| 2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I'm currently playing an investigator and I've run into a bit of a conundrum. Obviously, you can spend that Inspiration in order to roll a d6 and add to a d20 roll, but my question is about the bolded section below, as well as Investigator talents that allow you to do it with other skills:
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.
So, you can use it on those skills without spending any Inspiration. There are other talents that let you do this with other skills as well. But what if I don't have any Inspiration left for the day? It never states that I can't, while other classes like the Gunslinger/Swashbuckler include caveats that certain abilities merely require you to have a point remaining. No matter where I look, I can't find any text that supports requiring Investigators to have points remaining to use that function of the ability.
Do you think that's intentional, or an oversight? Some guidance on the matter would be helpful.
As far as I know you can still use them if you run out of inspiration, but as you say this could be an oversight (or it could be written somewhere obscure).... so who knows.
"Bump" I guess?
Inspiration doesn't run as a point thing like some others, you do have a limited number, but there is no checksum as written (and no way to refill, etc). We play RAW, e.g. I can burn all my inspiration on various things and do knowledge checks until the cows come home.
Different mechanic, just follow the RAW and don't overthink it.
YMMV