Author Topic: [PF] Investigator class  (Read 2041 times)

Offline stanprollyright

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 248
  • The Looks
    • View Profile
[PF] Investigator class
« on: September 29, 2015, 01:54:57 AM »
I love skillmonkeys and jack-of-all trades characters, but I hate the combat playstyle of the Rogue. My favorite class in core has always been the Bard, and my favorite class in 3.5 is the Factotum. Looking at the Investigator class recently, it seems like the descendant of the Factotum in many ways. I've seen mentions of really effective support/buffer Investigators that trick out their Aid Another action and (presumably) use Infusions to buff allies in other ways.

My question is this: can you make a good damage-dealing Investigator? What kind of builds would you use to do so? The class seems to have a good "nova" potential with a combination of mutagens, extracts, Studied Combat/Strike, and liberal use of Inspiration, but what if you don't want to use nova tactics? (I'll define "nova" as using more than 30% of daily resources in any single encounter)
Goats are like mushrooms
If you shoot a duck I'm scared of toasters

Offline Keldar

  • Legendary Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1032
  • What's this button do?
    • View Profile
Re: [PF] Investigator class
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2015, 06:05:05 AM »
I haven't actually played one yet, so grain of salt.

Studied Combat gets you half your level as a bonus to hit and damage, which means compared to a PF Fighter, all that's lost is a fourth attack that the Fighter misses with anyway.  But the Investigator gets Studied Strike as a finisher.  Meaning the Investigator has the basic ability to do decent damage all day long.  Inspiration (Once you have Combat Inspiration anyway), and Alchemy boost it from there.  You won't want to spend more than 1 round setting up anyway, so your unlikely to use more than 3 Extracts for a fight (and likely only 1), easily giving you the staying power for even a long adventuring day.


Plus, you get to be an excellent skill monkey, or abuse Effortless Aid as recently discussed.

Offline stanprollyright

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 248
  • The Looks
    • View Profile
Re: [PF] Investigator class
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2015, 02:57:59 AM »
That was more or less my impression. I'd like to play one soon. I was thinking a half-elf with either Fast Learner or Nemesis could get both the elf and half-elf favored class bonuses and have a whole bunch of inspiration that scales with level, which would be awesome with Combat Inspiration and Inspired Strike, and would make for an even better skillmonkey.
Goats are like mushrooms
If you shoot a duck I'm scared of toasters

Offline zook1shoe

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 4930
  • Feeling the Bern
    • View Profile
Re: [PF] Investigator class
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2015, 02:28:44 PM »
i've got a 5th-level one for PFS... it's lots of fun. you're a swiss army knife that'll prob have the right tool for the situation. but you're squishy as hell

i did go Unchained Rogue for the 5th level, felt that the 4th-level was really the max dip i wanted.

(click to show/hide)
add me on Steam- zook1shoe
- All Spells
- playground

Offline stanprollyright

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 248
  • The Looks
    • View Profile
Re: [PF] Investigator class
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2015, 03:03:28 PM »
i've got a 5th-level one for PFS... it's lots of fun. you're a swiss army knife that'll prob have the right tool for the situation. but you're squishy as hell

i did go Unchained Rogue for the 5th level, felt that the 4th-level was really the max dip i wanted.

(click to show/hide)

So are you planning on continuing in Investigator or UnRogue?
Goats are like mushrooms
If you shoot a duck I'm scared of toasters

Offline zook1shoe

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 4930
  • Feeling the Bern
    • View Profile
Re: [PF] Investigator class
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2015, 07:07:40 PM »
Archetyped Un Rogue, I felt the I'd get better abilities from multiclassing out. 4th level was the most I felt the investigator could do for Head Inspector Twinkle Von Sprinkle.
add me on Steam- zook1shoe
- All Spells
- playground