Ok, so I'm looking to build a scout with trap spotting ability.
I would like to take a figment familiar so that if it get blasted I get it back tomorrow. I can't remember if figment will combine with valet on the familiar. It would be nice to have the stealth synergy teamwork feat.
Really haven't decided on a build yet. However, I do want spells. So a pure rouge or slayer build isn't for me. Don't know why but I can't seem to be in a game with magic and myself not having some of that magic for my own. However, I don't have to be a primary caster.
Arcane trickster springs immediately to mind. I like the idea, but everyone says it is a horrible choice. Inquisitor has great skills, decent magic, and interesting abilities; yet would probably need something to deal with magic traps and to get a familiar. Investigator has the best skills and ok magic; yet would need some work to get a familiar.
For race, I'm thinking ratfolk or fetchling. Maybe I could talk the GM into a wayang.
How deep into spells do you want to get?
I know of the following classes/archetypes that grant the trapfinding class feature.
Alchemist.
Alchemical Trapper[Kobold](4th), Crypt Breaker(1st), Trap Breaker(2nd), Vault Breaker(1st)
Bard
Sandman(1st), Detective(2nd), Archivist(2nd), Archaeologist(6th)
Druid
Nature Fang(4th)
Hunter
Patient Ambusher (1st)
Investigator
Base class (1st)
Ranger
Urban Ranger(3rd) {There's also trapper but it replaces spells}
Sorcerer
Seeker(1st)
Oracle
Seeker(1st)
There are some other alternative ways to get trapfinding. If your DM is cool with it you can take the trait Trap Finder and then literally be any class you want. Since you're looking at a caster focus there's also the spell Aram Zey’s Focus aka Trapfinder’s Focus
As for a familiar. If you end up as a class that doesn't normally grant a familiar you have options depending on how many feats you want to invest in having a familiar and what you're willing to put up with.
Wasp Familiar only takes 1 feat but requires a specific alignment and deity and grants a specific familiar.
Eldritch Heritage[Arcane] takes 2 feats and requires a charisma of 13, but gives you a familiar of your choice.
You can take the Trait House of the Green Mother's Pupil along with Familiar bond and Improved familiar bond. It takes 2 feats and a trait but it doesn't have the charisma 13 requirement which could be a problem with some builds.
There are other ways to get familiars with feats but they tend to be even more limiting than the options I've listed. I mean, if you want your hand to jump off of your arm and act as a familiar it's a thing you can do, but most people aren't going to go for that unless it's what they're specifically looking for.
Monitor Obedience Imot would let you disable magical traps without dipping for class features.
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Figment doesn't stack with Valet.
Crazy idea; A Kitsune Vigilante with Fox Shape taking a fox familiar with Changeling Familiar (may require Shapeless Familiar first) could be fun. With spells like Wizened Appearance and/or Vigilante disguise abilities you could easily have the familiar pretend to be you (in either / both forms) to 'prove' that you were somewhere else while actually scouting a building or whatever... or vice versa, send the familiar to scout while you are actually making an appearance elsewhere.
Get a high UMD and you would share that with your familiar... which would have a humanoid form and thus be able to use all sorts of magic items.
Arcane trickster isn't horrible, but it is a caster-heavy angle. You're a wizard who sneaks more than you are a rogue with magic.
Investigator has an archetype which gets a familiar, bonded investigator. Not a lot of work required there. They get improved familiar at 7th level automatically.
Kineticists can get an utterly disposable familiar - elemental whispers lasts only as long as they concentrate and reappears in their mind if killed. Don't get the greater version.
I’m going to second Avr’s suggestion of the bonded investigator.
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Crazy idea; A Kitsune Vigilante with Fox Shape taking a fox familiar with Changeling Familiar (may require Shapeless Familiar first) could be fun. With spells like Wizened Appearance and/or Vigilante disguise abilities you could easily have the familiar pretend to be you (in either / both forms) to 'prove' that you were somewhere else while actually scouting a building or whatever... or vice versa, send the familiar to scout while you are actually making an appearance elsewhere.
Get a high UMD and you would share that with your familiar... which would have a humanoid form and thus be able to use all sorts of magic items.
I really like this idea. However, the GM has said a lot of the vigilante abilities won't work out so well in this campaign, so he'd rather not see us try one and be disappointed. I think I will keep it in mind for later though.
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How deep into spells do you want to get?
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I usually find myself a bit unsatisfied with ranger, paladin, and bloodrager. Until really high level, you only seem to cast 1 or 2 low level spells a game session. But if it is a better caster than those, I'm ok with it.
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Investigator has an archetype which gets a familiar, bonded investigator. Not a lot of work required there. They get improved familiar at 7th level automatically.
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Never heard of that one, I will have to look into it this weekend.
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Kineticists can get an utterly disposable familiar - elemental whispers lasts only as long as they concentrate and reappears in their mind if killed. Don't get the greater version.
Can a kineticist do the rest of the scout trap spotting/disarming stuff? I've only ever seen them used as a direct damage evoker type caster before.
Aether isn't bad, among other things telekinetic finesse to disable traps from across the room helps. In general aether is better at utility and worse at blasting than the other kineticist elements. Kineticists don't get trapfinding but Wonderstell pointed out there's a monitor obedience feat option which fills the gap.