good at everything, excels at nothing

[zauriel56]

so I want a character who can do a little bit of of everything while excelling at nothing. The idea is that if something is needed he can do it, and having a small bonus is better than nothing. Improvisation and improved improvisation are MUSTS for this build I believe.

I figure I will need weapon finesse, piranha strike, weapon focus and slashing grace; point-blank shot, precise shot,deadly aim. And I was thinking of taking a few levels in bard archaeologist if I can afford it. I know I'll have to take levels of fighter for a while but if I can do archaeologist's luck with fate's favored and improved improvisation I can get 6 + stat to any skill check.

i dont want to dump any stat.

I'm thinking
Str- 12
Dex- 14(+2 racial for human) = 16
Con- 14
Int- 13
Wis- 12
Cha- 13

[Heretek]

Bard or Investigator is all you need really, though they excel certainly as well.

I don't really see the point in improvisation since the above have class skills in pretty much everything relevant, and you could just put additional points into the non-class skills instead.

[CN_Minus]

If you've never played or seen anyone play a bard or investigator, that's really all you need. You can kind of do everything well, but you don't specialize in anything unless you want to. Just string out your skills into the more useless ones a bit more and you'll be fine with one of those classes.

[Weirdo]

Skip Piranha Strike, your accuracy won't be good enough. I would reconsider Deadly Aim for the same reason. I know they're sold as "Power Attack for light/ranged weapons" but the best thing about Power Attack is the two-hander bonus, which these feats don't have. With only -1/+2 the tradeoff is much less favourable.

Dip one level in swashbuckler (inspired blade) one level for finesse and Weapon Focus (rapier). That takes care of two feats, and gives you 1st level deeds. As a human you get another two 1st level feats; I'd take Fencing Grace and Point Blank Shot. With Fencing Grace at level 1, you can make do with a 10 or 11 Str, to buy up Dex or Cha a point.

Heretek is correct that Improvisation and Improved Improvisation are actually less valuable for a bard than most characters, thanks to their relatively generous skill points. I would consider instead taking Archivist, which offers Jack of All Trades at level 5 (and also trapfinding at level 2).

zauriel56 wrote:

The idea is that if something is needed he can do it, and having a small bonus is better than nothing.

You can make a character that can try anything, but if your bonus in a particular skill or form of attack is too low, you're going to be limited in what you can actually do. It's very easy to spread yourself too thin.

[RaizielDragon]

I'm looking into making a similar character that is going to be mainly Bard with some level dips into Mindchemist (alchemist) and Investigator (maybe Empiricist).

[Heretek]

Unless you care about poison the answer is pretty much to always go Empiricist. It is just better than the base.

As for your build idea...

So 1 Empiricist Investigator/2 Mindchemist Alchemist/X Archaeologist Bard?

I guess it could work if you really only care about being a skill monkey, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Chess Pwn]

The "problem" with being able to do everything but do nothing well is that "very often" other people in the party will do a few things well. So if you have a roguish character in your party who is all good at disable device and stealth and whatnot, then you're not likely the one to be doing it and thus you don't need to be able to do it. If an Oracle or sorcerer is going bluff and diplomacy then they'll be better at it than you. If you have a wizard, bard or investigator investing in all the knowledges then they'll be better than you.

I perceive that in the end you'll be playing a lot of second fiddle and never have a time to shine.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Quote:

The "problem" with being able to do everything but do nothing well is that "very often" other people in the party will do a few things well. So if you have a roguish character in your party who is all good at disable device and stealth and whatnot, then you're not likely the one to be doing it and thus you don't need to be able to do it. If an Oracle or sorcerer is going bluff and diplomacy then they'll be better at it than you. If you have a wizard, bard or investigator investing in all the knowledges then they'll be better than you.

I perceive that in the end you'll be playing a lot of second fiddle and never have a time to shine.

Yup. You could be a Aid Another bot. But that is pretty underwhelming as a character to be honest. No one likes to be second fiddle.

Ricky Bobby wrote:

"If you ain’t first, you’re last." "Everyone loves a winner." "Got to be a Winner to get Love."

You want a character who can do a lot then the Swashigator (1 Inspire Blade Swashbuckler/X Empiricist Investigator) can do a lot of work both on and off the battlefield. Level 1 Fencing Grace, Level 5 Mutagen + Extra Talent- Quick Study and you are in business. Everything else is just pure gravy.

[Talonflash]

Chess Pwn wrote:

The "problem" with being able to do everything but do nothing well is that "very often" other people in the party will do a few things well. So if you have a roguish character in your party who is all good at disable device and stealth and whatnot, then you're not likely the one to be doing it and thus you don't need to be able to do it. If an Oracle or sorcerer is going bluff and diplomacy then they'll be better at it than you. If you have a wizard, bard or investigator investing in all the knowledges then they'll be better than you.

I perceive that in the end you'll be playing a lot of second fiddle and never have a time to shine.

So shine at being the second fiddle. You don't have to be best at anything, just good enough at enough different things. I've played this as an Archaeologist Bard. Two stealthers meant the enemy's focus was split, two buffers meant the fighty types were at top of their game that much sooner, etc. Many times, I was the one who saved the day because I was the (good enough) second chance that came through when the (much better) first chance didn't quite make it.

[Chess Pwn]

Inquisitors, Bards, and Investigators are the three classes I'd recommend if you're wanting a skillful guy that can do something in a lot of situations. All three get a lot of skillpoints and skillpoint/skill boosters. All get "spells". And all have a pretty good class skill list. All of them can be useful in combat.

Also the Occultist could probably be added to this list.

So I suggest picking one of these classes for a base based on which you think you'd enjoy playing and then we can work from there on how to meet your idea.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Quote:

So shine at being the second fiddle.

Some people are fine with Silver medals and Participation Trophies.

Those people turn out be great inn keepers and town guards. Walking around later in life saying stuff like, "I was once an adventurer like you till I took an arrow in the knee."