Gladius Legis
Legend
This is an effort to introduce one of my favorite 2nd Edition Paladin kits, the Inquisitor, into 5th Edition. The Inquisitor, first introduced in the Complete Paladin's Handbook, focused on dealing with hostile or evil magic and its practitioners. And if you played Baldur's Gate II, you'll remember that the Inquisitor kit was adapted into that computer game (and was considered one of that game's most overpowered kits; it was pretty much death to enemy mages).
A summary of what the Complete Paladin's Handbook version of the Inquisitor had:
That Inquisitor also had several drawbacks, most of which can't be reproduced in 5e without severely diminishing the Paladin class. Unlike in 2e, spells are an integral and working part of the 5e Paladin, so removing spells obviously wouldn't work. Same with Lay on Hands, which was another thing the Inquisitor gave up in 2e. Regardless of that latter fact, the spirit of the Inquisitor kit is pretty easy to translate in 5e, I found.
Without further ado, behold the Oath of the Inquisition.
The Oath of the Inquisition has its origins in a time in history when magi were testing the limits of reality to startling extremes. Certain nation-states, ruled by the most ambitious, ruthless and powerful of these magi, experimented with many unnatural phenomena. These magocracies amassed tremendous power, but at a price, to the point they were threatening the fabric of existence itself. Morever, the common folk were ignored, at best, and suffered countless indignities from these magocracies, at worst. From this inequity rose paladins who took sacred vows to check the power of those who practice magic, a tradition that has only become more vital in recent times.
These paladins, known as inquisitors, are not, contrary to some propaganda, enemies of all arcane magic and its practitioners. Rather, their ideal is to ensure that all magic practiced in their realm is done so responsibly, and they vow to identify and take action against magi whose hubris drives them to potentially destructive or tyrannical applications of the arcane arts. Some inquisitors of more altruistic inclinations make it a point to hunt down and eliminate anyone who uses magic to evil ends, although that is hardly an obligation for the Oath of the Inquisition as a whole.
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, most inquisitors adopt Mystra as their patron deity, devoting their lives to assist the goddess of magic in preserving the Weave even from the potential abuses of the most ambitious and powerful of arcane practitioners. It is an especially popular cause, given that the return of Netheril is still fresh in the collective consciousness of the Sword Coast and the Dalelands. Some inquisitors can also be found among the ranks of paladins who worship Torm, Helm, Hoar, and Tyr, however.
Tenets of the Inquisition
The tenets of the Oath of the Inquisition are universal among paladins who assume the mantle of inquisitors, prescribing a set of obligations to provide a check and a balance to the ambitions of magi. The tenets are as follows:
Maintain vigilance against magical threats. The ambition of those who practice the arcane arts can be dangerous if left unchecked. You must remain watchful of any who could do harm with magic.
Act decisively against threatening practices of magic. If a mage becomes a clear and present danger, whether to the lives of a few, to society as a whole, or to the very fabric of existence, it is your responsibility to act swiftly against the threat.
Protect, assist and heal victims of harmful magic. One must remember that irresponsible use of magic, in many cases, results in people suffering. It is your responsibility to assist such victims, whether they are physically harmed by magic, have their minds and senses manipulated unnaturally by magic, or live under the tyranny of a magocracy.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of the Inquisition Spells
Paladin Level Spells
3rd detect magic, identify
5th lesser restoration, see invisibility
9th counterspell, dispel magic
13th arcane eye, freedom of movement
17th greater restoration, scrying
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options.
Purge Magic. As an action, you may attempt to dispel all magic present around you. Choose as many creatures, objects, or magical effects as you desire within 30 feet of you. For each spell on your targets, make a Charisma ability check. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spell ends. This feature will dispel any effect that otherwise explicitly requires a dispel magic spell cast using a spell slot of a specific level to end, as long as your ability check is successful.
Vision of Truth. As an action, you may use your Channel Divinity to sense your surroundings in a way that no illusory magic can deceive. For one minute, out to 60 feet, you gain truesight, can notice secret doors hidden by magic, and can see into the Ethereal Plane.
Aura of Deception's Bane
Starting at 7th level, while you are conscious, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain advantage on all saving throws against spells of the enchantment and illusion schools of magic, as well as advantage on all Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) skill checks.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Champion Inquisitor
Starting at 15th level, you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check pertaining to your use of counterspell, dispel magic, or your Purge Magic feature.
Avatar of the Inquisition
At 20th level, no threat from magic or its most hubris-consumed practitioners can overwhelm you, as your eyes glow with a cool divine light to meet such a threat. You can use your action to gain the following benefits for 1 hour:
This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
A summary of what the Complete Paladin's Handbook version of the Inquisitor had:
- Ability to detect (evil) magic.
- Ability to dispel (evil) magic with a base rate of guaranteed success against equal-level mages.
- Between an 80-95% immunity to all illusions.
- 90% immunity to charm, domination, suggestion, hold person/monster and possession.
That Inquisitor also had several drawbacks, most of which can't be reproduced in 5e without severely diminishing the Paladin class. Unlike in 2e, spells are an integral and working part of the 5e Paladin, so removing spells obviously wouldn't work. Same with Lay on Hands, which was another thing the Inquisitor gave up in 2e. Regardless of that latter fact, the spirit of the Inquisitor kit is pretty easy to translate in 5e, I found.
Without further ado, behold the Oath of the Inquisition.
Sacred Oath: Oath of the Inquisition
The Oath of the Inquisition has its origins in a time in history when magi were testing the limits of reality to startling extremes. Certain nation-states, ruled by the most ambitious, ruthless and powerful of these magi, experimented with many unnatural phenomena. These magocracies amassed tremendous power, but at a price, to the point they were threatening the fabric of existence itself. Morever, the common folk were ignored, at best, and suffered countless indignities from these magocracies, at worst. From this inequity rose paladins who took sacred vows to check the power of those who practice magic, a tradition that has only become more vital in recent times.
These paladins, known as inquisitors, are not, contrary to some propaganda, enemies of all arcane magic and its practitioners. Rather, their ideal is to ensure that all magic practiced in their realm is done so responsibly, and they vow to identify and take action against magi whose hubris drives them to potentially destructive or tyrannical applications of the arcane arts. Some inquisitors of more altruistic inclinations make it a point to hunt down and eliminate anyone who uses magic to evil ends, although that is hardly an obligation for the Oath of the Inquisition as a whole.
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, most inquisitors adopt Mystra as their patron deity, devoting their lives to assist the goddess of magic in preserving the Weave even from the potential abuses of the most ambitious and powerful of arcane practitioners. It is an especially popular cause, given that the return of Netheril is still fresh in the collective consciousness of the Sword Coast and the Dalelands. Some inquisitors can also be found among the ranks of paladins who worship Torm, Helm, Hoar, and Tyr, however.
Tenets of the Inquisition
The tenets of the Oath of the Inquisition are universal among paladins who assume the mantle of inquisitors, prescribing a set of obligations to provide a check and a balance to the ambitions of magi. The tenets are as follows:
Maintain vigilance against magical threats. The ambition of those who practice the arcane arts can be dangerous if left unchecked. You must remain watchful of any who could do harm with magic.
Act decisively against threatening practices of magic. If a mage becomes a clear and present danger, whether to the lives of a few, to society as a whole, or to the very fabric of existence, it is your responsibility to act swiftly against the threat.
Protect, assist and heal victims of harmful magic. One must remember that irresponsible use of magic, in many cases, results in people suffering. It is your responsibility to assist such victims, whether they are physically harmed by magic, have their minds and senses manipulated unnaturally by magic, or live under the tyranny of a magocracy.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of the Inquisition Spells
Paladin Level Spells
3rd detect magic, identify
5th lesser restoration, see invisibility
9th counterspell, dispel magic
13th arcane eye, freedom of movement
17th greater restoration, scrying
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options.
Purge Magic. As an action, you may attempt to dispel all magic present around you. Choose as many creatures, objects, or magical effects as you desire within 30 feet of you. For each spell on your targets, make a Charisma ability check. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spell ends. This feature will dispel any effect that otherwise explicitly requires a dispel magic spell cast using a spell slot of a specific level to end, as long as your ability check is successful.
Vision of Truth. As an action, you may use your Channel Divinity to sense your surroundings in a way that no illusory magic can deceive. For one minute, out to 60 feet, you gain truesight, can notice secret doors hidden by magic, and can see into the Ethereal Plane.
Aura of Deception's Bane
Starting at 7th level, while you are conscious, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain advantage on all saving throws against spells of the enchantment and illusion schools of magic, as well as advantage on all Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) skill checks.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Champion Inquisitor
Starting at 15th level, you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check pertaining to your use of counterspell, dispel magic, or your Purge Magic feature.
Avatar of the Inquisition
At 20th level, no threat from magic or its most hubris-consumed practitioners can overwhelm you, as your eyes glow with a cool divine light to meet such a threat. You can use your action to gain the following benefits for 1 hour:
- You gain truesight, can notice secret doors hidden by magic, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to 120 feet.
- You cannot be paralyzed, stunned, or possessed.
- You gain resistance to all damage from spells.
- Any targets you desire who are concentrating on a spell must automatically make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain their concentration if they approach within 30 feet of you, you approach within 30 feet of them, or they start their turns within 30 feet of you. Moreover, anyone you desire within 30 feet of you making a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration suffers disadvantage on the saving throw.
This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
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