Join the Discord

SPACER

◀ Rulebooks

Ver. 1.3.1

Researcher

Class

The Researcher is a focused spellcaster. They devote their studies to a single school of magic, with the goal of learning and refining its many spells and enchantments and looking for ways to use their magic to advance society.

The role of a Researcher in an adventuring party is highly variable depending on the school of magic they focus on. Those with an Elemental focus are more suited to combat encounters, while those looking to fill a social role might choose Hypnotism to get what they need or Divination to see through falsehoods. Researchers looking for a more utilitarian approach might consider Physiomancy for its many practical uses, and a researcher of Restoration can be an effective healer.

Advanced Researchers can begin to scribe entirely new spells of their own creation.

Class Information

Playing as a Researcher

While Adventuring

You search for magical items and auras that might help you solve a puzzle. You think of creative ways to use your school of magic to overcome obstacles. For example, a researcher of Physiomancy might help their team scale a wall by levitation, while a Lithomancy researcher would prefer to break it down with sheer destructive force.

During Social Interaction

You're very logical and clever. You're tempted to share your wealth of research knowledge with others, which can sometimes lead to being seen as a know-it-all. Researchers of Psionic Magic might use their abilities to manipulate others into doing their bidding when necessary.

In Combat

Your place in combat depends heavily on your school of magic and your teammates. Researchers of Banishment, Sangromancy, or an Elemental Magic school excel on the front lines, while those of other schools might focus on healing or supporting spells. Still, your resourcefulness leads you to always be on the lookout for creative ways to use your school of magic to dispatch foes, no matter what it may be.

While Resting

You meditate, study spell scripts, and work on creating or refining your crafted spells.

Starting Equipment

When creating a leveled character that starts with this class, consult the Mercenary Starting Equipment table to determine what items you start with. You receive all of the items listed for your starting level and all levels below it. You can choose to replace any number of items with their equivalent value in credits (CR).

Class Features

Researcher Specialties

At Level 1, choose two Natural Skills from the Researcher's Natural Skills list, and gain one new Knowledge of your choice.

Spellcasting

At Level 1, you may begin to learn and cast spells. Increase your caster level to 1.

Assign initial values to your magical skills. As a Researcher, you have 4 points to spend on these skills, and you can choose from all six forms of magic.

Spell Studies

At each level where you receive this bonus, you learn new spells from the Spell Study Guide.

As a Researcher, once you've chosen your research major, you learn all spells of the listed level and rarity in your school of magic when you receive this feature. You can also choose a number of spells from the other schools of magic that share a form with yours, and a small number from other forms.

The rarity symbols shown in the table below indicate the maximum rarity of the spells you learn. You learn all spells of lesser rarity in your major that you didn't already know at each level, and you may choose spells of lesser rarity when selecting from other schools.

Restricted Schools: If your major is a school of Spectral Magic or Temporal Magic, you can learn Restricted spells in that school.

Research Major

List of the Schools of Magic

At level 2, you must declare your Major. This is the school of magic that you will devote the majority of your time to studying and perfecting.

Gain your Major's form of magic skill as a Natural Skill. Add your Primary Proficiency Bonus to spellcasting skill checks in your major. Your Proficiency Bonuses increase as you level up according to the Researcher table.

You learn all Level 1 Common spells in your major school of magic. As you level up, you'll automatically learn all of the spells your major has to offer.

Specialty Improvement

At each level you receive this bonus, choose one of your specialties and increase its level by 1. Specialties can't be increased above 3.

If you don't have any specialties that can be improved when you receive this bonus, you may gain 1 point in a new specialty of your choice..

Natural Skill Improvement

At each level you receive this bonus, increase each of your natural skills by one level.

This feature can't increase any skill higher than 7 unless you're level 20 or higher. This feature cannot be used to become Legendary.

TIP: To increase a skill beyond 7 at an earlier level, use the Skill Improvement General Feat.

Learning Experience

At each level you receive this bonus, choose one of your knowledges and increase its level by 1, or gain 1 point in a new knowledge subject of your choice. If your Intelligence score is 15 or greater, you may do this twice each time you receive this bonus. If it's 20 or greater, you may do this three times.

Knowledges can't be increased beyond 10 at any level.

Researcher Bonus

At each level where you receive this bonus, choose one of the following:

• Learn one common spell or enchantment from the Spell Study Guide in your major(s), at your current caster level or lower.
• Gain a +1 class bonus to an Intelligence-based skill (Medicine, Technology, Logic, Determination, or any of your knowledges).
• Gain a +1 class bonus to your Spellcraft skill.

Focal Energy

More Info: Focal Energy

At Level 6, you've gained enough experience with your school of magic that casting spells in it take less of your energy. You gain a pool of Focal Energy - energy that can be used to cast spells from your school of magic.

Your Focal Energy increases with each level according to the Researcher table. Whenever you cast a spell in your major, you may choose to use your focal energy to cast it. If you don't have enough focal energy, you can use your normal energy to provide the remainder.

Focal energy is restored when you finish a long rest, just like your normal energy. However, focal energy can't be regained via any other effect that restores normal energy such as potions.

Spellcraft

Main Page: Spellcraft

At Level 8, you can begin to attempt creating entirely new spells. As a Researcher, you can inscribe any type of spell or simple enchantment that falls into your major school of magic. Your Spellcraft Skill is equal to your Proficiency Bonus for that school.

Apprentice Research

At Level 8, your research expands to include uncommon spells. You learn all uncommon spells in your school of magic from 1^st to 3^rd level. From this level onward, your Spell Studies include all common and uncommon spells in your major.

Ability Score Improvement

At each level where you receive this bonus, increase one of your ability scores by 2, or two different scores by 1 each.

Ability scores can't be increased beyond 20 using this feature until your overall level reaches 15, and no ability score can be increased beyond 30 at any level.

After updating your score, be sure to update the relevant modifiers, including skills and other calculated stats that factor in the increased scores.

Fast Casting

Starting at Level 12, you're able to cast spells in your major more quickly than most mages. When you cast a Quick, Standard, or Sustained spell in your school of magic, you can choose to perform a Fast Cast. If you do, you take a -5 penalty to the Spellcasting check, but the spell takes one frame less to cast than it would normally. You can use this feature a maximum of once per round. (Quick spells become free actions. Sustained spells start casting as a free action but must still be sustained for at least one frame. If the spell's casting difficulty is trivial, the difficulty becomes 5 when using Fast Casting.)

Starting at Level 22, you can use Fast Casting on Charged spells. A fast-cast Charged spell completes in three frames and does not require you to hold concentration until your next turn.

Independent Researcher

At Level 15, your research expands to include rare spells. You learn all rare spells in your school of magic from 1^st to 5^th level. From this level onward, your Spell Studies include all common, uncommon, and rare spells in your major.

Spell Thesis

At Level 16, you've composed a detailed essay about a single spell you've studied. Choose a spell you know, or one that you've crafted that has reached Peer Reviewed (3) or higher. The spell must be from your major's school of magic. That spell becomes your Signature Spell. When you cast your Signature Spell, you do so 2 levels higher.

(Increase your skill level by 2 when casting this spell. For example, with a Divine Magic skill level of 4, your Signature Spell in Divine Magic would be cast as though your skill level were 6 when determining the cast difficulty.)

Graduate Studies

At Level 20, you've become a distinguished expert in your school of magic. Not content with remaining focused on just the one school, you're ready to broaden your horizons a bit. Choose one of the following:

• Branch Out: Your expand your studies to include all schools under the form of magic your initial major falls under. You learn all Legendary or lower-rarity spells from 1^st through 7^th level in those schools of magic. From now on, whenever you receive the Spell Studies bonus, you learn all spells in each of these schools of magic as though they were your major.
• Double Major: Choose a second major from a different form of magic. You learn all Legendary or lower-rarity spells from 1^st through 7^th level in that school of magic. From now on, whenever you receive the Spell Studies bonus, you learn all spells in each of these schools of magic as though they were your major.

You gain the ability to use your Focal Energy and Fast Casting on spells from these other schools of magic. Add your Secondary Proficiency Bonus to spellcasting checks in your secondary school(s).

Senior Researcher

At Level 20, your research expands to include legendary spells. You learn all legendary spells in your school of magic from 1^st to 7^th level. From this level onward, your Spell Studies include all common, uncommon, rare, and legendary spells in your major.

Professor

At Level 24, you've qualified to become a professor of spellcraft at the mysterious Unseen University. You gain the following benefits:

• You cast all spells in your original major 2 levels higher, your seconary major(s) 1 level higher, and your Signature Spell 3 levels higher.
• You gain a +10 class bonus to Learn Spell checks in your majors.
• You can assist others on Learn Spell checks in your majors. The creature you're assisting must be semi-conscious.

Research Breakthrough

At Level 26, you make a major discovery about a little-known capability of your school of magic that perhaps even your superiors would rather you didn't know. You may learn one Classified spell from your school of magic's Spell Study Guide, of any level.

Arcane Prodigy

At Level 30, others in the magical community look to you as one of the preeminent masters of your school. You gain the following benefits:

• You cast all spells in your original major 5 levels higher, your secondary major(s) 2 levels higher, and your Signature Spell 8 levels higher.
• You automatically succeed on Learn Spell checks in your majors.
• You no longer suffer a penalty to use Fast Casting.
• Fast Cast Charged spells complete in 2 frames.
• You gain a +10 class bonus to Determination saves to resist your concentration being broken.

Researcher Class Feats