Hello,
This is pretty straight forward, but I'm not the greatest at optimizing, so I'm hoping I can get a bit of help. I'm looking to maximize / optimize a lv. 2 characters bonuses in the following skills.
Kn: Dungeoneering
Kn: Engineering
Kn: Geography
Kn: Nobility
Kn: Local
Linguistics
Appraisal
Heal
(and if there's room)
Kn: Nature
Sense Motive
I'm assuming either Bard, Arcanist or Wizard. But I'm not sure how to get the bonus as high as possible outside of maxing INT.
The character will be 25 point buy. Any paizo race and 2 traits. Any suggestions?
You want absolute max in all those skills?
Bard with a maxed out INT. They gain a static bonus to knowledge checks and can also substitute certain skills for others with versatile performance, saving you skill points.
Well there are plenty of classes that give all knowledge skills as class skills.
You might also want to look into an investigator. They make their extracts based on INT and they gain extra dice rolls to their skill checks.
has all that skills as class skills and intelligence is his main ability (for spell – extracts respectively).
He can add d6 for free as Inspiration to all knowledges, linguistics and spellcraft.
that free d6 inspiration to heal, sense motive, perception, diplomacy and profession as talent or feat and maybe even at 1st level (there is no prerequisite, so IMHO it should work, but investigator normally begins to get talents from 3rd level).
archetype use intelligence as base attribute for sense motive, perception, disable device, use magic device and diplomacy (only for gathering informations).
It has nice synergy with trait which uses intelligence for diplomacy/persuasion and bluff/lying, so you can be even party face.
as second class will add levelling bonus to knowledges.
can choose favored class bonus which add bonuses to that inspirational d6 rolls – every 4th level you get +1 to previously mentioned skills.
Most overpowered campaign trait allows to get additional +1 hit point and +1 skill point over and above favored class bonus.
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If you want to maximize knowledge skills a catfolk bard is your best bet. They get +1/2 to bardic knowledge as a favored class bonus. This essentially gives you your level to knowledge skills.. Also take the feat noble Scion of Lore for a +1 on all knowledge skills you have at least one rank in. Also take the alternative racial trait Curiosity for a +2 in knowledge history and knowledge local. Take versatile performance in oratory to use for sense motive. As a catfolk bard your WIS is going to be low, but your CHA high. Put enough into WIS where you don’t take a penalty. Assuming a 16 INT a single skill point will get you a +10 on a knowledge skill. You get bonuses on knowledge local and knowledge nobility. You can use a trait to get heal as a class skill, but it will probably not be that high.
This build has the advantage, that as you go up your knowledge skills go up faster than any other character. Put a single point in and use your favored class bonus and you have the same point as a character that maxed out the skill. If you actually max out the skill your bonus will be higher than anyone. You will start with a +5 with knowledge skills you are not trained in. A single point will give you a +10, and maxing out the skill will give you +11, or +13 depending on the skill.
Empiricist, you could have 2 ranks in those for 2+3+5 = 10 to all the int ones. add a 1d6 to all the knowledge, that is a minimum equal to the bonus of the lv2 bard with potential to be higher.
Mindchemist is the another suggestion. you get the ability to add your int again on knowledge checks. so for knowledge checks you'd have 2+5+5 = 12. Then lv3 you could go Investigator or bard to get everything as a class skill.
The question is, are you looking to optimize only at level 2 or will this character be progressing further? Also do you care about anything else or is the only thing that matters these skills?
The question is, are you looking to optimize only at level 2 or will this character be progressing further? Also do you care about anything else or is the only thing that matters these skills?
A fair question. This character is a follower NPC (EDIT: Via leadership feat) for a game that's running, so it's highly unlikely they'll pass 2nd level. This one is meant more to potentially help a PC in knowledge skills that they and their party lack.
As for other skills, perception may matter as might profession, but otherwise nothing else seems particularly necessary.
Currently, I'm looking at the 100yr old Elf Empiricist Investigator with the Forlorn racial trait for Skill Focus: Dungeoneering. +15 to Dungeoneering and +12 to the other knowledges with inspiration available seems fairly solid for a lv. 2 follower. Still, Mindchemist seems an interesting possibility now that it's brought up...
If it's an NPC make him a "scholar" if needed give him like a d6 or d8 for HP. And just give him a +big number in the skills for being old and trained.
If it's an NPC make him a "scholar" if needed give him like a d6 or d8 for HP. And just give him a +big number in the skills for being old and trained.
Normally I might, but since it's a follower NPC for a PC from the Leadership feat, I'd like to stick to actual numbers where possible.
That said, I've just noticed the Archivist bard archetype. If I utilize Mysterious Strangers suggestion on the Catfolk Bard, I'd have +13 to the knowledge skills if I max INT and would have early access to 1/day Lore Master use, allowing me to take 20 on a knowledge check. 33 seems like good odds of getting vital information when needed. I wonder if 1/day lore master is good enough to go over +12 with inspiration on all the knowledge checks.
Anyways, thanks everyone for the suggestions and ideas so far. They've been quite insightful.