Continuing with this series of remarks on Open Design’s Divine Favor, today I’ll look at Divine Favor: The Inquisitor. This is one of the newer core classes that looks interesting to me, but I’ve neither had the chance to play one or run a game with someone else playing one.
New Class Abilities
Censures and condemnations are like minor curses, and bring the wrath of a deity down upon an enemy. Censure slams the target with penalties, based on which one is chosen. This replaces the judgment ability. Condemnation replaces the replaces teamwork abilities and is a touch attack that inflicts conditions like shaken, fatigued, blinded, deafened, etc. on the target.
New Inquisitions
These replace clerical domains. They’re not favored enemies or anything like that, so calling them “inquisitions” is a bit of a misnomer. What they do is allow the inquisitor to call upon various types of forces. Balance helps the inquisitor make sure no philosophy dominates. Darkness allows the inquisitor to use the dark to his advantage. Fire, well, fire cleanses. Ice hardens the inquisitor’s heart. Lightning smites. Nature makes the inquisitor a druid-like protector of nature. Obligation forces people to atone for their sins. Pestilence lets the inquisitor call down disease upon hit enemies. Song inspires others, bard-like, to do the right thing… or else. Thunder gives you a powerful voice. Weapon is obvious.
Once I got my head around the concept that these are modus operandi for the character I found them pretty neat, but the terminology was confusing.
New Archetypes
These really expand the definiton of the class, and I think will appeal to people who have a certain idea of what an inquisitor is. Ghost Hunter is what it says on the tin. Hand of God is more the traditional, convert-or-be-destroyed concept. Penitent is an inquisitor who’s made a mistake, a bad judgment, and is now trying to make amends. It makes them sort of paladin-like, full of forgiveness and healing. Interesting ideas. Stalking Shadow is a creepy stalker, almost a serial killer. Sworn Foe is what it looks like, the inquisitor specializes in one type of creature to hunt down. Witch Hunter equips the inquisitor to deal with that class, as well as hags and similar creatures. I’m totally rocking Solomon Kane and Warhammer Fantasy here.
New Spells
Seven new spells are generically useful and balanced. I’d have to play them to comment more, but on first read that seem solid.
New Feats
Three new feats expand the capabilities of class abilities. Good stuff.
Summary
The extra flavor in this supplement helped me get beyond “Spanish Inquisition” and “Eisenhorn” and deeper into “monster hunter” and the various possibilities therein. There’s a lot here for both players, and gamemasters looking for NPC options.
Buy Divine Favor: The Inquisitor from Open Design
- Berin’s remarks on Divine Favor: The Druid
- Berin’s Remarks on Divine Favor: The Paladin
- Berin’s Remarks on Divine Favor: The Oracle
- Berin’s Remarks on Divine Favor: The Cleric
- Berin’s Remarks on Divine Favor: The Inquisitor
Discussion
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