Investigation
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Spheres of Guile
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Operatives of the Investigation sphere are trained to pick up subtle and esoteric details about the world around them. They can glean information from the tiniest clues.

Associated Skill: Sense Motive.

You gain the following benefits when you gain the Investigation sphere:

You gain 5 ranks in Sense Motive, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Investigation sphere (maximum ranks equal to your Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the associated skill not from a skill sphere, you may immediately retrain them. You do not gain excess ranks until you are a high enough level to put them in the associated skill; they cannot be spent on other skills. You do not gain or retrain ranks when you temporarily gain a talent.

Skill Leverage: You unlock skill leverage with the Perception and Sense Motive skills.

You also acquire the Analyze and Scrutinize abilities.

Analyze (Ex)

As a swift action, you can analyze a creature, object, or area that you can see within close range, choosing an (analyze) talent and attempting a skill check using any of the talent’s analyze skills against a DC (or opposed check) as listed within the talent. If you succeed, you gain a simple analysis from the target, whereas if you fail, you gain a flawed analysis. A flawed analysis yields similar information to a simple analysis, but fundamentally flawed—it might be inconsistent, mostly false with a hint of truth, or an exaggeration or understatement.

You can instead use analyze as a standard action to attempt to gain more information than a simple analysis. If you exceed the analyze DC by the listed amount, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage or outwit them as a cost to gain a detailed analysis instead of a simple analysis.

Once you attempt to use a specific (analyze) talent against a target or subject, you cannot do so again for 30 minutes. You cannot attempt to retry an analyze attempt against the same topic or detail (just like the Sense Motive skill). The GM may alter a talent’s analyze skill or DC depending on the situation, such as a skill not being applicable or disadvantageous circumstances (such as distance or environment).

You gain the Educated Hunch (analyze) talent when you gain the Investigation sphere.

Special: If you have been blinded for long enough to overcome some of the condition’s drawbacks, you also gain Auditory Analysis as a bonus talent.

Educated Hunch (analyze)

Analyze Skills: Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 20

You analyze a 30-foot cube area centered within range, gaining a vague feeling or impression from something within the area. You must dictate the subject of your analysis, but it can be a place, person, group, or situation. The GM is the final arbiter as to what is a suitable target.

Simple: You gain a hunch about your subject, learning whether something feels off or wrong about them, otherwise functioning as the get a hunch Sense Motive skill use. Generally, something ‘feeling off’ could vary greatly, such as an individual being disguised or having bad intentions, an object of great power (regardless of its functions), or even a close friend who is nervous or keeping a recently told secret. You do not learn why the subject is suspicious—only whether it is or not.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you gain either a ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘good and bad’ or ‘neutral’ impression. The definition of what is a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ impression should be left up to the GM, but should generally be associated with your own motivations and ideals. For example, a disguised guard and a disguised assassin using this talent on one another would both gain a ‘bad’ impression.

Scrutinize [approach] (Ex)

You may adopt this approach as a swift action, designating either a 10-foot square or a single creature or object that you can see to scrutinize. You gain a +2 insight bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks attempted against the scrutinized target (or actions taken within the area), increasing by 1 per 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Additionally, if you scrutinize a target for at least 3 consecutive rounds, you also treat any roll of a 4 or lower on such checks as if you had rolled a 5 instead.

If you can no longer see the designated target or area, you abandon the approach.

Investigation Talent Types

Analyze

Some Investigation talents are designated (analyze), granting you additional ways of analyzing things.

Apply

An (apply) talent allows you to exploit an analysis attempted against an analyzed target. Whenever you successfully analyze a target, you can apply a single (apply) talent against the target as part of the action taken to analyze the target, granting its benefits to yourself or an ally you can perceive within close range.

You can only add the effects of one (apply) talent to an analyzed target. An application lasts for 1 minute.

Some applications allow you to expend them for a long-term effect, which may only be used if you gained a detailed analysis against the creature. Unless otherwise specified, an application’s effects immediately end upon being expended. If you apply an application to a flawed analysis, you do not gain additional benefits for having additional ranks in an appropriate skill.

Investigation Talents

Acute Senses [utility]

You halve any DC increases to Perception checks due to distance, conditions, environment, or when made through a wall or closed door, in addition to Survival checks due to poor visibility, environment, or duration of the tracks.

Additionally, the range of your analyze ability increases to medium range.

Associated Feat: Eagle-Eyed (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Wilderness).

Auditory Analysis

Your hearing is so acute and specific that you can read verbal tells and minute shifts in the body to gain information. You can use Investigation sphere abilities on any creatures that you can hear, not just those that you can see.

Briefed Intuition [plan] [utility]

You can reveal this plan as an immediate action, as you suddenly recall a piece of information that solidifies whether a hunch you have is correct or not. As part of revealing this plan, you spend 1 use of skill leverage and ask a single question that pertains to your current investigations or musings, gaining the following results.

  • Correct: Your hunch is exactly spot on, such as a particular individual or organization is responsible for a crime, or a particular individual being near a particular area at a certain time of the day.
  • Incorrect: Your hunch is entirely inaccurate, such as a particular individual or organization having no association with a crime, or a particular individual being nowhere near a particular area at a certain time of the day.
  • Partially Correct: Your hunch is on the right track, such as a particular individual or organization participating or contributing to the crime in some way, or a particular individual having the means or motivation to be near the particular area at some point.
  • Inconclusive: Your hunch is unclear, and either involves too many leaps of logic or strains credulity. You also gain this result if your plan strains credulity and you fail the check to gain the information.

The question must be specific in terms of the individual, organization, object, etc., that you are attempting to gain a hunch about. Once you attempt to gain a hunch this way on a specific topic, you cannot attempt to do so again until the facts of the investigation have changed significantly (up to the GM’s discretion). If you do not have any skill leverage when you reveal this plan, the plan is wasted but you may reattempt the same topic again next time you prepare your plans.

Broad Scrutiny [utility]

Whenever you adopt the scrutinize approach, you may affect a second creature, object, or 10-foot square when adopting the approach. The type of target you scrutinize does not need to be the same, meaning you may target both a creature and an object at the same time. You may affect an additional creature, object, or 10-foot square for every 10 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Gauge Deception [utility]

Whenever you adopt the scrutinize approach, you pay close attention to how a creature reacts to parts of a conversation, learning how plausible an attempted lie would be before actually attempting it. Once per minute as a free action before you attempt to deceive a creature (usually before a Bluff check), you learn whether or not your attempt would receive a penalty or bonus (or neither) due to its believability, but not the value of the adjustment. After learning this, you may choose to give up on the attempt, or continue.

Associated Feat: Sense Assumptions (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue).

Group Analysis

You can use analyze as a full-round action to target 1 additional target, plus 1 target per 6 ranks in the associated skill you possess. The analyze check is rolled once, and applied to all targets. You can only apply an application to the original target of analyze, and not to the additional targets (unless they are scrutinized).

Rapid Assessment

You may adopt the scrutinize approach as a swift or immediate action, or as a free action that can be taken outside of your turn by outwitting the creature as a cost. Also, whenever you adopt the scrutinize approach, you are treated as if you had done so for 3 consecutive rounds.

Additionally, you can spend a free action to change an (apply) talent you have applied onto a creature for a different (apply) talent you possess.

Retrospection [utility]

You can spend 10 minutes pondering on a single memory that has transpired within the last day, allowing you to analyze any relevant targets within the chosen memory. A single memory can span up to 1 minute per rank in the associated skill, but otherwise is only limited to what you can perceive. All targets that you analyze are treated as if they were also scrutinized; if you possess any abilities or talents that allow you to augment the scrutinize approach, you may pay any costs associated with it when pondering a memory to benefit from it.

You cannot retry the same check more than once, nor can you use senses or similar ability you did not possess during the memory.

Self Awareness [utility]

As part of spending any amount of skill leverage on a Sense Motive or analyze check, you learn if the check would succeed if you roll a 10 on the d20 roll. If the action would be successful under those circumstances, you must take the action; if the action would not be successful, you can take a different action. For every 3 ranks in the associated skill you possess, you can increase or decrease the original value that you determine if the roll would succeed or not by 1 (e.g. at 6 ranks, you can choose to see if you would succeed at an 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12).

Share Insights

Whenever you grant an application to an ally, you may choose one additional ally to gain the application’s benefits, plus one additional ally for every 10 ranks in the associated skill you possess. All allies must be affected by the same application. Only the originally chosen ally can expend the application, and when it is expended, all other allies chosen with this talent lose the application’s benefits.

Study Inclinations [plan] [utility]

You investigate an individual’s activities, morals, and other relevant information to discover useful information about them. When you interact with a creature you could have reasonably investigated, and who has no more Hit Dice than your ranks in the associated skill, you can reveal this plan as an immediate action to learn one of the creature’s minor motivations.

You can spend 1 use of skill leverage when you reveal this plan to instead attempt to learn a major motivation, usually one that is easiest to learn or discover, as if you had gathered information with a result of 15 + your ranks in the associated skill. If you would not have learned a creature’s major motivation with this attempt, you instead learn a second minor motivation.

Analyze Talents

Ascertain Activities (analyze) [utility]

Analyze Skills: Perception or Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 15 + the target’s Bluff modifier or Hit Dice (whichever is higher).

You analyze a creature’s entire demeanor, their clothes, and everything relevant that could be used to learn the creature’s actions made within the last 24 hours, or a specific segment of time of your choice such as an 8 hour period, or between 2pm and 2am, up to a minimum of 1 hour.

Simple: You gain a rough approximation of the target’s actions, learning in 6-hour (or four equal) increments the type of activities the creature undertook. If an increment of time would have varying kinds of activities, you learn each of them in order of intensity or how involved the activity was.. Types of activities include: busy, calming, difficult, mundane, sedentary, stressful, etc.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn the target’s actions within 4-hour (or six equal) increments, in addition to a more complex understanding of the target’s activities, such as ‘sitting in a library’, ‘working at a butcher’, ‘running in a dusty street’, etc. In general, the learned activity may not be exact, but should give you a rough idea as to the target’s actions. For example, someone who has blood on their clothes or fingers could gain the result of ‘working with dead meat’ or similar if they were involved in a murder.

Assess Physicality (analyze)

Analyze Skills: Heal, Perception, or Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 10 + the target’s Bluff, Fortitude, or Will save modifier (whichever is higher).

You analyze a creature’s current well-being and condition, as well as their capabilities in combat or resolve.

Simple: You learn what conditions the target is suffering from, if they are affected by a mind-affecting effect (or multiple), and what their current emotional state is (even if hidden). You also learn one of the following statistics from the target, rounded to the nearest interval of 5: ability score modifier of one ability score, base attack bonus, caster level, save DC of one ability, or skill modifier of one skill.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn the details of the conditions or mind-affecting effects the target is suffering from (such as its source or nature). Additionally, you may choose to learn two statistics from the target, but you learn their exact value. Finally, you also learn if the target is maintaining an approach, and what skill sphere the approach is from (if any).

Determine Defenses (analyze)

Analyze Skills: Perception or Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 10 + the target’s Bluff, Will save bonus, or base attack bonus, whichever is higher.

You analyze the target’s movements, observing their armor, stance, and other weaknesses in their fighting style. You may analyze a target more than once with this talent, as long as you choose a different piece of information each time.

Simple: You may learn two of the following pieces of information:

  • The target’s current AC and CMD, rounded to the nearest interval of 5.
  • The existence of any energy resistances, vulnerabilities, energy immunities, spell resistance or damage reduction (but not the value).
  • Whether or not the target’s Fortitude, Reflex, or Will save bonus (your choice) is higher, lower, or the same as yours.
  • The existence of condition immunities or similar miscellaneous defenses, but not the value (such as possessing bonuses against certain conditions or effects).

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn two of the following improved pieces of information:

  • The target’s AC, flat-footed AC, touch AC, and CMD (and any temporary bonuses or penalties affecting them).
  • The values of all energy resistances, spell resistance, and damage reduction (and what bypasses it) the target possesses.
  • The target’s Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throw bonus.
  • Any condition immunities or the value of similar miscellaneous effects.

Discern Esoterics (analyze)

Analyze Skills: Knowledge (arcana), Perception, or Spellcraft;

Analyze DC: 15 + the highest caster level magical effect or object the target is benefiting from.

You analyze how the target creature is being augmented through magic.

Simple: You learn two pieces of information of your choice; you can choose to specify a specific object or visually apparent effect if you choose, otherwise the result is random:

  • The object’s caster level, its enhancement bonus (if any) and how it is distributed, and one of the object’s properties or functions (as if you had successfully identified it using Spellcraft). You also learn if the target has any abilities that have a limited use and how many uses it has remaining. Additionally, you discover the presence of any (hack) talents (as the Spellhacking sphere) or similar alterations to any of the magical items.
  • The existence of a magical effect and one of its effects. You also learn information as if you had successfully understood the caster’s magical technique (new skill use).

Each option can be chosen multiple times.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you can either choose four options as a simple analysis, or two of the following improved options:

  • You learn all of the object’s properties and functions, and if the target is intelligent or cursed. You also learn how to activate the target, such as its command word. If the target is intelligent, you learn of its ego score, its ability scores, and if it possesses a special purpose (but not what that purpose is).
  • The magical effect’s caster level and all of its effects.

Examine Damage (analyze)

Analyze Skills: Heal or Perception;
Analyze DC: 15 or 10 + the target’s Bluff or Disguise modifier (if the target is alive, whichever is higher).

You analyze the damage and strain on a creature. When in the presence of multiple injuries, you may choose to analyze one injury in particular. If a set of injuries are similar and closely related enough, they are considered as one injury for your analysis.

Simple: You learn the target’s hit point total, rounded up to the nearest interval of 10, in addition to the rough description of the damage dealt to cause the chosen wound, such as type, a fighter weapon group, descriptors, sphere/school of a spell, a poison, and roughly how old the wounds are. If the target is dead, you also learn the amount of time the target has been dead for in the largest unit of time, such as 3 hours, 10 minutes, 5 years, etc.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn the target’s exact hit point total, and the exact type of weapon or spell used to deliver the wound or kill the target, in addition to the method involved any additional effects (such as poison or residual effects), and the effect’s rules. If the target is dead, you also learn what the target’s actions were right before they were killed, such as running, attacking, talking, etc.

Infer Connection (analyze) [utility]

Analyze Skills: Diplomacy or Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 10 + the target’s Diplomacy, Bluff, or Will save modifier (whichever is higher).

You analyze the target’s attitude and association towards either a specific creature, a group of similar creatures, or an organization that they are interacting with, discerning their social standing within society.

Simple: You learn the target’s attitude towards the creature or group, and vice versa, their rough connection to each other (friends, rivals, etc.), and if the target associates the other creature or group with a positive, neutral, or negative connotation. You also treat your check result as an appropriate Knowledge check to recall if the target has any obvious connections to a faction, organization, or patron.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn their precise connection to each other and a rough assessment of an event that resulted in a significant shift in the creature’s relationship, such as being tense rivals after one of them did something illegal that affected the other negatively. You also learn of a complex emotion, power dynamic, or assumption that the target associates with the other creature or group, such as disgust, superiority, or severe desperation.

Inspect Object (analyze) [utility]

Analyze Skills: Appraise, Knowledge (engineering), or Perception;
Analyze DC: The object’s Craft DC, 15 (for a wall or surface) or 10 + the target’s Sleight of Hand modifier (if wielded or worn).

You analyze an object or part of a structure to determine minute or hidden details.

Simple: You learn the object’s current and total hit points, plus its hardness. You also learn the material(s) that make up the object, treating your check result as an appropriate Knowledge check to determine its nature. If the target is damaged or destroyed, you learn the exact type of weapon or spell used to do so (as the Examine Damage talent). You may also learn the rough thickness of a surface, learning if it is thin (3 or fewer inches), thick (4-10 inches), or very thick (11 inches or more).

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, and you learn of any uses the object has undergone within the last day; you may choose any amount of specific uses you learn to also learn the user's emotional state at the time of the object’s use.

You also compare your check result against the DC required to notice any hidden compartments, switches, or obscured parts within the object (but not a wall or surface). This includes traps or similar hazards and their triggers, plus any DCs associated with any non-magical hazards, such as the DC required to disable the hazard. You also learn the specific thickness of a surface in the largest unit.

Interpret Intent (analyze) [utility]

Analyze Skills: Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 10 + the target’s Bluff or Will save modifier (whichever is higher).

You analyze a recent action taken by the target creature, gauging their intent. This could gauge anything from a detailed conversation, a disguise attempt, or an attack.

Simple: You analyze the basic intentions from the analyzed action, learning whether the action was taken for personal benefit, to benefit another, to benefit no one, or to benefit both themselves and another; in addition to learning an emotion or need that the action was fulfilling (such as fear or survival). You also learn the target’s state of alertness, and if they are attempting to hide how aware (or otherwise) they are of something.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn the further intentions from the analyzed action, revealing a motivation or complex emotion that the action was fulfilling (such as a need for justice, or fear of retribution). You also learn how they would feel if you were aware of their intent.

Investigate Area (analyze)

Analyze Skills: Perception or Survival;
Analyze DC: 15.

You analyze a 20-foot cube that you can see, learning what has occurred in the area within the last hour. If a creature makes active attempts to hide their actions within the area, the DC may instead become 10 + the creature’s Stealth or Survival modifier (whichever is higher).

You may spend 1 use of skill leverage or 1 minute to learn what occurred within 1 hour per rank in the associated skill you possess. Generally, you can only discover movements and actions that could reasonably make an impression or track.

Simple: You learn the movements made within the area (including objects), plus their direction and movement, how many creatures there were, and any simple actions they took in the area, such as falling prone, or any actions that could leave a considerable mark. This allows you to learn the exact location of creatures who are hiding or invisible, but does not ignore any cover or concealment they may possess.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you learn the speed of the creature’s movements, how long ago these actions were taken, and complex actions they took within the area, such as manipulating an object, attacking, posturing during a long conversation, and any other actions that could feasibly leave a mark.

Survey Surroundings (analyze) [utility]

Analyze Skills: Perception or Survival;
Analyze DC: 15 (see text).

You analyze a 20-foot cube (or a room) that you can see, trying to pick out any points of interest within the room. This area increases by 10 feet for every 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Simple: You learn which escape route within the area (that you are aware of) is the easiest or quickest to access (or both). Additionally, you compare your analyze check result against the DC required to notice any hidden compartments, false openings, traps, doors, and clues that are within the area. This includes learning the triggers for any hazards you discover.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you also notice something of particular interest or that is out of place, generally to direct you to something you may have overlooked or that is most important. This could also tell you that there is nothing of interest in the area if all potential avenues of investigation have been exhausted. Additionally, your analyze check result is treated as 5 higher for the purposes of this talent.

Apply Talents

Close Strike (apply)

You gain a +2 insight bonus to attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against the analyzed creature, increasing by 1 for every 5 ranks you possess in the associated skill.

Additionally, whenever your weapon attack roll against the analyzed creature or object misses by 5 or less, your attack becomes a glancing hit. A glancing hit deals its original weapon damage, and the minimum damage for any additional damage dice as part of the attack (such as when using Vital Strike, or the flaming special weapon ability). A glancing hit does not add any additional damage bonuses (like adding your Strength bonus, or when using the Power Attack feat) to the damage roll, nor does it add additional damage or effects that would trigger from a successful attack, such as poison applied to a weapon. Damage penalties still apply to a glancing hit.

You can expend this application as a free action once per round after you make an attack roll but before the result, allowing you to reroll the attack roll until you roll higher than the original die roll.

Debilitating Blow (apply)

Whenever you successfully damage the analyzed creature, you deal an additional amount of precision damage equal to your operative ability modifier (minimum 1). If the attack was a successful critical hit, this extra damage increases by an amount equal to half your ranks in the associated skill. This precision damage can only be dealt once per round, and is not multiplied on a critical hit.

You can expend this application as part of successfully damaging the analyzed creature, imposing a -2 penalty to the next saving throw they attempt within the next minute. The penalty increases by 1 per 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Disrupt Focus (apply)

You gain a +2 insight bonus to saving throws attempted against the analyzed creature’s abilities, which increases by 1 for every 10 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Additionally, you can spend a swift action and attempt a melee touch attack against the analyzed creature. If you succeed, the creature suffers a -2 penalty to concentration checks and mental-based skill checks and ability checks for 1 minute. This penalty increases by 1 per 3 ranks in the associated skill you possess, and persists even when this application is expended.

You can expend this application as part of successfully damaging the analyzed creature, forcing them to succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or treat the damage dealt as being continuous for the purposes of concentration checks for 1 round, plus 1 round per 3 ranks in the associated skill you possess. Alternatively, you can expend this application as part of attempting a saving throw against one of the analyzed creature’s abilities (but before the result), allowing you to reroll the attempt.

Emotional Exploitation (apply) [utility]

You gain a +2 insight bonus to Intimidate checks to demoralize or insult (page 51), Knowledge checks to perplex (page 53), to checks attempted as an impressive display of skill, or to any other skill checks that inflict an emotion effect against the analyzed creature. These bonuses increase by 1 for every 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess. Additionally, you can take a -5 penalty when attempting to insult or perplex the analyzed creature to do so as a move action.

You can expend this application as part of the action to inflict an emotion-based condition against the analyzed creature to increase the severity of the condition by one step; the creature can negate this increase in severity by succeeding at a Will saving throw.

Exploit Flaw (apply)

You find a weak or fragile area within the analyzed target. You treat the target’s hardness or damage reduction as being 2 lower against your attacks. Additionally, you treat any chance to negate a critical hit or precision damage the analyzed target possesses as being 10% lower against your attacks.

These reductions increase by 1 and 10% respectively for every 3 ranks in the associated skill you possess. Creatures who are normally immune to critical hits and precision damage (including creatures with 100% fortification or more) are treated as having a 150% chance to negate the critical hit or precision damage, reduced as normal by this application.

You can expend this application as part of successfully damaging the analyzed creature, forcing them to succeed at a Reflex saving throw or have any armor or natural armor bonus they possess be reduced by 2, plus 1 per 5 ranks in the associated skill until the creature (or armor) regains hit points. On a successful save, this application is not expended.

Insightful Dodge (apply)

You can spend an immediate action or expend an attack of opportunity whenever the analyzed creature targets you within an ability or effect that requires an attack roll, granting yourself a 20% miss chance against the attack. This increases by 5% for every 2 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

You can expend this application as an immediate action whenever the analyzed creature makes an attack against you, attempting a Sense Motive check (or the original analyze skill used) and using the result in place of your AC for the triggering attack.

Vicious Strike (apply)

Whenever you successfully damage the analyzed creature, they must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or have their movement speeds halved for 1 round and be unable to 5-foot step during this time.

You can expend this application as part of successfully damaging the analyzed creature, forcing them to attempt a Fortitude saving throw. On a failure, they become exhausted for 1 round, plus 1 round per 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess. On a successful save, they become fatigued for the duration instead.

Exceptional Talents

Analytic Gaze [approach]

Prerequisites: Sense Motive 7 ranks, Investigation sphere.

You adopt this approach as a standard action and choose a single (analyze) talent you possess. Once per turn, you can analyze a creature you can perceive using the chosen (analyze) talent as a free action to attempt a simple analysis, or a swift action to attempt to gain a detailed analysis. You must pay any costs associated with using the (analyze) talent as normal.

Ascertain Equipment (analyze) [utility]

Prerequisites: Sense Motive 5 ranks, Investigation sphere.

Analyze Skills: Appraise, Perception, or Sense Motive;
Analyze DC: 10 + the target’s Bluff, Stealth, or Reflex save modifier (whichever is higher)

You analyze a storage vessel, a 10-foot cube area, or a creature’s placement of various equipment and storage vessels they possess, such as bandoliers and bags, to learn what they may possess within them.

Simple: You learn what the target has visibly equipped themselves with, in addition to gaining a sensory clue for any items that the target has stored on themselves but that are not necessarily visible. This could include hearing the ‘clink’ of glass against glass (for potions or vials), a slosh of liquid within their ring, the crinkle of many sheets of parchment, etc.

Detailed (+5 DC): As a simple analysis, but you manage to extrapolate enough to successfully guess what items the target may possess, learning the exact items that the target has equipped and/or stored on themselves, including one of each of their functions, as long as the item has a caster level equal to or lower than your ranks in the associated skill. This could include hearing a batch of four healing potions, a single dose of poison within a ring, the crinkle of maps and important documents, or a +3 flaming longsword. This does not grant you insight into items contained within extradimensional storage.

Hyperaware Senses

Prerequisites: Perception 5 ranks, Investigation sphere.

You can analyze using any of your senses, such as taste, smell, and touch. This also means exotic senses such as blindsight, tremorsense, and plantsight can be used to analyze.

Meticulous Inspection

Prerequisites: Perception 10 ranks, Investigation sphere (Investigate Area).

Whenever you use the Investigate Area talent, the area increases to a 40-foot radius, and you double the period of time that you learn what has occurred within the area (normally 2 hours).

If you gain a detailed analysis when using the talent, you can spend an additional 2 uses of skill leverage to view the area as if you were there when those events took place. You can only perceive the analyzed area, but can otherwise perceive the exact actions that took place within the area (including conversations).

You can also use this to perceive the area with any special senses you may possess, or to use any abilities you possess against any creatures or objects within the analyzed area, as long as the ability does not affect the creature (for example, you could analyze a creature to determine their current hit points, but not use Diplomacy to change their attitude). Any duration-based abilities that are applied during this time (such as an (apply) talent) treat the time you are analyzing as the beginning of the ability's duration.

Psychometric Analysis (analyze) [utility]

Prerequisites: Appraise 7 ranks or Sense Motive 7 ranks, Investigation sphere.

Analyze Skills: Appraise, Sense Motive, or Spellcraft;
Analyze DC: 20 + the previous owner’s Will save bonus + the object’s caster level (if any)

You can learn of an object’s previous user by drawing upon the subtle auras left upon the object. For every 4 ranks in the associated skill you possess, you learn of the next most recent owner.

Simple: You learn about the race, gender, and age of the previous owner, in addition to catching glimpses of its general use. You also learn how the previous owner lost possession of the object, and their emotional reaction to losing it.

Detailed (+10 DC): As a simple analysis, you may also immediately attempt to use a single (analyze) talent towards the previous owner, gaining information as if you were analyzing the last minute that they possessed the object.

Surmise Vulnerability (apply) (Su)

Prerequisites: Sense Motive 7 ranks, Investigation sphere.

Using incredible deductive skills, you can create weaknesses where they do not usually exist. You treat any energy resistances the analyzed creature possesses as being 10 lower for the purposes of your attacks and effects.

You can expend this application as an immediate action whenever you successfully damage the analyzed creature, forcing them to succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or gain a vulnerability to a single damage type of your choice for 1 round, plus 1 round per 4 ranks in the associated skill you possess. This vulnerability is granted after your initial attack. On a successful save, this application is not expended.

Truthseeker [utility]

Prerequisites: Sense Motive 8 ranks, Investigation sphere (Gauge Deception).

Whenever you adopt the scrutinize approach, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to gain an innate understanding into the target creature’s way of speaking. When you use the Gauge Deception talent to learn if a Bluff attempt would receive a penalty or bonus, you also learn the value of the adjustment. Additionally, whenever the scrutinized creature attempts an act of deception (including omitting information), they must succeed at a Will saving throw or have you become immediately aware of the attempt.

Unerring Observation [utility]

Prerequisites: Sense Motive 5 ranks, Investigation sphere (Ascertain Activities).

Whenever you use the Ascertain Activities talent, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to learn about the target’s actions within the last 48 hours.

If you gain a detailed analysis when using the talent, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to also learn the exact location that the activity took place, which may provide context to the gained analysis.

For example, 'sitting in a library' would instead tell you the exact library the activity took place in. 'Running in a dusty street' would instead let you know the exact street and town (if relevant) the target was running in.

Drawbacks

Basic Analysis

You focus on the big picture rather than the details. You can only gain a simple analysis whenever you use your analyze ability, and cannot gain a detailed analysis despite your result. You gain the Broad Scrutiny, Group Analysis, or Share Insights talent.

Unorthodox Methods [alternate start]

You do not commonly use deduction and awareness to discern information, opting for more specific approaches.

When using your analyze ability, you cannot use Perception or Sense Motive as an analyze skill. If the talent does not have any alternative skills, you may not use the talent.

You gain an (analyze) talent that has an analyze skill other than Perception or Sense Motive. Choose one of those other analyze skills; that skill is your associated skill for the Investigation sphere.

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