Investigator Talents

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.

Investigator Talents

Alchemist Discovery (Ex)

Benefit: The Investigator can select one of the following Alchemist Discoveries as an Investigator talent: Combine Extracts, Concentrate Poison, Dilution, Elixir of Life, Enhance Potion, Eternal Potion, Extend Potion, Infusion, Mutagen, and Poison Conversion. When selecting an Alchemist discovery, they must be high enough level to qualify for that discovery, using their Investigator level as their Alchemist level to determine if they qualify. This talent can be selected multiple times; each time grants a new alchemist discovery.

Amazing Inspiration (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 7th level
Benefit: When using inspiration, the Investigator rolls a d8 instead of a d6. At 20th level, the Investigator rolls 2d8 and adds both dice to the result.

Applied Engineering (Ex)

Benefit: The Investigator can leverage their knowledge of engineering to solve tasks that normally require brute Strength or keen eyes. They can expend one use of inspiration as a Full-Round Action to study an Object or area and attempt a Knowledge (engineering) check. On their next turn, they can use the result of that Knowledge (engineering) check in place of a Strength check to break the Object or in place of a Perception check to locate hidden doors or compartments in that area.

Blinding Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 17th level
Benefit: When the Investigator deals damage with studied strike, the opponent must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or be permanently Blinded. A successful saving throw reduces this to Dazzled for 1d4 rounds. The DC for this Fortitude Save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Investigator’s level + their Intelligence modifier. This talent has no effect on creatures that do not rely on eyes for sight or creatures with more than two eyes (although multiple critical hits might cause blindness, at the GM’s discretion). Blindness can be cured by Heal, Regeneration, Remove Blindness/Deafness, or similar abilities.

Combat Inspiration (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 9th level
Benefit: When an Investigator uses inspiration on an attack roll or saving throw, they expend one use of inspiration instead of two.

Confusing Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 19th level
Benefit: When the Investigator deals damage with studied strike, the opponent must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or become Confused for 1d4+1 rounds. A successful saving throw reduces the duration to 1 round. The DC for this Fortitude Save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Investigator’s level + their Intelligence modifier. Constructs, mindless creatures, Oozes, Plants, Undead, Incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits are not affected by this ability.

Deafening Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 15th level
Benefit: When an Investigator deals damage with studied strike, the opponent must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or become permanently Deafened. A successful saving throw reduces the duration of this effect to 1 round. The DC for this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Investigator’s level + their Intelligence modifier. This talent has no effect on deaf creatures. Deafness can be cured by Heal, Regeneration, Remove Blindness/Deafness, or similar effects.

Device Talent (Ex)

Benefit: The Investigator can use the Use Magic Device skill even if not trained in that skill. If the Investigator is trained in Use Magic Device, they can use the inspiration ability with that skill without expending uses of inspiration.

Domino Effect* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 5th level
Benefit: When the Investigator uses studied strike, they use their opponents against each other and set themselves up for their next move. Whenever they successfully deal damage to an opponent with studied strike, as a Free Action the Investigator can apply the effects of studied combat to an opponent adjacent to the first.

Effortless Aid (Ex)

Benefit: The Investigator can use an Aid Another action as a Move Action instead of as a Standard Action. An Investigator can expend one use of inspiration to instead perform an Aid Another action as a Swift Action.

Eidetic Recollection (Su)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 11th level
Benefit: An Investigator can always choose to take 10 on any of their Knowledge checks, even if they’re in immediate danger or distracted. An Investigator may expend one use of inspiration to take 20 on a Knowledge skill check even if they’re in immediate danger or distracted.

Empathy (Ex), (Su)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 5th level
Benefit: When attempting a Sense Motive check, the Investigator makes two d20 rolls and takes the higher result. If an Investigator uses inspiration on a Sense Motive check, they roll the inspiration dice twice and take the higher result. Once per day, the Investigator can expend one use of inspiration to target a single creature that they can see and hear within 30 feet. Upon doing so, the Investigator detects the surface thoughts of the target’s mind, as if they concentrated for 3 rounds while using the Detect Thoughts spell, unless the creature succeeds on a Will saving throw. The DC of this save is 10 + 1/2 the Investigator’s level + their Intelligence modifier. If the target fails, the Investigator can continue to detect the surface thoughts of the target creature for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 their Investigator level.

Expanded Inspiration (Ex)

Benefit: An Investigator can use their inspiration ability when attempting Diplomacy, Heal, Perception, Profession, and Sense Motive checks without expending uses of inspiration, provided they’re trained in the skill.

Greater Combat Inspiration (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 19th level, combat inspiration
Benefit: Choose a single weapon type (such as sword cane or short sword). As long as the Investigator has at least 1 inspiration point in their inspiration pool, they no longer have to expend a use of inspiration to use that ability with attacks made with this weapon.

Hidden Agendas (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 11th level
Benefit: An Investigator learns to obscure their thoughts and endeavors from prying eyes and even intrusive magic. When an Investigator uses inspiration while attempting a Bluff check to pass secret messages or attempting a Linguistics check to create forgeries, they can roll their inspiration dice twice and take the higher result. In addition, the Investigator can use inspiration when attempting a saving throw against a divination spell or effect without expending a use of inspiration.

Inspirational Expertise (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 7th level
Benefit: When an Investigator succeeds at a Knowledge check to identify a monster‘s special powers or vulnerabilities, they can expend one use of inspiration as a Swift Action to grant allies within 30 feet that can hear them a +4 Insight Bonus on attack rolls against that monster or type of monster for 1 round.

Inspired Alertness (Ex)

Benefit: Whenever the Investigator becomes Flat-Footed, they can expend one use of inspiration to ignore that condition. They must be conscious to do so, and must decide to do so when they become Flat-Footed. Using this ability doesn’t require an action.

Inspired Intelligence (Ex)

Benefit: An Investigator can add their inspiration die to all Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft checks without expending a use of inspiration, even those they’re not trained in.

Inspired Intimidator (Ex)

Benefit: When the Investigator succeeds at an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent, they can expend one use of inspiration to automatically increase the result of the check by 5 for the purpose of determining the duration of the demoralize effect. They can choose to spend multiple uses to inspiration in this manner to further increase the duration of the demoralize effect. They must be trained in Intimidate to take this talent. The underworld inspiration Investigator talent has no effect on this talent.

Item Lore (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 7th level
Benefit: An Investigator can use Spellcraft to identify the properties and command words of Magic Items without the use of Detect Magic or similar spells.

Numerical Alchemy (Su)

Benefit: The Investigator’s skill with mental mathematics allows them to know exactly which muscle movements are necessary to mix an extract in the quickest, most efficient way. The Investigator can expend one use of inspiration to mix an extract in 1 round (as opposed to 1 minute).

Numerical Alchemy, Greater (Su)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 11, numerical alchemy
Benefit: The Investigator can calculate their movements and account for their reactions to danger or unexpected situations with lightning speed. They can expend a use of inspiration to mix an extract as a Standard Action.

Numerical Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 5
Benefit: Once per day when the Investigator has confirmed a critical hit with a studied strike, they can deal average damage instead of rolling damage as normal. This includes the damage dealt by the successful attack as well as the additional damage from the studied strike. They can expend a use of inspiration to use this ability a second time per day. Using this ability doesn’t require an action.

Numerical Strike, Greater* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 13, numerical strike
Benefit: Once per day, when the Investigator has confirmed a critical hit with a studied strike, they can deal the strike’s maximum damage instead of rolling damage as normal. This includes the damage dealt by the successful attack as well as the additional damage from the studied strike. They can expend a use of inspiration to use this ability a second time per day. Using this ability doesn’t require an action.

Numerical Strike, Masterful* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 17, numerical strike, greater numerical strike
Benefit: The Investigator can use both numerical strike and greater numerical strike three times per day. The Investigator doesn’t need to expend uses of inspiration to use either ability, but they can never use either more than three times per day each.

Perceptive Tracking (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Perception 1 rank
Benefit: The Investigator can use Perception instead of Survival to both find and follow tracks, using the same DCs listed under the Survival skill.

Prolonged Study* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 13th level
Benefit: The Investigator can study their opponents for long periods of time. The effects of their studied combat ability last for a number of rounds equal to twice their Intelligence modifier (minimum 2) or until they deal damage with a studied strike, whichever comes first.

Quick Study (Ex)

Benefit: An Investigator can use their studied combat ability as Swift Action instead of a Move Action.

Repositioning Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 13th level
Benefit: When the Investigator deals damage with studied strike, they can perform a Reposition combat maneuver as a Free Action against the creature damaged by studied strike. This Reposition does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Rogue Talent (Ex)

Benefit: An Investigator can select one of the following Rogue Talents in place of an Investigator talent: assault leader, black market connections, camouflage, canny observer, charmer, coax information, combat swipe, convincing lie, cunning trigger, deft palm, expert leaper, fast fingers, fast getaway, fast picks, fast stealth, guileful polyglot, grit, hard to fool, hold breath, honeyed words, iron guts, lasting poison, ledge walker, major magic, minor magic, nimble climber, peerless maneuver, quick disable, quick disguise, quick trapsmith, resiliency, rogue crawl, rope master, stand up, strong stroke, terrain mastery, trap spotter, or wall scrambler.
Any talent effects based on Rogue level use the Investigator’s class level. If the rogue talent has a prerequisite (such as the major magic rogue talent requiring the minor magic talent), the Investigator must fulfill the prerequisite before selecting that rogue talent. This talent can be selected multiple times; each time, it grants the Investigator a new rogue talent.

Sapping Offensive* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 5th level
Benefit: When the Investigator damages a studied target, that creature cannot make attacks of opportunity for 1 round.

Sickening Offensive* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 7th level
Benefit: When the Investigator damages a studied target, that creature is also Sickened for 1 round.

Slowing Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 7th level
Benefit: When the Investigator deals damage with studied strike, the opponent must succeed at a Fortitude Save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the Investigator’s class level + their Intelligence modifier) or be slowed by the crippling blow. A slowed opponent’s movement speeds are each reduced by 5 feet (to a minimum of 5 feet) until the creature is healed through the application of any spell that cures hit point damage or with a successful DC 15 Heal check. Multiple slowing strikes stack, to a minimum of 5 feet.

Stealing Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 13th level
Benefit: When the Investigator deals damage with studied strike, they can perform a Steal combat maneuver as a Free Action against the creature damaged by studied strike. This Steal does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Studied Defense (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 9th level
Benefit: When an Investigator with this talent uses their studied combat ability, they can chose to apply that ability’s Insight Bonus to their AC against attacks made by the target of their studied combat instead of to attack rolls against the target of their studied combat. (The Insight Bonus on damage rolls remains.) They must choose which type of bonus they gain when using studied combat, and it cannot be changed until they use studied combat again.

Tenacious Inspiration (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 13th level
Benefit: When an Investigator rolls their inspiration die, they can roll an additional inspiration die and take the higher result.

Timed Strike* (Ex)

Benefit: The longer the Investigator studies their opponent, the greater the damage they ultimately deal with their studied strike. When the Investigator makes a studied strike, they deal a number of points of additional damage equal to the number of consecutive rounds they studied the target with studied combat.

Toppling Strike* (Ex)

Prerequisite(s): Investigator 9th level
Benefit: When the Investigator deals damage with studied strike, they can perform a Trip combat maneuver as a Free Action against the creature damaged by studied strike. This ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Unconventional Inspiration (Ex)

Benefit: An Investigator with this talent can pick any one skill. They can add their inspiration die to checks attempted with that skill without expending a use of inspiration.

Underworld Inspiration (Ex)

Benefit: An Investigator can use their inspiration on Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Intimidate, or Sleight of Hand checks without expending uses of inspiration, provided they’re trained in the skill.