3.5/Pathfinder How to make a scholar swordsman?

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

This has been a character that i have wanted to make for quite some time, and I think i might have figured out how to do it... pretty obvious really, but if anyone could weigh in on it, that would be pleasant.

I was thinking using the pathfinder rogue, for scholarly things like Minor Magic and Major Magic. sneak attack can be passed of as knowledge of anatomy. then, I was thinking of taking Knowledge Devotion feat to explain monster learnings and whatnot, and get a legitimate benefit out of it. I would need to get more knowledge skills though somehow...

Use Magic Device fits in nicely with this, as does the trapfinding... You pick up interesting bits of knowledge here and there....

for the swordsman bit, maybe take a couple levels of fighter?

the fluff is good, anything I can do with mechanics to make it more optimized?

thanks in advance!

[Violet Octopus]

The Education feat (Eberron Campaign Setting) gives you all Knowledge skills as class skills.

Swashbuckler 3 for Insightful Strike, adding Int to damage?

Daring Outlaw (Complete Scoundrel) lets you stack rogue and swashbuckler levels for determining sneak attack, among other things.

The Collector Of Stories skill trick (same) gives you a bonus to Knowledge for identifying creature attacks and vulnerabilities.

[Crossblade]

Depends on how Scholarly you want to be. And the type of scholar you want the character to be.

You can put skills into Linguistics. Lots of languages and ability to decipher scripts all into one.

Duelist could help put high Int to use in combat. Loremaster would help with knowledge abilities with its Lore ability, but that's a 5 level detour into Wizard and you would result in being a gish.

If you REALLY want all the knowledge skills, you could also take a 1 level dip into Pathfinder Chronicler, though it is an under powered class (despite being the name sake of the system). You'd get bardic knowledge, a small bonus to UMD, that fluff ability that lets you get away with forgetting to resupply in town ... at the cost of BAB and any general combat abilities. At least you keep the Rogue's skill points though.

[Coidzor]

The Education feat (Eberron Campaign Setting) gives you all Knowledge skills as class skills.

Several campaign settings actually. I believe it appears in Faerun as a regional feat and in Ghostwalk in addition to Eberron.

I believe Warblade gets some manner of Int synergy, and Tome of Battle is fairly multiclass friendly with non-initiator classes counting as half.

A Human starting off at 1st level as a Factotum and taking Able Learner as either his first level feat or human feat will get all class skills as class skills forever as well as trapfinding and martial weapon proficiencies. Three levels gets intelligence to strength and dexterity skill and ability checks. I'm not sure if that's supplemental or replaces them though, offhand. But that's all skills as class skills forever as opposed to only knowledge skills forever and for the same feat investment.

So Human Factotum 3/Swashbuckler 3/Warblade1 would get an initiator level of 4 [(3+3)/2 + 1], as well as Int to attack, Int to many skill and ability checks, any skill-based tricks he wants like Iajutsu Focus or Craft:Poison Making or..., and martial adept fun stuff. Could drop the swashbuckler simply enough and take some more factotum and maybe a font of inspiration and have enough inspiration points to use int for attack/damage often enough.

Or just straight factotum.

[Andion Isurand]

The Bardic Knack ACF (PH2 35) is also worth looking at.

[Ormur]

Multiclassing with melee classes that benefit from high int, factotum, warblade and swashbuckler (only the first three levels or with daring outlaw).

The factotum has often been compared to Indiana Jones and combining it with Warblade considerably increases the combat prowess by adding manoeuvres. If you take able learner every knowledge skill and UMD (in fact every skill) will continue to be a class skill even though you multiclass out of factotum.

Still, Daring Outlaw Rogue/Swashbucklers, Rogue/Warblade, pure Rogues Factotums or even Warblades and Bards might still work with the right skill investments, feats and fluff.

[DisgruntledDM]

Traits from the Adv. Player's guide, such as Anatomist, Child of the Temple, Scholar of the Great Beyond, and Mathematical Prodigy may help, which can be found here: http://grandwiki.wikidot.com/pctwe

I'd go a couple levels of bard and fighter, and put a lot of skill points into Knowledge.

[Optimator]

Warblades get Knowledge: History and Local as well as Int-synergy through their other class features. Depending on how you define "scholarly" this could work quite well, although Knowledge Devotion won't do you any good except against humanoids. Put max ranks into HIstory and BAM--renowned historian. Max ranks into Local and you're an expert anthropologist and worldly cultural expert. Max both and your character would be considered quite the scholar.

Straight Factotum would make a great scholar warrior if you wanted to do that. I've never liked putting a ton of ranks into knowledge skills for Factotums considering the huge array of other skills that are useful (and the fact that other classes can do the knowledge route better) but Factotums can make great use of Knowledge Devotion.

[Psyren]

My recommendation:

Ranger 2/Seer 8/Slayer 10

ML 17 (9th-level powers, 20 with Practiced Manifester)
BAB 16 (4 attacks)

1) Take the Seer ACF here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) that trades your lvl 1 bonus feat for Bardic Knowledge.
2) You can find out ANYTHING the party needs to know. You have high Int, all Knowledges as class skills, Bardic Knowledge = ML, and lots of skill points from your Ranger and Slayer levels.
3) You are the ultimate hunter - nothing can hide from you. Thanks to Hypercognition and Metafaculty, you can even defeat Mind Blank and Wish.
4) Conversely, very little can find you, thanks to perma-mind blank, Chameleon etc. Take Darkstalker too if you wish. And you have Touchsight to beat other people's Darkstalker.
5) Your powers ignore ACF - feel free to strap on full plate once you enter Slayer. Or stay in light armor and dual-wield if you wish.
6) Be a Synad - not only are you now an Aberration (which is good in and of itself), you get bonus PP and most importantly, you can spend PP to improve your knowledge checks. There is no cap on this ability. You also look perfectly human (until you run out of PP.)

[Greenish]

Warblades get Knowledge: History and Local as well as Int-synergy through their other class features. Depending on how you define "scholarly" this could work quite well, although Knowledge Devotion won't do you any good except against humanoids.Well, humanoids and some other beasties of your choosing. Knowledge Devotion lets you pick up a single knowledge as a class skill, which can potentially cover a range of enemies.

[Master_Rahl22]

Duskblades make good scholarly swordsmen. They get all Knowledges as class skills and their casting is Int based, so Knowledge Devotion is practically a class ability for them. :smallbiggrin:

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

I'm not terribly fond of the TOB... sorry for all of those that suggested warblade. good idea, but...

Factotum is always an idea, dunno why I didn't consider it.

As for ranger 2/Seer 8/ slayer 10... I don't know what books either the Seer or Slayer are in. No doubt I have them (or have access to them) but still no idea what book to find them in.

Duskblade, yeah... i just didn't much care for the general dearth of skill points. I know the required high INT makes up for it a bit, but still... I will consider it though, thanks!

[Coidzor]

As for ranger 2/Seer 8/ slayer 10... I don't know what books either the Seer or Slayer are in. No doubt I have them (or have access to them) but still no idea what book to find them in.

You don't even need books. They're in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/psionicRacesClassesSkillsSpells.htm) Which means they're from the Expanded Psionics Handbook originally.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

oh. Expanded Psionics. I see. the one I don't have. Figures.

[Psyren]

oh. Expanded Psionics. I see. the one I don't have. Figures.

Why do you need the book? All three classes are on the SRD.

Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm)
Seer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm)
Slayer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/slayer.htm)

Alternatively, go Ranger 1/Fighter 1/Seer 8/Slayer 10, trading your Combat Style for a bonus feat of your choosing. You get Heavy Armor Prof. earlier this way, but less skill points.

[Ravens_cry]

You know, with that educated feat, a rogue would do this well.
I want to flavour a rogue as a physician with an interest in anatomy, a proto-pathologist, the sneak attack coming from knowing just where to strike.
The bard by default fits well.

[Optimator]

Duskblades make good scholarly swordsmen. They get all Knowledges as class skills and their casting is Int based, so Knowledge Devotion is practically a class ability for them. :smallbiggrin:

That was the first thing I thought of, but it seemed the OP wanted a non-caster.

Knowledge Devotion lets you pick up a single knowledge as a class skill, which can potentially cover a range of enemies.
Ah, I had completely forgotten about that part of Knowledge Devotion. Most characters I've taken it with already have all knowledges.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Why do you need the book? All three classes are on the SRD.

Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm)
Seer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm)
Slayer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/slayer.htm)

Alternatively, go Ranger 1/Fighter 1/Seer 8/Slayer 10, trading your Combat Style for a bonus feat of your choosing. You get Heavy Armor Prof. earlier this way, but less skill points.

Yes, you are very right. I don't need the book, because as you very astutely pointed out, it is on the SRD (which someone else had already done, but thanks anyway) My point was that I didn't have the book, so I never would have guessed which book those prestige classes were in. Yes, it is trivial. Yes, I don't really need to know. but just because its on the SRD doesn't mean I don't prefer to remember the page number myself for as many things as possible.