Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Meldread 05-27-07, 04:32 AM	This is my first attempt to create a Prestige Class and I am in need of advice and constructive feedback. The class has some heavy restrictions, some that are not immediately noticeable. First, the Inquisitor cannot work with or associate with non-Humans and should specifically seek out and slay elves, orcs and their half-breed spawn. Second, the Inquisitor cannot use arcane magic of any sort - ever. This includes using items crafted by arcane power. He is also charged with hunting down wielders of arcane magic and slaying them. Third, he may not use any divinely crafted items that are not directly associated with his church. (They are fashioned by heretics and therefore it would be considered a 'sin' to use them.) Fourth, supernatural evil creatures such as undead and evil outsiders will be able to "sense" the aura of the Inquisitor and will feel compelled to hunt and kill him. Fifth, if his alignment shifts for any reason or if he is excommunicated from his Church he immediately loses all of his supernatural abilities and divine spellcasting abilities. With the above in mind, I have attempted to craft a prestige class suited for this type of individual. I am unsure if it is overly or under powered due to the fact just about any magical item uncovered will be considered "heretical", in addition to the fact that they will be hated, reviled and actively hunted by every non-human, every evil and chaotic individual as well as all arcane magic users. Feedback and constructive help is greatly appreciated! Inquisitor of the Purifying Flame As agents of the church's final justice the Inquisitors of the Purifying Flame are charged with winnowing the righteous from the wicked, while exposing evil and sin wherever they may hide. Just as a healer must cut away diseased flesh to save the life of a sick man, so too must an Inquisitor seek out diseased souls and cut them away so the world may be purified. Their work brings them no pleasure, and they must repent the horrors they work in the name of the higher good daily. However, as they have come to learn the forces of evil are wily and elusive, and so an Inquisitor must be as clever as he is fanatical, both merciless and tireless in his work. They pray to the Saints of the Purifying Flame daily, and Saint Aradin Bhast, the Voice of the Purifying Flame, is their greatest patron, and through him, the Inquisitors work their mighty miracles, smiting the unrighteous and unholy, or keeping darkness at bay. As more have begun to flock to the Church of the Purifying Flame, some Inquisitors have begun to roam the world, rooting out sinners and heretics, trying them, and ultimately punishing them for their crimes. In the end, an Inquisitor sees himself as all that stands between the light and the darkness. The world is at war and the light shall prevail. Hit Die: d6 Requirements To qualify to become an Inquisitor of the Purifying Flame, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Race: Human Skill: Knowledge (Religion) 8, Knowledge (Arcane) 8 Spellcasting: Must have the ability to cast third level divine spells Domains: Must have both the Sun and Law domains Patron: Aradin Bhast Feats: Mark of the Purifying Flame, Iron Will Special: Must be a member in good standing within the Church of the Purifying Flame. Restrictions Those who become Priests of the Purifying Flame can no longer utilize spells with the darkness, chaos or evil descriptor. He also may not use any item that is imbued with arcane power or divine power that is not directly associated with the Church of the Purifying Flame. Additionally, any Inquisitor who is excommunicated by the Church or whose alignment shifts to chaotic or evil immediately becomes an Ex-Inquisitor, losing his ability to cast divine spells and all supernatural abilities granted by this class. Class Skills The class skills of the Inquisitor of the Purifying Flame (and the key ability for each) are Concentration (CON), Craft (any) (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Gather Information (CHA), Intimidate (CHA), Knowledge (any) (INT), Sense Motive (WIS), Spellcraft (INT), Decipher Script (INT), Heal (WIS), Profession (WIS), Ride (DEX) and Spot (WIS). See Chapter 4: Skills' in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + INT Modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the Inquisitor of the Purifying Flame. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Inquisitors of the Purifying Flame do not gain additional weapon or armor proficiencies. Aura (Ex): A Inquisitor of the Purifying Flame radiates a powerful lawful aura. Their Aura is so powerful that it can be detected by supernatural beings who could not otherwise view auras. An evil aligned supernatural creature, such as undead, devils or demons will feel an almost overwhelming urge to attack and harm the Inquisitor. When the aura is detected, the creature must make a successful Will Save against DC 10 + Inquisitor Level. If the creature fails it will feel compelled to hunt the Inquisitor until he is found and killed, if he succeeds he is aware of the Inquisitors presence and maintains a strong sense to bring him harm. Mindless creatures, such as undead, do not receive a saving throw. Spells: An Inquisitor draws his spells from the cleric spell list. The spell progression continues as if he was still a cleric, but he loses the ability to cast any spells with the darkness, evil or chaotic descriptor. All of the normal rules for cleric spellcasting still apply, including those for domains and domain spells. Spontaneous Casting: An Inquisitor can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that he did not prepare ahead of time. He "loses" any prepared spell that is not a domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in its name). Turn Undead (Su): An Inquisitor maintains his ability to turn undead as if he were still a Cleric, channeling the power of his faith through his holy symbol. He can turn or destroy undead creatures, and may attempt to turn undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. An Inquisitor with five or more ranks in Knowledge (religion) receive a +2 bonus on all turning checks against undead. Spell Resistance (Su): As Inquisitors are charged with consigning all things arcane to the Purifying Flame, it becomes essential that they develop methods in which to handle wielders of the corrupting magic. As such, they study obscure bits of arcane lore in the same way one might study a poison in hopes of finding a cure for it. This diligent study has paid off and has allowed them to perfect methods of protecting themselves against the more harmful types of arcane magic. At first level, the Inquisitor gains a Spell Resistance of 10, which increases to 15 at fifth level and finally 25 at tenth level. Fire Resistance (Su): As servants of the Purifying Flame, Aradin Bhast their patron saint has granted them supernatural resistance to fire. At first level they receive a damage resistance of 5/-, which increases to 10/- at fourth level, and finally to 15/- at level eight. Detect Evil/Chaos/Arcanist (Su): An Inquisitor is charged with one thing above all else: To root out agents of evil, chaos and the arcane. To this end Aradin Bhast, their patron saint, has granted them the super natural ability to detect these forces. At first level an Inquisitor gains the ability to use Detect Evil, Detect Chaos and Detect Arcanist at will. Purifying Smite (Su): The world must be purified and the wicked shall be destroyed by the righteous, and the Inquisitors are given the power to do just that. At second level an Inquisitor gains the ability to use Purifying Smite. This ability can be used once per day plus their charisma modifier. This smiting ability only damages evil, chaotic, undead, those who wield arcane power and elvish or orcish creatures. All other creatures are unaffected. The smiting deals 1d8 points of damage per Inquisitor class levels (maximum 5d8) to a single target creature, and it causes that creature to become blinded for one round. A successful Will save reduces damage to half and negates the blinding effect. Light of the Purifying Flame (Su): Those who stand within the Light of the Purifying Flame may call upon that light to aid them in times of need. The light may be called once per day plus the Inquisitors charisma modifier. As the Inquisitor gains more class levels, the light grows brighter and more powerful. It lasts for one round per Inquisitor level and has four supernatural effects. First, the light shines in a 20 foot radius centered on the Inquisitor, but it will only aid those who have taken the Mark of the Purifying Flame feat. It grants a +1 deflection bonus to AC and a +1 resistance bonus on all saves for every two Inquisitor levels (for a maximum of +5). Unlike protection from evil, this benefit applies to all attacks made by evil, undead, elves, orcs, arcane magic users and chaotic individuals. Second, each warded creature gains a spell resistance of 10 for every two Inquisitor levels (for a maximum of 50 at level 10) against spells cast by the aforementioned creatures. Third, the supernatural ability blocks possession and mental influence, just as protection from evil does by the above mentioned creatures. Finally, if one of the aforementioned creatures succeeds on a melee attack against a warded individual, the offending attacker is blinded (Fortitude save negates, as blindness/deafness, but against a save DC of 10 + Inquisitor Level). Purifying Flame (Su): Once per day after sixth level the Inquisitor gains the ability to call upon the Purifying Flame, causing a vertical column of pale silvery fire to come roaring downward upon the head of their enemies in a 40 foot high, 20 foot radius from a target location. This ability deals 1d6 points of damage per Inquisitor level (maximum 10d6). Half the damage is fire damage, but the other half results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks. Elves, Orcs, undead, arcane magic users, chaotic and evil creatures all take double damage. Those who have the Mark of the Purifying Flame feat are unaffected. Purifying Blade (Su): At ninth level an Inquisitor gains the supernatural ability to call upon the power of the Purifying Flame to bless his weapon. He may call upon this power once per day plus his Charisma Modifier. The weapon begins to burn with the pale silvery fire of the Flame, receiving a +5 enchantment bonus on all attack and damage rolls, and deals an additional 2d6 damage against evil creatures, chaotic individuals, undead, elves, orcs and users of arcane magic. It also emits a magical circle against evil (as the spell). The supernatural effect is automatically canceled one round after the weapon leaves the Inquisitor's hand, and he cannot have more than one purifying blade at a time. If this supernatural effect is used on a magical weapon, the powers supersede any of the weapon normally has, rendering the normal enchantment bonus and powers of the weapon inoperative for the duration of the supernatural effect. This effect is not cumulative with any other spell, spell-likeability or supernatural effect that might modify the weapon in any way, and does not work on artifacts. (Note: It also does not stack with the bonuses given by masterwork weapons.) Immunity to Death Magic (Su): At seventh level the Inquisitor gains immunity to all forms of death magic, including spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities. Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Level 1 +0 +2 +0 +2 SR 10, FR DR 5/-, Detect Evil, Chaos, Arcanist Level 2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Purifying Smite Level 3 +2 +3 +1 +3 Light of the Purifying Flame Level 4 +3 +4 +1 +4 Fire Resistance DR 10/- Level 5 +3 +4 +1 +4 Spell Resistance +15 Level 6 +4 +5 +2 +5 Purifying Flame Level 7 +5 +5 +2 +5 Immunity to Death Magic Level 8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Fire Resistance DR 15/- Level 9 +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Purifying Blade Level 10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Spell Resistance +25
queenfange 05-27-07, 07:16 AM	:ahem: Never say "such-and-such level cleric" or any other explicit requirement for character class. It looks lame and is stated to be a poor requirement by several DnD products. However, you could replace it with: able to cast 2nd level divine spells and access to Fire (for example) domain. Also, a third level character could qualify for your class, and prestige classes should not be attainable until the PC has at least five base class levels. For a class with such powerful abilities (fire resistance, special attacks) I'd recommend placing requirements that make PCs gain at least seven or nine regular levels first (by requiring access to level four or five divine spells). The purifying abilities, while cool, seem too powerful. For example, I don't see a limit on how many times Purifying Blade can be used for day. The SR values are also too high, when you consider that the character is also gaining fire resistance and massive damage attacks. Why is Profession a requirement? If you want the character to have certain skills, you should specify the type of profession, unless you're indicating the character needs a cover job or something. Overall, the skills don't seem necessary; you already have many other requirements. Finally, the class doesn't seem LG for all its attempts to destroy others, so I'm not so sure about that. If all of Aradin's clerics, in order to cast spells, must already be LN, LG, or TN, the alignment requirement could be dropped. Sorry if I seem harsh; I do think it's a very good idea in the first place, and you clearly put a lot of work into it. Get some more help from the rules-heavy crowd, and I think the class could eventually become very awesome yet balanced. So, for listening to me and putting in so much effort in the first place, have a :cookie:.
Meldread 05-27-07, 12:57 PM	First let me say thank you for your input Queenfange, it has been extremely helpful. That is exactly what I needed, someone who was going to look at things with a critical eye. So let me address your points one by one. Never say "such-and-such level cleric" or any other explicit requirement for character class. It looks lame and is stated to be a poor requirement by several DnD products. However, you could replace it with: able to cast 2nd level divine spells and access to Fire (for example) domain. I realize that and I am sorry, but my primary goal behind it is to ensure that only clerics of Aradin are able to take the class, and only members of the Church of the Purifying Flame. I can fix that by adding a few more requirements. Also, a third level character could qualify for your class, and prestige classes should not be attainable until the PC has at least five base class levels. For a class with such powerful abilities (fire resistance, special attacks) I'd recommend placing requirements that make PCs gain at least seven or nine regular levels first (by requiring access to level four or five divine spells). I am going to be using this for more than a PC Class, as I am also going to be using it for NPC Priests - there is another PrC I am working on as well for priests. This one is rather combat oriented. When creating it I was looking at Drow as a baseline for the power I wanted the class to have. They should be roughly equally strong in power and ability. I realized that I could have the PC qualify at third and was unsure about it. I didn't bother to factor in the Fire Resistance as a big deal. It was mostly a "flavor" thing that I added because it made sense, mostly because it will only be helpful in a handful of occasions. Ideally, those who use arcane magic won't be getting past the Spell Resistance. If I've done my calculating correctly the spell resistance received at Inquisitor level 10 should be equal to that of a level 14 Drow. This means that the Inquisitor should be level 15 if he takes the class as soon as possible. He also has the ability to temporarily double his spell resistance through the use of the Light of the Purifying Flame supernatural ability. Primarily, I made the qualifications so low because I want the Inquisitor to be on par with a Drow in power level. The purifying abilities, while cool, seem too powerful. For example, I don't see a limit on how many times Purifying Blade can be used for day. The SR values are also too high, when you consider that the character is also gaining fire resistance and massive damage attacks. Purifying Blade may called upon once per day plus an Inquisitor's Charisma Modifier. This is in some ways an necessary ability because of the restrictions placed on the character. Every single magical item he finds, arcane or divine, is going to have to be destroyed because it is heretical for him to use it. This means that unless the church has manufactured him a special weapon, his blade is going to be mundane. By the time the Inquisitor gains this ability he will be, at the very least level 14 which is the same level the Paladin first gains access to the spell Holy Sword - the spell the ability is based off. It is more powerful, however it doesn't last as long as a Paladin's would. A level 14 Paladin with Holy Sword would have it last 14 rounds, but a level 5 Cleric/9 Inquisitor will only have it last 9 rounds. Additionally it is all but useless against opponents with the ability to disarm because one round after it hits the ground the supernatural effect from the weapon fades. Why is Profession a requirement? If you want the character to have certain skills, you should specify the type of profession, unless you're indicating the character needs a cover job or something. Overall, the skills don't seem necessary; you already have many other requirements. Sorry, I meant to remove that. It was a hold over from version 2.0 of the class. Finally, the class doesn't seem LG for all its attempts to destroy others, so I'm not so sure about that. If all of Aradin's clerics, in order to cast spells, must already be LN, LG, or TN, the alignment requirement could be dropped. It's true it's designed with people who are Lawful Neutral in alignment, but more importantly those are the alignments that Aradin allows his priests to have - and I've taken your advice and removed them. What I think is important is to understand the restrictions placed upon the class and to try and envision the difficulties he/she will face. The requirements and codes they must follow are greater than that placed upon even the most fanatical paladin. The power they receive comes at a hefty price, and the enemies they will make is too great to even list. They are the type of people that appeal only to the average common Joe, and are virtually loathed and hated by everyone else - especially those with any measure of power. The average Joe likes them because the Church brings aid, comfort, stability and safety - they take care of the faithful. When monsters are attacking the city, Crusaders and Inquisitors are there to smite them. When evil lurks about, Inquisitors root it out. However, they also plot to overthrow local governments that they believe are heretical in nature often putting them at odds with the law of the land. (An Inquisitor definitely sees "divine law" above "secular law" and if approached by a town guard will glare at him and say, "What Law? I am the law!" Followed by smiting him dead as an example to others who would rebel against the authority of the Church.) To accomplish any of this and not die outright requires them to have the ability to back it up. Anyway, here are the new requirements - I also edited them in the original post. Requirements To qualify to become an Inquisitor of the Purifying Flame, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Race: Human Skill: Knowledge (Religion) 8, Knowledge (Arcane) 8 Spellcasting: Must have the ability to cast third level divine spells Domains: Must have both the Sun and Law domains Patron: Aradin Bhast Feats: Mark of the Purifying Flame, Iron Will Special: Must be a member in good standing within the Church of the Purifying Flame.
Meldread 05-28-07, 12:56 AM	Are there any folks around who can help better optimize this class to be balanced, or is there another more appropriate forum it can be transferred too?
rampant 05-28-07, 03:28 AM	I'm sorry, but it seems like your trying to balance a 10 level PrC vs. a +2 LA Race.