The Estalian Inquisition

Hey guys. My group plays with a ton of modified and new rules, and also we encourage home brewed warbands in our campaigns, as long as we've play tested them enough. One that I always wanted to do was an Inquisition warband, but I definitely wanted to make it different from the Witch Hunters, which it would have been easy to just emulate. So this is what I came up with.

*Note: just want to get this in before a comment is made about it. The Redemptors price is based on the lowered armor cost that my group plays with, the idea (which i think seems to be widely accepted) that a stat increase should cost +5gc, him being stupid, the rule we play with that heavy armor and shield gives you -1 In instead of movement which (because of his required equipment) makes him functionally In 2, and that because he must buy a weapon from his list he actually will always cost at least 10gc more than his list price. So basically it works out to this:

- Average price of a champion (whose stat line he shares): 35gc
- +5gc for +1 Str
- -5gc for -1 In
- +25gc for Heavy Armor
- +5gc for Shield
- +10gc for Helmet
- +10gc for immune to fear, terror, and all alone tests
- -10gc for being stupid
- + minimum of 10gc for weapon cost
Total: 75gc without weapon, 85gc min. with weapon.

alright, now that thats out of the way, heres the list:

The Estalian Inquisition:

After the Templars of Sigmar aided the coastal nation of Estalia in repelling the Raiders of Araby, many of them were offered land and titles in payment of their deeds. They were even allowed to build their own Temples dedicated to their God. However, over time, the noble Knights died out but their retainers remained, often cruel men who were finally seeing their chance at greater wealth and power than they were born into. As the years wore on and the religion of Sigmar became more predominant in Estalia, these former servants began to establish their own seat of theocratic power, supposedly backed by the Grand Theogonist himself. As dissidence grew over the harsh edicts passed down by these men, they decided if they were going to retain their dominance, they would have to do so with an iron grip. Thus was born the Inquisition. They soon started to apprehend any one who dared denounce them, claiming that to go against them, was to go against Sigmar himself. They built a great darkstone fortress from which to hold their power, and named it La Pira, or The Pyre as spoken in the Imperial tongue. When word reached the leaders of the Inquisition that The Hammer of Sigmar had fallen on Mordheim, and that their was a new material found in the ruins rumored to grant amazing and strange powers, the Inquisitors began sending small clandestine forces out for the city, knowing that with this new material in hand, they would never have to fear losing their stature again.

Choice of Warriors: A Inquisition warband starts with 500gc, and may have up to 15 warriors, plus up to 3 extra Repentants.

Equipment: (*-Heroes only)

Inquisition
Dagger: 1st free/2nd - 2gc
Mace - 3gc
Axe - 5gc
Whip - 8gc
Halberd - 10gc
Rapier* - 15gc
2-Handed Weapon - 15gc
2-Handed Mace - 18gc
2-Handed Axe - 20gc
Brazier Iron - 25gc
Estalian(read: "ithilmar") Rapier* - 30gc
Pistol*/Brace* - 15gc/30gc
Crossbow - 25gc
Crossbow Pistol - 35gc
Light Armor - 10gc
Heavy Armor* - 25gc
Shield - 5gc
Helmet - 10gc

Redepmtor Equipment:
Sword - 10gc
Morning Star - 15gc
2-Handed Weapon, Mace, Axe - 15gc/18gc/20gc
Crossbow Pistol - 35gc

Inquisitors start with 20 Experience. May choose from: Combat, Strength, Speed, and Academic Skill Lists
Redemptors start with 12 Experience. May Choose from: Combat and Strength Skills lists.
Agents start with 8 Experience. May Choose from: Speed, Shooting, and Academic Skill Lists.
Henchmen start with 0 Experience

Heroes
1 Inquisitor - 60gc to hire

Hiding behind a mask of piety, the Inquisitors of Estalia are some of the most hideously wretched men in all of the The Old World. In many ways, they are more worthy of being reviled than even followers of the dark gods, as they at least have the decency to renounce Sigmar before committing their atrocities, instead of carrying them on in his name. They are master torturers, and are almost always vindicated in the end by their victims "confessions", inevitably given when they can suffer no longer. However, their grotesque nature can only be guessed at by those they afflict, as no outsider who has ever entered La Pira has ever been seen again.

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 4 3 3 3 1 4 1 8

Equipment: Inquisitors choose from the Inquisition equipment list.
Special Rules:
Leader - Any model within 6" of the Inquisitor may use his leadership.
Hatred - An Inquisitor is suspicious of everyone he sees, meets, or hears about. Inquisitors Hate everyone.

1 Redemptor - 75gc to hire(you must include one Redemptor)

As rarely as the world outside glimpses an Inquisitor, rarer still is it that one is seen without their personal bodyguard, The Redemptors. Always clad in a full suit of armor, and draped in robes dark as midnight, their faces are constantly hidden from view, and its whispered that no one embodies the armor at all, that they're driven alone by the dark will of their masters. The truth is almost as terrible. In actuality, Redemptors were all once proud Knights of the neighboring nation of Bretonnia. Drugged in the night by Agents and spirited away to La Pira, the Inquistors perform rudimentary lobotomies on the warriors, removing all free will and essentially any capability of thought at all besides what their new masters command of them. From that moment forth, the new Redemptor will never be much more than a guard dog for the Inquistor that "made" them, until they inevitably are killed in their masters defense and replaced by another hapless soul.

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 4 3 4 3 1 3 1 7

Equipment: Redemptors come equipped with a shield, helmet, and heavy armor. They must choose at least one CC weapon from their equipment list that is not a dagger.
Special Rules:
Past Rational Thought - A Redemptor is immune to fear, terror, and all alone tests.
Stupidity - A Redemptor will suffer from stupidity if his Inquisitor is stunned or not within 6" of him.


0-3 Agents - 35gc to hire

The Agents of the Inquisition are some of the most cunning and devious men in all of Estalia, but you would never know, since an Agent could be anyone. Hidden amongst the population all over Estalian society, no one can ever be sure that the man they're speaking with isn't working for the Inquisition, which has helped lead to the high state of paranoia throughout the nation. Typically Agents are not prone to joining any sort of fight, though they are all possessed of a skill with a ranged weapon.

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 3 4 3 3 1 3 1 7

Equipment: Agents choose from the Inquisition equipment list.
__________________________________________________ __________
Henchmen:

0+ Quarrymen - 25gc to hire each

Quarrymen are effectively the face of the Inquisition, as they are the men who prowl the night to break into homes, tear people from their beds, and drag them screaming into the vicious talons of the Inquisitors. Most Quarrymen are not what would be called "true believers", and are usually not much more than hired thugs.

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7

Equipment: Quarrymen may choose from the inquisition equipment list.

0-2 Executioners - 30gc each

Inquisitors keep many executioners in their employ, considering the actual killing blow delivered to the "heretics" they condemn to be beneath them. Sometimes when they venture forth, Inquisitors bring some of their executioners with them to aid in intimidating those who may speak out. The Inquisitors believe that where ever they go, no matter the language, when that black hood is seen, the only thought in the mind is "death".
M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 3 1 3 3 1 3 1 7

Equipment: Executioners choose from the Inquisition equipment list.
Special Rules:
Weapon Preference: Executioners may only wield weapons that require 2 hands to use, and may never use missile weapons.
Executioners Hood: Executioners cause fear in humans opponents.

0+ Repentants - 10gc each

Often times the victims of the Inquisition will confess to all manner of crimes and heresies the second they are brought within La Pira, before brand or blade ever touches flesh, believing this to be their only salvation. It is true that a quick confession will prolong their life, but once a person is within the Inquisitions grip, they are effectively already dead. These "Repentants" are usually marched out in front of an Inquisition excursion, screaming about how they've seen the light, and that all should repent as well. Unknown to most of them that they mean less to the Inquisitors than dirt, and will soon meet their demise as well.

M WS BS S T W I A Ld
4 1 0 3 3 1 2 1 6

Equipment: Repentants may never carry any equipment, and fight unarmed.
Special Rules:
Let the Sinners Die: Repentants only count as half a model for route tests, rounding down, ie: 3 Repentant deaths is equivalent to 1 death of another warband member, whereas 4 would could as 2.
Found the Light: Repentants earn experience, but never truly advance their skills. Ignore the effects of any advancement rolls they make, but keep track of what they rolled. If a group of Repentants ever rolls a result of TLGT, than 1 member of that group is finally allowed the cleansing blade of Sigmar and is killed. If a group ever rolls the same advancement twice, the entire group is killed.

Looks very interesting, I'm probably just being dense, but what are your house rules for double-handed weapons of various types?

thanks man. I should post all the additional rules we play with. I think they're actually on this forum some where, but they've been updated quite a bit since.

For double handed weapons, except for swords, they retain the special rules of their single handed counterparts. So a double handed club will have concussion, and an axe will have cutting edge. We're considering adding something for swords as well, since they're kind of left behind otherwise. The idea thats being tossed around right now is that a DH sword will attack in In order, instead of always striking last. That would go for when they charge too.

It looks really neat, but in regards to the Redemptor, the problem will come with the discrepancy between YOUR group's rules and everyone else's. Some options:

1. You keep the Redemptor exactly as is, except you include under his price and/or equipment: "This equipment is already paid for." This means if they use it differently, than they get the same old stuff at cheaper price.

2. You charge 35gc, but you add "you must purchase a shield, helmet and heavy armor when you first purchase a Redemptor." You can lower the price on the starting equipment list at the start, if you want, or you can just "damn them" and make them pay full price (which may work, if they have a DIFFERENT "improved armor rules" for that group (ex. Heavy armor grants 4+ save, etc.)

3. Make a special Inquistor only armor item that matches the armor of your group. Available only to the redemptor OR only to heroes OR only to Inquistors. That way, you control what it does exactly, without having to rewrite the entire system. Call it "Estalian Plate" or "Blessed Mail" or something.

Oh, and how do the Repennatent fight if they are unarmed? Do they use the Fist rules, or do they suffer no penalty? Maybe they come with 1 dagger each, no more?

Yeah, alot of our stuff would require some tweaking to be played by groups outside of our own.

right now, the repentants fight completely unarmed and do suffer the penalties for doing so, but we're considering changing it to them being armed with chains, pieces of wood, etc etc and fight with no penalties so they maybe don't suck quite as bad. Thoughts?

That should work fine, so long as it's clearly stated that they suffer no bonus or penalty for such improvised weapons.

Whoa! I just stumbled upon that warband... Great idea and very imaginative! I guess I'll make one myself when I find time to do so!

Looking back at these guys, they're just a boat away from being used as an Estalian Navy.

Great warband. My only issue is with the Redemptors. The idea of Bretonnian knights being kidnapped and lobotomized, while cool, seems really inneficient and cost effective. Why do they need to be Bretonnian?

Just throwing out an idea. But how about they are "heretics" who are picked up off the street by the Inquisition and never heard from again. It fits better with the "Inquisition" feel, and takes away something which is just one botched operation away from being an erantry crusade against Estalia.

Also, as a general fluff note: Estalia already has it's own inquisition. Generally, outside of the Empire nobody worships Sigmar, and Estalia is known for it's fanatical devotion to Myrmidia. If you are making a warband that is based outside of the Empire, and which has an Inquisition already, then shouldn't they worship their own goddess? It just seems to fit the setting better.

The repeated kidnapping of Bretonnian knights does seem a bit odd (and will sooner or later result in ye olde Crusade)... just make them warriors who have fallen afoul of the Inquisition who have "repented" under torture.

Overall, interesting warband - seems reasonably balanced.

I agree- I missed that part of the fluff.

Naw, make it unique to Myrmidia and not Sigmar. Also, why hate the Lady-worshipping Brets, when you can bash on the heathen Arabyans? They purge their land of any Arabyan influence, whether real or imagined.

Imagine this warband in a Relics or Khemri campaign- all 3 starting hero types gain "Burn the Heretic", meaning they hate all Arabyans. It would be great!

I can't find the name of the Arabyan deity, other than One God. Although, there's nothing to say that the Estalian's don't wrongly think the Arabyans of worshipping something else entirely: (ex. the old Termagant misconception)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termagant