I'm attempting to build as optimized a trap-disarming skill-monkey as I can, to fill a role in my home game. As we'll be starting a new adv. path soon. Currently, no intelligence's greater than 10 at the moment for the other 4 players (Barbarian, Cleric, Fighter, & Sorcerer), the sorcerer is the party face. We'll be starting at level 1, with a 20 Point-Buy. The closest I've ever come to playing a spell caster is a Ranger (I usually just buffed).
This is what I've come up with so far.
High Points:
-Uses two levels of Paladin Divine Hunter to grab Longbow proficiency, Precise Shot and Divine Grace
-Uses magical knack and the Aasimar Bard Favored Class Bonus to make up for the penalties to CL and Luck abilities incurred by the dip.
-Uses Archaeologists Luck, Arcane Strike, Heroism/Good Hope, to up Hit and Dmg.
-Wear a spiked gauntlet to threaten adjacent squares
Muse-Touched Aasimar
Str 14
Dex 15+2 Racial
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 7
Cha 15+2 Racial
Traits:
Magical Knack (Bard)
Maestro of the Society
Pride (Drawback to get the extra trait)
Fate's Favored
(Bard Archaeologist 18, Paladin - Divine Hunter 2)
Lvl Class |Feats
1) Divine Hunter |Point Blank Shot,(Precise Shot from divine hunter)
2) Archaeologist |
3) Archaeologist |Lingering Performance
4) Archaeologist |+1 Dex
5) Archaeologist |Arcane Strike, (Rapid Shot via Rogue Talent)
6) Divine Hunter |
7) Archaeologist |Weapon Focus (Longbow)
8) Archaeologist |+1 Cha
9) Archaeologist |Many Shot
10) Archaeologist |(Rogue Talent to get Weapon Finesse or Trap Spotter)
11) Archaeologist |Clustered Shots
12) Archaeologist |+1 Dex
13) Archaeologist |Combat Casting
14) Archaeologist |(Improved Evasion Rogue Talent)
15) Archaeologist |Improved Precise Strike
16) Archaeologist |+1 Cha
17) Archaeologist |Snapshot
18) Archaeologist |(Opportunist Rogue Talent)
19) Archaeologist |Improved Snapshot
20) Archaeologist |
Questions:
Should I start with Paladin to get the extra hit points (Early), or Bard to get the Disable Device by Level 2?
Will This do decent damage?
Anything I may have missed?
Interesting thing to note: Archaeologists do not get Disable Device as a class skill. You can still put points in it , but you won't get the +3 class skill bonus without a trait. This being the case, I'd suggest finding room for Extra Traits (and skipping the Drawback), and waiting to take magical knack until you have extra traits.
You won't be doing a lot of heavy casting at low levels anyway, at least not things that will be overly dependent on Caster Level, so you can take a bit of a delay there.
You also might want to take your second level of Pally earlier, that CHA to saves will really save your bacon early on.
Out of curiosity, what AP are you playing?
We haven't decided yet. We're just wrapping up Rise of the Runelords.
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When you play Archaeologist, try to focus on just the bard levels instead of multiclassing.
This is so you get your next spell levels as early as possible, which can feel pretty painful down the track (even if you don't multiclass, but especially if you do). Considering this, you won't need Magical Knack either. Take the disable device trait instead.
If you have Adventurer's Armory, consider bringing a skeleton key for 85gp.
That build does do good damage, add Haste as well. Your biggest threat will be DR, so try and get arrows made with cold iron, silver and adamantine.
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+1 to Avatar-1.
Also if funds are an issue.
Cold iron arrows cost 2x normal arrows.
Silver blanch is 5 gp to treat 10 arrows.Sadly, adamantine blanch is 100 gp for 10 arrows, still spendy at low levels. I don't know of any other way to drop this cost down.
buy 5 adamantine arrows, and get the spell abundant ammunition.
if you can get your bow to +3, all arrows are treated as cold iron and silver.if you are playing an archeologist, you also want to consider fate's favored trait, increases all your luck bonuses by one. This can improve many items down the line, like the Jingasa of Fortunate Soldier, Dragonbone Divination Sticks, and others, depending on your build.