(PF) Ultimate Scout character

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

How would you build it? I'm just curious as to how creative people might answer this.

[Benly]

My vote would be for a strix (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/monsters-as-pcs#TOC-Strix) ranger if trapfinding isn't required. The strix is a perfect scout race, with innate flight, darkvision, and a perception/stealth bonus in low light or darkness (which you'll probably be spending most of your scouting time in). Favored terrain bonuses can be huge for a scouting-type character, and ranger tracking bonuses are pretty nice. Ranger spells are well-suited to scouting, and an archer with innate flight is pretty nasty in a fight when the scouting is over and the trouble starts.

If trapfinding is required it becomes a little trickier - archaeologist bard is my usual go-to for that, but strix have a charisma penalty which would be annoying. The trapper ranger is an option if you don't mind losing ranger spellcasting.

[Larpus]

For me, I'd do a tiefling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/monsters-as-pcs#TOC-Tiefling) Alchemist (Beastmorpher).

If Trapfinding is not necessary, any Alchemist will do the trick, Vivisectionist for a more "Roguish" feel. If it is necessary, then the Vivisectionist archetype is necessary for making good use of the needed Rogue level (though I'd dip 2 levels to unlock Evasion and Rogue Talents).

As a tiefling you have darkvision, Darkness 1/day and bonus to stealth. Alchemist doesn't have stealth as a class skill, but you can get that with traits or the aforementioned Rogue dip, as a Beastmorpher, whenever you drink your mutagen you gain all sorts of things such as flight, scent, climb, blindsense, burrow and web. This archetype is not needed as you can get these bonuses with your spells, but having it allows you to not waste your spells and have them for a longer time.

Other than that, you have a very good bonus to Craft (Alchemy), meaning that you can make many smokesticks with your eyes closed, you also have shapeshift spells at your disposal as well as invisibility ones and can really make a backup plan or become a pretty good combatant with discoveries. Other archetypes can also add more gravy.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

interesting, I was expecting more traditional responses, but all of this is quite fun, keep it coming.

[grarrrg]

Just to double check,
Do you want "scout" as in "go sneak around and see what the enemy is up to"
Or "Scout" as in, "run around the battlefield like a crazy person randomly stabbing things"
?

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Just to double check,
Do you want "scout" as in "go sneak around and see what the enemy is up to"
Or "Scout" as in, "run around the battlefield like a crazy person randomly stabbing things"
?

do the two need to be mutually exclusive? :smallbiggrin:

seriously though... um... either or, whatever you feel most exemplifies a scout in your opinion. I am aware that this is open ended, but thats the point anyway. Im mostly curious as to what others think.

[deuxhero]

Diviner Wizard 20. Add Loremaster levels to taste.