Butler Class?

[LordAlabast]

I'm not very good at Homebrewing myself, so I was wondering if a Butler PC class existed? I have an idea for a character, and I think it would be rather cool. I couldn't seem to find one anywhere, so I wanted to know if anyone else knew any.

If all else fails, I suppose I could try my hand at it again. I like the Butler class in Fire Emblem, so I suppose that might be a good place to start.

[Flickerdart]

There is no such class. What do you imagine a Butler's abilities might be in D&D? The role of an actual butler - even Jeeves, who was technically a valet - would be filled by a 1st level expert.

[Zhentarim]

Butler from Artemis Fowl was a hybrid between a monk and a rouge.

[Deophaun]

The best butler needs prestidigiation, unseen servant, clothier's closet, Leomund's spacious carriage, and heroes feast.

So... you're looking at a Bard. A 16th level Bard.

[atemu1234]

At that point just play Maid RPG.

[Extra Anchovies]

Butler is, like Pirate, one of those character concepts that can work with pretty much any class because it's more dependent on how you play them. Here's a few ideas for a few different character types.

Fighter or other martial class: the fighter butler walks the line between servant and bodyguard. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty so her employer doesn't have to, and anyone who so much as looks at her master funny will find themselves flat on their back with a spear-tip in their face.

Wizard or other magic-user: the wizard butler is an entire house staff rolled into one. Unseen Servants sweep the corridors and keep the furnace fueled, summoned elementals perform more complex tasks, and a plethora of other spells are put to ingenious use around the home. The wizard herself can perform any sort of mundane and magical resource their employer requires, and frequently crafts enchanted items to make their charge's life easier.

Rogue or other skilled class: the rogue butler works tirelessly to make it seem like he never works at all. Every threat is noticed, eliminated, and carefully swept under the rug and out of his employer's sight. Sure, the master of the house might object to some of the rogue butler's less scrupulous tactics, but the master never knows that things could have gone awry, let alone that black lotus poison was used to ensure that they didn't.

It could also be a lot of fun to coordinate with another character to play a butler and an employee - maybe you're a skilled butler always keeping an absent-minded wizard out of danger, or a martial butler who steps in when their cleric master's endless proselytizing gets them in trouble. Regardless of the angle you take, a connection between you and another character not only gives your party more cohesion, but it could also produce a lot of interesting roleplaying opportunities.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

The best butler needs prestidigiation, unseen servant, clothier's closet, Leomund's spacious carriage, and heroes feast.

So... you're looking at a Bard. A 16th level Bard.

Actually, it might be a little simpler than that. Halflings in Eberron have access to something called the mark of hospitality (http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Mark_of_Hospitality), which can grant most of that stuff by way of a feat tree. What's more, there's a Dragonmarked Heir prestige class dedicated to focusing and improving on those powers. It's kind of an NPC class in the big scheme of things, but that's perfectly in-flavor for a butler.

Plus, as everyone said, that would let you stack it with any existing class you want depending on your ideal fantasy butler archetype.

[Pluto!]

Let's see:

Someone neat, orderly and subservient, who is ideally perceptive and good with their hands.
Who doesn't take sick days, doesn't become belligerent, has the willpower to maintain their composure and who can safely screen boss's food for poison...

Somebody call Giacomo.

[khadgar567]

Actually, it might be a little simpler than that. Halflings in Eberron have access to something called the mark of hospitality (http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Mark_of_Hospitality), which can grant most of that stuff by way of a feat tree. What's more, there's a Dragonmarked Heir prestige class dedicated to focusing and improving on those powers. It's kind of an NPC class in the big scheme of things, but that's perfectly in-flavor for a butler.

Plus, as everyone said, that would let you stack it with any existing class you want depending on your ideal fantasy butler archetype.

You know zaydos already made a maid class all you need is change its fluff

[KillianHawkeye]

I'm not very good at Homebrewing myself, so I was wondering if a Butler PC class existed? I have an idea for a character, and I think it would be rather cool. I couldn't seem to find one anywhere, so I wanted to know if anyone else knew any.

First you have to tell us why in the world you think that a butler, a person who generally falls into the category of hired manservant, is a good concept for a player character, as well as what sort of abilities you expect an adventurer to possess by virtue of being a butler.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Like others have said, this concept can work with many classes and builds.

However, I'd steer clear of the classes that are charisma dependent or have stiff down-time requirements.

A man-servant, butler, valet, whatever-you-want-to-call-it needs to be unobtrusive and at his master's convenience at all times. This kinda puts out basically all of the dedicated arcane casters, paladin, favored soul, knight, and a handful of others. The details of the master of this character can certainly put some of these back on the table but by default, when you're talking about the classic Jeeves/ Giles/ Friday archetype, most of those are going to clash with the role or demand you downplay the strongest portion of their psyche to make it fit.

Butlers are, after all, servants of the upper classes. It simply woudn't do for a courtier to look a puppet for his own manservant because the latter has a much more powerful personality. Wiizards are not manservants. They're retainers, akin to an accountant or legal adviser. A cleric can fit if he's a servant of the right god. Lawful neutral clerics of deities of the same bent can generally work out okay. Of particular note are clerics or even the odd favored soul of Siamorphe. Such clerics are devoted to upholding the nobility and their divine right to rule over the common masses. If you're going with more eastern themed characters, a shugenga can work, in spite of being noble themselves, by being members of a branch family, strict feudal systems are quirky that way. Wu-jen, on the other hand are a terrible fit. They're cannonically outsiders to their own societies, and the strange behavior and long stretches of downtime for research just don't work for someone that is to be at another's beck and call and whose behavior should be as impecable as his sharply appointed attire. Paladins are right out. Their duty is to their god and their ideas, first and foremost. Anything else is just a very distant runner up. Sorcerer and bard both run into problems with simply having too much personal magnetism and standing out when a good butler should blend into the background. Warmage and dread necrormancer run into the same issues but with the added problem of a native skillset that's not particularly useful in the profession in question. Beguiler on the other hand is a very solid choice; solid intelligence mixed with a cavalcade of useful abilities and a natural inclination toward subtlety. Druid is just as quickly discarded as paladin for much the same reason; dedication to nature stands pretty sharply in contrast with serving nobility, something that requires high civilization; the very antithesis of nature.

Most martial and skillful type characters work out pretty well. Their skills don't require nearly the same type of ideological or intellectual dedication that spellcasting does. Martials will have to delegate to lesser staff while they dedicate themselves to protecting the master's person but more skillful types will be a force to reckon with in this particuar field. Expertise in a broad array of useful skills, no major time or behavior requirements to get in the way, modest martial prowess compared to the average NPC, and the ability to go places that others simply cannot, either from lack of necessary knowledge (casters aren't as prone to setting up networks of contacts outside of their own fields) or because reputation forbids (it wouldn't do for the master to be seen in seedy, dockside taverns).

Psions are also a good fit, though it would be odd for someone so thoroughly introspective and dedicated to self perfection, particularly in light of the tremendous power such dedication yields, to devote himself to the service of someone so obviously less self aware except as a means to some further end, perhaps. Psychic warriors and soulknives run into the same issues as a dread necro or a warmage; too focused on abilities that don't suit the job.

All in all, I'd probably go with beguiler.

[Deadline]

First you have to tell us why in the world you think that a butler, a person who generally falls into the category of hired manservant, is a good concept for a player character, as well as what sort of abilities you expect an adventurer to possess by virtue of being a butler.

Well, it's worth noting that it's one of the PC classes available in Space:1889.

Ok, maybe that's not worth noting, but the badass butler trope is a thing.

My vote is for a Warforged Bard. Tireless, skilled, and a home entertainment system all rolled into one.

[avr]

Over here (tiraas.wordpress.com) a butler is basically classed as a monk with lots of magical devices (not vow of poverty), though they're named members of the Service Society rather than monks per se.

[Troacctid]

All you really need to be a butler is ranks in Profession (Butler). That one skill alone lets you tackle all the daily tasks and common problems you might face as a butler.

[DarkEternal]

Factotum is what you want. Intelligence, able to do all skills well enough, is usually much smarter than his fighter overlord and can do the same thing with his wits that he can do with his muscles. When in doubt, go Factotum.

[khadgar567]

here is the zaydos's creation


Maid

"Okairinasai Ojousama." - A Maid

The Maid, or Valet if male, is a perfect servant, a supporter for their master, a dabbler in all skills known to man able to perform, if not excel, in all things and to even excel in a variety of fields based upon their deepest focus. They dabble in sorcery, piety, and warfare to better protect and serve their master, working not only to fulfill their needs but even to predict them and ensure the task is all but done by the time their employer becomes aware of it.

Adventures: A maid is a servant, a valet a gentleman’s gentleman, and the most common reason for them to adventure is because their employer wished it. Whether they adventure alongside their (foolish) employer to keep them alive, or adventure for the pay their employer provides while remaining safely at home, it is in the service of another that a maid adventures. In rarer cases a maid will take to adventuring when between proper employment, using this as a chance to develop and hone the wide variety of skills required for perfect service.

Characteristics: A little bit of everything, but not a master of anything. Arcane spells, especially transmutations, are at their beck if not to the extent of a wizard or even a bard, divine magic, especially healing, can be called to their aid as required. They can fight alongside true warriors, if only for a short time each day, and must rely upon magical augmentation to keep up with a barbarian or even a fighter. Their greatest skills lie in their myriad capabilities, every Maid is a master of a few skills and eventually a dabbler in nearly everything. The one place they are outstanding is as an assistant, capable of bringing out the most from an assisting jab or some clever distracting positioning.

Alignment: A maid is usually a willing servant, someone who is mentally prepared to follow their lord or lady not because their lord is more capable than them in any given circumstance but because they are a follower not a leader. As such maids cannot be Chaotic with the overwhelming majority being Lawful. Neutral maids are a rarity but they do exist, caring for a personal loyalty, possibly one between family lines for generations, or following someone they believe is a true leader. For a Neutral maid loyalty is the most important aspect of service. A Lawful maid is more likely to be aware of their social status, of how social status can transcend competence and wealth, and how duty is paramount. Loyalty does remain a prime concern for a Lawful maid, but it is an aspect of duty and not the only one which is important.

Maids come in both Good and Evil, with a tendency towards Neutrality. They are defined more by an orientation towards Loyalty and Duty to their employer, or the house that employs them. As such they typically lack the personal greed and selfishness of evil, but also the strong guiding morals that place all creatures as important. Good maids must either luckily find a Good lord or lady or must face a decision between Loyalty and Good which often ends with Loyalty winning. Evil maids have more freedom but by their nature have already in ways chosen against Evil.

Religion: Maids usually follow a religion based upon their race and culture. If they deviate from the cultural norm they tend towards those gods who praise service, loyalty, and honor as the highest virtues, or else worship the same deities as their lord or lady; this latter is especially true in those maids whose family has worked for their lord or lady’s family for generations.

Background: Most maids are raised into the profession, many come from long lines of servants their life dedicated to training to support a master from youth. The rare maid who wasn’t born into the work is often adopted by their future master’s family, raised to be a protector of their master from youth, or failing that in some way owes their original master for their life, not just in escaping death, but in escaping a life of miserable poverty and having the opportunity to learn their skills. Gratitude is a common source of duty.

Races: A true maid is a rarity among human cultures, they exist but for every hundred servants a single true maid is uncommon. They exist, however. Maids are more common among dwarves and halflings. Dwarves have a tradition of loyalty and duty, of branch families which exist to serve the head family of their clans, as such dwarves may be the most likely race to produce a maid. Halfling maids while rarer than dwarves are common among halfling servants, a strong tradition of loyalty existing. Gnomish maids are all but unheard of, few gnomes work as servants and fewer still serve as such throughout their entire lives, and even those who do rarely see themselves as servants first and foremost. Elven maids are another extreme rarity as, like with gnomes, there are few lifelong servants, however those that do exist are almost certain to be maids, combining elven pride in one’s work with elven dabbling to create a perfect maid. Half-elves and half-orcs are unlikely to have been born into a tradition of service, but they are likely to be born into a state of ostracism and low social standing from which a life of service as a gentleman’s gentleman is one possible escape, and a method with which to raise the standing of your own child so that they do not have to continue the tradition.

Among the less accepted humanoids maids are most common among goblins and hobgoblins. The former are, by Maglubiyet’s doctrine the inferior of the two races and to be kept as servants and slaves by their superiors, many preferring to be the loyal, and well rewarded, servant to being the disloyal and punished slave. Hobgoblin maids are common as well, usually serving those who hold positions of civil authority.

Other Classes: A Maid is a supporter and servant, a friend to all, or at least most. To a wizard they are a bodyguard and an assistant, to a cleric they keep the church running smoothly. Few classes dislike their own servant. When not a servant to an individual still a wizard can respect their discipline and their humility keeps their dabbling in the arcane from grating. A cleric may be slightly annoyed by their divine powers born not from loyalty to a god, but loyalty itself, but at least they can see resonance there, it is loyalty after all. A rogue can admire their myriad skills, a fighter their help in combat, a paladin their devotion, and a monk their discipline.
On the negative side we have barbarians, bards, and druids. While bards love their own maid, and love the concept of having a personal maid, the idea of being one is often alien to such free spirits. To barbarians it is usually similar to the idea of being a willing thrall, a position without any honor to speak of, a maid is a product of civilization after all. Finally druids sometimes see the idea of such a servant as an unnatural thing created by the perversion of civilization; while there are always larger threats to nature, and a maid is nothing to risk life or limb to kill they can be a portrait of the perversion that civilization can create.

Role: A Maid is an excellent second stringer, taking on the role of assistant in all things but the primary in nothing. They serve as a secondary arcanist, capable of casting low level utility spells and transmutation based buffs, secondary healer, capable of adding a decent amount of healing each day, secondary melee combatant, using bonus feats and adrenaline surge to engage in melee, and even as primary skill monkey due to their high skill points, dabbler ability, and skill mastery. In addition, unlike with most stealth based characters, they are capable of assisting their allies in stealth or mobility skills making them valuable for maneuvering through a dungeon without expenditure of magical resources.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Maids have the following game statistics.
Abilities: As jacks-of-all-trades Maids can make use of a variety of abilities. Dexterity is important for stealth skills, ranged combat, and AC, Strength is important if they wish to join into melee combat, and Constitution has its traditional importance. Among mental ability scores Maids have a distinct choice. As they can select which score to base their magical abilities off of they can focus either on Intelligence for additional skill points, Wisdom for Will saves and perception, or Charisma for social persuasiveness.
Alignment: Any non-Chaotic.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As wizard; training in many diverse fields requires significant time on par with even that of a true mage.
Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10 GP.

Class Skills
The Maid's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (any, each taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

RUIN DELVER


Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special


1st

+0

+0

+2

+2
Spells, Dedicated Servant, Bonus Feat, Mental Specialty, Loyal Servant +1, Trapfinding


2nd

+1

+0

+3

+3
Skill Instructor, Teamwork Skill


3rd

+2

+1

+3

+3
Quick Search, Loyal Servant +2, Professional Aspect


4th

+3

+1

+4

+4
Adrenaline Surge, Bonus Feat


5th

+3

+1

+4

+4
Automatic Search, Dabbler


6th

+4

+2

+5

+5
Loyal Servant +3, Improved Skill Instruction


7th

+5

+2

+5

+5
Skill Mastery, Expert Aid


8th

+6/+1

+2

+6

+6
Bonus Feat, Automatic Search (+5-ft)


9th

+6/+1

+3

+6

+6
Improved Dabbler, Loyal Servant +4


10th

+7/+2

+3

+7

+7
Skill Mastery, Adept Skill Instruction


11th

+8/+3

+3

+7

+7
Advanced Aspect


12th

+9/+4

+4

+8

+8
Bonus Feat, Loyal Servant +5, Automatic Search (+5-ft)


13th

+9/+4

+4

+8

+8
Skill Mastery, Instant Search


14th

+10/+5

+4

+9

+9
Expert Dabbler


15th

+11/+6/+1

+5

+9

+9
Loyal Servant +6


16th

+12/+7/+2

+5

+10

+10
Bonus Feat, Skill Mastery


17th

+12/+7/+2

+5

+10

+10
Professional Pinnacle, Automatic Search (+10-ft)


18th

+13/+8/+3

+6

+11

+11
Master Skill Instruction, Loyal Servant +7


19th

+14/+9/+4

+6

+11

+11
Master Dabbler, Skill Mastery


20th

+15/+10/+5

+6

+12

+12
Bonus Feat, Maid’s Instruction, Pattern of Excellence



Spells per Day:
Arcane Spells
Level01st2nd3rd4th5th6th
1-+1------
21+1-+1-----
32+1-+1-----
42+10+1-----
52+11+1-+1----
62+11+1-+1----
72+12+10+1----
82+12+11+1-+1---
93+12+11+1-+1---
103+12+11+10+1---
113+12+11+11+1-+1--
123+12+12+11+1-+1--
133+12+12+11+10+1--
143+12+12+11+11+1-+1-
153+13+12+11+11+1-+1-
163+13+12+12+11+10+1-
173+13+13+12+11+11+1-+1
183+13+13+12+11+11+1-+1
193+13+13+12+12+11+1-+1
203+13+13+12+12+12+1-+1

Divine Spells

Level01st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th
1-+1-------
2-+1-------
3-+1-+1------
41+1-+1-+1-----
52+10+1-+1-----
62+11+1-+1-+1----
72+12+1-+1-+1----
82+12+10+1-+1----
92+12+11+1-+1-+1---
102+12+11+1-+1-+1---
113+12+11+10+1-+1---
123+12+11+11+1-+1-+1--
133+12+12+11+1-+1-+1--
143+13+12+11+10+1-+1--
153+13+12+11+11+1-+1-+1-
163+13+12+11+11+1-+1-+1-
173+13+12+12+11+10+1-+1-
183+13+12+12+11+11+11+1-+1-+1
193+13+13+12+12+11+1-+1-+1
203+13+13+12+12+12+1-+1-+1

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Maid.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Maid is proficient in all simple weapons and one martial weapon of their choice as well as light and medium armor and shields (except Tower Shields).

Spells: A Maid gains the ability to cast limited amounts of spells. They are capable of learning, preparing, and casting spells as a generalist wizard from the wizard spell list (including rules for spell books and adding new spells to their spell book), gaining access to divination and abjuration spells more quickly than other schools. They gain arcane spell slots as listed on the table above; spell slots marked +1 can only be used for abjuration and divination spells and they do not gain bonus spells for high ability scores of any level of which they gain -+1, although they do gain bonus spells if they have 0+1 slots and these bonus spells may be of any school. A Maid begins with 16 cantrips in their spellbook and no other spells, whenever they gain a level they may add 2 spells of any level which they have access to transmutation spells to their spellbook (these spells do not have to be transmutation). They are also capable of preparing and casting spells as a cleric from the cleric spell list, gaining greater access to conjuration (healing) spells. They gain divine spell slots as listed on the table above; spell slots marked +1 can only be used for conjuration (healing) spells and they do not gain bonus spells for high ability scores of any level of which they gain -+1, although they do gain bonus spells if they have 0+1 slots and these bonus spells may be of any school or subschool. They are not considered to have non-Divination or Abjuration wizard spells and non-Conjuration (Healing) cleric spells above 5th level on their spell list, and are not considered to have Abjuration or Divination wizard spells above 6th level or Conjuration (Healing) cleric spells above 7th level on their spell list.

Bonus spells, saving throw DCs, and maximum spell level a Maid can cast are determined by whatever ability score is associated with their Mental Specialty (see below) for both Arcane and Divine spells.

A Maid learns to cast arcane spells in light armor and suffers no arcane spell failure to do so when casting an arcane spell as a Maid and, beginning at 6th level, suffer no arcane spell failure when in medium armor. A Maid may also take Spell Mastery as if they were a wizard.

A Maid cannot use arcane spell slots to prepare divine spells or divine spell slots to prepare arcane spells, and the two are treated as separate lists and prepared separately similar to a multiclass wizard/cleric or a mystic theurge.

Dedicated Servant (Ex): A Maid is a servant, they have trained long and hard to be such and knows how to serve others with a natural ease. As such a maid adds their class level as a bonus on all Profession (butler), (maid), (servant), (valet), or similar profession checks as well as any check to clean or repair an object and may make such checks untrained.

Bonus Feat: At 1st, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level a Maid gains a bonus feat they meet the prerequisites for. This may be any Fighter bonus feat, metamagic feat, or feat from the list below: Acrobatic, Agile, Alertness, Athletic, Combat Casting, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Diligent, Endurance, Investigator, Magical Aptitude, Negotiator, Nimble Fingers, Persuasive, Self-Sufficient, Tower Shield Proficiency, Skill Focus, Scribe Scroll, Spell Mastery, Stealthy, or Track from the Player's Handbook; Appraise Magical Value, Brachiation, Expert Tactician, Extraordinary Concentration, Hear the Unseen, Improved Swimming, Quick Reconnoiter, and Tactile Trapsmith from Complete Adventurer; Combat Acrobat, Fade into Violence, Keen-Eared Scout, Master Manipulator, Vatic Gaze, and Wanderer's Diplomacy from Player's Handbook II; and Agile Athlete from Races of the Wild.

Mental Specialty: At 1st level a Maid chooses a specialty of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Their arcane and divine Maid spells are based off of this ability score and at 3rd, 11th, and 17th level they gain an ability related to this choice.

Loyal Servant (Ex): A Maid is a loyal servant to their master, not easily swayed from their duty. Beginning at 1st level a Maid gains a +1 morale bonus to Will saves against Compulsion effects which would make them act against their employer’s interests. This bonus increases by +1 at 3rd level and every 3rd level thereafter.

Trapfinding (Ex): A Maid can find traps as a rogue.

Skill Instructor (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level a Maid may instruct allies in the proper method of performing activities. To do so is a full round action and requires those allies to be able to hear the Maid, although continuing the instructions is a free action (talking). For as long as the Maid continues this instruction the affected allies can use the Maid's skill ranks in a single skill (the same skill for all affected creatures) if they are higher than the allies. A Maid may affect up to 1/2 their class level in allies with this ability at a single time, and all creatures affected must be within 15-ft. Beginning at 6th level a Maid may affect creatures up to 30-ft away, instruct in 2 different skills simultaneously, and the benefits last for 1 round/class level after the Maid stops instructing up to a duration of as long as the Maid was instructing (so if they were instructing for 2 rounds the creatures benefit for only 2 rounds afterwards regardless of Maid level); no single creature may benefit from two instances of the same Maid's Skill Instructor at a time. Beginning at 10th level a Maid may affect creatures up to 60-ft away, instruct in 3 different skills simultaneously, and the benefits last for 2 rounds/class level after the Maid stops instructing up to twice as long as they were instructing for. Beginning at 18th level they may instruct in 4 different skills simultaneously, and the benefits last for 1 minute/class level after they stop up to 10 times as long as they were instructing.

Teamwork Skill (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level the bonus granted and received by a Maid through flanking or the Aid Another action is increased by 2 (normally to +4).

Quick Search (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level a Maid may make a Search check as a move action instead of a full-round action.

Professional Aspect (Ex): At 3rd level a Maid develops a special aspect based upon which aspect of service they choose to focus upon. They may select Ninja Maid, Skillful Maid, or Yojimbo.

Ninja Maid: You gain Sudden Strike +1d6 (as the ninja ability), and you may cast Invisibility and Improved Invisibility with your Abjuration/Divination slots and you may prepare them without having them in your spellbook or without using your spellbook.

Skillful Maid: 1/day per class level plus an additional number of times per day equal to the ability modifier for the score chosen as your Mental Specialty you may use Aid Another as a swift action. If you use this to use Aid Another on the same creature twice in a single round you must either choose to aid different types of rolls (or AC), or you may choose to have it add to the 2nd such roll (or AC against 2nd attack) of that type or, in the case of attack or AC, a second target. The benefits of your Aid Another does not stack with your Aid Another.

Yojimbo: You gain +1 hp per Maid level and you gain the ability to select a Charge. You may only select a creature as your ‘Charge’ once per day as a standard action. You gain a +1 morale bonus to attack and gain +1d6 to weapon damage against any creature that you have seen attempt to harm your charge (anything that would break Invisibility) within a number of rounds equal to the bonus of the ability score chosen as your mental specialty (minimum 1 round).

Adrenaline Surge (Ex): Beginning at 4th level a Maid may call upon buried reserves of resolve. As a free action they may increase their Base Attack Bonus by 1 plus 1 for every 4 Maid levels beyond the first for 1 round; this bonus may never increase their BAB to above their effective character level. They may use this ability 3 + constitution modifier times per day.

Automatic Search (Ex): A Maid's senses are keen enough to pick up the smallest disturbances. Beginning at 5th level whenever a Maid passes within 10-ft of an area to search they are entitled a free search check similar to a dwarf's Stonecunning or elf's Secret Doors. Beginning at 8th level this applies out to 15-ft, increasing to 20-ft at 12th, and 30-ft at 17th.

Dabbler (Ex): Beginning at 5th level Maid gains 2 virtual skill ranks in every skill. These skill ranks add to any ranks they may have but cannot increase their effective ranks above 1/2 their max ranks for class skills (this means it can increase cross-class skills to their absolute max assuming they are cross-class for all classes the Maid possesses) and do not count for qualifying for prerequisites. These virtual ranks do allow them to perform skill checks with the skill as if trained. At 9th level this increases to 4 ranks in every skill, becoming 6 at 14th level, and 9 at 19th level.

Skill Mastery (Ex): At 7th level and every 3rd level thereafter (10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th) a Maid may select one Maid class skill which they have at least 10 ranks in and may take 10 on when not threatened or rushed. They may take 10 on that skill even in a situation in which they would normally be unable to do so.

Expert Aid (Ex): Beginning at 7th level whenever a Maid uses Aid Another to help a creature with a skill check which they have Skill Mastery in that creature receives an additional +2 to that check, in addition any creature that is benefiting from a Maid's Skill Instruction in such a skill and rolls an unmodified 4 or less on such a skill treats it as a 5 before modifiers.

Advanced Aspect (Ex): Beginning at 11th level a Maid's skills improve based upon the Professional Aspect they chose at 3rd level.

Ninja Maid: Your +1d6 Sudden Strike becomes +1d6 Sneak Attack (it now applies when Flanking) and improves to +2d6 sneak attack.

Skillful Maid: Your Dabbler ability improves. From now on it can increase skill ranks to ½ your maximum ranks + 4 and grants 2 more virtual ranks to each skill. This means at 11th level it adds 6 ranks to skills and may increase them to 11 ranks instead of 4 and 7, and at 20th it adds 11 ranks and can increase them to 15 (and a half).

Yojimbo: Your Charge gains a +2 untyped bonus to AC when within your melee reach against any attack you would not be denied your Dexterity bonus against if you were the one being attacked, in addition the bonus to attack and damage against creatures which attack your Charge increase to +2 and +2d6 respectively. Finally you gain a +2 bonus to Concentration checks and all Wisdom based skill checks and ability checks; a bodyguard must have a level head and excellent situational awareness in all things.

Instant Search (Ex): Beginning at 13th level a Maid may make a Search check as a Swift action (and/or a Move action).

Profession Pinnacle (Ex): At 17th level a Maid gains a final benefit based upon their choice of professional aspect.

Ninja Maid: You gain +1d6 Sneak Attack for a total of +3d6 Sneak Attack, in addition if you study your victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (your choice). While studying the victim, you can undertake other actions so long as your attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect you and recognize you as an enemy. If the you of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your maid level + your Mental Specialty ability modifier) against the kill effect, they dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per 2 maid levels you possess. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once you have completed the 3 rounds of study, you must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.
If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if you do not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before you can attempt another death attack.

Skillful Maid: When you use the Aid Another action the creature you aid adds your Mental Specialty ability modifier to their roll as well as the normal bonus from your Aid Another. In addition select one ability score other than your Mental Specialty when making skill or ability checks based upon that ability add your Mental Specialty ability modifier if positive to it as well.

Yojimbo: You gain Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat and may make an attack of opportunity against any creature that attacks your charge (assuming they are, in fact, in your melee reach). Finally you gain DR 3/- against any attack you are not flat-footed against

Pattern of Excellence (Ex): A gentleman’s gentleman, or a true lady’s maid, must excel at all things, with a head that never bends under pressure. Beginning at 20th level you may take 10 on any skill or ability check even if threatened or rushed. In addition once per round you may take 10 on an attack roll.

Maid’s Instruction (Ex): You may instruct Base Attack Bonus and Caster Level as if they were skills. When you do so allies replace their BAB or CL with yours if yours is better. This functions like Instruct Skills and counts against the number of skills you may instruct at a time, but the instruction only lasts as long as you continue and 1 round thereafter per 2 rounds you instructed to a maximum of 1 minute. If your Base Attack Bonus or Caster Level changes so too does this bonus if you are still actively instructing, so it is best to stop with a buffed BAB or CL.

[KillianHawkeye]

badass butler trope

Okay, but are any of them badass BECAUSE they are butlers, or in spite of it? Edwin Jarvis from the Agent Carter TV series immediately jumps to mind, but he clearly draws most of that badassery from his prior experiences as a soldier and from a variety of skills he's gained while working for Mister Stark that fall well outside the duties of a typical butler. In my mind, while it is certainly possible for a badass butler to exist, they are the exceptions.

[Hamste]

I would actually suggest Marshall. He literally makes his employer better just by being nearby. Just by standing nearby the Marshall can make his employer better at diplomacy or sensing when someone is lying (Going for motivate charisma or wisdom as soon as possible) with a fair number of skill points. See if the DM would allow you to use actions to give your employer benefits (as a butler constantly speaking in a diplomatic scenario is unseemly but making sure the persons tea is always full and anything they need is always met would make sense as a way to use motivate charisma and little signals might make sense for motivate wisdom). Another possibility is to have the motivate skills to help out the other servants where it would make a lot more sense for you to be speaking.

No move silently is a bit annoying though as butlers tend to try to avoid disturbing guests.

[Ger. Bessa]

There IS a buttler prestige class in FR, it's the Jordain Vizier. He has great memoristion to play as his master's agenda, and it's a bit of a monk class.

[Fouredged Sword]

Most of the time I end up statting a butler they end up rogue/monk/assassins. Evil to the core, all of them.

[Prime32]

The Dungeon Lord PrC from Dungeonscape is great at this.

Just one level lets you move through traps in your bonded location without triggering them, open/close doors as a free action (including secret doors), track intruders at a +8 bonus, and move through difficult terrain at full speed. More importantly, you automatically notice even the slightest change in your surroundings, "such as a chair that is out of place, a bookshelf that has been reorganized, or an area of dust that has been disturbed".

At higher levels you gain combat bonuses while inside your dungeon including immunity to fear, and can share some of your abilities with your allies. You also get the ability to scry on other locations in your dungeon at will, receive a mental alarm whenever someone enters your dungeon, can teleport to any other place in your dungeon, and animate objects within your dungeon.

Tell me all that wouldn't be useful for a butler.

[Tiri]

Butler from Artemis Fowl was a hybrid between a monk and a rouge.

A 'rouge'? Also, I think Fighter or Barbarian might be more fitting for that character considering his lack of weird monk abilities like Ki Strike and Slow Fall. He wasn't exactly a butler, though. That was just his name.

[atemu1234]

A 'rouge'? Also, I think Fighter or Barbarian might be more fitting for that character considering his lack of weird monk abilities like Ki Strike and Slow Fall. He wasn't exactly a butler, though. That was just his name.

Ah, yes, Domovoi Butler. I think he'd probably be some kind of Warblade, to be honest. He manages to be effectively the biggest baddest badass in the room.

[Deadline]

Okay, but are any of them badass BECAUSE they are butlers, or in spite of it? Edwin Jarvis from the Agent Carter TV series immediately jumps to mind, but he clearly draws most of that badassery from his prior experiences as a soldier and from a variety of skills he's gained while working for Mister Stark that fall well outside the duties of a typical butler. In my mind, while it is certainly possible for a badass butler to exist, they are the exceptions.

I guess I'd respond to that by asking if you know of a piece of fiction that features a butler that isn't some kind of badass.

It's ever present in comics, anime, cartoons, movies and pulp novels. Heck, "the butler did it" has been a staple of murder mysteries since ... the 1920's? I don't think any butler sitting in the trope is badass because of their butlering skills. I think it's more that you don't expect the help to do anything more than blend into the background. So I agree with you that it isn't in the duties of a typical butler in the real world, but in popular culture, it's the expected norm.

[Aleolus]

Or you could just use a devil and have him be "One hell of a butler" (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/Kuro****suji_Volume_1_cover.jpg)

[Hamste]

Or you could just use a devil and have him be "One hell of a butler" (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/Kuro****suji_Volume_1_cover.jpg)

A word in that url is censored by the board making that link not work.

[Aleolus]

...drat. I was trying to make a Black Butler reference using a picture of Sebastian.

[KillianHawkeye]

I guess I'd respond to that by asking if you know of a piece of fiction that features a butler that isn't some kind of badass.

It's ever present in comics, anime, cartoons, movies and pulp novels. Heck, "the butler did it" has been a staple of murder mysteries since ... the 1920's? I don't think any butler sitting in the trope is badass because of their butlering skills. I think it's more that you don't expect the help to do anything more than blend into the background. So I agree with you that it isn't in the duties of a typical butler in the real world, but in popular culture, it's the expected norm.

That's easy. Alfred Pennyworth (the butler of Bruce Wayne/Batman) is totally non-badass while still performing all the expected duties of a butler and super hero's assistant.

[Deadline]

That's easy. Alfred Pennyworth (the butler of Bruce Wayne/Batman) is totally non-badass while still performing all the expected duties of a butler and super hero's assistant.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Ofp_kHXs--/19e2en1mflkshjpg.jpg

Umm, you are kind of providing examples of my point. There are surprisingly few takes on the Alfred character where he isn't some kind of badass. Seriously. His backstory has fluctuated quite a bit over the years, but it usually involves him being a retired actor and spy/military medic. Basically, if Christopher Lee had decided to become a butler instead of a Heavy Metal star in his later years, he'd be Alfred Pennyworth.

The only reason Alfred appears non-badass is because he's standing next to Batman. :smalltongue:

[KillianHawkeye]

Really? Because I don't remember him ever doing anything badass. He mostly drives Mister Wayne around town, takes care of the house/cave, and occasionally helps with the design of some suits or gadgets. He hit one dude with a golf club in Batman Begins. His main role is usually just keeping Batman from losing himself in the mission.

Now, disclaimer: I don't read the comics, and I haven't watched any animated Batman shows since the good one from the '90s, so that's based mostly on Alfred as depicted in all the movies.

IMO, it's one thing to have a badass past and currently be a butler and quite another to use the skills from your badass past to do badass things while simultaneously also happening to be a butler. If Alfred does have some badass in his past, he doesn't use it anymore, and that's the big difference.

[Urpriest]

Factotum is what you want. Intelligence, able to do all skills well enough, is usually much smarter than his fighter overlord and can do the same thing with his wits that he can do with his muscles. When in doubt, go Factotum.

This, but not just for these reasons.

In fiction, the one character who was explicitly a Factotum was the eponymous Barber of The Barber of Seville. And in practice, he served a very manservant-ish role: a butler, as least as the OP envisions it.

[Vogie]

Really? Because I don't remember him ever doing anything badass. He mostly drives Mister Wayne around town, takes care of the house/cave, and occasionally helps with the design of some suits or gadgets. He hit one dude with a golf club in Batman Begins. His main role is usually just keeping Batman from losing himself in the mission.

Now, disclaimer: I don't read the comics, and I haven't watched any animated Batman shows since the good one from the '90s, so that's based mostly on Alfred as depicted in all the movies.

IMO, it's one thing to have a badass past and currently be a butler and quite another to use the skills from your badass past to do badass things while simultaneously also happening to be a butler. If Alfred does have some badass in his past, he doesn't use it anymore, and that's the big difference.

It depends on whose writing you're looking at. In the Nolan Dark Knight Triolgy, he's just a capable and loyal butler. On the more recent TV show Gotham, he's used to be in the British SAS, functioning as a Badass Bodyguard that is beginning to teach the young Wayne fighting styles and criminal psychology in addition to normal Butlering. Some of the comics have him being loyal, capable and a moral compass only; others have him proficient in martial arts as well as firearms, still others have him operating all of the Bat-Machinery, providing design, maintenance and programming, up to & including nanotechnology. He also was killed and resurrected as a villain between 1964-1966, which is amusing.

[Deadline]

It depends on whose writing you're looking at. In the Nolan Dark Knight Triolgy, he's just a capable and loyal butler. On the more recent TV show Gotham, he's used to be in the British SAS, functioning as a Badass Bodyguard that is beginning to teach the young Wayne fighting styles and criminal psychology in addition to normal Butlering. Some of the comics have him being loyal, capable and a moral compass only; others have him proficient in martial arts as well as firearms, still others have him operating all of the Bat-Machinery, providing design, maintenance and programming, up to & including nanotechnology. He also was killed and resurrected as a villain between 1964-1966, which is amusing.

He's also rarely been put in a position to need to show off his skills. That said, he's been the subject of kidnapping (on more than one occasion), and often foiled the kidnapping himself. I think he even took out Ra's Al Ghul's bodyguard once (in the animated series, I think). All while never even scuffing his shoes or messing up his suit.

The point being, Alfred fits the bad-ass butler trope in most incarnations of him. It's not like the butler needs to be kicking butt 24/7 in the story. If he did that, when would he have time to buttle? :smallwink:

At this point, I guess I should include an almost obligatory TVTropes link (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BattleButler), with the usual warnings that entails.

[LoyalPaladin]

Butler from Artemis Fowl was a hybrid between a monk and a rouge.
Ugh, I've been clean for years and now you've ruined it. Off I go to read the whole series again...

[Zaq]

A couple years back I posted a thread on this forum discussing the idea of the "Alfred Sorcerer" (to contrast with the Batman Wizard). The basic premise was challenging ourselves to pick a spell list for a Sorcerer that let them be mostly effective in a typical dungeon-crawling adventure BUT where every spell could also be justified as having a "mundane" (non-adventuring, not non-magical) use in taking care of the estate to which the character served as a butler. (The idea was to have mostly plausible uses for spells and not crazy slapstick uses like "Cone of Cold is perfect for chilling guests' drinks before serving them," because if you're going to be that wacky, you can justify anything, and that wasn't the point of the challenge.)

As I recall, the character ended up being surprisingly effective. They were obviously less fearsome in combat than a traditionally optimized Sorcerer (plenty of the best combat spells just plain don't make sense outside of the dungeon without getting into wacky slapstick explanations), but the Sorcerer list is robust enough that it ended up being a plausibly playable character. So that's a possibility.

[Deadline]

As I recall, the character ended up being surprisingly effective. They were obviously less fearsome in combat than a traditionally optimized Sorcerer (plenty of the best combat spells just plain don't make sense outside of the dungeon without getting into wacky slapstick explanations), but the Sorcerer list is robust enough that it ended up being a plausibly playable character. So that's a possibility.

You wouldn't happen to have a link, would you? Sounds very intriguing.

[LordAlabast]

I put it in a separate topic as well so I could get feedback on the class alone and not the character it's meant for, but I'll put it here too: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lcUuUWMRy4itzGhkvCmgWJ9GK3rERxvsL7O9LUhRB3k/pub

I made it to be like a cross between a bard and a cleric, with a few (Or maybe a lot) of personal touches to make it unique. I had it without them at first but it got criticized, so I fixed it. I don't think it's over powered or under powered, and I tried to make things as levelled as possible, especially with the "Lone Loyalty" ability, which causes everything the Butler does to only be half as effective when used on subjects that aren't his main master.