So, I’m looking at creating a new character, and I’ve been entertaining the idea of a sneaky-scout type, with the ability to cast a few spells to aid in that role. However, I’m having troubles (analysis paralysis), in deciding which path to take, and I was hoping the great community around here could give me some pointers/advice/opinions. So far, I’ve toyed with a wiz/rogue, a bard/rogue, a sorc/ninja, a cleric/rogue, an inquisitor/rogue, arcane trickster, shadow dancer, or any combination of those. This character is intended for Society play, and I was looking at choosing a gnome, for the race.
For the build, here are the ideas I’m entertaining. In order to be a good sneaky-scout, who can report back on what he sees, he’ll need certain skills. These skills include
• Stealth, for sneaking;
• Perception, for seeing;
• Disable Device, to remove any traps found along the way or to set his own;
• Knowledge skills (all), to identify what he sees and identify its weaknesses;
• Climb/Acrobatics/Swim, in case he needs to use these while performing some recon
In order to aid the scouting, I thought some spells would come in handy, too (Silence, Spider Climb, Message, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights, etc). I imagine only getting up to 2nd level spells, which would mean either a 3 or 4 level dip. Is this too much? Are the spells not really needed, and I should stick with trying to purchase some good items down the road (such as ring of invisibility, goggles of x-ray vision).
If I focus entirely upon this avenue, and pick only spells to help with scouting, I fear the character won’t be too useful once battle is actually joined. Also, I’m concerned the character may be too MAD, as he’ll need to keep up Dexterity, a spell-casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma), and possibly Con so as not to go down too easily.
And, I love the idea of sneaking up to the baddies while setting traps (or Glyphs of Warding) along the way. Getting their attention, perhaps through an opening attack, and then making them chase me back through the booby-trapped path to where the rest of the group has set up an ambush point. Not sure how feasible this is, especially in PFS, but I still love the idea.
As I mentioned above, this character is still in the early concept-stages, so nothing is set in stone. However, I would still love any and all feedback that might be provided. Thank you in advance!
(This post has been written in haste, so please forgive any grammatical, spelling, or logic errors)
