During a period of tumult, civil unrest and disaster, a wise, ageing man was approached for help. He was said to have been the finest swordsman in the land, and had an uncanny affinity with the elemental planes. He established an order to quell the disasters ravaging the land, restore the peace, and uphold justice.

In these, this order --- the Steórcildu --- succeeded. Comprising diplomats, philosophers and warriors, its ideology and adherence to a codified, exacting way of life was suitable only for a minority, and precious few possess an affinity to the elemental planes. As a result, the order initially grew only slowly. But as word of its deeds and triumphs spread, so too did its reach and over the decades, more and more came forward, claiming affinity with one of the elemental planes.

That was all a long time ago, and the order itself no longer exists today. With its 'secrets' better known --- if not widespread --- and more accessible to those with other ambitions, it was eventually dissolved when its leaders could no longer govern effectively. The word, Steórcildu, is rarely heard nowadays, but most have heard of the order itself in some form or another. These days, colloquially, its progeny are known in some parts as spellswords - but their preferred name is inquisitor.

Elemental kinship

Inquisitors' natural affinity with and extensive study of the elemental planes grants an inquisitor elemental powers. By training the mind and the body, inquisitors gain unfettered access to the elemental essentia, allowing them to serve and protect, or conquer and terrorise.

Though an inquisitor harnesses its connection to one elemental plane through deistic interpretation, passive meditation and applied academics, it is widely believed that this connection --- known as affinity --- is something inquisitors are born with.

Whether or not this is true, the powers this affinity grants not only aid an inquisitor in battle, but also extend the inquisitor’s senses, allowing them to act in more subtle ways, like reading and even manipulating the minds of others, as well as sensing elemental activity in the region.

Elemental Essentia

Inquisitors believe each elemental plane is governed by a sentient essence – what inquisitors refer to as the elemental essentia. While inquisitors acknowledge and respect deities, it is the essentia of the elemental plane with which the inuqisitor has affinity, that the inquisitor truly reveres.

These omnipresent entities watch over their charges, caring seemingly little for right and wrong, or good and evil --- striving always for balance and order. Their exact forms remain unknown --- are they demipowers? Are they deities? Primordials, or something else? Only inquisitors feel their presence and whilst the founder of the order and his most prolific followers were adamant the essentia and the various deities of the elemental planes are not one and the same, even the inquisitors aren't certain.

The essentia are known to inquisitors by unique names as per the table below:

Elemental Plane	Essentia	Elemental Damage
Air	Himinioðurr	lightning or thunder
Earth	Jǫrð	force
Fire	Brenna	fire
Water	Ǫlfossá	cold

Quick Build

You can make an inquisitor quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Wisdom or Charisma your highest ability score. Your next highest score should be whichever of the above you didn’t pick as first. Second, choose the acolyte or folk hero background.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per inquisitor level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per inquisitor level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor
• Weapons: Greatswords, longswords, shortswords
• Tools: none
• Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Acrobatics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Persuasion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• two elemblade handles, with or without a hilt
• a (a) chain shirt or (b) studded leather armour
• a (a) diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a rough ellri diamond, as a spare (worth 20 gp)

Elemental Calling

You've established an unbreakable connection with your elemental essentia, which provides an extraplanar channel through which you manipulate the Weave to cast spells. Beginning 1st level, this feature unlocks tier 1 of your elemental powers. When you reach 6th level, and again when you reach 9th and 13th level, your influence over your elemental essentia strengthens, unlocking a tiers 2, 3 and 4 powers respectively.

Elemental Points

You begin at 1st level with 1 elemental point, which you may expend to use an elemental power or a Motaro technique.

You gain additional elemental points as you progress, as per the Inquisitor table. Once per day when you finish a short rest which includes a period of meditation, you can replenish a a number of elemental points equal to your Wisdom modifier, up to your maximum. A long rest restores all of them.

Elemental Powers

Elemental powers are spells, which require you to expend a number of elemental points equal to the spell's level, to cast. Where the spell allows, you can spend additonal elemental points to upcast certain spells. For each level above the spell's minimum level, you spend one additional elemental point.

Because of the extraplanar connection with their elemental essentia, inquisitors neither need a focus, nor material components for spells they use as powers. See page 14 for the elemental powers list.

Spellcasting Ability

It's through the strength and quiet of your mind that your connection with your essentia is forged, so you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for your elemental powers. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Elemental save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier

Elemental attack bonus = your proficiency bonus +
your Wisdom modifier

Inquisitor Training

Much of your combat training involves endless practice with your weapon --- and at least as much again revolves around listening to your elemental essentia's guidance and acting on instinct for precision and severity in battle. Beginning at 1st level, you use your Charisma modifier instead of your Strength modifier when making weapon attack and damage rolls. By extension, because Motaro (Fighting Style) is equal parts defence and offence, while you are wearing no armour and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. Donning armour or equipping a shield means you can't add your Charisma modifier to your AC.

Your Elemblade

You can channel the elemental energy required for your sword. On your turn, you can cause a blade of elemental energy, loosely resembling steel, to spring from the hilt. According to your will, elemblades may take the form of greatsword, longsword, or shortsword.

You can change the type of sword by altering the blade's size from one of these sword types to another at the start of your turn (no action required). The table on page 2 shows your elemblade's damage type, noting that if your essentia is Himinioðurr, you can choose each time between lightning or thunder damage.

The energies you channel into and the endless hours you spend training with your elemblade means can't be disarmed of your weapon, unless you're incapacitated. Should your elemblade leave your hand against your will, or if you are incapacitated, the blade instantly vanishes. If your elemblade is on the same plane of existence as you, as a bonus action you can recall it to your hand, where it appears immediately.

Elemblades and Fighting Styles

An inquisitor's sword often determines what style of swordplay he or she uses. Some inquisitors choose a single-weapon, favouring the classic all-rounder style which, being the least difficult to learn, means they learn a higher number of specialised manoeuvres.

Others prefer a blade in each hand, accepting this style's trickier concepts in return for a blended increase in defence and offence.

Finally, there are those inquisitors who adopt an intimidating two-handed heavy weapon for maximising lethality at the expense of versatility.

Regardless, inquisitor Fighting Styles demand specific types of swords as each of the three common forms were conceived and built around a certain type --- see the table below:

Guard

To counter the disadvantages of eschewing the wearing of armour and lacking the physicality of other warriors, all inquisitors go through punishing training when learning their unique approach to combat. Beginning at 4th level, you have the Guard feature.

This abstract concept represents your intrinsic focus on defence and the sheer determination to protect yourself. Whilst you are holding at least one sword in your hand and are not incapacitated, when taking damage from a melee weapon attack, you can choose to expend 1 or more uses of Guard. You can do this after damage dice are rolled. For each use of Guard you spend, you can ignore the first 10 hit points of damage you take.

Your can use Guard a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can replenish a number of guard points equal to half your Charisma modifier, up to your maximum. Completing a long rest replenishes your guard points up to your maximum.

Elemental Awareness

Beginning at 5th level, you can use your action to focus your awareness on the region around you, searching for elemental activity. Until the end of your next turn, you can sense the presence of any elemental within 1 mile of you. This feature doesn't reveal the creature's location or number. This feature also doesn’t reveal the elemental type, unless it’s an elemental native to your essentia.

Within the same radius, you might also detect the presence of any inquisitors. The DM secretly rolls a Charisma saving throw for other inquisitors within the

area. On a fail, you sense its presence, but not its elemental essentia, unless it happens to be the same as yours.

An inquisitor that succeeds on the save is immune to being detected this way by you for 24 hours.

You can use this feature once. When you finish a long or short rest, you can use this ability again.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. If your Fighting Style is dual-blader (form II), you only gain one extra attack.

Arbitrator

Inquisitors have traditionally made excellent negotiators and peace keepers. The prolonged exposure to your essentia begins to imprint an aspect of its nature into your psyche as a characteristic that you can tap into.

Beginning at 11th level, you have proficiency in a skill associated with your elemental essentia: Intimidation (Brenna); Performance (Himinioðurr); Persuasion (Jǫrð); Deception (Ǫlfossá). If you already have proficiency in this skill, you add your proficiency to the skill again.

Improved Elemental Awareness

Beginning at 17th level, your Elemental Awareness extends to a range of 6 miles and reveals the direction, number and types of elemental creatures. Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any inquisitors and their elemental essentia, but not their location.

This feature replaces Elemental Awareness and can be used once. When you finish a long or short rest, you can use this ability again.

Essentia's Chosen

Your connection to your elemental essentia surges past your capacity threshold. At 20th level, you gain access to the master power listed in the Elemental Powers table on page 14.

Inquisitor Archetypes

Inquisitors have the favour of the elemental planes and know their way around a sword better than anyone. Each inquisitor feels the pull of one of these talents over the other, leading them to focus most on their preferred option. Dervishes become unrivalled combatants, able to fend off more damage, traverse the battlefield more quickly and make more and deadlier attacks, while Elementalists attain exceptional levels of influence over their elemental essentia, allowing them to alter, deflect and twist elemental energy to suit their needs.

Elementalist

Some inquisitors prioritise the energy arising from the two-way connection with their elemental essentia above all else. These are known as Elementalists. In ancient times, Elementalists tended to pursue more scholastic paths in the world.

Whilst still proficient in battle with an elemblade, you're more likely to rely on this sheer command of the elements to empower your abilities and thwart your enemies. Whether it's shaping the raw energies you unleash as powers, sending hostile energies back at their sources, or even changing energies to a different type and disregarding such damage native to your essentia, your grasp of the elements is almost unmatched.

Helix

You have discovered how to manipulate the synergies arising from the way the Weave interacts with the power that flows from the elemental plane of your essentia.

Beginning at 3rd level, using your powers burns less magic. The cost of spells 2nd-level or higher as powers, decreases by 1 elemental point for you. Furthermore, you gain two of the following Helix options of your choice. You can use only one Helix option on a spell as a power when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.

Empathetic Power

When you cast a spell as a power that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect up to three of those creatures from the spell’s full force. A chosen creature has advantage on its saving throw against the spell.

Empathetic Power

When you cast a spell as a power that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect up to three of those creatures from the spell’s full force. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against

the spell.

Far Power

When you cast a spell as a power that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can double the range of the spell.

When you cast a spell as a power that has a range of touch, you can make the range of the spell 30 feet.

Innate Power

When you cast a spell as a power, you don't need to provide components.

Instant Power

On your turn, when you cast a spell as a power from tier 1 or 2 that has a casting time of 1 action, you can also make one melee wepaon attack.

Intensify Power

Costs 3 elemental points. When you deal damage with a spell that you cast as a power, you don't roll for damage. Instead, your spell deals maximised damage.

You can use Intensify Power even if you have already used a different Helix option during the casting of the spell.

1st Rank

Inquisitors begin in their chosen Fighting Style at 1st rank. This represents the fundamentals of the specialised art of swordplay considered necessary for more advanced swordplay.

At 1st rank, your off-hand attack receives the benefit of your Charisma modifier for damage rolls when wielding a melee weapon in each hand. When you take the Attack action, at this rank, you make your off-hand attack as a bonus action.

Capricious Swordsman

As a reaction, you can impose disadvantage on a single creature’s first melee weapon attack against you. You can do this after the attack roll is made.

Chance Attack (1)

When taking the Attack action, you can make a single extra melee weapon attack as a bonus action with disadvantage.

Dash Strike (1)

On your turn, you can race up to half your speed as free movement and attack a creature within range. This doesn't provoke opportunity attacks and ignores the Sentinel feature.

You have advantage on the first attack roll against that creature this turn.

Defender

When an ally is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on a single melee or ranged attack against that ally.

Elemblade Throw

Once on your turn, when taking the Attack action, you magically hurl your elemblade at a creature within 20 feet. Make an attack roll as normal and roll for damage on success. If you have Extra Attack, this attack counts as one of your attacks.

Empowered Jump

Your jumps harness the power of your elemental essentia. You use your Wisdom instead of Strength for jumps. In addition, your standing jump distances increase by 5 feet and running jumps by 10 feet.

Essentia Guidance (1)

When making an attack roll, ability check or saving throw, you can spend 1 elemental point to gain advantage on the roll. You can only do this once per attack roll, ability check or save.

Front Foot (-/2*)

Your elemental essentia spurs you into battle: you have advantage on initiative rolls.

If you spend 2 elemental points, you can draw your weapon with lightning speed and make a single free attack before initiative rolls. You must make the attack without moving more than 10 feet and can't use any other feature or Motaro technique in conjunction with this sudden attack.

Hammer Blow (1)

Requires Form III: Martialist. When you succeed on a

melee attack, if the creature is size Large or smaller, you can force it to succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Intuitive Instincts

Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.

Missile Reflection

When targeted by a ranged attack, you can you use your reaction after the attack roll is made, but before the result is declared, to double your Charisma modifier to your armour class against ranged attacks until the start of your next turn.

Precision Strike

Your elemental essentia powers your attack. As a bonus action, when you make a weapon attack, you can apply a -5 penalty on the attack roll, but deal an additional 10 hit points of damage on success.

Rapid Strike

Requires advantage to use. When taking the Attack action, you can forgo advantage on an attack roll to make a single extra attack. Rapid Strike is too quick to use with other Motaro techniques.

Deflect/Counter (1)

When you are hit by a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make an attack roll. If your roll (including bonus to hit) is equal to or higher than your enemy’s, you deflect the attack and your enemy takes the damage.

Elusive Target

When fighting one or more opponents in melee range, you can use this cover to your benefit. As a bonus action, you can impose disadvantage on all ranged attack rolls against you until the start of your next turn.

Enhanced Guard

Through continuous learning, you gain three additional uses of Guard per day.

Eyes of the Essentia

You don’t have disadvantage on attack rolls you make against a creature you can’t see.

Fortress (1)

As an action, you can forgo making attacks and concentrate on total defence. Until the start of your next turn, you can’t make opportunity attacks and you cannot be hit by weapon attacks, unless they are critical hits.

Improved Precision Strike (1)

Requires Precision Strike. Your elemental essentia powers your attack. When you make a melee weapon attack, you can apply a -7 penalty on the attack roll, but deal an additional 15 damage on success.

Leaping Dash Strike (1)

Requires Dash Strike. When performing a Dash Strike, as a bonus action, you make one additional attack on the same creature with advantage.

Power Throw (1)

Requires Elemblade Throw. When taking the Attack action, you magically hurl your elemblade with essentia-assisted force at one or more creatures. You can make as many attacks as you have attacks available. The elembalde can’t move more than 60 feet as part of this throw.

Stunning Blow (2)

Requires Form III: Martialist. When taking the Attack action and you hit a creature, you can force the creature to make a Charisma saving throw. On a fail, the creature is stunned until the start of your next turn.

Switch Form

Requires 1st rank or higher with two or more forms. This feature allows you to switch between your current form and any other form you know as a bonus action.

Upper Hand (2)

Requires Form I: Duellist Your skilled footwork gives you the upper hand in battle. When you hit a creature with a sword, the creature can’t make a melee attack against you until the start of your next turn, provided you do not move.

Weapon Specialisation (elemblade)

You gain a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls with elemblades.

Whirling Strike (2)

You and your weapon whirl around in an arcing sweep. When taking the Attack action, make a melee attack roll as normal.

As a bonus action, you deal the damage of your attack to any other creatures of your choice within range, provided your attack roll equals or exceeds their armour class.

3rd Rank

Elemblade Mastery

You have mastered swordplay to a degree beyond the understanding of most. You can’t roll lower than a 2 when making melee attack rolls with elemblades.

Essentia's Evasion (2)

With your essentia's help, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ancient red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can choose to make a Charisma saving throw instead. You take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Missile Deflection (2)

Requires Missile Reflection. When hit by a ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make an attack roll. You make this roll after the damage roll of the ranged attack. If the result equals or exceeds the damage rolled, you deflect the ranged attack back at its source, which takes the damage instead. You can use this attack roll of yours to apply to any ranged weapon attacks against you until the start of your next turn.

Overwhelming Strike (3)

You deduce the optimum moment in which to make a melee weapon attack that draws on guidance from your elemental essentia to penetrate all defences. When you take the Attack action, provided you do not have disadvantage on or a penalty to attack rolls, you do not need to roll to hit. Simply roll for damage. You can spend 3 elemental points to repeat this for each melee weapon attack you make on your turn.

Sentient Throw (2)

Requires Power Throw. When taking the Attack action, you magically hurl your elemblade at a creature within 60 feet. After the attack, you can choose to keep your elemblade in the air for 1 minute, or return it straight to you.

If you keep it in the air, on each subsequent turn, as a bonus action, you can make one attack with it. Whenever you use your action to take the Attack action, you can make one attack for each attack you have available. On each of your turns, you can move your elemblade up to 30 feet.

Superior Guard (2)

Requires Enhanced Guard. Provided you have at least one elemblade in your hand, you can use Guard against melee and spell attacks, and when you do, you take 0 damage from the attack.

Steórcildu

Layfolk marvelled at this mysterious, new group that seemingly had the elements at their disposal. Rumour and theory claimed members of the Steórcild order to be otherworldly beings. This gave rise to the notion steórcildu were children of the stars. And thus, in their archaic tongue, the word steórcild was born: star-child.

Clairvoyance

Functions like the 3rd-level wizard spell, only you can only use the sensor to hear rather than see, and the sensor can't be detected by any means. The idea is that you are aware of sounds in the sensor's vicinity thanks to the wind, which carries the noise to your ears. The sound is perceptible only to you. This spell requires only a somatic component from you.

Detect Thoughts

Functions like the 2nd-level wizard spell, only another creature is only aware of you probing its mind if it succeeds on the Wisdom saving throw, at which point the spell ends. This spell requires no components from you.

Flame Strike

Functions like the 5th-level spell, only the damage dice for you are d8s and all damage is fire damage (no radiant).

Suggestion

Functions like the 2nd-level wizard spell, only the duration is shortened to 1 minute. This spell requires no components from you.

Firewalk

3rd level, transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: S
• Duration: 1 hour

You and up to six willing creatures within range gain the ability to move across lava as if it were harmless solid ground. An affected creature submerged in lava is carried to the surface of the lava at a rate of 60 feet per round. Affected creatures are immune to lava damage.

Healing waters

6th level, conjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You cause sparkling water to sprinkle over a creature you can see within range. The creature is healed 60 hit points, up to its maximum, and is cleansed of any poisoned effect.

Hypothermia

3rd level, evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You impose extreme cold on a single creature that you can see within range. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a fail, it takes 8d6 cold damage and gains one level of exhaustion. On success, it takes half damage and isn’t exhausted. Exhaustion from multiple castings overlap in duration but do not stack.

Incinerate

6th level, evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: S
• Duration: Instantaneous

A white-hot beam, its edges tinged red, springs from your hand to a target that you can see within range. The target can be a creature, an object, or a creation of magical force, such as the wall created by wall of force.

A creature targeted by this spell must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 10d6 + 10 fire damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is burnt to ash. Everything it's wearing and carrying, except magical items, are also destroyed.

This spell automatically incinerates a Large or smaller wooden, non-magical object or a creation of magical force. If the object or creation of force is Huge or larger, this spell burns a 10-foot-cube hole in a portion of it.

Polar Ray

6th level, evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: S
• Duration: Instantaneous

A blue-white beam of freezing air and ice springs from your hand to a target that you can see within range. The creature targeted must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, the ray deals 10d6 + 10 cold damage and its maximum speed is halved for 1 minute. An affected creature can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on success. If a target’s speed is reduced to 0 as a result, it becomes a solid block of ice and is restrained and incapacitated for 1 minute. This effect ends early if the target takes 25 fire damage.

If the creature succeeds on its Dexterity save, it takes half damage and isn't slowed.

Versions

Credits

• Class created by u/Olster20 and based on the Steórcild Symmetry, from The Legend of Olaeus series, written by the same author
• A small number of features in here are converted from abilities of various Player's Handbook classes
• Special thanks to GM Binder for allowing me to format this so nicely
• Thanks to rachayz for creating their Watcher class which I used to self-teach GM Binder/CSS and for others who share their source code. I am very grateful
• Very special thanks to u/McToomin27 for sharing deep feedback that birthed version 4 and to ForgeManster183260 for further insight
• Very special thanks to Wizards of the Coast for the world's greatest roleplaying game
• Very, very special thanks to Mike Ellam for designing the Legend of Olaeus: War Child cover all those years ago.

Important. I aim to credit the artist behind all the incredible artwork. All artists have been contacted for approval for use; all responses so far, including the front cover, have been approvals for use by its creator.

• The Sword of Elseerian by Dallas Williams
• Four Elements by Dark Angel & Psychism, © Digital Dreams Music Productions
• Four classic elements diagram David Darling
• Wrath of the Half-Elves by dleoblack
• Day 343 by Takeda11
• Magic Sword public domain
• Inquisitor of Himinioður (unnamed art) by Sam Peterson
• Nahiri, the Harbinger (M:TG) by Aleksi Briclot
• Day 333) by Takeda11
• Dervish and Elementalist (unnamed art for M:TG) by Paul Scott Canavan
• Half-blood Rising by dleoblack
• Four Elements (unnamed art) public domain
• Elemental essentia public domain, numerous sources
• The Legend of Olaeus: War Child by Mike Ellam

Fan Content Policy

Content is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.