Investigator Review

Sorry for the lateness! Brief review incoming. I’m only covering the core features as I feel that something needs to be addressed in the defining feature which could potentially alter how the (empirical) archetypes would be constructed/function.

As normal, this is all purely my opinion and is intended as constructive.

I really have a soft spot for Scholar/Academic/Investigator classes. Great pick and a solid start!

I've copied the features in the spoiler for clarity.

Spoiler: Investigator Features
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Flawless Analyst (level 1)
Your observational skills have been honed to an uncanny degree of excellency. Even while in the heat of combat you can quickly examine your opponent or obstacle and determine their strengths and weaknesses.

The act of doing so is mentally exhausting though so you can only do it a limited number of times. Your ability to exercise this talent is represented by Analysis Points. You have a number of Analysis Points equal to your intelligence modifier . All uses are restored after you complete a short or long rest.

When you use a bonus action to expend an analysis point, you learn some of the following statistics about one creature or object which you can see. It is impossible for you to use this trait if you are blinded. You learn an amount of statistics chosen from the list below equal to your proficiency bonus each time you use this feature.


  • The creature's type (and subtype if applicable) or, if it is an object, what type of material (such as metal, stone or wood) it is made out of.
  • One of the creature's ability scores.
  • Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn if the creature's/object's armor class is greater than, less than or equal to that number.
  • Choose any number between 1 and 700. You learn whether the creature's/object's current hit points are greater then, less than or equal to that number.
  • What that creature's/object's damage resistances and immunities are.
  • What that creature's/object's damage vulnerabilites are.
  • Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn if the creature's attack bonus for one attack of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.
  • The damage type(s) of one attack or feature of your choice which the creature/object can peform.
  • Choose any number between 1 and 100. You learn whether the average damage dealt by one attack or feature of your choice which the creature/object can perform is greater then, less than or equal to that number.
  • Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn if the saving throw DC of one effect which the creature or object causes is greater than, less than or equal to that number.
  • The title of one special feature of your choice and all of the details about it except for the exact numbers of its save DC, damage or similar statistics.
  • All of the additional types of speed that creature possesses. This does not tell you how fast they can move with these different speeds, just if they can move in that manner.
  • Choose a number between 0 and 150. You learn if one of the creature's speeds of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.
  • Choose any number between 1 and 30. You learn If the bonus the creature gets to saving throws tied to a specific ability score of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.
  • All of the creature's skill proficiencies. This does not tell you their proficiency bonus, just which proficiencies they have.
  • All of the condition immunities that creature/object has.
  • All of the special senses which that creature has.
  • Choose any number between 0 and 150. You learn if the radius of one of the creature's special senses of your choice is greater than, less than or equal to that number.
  • All of the languages which that creature knows. If the creature is telepathic, you know that too but you can't determine the exact radius of the telepathy.


Improved Analysis (level 2)
Your analytical skills have been enhanced and you can now almost instantly detect weaknesses in your foe's offensive or defensive strategy. Whenever you use your Flawless Analyst feature, you may choose any of the following options instead of learning some statistics. If you choose to grant an effect of this feature to an ally instead of yourself (as mentioned in the effect's description), you do so using your Telepathy feature.

  • You carefully examine the motions that a creature takes to make its attacks and determine how to best deflect them. You or one ally of your choice can add your proficiency bonus to their/your AC against any attack roll made by that single creature until the end of your next turn.
  • You study the areas of the body which the creature prefers to strike and ascertain how to best avoid taking damage. You or one ally of your choice can decrease the damage roll of any attack made by that single target by your proficiency bonus until the end of your next turn.
  • You look for any less well protected part of the creature and determine how to aim there the best. You or one ally of your choice can add your proficiency bonus to any attack rolls made against that single creature until the end of your next turn.
  • You assess where the vital areas of a creature is and deduce how to best strike them. You or one ally of your choice can add your proficiency bonus to any damage rolls made against that single target until the end of your next turn.


I’m combining my comments in regards to Flawless Analyst and Improved Analysis in one as I believe they should be a single feature as 1) Flawless Analyst alone is (imo) a ribbon which shouldn’t stand alone as the class defining feature, 2) the guessing game with the ranges makes the feature depend a lot on guessing and might slow down the game flow if multiple guesses had to be made and responded to, and 3) it seems odd to have a feature and then give an upgraded feature one level later.

First, general comments in regards to both features… Flawless Analyst notes that it does not work if you are blinded. Does this include not working in darkness (assuming you cannot see – or even if you can, as darkvision only allows for shades of grey)? What about areas of dim light where perception is generally impacted? In regards to Improved Analysis, I would suggest that you don’t tie any of the features to proficiency bonus as this would allow the feature to scale with any class on a (multi-class) dip. Any class would greatly benefit from a 2 level dip in this class as it would allow for a +6 (at upper levels) to either AC, attack roll, or – to a lesser extent – the damage buff or decrease. Consider replacing this with a bonus tied specifically to this class (e.g. Insight Bonus) that scales similarly to something like Barbarian’s Rage bonus.

This is how I would change/combine the two features (noting that it would be the class defining feature given at level 1).

Of course, and this may be a good thing, some design space would open up at level 2. You’d need an additional feature.

Revised Flawless Analysis
Your observational skills have been honed to an uncanny degree of excellence. Even while in the heat of combat you can quickly examine your opponent or obstacle and determine their strengths and weaknesses.

The act of doing so is mentally exhausting though so you can only do it a limited number of times. Your ability to exercise this talent is represented by Analysis Points. You have a number of Analysis Points equal to your intelligence modifier. All uses are restored after you complete a short or long rest.
If you choose to grant an effect of this feature to an ally instead of yourself (as mentioned in the effect's description), the ally must be able to see or hear you and uses their reaction to gain the benefit of the feature.

  • You draw upon your knowledge and deductive reasoning to discern the strengths and weaknesses of an observed creature. Make an Investigation check against a DC of 10 + the creature’s CR. If you are successful, you learn the creature’s AC, normal HPs, damage resistances and vulnerabilities, attack types, and any special features. A creature is aware of this observation and may react accordingly.
  • You carefully examine the motions that a creature takes to make its attacks and determine how to best deflect them. You or one ally of your choice can add your Insight bonus to their/your AC against any attack roll made by that single creature until the end of your next turn.
  • You study the areas of the body which the creature prefers to strike and ascertain how to best avoid taking damage. You or one ally of your choice can decrease the damage roll of any attack made by that single target by your Insight bonus until the end of your next turn.
  • You look for any less well protected part of the creature and determine how to aim there the best. You or one ally of your choice can add your Insight bonus to any attack rolls made against that single creature until the end of your next turn.
  • You assess where the vital areas of a creature is and deduce how to best strike them. You or one ally of your choice can add your Insight bonus to any damage rolls made against that single target until the end of your next turn.


Expertise (level 1)
Choose two of your skill proficiencies, two of your tool proficiencies, or a skill proficiency and a tool proficiency. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At level 10, you choose another two proficiencies to gain this benefit.

I’d like to see this more geared to this specific class rather than a cut/paste. Perhaps re-flavor the feature name and lock in “expertise” with Investigation with one additional skill or tool of choice? It might be also be fun to add the Insight Bonus to passive perception.

Telepathy (level 2)
You can communicate telepathically with any creature within 120 feet of you.

You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. Whenever you send a telepathic message to a creature, they can decide to immediately send another message back.

Whenever you use your Flawless Analyst feature, you may also decide to immediately and telepathically send the information you learned to up to ten allies within range.

Is the intent here that you do not need to speak a common language with the targeted creature(s)?

At level 13, You can use your action to establish a telepathic bond with a willing creature that you have been within 120 feet of for at least an hour. A bonded target can telepthically communicate with you beyond any distance so long as you are both on the same plane of existence. A bonded target can send telepathic messages to you at any time and vice versa. You can only be bonded with one creature at a time. This bond ends whenever you use this feature to create a bond with another creature, or if you consciously decide to drop it on your turn (no action required).

I think the addition of “on your turn…” is probably unnecessary.

Unconventional Actions (level 3)
As an Investigator you have become accustomed to assissting your group fight enemies by performing the activities which others can rarely afford to do. Because of this you can frequently commit to these tasks with more efficiency than ohters. You gain all of the following benefits.

Dodge: While under the effects of the Dodge action you have advantage on all saving throws and the action's benefits cannot end prematurely if your speed is dropped to 0.

Help: If you take the Help action to aid an ally in making an attack roll, then you do not need to be within 5 ft of the target so long as that ally can be affected by your Telepathy and you can see the target.

Search: If you take the Search action on your turn you can use a bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

Use an Object: You can interact with up to five objects on your turn before you must make the Use an Object action to interact with a sixth.

Stabilize: When you use your action to administer first aid to a creature with 0 hit points, you automatically succeed on the check and the target regains an amount of hit points equal to your intelligence modifier.

How is the Use an Object feature intended to interact with things such as drinking a potion? Also, I’m not sure stabilize really fits in the Investigator theme you have going… it’s more a Scholar type niche.

Empirical Archetype (level 3)
At 3rd level, you choose an empirical archetype. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 14th level.

Calculated Strike (level 4)
You have learned to put all of your focus into carefully measuring out how to best hit your opponent. You may use a bonus action on your turn to target one enemy whithin 150 ft of you that you can see. After the target has been chosen make an Intelligence (Investigation) with a DC equal to 8 + the target's dexterity modifier + the target's proficiency bonus. If you succeed on this check then the next weapon attack you make against that target until the end of your current turn is a critical hit. In additon, if you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll which has the benefit of this feature, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll.

It might be cleaner to make the DC here equal to 8 + the target’s AC (for example).

Ability Score Improvement (Level 4)
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Psychic Linguist (level 6)
You learn an additional two languages of your choice. This can inlcude languages spoken only by one type of creature, such as gnoll or yeti.

In addition to that, you have recieved the ability to telepathically probe the mind of somebody and learn a language which they know. Choose one creature within 120 ft. of you that you have heard speak. The target must then succeed on a wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to your passive Intelligence (Investigation) score. If the target is willing, then they have disadvantage on the check. On a failure you automatically learn one language of your choice that they know, but on a success nothing happens.

Either way, the target cannot tell that you have tried to use this trait on them unless they are proficient with insight . Creatures which have proficiency with insight suffer a harmless migraine if they are subjected to this feature, but cannot pinpoint the exact cause.

You can understand, speak, read and write this language you learned until you complete a long rest, after which it fades from your memory.

Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

At level 16, a target of this feature automatically fails the saving throw unless it is immune to mind reading effects. In additon to that, you learn another two languages.

If the target is willing, I don’t see the need to force a saving throw at all.

Psionic Warcry (level 18)
Whenver you use your Improved Analysis feature, instead of granting that benefit to one target or yourself, you may instead give that effect to you and up to 10 creatures (using your Telepathy).
Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

I would consider long rest ONLY as a recovery. A lot of power here (as you’re in the +6 to everything now). If you do make a change to the core feature (such as requiring a reaction on the part of the recipient), you could probably get away with short or long recoveries.

Blindsight (level 20)
Not only has your ability to observe by sight become unparalleled, but your other senses too have reached a capacity beyond belief. You have blindsight out to a 120 ft. radius. Because of this, you no longer need to see a target to be able to use any feature or spell which requires it. This feature does not work if you are deafened.

I don’t feel the deafened part is needed --– this is a capstone (and, as the first sentence indicates, the other four sense would more than make up for the [temporary] loss of hearing)

In closing, I like the class but there are expected power bumps at 5th, 11th, and 17th levels. The archetypes might cover this at 11th level but it’s certainly not a traditional progression of features.

Again, sorry for the brief review, but I wanted to squeeze in this one (and one additional) before the contest ends.

Best of luck!