When a Shadowbane Inquisitor goes bad...

[Gaiwecoor]

Two questions, both based on the concept of a fallen paladin / shadowbane inquisitor (C. Adventurer):

1. Many of the Inquisitor's class abilities are based on burning turn undead uses in order to activate them. The Inquisitor description specifically states that the class retains all class features if the character falls from LG. Now, supposing an Inquisitor fell and went blackguard, he would lose the paladin ability to turn undead, but gain the ability to rebuke undead. Since the character would have lost the ability to turn undead, those class features that he can retain would be useless unless he can use the rebuke undead ability to fuel those abilities.

Could the Inquisitor's abilities be used by burning rebuke attempts, or is the "retains class abilities" provision pointless?

2. Based on the fallen paladin theory, it's possible to build a Rogue 1 / Inquisitor 10 / Blackguard 9. Likewise, it could be Rogue 1 / Inquisitor 9 / Blackguard 10. Which prestige class should get the 10th level?

Thanks for helping clear my head.

[Ascension]

By RAW, it seems that the Inquisitor/Blackguard would indeed be partially screwed over by the loss of turning, but if I were a DM I would rule that rebuke attempts would work fine. As for which class to run up to 10th, I would take Inquisitor if only for the extra skill points, but the choice is really up to you. All it really boils down to is getting an extra third level spell if you go with Blackguard or an extra few skill points if you go Inquisitor. By this logic most would say to go with Blackguard 10.

[Captain van der Decken]

Blackguard also gets another sneak attack die at 10, so that's probably your best bet.

[Gaiwecoor]

Blackguard also gets another sneak attack die at 10, so that's probably your best bet.

Aye, the blackguard gets another smite good and a sneak attack die, but the Inquisitor also gets smite (not restricted by alignment) and a sneak attack die. I think Ascension has it right, that we're looking at skill points v. spell level. Of course, the Blackguard has level dependent abilities that the Inquisitor doesn't (fiendish servant). I'm starting to think that'd be the better way to go.

Not that this'll really matter, in the long run. The PCs will probably kill him long before then.