Need help with a Cipher build.

[Foxman778]

Hey Playgrounders, I need help with a build. Friend asked for help building their character for an upcoming game and they want to play a Cipher. I'm not familiar enough with the Archetype to try and wing it. So I've come to you all for assistance.

25-Point Buy
Cipher Investigator
For fluff reasons it must be a dhampir, though in can be any heritage.
Starting at Level 5

[Geddy2112]

Vetala-Born is the best in both fluff and mechanics for the class, including comprehend languages as an SLA. 25 point buy post racials is 7/18/12/20/10/8. Swap strength and charisma if the DM is an encumbrance tracker, or you won't have a handy haversack. Likewise you can swap int and dex if you want a more melee based cipher and less raw power, I would keep int as your high stat as so many powers key off of it.

For feats, the fencing grace tree gets dex to damage on an 18/20 weapon. If the player does not want damage and wants to keep a face roll, skill focus(linguistics)+orator feat lets you use linguistics for the social skill uses of bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate. Dampen presence might also be worth considering on a stealth build.

The archtype is starved for talents, so consider feats to grab quick study and amazing inspiration. For skills, you should have enough points to do whatever you want. Max stealth, perception, and use magic device. Put a rank in the freebie inspiration skills, one in every knowledge, three in acrobatics, then use the rest to fill in the party roles as needed.

Focus on extracts that increase your stealth or combat utility. Enlarge/reduce person, long arm, blur, shield, barkskin, and of course invisibility. Consider ant haul since you are dumping strength. A mithral chain shirt is your best armor until you can get celestial chainmail. A +1 rapier, then your standard defensive/save boosting items and a handy haversack.

[Foxman778]

Thanks for the help!

[Serafina]

Well, go grab an Investigator-guide (1 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1US1RDLezrR7C7bTjm_7Q9cta6bYi_slsE6zc1ndf7eg/edit), 2 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kImj9bhXndsbJGbFURIZBD0hl4rZQ5xyafN-p5PsJ7c/edit), 3 (http://jmcteague.com/wordpress/2014/09/10/elementary-a-handbook-to-the-pathfinder-investigator/)) and consider what the Archetype loses:
Trap Stuff (Trapfinding, Trap Sense), Poison Stuff (Poison Lore/Resistance/Immunity), Swift Alchemy and every Investigator talent until level 13.
That alters what roles you try to take (you won't go around poisoning people probably), but the only bit that really alters how you build the character is all the lost talents.

In exchange, you get really good stealth-stuff. This means you'll build for Dexterity, instead of Strength.

Now, you can replace some of the lost talents via feats. I think you can at least - it might be that you could only do so at level 13, where you actually get a talent. Can't recall right now.
This makes you more feat-strapped, obviously.

So it's a standard Dex-Investigator, only taking the bare necessities of talents via feats.
So Weapon Finesse at level 1, Extra Investigator Talent (Quick Study) at level 5, and either a Dex-to-damage feat (Fencing Grace is your best choice) or one of those talents (Infusion, Mutagen, one talent that expands inspiration to more skills) at level 3. You probably want Fencing Grace to be able to drop Strength.


Or in other words: What Geddy2112 said, but do take a look at those guides if you want some extra Inspiration (pun intended).