Need help building a character

[Crusher]

I've got a concept for a character I may run in an upcoming campaign, but I'm having trouble putting him together so I figured I'd come here for advice.

I'm hooked on the idea that he's going to be an Inquisitor of the Infernal Light.

I'd like him to start out as something probably religious and possibly light themed, who's useful but you wouldn't necessarily think of as an offensive powerhouse. Kinda inoffensive. However, I know the campaign starts out with something bad happening to the party and I want him to flip out over it.

This experience gives him a new cause of zealotry center his life around. While its a reasonably righteous cause, he's goes a bit overboard in pursuing it (which wouldn't be disruptive to the planned campaign), cheerfully making deals with infernal powers and selling his soul for the power to pursue it. The end result is him seeing himself as Inquisitor for his cause, wielding the light to burn away the enemies of his cause. And not a happy, purifying, curative light. More like an angry, fiery, possibly slightly corrupting light/fire. His overzealousness will at best result in him being a somewhat strained LN and he might end up LE or NE.

Its not adventurer's league and is actually fairly flexible on source material so any of the source books or Unearthed Arcana is probably ok (DM has final approval, obviously).

Anyone have any suggestions for building him?

[DarthPenance]

I'd say Vengeance Paladin would be the most fitting, but if you don't want something very offensive, maybe Light or Life Cleric.

[bid]

There's nothing mechanical in your RP concept. You could take any class and play it that way.

It also depends if you wish to be charismatic or wise.
- High Wis means some flavor of cleric, although sun soul monk might fit a more martial image.
- High Cha means paladin, favored soul sorcerer or some warlock might fit.

If you want to deal radiant damage, paladin, life/protection cleric and sun soul monk fit the bill without refluff.

So, what role do you see yourself acting on the battlefield?

[Crusher]

There's nothing mechanical in your RP concept. You could take any class and play it that way.

It also depends if you wish to be charismatic or wise.
- High Wis means some flavor of cleric, although sun soul monk might fit a more martial image.
- High Cha means paladin, favored soul sorcerer or some warlock might fit.

If you want to deal radiant damage, paladin, life/protection cleric and sun soul monk fit the bill without refluff.

So, what role do you see yourself acting on the battlefield?

Thanks for the suggestions. Id originally thought maybe caster-nuker inflicting radiant or fire damage. Id originally been thinking a light cleric multiclassing into Fiend-Lock but thats kinda split up stat-wise (isnt there a term for a build that needs to be good at a bunch of stats to work out)?

Favored soul into a warlock would be better for that, though I really see him as more of a caster putting much of the favored soul stuff to waste.

Then again, Id completely forgotten about sun soul monks. Maybe he doesnt have to rain fire and light on enemies from afar...

[Potato_Priest]

Thanks for the suggestions. Id originally thought maybe caster-nuker inflicting radiant or fire damage. Id originally been thinking a light cleric multiclassing into Fiend-Lock but thats kinda split up stat-wise (isnt there a term for a build that needs to be good at a bunch of stats to work out)?

Favored soul into a warlock would be better for that, though I really see him as more of a caster putting much of the favored soul stuff to waste.

Then again, Id completely forgotten about sun soul monks. Maybe he doesnt have to rain fire and light on enemies from afar...

The term you are looking for is Multiple Attribute Dependency, or MAD. Also, Paladin/warlock is a very viable multiclass, but for 90% of inquisition purposes I'd go for light cleric. They do get a lot of fire spells, so that can be refluffed as demon stuff. I like your character concept. Good luck with implementing it. Hopefully your fellow players are interested in something other than your combat abilities!

[ApplePen]

Sounds like a Light domain cleric into Undying Light pact warlock. There's good synergy there.

Your Sacred Flame cantrip will deal progressive D8s without worry because of 5e multiclassing, and gets to add Wis and Cha to damage. Not bad. Further, you get Spirit Guardians from Cleric with a bonus +CHA to damage from Warlock. On an AoE selective DoT it's going to be killer.

[Herobizkit]

The new UA Paladin of Conquest (http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UAPaladin_SO_20161219_1.pdf) might fit what you're into, especially if you pal it up with Light Cleric or Undying Light Warlock. Inquisitors should be prepared to fight their foes by any means necessary; smite is just too good to pass up.

[ApplePen]

If you have at least 8 light cleric, 2 paladin and 1 undying light warlock then you get to Greenflame Blade with STR, WIS AND CHA to damage with smite on top.

[Lombra]

Your description sounds like a light cleric-warlock, but mechanically you could refluff the cleric as a peaceful paladin

[Specter]

Light Cleric/Fiend Warlock.

[RipTide]

If you decide to not go caster Sun Soul Monk seems like a good fit.

Other than that there is a grab bag of caster parts you can throw together however you want.

Light cleric seems fitting
Pact of the Undying Light Warlock seems really good
Vengeance Pally seems to fit the theme pretty good too

Fiend lock is less light but more fire, and you know deamon
Draconic Sorc with Red ancestry is also good for fire

You could also go straight Wizard and just flavor it however you want.


Light Cleric seems the best start but it doesn't Multiclass with anything else here very nicely. Not a problem, you can play a cleric up to 20 and it is great, but its not quite the offensive powerhouse you seem to want. Otherwise if you don't mind spreading your ability scores out take cleric to 1 or 2 for the flavor and jump to something else to get blasting power.

Mechanicaly speaking if you want to start with somethign with a bit more overall impact, Undying Light Warlock 3 (for invocations, 2nd level slots, and ritual casting with tome)/Draconic Sorc (red) 17 is probably your best bet. Just, for the sake of flavor, don't fall into the quickened eldritch blast cycle all the time.

Or if you want a bit more melee capability Pally 6 / sorc 14 is a good compromise , or Pally / Lock for short rest smiteing.

[Crusher]

If you have at least 8 light cleric, 2 paladin and 1 undying light warlock then you get to Greenflame Blade with STR, WIS AND CHA to damage with smite on top.

Wait, does Greenflame count as Radiant? Is that how you get all 3 stats? Because thats entertaining. If you're gonna be MAD you may as well take full advantage...

[Flashy]

If you have at least 8 light cleric, 2 paladin and 1 undying light warlock then you get to Greenflame Blade with STR, WIS AND CHA to damage with smite on top.

How are you getting WIS? Potent spellcasting only works with Cleric cantrips, which greenflame blade isn't in this build.

That being said I have found Cleric 8 a surprisingly strong breakpoint for multiclassing.

[bid]

How are you getting WIS? Potent spellcasting only works with Cleric cantrips, which greenflame blade isn't in this build.
Yep, you'd need arcana domain cleric for it to work.