TEXT: A Twist In The Tale:
  Scenario Components & Plot Twists
  By Robey Jenkins
  Inquisitor, it’s often said, is as much about telling a story as it is about playing a game.  But when one plays pick-up 
  games with the same people on a regular basis, it’s easy for games played using a familiar set of scenarios to start to 
  become repetitive and dull.  It’s no one’s fault, but the confrontations have become games instead of stories.
  Scenario components and plot twists are devices that can be used by a Game Master or agreed on by players to inject an 
  additional element of novelty or uncertainty into a game.  Each does so in a slightly different way, but because they are all 
  there to serve both the game and the story, they should be seen as part of the same dynamic.
  Scenario Components
  Scenario components are circumstances under which the 
  game  is  played.   Some  may  be  familiar  with  the 
  environmental  conditions  article  published  in  Fanatic 
  Online.  Other may recall my article about battles played 
  out on Holy Terra back in Dark Magenta 1.  Both were 
  about  providing  scenario  components,  and  I  commend 
  both articles to the dedicated group wanting a new twist on 
  an old theme.
  I won’t re-hash the ideas there, but I will offer a few new 
  ones for you to mull over.
  Frogger
  A busy highway bisects  the  playing space  and  hulking 
  juggernauts  thunder along it  to  their destinations.   The 
  parties must play out their fates at the whim of a merciless 
  transport system.
  Once the scenario’s other conditions have been agreed or 
  generated, roll a D10.  On 1-4, the highway runs diagonally 
  (roll  again  or  toss  a  coin  to  determine  which  diagonal 
  represents the highway); on a 5-8 it runs lengthwise on the 
  table; on a 9 or 10 it runs widthwise (on a square table, the 
  highway runs diagonally on a 1-5 and widthwise on a 6-
  10).
  The width of the highway is equal to 10+D10 yards.  Traffic 
  runs in both directions and there is a space at the middle, 
  2” wide, on which no vehicles should be travelling (but see 
  “Multiple  Pile-up!”,  below)  (masking  tape  is  ideal  for 
  marking  the  sides  and  centre  of  the  highway  and  for 
  making an arrow to indicate the direction of the traffic on 
  each side).  Any Action spent on either side of the highway 
  is risky.  If any risk roll is failed, make an Initiative test.  If 
  the Initiative test is passed, the character may dive D6 
  yards in any direction.
  If in the Initiative test is failed, the character has been hit. 
  An impact hits D3 locations, causing 2D6 damage to each 
  location.  If a 6 is rolled on either damage dice, roll another 
  D6 (if this is also a 6, keep rolling until a result isn’t a 6).
  The  character  is  also  hurled  away  by  the  impact. 
  Immediately move the character 2D6 yards in the direction 
  of the traffic and then roll for D6 yards’ scatter.
  Multiple Pile-up!
  Whenever a character is struck, there is a chance that 
  either the human driver or the vehicle’s automated safety 
  systems will have attempted to swerve out of the way to 
  avoid the collision.  Once the results of any impact have 
  been calculated, roll a D10.  If the result is greater than the 
  number of characters on the highway at the time, nothing 
  further happens.  If the result is equal to or less than the 
  number of characters on the highway, then an accident has 
  occurred and a pile-up is about to follow!
  Every character on the side  of  the highway where the 
  original character was struck, or in the central reservation 
  must  pass  an  Initiative  test  or  be  struck  exactly  as 
  described  above.   Once  a  Multiple  Pile-Up  has  been 
  resolved, all the traffic on that side of the highway stops. 
  Unscrupulous players may consider throwing opponents or 
  expendable followers into the path of the traffic in order to 
  cross in safety.
  Dark Magenta is an unofficial fanzine and is not endorsed by Games Workshop Group Plc in anyway. Text and layouts are © Dark Magenta and its proprietor. Artwork and characters are the property of 
  their respective owners. No part of this magazine should be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Dark Magenta is a non-profit-making organization and with the 
  aim of promoting the Inquisitor game, products and hobby.
  
  Page 2 of 3
  Inner Space
  The playing space represents a structure of several layers. 
  This  may  be  the  cramped  interior  of  a  Hive  spire;  a 
  collapsed hab-block, buried deep beneath the Ash Wastes, 
  the  maintenance  levels  of  a  striding  titan  or simply an 
  Inquisitor’s personal manor.
  Roll a D3+1 and divide the board into that many roughly 
  equal parts (dividing into two should usually be widthwise 
  on a 4’x6’ board and into four, widthwise and lengthwise; 
  dividing into three can be done in any number of ways and 
  we’ll leave you to think about the options) – masking tape 
  may come in handy here, again.
  Agree or randomly decide on a point on each “floor” that 
  leads to the next.  You could use coins (heads are “up” and 
  tails are “down”) or markers from the Space Hulk board 
  game.  It takes two Actions to move between one floor and 
  another.
  Defenestration
  If you’re feeling adventurous, you might like to decide that 
  certain points or, for the really glamorous hive spires, all 
  walls, are windows.  Characters thrown from windows may 
  fall to the next level (if they’re lucky) or plummet to utter 
  annihilation.  Take your pick!
  East of Eden
  Whether they are on a daemon world, suffering from a 
  chemical  attack  or  locked  into  some  psychosomatic 
  dreamworld (Inception, anyone?), the characters can never 
  be quite sure of reality or physics.
  Whenever you measure any distance, toss a coin.  On a 
  head, the distance is immediately doubled; on a tail, the 
  distance is halved.
  Applied  to  shooting,  this  means  that  the  range  you 
  measured to the target – say, 12 yards – if doubled is 
  counted as 24 yards when calculating range modifiers or, if 
  halved, is counted as 6” when calculating range modifiers.
  Applied to movement, if the declared destination point of 
  the model was 4 yards away, if doubled the model moves 8 
  yards  (far  beyond  its  intended  destination  point)  or,  if 
  halved, the model moves only 2 yards.  If movement would 
  put a model through a wall or other barrier, movement 
  stops immediately and the character cannot perform any 
  more Actions that turn as they regain their bearings.  If a 
  character is jumping and halves the distance they jump 
  then, obviously, they may miss their target and suffer the 
  consequences.  Movement types are not affected, so a 
  model that has a 4 yard walk changed to an 8 yard walk 
  still counts as walking for all other purposes.
  Plot Twists
  Plot Twists are inspired by the (very) old strategy cards that 
  were brought out for Warhammer 40,000’s second edition 
  (I’m showing my age again!).  These represent a sudden 
  turn of events, unexpected advantage or piece of careful 
  planning that can be played at any time.  If you want to 
  have plot twists, it’s a good idea for the players to agree 
  between them how many plot twists they want in a game 
  (generally, I would say that three each was an absolute 
  maximum and that one was the ideal).  Write them down 
  on scraps of paper, fold up the scraps and mix them up in 
  a bag or hat and each player then takes a turn to remove a 
  plot twist up to the agree number.  They then keep them 
  secret until the appropriate moment.
  The Element of Surprise!
  Play this plot twist at the start of the game before any 
  models are put down or entry points chosen.
  Your party has spent time scouting the area or has detailed 
  intelligence that has allowed them to take a march on their 
  opponents.  If they would have begun on the table or had 
  the first turn, they get to make an entire turn before their 
  opponents arrive.  If they would have had an entire turn 
  before their opponents arrived, they instead get two.  If 
  they would not have been on the table first, they now get to 
  arrive on the table first.
  In addition, their opponents are so flustered by this change 
  of events that they may not sprint, pause for breath or go 
  on overwatch in their first turn.
  Bombing Run
  Play this plot twist at the start of any turn before the first 
  character is activated.
  Your contacts in the Imperial Navy have sent assistance. 
  With a deafening roar of engines an aircraft drops from the 
  clouds to drop a deadly payload of explosives onto the 
  battlefield.  Pick a point anywhere on the tabletop and 
  place a  Warhammer 40,000 ordnance template.  Roll for 
  scatter and, if a scatter result is rolled, move the template 
  D10 yards in this direction.  Then pick a point on any table 
  edge.  Place the template again 3D10 yards along the line 
  between the centre of the first template and the point on 
  the edge of the table.  Place it again, another 3D10 yards 
  along the line.  Repeat this process until a result takes the 
  template off the edge of the table.
  Any model whose base is touched by any of the templates 
  is hurled D6 yards away from the centre of the template 
  
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  and takes D3 hits to random locations, each causing 2D6 
  damage.  Any model whose base falls entirely under any of 
  the templates is hurled 2D6 yards away from the centre of 
  the template and takes D6 hits to random locations, each 
  causing 2D10 damage.  Any model whose base falls under 
  the centre hole of the template is annihilated in a white-hot 
  explosion.
  Minefield
  Play  this  plot  twist  at  the  start  of  the  game  after  any 
  characters are put down or entry-points chosen, but before 
  the first character moves.
  Your intelligence indicates that there is a deadly minefield 
  in the vicinity and you  have  arranged your deployment 
  accordingly.  You may nominate an area up to 16 yards 
  long  and  8  yards  wide  as  a  minefield  (place  suitable 
  markers or apply masking tape to indicate the position of 
  the area).   The  area  may not contain  any built  terrain 
  pieces (i.e. it must be plain tabletop, woods or similar, not 
  ruins or buildings).  Being in the area is risky (of course).  If 
  the risk roll is failed, a mine has exploded with the same 
  effect as a frag grenade, centred on the model that failed 
  the risk roll.  In addition, roll a D6 for each 4 yards moved 
  through the area.  On a 4+, a mine has exploded in the 
  same way.  For each mine that explodes in each turn, roll 
  another D6.  On a result of 1 another mine explodes: roll 
  D6  yards  scatter  and  resolve  another  frag  grenade 
  explosion at that point (even if it is outside the limits of the 
  minefield – mines are not a precise tool, after all!).
  Jumping over, flying over or skimming over the minefield is 
  not risky (or, if it is, like jumping, then a failed risk doesn’t 
  set off a mine), but must still roll a D6 for each 4 yards 
  moved across the minefield, exploding a mine of a 4+ as 
  described above.
  Strafing Run
  Play this plot twist at the start of any turn, before the first 
  character is activated.
  Allies in the Imperial Navy have  redirected a fighter to 
  provide close support to your mission.  Draw a straight line 
  from any point on the board to any point on the board 
  edge.  This marks the line of the fighter’s strafing run.
  Any model touched by the line must make an Initiative test. 
  If the test is passed, the model counts as being pinned.  If 
  the test is failed, the model takes 2D10 damage to one 
  randomly determined location.  Once the strafing run is 
  complete, roll a D6.  On a result of a 5 or 6, the player may 
  play Strafing Run again in a subsequent turn.
  Infiltraitor
  You  have  cunningly  placed  an  informant  amongst  your 
  opponent’s  closest allies and advisors, but your enemy 
  knows that someone is out to get him – he just doesn’t 
  know who, yet.
  Play this plot twist at the start of the scenario and make a 
  secret note of the identity of the traitor.  Your opponent may 
  name one character in his party whose name you may not 
  write  down.   At  the  start  of  the  nominated  character’s 
  activation  in  any  turn,  you  may  claim  control.   Your 
  opponent must hand over the character sheet and, from 
  that point on, the character is yours to control.
  Conclusion
  The suggestions above are not intended to make games 
  “balanced” or “fair”.  Some of the plot twists, I freely admit, 
  make victory almost a foregone conclusion for the player 
  controlling that twist.  But “almost” is half of the fun in 
  Inquisitor and victory is all the sweeter when one snatches 
  it from the jaws of defeat or achieves it against impossible 
  odds.
  I’m sure, having read this far, that you can think of any 
  number of other possible scenario components and plot 
  twists.  If so, then write them down!  Send them in to Derek 
  at Dark Magenta and we’ll compile the best and funniest 
  into another article.
  Until then, remember: everything you have been told is a 
  lie!
  About the Author
  Robey Jenkins is a veteran player of Inquisitor, founder of 
  the  Inquisitor  Grand  Tournament  and  regular 
  organizer/attender of Warhammer World campaign days. 
  A retired British Army officer, he lives in Cheltenham where 
  he runs Precinct Omega, providing a range of services in 
  the miniature wargaming hobby, from custom painting to 
  games design.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/Inquisitor Skirmish/Articles/A Twist In The Tale.pdf