Okay, now, admittedly this is a pet-peeve of mine in terms of RPG design--what I usually call the "Song of Cheesecake" problem--but the problem is basically this: The flavor is utterly disjointed from the given effects.
Look at this:
Starting at 1st level, an inquisitor can
pronounce judgment upon her foes as a swift action.
Starting when the judgment is made, the inquisitor receives
a bonus or special ability based on the type of judgment
made. The bonuses granted by the judgment continue to
improve on following rounds, reaching a maximum bonus
that lasts until the judgment ends.
Now, from the sound of things, this appears like this is going to be some form of variant smiting ability, which would be fine except it's not. What it appears to be is a Rolodex of one-at-a-time perks, only a few of which have anything to do with pronouncing judgment on a foe.
I call this the "Song of Cheesecake" problem because it's like the old bard prestige class designs where any time someone wanted to give a bard a funky power, they just tacked "Song of" onto the front of it and left it at that, even if it made little or no sense for a bard.
Going through the list of Judgment powers, I'm really hard pressed to come up with flavor explanations for the Judgments of Healing, Protection, Purity, Resiliency or Resistance: "Hah, foul creature! My God disapproves of thee so greatly that He gives me perks! But just me! And after thou art dead, I can still keep them for a while! Nanny-nanny boo-boo!"
I don't have a problem with the Inquisitor having any of these powers, but they need to be made to gyve with the flavor text. Call all the defensive ones "Shield of Faith" or "Divine Succor" or "Whine to Thy Divinity of Choice" but please don't call them "Judgment."
but it is judgment. Your placing judgment upon someone, and calling forth the powers of your god to aid you, It does not matter if this power helps you hurt the foe or aids in there destruction by healing you.
Either way it is judgment
As I said in the last thread about this...
Think of the Judgments not as saying, "You are guilty! The gods will punish you!", but rather, "You are guilty! The gods have empowered me to punish you!". That provides all the justification that is needed for the ability to buff the Inquisitor in pretty much any fashion. Sometimes fast healing is just what is needed to enforce judgment.
After all, what's more demoralizing to a criminal than shooting your executioner only to see that the bullet hole is already gone?
As I said in the last thread about this...
Think of the Judgments not as saying, "You are guilty! The gods will punish you!", but rather, "You are guilty! The gods have empowered me to punish you!". That provides all the justification that is needed for the ability to buff the Inquisitor in pretty much any fashion. Sometimes fast healing is just what is needed to enforce judgment.After all, what's more demoralizing to a criminal than shooting your executioner only to see that the bullet hole is already gone?
If you're demoralized by someone chugging a healing potion, you need a different line of work.
But the gods empowering me and protecting me so I can place judgment on you is not the same thing as placing judgment on you.
But the gods empowering me and protecting me so I can place judgment on you is not the same thing as placing judgment on you.
Did you not read what I wrote? Or the class ability itself, for that matter?
The gods aren't judging whoever. You are judging them, and calling on your patron deity to empower you to carry out that judgment. NONE of the Judgments directly affect anyone but the Inquisitor.
But it is. By them giving you concent and healing of what have you. They have granted you judgment upon a foe. You attack with righteous judgment upon your foe. Knowing your god agrees and provides you help in bringing down judgment in any way you need it
I can think of a flavor explanation for the defensive ones. My character says, "I judge you guilty of blah blah blah and sentence you to death," and then he gains fast healing because nothing, but nothing, is going to stop him from carrying out that sentence. Flavor wise I wouldn't even imagine it as magical in nature, in my imagination, which has nothing to do with the game mechanics mind you, the inquisitor is just so awesome that he shrugs off damage when pursuing a target.
