Talia Stirling, Washed-Up Investigator

[theredshirtwholive]

Talia Stirling

""I may be a criminal, but I'm a criminal with standards.""

 

Human (Versatile) ANCESTRY     Detective BACKGROUND     Investigator CLASS

 

STR 12 (+1)

DEX 16 (+3)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 18 (+4)

WIS 10 (+0)

CHA 10 (+0)

 

BASICS	SAVES
Perception +5 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Speed 25 feet Alignment Chaotic Good	Fortitude +4 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CON) Reflex +8 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX) Will +5 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS)

SKILLS

PROFICIENCIES

Acrobatics +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX) Arcana +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛  (INT) Athletics +1 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (STR) Crafting +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Deception +3 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Diplomacy +3 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Intimidation +0 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Lore: Underworld +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Medicine +3 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Nature +1 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Occultism +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Performance +0 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Religion +3 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Society +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Stealth +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX) Survival +0 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Thievery +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX)

Class DC 17 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Unarmed Attacks  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Simple Weapons  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Martial Weapons  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Advanced Weapons  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Unarmoured Defence 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Light Armour 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Medium Armour 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Heavy Armour 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnoll, Goblin, Kelish, Aklo

 

FEATS AND ABILITIES

ANCESTRY FEATS	CLASS FEATS	GENERAL FEATS
General Training (Crafter's Appraisal)Your adaptability manifests in your mastery of a range of useful abilities. You gain a 1st-level general feat. You must meet the feat's prerequisites, but if you select this feat during character creation, you can select the feat later in the process in order to determine which prerequisites you meet. Special You can select this feat multiple times, choosing a different feat each time. https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=68	Known WeaknessesWhenever you Devise a Stratagem, you can also attempt a check to Recall Knowledge as part of that action. If you critically succeed at the Recall Knowledge check, you notice a weakness and gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll from Devise a Stratagem. If you immediately convey this information to your allies as part of the check, each ally gains a +1 circumstance bonus to their next attack roll against the subject, as long as their attack is made before the beginning of your next turn. https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=1447	ToughnessYou can withstand more punishment than most before succumbing. Increase your maximum Hit Points by your level. The DC of recovery checks is equal to 9 + your dying condition value. https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=855

SKILL FEATS	CLASS ABILITIES	ARCHETYPE FEATS
Crafter's AppraisalYour knowledge of items' construction allows you to discern their magical effects as well. You can use Crafting instead of a skill associated with a magic tradition to Identify Magic on magic items, though not on any other sorts of magic. https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=2118 StreetwiseYou know about life on the streets and feel the pulse of your local settlement. You can use your Society modifier instead of your Diplomacy modifier to Gather Information. In any settlement you frequent regularly, you can use the Recall Knowledge action with Society to know the same sorts of information that you could discover with Diplomacy to Gather Information. The DC is usually significantly higher, but you know the information without spending time gathering it. If you fail to recall the information, you can still subsequently attempt to Gather Information normally. https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=846	Strategic StrikeWhen you strike carefully and with forethought, you deal a telling blow. When making a Strike that adds your Intelligence modifier on your attack roll due to Devising a Stratagem, you deal an additional 1d6 precision damage. As your investigator level increases, so too does the deadliness of your strategic strike. Increase the number of dice by one at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. On the CaseAs an investigator, you think of your adventures as cases waiting to be solved. You gain one activity and one reaction you can use to investigate cases: Pursue a Lead and Clue In. Pursue a LeadTRAITS: Concentrate, Exploration, Investigator FREQUENCY: once per 10 minutes You spend 1 minute examining the details of one potential clue, designating the subject related to that clue as the target of your active investigation. This subject is typically a single creature, item, or small location (such as a room or corridor), but the GM might allow a different scope for your investigation. You don't need to know the identity, purpose, or nature of the subject, but you do need to be aware of its existence. For instance, finding a footprint is enough to investigate the creature that left it, and seeing a hasty sketch of an item or location can be enough to start your investigation of that subject. Whenever you attempt a Perception or skill check to investigate a designated subject, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the check. The exact checks this applies to depend on the actions you use to investigate and are determined by the GM, but checks to investigate are typically Perception checks or skill checks that use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You can maintain two active investigations at a time. If you Pursue another Lead after that, the subject must be different from any of your current investigations (or rather, they must be different as far as you know), and you give up on a current subject of your choice. Once you've given up pursuit of a subject, you can't Pursue that Lead again until after the next time you make your daily preparations. Clue InTraits: Concentrate, Investigator Frequency: once every 10 minutes Trigger: another creature attempts a check to investigate a lead you're pursuing You share information with the triggering creature. They gain a circumstance bonus to their check equal to your circumstance bonus to checks investigating your subject from Pursue a Lead. The GM can add any relevant traits to this reaction depending on the situation, such as auditory and linguistic if you're conveying information verbally. Devise a StratagemTraits: Concentrate, Fortune, Investigator Frequency: once per round You assess a foe's weaknesses in combat and use them to formulate a plan of attack against your enemy. Choose a creature you can see and roll a d20. If you Strike the chosen creature later this round, you must use the result of the roll you made to Devise a Stratagem for your Strike's attack roll instead of rolling. You make this substitution only for the first Strike you make against the creature this round, not any subsequent attacks. When you make this substitution, you can also add your Intelligence modifier to your attack roll instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier, provided your Strike uses an agile or finesse melee weapon, an agile or finesse unarmed attack, a ranged weapon (which must be agile or finesse if it's a melee weapon with the thrown trait), or a sap. If you're aware that the creature you choose is the subject of a lead you're pursuing, you can use this ability as a free action. Methodology: Alchemical SciencesYour methodology emphasizes chemical and alchemical analysis, collecting information from unusual particles and fluids found on the scene. You possess enough alchemical know-how to whip up a few tinctures to help you with your cases. You're trained in Crafting and gain the Alchemical Crafting skill feat. In addition, you gain a standard formula book for free and learn the formulas for two additional common 1st-level alchemical items, which must be elixirs or tools. Each time you gain a level, you learn the formula for one common alchemical elixir or alchemical tool of any level of item you can create. During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile vials—alchemical concoctions that can quickly be turned into elixirs and tools— equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can use the Quick Tincture action to turn one of these vials into an elixir or alchemical tool for which you know the formula. Quick TinctureTraits: Investigator, Manipulate Single Action Cost: 1 versatile vial Requirements: You know the formula for the alchemical item you're creating, you are holding or wearing alchemist's tools, and you have a free hand. You quickly brew up a short-lived tincture. You create a single alchemical elixir or tool of your level or lower without having to spend the normal monetary cost in alchemical reagents or needing to attempt a Crafting check. This item has the infused trait, but it remains potent only until the end of the current turn.

Other Stats

Melee Strikes

       Unarmed: +4, 1d4+1 B damage

       Shortsword: +6, 1d6+1 P or S damage

Ranged Strikes

       Shortbow: +6, 1d6 P damage

AC: 18

Max Bulk: 6

Hit Points: 17/17

Known Formulas

Antidote (Lesser)An antidote protects you against toxins. Upon drinking an antidote, you gain a +2 item bonus to Fortitude saving throws against poisons for 6 hours.

Elixir of Life (Minor)Elixirs of life accelerate a living creature's natural healing processes and immune system. Upon drinking this elixir, you regain 1d6+1 Hit Points and gain a +1 item bonus to saving throws against diseases and poisons for 10 minutes.

Eagle Eye Elixir (Lesser) After you drink this elixir, you notice subtle visual details. For the next hour, you gain an item bonus to Perception checks (+1) that is greater when attempting to find secret doors and traps (+2).

Cognitive Mutagen (Lesser)Your mind becomes clear and cognition flows freely, but physical matters seem ephemeral.

Benefit: You gain an item bonus to Arcana, Crafting, Lore, Occultism, and Society checks and all checks to Recall Knowledge. Your critical failures on Recall Knowledge checks become failures instead.

Drawback: You take a –2 penalty to weapon and unarmed attack rolls, Athletics checks, and Acrobatics checks. You can carry 2 less Bulk than normal before becoming encumbered, and the maximum Bulk you can carry is reduced by 4.

The bonus is +1, and the duration is 1 minute.

Drakeheart Mutagen (Lesser)Your skin grows tough scales like a drake, your eyesight become sharp and your pupils slitted, and your limbs grow wiry and quick, but your mind and reflexes become slow.

Benefit: You gain the listed bonus to AC, a Dexterity cap of +2 (as usual, use your lowest Dexterity cap if you have more than one), and an item bonus to Perception checks. If you're wearing armor, you still calculate your proficiency bonus to AC based on your proficiency in the armor you're wearing, even if the drakeheart mutagen has a higher item bonus. You also gain the Final Surge action.

Activate Final Surge; Effect You Stride twice. The drakeheart mutagen's duration ends.

Drawback: You take a –1 penalty to Will saves, Reflex saves, and all skill checks to Recall Knowledge.

The item bonus to AC is +4, the item bonus to Perception is +1, and the duration is 1 minute or until you use Final Surge, whichever comes first.

Forensic DyeActivating this vial of colorless liquid requires inserting a small amount of another chemical or material, such as blood or mud. The vial reacts rapidly, transforming into a murky, reddish-brown substance.

Once activated, the dye remains potent for up to 10 minutes, during which time you can spend 1 minute to brush it onto a single object of up to 1 Bulk or across the ground in a single 5-foot square. Where the dye comes in contact with an exact match for the activating chemical, it takes on a bright blue hue, while staying transparent in areas where there is no activating component present.

Equipment

Studded Leather Armor (3 gp) (bulk 1, check penalty -1, Dex Cap +3, AC bonus +2)

Alchemist's Formula Book (free, bulk L)

Shortbow (3 gp) (bulk 1, hands 1+, range 60 feet, damage 1d6 P, reload 0, deadly d10)

20 arrows (2 sp) (2 L)

Shortsword (9 sp) (bulk L, hands 1, damage 1d6 P, agile, finesse, versatile S)

Adventurer's Pack (1 gp 5 sp) (1 bulk)

       10 pieces of chalk

       Backpack

       Bedroll

       Flint and steel

       50 feet of rope

       2 weeks' rations

       Soap

       5 torches

       Waterskin

Alchemist's tools (3 gp) (2 hands, bulk 1)

Ink and paper (1 sp)

Clay (1 cp)

Oil (1 cp)

10 foot pole (1 cp, 1 bulk)

Earplugs (1 sp)

Powder (1 sp) (bulk L)

Thieves' tools (3 gp) (bulk L)

Money: 3 gp 7 cp

Appearance

Talia's a lithe half-Keleshite, half-Taldane human woman in her late twenties with light golden skin. She's average height, and while she's in good shape, she's built more for dexterity than strength. Talia wears her dark brown hair in a choppy bob, although when she's disguising herself as a boy or working, she usually keeps that hair tucked under a hat that was, at one point, olive green. Her most distinctive feature would have to be her green eyes. If she can, she likes to accentuate them with the perfect smoky eye, but she hasn't been able to given recent events. Talia has a very expressive face, in that it can put on whatever expression she needs it to. She usually wears sturdy, practical clothes and a leather coat and gloves to protect herself from the explosions and chemicals that are ubiquitous in Alkenstar and conceal the thief's brand on her left hand.

Backstory

The Stirlings have worked in law enforcement in some capacity since Alkenstar's founding, and Talia's parents Ellis and Karima expected that their daughter would do no differently. However, after three year old Talia drove six babysitters to quit in as many weeks, whether because she would not stop asking questions or because she kept trying to climb every remotely tall object or building in sight or because she just didn't get why she wasn't allowed to do that, Ellis and Karima realized a few things. One, Talia was insatiably curious. Two, she had the potential to harness that curiosity and become the best investigator the Stirling family had ever seen.

 

Three, if Talia couldn't focus on one thing for more than three minutesI'm writing Talia as having ADHD/ADD based on my own childhood experiences. , she would never accomplish the dreams that, even at three, were already taking her from Hellside to the highest tower of Alkenstar Castle and beyond.

 

Upon realizing this about Talia, most of the Stirlings abandoned all hope that Talia would ever be a detective. Only Ellis, Karima, and Karima's mother Anjali still believed in her. They taught Talia her letters and tried their best to keep her brain engaged, but nothing quite seemed to stick until, after Talia got caught trying to climb the Temple of Brigh for the eigth time, Anjali offered to teach the girl the basics of alchemy. It worked perfectly. As she grew up, Talia went from making oobleck to forensic dye that she used to track down toys that went missing at family reunions to antidotes that she'd surreptitiously imbibe when Karima made brussels sprouts for dinner. Ellis, Karima, and Anjali encouraged her with stories of past cases they'd worked, fostering in her an intense love of puzzles and a knife-sharp wit for solving them. At 23, Talia entered the Alkenstar Guard Academy. Ellis, Karima, and Anjali all sat in the front row of her induction ceremony beaming in pride...with the other Stirlings sitting in the back with gobsmacked expressions.

 

Talia thrived in the Academy. Entering at 23, she was a little older than the other cadets, and they came to view her as the mom friend of their cohort. She made friends and established herself as an adult, and when she graduated three years later, she was assigned to a beat in the Ferrous Quarter. She did not like working as a beat cop. Oh, she could run down a suspect and stop a crime as needed, but her goofy side and short attention span meant she had trouble with the parts of working a beat where she had to stand there in a uniform and look official. Talia despaired of ever making it into the investigative unit until, six months after she graduated, the detective who was scheduled to go undercover as crime boss Keller Frye's secretary broke her leg. Talia, who had arrested some of the crime boss's underlings before, remembered that Frye was an inveterate womanizer with a weakness for pretty blondes with green eyes. She dyed her hair, walked into the precinct, and proposed that she be the one to go undercover. As a new officer, she'd be harder to recognize, and with her new hair, the chances that he'd try to seduce her and thus enable her to get even more information were good. To her surprise, her superior officers okayed it. Her plan worked just as expected. Talia didn't just find proof of money laundering in Frye's encrypted ledgers-ledgers that she managed to crack. She also managed to get Frye's guard down enough that he admitted to several murders in the hopes of impressing her with his power.

 

The Frye bust marked the beginning of a successful career in investigations for Talia. She went after assassins and smugglers, jewel thieves and spies, all with some variety of disguise or alias. Throughout these endeavors, she learned a great deal of the world of crime, even making some friends among the less evil of the city's underbelly who saw through her disguises, kept her secret, and were still willing to aid her.

 

Then, one unremarkable day, Talia was assigned to go after a group of corrupt officers using investigations of a series of bank robberies to perpetrate them. All went well until Talia was asked to participate in one of the robberies. She signaled the other officers to interrupt the robbery, but the robbers tricked her into directing her colleagues to the wrong bank. Talia was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting larceny, but when she tried to explain that she was undercover, her service records were destroyed. She tried to call in her family to testify, but Ellis and Karima managed to get a message to her-if they testified on their daughter's behalf, Anjali would be murdered. Unwilling to let that happen, Talia pleaded guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence. Rather than throw her in prison, the Shieldmarshals branded her as a thief and turned her loose.

 

That was the worst night of her life. Unable to get a job with her thief's brand, Talia resorted to using her criminal connections to get work and survive. She found herself turning to alcohol as she found herself having to make increasingly tough choices that compromised her morals. Only the timely intervention of her friend Nodren after a particularly nasty bender snapped her out of it. Nodren fished her out of a bar and told her that he'd learned that Shieldmarshal Anjelique Loveless had been responsible for Talia losing everything. One year has passed since then, and Talia has built herself something of a career as a thief and mastermind, but one desire burns in her heart: revenge.

Personality

At her core, Talia's a very goofy person who loves bad jokes, puns, and somewhat...juvenile humor. However, the past few years have forced her to become increasingly serious as she struggles to pick jobs and execute her heists in ways that don't compromise her morals. She can be quite sharp in her temper, and she doesn't really suffer fools gladly. However, to her loved ones, she is ferociously loyal, and she would do anything for them, even sacrifice her career and reputation.

 

Talia's very curious and ferociously clever. This manifests itself in an ability to solve problems creatively, whether it's coming up with a way for the evidence to fit together or infiltrating a well-guarded fortress. She can sometimes overthink her solutions, and she prefers to be able to control as much as she can. If given a choice between getting the job done and getting the job done in a way that humiliates the target or provides restitution to the target's victims, she will always go for the latter. However, she's willing to sacrifice flashy for the sake of the mission.

 

Talia does not like sitting still, and she usually needs to take notes to get information down.

Edited June 30, 2022 by theredshirtwholive (see edit history)

[Faux Flag]

@theredshirtwholive, thanks for sending in an app. I'm assuming Talia is ready?

 

Talia has a great backstory that really captures the detective noir prevalent in the setting. Her rise from being considered hopeless by her family to an accomplished investigator in her own right, all the while using the unique skills and innovativeness that stem from her personality. Her subsequent fall from grace by no fault of her own, especially at the hands of corrupt lawkeepers, is a good motive and ties in well with the campaign's theme of revenge.

 

Everything looks good mechanically, I'll mark Talia as complete!

[theredshirtwholive]

Talia is ready and RARING to go! I built her as heavily inspired by Nate Ford from Leverage...but somehow my hand slipped and several very large spoonfuls of Jake Peralta from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and my own experiences with ADHD fell in!

Edited July 1, 2022 by theredshirtwholive (see edit history)