Prestige Class: Inquisitor

 

            Defenders of the faith, pioneers of religion, interpreters of canon law, seekers of the truth, or scourges of their religion—all can describe the Inquisitor.  These people rise above the ranks of mere priests or adventurers.  Inquisitors are the upper echelon in their religion.  They dedicate their lives—and souls—to whatever god or religion they serve.  Their powers involve divining the truth, serving their faith, and at higher levels, contacting beings that serve their deity.

            Obviously, clerics are the most common inquisitors.  However, paladins and wizards often serve a deity and join the ranks of the inquisitors.  Occasionally a fighter or monk will become an Inquisitor as well.  Barbarians, bards, druids, sorcerers, and rogues are almost never Inquisitors.

Adventures: Inquisitors rarely go on minor quests to retrieve treasure or kill orcs.  However, when their cause is threatened, the wrath of a righteous Inquisitor is a terrible sight to behold.  Should a holy relic be stolen, a church be desecrated, or a priest be murdered, the Inquisitor will often embark on a holy quest to right the wrongs—and punish those responsible.

Characteristics: Inquisitors are very logical and careful.  Their powers are always used to augment their religion, one way or another.  Of course, many inquisitors argue that since they are their religion’s pillars, powers that benefit themselves obviously benefit the faith.

Requirements:

Alignment: Any lawful.

Skills—Knowledge (Religion): 6 ranks.

Sense Motive: 4 ranks.

Intimidate: 3 ranks

Diplomacy: 4 ranks.

Feats—Skill focus: Knowledge (Religion.)

Iron Will.

Special—Must actively belong to a religion.

Class Skills: Concentration (con), craft (int), Diplomacy (cha), intimidate (cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (int), knowledge (Religion), scry (int, exclusive), sense motive (wis), spellcraft (int).

Skill points per level: (2 + int modifier).

Class Features: Inquisitors are proficient with all simple weapons, with light armor, and with shields.  They (obviously) lose no proficiencies they may already have.

Spells: If not previously able to cast divine spells, an Inquisitor advances as a cleric of his level.  If previously able to do so, he adds a level to his spellcasting class (for the purposes of spells per day only).

Deity, Domains, and Domain Spells: If they possessed any priest spells, their domain spells carry over.  If they were not a cleric, they choose the domains of the god they serve.

Spontaneous casting: If the Inquisitor had this ability, he does not lose it.  However, if he did not have it, he does not gain it with this prestige class.

Turn or rebuke undead: If the Inquisitor was not a cleric, they affect undead at a level equal to their prestige class’s level.  If they were a cleric, each level they gain as an Inquisitor is added to their cleric level for the purposes of turning undead.

Repel Demons: The Inquisitor gains the power to drive out demons and devils.  This is in all ways similar to turn undead (note that no inquisitor, even an evil one, will ever knowingly traffic with demons or devils.  Hence there is no "rebuke demons" ability).

 

Level    Base Attack  Fort             ref            will            special

1          +0                    +2            +0            +2            Repel Demons,

2          +1                    +3            +0            +3            speak tongues 1/day+int

3          +2                    +3            +1            +3            Detect Lie, 1/Day+wis

4          +3                    +4            +1            +4            Holy smite, 1/day

5          +3                    +4            +1            +4        Righteous rage, 1/day

6          +4                    +5            +2            +5            Contact Power, 2/week

7          +5                    +5            +2            +5            Summon Lesser Servant, 1/week

8          +6/+1               +6            +2            +6            Raise Dead, 1/week

9          +6/+1               +6            +3            +6            Wrath of god, 1/day

10        +7/+2               +7            +3            +7            Miracle, 1/month

 

Abilities:

Repel Demons: Upon being confronted by a demon, the Inquisitor may attempt to repel it.  The Inquisitor presents his holy symbol (very similar to turning undead) and commands the demon to be gone.  The demon or devil must then roll a will save (DC equal to 10 + the inquisitor’s level + the inquisitor’s charisma modifier).  If the demon succeeds, the attempt fails.  If he misses the roll by 1-5, the demon is held back at a 10-foot radius, similar to a protection from evil.  If the demon misses by more than five, (but not a natural 1), it is forced to return to its own plane.  Should the demon roll a natural one, it has a 50% chance of being forced back to its home plane, a 35% chance of taking 6d6 damage instantly (And still being repelled), and a 15% chance of being destroyed.  The Inquisitor may use this power up to once a day per level.

 

Speak in Tongues: By calling on his deity’s wisdom, the cleric gains the ability to speak with any sentient being.  Anything he says is understood by whomever he speaks to, and he understands all languages in turn.  This power lasts for one turn per Inquisitor level.  The inquisitor may do this once per day plus his intelligence modifier.

 

Detect Lie: The Inquisitor is so astute that he is able to discern whenever anyone tells a lie, attempts to evade an answer, tells a half-truth, or even gives misleading information.  He may use this power on any statement that another person makes, but only up to once per day plus his wisdom modifier.  The attempt is automatically successful in that the Inquisitor knows if the previous statement was at all untrue.  However, he does not necessarily know what the actual truth is.  He may make a special Sense Motive roll, DC 20.  If successful, the Inquisitor knows the truth.

 

Righteous Rage: This power is similar to that of a barbarian.  However, the Inquisitor may only enter it when he is truly angered by some affront to his religion.   Thus, encountering an angry minotaur is not justification for a holy rage.  If the same minotaur desecrates a holy symbol, or insults the Inquisitor’s deity, then the Inquisitor may enter the purity of rage.  Unlike a barbarian, the Inquisitor does not frenzy.  Rather, his senses becomes sharpened and he becomes as focused as the point of a dagger, determined to eliminate the threat.  His scores themselves do not increase.  However, he enjoys many benefits: He gains a +2 morale bonus to fortitude saves, and a +4 moral bonus to will saves.  In addition, he gets a +2 insight bonus to all attack rolls.  Finally, he is automatically considered to be proficient with whatever weapon he is currently using (no benefits if he already is).

 

Holy Smite: With this power, the Inquisitor directly channels his deity’s anger through himself.  Very similar to the paladin’s smite evil ability, the Inquisitor is able to attack any enemy of his religion.  The Inquisitor adds his charisma modifier to the attack, and deals +1 damage per level.  In addition, the Inquisitors charisma bonus may be calculated in to a creature’s damage reduction or magic resistance.  (thus an Inquisitor with a charisma of 14 smiting a creature with damage reduction 15/+2 will inflict full damage).  The Inquisitor may only use Holy Smite once per day.  However, since it is the Inquisitor’s perceptions of what an enemy is, holy smite always works (unlike smite evil.)

 

Contact Power: At this level, the Inquisitor has accrued such standing with his deity that he may actually speak with the deity for a brief time.  Up to twice per week, the Inquisitor may attempt to contact the deity directly.  Most deities will choose to answer the inquisitor (woe to he who attempts to speak to a deity frivolously).   The Inquisitor may only speak for about one round per level.  At the end of which, he must make a will save at a difficulty equal to 13+the number of rounds the conversation lasted.  Speaking with gods is taxing for the mind.  Should the saving throw fail, he has a 50% chance of forgetting the information and a 50% chance of falling unconscious for 1d6 rounds.  (if the saving throw is a 1, he does both).

 

Summon Lesser Servant: With this power, the Inquisitor is able to petition his deity to send aid.  In effect, this is a Summon Monster VI spell with aligment restrictions (only creatures that are of the deity’s alignment, or of neutral alignment or animal intelligence, may be summoned).  This power may be used only once a week and is in addition to any other summoning powers the inquisitor may have.  The creature will remain for 2 rounds per level of the Inquisitor.

 

 

Wrath of God: The Inquisitor’s fury when confronted with heathens.  Once a day, he may rain down fire and brimstone upon his enemies.  Any of the caster’s enemies within a ten foot radius of his primary target must make a reflex save, DC 18 or take 1d8 damage per inquisitor level (save for half).  The main target must save at DC 20.  Note that innocent beings are not subjected to the wrath even if they happen to be within the targeted area—only the caster’s enemies.

 

Miracle: At this level, the Inquisitor is able to cause tremendous changes from the power of his faith.  Once a month, he may cast the spell Miracle.  This is in all ways similar to the cleric spell, except the experience point penalty is 3,500 experience, rather than 5,000.