Need help, concept to character.

[Proley]

Hey everyone, in the event of my characters death, I'm wanting to have a back-up character built, and get some more exposure to character creation since I've only build one with lots of GM guidance. I have a general character concept but need some help figuring out the class that best suits it.

The Avenger:

My current character is a rogue from a mob family, I'm thinking if he dies, the family sends someone to find out who is responsible for the death, they send their enforcer who ends up finding the party and discovers their campaign. The enforcer decides their goal is important enough to pursue, and the family needs to maintain a presence in the town, so he settles in to the party and resumes expanding the family's influence in the region.

He's tough enough that he can handle dealing with thugs and criminals when things go badly, but social enough that he can get information from people without having to resort to violence.

He's basically the quintessential mafia lieutenant from an RP perspective. In game mechanics, if our rogue dies, we've lost our face, scout, and skill monkey. While we can cover the scouting with our summoner's eidolon, we're pretty weak in social skills (which our DM likes to use frequently). So I'd like him to have class skills in Diplomacy, Perception, Sense Motive and bluff. At the same time, if he hits you, you're going to notice. I'd like to avoid a magic user to simplify book keeping.

I'm thinking a Half-Orc Inquisitor but that's more magic/religion based, or maybe a lore warden, but he lacks the skills, I'm looking for a Soldier with social skills, but coming up blank. Any advice? Thanks in advance, I know you guys will come up with something great :)

[Ologath]

Perhaps you could go bard? It has all of the skills you're looking for, and though it does have spellcasting, it isn't any more than the Inquisitor you were thinking of playing.

The Detective bard gives you a bonus to some of the skills you're focusing on and would fit in with the investigating angle you mentioned.

If you don't like the musical angle, you could go Archaeologist to get rid of Bardic Performance, or just put your skill points into Perform (Oratory) and give speeches about how great the mafia is so you can spread its influence and inspire people.

[Cheapy]

Bard!

Oh, no magic. Lame.

Your other option is Urban Ranger with Skirmisher archetype as well.

Non-magical, lots of skills, can hit hard. Most of the nature themes are gone too.

[Deadmanwalking]

Bard (probably no Archetype), Inquisitor of an appropriate God (there are a few possibilities, Calistria being the most obvious), and Urban Ranger (with either Traits or the Cosmpolitan Feat for social skills as class) seem like the obvious choices.

Urban Barbarian and Lore Warden Fighter (again, with appropriate Traits or Cosmopolitan), also both seem valid possibilities.

Personally? I'd go Inquisitor with the Conversion Inquisition. Dumping Charisma and still being the face with his high Wisdom, as wll as hitting pretty hard. Always a fun little combination.

[Gunn]

Why not a paladin? I hear a charismatic soldier I immediately think paladin.

[Cheapy]

If the group is involved with the mafia, I doubt a paladin would be a good fit.

[Proley]

Thanks guys, think I'll go either Conversion Inquisitor or Urban Ranger :) Greatest community online, thanks!

[A highly regarded expert]

Proley wrote:

Greatest community online, thanks!

On this we agree. Lots of great, helpful folks around here.

Let us know what you settle on!

I'll add that bards are awesome faces. The arcane duelist is not bad in a fight.