Tech Whisperer (Optional)

Extraordinary

Level1

You have an empathic connection to technological devices. You gain an expertise die of the same value as that granted to an envoy of your level by the expertise class feature. Choose one of the following skills: Bluff, Computers, Diplomacy, Engineering, or Intimidate. At 1st level, you can add your expertise die to skill checks using the chosen skill. At 6th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you can use expertise with one additional skill from the list.

All of your mind-affecting envoy improvisations can affect constructs, robots, and other creatures that have the technological subtype, even if they’re mindless or normally immune to such effects. However, these creatures receive a +2 bonus to their Will saves against your mind‑affecting improvisations.

At 5th level, you can communicate with technological machines (including nonsentient devices) in rudimentary ways as well as understand in vague terms the information they try to convey to you; this information usually consists of simple terms, such as “no entry” or “need energy,” or basic operating prompts, like “speak name” or “need keycard and password.” This allows you to use Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate in place of Engineering to identify technology, so long as you can communicate with it.

At 9th level, you can attempt Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to influence such machines, though the DC of this check is 15 + 1-1/2 the device’s item level, further modified by the item’s initial attitude for Diplomacy checks. Most machines are indifferent, though some (particularly security systems) might be unfriendly or even hostile. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to affect friendly machines with Computers or Engineering checks, and the bonus increases to +4 for helpful machines. At the GM’s discretion, helpful devices might perform simple favors for you. By contrast, a device made hostile by you might activate countermeasures, such as setting off alarms.

This isn’t a language-dependent or sense-dependent ability, but you must have physical contact with a machine that isn’t able to perceive you.

This feature alters expertise and skill expertise.