Historically, inquisitors were detectives who investigated crimes both mundane and supernatural. They were known for traveling to remote parishes plagued by unexplained murders, and for exposing witches, mages, and monsters living among normal humans. During various foundations of several policing guilds, such as the Spellbreakers, Hands of Flame, or the Beast Hunters, certain establishments have begun to create authoritarian regimes where they rule their territories with iron fists. They executed suspects with little or no proof, and punished accused heretics in unsanctioned trials. This savage form of inquisition has seemingly become the norm, and inquisitors who still pry into dark mysteries have become a minority.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, or Religion.
- Tool Proficiencies: One set of artisan’s tools of your choice.
- Languages: One language of your choice.
- Equipment: A monster hunter’s pack (containing a chest, a crowbar, a hammer, three wooden stakes, a holy symbol, a flask of holy water, a set of manacles, a steel mirror, a flask of oil, a tinderbox, and 3 torches), a set of traveler's clothes, a censer, and a pouch containing 2 gp and 1 sp.
Inquisition Order
You have lived your life in dedication to an Inquisition that adopted you into its ranks long ago. Choose an order that you served in, or roll one on the Inquisition Order table.
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Inquisition Order |
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1
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An order dedicated to hunting mages that are unsanctioned by the church or government.
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2
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A faction dedicated to the eradication of lycanthropy.
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3
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An organization of specialized monster hunters.
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4
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A clergy tasked with the prosecution of heretics.
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5
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A syndicate directed to seek out fiends and pact-makers.
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6
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An agency dedicated to investigating influences of the Far Realm.
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7
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A network invested in tracking hags and their fey underlings.
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8
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A fallen order that was destroyed by a rival faction, one that you intend to retaliate wielding divine retribution.
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Feature: Legal Authority
As an inquisitor of the church, you have the authority to arrest criminals. In the absence of other authorities, you are authorized to pass judgment and even carry out sentencing. If you abuse this power, however, your superiors in the church might strip it from you.
Suggested Characteristics
Inquisitors are often driven by zeal, plagued with suspicion, and haunted by self-doubt. They are all too susceptible to human failings, and their judgment is not always divinely inspired.
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Personality Trait |
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1
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Everything will go smoothly if everyone just does as I say.
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2
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Despair is an extravagance we can ill afford.
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3
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I can recite the scribings of my holy order backward and forward
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4
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I try to see the bright side in the very worst situations.
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5
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It helps me feel better when others show sympathy or appreciation for the horrors I’ve endured.
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6
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I prefer to face evil with a strong group of friends in front of me.
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7
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I want to see the wicked burn for the evil they’ve brought on us.
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8
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I feel the sin being purged from me as I help cleanse the world.
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Ideal |
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1
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Honesty. The smallest deception paves the way to grievous sin. (Lawful)
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2
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Piety. Devotion to the angels and the rites of the church is all that keeps the world from destruction. (Good)
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3
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Order. The laws of the church are meant to preserve the social order—everything in its proper place. (Lawful)
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4
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Humanity. Humanoid life is to be cherished and preserved against the horrors of the night. (Good)
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5
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Knowledge. The path to holiness comes through understanding of the world. (Any)
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6
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Punishment. It is better for the innocent to suffer than for the guilty to escape their due. (Evil)
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7
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Vigilantism. I act to serve my god's will. The laws of man will conform to suit their divine power. (Chaotic)
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8
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Dispassionate. I am neither cruel nor kind beyond that which my deity demands of me. (Neutral)
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| d8 |
Bond |
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1
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My sacred church is the heart of the world. The cathedral must stand even as the evils of the world encroach.
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2
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One day, I will claim vengeance against the monster that took my family from me.
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3
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My weapon is all I have to remember my beloved mentor by.
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4
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The spirit of my beloved speaks to me sometimes.
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5
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My dear sibling is now a werewolf.
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6
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A small crossways chapel is my spiritual home.
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7
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I have vouched for someone I know to be a heretic, and I am now responsible for their actions.
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8
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My superior who taught me everything I know about the order has lost their way, and now I must bring them to justice.
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| d8 |
Flaw |
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1
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I am troubled by the wild rage and bloodlust that lurks in my own heart.
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2
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I have come to believe that I executed an innocent person.
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3
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I enjoy the prestige of my position more than service to the gods.
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4
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I drink to forget the horrors I’ve seen.
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5
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I might have made a promise to a fiend that I can’t keep.
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6
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I’ll do whatever grim task must be done, for my soul is already lost.
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7
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I have a dark secret that could expose me as a heretic.
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8
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If someone is not with me, they are against me.
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