The Inquisitor

Silence falls upon a seedy, back alley tavern as a cold-faced human throws open the door: his coat almost reaching the ground as his slow, heavy footfalls become the only sound besides the hushed breathing of the patrons.

A Half-Orc barks an order to the party she is escorting moments before letting fly an arrow which narrowly skims the side of her companion before striking true. In the depths of the Underdark, an Elf stands back to back with a Dwarf: fighting as one against a horde of creatures of the deep.

Drawing strength from the vital nature of their sacred duty, each of these Inquisitors holds a zeal and a determination within their heats to overcome impossible odds: for no reason other than their belief that no others can. They serve differing purposes and their methods might vary wildly, but each is a master of control: both on the battlefield and in more subtle matters.

Unrelenting Pursuers

An Inquisitor is one who gives their life to the hunting and destruction of a specific quarry usually not sought out by others of their kind. While they are often less trained in martial or magical ways than others and do not wield the power of faith, Inquisitors draw their power from an unrivalled tenacity and drive.

An Inquisitor is able overcome enemies that would otherwise be far beyond them using a mixture of versatility, unorthadox techniques and careful planning that few could hope to replicate.

Duty and Sacred Tenents

An Inquisitor serves an Inquisitorial Order: usually but not always religious in nature. As such, they carry a certain degree of authority associated with their order, which might be interpreted in various ways depending on the world in which they are adventuring. Inquisitors generally walk a legal grey area: with their Order understanding that they may have to make questionable decisions in order to maintain their Tenents - it is this which seperates them from Paladins: an Inquisitor is expected to maintain their Order - not to follow it to the letter themselves.

While Inquisitors benefit from the authority they carry, they are usually offered no offical legal protection from their actions. While some may turn a blind eye, others may ignore the Inquisitors mandate and treat them like any other criminal should they break the law. Should news of an Inquisitor blatantly abusing their power reach their order, it is not unusual for other Inquisitors to be dispatched to bring the Inquisitor in for questioning or even kill them - depending on the frequency and severity of the abuse.

Creating an Inquisitor

When creating an Inquisitor, consider your characters Inquisitorial Order. What does their Order stand for? How did they come to join them - willingly or unwillingly? These are the kinds of question you should ask yourself.

In addition to this, you should consider how much authority your Inquisitor holds in the game world. You should speak with your dungeon master to help you determine this. Most Inquisitors are viewed with a mixture of suspicion and reverance, with many authorities being willing to turn the occasional blind eye to their less legal dealings if it means being rid of them as quickly as possible. Others however might be actively persecuted as an illegal organisation or mandated to act with actual legal authority.

Inquisitors come to wield a wide range of techniques: some prefering to stick to the seedy underbelly of society and learn through whispers and rumor, while others choose to stride boldly into town adorned in steel and grandeur. Your starting skill proficiencies will help determine who you are: while you will aquire additional skills as you advance as an Inquisitor.

Quick Build

You can make an Inquisitor quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Charisma, followed by Strength or Dexterity. Second, choose the Inquisitor background.

Class Features

As an Inquisitor, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Inquisitor level
Hit Points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Inquisitor level after 1st

Starting Proficiencies

You are proficient with the following items, in addition to any proficiency provided by your race or background.
Saving Throws: Strength & Charisma
Armor: Light armor and shields
Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
Tools: None
Skills: Choose three skills from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Religion and Stealth.

Starting Equipment

You start with the following items, in addition to anything provided by your background.

• Either (a) Leather armor or (b) Scale armor
  
• One martial weapon of your choice.
  
• One simple weapon of your choice.
  
• A mark of authority such as a scroll of Inquisitorial Decree, a Signet Ring or a Medallion of your order.
• Either (a) an Explorers pack, (b) a Dungeoneer’s pack.

Multiclassing

In order to multiclass into Inquisitor you require a minimum of 13 in you Charisma and Strength scores.

Inquisitorial Zeal

As an Inquisitor you have access to a range of abilities which draw on your steadfast grit and determination. This known as your Zeal.

You gain Zeal whenever you perform a critical hit with an attack or reduce a creatures hit points to 0. Certain Inquisitorial abilities may also grant you Zeal.

Many of your Inquisitorial abilities require Zeal to perform: while others may allow you to expend your Zeal to enhance them in some way.

Your Inquisitorial Zeal save DC for your abilities is
8 + Your Proficiency bonus + Your Charisma modifier.

Render Judgement

Starting at 1st level, as an action, you may loudly denounce a creature within 60ft. that can both see and hear you. The target must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for the duration of the Judgement.

Regardless of whether the target succeeds or not, you gain Zeal and cannot be charmed by or frightened of the target for the duration of the Judgement.

The Judgement lasts for one minute and ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated. After using this ability, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.

Combat Versatility

Starting at 2nd level, you may treat weapons with the 'Versatile' property as if they also possessed the 'Finnesse' property.

This does not effect your damage rolls.

Reposition

Also starting at 2nd level, you may use your bonus action to move up to 15ft. without triggering opportunity attacks.

You cannot perform the Dash or Disengage actions on the same turn as you use this ability.

Inquisitorial Order

At 3rd level, you begin to adopt the advanced techniques of one of several Inquisitoral Orders. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th and 14th level.

You may choose from:

• The Order of Witchhunters
• The Order of Seekers
• The Order of Retribution

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Lightning Strike

Starting at 5th level, you may use your bonus action to perform a single attack using a weapon that does not possess the 'Heavy' property.

If you have a free hand to do so, you may draw and stow a weapon as part of this attack, if you are not already holding it.

Relentless Judgement

Starting at level 7, you regain the use of your Render Judgement ability upon completing a short rest.

9

11

Mass Judgement

Beginning at level 13, when you use your Render Judgement ability, you may choose a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier to extend some of the effects to.

These creatures must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of their next turn.

The requirements of this ability are the same as those of your Render Judgement ability.

15

17

Enduring Judgement

Upon reaching level 18, if the target of your Render Judgement ability drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a turn of yours to Render Judgement upon a new creature for the remainder of the duration.

Avatar of Fanaticism

Upon reaching level 20, when you are reduced to 0 hit points you do not immediately fall unconscious. Instead, at the beginning of each of your turns - after making your death saving throw - you may choose to roll any number of your available hit dice and gain the resulting number of temporary hit points until the start of your next turn. If you do not expend ant hit dice in this way, you fall unconscious as usual.

If you suffer damage while in this state, you do not automatically fail a death saving throw unless that damage reduces your temporary hit points to 0.