There's a few classes that are a little neglected on this blog with one of them being the investigator. So, here's another one for the books! As always, this build is conceptualized entirely in a vacuum, with choices made in an attempt to fit the character. These choices might not hold up in a campaign with different themes and should be adjusted accordingly.
Let's get into the build for Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender!
SOKKA
CHARACTER Sokka
SOURCE Avatar: The Last Airbender
BUILD GOALS
o Born the son of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka was raised by his grandmother after his mother's death and his father's departure for war
o Too young to join the war effort, he was left as the oldest male of the tribe and its leader
o While initially skeptical of the avatar and spirit magic, he proved to be a valuable companion to Aang, serving as a voice of reason
o He particularly excelled as a tactician and strategist, gathering information and figuring out how to best put it to use
o In a world of mysticism, he showed a proclivity towards science and was able to craft weapons and explosives in certain situations
o Over the course of the journey, he became a master swordsman but also favored his boomerang as a weapon
LEVEL 1
Ancestry & Heritage: Wintertouched Human
o Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Dexterity, +Intelligence
o Ancestry Feat: Cooperative Nature
Background: Deputy
o Ability Boosts: +Intelligence, +Dexterity
o Skill Increase: Survival (trained), Hunting Lore (trained)
o Background Feat: Experienced Tracker
Class & Subclass: Empiricism Methodology Investigator
o Class Ability Boost: +Intelligence
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (trained), Arcana (trained), Athletics (trained), Crafting (trained), Deception (trained), Diplomacy (trained), Nature (trained), Occultism (trained), Society (trained), Stealth (trained)
o Class Feat: Known Weaknesses, That’s Odd
Details
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 12)
As a member of the Southern Water Tribe who dwells in the arctic regions of the world of Avatar, Sokka is represented as a wintertouched human, granting him some resilience to the cold. The deputy background talks about being deputized as the protector of a community. While it may not have exactly been the intent, this is similar to his father leaving him as the leader of the tribe and fits well with the hunting he did. Given his role as a leader of people among his tribe and his integral part in the Gaang, despite not wielding any bending powers, Cooperative Nature felt like a good fit. In a world of spirit magic, Sokka is firmly rooted in the sciences and while he doesn’t craft enough to fit as an alchemist or inventor, his use of his intellect does feel appropriate for an investigator with the empiricism methodology. This automatically nets him That’s Odd and of the remaining class feats, Known Weaknesses feels the most appropriate, allowing him to observe and draw up strategies against foes he’s facing.
LEVEL 2
o Class Feat: Shared Stratagem
o Skill Feat: Bon Mot
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (expert)
o Gear: everburning torch
LEVEL 3
o General Feat: Incredible Initiative
o Skillful Lesson: Trick Magic Item
o Skill Increase: Athletics (expert)
o Gear: +1 boomerang, everburning torch, ring of discretion
LEVEL 4
o Class Feat: Marshal Dedication
o Skill Feat: Charlatan
o Skill Increase: Deception (expert), Diplomacy (expert)
o Gear: blazons of shared power, +1 boomerang, necklace of knives, everburning torch
LEVEL 5
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 10, Cha 14)
o Ancestry Feat: Clever Improviser
o Skillful Lesson: Discreet Inquiry
o Skill Increase: Nature (expert)
o Gear: +1 striking boomerang, blazons of shared power, backfire mantle, necklace of knives, everburning torch, ring of discretion
The class feats in this block further explore Sokka’s roll as a strategist for the Gaang with Shared Stratagem allowing him to set up his allies’ attacks. The Marshal Dedication improves his ability as an orator and also allows him to assure and bolster his allies, making them less likely to succumb to fear. The increase to Diplomacy fits well with his eventual role as Chairman of the United Republic Council. Taking advantage of that increase to Diplomacy, Sokka also makes use of Bon Mot to tease and mock adversaries as he does identify as the ‘sarcasm guy.’ Trick Magic Item might not make much sense since he is actually one of the few non-benders among the main characters, but he builds that so that he can actually get use out of Charlatan – which is inspired by the time he came up with a scheme to trick Fire Nation soldiers into thinking that Katara was an earthbender.
LEVEL 6
o Class Feat: Inspiring Marshal Stance
o Skill Feat: Snare Crafting
o Skill Increase: Survival (expert)
o Gear: +1 leather, +1 striking boomerang, bag of holding (type I), blazons of shared power, +1 shortsword, necklace of shortswords
LEVEL 7
o General Feat: Breath Control
o Skillful Lesson: Group Impression
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (master)
o Gear: energizing weapon rune, +1 leather, diplomat’s badge, +1 striking boomerang, blazons of shared power, backfire mantle
LEVEL 8
o Class Feat: To Battle
o Skill Feat: Glad-Hand
o Skill Increase: Survival (expert)
o Gear: boots of bounding, energizing weapon rune, sure-step crampons, +1 leather, +1 striking boomerang, bag of holding (type I)
LEVEL 9
o Ancestry Feat: Multitalented – Rogue Dedication
o Skill Feat: Alchemical Crafting
o Skillful Lesson: Hobnobber
o Skill Increase: Athletics (master), Performance (trained), Thievery (trained)
o Gear: +1 resilient leather, boots of bounding, bag of holding (type II), energizing weapon rune, diplomat’s badge, +1 striking boomerang
LEVEL 10
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str 14, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 16)
o Class Feat: Back to Back
o Skill Feat: Additional Lore – Warfare (master)
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (master), Religion (trained)
o Gear: greater coyote cloak, +1 resilient leather, cold energy robe, boots of bounding, energizing weapon rune, +1 striking boomerang
Inspiring Marshal Stance allows Sokka to coordinate assault with his allies and between that and a successful Strategic Strike, he can create a three point swing in accuracy for a single character, setting them up for a mighty blow. To Battle is thematically fun but has a solid mechanical benefit – against singular enemies, if Sokka knows his Devise a Stratagem is going to fail, he could instead spend the actions to give an ally who has a better chance of landing a blow to launch a Strike. As the eldest member of the Gaang, Sokka tends to look after the others and that fits in nicely with Back to Back. Breath Control is inspired by Sokka being a member of the Water Tribe and Rogue Dedication is taken mainly for some of the benefits it has for a thrown weapon build – though even as an investigator, he doesn’t mind the extra skills from it. While he doesn’t always have a chance to show it off, Sokka is a skilled craftsmen and he uses it with the likes of Snare Crafter to hunt. Sokka also learned how to construct amateur explosives from his father and will use the bonus skill feat from his Rogue Dedication to pick up Alchemical Crafting.
LEVEL 11
o General Feat: Toughness
o Skillful Lesson: Forager
o Skill Increase: Crafting (expert)
o Gear: +2 striking boomerang, eyes of the eagle, greater coyote cloak, +1 resilient leather, boots of bounding, bag of holding (type II)
LEVEL 12
o Class Feat: Athletic Strategist
o Skill Feat: Kip Up
o Skill Increase: Crafting (master)
o Gear: +2 resilient leather, +2 striking boomerang, elemental wayfinder (water), armbands of athleticism, cold energy robe, frost weapon rune
LEVEL 13
o Ancestry Feat: Cooperative Soul
o Skillful Lesson: Quick Disguise
o Skill Increase: Deception (master)
o Gear: +2 greater striking boomerang, +2 resilient leather, greater crafter’s eyepiece, elemental wayfinder (water), armbands of athleticism, greater coyote cloak
LEVEL 14
o Class Feat: Target of Opportunity
o Skill Feat: Backup Disguise
o Skill Increase: Nature (master)
o Gear: greater helm of underwater action, +2 greater striking boomerang, spectacles of inquiry, +2 resilient leather, elemental wayfinder (water), rime jar
LEVEL 15
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str 14, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 10, Cha 18)
o General Feat: Fleet
o Skillful Lesson: Confabulator
o Skill Increase: Diplomacy (legendary)
o Gear: +2 greater resilient leather, boots of speed, greater helm of underwater action, +2 greater striking boomerang, greater crafter’s eyepiece, moderate boots of free running
Sokka will sometimes rely upon tricks rather than attacks, which plays nicely into Athletic Strategist, allowing him to set up foes for his allies. Since one of Sokka’s main weapons is the boomerang, this is one of the few times that he’ll actually be able to use Target of Opportunity from the marshal archetype. However, Sokka will often fight in melee but his health is lacking a little – so he’ll grab Toughness to help him hang in combat. While in the Fire Nation, Sokka and the others disguised themselves as citizens with him taking on the identity of Wang Fire, which is represented through several of the disguise and Deception feats that he picks up during this block.
LEVEL 16
o Class Feat: Basic Trickery – Strong Arm
o Skill Feat: Underwater Marauder
o Skill Increase: Deception (legendary)
o Gear: greater frost weapon rune, +2 greater resilient leather, major ring of cold resistance, greater helm of underwater action, +2 greater striking boomerang, spectacles of inquiry
LEVEL 17
o Ancestry Feat: Heroic Presence
o Skillful Lesson: Craft Anything
o Skill Increase: Crafting (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater striking boomerang, greater frost weapon rune, greater diver’s gloves, +2 greater resilient leather, boots of speed, greater helm of underwater action
LEVEL 18
o Class Feat: Didactic Strike
o Skill Feat: Legendary Guide
o Skill Increase: Survival (legendary)
o Gear: artificer spectacles, +3 greater striking boomerang, speed weapon rune, greater frost weapon rune, +2 greater resilient leather, major ring of cold resistance
LEVEL 19
o General Feat: Prescient Planner
o Skillful Lesson: Reveal Machinations
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater resilient leather, artificer spectacles, major cloak of repute, +3 greater striking boomerang, greater frost weapon rune, greater diver’s gloves
LEVEL 20
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str 16, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 22, Wis 12, Cha 18)
o Class Feat: Everyone’s a Suspect
o Skill Feat: Legendary Negotiation
o Skill Increase: Athletics (legendary), Intimidation (trained)
o Gear: +3 major striking boomerang, +3 greater resilient leather, clockwork cloak, artificer spectacles, greater frost weapon rune, speed weapon rune
From his Rogue Dedication, Sokka picks up Strong Arm so that he can throw his boomerang slightly further and I’d love to take more feats from it, but it’s more important for him to take Didactic Strike to truly coordinate with his entire team. Sokka can be a bit paranoid, which is the justification for taking a capstone feat even if it isn’t a perfect fit. As one of the companions of the Avatar and a hero for his age, specifically one that helped strategize the final fight, Heroic Presence felt like a solid fit and is simply another way for him to bolster his allies. With all the skills that he gains from being an investigator, he’s going to grab a few of the legendary skill feats but will also take Underwater Marauder, which feels like a natural fit for a member of the Water Tribe.
FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: This build already heavily uses archetypes, which can easily be used in a free archetype game. With some freed up feats, some good investigator options are Strategic Assessment, Predictive Purchase, and Suspect of Opportunity. However, Sokka will likely want to make use of feats from the marshal or rogue archetype instead of drawing more from the investigator. From marshal, he may like Cunning Stance, Snap Out of It, Cadence Call, and Tactical Cadence. From rogue, he probably benefits from the likes of Basic and Advanced Trickery and can pick up options such as Battle Assessment, Sabotage, and Far Throw.
BUILD CONCLUSION
As a strategist and tactician who focuses more upon the physical world than the near-mystical powers his companions has, Sokka is predominantly built as an investigator with the marshal archetype. As a member of the southern water tribe, he is a wintertouched human to represent his dwelling in an arctic environment. Before his father left for war, he charged Sokka with protecting and watching over the tribe, which instilled in him a sense of responsibility and also influenced the decision to use the deputy background. He serves as the main strategist and tactician for his friends and represents this with the lacks of his marshal archetype, Shared Stratagem, and Didactic Strike. As a more grounded member of the Gaang compared to the benders, he wields only his wits, a boomerang aided by the likes of Strong Arm, and the occasional other weapon that he picks up, most notably swords. This build uses a shortsword so that he is only relying on Dex to hit instead of trying to split between Int, Dex, and Strength. His father taught him how to make rudimentary explosives, ala Alchemical Crafting, and he disguised himself as Wang Fire during his time in the Fire Nation, leading to feats such as Quick Disguise and Confabulator. Charlatan references the time that he helped trick some soldiers into thinking that his sister was an earthbender, but he does have to take Trick Magic Item to even have a chance of making use of this feat himself.
Sokka is a talented tactician that excels at aiding his allies and using his knowledge in combat to help turn the tide while making strategic strikes with his boomerang or shortsword.
Lemme know what you think and what other builds you would like to see!
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Have a fantastic Friday!
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