Well, i am having some issues. I have been asked to join a RotRL campaign to fill the roll of "skill monkey". I would be starting at 8th lvl with a 15 point buy. As much as i would like to play, i am having some serious reservations. It just seems that with the low point buy in and the trap/knowledge/skill responsibilities I'll be sacrificing pretty much all combat versatility. Anyone out there been in this situation before? Im looking to have some fun, not a migraine!
With the limited point buy an empiricist seems like the way to go. Because of the role selection the DM can probably be coerst into letting me start with a piece or 2 of vital equiptment. Please HELP!
I think there is trait that gives trap finding take that on a occultist, they get 4+int skills, int is there casting stat they are a 3/4 bab class with in built enhancement bonuses to one physical stat. Starting with 16 int and str dumping cha you can pump you con a bit using the human bonus for int or str.
You get 8 skill points per level good casting legacy weapon from the transmutation school on a great sword or earth breaker will knock people for six combine with lead blades for massive damage in the early levels and you don't need to buy a belt so you can afford to get a headband decently early for yet more skills. Once you get a +1 weapon pretty sure they can grab bane on there weapon spontaneously.
They're asking you to be the skill monkey, not the dps face smashing warrior.
Presumably that means they've got the front line roles covered. They're asking you to fill a different primary role, so that's the one you should worry about mosgt.
Presumably you'll be going rogue and hopefully you'll have fellow party members who will coooperate in setting up flanks for you.
That's the real secret to this game... it's PARTIES that succeed, not individuals.
I would consider Lore Oracle (Seeker) 1/Bard 7. With Noble Scion of War, Sidestep Secret and Lore Keeper you run your initiative, AC, reflex save and knowledge skills off charisma which gives you a lot of flexibility with your other stats. The seeker archetype lets you disable magical traps, you will have the knowledges covered with a single rank investment in each, you will have 2 versatile performances to cover diplomacy, bluff, sense motive and one other of your choice.
I suggest going Human and trading out the bonus feat for Focused study. that gives you two skill focus feats at this level which can go into perform to further charge versatile performance or into perception and disable.
I would dump strength and recognise that you probably will not making any sort of physical attacks. Focusing on charisma should give you enough spell slots to get by or you could consider thundercaller to turn your perform rounds into an aoe stun effect.
The bard/oracle ends up looking something like this with some basic gear on it.
LoreOracle1/Bard7:
Unnamed Hero
Male human bard 7/oracle (seeker) 1 (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 42)
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +9; Senses Perception +20
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Defense
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AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +6 Dex, +2 shield)
hp 73 (8d8+30)
Fort +8, Ref +16, Will +10; +4 vs. bardic performance, language-dependent, and sonic
Combat Gear wand of mage armor (50 charges), wand of shield (50 charges); Other Gear +1 mithral buckler, belt of mighty constitution +2, circlet of persuasion, cloak of resistance +2, eyes of the eagle, handy haversack, headband of alluring charisma +2, ring of protection +1, vest of escape, masterwork thieves' tools
1: I run all my games at 15 point buy. It's not that bad it just means you will need to dump one or more ability scores. It also means you have to trust the other party members to do their job.
2: Bard is my best suggestion. With a 15 point buy starting. Bards can truly make a difference in how well the party dose. No one will expect you to be on the front line. However you will be able to contribute to almost every fight.
Bard:
Human Bard
Str 10 Dex 18 (+1 4,&8) Con 12 Int 14 Wis 8 Cha 14
Skill Ranks: 10 Per level (6 Bard +2 Int, +1 Human, +1 Favored Class)
HP: +2 per level (+1 Favored Class, +1 con)
Trait: Reactionary, Vagabond Child (Disable Device as a class skill.)
Feat: Fast Learner, Weapon Finesses, Lingering Performance, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw
Leading to 9:Two Weapon Fighting 11: Discordant Voice 13: Improved Two Weapon Fighting 15: Battle Song of the Peoples Revolt(Outflank)
Recommended spells
1: Saving Finale, Touch of Gracelessness
2: Heightened Awareness, Acute Senses, Tactical Acumen, Aram Zey's Focus (Key to making this work. This gives you trap finding for the duration.)
3: Good Hope, Haste
4: Virtuoso Performance, Dimension Door
5: Unwilling Shield, Stunning Finale
Example: Round 1 level 8 Move Action Inspire Courage +2 to hit, and damage Standard Action Good Hope +2 to hit, damage, skills, saves, and ability checks. Total +4 to hit, damage, +2 skills, saves, and ability checks.
APs (esp older ones) are designed with 15 PB in mind. you wont be underpowered in comparison to the monsters you fight, even with a secondary combat role.
That being said, unchained rogue, dump str, get dex to damgage, and you'd be fine for skills, damage,whatever. Play an elf or similar race with boosts to dex/int if you really feel like you need help.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Instead of empiricist, go with psychic detective (Occult Adventures). You get spontaneous bard-like casting in place of prepared extracts, including the 0-level spell sift (very useful for a trap finding character), but based on Int instead of Cha; the psychic spell list is also more versatile than the bard spell list (and, IMO, better than alchemist extracts for just about everything except healing).
13 Str, 16 Dex (+2 race), 12 Con, 15 Int, 10 Wis, 8 Cha; human with the Fast Learner feat (for the +1 to both Skill Ranks and hp per level) and Weapon Finesse; +1 Int at 4th level.
Thanks for all the options! could you elaborate on this build ?
Sage is a wildblooded archetype for sorcerer which turns it into an Int based caster. Seeker gives you trapfinding. I ran one in PFS all the way to level 12, this is what he looked like at level 8 using 20PB. His Int is 2 higher than normal due to a boon.
Spoiler:
Gunther Gallonica
Male half-orc sorcerer (seeker, wildblooded) 8 (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 70)
N Medium humanoid (human, orc)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 58 (8d6+24)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +11
Defensive Abilities sacred tattoo
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +2 (1d4-2/19-20)
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Statistics
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Str 7, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 28, Wis 11, Cha 7
Base Atk +4; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Additional Traits, Endurance, Expanded Arcana[APG], Greater Spell Focus (conjuration), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (conjuration)
Traits eyes and ears of the city, fate's favored, student of philosophy, world traveler
Skills Appraise +13, Bluff +9 (+20 to lie (as a result of using Int instead of Cha)), Craft (alchemy) +13, Diplomacy +12 (+23 to persuade others but not to gather information (as a result of using Int instead of Cha)), Disable Device +23, Escape Artist +18, Fly +6, Knowledge (arcana) +22 (+26 spells), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (engineering) +10, Knowledge (geography) +10, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (local) +19, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +10, Knowledge (planes) +20, Knowledge (religion) +17, Linguistics +14, Perception +19, Spellcraft +15 (+19 spells), Survival +0 (+2 to avoid becoming lost), Use Magic Device +2;
Another option is to play as a Summoner and have an Eidolon that's built for skills. It's easy to slap +8 racial bonuses onto every skill that matters, along with some useful forms of travel as well as better senses. Your Summon Monster spells can cover for you in combat. You can cover a few metal skills while the Eidolon covers Perception, Stealth, Disable Device and Use Magic Device.
If your GM makes you go Unchained, you're still in luck. Skill monkey Eidolons are the most cost efficient build with the lower pool of Evolution points.
Quote:
I think there is trait that gives trap finding
Yes and no. It's a campaign trait, and it isn't for Rise of the Rune Lord. So no, it isn't an option without special GM intervention. However, you might want to negotiate for legality on the Aram Zey's Focus spell, which gives you the Trapfinding feature. And dedicated skill monkey (or Eidolon) can easily crush the DC to cast it off of a scroll by the time magical traps are a regular thing.
I like the idea of an Inspired Blade Swashbuckler 1 / Empiricist Investigator 7.
The single level of Inspired Blade gives you your primary combat stuff, supplemented by Studied Strike from Investigator. You'll otherwise have tons of skills from the Investigator side, as well as extracts and other goodies.
I'd suggest playing an Elf, and focusing on INT and DEX, while dropping STR and CHA.
Thanks for all the options! could you elaborate on this build ?
Yeah, The idea is that your a sorcerer, that is int based that gets trapfinding so you're able to fill the rogues roll just fine, but you also have full casting. you're starting off with 7 skills per level, 8 if you are human, which should be enough to cover things and count as a skill monkey. Race is really whatever you want, and if you want you can lower INT some for other stats.
You put ranks into disable device and whatever you need to count.
And then you have spells to supplement your endeavors, grabbing spells to make you a skill monkey, but 1 or 2 per level for stuff to cast in combat, and your DC's are really high if you want to do those kind of spells.
But you'll have heightened awareness, +2 to all knowledges, and heroism, +2 to all skill checks. These alone gives you tons of additional "skill ranks" while adventuring. And that's not counting some of the other cool rogue spells. Plus as a sorcerer, you get lots of spells per day, so you have spells to do buffs, utility, and combat and not run dry to early.
Your gear goes to Dex and int, giving you more skills and makes the dex skills better.
But your mindset is building this guy AS your skillmonkey, not as a normal sorcerer, so the spells you choose will likely be different.
