Specialist Investigator (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

A specialist investigator is focused on a certain role. The standard investigator can be said to be a treasure finding specialist, but there are many other possible specializations. This archetypes allows for alternate specializations in other roles.

Class Information

This is a investigator archetype.

Hit Dice: d8.

Class Skills

The specialist investigator's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The specialist investigator has all the class abilities of the investigator, except as noted.

Investigator Specialization

At first level, a specialist investigator must select a specialist role, which decides how his free inspiration, specialist focus and specialist awareness abilities work. This add another class skill, modifies the investigation ability, and replaces trapfinding and trap sense. It also modifies how the specialist investigator uses brilliant inspiration.

Cosy Investigator

The cosy investigator is a charming person who abhors violence. He much prefers to solve his cases by simply talking to witnesses and by insightful observation of the habits and personalities of people. His intuitive reaction to danger is to run away or hide.

Specialist Class Skill: Use Magic Device (Cha).

Inspiration: The cosy investigator can use inspiration on Knowledge, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: The cosy investigator adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Diplomacy and Sense Motive skill checks.

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a cosy investigator reacts intuitively to danger and can take a double move in a surprise round, even when he would not normally be allowed to act. This also gives him a +1 bonus on Initiative at all times and a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class during a surprise round. These bonuses rise to +2 when the specialist investigator reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Hard-boiled Investigator

The hard-boiled investigator keeps getting into dangerous combat situations, and has learned the skills to survive and escape.

Specialist Class Skill: Swim (Str).

Inspiration: The hard-boiled investigator can spend a point of brilliant inspiration to improve his Armor Class against one attack. This can be done after the attack roll, but before damage is calculated. This is an intuitive defense; the hard-boiled investigator need not be aware of the attack to use it.

Specialist Focus: The hard-boiled investigator adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Knowledge skill checks made to identify the abilities of enemies, and can make such checks unskilled. He add the same bonus to all Acrobatics skill checks to move through threatened squares and can do so at full speed at only a -5 penalty to the Acrobatics roll.

Specialist Awareness: The hard-boiled investigator learns to play his enemies against each other. At third level, the hard-boiled investigator gains a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class and Reflex saves when he is outflanked or outflanks an enemy. These bonuses rise to +2 when the specialist investigator reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Shadow

The shadow is a investigator specialized in stealth and surveillance.

Specialist Class Skill: Ride (Dex).

Inspiration: The shadow can use inspiration on Knowledge, Ride, and Spellcraft checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: The shadow adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Perception skill checks made to observe a specific target (creature, room, vehicle) and to Stealth skill checks . A shadow is always considered to have cover enough to hide and can thus hide in plain sight (see Stealth), but still needs a distraction in order to disappear when observed.

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a shadow gains the ability to employ terrain expertly, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to AC as long as he has cover or concealment from the attacker. These bonuses rise to +2 when the specialist investigator reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Sleuth

The sleuth is a tireless investigator and tracker, relentlessly pursuing prey and the first to find and explore many crime scenes. Unlike most investigators, the sleuth has no qualms about pursuing an opponent through the wilderness.

Specialist Class Skills: Survival (Wis).

Inspiration: The sleuth can use inspiration on Knowledge, Profession, and Survival checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: The point man adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Survival checks to track and to Perception skill checks .

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a point man gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to enemies, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made in the first round of regular combat (not in a surprise round). These bonuses rise to +2 when the specialist investigator reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Warden

A warden takes responsibility for an area; an installation, prison, border, or gate that he is to patrol and guard to prevent smugglers and undesirables from using his district for illicit activities.

Specialist Class Skill: Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis).

Inspiration: The warden can use inspiration on Appraise, Knowledge, and Profession checks without expending brilliant inspiration. Profession is used mainly to drive vehicles, but also to build and maintain his ward and to know how people in his area work.

Specialist Focus: The warden adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Profession skill checks made to run a vehicle or caravan (such as teamster or sailor) and to all Perception skill checks.

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a warden gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger while standing guard or in a chase, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to AC as long as he moves at least 10 ft. each round. These bonuses rise to +2 when the specialist investigator reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.

Treasure finder

Treasure finding is the normal investigator, this specialization is the default. It is described here to work with the changing specializations rule.

Treasure finders are specialists in planning and executing heists, robbing strongholds and tombs, deciphering treasure maps, and in safely leading an action team into secure areas.

Specialist Class Skill: Use Magic Device (Cha).

Inspiration: The treasure finder can use inspiration on Knowledge, Linguistics, and Spellcraft checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: Trapfinding. A treasure finder adds 1/2 his level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A treasure finder can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.

Specialist Awareness: Trap Sense. At 3rd level, a treasure finder gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise to +2 when the treasure finder reaches 6th level, to +3 when he reaches 9th level, to +4 when he reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level. Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Changing Specializations

A specialist investigator normally keeps one specialization through an entire career, but it is possible to change specialization. When advancing in level, the specialist investigator denounces his current specialization, and then goes one entire level without a specialization. When he next levels up, he can pick another specialization of his choice. For this purpose, the normal investigator's trapfinding and trap sense abilities are considered a specialization; they cannot be used while changing specializations, and can be chosen as a specialization after the second level advancement.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Class Skills
• Inspiration
• Trapfinding
• Trap Sense

The text in this article is Open Game Content. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the Action copyright. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains OGL material and does not show this license statement, please contact one of the Action administrators. Please note that images used in article may have different copyright than the text.