No clue how this is going to work, as I'm only level 2 at the moment (Rog 2).
The campaign setting is a steampunk post-apocalyptic metropolis with a pre-Upton Sinclair mindset. Think Wild, Wild West meets Big O. We are a three-member party with a Tetori Monk, reminiscent of an early 20th century strong man; a "member of a dying breed" holy crusader seeking to manifest order and righteousness in a world where most small-town preachers are fire-and-brimstone frauds; and a freelance carpetbagging muckraker seeking to disrupt the status quo who ghostwrites the exploits of corporate corruption.
So far, the campaign is equal parts intrigue/investigation and combat, so plenty of opportunity to play the lolskillz role.
Here's my build:
Half-Elf Rogue (4d6 drop build; Lucky Rolls; GM Verified)
Str 11
Dex 16
Con 14
Int 18
Wis 13
Cha 15
Core Racial Traits (2 Favored Classes, Skill Focus {Stealth})
1st-level feat: Weapon Finesse
Traits: Magical Knack, Elven Reflexes
2nd Level Rogue Talent: Firearm Training (firearms are common in this campaign)
Potential 4th level Talent: Combat Trick or Bleeding Attack
At the moment, it looks like my end-game is going to be Rogue 4 / Bard 6 / ArT 9. Since bards don't have any spells that would qualify for SA, I'm debating whether that last level is worth it (unless that transfers to wands, in which case sign me up).
My focus (as you've noticed with the INT) is that I'm the lolskillz of the group, so I'm going 6 levels into Bard to take Versatile performance twice.
Feats I'm looking into for the future include:
Dodge -> Mobility -> Spring Attack
Arcane Strike
Combat Expertise -> Improved Feint | Improved Trip (with a whip) | Improved Disarm (with a whip)
Dazzling Display
Am I going to be the best in combat? Definitely not, considering by the time I'm high enough into ArT to stop sucking, the strong man will have muscles that can flex into the Ethereal plane to grapple ghosts, and the Paladin can brow-beat demons back to the Abyss.
Any ideas on how I can hide my iniquities in combat, or tips on what I can do to improve the build?
I'm not open to the suggestion of not going Arcane Trickster, btw. For one, it fits the story, and two, I'm trying to prove that you can make a viable build for an ArT.