Special Agent

SUMMARY:
Highly trained investigators, selected for their accomplishments, versatility, and psychic potential, Special Agents most often work for a government Agency, Bureau, Department or similar institution, but can also be found working for well resourced religious, or private institutions. Special Agents are tasked with channeling their psychic abilities to investigate violations of their parent Agency's laws, and bring violators of those laws to justice. Special Agents continually receive training, enchantment and blessings to enhance their innate psychic powers and succeed in their investigations. Special Agents often have access to special weapons, armors, and feats to assist them in carrying out their investigations.

RESTRICTIONS:

Prior to gaining the skills of a Special Agent, applicants are identified, monitored, vetted, and recruited, before attending a special training institution. This training should last for at least 4 months in game, but no more than 1 year. (Player characters interested in becoming a Special Agent must be proficient in Investigation or Perception skills, of any lawful alignment, and have a wisdom score of at least 15 before, before they can select this subclass).

Special agents all carry a "badge". The badge is some symbol of their Agency which is recognizable to those familiar with the Agency. Badges are always tangible items separate from the Special Agent, unlike a tattoo or brand. Examples of badges could be an article of clothing, medallion, belt buckle, distinctive ring or bracelet, or something more akin to the traditional badge used by federal law enforcement officers in the many countries.

Badges are not magical but rather are the dedicated embodiment of the Special Agents Agency and its mission. Badges enable the focus and channeling of the Special Agents' psychic energies. They need to be in the possession of the Special Agent for many of the Special Agents' abilities to work. All special abilities which indicate a badge as a focus, are temporarily lost while Special Agents are without their badges. Badges require attunement. The process of attuning a badge takes one hour.

If a badge is destroyed or lost, a Special Agent can use 4 hours of quiet dedicated meditation to channel the principles and goals of their Agencies to psychically create a new badge. While initially the new badge will appear very similar to the item used to create a new badge, psychic energy moving through the badge between the Special Agent and the Agency will gradually change the badge's appearance. Several days after the creation of a new badge, resemblances of the original badge will become apparent. Usually within two weeks, the item meditated upon to make the new badge has completely transformed to look just like the standard-issued badges of the Agency.

Badges can be taken away from the Special Agent, or depowered by the Agency, if Special Agents fail to follow in the Agency's principles. Meditation and psychic focus to create a new badge becomes impossible until the Agency reinstates the Special Agent, or the Special Agent transfers to a new Agency.

OTHER:

All Agencies which employee Special Agents are well known in the communities they operate, and sometimes across the realms. For example, the Special Agent's targets, a government representatives, or other Agencies and their staff, would all likely know of the existence of Special Agents and be able to identify them without difficulty. For these reasons, Special Agents have disadvantage on deception checks when trying to conceal their professional identity.

Due to the reliance on their Agencies' principals for psychic empowerment, Special Agents are very honest, even when of evil alignment. Special Agents have disadvantage when attempting to make deception checks about their mission, goals, or alliances. Special Agents may attempt to minimize encounters where information may be revealed, or adopt a quiet demeanor to prevent exposure of classified information.

Because of these  limitations, Special Agents oftentimes find it helpful work with other, similarly aligned, lawful partners in conducting their investigations. Those partners may be local sheriffs, city guards, other Special Agents from different Agencies, or law enforcement partners from other countries.

Special Agents have the general characteristics of others in the Ranger class, but, due to their overt activities against their targets and identification through their badges, their Agencies have trained them to be extra effective in protecting themselves. In addition to possible enhancements to ranged bow and crossbow attacks, Special Agents have the potential to also be proficient in medium armor, shields, and one-handed martial melee weapons.

Background Checks

At the conclusion of months of specialized training, you have honed your senses to detect lies and deception. When you make a Wisdom (Insight) check to determine if a creature is lying, treat a roll of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10.

You have also learned to harness your mental focus to attain expertise in perception, investigation, or nature checks.

Expertise in investigation checks

Expertise in investigation checks

Expertise in Nature checks

Expertise in Nature checks

Expertise in Perception checks

Expertise in Perception checks

Protect and Serve

Focusing on your badge, you can use an action to create a 30 foot radius of protective psychic energy centered on you. The Protect and Serve psychic field lasts for 1 hour or until you dispel it as a bonus action.

A number of lawfully aligned allies equal to or less than your proficiency bonus who are within the range of the field gain advantage on rolls made to resist certain spell effects. Protect and Serve may be triggered as many times as the Special Agent's wisdom modifier +3 (minimum of 3). All uses are recharged after a short or long rest.

At third level you and characters covered by protect and serve gain advantage to spells and abilities which change the emotional state of the character (confusion, fear, sleep, madness, etc.); at 7th level, alliance or behavior of character (charm, suggestion, dominate, friend, etc.); and at 11th level, transformation and mobility of character (polymorph, petrify, hold person/monster, dazed, etc.)

Requires the Special Agent to have his or her Agency-issued badge to use.

Academy Graduate

After months of focused Agency training, you have become proficient using shields, medium armor, or one-handed melee martial weapons, or extra efficient in ranged weapons such as bows or crossbows.

1-Handed Melee Martial Weapon Proficiency

The quick precise strikes of a warhammer, or club, can knock down even the toughest foes given time. Your Agency has equipped you with familiarity of where and when to strike for maximum effect.

You have gained the proficiency to wield 1-handed martial melee weapons.

Medium Armor Proficiency

There is a right way to wear armor and your Agency training has provided you with the familiarity and tools to do so.

You have gained the proficiency to wear medium armor.

Ranged Weapon Efficiency

Most rogues excel in the use of ranged weapons like bows and crossbows. However, you have gone a step further and have learned to use your psychic focus to enhance the accuracy and damage from your ranged attacks.

 You have gained the skills to use bows or crossbows efficiently and gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls when doing so.

Shield Proficiency

Dodging crossbow bolts from a nest of kobolds, eldritch blasts from a murderous warlock, or blows from an ice troll can get a little too close for comfort. Your Agency wants you to complete your investigation successfully and has trained you to use shields increase your likelihood of success.

You have gained the proficiency to use a shield.

Witness Protection

The importance of protecting allies and sources is well understood by the Special Agent. You feel the collective psychic energy within your Protect and Serve shield swell and explode as you strike back against those who would seek to harm you, your allies and your mission.

If you or your allies under the affects of your Protect and Serve field take damage from an attacker within the field, as a reaction, you may roll a wisdom check (D20 + wisdom modifier + PB / versus 15) and, if successful, that attacker takes 3d10 psychic damage.

The amount of the extra damage increases at every three levels thereafter (at level 8 = 4d10, level 11 = 5d10, level 14 = 6d10,  level 17 = 7d10, level 20 = 8d10 psychic damage).

Requires the Special Agent to have his or her Agency-issued badge to use.

Most Wanted

In the place of a spell, you channel your psychic abilities to attack with extra ferocity and precision those you deem most hostile to the success of your Agency's goals.

As a bonus action you may use a level 1 spell slot to apply advantage to attacks against targets who are under effects of Favored Foe, Favored Enemy, or Hunter's Mark. While Most Wanted is in effect, you also gain a damage bonus of (d12 + Wis bonus + PB)/2 psychic damage added to your weapon attacks against Favored Foe or Hunter's Mark targets.

The use of your Most Wanted ability lasts 1 until your next round or until the target is dead. The spell does not roll over to a new target even if the Hunter's Mark spell does so.

At higher levels, Most Wanted damage increases to scale: spell slot 2 = (d12 + Wis bonus + PB) extra psychic damage to attacks, spell slot 3 = (d12 + Wis bonus + PB) x1.5 extra psychic damage to attacks, spell slot 4 = (d12 + Wis bonus + PB) x 2 extra psychic damage to attacks, and spell slot 5 = (d12 + Wis bonus + PB) x 2.5 extra psychic damage to attacks.

Requires the Special Agent to have his or her Agency-issued badge to use.

Dead Drop

You gain one additional reaction per round. The reaction may be used for additional Witness Protection attacks, or for other activities allowed during your reaction. Only one Witness Protection attack can be used against an individual target per round.

Dead Drop

Well-honed psychic abilities and heightened awareness of your surroundings provides with an extra opportunity to react. You gain one extra reaction per round. 

Red Notice

Your reputation of enforcing the laws of your agency have spread across the realms. Allies respect your accomplishments, and trust your skill and guidance in conducting your investigations.

As a reaction, you can use your powerful mind to telepathically control an ally under the effects of your Protect and Serve field. If willing, you can direct that ally to attack a Most Wanted target. The attack can be either a cantrip, melee or ranged attack. In addition to your ally's personal attack bonuses, allies who you select with the Red Notice reaction feature may add half your wisdom modifier to their attack rolls or spell DC when determining whether they hit the target with their melee or spell attack.

You may use this ability only once each time you roll initiative. Requires the Special Agent to have his or her Agency-issued badge to use.