So we may have started a small war on Bluesky when asking which Class we should work on next..... so as a memorial to that conflict we have decided to release a Class early! This is a special entry in a series of blogs as we discuss our Classes and their design intentions. With each blog the Class' updated Playbook is going to be released so the Specialist, our take on the Rogue, has received updates!

Specialist

Specialists are those who have chosen to specialise on one of the Skills the game offers. All Rogues you may have played in the past are Specialists, focusing on either Skullduggery or Stealth to access their Class' Features, but not all Specialists are Rogues. 

Core Aspects: These are nearly identical to the Rogue.

Unique Aspects: All Classes gain a unique Inspired action and Mark of Fate effect. For the Specialist this allows you to spend a Mark of Fate to choose access Specialist Techniques early or increase the number of die available to spend on them. While your Inspired action, lets you use the Use Skill action for 1AP, giving buffs to the Skill Roll.

Cunning Actions

At 1st Level this Feature lets you perform the Disengage action for 1AP, lets the Movement action increase its cost for repeated uses by 1AP, and gives you a more powerful Aid action that can be used for 1AP/1RP.

Specialism

For this Feature you choose one Skill to be your Specialism Skill. You become a Master in that Skill and can use the Use Skill action for that Skill for 1AP. When used in combat you gain one of three kinds of buff, An Instant Benefit, a Temporary Benefit, or a Permanent Benefit, which is bestowed depends on the Specialism Skill and how it is used during the action.

An Instant Benefit, is from Skills where they will upon using them give you an immediate window of which to capitalise on their use. Examples may be Skullduggery knocking someone off balance, Acrobatics allowing you to roll past a foe to catch them from behind, or the Intimidation skill causing them to flinch momentarily. If the Skill Roll is successfully performed, then you will have Advantage on the next Trait Test you perform against that Target.

A Temporary Benefit, usually is from a Skill whose effect may last a bit longer, not requiring you to use the Skill each time before you perform an action. This could be Medicine showing you an injury you could exploit, Stealth allowing you to remain hidden, or Technology pointing out a weakness in a device next to the Target. If the Skill Rolls is successfully performed the Advantage conferred may last until the start of your next Turn or in the case of Stealth until you reveal yourself to the target or exploit the opening such as attacking the damaged device. Some of these skills may also provide benefits to your allies for this short period.

A Perpetual Benefit, usually is from a Skill whose effect will work for the whole Encounter/Scene, only requiring you to use the Skill once. This is most often from Knowledge based Skills revealing weaknesses of a Type of Target you can exploit more than once. If the Skill Rolls is successfully performed the Advantage conferred may last for the whole Encounter/Scene. Some of these Skills may also provide benefits to your allies for this period as well.  Though it should be noted shouting out to a foe their own weakness or repeatedly exploiting a weakness, may cause the Target to act in a manner to cover it up, potentially limiting their own actions but removing your Advantage. 

Why is this Advantage important well because once per Turn, if you have Advantage from This Feature or if the Target is also in an ally's AoC you get Specialist Attack. This operates the same as Sneak Attack for the Rogue, as we said the goal was to design the main Feature of the Class around your Specialism Skill with the logic of a Rogue being a Specialist focused on Stealth.

Specialist's Origins

This Feature determine what you did before becoming an adventurer, with each origin giving some more Skills, Languages, Tools, and other benefits. You can either be Formally Educated, a Guild Member, a Local Hero, or a Wandering Specialist.

Cunning Fighter

This Level 2 Feature, gives you access to Weapon Focuses and the Skilled Aim action.

Mastery

This Feature grants you a new Skill and Mastery in a Skill you have Learnt. You gain this Feature again at 5th and 9th Level.

Specialist Technique

This Feature lets you reduce your Specialist Attack Die pool to apply additional effects, a number of Archetypes provide additional Techniques and each Skill has a Technique you can use if you chose it as your Specialism Skill. This allows you to trade damage for more battlefield control and support effects.

Specialist Archetypes

At Level 3 you pick an archetype, further drilling down into what kind of Specialist are you. This Feature unlocks further Tiers at levels 6, 10, and 14. As covered in the Arcanist Class preview, one difference to note from level 6 onwards is you can choose to either progress through a subclass's 4 tiers or to pick up the first tier of a different subclass. 

Feats

This Feature is first gained at level 4 with further unlocks at levels 8, 10, 12, 16, and 19. Importantly each time you would gain this Feature you can increase one Trait's value by 1 AND gain a Feat. We would advise looking at the Fighting Style Feats or General Feats such as the Back Alley Contacts for those with more criminal leanings, Academic Experience for the more learned Characters or Theatrical Training for the actors.

Evasive Step

This Feature at Level 5 grants you Uncanny Dodge and Evasion. I felts these were very strong signature abilities that would be good to put into player's hands as early as possible.

Studied Techniques

This Feature works lets you after completing a Rest, choose one Specialist Technique, letting you until you next complete a Rest perform tat Technique for 1d6/d8 less.

Knowledgeable Instructor

From 7th level, this grants you benefits to teaching others Skills you know alongside teaching others to use Tools.

Reliable Talent

This is the same as the Rogue just given earlier.

At Higher Levels

From here on many Features grant you more modifications for your Specialist Techniques,  granting you Pack Tactics and an Organisation you can grow to help you and your party on your adventures (This Appendix is not going to be available in this release as the Organisation systems aren't ready yet). 

Specialist Archetypes

There are a number of Archetypes that a Specialist can gain access to. 

Arcane Specialist

This Archetype grants you Spellcasting and lets you choose Specialism Spells and Rites, which are always Prepared, can be cast once per day without Spell Slots, and at later Tiers lets you apply Specialist Attack damage to your spells. It lets you gain benefits to your Specialist Techniques based on if they are affected by your spells, and lets you steal magic from other spellcasters.

Dashing Rogue

This for for those wanting to play your Robin Hood or Princess Bride fantasy's, you name fills the hearts of minions with fear and luck is always on your side. It lets you use Determination for making your melee Weapon Attacks and lets you gain Specialist Attacks when fighting an opponent on your own.

Hidden Shadowblade

This archetype lets you teleport around the battlefield, become Invisible when hiding in shadows, and grants you a set of magical effects with a unique set of Specialist Techniques.  

Latent Psychic

This is the psionic subclass, granting you access to psionic powers and letting your powers empower your regular Specialist Features. 

Legendary Trickster

These Specialists are inspired by folktales of figures who outran or tricked death to stay in the land of the living, you become an Undead and you can use Knowledge as your Trait for your attacks, as you progress you will become harder to kill and gain greater access to the denizens of death for aid, whilst the entity your tricked or outrun follows you with greater and greater interest.

Master Thief

This Archetype is focused on about aiding your mobility, making you hard to catch, and letting you use many items that normally would be unavailable to you.

Nimble Dancer

This Archetype shares a number of Traits with the Martial Artist Class, while still providing some team benefits, though not to the same extent of the College of Dance for the Bard.  

Practised Acrobat

This is another mobility focused archetype, helping you deal with many kinds of obstacles you may encounter in you travels and allowing you to distract targets with your performances to allow you allows to operate with ease.

Precision Killer

This is for the assassins and serial killer themed characters, its abut finding Targets who are isolated and dealing as much damage as possible, as well as finding it easier to hide amongst crowds of people especially after a kill.

Weathered Detective

This archetype helps you be the most grizzled detective possible, helping you find clues after monologuing, letting you gain additional information whenever you make Knowledge Tests, and helping you uncover the history of place and objects as you look around. 

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So that is the Specialist I hope people find this Class interesting and feel free to ask questions or give feedback! The draft document has been updated to reflect the above. Hopefully it gives you a sign of where we are taking this game!