Ultimate Skill-monkey NPC

[Rapidghoul]

I'm working on a few NPCs for a campaign I recently started DMing. One I need is a skill-monkey that can run into the party every once in a while able to do a bit of everything. An easy answer is Bardic Knack + Jack of all Trades, but I'd like to make something more interesting than that. Not to say a level of Bard and Jack of all Trades won't be included, just that it will be more complex than that.

My goal: to make the most convoluted NPC possible that has an obscene and even offensive number of skills and skill-tricks mastered. Whether they show up to be the skill-monkey for the party or play a recurring antagonist which uses all his tricks to be a thorn in their side while evading their traps' the character is meant to be the ultimate skill hoarder. High Int for skill points, high Cha for skills / spells, and anything else that would fit the flavor. It's supposed to be a skill-version of the Batman Wizard or Joker Bard for a low- to no-magic campaign.

Jack - NPC of all trades
Human feat: Able-learner.
Level 1: Rogue 1 - Sneak Attack, Mimic (EoE Trapfinder ACF); Feat: Nymph's Kiss (or Open Minded)
Level 2 : Rogue 2 - Evasion; Skill Trick: Clever Improvisation
Level 3 : Factotum 1 - Inspiration, Cunning Insight, Cunning Knowledge, Trapfinding; Skill Trick: Tumbling Crawl; Feat: Jack of all trades
Level 4 : Factotum 2 - Arcane Dilettante
Level 5 : Bard 1 - Bardic Music, Bardic Knack (PHB2 Bardic Knowledge ACF); Skill Trick: Whip Climber
Level 6 : Marshal 1 - Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Minor Aura; Feat: Force of Personality/Insightful Reflexes
Level 7 : Chameleon 1 - Aptitude Focus 1/day; Skill Trick: Corner Perch
Level 8 : Uncanny Trickster - Bonus Trick, Favorite Trick
Level 9 : Uncanny Trickster - Bonus Trick, Favorite Trick, Chameleon class features +1 (Bonus Feat); Feat: ???
Level 10 : Uncanny Trickster - Bonus Trick, Favorite Trick, Factotum class features +1 (Brains over Brawn, Cunning Defense)
Level 11-20 : Exemplar - Exemplar stuff. Skill Tricks and Feats to flavor.

Exemplar opens up a bunch of options. Skill Mastery and Skill Artistry make passing checks easier, Lend Talent makes aiding another a lot better. The Bonus Feats are what you'd expect to make skills even better. Sustaining Presence and Intellectual Agility help that you mostly focus on Int and Cha. Perfect Self is... fluff?

A quicker option would be taking two of the same kind of skill tricks by level 3 and making the level 3 feat one of the four from Complete Scoundrel that grant two bonus skill tricks. That way, Uncanny Trickster would be open to take at level 6 instead of 8, but that wouldn't help get into Exemplar any earlier. It's more for having a lower level monkey or a non-Human/non-Human Paragon option. There are also other options I've considered like Scout instead of Rogue or Vow of Poverty, but that's what I have so far.

This is just a first draft of the character based on my quick perusal of the books I have access to. All levels except Bard 1, Human Paragon 1-3, and Factotum 1 have 8+int skill points. How would you build the ultimate skill-monkey as an NPC? If there's something phenomenal I missed that would be perfect for a skill based character, let me know.


EDIT: Here are the three options I've come up with after the below suggestions.
Original Idea: Rogue 1 / Bard 1 / Human Paragon 3 (advancing bardic casting) / Rogue 2 / Factotum 1 / Uncanny Trickster 3 (advancing Factotum) / Exemplar 10
Second Idea: Rogue 1 / Factotum 1 / Bard 1 / Marshal 1 / Human Paragon 1 / Uncanny Trickster 3 (advancing Human Paragon (advancing bardic casting))/ Factotum 3 / Exemplar 10
Third Idea: Rogue 2 / Factotum 2 / Bard 1 / Marshal 1 / Chameleon 1 / Uncanny Trickster 3 (advancing Factotum one level, advancing Chameleon the other level) / Exemplar 10

I changed the above set up to the third idea because it allowed for both Marshal and Chameleon. It loses a couple levels of Bard casting, but who would really miss that when you're a Chameleon, honestly?

[Malimar]

My first instinct would be to put Factotum with Able Learner at the first level. It gets 8 fewer skill points at first level that way, but effectively makes every skill a class skill forever, so you never again have to worry about cross-class skills.

Also, normally the number of skill tricks known is limited to half your HD, pre-Uncanny Trickster; it's not entirely clear to me whether you've taken this into account, e.g., at level 3.

[Chronos]

It's a waste to use Uncanny Trickster to advance Factotum, since Factotum already has a good number of skill points-- The best way to use it is to progress some class that has few skill points on its own, but has other abilities that benefit skills. Personally, I'd recommend Incarnate, Marshal, Psion, or Slayer-advancing-Psion. The skillmonkey link in my sig has some sample builds.

[Waker]

You might want to try to get at least three levels into Factotum so you can benefit from Brains over Brawn. Getting your Int to all Str/Dex skills and checks isn't anything to sneeze at when your goal is a skill monster.

[Waker]

You might want to try to get at least three levels into Factotum so you can benefit from Brains over Brawn. Getting your Int to all Str/Dex skills and checks isn't anything to sneeze at when your goal is a skill monster.

[Rapidghoul]

My first instinct would be to put Factotum with Able Learner at the first level. It gets 8 fewer skill points at first level that way, but effectively makes every skill a class skill forever, so you never again have to worry about cross-class skills.
The reason I didn't make it 1st level is the extra skill points, and between Rogue and Bard being the first two levels you have most of the skills as "class skills" in the first two levels. Then Human Paragon lets you pick any ten, so if there is anything you're missing by then you'd still be fine.


Also, normally the number of skill tricks known is limited to half your HD, pre-Uncanny Trickster; it's not entirely clear to me whether you've taken this into account, e.g., at level 3.
Yeah, it's limited to half your HD rounded up, which I took into account.


You might want to try to get at least three levels into Factotum so you can benefit from Brains over Brawn. Getting your Int to all Str/Dex skills and checks isn't anything to sneeze at when your goal is a skill monster.
The way I had it set up, the second and third levels of Uncanny Trickster advance Factotum to get Brains over Brawn.


It's a waste to use Uncanny Trickster to advance Factotum, since Factotum already has a good number of skill points-- The best way to use it is to progress some class that has few skill points on its own, but has other abilities that benefit skills. Personally, I'd recommend Incarnate, Marshal, Psion, or Slayer-advancing-Psion. The skillmonkey link in my sig has some sample builds.
Now that you mention it, making Uncanny Trickster advance Human Paragon (and subsequently Bard spell levels) would get more skill points and save 2 levels.
Your skillmonkey link is amazing. I like your points on Marshall; a level of that for Skill Focus (Diplomacy) would free up a feat by providing the SF entry for Exemplar, and a Minor Aura to boost whatever ability score is weakest would be very nice. Chameleon is also possible, if only for two levels to grab the feat.

[Darth Stabber]

Missing incarnate. Only a 2+, but it is very good at skillmonkeying anyway, and you get to change your skill loadout daily. Even just a dip of a level or two will net some choice bonuses to move around as needed.

[Piggy Knowles]

Bardic Knack really isn't all that useful if you're not actually progressing bard, unfortunately.

I'll second Incarnate, as it's just about my favorite skill-monkey class besides Factotum. Two levels will get you 3 soulmelds, 2 points of essentia, and your first chakra bind, making it a solid dip. Or go crazy and take five levels, for rapid meldshaping.

Incarnate also easily opens up Umbral Disciple as a prestige class, which isn't really great after three levels, but gives 6 skill points per level, boosts essentia, it has class features that boost Knowledge, Gather Info, Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble, and it gives you a version of Hide in Plain Sight.

[Rapidghoul]

I admit, I know nothing of the Incarnum book, so Incarnate has been off my radar. I'll look into it if multiple people are suggesting it. It might not make sense with the campaign I'm trying to fit the NPC into, but I'll still look into it for the sake of making the ultimate skill-monkey.

Bard made a little more sense when Human Paragon would boost its spellcasting. Originally I had the idea of Unseen Seer levels, and bard + human paragon would get the spell requirements. Plus, Bardic Knack is just more letting the character able to do anything, but it might be possible just to load a rank into all the trained-only skills anyway without much trouble.

Another thing I've considered is Illumian. While the skill point would be missed, getting two sigils to increase two (or three) ability scores' skill checks by 2 (three with Empowered Sigil or whatever it's called) would help a lot. The feat could be made up with a flaw if need be. I've only ever really seen Illumians played out as casters to get around entry requirements, so I'm not sure what a skill-monkey Illumian would be like.

[Piggy Knowles]

The thing is, Bardic Knack doesn't let you count skills as trained, so you still need to either spend skill ranks or blow a feat on Jack of All Trades to use them. Its main benefit only really matters if you take a few levels in the class.

Incarnum is a lot of fun, and despite the fact that MoI is a poorly written book, the system is pretty simple.

Basically, as an incarnate, you can shape a certain number of soulmelds, each of which correspond to a certain part of the body. You can shape any soulmelds on the incarnate list, and choose which ones to shape each day. You also have essentia that can be allocated into these soulmelds to increase their effect, and can change how you've allocated this essentia as a swift action.

So, for example, if I've dipped 2 levels in incarnate I might have Mage's Spectacles (+4 UMD/Decipher Script/Spellcraft, can use untrained, additional +2/essentia), Theft Gloves (+2 Open Lock/Disable Device/Sleight of Hand, can use untrained, additional +2/essentia), and Silvertongue Mask (same, but for Bluff and Diplomacy). I might have my 2 points of essentia in the Silvertongue Mask for a +6 bonus, but then as a swift action switch them to my Mage's Spectacles for a +8 to UMD so I can activate my wand.

There's more to it - you eventually get chakra binds for more powerful effects, for instance - but that's a quick rundown of why incarnate 2 is such a nice skill monkey dip.

[Darth Stabber]

Another good facet of incarnum is that your essentia cap is based on character level not class level. At incarnate1 you can invest 1 essentia in a soulmeld, at incarnate1/fighter12 you can invest 3. While you may not have much essentia you can move it around as desired and get the bonuses you need when you need them.

[Slipperychicken]

Keen Intellect (feat, dragon mag) gets you Int to some Wis skills, and Will saves, letting you totally dump Wisdom to pump Int, unless you're using Divine Focus to spam Guidance of the Avatar or something.


You could give him one of these (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101) (the page links to Bunko's Bargain Basement and another site for low-cost, useful equipment). Obviously, you'll probably want to remove some things like Aboleth Mucus that are banned in your games.

Also, use Masterwork Tools (50gp a pop) for any skills you don't already have a +2 or better Circumstance bonus on. You could probably get away with books for Knowledge and other "mental" checks. Also kind of a funny image for this guy to *always* have the right tools for the job, without even invoking DM fiat.