General Prestige Class : Watch Detective
When thieves and murderers strike in the night, citizens always wonder whether anyone can track down the perpetrators and set things straight. When the watch detective is on the case, they can rest easy
The watch detective specializes in solving mysteries. Using a battery of clue-ferreting skills and abilities, he evaluates and discards possibilities until only one remains - the truth. The Rule of Evidence to which he ascribes (see sidebar) restrains him from using his gifts to gain the truth through unfair means, demanding that he focus only on tangible facts as proof. Of course, once the watch detective solves the mystery, it's likely that the guilty party won't want to be brought to justice. Thus, it's also important for the watch detective to know the techniques of combat.
Fighters and warriors make up the bulk of any city watch force, but watch detectives often begin their careers as rangers or rogues. The vast majority of the rangers who opt for this prestige class are urban rangers. Wizards, sorcerers, clerics, and bards make especially good watch detectives when they can qualify for the class, though they may find that the Rule of Evidence hampers their ability to get at the truth. Elves find this lifestyle especially gratifying because it celebrates the mind in a not-too-subtle show of intellectual superiority Gnomes and halflings have the inquisitive streak necessary for this career, and they have established many an effective city watch force in lands where their size would otherwise be a detriment.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Watch Detective, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any nonevil.
- Skills: Gather Information 4 ranks, Knowledge (any) 4 ranks, Search 8 ranks.
- Feats: Track.
- Special: The watch detective must honor the Rule of Evidence. If he abandons this code, he loses all special abilities of the prestige class until he retrains for six months under a local authority.
Class Skills
The watch detective's class skills are Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (any), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the watch detective prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Watch detectives are proficient with light armor and simple weapons.
City Watch Training: At 1st level, the watch detective gains a +2 insight bonus on all Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Expertise: At 2nd level, the character gains the Expertise fear, regardless of his Intelligence score.
Obsessive Specialty: When the watch detective reaches 2nd level, he obsessively seeks knowledge about a particular topic. Choose one Knowledge skill for his specialty. The character thereafter gains a bonus equal to his watch detective level on all Knowledge checks of this sort.
Profile (Ex): Also at 2nd level, the watch detective may compose an image of someone accused of a crime. By making a successful Gather Information check (DC 15) when talking with a witness to a crime, the watch detective can gain a roughly accurate mental picture of the perpetrator, even if the witness did nor see him or her. The character may, if desired, try to commit this image to paper using the Craft (painting) skill. Either a verbal or a visual depiction grants a +2 insight bonus on any further Gather Information checks made when dealing with witnesses to that crime or persons acquainted with the perpetrator.
Cooperative Interrogation: At 3rd level, when the watch detective succeeds in a Bluff check against someone, he automatically grants any one other person a +4 circumstance bonus on one Intimidate check against that same target for 1 round. When the watch detective succeeds in an Intimidate check, he can give a similar +4 circumstance bonus on someone else's Bluff check. (Two watch inspectors can support each other with this maneuver for many rounds.)
Superior Disarming: At 3rd level, the watch detective is always considered armed when making a disarm attempt, and he gains a +4 bonus on any attack roll made to disarm an opponent.
Deductive Augury (Sp): The watch detective may ask for a hint to a mystery, puzzle, or trap. As a standard action, the player makes an assertion that can be true or untrue (such as "The half-orc did it" or "If I pull the red lever, the door will open"). The DM makes a secret percentile roll (chance of success = 70% + 1% per watch inspector level), If the roll is successful, the Dungeon Master gives the player a correct "true" or "untrue" answer to the assertion, though no reason need be given for why the response is correct. If the roll fails, the DM provides no information. The Dungeon Master is always free to determine that the watch detective doesn't have enough information to make an educated guess, but in this case the attempt doesn't count against the allowed uses per day of the ability. The watch detective can use this ability once per day at 4th level Thereafter, he gains one extra use per day for every three additional watch detective levels gained.
Skill Synergy: At 4th level, the watch detective may choose one of the following skill combinations Bluff-Gather Information, Bluff-Diplomacy, Climb-Move Silently, Diplomacy-Gather Information, Disguise-Gather Information, Gather Information-Sense Motive, Hide-Move Silently, Listen-Read Lips, Listen-Spot, Sense Motive-Spot, Spot-Disable Device, Spot-Open Lock, Spot-Search. If he has at least 5 ranks is both of the selected skills, he gains a +2 synergy bonus as checks involving both.
No Subdual Penalty (Ex): At 5th level, the watch detective can deal subdual damage with a weapon that deals normal damage without suffering a -4 penalty on the attack.
Sense Secret Doors (Ex): A 5th-level or higher watch detective who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice is as if he were actively looking for it. An elven watch detective gains a +2 insight bonus on any Search check made to find a secret or concealed door.
Locate Object (Sp): At 6th level, the watch detective can produce an effect identical to that of a locate object spell cast by a sorcerer of his watch detective level.
Improved Subdual (Ex): At 7th level, the watch detective adds his Intelligence bonus on the subdual damage he deals whenever he makes an attack that can cause subdual damage only.
Forensics (Su): With a successful Search check (DC 20), an 8th-level or higher watch detective can discern the cause of death of any corpse he examines. Given time, he may take 20 on this roll. Success indicates that he knows what killed the person, the size and approximate strength of any attacker responsible, and any other key information the DM wishes to impart.
Discern Lies (Sp): At 9th level, the watch detective can produce an effect identical to that of a discern lies spell cast by a sorcerer of his watch detective level. This ability is usable once per day
Locate Creature (Sp): At 9th level, the watch detective can produce an effect identical to that of a locate creature spell cast by a sorcerer of his watch detective level. This ability is usable once per day.
Instant Knowledge (Su): Once per day a 10th-level watch detective may make an Intelligence check (DC 20). He may not take 10 or take 20 on this check. If successful, he gains a +10 insight bonus on one Knowledge check of any category. If he has no ranks in that particular Knowledge skill, he may make the check untrained.
| Watch Detective | Hit Die: d8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | City watch training |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Expertise, obsessive specialty, profile |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Cooperative interrogation, superior disarming |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Deductive augury 1/day, skill synergy |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | No subdual penalty, sense secret doors |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Locate object |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Deductive augury 2/day, improved subdual |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Forensics |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Discern lies, locate creature |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Deductive augury 3/day, instant knowledge |
The Rule of Evidence
Proof, not suspicion, is the only evidence that matters. A suspect may not be charged with a crime until unimpeachable evidence of his or her involvement has been uncovered, or a confession has been obtained.
Unnecessary violence in the apprehension of a suspected criminal is not permitted. A suspect should be brought to justice rather than killed whenever possible.
Seizure of a suspect's goods is not permitted, unless such constitute evidence to be used in prosecuting that suspect or another.
Evidence gained by detection magic, psionic powers, or other magical or supernatural means must be backed up with either physical proof or uncoerced confession. Only concrete forms of evidence satisfy all members of a community.
Interrogation of a suspect is not permitted unless he or she consents or is charged with a crime.
Detention of a person suspected of a crime is not permitted unless a specific charge has been made.
Protection of the innocent takes precedence over apprehension of a suspected criminal.
A watch detective may not knowingly commit crimes.
Violation of these codes may result in the release of a suspect and/or the dismissal of the watch detective.
Source: Masters of the Wild