Following is a writeup and D&D 5E stats for Inachus, a Paladin who might be encountered in the areas described in Skirmisher Publishing’s Gold-bestselling universal sourcebook “In the Footsteps of Hercules”! This entry can be used in conjunction with it or in any scenario for which a storyteller deems him to be useful or appropriate. Inachus might variously be encountered walking the trail as a pilgrim, coaching athletes at Olympia, or serving as part of the security forces there.

Inachus

Inachus is a former professional athlete who came to Olympia many years before to compete in the games there and performed well in a number of events, most notably those involving running in armor. This was the greatest experience of his life and, recognizing the importance of Olympia, its sanctuaries, and the culture associated with it, decided to become one of the religious soldiers tasked with defending it. He is a pantheist who reveres all the deities of the Olympian pantheon. He also serves as a coach for a local youth team that plays harpastum, a popular ball game.

            Feeling a little bit as if he has slipped into a rut and that interesting things are happening in the world beyond the sacred precincts of Olympia, and wanting to test his physical limits, Inachus decided to embark upon the pilgrimage trail known as the Footsteps of Hercules. He has thus far completed the first two segments of it, those devoted to the demigod’s encounters with the Lion of Nemea and the Hydra of Lerna.

(Paladin 2; Background: Athlete)

Medium Humanoid (Human), lawful good

Armor Class: 15 (chain shirt, shield)

Hit Points: 19 (2d10+4)

Speed: 30 ft. [20 ft. if encumbered]

STR                DEX                CON               INT                 WIS                 CHA

16 (+3)            11 (+0)            14 (+2)            9 (-1)               13 (+1)            15 (+2)

Saving Throws: Wisdom +5, Constitution +4

Skills: Athletics +8, Insight +3, Religion +1

Tool Proficiencies: Harpastum Equipment

Senses: Passive Perception 11

Languages: Common (Greek)

Challenge: 2 (450 XP)

Athletic. As a professional athlete, Inachus is trained to use his body in ways that go beyond what normal people are able to do. He adds double his proficiency bonus to Strength (Athletics) skill checks and up to once per day when he fails a Strength or Constitution check he may attempt it again.

Divine Sense (3/long rest). Presence of strong evil registers on Inachus’s senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in his ears. As an action, he can open his awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of his next turn, he knows the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of him that is not behind total cover. He knows the type of any being whose presence he can sense but not its identity. Within the same radius, he can also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the Hallow spell.

Divine Smite. When Inachus hits a creature with a melee weapon attack he can expend one Paladin spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.

Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting. When Inachus rolls a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack he makes with a melee weapon that he is wielding with two hands he can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for him to gain this benefit.

Lay On Hands (10 hit points/long rest). Inachus’s blessed touch can heal wounds. As an action, he can touch a creature and draw from a pool of healing power to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in his pool.

            Alternatively, Inachus can expend 5 hit points from his pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. He can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.

            This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.

Spellcasting. Inachus is a divine spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following Paladin spells prepared:

1st-level spells (2 slots): Compelled DuelC,, HeroismC, Protection from Evil and GoodC

Actions

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) slashing damage, or 10 (1d10+5) slashing damage if wielded with two hands.

Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) piercing damage.

Equipment (74 lbs.)

Chain shirt [20 lb.], shield (emblazoned with sunburst) [6 lb.], longsword [3 lb.], spear [3 lb.], harpastum ball [1 lb.], backpack [5 lb.], bedroll [7 lb.], mess kit [1 lb.], tinderbox [1 lb.], lamp [1 lb.], flask of oil [1 lb.], rations (3 days) [6 lb.], waterskin [5 lb.], 50-foot rope [5 lb.], belt pouch [1 lb.], holy symbol (12-pointed sunburst) [1 lb.], traveler’s clothes 4 lbs.], a small and inexpensive symbol of the trail [0 lb.], 14 gp, 5 sp.

            Pilgrimage Trail Souvenirs: Helmet with lion-mane headdress [3 lb.], tawny-colored scarf [0 lb.], Hydra pendant [0 lb.].

Inachus is unencumbered if he is carrying 80 pounds or less; is encumbered and has his speed reduced from 30 to 20 if he is carrying between 80 and 160 pounds; and is heavily encumbered and has his speed reduced from 30 to 10 and suffers disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution if he is carrying between 160 and his maximum of 240 pounds.