Corvin Vossar's page

Rolling a Natural 20 on a Knowledge or Sense Motive Check: While on an investigation, a sleuth regains luck by uncovering secrets. Rolling a natural 20 on these skill checks while actively investigating causes the sleuth to regain 1 luck point. Such skill checks made for more mundane reasons (such as normal research or using Sense Motive to gain information during normal bargaining or while gambling) do not regain luck for the sleuth. Determining which skill checks qualify is up to the GM.

Rolling a 6 or Higher on an Inspiration Roll: When a sleuth rolls an inspiration die while on an investigation and the die comes up a 6 or higher, she regains 1 luck point. (If she rolls multiple inspiration dice at a time, she regains 1 luck point if the total is 6 or higher.) Like regaining luck via a natural 20 on a qualifying skill check, inspiration checks made for more mundane reasons don’t qualify for regaining luck. The GM is the final arbitrator for what rolls qualify. It’s possible for a investigator to regain 2 luck points on the same Skill check, if both the qualifying skill check is a natural 20 and any inspiration roll made is a 6 or higher.

This and the 1st-level deeds below replace alchemy. A sleuth cannot take the alchemist discovery talent or any investigator talent that affects alchemy.
Deeds
Sleuths spend luck points to accomplish deeds. Most deeds grant a sleuth some momentary bonus or effect, but there are some that provide longer-lasting effects. Some deeds stay in effect as long as a sleuth has at least 1 luck point.

At 1st level, a sleuth gains the following deeds.

Daring (Ex)
At 1st level, a sleuth can spend 1 luck point when he makes an Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, or Swim check to roll d6 and add the result to the check. He can choose to add this die after he rolls. If the d6 roll is a natural 6, he rolls another d6 and adds it to the check. He can continue to do this as long as he rolls natural 6s, up to a number of times equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).

Opportunistic Evasion (Ex)
At 1st level, when a sleuth succeeds at a Reflex saving throw against an effect that still deals damage on a successful save, he can spend 1 luck point as an immediate action to instead take no damage for that effect.

Sleuth’s Initiative (Ex)
At 1st level, as long as the sleuth has at least 1 luck point, he gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks. Furthermore, if he has the Quick Draw feat, his hands are free and unrestrained, and the weapon is not hidden, he can draw a single light or one-handed melee weapon as part of the initiative check. (Unlike with swashbuckler deeds, this does not have to be a piercing weapon.)

At 4th level, a sleuth gains the following deeds. These abilities replace swift alchemy.

Make It Count (Ex)
When a sleuth uses studied strike inspired strike , he can spend 1 luck point to apply an investigator talent that he doesn’t already know and which affects studied strike inspired strike to his studied strike inspired strike . He must be able to fulfill that talent’s prerequisites.

Run Like Hell (Ex)
At 4th level, a sleuth can spend 1 luck point to gain a +20-foot bonus to his speed for 1 minute. Furthermore, while under the effect of this bonus, if he moves more than his normal speed in a round, he gains a +4 bonus to AC until the start of his next turn.

Second Chance (Ex)
At 4th level, when a sleuth rolls an inspiration die or uses daring deed, he can spend 1 luck point to reroll either the inspiration or the daring deed die. If he rolls a 6 or higher on this reroll, he does not regain a luck point, and no matter what he rolls on either roll, he must keep the reroll result, even if it is lower.
Inspiration (Ex) 8/8
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 rathe[/b][/i]r 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.
Arcane Bond (Ex or Sp) Cashew (squirrel)
At 1st level, wizards form a powerful bond with an object or a creature. This bond can take one of two forms: a familiar or a bonded object. A familiar is a magical pet that enhances the wizard’s skills and senses and can aid him in magic, while a bonded object is an item a wizard can use to cast additional spells or to serve as a magical item. Once a wizard makes this choice, it is permanent and cannot be changed.
Arcane School - Divination
A wizard can choose to specialize in one school of magic, gaining additional spells and powers based on that school. This choice must be made at 1st level, and once made, it cannot be changed. A wizard that does not select a school receives the universalist school instead.

A wizard that chooses to specialize in one school of magic must select two other schools as his opposition schools, representing knowledge sacrificed in one area of arcane lore to gain mastery in another. A wizard who prepares spells from his opposition schools must use two spell slots of that level to prepare the spell. For example, a wizard with evocation as an opposition school must expend two of his available 3rd-level spell slots to prepare a fireball. In addition, a specialist takes a –4 penalty on any skill checks made when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of his opposition schools as a prerequisite. A universalist wizard can prepare spells from any school without restriction.

Each arcane school gives the wizard a number of school powers. In addition, specialist wizards receive an additional spell slot of each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up. Each day, a wizard can prepare a spell from his specialty school in that slot. This spell must be in the wizard’s spellbook. A wizard can select a spell modified by a metamagic feat to prepare in his school slot, but it uses up a higher-level spell slot. Wizards with the universalist school do not receive a school slot.
Cantrips
Wizards can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. A wizard can prepare a cantrip from an opposition school, but it uses up two of his available slots.
Poison Lore (Ex)
An investigator has a deep understanding and appreciation for poisons. At 2nd level, he cannot accidentally poison himself when applying poison to a weapon. If the investigator spends 1 minute physically examining the poison, he 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, he 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 himself when examining or attempting to neutralize a poison.
Poison Resistance (Ex)
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 (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.

Expanded Inspiration (Ex)
An investigator can use his inspiration ability when attempting Diplomacy, Heal, Perception, Profession, and Sense Motive checks without expending uses of inspiration, provided he’s trained in the skill.
Underworld Inspiration (Ex)
An investigator can use his inspiration on Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Intimidate, or Sleight of Hand checks without expending uses of inspiration, provided he’s trained in the skill.
Empathy (Ex, Su)
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, he rolls the inspiration dice twice and takes the higher result. Once per day, the investigator can expend one use of inspiration to target a single creature that he can see and hear within 30 feet. Upon doing so, the investigator detects the surface thoughts of the target’s mind, as if he 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 + his 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 his investigator level.
Perceptive Tracking (Ex)
The investigator can use Perception instead of Survival to both find and follow tracks, using the same DCs listed under the Survival skill.
Keen Recollection
At 3rd level, an investigator can attempt all Knowledge skill checks untrained.
Trap Sense (Ex) +1
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).
Studied Combat (Ex)
With a keen eye and calculating mind, an investigator can assess the mettle of his 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 he can see. Upon doing so, he adds 1/2 his 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 his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) or until he deals 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, he 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 (Ex)
At 4th level, an investigator can choose to make a studied strike against the target of his studied combat as a free action, upon successfully hitting his 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), he 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.

After his apprenticeship had ended and Corvin was made a Cowled Wizard, the young man began his career as a Magistrate's Examiner. Corwin weaved himself in and out of court investigating fraud, murder, and smuggling. The Examiner traveled throughout Athkatla collecting testimonies, examining crime scenes, and advising judges.
Sadly, Corvin's last case ended his career. It was murder which lead Corvin to evidence implicating a noble patron with immense influence. Suddenly, the case was closed and Corvin was dismissed.

It did not take long for the disgraced court investigator to find his new career. Noble families, merchant houses, and individuals in need came to Corvin Vossar to help them solve their problems, whether it was a kidnapping, theft, or even murder. Corvin's name was spoken in Amn merchant board rooms, Amn pleasure houses, and the guildhalls of The Shadowed Thieves.