#khefak

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Forensic Medicine Methodology (Pathfinder Second Edition Investigator Methodology)

(photography by drop-the-dagger on DeviantArt)

It is gristly work, but there is much that a body can tell us about the events that lead to their death if we know what to look for. Such is the basis of forensic medicine, and therefore, the subject we are looking at today.

The exact shape and results of a wound can tell the investigator what sort of weapon was used to make it, as well as anything unusual about it, while the presence of carrion insects can tell a lot about the time of death, and small marks and wounds might tell more about the exact circumstances that led to the deceased entering their current state. Imagine how this is extrapolated in a fantasy universe where a victim might show signs of unusual necrosis from a necromantic wound, or how they might show signs of extreme fright from a phantasmal killer spell, and so on.

While other investigators may be called in to examine the evidence of any sort of crime, today’s subject is almost exclusively expected to be investigating scenes of murder and death. However, their keen eye for detail can be used elsewhere, and their medical knowledge can also benefit the living. Such is the nature of their chosen profession.

In any case, this methodology might not have any fancy tricks like their counterparts, but with a little creativity and love of investigation fiction, it can be a perfect way to add some fun flavor to investigating, giving clues to upcoming foes.

With their training, these investigators have a knack for gaining additional details from examining cadavers. What’s more, they’re trained in medical practices, and able to heal themselves and others much more regularly through completely mundane methods.

That may be fairly basic, but there is one feats out there specifically tied to this methodology: Scalpel’s Point, which lets them use their knowledge of anatomy to strike for their foe’s arteries to cause bleeding.

Of course, other feats might prove useful for them as well, such as Flexible Studies, Known Weaknesses, That’s Odd, Ongoing Investigation, Connect the Dots, Predictive Purchase, Thorough Research, Whodunnit?, Reason Rapidly, Strategic Bypass, Reconstruct the Scene, and Just the Facts, though obviously some may be more useful to you depending on your build.

While not as flashy as other methodologies, being able to gain information specifically from the dead can be quite useful. What’s more, it’s unobtrusive, letting you dictate most of the rest of the build based on your own preference as well!

It’s a long-running trope that coroners and others that examine the dead tend to be… eccentric, to say the least. Often talking to the deceased or behaving in strange but otherwise harmless ways. If that fits what you’re going for with your character, then go for it, but don’t feel forced into it. Also remember that often in real life, forensic science is not always the foolproof method they portray it as in certain shows.

Exceptionally old for even a ghoran, Tender has watched friends grow up and die, while their own cycle of rebirth only briefly has interruptions. This has given them a fascination with the state of a body after death, which they’ve channeled into their investigative pursuits to bring murderers to justice.

A common method of disposing of bodies in the Red City is to feed them to the khefaks, a species of mineral-eating arthropods. However, the half-eaten body discovered in the pits shows signs of radiation poisoning, suggesting they were still alive when the radioactive specimen consumed them. Now the investigation turns to identifying the body and the sadist that doomed them to such a fate.

A recent string of serial murders has the city in an uproar, the only connecting factor being the method. The victims literally have their hearts ripped out by violent force, as if by an impossibly strong hand. Some has suggested a warrior bolstered by some potion of strength, while others think it might be some powerful wizard’s construct. Finding the truth will mean combing each killing for evidence.

[real-live-human]

Floor 5, Room 11

weekly theme: sleep

the dream shifts again, this time to the red deserts of akiton. surrounding the players are five enormous arthropods, and the air around them seems to sizzle and warp slightly.

monsters: 5x thasteron khefak

loot: there is nothing of value here.