Build advice: swiss-army knife skill-monkey/utility caster spy-scout

[Vichrae]

I wanted to put this out there for comments and suggestions for a build I'm conceptualizing.

The concept is swiss-army knife skill-monkey/utility caster spy-scout. Combat role could be mobile melee (slight preference) or ranged, and would likely need to focus on EB as primary attack for quite a few levels, perhaps forever.

The build is a half-elf bard X (valor or lore)/chainlock 3 (old ones)/rogue 1 (or 3 if the archetype would be a major benefit). Obviously CHA/DEX as primary stats.

It could even add cleric 1 (knowledge) for expertise in arcana/history + delicious Guidance.

What would be an ideal progression for something like this? Is the whole thing a bad idea (too scattered)?

Thanks!

[LudicSavant]

What would be an ideal progression for something like this? Is the whole thing a bad idea (too scattered)?

Pretty much. You're giving up a lot of caster progression for gimmicks that caster progression does better.

[Man_Over_Game]

Pretty much. You're giving up a lot of caster progression for gimmicks that caster progression does better.

I agree. I'd just go with Tomelock with a single level into Rogue. You get Guidance, Rogue's Expertise, and as many cantrips from as many classes as you want, on top of being able to pick up any Ritual you can find.

Ludicrous levels of utility, and the only thing you sacrifice for skills is a single level? Pretty damn good.

[cutlery]

I agree. I'd just go with Tomelock with a single level into Rogue. You get Guidance, Rogue's Expertise, and as many cantrips from as many classes as you want, on top of being able to pick up any Ritual you can find.

Ludicrous levels of utility, and the only thing you sacrifice for skills is a single level? Pretty damn good.

I'd probably look at bard or arcane trickster 3ish then the rest in tomelock; for a handful of 1st or 2nd level slots to spend on those spells without "wasting" a warlock slot - but I'd consider a pure lore bard, too.

Or AT/Wizard, really - depending on their preference for rituals vs action/bonus action cast spells.

I think there are a few ways to do this, depending how much OP prioritizes each of those goals, and whether at-will damage combat ability is factor at all.

Guidance is pretty strong, though, I agree.

[Willie the Duck]

What would be an ideal progression for something like this? Is the whole thing a bad idea (too scattered)?

I feel like perhaps you are salivating after all the different low-level abilities ('dip perks,' so to speak) that each of these classes offer, and perhaps not thinking about how long you are delaying your progression towards any particular mid-high-level goal. Remember that you (I assume) have to play through all those levels, not just skip to the end where you have your build up and humming.

Honestly speaking, a straight half-elven valor/swords bard, or vuman celestial tomelock (1st level feat: moderately armored) probably will get you most of what you'd get from this tangled knot, but you'd actually get 2nd level spells at 3rd level, 3rd level spells at 5th, ASI/Feats when they'd be most useful, and passable combat skills (be it valor/swords bard medium armor at 3rd and two attacks at 6th, or vuman tomelock's moderate armor at 1st and a shillelagh-booming blade by 3rd) relatively early.

[cutlery]

I feel like perhaps you are salivating after all the different low-level abilities ('dip perks,' so to speak) that each of these classes offer, and perhaps not thinking about how long you are delaying your progression towards any particular mid-high-level goal. Remember that you (I assume) have to play through all those levels, not just skip to the end where you have your build up and humming.

Honestly speaking, a straight half-elven valor/swords bard, or vuman celestial tomelock (1st level feat: moderately armored) probably will get you most of what you'd get from this tangled knot, but you'd actually get 2nd level spells at 3rd level, 3rd level spells at 5th, ASI/Feats when they'd be most useful, and passable combat skills (be it valor/swords bard medium armor at 3rd and two attacks at 6th, or vuman tomelock's moderate armor at 1st and a shillelagh-booming blade by 3rd) relatively early.


A good point; a lot of level dip builds take weeks or months to turn on. That sounds boring.