Thinker

**Description:** Thinkers are cerebral creatures who get by on wits and smarts at the expense of strength. The real power, so says the Thinker, is in knowing more than your enemy. Thinkers, Sleuths, and Masterminds are cut from the same cloth in that regard, but the Thinker does not necessarily focus on one particular skill set, either puzzle-solving or leading people, but instead is a Renaissance Man or Woman who takes in knowledge and secrets from every direction and uses it all to their own, often inscrutable ends.

**Hit Die**: d6

**Power Die**: d10

**Skill Point per Level:** 6 + Int modifier

**Class Skills**: All.

**Proficiencies**: Thinkers 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 Thinker may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Thinkers use the Proficient talent progression. A Thinker'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.

**Jack of All Trades** (Ex): At level 1, Thinkers can use all "trained only" skills as if they were trained. However, when using those skills untrained, a roll of 1 is a Critical Failure, which can result in breaking a tool, hurting themselves, or otherwise royally screwing up whatever they're trying to do. Regardless of the specifics, the failure will be spectacular and unfavourable. GMs are encouraged to toss some good natured disaster at those know-it-alls.

**Renaissance Man** (Ex): At level 1, all skills are considered Class Skills for the Thinker.

**Talented Flexibility** (Ex): A Thinker can take a move action to gain the benefit of a combat talent she doesn’t possess. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The Thinker must meet all the talent’s prerequisites. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + 1/2 her Thinker level (minimum 1).

The Thinker can use this ability again before the duration expires in order to replace the previous combat talent with another choice.

If a talent has a daily use limitation, any uses of that combat talent while using this ability count toward that talent’s daily limit. At 6th level, a Thinker can use this ability to gain the benefit of two combat talents at the same time. She may select one talent as a swift action or two talents as a move action. She may use one of these talents to meet a prerequisite of the second talent, should the second talent be a Legendary talent; doing so means that she cannot replace a talent currently fulfilling another’s prerequisite without also replacing those talents that require it. Each individual talent selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

At 10th level, a Thinker can use this ability to gain the benefit of three combat talents at the same time. She may select one talent as a free action, two talents as a swift action, or three talents as a move action. She may use one of the talents to meet a prerequisite of the second and third talents, and use the second talent to meet a prerequisite of the third talent. Each individual talent selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

At 12th level, a Thinker can use this ability to gain the benefit of one combat talent as an immediate action or three combat talents as a swift action. Each individual talent selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

At 20th level, a Thinker can use this ability to gain the benefit of any number of combat talents as a swift action. Each talent selected counts toward her daily uses of this ability.

**Special Ability** (Ex): At levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, Thinkers 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.

*Bonus Feat:* You can pick a free feat from one of the following groups: Saves, Metamagic, Skills.

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

*False Papers:* Gain a 2CP Alternative Identity. You can take this special ability multiple times. It grants a new Alternate Identity each time.

*Fool Me Once:* If you encounter the same trap more than once (same manufacturer/builder), you get a cumulative +1 competence bonus to disarm/deactivate the trap. Upon seeing the trap for a second time, you get a +1, at the third time +2, etc. The maximum bonus is +10.

*Learn From Your Mistakes:* You can re-roll any failed Craft or Knowledge check. On the re-roll, you can add your Intelligence modifier as a competence bonus. You can do this twice per session.

*Mind Over Matter:* Three times per session, you can apply your Intelligence modifier as an insight bonus to any skill check, regardless of its key ability.

*Nerves of Steel:* When using the Jack of All Trades class feature, rolling a 1 on a d20 does not count as a critical failure.

*Scholarly Pursuits:* 6 bonus ranks in any Knowledge skill. You can take this special ability multiple times. Each time, it yields another 6 ranks.

*Skill Mastery* : With 2 skills in which you already have at least one rank, you can now Take 10, even under stressful circumstances or when failure involves direct personal risk. You may select this special ability multiple times, and you may pick 2 new skills each time.

*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.

**Plot Device** (Ex): At level 4, Thinkers gain one Plot Device, as per the feat.

**Sixth Sense** (Ex): At levels 5 and 14, Thinkers receive a +2 to all skills or checks related to observation (Observe, Search, Spellcraft, Psicraft, etc.).

**Inflexible Will** (Ex): At level 7, Thinkers can Take 10 on any Will Save, but they must declare their intention to do so before they make their rolls.

**Tactical Genius** (Ex): At level 8, as a movement action, Thinkers can grant a +2 competence bonus to the skill checks and attack rolls of anyone who fights on their side and remains visible to the Thinker and to whom the thinker can deliver orders/suggestions. Once activated, this ability can be sustained as a free action every turn. This effect lasts for a number of rounds each day equal to the Thinker's Intelligence modifier + 1/2 their Thinker Level that can be used non-consecutively. The bonus increases by +2 at level 13 (to +4), and 17 (to +6).

**Mind Expansion**: At levels 8, 16, and 20, Thinkers apply a permanent +2 inherent bonus to either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (player's choice).

**Bafflegab** (Ex): At level 10, Thinkers can spew out a fluid stream of smart-sounding gobbledygook. This takes a swift action to perform, and Thinkers can use it once per encounter/scene. Opponents who are in earshot and can understand the language that the Thinker is speaking must make Will saves (DC = 15 + Thinker's Intelligence bonus). Opponents who fail are so puzzled that they cannot attack the Thinker at all. Opponents who succeed are distracted enough that they cannot make attacks of opportunity against the Thinker. The effect lasts for 1d4 rounds. At levels 15, and 20, Thinkers can use Bafflegab one additional time per session.

**Set-Up Attack** (Ex): At level 11, Thinkers can effectively give their highest attack to an adjacent ally. Thinkers use a standard action to create an opportunity for an ally to attack an opponent that they both threaten in melee. The attack made by the ally is either at the Thinker's highest attack bonus, or the ally's, whichever is higher. Thinkers can Set Up only one attack per round. The attack happens during the Thinker's round, but is rolled by the ally. The ally expends one Attack of Opportunity in order to use the Thinker's Set-Up Attack, but this is counted as an Attack Action.

**Contigency Plan** (PL): At level 19, Thinkers are so well-prepared that they can avoid being damaged by otherwise lethal attacks. They gain the ability to invoke a Death Retcon once per game session without having to spend Hero Points. They must follow all the standard rules for Death Retcon.