Investigator Devise a Strategem and Bombs

Discussion

The original text for Devise a Strategem allowed you to make the substitution

"... provided your strike uses an agile or finesse melee weapon, an agile or finesse unarmed attack, a ranged weapon (which must be agile or finesse if it's a melee weapon with the thrown trait, or a sap."

The Spring 2026 Errata changed that to

"If you Strike with a melee weapon, melee unarmed attack, or thrown weapon, it must have the agile or finesse trait to benefit from the substitution."

and on the Paizo FAQ it mentions

"The new wording applies to the same weapons as before, but also works on ranged unarmed attacks like the leshy’s seedpod."

The original version seemingly included bombs, as they are a ranged thrown weapon. (Not a melee weapon with the thrown trait)

But the changed text now excludes bombs, GM Core 244 states Alchemical Bombs are thrown weapons. But they do not have the agile/finesse trait. (There are only 3 ranged weapons with agile and thrown. 0 ranged weapons with finesse and thrown.)

With the wording of the FAQ stating that it still applies to the same weapons as before, does this mean bombs should never have been included in Devise a Strategem?

This Errata has been out for 6 months now and I have yet to see anything official from Paizo on if this was a mistake.

I'm currently playing an investigator with alchemist dedication/quick bomber so if that is the case then I feel like I need to rethink my entire build...

Posted Sep 2, 2026, 12:42 PM UTC

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