Inuisitor- worth the drawbacks?

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I'm starting a new game, and I decided on either an inquisitor or Cavalier for my PC class. I'm just stuck on whether the Inquisitor's innate abilities make up for their lack of spells or LoH, compared to the Cavalier, who has pretty much no drawbacks and some handy bonuses.

 

The answer to your question is an emphatic YES!

The uber-dispel ability alone is worth it, and you will find true sight useful over and over and over!

Inquisitors are IMO the best paladin kit.

 

The only way I would not take the Inquisitor is if you were planning on taking along Keldorn. There's no reason to have two Inquisitors in the group, no matter how useful their innate abilities are. However, if you are only going to have one paladin, the advantages and special abilities of the Inquisitor will prove useful far more often than the Cavalier.

The reason the Inquisitor doesn't really have that many disadvantages, is you don't rely on Paladins for cleric spells much anyway - that's why you have clerics. So the only thing you're really missing out on is one healing spell (albeit a big healing spell when you get to higher levels) - lay on hands. Other than that, there's nothing a paladin can do spell-wise that you can't get from a cleric, and the dispel and true sight spell are extremely worth while. The dispel goes off at twice the Inqusitor's level, making it the most powerful dispel in the game, and true sight at the very least saves others from memorizing the spell.

 

An Inquisitor's True Sight is the best in the game, because it has a speed factor of 1. Inquisitor is the best Paladin kit, but Uncle Keldorn is a perfectly good Inquisitor, so there is little reason to play one.

 

Considering a paladin, iirc, casts as a 9th level cleric for spells, not having access to them is no hinderance. I've never relied on Lay of Hands for healing; more happenstance that I remember to use it.

Inquisitors offer 2 spells you will probably need at a speed factor that can't be beat.

 

Many of us feel guilty making Keldorn travel with us when his family so clearly needs him.

 

While it's true that the Inquisitor has VERY minimal drawbacks, you must also consider the equally minimal drawbacks of the Cavalier (STILL my fave Paladin class). True, the bonus in fighting dragons/demons may not be so helpful in fighting Yaga-Shura, but remember; he has access to self-buff spells like Armor of faith, and if I'm not mistaken, Draw upon Holy might.

In addition, I find immunity to fear more useful than immunity to Hold person; I can't count the number of times Keldorn (in my games) would turn chicken and start running around during dragon fights...leaving my shapeshifter druid and Sarevok deal with that dragon at the start of Abazigal's entrance. WHile HOld Person can be solved by a simple Dispel Magic from a friendly cleric, I doubt if "Fear"/Panic can be solved with a DIspel Magic as well...

 

Hallelujah. I'm glad someone else thinks the same as me on that one.

 

Dispel Magic takes care of that as well, but the problem becomes what they do while you're casting. Any or all may run out of the area of effect of where your spell is going to be cast, and you can't adjust on the fly. With Hold Person, even if it hits multiples, you can be absolutely sure they're going to stay right there until you cast (if they don't, then the problem has obviously already been solved).

In addition, there is also the possibility that noone will be rational enough to cast the spell if everyone fails their save, while no one Hold spell can effect everyone AFAIK. When you see four of your five party members running around like ninnies from a simple Horror spell, you can't imagine the relief inherent in using that fifth character, a Cavalier, to instantaneously remove that fear and have everyone rejoin the fight.

But in the end, the Inquisitor wins the battle with his Dispel Magic and True Sight. Nothing beats free True Sight spells in a game chock-full of wizards using various illusion spells to prevent your casters from being effective.

 

@HB: From what I can tell, most people who have families of their own feel guilty taking Keldorn along. Same with Cernd, once he gets his child.

@blacklion: Fear immunity can be taken care of preemptively with a first or second level spell. I've never had problems with fear spells because I always pre-emptively use immunity to fear spells. Hold and charm immunity, on the other hand, require much higher level spells to duplicate.

 

A thief with detect illusions is a good alternative to an Inquisitor's true sight...

Letting Keldorn go back to his family is clearly the good thing to do.

 

Inquisitor is VERY powerful. Even in a modded game. I once had Keldorn in my party, against the improved, slightly smarter mages and liches. I was frustrated. He made my game far too easy, he is THAT powerful! Definitely, unless the enemy has spell immunity:abjuration and divination both, an inquisitor will rip any kind of mage apart quick. His uber dispel also dispels liches who are supposed to be immune to level 5 spells (breach), they are all lvl 25 conjurers so a level 14 or higher inquisitor will have easy time to dispel them.

 

Bingo. Technically, there is a difference here with arcane and divine, but all spell casters have a rememdy for this. For druids and clerics, they get Remove Fear as a 1st level spell. However, it can be cast pre-emptively, and works just like the level 2 mage spell Resist Fear. Generally speaking, I have my clerics take care of fear spells as I typically have boat loads of level 1 cleric spells that I don't know what to do with.

Except if you play an Inquisitor, it removes the need to take Keldorn along with you. It gives some variability to your group. If you are an inquisitor, then the spot you would otherwise give to Keldorn can go to someone else.

 

It might also be worth playing an Inquisitor to get some half decent equipment shortly after you leave CI by borrowing Keldorn's equipment.

All you need is min: 5str, 12int, 17con & 18 cha

 

I find immunity to level drain most useful of the paladin kit SAs. Rarely did I have anyone held or charmed or scared; I also like to cast Remove/Resist Fear and Chaotic Commands and use special equpiment to negate fear, charm and hold spells.

 

Really? I thought that Keldorn's armor was only usable by Keldorn (and possibly monks for some reason).

 

Thats what i originally thought but it appears that no item in the game is for (X) only. Instead it creates restrictions that would make it only acessable to a very specific character.

i.e. Hallowed Redeemer.
Wielder must have min: 5str (15str for armor), 12int, 17con & 18 cha, must be human, must be lawful good, must be Vanilla Paladin or Inquisitor.

i.e Jansen Adventure Wear
Wearer must have min: 17dex, must be a gnome, must be a mage/theif, must be chaotic neutral.

Most other NPC equipment isn't worth creating a clone PC in order to use, but if you're playing as a Paladin you'll likely fit all the requirements for Keldorn's Armor & Weapon anyway.

 

Yeah, given the minimums, the only one you might not have is the 12 intelligence. That's a "dump" stat for most PC paladins. Even if you don't like dumping stats all the way down to 3, there's really no reason (other than this) to have an intelligence of 12 as opposed to 10, and spend the other 2 points on something more useful.

 

Because of the annoyingly high stat requirements Paladins normally get the best rolls on character creation.

I just made an Inquisitor with 18/61 str, 17 dex/con/cha, 13 wis, 11int. After a quick run through BG1 i'll meet the requirements for Keldorn's gear, and even if i didn't i could lose 1 off dex without too much of a disadvantage.

It's not just Keldorn's equipment so early on that makes it good, the 'Item Upgrade' versions make it the best plate in the game (-2ac, +2 saves, free action & immunity to fear) and the dual dispel/silence effect on the sword means mages are little concern.

 

very nice paladin kit discussion:

http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/10/3099.html#000018