Class Features
All of the following are features of the investigator class.
Alchemy (Su)
Investigators are highly trained in the creation of mundane alchemical substances and magical potion-like extracts.
When using
Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an investigator gains a
Competence Bonus equal to their class level on the skill check. In addition, an investigator can use
Craft (alchemy) to identify
Potions as if using
Detect Magic. They must hold the potion for 1 round to attempt such a check.
Like an
Alchemist, an investigator prepares their spells by mixing ingredients and a tiny fraction of their own magical power into a number of extracts, and then effectively casts the spell by drinking the extract. These extracts have powerful effects, but they are also bound to their creator. Extracts behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by
Dispel Magic and similar effects, using the investigator’s level as the
Caster Level.
An investigator can create only a certain number of extracts of each level per day. Their base daily allotment of extracts per day is given on Table: Investigator. In addition, they receive bonus extracts per day if they have a high
Intelligence score, in the same way a
Wizard receives bonus spells per day.
When an investigator mixes an extract, they infuse the chemicals and reagents in the extract with magic siphoned from their own magical aura. An extract immediately becomes inert if it leaves the investigator’s possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to their keeping—an investigator cannot normally pass out their extracts for allies to use. An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an investigator must reprepare their extracts every day. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work.
Creating extracts consumes raw material, but the cost of those materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If a spell normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the consumption of that particular extract. Extracts cannot be made from spells that have focus requirements; extracts that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement.
An investigator uses the
Alchemist Formulae List to determine the extracts they can know. An investigator can prepare an extract of any formula they know. To learn or use an extract, an investigator must have at least an
Intelligence score equal to 10 + the extract’s level. The saving throw DC for an investigator’s extract is equal to 10 + the extract’s level + the investigator’s
Intelligence modifier.
An investigator may know any number of formulae. They store their formulae in a special tome called a formula book. They must refer to this book whenever they prepare an extract. At 1st level, an investigator starts with two 1st-level formulae of their choice, plus a number of additional formulae equal to their
Intelligence modifier. At each new investigator level, they gain one new formula for any level that they can create. An investigator can also add formulae to their book just like a
Wizard adds spells to their spellbook, using the same costs, pages, and time requirements. A formula book costs as much as a spellbook. An investigator can study a
Wizard’s spellbook to learn any formula that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A
Wizard, however, cannot learn spells from a formula book. An investigator can also learn formulae from another investigator’s or an
Alchemist’s formula book (and vice versa). An investigator does not need to decipher arcane writing before copying that formula.
Inspiration ()
An investigator is beyond knowledgeable and skilled—they also possess keen powers of observation and deduction that far surpass the abilities of others. An investigator typically uses these powers to aid in their investigations, but can also use these flashes of inspiration in other situations.
An investigator has the ability to augment skill checks and ability checks through their brilliant inspiration. The investigator has an inspiration pool equal to 1/2 their investigator level + their
Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). An investigator’s inspiration pool refreshes each day, typically after they get a restful night’s sleep. As a
Free Action, they can expend one use of inspiration from their pool to add 1d6 to the result of that check, including any on which they take 10 or 20. This choice is made after the check is rolled and before the results are revealed. An investigator can only use inspiration once per check or roll. The investigator can use inspiration on any
Knowledge,
Linguistics, or
Spellcraft skill checks without expending a use of inspiration, provided they’re trained in the skill.
Inspiration can also be used on attack rolls and
Saving Throws, at the cost of expending two uses of inspiration each time from the investigator’s pool. In the case of
Saving Throws, using inspiration is an
Immediate Action rather than a
Free Action.
Trapfinding
An investigator adds 1/2 their level to
Perception skill checks made to locate
Traps and to
Disable Device checks (minimum 1). An investigator can use
Disable Device to disarm magical
Traps.
Poison Lore ()
An investigator has a deep understanding and appreciation for
Poisons. At 2nd level, they cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a weapon. If the investigator spends 1 minute physically examining the poison, they can attempt a
Knowledge (nature) check to identify any natural poison or
Knowledge (arcana) check to identify any magical poison (DC = the poison’s saving throw DC). Lastly, once a poison is identified, they can spend 1 minute and attempt a
Craft (alchemy) check (DC = the poison’s saving throw DC) to neutralize 1 dose of the poison. Success renders the dose harmless. The investigator has no chance of accidentally poisoning themselves when examining or attempting to neutralize a poison.
Poison Resistance ()
At 2nd level, an investigator gains a +2 bonus on all
Saving Throws against poison. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and to +6 at 8th level. At 11th level, the investigator becomes completely immune to poison.
Investigator Talent () or (Su)
At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, an investigator gains an investigator talent. Except where otherwise noted, each investigator talent can only be selected once.
Investigator talents marked with an asterisk (*) add effects to an investigator’s studied combat or studied strike. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, but the decision can be made when the damage is dealt.
A complete listing of investigator talents can be found here:
Investigator Talents.
Keen Recollection
At 3rd level, an investigator can attempt all
Knowledge skill checks untrained.
Trap Sense ()
At 3rd level, an investigator gains an intuitive sense that alerts them to danger from
Traps, granting them a +1 bonus on Reflex
Saving Throws to avoid
Traps and a +1
Dodge Bonus to AC against attacks by
Traps. At 6th level and every 3 levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by 1 (to a maximum of +6 at 18th level).
Studied Combat ()
With a keen eye and calculating mind, an investigator can assess the mettle of their opponent to take advantage of gaps in talent and training. At 4th level, an investigator can use a
Move Action to study a single enemy that they can see. Upon doing so, they add 1/2 their investigator level as an
Insight Bonus on
Melee Attack rolls and as a bonus on damage rolls against the creature. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to their
Intelligence modifier (
minimum 1) or until they deal damage with a studied strike, whichever comes first. The bonus on damage rolls is
Precision Damage, and is not multiplied on a critical hit.
An investigator can only have one target of studied combat at a time, and once a creature has become the target of an investigator’s studied combat, they cannot become the target of the same investigator’s studied combat again for 24 hours unless the investigator expends one use of inspiration when taking the
Move Action to use this ability.
Studied Strike ()
At 4th level, an investigator can choose to make a studied strike against the target of their studied combat as a
Free Action, upon successfully hitting their studied target with a
Melee Attack, to deal additional damage. The damage is 1d6 at 4th level, and increases by 1d6 for every 2 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 9d6 at 20th level). The damage of studied strike is
Precision Damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit; creatures that are immune to sneak attacks are also immune to studied strike.
If the investigator’s attack used a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), they may choose to have the additional damage from studied strike be nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. If the investigator chose to make an attack with a lethal weapon instead deal nonlethal damage (with the usual –4 penalty), the studied strike damage may also deal nonlethal damage.
The investigator must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. An investigator cannot use studied strike against a creature with
Concealment.
Swift Alchemy ()
At 4th level, an investigator can create alchemical items with astounding speed. It takes an investigator half the normal amount of time to create alchemical items. They can also apply poison to a weapon as a
Move Action instead of a
Standard Action.
True Inspiration ()
At 20th level, an investigator can use inspiration on all skill checks—even ones they aren’t trained in—and all ability checks without spending inspiration.
In addition, whenever they expend inspiration on an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, they add 2d6 rather than 1d6 to the result. Some talents can affect this. If using the amazing inspiration investigator talent, they roll 2d8 instead. If using this with empathy, tenacious inspiration, underworld inspiration, or a similar talent, they roll two sets of inspiration dice and use the higher of the two results.
Investigator Variants
Several variations exist that alter or replace aspects of the investigator class.
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