Can someone explain the logic of the inquisitive subclass for rogue?

[Dudewithknives]

I have been doing a lot of research on various rogue builds and tactics, and I love some of the parts of the inquisitive subclass, bit parts of it I just don't get why they even exist or how they made it through playtesting.

1. Ear for deceit: if you roll under an 8 in insight to see if they are lying, treat as an 8....

Every rogue gers a better version of that at level 11 with reliable talent.

Why the hell does a subclass get an ability that is nade completely useless by one of their own base class abilities? Why not have it give advantage one detecting lies or something?

2. Eye for detail: of you are trying to look for clues you are probably not in combat in the first place so no use in it being a bonus action. If you are looking for someone hidden 90% of the time the combat has not started and no point being a bonus action, or you won't know to look for it anyway. Also I have never once, ever seen someone make a player spend any action at all to look for a hidden person in combat anyway.

3. Insightful fighting: love this ability but part of it makes no sense. Why is it opposed by deception? Is the enemy actively trying to deceive you? No, 99.9% of the time that is not happening, because there is no ability for hiding a fighting style. It should have a very different check involved.

4. Steady eye: no problems, awesome ability.

5. Unerring Eye: good ability, but why bother limiting the uses? Also it pings if there is any deception around of any kind... but it doesn't tell you what kind, how many, where they are, or even how it was done. It could literally be anything from the chef made the food taste better with prestidigitation, to the king is really a doppelganger in disguise, to that guard has on glamoured armor to look fancy, you have no clue what though, or even how many.

5. Eye for weakness: no problems, amazing ability.


Anyone else find this subclass very badly put together?

[Blood of Gaea]

1. The subclass ability works without proficiency.

2. Finding hidden creatures makes your life easier when it comes to invisibility and stealth, the rest just lets you finish things faster.

3. I assume the deception check is to simulate them not broadcasting their movements.

5. I agree with you here, it should at least be a short rest ability. I pretty sure the limit is to just keep you from spamming it constantly.

[ImproperJustice]

In response to 1-3.

1. You get this at level 3 vs. level 11?
That’s pretty handy.

2. Searching during combat?
Comes up when facing invisible opponents. It’s good flavor for picking up details on an assailant or opponent. You may find a weakness or some detail not immediately obvious thay has helpful implications. Example: the Nameless King has six doubles around himself, but they are all 60’ around a central point, that must be where the real enemy is!!!

3. Insightful fighting I think is an homage to the modern Sherlock movies where he reads a foe, identifies a strategy, and executes. A suitably deceptive foe like Moriarity could keep the inquisitive off balance.