Specialist Investigator (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The standard investigator can be said to be a treasure finding specialist, but in the fiction, very few investigators are talented in disarming locks and traps. This archetypes allows for alternate specializations in other roles.

Class Information

This is a investigator archetype.

Publisher Trailseeker.

Class Skills

Use Magic Device is not a class skill to specialist investigators. 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). Specialist investigators gain an additional class skill from their choice of specialization.

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 brilliant inspiration, giving a different set of skills that can use brilliant inspiration without using an inspiration point. The investigator specializations are listed in their own section, below.

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 skills that can be inspired without spending inspiration points, trapfinding and trap sense abilities, and Use Magic Device as a class skill together are considered the treasure hunter specialization; they cannot be used while changing specializations, and can be chosen as a specialization after the second level advancement.

Investigator Specializations

A list of investigator specializations.

Armchair Investigator

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

Specialist Class Skill: Handle Animal (Cha).

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

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

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a armchair investigator that is not adjacent to any enemy gets a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class. He can use withdraw as a standard action, but when he does, he can only move up to his speed. The bonuses rise to +2 when the armchair 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.

Curator

A specialist in appraising, restoring, storing, and trading in evidence and antiquities. His special talents lies in avoiding detection and identifying magic or cursed items before they cause any harm.

Specialist Class Skill: Add Use Magic Device (Cha) to the list of class skills.

Inspiration: The curator can use inspiration on Appraise, Knowledge, and Use Magic Device checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: The curator adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Craft and Appraise skill checks. This bonus does not stack with the Craft (alchemy) bonus gained from the alchemy class feature. A curator can use Appraise to identify the properties and command words of magic items as if he was using Spellcraft and detect magic.

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, a curator gains the ability to shield himself and items under his protection from detection. He gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against all divination magic. This bonus rise to +2 when the curator 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. A curator is allowed a Will saving throw against any divination effect that would scry, discern, or analyze his possessions or locale, even ones that do not target the curator directly (such as scrying that would see a statue under his care) or which do not normally allow a saving throw (such as detect magic). Calculate the save DC normally for the type of spell. A supernatural effect without a given save DC uses 10 + 1/2 the creature's Hit Dice + the creature's Charisma modifier as the DC. If this saving throw succeeds, the divination effect fails and produces no information about items under his protection. Items the curator stored and has has responsibility for count as being in his possession for saving throws against divination magic and uses his saving throws.

Hard-boiled Investigator

The hard-boiled investigator keeps getting into dangerous situations, and has learned 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 an inspiration point this way.

Specialist Focus: The hard-boiled investigator adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Knowledge skill checks made to identify creatures, and can make such checks unskilled. He adds the same bonus to all Acrobatics skill checks.

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 adjacent to 3 or more enemies. These bonuses rise to +2 when the hard-boiled 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 all Perception 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 in any round in which he moves at least 10 ft. 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, often positioning himself in unorthodox ways to avoid attention.

Specialist Class Skill: Fly (Dex).

Inspiration: The shadow can use inspiration on Acrobatics, Climb, and Stealth checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: The shadow adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Perception skill checks made to observe his mark (see below) and to all Stealth skill checks.

Specialist Focus: As a free action on his own turn, the shadow can select a specific creature as his mark. The shadow need not see the mark to select it. Selecting a mark ends any earlier mark the shadow may have. The shadow is never considered distracted when looking for/at his mark, and adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Perception skill checks made to observe the mark. The shadow also adds adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to all Stealth skill checks.

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 from the attacker. This bonus never applies against adjacent creatures. These bonuses rise to +2 when the shadow 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.

Sheriff

A sheriff takes responsibility for a large area; a city ward, county, coast, border, or road that he is to patrol and guard to prevent smugglers and undesirables from using his district for illicit activities. He might instead be responsible for the security of an institution, such as a prison, hospital, caravan, ship, or other large venture.

Specialist Class Skill: Ride (Dex).

Inspiration: The sheriff can use inspiration on Intimidate, Perception, and Sense Motive checks without expending brilliant inspiration.

Specialist Focus: The sheriff adds 1/2 his level (minimum +1) to Perception and Ride checks.

Specialist Awareness: At 3rd level, the sheriff gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to enemies, giving him a +1 bonus on Initiative checks. These bonuses rise to +2 when the sheriff 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 Hunter

The treasure hunter is the normal investigator, this specialization is the default. It is described here to work with the changing specializations rule.

Treasure hunters are specialists in exploration, avoiding traps, deciphering treasure maps, and in safely leading his team into a thrilling locale.

Specialist Class Skill: Use Magic Device (Cha).

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

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

Specialist Awareness (Trap Sense): At 3rd level, a treasure hunter 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 hunter 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. An investigator with trap sense is never considered flat-footed against attacks by traps. 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

Investigator Talent

The following talent is available to all investigators.

Additional Specialist Focus (Ex)

Prerequisite Additional specialist inspiration

Select one specialization the investigator has already selected for the additional specialist inspiration talent. He gains the specialist focus ability of the chosen specialization. This investigator talent can be selected several times, each time selecting a different specialization the investigator has the additional specialist inspiration talent for.

Additional Specialist Inspiration (Ex)

The investigator can choose one of the specialist investigator's specializations. She cannot choose a specialization she already has, or the treasure finder specialization if she has the trapfinding ability. He gains the inspiration ability of the chosen specialization. This investigator talent can be selected several times, each time selecting a different specialization.

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.