Sleuth

**Description**: The thinking crime fighter, Sleuths are experts in surveillance, detection, psychology, gathering information in all its forms, and using evidence to not only reconstruct crimes but solve them in progress or even predict them before they happen. Sleuths themselves vary greatly in terms of style and practise. Some are all brains, paying attention to nothing but verifiable evidence and irrefutable logic. Some are all guts, relying on instinct and an uncanny feel for people. Some are immaculately dressed and exude class. Some are rumpled, down-on-their-luck alcoholics. Some are private detectives who are pulled into adventures as part of their jobs, some are free agents who just stick their noses into mysteries when they smell them, and some are law-enforcement agents sworn to uphold justice. The one thing that ties them together is the driving need to take the random facts all around them and turn them into concrete stories, to know what *really* happened when nobody else does.

**Hit Die**: d8

**Power Die**: d6

**Skill Point per Level:** 8 + Int modifier

**Class Skills:** Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Computers (Int), Craft (writing) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Int), Research (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex).

**Proficiencies**: Sleuths are proficient with simple weapons, as well as light armor and bucklers. In addition, if this is this character’s first level in any class, they may select a martial tradition of their choice.

**Class Features**

**Combat Training**: A sleuth may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Sleuths use the Proficient talent progression. A sleuth's practitioner modifier is Intelligence.

**Brawl** (Ex): At level 1, you get the Brawl feat for free because all superheroes need to throw the occasional punch.

**Bonus Advantage** (Ex): At level 1, Sleuths receive one of two bonus Ads, either Law-Enforcement Powers (2CP), or a Rank 2 Connection (2CP). At levels 4, 7, 11, and 17, Sleuths receive another 2CP to spend on Connection or Law-Enforcement Powers, as they see fit.

**Investigative Knack** (Ex): At level 2, Sleuths receive a +4 bonus to any and all rolls pertaining to directly examining evidence, either on the scene or in a crime lab after the fact. At levels 10 and 13, this bonus increases by +2.

**Special Ability** (Ex): At levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, and 19, Sleuths can take one of the abilities listed below. They can take each ability only once, unless its text says otherwise. Unlike Class Features, Special Abilities that replicate feats require prerequisites, just like a normal feat.

*Encyclopaedic Memory:* You can re-roll any failed Knowledge check once. You can do this twice per session.

*Evasion*: You can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage, then you instead take no damage. You can use Evasion only if you are wearing light armour or no armour. If you are *helpless,* then you do not gain the benefit of Evasion.

*Fisticuffs:* You gain a +2 competence bonus to damage rolls when you hit with an Unarmed Strike.

*Nimbleness* : Your Speed increases by +5 feet.

*Pursuit Specialist:* +4 competence bonus to Drive/Ride/Pilot checks made to pursue or tail another vehicle.

*Roughhousing:* +1d6 to Sneak Attacks.

*Scholarly Pursuits:* 6 bonus ranks in any Knowledge skill. Sleuths can take this special ability multiple times.

*Slippery Mind* : If you fail a Will Save against a mind-affecting spell or power, you can re-roll that Will Save once, on your next turn.

*Walk Away Unscathed:* If you crash or lose control of a ground vehicle (car, truck, bus), then you can spend a Hero Point to take no damage. You don't have to be driving the vehicle to use this ability. You can use this ability to take half damage from being hit by a vehicle while you are on foot, regardless of whether the hit is an accident or a deliberate attack.

**Sharp Eyes I** (Ex): At level 4, Sleuths can re-roll any failed Perception check. They can do so twice per session. At level 7, Sleuths get **Sharp Eyes II**, at which point they can re-roll any failed Perception check four times per session.

**Sixth Sense** (Ex): At levels 4, 13, and 19, Sleuths receive a +2 to all skills or checks related to observation: Diplomacy, Perception, Sense Motive, and Heal.

**Sneak Attack** (Ex): At levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, Sleuths receive +1d6 Sneak Attack damage. If they can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from their attacks, then they can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

Their attack deals **extra damage any time the target would be denied their Dexterity bonus to  AC** (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), **or when the Sleuth has flanked them.** This extra damage is initially 1d6, and increases by 1d6 at the levels indicated above. **Critical hits do not multiply Sneak Attack damage.**

Ranged attacks can count as Sneak Attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, Sleuths can make a Sneak Attack that deals NL instead of HP. They cannot use a weapon that deals HP to deal NL in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

Sleuths can perform a Sneak Attack on only **living creatures with discernible anatomies or vital systems**, which includes people, aliens, and fantasy creatures (see Chapter 10: Heroes and Villains), but it does not include undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and phase (incorporeal) creatures. **Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to Sneak Attacks.**

Sleuths must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. They cannot Sneak Attack while striking a creature or target that has concealment, and they cannot strike at the limbs of a creature's because their vital spots (body and/or head) are out of your reach.

**Stick to the Shadows** (Ex): At level 5, Sleuths receive a +2 competence bonus to Stealth checks. The bonus increases by +2 at levels 10 (to +4), 15 (to +6), and 20 (to +8).

**Skill Mastery** (Ex):At level 17, with 2 skills in which Sleuths already have at least one rank, including cross-class skills, they can now Take 10, even under stressful circumstances or when failure involves direct personal risk. If they are granted this class feature multiple times, they can pick 2 new skills each time.