PDA

View Full Version : [PF] What class/archetype...



Kopikatsu
2013-09-12, 05:50 PM
Is the best for knowledge? By that, I mean just someone to have around that can answer any question. Basically be an encyclopedia for weirdness. Oracle, maybe? It should be a magic class I guess, so that they could also serve as a detector/tracker/revealer/whatever.

Larkas
2013-09-12, 05:58 PM
Eh, I thought that was pretty much the Bard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard)'s schtick (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard#TOC-Lore-Master-Ex-)? Preferably with the Archivist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard/archetypes/paizo---bard-archetypes/archivist) archetype, if you go by the (as-of-yet) unofficial clarification?

Doc_Maynot
2013-09-12, 06:09 PM
Factotum, they can add their factotum level to any skill check they have a rank in and have all skills as class skill. And as "professional dabblers" there is probably not much they haven't read up on.

Larkas
2013-09-12, 06:19 PM
Factotum, they can add their factotum level to any skill check they have a rank in and have all skills as class skill. And as "professional dabblers" there is probably not much they haven't read up on.

You probably missed the [PF] tag.

Rainshine
2013-09-12, 06:33 PM
Bard in general works; as a left field answer, a Mind Chemist archetype Alchemist gets a flat doubling of his intelligence for knowledge skills, as well as memory checks, and can inflate his intelligence levels via his cognatogen, not typically accessible to others.
Oh, and his primary class attacks are based off of int.

Khantin
2013-09-12, 06:41 PM
I've got a 5th level lore oracle, Focused Trance revelation plus Natural Divination revelation, and every knowledge skill is class. He gets 1d20+~40 a few times a day with a little prep to any knowledge check.

It's a pretty beastly way to knowledge anything ever.

Rainshine
2013-09-12, 06:52 PM
Curious, how? Natural Divination is +10 for a ten minute wait, and only available to the Juju mystery. Focused Trance is only available to Lore mystery, and +20 for sacrificing standard actions for six rounds. How are you adding two mutually exclusive revelations and getting ~40?

grarrrg
2013-09-12, 07:05 PM
Curious, how? Natural Divination is +10 for a ten minute wait, and only available to the Juju mystery. Focused Trance is only available to Lore mystery, and +20 for sacrificing standard actions for six rounds. How are you adding two mutually exclusive revelations and getting ~40?

Natural Divination is also available to the Nature Mystery.
AND also available to the Seer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/archetypes/paizo---oracle-archetypes/seer) archetype, which can take any Mystery.

As for the +~40, there's the Lore Keeper Revelation to use CHA instead of INT. As your CHA is likely to be higher anyway, it can be a decent size bonus.
The Think on It revelation lets you retry a Failed Knowledge check with a +10 bonus 1/day.
And then there's always good old Skill Ranks, with the +3 bonus if it's an in-class skill, of which Lore Oracles have ALL Knowledges as class-skills, so dropping 1 point into each is worth +4.


As for Bardic Knowledge, which is always helpful for these things, there are a variety of classes (mostly PrC's) that can get it. Dipping Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12613046#post12613046) linky.

Baroncognito
2013-09-12, 07:11 PM
I'd go with either Oracle of Lore or Bard. Both of them get "Mage's" Perusal (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mage-s-perusal) at level 1, the bard gets Bardic Knowledge, the Oracle can get Charisma instead of Intelligence to knowledge checks, the ability to re-roll a failed knowledge check with a +10 bonus, and a (at a cost of 1d6 rounds) a +20 bonus to a knowledge check.

The oracle also gets a lot more first level spells per day.

So you could just carry around a lot of different Pathfinder Chronicles and get bonuses to knowledge checks by skimming them briefly.

Doc_Maynot
2013-09-12, 07:54 PM
You probably missed the [PF] tag.

Whoops, I keep missing that. Disregard little ol' me then.

navar100
2013-09-12, 08:03 PM
The Lore Oracle's first Revelation, though, is more likely to be using his Charisma score for AC and Reflex instead of Dexterity. His second Revelation could be Charisma for Knowledge checks, though spending a feat on Extra Revelation for one of them is not out of the question. Lore Oracles have a lot of juicy Revelations.

:smallbiggrin:

Larkas
2013-09-12, 08:14 PM
Whoops, I keep missing that. Disregard little ol' me then.

Don't worry. I kind of wish we had those tags they have at EN some times. :smallfrown:

HylianKnight
2013-09-12, 09:49 PM
I made an archivist bard to create this exact character.

Made him an Elf in the middle-age category, (so I got a +3 to Int and a +1 to Chr). Took the Breadth of Experience feat for an extra +2. I also know the Dilettante from some Inner Sea world book is relevant if it's allowed. It's cool to play a knowledge version of a skill-monkey if you RP it right. And the take 20 ability is just golden to make sure you never get screwed by a bad die roll when it's your critical time to shine.

Alternatively, if you want to try and make you build more traditionally optimized (I was just screwing around with a fun RP character and didn't actually try and make him super useful in combat beyond buffing), you could create your traditional high-as-possible Charisma bard build, still do the Archivist archetype since it's entire raison d'être is for knowledge-focused bards, but take a one level dip into Oracle. Lore Mystery, Lore Keeper Revelation. You now use your Charisma instead of Intelligence for Knowledge skills. Only downside is the usual opportunity cost of multi-classing, but the lack of skill points from a lower intelligence definitely hurts in the long run.

Craft (Cheese)
2013-09-12, 11:08 PM
Whoops, I keep missing that. Disregard little ol' me then.

There's supposedly a 3rd party conversion/update of the Factotum called the Dilettante or something, but it's not on PFSRD so I've never read it myself.

Baroncognito
2013-09-12, 11:50 PM
I also know the Dilettante from some Inner Sea world book is relevant if it's allowed.

Only downside is the usual opportunity cost of multi-classing, but the lack of skill points from a lower intelligence definitely hurts in the long run.

But if you're taking the feat Dilettante, then you're only able to have 2-5 ranks in the Knowledge skills anyway.

It'd be an interesting build. The two levels of Oracle get you a fair number more castings of Mage's Perusal.

You'd be the student who passed the classes doing the bare minimum of studying required.