Feats for a Butler

[NerdHut]

I'm working on an NPC I'd like to run some day. I envision him as a butler-like character for the party, who would tend to the cart/house/manor/castle as the case may be. He'll be a partial caster, choosing spells that are almost 100% utility, along the lines of mending, continual flame and arcane lock. I've got him relatively well developed (at least conceptually), except for one aspect: feats.

What feats would you give a character who, if he had his way, would never see serious combat? In all the optimization guides, the most popular feats are understandably those which make a character a greater threat to their enemies. But besides Eschew Materials and the feats which give +X to skills, what do you think a noncombatant should pick up?

[Saintheart]

Item Creation feats.

[Celestia]

Skill Focus: Profession (Butler)

[Cygnia]

I'd recommend some of the mental skill tricks like Point It Out of Listen To This (as well as the Social Recovery skill trick if you can) as well.

[heavyfuel]

Selfless feats that help the party.

Draconic Aura is great, and I second Item creation feats.

[Jack_Simth]

As a partial caster? Extend Spell to buff the party up a bit before they go into the dungeon (depends on spell selection, of course).

I'd also echo the Item Creation feat sentiment. Assist the party casters to get the spell requirements out of the way as needed.

Draconic Aura (Vigor) or the Touch of Healing reserve feat would both go well.
The Mitigate Suffering reserve feat is also useful if the party healer is down due to ability damage - can be used to get the healer up and running long enough to self-cure in many cases.Item creation feats - make stuff for the party.

[liquidformat]

What levels are you looking at for the npc and what class breakdown, also do you have a specific race?

Honestly for any mundane NPC that has no caster levels I think the most common feats would probably be Night Haunt and Spell Hand.

Night Haunt is an amazing and powerful feat for a commoner, expert, or warrior giving them access to dancing lights, prestidigitation, unseen servant. That is a pretty incredible group of spells to help with mundane life and well worth the cost of a feat for a mundane character that would otherwise not have any magical access.

Similarly Spell Hand gives mage hand, open/close, Tenser's floating disk which is a nice group of spells to help out with mundane tasks and well worth the price of a feat.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Leadership and Extra Followers. A butler is, after all, the manager of the household staff, and so requires a staff to work.

[RatElemental]

Leadership and Extra Followers. A butler is, after all, the manager of the household staff, and so requires a staff to work.

Alternately, craft construct to make a bunch of homunculi to act as extra hands.

[liquidformat]

Alternately, craft construct to make a bunch of homunculi to act as extra hands.

artificer butler for the win...

[Climowitz]

Arcane Thesis: unseen servant. Or whatever spell you think you will be using the most. Dimensional Jaunt could also be significant or Dimensional Reach if you think you will be using some teleportation spells.

[TheCount]

master pickpocket and anything that boost sneaking. They are always there, unseen, waiting, and when the time comes...they hand over whatever item you request or carry out thier new task.

[liquidformat]

master pickpocket and anything that boost sneaking. They are always there, unseen, waiting, and when the time comes...they hand over whatever item you request or carry out thier new task.

Spot, Search, Sense Motives, Diplomacy, Move Silently would all be maxed skills for a butler.

[denthor]

Heal skill. Use magic device. Stealth you should not even hear a butler breath.

Ninja by liquidformat

[liquidformat]

Heal skill. Use magic device. Stealth you should not even hear a butler breath.

Ninja by liquidformat

but heal is such a terrible skill unless you are wanting to do grafts...

[Kelb_Panthera]

There's a neat little prestige class for exaclty that sort of character in Shining South: the Jordain Vizier. That being the case, I'm gonna suggest its prerequisite iron will and spellwise feats. :smallbiggrin:

[Zeb]

Pack mule feat- gotta be able to carry all the things. In the same vein a belt of wide earth.

[Deadline]

There's a neat little prestige class for exaclty that sort of character in Shining South: the Jordain Vizier. That being the case, I'm gonna suggest its prerequisite iron will and spellwise feats. :smallbiggrin:

That's a neat find (filing it away for possible future Iron Chef use :smallsmile:)!

I think you can use the Bard base class to cover this role pretty well. They can be a bolstering aspect for the party, can handle minor healing and utility spell needs, and have the ability to provide extensive knowledge.

At one point in time, I was working on a character concept around this idea for an Eberron campaign. A Warforged "steward" who accompanied his master (another PC) around. He was initially responsible for the tutelage and immediate care of his ward, and then later worked as a personal valet. After all, what rich Cannith family wouldn't have a warforged butler? :smallbiggrin:

[Kelb_Panthera]

That's a neat find (filing it away for possible future Iron Chef use :smallsmile:)!

I think you can use the Bard base class to cover this role pretty well. They can be a bolstering aspect for the party, can handle minor healing and utility spell needs, and have the ability to provide extensive knowledge.

At one point in time, I was working on a character concept around this idea for an Eberron campaign. A Warforged "steward" who accompanied his master (another PC) around. He was initially responsible for the tutelage and immediate care of his ward, and then later worked as a personal valet. After all, what rich Cannith family wouldn't have a warforged butler? :smallbiggrin:

By the class as written, bard would be kind of a waste. There's a CoC that restricts the vizier from ever casting spells or using items that directly produce their effects such as scrolls and wands. Bardic music and knowledge are pretty neat still and the skills are right in the same vein.

I'd think a factotum would be the obvious entry. I mean, you want a butler that can do just a bit of everything, right?

[Feantar]

Pack mule feat- gotta be able to carry all the things. In the same vein a belt of wide earth.

And the butler just became Nodwick.

As to the OP, might seem weird, but the silent/invisible metamagics fit. A buttle is neither to be seen, not heard. They just have to do their job in the background. Also, in case you use pathfinder, the Helpful (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/combat-traits/helpful-combat/) trait would be very useful.

[NerdHut]

Thanks for all this input. I hadn't even really considered the general spellcasting boosts because I was focused on what spells to pick in the first place. Nor had it occured to me that (even if it'll mostly be for RP) he should have bonuses to Profession (Butler).

I don't think I'll do the item creation stuff because that'll be the domain of other NPCs (unless I end up with an artificer in the party of course).

If anyone has more suggestions, obviously keep them coming.

[elonin]

Can't recall the name but basically makes all skills in-class

[Kelb_Panthera]

Can't recall the name but basically makes all skills in-class

You're probably thinking of Races of Destiny's Able Learner feat. It's race locked to humans, changelings, and dopplegangers and it only lets you buy skill ranks 1:1 whether they're class skills or not for the current level. It doesn't change the cap if a skill has nevere been a class skill for you. Combined with certain classes, it becomes as good as having all skills as class skills, such as factotum (literally all skills as class skills) or human paragon (pick 10 skills for class skills).

[Bartmanhomer]

What's the bulter class? :confused:

[Kelb_Panthera]

What's the bulter class? :confused:

There isn't one. The OP is asking about fulfilling a certain role in society in the game world. I presume they have a class or classes in mind already since they're only asking for feat suggestions.

[Bartmanhomer]

There isn't one. The OP is asking about fulfilling a certain role in society in the game world. I presume they have a class or classes in mind already since they're only asking for feat suggestions.

Ok. I thought there were a certain class that has something to do with the feats.

[NerdHut]

There isn't one. The OP is asking about fulfilling a certain role in society in the game world. I presume they have a class or classes in mind already since they're only asking for feat suggestions.

You're spot on. Butler is his social archetype, not his class. Based on what I've found from this thread and my own book diving, I'm probably going to build him as an underpowered Generic Spellcaster (from Unearthed Arcana) with some levels of Expert (also UA) thrown in. That way he can keep pace with the party on Hit Dice in case they take him along on adventures, without overshadowing anyone's characters.

[elonin]

You're probably thinking of Races of Destiny's Able Learner feat. It's race locked to humans, changelings, and dopplegangers and it only lets you buy skill ranks 1:1 whether they're class skills or not for the current level. It doesn't change the cap if a skill has nevere been a class skill for you. Combined with certain classes, it becomes as good as having all skills as class skills, such as factotum (literally all skills as class skills) or human paragon (pick 10 skills for class skills).


That is what i was originally thinking of but with more thought factotum seems to fit.

[TheCount]

There is also Savant from Dragon Compendium, it also has all skills and grants a bonus feat at 2nd level