The Inquisitor

Inquisitor are an extremely fun class to play as, a mix between a cleric and a ranger of some sort, capable of hunting down monsters and heretics alike and fighting for their deities with utmost fervor, and without the scrupules of a more knightly class, they are ready to use any means necessary to bring down their prey.

Herein I will present to you five Inquisitor builds that I think would be extremely fun to play.

The Base Inquisitor

This build is on a mission from God and boy you are not going to relent until your targets, whomever they might be are cold and in the ground!

Class

Inquisitor 20

Race

We are taking Half-Elf with the floating +2 into Dexterity. We will take the Ancestral Arms

Alternative Racial Feature too.

Ability Scores

Put all those points into Dexterity

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

Traits

Armed Grit gives you a bonus against Fear effects and against Intimidate as long as you wield a firearm, and Birthmark removes the need for a Holy Symbol, as you are the holy symbol.

Favored Class Bonus

D8 HD with a low Constitution? HP.

Skills

You need at least one rank in every knowledge as soon as possible. Otherwise, focus on Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Spellcraft, Survival and Intimidate. Appropriate Craft Skills for firearms and cartridges are extremely useful too.

Feats by Level

1-Gunsmithing

Half-Elf Bonus-Exotic Weapons Proficiency(Firearms)

3-Deadly Aim

Bonus Teamwork

3-Duck and Cover

5-Rapid Reload

Bonus Teamwork 6-Escape Route

7-Two Weapons Fighting

9-Point-Blank Shot

Bonus Teamwork 9-Coordinated Shot

11-Improved Two Weapons Fighting Bonus Teamwork

12-Covering Fire

13-Precise Shot

15-Rapid Shot

Bonus Teamwork 15-Intercept Charge

17-Improved Initiative

Bonus Teamwork 18-Pack Attack

19-Instant Judgment

You are using a pair of Pistols as your main combat style, so Gunsmithing will be extra helpful there, and from there we rapidly descend into the madness of Two Weapons Fighting and Point-Blank Shot. Rapid Reload is pretty much mandatory, and with Paper Cartridges, we reload as a free action letting us attack all our iteratives in a round with no problems.

Due to your Solo Tactics ability, you can benefit from your bonus Teamwork feats as if all your allies also had them, making Escape Route, Duck and Cover and both Coordinated Shot and Covering Fire extremely effective feats for a great combination of offense and defense.

Spells by Level

Spells by Level
Domain: Travel
1-Brand, Detect Magic, Guidance, Sift, Bless, Cure Light Wounds
2-Read Magic, Divine Favor
3-Stabilize, Shield of Faith
4-Invisibility, Perceive Cues
5-Find Traps
6-Resist Energy
7-Protection from Evil, Burst of Speed, Shield of Darkness
8-Speak with Dead
9-Prayer
10-See Invisibility, Persistent Vigor, Stoneskin
11-Alarm, Divine Power
12-Named Bullet
13-Cure Serious Wounds, Atonement,True Seeing
14-Tactical Acumen, Break Enchantment
15-Commune
16-Neutralize Poison, Heal, Invoke Deity
17-Magic Vestement, Overwhelming Presence
18-Greater Named Bullet
19-Divine Pursuit
20-Find Quarry, Holy Word

Equipment

A Pair of Pistols, the best armor you can get.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Come on, you cannot tell me the idea of an Inquisitor going around with a pair of pistols to bring righteous vengeance upon the wicked is not the coolest thing you have heard all day. You kick ass with your weapons, can cast several long lasting buff spells, and between Judgements and Bane, you can deal a tremendous amount of damage with your pistols, and with your many skills, especially when it comes to perceptive ones such as Perception and Sense Motive, you are like a radar, analyzing any situation rapidly and finding the best approach to end your target rapidly.

This is HERESY!

If I was going to make Inquisitor builds, I was going to make a Heresy build if only because of the meme, so might as well make it good.

We are taking the Heretic Archetype, and the Diabolist Prestige Class. We will serve an Archdevil of some sort. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Inquisitor (Heretic) 7/Diabolist 10/Inquisitor (Heretic) +3

Note: To fulfill the Special Prerequisite, it will mean that we have to use a Scroll of Planar Binding by level 7. Do keep that in mind.

Race

We will take Tiefling with the Hellspawned variant, and with the Prehensile Tail Alternative Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Wisdom.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 8

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 18/Cha 8

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 18/Cha 8

Traits

Reactionary for a +2 to Initiative, and Wisdom in the Flesh, with which we will take the Stealth skill to roll wisdom instead of dexterity.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, we’ll need those.

Skills

We need at least 7 ranks in Knowledge(The Planes and Religion) and in Spellcraft. We’re also increasing Use Magic Devices, Stealth, Diplomacy and Bluff.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Fiendish Obedience

5-Weapon Focus(Whip)

7-Whip Mastery

9-Improved Whip Mastery

11-Piranha Strike

13-Improved Initiative

15-Toughness

17-Balor Whip

19-Combat Reflexes

We will focus on the whip of which we are automatically proficient as it is our Deity’s favored weapon, with Weapon Finesse, Whip Mastery, Piranha Strike and Balor Whip to combo with our Bane and Judgement abilities for great damage and with Fiendish Obedience we get to enter the Diabolist Prestige Class.

Domain

We will be taking the Conversion Inquisition instead of a Domain, allowing us to use Wisdom instead of Charisma on Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate.

Diabolist

We get a handful of interesting bonuses like the ability to turn our few elemental spells into Hellfire, the ability to teleport through Hell itself and get an Imp Familiar.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Brand, Read Magic, Bleed, Barbed Chains, Command
2-Stabilize, Cure Light Wounds
3-Detect Poison, Disguise Self
4-Castigate, Death Candle
5-Flames of the Faithful
6-Undetectable Alignment
7-Spiked Armor, Shield of Darkness, Nondetection
8-N/A
9-Trial by Fire
10-Magic Vestment
11-Hold Person, Death Ward, Defile Armor
12-Shield of Faith, Divine Power
13-Freedom of Movements
14-Invisibility Purge, Dimensional Blade, Flame Strike
15-Zone of Truth, Unwilling Shield
16-True Seeing
17-Hold Monster, Blasphemy, Harm
18-Heroism, Heal
19-Invoke Deity
20-Unhallow

Equipment

A Whip and a Dagger, a Chain Shirt and a Unholy Symbol

Final Thoughts on the Build

We end up using Wisdom for all our social rolls, and double our Wisdom on Bluff and Stealth, pushing those two to really high levels. With our whip, we control the battlefield, we can drag enemies closer, and then hit them with Harm for 150 damage. We are a great stealth killer build.

The Witch Slayer

So this build is one tied to a concept of three Changeling Sisters, one Inquisitor, one Magus and one Spiritualist. Each hated by their mother’s witch coven, and each reacting to that in their own ways. This one chose to embrace the teachings of Asmodeus and focus her divine magic into hunting down Witch Covens and destroying them, if only out of spite.

We will be using the Witch Slayer Archetype, and we will use both regular and Variant Multiclassing. Our Variant Multiclassing will be into Witch, and we will be taking the Hellknight Signifier Prestige Class. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Inquisitor (Witch Slayer) 7/Hellknight Signifier 10/Inquisitor (Witch Slayer) +3

Race

Changeling, with the Hulking Changeling Ancestry.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 15/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10 Put everything into Strength.

20Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 12 Put everything into Strength

25Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 12 Once again, everything into Strength.

Traits

Take Reactionary to improve our sad, sad initiative, and Birthmark to remove the need of a Unholy Symbol.

Favored Class Bonus

Hit Points.

Skills

We require at minimum 2 ranks in Intimidate, but we will use it anyway so keep pumping it. We also require Spellcraft and Knowledge(Planes) at 5 each. Beyond that, Perception, Sense Motive and Survival are great and thematically appropriate too.

Feats and Alternative Multiclassing by Level

1-Warrior Priest, Patron:Elements

3-Familiar(Fox)

Bonus Teamwork Feat

3-Bonded Mind

5-Power Attack

Bonus Teamwork Feat

6-Outflank

7-Hex: Evil Eye

9-Stick Fighting Style

11-Cantrip:

13-Stick Fighting Counter

15-Hex: Cackle

17-Stick Fighting Maneuver

19-Major Hex: Animal Skin

Bonus Teamwork Feat 19-Duck and Cover

Warrior Priest increases our Initiative and Concentration which is nice, Power Attack is a no-brainer, and the Stick Fighting Style line gives us a bunch of goodies while using our Quarterstaff, including an extra Combat Maneuver each turn.

We get a few Hexes, a familiar and a Patron which will grant us a few extra spells which is always nice. Evil Eye is a neat debuff and Cackle lets us keep it going longer, and Animal Skin lets us turn into an animal which is fairly witchy.

Hellknight Signifier

We get a few bonuses, and a neat mask that gives us a few gaze powers. I would recommend the Elucidation and the Veracity Assiduous Gaze powers personally. Our mask also eventually gives us Telepathy over 100ft, and we also get Damage Resistance. Also, Heavy Armor.

Spells by Level

Domain: Fire
1-Brand, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Disrupt Undead, Inflict Light Wounds,
Interrogation
2-Bleed, Cure Light Wounds, Shocking Grasp
3-Stabilize, Itching Curse
4-Death Candle, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Flaming Sphere
5-Cure Moderate Wounds
6-Align Weapon
7-Disguise Self, Anti-Summoning Shield, Dispel Magic, Fireball
8-Raven’s Flight
9-Prayer
10-Detect Thoughts, Curse of Magic Negation, Death Ward, Wall of Ice
11-Divine Favor, Detect Scrying
12-Divine Power
13-Invisibility Purge, Banishment, Break Enchantment, Flame Strike
14-Death Knell, Dispel Chaos
15-Divine Pursuit16-Freedom of Movements, Blasphemy, Dictum, Freezing Sphere
17-Inflict Serious Wounds, Harm
18-Heal
19-Mark of Justice
20-Hollow Heroism, Invoke Deity

Equipement

A Quarterstaff and the best armor you can get. We are eventually getting Hellknight Armor which is amazing.

Final Thoughts on the Build

We can track spellcasters from their spells, and dish out a ton of damage with our Quarterstaff, our spells also increase our blasting significantly, which no one is gonna expect from an Inquisitor, turning us into a target, but with our massive AC via Hellknight Armor and melee combat damage via Bane, Judgments and various buff spells it is a hot mistake to get close and personal with us.

Vampire Hunter D

So, you are essentially playing this guy

We will take the Kinslayer Archetype, which means that our race will by default be:

Class

Inquisitor (Kinslayer) 20

Race

Dhampyr, but let’s be honest here, we are essentially building D anyway, so who cares 😛 we will take both the Fang and Vampire Hunter Alternate Racial Traits.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10

By lvl 16 have at least +2 in Wisdom, otherwise everything into Dexterity

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10 Everything in Dexterity

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 19/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 12 That’s right, everything in Dexterity.

Traits

Reactionary for extra Initiative, we need to be fast to outspeed Vampires. Take the Undead Crusader one for extra damage vs undeads.

Favored Class Bonus

If you didn’t noticed, we have a 10 in Constitution. Hit Points it is!

Skills

Stealth, Ride, Perception, Sense Motive, Knowledge(Religion), Survival are pretty much our go to skills.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Dueling Sword)

5-Weapon Focus(Dueling Sword)

7-Slashing Grace(Dueling Sword)

9-Piranha Strike

11-Quick Draw

13-Aldori Dueling Style

15-Improved Initiative

17-Toughness

19-Life Dominant Soul

As we are doing a Dex build that somehow uses a two handed blade, we will go the Aldori Dueling Style route, which means Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Quick Draw and Slashing Grace becomes pretty much mandatory. Piranha Strike cumulates with our Judgment and Bane to turn us into a melee monster. Life Dominant Soul lets us be healed by both Negative and Positive Energy, albeit at a reduced state, which is fine.

Brands by Level

3-Holy Brand

6-Silver Brand

9-Searing Brand

12-Dual Brand

15-Debilitating Brand

18-Branding Ray

So, as a Kinslayer, we get a special Judgment called Brand. We can target an Undead creature for 1d6 positive energy damage as a touch attack, and if we do, we can locate said undead as if Locate Creature. We expand the list of creatures we can use this brand on via Holy Brand and Silver Brand, Searing Brand significantly increases the damage of our Brand, Dual Brand let us have two creatures branded at the same time, Debilitating Brand gives an attack debugf to the branded creature and Branding Ray lets us use our Brand at a distance.

Spells by Level

Domain: Glory
1-Disrupt Undead, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Stabilize, Inflict Light Wounds, Cure Light
Wounds2-Virtue, Divine Favor
3-Guidance, Sanctify Corpse
4-See Invisibility, Cure Moderate Wounds
5-Inflict Moderate Wounds
6-Sacred Bond
7-Shield of Faith, Cure Serious Wounds, Inflict Serious Wounds
8-Daylight
9-Dispel Magic
10-Lesser Restoration, Cure Critical Wounds, Inflict Critical Wounds
11-Remove Fear, Death Ward
12-Divine Power
13-Halt Undead, Decapitate, Mass Cure Light Wounds
14-Communal Protection from Evil, Disrupting Weapon
15-Mass Ghostbane Dirge
16-Freedom of Movements, Heal, Harm
17-Heroism, Invoke Deity
18-Greater Dispel Magic
19-Sacred Nimbus
20-Holy Smite, Forbiddance

Equipment

We begin with a Rapier but we change asap to a Dueling Sword, and a Chain Shirt. Do not forget the Hat and the Cloak.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You are better at hunting down and killing undeads than a friggin Cleric, and that’s a feat and a half by the way in itself, plus you still are a capable support and scout character with good stealth and great Perception. Vampires won’t stand 2 rounds if they ever decide to fight you in melee, and frankly there is no other class that can claim that as is without Prestige Classing.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothings

This build does exactly what it implies. You look like a harmless person until suddenly someone has a dagger in their heart and your claws around their throat.

We are multiclassing this build.

We will begin with the Cloaked Wolf Archetype, we will take four levels in Shifter with the Weretouched Archetype, and finally we will take the Gray Warden Prestige Class. Our Leveling should look like the following:

Class

Inquisitor (Cloaked Wolf) 6/Shifter (Weretouched) 4/Gray Warden 10

Race

Skinwalker, specifically of the Witchwolf variety, as we are going full werewolf on this build.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 15/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 10

WeretouchedPut a +3 in Wis, then the rest between Dex and Con.

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 15/Cha 10

+2 in Wisdom, Round up Constitution, then everything in Dexterity

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 17/Con 15/Int 10/Wis 15/Cha 10

+2 in Wis, then everything in Dexterity.

Traits

Reactionary for a +2 to Initiative, and Birthmark for releasing the need of a Unholy Symbol.

Favored Class Bonus

As a melee character, HP.

Skills

So, we need a few of those. 3 in Knowledge(Religion), a minimum of 2 in Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise and Perception, 5 in Intimidate and Sense Motive. We also are taking Stealth and we want Sleight of Hands and Knowledge(Nature) too, Survival would also be great if we can get it.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Piranha Strike Bonus

3-Quick Draw

5-Fiendish Obedience

Bonus 6-Improved Unarmed Strike

7-Wolf Style

9-Combat Reflexes

11-Wolf Trip

13-Wolf Savage Bonus

14-Enforcer

15-Improved Initiative Bonus

16-Sidestep

17-Dirty Fighting

Bonus 18-Dastardly Finish

19-Improved Trip

Bonus 20-Deadly Finish

We have claws and bite and we are absolutely savage with them. With Weapon Finesse and Piranha Strike we can use them very efficiently, and via the Wolf Style and helped with Improved Trip, we can make our target fall prone and start absolutely obliterating them via Wolf Savage. Our Fiendish Obedience towards Jezelda eventually turn us into a true Werewolf so that’s great, and we are still very much dangerous with our hidden weapons from our Sleight of Hand combined with Quick Draw and our Sneak Attack, Judgment and Bane abilities turning our full attack actions into a literal meat grinder.

Gray Warden

Gray Warden keeps upgrading our various Inquisitor abilities such as Judgments and Bane, but also grants us bonus feats and Sneak Attack, and finally make us be able to permanently kill creatures, meaning no resurrection whatsoever.

Spells by Level

Domain: Animal
1-Detect Magic, Read Magic, Bleed, Guidance, Bless, Divine Favor
2-Light, Wrath
3-Stabilize, Shield of Faith
4-Death Knell, Invisibility
5-See Invisibility
6-Undetectable Alignment
7-N/A
8-N/A
9-N/A
10-N/A
11-N/A
12-Cure Light Wounds, Shield of Darkness, Prayer
13-Nondetection
14-Heroism
15-N/A
16-Weapon of Awe, Divine Power, Freedom of Movements
17-Inflict Light Wounds, Stoneskin
18-Transplant Visage
19-N/A
20-Burst of Speed, Righteous Might, Unhallow

Equipment

A shortsword at first, daggers, and a Hide Armor. We will remove the armor as we get into Shifter.

Final Thoughts on the Build

By level 20 we are absolutely the wolf in sheep’s clothings. We look human but we can shift into a minor werewolf bestial form, can shift into a wolf, and into an approximate werewolf form, and eventually, we quite literally become a natural werewolf at lvl 20. Plus via our domain we get a friggin animal companion, meaning a wolf. We look like an absolute nobody but can turn into a walking meatgrinder of claws, fangs and blades at a moment’s notice, capable of extremely high damage outputs that can put many more combat oriented classes to shame, and I haven’t even touched on the spells yet, cranking that damage output to eleven with huge buffs and good defensive abilities too. We can be anyone in the street a moment, and the next, our target is dead and gone before anyone can point a finger in our direction.