Investigator

A cunning halfling peaks out behind the corner and sees the bandits following her. She spends a moment carefully examining her foes and recognizes that the bandit leader has a tear in his half plate armor, a weak spot. The halfling relays a telepathic message to an assassin sneaking up on the scoundrels, instructing him on how to target the weak point. With a cruel smile the rogue stabs their leader in the back, the dagger positioned exactly where it was supposed to be to break past the heavy armor.

The group's paladin is launched backwards by the force of the furious troll's strikes. Despite any attempts to hurt it, the monster's wounds always seem to heal within an instant. It seems hopeless, but a knowledgeable dwarf is there with them, and he knows exactly what to do. A vial of acid travels from the dwarf's satchel to his hand, ready to splash the toxin directly into the berserk beast's face.

Visions of blood and pain barrage the elf's mind. The past is being revealed, scene by scene, until she can feel the breathe leave her lungs. She jolts away from the skull she had her hands on and shakes herself from the macabre dream. Turning to the rest of the group, the elf proclaims that she knows who killed the king. She accessed the memory of the king's death as if it had been her who was the victim.

Most adventurers focus on might, either in the form of magic or fitness, but a rare few use the raw power of their intellect to defeat their foes. These heroes are known as Investigators, and they are not only adept at defeating villains, but also uncovering their secrets. It does not matter whether these secrets be weaknesses in their combat ability to be exploited, the location of their bases or the evidence of the crimes they have commited, an Investigator knows how to discover them. While these clever warriors might not be the ones who are recorded in legends, without their help the heroes may not be alive to make their mark on the world.

Varied Professions

When most people here the word "investigator", they will most likely evoke the image of a detective. While such people certainly can be Investigators, they are not the only types. Other sorts of people who focus on careful analysis to acheive their goals can be considered Investigators. This includes wisened battle tacticians, daring explorers who delve into ancient dungeons or scholars who seek to apply their knowledge on the battefield.

This does not mean that every person who focuses on analysis is an Investigator though, only the utmost genius among them could ever hold a level in this class. Without a doubt you must be one of these gifted people to bear the title of a true Investigator.

Cognitive Awakening

The immense mental capabilities of an Investigator transcends what is mere intelligence and begins to manifest in supernatural ways. Although they cannot cast spells this way, it is undoubtable that when someone becomes an Investigator their mind has undergone a sort ascension. Something about their intellect has become so vast that it is able to extend beyond their own mental processes into that of others. Investigators possess a degree of telepathic powers which they can use to communicate with others or even take information from their very mind. This greatly distinguishes someone of this class from a mere inquisitor. The exact source of this power varies. Some are born with it, others can learn through practice how to do it and an even rarer few are exposed to a potent arcane phenomenon which has forever altered the way they think.

Creating an Investigator

As you build your Investigator, probably the most crucial thing to consider is the reason as to why your character has almost superhumanly genius abilities. Were you simply born with a mind that could process things different then your allies, or did it take years of careful practice for you to successfuly hone your analytical capabilities?

Another thing which must be brought up is how exactly you recieved your psionic powers. Such a thing is far out of the ordinary, so odds are that at least some magic is involved. Your mind might have just become so powerful that it could control the weave, you might have meditated deeply on the world around you until it revealed its secrets to you, or perhaps you are recieving aid from a supernatural entity such as a god, ghost, or aberration which grants you powers beyond that of a mortal.

These all lead up to another question almost just as important; what did you decide to do with your gift? Did you use it to pursue knowledge as a scholar, did your vast intellect allow you to defeat an enemy which had been oppossing your friends, or perhaps you simply sought to be better at your career than everyone else?

Quick Build

You can make an Investigator by following these suggestions. First, your ability scores should be ranked in importance of intelligence > dexterity > constitution and wisdom > charisma and strength. Second, choose the city watch or sage background. Third, choose Thieves's tools, Athletics, Insight, Investigaton and Stealth as your proficiencies. Fourth, take leather armor, a rapier and a shield, a light crossbow and 20 bolts, thieves' tools and an explorer's pack as your equipment. Fifth, take Expertise in Insight and Investigation.

Class Features

As an Investigator, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per investigator level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per investigator level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor, Shields

Weapons: Simple Weapons, Rapiers, Scimitars, Shortswords, Whips and Hand Crossbows

Tools: Thieves' Tools and a set of Artisan's Tools of your choice

Saving Throws: Wisdom and Intelligence

Skills: Choose any four

Equipment

You start out with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• leather armor

• (a) two melee weapons or (b) a shield and a melee weapon

• (a) one simple ranged weapon and 20 pieces of ammuniton or (b) two thrown simple weapons

• (a) thieves' tools or (b) a set of artisan's tools of your choice

• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a scholar's pack

If you are rolling for starting wealth by class, you instead recieve 4d4 x 10GP.

Flawless Analyst (Level 1)

Your observational skills have been honed to an uncanny degree of excellency. Even while in the heat of combat you can quickly examine your opponent or obstacle and determine their strengths and weaknesses.

The act of doing so is mentally exhausting though so you can only do it a limited number of times. Your ability to exercise this talent is represented by Analysis Points. You have a number of Analysis Points equal to your Intelligence modifier . All uses are restored after you complete a short or long rest.

When you use a bonus action to expend an analysis point, you learn some of the following statistics about one creature or object which you can see. You learn an amount of statistics chosen from the list below equal to your proficiency bonus each time you use this feature.

• The creature's type (and subtype if applicable) or, if it is an object, what type of material (such as metal, stone or wood) it is made out of.

• One of the creature's ability scores.

• Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn if the creature's/object's armor class is greater than, less than or equal to that number.

• Choose any number between 1 and 700. You learn whether the creature's/object's current hit points are greater then, less than or equal to that number.

• What that creature's/object's damage resistances and immunities are.

• What that creature's/object's damage vulnerabilites are.

• Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn if the creature's attack bonus for one attack of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.

• The damage type(s) of one attack or feature of your choice which the creature/object can peform.

• Choose any number between 1 and 100. You learn whether the average damage dealt by one attack or feature of your choice which the creature/object can perform is greater then, less than or equal to that number.

• Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn if the saving throw DC of one effect which the creature or object causes is greater than, less than or equal to that number.

• The title of one special feature of your choice and all of the details about it except for the exact numbers of its save DC, damage or similar statistics.

• All of the additional types of speed that creature possesses. This does not tell you how fast they can move with these different speeds, just if they can move in that manner.

• Choose a number between 0 and 150. You learn if one of the creature's speeds of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.

• Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn If the bonus the creature gets to saving throws tied to a specific ability score of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.

• All of the creature's skill proficiencies. This does not tell you their proficiency bonus, just which proficiencies they have.

• All of the condition immunities that creature/object has.

• All of the special senses which that creature has.

• Choose any number between 0 and 150. You learn if the radius of one of the creature's special senses of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.

• All of the languages which that creature knows. If the creature is telepathic, you know that too but you can't determine the exact radius of the telepathy.

• The radius of the creature's telepathy

Expertise (Level 1)

Choose two of your skill proficiencies, two of your tool proficiencies, or a skill proficiency and a tool proficiency. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At level 10, you choose another two proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Improved Analysis (Level 2)

Your analytical skills have been enhanced and you can now almost instantly detect weaknesses in your foe's offensive or defensive strategy. Whenever you use your Flawless Analyst feature, you may choose any of the following options instead of learning some statistics. If you choose to grant an effect of this feature to an ally instead of yourself (as mentioned in the effect's description), you do so using your Telepathy feature.

• You carefully examine the motions that a creature takes to make its attacks and determine how to best deflect them. You or one ally of your choice can add your proficiency bonus to their/your AC against any attack roll made by that single creature until the end of your next turn.

• You study the areas of the body which the creature prefers to strike and ascertain how to best avoid taking damage. You or one ally of your choice can decrease the damage roll of any attack made by that single target by your proficiency bonus until the end of your next turn.

• You look for any less well protected part of the creature and determine how to aim there the best. You or one ally of your choice can add your proficiency bonus to any attack rolls made against that single creature until the end of your next turn.

• You assess where the vital areas of a creature is and deduce how to best strike them. You or one ally of your choice can add your proficiency bonus to any damage rolls made against that single target until the end of your next turn.

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Telepathy (Level 2)

You can use magic to telepathically communicate with any creature you can see that is within 30 ft. of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to telepathically communicate with you, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. A creature without telepathy can recieve and respond to telepathic messages but can't initiate or terminate a telepathic conversation.

You can end the telepathic contact at any time. The contact is broken if the person your are communicating with falls out of range or if you contact a different creature. You can initiate or terminate a telepathic conversation on your turn (no action required), but while you are incapacitated you can't initiatie a telepathic contant and any current contact is terminated.

Whenever you use your Flawless Analyst feature, you may also decide to immediately and telepathically send the information you learned to up to ten allies within range.

At level 13, You can use your action to establish a telepathic bond with a willing creature that you have been within 120 feet of for at least an hour. A bonded target can telepthically communicate with you beyond any distance so long as you are both on the same plane of existence. A bonded target can send telepathic messages to you at any time and vice versa. You can only be bonded with one creature at a time. This bond ends whenever you use this feature to create a bond with another creature, or if you consciously decide to drop it on your turn (no action required).

Unconventional Actions (Level 3)

As an Investigator you have become accustomed to assissting your group fight enemies by performing the activities which others can rarely afford to do. Because of this you can frequently commit to these tasks with more efficiency than ohters. You gain all of the following benefits.

Dodge: While under the effects of the Dodge action you have advantage on all saving throws and the action's benefits cannot end prematurely if your speed is dropped to 0.

Help: If you take the Help action to aid an ally in making an attack roll, then you do not need to be within 5 ft of the target so long as that ally can be affected by your Telepathy and you can see the target.

Search: If you take the Search action on your turn you can use a bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

Use an Object: You can interact with up to five objects on your turn before you must make the Use an Object action to interact with a sixth.

Meatball Surgery (Stabilize): When you use your action to administer first aid to a creature with 0 hit points, you automatically succeed on the check and the target regains an amount of hit points equal to your intelligence modifier.

Empirical Archetype (Level 3)

At 3rd level, you choose an empirical archetype. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 14th level.

Calculated Strike (Level 4)

You have learned to put all of your focus into carefully measuring out how to best hit your opponent. You may use a bonus action on your turn to target one enemy whithin 150 ft of you that you can see. After the target has been chosen make an Intelligence (Investigation) with a DC equal to 8 + the target's Dexterity modifier + the target's proficiency bonus. If you succeed on this check then the next weapon attack you succed on against that target until the end of your current turn is a critical hit.

Ability Score Improvement (Level 4)

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Psychic Linguist (Level 6)

You learn an additional two languages of your choice. This can inlcude languages spoken only by one type of creature, such as gnoll or yeti.

In addition to that, you have recieved the ability to telepathically probe the mind of somebody and learn a language which they know. Choose one creature within 120 ft. of you that you have heard speak. The target must then succeed on a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to your passive Intelligence (Investigation) score. If the target is willing, then they have disadvantage on the check. On a failure you automatically learn one language of your choice that they know, but on a success nothing happens.

Either way, the target cannot tell that you have tried to use this trait on them unless they are proficient with insight . Creatures which have proficiency with insight suffer a harmless migraine if they are subjected to this feature, but cannot pinpoint the exact cause.

You can understand, speak, read and write this language you learned until you complete a long rest, after which it fades from your memory.

Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

At level 16, a target of this feature automatically fails the saving throw unless it is immune to mind reading effects. In additon to that, you learn another two languages.

Psionic Warcry (Level 18)

Whenver you use your Improved Analysis feature, instead of granting that benefit to one target or yourself, you may instead give that effect to you and up to 10 creatures (using your Telepathy).

Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Blindsight (Level 20)

Not only has your ability to observe by sight become unparalleled, but your other senses too have reached a capacity beyond belief. You have blindsight out to a 120 ft. radius. Because of this, you no longer need to see a target to be able to use any feature or spell which requires it.

Empirical Archetypes

The Detective

Those that serve as a Detective take on the mantle of the most stereotypical type of Investigator. While they are most renowned for their ability to discover the perpetrators behind crimes, Detectives are also capable of defending themselves from the criminals or similar rogues which seek to get in their way.

Few can hide from the vigilant eye of a Detective and even fewer can escape from their vengeance. The worst thing a rogue over wants to face off against is a psionic Detective.

Fend off the Mob (Level 3)

You have become accustomed to scoundrels attempting to gang up on you and have learned how to best defeat large groups of enemies. If you make an attack with a melee weapon against an enemy who has at least one of their allies within 5 ft of them, then you have advantage on the attack roll.

Indomitable Vigilance (Level 5)

Your ability to detect when people are trying to sneak up on you has become key to your survival, and you cannot afford to waver. You cannot suffer disadvantage on any perception check and if you are ever subjected to a circumstance where you would automatically fail a perception check you may make the check with disadvantage instead.

In addition to that, no creature can surprise you or have advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden.

No effect of this feature works if you are incapacitated.

Inspect Damage (Level 7)

Whenever you are able to use a minute to carefully examine a wound or mark of vandalism, you can instantly gain insight as to what was the cause of that damage was. If the wound/mark was the result of a mundane weapon, you can tell what type of weapon was used (such as spear, hand-ax or light cross-bow). If the damage was inflicted by a beast, you find out what the genus of the attacker was (such as wolf, shark or orangutan). If the destruction was caused by neither a beast nor mundane weapon you determine what type of creature caused the damage.

Quick Draw Retribution (Level 9)

You have an uncanny awareness of your environment when in combat and can respond with surprising haste when an enemy singles you out as their target. Whenever an enemy hits or misses you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to make a single weapon attack against them using a light weapon somewhere on your person, even if said weapon is not currently in your hand.

Quick to React (Level 11)

In your line of work the situation seems to change with every moment, so you have become adapted to responding to danger with extreme haste. You now have proficiency in Dexterity saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Strength or Charisma saving throws (your choice).

Memento Mori (Level 14)

You gain the power to tap into the memories of the dead and uncover their secrets. If you come across the corpse or skull of a creature which has died within the last month, you can decide to use your action to touch it and access the memory of that creature's death. If you do so you can view every event that occured starting from one minute before the creature's death to its moment of final death as if you were experiencing it through their senses. This plays out exactly like it did for the target, so it takes a full minute for you to see all of these memories.

While under this state of recollection, you are unaware of your surroundings. If you take damage while using this feature, its effects automatically end and you are snapped back into consciousness. When this happens, you still remember the details you saw up to.

After you recall these memories for the full duration, you gain one language, tool proficiency or skill proficiency that the creature possessed (or would have reasonably held as deemed by your DM) for an amount of hours equal to your intelligence modifier.

When you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

The Explorer

The experience of travelling across the world in search of ancient ruins is something all adventurers go through, but Explorers have actually made it an area of expertise. An Explorer has ventured all across the world in many an expedition and seen much more than most others would have. Along the way they tend to pick up strategies on how to avoid obstacles in their way and combat their foes. An Explorer's exact profession can be many things, but many happen to be treasure hunters, cartographers or sailors.

Predator's Instinct (Level 3)

After vast experience in the wild you have learned to pick up strategies used by carnivores who strive to take down the weakest in the herd. If you make a weapon attack against the enemy in a group who has the least current hit points, then you have advantage on the attack roll. If there are multiple enemies who have the least current hit points, then each of them are valid targets of this feature.

Trap Avoidance (Level 5)

A large part of adventuring involves being hit by falling rocks, nets and poisonous darts. You have learned this lesson many times the hard way and thusly know how to better resist or avoid such traps.

If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution, Dexterity or Strength saving throw against a trap or similar harmful environmental factor, you take no damage if you succeed and only half damage if you fail.

Unstoppable Roamer (Level 7)

You have spent your life travelling long distances as quickly as possible, and your body has adapted to overcome any hurdle in your path with ease. You ignore any sort of difficult terrain and your speed cannot be reduced unless you are incapacitated, grappled or restrained.

In addition, you have advantage on saving throws and ability checks against being grappled or restrained.

Cull the Frail (Level 9)

You have become adept at striking into a foe's wounds and finally puting an end to the enemies which are the easiest to kill. Whenever you hit a creature below half its hit point maximum with a weapon attack, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's type. This extra damage can only be applied once per turn.

Toughened Wanderer (Level 11)

Hiking through some of the harshest environments in the world has acclimatized your body and will to enduring severe exhaustion and pain. You now have proficiency in Constitution saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Strength or Charisma saving throws (your choice).

Trap Maker (Level 14)

Traps are no longer just an obstacle for you to overcome, they are something which you can create. Whenever you have at least 1 hour outside of combat (including during short rests) and a set of *Trapmaker's Tools** or the necessary resources at hand as determined by the DM, you may build a trap. The appearance and mechanism of this trap is entirely up to you.

The first creature to step on one of your traps (or it's trigger) must succed on a Constitution, Dexterity or Strength saving throw (your choice), taking 2d10 acid, bludgeoning, fire, piercing, poison or slashing damage (your choice) on a failure and half as much on a success. The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus.

For each hour after the 1st you spend building this, you can increase the damage dealt by 1d10 up to a maximum of 10d10 damage.

A creature can detect the presence of a trap if it actively makes an Intelligence (Investigation) check with a DC equal to the save DC of the trap. It can also disarm the trap by succeeding on a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check with the same DC.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

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* A set of Trapmaker's Tools includes all the necessary materails to build a trap using this feature. This kit has enough resources to build ten traps before being exhausted of all its contents. It costs 50 GP and weighs 8 lbs.