review: divine favor - the inquisitor

Metric: Scapulars.  As we've already made use of  sanbenitos, nobody would expect this.  You were hoping for comfy chairs, weren't you...?
DISCLAIMER: Review based on PDF copy provided by Open Design.
Overall: 4.5 scapulars.
This is an ambitious book, if you're fine with the inquisitor class as written, the spells and archetypes will interest you.  If you're a rules hacker though, this book really comes to life.  Inquisitors are already quite versatile and this book offers options which if you're developing from scratch work wonders though established characters might need a little crowbar & lubrication for the new options available.

Content: 4 scapulars (Excellent if mildly unorthodox, rules hackers & tweakers will love it).
Stefen Styrsky goes to town with the inquisitor, immediately emphasising the classes' offensive capabilities.  Censures and condemnations are new abilities and replace the judgement and solo tactics/teamwork feats.  The latter feel more like sinister versions of the paladin's mercy abilities which is fitting for the class.  A typical inquisitor is empowered to bring down their foe, the build here is much more anti-personnel in nature.  Inquisitions replace domain abilities and built around the Midgard setting though adaptation is simple enough.  Archetypes is where this book really shines with the ghost hunter, hand of god (assassin/monk/inquisitor), penitent  (anti-inquisitor inquisitor), stalking shadow (assassin inquisitor), sworn foe (ranger/inquisitor) and witch hunter (guaranteed hit at parties, perhaps not with parties).  New spells offer some wonderful new weapons for the discerning inquisitor. Greater brand, nail foot and well of angry souls make the inquisitor a fearful figure.  Three extra feats around the new condemnation ability feels sparse given the plethora of new abilities in this book and compared with other entries in this series - perhaps a missed opportunity though an advert for Complete Advanced Feats on the last page is perhaps opportune.

Art & Layout: 5 scapulars (good cover, subtle layout makes content stand out)
A good cover from Christophe Swal helps give this inquisitor an unsettling air.  The skull-flail might be a censer or something much more sinister.  The illuminated layout inside seems subtler than Divine Favor - The Cleric and The Oracle and really focusses you on the content. That is a sign of excellent layout and hats off to Timothy Wickham for walking that particular tightrope. 

In conclusion, this book pushes the boat out for inquisitors in the same way that Divine Favor - The Cleric did.  While there is a cornucopia of spells, the light feats section ends the book on a mild anticlimax.  For a GM confident in their handling of crunch and willing to experiment, this book is golden and worthy of a five scapular rating.  For those content with the inquistor as written the new options may be less appealing though the archetypes and spells are excellent, making this book a worthy addition.

yet more tools for writing & groups

A trio of sites that help get ideas together.  What happens next?  That's down to you.

Springpad - This intuitive notepad app has hidden depths.  Idea capture, task management and integration with Google and Facebook.  Browser integration makes it easy to share notebooks or individual notes.  Web page capture is available.  Also supported on Android and iPhone.

TitanPad -  Fans of EtherPad may find this open-source web-based version useful.  The big draw here is that you don't need to install anything or sign-up to use it for short-term collaboration with up to 8 people.  Just open a pad and send a link - useful for editing around a document.  Doesn't play with Mac/iOS yet alas.  

Trello - A web-based virtual pinboard that lets you can ideas on boards and sequence them into 'to do', 'doing' and 'done'. Cards can be given attachments, colour coding, checklists, completion dates and voting options that can be expanded into a task management system including allocating cards to other Trello users.

urburas

No. Enc.: 1d2 (1d4)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 30' (10')
Swim: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 3d8+3
Attacks: 1d2 (touch)
Damage: 1d4 + paralysis
Save: F3
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: None

This pale starfish-like creature grows to 6' diameter and  dwells in port sewers, estuaries or anywhere where salt and fresh water mingle.  The urburas is truly omnivorous, unable only to digest metal or gemstone. It reaches out with stinging arms, these transmit a paralytic poison that lasts for 2d4 rounds.  Paralysed victims are moved to the central mouth where they are digested if they don't suffocate first.  This revolting process inflicts 1d6 damage each round and results in death by asphyxia after 10 rounds.

villainous psychology - traps & tricks

This month's RPG Blog Carnival comes courtesy of Elthos RPG.  It's about getting into the mindset of your villain when creating tricks and traps.  Consider the following, popular with criminal investigation when setting up something to dumbfound, damage or destroy your enemies.

Method - This governs the architect as well as resources available to them.  The psychotic chemist may concoct explosions, acid or poisons.  A necromancer will use undead or death-themed devices.  Engineers devise Rube Goldsberg-esque deathtraps.  Orcs use spiked pits but access to death rays usually involve a third party.  Bait makes a trick or trap seem more compelling.

Example: A Lemurian necromancer in a Mutants & Masterminds game baited four separate flooding sewer chambers with hostages.  This forced the party to split up to save them.  Each was guarded by zombies and a serpent demon.  Though the heroes rescued the hostages, the traps gave the necromancer time to work a ritual summoning something big with tentacles.

Motive - The desired outcome is important.  Tricks deceive, confuse or deny access.  Traps imprison, harm or even kill.  A diabolical warrior might use traps to weaken powerful foes before finishing them.  A haughty sage uses tricks to deter foolish visitors.  Ancient priests set lethal symbols to slay tomb robbers. The motive behind the trap enables a GM to plan accordingly, and where appropriate, signpost the potential lethality or weirdness to come.

Example: A hunchbacked fey offers a narrow-necked crystal ewer filled with yellow gold coins for a horse.  The fey wants a horse and the adventurers delayed.  The narrow neck of the ewer means coins jam together so only 1d6 coins can be retrieved each round by pouring or by hand.  The ewer holds dozens of coins (yet less than the price of a warhorse) and fills a backpack - it will take some time to empty.  Breaking the ewer turns it into a ravening bear.  If broken while holding coins, 30 - 80% are lost in transformation. 

Opportunity - Traps and tricks are active, pre-meditated strategies, implying preparation and anticipation of a target.  If the victim can fly, an open-topped pit is at best inconvenient.  Circumstances work for or against - the smart architect optimises. Planning can mitigate failures.  The best traps and tricks walk a line, planned to prevent failure while seizing the advantage.

Example: Sometimes, simple traps just work.  Deadfalls are simple to set up and depending on system can have greater impact than blunt trauma.  Logs or boulders may block movement or trap someone under their weight.  Depending on situation and how clever the architect is, a simple deadfall may change a combat from a predictable melee to a desperate fight out of a dead-end.

When developing tricks or traps, consider these three things.  The result will be a series of traps that make sense.  Get it right and wnjoy your players cursing your ingenuity while lamenting their not seeing it coming.