Professionals are resourceful experts in their chosen line of work, however unorthodox or specialized that work might be. Whether from training or dogged trial and error, they find whatever combination of methods will keep their work successful and their reputations thriving. Perhaps the most popular career for professional adventurers is simply mercenary or adventurer (earning money from a variety of quests in dangerous circumstances), but a professional can be anything from a brewer to a taxidermist.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Wealth: 4d6 x 10 gp (average 140 gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Starting Age: Trained

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Ranks Per Level: 8 + Int modifier (the background skills variant adds another 2 ranks for background skills).

Role: The multiple methods and many skills that professionals cultivate allow them to contribute in many different circumstances. In combat, they generally define their tactics around their methodical edge. They really thrive in settlements or other areas where they can practice their trade, which they can use to achieve far more than income.

Class Skills: The professional’s class skills are Artistry (Int), Craft (Int), Lore (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), and Profession (Wis). In addition, if this is the character’s first level, she chooses a trade tradition. Her trade rank is adroit. If this is not the character’s first level, she instead chooses one trade talent from the Vocation sphere as a bonus talent.

Without Trade Traditions: If not using a trade tradition, the professional has the following class skills: Artistry (Int), Craft (Int), Lore (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), and ten other class skills of the Professional’s choice, chosen at her first level.

Class Features

						Skill Talents
Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Reflex Save	Will Save	Special	Any	Utility
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Bonus talent, consummate professional, methodical edge (first method), professional method, skill expertise	1	0
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Methodical edge (second method)	2	1
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Professional interest +2	3	1
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Savvy method (first method)	3	2
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Bonus talent	4	2
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Savvy method (second method)	5	3
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Contingent planning 1/day	6	3
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Methodical progression (first method)	6	4
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Bonus talent, professional interest +3	7	4
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Methodical progression (second method)	8	5
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Improved consummate professional	9	5
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Corner the market, innovative methods (first method)	9	6
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Bonus talent	10	6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Innovative methods (second method)	11	7
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Contingent planning 2/day, professional interest +4	12	7
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Methodical conclusion (first method)	12	8
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Bonus talent	13	8
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Methodical conclusion (second method)	14	9
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Pivotal innovation	15	9
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Best in the business	15	10

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Professionals are proficient with simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, short sword, and sword cane, as well as light armor and bucklers.

Skill Expertise (Ex)

A professional may combine skill spheres and talents to perfect incredible acts of guile. Whenever the professional gains a skill talent, they must choose a skill sphere to spend it on. The first time a character spends a skill talent on a sphere, they gain that sphere’s base abilities instead of gaining a talent within the sphere.

After a character possesses a base sphere, spending an additional skill talent on that sphere gains them one of that sphere’s talents. Professionals are considered Virtuoso operatives and choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as their operative ability modifier. The Virtuoso skill talent progression is reprinted in the professional table for ease of reference. (Talents under Any can be any skill talent that the professional qualifies for, while talents listed under Utility must have the [utility] tag.)

Bonus Talents (Ex)

At 1st level and again every four levels thereafter (5th, 9th, 13th, 17th), the professional gains a bonus skill talent she qualifies for.

Consummate Professional (Ex)

At 1st level a professional chooses one Profession skill. She unlocks skill leverage with that skill and may use her operative ability modifier instead of the usual one for this skill.

In addition, for each level of Professional she has, she gains a bonus skill rank in that skill.

Finally, she chooses a skill that the Profession skill might be used together with. She unlocks skill leverage with this paired skill and gains the option to use her modifier with her chosen Profession in place of her modifier for the paired skill. Knowledge (local) is a common paired skill, but the professional can choose any skill that makes sense from the following list: Appraise, Acrobatics, Artistry, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, one Knowledge skill, Linguistics, one Lore skill, one Perform skill, Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Survival.

Adventurer Professions

Many adventurers take a Profession skill that aligns with their needs as an adventurer, such as Profession (adventurer), Profession (mercenary), Profession (soldier), or Profession (dungeoneer). They may use this skill to find the best prices on equipment, the best inns and taverns to select during their journey, and know the best times of day to practice their trade, as appropriate to the selected skill.

Professional Method

A professional gains two sets of abilities referred to as methods, representations of her varied skill sets and broad opportunities. Each method grants five different abilities.

A professional selects one professional method when she takes her 1st level of professional, and her second when she takes her 2nd level of professional. Once made, these choices cannot be changed.

Descriptions of the methods she can choose from appear at the end of the class features. If a method ability allows a target to attempt a saving throw to resist its effects (including spell-like abilities), the DC is equal to 10 + half her professional level + her operative ability modifier unless stated otherwise.

Methodical Edge: At 1st level (for her first method) or 2nd level (for her second method) a professional selects her method from the list at the end of the class description and gains an ability that helps define her approach to problem solving.
Savvy Method: A professional progresses in her method to gain a new ability at 4th level (for her first method) or 6th level (for her second method). This ability gives her a new way to use her professional interest to overcome obstacles or get an edge against her rivals.
Methodical Progression: Master of her profession at 8th level (for her first method) or 10th level (for her second method), the professional unlocks a new ability that allows her to exceed her peers.
Innovative Methods: At 12th level (for her first method) or 14th level (for her second method), the professional has progressed to a point where innovation is commonplace for her, adding a whole new form of utility to her repertoire.
Methodical Conclusion: At 16th level (for her first method) or 18th level (for her second method), the professional gains a powerful ability unique to her method, the ultimate finale of her method.

Professional Interest (Ex)

At 3rd level, a professional may gather information as part of 8 hours spent earning income with Profession or a similar skill such as Perform or Sleight of Hand. (As described in Pathfinder Unchained, a character can earn income equal to her Profession check result by working for a single day.) When she does, she selects one specific creature, location, item, political position, or sustained phenomenon that she is aware of as the subject of her interest. For example, she may choose “the shady woman at the tavern,” “Bluebird Waterfall,” “the Master of Coin,” or “these constant thunderstorms.” During this time, she may roll 1d3+1 skill checks to gather information on the chosen topic. She may use Perception, Stealth, or the same Profession skill instead of Diplomacy for this skill check to gather Information, but if she does the DC increases by 4 unless she chose Profession and the topic is relevant to the Profession skill.

After she finishes working, she gains a +2 insight bonus to all Appraise, Knowledge, Lore, Perception, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, and Survival checks regarding or directly involving her interest. These bonuses last until she uses this ability again. The bonus increases to +3 at 9th level and +4 at 15th level.

Contingent Planning (Ex)

At 7th level, a professional learns to always be prepared for any situation. She knows how to prepare plans in the same manner as [plan] talents. As part of 8 hours spent working to earn income with Profession or a similar skill, she can purchase or otherwise gather goods and equipment to help her during her adventures. She can do this as part of the same action to use her professional interest ability. When she does, she makes twice as much money as usual and places it in a special fund called her contingency fund, which is used to buy useful items.

As with [plan] talents, the player does not declare what these items are until the professional reveals them. When she finishes preparing the fund, the professional can spend additional money into the fund, up to its maximum. The total amount in the fund cannot exceed 200 gp times her professional level.

These gold pieces are considered spent and cannot be used in any other way. Once per day, she may spend a full-round action to pull an item out of a backpack, pouch, saddlebag, or extradimensional space; this item can have a market value no more than the amount of gold remaining in her contingency fund. Deduct the market value of the item from the amount of gold in the contingency fund. If she has any [plan] talents, she can prepare those plans while earning money as well, and she can spend a use of contingent planning to reveal a [plan] talent; however, she cannot spend a plan to reveal additional items purchased with her contingency fund.

At 15th level, the professional can reveal an item with this plan twice a day and the fund’s value increases to 400 gp times per professional level.

Improved Consummate Professional (Ex)

At 11th level, the professional learns to avoid obvious pitfalls and problems common to her selected profession. Once per day, a professional may treat any d20 roll of 1–9 on a skill check using either skill she selected with consummate professional as if she had rolled a 10.

Corner the Market (Ex)

At 12th level, a professional knows when to leverage her position in matters involving her chosen vocation. Any creature who buys or sells any goods or services has a 50% chance of having heard of the professional’s incredible skill and is willing to converse briefly with her even if they are unfriendly. If she successfully makes an impressive display of her Profession skill for someone who had already heard of her, their attitude improves to friendly (if it was lower) for 1 day and she can use Profession in place of Diplomacy to make a request or negotiate a bargain with them.

In addition, with 1 minute of effort, she can make an impressive display of skill using her chosen Profession skill suitable to impress any creature with a language (even if they have not heard of her). She can choose any DC she likes for the display, but as normal for an impressive display of skill the chosen DC must at least equal 20 + target’s Hit Dice or 15 + target’s modifier with that skill (whichever is higher) for her display to affect them. This might be language-dependent, visual, and/or auditory depending on how she demonstrates her profession.

Pivotal Innovation (Ex)

At 19th level, the professional makes a discovery or figures out a way to do her work in a way no one ever has before, likely drawing worldwide interest in her services or the attention of beings from other planes of existence. She gains a skill talent or a feat that has a prerequisite that includes skill ranks. If the feat or talent has other prerequisites, she does not have to meet all of them; if she could qualify for the feat or talent if not for a single prerequisite, this class feature counts as that prerequisite for the purpose of gaining that feat or talent. This does not allow her to use abilities she does not have, even if the feat or talent would improve them.

Best in the Business (Ex)

At 20th level, a professional is the best in the world at her chosen vocation. Whenever she attempts a Profession check, she may treat her d20 roll as a 20. She can also spend 1 use of skill leverage to get a 20 on a check with her consummate professional paired skill. In addition, she increases the maximum value of her contingent planning’s contingency fund to 20,000 gp.

Professional Methods

Adaptation

The professional is a dilettante capable of quickly learning whatever she needs to.

Methodical Edge: Skill Flexibility (Ex)

The professional can take a move action to gain the benefit of a feat she does not possess. This bonus feat must be selected from the Extra Skill Talent feat or any feat which requires skill talents or specific skill ranks as prerequisites. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The professional must meet all the feat’s prerequisites. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + 1/2 her professional level.

The professional can use this ability again before the duration expires to replace the previous feat with another choice. If a feat has a daily use limitation (such as with Nature Magic from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide), any uses of that feat while using this ability count toward that feat’s daily limit.

Savvy Method: Extended Adaptation (Ex)

The professional selects a number of skill talents or feats which she does not possess equal to her operative ability modifier, plus one additional skill talent or feat for every ability she possesses from the Adaptation method. Whenever she uses skill flexibility to gain only these chosen feats or skill talents (through the Extra Skill Talent feat), she may have the effects of skill flexibility last for 1 hour rather than 1 minute. The professional may re-choose which feats and skill talents are selected by this ability every time she gains level.

Methodical Progression: Complex Skill Flexibility (Ex)

The professional can use skill flexibility to gain the benefit of two feats at the same time. She may select one feat as a swift action or two feats as a move action. She may use one of these feats to meet a prerequisite of the second feat; doing so means that she cannot replace a feat currently fulfilling another’s prerequisite without also replacing those feats that require it. Each individual feat selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

Innovative Methods: Shared Skill Flexibility (Ex)

As a standard action, the professional may spend two uses of her skill flexibility ability to grant a single feat which could be selected with skill flexibility to an ally within 30 feet for 1 minute. The ally must meet the prerequisites for the granted feat, though the professional is not required to do so. Any additional uses of this ability on the same ally ends the previous use.

Methodical Conclusion: Greater Skill Flexibility (Ex)

The professional can use this ability to gain the benefit of three feats at the same time. She may select one feat as an immediate action, two feats as a swift action, or three feats as a move action. She may use one of the feats to meet a prerequisite of the second and third feats, and use the second feat to meet a prerequisite of the third feat. Each individual feat selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

Ambush

The professional is a respected expert at the use of force, perhaps as a bounty hunter or guard.

Methodical Edge: Lurking Avenger (Ex)

The professional gets a +1 bonus on the first attack roll she makes each round against an opponent that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against her or that she flanks.

The bonus increases by 1 each time she gains another ability from this method. If the professional surprises any opponents by being hidden with Stealth at the time she rolls initiative, she may move up to half her base speed. Finally, the professional gains one of the following options: proficiency with all martial weapons or one vigilante talent (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue). For the purpose of vigilante abilities gained from this method, she adds her professional level to her vigilante level, treats her base attack bonus from professional levels as equal to her professional level, and counts as an avenger vigilante.

Savvy Method: Sudden Vengeance (Ex)

The professional gains the startling appearance class feature of the vigilante class and one vigilante social talent. The bonuses and penalties granted by the startling appearance class feature and the chosen social talent (if any) are reduced by half except against the subject of the professional’s professional interest and the subject’s allies (if a creature) or except against creatures who have the subject of her professional interest as a motivation (if a political position).

Methodical Progression: Avenger Talent

The professional gains one vigilante talent of her choice.

Innovative Methods: Sure-Footed (Ex)

The professional can move at full speed while using the Acrobatics, Stealth, and Survival skills without penalty, and she can move and charge at full speed across difficult terrain and through the threatened area and space of a creature that is the subject of her professional interest (although she still needs to attempt an Acrobatics check if it is hostile to her).

Methodical Conclusion: Juggernaut (Su)

The professional’s attacks ignore up to 10 points of damage reduction and hardness, or 20 points if the subject of her professional interest. In addition, she gains another vigilante talent of her choice.

Artifice

The professional is particularly good at creating and destroying objects.

Methodical Edge: Artificer (Ex)

The professional gains the Artifice sphere as a bonus sphere and chooses one of the two following additional options:

Artifice Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Artifice sphere’s associated skill as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere, and may treat her base attack bonus as 1 higher when attacking with trinkets.
Pragmatic Smith: The professional also treats her base attack bonus from professional levels as equal to her class level for the purpose of attacking with weapons she crafted (including trinkets).

Savvy Method: Artificer’s Interests (Ex)

The professional’s Artifice sphere flourishes and trinket functions that she has applied to her own equipment function as if she had 4 additional ranks in the associated skill when determining their benefits against her professional interest (or within, if it is an area).

Additionally, the professional treats any masterwork bonuses her equipment possesses as being 1 higher (a masterwork weapon would gain a +2 enhancement bonus to attack rolls, a masterwork set of armor has its armor check penalty reduced by 2, etc.).

Methodical Progression: Make or Break (Ex)

The professional gains the benefits of Improved Sunder and Greater Sunder feats whenever she attempts to sunder an object she could create using a Craft skill she is trained in. The professional can use her ranks in that Craft skill instead of her base attack bonus when determining her bonus to sunder such an object; if the professional exceeds the target’s CMD for such a sunder attempt by 5 or more, she can choose to reduce the object’s current hit points to half its maximum hit points, giving it the broken condition instead of rolling for damage normally.

Additionally, whenever the professional works on a magic item while adventuring, she gains the full progress for the hours she spends on the object, instead of half. Lastly, the professional can always take 10 on skill checks to create an Artifice sphere trinket, even in combat.

Innovative Methods: Industrious Crafter (Su)

The professional gains an item creation feat of her choice, using her ranks in the Artifice sphere’s associated skill as her caster level for the purposes of qualifying for the feat and the creation of such items. Additionally, the professional chooses one type of magic item (potions, wondrous items, weapons, etc.); she can create items of the chosen type 25% faster than normal, and gains a +4 insight bonus to Craft or Spellcraft checks to create items of that type.

Methodical Conclusion: Prized Creation (Su)

The professional can spend 1 week with an artisan’s kit to create her magnum opus. She can only have a single magnum opus at one time, as the sheer amount of materials and work quite literally ties part of her soul to the object. The professional creates a single magic armor, weapon, or shield with a +5 enhancement bonus, and up to +7 effective enhancement bonus’ worth of special abilities to the piece of equipment; once chosen, these enhancements cannot be changed. This ignores the normal restriction preventing equipment from exceeding a total enhancement bonus of +10. If her magnum opus is destroyed, she can undergo an 8 hour ritual and expend 1,000 gold pieces worth of reagents per enhancement bonus her magnum opus possesses to restore it.

Athleticism

The professional has unparalleled physical prowess and strength, and may be an athlete, scout, laborer, or any other life path that relies on strength or endurance.

Methodical Edge: Graceful Conditioning (Ex)

The professional does not suffer any armor check penalties on Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Ride, Stealth, and Swim checks while wearing light armor. When she is not wearing armor, she can spend 1 use of skill leverage to take 10 on an Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, and Swim check.

Athletic Dodge (Ex)

The professional can use her athletic speed to avoid attacks. She gains Dodge as a bonus feat.

Once the professional gains her savvy Athleticism method, as long as she has moved at least 10 feet since the end of her last turn, the bonus from Dodge increases by the number of Athleticism method abilities she has until the start of her next turn.

Savvy Method: Strong Stride (Ex)

The professional gains a +10-foot enhancement bonus to her land speed and adds her operative ability modifier to her Strength modifier when calculating her carrying capacity. If she has at least 4 ranks in Climb, she has a climb speed of 20 feet. If she has at least 4 ranks in Swim, she has a swim speed of 20 feet. Neither speed can exceed her land speed. If the professional already possesses such a movement speed, it is instead increased by 10 feet. The bonus to her land speed increases by 5 feet for every subsequent Athleticism method ability she has. In addition, if the professional’s professional interest is a place, she reduces any penalty she takes to Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, or Swim while there by 5. If it is a creature, her professional interest bonus applies to Acrobatics checks to move through its threatened area or its space and to Climb checks to climb on it.

Methodical Progression: Quick Movement (Ex)

The professional gains the benefits of the evasion class feature of the rogue class; if she already has evasion, she gains improved evasion instead. She also ignores the penalties for carrying a medium load and can run and charge through difficult terrain (although it still slows her down).

If the professional has at least 8 ranks in Climb, her climb speed increases by 10 feet, plus 5 feet for every 4 ranks she has beyond 8. If she has at least 8 ranks in Swim, her swim speed increases by 10 feet, plus 5 feet for every 4 ranks she has beyond 8.

Innovative Methods: Athletic Body (Ex)

The professional can spend 1 use of skill leverage to reroll an Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, or Swim check after the roll, but before the result. She must take the new result, even if it is worse. In addition, if she succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw against an effect that is normally partially effective on a success, she instead negates the effect on a success; if she also has the stalwart class feature, she gets only the partial effect even if she fails.

Methodical Conclusion: Impossible Reactions (Ex)

The professional gains improved evasion; this functions like evasion except while the professional still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack, she also only takes half damage on a failed save. Likewise, if she fails a Fortitude save for a partial effect, she nonetheless gets the partial effect. Finally, the professional rolls every initiative check twice and takes the higher result.

Assassination

The professional knows how to injure and kill with deadly efficiency, and is often a bounty hunter or mercenary.

Methodical Edge: Sneak Attack (Ex)

If the professional can catch a creature when they are unable to defend themselves, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The professional’s attack deals 1d6 precision damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the professional flanks the target. The damage increases by 1d6 for every additional Assassination method ability she possesses. Ranged attacks count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, unarmed strike, or whip), a professional can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.

The professional must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A professional cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with total concealment.

Savvy Method: Cunning Interests (Ex)

Whenever the professional chooses a professional interest, if it is a creature she also learns her choice of either the location that the creature spends most of their time (such as their home or lair) or a political position they have addressed (for good or ill); if it is a location or political position, she learns of a single creature that possesses the most control or ownership of it (usually the creature with the highest Hit Dice). The professional does not gather information on the creature, location, or political position she learns of this way but does treat it as an additional subject of her professional interest for any other purpose.

Additionally, she gains a rogue or slayer talent (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide) of her choice, adding her professional level to her rogue or slayer level for its purposes.

Methodical Progression: Death Attack (Ex)

If the professional studies a creature for 3 rounds (by spending a standard action) and then attempts a sneak attack against the studied target and the target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, the sneak attack has the additional effect of potentially either paralyzing or killing the target (professional’s choice). This attempt automatically fails if the target recognizes the professional as an enemy.

If the sneak attack is successful, the target must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to 10 + 1/2 her professional level + her operative ability modifier) or either become paralyzed for 1d6 rounds, or die, depending on the professional’s choice. If the creature succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack, and is immune to that professional’s assassination ability for 24 hours.

Innovative Methods: Talented Killer (Ex)

The professional gains two additional rogue or slayer talents.

Methodical Conclusion: Deadly Precision (Ex)

Whenever the professional would deal her sneak attack damage dice, she may reroll results of 1s or 2s (only once per die). If the target is unaware of the professional’s presence or believes the professional to be an ally, she also increases the size of her damage dice by two steps (usually from d6s to d10s) to a maximum of d12s.

Bluster

The professional is a skilled manipulator of emotions. She might be a barrister, a gambler, or a con artist.

Methodical Edge: Bluster Specialist

The professional gains the Bluster sphere as a bonus skill sphere, and may treat her ranks in a single skill associated with the Bluster sphere as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.

Savvy Method: Twisted Tale (Ex)

When attempting a Bluff check to tell a lie or make an implausible claim, or make a troubling statement, the professional reduces the penalties for the claim being troubling and for the claim being hard to believe by half.

In addition, the professional’s bonus from professional interest applies to Bluff and Intimidate checks. Whenever the professional successfully demoralizes the subject of her professional interest (if a creature) with a threat or lies to them, she can spend 1 use of skill leverage in order to learn the simplest way she could change her attempt so that it invokes a motivation. She can make the change without an action to automatically get the benefit of threatening a motivation or making a troubling claim. Her Bluff check does not gain the usual penalty for making a troubling claim in this case.

Methodical Progression: Unbalancing Jeer (Ex)

When the professional rolls initiative, she may attempt a single Intimidate check to demoralize or insult (page 51), Bluff check to create a diversion, or perform a single Bluster sphere quip as part of the initiative roll.

When the professional successfully demoralizes or insults an opponent using the Intimidate skill, performs a successful feint against an opponent, or successfully affects an opponent with a quip, the opponent cannot benefit from any morale and insight bonuses for a number of rounds equal to the professional’s operative ability modifier (minimum 2).

Innovative Methods: Always a Tell (Ex)

The professional can spend 1 use of skill leverage to be treated as if she were invoking a minor motivation on a single skill check. If the target of the skill check is the subject of her professional interest, she is treated as invoking a major motivation.

Methodical Conclusion: Complete Confidence (Ex)

The professional does not increase the DC or suffer a penalty for retrying Bluff or Intimidate checks against creatures she has targeted previously. She does not suffer penalties to the save DCs or bonuses to the check DCs of her quips when targeting creatures she has targeted previously.

Body Control

The professional knows how to use her body in ways that defy conventional expectations. She might be an acrobat, an ascetic guru, or an especially self-aware laborer.

Methodical Edge: Self Mastery (Ex)

The professional gains the Body Control sphere as a bonus sphere and chooses one of the two following additional options:

Body Control Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Body Control sphere’s associated skill (normally Escape Artist) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.
Physical Training: The professional gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. In addition, the professional gains a +1 inherent bonus to one physical ability score of her choice (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution). This bonus increases by 1 for every Body Control method ability she gains, to a maximum of +5 with her methodical conclusion. She can change this bonus to a new ability score after she rests for 8 hours. When the professional has the timeless body class feature (methodical conclusion), she applies her bonus from physical training to two ability scores each day instead of one.

Savvy Method: Braced for Trouble (Ex)

The professional braces herself for tackling relevant physical conditions. She gains either Endurance as a bonus feat or the Body Control (Endurance Training) talent as a bonus talent, or another feat or talent she qualifies for if she already has either one.

In addition, whenever she successfully uses her professional interest ability, if the subject is a place, her insight bonus applies to all Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Stealth, and Swim checks there. If the subject is a creature, her insight bonus applies to CMD against the subject and she gains damage reduction that cannot be bypassed against the subject’s attacks. The value of her damage reduction is equal to the number of Body Control method abilities she possesses. This damage reduction stacks with other damage reduction that cannot be bypassed.

Methodical Progression: Accelerated Healing (Su)

The professional can gain fast healing as a standard action twice per day. She can also spend 2 uses of skill leverage to activate the ability a third time. The fast healing restores 1 hit point per Body Control method ability she possesses and lasts for 1 minute. Rather than gaining fast healing from this ability, she may gain the benefits of lesser restoration targeting only herself, or restoration if she has her Body Control innovative method.

Innovative Methods: Active Body Control (Su)

The professional can control her body’s shape. She gains a +8 insight bonus to saving throws against petrification and transmutation effects (including polymorph effects). The professional gains the ability to change her appearance as a move action. This has the effect of the alter self spell with caster level equal to her professional level. It lasts until she reverts as a move action or changes her shape again. She can activate her accelerated healing or change her active (clarity) talent as part of the action to activate this ability. If the subject of her professional interest is a creature, she can change her appearance to exactly match the subject’s.

Methodical Conclusion: Timeless Body (Ex)

The professional no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the professional still dies of old age when her time is up.

Cleverness

The professional is highly skilled in a number of areas, lending her to be a brilliant professor, detective, or similarly skilled individual.

Methodical Edge: Inspiration (Ex)

The professional gains the ability to augment skill checks and ability checks through her brilliant mind. The professional gains an inspiration pool equal to 1/2 her class level (minimum 1). A professional’s inspiration pool refreshes each day after 8 hours of rest. As a free action, she can expend one use of inspiration from her pool to add 1d6 (her inspiration die) to the result of a skill or ability check, including any on which she takes 10 or takes 20. This choice is made after the check is rolled and before the result is revealed. A professional can use inspiration once only per check or roll.

The professional can also use inspiration on attack rolls and saving throws at the cost of two uses per roll. Using it on a saving throw is an immediate action rather than a free action.

This counts as the investigator’s inspiration class feature, and a professional with this ability adds her investigator and professional levels together when determining her uses per day and other level related functions of this ability.

Savvy Method: Keen Interests (Ex)

When the professional successfully uses professional interests, she gains 1 free use of inspiration that can only be used against her professional interest and is treated as trained in all Knowledge skills for checks about the subject of her professional interests. This use of inspiration is lost if she has not used it by the next time she uses professional interests or regains inspiration.

In addition, she gains one investigator talent of her choice. This talent must improve her inspiration ability.

Methodical Progression: Greater Inspiration (Ex)

The professional adds her operative modifier to the number of daily uses she gets of her inspiration ability.

Innovative Methods: Expanded Inspiration

The professional gains two more investigator talents, but may only choose investigator talents that improve the inspiration ability.

Methodical Conclusion: Incredible Inspiration (Ex)

Whenever the professional uses inspiration on an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, she adds 2d6 instead of 1d6 to the result. If she has the amazing inspiration investigator talent, she rolls 2d8 instead.

If she uses this with empathy, tenacious inspiration, or a similar talent, she rolls two sets of inspiration dice and uses the higher of the two results.

Communication

The professional is a masterful communicator, perhaps a translator, diplomat, or trader.

Methodical Edge: Skilled Communicator (Ex)

The professional has learned to make her enemies think twice using only her words. She gains the Communication sphere as a bonus sphere. In addition, she gains one of the following two options:

Communication Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Communication sphere’s associated skill as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.
Weighty Words: The professional can spend a standard action taunting or otherwise admonishing a creature within 30 feet. The creature must succeed at a Will save or become staggered for 1 round. Once she has another ability from this method, the creature is dazed on a failed save if it has not been dazed by this ability already. Once she has four abilities from this method, the target is staggered on its first successful saving throw against this ability in a day if it has fewer Hit Dice than her professional level. This is a language-dependent, mind-affecting effect.

Savvy Method: Informed Negotiator (Ex)

The professional and the allies she shares her Communication sphere rapport with apply her professional interest insight bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Linguistics, but only when used regarding the subject of her professional interest or the subject’s allies (if a creature) or any creature who has the subject as a motivation (if a political position). The professional and her allies also apply half the insight bonus to their AC; this bonus applies to flat-footed AC but not while helpless.

Methodical Progression: Battle Shouts (Ex)

The professional can call out commands to her allies that she shares her rapport with as a move or standard action, directing them in a fight, bolstering them against confusion and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the professional’s speech or see her hand signals.

The professional and each affected ally receives a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against effects that would make them confused, disoriented, fascinated, or stunned and a +2 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. The professional can use this ability for up to 2 rounds per professional level. She can spend these rounds of use interchangeably with rounds of bardic performance, and she can spend feats to learn bardic masterpieces (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Magic) using her associated skill ranks for the Communication sphere as ranks in Perform (oratory).

When the professional gains her Communication innovative method, she can activate battle shouts as a swift action. When she gains her Communication methodical conclusion, the bonus increases to +3.

Innovative Methods: Someone Always Talks (Ex)

The professional only needs 4 hours to change the target of her professional interest, her bonus from professional interest increases to 4, and she may use Diplomacy or Linguistics in place of Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly towards her.

Furthermore, the bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls from her battle shouts increases by 1 against the target of her professional interest

Methodical Conclusion: Silver Tongue (Ex)

Once per day, the professional can roll two dice while attempting a Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Linguistics check, and take the better result. She must choose to use this ability before attempting the check. She can also expend 1 use of skill leverage to use this ability after she has already used it that day.

Courtly Intrigue

The professional knows her way around elegant courtly affairs, perhaps because she is a herald, a courtier, a page, or a royal spy.

Methodical Edge: Courtly Training (Ex)

The professional is trained to fight in a prestigious manner. She chooses either one exotic weapon and one simple weapon or two simple or martial weapons which become her courtly weapons. She gains proficiency in her courtly weapons and can use her operative ability modifier on attack rolls instead of her usual ability score modifier for them. If the professional did not choose an exotic courtly weapon, she also gains proficiency with her choice of either medium armor or shields (not tower shields).

In addition, the professional chooses an order from the cavalier class (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player’s Guide) or samurai class (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Combat) and gains the skill benefits from that order, but no other benefits of the order. She adds her professional class levels to her cavalier levels for the order benefits she has (but not to gain new abilities). She chooses two other skills for the order’s bonus to apply to when she chooses this method—one must be Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), or Sense Motive, and the other must be one of the following: one Artistry skill, Knowledge (history or nobility), or one Perform skill.

Savvy Method: Interesting Challenge (Ex)

The professional gains the challenge class feature from the cavalier class and the challenge and 2nd-level ability from her cavalier or samurai order. Challenging the subject of her professional interest does not cost a use of her challenge ability.

The professional’s professional interest bonus applies to the same skills her order bonus applies to, as well as one of Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate (chosen at the same time as the subject of her professional interest).

Finally, she unlocks skill leverage with the skills her order bonus applies to.

Methodical Progression: Duelist’s Instincts (Ex)

The professional has a razor-sharp wit quick to exploit any opening both socially or in combat. She adds her professional interest bonus to all skill checks attempted when it is not her turn and on attacks of opportunity. In addition, the professional devises deadly maneuvers with her courtly weapons. She can choose either to gain the 8th-level feature of her order or gain the Weapon Specialization feat as a bonus feat for one of those weapons even if she does not meet the prerequisites. If she already has both, she gains a bonus combat feat she qualifies for instead.

Innovative Methods: Imperious Attitude (Ex)

The professional develops a commanding demeanor, and the strength of her conviction is often enough to get others to do as she asks, merely because she expects it to be done. Whenever she enters any social situation, the professional can choose any number of targets who can see and hear her. She can attempt a Diplomacy or Intimidate check as a free action to improve their attitude with no penalty for attempting the check quickly or affecting multiple targets (she makes one check and applies the result to each target’s DC). Each creature she succeeds against is also impressed (page 17) with her for 1 hour.

In addition, the professional can attempt a Diplomacy check to make a request of a creature whose attitude toward her is unfriendly and she can attempt an Intimidate check to demand cooperation from any creature without worsening its attitude as long as she does not threaten its motivations. Previous attempts at either skill use increase the DC for her by only 1, rather than by 5.

Imperious attitude has no benefit if the target creature intends her harm in the immediate future.

If the target considers the professional to be of an equal or similar social rank (which includes creatures that do not understand or value the concept of social ranks), the professional must spend 1 use of skill leverage to affect the target.

If the target considers the professional to be of a substantially lower social rank, the professional must spend 1 use of skill leverage and invoke one of the target’s motivations to affect the target.

Methodical Conclusion: Cut Deep (Ex)

The professional is a student of perfection with her courtly weapon as well as her courtly words. She gains either the 15th-level feature of her order or a bonus combat feat. The combat feat can be Greater Weapon Focus or Greater Weapon Specialization for one courtly weapon even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

In addition, when she succeeds at a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to improve a creature’s attitude or a Bluff, Intimidate, or Perform check to give a creature an emotion condition, she can spend a swift action to force them to attempt a Will saving throw. On a failure, the creature either becomes impressed for 10 minutes in addition to the effect of the skill check or worsens an anger, disorientation, or fear condition on it by 1 step until the end of the professional’s next turn.

Faction

The professional is an organizer, seneschal, guildmaster, or other expert administrator.

Methodical Edge: Extensive Network (Ex)

The professional excels at making contacts and working as part of an organization. She gains the Faction sphere as a bonus sphere. If she has the (retainer) package, she gains a teamwork feat she qualifies for as a bonus feat and every Faction sphere retainer she hires also gains that teamwork feat even if they do not meet the prerequisites. If she has the (supply) package, she can treat her ranks in the associated skill as equal to her professional level plus 1 for determining her faction budgets and the effects of her (supply) talents.

Savvy Method: Shared Interest (Ex)

The professional has a knack for finding members of her faction who share her interests. She gains 1 Faction authorization when she successfully uses professional interest, which must be spent immediately toward either hiring a retainer or borrowing an item useful for reaching or interacting with her professional interest. Such a retainer has a motivation involving the subject of the professional’s interest chosen by the GM, and so any request that the retainer act beyond their role has a lower Diplomacy DC if it invokes this subject. Such a retainer quits if the professional chooses a new subject for her professional interest.

Methodical Progression: Remembered Achievement (Ex)

The professional can recall a trick taught to her by a retainer or ally. When she gains this ability, she chooses five feats or skill talents she qualifies for. If those feats or talents require choices when they are gained, she makes those choices when she chooses them. Once per day, as a standard action, she may gain the benefits of a feat or talent from her list. This benefit lasts for 1 hour. She can also expend 1 use of skill leverage to recall a talent or feat without counting against her daily use of the ability, but when she does she cannot recall a combat feat. Whenever she recalls a feat or talent with this ability while she already has one recalled, the ongoing one’s duration ends immediately.

Whenever the professional gains a level, she can change her choices of feats or talents or change choices made for any of those feats or talents. For every subsequent Faction method ability she gains, the professional can add another feat or talent to her list and can use this ability an additional time per day.

Innovative Methods: Unexpected Allies (Ex)

The professional increases her number of daily Faction authorizations by 1 and can spend 1 Faction sphere authorization to gain access to a [utility] Faction talent she does not have for up to 1 hour. The 1 authorization is in addition to any costs the talent has. In addition, the professional finds friends of her faction in every corner. In areas where the faction has influence, there’s a 25% chance that any given NPC’s starting attitude is friendly to the professional if it would have been indifferent or unfriendly, or that it is helpful if it would otherwise be friendly.

Methodical Conclusion: Constant Contact (Sp)

The professional increases her number of daily Faction authorizations by 1 and learns to cast the telepathic bond spell as a spell-like ability by spending 1 use of skill leverage. Her caster level is equal to her professional level. She can have only one bond at a time with any creatures who are not members of her faction; when she casts this spell-like ability to target someone who is not a member of her faction, any previous bond including someone who is not a member of her faction is broken. The spelllike ability’s range is unlimited with members of her faction, including contacts and retainers. Once she notifies a member of her faction by telepathy, she can requisition where that member is in 1 d10 minutes.

Finally, three times per day as part of a requisition, the professional can have her order fulfilled anywhere via teleportation magic when it is ready without her spending any action.

Generalist

The professional practices a wide array of skills and trades. This method can be selected up to twice.

Methodical Edge: Bonus Proficiency

The professional gains proficiency with one martial weapon, medium armor, or shields (not tower shields).

Bonus Feat: The professional gains a bonus feat. This bonus feat must be selected from the Extra Skill Talent feat or any feat which requires skill talents, skill spheres, or specific skill ranks as prerequisites.

Bonus Talent: The professional’s methodical edge also grants her a bonus skill sphere or talent she qualifies for.

Savvy Method: Bonus Feat

The professional gains another bonus feat.

Methodical Progression: Bonus Feat and Talent

The professional gains another bonus feat and a bonus [utility] talent.

Innovative Methods: Bonus Feat

The professional gains another bonus feat.

Methodical Conclusion: Bonus Feat and Talent

The professional gains another bonus feat and another bonus talent.

Herbalism

The professional has a deep understanding of how plants interact with the physiology of living creatures, and uses this knowledge to great benefit. These professionals are usually physicians, herbalists, or alchemists.

Methodical Edge: Herbalism Specialist

The professional gains the Herbalism sphere as a bonus skill sphere, and may treat her ranks in each of her package’s associated skills (as long as she possesses the package) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the Herbalism sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere. In addition, the professional gains proficiency with scythes.

Savvy Method: Apothecary’s Acumen (Ex)

If she has the (herbal) package, the professional increases any numerical-based benefits of Herbalism sphere herbs by 1 whenever she consumes them or administers them to an ally. Whenever the professional gathers herbs from within her professional interest (if it's an area), it only takes 30 minutes to do so, and she can gather an additional batch per day from the area.

If she has the (remedy) package, the professional heals +2d6 hit points whenever she treats deadly wounds using a healer’s kit—this improves by 1 die size for every subsequent Herbalism method ability she has (2d6 > 2d8 > 2d10 > 2d12). Additionally, the professional’s bonus from professional interest applies to Heal checks (if it’s a creature).

Methodical Progression: Resourceful Herbalist (Ex)

If she has the (herbal) package, the professional can consume a herb as a swift action (instead of a standard action), and she gains the Large Batch talent as a bonus talent.

If she has the (remedy) package, the professional has a 50% chance whenever she spends 1 or more uses from a healer’s kit to instead spend no uses. Additionally, whenever she uses a healer’s kit, its circumstance bonus increases by +2.

Innovative Methods: Exotic Materials (Su)

If she has the (herbal) package, whenever the professional gathers a bunch of herbs, she may instead opt to gather two potent herbs of her choice. A potent herb grants no additional benefits when used within a concoction, but has unique benefits when consumed:

Potent Bitter Herb: When consumed over the course of 10 minutes, this herb cures all ability damage, ability drain, and all temporary negative levels. The creature can attempt a new saving throw with a +5 alchemical bonus against a mind-affecting effect they failed a saving throw against, ending the effect on a success (no effect on a failure). Instantaneous mind-affecting effects can be reversed this way if they could be ended by break enchantment or greater restoration.
Potent Bland Herb: After consuming this herb, the user gains DR 5/- and reduces the value of any bleed damage suffered by an amount equal to the professional’s operative ability modifier, which lasts for a number of rounds equal to the professional’s operative ability modifier. A creature that is petrified or transformed in another way that could be ended by break enchantment can be restored by having the potent bland herb applied topically as a full-round action.
Potent Cool Herb: After consuming this herb, the next 2d4 Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based ability checks or skill checks the user rolls within the next minute are rolled twice, keeping the highest result.
Potent Dry Herb: After consuming this herb, the next time within 1 minute the user would succeed at a saving throw that allows them to half the damage dealt on a success, they instead suffer no damage. If they fail such a saving throw, they instead suffer half damage. This does not stack with the evasion or stalwart abilities (or their improved versions).
Potent Intense Herb: After consuming this herb, the user gains a 30-foot alchemical bonus to all of their speeds for the duration. Additionally, for the herb’s duration, the user can spend an immediate action to make an attack at their highest base attack bonus, move their speed (provoking attacks of opportunity as normal), or stand up from prone without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Potent Sour Herb: After consuming this herb, the user gains a +5 bonus to saving throws against poisons and diseases, and can roll such saving throws twice, taking the highest result. At any point during the herb’s duration, the user can retch as a swift action, removing the effects of any ingested poison they have imbibed within the last minute.
Potent Spicy Herb: After consuming this herb, the next 2d4 Strength-, Dexterity-, or Constitution-based ability checks or skill checks the user rolls within the next minute may be rolled twice, keeping the highest result.
Potent Sweet Herb: After consuming this herb, the user gains fast healing 5 for a number of rounds equal to the professional’s operative ability modifier.
Potent Tainted Herb: A potent tainted herb functions as a poison: Potent Tainted Herb: Poison—contact or ingested; save Fort (Herbalism DC); onset immediate; frequency 1/round for the herb’s duration; effect 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.

A creature can only benefit from a potent herb once per day. Consuming another potent herb within the same 24 hour period results in the user becoming nauseated for 1 minute unless they succeed at a Fortitude saving throw against the professional’s sphere DC and gaining no benefits from the herb.

If she has the (remedy) package, whenever the professional treats deadly wounds, she can spend 2 uses of a healer’s kit to have the creature maximize the next source of variable-based healing they receive within the next hour.

Methodical Conclusion: Ceaseless Remedies (Ex)

If she has the (herbal) package, whenever the duration of a concoction she is benefitting from would elapse (or she otherwise loses its effects), she can spend a free action within 1 hour to gain the benefits of the same concoction (including any twists and other improvements); this can only be done once per concoction.

Additionally, there is no limit as to how many potent herbs a creature can benefit from in a day.

If she has the (remedy) package, the professional increases the number of times she can treat deadly wounds on a creature in the same day by her operative modifier (minimum 1).

Infiltration

The professional is a burglar, saboteur, or other expert in going unseen where she is not welcome.

Methodical Edge: Infiltrator (Ex)

The professional gains the Infiltration sphere as a bonus sphere and chooses one of the two following additional options:

Infiltration Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Infiltration sphere’s associated skill (normally Disable Device) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.
Saboteur’s Strike: The professional deals extra precision damage to any creature that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC (whether it actually has a bonus or not). The extra damage is 1d6 points per Infiltration method ability the professional has (including this one). Precision damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. She can deal this damage on any hit with an attack as well as with any hazard, sabotage, or trap that deals damage. She must have crafted or sabotaged a trap or placed the sabotage or hazard to deal the extra damage with it. If the effect allows a saving throw for half damage, a successful save also halves this precision damage. The extra damage is only applied the first time a hazard, trap, or sabotage deals damage, although if multiple creatures are affected by the first damage, they all take the extra damage. The professional’s attacks are also more effective against unattended objects, allowing her to ignore an amount of an object’s hardness equal to the precision damage this ability could deal to a creature.

Savvy Method: Infiltrator’s Interests (Ex)

The professional’s professional interest bonus applies to Craft (traps), Disable Device, Stealth. If the professional interest is a place, the bonus applies there and in that area, she can spend 1 use of skill leverage to learn if there is sabotage, a trap, or an intentionally cultivated hazard within 30 feet (a successful Perception check is still required to learn its exact location or other information). If the subject is a creature, she gets the bonus against that creature and any traps, sabotage, or hazards they placed.

Methodical Progression: Silent Maneuvering (Ex)

The professional takes no Stealth penalty for a successful Disable Device check or for moving up to her speed and reduces the Stealth penalty for attempting a hidden combat maneuver by 5; if her Stealth check to hide a combat maneuver other than a grapple succeeds by 5 or more against her target’s Perception result, even the target of her maneuver does not learn her location.

Innovative Methods: Saboteur! (Ex)

The professional gains an uncanny knack for sabotaging devices. While she uses any thieves’ tools, she can spend 1 use of skill leverage to use her fast disable ability as a move action unless a combat maneuver check would be required. She can make a combat maneuver check to use fast disable as a move action if she outwits the creature as a cost or if she already hit the target with a weapon attack this turn.

She takes no penalty on Disable Device checks for using improvised tools, can use any weapon she is proficient with as improvised tools, and can attempt such checks without any tools at a –2 penalty. She treats all non-improvised thieves’ tools as masterwork and doubles the bonus she gets from masterwork thieves’ tools from +2 to +4.

Bonus Utility Talent: In addition, the professional gains a bonus [utility] talent from the Infiltration sphere.

Methodical Conclusion: Magical Cloak (Su)

The professional is under a constant nondetection effect as if she had cast it herself, using her professional level as her caster level. The protection does not function against anyone who is currently observing her with a precise sense (usually vision).

Furthermore, whenever the professional succeeds at a Stealth check such that no opponents are observing her with a precise sense, she becomes invisible until the end of her next turn.

Investigation

The professional has a keen sense for discovering inconsistencies, hidden connections, and deception, and may be a detective, guild leader, or even a scholar.

Methodical Edge: Analyst (Ex)

The professional gains the Investigation sphere as a bonus sphere and chooses one of the two following additional options:

Investigation Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Investigation sphere’s associated skill as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.
Practical Analyst: The professional gains an (apply) talent. It cannot be exceptional.

Savvy Method: Analytical Interests (Ex)

The professional may use Sense Motive when attempting to gather information about her professional interest and need not spend skill leverage the first time each day that she attempts to analyze her professional interest as a standard action. Additionally, whenever the professional chooses a professional interest, she can choose another interest that is connected to that subject, known as an associated interest. For example, if her professional interest was a specific tavern, an associated interest may be “this tavern’s backroom”, “the shifty bartender”, or “the drinks this tavern sells”.

The professional can choose to have one of the gather information skill checks associated with gaining a professional interest be dedicated to her associated interest. She learns whether or not her professional interest is relevant to her current goals after the check to gather information. If she gathered information about an associated interest, she also learns whether that subject is relevant to her goals. This does not grant insights into whether her associated interest has relevance to other crimes or events she might incorporate into a goal later if she has not done so yet.

For example, if she chooses “this tavern’s backroom” as her professional interest when she is looking into a series of crimes committed nearby, she learns if the backroom has any relevance towards the crimes she is investigating. (She does not learn whether it would be of interest to other crimes of a sort she investigates if she is not currently investigating them.)

Methodical Progression: Critical Thinking (Ex)

The professional never risks gaining a flawed analysis when she fails the skill check to analyze, instead gaining a simple analysis. She can analyze for a detailed analysis as a move action rather than a standard action.

Innovative Methods: Intense Scrutiny (Su)

The professional can see creatures with total concealment as if they merely had concealment to her (reducing any miss chance accordingly). She can see invisible things subject to her scrutinize approach as if they were visible and rolls twice and takes the higher result on Will saving throws to disbelieve illusions she scrutinizes or analyzes.

Methodical Conclusion: Unerring Analysis (Ex)

The professional does not take any longer to get a detailed analysis than to get a simple analysis when using analyze.

Additionally, as long as the professional is within 60 feet of a creature or object, she can see invisible creatures and objects normally. This range doubles to 120 feet if it is against her professional interest or associated interest.

Finally, the professional may take 20 on analyze and Sense Motive checks, even when in danger or distracted (it still takes twenty times as long).

Naturalism

The professional is skilled at working with animals. She might be a driver, shepherd, or stablemaster.

Methodical Edge: Wild Alliance (Ex)

The professional forms a bond with a loyal companion that accompanies them on adventures. A professional can choose any of the animals available to a druid. The professional treats her professional levels as druid levels for determining the abilities of her animal companion. At GM discretion, the professional may choose a plant companion (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Race Guide) in place of an animal companion.

Savvy Method: Animal Connections (Su)

The professional gains the improved empathic link and wild empathy class features of a hunter (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide), adding her hunter and professional levels together to determine the effects of these class features. At GM discretion, the professional may choose an ability from a druid or hunter archetype that replaces wild empathy to replace this ability. If the subject of her professional interest is a creature she can use wild empathy on, the bonus applies to her wild empathy checks and she can send her emotions to the subject using her empathic link class feature as long as she and it can perceive each other.

Methodical Progression: Animal Focus (Su)

The professional gains the animal focus class feature of a hunter, adding her hunter and professional levels together to determine the effects of each animal focus and how many animal focuses she may have at once. At GM discretion, the professional may choose an ability that replaces animal focus from a hunter archetype to replace this ability.

Innovative Methods: Greater Animal Connections (Su)

The professional gains the greater empathic link and speak with master class features of a hunter. If the subject of her professional interest is a creature she can use wild empathy on, she can speak to it as if using the speak with master class feature as long as she and the creature can perceive each other.

Methodical Conclusion: Natural Attunement (Su)

Once per day, the professional may choose one animal focus to be active on herself for the entire day. This focus is in addition to using her animal focus class ability (including the additional focus ability she is able to use on herself if her animal companion is dead).

Navigation

The professional knows how to get wherever she needs to go. She might be an angler, pilot, or sailor.

Methodical Edge: Navigation Specialist

The professional gains the Navigation sphere as a bonus skill sphere, and may treat her ranks in each of her skills associated with the Navigation sphere as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of that sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.

Savvy Method: Favored Terrain (Ex)

The professional may select a type of terrain from the ranger’s Favored Terrains table. The professional gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when she is in this terrain. A professional traveling through her favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though she may leave a trail if he so chooses).

When within this favored terrain the professional may, as a move action, grant a +2 bonus on Climb, Stealth, Perception and Survival checks attempted by all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear her. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the professional’s operative modifier (minimum 1). When dealing with creatures native to that terrain, the professional treats her favored terrain bonus for that terrain as a favored enemy bonus (as the ranger class feature) against those creatures. This bonus overlaps (does not stack with) bonuses gained when fighting a favored enemy.

Every time the professional gains a new ability from this method, the professional may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and initiative bonus in any one favored terrain (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.

If she is in a terrain that falls into more than one category of favored terrain, the professional’s bonuses do not stack; she simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Methodical Progression: Terrain Dominance (Ex)

The professional gains a terrain mastery and terrain dominance as the class feature of the horizon walker prestige class, using her professional level - 5 as her effective horizon walker level. The professional can choose to gain a Navigation talent instead whenever she would gain a terrain mastery and terrain dominance.

She gains an additional terrain mastery and terrain dominance (or Navigation bonus talent) when she gains this method’s innovative method and again when she gains its conclusion.

Innovative Methods: Terrain Familiarity (Ex)

For each of the professional’s favored terrains, she selects two additional skills which does not usually gain a bonus from favored terrain. While in one of her favored terrains, she adds her favored terrain bonus to checks with the respective skills and may grant a +2 bonus to those skills when granting a bonus to Climb, Stealth, Perception, and Survival checks from favored terrain.

If the professional is not in her favored terrain, she may spend 1 hour studying the area to treat it as her favored terrain for the next 24 hours. This ability does not grant the associated terrain mastery or terrain dominance.

Methodical Conclusion: Mastery of All Land (Ex)

The professional’s terrain bonus in all favored terrains increases by +2, and she treats all other terrains as if they were favored terrains (+2 bonus). If a naturally occurring condition of temperature or weather requires a check or saving throw, she automatically succeeds. All allies within the professional’s Navigation sphere pathing or affected by her Navigation sphere acclimation gain a +2 insight bonus on these checks and saves; if the professional is in a mastered terrain, this bonus increases to +4.

Panache

The professional is an artful acrobat, and might earn money as a gladiator or competitive duelist.

Methodical Edge: Ready for Violence (Ex)

The professional tends to get her way, swiftly and decisively. She gains the panache class feature and 1st-level deeds of the swashbuckler class (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide) and proficiency with light martial weapons as well as the rapier. For the purpose of her deeds, add the professional’s level – 1 (minimum 1st) to her swashbuckler level. She also unlocks skill leverage with Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, and Swim; if she already has skill leverage unlocked these skills, she can choose another skill for every two skills she has already unlocked (rounded down). She can spend panache in place of skill leverage (but not spend skill leverage as panache).

Savvy Method: Agile Resourcefulness (Ex)

The professional is skilled at noticing and capitalizing on unorthodox routes to success. She gains the 3rd-level swashbuckler deeds and unlocks skill leverage with Bluff and Intimidate; if she already has either unlocked, she chooses another skill to unlock. She can spend skill leverage in place of panache when interacting with the subject of her professional interest.

In addition, the professional learns additional ways to regain skill leverage or panache. An opponent must be a significant challenge (usually challenge rating no lower than her character level - 2) and not helpless to yield skill leverage or panache in these ways.

Critical Skill Maneuver: Each time the professional rolls a 20 on the die for an Acrobatics check to move through a foe’s threatened area, Bluff check to feint, Climb check to stop a fall or climb a foe, Escape Artist check to escape a grapple, Fly check to reverse direction, Intimidate check to demoralize, Ride check to climb on a foe or negate an attack with Mounted Combat, she regains 1 panache point.
Critical Skill Performance: Each time the professional rolls a 20 on the die for an Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, or Swim check to make an impressive display of skill of a creature she has not impressed before; a Bluff check to convince an opponent of a troubling claim that causes it to abandon its current task for at least 1 hour; or an Intimidate check to demand costly assistance or pose a menace from a creature she has never targeted before, she regains 1 use of skill leverage.
Terrifying Reputation: Each time an opponent flees from combat or surrenders while demoralized by her, while denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against her, or before the start of her next turn after she tumbles through its space, the professional regains 1 panache point.

Methodical Progression: Practiced Poise (Ex)

The professional is always ready to react to challengers. While wearing no or light armor, she gets a +1 dodge bonus to AC and she can treat any opposed skill check she makes as having an 11 on the die instead of rolling. She must choose whether to make this substitution before rolling. She can spend 1 panache point to treat an attack of opportunity or saving throw as having an 11 on the die this way. In addition, she gains the 7th-level swashbuckler deeds. The dodge bonus increases to +2 and the effective die roll increases to 12 when she reaches her innovative methods, and to +3 and 13 when she reaches her methodical conclusion.

Innovative Methods: Perfect Moment (Su)

When the professional starts her turn during the surprise round or regains panache or skill leverage during an encounter, she may spend a swift action to gain one of the following effects:

Each creature within 100 feet that can see or hear her must succeed at a Will saving throw or be impressed by her for 10 minutes.
Gain temporary hit points equal to her professional level that last for 1 minute and do not stack with any others.
Attempt a saving throw against an ongoing effect that initially allowed a save as if she was only now exposed to the effect with no effect on a failed save (a successful result is a success, but on a failed result nothing changes).
Spend 1 panache point to make a melee attack.
Spend 1 use of skill leverage to take one of the following actions: feint or make a troubling claim using Bluff, escape a grapple using Escape Artist, climb a foe using Climb or Ride, or pose a menace or threaten a motivation using Intimidate.

In addition, the professional gains the 11th-level swashbuckler deeds.

Methodical Conclusion: Deadly Reflexes (Ex)

Her instincts for death are honed. She gains Improved Vital Strike as a bonus feat and may apply Vital Strike to any attacks of opportunity or swift action attacks she makes. If she already had Improved Vital Strike, she gains a different feat she qualifies for.

In addition, the professional gains the 15th-level swashbuckler deeds.

Performance

The professional is an incredible performer easily able to build a reputation for her shows.

Methodical Edge: Performance Specialist

The professional gains the Performance sphere as a bonus skill sphere, and may treat her ranks in its associated skill (or skills) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of that sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere. In addition, she is proficient either with whips or with one weapon of her choice with the performance feature (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment).

Savvy Method: Entertainer’s Interests (Ex)

The professional increases the bonus to Perform checks involving her professional interest by 2.

Additionally, she chooses one type of Perform skill. The professional may use the bonus in that Perform skill in place of her bonus in that skill’s related skills and unlocks skill leverage with those skills if she did not already have it unlocked. For every subsequent Performance method ability she gains, she may select an additional type of Perform skill to substitute. The types of Perform and their related skills are: Act (Bluff, Disguise), Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate), Dance (Acrobatics, Fly), Keyboard Instruments (Diplomacy, Intimidate), Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), String (Bluff, Diplomacy), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).

Methodical Progression: Contagious Confidence (Ex)

Whenever an ally benefiting from one of the professional’s Performance sphere abilities would attempt a saving throw, as an immediate action, the professional may allow the ally to use the professional’s operative modifier instead of their own ability score modifier when determining their saving throw bonus.

Additionally, the professional may take 10 on any Perform skill check that she has ranks in, even in combat or other distracting circumstances. This does not allow her to take 10 on a skill she is substituting her Perform modifier for. The effective die roll increases to 13 when she gains her Performance innovative method.

Innovative Methods: Master of Performance (Ex)

The professional may take 10 on any skill check that uses her Perform modifier even in combat or other distracting circumstances. This allows her to take 10 on any of her other skills while she is substituting a Perform skill modifier for that skill’s modifier. In addition, the professional can spend 1 use of skill leverage to treat a Perform check as if she rolled 20 on the die (this does not allow her to take 20 on other skills simply because they use her Perform modifier).

Methodical Conclusion: Sovereign Virtuoso (Ex)

The professional’s creative endeavors and extensive capabilities with theatrics and performance grant her incredible endurance and control. The professional becomes immune to Charisma damage and drain, auditory effects, sonic damage, fatigue, and exhaustion.

Sciences [DRS]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Invention & Ingenuity}

The professional possesses a brilliant mind for alchemy and the physiological response, and is often an alchemist, apothecary, or physician.

Methodical Edge: Alchemical Understanding (Ex)

The professional gains a formula book and can create 1st level extracts (as the alchemy class feature), using her professional level as her alchemist level when determining its effects. The professional starts with two 1st-level formulae of her choice within her formula book, plus an additional amount equal to her operative modifier (minimum +1). Whenever she gains a professional level, she gains one new formula of any level she can create.

The professional is able to create one 1st-level extract per day, plus an additional extract the following level and every time the professional gains a sciences method ability.

Additionally, the professional gains a competence bonus equal to her professional level to all Craft (alchemy) checks, and can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic (although must hold the potion for 1 round to make such a check).

Savvy Method: Efficient Chemistry (Ex)

The professional can create one 2nd-level extract per day, plus an additional extract the following level and every subsequent time the professional gains a sciences method ability. Additionally, she gains an alchemist discovery, as long as it benefits her extracts (using her professional level as her alchemist level for this purpose). This counts as the discovery class feature for the purposes of feats.

Lastly, if her professional interest is a place, it takes the professional half the amount of time to create alchemical items whenever she is there.

Methodical Progression: Alchemical Proficiency (Ex)

The professional can create one 3rd-level extract per day, plus an additional extract the following level and every subsequent time the professional gains a sciences method ability.

Additionally, the professional gains the Brew Potion feat as a bonus feat (even if she does not meet its prerequisites). She can brew potions of any formula she knows (up to 3rd level), using her professional level as her caster level; the spell must be one that can be made into a potion.

Innovative Methods: Scientific Breakthrough (Ex)

The professional can create two 4th-level extracts and one 5th-level extract per day, plus an additional extract of each level on the following level and every subsequent time the professional gains a sciences method ability. Additionally, the professional gains two additional alchemist discoveries that benefit her extracts.

Methodical Conclusion: Alchemical Mastery (Ex)

The professional can create one 6th-level extract per day, plus an additional extract of the same level for each following level. Additionally, whenever she uses her contingent planning ability to reveal an item, she can do so an additional two times per day, as long as the item is an alchemical item or potion.

Lastly, the professional becomes immune to poisons, and she gains a +2 inherent bonus to a single ability score of her choice.

Spellhacking

The professional is an expert in the finer points of using magical crafts. She might be a treasure hunter, master artisan, or historian of magic.

Methodical Edge: Spellhacker (Su)

The professional gains the Spellhacking sphere as a bonus sphere and chooses one of the two following additional options.

Spellhacking Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Spellhacking sphere’s associated skill (normally Use Magic Device) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks and dispel checks to use the sphere.
Magesmith: The professional spends time on magical artisan training. She gains proficiency with her choice of one martial weapon, shields except tower shields, or medium armor. In addition, the professional can spend 1 minute with a shield, armor, or weapon scrawling temporary runes, anointing in oils, tinkering with her spellhacking instrument, or using other makeshift ritualistic magic to enhance the item. The item becomes magical for 1 hour or until it leaves her possession for more than 1 round. This magic allows weapons to overcome damage reduction and allows any item to attempt saving throws as a magic item with caster level equal to the professional’s number of ranks in the Spellhacking sphere’s associated skill. These makeshift enhancements work on improvised weapons. She can have any single item enhanced in this way; when she uses this ability on a second target, the effects on any other item she has used this ability on immediately end.

When the professional gains another Spellhacking method ability, the enhancements last 8 hours and the item gains a +1 enhancement bonus for every subsequent Spellhacking method ability she gains (+1 with savvy method, +2 with methodical progression, +3 with innovative methods, and +4 with methodical conclusion). She may also imbue the item with any one armor or weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus less than or equal to her maximum bonus by reducing the granted enhancement bonus by the appropriate amount. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself or the item enhancement ability) to gain a special ability.

Savvy Method: Expected Magic (Su)

When targeted by a magical effect or within the area of a magical effect from the subject of her professional interest, the professional may expend an immediate action to attempt to use her Spellhacking sphere hack magic ability on the effect. If she succeeds, she can apply a (hack) talent normally. If the magic is a spell or spell-like ability, she can forgo the usual effect of hack magic to reduce all variable, numeric effects of the spell to their minimum values. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random values). The professional can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her operative ability modifier.

Methodical Progression: Unsnarl Magic (Su)

The professional learns to undo the binds of magic with her hack magic ability by spending 1 use of skill leverage. This ends a spell or spell-like ability instead of applying a (hack) talent. A magic item is suppressed for 1d4 rounds instead. If she fails, she cannot attempt to dispel that effect again for 1 day.

Innovative Methods: Borrow Spell (Sp)

The professional has learned to store magical energies within her body and mind, even when originating from another creature or item. When an ally is preparing spells, readying spell slots, or regaining spell-like abilities, they may choose to allow the professional to borrow one spell; this allows the professional to act as if they had prepared the spell or readied the spell slot with one specific spell known instead of the original caster and the caster’s spell is considered spent for the day. When a magic item regains charges or resets its daily uses of a spell effect, the professional can likewise borrow it as long as she touches it while it recharges and she has activated it before or has the assistance of a creature who has. The borrowed spell must have a caster level no greater than the professional’s level and uses the lesser of the caster’s ability modifier or the professional’s operative ability modifier for its saving throw DC. A professional may only have one borrowed spell at a time.

Methodical Conclusion: Steal Spell (Su)

When the professional successfully uses Expected Spell or Unsnarl Magic, she may choose to keep a portion of the magical energies for herself. If the countered or dispelled magic is a beneficial spell or spell-like effect, the professional may gain its effects for half of its remaining duration (maximum 10 minutes).

Study

The professional is an accomplished scholar. She might be a sage, and tenured academic, or a librarian eager to add to her beloved collection.

Methodical Edge: Study Specialist

The professional gains the Study sphere as a bonus skill sphere, and may treat her ranks in the sphere’s associated skill as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the Study sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.

Savvy Method: Academic’s Interests (Ex)

The professional may use a relevant Knowledge or Lore skill when attempting to gather information about her professional interest. Additionally, she chooses one type of Knowledge skill she is trained in. The professional may use the bonus in that Knowledge skill in place of her bonus in that skill’s related skills and unlocks skill leverage with those skills if she did not already have it unlocked. For every subsequent Study method ability she gains, she may select an additional type of Knowledge skill to substitute.

The types of Knowledge and their related skills are: Arcana (Linguistics, Spellcraft), Dungeoneering (Acrobatics, Stealth), Engineering (Appraise, Disable Device), Geography (Diplomacy, Survival), History (Appraise, Disguise), Local (Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand), Nature (Handle Animal, Survival), Nobility (Bluff, Diplomacy), Planes (Diplomacy, Linguistics), and Religion (Diplomacy, Heal).

Methodical Progression: Sustained Theories (Ex)

Whenever the professional uses her Study sphere theorize ability, she can spend 1 use of skill leverage to have it instead become a topic of research (see Study sphere). This does not increase the time spent to use the theorize ability. Additionally, her theories always start with one notion; if her professional interest is a creature and she begins a theory about them, the theory instead gains two notions.

Innovative Methods: Sharp Mind (Ex)

As long as the professional has an active theory, she gains a cumulative +1 insight bonus to saving throws against illusions and mind-affecting effects for every 2 notions she possesses on the theory. Additionally, she gains a +5 circumstance bonus whenever she takes 10 or 20 on any Knowledge or Lore check (or similar check to recall information).

Methodical Conclusion: Established Scholar (Ex)

The profession’s theories always start with three notions; or an amount equal to her operative ability modifier (minimum 4) if it is about her professional interest. Additionally, the professional is immune to any ability damage or drain to her Intelligence and Wisdom scores, and she gains a +2 inherent bonus to her operative ability score.

Subterfuge

The professional has mastered the arts of disguise and subtlety. She might be a gambler, an actor, or a spy.

Methodical Edge: Con Artist (Ex)

The professional gains the Subterfuge sphere as a bonus sphere and chooses one of the two following additional options:

Subterfuge Specialization: The professional may treat her ranks in the Subterfuge sphere’s associated skill (normally Disguise) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere.
Concealed Intentions: The professional gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat even if she does not meet the prerequisites; if she already has Improved Feint, she gains a bonus feat she meets the prerequisites for instead. To qualify for feats that have Improved Feint as a prerequisite, she counts as having Combat Expertise, can use her ranks in the Subterfuge sphere associated skill in place of her base attack bonus, and can use her operative ability score in place of Intelligence.

Savvy Method: Secretive Interests (Ex)

The professional’s professional interest bonus applies to Bluff, Disguise, and Sleight of Hand. If the subject is a creature she is disguised as, the professional also has free skill leverage on Bluff and Knowledge checks she attempts in order to prevent others from realizing she does not know things her identity should know; she treats those Knowledge checks as trained and unlocked for skill leverage. She can outwit a creature she is attempting to fool as a cost to use their Knowledge modifier in place of her own.

Methodical Progression: Cheap Shot (Ex)

When the professional attacks a creature who believes she is an ally or is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, she gets an bonus on her attack roll equal to the number of Subterfuge method abilities she has (including this one). When she deals damage during a surprise round to a flat-footed creature, she deals an extra 1d8 points of precision damage per Subterfuge method ability she has. This damage is only dealt once (even if she used a spell or ability that deals damage repeatedly or over time).

In addition, the professional gains her choice of a Subterfuge talent as a bonus talent or the Greater Feint feat as a bonus feat; she must qualify for a talent to choose it, but need not meet the prerequisites to choose the feat.

Innovative Methods: Brazen Thief (Ex)

The professional can attempt Sleight of Hand checks against opponents who are watching her closely or in combat as long as they are denied their Dexterity bonus to AC or believe her to be an ally.

Methodical Conclusion: Supernatural Disguise (Su)

The professional is under a constant nondetection effect as if she had cast it herself as long as she wears a disguise she created, using her professional level as her caster level. The protection does not function against anyone who knows that she is disguised and knows of her true identity. She knows whenever a magical effect is foiled by her nondetection, and can choose to give a false result consistent with her disguise instead of no result without using an action. She can dismiss the effect or resume it as a swift action. Furthermore, the professional can use Subterfuge sphere fast disguise as a move action (or a swift action, if she has the Faster Disguise talent).

Surveillance

The professional is a respected expert at entrenching herself in a community for secret purposes, combining any reputable craft with the use of espionage tactics.

Methodical Edge: Secretive Stalker (Ex)

The professional gains the dual identity class feature of the vigilante class (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue), proficiency in two martial weapons of her choice, and the hidden strike ability as if she were a 1st-level vigilante with the stalker specialization. If she also has the hidden strike ability from another source, she instead increases the damage by 1 die. For purposes of the twisting fear vigilante talent, instead it increases by 2 dice. This damage increases by another die (or two dice for twisting fear) for every subsequent Surveillance method ability the professional gains.

Savvy Method: Professional Guise (Ex)

The professional gains the seamless guise class feature of a vigilante and one social talent of her choice.

For the purpose of this social talent, she adds her professional level to her vigilante level. The bonuses granted by seamless guise and the chosen social talent (if any) is reduced by half except against the subject of the professional’s professional interest.

If the professional also has the Subterfuge sphere, she can use fast disguise to change between identities, but she cannot apply a (disguise) talent to either her vigilante identity or her social identity.

Methodical Progression: Stalker Talent

The professional gains one vigilante talent of her choice.

For the purpose of this vigilante talent, she adds her professional level to her vigilante level and she counts as a stalker vigilante.

Innovative Methods: Social Preeminence

The professional gains two vigilante social talents of her choice.

Methodical Conclusion: Seasoned Vigilante

The professional gains two additional vigilante talents of her choice.

Survivalism

The professional knows how to thrive in the wilderness, and is often a trapper, guide, or someone who is generally savvy with improvising for survival.

Methodical Edge: Survivalism Specialist

The professional gains the Survivalism sphere as a bonus skill sphere, and may treat her ranks in the sphere’s associated skill (normally Survival) as being equal to her professional level plus 1 when determining the benefits and effects of the Survivalism sphere and for skill checks to use the sphere. In addition, the professional is proficient with earth breakers (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment).

Savvy Method: Survivor’s Interests (Ex)

The professional may use Survival when attempting to gather information about her professional interest.

Additionally, her Survivalism sphere talismans affect the target of her professional interest (if it is a creature) regardless of its creature type, and she can dredge (see Survivalism sphere) an additional amount of squares at a time equal to her operative ability modifier when within the area of her professional interest (if it is a location).

Methodical Progression: Steady Preparation (Ex)

The professional halves the time required to dredge (usually 5 minutes); if she would dredge as a full-round action, she can instead do so as a standard action. Additionally, whenever the professional attempts to refine a component, she may spend 1 use of skill leverage to take 20 on the refinement check.

Innovative Methods: Naturalist’s Erudition (Ex)

The professional may spend 1 use of skill leverage when attempting a Knowledge (nature) or Survival check to take 10 even if she is distracted or in combat; when she does, she can treat the roll as a 15 instead of 10. If the professional is within the area of her professional interest (if a place) or attempting to recall information about or interact with any subject of her professional interest, she may instead get an effective roll of 20.

Methodical Conclusion: Prepared for Anything (Su)

The professional reduces all damage she suffers from the environment (such as fire damage from hot temperatures, nonlethal from a forced march, etc.) by half, or by 10, whichever reduces it by more. Additionally, her talismans and components function against all creature types, not just the creature type that they were harvested from; she may also spend 1 use of skill leverage and 1 hour to dredge an area permanently.

Vocation

The professional hones her skills to perfection.

Methodical Edge: Vocation Specialist (Ex)

The professional gains a Vocation sphere talent as a bonus talent, and gains an additional use of skill leverage, plus another for every later Vocation method ability she gains. The professional’s class skill bonus for her consummate professional skill is +4 instead of +3.

Additionally, the professional gains the Weapons of the Trade ability.

Weapons of the Trade (Ex)

The professional chooses either one exotic weapon and one simple weapon or up to three simple or martial weapons that are related to her chosen profession. Examples using common profession skills are listed below, but they can be any set that makes sense. Shuriken and daggers are sensible for almost any profession due to everyday tasks with knives. (Indeed, shuriken are often designed to resemble ordinary metal tools to make them easier to carry unnoticed.)

The professional gains proficiency with the chosen weapons if she did not already have it, and she calculates her attack bonus with the chosen weapons as if her base attack bonus from professional levels was equal to her class level (this does not change her base attack bonus for any other purpose).

Profession Skills	Example Weapons
Architect, barrister, clerk, librarian, merchant, scribe	Dagger, sword cane^UE, iron brush^UE
Blacksmith	Hammers
Baker or cook	Light slashing weapons
Butcher	Light slashing weapons; dagger and spiked chain
Driver, stable master, tanner	Lasso^UE or a whip, dagger
Farmer or gardener	Kama and dagger or sickle; or any three of earth breaker, monk’s spade^UE, scythe, and flails
Fisherman or sailor	Net or harpoon^UE and one spear; trident and two spears
Herbalist or miller	Dagger, poisoned sand tube^UE, sap
Miner	Three of hammers, mattock^UE, earth breaker^UE, monk’s spade^UE, and picks
Shepherd	Quarterstaff and either mancatcher^UE or bolas^UE
Trapper	Any net and wooden stake^UE
Woodcutter	Axes
Martial professions like adventurer, mercenary, or soldier	Any (ability still only applies to chosen weapons)

Savvy Method: Versatile Leverage (Ex)

The professional unlocks skill leverage with all her class skills. When using leverage on a skill in which her number of ranks does not exceed half her professional level, the professional is treated as having ranks in that skill equal to half her professional level, or equal to her professional level if using the skill to interact with or learn about the subject of her professional interest.

Methodical Progression: Assured Expertise (Ex)

Whenever the professional would take 10 on a skill check with a class skill, she can spend 1 use of skill leverage to treat the roll as a 15 rather than a 10. Whenever the professional would make an attack roll or skill check with a self-imposed penalties (including those from effects such as Power Attack, iterative attacks, and attacking with multiple weapons), the total of all the self-imposed penalties on the roll are reduced by 1 for every Vocation method ability she possesses including this one (to a minimum total penalty of –1).

Innovative Methods: Quick Work (Ex)

If the professional would attempt a skill check as a full-round, standard, or move action, she may reduce the action by one step (full-round to standard, standard to move, move to swift). This ability can only be used once per round and does not apply to actions besides skill checks which incorporate skill checks (for example, this ability would not reduce the action needed to move through a threatened space using Acrobatics). This speed improvement does not stack with any other method of accelerating skill actions.

Methodical Conclusion: Best At What I Do (Ex)

The professional does not need to spend skill leverage when using assured expertise to take 10, but she can choose to do so in order to treat the die roll as 18. The minimum total self-imposed penalty is 0.

Archetypes

Trader

Traders excel at managing logistics.

Favored Class Bonuses

A professional of any race can choose from the following:

Gain 1/6 of a skill talent.
Gain a +1/2 bonus to the professional’s consummate professional skills.
Deal an extra 1/2 precision to damage on attacks against any creature that the professional succeeded at a skill check against on the same turn she attacked as long as the check was part of a swift or move action. This damage cannot be dealt more than once per round to the same target.

Aasimar can also choose the following:

Gain +1/2 sacred bonus to three class skills of the professional’s choice. This bonus stacks with itself but not with other sacred bonuses.

Tieflings can also choose the following:

Gain +1/2 profane bonus to three class skills of the professional’s choice. This bonus stacks with itself but not with other profane bonuses.

Spheres of Guile by Drop Dead Studios
Using Spheres of Guile
Classes
Advisor (DRS)	Agent	Conduit (DRS)	Courser	Envoy
Genius	Mastermind	Professional
Spheres
Artifice	Bluster	Body Control	Communication	Faction
Herbalism	Infiltration	Investigation	Navigation	Performance
Spellhacking	Study	Subterfuge	Survivalism	Vocation
Other Rules
Operative Feats	Operative Gear	Skill Rules	Trade Traditions	Running Guile Games
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