The Librarian, what is it and how to play it.

[Darc1396]

So if people saw my last post, the dm decided a Vigilante didn't fit his game well so he told me to build something else.

As the title suggests I wanna build a Librarian type of full caster. All I really know about librarians is that they have all the knowledges and use them. But what class/archtype would be best for this? Preferably looking for full casters but welcome to the idea of up to level 6 casters.

[avr]

If you don't know what you mean by librarian, I certainly don't. There are a few bard archetypes which use knowledges to aid their allies - is that what you mean? Or do you mean a character with a library of scrolls?

[Darc1396]

I thought it was a term people might know and I wanted to learn it. But I'm shooting for a knowledge focused character none the less.

[Leitner]

Well it isn't a full caster, but there is the bard that was previously mentioned:

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard/archetypes/paizo-bard-ar chetypes/studious-librarian-bard-archetype/

bonus points if you go catfolk or something for their kinda crazy favored class bonus for knowledge skills.

[Firebug]

Inquisitor of Irori? Inquisitor gets you Bane against anything you identify, and Deific Obedience for Irori is +4 sacred/profane bonus to all knowledge checks. Take the Knowledge(all knowledges as class skills) or Memory subdomain for more identification things.
I feel like the Inquisitor would make a good Indiana Jones type.
Alternatively, the Occultist would be a good fit as well, though it doesn't get all knowledges as class skills.

[Heather 540]

There's another bard archetype called Archaeologist. It gets some rogue features, but the flavor is on point. Instead of studying in a room, you go out into the world to learn. Think of the Librarian movies and TV show. Or Indiana Jones.

And of course, there's also the good old wizard. Int based full caster that learns magic through constant study.

[Claxon]

When I hear Librarian I think of this guy.

[avr]

A wizard can certainly get knowledge skills, being Int-based and having them as class skills. They don't actually have any more use for them than most though. An archivist bard, a cryptic scholar investigator, and maybe a lore spirit shaman (plus the studious librarian Leitner mentioned) can actually use knowledge skills for more than the standard uses.

[Heather 540]

Claxon wrote:

When I hear Librarian I think of this guy.

Yeah, that guy! I own the first movie and all 4 seasons of the show.

[Meirril]

That sounds like a Wizard by description. Wizards and Arcanists benefit from being able to add spells freely to their spellbooks which makes them into collectors that want a huge grimoire of spells, but not so much a library.

If you want the ultimate utility wizard let me suggest being a Universalist Wizard with a Bonded Object, and taking a 1 level dip into Loremaster so you can qualify for secret of magical discipline.

Now let me explain my choices. Universalist Wizard so you don't have to worry about what schools you cast from. While a Universalist gets less spells to cast per day, not having to pay extra for opposed schools will be a factor for someone attempting to use the best of all spells for each situation.

Also the universalist gets some school benefits for metamagic feats. Being able to add 1 level of metamagic as needed helps a lot if you take metamagic feats like stilled or silent spell. Even being able to apply Mercy as needed is very comforting.

Also you could go for the subschool: Arcane Crafter. This trades away the Hand of the Apprentice attack ability for an extra crafting or metamagic feat. Honestly, it is a good deal in the long run. But in the early levels Hand of the Apprentice is... well... not great. The feat really is better.

The choice of a Bonded Object instead of a familiar is all about trading a constant bonus for utility. Familiars are powerful. Not only do you get their ability, they are also another pair of eyes and ears that the caster can endanger for small benefits! Or you can weaponize your familiar. Results will vary from GM to GM. But the bonded object really only does one thing: it lets you cast any 1 spell from your spellbook. If you spend a lot of effort to collect spells this really is the best ability. If you spend every GP you get on upgrading items...this probably isn't that great of an ability. The last thing you want to do is to use your Bonded Object to throw another blast, unless that blast is exactly what you need. But when you suddenly realize that an obscure spell you have in your book would solve a problem, that is why you took bonded object.

And the whole dip into Loremaster is like a super Bonded Object. The one level dip will retard your progress as a wizard, so in a way its a bad thing. But what you get in return is a decent ability (maybe a bonus feat, or +2 to one of your saves), and you can now buy the feat Secret of Magical Discipline which lets you trade one of your normal spells for an equal level spell from ANY spell list. There is a wizard spell you don't know? Well, your feat will let you cast it once. Cleric died? You can resurrect him. Cleric is out of Heal? You can fill in once a day. Or more often if you spend more feats on Secret of Magical Discipline.

Human really is best if you want to be a knowledge skill guy. The extra skill point helps a lot. Sure, you get your int mod in skill points, but there are a lot of knowledge skills. You want them all, right? At least the ones that can identify creatures. You'll never have enough skill points. And if you pick human you can spend the extra feat on the racial feat that gives you a hp and a skill point for the favored class bonus.

One thing to say, you might want to delay your entry into Loremaster until you can qualify to get a bonus feat from the secret ability. You'll need a +7 int mod to get a bonus feat as a 1st level Loremaster. You should be able to do that by 9th level, and in a lot of cases you can eek that out by 8th level.

[JiaYou]

Apparently my last post didn't go through, but a Lore Oracle or Spirit Guide that takes Lore as the Mystery or Wandering Spirit can give CHA to Knowledge checks.

[Legowarrior]

Obviously,a true librarian would need to be a druid or some other class that can shape shift into an orangutan. Because there is only one true Librarian.

https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Librarian

In either case, a Wizard of some sort is necessary.

[ErichAD]

It would be hard to pass up the Wizard: Poleiheira Adherent archetype for the infinite book space. While there are several classes that can make better use of the information, having all your info in one book that always opens to the right page is priceless. Just be sure to spend all your free time using scriveners chant on other written work to fill the book up with any info you come across.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Did they ever fix Pageant of the Peacock to not be the most ridiculous thing ever?

The relevant bit for this thread:

Pageant of the Peacock wrote:

For the duration of the effect, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on Bluff checks, and may attempt a Bluff check in place of an Intelligence check or Intelligence-based skill check.

So for 10 minutes all your lies accidentally turn out to be true. Or you're so good at blending in you just automatically know the answer to knowledge checks. There's really no good explanation other than "you lie so hard the universe makes it true". Probably won't fly if the GM's already vetoing character choices though.

[Foeclan]

If you're looking for a Librarian (ala the TV show and movies), I'd probably go with an Investigator or Bard. Basically, you want all the Knowledge skills you can get, with room for things like Acrobatics and Disable Device that you'll need during the exciting swashbuckling adventures you'll be getting up to as you Indiana Jones your way through the world.

[Arutema]

Try the Rebirth discipline Psychic. A scaling bonus to all knowledge checks on an int-based class that gets all knowledges as class skills.

[Geruvurrda]

If you really want, you can play CONAN THE LIBRARIAN

Aka inquisitor with the living grimoire archetypes

You literally get to beat down your enemies, with a giant metal plated book :D

Add knowledge as you see fit, but this has always amused me :)

[Legowarrior]

Does the Chronicler of Worlds work?

[Dajur]

Claxon wrote:

When I hear Librarian I think of this guy.

Or this guy.

[Zwordsman]

I'd go with Occultist, tome eater if you want to "consume books to know them"

but in genreal Occultist is very librarian like or archivist like.

[Tim Emrick]

My wife's tengu librarian PFS character is an archivist bard, with a couple levels of Pathfinder Chronicler for flavor.

I had a player in a 3.5 campaign whose character was played very much in the vein of Call of Cthulhu investigator with a fetish for learning secret lore--the darker the better. She was a cleric of the magic god who multiclassed into wizard, loremaster, and mystic theurge (in that order, IIRC). She wasn't always effective in combat, but had access to almost any utility spell of her level that she wanted, and tons of knowledge ranks. Her library of books and holy symbols raided from cultists' lairs was legendary--she'd make a great Dark Archive agent if she was rebuilt for PFS.

[Cevah]

Well, for a Kick Butt Librarian, be Simon (Jet Li) from the film Black Mask.

/cevah