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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jago" data-source="post: 6909360" data-attributes="member: 6855130">This is a good point, and yeah: that is thematically cool to have the Inquisitor touch their Holy symbol to the vile witch and have it mark her as a "Don't try anything foolish," moment, I do like this. I agree, keep the Touch Branding.I think the varying distance is a little wonky, but when you explain it as an Inquisitor literally trying to cuff someone, I'm down with this being 30 feet in range. Even keeps Ranged Inquisitors happy because it keeps the target in their optimal firing ranges too, they're not running for cover easily. Damage increasing with levels is A+ for most abilities (seems to be like every 4 or 5 is pretty standard).Jazzy. Something to look forward to getting.Instead of a Wis Save, what about a Con Save? It's basically forcing a Concentration Check on the target so actually, maybe this should do no damage but force the target to make the save at Disadvantage instead? Good ability with a good chance of going off, as very little in the game forces someone to save at Disadvantage, and only classes like the Sorcerer and Paladin (by default) are really proficient in Con Saves to help maintain that Concentration, so this can be pretty devastating to Casters that rely on buffs.Not bad, though I may make the distinction of "For a number of Successful Attacks, so you don't spend like 4 rounds missing and then basically waste the entire ability, yeah? Other than that, good ability. Kinda nice compared to the Paladin's Sacred Weapon, as they add Charisma to attack, so it's nice that the Inquisitor's hurts more, but the Pally has more chances to get off those devastating Smites.Hm ... with extra Branding Features, this may be interesting. I can definitely see like an "Advantage on Intimidation Checks vs. Branded Creatures" thing really having some benefits to the longer duration.We touch on this later.Modus Operandi is a pretty fitting name for their Archetypes, I like it. Kudos.Templar: 3) Additional Fighting Style works. Alternatively, maybe allowing your Brands to do more damage? We should also add perhaps a Ribbon ability here to help flavor the class. For a Templar, ... hm. Maybe like a boost to Intimidate, or being able to use it in place of Deception or Persuasion? Like, it doesn't lower someone's opinion of you or make them hostile, because you're just terrifying and they don't want to upset you further.5) Extra attack Yes. Good, Solid boost to damage. 7) For a Damage Booster, we can look to Smites here: Burn a Spell Slot (versatility) to give just raw DPR11) Brand Wording multiple Creatures/Unique Brand word - Yes. The Multiple Creatures thing definitely has a cool flavor to it, though a Unique Brand kinda fits the "Branding Archetype) However, a "Ribbon" ability may be fun here too. Something to reinforce that this Inquisitor is a scary, scary servant of the Faith. Perhaps a pseudo-kinda Divine Sense, where a Templar can literally sniff out Liars or Murderers or something bad like that?15) Moar Damage! over Resistance: the Templar seems far more the "kill it before it kills me" character, not a Paladin that's going to last going toe-to-toe with Demons for more than 5 minutes. As far as the options you posit, "move brands between creatures and Brand Word them at the same time" seems really fun and flavorful. In fact, maybe even do it where you can shift your number of Brands to one creature (or some combination). So if you have 5 Brands, you shift them all to 1 target, and any target that takes damage and has a Brand on it takes 1 additional damage die per Brand. So you either spread the love around with 5 targets and hitting them all for, (I'll use the Brand Damage from your first post) 1d4 extra worth of hurt, or you place all 5 Brands on the BBEG and stack on 5d4 whenever you hit them. If Brand Damage Dice increase at intervals for the Templar, this can be pretty potent and a fun use of the Brand.Zealot:3) Expanded Spell List, Proficiency/expertise in Persuasion or something - Expertise is a good choice here. For the expanded Spell List, if we're using the Warlock, we have to keep it where they get a choice to take the extra spells or not: they do not automatically add them to their Spells Known.5) Once per long rest free spell, Temporary HP for allies (triggered by branding?) - This is pretty good too. Maybe make it once per short rest free spell (like Bless or something buff-y) seeing as Warlock Invocations can literally give "at wills". Temporary HP triggered when you Brand something is cool af. Something like "equal to Inquisitor Levels + Cha Mod" would be tasty.7) Auras of Boosting (resistance to fear, some types of damage, added damage, etc) can switch in between or must choose one upon gaining the level - I'd actually shy away from Buff Auras: that's the Pally's thing, and they're good at it. Instead, what about like debuff auras - Enemies suffer a penalty to saves equal to Cha Mod, or enemies gain Vulnerability to a type of damage? Keep the distance as like 10 feet and expand out to 30 feet later and this can be fun. Perhaps also expand upon the Ribbon ability here: maybe add Expertise to Investigation or Insight?11) Additional spell per long rest or make previous one recharge on short rests, make branded creatures more vulnerable to your spells. If we use the Warlock way of Casting, spells actually already refresh on a Short Rest. However, making Brands to allow spells to be more potent is like the Eldritch Knight feature, so this is pretty good for 11th Level. 15) Something that has to do with having more "good doers" than "sinners" (if you have more allies/branded creatures within a certain distance of a target than that creature has allies, they suffer big damage, maybe determined by the difference in those numbers/you empower your allies for some while, allowing them to brand creatures with their attacks [which would synergize with any class features allowing multiple targets on Brand Words])  If we go with Debuff Auras, we have something to use here. Expand the Aura out to 30 feet, then have it where each ally within the aura adds like +1 to their attacks/damage (probably damage). This is a pretty awesome buff, but would probably need the Inquisitor to sacrifice a Spell Slot to activate this, as you may get up to like a +5 bonus. Have it last 1 minute and bam, the team centers around the Zealot and becomes a terrifying force for righteous purging. Combined with the fact that they're debuffing enemies within this radius as well, and that's a pretty potent ability.Agent3) Hidden Brands, proficiency/expertise in deception and/or intimidation - Deception definitely. Maybe even access to Thieves' Tools or a Disguise Kit. 5) Additional/unique/situationally stronger brand words - Could play with Creatures Branded by you can be Charmed or something, allowing you to sneak around in the open, sort of. Or Brand Words that are far more focused on being debilitating (Status affects like Staggered or Deafened) than raw damage.7) Ability to excersize some measure of control over branded creatures (suggestion-like, automatically charmed/frightened [enough to be willing to follow your orders] by you if branded out of combat, etc) - I suggested this for 5th Level so we get to the core concept of the Agent faster. For 7th, let's throw in some social blending or Stealth based Ribbon. An ability to Hide as a Bonus Action would be very, very handy.Maybe allow their main ability here to be a Defensive use of Brands: maybe being able to burn a Brand on a target as a Reaction, getting rid of the Brand but giving the target Disadvantage on an Attack Roll/Ability Check (as well as Brand Damage)? Great for quick escapes or just being a good distraction.11) Disadvantage on saves against brands(?) - IF the Target does not know they are branded. Smack them in combat? No. Touched them just before combat broke out? Yes. However, if Zealots do this, then no. Instead, maybe something else working with the hidden Brands, that's a core Archetype feature here. What if they can Brand as a Bonus Action instead? They snap it off and then can use their Action to immediately invoke a Word. Powerful and Flavorful, overwhelming the enemy through Surprise. Otherwise, maybe they can get off a Brand Word while Hidden, without revealing themselves? 15) Fear. This should be some means of combining stealth, hidden brands, and all their other abilities to literally make their enemies absolutely terrified of even seeing an Agent. This is the kicking down of the door and saying the "Nobody expects!" Maybe being able to force any creature who suffers from a Brand Word to make another save: fail and they're Paralyzed with fear. If the Inquisitor is hidden when they do this, the Creature suffers Disadvantage on the save. Paralyzed is an awesomely debilitating status effect and definitely fits the idea of this Inquisitor being so bloody scary that enemies freeze in terror.You know, activating multiple brands at once is actually one of the higher level powers of the one archetype I tried to write (although now I realize it should probably be a class feature): the Stalker.He basically specializes in fighting in the dark. His powers are3) You gain darkvision up to 30ft. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30ft. You have advantage on intimidation checks as long as you are in dim light or darkness. You add 1d4 damage to your attacks as long as you are in dim light or darkness.  - Not a bad Agent featureAlso, a 1st Level Ability I forgot to post was Divine Intuition: 1+Cha mod (min 1) times per long rest, you may use this ability to gain advantage on an Investigation, Perception or Insight check. This is pretty jazzy, though maybe give the Zealot this? If it stays as a base Feature, maybe make it where it's just 1 of those skills (Player's choice), and the Zealot gains all three as part of their Modus Operandi.</blockquote>

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