I'm working on trying to get the leaflets updated and in a state for Salute, which has meant trying to polish up the text more.
Changes from the last draft involve:
- Removing specific mention of Blanchitsu. I'm not sure whether this is still active in White Dwarf (I don't really read WD any more - I'm not involved in their core games), and if it is, how long it will still be.
- Tried to remove gender specific language, instead referring to the GM as "they" rather than "he".
- Avoiding abbreviations like "40K" or "GW". The names are now used in full ("Warhammer 40,000" and "Games Workshop"). Abbreviations are still used for in-game terms like "GM" or "NPC", but abbreviating trademarks gives the whole leaflet a less professional feel.
- On a similar note, italicisation of most trademarks/copyrighted terms. So far, I've done it for "Games Workshop", "Forge World" and game/book names. I've not done it for in game classes like "astropath", "servitor" or (when referring to a character rather than the game) "Inquisitor".
- I've removed specific mention of Warhammer World as a venue (while I think they're currently taking a more reasonable approach to booking, we haven't been there in a while and it's possible they'll do something silly again). I've gone for a more generic "held at a variety of venues around the UK."
If you spot any mistakes with any of these, please let me know.
+++ What is Inquisitor? (and other frequently asked questions) +++
Inquisitor is a narrative wargame, focused primarily around the conflicts of the Holy Inquisition, either amongst its own ranks or against the enemies of mankind. Unlike the main game of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, it is not about "the front-line of mud and gas and behemoth engines" (to quote Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn foreword), but is instead set amongst the internal and domestic complexities of the Imperium - shadow wars where good, evil, right and wrong all merge into indistinct shades of grey.
If you have read the Eisenhorn series, you will already be familiar with the concept of an Inquisitor and his closest allies striving against these more subtle (but no less dangerous) threats to the Imperium, with their reward often to die alone and unremembered by the billions of citizens they may have saved from the encroaching dark.
Inquisitor is your chance to tell the dramatic, daring (and sometimes clumsy) stories of these unsung heroes.
+++ What characters can I play? +++
With the right attitude, pretty much anyone in the Imperium or even beyond it - Inquisitor is a very unfettered game.
The most common approach is for a player's "warband" to be centred around a powerful and independent individual such as an Inquisitor, Rogue Trader, Tech-Priest or Chaos Magus, accompanied by allies ranging between warriors, savants, astropaths, thieves, servitors or any other possibility you can imagine.
As in Abnett's novels, these characters are very often not from the military, nor are they famed heroes; they are simply any man or woman who has the skills and courage to fight in the Battle for the Emperor's Soul - a war not always fought with guns and blades, but just as often minds.
+++ Where do I get models? +++
Inquisitor was originally produced in 54mm scale, shaped by the Games Workshop sculpting team's interest in doing a large scale range. This original range of (surprisingly versatile) multi-part models is now out of production, but the models can still often be found on trading groups and auction websites.
Larger 28mm miniatures (such as ogres or automatons) can also often be converted into characters such as 54mm Ratlings or servitors, and the exaggerated 'heroic' styling of the 28mm range means that many parts (most often weapons and equipment) are very suitable for any less exaggerated 54mm miniatures.
28mm scale Inquisitor has also become highly popular in recent years. It uses the same rules (generally using either centimetres or half inches as the game's 'yard') and capitalises on the ever expanding Games Workshop plastics range (although it can also be a wonderful excuse to use old metal models).
Kits from the Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Necromunda and Forge World ranges can all be combined in more ways than we can begin to explain here; The only real limits are the modeller's skill and imagination.
Many other manufacturers produce 28 and 54mm models easily converted for Inquisitor; Sci-fi and cyberpunk ranges are the obvious examples, but historical and fantasy miniature ranges can also be adapted to the pseudo-historical styles seen in Warhammer 40,000 artwork.
Either (or both!) scales represent opportunities to explore corners of the galaxy that the core Warhammer 40,000 game does not.
+++ How is the game played? +++
Inquisitor is uniquely described as a 'narrative wargame', because unlike many tabletop games where players field balanced 'armies' and each side is simply attempting to beat the other, the Inquisitor ethos is more around semi-competitive storytelling.
For an analogy, Inquisitor is 'tabletop improv theatre' - the gamesmaster (or "GM") is the director/scenesetter, the players are the actors, and the characters are their roles.
It is wargaming for poets; part skirmish and part RPG, it offers players the freedom to envision and play a fully realised cast of characters with all their personal drives, prejudices and heroics.
The GM is central to this experience, as they have the power and responsibility to oversee the game; they design the scenario, control any "non player characters" (NPCs) and generally ensure that the narrative flows fluidly and enjoyably for all players - even if it does sometimes mean bending or ignoring the rules.
An Inquisitor scenario can take many forms, between desperately escaping from exploding reactors, to stealth missions in heavily guarded libraries. Players will generally require thought and creativity to succeed, rather than simply being able to prevail solely through force of arms.
Games are also generally small; each player will normally control one to four characters, with perhaps ten or twelve characters in total on the table (including any controlled by the GM).
New players sometimes feel overwhelmed when they first read the rulebook, but as with most games, the rules are a lot simpler than they first appear. Once you get used to the game, almost all of the charts you need are collected together on a single A4 reference sheet.
+++ Inquisitor Community Events +++
Members of the Inquisitor community organise multiple events each year, held at a variety of venues around the UK.
These events vary between sprawling narratives where dozens of players are thrown into events that could shape the fortunes of an entire sector, invitational events with finely tailored plot threads, and the ominously named Inquisitor Grand Tournament (or IGT) - a casual "tournament" encompassing the whole hobby, with attendees scored on their characterful play, fiendish GMing, creative miniatures, and knowledge of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
If you are new to the game (even if you’ve never played before) then you’re still welcome at these events - the veteran players will be more than happy to help you through your first few games.
News of upcoming events can be found by joining/following the various websites and Facebook pages listed in the support section.
+++ Where can I find support? +++
Inquisitor is officially out of production, but many fanatics have set up their own support for the game:
The Conclave is an online forum specifically for Inquisitor. Descended from Games Workshop's old Inquisitor and Specialist Games forums, it is home to dedicated players, rules & background discussion, painting, modelling and online roleplaying:
www.the-conclave.co.uk
www.facebook.com/theconclaveforum/
The Ammobunker forums have a section dedicated to 28mm Inquisitor modelling and events:
www.ammobunker.org
Inquisitor 54mm on Facebook is a group specialising in the game's original 54mm scale:
www.facebook.com/groups/Inquisitor.54mm/
The Inquisitorium caters to 28mm Inquisitor and other related narrative skirmish games:
www.facebook.com/groups/inquisitorium/
Dark Magenta is a (free!) fanzine publisher of articles and sourcebooks, including background, rules, modelling articles and battle reports.
www.darkmagenta.net
The Carthax wiki is home to the Carthax Sector archives - an open project to document the setting and stories created by the Inquisitor community and its events. It also includes an expanded version of this FAQ, with more advice on starting, writing, playing and running Inquisitor.
carthax.fandom.com
For a couple of other sections:
+++Getting started with Inquisitor+++
This will still use Heroka's infographic.
Inquisitor is a wargame with the brakes off: a bare-back, whiteknuckle ride that takes all the bits you like best about tabletop wargames (the rich context, the dark themes, the shock of conflict) and roleplay games (colourful individuals, the fate of the galaxy hanging by a thread, sudden changes of personal fortune in the time it takes to pull a trigger) and throws them into a single package. It's like a cooperative novel and a competitive action movie rolled up into one thing. It's wargaming for poets. It's falling to your knees in a sea of corpses, an empty stubber in one hand and a bloody chainsword in the other, screaming "If this is heresy, it feels SO GOOD!"
PrecinctOmega, The Conclave
The question remains of what should and shouldn't be on the support list. Some of those sites are pretty stagnant (and I have to admit that's my problem when it comes to Dark Magenta, but it's been slow going when it's mostly just me working on it), but I don't want to snub anyone by taking anything off (and half of the hope is that those sites will be
less stagnant with some publicity).
~~~~~
Any other corrections or changes people think are necessary?
