Questioner (5e Class)

The Questioner

A hooded dwarf is seen dashing through the crowd, he is stopped short by a knight clad in armor. The knight shouts accusations, the dwarf pulls off his hood and asks for proof. Before long a line of questioning is thrown back at the knight, the accusations have turned on him. The crowd goes mad with hate and swarm the knight while the dwarf makes his escape. A gnome and an orc enter the stone-walled room for a deathmatch. A few minutes later, the gnome emerges from the room, victorious. The orc on his knees, defeated, with not a scratch on his body but his mind laid bare, he mutters to himself, a futile attempt to console himself.

Haunting Doubts

The questioner is plagued by doubts and questions, instead of succumbing to it, he turns his paranoia into a finely tuned weapon. The questioner was perhaps lied to, betrayed, or for one reason or another is unable to trust anyone or anything. Consider your character motives and the reason for questioning. To create a cohesive character choose the reasons that best match his subclass.

Creating a Questioner

Quick Build

First make your Charisma your highest stat, followed by wisdom. Choose the Cloistered Scholar or Sage background.

Class Features

As a Questioner you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: thieve's tool, Choose one type of artisan's tools or Gaming set
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: choose three from Investigation, Insight, Persuasion, Deception, Religion, history, and Perception

Equipment

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

• (a) a shortsword or (b) a simple weapon
• (a) an dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Thieve's Tool

Table: The Questioner

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Questioning attacks	Features
1st	+2	1d6	Questioning attacks, Vicious Questioning
2nd	+2	1d6	Why Did You Miss?
3rd	+2	1d6	The Question
4th	+2	1d6	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	1d6	Line Of Questioning
6th	+3	1d8	Mental Fortitude
7th	+3	1d8	The Question feature
8th	+3	1d8	Ability Score Improvement,
9th	+4	1d8	Interrogation
10th	+4	1d10	The Question feature
11th	+4	1d10	Why Do You Keep Missing?
12th	+4	1d10	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	1d10	Mind Field
14th	+5	1d10	Line Of Questioning
15th	+5	1d10	The Question feature
16th	+5	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	1d12	Mind Wasteland
18th	+6	1d12	The Question feature
19th	+6	1d12	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	1d12	Question Yourself

Questioning attacks

At 1st level, while you are able to talk and share a language with your enemies, the questions you ask can be used as an attack. When you take an attack action you can use your questions to deal 1d6 psychic damage. This damage increase to 1d8 at 6th level, 1d10 at 10th level, and 1d12 at 16th. This attack range is effective to creatures that can hear it, creatures with echolocation or rely on hearing are vulnerable to it, the range of the attack could be increased by shouting or magical effects. When using spells for the sole reason to increase range, you may make a questioning attack without using an extra action. This attack uses a charisma property.

Vicious Questioning

You gain the cantrip vicious mockery at 1st level, your spellcasting ability for this is charisma.

Why Did You Miss?

Starting at 2nd level, your constant barrage of questions throws even the most skilled warrior's concentration off. Whenever you take the dodge action, you can add a penalty equal to your charisma modifier to their attack roll. This ability does not affect creatures that are enraged.

The Question

At level 3rd, you begin asking yourself and anyone who can listen, a specific type of question that gets stuck in your mind. This question lets you weaponize your thoughts. Choose from betrayed, nothing is true, question authority. You gain a feature at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Line Of Questioning

When you reach 5th level, you become adept at asking the right questions fast. You are able to ask multitudes of questions. You can make two questioning attacks when you take the attack action. You are able to attack three times at 14th level.

Mental Fortitude

At 6th level, you gain the advantage on any type of wisdom saves. In addition, If a spell or a magical effect with a save is used to read, control, change your thoughts, the caster takes 2d10 psych damage on your successful save.

Interrogation

When you reach level 9th you able sow doubt and suggestions to your enemy's mind with your interrogation. Target one creature within hearing range,the target must make a wisdom save against your interrogation DC (8 + proficiency bonus + charisma modifier). On a fail save, your enemies are under the effects of suggestion spell. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your charisma modifier, you regain all expended use after a long rest, and one use after a short rest. On a successful save, the target is immune to interrogation for a minute.

Why Do You Keep Missing?

At level 11th, replace the penalty with your proficiency bonus instead of your charisma modifier, unless the charisma modifier is higher. You can now dodge as a bonus action.

Mind Field

Starting at 13th level, your questioning nature takes to new heights, as your presence alone makes creatures uneasy and unsure. Any creatures starting its turn within 10 ft radius of you take psychic damage equal to half your questioner level rounded down + charisma modifier.

Mind Wasteland

At 17th level, the range of your mind field effect increase to 40 ft. As a bonus action, you can instead focus this effect into a straight 10 ft wide and 80 ft long line in front of you, the direction you face, this effect remains this way until you use another bonus action to revert it back to a 40 ft radius.

Question Yourself

When you reach level 20th, you can immediately do all of the following: Revise and change all ability score improvements. Change subclasses Get an extra ability score improvements You can only do this once.

Subclass

Betrayed

You have been betrayed. Perhaps by ones you were close with, your lover, your friends, or those you work for. You question people’s loyalty every step of the way. You been used and hurt too many times, you are determined to not get hurt again. You are determined to be the one to do the hurting.

Unreadable

At 3rd level, your untrusting nature leads you to be trained in being unreadable. Any creatures attempting to make an insight or perception check on you, they must do so at disadvantage.

Psychological Weakness

When you reach level 7th, you can make an insight check on your opponent contested by their deception check. On a successful check, you learn about a psychological weakness about their character, either an event in their lives or their flaws. You can now adlib a question concerning their weakness in a spiteful or hurtful way, when you do so, the target takes 2d4 psych damage, in addition, your questioning attacks or any of the questioner feature. This question you adlib could also have combat or roleplay consequences(DM’s discretion). For example, depending on the effectiveness and DM’s decision, you can drive your enemy to suicide.

Blunt-Stress Trauma

Beginning at level 10th, you can turn your words into an immense pressure of force. Target one creature that can hear you, they must make a Wisdom saving throw against your DC. On a failed save, they are pushed 10ft in a direction of your choosing and knocked prone. You may use this feature equal to the number of your charisma modifier. You regain use after a short or long rest.

A Lie About A Lie

Starting at level 15th, you gain the advantage on deception check. You may also purposely fail a deception check a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. Thus making your target believe the opposite of your lie. You regain use of this feature after a short or long rest. (For example, by failing a deception check saying “I killed that man”, thus making them believe you're innocent)

Betrayal

At level 18, your cunning words has reached supernatural heights. Using an action, you can target one creature within hearing range and temporally align yourself with the target, you can use this alliance to gain information, resources, or for assistance from the target. you can make attacks against the target a number of times equal to your charisma modifier without prompting the target to recognize you as an enemy. On the last attack, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your DC. On a failed save, the target takes 5d12 psych damage + psych damage equal to your questioner level. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage. The alliance duration last one day or until the last attack is made. You can use this ability once before a long rest.

Nothing is True

Your insatiable hunger for answers has lead you to question the very fabric of reality. To you, reality is a falsehood you momentarily allow. You obtain the ultimate answer by believing in nothing and doubting everything.

Iron Stance

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in constitution saving throw. You cannot be disadvantaged in constitution check or saving throw as long as you are able to speak. You're also no longer need to share a language in order to use questioning attacks or any of its variants.

You Can’t Handle The Truth

Beginning at level 7th, you stop asking questions for once. Your apparent silence triggers panic in your enemies. Choose up to 3 targets, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your DC. On a failed save, the target must use all of its speed and action to approach and ask for answers from you on its next turn. To use this ability you must do nothing on your turn, including movement. The range is unlimited as long as the target is engaged in battle with you or your party. You can use this ability equal to the number of your charisma modifier. You regain use after a short or long rest.

The Truth

When you reach 10th level, you finally decide to tell the truth. Using an action, target one creature within 20 ft, you tell them the truth. The target is stunned for three turns. The target can attempt to break the stun at the start of its turn by making a wisdom save against your DC. You can use this ability once before a short or long rest.

You Can't Resist The Truth

Starting at level 15th, Creatures affected by “You can't handle the truth” are vulnerable to your psych attacks on your next three turn.

The Ultimate Truth

At level 18th, you tell them the ultimate truth, the pure blunt unadulterated truth. You whisper the truth to a creature within 5ft of you. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your DC. On a fail save, the creatures can't move for one minute, stunned for 3 turns, and take 8d12 psych damage. On a successful save the target suffer half as much damage and is stunned for 3 turns.The target can attempt to break the stun at the start of its turn by making a wisdom save against your DC. You can use this ability once before a short or long rest.

Question Authority

You hold skepticism and resentment of authority, they have wronged you and failed you. You believe they exist for no other reason than for their own benefit. You question their laws and their enforcers, turning the people they rule against them as your weapon.

Lawless

At 3rd level, you gain advantage on any skill check or saving throw against any authority figure. This includes paladins, clerics, and any class of formal authority.

Mob Justice

Beginning at 7th level, as action, you can aim your questions to rile up passerby around you. You turn them hysterical and aim their hysteria at your target. Using an action target creatures within range must make constitution saving throw against your DC, maximum of four creatures. On a failed save, the creatures must use their reaction to attack against a creature of your choice. The range for this feature is 60 ft.

Court Of Unfair Trials

When you reach level 10th, you construct a court trial in the mind of your enemies due to your inane knowledge of the law and how to subvert them. You point and make an accusation against the target within this court. Using an action target a creature within 60 ft, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your DC. On a failed save, the target suffers the effects of the accusation. You can use this ability once, you regain use after short and long rest.

Crime: The target is restrained for one minute. It can use its action to break free by making wisdom check against your DC.

Hypocrisy: For one minute, The target takes damage from any attack it fails to hit.

Lies: The target must tell the truth for one minute.

Line Of Questioning Improvement

Starting at level 15th, you able to make four questioning attacks.

Authority Revoked

At level 18th, you can revoke authority. As an action target one creature, within a 100 ft. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your DC. On a failed save, you can strip that creature of one ability or attack, this effect lasts until either the target or you are incapacitated. You can use this feature once, you regain use of it after a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Questioner class, you must meet these prerequisites: The charisma of 15 or higher. Asked at least one question in character.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Questioner class, you gain the following proficiencies: Insight, Deception, and light armor.

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