Spheres of Guile
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Associated Skill: A single Knowledge or Lore skill of your choice.

You gain the following benefits when you gain the Study sphere.

When you gain the Study sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the associated skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Study sphere (maximum ranks equal to your Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the chosen Knowledge or Lore skill you may immediately retrain them.

Skill Leverage: You unlock skill leverage with the associated skill, plus one Knowledge or Lore skill of your choice.

Bonus Talent: When you first gain the Study sphere, you gain one (theory) talent of your choice. It cannot be an exceptional talent. If you choose one with the [utility] tag, you can take the Study base sphere as a [utility] talent.

You also acquire the Knowledgeable, Prescient Study, and Theorize abilities.

Knowledgeable (Ex)

You can attempt untrained Knowledge skill checks as if you were trained.

Prescient Study [plan] (Ex)

You are able to predict what research might be useful to you. This typically involves refreshing your memory at a library rather than actually performing research; this research is assumed to have been done at some point in the past or during a sleepless night during downtime. When you reveal this plan (by, for example, consulting a cryptic note) as a full-round action, you may take 10 on a Knowledge or Lore check even in combat or while distracted.

If you have at least 5 ranks in the associated skill and spend 1 use of skill leverage, you may treat the result as if you had rolled 20 on the die.

If your campaign uses research rules (see Chapter 3 of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue), instead choose a library you have been to and make a research check as if you had spent 8 hours researching there. You gain any information this research would reveal to you. Once you reveal a research check as a plan, you cannot reveal it again until you spend at least 8 hours with unrestricted access to a suitable library.

Theorize (Ex)

As an immediate action, you can begin a theory on a creature, object, or area that you have successfully recalled information about, choosing a single (theory) talent to apply to the subject of your theory. A theory applies to all instances of the subject; if you begin a theory on a dire wolf, it applies to all dire wolves, but not other wolf-like animals. Creatures that vary exclusively by size (such as an earth elemental) or subtype (such as an orc and human bandit that share the same number of Hit Dice) are treated as the same ‘instance’ of a subject.

While you have an active theory, you can expand it by gaining notions. Each theory can gain notions in unique ways, with a specific action granting one notion to the theory when it is observed. A specific action can only grant one notion once per round (unless specified otherwise). A theory can have a maximum number of notions equal to twice your operative ability modifier (minimum 1), with any notions beyond this maximum being wasted.

You can use these notions on any breakthrough listed within the theory; usually improving the base ability granted by the theory or granting you new actions to use.

You can only have one theory active at one time; if you attempt to theorize a second time while you have an active theory, you must choose which theory to maintain. A theory lasts until you change to a different subject, and remains indefinitely (so long as your memories remain intact). When a theory ends, it loses all notions.

You can always outwit the subject of your theory by spending 3 notions, generally by divulging something you have theorized about them.

Study Talent Types

Complication

Some talents have the (complication) tag, which allows you to modify your plans by accepting a certain level of risk. You apply a (complication) talent to a plan when you reveal it. Some (complication) talents only apply to certain types of plans, as noted in the description.

Research

While most theories are rapidly established over the course of several moments, there are some that require a lot more time and resources dedicated to them before they are fully realized.

(Research) talents are unique (theory) talents that are started as part of researching a topic at a library or similar repository of information, which usually takes 1d4 hours. Research does not count towards the normal maximum number of theories you can have active at one time, but you can only have one research active at one time. Notions gained from current theories cannot be used for breakthroughs of (research) talents, and vice versa.

Theory

Talents with the (theory) tag grant you additional options when attempting to theorize.

Study Talents

Broad Speculation

Your theories are broad in scope, allowing you to apply them to things partially connected to your subject.

When you begin a theory on a creature, you can also use the theory's base ability and breakthroughs on creatures that share the same type (and at least one subtype, if any) as the subject of your theory.

Collaborative Understanding

You keep your allies aware of your theories and hunches, allowing them to use this information to their advantage. As long as your allies can communicate with you, your allies can use your theories’ base ability and may spend notions from your theories to gain the benefits of your (theory) talent’s breakthroughs. (Even if they have their own theories, they cannot spend your notions on them.)

Counterargument [approach]

You can adopt this approach as a swift action. You gain a +2 insight bonus to saving throws against (or to the DC to affect you with) effects that would give you a disorientation condition or the confused condition, increasing by 1 per 5 ranks in the associated skill.

In addition, if you succeed at a saving throw against any emotion effect (or have such an effect inflicted with a skill use), you can spend an immediate action to force the originator of the effect to succeed at a Will saving throw or become shocked for 1 round, plus 1 round per 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess. This is a language-dependent, mind-affecting disorientation emotion effect. You can spend 1 use of skill leverage when adopting this approach to allow you to perplex a creature as a standard action or point out a confusing event as an immediate action while you maintain this approach.

Efficient Researcher [utility]

You can read one page (250 words) in 1 round, or reduce the time to read inherently magical texts that require a specific amount of time (such as a manual of gainful exercises) by a quarter. You can also write text in such a way that it occupies a quarter of the space (or pages) that it normally would (including spellbooks).

Additionally, you can start a research topic in 30 minutes (instead of 1d4 hours). Whenever one of your research topics gains a notion, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to gain an additional notion; you cannot spend multiple uses of skill leverage to get multiple notions this way.

Lastly, you can make Linguistics checks to decipher text as a full-round action.

At 10 ranks in the associated skill, inherently magical texts take half the normal time to read. Additionally, if you exceed the DC of a Linguistics check to decipher text by 10 or more, you learn the precise meaning rather than general content, and you never draw false conclusions on a failed check.

If using the research rules (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Intrigue), you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to take 10 on a Research check. If you have 10 ranks in the associated skill, you can make a Research check every 4 hours instead of every 8 hours.

Flawless Recall [utility]

You can recall information and memories almost perfectly. You can store a number of flawless memories equal to twice your operative ability modifier (minimum 2), which is done by spending a swift action each round to be memorized while perceiving something (such as reading text or listening to someone). A single memory can be up to 20 pages of written information, 30 minutes of sound, or one minute of full sensory experience.

This is detailed enough to attempt checks on the memory as if you were present, but you cannot retry the same check more than once and fine details are not preserved beyond 30 feet of your actual location at the time you first experienced the memory. Once a memory is stored, you can perfectly recall the memory, allowing you to notice new details using Perception or similar skills; you gain 1 temporary use of skill leverage per memory that can only be spent during that memory. This does not allow you to use senses or similar abilities you did not possess at the time of memorization. You can dismiss a stored memory as a free action, losing the ability to perfectly recall them.

You can remember the experience of magical effects, but cannot use their properties (such as casting from a scroll), nor are you affected by any magical effects relevant to the experience’s sensory details (for example, you would not become sickened when recalling a memory of failing a save against a banshee’s wail ability).

Focused Study [utility]

You gain a Knowledge or Lore skill of your choice as an additional associated skill for this sphere, and you unlock skill leverage with that skill. You can choose this talent multiple times; each time choosing a new skill.

Informed Observation [utility]

Whenever you attempt a Perception check to oppose a creature’s Disguise or Stealth check, locate a trap or environmental hazard, or a Survival check to track or avoid a hazard, you can instead use the modifier for the Knowledge (or relevant Lore) skill used to identify the creature or hazard when attempting the check. If the creature appears as another creature type, you use a skill that is relevant to identifying the creature type that the creature is disguised as, although a successful attempt on such a check reveals that the creature is acting strangely.

Tangential Recollection [utility]

Whenever you fail a Knowledge check, Lore check, or similar check to recall information, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to come at the problem from another direction. Attempt a skill check that can be used to recall information using a different skill. On a success, you are treated as if you had succeeded the first check to recall information by the minimum amount, except that the information is skewed depending on the chosen skill. You must have unlocked skill leverage with either the initial skill or the new skill.

For example, upon failing a Knowledge (nature) check to identify a plant creature, you can ponder further using Knowledge (arcana). If you succeed, instead of the normal information you would learn, you instead learn the existence of any spell resistance, magical defenses, or any other magically pertinent information about the creature.

If the chosen skill would strain credibility (such as using Knowledge (nobility) in the listed example), the GM should increase the DC or in extreme cases deem the new check an automatic failure.

Theoretical Focus

If you begin a theory as part of a successful use of recall information, you gain one notion on the theory, plus another for every 10 by which you exceed the DC (maximum equal to your operative ability modifier).

You can outwit the creature as a cost to instead gain one notion for every 5 by which you exceed the DC (rather than every 10).

Tome Raider [utility] [3PP]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Thaumic Potential}

You gain a +4 bonus to saving throws against written magical effects, ‘symbol’ effects, and similar effects (such as explosive runes, glyph of warding, symbol of death, etc), as well as any effects that may originate from reading a book, inscription, scroll, or any form of writing (such as a curse), but not from effects cast from such forms of writing (such as a scroll of fireball). You gain an automatic Perception check to notice such effects that you come 10 feet within, although this is made in secret by the GM.

In addition, you can decipher magical writings on objects that would otherwise be unintelligible, such as those found in scrolls.

Complication Talents

Connect The Dots (complication) [utility]

You can apply this complication to a plan talent that involves gaining an item or piece of information. When you reveal the chosen plan talent, choose a person or other piece of information and attempt a Knowledge, Lore, or Sense Motive check that has a DC equal to 5 + the DC required to gain the item or information (or as normal for a plan).

If you succeed against this complication, you learn whether or not the gained item or information is directly associated with the chosen person or information, although you do not learn the nature or extent of the connection. For example, choosing “this suspicious noble” as your subject, and learning that a store was recently broken into, the noble would only be associated with the break-in if they directly orchestrated or did the job themselves, and not if they had several layers of workers to do it for them.

If you fail against this complication, it appears as though there is no connection between the two subjects.

Fool-proof Preparations (complication) [utility]

You can apply this complication to a plan talent that involves gaining an item or piece of information. When you reveal the chosen plan talent, attempt a Knowledge or Lore check against the same DC required to gain the item or information (or as normal for a plan).

If you succeed against this complication, you name two items or pieces of information that could be gained by the talent and the GM must tell you which one is more likely to be useful to you regarding the obstacles at hand that you could reasonably be aware of (or that they are about equally likely to be useful). After the GM’s response, you choose one of them to reveal with the plan.

If you fail against this complication, you fail to gain the item or information, and it is obvious that there was an attempt to obtain the item or information through deceitful (or similar) means.

Glut Of Information (complication) [utility]

You can apply this complication to a plan that reveals information. If the plan calls for a skill check to learn or access information (whether because the plan normally involves a Knowledge check, or because your use of the plan is improbable enough to require a Knowledge check to see if you prepared for it), increase the DC by 5. If the plan would not otherwise call for a check, you must attempt a Knowledge check for this application with a DC of 20 + the CR of the most dangerous relevant creature or hazard, using a Knowledge or Lore skill suitable for the situation.

Regardless of the result, you learn two additional pieces of information of the same kind; if you succeed, one of them is irrelevant or slightly misleading.

If you fail, you still learn the information you originally intended, but both additional pieces of information are false or badly misleading.

Reframing The Problem (complication) [utility]

You can apply this complication to a plan talent that produces an item. When you reveal the chosen plan talent, you may produce an item that seems wholly inappropriate for the situation (though must still be normally acquired using the plan talent), and attempt a Knowledge or Lore check (related to either the problem or the wrong item) with a DC equal to 20 + the CR of the enemy or hazard most directly related to the problem you are solving.

If you succeed against this complication, the item is used in a surprising way that makes it even better than the initial item would have been, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to all rolls involved using the wrong item as part of the plan, increasing by 1 for every 5 ranks you have in the associated skill.

If you fail against this complication, the item is just as useless as it appears.

Theory Talents

Anticipate Hostility (theory)

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can establish its methods of attack. You gain an insight bonus to your AC against attacks originating from the subject of your theory equal to 2 + 1 per 10 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• The subject of your theory misses an attack roll against another creature by 5 or more.
• The subject of your theory succeeds an attack roll against another creature that exceeds their AC by 5 or more.
• The subject of your theory confirms a critical hit.
• The subject of your theory attempts an attack of opportunity against another creature.

Breakthrough: You can spend any amount of notions as an immediate action to increase the insight bonus granted by this talent’s base theory ability by 1 + 1 per 2 notions spent beyond the first (rounded down, minimum 1). This increased bonus lasts until the beginning of your next turn.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions as an immediate action (or as a free action that can be taken outside of your turn by spending an additional notion) whenever you are targeted by the subject of your theory with an attack to position yourself so that the triggering attack targets an adjacent creature or object. If the attack misses you, the attack instead targets the chosen creature or object, rolling a new attempt but at a -2 penalty.

Avoid Hazard (research, theory) [utility]

As long as your research topic is about an area, survival, or anything pertaining to potential hazards, you can respond better to any threats you may face. This research begins with one notion if your research topic involved underground or natural hazards (using Knowledge (dungeoneering) or (nature) respectively).

You gain an insight bonus to saving throws to avoid traps and hazards equal to the number of notions this research has.

This research can gain notions in the following ways:

• A creature succeeds at a saving throw against a hazard, or a trap misses a creature.
• A creature discovers a hidden trap or hazard using Perception or Survival.
• A creature succeeds at an Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, or Swim check that has a DC higher than 15.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion to reroll a failed Acrobatics check to balance or jump, a Climb check, a Disable Device check to disarm a trap, a Survival check to avoid a natural hazard, or any similar check that would result in you falling due to a failure (such as a Fly or Swim check). You must use the new result, even if it is worse.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as a free action that can be taken outside of your turn to learn the DC of any Acrobatics, Climb, Disable Device, Fly, Survival, or Swim check before you attempt it.

Breakthrough: You can spend any amount of notions as a free action that can be taken even when it is not your turn whenever you suffer the effects of a trap or hazard to delay any associated damage, poison, or effects for a number of minutes equal to the number of notions spent on this breakthrough.

Build a Case (research, theory) [utility] [3PP]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Thaumic Potential}

As long as your research topic is of a creature, event, or group, you can begin to speculate about its activities or history. You can spend 1 minute in deep contemplation upon learning a new piece of information or about a creature that appears to have a connection to the subject of your research topic, learning if the piece of information is inconsequential to it.
If the research topic has at least 3 notions, whenever you enter a new location, you immediately notice something or someone of particular interest or out of the ordinary (or otherwise, if there is nothing of interest) that is relevant to your research topic.

This research can gain notions in the following ways:

• You discover a hidden object that has a DC higher than 15 + your character level to find.
• You discover the motivation of a significant creature.
• You come to a revelation or discover a piece of information that alters your view on a goal you are pursuing (up to GMs discretion).

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion when using the base ability of this research to learn how important the piece of information is to the subject of your research topic. Importance is generally gauged by how integral the information is to discover the truth, but also as to how closely tied the information may be to your research topic: the murder weapon or suspicious guard could be inextricably tied, whereas a maid or broken window could be useful.

Breakthrough: You can spend any number of notions as a standard action to gain an equivalent insight bonus to Appraise, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks for 1 hour. During this time, you unlock skill leverage with these skills.

Circumvent Defenses (theory)

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can figure out ways of briefly bypassing its defenses.

You can spend a swift action to allow all attacks you make against the subject of your theory until the beginning of your next turn to bypass 2 points of damage reduction or 5 points of energy resistance. If the creature does not have damage reduction (or your attack bypasses it entirely), the attack deals +1d4 precision damage. For every 5 ranks you have in the associated skill, you bypass another 1 point of damage reduction or 2 points of energy resistance and increase the die of precision damage to creatures without damage reduction by one step (up to 1d12 at 20 ranks).

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• Another creature successfully overcomes the theorized creature’s damage reduction or regeneration using the usual methods (not via an ability that allows them to bypass damage reduction in general).
• The subject of your theory is affected by an ability that reduces their AC.
• A creature hits the subject of your theory with an attack roll that exceeds their AC by 5 or more.
• Another creature deals a damage type or uses an effect that the subject of your theory has a weakness to.

Breakthrough: You can spend any number of notions whenever you use this talent’s base theory ability. For every notion you spend, you bypass another 2 points of damage reduction or 5 points of energy resistance and increase the precision damage to a subject without damage reduction by 1.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions to use this talent’s base theory ability as a free action instead of a swift action.

Breakthrough: You can spend 3 notions as part of using this talent’s base theory ability to quickly formulate a method of attack that can exploit the weakness of the subject of your theory. The target must have fast healing or regeneration that can be suppressed or must have vulnerability to a damage type. For a number of rounds equal to your operative ability modifier (minimum 1), half your weapon damage is treated as if half the total damage it deals (rounded down) were of an energy type that the subject of your theory has vulnerability to or would suppress its fast healing or regeneration.

Associated Feat: Penetrating Strike.

Deduce Positioning (theory)

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can gain insights into how it will behave when it believes it has the upper hand.

You are not flat-footed when surprised by the subject of your theory, and retain your Dexterity bonus to your AC if the creature is invisible or you are otherwise unaware of them. You still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if you are immobilized or if the target successfully performs a feint against you. You also treat any miss chance that the subject of your theory may possess as being 5% lower for every notion this theory has.

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• The subject of your theory successfully damages another creature that cannot perceive it or is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC.
• Another creature successfully pinpoints the presence of the subject of your theory (or uses an ability which reveals them) while it has total concealment.
• The subject of your theory attempts an attack roll against another creature while benefiting from a bonus granted by battlefield positioning (such as from having higher ground than the creature, flanking them, etc.), or vice versa.
• Another creature misses the subject of your theory due to miss chance.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as a free action that can be taken outside of your turn when you miss due to concealment, allowing you to reroll the miss chance to see if you actually hit.

Breakthrough: You can spend any number of notions as a swift action to gain blindsense for up to 30 feet, but only against the subject of your theory. This blindsense lasts 1 round per notion spent.

Breakthrough: You can spend any number of notions as a swift action to gain a +3 insight bonus to opposed Perception checks for 1 round per notion spent. This bonus increases by 1 per 4 ranks you possess in the associated skill.

Associated Feat: Blind-Fight

Esoteric Avoidance (theory)

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can determine the best way to avoid its magical attacks. You can also begin this theory and immediately gain a notion if you successfully identify a spell effect on the creature or as the creature casts a spell.

You can expend an attack of opportunity whenever you attempt to identify a magic effect originating from the subject of your theory to roll the check twice, taking the highest result.

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• The subject of your theory casts a spell, spelllike ability, or supernatural ability that requires at least a standard action to cast.
• Another creature succeeds at a saving throw against a harmful magic effect originating from the subject of your theory.
• A spell or spell-like ability the subject of your theory casts is successfully hacked, dispelled or countered.
• Another creature successfully bypasses the spell resistance of the subject of your theory.

Breakthrough: You can spend 3 notions as an immediate action whenever you are targeted by a spell or spell-like ability originating from the subject of your theory to roll any saving throws associated with the ability twice, taking the highest result.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as a swift action to grant an ally within 30 feet of you an additional saving throw against a spell or spelllike ability that originated from the subject of your theory.

Predict Movements (theory)

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can attempt to anticipate its next move and respond accordingly.

Whenever the subject of your theory attempts to take a 5-foot step away from you, or would move so that they are flanking you, you can spend an immediate action to take a 5-foot step. You must end up adjacent to the creature and you cannot take a 5-foot step during your next turn. If you take an action to move during your next turn, subtract 5 feet from your total movement.

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• The subject of your theory uses the charge, withdraw or run action.
• The subject of your theory takes a 5-foot step to move outside of an enemy’s threatened area.
• The subject of your theory succeeds at an Acrobatics check to tumble through an enemy’s square or threatened area.
• The subject of your theory attempts a bull rush, overrun, reposition or drag combat maneuver.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions whenever you use this talent’s base theory ability to instead move up to 10 feet. Your movement next turn is not limited by this talent.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions as an immediate action to treat your threatened area as being 5 feet larger for the purposes of determining your reach for attacks and abilities made against the subject of your theory. This lasts until the beginning of your next turn.

Associated Feat: Step Up.

Reinforce Deception (theory) [utility]

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can develop strategies to deceive it more reliably. You can also begin this theory as part of attempting to perplex (new skill use) the subject of your theory.

Whenever you successfully inflict a disorientation condition against the subject of your theory, it takes twice as long for them to orient themselves, in addition to becoming distracted by you for as long as they have the disorientation condition. If the time taken to orient themselves takes a full-round action or shorter, it instead is increased by one step (1 round, full-round, standard, move, swift).

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• The subject of your theory is successfully outwitted.
• The subject of your theory gains a disorientation condition or its disorientation condition worsens.
• The subject of your theory’s degree of awareness is reduced.
• The subject of your theory fails an opposed Sense Motive check.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions as a free action as part of using a Bluff check to reduce any modifiers to the attempt due to its believability is reduced by 5 (minimum 0); if the attempt was already believable, you gain a +2 insight bonus to the Bluff attempt, increasing by 1 for every 4 ranks you possess in the associated skill.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as part of any action spent to inflict a disorientation effect on the subject of your theory. If your attempt is successful, the creature must succeed at a Will saving throw or be unable to benefit from competence or circumstance bonuses for as long as they are suffering from the disorientation effect.

Speculate Affairs (research, theory) [utility]

As long as your research topic is a specific group of creatures, such as a notable district, faction, cult, etc., you can try to deduce the movements and methods of the group or area. You can spend 10 minutes either interacting with nearby individuals or by investigating to learn if anyone from the specified group has been within the area, and the rough actions they took.

This research can gain notions in the following ways:

• You perceive something (or interact with someone) that you know is held in high regard to your research topic. This could be a cathedral or statue dedicated to the group or something the group holds in high regard, a generous beneficiary of the group, etc.
• You learn a substantial and novel piece of information about your research topic that comes from any source but yourself.
• You participate in an action that shifts the power dynamic of your research topic. This could entail saving or killing a high-ranking member of a faction, stealing or retrieving an item (or person) of great significance from a cult, repairing or destroying a grand monument of a district, etc.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as a swift action to choose a specific creature within your research topic (or learn of a random but significant creature within your research topic). You learn if the creature is trivial (Hit Dice equal to or lower than half your level), weak (Hit Dice equal to your level - 4), competent (Hit Dice equal to your level), strong (Hit Dice equal to your level + 5), or powerful (Hit Dice equal to your level + 10).

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions when using the base ability of this research to learn of another group of creatures (such as a district, faction, etc.) that holds your research topic in high regard, and another group of creatures that holds your research topic in low regard.

Breakthrough: You can spend 3 notions when using the base ability of this research to learn more information. You learn of a great legend surrounding your research topic; this could be a legend that is still current or even somewhat forgotten, as long as the information is not completely lost or restricted. In general, a legend will speak of a single creature (or small group) and some grand event that they participated within, such as slaying or becoming a lich, saving or destroying a city, etc.

Triangulate Teleportation (research, theory) [utility] [3PP]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Thaumic Potential}

As long as your research topic is about teleportation spells or the planes, you can provide more stability or potency to teleportation attempts. This research begins with one notion if your research topic requires a Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (planes) check.

You can spend 1 minute researching an area to learn about a nearby landmark within 100 miles of the area. This is treated as if you possess a reliable description of a location for the purposes of teleportation abilities that rely on it (such as greater teleport), or have studied an area carefully for abilities reliant on familiarity (such as teleport). This amount decreases by 25 miles for each notion this research possesses (minimum 1 mile).

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• A creature uses a teleportation effect and travels at least 1 mile when doing so (or travels to a new plane).
• A creature uses a portal or similar structure or object to teleport a distance (including planar travel); once such a structure has been used to gain a notion this way, you cannot gain a notion from the same structure a second time.
• You learn a substantial and novel piece of information about your research topic that comes from any source but yourself.
• You succeed at a Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (planes) check that has a DC higher than 20.

Breakthrough: You can spend any amount of notions as part of casting a teleportation effect to treat your caster level as an amount higher for determining the distance traveled for the teleport equal to the number of notions spent on this breakthrough. This breakthrough can only be used on a teleportation effect used on willing targets.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions to use this research's base ability to benefit planar travel more effectively, allowing you to arrive 5d20 miles away from your intended destination instead of 5d% miles away. You can spend 3 notions to instead arrive 5d10 miles away, or 4 notions to arrive 5d6 miles away.

Associated Feats: Cartogramancer, Planar Wanderer

Trigonometric Angling (research, theory) [3PP]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Thaumic Potential}

As long as your research topic is about ranged or siege weapons or physics, you can work out a way of mitigating any extraneous circumstances. You reduce any penalties to ranged attack rolls you may suffer due to wind (or similar weather conditions, such as rain) by an amount equal to the number of notions this research has.

This research can gain notions in the following ways:

• An ally succeeds a ranged weapon attack roll against a hostile creature (or vice versa) that was subject to concealment, cover, strong wind, or was outside of its first range increment.
• An ally completely negates an attack originating from a hostile creature (or vice versa) due to an ability such as the Deflect Arrows feat or the Ray Deflection Protection sphere talent.

Such methods of gaining notions require a level of stakes or stress to be reasonably applicable, and requires both relevant creatures to have a CR of at least half your associated ranks.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as part of attempting a ranged weapon attack to calculate the perfect way of making the attack, allowing it to bounce across surfaces. You target a solid 5-foot surface, treating it as the new point of origin when attacking a target. This can allow you to attack around corners or possibly ignore cover. The target still has total concealment if you do not possess line of sight to them. You can spend additional notions to have it bounce additional times at a 1 to 1 ratio. A surface hit this way suffers no damage, and you use the total distance traveled when determining range penalties.

Breakthrough: You can spend 1 notion as part of attempting a ranged weapon attack to ignore any penalties caused by range or weather. If such an attack would normally be impossible due to the weather or deflected, the attack is indeed possible, but instead suffers a -5 penalty (which is not considered a weather-based penalty).

Exceptional Talents

Anamnesis [utility]

Prerequisites: Associated skill 5 ranks, Study sphere.

You can spend 1 minute in deep concentration, spending 1 use of skill leverage to retry any failed Knowledge or Lore check at a +5 bonus. This bonus increases to +10 if you have unlocked skill leverage with the skill. You can only retry a skill check once using this talent.

Conflict Of Wits (theory)

Prerequisites: Associated skill 7 ranks, Study sphere.

As long as the subject of your theory is a creature, you can engage them in a battle of wits.

You can spend a standard action to utter a string of nigh-incomprehensible words that is directed towards the subject of your theory, as long as they can hear you. They must succeed at a Will saving throw or become confused or dumbfounded (your choice) until the end of their next turn. This is a supernatural, disorientation, mind-affecting, language-dependent effect.

This theory can gain notions in the following ways:

• A creature succeeds at a Charisma-, Intelligence-, or Wisdom-based skill check attempted against the subject of your theory.
• The subject of your theory fails a Will saving throw.
• The subject of your theory successfully uses Linguistics to find a loophole in an effect.

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions to have the conditions caused by the theory’s base ability last a number of rounds equal to your operative modifier (minimum 1).

Breakthrough: You can spend 2 notions as part of using this theory’s base ability, concentrating the mental energy of your words to a deadly degree. In addition to the regular effects, the creature suffers 1d8 nonlethal damage + 1d8 per 3 ranks in the associated skill you possess. On a successful save, this damage is halved.

You can spend 2 additional notions to also deal 1 point of ability damage to the target’s Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom score (your choice) per die rolled when using this breakthrough (Will halves).

Construct Of The Mind [utility]

Prerequisites: Associated skill 7 ranks, Study sphere (Flawless Recall).

You create a complex mental structure, known as a mental archive, containing your memories and experiences within it. You must concentrate as a full-round action to enter your mental archive, becoming blinded and deafened while doing so.

If you possess the Collaborative Understanding talent, you can touch a willing creature to also have them enter your mental archive with you.

While within your mental archive, you can view memories stored using the Flawless Recall talent, gaining a +2 insight bonus to any skill checks attempted when noticing new details within the memories. You may also use special abilities or senses that you did not possess at the time of memorizing when recalling a memory. You can attempt to retry noticing new details within a stored memory whenever you level up.

Additionally, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to permanently archive a number of stored memories equal to your operative ability modifier (minimum 1); there is no limit to the amount of memories you can permanently archive. A permanently archived memory no longer counts towards the number of memories you can have stored at once, and can be perfectly recalled (and forcibly forgotten) as normal.

Distort Reality (research, theory)

Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana, religion, or planes) 10 ranks, Study sphere.

You begin to formulate a specific pattern of movements, actions, and thought patterns that have the capacity to bend reality. When you finish researching, choose a single magical item or effect of your choice; the chosen item's caster level cannot exceed your ranks in the associated skill - 4, and the chosen magical effect's spell level cannot exceed 1/2 your ranks in the associated skill (rounded down) - 3. The chosen item or effect cannot distort reality in substantial ways, such as the wish or miracle spells, an artifact, etc.

This research can gain notions in the following ways:

• You observe the chosen magical effect being cast, or the item being activated.
• You succeed at a skill check to build, create, or transform something using a planar trait.
• You learn about a way that the chosen effect or item has been exploited or pushed past its boundaries from a reliable source.

Breakthrough: You can spend any amount of notions to cast the chosen magical effect, using your ranks in the associated skill as your caster level. The effect lasts for 1 round for every notion spent on this breakthrough.

Breakthrough: You can spend any amount of notions to materialize the chosen magical item into your hand (or in a square adjacent to you), which lasts for 1 round for every notion spent on this breakthrough, and with its regular amount of daily uses or charges. An item created this way is obviously a worthless temporary magical force (Appraise DC 0).

Incredible Inference [utility]

Prerequisites: Associated skill 10 ranks, Study sphere.

You can spend 3 uses of skill leverage and 1 hour in deep contemplation, searching your mind for the answer to a specific question of your choice. Due to the esoteric nature of this ability, the answer to the question is usually as simple as a short phrase, or be more cryptic in origin.

You have a 70% chance + 1% per rank in the associated skill you possess of gaining a true answer.

If the roll fails, you gain no information from this ability, while a roll of 91% or higher produces a misunderstanding. If you use this ability to ask the same question, you receive the same answer as you did previously, unless you have leveled up since you asked the question, which allows a new roll.

Lexical Obfuscation (Su) [utility] [3PP]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Thaumic Potential}

Prerequisites: Study sphere.

You can spend 1 minute touching a piece of text of up to 10 pages to magically remove all text (or similar symbols used to convey information) permanently; you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to also attempt to dispel scrolls, or glyph or symbol spells (or similar spells) using this ability, attempting a caster level check using your ranks in this sphere's associated skill instead of your caster level for the attempt. If this check fails by 5 or more, you activate the spell instead.
Instead of removing text, you can choose other forms of obfuscation (such as covering the text in illegible stains, having the text become garbled, etc.).

At 5 ranks in this sphere's associated skill, you can spend 10 minutes touching a single page to create an alternate version of the page. This alternate page starts blank and can be switched to by speaking a phrase of your choice as a standard action (chosen when you create this alternate page). A page can only contain a single alternate version of itself at a time.

A detect magic spell reveals dim magic on the page in question but does not reveal its true contents (although true seeing does reveal this).

Retrocognition [utility] (Su) [3PP]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Thaumic Potential}

Prerequisites: Study sphere, Knowledge (any) ranks 10.

You may spend 1 use of skill leverage when attempting to recall information to do so from the point of view of another creature you know of, even if you do not know them personally. This may allow a Knowledge check to be made at a reduced DC due to its relevance in the creature’s life, or even allow you to attempt a Knowledge check that would only be possible using that creature’s insights and life experiences (such as the intricacies of an ancient deity or piece of information). This can reveal information that has been lost or forgotten, but not information that the chosen creature intended to keep secret or obfuscated.

Drawbacks

Incredible Memory

You do not gain the prescient study ability, and you gain the Flawless Recall talent instead.

Specialized Degree

Choose a single Knowledge skill. You can only use your theorize ability on pieces of information you have recalled using that Knowledge skill (for example, only being able to theorize about a dragon or magical beast if you chose Knowledge (arcana)). You gain the Earthly Aptitude, Mystical Aptitude, or Societal Aptitude feat as a bonus feat (even if you do not meet its prerequisites).