Specialist Investigator (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The standard investigator can be said to be a treasure finding specialist. This archetypes allows for alternate specializations in other roles. In the fiction, very few investigators are talented in disarming locks and traps. There are many other areas specialization for investigators that are less focused on dungeon exploration and more on actual investigation.

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 choice adds a 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 talking to witnesses and insightful observation of the habits and personalities of suspects. 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 Diplomacy, Knowledge, and Sense Motive 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 gets a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class in any round when he uses the full defense action. When he uses the full defense action in combat, he can also use the Diplomacy or Sense Motive skills as if he spent a full-round action using them.

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 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.

Scout

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

Specialist Class Skills: Survival (Wis).

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

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

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a scout gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger while on the move. This gives him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 bonus to AC as long as he takes a move action and 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.

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 can use the Stealth skill even without cover or concealment, 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. This bonus never applies against adjacent creatures. 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 a large area; a county, coast, border, or road that he is to patrol and guard to prevent smugglers and undesirables from using his district for illicit activities. A warden can also be responsible for the security of a caravan or other large venture.

Specialist Class Skill: Ride (Dex).

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

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 Ride checks.

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, the warden gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to enemies, giving him a +1 bonus on Initiative checks. These bonuses rise to +2 when the warden 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. In a surprise round when he would not normally be allowed to act, the warden can take a move action at his normal initiative.

Treasure Finder

The treasure finder 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.

Table: Specialist Investigator

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Alchemy, inspiration, specialist focus	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Poison lore, poison resistance +2	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Investigator talent, keen recollection, specialist awareness +1	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Studied combat, studied strike +1d6, swift alchemy	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Investigator talent, poison resistance +4	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Studied strike +2d6, specialist awareness +2	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Investigator talent	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Poison resistance +6, studied strike +3d6	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Investigator talent, specialist awareness +3	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Studied strike +4d6	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Investigator talent, poison immunity	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Studied strike +5d6, specialist awareness +4	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Investigator talent	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Studied strike +6d6	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Investigator talent, specialist awareness +5	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Studied strike +7d6	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Investigator talent	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Studied strike +8d6, specialist awareness +6	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Investigator talent	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Studied strike +9d6, true inspiration	5	5	5	5	5	5

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

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