Support bard / investigator advice requested for PFS

[Atragon]

I'm putting together a pure support character for PFS using the flagbearer feat, based heavily on the guide to the Buffer Bard. And I could use some advice.

At the moment my build looks roughly like this:

Azata-blooded Aasimar (grandfathered GM blob with enough chronicles to start at 2nd level)

Bard X / Investigator (Psychic Detective?) 1

Str/Dex/Con/Int/Wis/Cha
8/12/12/16/10/18

Feats:
Flagbearer

I could use advice on the following points:

1) I'd like to work trapfinding into the build, so I'm thinking of splashing a level of Investigator (either base or Psychic Detective), and I'm not sure if I want to take 2 levels of bard first and then investigator (to get versatile performance fast), or grab one level of each (to get inspiration fast)

2) base Investigator vs Psychic Detective, Alchemy could be handy for crafting cheap goodies as party favours, and some of the self-buffs are tempting, but since I'm not aiming for combat and won't be advancing past level 1, Psychic Detective for another whack of 0th and 1st level spells seems like a good alternate option.

3) traits, too many options, my shortlist is: Arcane Temper (+1 init, +1 concentration), Focused Mind (+2 concentration), Giant Ambivalence (+1 init, +1 sense motive, +2 perception to avoid surprise), Inner Beauty (1/day +4 to bluf/craft/diplo/perform), Intense Artist (+1 to 2 perform skills), Reactionary (+2 init), Sacred Touch (stabilize for free on touch). I'm thinking Intense Artist and Giant Ambivalence probably.

4) Skills, there are 13 skills! that I want to keep at good levels (the big 6 knowledges, 3 performs, disable device, UMD, perception, spellcraft), and another 5 that I'd like to throw a single rank into. I'm looking at 9 skill points per level. Any suggestions for how to pull this off?

[Chess Pwn]

why are you taking the investigator level at all?

Normal investigator can't pass out extracts until lv3 if they take infusion as their discovery.

My personal view? I wouldn't really appreciate this character in the party. You don't contribute anything in combat. Yeah yeah, some buffs, but that's no where near enough to value a whole person being there.
And it would be quite easy to be as good of a buffer as you are and also be combat effective.

[Atarlost]

I'm with Chess Pwn.

Pure support characters are bad and your multiclass is utterly pointless.

And more first level slots are trash.

You really shouldn't ever build a second level character. You should build at least an eighth level character and then build the best seventh level character that can become him and then the best fifth that can become him and so on. A dip that is good at second level becomes a major liability later.

[Atragon]

You do raise some good points about how early dips can turn weak later on. Not being able to pass out extracts until 3rd level, and that CL 1 first level spells don't scale.

Intent of the dip was to grab trapfinding with a side order of get disable device as a class skill. Inspiration stacked on top of Bardic Knowledge seemed like a nice bonus, as opposed to +1d6 of Sneak Attack.

In terms of later build, Bard 8 vs Bard 7 / Investigator 1 would put me behind by a level on getting Haste, etc, etc, etc. Not sure how to value that. I think I'll go Bard 2 and give it further thought.

Any thoughts on points 3 and 4?

[Nomadical]

I've not seen a Flag Bearer in PFS yet. Per the feat, it's a flag of "your clan, house, or party" and the bonus only applies to "members of that allegiance who can see the flag." So I presume you'd carry a flag of the Society? But the bonus would go away if you ever have to conceal the flag.

"Hey, are you guys Pathfinders?"

"Who, us? No, no, we're _______ (Aspis, merchants, pirates, mercenaries, ....)

"Yeah, but what about that guy waving the Society flag?"

You could look at full investigator for trapfinding and all of it's support abilities (and excellent archetypes like empiricist or psychic detective), or rogue of course for being better in combat (and maybe even the new rogue archetypes in Ultimate Intrigue), or archeologist bard.

[Chess Pwn]

Atragon wrote:

4) Skills, there are 13 skills! that I want to keep at good levels (the big 6 knowledges, 3 performs, disable device, UMD, perception, spellcraft), and another 5 that I'd like to throw a single rank into. I'm looking at 9 skill points per level. Any suggestions for how to pull this off?

Why do you want 3 performs?

What is your goal with UMD? Are you planning on using many magic wands and scrolls not on your spell list?
Why are you wanting spellcraft? If it's to identify magic items you're probably better off using a want of Identify.

My investigator is one of the best knowledge guys around. He has 1 rank in most of the knowledge skills. The DCs for a lot of knowledge aren't that high and with Heightened Awareness and the other buffs you get you don't need a rank every level.
Disable device also usually doesn't have to crazy high of a DC.

[cavernshark]

Supposedly, the Magic Tactics Toolbox has an investigator archetype, the Questioner, that gives up alchemy and gets bard casting based on INT and a bardic knowledge boost on top of inspiration. It might offer you the chassis you need without multi-classing? There are some details on the product discussion, but it only releases to the public/non-subscribers next week. You wouldn't get bardic performance, but you'd have a lot of the buff spells instead.

[Atarlost]

You really need to reduce your skill expectations.

You will not max or even half max all your knowledges. Maybe you'll half max the six used for monster identification.

You will not max three performances. You'll probably try to max two and get a headband or ioun stone to cover the third because it's dead weight until level 10. You might get a headband for the second even.

[Jasmine Wu]

Nomadical wrote:

I've not seen a Flag Bearer in PFS yet. Per the feat, it's a flag of "your clan, house, or party" and the bonus only applies to "members of that allegiance who can see the flag." So I presume you'd carry a flag of the Society? But the bonus would go away if you ever have to conceal the flag.

"Hey, are you guys Pathfinders?"

"Who, us? No, no, we're _______ (Aspis, merchants, pirates, mercenaries, ....)

"Yeah, but what about that guy waving the Society flag?"

You could look at full investigator for trapfinding and all of it's support abilities (and excellent archetypes like empiricist or psychic detective), or rogue of course for being better in combat (and maybe even the new rogue archetypes in Ultimate Intrigue), or archeologist bard.

"My name is Jasmine Wu. My family make Wu Chai Tea, the Tea with the Monkey on the Box! I carry the Wu Chai Flag because Tea and Monkeys make everyone happy!"

Before the game starts, Jasmine passes out boxes of Wu Chai Tea, because "Happy people fight better!"

Jasmine is a flagbearer bard. She contributes somewhat in combat but really what she does is spells and buffing. At fifth level, her monkey can inspire courage while Jasmine casts spells like glitterdust. This means she has great action economy. She covers skills, does great infiltration, provides some spells and offers +3 to attack and damage.

I've carried teams to victory. Yes, my melee skills with my spear aren't great, but they don't have to be. I am a very competent support bard. Every team I've been on has ended with the melee characters shaking my hand and saying, "Thank you."

Hmm