Researchers learn whatever they can, however they can. Some are primarily scholars: content to absorb knowledge from endless books and correspondence, who only face danger when their inquiries provoke forces opposed to sharing what they have learned - particularly secrets mortals were not meant to know. Researchers who become adventurers tend to favor fieldwork and exploration that add to their body of knowledge. Many come to regret their curiosity, but ultimately, they simply can’t help themselves, or else they fear that knowing too little might allow dark forces to overwhelm the world.

Learned

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn one language of your choice and gain proficiency in your choice of Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. If you are not proficient in any of these skills, add half your proficiency bonus to ability checks using these skills.

When you reach 13th level and again when you reach 17th level, you can choose another one of these skills to gain proficiency in.

Arcane Literacy

Starting at 3rd level, you gain advantage on all Intelligence (Arcana) checks and on Intelligence (Investigation) checks related to spells.

In addition, you can read and use spell scrolls as if you were a wizard with Intelligence as your spellcasting ability. Because you cannot cast spells normally, you must make an Intelligence check to cast the spell successfully, regardless of its level.

Educated Sneak Attack

Starting at 3rd level, as a bonus action, you can choose a creature and make an Intelligence check using a relevant skill. The DC is equal to 10 + half the target’s challenge rating. If you succeed, you learn the target’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities, if any, or identify any spell the target is casting and for 1 minute you can use your Sneak Attack against that target even without advantage, as long as you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Brilliant Deduction

Starting at 9th level, you are skilled at lateral thinking and deduction from limited information. Without using an action, you can make an Intelligence (Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion) check to learn a piece of information you have no way to know directly so long as you have some piece of indirect evidence for it. The GM determines the DC of the check the same way they would set the DC for any Intelligence check to recall information. You have advantage on this check. If the result of your check exceeds the DC by at least 5, you learn a related fact for every 5 points by which you exceeded the DC. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

At 13th level, you can use this ability twice between long rests.

At 17th level, you can use this ability three times between long rests.

Learned (Additional)

When you reach 13th level and again when you reach 17th level, you can choose another skill (from Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion) to gain proficiency in.

Use Magic Device

Starting at 13th level, you have learned enough about the workings of magic that you can improvise the use of items even when they are not intended for you. You ignore all class, race, and level requirements on the use of magic items.

Learned (Additional)

When you reach 17th level, you can choose another skill (from Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion) to gain proficiency in.

Willful Ignorance

When you reach 17th level, you can suppress the memory of a single encounter, adventure, or experience as an action. This negates any charmed condition or frightened condition gained as a result of that memory. The memory and its effects resume immediately when it is recalled with another action. You don’t know what memory was suppressed or why you suppressed it until you recall it.

This can allow you to lie more easily by removing contradictory knowledge, granting a +10 bonus on a related Charisma (Deception) check. Even if you don’t consciously know you are lying, you must still make a Charisma (Deception) check to convince someone you are telling the truth. Magic cannot detect such an unwitting lie except by digging deeply enough into your mind to know you have this feature (for example, with dominate person), and even then, it does not reveal what information was hidden or whether it contradicts what you claim unless the magic also compels you to recall the memory. You can’t hide another memory until you finish a long rest.

You can hide up to three memories at a time and can’t hide a fourth unless you recall a hidden memory.