Inquisitions

Almost everyone has a vision of the inquisitor—garbed in a mix of regalia and the rough-and-tumble tools of the adventurer, her word is often treated as divine law. But this is merely the most dramatic aspect of the inquisitor. Her world is filled with secret knowledge, constant danger, and strange mortal and outsider politics. The inquisitor’s path has many branches and specializations, each with its own methods for rooting out and vanquishing enemies of the faith.

Inquisitions are like domains. Other classes that use domains can take inquisitions but inquisitions are typically weaker than the domains those classes can already choose because they don’t grant domain spell slots or domain spells.

For example, the Sun domain’s 1st-level granted power augments the effects of channel energy, but inquisitors don’t have the channel energy ability, so they gain no benefit from their domain selection until 8th level, when they get a second granted power.

To remedy that problem, this section introduces inquisitions—new, specialized domain-like class features for inquisitors that grant abilities appropriate to their deity’s portfolio.

While inquisitors often take on the domains permitted to the clerics of the faith, they are privy to special lore not open to priests and other agents of their religion. These divine pursuits, called inquisitions, grant inquisitors the tools necessary for the fight against enemies of the faith. An inquisitor may select an inquisition in place of a domain.

If an inquisition’s granted power calls for a saving throw, the DC of the save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the character’s inquisitor level + her Wisdom modifier. Unless otherwise stated, the caster level for granted power spell-like abilities is equal to the inquisitor’s class level.

Inquisitions are intended for inquisitors, not for other classes that give access to domains. While a cleric or other domain-using class can select an inquisition in place of a domain (if appropriate to the character’s deity), inquisitions do not grant domain spell slots or domain spells, and therefore are much weaker choices for those classes. These other classes use the appropriate class level as their inquisitor level for the purpose of inquisition granted powers (clerics use their cleric level as their inquisitor level, and so on).

Table: Suggested Inquisitions for Deities
Deity Portfolio is any of… Suggested Inquisitions…
Family, farming, hunting, trade Conversion, Heresy, Illumination, Valor, Zeal
Honor, justice, rulership, valor Conversion, Heresy, Justice, Order, Persistence, Truth, Valor
The forge, protection, strategy Conversion, Heresy, Imprisonment, Tactics
Healing, honesty, redemption, the sun Conversion, Heresy, Illumination, Order, Truth, Valor
Art, beauty, love, music Conversion, Fervor, Heresy
Ale, bravery, freedom, wine Conversion, Fervor, Valor
Dreams, luck, stars, travelers Conversion, Heresy, Illumination, Oblivion
Cities, law, merchants, wealth Conversion, Heresy, Imprisonment, Order
History, knowledge, self-perfection Conversion, Illumination, Tactics
Nature, the sea, weather Conversion, Fervor, Heresy
Magic Conversion, Fate, Heresy, Zeal
Birth, death, fate, prophecy Conversion, Fate, Heresy, Justice, Oblivion, Truth
Lust, revenge, trickery Conversion, Fervor, Heresy, Torture, Vengeance
Battle, strength, weapons Anger, Conversion, Heresy, Tactics
Contracts, pride, slaves, tyranny Conversion, Heresy, Imprisonment, Persistence, Torture
Darkness, envy, loss, pain Conversion, Heresy, Oblivion, Torture
Greed, murder, poison, secrets Conversion, Fate, Heresy, Torture, Vengeance
Disease, gluttony, undeath Conversion, Heresy, Persistence, Vengeance
Madness, monsters, nightmares Conversion, Heresy, Oblivion, Vengeance
Destruction, disaster, wrath Anger, Conversion, Heresy, Vengeance
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