Inquisitor

His eyes alight with divine wrath, a dwarf strides towards his enemy, moving at a speed that should be impossible for a creature with such short legs. As he reaches his prey, the inquisitor lifts up his hammer and crashes it down again and again on his foe, his weapon glowing brighter with each hit. Soon the heretic lies dead in a pool of blood. Crouched in an alley, an elf closes her eyes as she concentrates on the magic emanating from the amulet she holds in her hands. After a short while, a luminescent trail appears to her, and she follows it to the necromancer's lair. She smiles as the witch's spells fizzle and fail around her while she closes the distance between them. Within a few seconds, her quarry lays unconscious on the ground, and is dragged away. The stake awaits her. Standing in a crowded square, a tall human yells as he points towards the building the evil cult is hidden in. Emboldened by his fiery oration, the mob around him rushes into the unholy house with a battle cry. The inquisitor follows them, strengthening their arms and their hearts with his prayers. No matter what their faith or their modus operandi is, inquisitors share one trait: ruthlessness. An inquisitor will hunt down any threat to the faithful, no matter the physical or social might of his enemy. Whether they rush towrds their goal with unbridled zeal, shield themselves from evil magic or inspire their allies to act for the good of the faith, the inquisitor will find a way to get the job done.

At Any Cost

Grim and determined, inquisitors root out enemies of the faith, using trickery and guile when righteousness and purity are not enough. Like paladins and clerics, inquisitors are dedicated to a deity, but they are above many of the normal rules and conventions of the church. They answer to their deity and their own sense of justice alone, and are willing to take extreme measures to meet their goals. Inquisitors look exclusively to the result of their work; where a righteous warrior may refuse to employ dishonorable tactics in an attempt to destroy evil, an inquisitor knows that his enemies will have no such qualms, and acts accordingly. After all, the faster the current threat is disposed of, the faster one can move on to crushing the next. This makes inquisitors subject to much dissaproval, but they, and most often the people they save from horrible fates, know that there was no better way to go about their bloody business. Inquisitors tend to move from place to place, chasing down enemies and researching emerging threats. As a result, they often travel with others, if for no other reason than to mask their presence. Inquisitors work with members of their faith whenever possible, but even such allies are not above suspicion.

Creating a Inquisitor

When creating your inquisitor, ask yourself how he came to be such a relentless individual: maybe his family was killed by evil creatures, and he set out to seek revenge, only to realize that many others were in danger of suffering his own fate, and decided to turn his energy to eradicating threats before

they could harm anybody. Maybe he was raised in a fanatically faithful environment, and sees anyone who doesn't share his views as a heretic that needs to be annhilated. Or perhaps he acts out of self-interest, helping others not because of a sense of justice but beacuse of greed, using his skills for profit. In any case, remember that inquisitors are single minded in their convinction and will stop at nothing to destroy their enemies; after all, the dirtiest tactics are often the most effective.

Quick Build

You can make a Inquisitor quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed close by either Strength or Dexterity. Second, choose the acolyte 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

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, Medium Armor, and Shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Martial weapons
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Stealth and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) any two simple weapons or (b) a longsword and shield or (c) any martial melee weapon
• (a) a Priest's pack or (b) a Explorer's pack
• (a) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a longbow and 20 arrows
• (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail
• a holy symbol

Judgment

Starting at 1st level, you can pronounce judgment upon your foes (no action required).

Starting when the judgment is declared, you receive a bonus based on the type of judgment pronounced. At 1st level, you can use this ability once per short rest. At 8th level and again at 16th level, you can use this ability one additional time per short rest. Once activated, this ability lasts for 1 minute. You must participate in the combat to gain these bonuses. If you are frightened, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, or otherwise prevented from participating

in the combat, the ability does not end, but the bonuses do not resume until you can participate in the combat again.

When you use this ability, you must select one type of judgment to activate. This judgment stays active until the beginning of your next turn, when you can change the type of active judgment that affects you or refresh your current one (no action required).

• Destruction: You are filled with divine wrath. You can use a bonus action to add a +1 bonus to all damage rolls you make this round.

• Healing: You are surrounded by a healing light. This causes you to heal 1 hit point each round as long as you are concious and the judgement lasts.

• Justice: This judgment spurs you to seek justice. You can use a bonus action to add a +1 bonus to all attack rolls you make in this round.

• Protection: You are surrounded by a protective aura. You can use your reaction to grant you a +1 bonus to Armor Class against an attack.

• Purity: You are protected from the vile taint of your foes, gaining a +1 bonus on saving throws.

• Resistance: You are shielded by a flicking aura, granting resistance against one energy type (acid, cold, lightning, fire, or thunder) chosen when the judgement is declared. At 8th level you may gain resistance to any one damage type of your choice. This judgment cannot be chosen until you reach 6th level as an inquisitor.

• Smiting: This judgement bathes your weapons in a divine light. Your weapons count as magic for the purposes of bypassing resistance or immunity. At 8th level you may change the damage type dealt to radiant damage. This judgment can not be chosen until you reach 6th level as an inquisitor.

Fighting Style

You adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you made with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Inquisitor’s Senses

The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance).

Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Spell Casting

By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on divine magic through meditation and prayer to cast spells as a cleric does. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this class's description for the inquisitor spell list.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Inquisitor table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your inquisitor spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher.

You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of inquisitor spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the inquisitor spell list.

When you do so, choose a number of inquisitor spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your inquisitor level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level inquisitor, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination.

If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.

Preparing a new list of inquisitor spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your inquisitor spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a inquisitor spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

• Spell save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + you Wisdom modifier

• Spell attack modifier: you proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a holy symbol (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your inquisitor spells.

Expertise

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Modus Operandi

When you reach 3rd level, you choose a modus operandi that guides your actions as an inquisitor. Up to this time you have been in a learning stage, experimenting with different methods to find out what is most effective. Now you choose the path of a Heretic Hunter, Witch Hunter, or Orator, all detailed at the end of the class description.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level.

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.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Beacon of Truth

At 6th level, your fervent belief in truth and justice bends the world around in such a way that you can project an aura of truth that extends in a 5 foot radius around you (otherwise identical to the Zone of Truth spell) you use your Spell casting DC for this effect. You can use this feature, for a duration of up to one minute, a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Cunning Initiative

At 6th level, your instincts have sharpened to the point that they grant you a warning against incoming danger, allowing you to react to threats faster than normal. You add your Wisdom modifier on initiative checks, in addition to your Dexterity modifier.

Second Judgment

At 8th level, whenever you use your judgment ability, you can select two different judgments, instead of one, expending a use of your judgment ability for each effect gained. You can can also now, on your turn, refresh or change all the judgement effects active on you. In addition the bonus from the Destruction, Healing, Protection, Justice and Purity judgments increases to 2.

Divine Strike

At 10th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage to the target.

Stalwart

At 11th level you can use mental and physical resiliency to better resist certain attacks. You can innately cast Absorb Elements a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. The level at which you cast Absorb Elements is equal to half the level of the spell that triggered the reaction rounded up. You regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

Exploit Weakness

At 14th level, you learn to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. For the next minute, you have Advantage on all attacks against one creature you designate within 30ft of you, and your attacks against that creature deal an additional weapon damage dice, which is treated as Radiant damage. You regain this ability every short rest.

Lasting Judgment

At 15th level, your deep connection to your deity and your drive to destroy wickedness sharpens your focus in battle. Your Judgment lasts until the end of combat, regardless of its lenght.

Third Judgment

At 16th level, whenever you use your judgment ability, you select three different judgments, instead of just two, expending a use of your judgment ability for each effect gained. As a bonus action, you can change one of these judgments to another type. In addition, the bonus from the Destruction, Healing, Protection, Justice and Purity effects increases to 3.

Blind Sense

Starting at 18th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.

Modus Operandi

Becoming a inquisitor involves taking a vow that commits the inquisitor to the cause of righteousness and of actively

fighting wickedness. However, these oaths do not specify how the inquisitor should go about their business. So inquisitors fall into broad categories based on their preffered prey and methods of capture and eradication.

Heretic Hunter

These inquisitors have dedicated their life to the destruction of those who commit heresy against their god. They pride themselves on their ability to strike fast and hard as they push their bodies beyond normal limits through their iron faith.

Divine Speed

Beginning at 3rd Level you learn to channel some of the energy of your judgments to boost your body. You gain a bonus to your movement speed equal to 10 feet while you have a judgment active.

Anticipate Heresy

At 7th level, you are always ready to react to sudden threats, leading you be the first to take action in a fight. You have advantage on initiative rolls. When you roll initiative you may activate your judgement ability.

The bonus to your movement speed from your Divine Speed increases to 15 feet.

Divine Wrath

At 15th Level, you have learned to channel divine energy to increase not just the speed at which you travel but the speed at which you act as well. While you have a judgment active you can attack three times whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The bonus to your movement speed from Divine Speed increases to 20 feet.

Divine Zeal

At 20th level, your desire to destroy heresy fuels you during combat, allowing you to strike harder than would normally be possible as you focus your mind on destroying your target. When you take the Attack action if you use all of your attacks on the same creature you add 1D8 bonus damage for each consecutive hit you land on the creature this turn. The count resets at the start of your next turn.

The bonus to your movement speed from Divine Speed increases to 25 feet.

Divine Zeal Damage

If you hit with your first attack, you would add 1D8 to the damage dealt by your second attack, and if you have Divine speed active you would add 2D8 to the damage dealt by your third attack.

Witch Hunter

Those that practice dark magic fear witch hunters. These inquisitors have dedicated themselves to destroying those that would use arcane magic to harm the innocent.

Spell Scent

Beginning at 3rd level, you learn how to sense unique spell signatures, and can follow the trail of a cast spell or spell effect back to its source. Once per long rest, when you come into contact with or are exposed to a spell effect or a magic item, you can spend 1 minute examining it.

If you do, you can cast the Locate Creature spell without expending a spell slot; the target of this spell is automatically the caster of the spell or the owner of the magic item you examined, instead of a known creature. Doing this does not allow you to gain any intelligence about the spell caster other than their location. You can do this even if the spell effect was instantaneous.

A spell's traces can be examined up to 1x the spell slot used to cast it hours after it was cast.

Spell Sage

At 7th level, you have learned to use the weapons of your enemies against them. Choose two spells from the Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard spell list. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Inquisitor table.

The chosen spells count as Inquisitor spells for you and are always considered to be prepared for you and do not count against the number of spells that you can prepare.

You learn two additional spells from the Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard spell list at 15th level and again at 20th level.

Witch's Bane Judgment

At 15th level, you gain the following judgment:

Witch’s Bane: When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration. In addition you add your Wisdom modifier to damage rolls against any creature that has cast a spell using a slot gained from any class other than Cleric, Paladin, or Inquisitor in the last turn.

Impervious

At 20th level, you are divinely protected from the magic that you seek to destroy. You gain advantage on all spell saving throws, and spell attack rolls have disadvantage against you.

Orator

Orators believe the more hunters chase the same prey, the higher the chance of catching it. This brings them to prioritize teamwork above individual prowess, bolstering their allies' capabilities rather than enhancing their own.This also means they see groups of weaker enemies as a worse threat than a single more powerful entity.

Fiery Oration

At 3rd level, the strength of your faith is visble to all, making elaborate speeches needless in the face of your evident convinction. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill, and add your Wisdom modifier to Persuasion checks instead of your Charisma modifier.

Bolster Group

At 3rd level, whenever you cast an inquisitor spell that doesn't target only you or a hostile creature, you may choose an additional target for the spell. You can use this feature once per short or long rest.

Crowd Control

Beginning at 7th level, once per short or long rest, when you cast an inquisitor spell that targets a single hostile creature, you may choose an additional target for that spell.

Thin the Ranks

At 15th level, your magic becomes empowered by the mere presence of enemies. When you cast an inquisitor spell that targets an area, you choose to either have its DC increased by 1 for every creature after the first three in its area of effect or to increase every damaging effect it deals by one die for every creature after the third in its area of effect. This ability recharges on a short or long rest.

The Group First

At 20th level, your mere presence is cabaple of fortifying your allies. Once per short rest, you may cast the spell Bless without expending a spell slot. When you cast Bless in this way, you can affect any number of creatures within range. You don't need to keep concentration on this spell: it automatically last for its full duration, and you can concentrate on another spell while it is active.

Inquisitor Spells

1st level

• Alarm
• Bane
• Bless
• Command
• Compelled Duel
• Cure Wounds
• Detect Evil and Good
• Detect Magic
• Detect Poison and Disease
• Disguise Self
• Divine Favor
• Ensnaring Strike
• Hail of Thorns
• Healing Word
• Heroism
• Hunter's Mark
• Inflict Wounds
• Protection from Evil and Good
• Purify Food and Drink
• Sanctuary
• Searing Smite
• Shield of Faith
• Thuderous Smite
• Wrathful Smite

2nd Level

• Aid
• Branding Smite
• Calm Emotions
• Continual Flame
• Cordon of Arrows
• Darkvision
• Detect Thoughts
• Enhance Ability
• Find Steed
• Find Traps
• Lesser Restoration
• Locate Object
• Magic Weapon
• Moon Beam
• Pass without Trace
• Protection from Poison
• Silence
• Spiritual Weapon
• Zone of Truth

3rd Level

• Aura of Vitality
• Blinding Smite
• Conjure Barrage
• Create Food and Water
• Crusader's Mantle
• Daylight
• Dispel Magic
• Elemental Weapon
• Glyph of Warding
• Lightning Arrow
• Magic Circle
• Nondetection
• Protection from Energy
• Remove Curse
• Revivify
• Tongues

4th Level

• Aura of Life
• Aura of Purity
• Banishment
• Death Ward
• Freedom of Movement
• Locate Creature
• Staggering Smite

5th Level

• Banishing Smite
• Commune
• Circle of Power
• Conjure Volley
• Destructive Wave
• Dispel Evil and Good
• Flame Strike
• Geas
• Greater Restoration
• Hallow
• Legend Lore
• Mass Cure Wounds
• Raise Dead
• Stoneskin
• Swift Quiver

Inquisitor Multiclassing

Should you wish to multiclass into inquisitor the prerequisites and proficiencies are listed below.

Inquisitor Multiclassing Prerequisites

Ability Score Minimum

Inquisitor Multiclassing Proficiencies