Greetings.
INTRODUCTION
We are about to finish our ongoing campaign (ROTRL) which has been going for over three years. We are currently in Karzoug's mountain-top spire--getting past the death zone was quite a challenge! Now we are almost there, and sometime before this summer we will start a new campaign: Jade Regent.
I really enjoy the flavor of having the Eastern aspect played up to 11, and for this reason I am choosing to play a half-elf investigator with a katana as its alternate-racial-exotic-proficiency (which replaces skill focus).
WHY A HALF-ELF?
This choice is threefold:
1) thematically, the katana is awesome (and it's a weapon that I expect to find as a magic item in this campaign setting as opposed to any other, non-eastern-themed setting);
2) the half-elf has a really nifty alternate favored class bonus;
3) when we played the Sandpoint Glassworks I learned that Tsuto was part of the Kaijitsu family even though he was a half-elf... So "something happened" with one of Ameiko's parents regarding extra-marital indiscretions. Because I intend to be Ameiko's Younger Sibling, I will work a bit with my GM to understand how I came to be.
Now that you have my reasons of why I chose a half-elf, we can move on with my intentions of playing this class.
OTHER PLAYERS: Trip-maneuver Intelligent Fighter, TWF & natural weapon Socially-Able Rogue, Shapeshifting Druid, probably an arcane spellcaster. So I'm the fourth/fifth party member. It may happen that we end up without an arcane spellcaster if schedule conflicts occur, so bear in mind that my extracts MAY be the only arcane-equivalents we get until an npc joins us or something.
MY PARTY ROLES: Versatility, utility, textbook, melee combat. Rogue's buddy when infiltration/scouting/social is required.
1) I want to be useful in combat with my 14 str and katana (and eventually studied combat--although having a STR bonus REALLY helps the early levels before I get studied combat).
2) I also want to be quite useful out of combat, ideally at all times. Instead of this campaign being a classical dungeon crawl, I expect this NPC-centric campaign to be all about the caravan, the recurrent NPCs, and zombie-clown-mime-ninjas who stalk the night and creep us out with their oni overlords crossing their arms and delivering cheesy one liners*. So I want to play the role of the know-it-all who is partly the party's rogue, partly a support extract-maker (for instance to give buffs and "remove debilitating condition extracts" when needed but also to have useful movement abilities) and last but not least be a mini-bard with my huge amount of skill points and free inspiration. I look forward to tag-teaming with the rogue. He will probably LOVE ME for the infused invisiblity Extracts, oh yes!
*that last part may or may not be true in Jade Regent, I've yet to find out!
POP-CULTURE REFERENCE
So what I want is to be BATMAN--Good all around, best when PREPARED. Fits with the high intelligence score, eh? I say BATMAN, but...that's without the unarmed proficiency and the insane amount of money (I expect the game to be balanced loot-by-level).
I also want to be SHERLOCK, because class name + archetype mechanics is too good to pass up. Also, these videos:
video 1
video 2
So, ON WITH THE BUILD!
I want to have medium armor proficiency in there without having to multi class. As you can see, I haven't put it in there. Don't hesitate to suggest me something to replace in order to slot this in. My first guess is to never have power attack to favor a bit more defense with medium armor. I have no idea how my mileage will vary, defensively-versus-offensively speaking.
Restrictions: I want to avoid dumping charisma; 15 pt-buy. Only use what's available in the Jade Regent Player's Guide and the Pathfinder PRD (aka, "Core only").
CN Half-elf Empiricist Investigator
STR 14
DEX 14
CON 10
INT 15 (17) (Common, Elven, Goblin, Tien, Skald, Giant)
WIS 8
CHA 10
HP: d8 + toughness (3) = 11
Traits (I offset the low point buy with these traits and my 1st level feat for more survivability. Plus I get to be part of the Kaijitsu bloodline, which is extra-eastern-flavor-cool.)
Resilient (combat): +1 Fortitude.
Younger Sibling, Ameiko Kaijitsu (campaign): +1 trait bonus to Will saves
Alternate racials: Drow-blooded, ancestral arms. I'm a rogue-like who can see in the dark, as opposed to humans and halflings. Also, I get to use the most thematically-appropriate weapon of them all.
Favorite class bonus for Half-Elf Investigator: Inspiration and Extracts are my favorite features of the Investigator, along with "having almost all the skillz". So I want to capitalize on this by choosing: Gain a +1/4 bonus on all inspiration rolls.
This means at levels 4/8/12 I will get a FURTHER extra bonus whenever I use inspiration. At lvl 9 and up (where I can use it on attacks and saves at a less-steep-cost thanks to Combat Inspiration) this could probably save my life someday!
INI: +2 (dex)
Feats and level-based benefits
1-FEAT Toughness
....1-[Racial] Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Katana
....1-Inspiration 1/2 level + INT MOD = 3
....2-Ceaseless Observation (Use INT as attribute mod for Diplomacy checks made to gather information, Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device)
....2- Inspiration Pool = 4
3-FEAT Power Attack
....3-Free talent: Infusion
....3-Trap Sense +1 Reflex/+1 Dodge VS Traps
....3-Keen Recollection: Can use knowledge skills untrained
....4-Studied Combat (1/2 level insight bonus to melee attack and damage as a Move Action against a creature, lasts INT mod rounds)
....4-Studied Strike (End studied combat to gain extra damage)
....4- Inspiration Pool = 6 [+1 to inspiration rolls!]
....4- +1 INT (don't forget to put 4 ranks into Escape Artist!)
....4- Unfailing Logic, +2 vs Illusion (can spend inspiration to use INT MOD instead of WIS MOD on illusions)
5-FEAT Expanded Inspiration (Ex): An investigator can use his inspiration ability when attempting Diplomacy, Heal, Perception, Profession, and Sense Motive checks without expending uses of inspiration, provided he's trained in the skill.
....5-Free Talent: Quick Study (Studied Combat as a Swift Action)
....6-Studied Strike 2d6
....6-Trap Sense +2 Reflex/+2 Dodge VS Traps
....6- Inspiration Pool = 7
7-FEAT Extra Inspiration (+3 to pool)
....7-Inspiration Pool = 10
....7-Free Talent: Sickening Offensive (When the investigator damages a studied target, that creature is also sickened [-2 to most checks] for 1 round.)
....8-Studied Strike 3d6
....8- +1 INT
....8- Inspiration Pool = 11 [+2 to inspiration rolls!]
....8- Unfailing Logic, +4 vs Illusion
9-FEAT Extra Investigator Talent: Combat Inspiration (spend 1 inspiration instead of 2 for attacks and saves)
....9-Free Talent: Amazing Inspiration (roll d8+2 for inspiration)
....9-Trap Sense +3 Reflex/+3 Dodge VS Traps
....10- Studied Strike 4d6
....10- Inspiration Pool = 12
11-FEAT Improved Critical (Katana)
....11-Free Talent: Eidetic Recollection (can take 10 on Knowledge checks; can take 20 by spending Inspiration)
....12- Studied Strike 5d6
....12- Inspiration Pool = 14 [d8+3 to inspiration rolls!]
....12- +1 INT (don't forget to put some ranks into 12 skills!)
13-FEAT ?????
....13- Tenacious Inspiration (roll two dice and take best when rolling inspiration)
....14- Studied Strike 6d6
....14- Inspiration Pool = 15
Skills (in bold: every level I add a rank to it)
I plan to have some skills fully maxed while others are more circumstancial. Eventually I will have all knowledge skills at 1 rank +3 class +3/4/5 INT MOD + free inspiration, but that's for the long term.
ODD LEVELS (lvl 1)
Knowledges x2 (Nobility, Religion, Nature, Planes, Arcana, Dungeoneering, Geography; +7 + free inspiration)
Diplomacy (+4)
Knowledge Local (+7 + free inspiration)
Linguistics (+7 + free inspiration, Giant then Abyssal@ lvl 3, Infernal@ lvl 5, Aklo @ lvl 7)
Spellcraft (+7 +free inspiration)
Perception (+2 racial, -1 wis +5)
Stealth (+6)
Use Magic Device (+4)
EVEN LEVELS (lvl 2)
Acrobatics +6
Bluff +4
Diplomacy (use INT instead of CHA when making Gather Information +5 change attitude/+8 gather info)
Disable Device (Trapfinding +1/2 level; @ lvl 2 use INT instead of DEX +7)
Knowledge Local (+8 + free inspiration)
Perception (@ lvl 2 use INT instead of WIS +10; Trapfinding +1/2 level)
Sense Motive (@ lvl 2 use INT instead of WIS +7)
Stealth (+7)
Use Magic Device (@ lvl 2 use INT instead of CHA: +8)
[lvl 4 skills to add: Escape Artist 4 ranks]
EQUIPMENT
Investigator kit (I removed some weighty stuff. Alchemy kit is at inn.)
Price 40 gp; Weight 15 lbs. (-9 torches)
This kit includes an alchemy crafting kit [5lbs], a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, ink, an inkpen, an iron pot, a mess kit, soap, torches (1), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin. The kit does not contain a formula book because an investigator begins play with a formula book and does not need to purchase one.
Average Lifestyle 10gp (this also means that we're not tracking purchases of 1gp and below which is why I sometimes only track weight, not acquisition price)
Formulae Book (3lbs, free)
Rope, silk (10gp, 5lbs)
What better way to avoid being encumbered than to have a litteral MULE to ferry your 'wares around? If it lives until we leave with the caravan, it will also be a mascot/cargo animal. I'll also have an evil overlord white cat.
Cat, Mule (8gp), Pack saddle (5gp)
Bandolier (eight objects like flasks, daggers or wands, each) x2 -
Chalk x6 -
Charcoal x6 -
Vial x5 -
Whistle -
Lamp oil x1 (1lb)
Flint & Steel -
Paper x10 -
Glue Paper x5 -
Pouch -
Sack -
Extra Inkpens x3 -
Twine/string x2, (0.5lb ea)
5 marbles -
Club (3lbs)
Dagger (2gp, 1lb)
Longspear (5gp 9lbs)
Studded Leather (25gp, 20lbs)
53lbs/58lbs light or 116 med [+5lbs if I have the alchemy crafting kit with me instead of at the inn/in the caravan]
105gp/105gp
I need to buy these two items as soon as I can get a few pocket change:
-Shovel (2gp 8lbs) [not purchased at character creation yet]
-Crowbar (2gp 5lbs) [not purchased at character creation yet]
In MULE [86.5/100lbs light load or 200 pounds medium]
Bucket (2lbs)
Pack Saddle (15lbs)
5 days animal feed (50lbs)
Twine/string x5, (2.5lbs)
10 iron spikes with loop ends (1 lb ea = 10 lbs)
Hammer (2 lbs)
5x 1-pound flour sacks (5 lbs)
I must say that this is very thorough and complete.
It looks like it will be a fun character to play.
I must say that this is very thorough and complete.
It looks like it will be a fun character to play.
Thanks.
What do you think about the medium armor proficiency versus power attack at level 3?
Or just take Armor expert trait and get mithral breastplate?
I was already thinking about a masterwork buckler, but your suggestion seems worthwhile enough to be worth a drawback for an additional trait or to remove the extra fortitude bonus and swap it for -1 ACP. That's IF I can obtain mithril in that campaign, at all!