it was purely due too campaign circumstances, no marine ships under his direct authority and only 1 battleship, the ships were also assigned too smaller fleets for logistical ploys and such, also this was a 40k campaign

As for other inquisitors i use for other games i have 5, 1 with his own arvus lighter, 1 with a small system ship and the other 3 have too pay taxi fares


Shannow

Quote from: Knobby2 on June 12, 2012, 04:38:02 PM
a lot of servitors, less cost too maintain no food or washing bill ;)

I for one like my servitors all clean and sparkly!

New! Servo-Shine! Your servitors looking dull and glum? Then you need Servo-Shine! Blam and the dirt is gone for a more holy clean!

Order now, call 0800-666-EYHBTIAL!!!!!


Topic,,, what topic....
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

Time to die.

Knobby2

ill call later for a bulk order discount on my servitors, but yes topic

i think inquisitor's can have ships but people need too be real with it last time i checked battle fleet aggripna wasnt a fan of sticking learner plates on its emperor class battleship for a novice inquisitor, and most sane imperial navy captains, will be reluctant too lend anything bigger than a lighter too an untried inquisitor. where by yes and inquisitor lord has absolute authority he will second a fleet but it will still have captains and such, and as soon as the mission/campaign/war is over the fleet will fall back out of his control

Dolnikan

The problem with servitors is that they also need to be maintained and lots of tasks cannot be performed by them. Then there will be the many tech-priests and various other staff. Something as large as a ship can also easily be home to small bands of people who remain undetected for a long time.
Circles of the wise My attempt at writing something, please comment on it if you have any advise.

Knobby2

I agree, I read one of the gw novels (title eludes me for now) the captain vanished presumed dead as elements of his crew werent happy with the way he was running his ship (he ran it the right way not the drug runner way) and he ended up finding a hidden population who helped him back too his rightful seat,

The rt does also a chief engineer with a few apprentices on his crew manifest

many of the servitors are slave minds cargo, reloading, waiter and comms are the more common ones on the ship, as for waiter imagine a servitor serving you soup with the cliched french pencil moustache

Kaled

Off the top of my head, I think only one of my Inquisitors has his own ship. The rest requisition them as and when they need one, whether that be a Navy vessel or an Inquisitorial asset (perhaps belonging to a Conclave, cell or cabal of which the Inquisitor is a member). Or they hitch a lift with a Chartist or Rogue Trader ship that is going their way.

For example, when Kaled wished to get to Dalthus for the recent conclave he used several ships - it was something like he rerouted a Destroyer to transfer him to a chartist vessel, which later rendezvoused with a Rogue Traders's ship.

My Rogue Trader and Explorator on the other hand both have small fleets at their disposal with a mix of types of ship...
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

Akuro Adenn

Now, I'm not saying any of these things are invalid- Indeed, they are factors that need to be taken into account. I just feel that the heart of this topic is the ability to have them, and what limitations they have. What you guys have touched on is the consequences, or lack thereof. How each character deals with these helps define his personality and behavior.

My first Inquisitor and her retinue will have a ship of their own, a heavily modified Light Cruiser that's been in service to her sector's conclave for a millennium. There's a lot more to it, but it's not that important.