Col Avertin's page

Thunder pealed in the distance as a steady rain continued to fall covering the street in a hazy grey mist. In spite of the worsening weather Col maintained his position watching the building. Patience he cautions himself as water runs down the brim of his hat. He moves position to an overhang in the alleyway partially sheltering himself from the down pour. As he shakes the rain off his hat he looks down he catches his reflection in a puddle at his feet. As he considered his appearance he concludes that he had a face that only a mother could love. The first thing he thought of was a stork, tall and gangly, standing close to 6 feet tall and skinny as a broom handle, he is all angles and bones. He has a long thin head which is topped by an unruly mop of receding brown hair with large ears protruding from the side. His pale face is dominated by a long sharp nose which sits over a small thin lipped mouth and a chin that is as equally pointed as his nose. The only remarkable feature he possess might be his large brown eyes, which have a knowing and penetrating look to them. They were the type of eyes that seldom missed anything. Col is startled as a cold drop of water runs it way down his back and quickly puts his hat back on his head.

As he stands there watching Col’s is reminded that this isn’t the first investigation he has been involved in. He considers that the weather was like this when he solved his first crime, the same day his father died, and shakes his head as he recalls the night his father was murdered.

Most people think was the Chopper that killed my father but when all things are considered I am the one to blame. You see my father was the Sheriff of Sandpoint, Casp Averton. Prior to the Chopper’s rampage my father was an honest and steadfast man who had a successful career as Sheriff.

That all changed during the rampage of the serial killer known as the Chopper. As the victims mounted my father became a man obsessed on catching this mad man. Since he was sheriff it may be understandable that finding the Chopper consumed every moment of his life. As the body count rose my father ate infrequently and slept even less. Over the course of a month my father had lost 30 pounds, I scarcely recognized him.

I remember that last night seven years ago, the patter of rain on the roof and the occasional peal of thunder could be heard in the distance. My father was sitting at the kitchen table, which was covered with papers, going over the facts of the case, reviewing maps and reports late into the evening. As he reviewed the papers in front of him, he was getting more and more frustrated. I was standing over his shoulder, just to be close to him watching what he was doing. After standing at his side for a while I noticed the pattern. To me it was obvious, if you took into consideration the time and location of each of the murders I postulated that there was a high probability that the next murder was going to be tonight, not only that I was fairly certain I could narrow down the location to within one block. Excitedly, I told my father about my discovery. At first my theory was greeted with scorn, my father didn’t believe me, but after I showed him the evidence that supported my hypothesis his demeanor changed. I don’t know if he really believed me or was a desperate man grasping at straws, but he acted on the information I had provided him. My last memory is of my father is of him running out of the house to stop the Chopper. Unfortunately in his condition he was no match for the lunatic. So you see ultimately I did kill my father.

Stop your reminiscing and pay attention to the task at hand, Col chides himself. He was here to investigate his mother’s murder not rehash his father’s. Mother and I moved to Korvosa shortly after my father’s death. His mother eked out an existence as a washer woman providing just enough for their survival. Although they were poor they were happy and eventually Col was able to study under a local Elvan alchemist. That is until his mother’s murder.

That’s what Col was doing here, standing in the rain. He was following the man who was responsible for her death, gathering information on his activities so he could bring down his criminal operations. Eventually, Col’s patience pays off and the man known as Gaedren Lamm exits the building. Col waits a second before he begins to follow the man and stops as he notices someone else exit the building, who starts to follow Lamm. The new comer, covered head to toe in a long flowing cloak, is definitely out of their element and quickly loses Lamm. Intrigued Col decides to follow.

It doesn’t take long for the interloper to make their way to a tavern in the Midland District. Col enters the tavern and surreptitiously takes a seat at the booth next to the stranger, where he is sitting with some others. As he eaves drops he is surprised at the conversation that is taking place at the table. To his astonishment it appears that the all the people at the table have been wronged by Lamm and are going to try to take him down. Excitedly Col thinks this could work to my favor.

When you first look at Col you are reminded of a stork. He is tall close to six feet but skinny almost to the point of being gaunt, he is all angles and bones. His head is long and thin and comes to a sharp point at his chin and is topped with an unruly mop of receding brown hair with large ears protruding from the side. His face is dominated by a nose that is long and equally as pointed as his chin, a small thin lipped mouth, and tiny dark brown eyes.

No matter the weather he is always wearing a flat brimmed hat and a long cloak. This is usually worn over leather armor. He carries a staff at all times.

Col has few social graces, he his acerbic and curt when dealing with people and would much rather deal with facts then emotions. Many have said that he has a personality that rubs you like sandpaper. Additionally he can appear aloof as he often doesn't pay attention to others but rather is stuck monitoring his own internal dialog.

Total_________ Skill(Ability)____________Ranks
[9] Acrobatics (Dex)*---------------------------- [2]
[3] Appraise (Int)*------------------------------- [0]
[3] Bluff (Cha)* --------------------------------- [0]
[4] Climb (Str)* --------------------------------- [1]
[11] Craft, alchemy (Int)* ------------------------- [1]
[9] Diplomacy (Cha)* ----------------------------- [3]
[10] Disable Device (Dex)* ------------------------ [3]
[-2] Disguise (Cha)*------------------------------- [0]
[4] Escape Artist (Dex)* ------------------------- [0]
[x] Handle Aminmal (CHA) ------------------------- [0]
[0] Heal (Wis)* ---------------------------------- [0]
[-2] Intimidate (Cha)* ---------------------------- [0]
[x] Knowledge Arcana(Int)* ---------------------- [0]
[x] Knowledge Dungeoneering(Int)* --------------- [0]
[x] Knowledge Engineering(Int)* ----------------- [0]
[x] Knowledge Geography(Int)*-------------------- [0]
[7] Knowledge History(Int)* --------------------- [1]
[8] Knowledge Local(Int)* ----------------------- [2]
[x] Knowledge Nature(Int)* ---------------------- [0]
[7] Knowledge Nobility(Int)* -------------------- [1]
[x] Knowledge Planes(Int)* ---------------------- [0]
[7] Knowledge Religion(Int)* -------------------- [1]
[7] Linguistics (Int)* --------------------------- [1]
[9] Perception (Wis)* ---------------------------- [3]
[-2] Perform (Cha)* ------------------------------- [0]
[0] Profession (Wis)* ---------------------------- [0]
[4] Ride (Dex) ----------------------------------- [0]
[9] Sense Motive (Wis)* -------------------------- [3]
[4] Sleight of Hand (Dex)* ----------------------- [0]
[7] Spellcraft (Int)*----------------------------- [1]
[9] Stealth (Dex)*-------------------------------- [2]
[0] Swim (Str)------------------------------------ [0]
[x] Use Magic Device (Cha)* ---------------------- [0]

Modifiers:
+2 to craft alchemy skill

Inspiration: An investigator is beyond knowledgeable and skilled—he also possesses 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 his brilliant inspiration. The investigator has an inspiration pool equal to 1/2 his investigator level + his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). An investigator's inspiration pool refreshes each day, typically after he gets a restful night's sleep. As a free action, he can expend one use of inspiration from his pool to add 1d6 to the result of that check, including any on which he takes 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 he's 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.

Alchemy (Su): Investigators are highly trained in the creation of mundane alchemical substances and magical potionlike extracts.
When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an investigator gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the skill check. In addition, an investigator can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to attempt such a check.

Like an alchemist, an investigator prepares his spells by mixing ingredients and a tiny fraction of his 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. His base daily allotment of extracts per day is given on the table above. In addition, he receives bonus extracts per day if he has a high Intelligence score, in the same way a wizard receives bonus spells per day.

When an investigator mixes an extract, he infuses the chemicals and reagents in the extract with magic siphoned from his own magical aura. An extract immediately become inert if it leaves the investigator's possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping—an investigator cannot normally pass out his extracts for allies to use. An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an investigator must reprepare his 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 formula list to determine the extracts he can know. An investigator can prepare an extract of any formula he knows. 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. He stores his formulae in a special tome called a formula book. He must refer to this book whenever he prepares an extract. At 1st level, an investigator starts with two 1st-level formulae of his choice, plus a number of additional formulae equal to his Intelligence modifier. At each new investigator level, he gains one new formula for any level that he can create. An investigator can also add formulae to his book just like a wizard adds spells to his 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 formulae.

[spoiler=Inspiration]Inspiration (Ex): An investigator is beyond knowledgeable and skilled—he also possesses 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 his brilliant inspiration. The investigator has an inspiration pool equal to 1/2 his investigator level + his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). An investigator's inspiration pool refreshes each day, typically after he gets a restful night's sleep. As a free action, he can expend one use of inspiration from his pool to add 1d6 to the result of that check, including any on which he takes 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 he's 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 his 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.

Ceaseless Observation (Ex)

An empiricist's ability to notice the minutiae of almost everything that happens around him allows him to make shrewd and insightful calculations about people and even inanimate objects. At 2nd level, an empiricist uses his Intelligence modifier instead of the skill's typical ability for all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device checks. He can also use his Intelligence modifier instead of Charisma on any Diplomacy checks made to gather information.

This ability replaces poison lore and poison resistance.

Investigator Talent (Ex) 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 (Ex)

At 3rd level, an investigator gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, granting him 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).