It looks like with a feat you can pick up the devise strategy feature of the investigator class. The difference though is you don't get to use your int bonus to that roll and you also don't seem to ever get the extra bonus damage from doing it.
I am curious if there is any point in ever picking this up. About the only benefit I see from it is unlocking some feats that require it but most of those feats the bonus is you can use your INT to a variety of skill checks where normally you could not letting an int user make use of various things that otherwise would be challenging to them.
As far as I can tell in most cases you would be using two actions for your first strike one to use devise strategy and one to strike for no change in damage or modifiers.
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If you're committed to your action being a basic Strike, you aren't gaining anything, there. The benefit is in being able to change your mind. "That's going to be a crit? It's worth using Power Attack/Channel Smite/Eldritch Shot, right now." or "I'm going to miss, do I want to whiff that strike and try a second strike, or do I want to make an athletics maneuver that could still succeed, or take some other action?"
With options like Channel Smite or Eldritch Shot that use resources, as well as multiple actions, changing your mind on a mid's could be a worthwhile benefit.
If you're committed to your action being a basic Strike, you aren't gaining anything, there. The benefit is in being able to change your mind. "That's going to be a crit? It's worth using Power Attack/Channel Smite/Eldritch Shot, right now." or "I'm going to miss, do I want to whiff that strike and try a second strike, or do I want to make an athletics maneuver that could still succeed, or take some other action?"
With options like Channel Smite or Eldritch Shot that use resources, as well as multiple actions, changing your mind on a mid's could be a worthwhile benefit.
Ah I guess I can see that in conjunction like that just being able to choose not to use something that would consume a resource on a strike if you are certain it would miss or potentially if you know its probably a crit then switch to using something more potent.
Still pretty edge case but I guess that does make some more sense for certain classes but pretty edge case.
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The dedication gives you On The Case, which means you can have a Lead.
Devising a Stratagem on the subject of your Lead is a free action ;)
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Also, it's a strategy against that creature. If you get a poor roll, you might decide to attack a different creature and try your luck with a fresh attack roll.
Also, if you take the Athletic Strategist feat, you could devise a stratagem, and if the die is really high, try for a Disarm (which only works on a crit), but if it's only middling, go for a strike (which only needs a regular success).
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The dedication gives you On The Case, which means you can have a Lead.
Devising a Stratagem on the subject of your Lead is a free action ;)
And also consider that you don't have to Devise a Stratagem before your first attack. So you could make two attacks, then devise a stratagem against your subject, and only go through with the -10 MAP attack if it'd hit, and do something else otherwise (Raise your Shield, Step away, Demoralize, cast Guidance on an ally, etc.) This makes it possible to regularly triple attack without wasting your action if you miss on the last attack.
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I've been debating on using it for an alchemist; and devising a stratagem to decide if I want to commit my big bomb, or using it as an exploration tactic to fish for a crit and open combat with a big boom