Inquisitor

Inquisitors were once the eyes and minds of the Inquest of the Eruvenian Empire, but today they have evolved into an entire discipline of supernatural investigators. Through sophisticated training and elaborate rituals of rote memorization, inquisitors transcend mortal awareness and tap into their own subconscious mind. They become perfect at harnessing their sixth sense, and experience a constant flow of epiphany which makes them uniquely capable of detecting and interacting with the clandestine.

Unlocked Minds

Through elaborate chemical assistance and rigorous training, inquisitors unlock their subconscious mind and with it, tremendous faculties beyond most mortals. They perform exacting calculations casually while holding conversation with their peers; they easily compose intuitions of scenarios days past with minimal evidence; most importantly, they notice signs of the unnatural with reliable ease.

Continual Epiphany

It is difficult to quantify the alacrity of an inquisitor’s mind. Although many have attempted to describe what the inquisitor training feels like, it isn’t common to find an inquisitor capable enough (or patient enough) to explain the world they see to the layperson. The way most inquisitors describe it, the sensation one gets when they have an “aha!” moment, except endless and subject to continual prompts from their observation of the world.

Alarming Insight

Because of their heightened intellect, inquisitors often grow aloof and distant: their minds, continually racing, distract them or pull them into unexpected directions. Because of this, it is tempting to think of them as flighty or unfocused. However, the opposite is true: often the inquisitor is instead overcome by an abundance of focus, but on many less obvious (or totally internal) topics.

In turn, because of that, inquisitors make exacting and terrifyingly effective interrogators, often able to fixate on many different conversational cues, tells, worries, or insecurities of a subject. Indeed, it is largely because of the inquisitors that the Inquest “enjoys” a morally grey role in Epicentral society. Despite their apparent success in upholding the law of mortal kind in the face of a strange new spiritual world, they have done terrible unnerving things in interrogations, things which have forever earned them a worrying reputation.

Creating an Inquisitor

When creating an inquisitor, think about how your character joined the ranks of the unlocked minded. Did they impress a local inquisitor during a tense investigation? Were they conscripted by the Inquest (still alive and active in the Epicentral Empire)? Did they somehow discover how to harness continual epiphany by accident or exposure to strange spiritual stressors?

Quick Build

You can make an inquisitor quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Intelligence, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Inquest peacekeeper background.

Multiclassing Notes

If your group uses the optional rule on multi classing in the Player’s Handbook, here’s what you need to know if you choose inquisitor as one of your classes.

  • Ability Score Minimum: As a multi class character, you must have at least an Intelligence score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level of another class if you are already an inquisitor.
  • Proficiencies Gained: If inquisitor isn’t your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as an inquisitor: light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, inquisitor’s tools.
LevelProficiency BonusCircumstances KnownClass Feature
121Unlock action - Epiphany, Visceral Precision, Preternatural Awareness, Calculating Guile
221Sublime Anticipation, Exacting Recollection
322Methodology
422Ability Score Improvement
533Extra Epiphany (2)
633Methodology Feature
734Uncover Deceit
834Ability Score Improvement
945Perfect Witness
1045Methodology Feature
1146Extra Epiphany (3)
1246Ability Score Improvement
1357
1457Perfect Witness (Automatic), Methodology Feature
1558
1658Ability Score Improvement
1769
1869Perfect Witness (Bonus Epiphany)
19610Ability Score Improvement
20610Supreme Regent Inquisitor
Inquisitor level progression

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
  • Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, short swords
  • Tools: Inquisitor’s tools
  • Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
  • Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Religion

Equipment

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

  • (a) a rapier or (b) a shortsword
  • (a) a hand crossbow and quiver of 20 bolts or a short bow and quiver of 20 arrows
  • (a) a dungeoneer’s pack, or (b) an explorer’s pack
  • Studded leather armor, two daggers, and inquisitor’s tools

Unlock Action (Epiphany)

At 1st level, you unlock a new kind of action type called an epiphany. This action type adds to the menu of actions you may take each turn: you may take one epiphany per round, in addition to reactions, actions, bonus actions, move actions, and free actions.

Epiphanies represent the supernatural perceptive ability and intellect you have developed subsequent to the rigorous inquisitor training you’ve undergone. At 1st level, when you gain this feature, you pick one circumstance — this is a trigger condition for an epiphany. Once per round, whenever this circumstance applies, you may use an epiphany in response to it.

Most inquisitor features and inquisitor methodology features may be used as reactions in addition to epiphany actions. In these cases, you may choose to use both actions activating the feature; these features describe how they increase in power whenever they are activated with multiple actions.

You gain additional circumstances at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th level. Circumstances are detailed at the end of the class description.

Any time you gain a level as an inquisitor, you may select one circumstance you know and replace it with another from the circumstance list which you meet the requirements for.

Visceral Precision

At 1st level, as a reaction or epiphany, you may add your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus to the damage of a successful attack, and roll with advantage.

With extra actions: For every additional action beyond the first used to activate visceral precision, add your proficiency bonus to the attack’s damage.

Preternatural Awareness

At 1st level, as a reaction or epiphany, you may give yourself advantage on a Perception, Investigation, or Survival check.

With extra actions: For every additional action beyond the first used to activate preternatural awareness, add your proficiency bonus to the roll’s result.

Calculating Guile

At 1st level, as a reaction or epiphany, you may give yourself an advantage on Intimidation or Insight checks.

With extra actions: For every additional action beyond the first used to activate calculating guile, add your proficiency bonus to the roll’s result.

Sublime Anticipation

At 2nd level, as a bonus action or epiphany, you may take the dodge, search, or help action.

With extra actions: For every additional action beyond the first used to activate sublime anticipation, add +1 to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Exacting Recollection

At 2nd level, as a bonus action or epiphany, you may add 1d4 to any Arcana, History, or Religion checks, or on Intelligence saving throws.

With extra actions: For every additional action beyond the first used to activate exacting recollection, add 1d4 to your check.

Methodology

At 3rd level, you have mastered a methodology of your choice: Methodology of the Plaguefinder, the Methodology of the Penumbral Eye, or the Methodology of the Exacting Mind, detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features unique to that methodology at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th 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 Epiphany

At 5th level, and again at 11th level, you gain an extra epiphany per round.

Uncover Deceit

At 7th level, you become even more difficult to deceive or avoid. Any attempt (magical or otherwise) to deceive, hide, or flee you is done with disadvantage.

Perfect Witness

At 9th level, you perceive things which are imperceptible. You no longer gain disadvantage when interacting with invisible, concealed, or hard to perceive things, magical or otherwise.

Starting at 14th level, you no longer need to roll to perceive hidden or invisible creatures within 10 feet of you.

Starting at 18th level, you gain an extra epiphany whenever someone attempts to deceive, flee or hide from you. You may use this epiphany or save it for other circumstances.

Supreme Regent Inquisitor

At 20th level, add one free epiphany action to every epiphany you use. For example, if you use one epiphany for exacting recollection, you add 2d4 to the check.

Circumstances

Each of the circumstances listed below outlines a scenario or circumstance through which an inquisitor may trigger an epiphany action.

Lean Into

You gain an epiphany whenever you take damage.

Seek Opening

You may take disadvantage on an attack roll in order to gain an epiphany.

Sudden Thought

Whenever you use your reaction, you may gain a separate epiphany

Danger Sense

Whenever someone makes an attack with advantage against you, you gain an epiphany.

Twist of Fortune

Whenever you make a saving throw, you gain an epiphany.

Exploit Opening

Whenever you make an attack with advantage, you gain an epiphany.

Breakthrough

Whenever you make a successful Arcana, History, Insight, or Perception check, you gain an epiphany.

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