I'm DMing a game that has been going on for over two years with the Arcanist Inquisition as the main antagonist. The suspense and sense of fear you can get with them is amazing! I've used most of the tips you offer here with very good results! Thank you so much for this new twist!
Finished up a campaign with the Arcanist Inquisition as the main antagonist and they are perhaps some of the most fun villains you get to use. What makes them so interesting is as a villain, these are just everyday men and women who believe their practice has reason. It's not some malevolent force, no supernatural entity, no primeval dragon threatening the realm. Just regular folks (like the PCs) who have taken on a cause. It's that cause or institution that is the real antagonist and perhaps what makes it so interesting. It isn't just one villain but a theocratic force whose influence of faith and fear can be felt throughout the Castinellan Provinces. They truly believe they are the good guys in the story and cannot be reasoned with otherwise- their faith is that absolute. Great video and very much the same type of inspirations/tropes I used to help craft the institution in my game as well. Really recommended running a campaign whether short or long in the Castinellan region of Grim Hollow.
Would love if you would do the antithesis. The mage's college that wants experimented magic unrestrained, the ring of sorcerers that want the chaos of arcana unabated, the fanes of warlocks that want open communication with otherworldly entities, and the bards that tell and perform of the elder times of evocative magic that gave birth to the world
Of course! Rumours in Etharis speak of a secret society known as the Thaumaturge… not a single arcane college, but a collection of all the most powerful mages currently alive… and some who aren’t… who control the fates of the commoners. They are the arch enemy of the Inquisition!
The games Plague Tale Innocence or Requiem both deal with the inquisition and a spell caster. Gave me a lot of inspiration. I have a character thats one of the gunslingers of the inquisition called the Venetori. They use tech instead of magic to even things out since clerics and paladins are so rare.
Some of these examples could be really useful for the homebrew faction in my current campaign world. A religious order focused around the eradication of the evils that blight the universe. Aberrations, undead, demons, etcetera. One of the things I'm exploring with them is how good intentions can gradually become muddled and lose their way over time, and with this faction, years upon years of fighting against evil have made them increasingly zealous and absolute.
Inquisitors and Witch Hunters in dark fantasy present an interestingly morally grey component. In the real world there is no question that Witch Hunts were wrong, as they were at best foolishly misguided and overzealous and at worst actively malicious, but in a fantasy setting where there really are people making pacts with devils, casting curses, and throwing fireballs, is it justifable? How would one balance the need to stop evil mages with the fact that most such organizations will put innocents to death or torture them. I'm planning on introducing a similar organization in my own game to hunt the party.
See I tried that and the campaign went alot darker than intended as those with magic turned on divine casters and the mundane. Mainly as the characters decided you want me to be evil? Fine and double downed. And as they were 18th+ they literally could and did take on the powers of the world and won. The retribution alone was the very thing the witch hunters tried to prevent but instead assured.
So they proved the villain right. Now if that’s not what you were going for then that sucks, but if you were open to having the party turn evil then that sounds like an interesting conclusion to the story.
@@Sir_Lorekeep Did they though? Or was it the self fulfilling prophesy of a society that pushed a group of would be heroes to the abyss of open villainy?
This would fit perfectly for the Church of the Sacred Flame in the World of Drakkenheim, before the Edicts of Lumen set up an uneasy truce between the church, the mageborn, and the political powers of the continent. You could run a campaign from before the Edicts were drafted, or one after there’s been a serious breach (such as a mage being crowned in Drakkenheim), and the breakdown of stability which would follow. In Eberron, there’s the Church of the Silver Flame, which the above faction from Drakkenheim was based on. They don’t have the power to fight spellcasting on that scale, but they’ve carried out infamous inquisitions, slaying an entire family because they suspected one of them was a lycanthrope. The Magic the Gathering world of Innistrad is dark fantasy, with vampires lording over commoners while a church led by angels (not necessarily immortal ones) tries to fight back. Even if the story doesn’t match what you’re looking for, the artists of MtG have collectively produced a huge body of images which would work for NPCs, monsters, or other things to show your players.
A prequel story would be a great way to introduce the Monstrous transformations for your characters too and another reason why players are at odds with the inquisition as it could be do to the meteorite.
@@noahmehringer29 - Drakkenheim is inspired by a few different sources, but Mordheim from Warhammer FRP is a big one. In that world, warpstone is the chaotic magic mineral that can mutate people. Mutants are generally executed, but that's to be expected. Warhammer is an absurdly brutal poverty simulator, so don't make characters you care about.
In Dragonlance this is how wizards treat all other arcane spell casters and not far from how everyone else treats wizards. Such a shame that WotC removed that portion of the lore
What I got from this video: Make a Variant Human Rogue Inquisitor with a Mage Slayer Feat and a backstory as a member of the Arcanist Inquisition undercover as a Rat against the party adventurers.
I’m playing a wizard that was an inquisitive amount the arcane inquisition that was going to be a special detachment until they were scrapped by higher ups. Now he’s on the run.
In my setting all Magic is bad magic unless you’re a priest of their god. So a ranger, or Druid would be put to death still. If you send an emissary from your heretic kingdom, ensure they’re not tainted by the arcane, or only ashes will return.
All who conspire with the capricious and cruel fey or the unholy awakened elements are doomed to the fire’s judgement!! … that’s the quick and Grim Hollow canon answer, but there may be wriggle room in your own campaign depending on how you view primal magic. Is there some divinity to it? Perhaps one among your pantheon is a nature god? Also do you want the Arcanist Inquisition to act as purely antagonistic, as allies to the party, or neutral? You might tweak their doctrine to suit the heroes and villains of your campaign.
We had an Inquisition that hunted Casters, but also monsters and demons and cults. Casters were bad news as they were responsible for a lotta bad shit. The inquisition fit this gray area of "murdering people because they might be witches is bad" but also "yeah this world has actual demons, so they kinda got a point" So they acted as a sort of foil to the party, but never the actual badguys. revealing one of the players as a member of the inquisition on the last session was one of my crowning achievements as one of the PCs was being interrogated, at first by me. then I had the interrogator lean into the light, revealing himself, and my player/inquisitor finished my sentence for me. no one spoke for like 30 seconds as it sunk in.
1:25 Now that's a philosophy ripe for exploitation; Some proper magical strategy to make it look like one survives a burning could be enough to cause AT LEAST a minor, local schism
I wish I could find the background music ya'll find! It's so epic and accurate If anyone has any suggestions for this type of background music, or something similar, please put a link or something
If I ever play a game with the arcane inquisition, I’m definitely playing a character as a formal member of them. At first he thought he was doing the right thing, that was until he had to burn children. Once he had to do that, he started asking the question, is this what Empyreus actually wanted? Then soon enough, his own daughter started showing sings that she was a sorcerer. However, she could only produce little lights in the air. But that didn’t matter. Despite his efforts, she was captured and burned alive. And now he has left the inquisition, and seeks to dismantle them. Believing they are a insult to all that Empyreus stands for
My phoenix sorcery player laughed when her character was apprehended by the Inquisition (just Inquisition with a capital I in my game) and was sentenced to the stake, I laughed in runic bonds (me being the GM), the thief laughed in magic dispelling device, they burned the village and wiped out the local Inquisition. FUN!
i'm running a low level campaign of grim hollow located in the mountains south of runeheim, with the inquisition being a low profile institution that is allied with the local "government" (a fief runned by a old rich family that got control of an old castle and run a small army to protect the region), controlling and trading magical potions that protect the citizens of the plague, and providing some rare magical items for the local leaders in exchange of military support, info, and establishing a local outpost for continuous surveillance of the land. I'm making them a quiet misterious organization that prefers to offer a hand to the population while asking some weird specific questions around. Theres a bard player that has a license for using magic but he also must respond to the inquisition missions when called, without questions. The players are already scaried of them. Very funny.
To introduce some political tension in my campaign setting, I have both an inquisition, not unlike this, as well as a widely respected magical academy who has their own order of knights called the witch guard. I, directly or indirectly via magic items, give all witch guards an ability I call "burn the witch-hunter" which effectively let's them use an upcast hellish rebuke on behalf of another the first time an allied spellcaster is attacked or if they see another cast dispel magic, counterspell, or silence/deafness in their general direction. It creates a bit of fun tension because neither group is the good guys, necessarily, and view the other as terrorists.
Is there a background choice available for a PC Cleric who would like to be a member of the Arcanist Inquisition? Thinking along the lines of a sort of Martin Luther figure who has questions about the order as it exists now, but deeply loves and respects the truths as he sees it that the order was founded on.
There is the Cleric Inquisition Domain in the Grim Hollow Players Guide that would be perfect for this character. We talk about some of their class features in this video here: th-cam.com/video/JMbmyU47NaQ/w-d-xo.html There is also a Lapsed Inquisitor background in the same book, that could work for a current or former member of the organisation.
I need some advice. I was mainly planning to use fighters and rogues as inquisitors but I’m really thinking of using paladins instead. Would it be hypocritical of the inquisitor as I want them to be actually sincere with their belief.
In Grim Hollow, divine magic as gifted by the Arch-Seraphs is considered holy and sacred. It is the wicked magics of the arcane, eldritch, primal, and fey that is considered dangerous and filthy. Remember, though the game describes "Cure Wounds" as a spell with specific rules, this does not mean a Cleric and Ranger heal in the same way. A Cleric may imbue a creature with divine light that eases their suffering, while a Ranger binds the wound with a balm to accelerate its healing. Alternatively, embrace the hypocrisy if you want the Arcanist Inquisition be antagonists in your campaign. Folk are often blinded by their faith and unable to see the flaws within it.
I have a dilemma... like clerics are fine if they have correct creed, and druids I think might be as well... and wizard are alright in some specific places atleast... warlocks... yeah, they surely do exist, right. What about subcasters? Fighter who can use a litlle magic? Thief is thief, using magic makes things no less legal, but a knight who shields themselves with spells... And even more so. BARDS. While wizards could very well be in confined area, bards are traveling minstrells. What does arcanist inqusition think of them? Especially becouse they bring merriment, and are charismatic enough to talk people around to their side. And I think there is also fully non magical minstrels and fools. So what would be their stand within inqusition? Hated? Ignored? Only occasionally burned at stakes?
Three ways: mechanical balance, divine magic, and hypocrisy. 😅 Spells are very powerful in 5e. It's sometimes difficult for non-casters to challenge a party with mages, so giving the inquisition stat blocks spells helps even this balance. The inquisition's magic source is divine, not primal, arcane or eldritch. They are gifted magic by the Arch Seraphs (or gods in other settings) and are therefore chosen to wield it. They do not manipulate, experiment with, or seize power for their own ends. They are instruments of the divine. Inquisitors are fanatics who likely aren't aware of the hypocrisy or harm of their own dogmatic doctrine. Or if they are, they believe the ends justifies the means. Their soul may be damned, but their effect on the world has been a net reduction of magic wielders.
Nice! Thanks for such a comprehensive response. So would you say they would be rooting out all magic users in your party like a half cast ranger with spells similar to the hunters? Or focusing more exclusively on the wizards and sorcerers of the group (at least initially before the whole party makes a name for themselves as enemies of the inquisition)?
I have a place on the world where that is exactly whats happening and i have to Run games there 300 years before the current time line because All non humanoids and Magic users The tables i run there is the Run away from the country campain
As someone who's played as a Caster Breaker or Anti-Mage in Homebrews, I can see the appeal of The Arcanist Inquisition, but I would take issue with the methods; to use a quote I restructured once from Raziel in Soul Reaver 2 for a monologue moment for my character in a campaign where we surveyed a destroyed town of spell casters: "(...) and while I still believed magic users were a plague that needed their magic stripped from them to be returned to The Weave...there was nothing noble or righteous in this crusade...this was nothing more than ruthless persecution..."
The weapon of inquisition is fear, fear and surprise. The two weapons of inquisition are fear and surprise. And ruthless efficency. The three! Three weapons...
"They shouldn't be represented like your stereotypical cultists" See them doing *exactly* that was what bothered me in things like Netflix's Castlevania. I don't mind criticism of religious fanaticism, but when you turn the characters used for it into one-dimensional caricature, it's just... boring and frustrating.
I feel like there's an incentive to NOT play an arcane caster of any type when there's an arcane inquisition in a game. The power curve of spell casters isn't far enough ahead to warrant this social offset. If that's your goal, to reduce players playing spellcasters, then I'd say its doing it's job. But if they are trying to play one in your game, you're nerfing them doubly so. Either they'd need a buff to put them in a place to actually be feared, or reduce the capability of arcane inquisitors. Especially with something like that 'Ward' ability. You're essentially putting casters again, at another disadvantage.
Neither is really needed. It adds a layer of suspense and just being mindful of when/where you are using magic. No need to buff the magic class who is arguably already pretty stacked. This present more of a dilemma and rather than resorting to blasting right away, PCs need to think first. Had a party whom half were casters and never did they feel shackled. Just more aware of what they were doing. Most of the time combat (were magic is predominantly showcased) was usually in secluded locations i.e. the wilderness, underground, or other areas where eyes weren't so keen.
Players often find themselves at odds with a powerful faction. But I usually play an inquisition as a good faction that goes too far. Dark Heresy is a great system for an adventuring party to play the inquisition. I like to introduce the inquisition by saving the town from a demon who was killing innocent people.
I'm DMing a game that has been going on for over two years with the Arcanist Inquisition as the main antagonist. The suspense and sense of fear you can get with them is amazing! I've used most of the tips you offer here with very good results! Thank you so much for this new twist!
Ah ah ! No one expected the Arcanist Inquisition video !!!
People are too young to get that reference. 😅
@@SaintVoidI don't think they are.
then they should watch Monty Python @@SaintVoid
Finished up a campaign with the Arcanist Inquisition as the main antagonist and they are perhaps some of the most fun villains you get to use. What makes them so interesting is as a villain, these are just everyday men and women who believe their practice has reason. It's not some malevolent force, no supernatural entity, no primeval dragon threatening the realm. Just regular folks (like the PCs) who have taken on a cause. It's that cause or institution that is the real antagonist and perhaps what makes it so interesting. It isn't just one villain but a theocratic force whose influence of faith and fear can be felt throughout the Castinellan Provinces. They truly believe they are the good guys in the story and cannot be reasoned with otherwise- their faith is that absolute.
Great video and very much the same type of inspirations/tropes I used to help craft the institution in my game as well. Really recommended running a campaign whether short or long in the Castinellan region of Grim Hollow.
So DMing this in my evil campaign. This is perfect!! Thank you for this!! My ideas are going nuts with this.
Would love if you would do the antithesis. The mage's college that wants experimented magic unrestrained, the ring of sorcerers that want the chaos of arcana unabated, the fanes of warlocks that want open communication with otherworldly entities, and the bards that tell and perform of the elder times of evocative magic that gave birth to the world
Of course! Rumours in Etharis speak of a secret society known as the Thaumaturge… not a single arcane college, but a collection of all the most powerful mages currently alive… and some who aren’t… who control the fates of the commoners. They are the arch enemy of the Inquisition!
Oh man this channel is such a gem. Please never stop making this kind of stuff!
The games Plague Tale Innocence or Requiem both deal with the inquisition and a spell caster. Gave me a lot of inspiration. I have a character thats one of the gunslingers of the inquisition called the Venetori. They use tech instead of magic to even things out since clerics and paladins are so rare.
Oh thank you I actually need this for my game
Some of these examples could be really useful for the homebrew faction in my current campaign world. A religious order focused around the eradication of the evils that blight the universe. Aberrations, undead, demons, etcetera. One of the things I'm exploring with them is how good intentions can gradually become muddled and lose their way over time, and with this faction, years upon years of fighting against evil have made them increasingly zealous and absolute.
Perfect timing, I am using Shadow dark RPG to run my next Homebrew campaign and Arcane Inquisition is the theme.
Inquisitors and Witch Hunters in dark fantasy present an interestingly morally grey component. In the real world there is no question that Witch Hunts were wrong, as they were at best foolishly misguided and overzealous and at worst actively malicious, but in a fantasy setting where there really are people making pacts with devils, casting curses, and throwing fireballs, is it justifable? How would one balance the need to stop evil mages with the fact that most such organizations will put innocents to death or torture them. I'm planning on introducing a similar organization in my own game to hunt the party.
See I tried that and the campaign went alot darker than intended as those with magic turned on divine casters and the mundane. Mainly as the characters decided you want me to be evil? Fine and double downed. And as they were 18th+ they literally could and did take on the powers of the world and won. The retribution alone was the very thing the witch hunters tried to prevent but instead assured.
So they proved the villain right.
Now if that’s not what you were going for then that sucks, but if you were open to having the party turn evil then that sounds like an interesting conclusion to the story.
@@Sir_Lorekeep Did they though? Or was it the self fulfilling prophesy of a society that pushed a group of would be heroes to the abyss of open villainy?
@@LupineShadowOmega oh my party isn’t villainous, it’s just a very grimdark setting
This would fit perfectly for the Church of the Sacred Flame in the World of Drakkenheim, before the Edicts of Lumen set up an uneasy truce between the church, the mageborn, and the political powers of the continent. You could run a campaign from before the Edicts were drafted, or one after there’s been a serious breach (such as a mage being crowned in Drakkenheim), and the breakdown of stability which would follow.
In Eberron, there’s the Church of the Silver Flame, which the above faction from Drakkenheim was based on. They don’t have the power to fight spellcasting on that scale, but they’ve carried out infamous inquisitions, slaying an entire family because they suspected one of them was a lycanthrope.
The Magic the Gathering world of Innistrad is dark fantasy, with vampires lording over commoners while a church led by angels (not necessarily immortal ones) tries to fight back. Even if the story doesn’t match what you’re looking for, the artists of MtG have collectively produced a huge body of images which would work for NPCs, monsters, or other things to show your players.
A prequel story would be a great way to introduce the Monstrous transformations for your characters too and another reason why players are at odds with the inquisition as it could be do to the meteorite.
@@noahmehringer29 - Drakkenheim is inspired by a few different sources, but Mordheim from Warhammer FRP is a big one. In that world, warpstone is the chaotic magic mineral that can mutate people. Mutants are generally executed, but that's to be expected. Warhammer is an absurdly brutal poverty simulator, so don't make characters you care about.
In Dragonlance this is how wizards treat all other arcane spell casters and not far from how everyone else treats wizards. Such a shame that WotC removed that portion of the lore
This was fantastic. Great story hooks and suggestions for star blocks
This needs more views and likes for sure. Thanks for sharing some ideas.
What I got from this video:
Make a Variant Human Rogue Inquisitor with a Mage Slayer Feat and a backstory as a member of the Arcanist Inquisition undercover as a Rat against the party adventurers.
I’m playing a wizard that was an inquisitive amount the arcane inquisition that was going to be a special detachment until they were scrapped by higher ups. Now he’s on the run.
I plan on the Arcanist Inquisition being VERY present in my upcoming campaign. How do they feel about rangers and druids that serve other kingdoms?
In my setting all Magic is bad magic unless you’re a priest of their god. So a ranger, or Druid would be put to death still. If you send an emissary from your heretic kingdom, ensure they’re not tainted by the arcane, or only ashes will return.
All who conspire with the capricious and cruel fey or the unholy awakened elements are doomed to the fire’s judgement!!
… that’s the quick and Grim Hollow canon answer, but there may be wriggle room in your own campaign depending on how you view primal magic. Is there some divinity to it? Perhaps one among your pantheon is a nature god?
Also do you want the Arcanist Inquisition to act as purely antagonistic, as allies to the party, or neutral? You might tweak their doctrine to suit the heroes and villains of your campaign.
@@GhostfireGamingit could be fun to hunt the ranger/druid who doesn't role play their faith while another is allowed to cast spells
Amazing quality as always love the great work can't wait to use your advice in my own home games
We had an Inquisition that hunted Casters, but also monsters and demons and cults. Casters were bad news as they were responsible for a lotta bad shit. The inquisition fit this gray area of "murdering people because they might be witches is bad" but also "yeah this world has actual demons, so they kinda got a point" So they acted as a sort of foil to the party, but never the actual badguys.
revealing one of the players as a member of the inquisition on the last session was one of my crowning achievements as one of the PCs was being interrogated, at first by me. then I had the interrogator lean into the light, revealing himself, and my player/inquisitor finished my sentence for me.
no one spoke for like 30 seconds as it sunk in.
I would love to see you do a video on the Order of Pestilence and plagues in general.
1:25 Now that's a philosophy ripe for exploitation; Some proper magical strategy to make it look like one survives a burning could be enough to cause AT LEAST a minor, local schism
That's what the cuffs are for I gather, but it would be cool to openly cast spells and then see how they react to you surviving the flames.
I wish I could find the background music ya'll find!
It's so epic and accurate
If anyone has any suggestions for this type of background music, or something similar, please put a link or something
I couldn't use this in my campaign, these are the good guys lol.
Good evil, right wrong, doesn’t matter at the end of the day. What matters is who’s got more fire power. You……or them.
There are no good guys in a dark fantasy game. Only less bad ones.
@@christophermurray9777 I disagree but that’s a wild ass conversation about morality idk if you wanna get into lol
For a fun twist on the "fanatical zealot" trope, see the Order of Reason from Mage: Sorcerer's Crusade.
If I ever play a game with the arcane inquisition, I’m definitely playing a character as a formal member of them.
At first he thought he was doing the right thing, that was until he had to burn children. Once he had to do that, he started asking the question, is this what Empyreus actually wanted? Then soon enough, his own daughter started showing sings that she was a sorcerer. However, she could only produce little lights in the air. But that didn’t matter. Despite his efforts, she was captured and burned alive.
And now he has left the inquisition, and seeks to dismantle them. Believing they are a insult to all that Empyreus stands for
This is amazing. This channel is so inspiring and gets the gears turning in my head! Thanks my friend!
What was the game/show/media shown at 6:36?
Its from Arcane
@@ZsDante Thanks!
My phoenix sorcery player laughed when her character was apprehended by the Inquisition (just Inquisition with a capital I in my game) and was sentenced to the stake, I laughed in runic bonds (me being the GM), the thief laughed in magic dispelling device, they burned the village and wiped out the local Inquisition. FUN!
i'm running a low level campaign of grim hollow located in the mountains south of runeheim, with the inquisition being a low profile institution that is allied with the local "government" (a fief runned by a old rich family that got control of an old castle and run a small army to protect the region), controlling and trading magical potions that protect the citizens of the plague, and providing some rare magical items for the local
leaders in exchange of military support, info, and establishing a local outpost for continuous surveillance of the land.
I'm making them a quiet misterious organization that prefers to offer a hand to the population while asking some weird specific questions around. Theres a bard player that has a license for using magic but he also must respond to the inquisition missions when called, without questions.
The players are already scaried of them. Very funny.
I personally really liked the Magisters from Divinity Original Sin 2, since, theoretically, their plan may have actually worked.
To introduce some political tension in my campaign setting, I have both an inquisition, not unlike this, as well as a widely respected magical academy who has their own order of knights called the witch guard. I, directly or indirectly via magic items, give all witch guards an ability I call "burn the witch-hunter" which effectively let's them use an upcast hellish rebuke on behalf of another the first time an allied spellcaster is attacked or if they see another cast dispel magic, counterspell, or silence/deafness in their general direction. It creates a bit of fun tension because neither group is the good guys, necessarily, and view the other as terrorists.
Is there a background choice available for a PC Cleric who would like to be a member of the Arcanist Inquisition? Thinking along the lines of a sort of Martin Luther figure who has questions about the order as it exists now, but deeply loves and respects the truths as he sees it that the order was founded on.
There is the Cleric Inquisition Domain in the Grim Hollow Players Guide that would be perfect for this character. We talk about some of their class features in this video here: th-cam.com/video/JMbmyU47NaQ/w-d-xo.html
There is also a Lapsed Inquisitor background in the same book, that could work for a current or former member of the organisation.
I need some advice. I was mainly planning to use fighters and rogues as inquisitors but I’m really thinking of using paladins instead. Would it be hypocritical of the inquisitor as I want them to be actually sincere with their belief.
In Grim Hollow, divine magic as gifted by the Arch-Seraphs is considered holy and sacred. It is the wicked magics of the arcane, eldritch, primal, and fey that is considered dangerous and filthy.
Remember, though the game describes "Cure Wounds" as a spell with specific rules, this does not mean a Cleric and Ranger heal in the same way. A Cleric may imbue a creature with divine light that eases their suffering, while a Ranger binds the wound with a balm to accelerate its healing.
Alternatively, embrace the hypocrisy if you want the Arcanist Inquisition be antagonists in your campaign. Folk are often blinded by their faith and unable to see the flaws within it.
I have a dilemma... like clerics are fine if they have correct creed, and druids I think might be as well... and wizard are alright in some specific places atleast... warlocks... yeah, they surely do exist, right.
What about subcasters? Fighter who can use a litlle magic? Thief is thief, using magic makes things no less legal, but a knight who shields themselves with spells...
And even more so. BARDS.
While wizards could very well be in confined area, bards are traveling minstrells. What does arcanist inqusition think of them? Especially becouse they bring merriment, and are charismatic enough to talk people around to their side. And I think there is also fully non magical minstrels and fools. So what would be their stand within inqusition? Hated? Ignored? Only occasionally burned at stakes?
How do you justify the inquisitor statblocks having spellcasting?
Three ways: mechanical balance, divine magic, and hypocrisy. 😅
Spells are very powerful in 5e. It's sometimes difficult for non-casters to challenge a party with mages, so giving the inquisition stat blocks spells helps even this balance.
The inquisition's magic source is divine, not primal, arcane or eldritch. They are gifted magic by the Arch Seraphs (or gods in other settings) and are therefore chosen to wield it. They do not manipulate, experiment with, or seize power for their own ends. They are instruments of the divine.
Inquisitors are fanatics who likely aren't aware of the hypocrisy or harm of their own dogmatic doctrine. Or if they are, they believe the ends justifies the means. Their soul may be damned, but their effect on the world has been a net reduction of magic wielders.
Nice! Thanks for such a comprehensive response. So would you say they would be rooting out all magic users in your party like a half cast ranger with spells similar to the hunters? Or focusing more exclusively on the wizards and sorcerers of the group (at least initially before the whole party makes a name for themselves as enemies of the inquisition)?
Nobody expects the Arcanist Inquisition!
I have a place on the world where that is exactly whats happening and i have to Run games there 300 years before the current time line because All non humanoids and Magic users
The tables i run there is the Run away from the country campain
This One is indeed a bad One comanded be Jabra the archbishop
The chosen of Mahareh God of humanity
Yo its Ben Byrne
As someone who's played as a Caster Breaker or Anti-Mage in Homebrews, I can see the appeal of The Arcanist Inquisition, but I would take issue with the methods; to use a quote I restructured once from Raziel in Soul Reaver 2 for a monologue moment for my character in a campaign where we surveyed a destroyed town of spell casters:
"(...) and while I still believed magic users were a plague that needed their magic stripped from them to be returned to The Weave...there was nothing noble or righteous in this crusade...this was nothing more than ruthless persecution..."
The weapon of inquisition is fear, fear and surprise. The two weapons of inquisition are fear and surprise. And ruthless efficency. The three! Three weapons...
So, they basically use a reskinned brazen bull.
"They shouldn't be represented like your stereotypical cultists"
See them doing *exactly* that was what bothered me in things like Netflix's Castlevania. I don't mind criticism of religious fanaticism, but when you turn the characters used for it into one-dimensional caricature, it's just... boring and frustrating.
I feel like there's an incentive to NOT play an arcane caster of any type when there's an arcane inquisition in a game.
The power curve of spell casters isn't far enough ahead to warrant this social offset. If that's your goal, to reduce players playing spellcasters, then I'd say its doing it's job. But if they are trying to play one in your game, you're nerfing them doubly so.
Either they'd need a buff to put them in a place to actually be feared, or reduce the capability of arcane inquisitors. Especially with something like that 'Ward' ability. You're essentially putting casters again, at another disadvantage.
Neither is really needed. It adds a layer of suspense and just being mindful of when/where you are using magic. No need to buff the magic class who is arguably already pretty stacked.
This present more of a dilemma and rather than resorting to blasting right away, PCs need to think first.
Had a party whom half were casters and never did they feel shackled. Just more aware of what they were doing. Most of the time combat (were magic is predominantly showcased) was usually in secluded locations i.e. the wilderness, underground, or other areas where eyes weren't so keen.
Players often find themselves at odds with a powerful faction. But I usually play an inquisition as a good faction that goes too far.
Dark Heresy is a great system for an adventuring party to play the inquisition.
I like to introduce the inquisition by saving the town from a demon who was killing innocent people.