Investigator Inspiration / Orator Interaction Question

[Creevy]

Hello everyone, I'm trying to build an Investigator, and I had a question about the Inspiration ability when used in conjunction with the Orator feat. The important segment of the inspiration ability reads:

"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."

Emphasis mine. There's a new feat in the ACG called Orator. This reads:

"Orator

Prereq: Skill Focus Linguistics

Benefit: you can use your linguistics in place of bluff when telling a lie, Diplomacy when changing an attitude, and Intimidate when forcing cooperation."

Keeping these in mind, could I take the Orator feat, and then add 1d6 to all allowed bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate rolls without spending a point? I'm not sure if the answer is yes because I'm using my linguistics ability, or no because it's still considered, for example, a diplomacy check that I'm not using my diplomacy skill for. Any clarification would be appreciated.

[AndyTheGM]

My reading of the feat is that you in specific circumstances you replace the normal skill check of Bluff Diplomacy and Intimidate with a Linguistics skill check so you should be able to use your investigators inspiration for free because you are making a linguistics skill check to do the things the Orator feat lets you.

You just cant use linguistics to replace things like intimidate to make a demoralize check or bluff for fainting in combat.

[Under A Bleeding Sun]

Yes.

[Wyrmfoe]

The "Orator" feat makes an Investigator a great face for the party.

Humans can start with "Orator" and actually can get more than just the one "Skill Focus" feat, due to the Human alternate racial trait, "Focused Study." I recommend you swap that in, replacing "Bonus Feat," anytime you'd start with the game with a "Skill Focus." You'll end up with two additional "Skill Focus" feats later in your progression.

Presuming an INT of 16 and the requisite "Skill Focus," you're already at a bonus of +9, before skill ranks, for almost all regular, non-combat mechanic social interaction. I recommend adding a trait bonus to that stack; I use "Unintentional Linguist" to grab both yet another +1 to Linguistics checks, as well as its free language. That brings your bonus to +10, before skill ranks.

With the free 1d6 from your no-cost Inspiration, you're now 11+1d6+1d20 for most non-combat mechanic social interaction. While this does not apply to the "Gather Information" use of Diplomacy and some other, rather significant social checks, it is still remarkably strong. Nonetheless, you get this roll for attempts to lie and conceal truth, to change a person's opinion via Intimidation, and to change a person's attitude towards you via Diplomacy.

Combined with what is likely a strong Sense Motive score, the "Orator" Investigator can start the game as a stronger party face than almost any other class... all while dumping Charisma.

[Wyrmfoe]

It is perhaps helpful to note that, should you want ranks in Use Magic Device, you can compensate for dumping Charisma by taking either the Magic Trait, "Pragmatic Activator," or the Social Trait, "Clever Wordplay." Both allow you to substitute INT for CHA on such a skill check.

Be aware that the latter will restrict your access to several Linguistics-buffing traits, so the former is probably a better option.