Class Feature Friday: Gadgeteer Specialization (Operative Specialization)
(art by Maria Zatorska on Artstation)
 An iconic image in science fiction has always been the gadgeteer, the character who invents or otherwise possesses the right tool for the job. We can all tell that the folks at Paizo love them too, what with the mechanic and technomancer classes, but also in how often gadget-wielding options show up in both 1st and 2nd edition Pathfinder as well.
While traditionally thought of as a smart-guy role, there is plenty of overlap there with the roguish character as well. Indeed, famous fictional spy James Bond in particular was known, at least in some incarnations, for having a bevy of useful concealed gadgets on his person.
Today’s subject seeks to emulate that “always prepared” mentality, as well as the thematic trope of being able to pull a solution out of seemingly nowhere.
Such gadgeteers might be genuine spies with an array of useful tools, or simply enthusiasts of that style of media. Some may be more akin to the tinkerers and mechanics that they parallel, building all sorts of useful devices, and some might simply see the value to having a small, concealed arsenal for every situation.
 Skill with a wrench and deft hands are an important part of a gadgeteer arsenal, and they also hide plenty of gadgets on their person to provide a distraction just long enough to get in a trick attack.
The iconic trick of these operatives is their “utility belt”. While not always a belt, the individual pays for an unspecified array of supplies to keep close and hand, and when the need arises, they can take from this budget to draw forth just the right device they need for the situation, as if they had bought or built just the right device.
At later levels of mastery, these sneaks develop fast enough hands to draw items on their person, both specified and unspecified while doing other tasks.
Getting the Utility Belt exploit early on is a godsend for these operatives, but beyond that, it behooves the player to do a deep dive on the full equipment list, looking at what items, magical or mundane, might be just right for the situation. Complementing their abilities with both equipment they bought normally and those they keep in the utility belt means you can do a lot of builds with them, but having good engineering and computers can make them something like a minor mechanic or technomancer, at least where hacking and technology are concerned.
 If you plan to play your gadgeteer operative as either a gadget spy or an enthusiast of that subgenre of films, you’ll be delighted to know that there are plenty of weapons and items that fit into that concealed category, everything from mazecore items that can function as one device, but then be reconfigured into another, or concealed bugs, tools and weaponry, including things like the ring pistols, all of which might entice them enough to pick up properly or to draw from their utility belt.
  Curious and empathetic towards other living beings, one would not expect a ramiyel to be an assassin, but Ellasi is an exception. Adept at infiltrating high society, she uses many concealed tools to get where she is not permitted to be, and often makes her kills with weaponry concealed within jewelry.
 When a well-meaning tinkerer accidentally reveals a nosferatu for what they are during a photo shoot involving a souped-up “solar flashbulb”, the tinker had to disappear into anonymity to stay safe, developing all sorts of unsavory skills to get by. All the while, the vampire still hunts them with bounty hunters, the party being the latest hired to do so. Can the tinkerer convince them of the truth?
 Specializing in vintage non-electronic or computerized toys, Balavo runs a quiet novelty business in the market deck of the station. What nobody realizes is that Balavo is much more familiar with technology than he appears, being a retired engineer and tinkering spy and thief.
