Investigator
You seek to uncover the truth, doggedly pursuing leads to reveal the plots of devious villains, discover ancient secrets, or unravel other mysteries. Your analytical mind quickly formulates solutions to complicated problems and your honed senses identify even the most obscure clues. Wielding knowledge as a weapon, you study the creatures and dangers you encounter to exploit their weaknesses.
Class Details
Class Progression
| Feature | Levels |
|---|---|
| Class Feats | 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 |
| Skill Feats | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 |
| General Feats | 3, 7, 11, 15, 19 |
| Skill Increases | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 |
Roleplaying the Investigator
During Combat Encounters...
Your keen insights regarding your foes make you more dangerous than your physical strength would suggest. After spending a moment to study your enemies, your perceptiveness allows you to act quickly, striking them where it hurts most. You often assist tougher members of your party, wisely protecting yourself while providing vital aid.
You often assist tougher members of your party, wisely protecting yourself while providing vital aid.
During Social Encounters...
Few can stand up against your scrutiny. You might not be the most charming, but you see things for what they really are and develop an understanding of a social situation rapidly. Every conversation is an investigation, after all, and you never know what you might uncover!
While Exploring...
You look for clues in your environment. You often prove yourself to be a valuable ally by serving as a party scout, analyzing the intricacies of puzzles or mysterious phenomena, and pursuing leads that could reveal beneficial information.
In Downtime
You study up on subjects new and old, make new allies you can share information with, and pursue hobbies that keep your active mind satisfied. You might make a bit of coin on the side working as a private detective or consulting with the local constabulary.
You Might...
- Start asking questions—including several that are quite involved— immediately after you're presented with a conundrum.
- Strive to uncover the deeper meanings behind anything you encounter and to identify the social machinations that truly drive events behind the scenes.
- Get so involved in a case that you ignore other matters, deeming them trivial.
Others Probably...
- Find the cascades of information you spout forth extremely helpful, if difficult to fully comprehend.
- Get a bit annoyed that you're such a know-it-all.
- Rely on you to solve mysteries, puzzles, or other challenges requiring intellectual curiosity and reasoning.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.
Perception
Expert in Perception
Saving Throws
Trained in Fortitude
Expert in Reflex
Expert in Will
Skills
Trained in Society
Trained in one or more skills determined by your methodology
Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 4 plus your Intelligence modifier
Attacks
Trained in simple and martial weapons
Trained in unarmed attacks
Defenses
Trained in light armor
Trained in unarmored defense
Class DC
Trained in investigator class DC
Class Features
You gain these abilities as an investigator. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features' names.
| Your Level | Class Features |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ancestry and background, attribute boosts, initial proficiencies, on the case, Devise a Stratagem, methodology, investigator feat, strategic strike 1d6 |
| 2 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 3 | General feat, keen recollection, skill increase, skillful lesson |
| 4 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 5 | Ancestry feat, attribute boosts, skill increase, skillful lesson, strategic strike 2d6, weapon expertise |
| 6 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 7 | General feat, skill increase, skillful lesson, vigilant senses, weapon specialization |
| 8 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 9 | Ancestry feat, fortitude expertise, investigator expertise, skill increase, skillful lesson, strategic strike 3d6 |
| 10 | Attribute boosts, investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 11 | Deductive improvisation, dogged will, general feat, skill increase, skillful lesson |
| 12 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 13 | Ancestry feat, incredible senses, light armor expertise, skill increase, skillful lesson, strategic strike 4d6, weapon mastery |
| 14 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 15 | Attribute boosts, general feat, greater weapon specialization, savvy reflexes, skill increase, skillful lesson |
| 16 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 17 | Ancestry feat, greater dogged will, skill increase, skillful lesson, strategic strike 5d6 |
| 18 | Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
| 19 | General feat, light armor mastery, master detective, skill increase, skillful lesson |
| 20 | Attribute boosts, investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase |
Ancestry and Background
In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.
Attribute Boosts
In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have four free boosts to different attribute modifiers. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you get four free boosts to different attribute modifiers. If an attribute modifier is already +4 or higher, it takes two boosts to increase it; you get a partial boost and must boost that attribute again at a later level to increase it by 1.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.
On the Case
As an investigator, you think of your adventures as cases waiting to be solved. You gain one activity and one reaction you can use to investigate cases: Pursue A Lead and Clue In.
Devise a Stratagem
You can play out a battle in your head, using brains rather than brawn to execute an attack.
You gain the Devise A Stratagem action.
Methodology
Your studies have made you savvy in many areas, but one in particular drew your intense interest. Choose a methodology. The methodologies are as follows:
Investigator Feats
At 1st level and every even-numbered level, you gain an investigator class feat.
Strategic Strike
When you strike carefully and with forethought, you deal a telling blow. When making a Strike that adds your Intelligence modifier on your attack roll due to Devising A Stratagem, you deal an additional 1d6 precision damage.
As your investigator level increases, so too does the deadliness of your strategic strike. Increase the number of dice by one at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
Skill Feats Level 2
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.
Skill Increases Level 2
You gain more skill increases than members of other classes. At 2nd level and every level thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase to either become trained in one skill you're untrained in or to become an expert in one skill in which you're already trained.
At 7th level, you can use skill increases to become a master in a skill in which you're already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to become legendary in a skill in which you're already a master.
General Feats Level 3
At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.
Keen Recollection Level 3
You can recall pertinent facts on topics that aren't your specialty. Your proficiency bonus to untrained skill checks to Recall Knowledge is equal to your level instead of +0.
Skillful Lessons Level 3
At 3rd level and every odd-numbered level thereafter, you gain a skill feat. This feat must be for an Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill, or for the skill you gained from your methodology.
Ancestry Feats Level 5
In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.
Weapon Expertise Level 5
You've dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to expert.Vigilant Senses Level 7
Through your adventures, you've developed keen awareness and attention to detail. Your proficiency rank in Perception increases to master.
Weapon Specialization Level 7
You've learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal an additional 2 damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you're a master, and 4 if you're legendary.
Fortitude Expertise Level 9
Your physique has grown hardy in your adventures. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.Investigator Expertise Level 9
You've refined your investigative techniques to an exceptional degree. Your circumstance bonus from Pursue A Lead increases to +2. Your proficiency rank for your investigator class DC increases to expert.
Deductive Improvisation Level 11
You use your skills at deduction to perform whatever task is necessary to solve the case.
You can attempt any check that requires you to be trained in a skill, even if you're untrained in it; you can attempt any check that requires you to have expert proficiency in a skill so long as you're trained in it; and you can attempt any check that requires you to have master proficiency in a skill as long as you have expert proficiency in it.
Dogged Will Level 11
In your pursuit of truth and knowledge, you won't be dissuaded. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.
Incredible Senses Level 13
You notice things that are almost impossible for an ordinary person to detect. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to legendary.
Light Armor Expertise Level 13
You've learned how to dodge while wearing light or no armor. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to expert.
Weapon Mastery Level 13
You fully understand your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to master.
Greater Weapon Specialization Level 15
Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you're an expert, 6 if you're a master, and 8 if you're legendary.
Savvy Reflexes Level 15
With an eye for incoming danger, you masterfully keep yourself out of harm's way. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Reflex save, you get a critical success instead.
Greater Dogged Will Level 17
Your willpower becomes truly unbreakable.
Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to legendary. When you roll a success at a Will save, you get a critical success. When you roll a critical failure at a Will save, you get a failure instead. When you roll a failure on a Will save against a damaging effect, you take half damage.
Light Armor Mastery Level 19
Your skill with light armor improves, increasing your ability to dodge blows. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to master.
Master Detective Level 19
As a master detective, you can solve any case and find all the clues available. Your reputation precedes you, and even the most skilled criminals and deceivers fear you. Your proficiency rank for your investigator class DC increases to master.
In addition, if you enter a new location that includes another clue toward answering the question at the heart of one of your active investigations, the GM informs you of the existence of the clue and its type: an object, person, spell effect, or the like. When you find the clue, the GM informs you that you've done so.
If there is more than one clue in the location, the GM chooses one to inform you about. When you find any of the clues in that location, the GM informs you that you've done so, even if it wasn't the clue they'd chosen or there are other clues you haven't found.
Class Features
Level 1
- On the Case
- Methodology
- Devise a Stratagem
- Strategic Strike
Level 3
- Keen Recollection
- Skillful Lessons
Level 5
- Weapon Expertise
Level 7
- Vigilant Senses
- Weapon Specialization
Level 9
- Fortitude Expertise
- Investigator Expertise
Level 11
- Deductive Improvisation
- Dogged Will
Level 13
- Incredible Senses
- Weapon Mastery
- Light Armor Expertise
Level 15
- Savvy Reflexes
- Greater Weapon Specialization (Level 15)
Level 17
- Greater Dogged Will
Level 19
- Light Armor Mastery (Level 19)
- Master Detective