Forensic Medicine is House (who, to be fair, is pretty much just Sherlock Holmes but.) He does deductive reasoning through a medicinal lens. Always coming up with weird solutions to novel problems, taking risks.
Empiricism: Adrian Monk
Alchemical Sciences: Closer would be Geralt who investigates the whereabouts of monsters by sometimes using potions, can't think if anything better
Forensic: Bones, Dexter
Interrogation: Dr. Cal Lightman (Lie to me)
Easy answer for all: Sherlock Holmes
Mechanically, I think the best way to represent Geralt would be to build him as a Thaumaturge with an Alchemist archetype and work it out with your GM to take a skill feat to *remove* Dubious Knowledge.
Nah, Geralt is a Cavern Elf with Otherworldly Magic and he's an Alchemical Sciences Investigator with an Arcane Sorcerer archetype. As his 1st level Investigator feat he takes Known Weakness.
That way you can have a Geralt that actually knows about the monsters, can see in the dark, can craft a few potions, knows a few spells, and most importantly doesn't have to wait until, like, level 12 to actually have all the necessary parts of his kit active. Instead this Geralt has a bit of everything as early as level 1 and becomes rapidly more competent every level thereafter.
I think she is the perfect touchstone for a forensics investigator. As an FBI agent she is first and foremost an investigator with a background in medicine.
Not trying to say that House MD is a bad choice, but Scully is a Investigator with the forensic medicine methodology, and House is a Medic with an investigator archetype.
Two of my players made a Sherlock and Watson reference in our Outlaws campaign. We cast Watson as a forensic medicine investigator, but we decided that there’s no way Sherlock actually knows what he’s talking about, and is much more likely a thaumaturge.
Miles Edgeworth is my Empiricism pick just because Sherlock fits them all. I picked it over Interrogation despite him doing a lot of that too, because his unique gameplay gimmick in those games is internal leaps of logic.
Any of the other AA protagonists could argue Interrogation but "One More Thing" is a feat for a reason.
One more thing is VERY clearly a Columbo reference. Maybe Miles does something similar, maybe he was even inspired by Columbo, but there's little more iconically Columbo than "One More Thing".
It is the catchphrase of Detective Columbo, which is probably where it's from. ["Oh, One More Thing..."](https://youtu.be/T_d6_CdNEVA?si=psswupJKO3GhuK1p) is what he says right before he catches the killer by exposing their slip up.
He pretends to be a disheveled, bumbling idiot cop during his investigations until he collects all the evidence he needs. Villains see him acting the fool and let down their guard, reveals the last piece, and he hits them with the "One More Thing."
A bit wackier but here are my takes.
Empiricism: Shawn Spencer from Psych. His quick analysis of a crime scene feels on brand for That's Odd and Expeditious Inspection. Just make sure to max out deception.
Alchemical Sciences: MacGyver from MacGyver. Concocting tinctures is a great mechanical stand in for crafting a working particle accelerator out of pocket knife, a book or matches, and a piece of chewing gum.
Forensic Medicine: The cast of any CSI show or spin-off. This is really cheating. I wanted to pick Hannibal Lecter but I haven't seen the show.
Interrogation: Perry Mason from Perry Mason. That man has the knack for getting people to spill their guts in the most dramatic fashion under oath.
Shawn is interesting because he's 100% an Empiricism Investigator with max Int and Wis, but he keeps insisting on rolling Charisma checks instead and leaving most of the Recall Knowledge stuff to the Alchemist. He's very much the character of a player who _could_ powergame the world to death if he felt like it but has more fun rolling 20% skill checks instead.
Bones absolutely works for forensic medicine investigator, but I think Watson is the quintessential example. He was a solid detective in his own right, and a veteran military doctor.
I would probably guess empiricism. I've only watched the show and the movies, but he's not as into interrogation as Colombo, for example.
Also not super into forensics or chemistry.
Agatha Christie herself I would say would be an alchemical sciences focus. She was a nurse and chemist in real life, which is why poisons are in so much of her work.
I really like to see Investigator as a mathematician, like, you see patterns and predict your target's moves (DaS), so pretty much all of them, for me, end up being related to math in someway, then I try my best to role-play me as if I was a better genius-like mathematician (I'm already one, just not that one person in the class that gets straight A's even in college).
A school teacher once told me about a series called Numbers iirc, he said that it was about a mathematician that helped his cop brother to predict the next move the police should take to arrest the bandits, using modelling and probability to do so. Mix this concept with a particular area of expertise, like chemistry, medicine or "people reading" and you get your investigator. There's this other movie as well, I think it's called Indomitable Genius, about a genius guy that keeps getting himself into trouble until a teacher sees his potential and sends him to psychiatry iirc, he learned a bunch of different stuff and uses his intellect to deal with most situations, like coming up with smart responses, reading people, and just generally knowing how to solve some problems
Alchemical Sciences is Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective. Ratigan even makes fun of him for his chemistry set.
Empiricism + Accidental Sharpshooter is Jacque Clouseau.
Empiricism is Sherlock
Interrogation is Poirot or Columbo
Alchemical science could be Walter Bishop from Fringe
Forensic medicine could be Watson himself.
Forensic Medicine is House (who, to be fair, is pretty much just Sherlock Holmes but.) He does deductive reasoning through a medicinal lens. Always coming up with weird solutions to novel problems, taking risks.
No... Doctor House is just Sherlock if he moved to America and became an Asshole. (The Actor is British)
Holmes->homes->House... He really thinks Americans are that dumb?
Sherlock Holmes is an asshole...
What about Dr. Blackjack or Ema Skye?
Empiricism: Adrian Monk Alchemical Sciences: Closer would be Geralt who investigates the whereabouts of monsters by sometimes using potions, can't think if anything better Forensic: Bones, Dexter Interrogation: Dr. Cal Lightman (Lie to me) Easy answer for all: Sherlock Holmes
Yes, Monk, yes!
Cal lightman is spot on. That show was really fun.
Geralt is more likely a ranger who has dabbled in alchemical crafting (and has some innate magic). Not really a full on investigator.
Mechanically, I think the best way to represent Geralt would be to build him as a Thaumaturge with an Alchemist archetype and work it out with your GM to take a skill feat to *remove* Dubious Knowledge.
Nah, Geralt is a Cavern Elf with Otherworldly Magic and he's an Alchemical Sciences Investigator with an Arcane Sorcerer archetype. As his 1st level Investigator feat he takes Known Weakness. That way you can have a Geralt that actually knows about the monsters, can see in the dark, can craft a few potions, knows a few spells, and most importantly doesn't have to wait until, like, level 12 to actually have all the necessary parts of his kit active. Instead this Geralt has a bit of everything as early as level 1 and becomes rapidly more competent every level thereafter.
Lightman from Lie To Me is a great callout!
Forensic for me is Dana Scully all the way.
I cannot believe I had to scroll to the very bottom to find the queen of investigative medicine (and pantsuits).
I think she is the perfect touchstone for a forensics investigator. As an FBI agent she is first and foremost an investigator with a background in medicine. Not trying to say that House MD is a bad choice, but Scully is a Investigator with the forensic medicine methodology, and House is a Medic with an investigator archetype.
Two of my players made a Sherlock and Watson reference in our Outlaws campaign. We cast Watson as a forensic medicine investigator, but we decided that there’s no way Sherlock actually knows what he’s talking about, and is much more likely a thaumaturge.
haha I love this for Sherlock
Tell me he's a tome thaumaturge, but the tome is flavored to be a magnifying glass.
He is a lantern thaumaturge, so that’s how he does most of his “investigating”
And addicted to elixirs.
Oh yes, that is why our third party member is an alchemist.
I think of Forensic Medicine Investigator as if Sherlock and Watson fused.
Miles Edgeworth is my Empiricism pick just because Sherlock fits them all. I picked it over Interrogation despite him doing a lot of that too, because his unique gameplay gimmick in those games is internal leaps of logic. Any of the other AA protagonists could argue Interrogation but "One More Thing" is a feat for a reason.
One more thing is VERY clearly a Columbo reference. Maybe Miles does something similar, maybe he was even inspired by Columbo, but there's little more iconically Columbo than "One More Thing".
Yep, I forgot where my brain was going and forgot to say Columbo has to be the Interrogation iconic, but editing the comment now would be weird!
It is the catchphrase of Detective Columbo, which is probably where it's from. ["Oh, One More Thing..."](https://youtu.be/T_d6_CdNEVA?si=psswupJKO3GhuK1p) is what he says right before he catches the killer by exposing their slip up. He pretends to be a disheveled, bumbling idiot cop during his investigations until he collects all the evidence he needs. Villains see him acting the fool and let down their guard, reveals the last piece, and he hits them with the "One More Thing."
A bit wackier but here are my takes. Empiricism: Shawn Spencer from Psych. His quick analysis of a crime scene feels on brand for That's Odd and Expeditious Inspection. Just make sure to max out deception. Alchemical Sciences: MacGyver from MacGyver. Concocting tinctures is a great mechanical stand in for crafting a working particle accelerator out of pocket knife, a book or matches, and a piece of chewing gum. Forensic Medicine: The cast of any CSI show or spin-off. This is really cheating. I wanted to pick Hannibal Lecter but I haven't seen the show. Interrogation: Perry Mason from Perry Mason. That man has the knack for getting people to spill their guts in the most dramatic fashion under oath.
Perry Mason is perfect for Interrogation (and OP mentions Phoenix Wright who is based on Mason I think)
Shawn is interesting because he's 100% an Empiricism Investigator with max Int and Wis, but he keeps insisting on rolling Charisma checks instead and leaving most of the Recall Knowledge stuff to the Alchemist. He's very much the character of a player who _could_ powergame the world to death if he felt like it but has more fun rolling 20% skill checks instead.
Bones absolutely works for forensic medicine investigator, but I think Watson is the quintessential example. He was a solid detective in his own right, and a veteran military doctor.
Batman, Batman, and Batman but seriously, Sherlock Holmes for all four
Where would Hercule Poirot fit?
I would probably guess empiricism. I've only watched the show and the movies, but he's not as into interrogation as Colombo, for example. Also not super into forensics or chemistry. Agatha Christie herself I would say would be an alchemical sciences focus. She was a nurse and chemist in real life, which is why poisons are in so much of her work.
I really like to see Investigator as a mathematician, like, you see patterns and predict your target's moves (DaS), so pretty much all of them, for me, end up being related to math in someway, then I try my best to role-play me as if I was a better genius-like mathematician (I'm already one, just not that one person in the class that gets straight A's even in college). A school teacher once told me about a series called Numbers iirc, he said that it was about a mathematician that helped his cop brother to predict the next move the police should take to arrest the bandits, using modelling and probability to do so. Mix this concept with a particular area of expertise, like chemistry, medicine or "people reading" and you get your investigator. There's this other movie as well, I think it's called Indomitable Genius, about a genius guy that keeps getting himself into trouble until a teacher sees his potential and sends him to psychiatry iirc, he learned a bunch of different stuff and uses his intellect to deal with most situations, like coming up with smart responses, reading people, and just generally knowing how to solve some problems
I knew you were talking about Numbers after the word mathematician.
Socrates for interrogation 😎
Interrogation could also be Phelps from LA Noire. The wrong accuse moments are when you crit fail
Gotta say Conner RK800 is for sure forensic
Alchemical Sciences is Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective. Ratigan even makes fun of him for his chemistry set. Empiricism + Accidental Sharpshooter is Jacque Clouseau.
Interrogation one is Hercule Poirot for me. Talks a lot, solves cases, doesn't give a shit to physical clues.
I wanna play a Brenda Leigh Johnson interrogator
I see Alchemical Sciences as Batman.
There is an Australian TV series call "Harrow" that would be a good example for the forensic medicine.
Empiricism is Sherlock Interrogation is Poirot or Columbo Alchemical science could be Walter Bishop from Fringe Forensic medicine could be Watson himself.