Witchfinder

The church's hunters

(Created using Erin Smale's Building the Perfect Class article. Great stuff, Erin!)

Witchfinders are individuals trained, normally by a religious order or institution, to locate (and sometimes hunt down) individuals whose appearance may not be what it seems- vampires, werewolves, those possessed by demons or devils and, of course, witches fall under the jurisdiction of the Witchfinder. They are often called on for assistance in small, outlying communities where adventurers are rare.

The specific duties of the Witchfinder can vary, depending on which religious institution they serve. Those duties can include any or all of the following, depending on what authority the Witchfinder possesses: arrest, interrogation, banishment, excommunication, and execution of individuals proven to be in league with the forces of darkness. How much authority the character has is, of course, entirely up to the DM, but should at least relate to the Witchfinder's background.

They can be a part of a large organization (for instance, the medieval Catholic church) or a military religious order (such as the Knights Templar) or even just a small group of like-minded individuals. They can even operate independently, although such instances are rare.

The Witchfinder's work often puts them in close quarters with their adversaries and pursuit of those adversaries is common as well. As such they prefer light-weight armor (leather) and weaponry. Weapons used to subdue opponents (blackjacks, nets, whips) are common tools in the Witchfinder's arsenal, as are old monster-fighting standards like holy water and burning oil.

Sometimes the job of the Witchfinder can include some detective work&emdash;it may not always be immediately obvious just who his prey is. Suggested skills are Bargaining, Detect Deception, Intimidation, Knowledge (specific monster), and Persuasion. These are all subject to DM approval, of course.

[Note: As you can see, some amount of background needs to be provided by the DM and/or player. In my campaign, they are part of the Inquisition, whose duties include routing out corruption within the church. This class is referred to there as the Inquisitor. The Witchfinder is based, in large part, on the character Giles Redferne from the movie Warlock, with some Solomon Kane thrown in for good measure.]

Class Details

Prime Requisite: Dexterity and Wisdom.
Other requirements: Wisdom score of 11 or higher; Lawful alignment.
Experience Bonus: 5% for Dexterity & Wisdom 13-15, 10% for Dexterity & Wisdom 16-18
Hit Dice: d6
Maximum Level: 9
Armor: Leather only.
Weapons: Any one-handed melee weapon.
Special Abilities: Witchfinder start at 1st-level with the skills Law & Justice and Mysticism.

Experience Table