Investigator Aid Another Skill Monkey - need help!

[Website Doesn'twork]

Hey everyone,

Started looking up the investigator and have gotten very interested in a sherlock holmes style character that is a very skillful outside of combat and also provides support to others even in combat through aid another.

With that in mind I was toying with making the character either a halfing or another race with the adopted trait and helpful trait to boot for +4 to aid another. Here's some of my initial thoughts on feats, build etc; any of your help would be appreciated!

- I'm having a really hard time deciding between dex or strength build! Obviously he won't be attacking much so that doesn't matter too much though. If I use Monstrous Physique do I get dex to damage in the form i'm in if I take the fencing grace/slashing grace feat line for the natural attacks? With a small character I was leaning toward dex but there are SO MANY good talents/feats.

- Like I mentioned a minute ago, there are SO MANY good talents/feats including: combat reflexes, bodyguard, harrying partners, cautious fighter/blundering defense (for halfing), additional talents.

- For talents, the first one will almost certainly be effortless aid to give my aiding ability a big boost. Following that, there are a bunch of good ones at 5 including mutagen, device talent, expanded and underworld inspiration, timed strike, quick study, mutagen, infusion, empathy. Any thoughts on which one you like the most?

- Are there any other ways to boost aid another other than the following at low levels:

- helpful trait
- battlefield disciple trait (+1 to att roll boost)
- inspired weapon (can't afford early on though)
- gloves of arcane striking (though I don't think an investigator can take the arcane strike feat?).

Any other thoughts on the potential skill monkey/helping character.

[Daw]

Breadth of Experience would be helpful.

[Ferious Thune]

I'm not sure that an Inspired weapon actually adds anything to aid another. It makes using inspiration to hit cheaper, and it's a fantastic damage boost, but neither of those things help aid another.

The weapon ability you're looking for there is Benevolent. On a weapon, it lets you add the weapon's enhancement bonus to the bonus you grant with aid another. So +1 benevolent would mean you aid to hit for a +5 (or +6. I'm unsure about Battlefield Disciple and Helpful stacking).

For aiding to AC, Benevolent armor.

Investigators can't take Arcane Strike.

I don't know about Slashing Grace working with a natural attack build. It may work for a single natural attack, but if you're using a claw on both hands, that probably goes against the off-hand occupied restriction. Plus, slashing grace is for one type of weapon. If you turned into a gargoyle, you'd need three different weapon focus feats and three different slashing grace feats just so it would apply on all of your different natural attacks. The much easier way to get Dex to damage for natural attacks is an Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists.

A small, dex based Investigator can do a lot of damage with that amulet. My gnome investigator regularly turns into a Charda (5 natural attacks, plus a +2 Dex, because it's a small creature). With a mutagen and other long term buffs, he's more than capable in melee.

Daw is correct that Breadth of Experience is a great feat for an Investigator. I have it on my gnome. If you want, you can also stack Dilletante with it and you knowledge skills will be ridiculous with only a couple of ranks each. It's limited by race, so no halflings. But a gnome with adopted could have the feat and the helpful trait. Expanded Inspiration is definitely worth it. Underworld Inspiration is good, but would be better if it included stealth.

[Castilonium]

Fools for Friends campaign trait

Ring of Tactical Precision

[JDLPF]

Inspiring Commander

3rd party archetype, adds Int bonus to Aid Another. Can also learn to use Aid Another at 30 ft. range at level 5.

Steel Falcon

Prestige class, Aid Another grants +4 base instead of +2 (doesn't stack with Helpful, only grants bonus to attack rolls and AC, not skill checks or saving throws)

[Website Doesn'twork]

Thanks for the advice, very helpful!

A few more follow-up questions:

1. Regarding agile amulet of mighty fists: does this automatically give dex to damage when using natural attacks (i.e. in monstrous physicue) or do you also need the weapon finesse feat?

2. I'm still debating the race between the following:

Halfing: Pros: +2 dex, access to helpful trait without "adopted" shenanogians (how often do DMS allow the use of this adopted trait in your experience?), some cool skill increases through keen senses, etc, +1 attack + AC, later on get access to cautious fighter/blundering defense feats for extra ac to allies i'm standing near anyways as long as I use one action to attack. Cons: attacks are lower, feat intensiveness of extra race feats,no increase to int, less skills

Human: Pros: +2 to int, one extra skill per level, free feat (so bodyguard at level 1), Cons: lose the halfing feats, have to be "adopted", some skill increases, flavor (well kind of)

Half-Elf: Pros: +2 to int, skill focus (would use on use magic device), some skill increases

What do you think? I have to do a core race (according to the DM)

3. Any other items, feats i'm missing or ideas?

[Website Doesn'twork]

bump.

[Website Doesn'twork]

Any thoughts anyone about my question?

[Ferious Thune]

Agile gives dex to damage on natural attacks whether or not you have weapon finesse. But it doesn't give dex to-hit, so you probably want weapon finesse for that.

For 2, it's really up to what you want. All three are good choices. If you're GM doesn't want to allow adopted, then I think Halflings is the clearer choice. If not, I like Human for the bonus feat. You lose the skill focus, but you could always take that at 3rd level if you really want it. Better yet, just take the Pragmatic Activator trait to make UMD an INT-based skill. I believe that's a Magic trait, so it should stack with adopted and helpful.

3) The Lepidstadt Investigator's Hat is an interesting item. I never was able to work it into my build, but it could be different.

[Website Doesn'twork]

Wooo, awesome item! Thanks for the heads-up very helpful!