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It’s somehow already July, which means Dark Archive is nearly upon us and Gen Con is only a month away! Nothing passes the time quite so well as sharing random guesses with internet strangers, so it’s time to ask - what do you expect, and what do you hope to see?
A playtest is all but inevitable, and has traditionally been for two classes; I’d be remiss to not fervently pray for a 2e Inquisitor here, one made with as much love as the new Psychic. My hope, as always, is for some weirdo Ancestries to come in a new book, and for the Golden Road, Broken Lands, Tian Xia, and (most of all) Arcadia shine in the AP and Lost Omens lines.
Excited for whatever’s coming!
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Golden Road Year would be my favourite. A lot of different themes you can hit there and it's still the Inner Sea Region, so any content should add value to most games. For some reason I like the vibe of Qadira, so I'd like to see a lot more of that specifically. As a conservative alternative, a new look at the Shining Kingdoms might be worth a shot. It is a bit vanilla and one of the more explored regions, but with the Events of Night of the Grey Death, there is potential here as well. For a more out-there guess, I would never mind more Vudra or Arcadia - it's always nice to hit some different notes.
A topic I would have mixed feelings about is the Andoran-Chelish war they have dropped hints about. Usually, that would be absolutely my cup of tea, but given current events... yeah. Probably not so much.
Anyway, the playtest that is pretty much definitely happening. New classes so far have been really mostly ambivalent to miss for me personally (sadly), with very notable exceptions like magus and gunslinger; However, the Dark Archive has really nailed it so far. The thaumaturge, despite my lack of interest in the class (idk why), looks amazing and what we know so far for the psychic does as well. It is probably a coincidence, but I have a feeling that the more "out there" a concept is (as long as that is within a space in 2e that has proper room for mechanics - looking at you, summoner), the better the end result fits what I consider to be interesting and effective to play. So most of all, I'd like them to go absolutely wild - no, that's not a shifter pun - the specifics don't matter as much to me.
But since this is a guess thread, Inquisitor and a religion-based concept we have never seen before. Something that goes whole hog on what the psychic does quite a bit of - a caster that isn't based on spell slots.
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LO : Broken Lands would mesh well with the Gatewalkers AP.
I totally forgot that that AP was a thing, thank you for reminding me ^^
Gatewalkers book 1 apparently goes to Castrovel (at least it has the gazetteer) - I heard 2e lashuntas would make some people really happy ;)
Hoping to see: APG2.
We are getting close to the point where I personally feel that more content for the current content would add more overall, than new classes etc
I would prefer more stuff for existing content as well, though a full APG-type book is out of the cards with how they do themed books now. Which I totally get, their now format is pretty damn nice.
True, they can stick to the theme and still put out alot of new options for the existing classes though.
If they prefer to make a nature themed book for all the new ranger, druid and barb stuff that's cool with me.
I honestly don't mind throwing money at paizo as I like em as a company, so if they decided to turn the 'APG2' into 3 different themed books, so be it
That is definitely true ^^
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Mechanically speaking, I really want a new defender type class, preferably non-divine. Everything else is just gravy.
I'd also like to see something like Envoy, or something dealing with the spiritual world like shaman (I want to see shardra please)
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Personally, I'm really hoping for an Inquisitor, or something analogue to that! I'm really into Golarion's religion and I always play religious characters, even if I'm not playing a religious class. But for those times when I do want to play as a dedicated priest of some deity, I don't know. Sometimes I feel like the available chassis's (Cleric's or Champion's) doesn't quite hit the mark for plenty of how I imagine the typical priests of some deities being like. I think that an Inquisitor-analogue could provide the flexibility.
But honestly, and I know this is a very big ask, what I'd really love is for religious archetypes, emulating typical abilities the followers of certain deities might practice, like the divine fighting techniques from the first edition or just new stuff. But, if they didn't come on Gods & Magic, I'm not sure they're ever going to be a thing. :|
A topic I would have mixed feelings about is the Andoran-Chelish war they have dropped hints about. Usually, that would be absolutely my cup of tea, but given current events... yeah. Probably not so much.
What! Feel free to ignore me if my prodding is too much, but when and where were these hints dropped? I really like the idea, even if I'm reticent on what the consequences could be.
Predictions are pretty difficult for me, it's easy to see holes in what sort of characters are missing out paizo has their own plans! I would love to see more primal casters, wisdom based casters, etc, but who the hell knows. Also, as always, hopeful for kineticist.
A topic I would have mixed feelings about is the Andoran-Chelish war they have dropped hints about. Usually, that would be absolutely my cup of tea, but given current events... yeah. Probably not so much.What! Feel free to ignore me if my prodding is too much, but when and where were these hints dropped? I really like the idea, even if I'm reticent on what the consequences could be.
No problem ^^.
The only references I remember clearly are the ones from the LO:WG, but I could have sworn I saw another one somewhere else. I should have been more clear, though, and said potential Andoran-Chelish war. Sorry :/
"The empire’s enemies, most notably Andoran, circle eagerly around it, waiting for a chance to pounce." (from the Cheliax entry)
"Andoran has also taken note of Cheliax’s recent weaknesses, and rumors abound that the two nations may be headed for war—a sentiment encouraged by Andoran’s leader, Supreme-Elect Andira Marusek [...]." (from the Andoran entry)
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Crafting tweaks have me hyped, as does the psychic and thaumaturge. I'm game for whatever they wanna throw at us. Kineticist is the last niche I want but distant grasp psychic might satisfy my desire for a ranged blapper with magic to boot so I'll take whatever class they want to drop. Rulebook wise I'd be down for a first world themed book. Lemme see the craziness of the Golarion fey!!!
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Sticking to my playtest hopes/wants of Inquisitor and/or Warlord Classes.
Aside from that, my biggest want atm I think is to see more of LO: Impossible Lands and Treasure Vault.
Pie in the sky want, I would actually love to start diving into planar stuff. I don't expect singular books for each (although, I would love this), but certainly something like LO: Inner Planes/Outer Planes or something like that. Basically "region" books for the Planes, a la LO: Mwangi Expanse & LO: Impossible Lands. With it, they could do a Rulebook that Dives into the basics of planar travel, which would be a great place for something like the Kineticist I feel.
2e's take on Horror Adventures would also be nice sooner rather than later. But I know that's not everyone's bag.
But yea, think that's my bare minimum want/guess list.
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I want an LO: Vudra book. Or the first part of a Tian update.
I want a take on the Inquisitor or 4e avenger. With the champion becoming the dedicated tank, I really want to see a divine combatant in the opposite direction, mobile and offensive and with an emphasis on meteing out divine punishment.
... I also want the opposite, something in that tanky space champions occupy but not a champion. I think "specialized reactions and defensive abilities" is a cool design space that can be expanded beyond one class.
... In general I want more classes that are magical but also good with weapons. Battlemages dominate a lot of popular fantasy media these days and there are perilously few ways to build one in PF2.
... but I also think in general trying to figure out 'what the game needs' isn't the best way to predict things, because that just doesn't seem to be the way Paizo designs new options.
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I really wish to see a epic level or mythic tier rulebook very much. As for the Lost Omens line, I hope to see Lost Omens: Sunken Azlant or similar book as soon as possible.
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As for the Lost Omens line, I hope to see Lost Omens: Sunken Azlant or similar book as soon as possible.
Would you accept a Lost Omens: The High Seas book that devoted a lot to Azlanti ruins? They need something to juice up the pagecount.
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Thank you keftiu for reminding me of my one true love.
High Seas or riot.
Lol
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Gatewalkers has some folks suspecting the year to come will be a Broken Lands one, which would be an interesting angle to orient other predictions. Anything that touches on Numeria means more aliens and tech, while Brevoy and the River Kingdoms invite potential nation-building and/or intrigue-focused supplements.
But Gatewalkers could also be like Fists of the Ruby Phoenix and Quest for the Froze Flame, and have nothing to do with 2023’s Lost Omens offering. My dream, as always, is an Arcadia overview like the LOWG, and I’ve also heard a lot of hope for a Tian Xia guide in the same mold… but Inner Sea predictions are always the more reasonable ones.
A Golden Road revisit is my unlikely vote for this one. I think rounding out the trio of Garundi meta-regions is a smart bet, as having all of them covered enhances them as a whole; I can so easily imagine a caravan campaign that wanders the continent, traveling everything between Manaket, Alkenstar, and Kibwe. The Golden Road is pretty desperate for revision, as a number of 1e sources are very old, and more than a few are DEEPLY fraught in terms of content - Katapesh desperately needs a fresh look. Rahadoum and Thuvia are in dire need of further depth, while Qadira is awesome but underutilized. Giving Osirion more of an identity than than an Egyptian theme park would be nice, too.
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Thank you keftiu for reminding me of my one true love.
High Seas or riot.
Lol
What about a "Low tides" book that focuses on coastal settings and maybe other transitional zones, that can easily feature changing environments between water and land? Or even flying fortresses and tall cliff dwelling cultures. With lots of environmental rules, hazards, skill feats and just a general expansion of the environment as encounter?
Plus Interesting ancestry and cultural development of peoples that don't nation build, but just survive and move around in hostile environments.
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The fact that we had not one, but two, instances of a Paizo employee responding to a Tian Xia related question with "stay tuned" makes me (unreasonably) confident that we'll be getting Tian Xia content in 2023.
The fact that we had not one, but two, instances of a Paizo employee responding to a Tian Xia related question with "stay tuned" makes me (unreasonably) confident that we'll be getting Tian Xia content in 2023.
I honestly took Nagaji coming in LOIL as a sign against a Tian Xia book, but I’d be quite happy being wrong. Such a book would likely be an overview with a few player options, I have to imagine - what Ancestries might be in it?
Samsarans and Wayang feel like obvious pulls, but is there anything else?
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So, currently I don't have a solid precedence for this thought process, but I do feel like they may flip-flop between Avistan and Garund when it comes to which meta-regions get books when. For instance our current line up is Mwangi Expanse, Absolom, and Impossible Lands. Absolom is considered a nation in Avistan. So, by that logic, one coooould argue a Broken Lands book may make sense.
But, again, it isn't that solid of a theory. Iirc, Absolom was supposed to come out first. But it's all I've got. Lol.
EDIT: I will continue to say this until I die; I DESPERATELY want Tanuki as playable.
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I'm hoping for a new primal class. We've gotten a new divine class (oracle), a new arcane class (magus), a new occult class (psychic) aside from the pick-a-list folks the Druid stands alone in Primal which is too bad since there's a lot of thematic territory there.
I imagine one of the two new classes will not have spell slots.
If they do bring back the inquisitor, I hope the class gets a name change (like how the Thaumaturge is the successor of the PF1 Occultist). I've always been a little uncomfortable about the name "Inquisitor" for a class.
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Thank you keftiu for reminding me of my one true love.
High Seas or riot.
LolWhat about a "Low tides" book that focuses on coastal settings and maybe other transitional zones, that can easily feature changing environments between water and land? Or even flying fortresses and tall cliff dwelling cultures. With lots of environmental rules, hazards, skill feats and just a general expansion of the environment as encounter?
Plus Interesting ancestry and cultural development of peoples that don't nation build, but just survive and move around in hostile environments.
I feel like most coastal regions would likely be covered by their respective meta-region books. High-Seas, being its own meta-region, seems more likely to cover the oceans themselves, as well as any significant island/costal regions that aren't a part of one of the other meta-regions: such as the Shackles, Mediogalti Island, Hermea, and maybe even the ruins of Azlant and Iblydos.
It cooould cover some of the more prominent coastal regions as far as their relation with the sea. But oceans and islands seem more likely imo. Acenstries could be a hodpodge of some land dwelling, but more likely focus on underwater Ancestries.
That's just my take on what to expect from it. But as a meta-region, LO: High Seas is inevitable.
EDIT: That said, I can see and entire Rulebook with a heavy focus on ocean adventures as a whole. Be they above or below the water.
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Hmm, I was a little skeptical of the chance of seeing an Inquisitor redux so soon after Thaumaturge, who though not religious per se like the Inq, does fit many of the tropes (Witcher, Solomon Kane, John Constantine etc) I see both filling thematically. But seeing this from Travelling Sasha:
Personally, I'm really hoping for an Inquisitor, or something analogue to that! I'm really into Golarion's religion and I always play religious characters, even if I'm not playing a religious class. But for those times when I do want to play as a dedicated priest of some deity, I don't know. Sometimes I feel like the available chassis's (Cleric's or Champion's) doesn't quite hit the mark for plenty of how I imagine the typical priests of some deities being like. I think that an Inquisitor-analogue could provide the flexibility.
But honestly, and I know this is a very big ask, what I'd really love is for religious archetypes, emulating typical abilities the followers of certain deities might practice, like the divine fighting techniques from the first edition or just new stuff. But, if they didn't come on Gods & Magic, I'm not sure they're ever going to be a thing. :|
I can totally dig why it is definitely missing. I loved the 1e Inquisitor.
And if they can replicate some of what roquepo is getting at here in the Premature Thaumaturge thread that wouldnbe super awesome:
I love what paizo did with the thaumaturge class feats. Most of its actions and reactions are built in their class features, so you are left with mostly passive effects to alter how those features work.
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I like the idea of one returning class and one new/newly named class. Both Inquisitor or Kineticist would be amazing to have in PF2E, from what I've heard of people talk about them. I'd also be up to having another Warlord/Defender type of class. Whichever direction they decide to go, I'm ecstatic for the possibilities!
Honestly, if Lost Omens goes into Tian Xia, I hope they look into making Samurai and Ninja into archetypes or class paths. Having them would be a huge draw for the potential Tian Xia book, or maybe a related rulebook released in conjunction.
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The simplest argument I can make for the 2e Inquisitor (and I’m amenable to a name change, if it’s a good one) is that the Champion is a divine defense character, the Cleric is a divine support character, and the Oracle is a divine oddball… a divine offense-focused class is an obvious design space.
I’m a bigger fan of the class for its themes and narrative place - acting as a spy and/or assassin of your faith - which is likewise not something 2e has a ton of support for.
Put it in a divine book with a reworked Medium or Shaman, put it in an intrigue book with a PF Envoy or Warlord, I don’t care… but it’s the single mechanical option I want most at present.
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While I don't feel one way or the other about the name, my personal favorite as an alternative to "Inquisitor" is "Vindicator" (or "Absolver", maybe "Accuser").
Rather than question or interrogate in a harsh (and likely violent) manner, they instead clear those accused of any suspicion or guilt relating to any alleged blasphemy, heresy, or desecration of faith.
And for those found guilty?
Well.... no one expects the Cheliaxian Inquistion.
----
In other news, I shall be off from my job due to having surgery in about two weeks. I know it's usually TMS's thing, but I do intend to compile notes as best I can. ^^
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I'm also pulling for some kind of Book of the Dead-style book for next year, but focusing on some other creature type. Aberrations would be my personal favorite, or constructs, but I could also see a fey-focused book showing up as well. I'm not as interested in the fey, just aesthetically they've never grabbed me in anything, but Pathfinder's are the most interesting ones I can remember reading about.
An Aberration book with some nasty, spooky player options is something I want very badly. Throw in some Dominion of the Black stuff and I will gobble it up.
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I get that there should probably be a divine offensive class (but I don't know why Divine gets so much more love than the other 3 traditions, but that's a separate issue.) I just don't think "Inquisitor" or "Accuser" really make sense in a setting that is default polytheistic where the gods make a point of not directly antagonizing each other.
Like if your job is to seek out heresy against your god, well what does the Church of Erastil care if a bunch of Bohemian Shelynites are rebelling against traditional family structures? If you're only going to be working within a specific faith, that's a weird choice for a game where every member of a party might have a completely different religion.
Like I get that there's a use for a divine troubleshooter class, but I'd like to keep it thematically as far away from "weed out the heretics" territory as I possibly can. Since the world assumes that the Abadarians are not in direct conflict with the Desnans, and the Iomedeans are not in direct conflict with the Norgorberites. Pharasma's even careful in how much *direct* pressure she puts on Urgathoa. I don't think a class where the theme is adjacent "punish people for not following your religion" is appropriate, particularly when most stories involve meeting a lot of people who have nothing to do with your religion.
I wonder if the Inquisitor shouldn't just be the "divine" subclass of a general "monster hunter" class. I would also accept "Avenger".
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I’ve always imagined Pathfinder Inquisitors going after the enemies of their faith, not heretics within their own - the deities I’d most want to serve with one are Arazni, Casandalee, and Kazutal, who all have foes easier beaten with subtlety than with Paladins.
The fantasy has always been "holy superspy" to me.
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The Deities do tend to make it a point to not directly interfere, but that is certainly not always the case. Many of them have active rivalries and vendettas; such as how Desna actively seeks to destroy Ghlaunder. Many of their divine servants and vassals also tend to clash on a regular as well.
That said, most of the conflict tends to happen between their clergy. Especially in a world where good and evil are verifiable things. It's usually a lot more than just "I don't like you because you aren't of my faith" as most real world inquistions had a tendency to be. So I think having a warrior within one's faith who is capable to doing things to protect their faith and end threats to it in a way that Clerics and Champions may not be capable of doing seems a legitimate role in a world full of divinities.
But that's just me. Divine Classes tend to be my favorite Class to play. Likely has a lot to do with a Cleric being the first character I ever made, and my overt interest in religious and spiritual things, despite not being religious myself . All the same, I tend to also play a lot of stealth characters in games. Inquisitor takes the two and mashes them together. It was my favorite fantasy out of all the 1e Classes.
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So why does the Superspy need to be divinely empowered? Why do I get cooler stuff because I'm a superspy for Sarenrae than if I"m a superspy for, say, Andoran who is more committed to their country than any particular deity?
Like I can get the "troubleshooter, who investigates threats to what they believe in and ends them subtly" as a class concept but does that even need to be divine? Similar to how the Thaumaturge drops the Occultist's spellcasting, can't it just be a class without a magical tradition?
I don't see any reason why you can't like play a deeply religious rogue, you just have the power to deal extra damage from sneaking up on people and stabbing in their vitals not from "I judged you according to my faith, so you take more damage."
I especially don't like the idea of another class being denied to Animists, Shamanic traditions, the Sangpotshi folks, the Green Faith, etc. There's already one too many of those (Cleric I'll grant, but we should absolutely have had Champions for things that aren't deities like 3 years ago.)
Like seriously, just give me Operative for which "Inquisitor" is a subclass.
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Because some people like to have mechanical impact to the fantasy they play? The same reason why things like Gunslinger and Swashbuckler were more than just "Fighter with guns and panache".
It may not be something you want, but it shouldnt determine what others may want to play. Hence why things like Antipaladin are written into the rules. One person may not want to play an absolutely deplorable individual while others might. I don't think that has any implications beyond wanting to have fun playing a fantasy game.
I'm not really here try to convince anyone why I want the option or that they should want it. But there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to play a divinely empowered religious spt/hunter/assassin. No more than there is with playing a demon-born sorcerer or witch empowered by Baba Yaga. But that's my opinion. Not here to dictate anyone else's table. Just believe there is valid basis for Inquisitor as a full class.
Last I'll speak on it. Don't want to derail the topic, as many of my posts lately have been remove for doing just that.
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So why does the Superspy need to be divinely empowered? Why do I get cooler stuff because I'm a superspy for Sarenrae than if I"m a superspy for, say, Andoran who is more committed to their country than any particular deity?
Like I can get the "troubleshooter, who investigates threats to what they believe in and ends them subtly" as a class concept but does that even need to be divine? Similar to how the Thaumaturge drops the Occultist's spellcasting, can't it just be a class without a magical tradition?
I don't see any reason why you can't like play a deeply religious rogue, you just have the power to deal extra damage from sneaking up on people and stabbing in their vitals not from "I judged you according to my faith, so you take more damage."
I especially don't like the idea of another class being denied to Animists, Shamanic traditions, the Sangpotshi folks, the Green Faith, etc. There's already one too many of those (Cleric I'll grant, but we should absolutely have had Champions for things that aren't deities like 3 years ago.)
Like seriously, just give me Operative for which "Inquisitor" is a subclass.
Why is there a Ranger when you can be a Fighter with high Survival? Why is there a Bard when your Wizard can play guitar? Plenty of concepts can be made with the existing parts in PF2 as a system, but some have enough design and thematic space to be classes unto themselves.
Fantasy nerds have a vision of what an Inquisitor is. Holy assassins and zealous investigators prominently feature across all sorts of pop culture, not least of which is the ever-popular Warhammer 40k. One of Pathfinder's most striking characters in the 1e days was the Iconic Inquisitor, an exorcist and monster slayer in service to the oldest god in the setting.
When I think of a deity like Arazni, I don't imagine her giving her blessings to many gleaming, armored Champions - it's the people who fight dirty against the monsters that hurt them. The Alijae and Matanji don't have time to follow honorable codes when fighting an existential struggle against demons. Casandalee's chosen people likely had nothing but faith and their wits to resist oppression at the hands of the Technic League (and now, their remnants). You don't think Milani has a few hands in the dark, secretly working towards revolution? The Desnan resistance in Nidal? Or that any Evil deity wouldn't use Inquisitors?
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Why do I get cooler stuff because I'm a superspy for Sarenrae than if I"m a superspy for, say, Andoran who is more committed to their country than any particular deity?
Like I can get the "troubleshooter, who investigates threats to what they believe in and ends them subtly" as a class concept but does that even need to be divine?
This feels sort of like asking why the magus casts spells and isn't just a fighter.
Part of the fantasy, imo, is being magical in the way a rogue or investigator will never be.
For me, the biggest remaining holes are Inquisitor, Kineticist, and Shaman. I would be very interested in a retooled Arcanist that functions like a Psychic. I would be happy with something new as well.
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The more we talk about a Tian-Xia book, the more I remember how badly I want it. Aside from all the lore and Ancestries, the region specific Bestiary is sooooooo enticing to me.
If we get that instead of Broken Lands, that could bode well for a potential 6 part AP set there. I will pretty much take anything at this point, even another martial arts focused one. But I would really love to see something involving Lingshen, Po Li, and Quain in an interchangeable threeway conflict that allows players to have a sort of "choose your own adventure" kind of thing, where each nation has its own sort of path, but by the end it turns out that there is some greater mechanations involved and they end up having to band together to prevent it. Repayable AP. Literal Pathfinder: Three Houses/Three Hopes.
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I had a moment to think on the AP situation again and I think the 3-book AP system - which I love btw - could offer some really interesting opportunities for separate, but somewhat connected stories.
Let's say two countries are close to conflict and both sides have factions that really don't want that to happen. But due to various reasons the factions don't want to work with those of the other country. Now you could do a 3-book AP for each country, each with a different tone - Hell's Vengence and Hell's Rebels come to mind. Really ambitious GMs could run two groups at the same time, decisions of one potentially influencing events of the other (to an extent).
I can already see a few problems with this particular idea, but something like this would be really cool to see. Would also be a great alternative narrative for the Adoran-Chelish conflict, instead of an "we have to end the war scenario".
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Between the divine-esque support with the Oracle and the Book of the Dead, Arcane support with the Magus and SoM, Occult support with the Psychic in the Dark Archives, and mundane/alchemical/technological support in Guns and Gears, we're well due for Primal to get some love.
I'll be very surprised if neither playtest class uses Primal casting to some degree.
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Between the divine-esque support with the Oracle and the Book of the Dead, Arcane support with the Magus and SoM, Occult support with the Psychic in the Dark Archives, and mundane/alchemical/technological support in Guns and Gears, we're well due for Primal to get some love.
I'll be very surprised if neither playtest class uses Primal casting to some degree.
Shifter and Shaman would make a solid lineup. Both are technically explored space, so it wouldn't quite fit Paizo's current approach, but with how different the Shaman shapes up to be, it might work.
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Fantasy nerds have a vision of what an Inquisitor is. Holy assassins and zealous investigators prominently feature across all sorts of pop culture, not least of which is the ever-popular Warhammer 40k.
I think my basic hangup is that I can't see any examples anywhere in pop culture where "Inquisitor" is associated with anything positive (the Imperium are the *BAD GUYS* in WH40k). So it's just kind of like calling a class "Villain". The thematic well just comes pre-poisoned against these folks for me in a way that it doesn't for "Cleric" or "Champion/Paladin." I liked the class in PF1 as a bundle of mechanics and basically no other way.
Like aside from PF1, the history of Catholic Church, and Warhammer 40k where can I find "Inquisitors"?
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Cassandra Pentaghast from Dragon Age comes to mind. Her overall goal was in no way villainous. She is actively trying to prevent a war; even if her methods are somewhat harsh. The examples are far and few between, but they are there.
Largely negative examples in media and history shouldn't bar the creative potential of the narrative. If that was the case, we shouldn't have things like good Tieflings or any other examples of fundamentally evil concepts being used in a good light.
Controversial statement here: the basic premise of what any religious inquisition was meant to be is not inherently bad. Make no mistake, this is in no way justification for the very real and absolutely reprehensible things that took place at the hands of historical inquistions. But the core purpose and principles behind the concept was to act as enforcers of religious law; which, at the time, was ubiquitous to civil law most of the time. That, in itself, wasn't the issue. The issue stemmed from the militant zealotry and intolerance often seen by members of the church at the time. This lead to corruption, injustice, and, ironically, heresy within its structure. Again, I'm in no way justifying the depravity and wickedness that came from the dark point in human history. But I simply don't equate the concept as inherently evil; no more than I believe anyone who is Catholic is a bad person.
Last I'll say on it. I like having discussions on stuff like this. But I don't want to risk being flagged for being off topic, or potentially upset anyone.
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Largely negative examples in media and history shouldn't bar the creative potential of the narrative. If that was the case, we shouldn't have things like good Tieflings or any other examples of fundamentally evil concepts being used in a good light.
I don't know, Fiendspawn (or otherwise Fiend-empowered on a level that impacts them physically) that use their dark powers to fight on the side of good are dang near a dime a dozen IME. If anything they're more common than Celestialspawn, because people love a good Antihero.
Don't really have a horse in the Inquis race, not a big Religious Class player myself, but yeah. Love me some "Fighting Hellfire with Hellfire" trope.
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Fantasy nerds have a vision of what an Inquisitor is. Holy assassins and zealous investigators prominently feature across all sorts of pop culture, not least of which is the ever-popular Warhammer 40k.I think my basic hangup is that I can't see any examples anywhere in pop culture where "Inquisitor" is associated with anything positive (the Imperium are the *BAD GUYS* in WH40k). So it's just kind of like calling a class "Villain". The thematic well just comes pre-poisoned against these folks for me in a way that it doesn't for "Cleric" or "Champion/Paladin." I liked the class in PF1 as a bundle of mechanics and basically no other way.
Like aside from PF1, the history of Catholic Church, and Warhammer 40k where can I find "Inquisitors"?
Inquisitors are those who ask a question. And definitely in a religious context here.
So, people who check if you are doing right by the rules of a deity or belief are likely to appear anywhere there is a belief.
Now, since they promote the status quo and proper belief, I can easily see how they will usually be seen as negative.
But you can always change the name. And someone checking you are properly paying homage to Sarenrae and not being a secret Rovagug cultist does not sound that bad.
Finally, if the important thing is divine spy and executioner, you can leave both the name and the role behind.