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You should definitely check out Occult Adventures - a lot of the classes and themes should be relevant to your interests.
The Psychic and Occultist are both good starting points, but feats like Psychic Sensitivity let other characters dabble in some of the themes.
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I think a neat idea would be a samsaran sensei or flowing monk would be fun. Either inspire your comrades with your sagely wisdom or make water metaphors as you sicken and trip people.
My friend also once came up with a build that emphasized charisma to AC which could be fun to fluff off as disorienting your foes with tough questions about the meaning of life.
Another cool idea is doing the Promethean alchemist (I think that's what it's called it's the one that lets you craft constructs), create a flesh golem, and examine him to discover what it truely means to be mortal, like a philosopher/scientist.
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Read up on the Planescape campaign setting from 2e D&D. It goes wild with philosophy, metaphysics, and the power of belief that can shape reality. There are a bunch of factions which were founded under philosophical ideals that explain how the multiverse works, and most of em are really interesting. Any class or race can be philosophical with the right premise and context.
Aside from Planescape, look at examples of the Warrior Poet trope for inspiration.
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There are many, many different philosophers, with different techiques, beliefs, and methods. So it is more about picking your poison, really.
Generally though, you probably want a casting class, both due to the ability to be more stoic than the guy with a battle ax, and because they generally make you have at least one good mental score (intelligence for creating theories, wisdom for studying the world around you, charisma for just going on and on and still have people listen to you).
Another cool way to go might be Kineticist- I am suggesting this because of the idea of the '4 elements' discussed upon by Plato and Aristotle. And who doesn't want to pal around with those guys when making a philosopher character?
You probably want Aristotle more, since he also included aether. Maybe play up the cold-hot/wet-dry thing that he went on about with the elements.
I have kinda been kicking around of a kineticist with a kinda aloof philosopher king motif myself. And it is much easier for a philospher to become king when he can literally blast armies away (seriously- while maybe not as amazing as traditional casters at times within the intense and brief world of adventuring, kineticists can be frightening when used on longer time scale of a the battlefield)
Mostly, I have been imagining a stoic earth king in robes on a throne of stone (flavorful description of kinetic form) building a city of stones (greek like).
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I'd probably go with Sensei Monk.
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Along with the Student of Philosophy trait, either build an Occultist Tome Eater (for comedic value) or an investigator Empiricist (for a more serious bent). Your other trait should probably be something like Fiend Blood to be a better bluffer.
One of these classes should fit your concept and allow you to apply what you're learning in school at the gaming table.
Race is entirely up to you, but you want to pump your intelligence if you choose one of these two classes. Either an elf, half-elf, human or wayang would give you the +2 Int bonus.
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Surprised nobody mentined Bard -- if you are going to be a decent philosopher (as opposed to a hack), you are going to want lots of skill ranks for knowledge skills Bard and Investigator give you the second most skill ranks (and even give you all Knowledge skills in class) after a Rogue or Ninja, for which the fluff doesn't fit; you could go Inquisitor if you were willing to be a really scary philosopher, although you have to admit that NOBODY EXPECTS an Inquisitor in this role.
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It does indeed depend what sort of philosopher you want to be. Empiricist Investigators with the Student of Philosophy trait would be great as Renaissance or Classical polymaths in the vein of Descartes, Leonardo da Vinci, Aristotle etc.
Hughnme, it'd help to know which philosophers you'd been reading. Sun Tzu, Immanuel Kant and John Stewart Mill are so different that you'd need very different stats and classes to represent them!
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You might want to take a look at the "Enlightened Philosopher" archetype for the oracle. It might not be what you want, but it's the only class I know that's actually called a philosopher.
^Actually, Enlightened Philosopher is not terrible for this, although the Lawful alignment requirement is weird, and you wouldn't necessarily expect a philosopher to have an Oracle's Curse, and the skill ranks per level are a bit skimpy (although at least you get all Knowledge skills in class).
I would say that, yes, the enlightened philosopher might be the most accurate - by name at least - however, since a philosopher would be focused on non murder-hobo styled pursuits, the Expert might more accurately represent history's philosophers.
I don't feel the oracle really represents a philosopher, however, as it is not an int or wis focused character at all. The oracle in this iteration is a conduit for some other int/wis to pass through them (from whatever source their power originates) via their cha, while an actual philosopher would be their own source of int/wis.
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Philosophy can be done by anybody. It's a roleplay choice independent of race/class.
If you want the PC to be knowledgeable about the teachings of other philosophers, knowledge skills could be useful.
If you have a philosophy in mind that would restrict your character's actions, and want to plan for those restrictions, then please share, as otherwise how does anybody know what you mean by philosopher? Always gotta define ambiguous terms before you can work with them.
I would go with the classics, wizard, cleric and druid.
example? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/npc-s/npc-0/human-expert-2
I wish we had an Expert class that actually has some playability attraction. Like for instance, make it a Rogue alternate class that trades out Sneak Attack and some other Rogue stuff for broader skill-based stuff. This works better for Modern-style campaign settings, but should be possible to do in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting. Philosopher could be an archetype of this. Same deal for Aristocrat, except that the archetype would be Armchair Philosopher.
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example? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/npc-s/npc-0/human-expert-2I wish we had an Expert class that actually has some playability attraction. Like for instance, make it a Rogue alternate class that trades out Sneak Attack and some other Rogue stuff for broader skill-based stuff. This works better for Modern-style campaign settings, but should be possible to do in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting. Philosopher could be an archetype of this. Same deal for Aristocrat, except that the archetype would be Armchair Philosopher.
Drop dead studios has the True Professional rogue archetype in it's Rogue Glory book:
Which is pretty much exactly what you are asking for.
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It really depends on the philosophers you are reading. If you are reading the Art of War, or the Book of Five Rings you may very well be a front line fighter. Throw in Price by Machiavelli and you could even be an Antipaladin.
It really depends on the philosophers you are reading. If you are reading the Art of War, or the Book of Five Rings you may very well be a front line fighter.
Tactician Fighter even adds in 2 more skill ranks per level, so this could work.
Throw in Price by Machiavelli and you could even be an Antipaladin.
I didn't know Machievelli was into game shows . . . Anyway, with the caveat that I haven't read his actual work, I get the impression that the Prince would be Lawful Evil or even somewhere between Lawful Neutral and Lawful Evil, which doesn't match an Antipaladin at all -- either type of Hellknight would be a better match, although the lack of skill ranks really hurts unless you are an Intelligence-based caster going into Hellknight Signifer.
By the way, the Pathfinder Unchained Background Skills option would really help with the skill starvation problem.
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Seems more fun to be a Barbarian philosopher. "You're willing to sacrifice an innocent for the sake of power? Have you any what would happen to society if the guiding principles behind your actions became universal moral law? THRAG SMASH YOU!"
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I would be very interested in seeing a pathfinder character exclusively and totally devoted to the tenets of Epicureanism, my favorite school of Greek philosophy.
EDIT: Also, a Cynic would also be fun to see, along the lines of Diogenes. I don't know about the 'murder' part, but if Diogenes's example is to be followed then the 'hobo' part is already down.
Philosophy in gaming reminds me of these:
I am currently playing a Dark Tapestry Oracle. He had an encounter with Hastur and it has left him an angsty nihilist resigned to his fate as a meat puppet suffering through mortal life with the illusion of free will. He's a bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to fun and games (the Hopeknife ceremony at the beginning of Giantslayer, for example) but I'm having a lot of fun creeping out the other characters with my scary tattoos and pessimistic pronouncements.
You could also grab a gunslinger and take a page out of Marx' book.
Preferably be from Galt, Andoran or Cheliax.
No-one said philosophies all have to be peaceful.
Marx was anti-state and anti-private property. I believe he would be opposed to the empire of Cheliax.
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Marx was anti-state and anti-private property. I believe he would be opposed to the empire of Cheliax.
Yes, precisely! Cheliax is a good point of origin because it gives him something to struggle against.
This way you could even have him being exiled from Cheliax for inciting rebellion be his backstory.
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It depends on the philosophy/philosopher.
Socrates should be a gnome that just goes around throwing people off with .bewildering koan.
Plato would use lots of illusion and divination. Arcanist or wizard.
Descartes should be a psychic of some sort. Cogito ergo sum, after all.
Sartre should have a class with a ton of choices and versatility so that he has to constantly exercise his radical freedom. Medium or inquisitor. Must fight with a pen knife.
I see Kant as a paladin, the most deontologically ethical of all classes in Pathfinder.
Nietzsche is a Molthuni expatriate to Rahadoum and an oracle with the solar mystery.
Naturally, Ayn Rand is an antipaladin.
It depends on the philosophy/philosopher.
Socrates should be a gnome that just goes around throwing people off with .bewildering koan.
What? I'd say Socrates fits far better as a Dwarven 'Tactician' Fighter with a huge wisdom score. He was after all a soldier in at least three campaigns in the Peloponnesian War. He also should have the lowest charisma score you can give him because good lord was he ugly/bad at talking to crowds.
Plato would use lots of illusion and divination. Arcanist or wizard.
Plato would probably be better represented with an Orcale or at least something religious in nature.
Descartes should be a psychic of some sort. Cogito ergo sum, after all.
Descartes? The same Descartes who was a mercenary? Something more martial might fit him better.
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When you want to build a philosopher, what you're really asking is, how do I role play a philosopher? I built a fighter once who had this connection with nature, and was often as philosophical as he was an ass kicker.
You just gotta make a character and build them around a school of thought, or an idea, or some way of thinking. Make them question religion, or embrace it. Make them believe in some way of questioning things, anything you think of. It's all about how you roleplay, not the character you build.
+1 on that, except that D&D 3.5/Pathfinder mechanics will hurt your implementation with skill starvation if you don't have enough skill ranks (whether as base ranks or those gained from a high Intelligence, or some combination thereof).
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Plato was supposed to be a champion wrestler - I'd do him as a Tetori.
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It depends on the philosophy/philosopher.
Socrates should be a gnome that just goes around throwing people off with .bewildering koan.
What? I'd say Socrates fits far better as a Dwarven 'Tactician' Fighter with a huge wisdom score. He was after all a soldier in at least three campaigns in the Peloponnesian War. He also should have the lowest charisma score you can give him because good lord was he ugly/bad at talking to crowds.
Plato would use lots of illusion and divination. Arcanist or wizard.Plato would probably be better represented with an Orcale or at least something religious in nature.
Descartes should be a psychic of some sort. Cogito ergo sum, after all.Descartes? The same Descartes who was a mercenary? Something more martial might fit him better.
My list was thoroughly half-assed. I was merely trying to give examples of how to build a philosopher depends entirely upon the philosopher.
Didn't know that Descartes was a mercenary. Interesting!
Plato was supposed to be a champion wrestler - I'd do him as a Tetori.
the name literally means 'burly'. don't fight plato.
i'd beat up aristotle however.
It depends on the philosophy/philosopher.
Socrates should be a gnome that just goes around throwing people off with .bewildering koan.
What? I'd say Socrates fits far better as a Dwarven 'Tactician' Fighter with a huge wisdom score. He was after all a soldier in at least three campaigns in the Peloponnesian War. He also should have the lowest charisma score you can give him because good lord was he ugly/bad at talking to crowds.
Plato would use lots of illusion and divination. Arcanist or wizard.Plato would probably be better represented with an Orcale or at least something religious in nature.
Descartes should be a psychic of some sort. Cogito ergo sum, after all.Descartes? The same Descartes who was a mercenary? Something more martial might fit him better.My list was thoroughly half-assed. I was merely trying to give examples of how to build a philosopher depends entirely upon the philosopher.
Didn't know that Descartes was a mercenary. Interesting!
Oh, Descartes was a boss.
Descartes contracted tuberculosis as a newborn from his mother and was pale and sickly throughout his childhood. But as a young adult he found himself in robust health and compensating for his early years, he studied fencing, becoming quite good with a sword, and became a mercenary, learning the military arts from Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, a famed tactical genius. The Catholic Descartes lived in Holland and served under the Protestant Maurice as he was engaged in battle against the Spanish-Austrian monarchy, a mutual enemy of Holland and France. But once the war enlarged and became sectarian, Descartes fought for the Catholic Bavarian army of Maximilian I against Maurice and his former comrades.
Historians disagree over whether Descartes saw combat with either force, but they do agree on one episode... After leaving Maximilian's army, Descartes returned home to France following a leisurely, circuitous route seeing much of central Europe on the way. Taking a boat to Holland, Descartes traveled with only his manservant. At the time, wealthy men were often accompanied by large entourages, including bodyguards. Seeing that Descartes had no such protection, hearing him speak well-heeled French to his servant, and seeing him dressed in taffeta with an ostrich-feather plumed hat, the rough-necked crew took Descartes to be a wealthy French merchant, and a bit of a pufter at that. Thinking he could not understand Dutch, they openly plotted to rob and murder Descartes, feeding his corpse to the fishes. Of course, having lived in holland, Descartes understood every word and realizing he was outnumbered, saw the element of surprise as his best tool. Waiting for just the right moment, in one smooth motion, Descartes drew his sword and pounced on one of the sailors, knocking him against the side of the boat putting the tip of his sword to the man's throat. In a calm, clear voice, Descartes explained in Dutch that he understood every word said. He was tired from the war, he declared, but no so tired that he would not happily kill each and every one of them himself. Seeing his desired destination from the ship, he then politely asked if one of the crew would mind rowing him and his manservant ashore. The suddenly genial sailors thought this was a smashing idea and Descartes was taken to land where he went on to discover analytic geometry, modern philosophy, a version of Copernican cosmology based on an early form of the principle of relativity, and the strange idea that dogs are just hairy little robots (can't win 'em all, I guess).