Building Ford Prefect

[dragsvart]

How would you build Ford Prefect from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in D&D 5e? I'm thinking a lore bard would work, with a dip in rogue. Aasimar would be easy to refluff to alien or something similar to give a reason for him to be writing a guide to wherever he his. And of course he would definitely need a towel.

[Inevitability]

Ford basically knows stuff and writes articles, with the occasional action scene. Sounds like any skill-focused character could work. Perhaps a bard or arcane trickster with his spells refluffed as using the Guide (divination) or fast-talking someone (enchantment)?

Also, Lucky feat.

[kaoskonfety]

(Basicly) human - or whatever homebrew race seems to fit, with maybe craming in halfling luck somehow
Jack of all trades from bard definitly appeals, as does some of the bard social powers
Lucky feat - take it twice if the DM lets you
Expertise: Survival (hitchhiking), Deception
A bizzarly re-writen "sailor" background - for the hitchhiking thumb/ships passage
or a bizzarly re-writen Hermit with the secret "knows the secret ways to hitch rides on any spacecraft" or "the Earth and everything on it is about to be destroyed"

Added/silly
Warlock, Blade pact, Pact Weapon: Towel - ALWAYS know where your towel is (its also "magical", so woot)
Call it Great old one and his patron on the Guide and go Tome instead for a book filled with "Arcane lore" that never leaves your side.
Towel familiars
Wizards Conjourers for infinite towels!
Wild mage/ improbability drive has some potential for laughs

[dragsvart]

his weapon would definitely have to be a whip, fluffed as a towel of course

[downlobot]

Thank you, I now have a reason to play a wild magic sorcerer. I'd probably go with trillian or zaphod for that though...at an improbability factor of 5263748:1, I turn into a potted plant, again.

[kaoskonfety]

Thank you, I now have a reason to play a wild magic sorcerer. I'd probably go with trillian or zaphod for that though...at an improbability factor of 5263748:1, I turn into a potted plant, again.

I can see it working best with a table of:
25% good
20% bad
35% "neutral"
20% "what?"

possibly using a random generator of some flavour for guidance:
http://www.rhymebuster.com/rapgenerator
"news headlines" seems to work ok for quick ideas, nursery rhymes for a bit more surreal:

CWG 2014: Jamaican Bailey-Cole wins 100 metres
A hole lot of problems
Jind: 20-yr-old girl found murdered; mob goes on rampage

Don't you hear the captain shouting
The sky, the sky, the sky;
We smell a rat close by.
For mountaineers to roam.

You would need something of a liberal and dynamic DM in some degree of comedy game. But I've seen sillier ideas

[napoleon_in_rag]

He would have to have a magical book with the words "Don't Panic" written on the outside cover...