Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild

Investigator

You relentlessly seek the truth. Perhaps you're motivated by belief in the law and a sense of universal justice, or maybe that very law has failed you and you seek to make things right. You could have witnessed something remarkable or terrible, and now you must know more about this hidden truth. Or maybe you're a detective for hire, uncovering secrets for well-paying clients. Whether the mysteries you're embroiled in are local crimes or realm-spanning conspiracies, you're driven by a personal need to hunt down even the most elusive clues and reveal what others would keep hidden in the shadows.

Skill Proficiencies Choose two from among Insight, Investigation, or Perception
Tool Proficiencies Disguise kit, thieves' tools
Equipment
  • A magnifying glass
  • Evidence from a past case (choose one or roll for a trinket from the Horror Trinkets table)
  • A set of common clothes
  • Pouch with 10gp.

Features

Path to Mystery

Your first case influenced the types of mysteries you're interested in. Why was this case so impactful, personal, or traumatic? Whom did it affect besides you? Why and how did you get involved? Was it solved? How did it set you on the path to investigating other mysteries? Roll on or choose details from the First Case table below to develop the mystery that started your career as an investigator.
D8Case
1 A friend was wrongfully accused of murder. You tracked down the actual killer, proving your friend's innocence and starting your career as a detective.
2 You're told you went missing for weeks. When you were found, you had no memory of being gone. Now you search to discover what happened to you.
3 You helped a spirit find peace by finding its missing corpse. Ever since, other spectral clients have sought you out to help them find rest.
4 You revealed that the monsters terrorizing your home were illusions created by a cruel mage. The magic-user escaped, but you've continued to uncover magical hoaxes.
5 You were wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime. You managed to escape and seek to help others avoid the experience you suffered, even while still being pursued by the law.
6 You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with them, tracking down dangerous supernatural phenomena and preventing them from doing harm.
7 You found evidence of a conspiracy underpinning society. You tried to expose this mysterious cabal, but no one believed you. You're still trying to prove what you know is true.
8 You got a job with an agency that investigates crimes that local law enforcement can't solve. You often wonder which you value more, the truth or your pay.

Official Inquiry

You're experienced at gaining access to people and places to get the information you need. Through a combination of fast-talking, determination, and official-looking documentation, you can gain access to a place or an individual related to a crime you're investigating. Those who aren't involved in your investigation avoid impeding you or pass along your requests. Additionally, local law enforcement has firm opinions about you, viewing you as either a nuisance or one of their own.

Traits

D8Personality Trait
1I'm always polite and respectful.
2I’m haunted by memories of war. I can’t get the images of violence out of my mind.
3I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones.
4I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.
5I can stare down a hell hound without flinching.
6I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.
7I have a crude sense of humor.
8I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

Ideal

D6Ideal
1Greater Good: Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)
2Responsibility: I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)
3Independence: When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)
4Might: In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
5Live and Let Live: Ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)
6Nation: My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)

Bond

D6Bond
1I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.
2Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.
3My honor is my life.
4I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
5Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
6I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Flaw

D6Flaw
1The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.
2I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.
3I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
4My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.


Created by

Ezrageric.

Statblock Type

Background

Link/Embed