Swashbuckler with a broad education?

[GeraintElberion]

I've been trying to put together a swashbuckler who had a great 'classical' education.
All I can think to do is have a level dip into bard.
Any other ways to get a load of knowledge checks?

[Rosc]

Various traits allow you to pick up Knowledge skills as class skills. Play as a Human and you've got that extra class skill to use it.

[Chess Pwn]

Breadth of Experience gives you +2 to all knowledge and can make them untrained. That's the same as having 4 levels in bard.
Worshiping Irori and taking divine obedience gives you +4 to all knowledges.
Half-Elves have an alternate racial trait, Reflexive Improvisation, that gives them a +2 to all untrained skill checks, replaces adaptability and multitalented.

So with these three you can have no ranks and int 10 and have a +8 to all knowledges.

[My Self]

Why not play a Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade) 1/Investigator X? By 5th level, you can semi-smite using Investigator. If you really hate alchemy (and yourself), you could pick the Sleuth archetype for Investigator, which gives you a Charisma luck pool, which stacks onto the Inspired Blade's CHA+INT panache pool.

[MrRetsej]

Alternatively you could go Inspired Blade Swashbuckler 1 / Empiricist Investigator X.

If the Swashbuckler side of the character is most important, a single level dip in Investigator is still pretty nice since you then get all Knowledges as class skills and any you are trained in qualify for the +1d6 Inspiration bonus for free without spending inspiration.

[Chess Pwn]

Or just be the inspired blade and have a nice int if that's good enough.

[Captain Battletoad]

With a level dip in Lore Oracle and with the Extra Revelation feat, you can get AC, Reflex saves, and Knowledge checks based on CHA instead of DEX/INT.

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

Be an Elf, older-than-average-starting-age Dwarf or Gnome, or other long-lived race if your DM will allow it (they ought to in home games), and take Breadth of Experience. It's fantastic, all my Elf characters take it - and no "level-dipping" required!

[My Self]

Captain Battletoad wrote:

With a level dip in Lore Oracle and with the Extra Revelation feat, you can get AC, Reflex saves, and Knowledge checks based on CHA instead of DEX/INT.

Though you'd probably not want to use CHA for DEX-based stuff, since DEX is going to be an important stat regardless. I suppose you could wind your way around to picking up Desna's Shooting Star, Osyluth Guile, and the Flying Blade archetype to get a CHA-heavier build.

[Grumbaki]

For PFS:

Traits: Secret Knowledge and Mathmatical Prodigy

Knowledge Noble (class)
Knowledge Local (class)
Knowledge History (scarab sage faction)
Knowledge Planes (scarab sage faction)
Knowledge Religion (cosmopolitan)
Knowledge Arcana (Secret knowledge trait)
Knowledge Engineering (Mathmatical prodigy)
Linguistics (cosmopolitan)

Elf Inspired Blade
Str8 Con18 Con12 Int16 Wis10 Cha12

Lvl 1: Fencing Grace
Lvl 3: Divine Obedience Irori (+4 all knowledge skills)
Lvl 5: Breadth of Experience (+2 all knowledge skills and can make rest untrained)
Lvl 7: Dillentente (+2 knowledge that has 2-5 skill ranks)

You don't get knowledge dungeoneering, geography or nature. But they are still +9. As you only have 7 skill points per level, give the trained ones +5. That becomes (before trait bonuses) +19. Your knowledge history and planes will increase with faction goals complete.

With linguistics and high intelligence you will speak more than enough languages.

And with Cha12 and diplomacy, you can be well spoken as well.

Finally, as an inspired blade, you actually make use of that high Int

Also get muleback cords for carrying capacity. A Mithral chain shirt and darkwood buckler will help keep carrying weight down.

[GeraintElberion]

Wow, that's awesome. Thank you, Paizonauts!