Help Building a Archaeologist Sorcerer

[Proc]

Greetings community!

I love the medium that DND 3.5 to tell a story. But, I'm not that skilled in the system, building characters and the nuances the rules require. I come to you to request your help in fleshing out the build for a NPC of mine, so that I may be able to spend more time on the story.

Building rules: Level 10, Gestalt, (Feats = 2 bonus at first lvl, and every odd level; so a lvl 10 would have 7 total base + class/race allowances), 44-pt buy, Standard Human race. Wealth by level.

My requests: Primary Sorceror, Xorn familiar, Skilled in as much knowledge as he can be, Earth style spells (Ex. Earth Lock, Earthbind, Earthen Grasp, Earthen Grace, Giants Wrath, Primal Form, Tremor Sense, Wall of Sand, Stone Sphere, Stone Skin, etc.)

Back Story: His name is Vibai. He is from a country that recently won a war and is now the recipient of the spoils of war (country is undergoing great economic expansion). However, he did not participate in this war. He thought it was a distraction for what he is interested in, discovering the history of the continent and unearthing what he considers the truth of the world. He is a traveling merchant peddling books and antiques. Enjoys spending time exploring old crypts or dungeons where the truth he seeks may lie.

This is my first time posting a request like this. Please advise any additional info. Thank you for your help =D.

Proc

[Proc]

Addenda:

I ask that the gestalt secondary class be a Tier 3 or lower.

[bean illus]

I'm not sure what you want (and I'm not good at sorcerers).
Do you want to blast enemies? Or melee when neccessary?

There are Sorcerer Handbooks
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?444617-Sorcerer-s-Handbook

http://www.ruleofcool.com/smf/index.php?topic=654.0

There are others also. Google it.

I guess an archeologist in dnd would want to max divination? And Knowledge skills?

It sounds like you could just pick a build from one of the handbooks and u
se it on the sorcerer side, then build the other side.
Sorcerer is Cha based, and low on skills, so knowledge is out, unless you pick it up on the other side. You could pick up bardic knowledge from bard, which is Cha based. Or use your 44 points to get into either cloistered cleric, or one of the Int based classes.

When you say archeologist, i think factotum. They get all knowledge skills, and good use of them, and they're T3(ish). But their best are abilities in the upper levels (11th).

That's really all i got for now

[TalonOfAnathrax]

There's a good prestige class from Eberron that has a strong "archeology / search for the mysteries of the past" theme and that goes well with Sorcerer : it's called Cataclysm Mage. And of course there's the Loredelver PrC, which is exactly that : a spellcaster with a lot of skill points who focuses on exploring tombs full of traps.

And yes, I'd also suggested taking a second half of your Gestalt to focus on investigative skills. Something like Rogue or Bard seems appropriate. Factotum is great in Gestalt, but Sorcerers don't usually have high Int so if you pick Factotum I'd suggest replacing Sorcerer with another class (Wizard or Beguiler seems appropriate). Actually, you could take Beguiler and make the other half of your into a combat class (I suggest Swordsage). You'd get good skills, trapfinding, magic, melee power against opponents immune to both illusions and enchantment, and you'll qualify for Loredelver very easily on a Beguiler chassis.

[nedz]

I'm not sure what you want on the other side of the gestalt - other than skills.
There are several options.
Rogue 10 // Sorcerer 5 / Unseen Seer 2 / Earth Dreamer 3++

Rogue here for 8+ skill points and sneak dice - but there are other options.
Unseen Seer 2 opens up a level 3 divination spell from any list, but does require tht you have 2 1st level divination spells - which is quite restrictive.

Earth Dreamer (Races of Stone p110) - but you can't enter this before 7th

Ranger 5 / Horizon Walker 5 // Sorcerer 5 / Unseen Seer 2 / Earth Dreamer 3++
would also work.
Better combat options, skills 6+/4+ on the left.

Beguiler 10 // Sorcerer 5 / Unseen Seer 2 / Earth Dreamer 3++
For 6+ skills and more spells.

These can be fleshed out further, but some more information would be helpful first.

[Proc]

I want him to be more of a book worm rather than fighter so blast enemies maybe with earth themed spells.

Optimization isn't necessary. So if he was a sorcerer who felt compelled to study history and obtain knowledge, so be it.

Thank you for the handbook link.

Factotum sound appealing.

Oh wow, Loredelver sounds perfect story wise.

I will reference the handbook. But I ask for some more advice on how to optimize a sorceror's casting with feats?

Thanks!

[Maat Mons]

For getting all Knowledge skills as class skills, one option is Draconic Knowledge (Dragon Magic). It requires you yo be a Sorcerer, but that was already the plan. It also requires you to take the Draconic Heritage feat, but if you're a dragonblooded race, there's a Sorcerer ACF that gives you that instead of a familiar.
Virginia Yen and the Final Campaign (Indiana -> Virginia, Jones -> Yen, Last -> Final, Crusade -> Campaign)
Another option is the Education regional feat, which is 1st-level only.
Lawrence Meadows: Crypt Pillager (Lara -> Lawrence, Croft -> Meadows, Tomb -> Crypt, Raider -> Pillager)
It's always bothered me that 3.5 requires you to slow down to 5 feet of movement per round when searching for traps. If you want your NPC to stride confidently into the tombs he's raiding without it turning out to be his last crusade, maybe give him the Trap Sensitivity feat. Unfortunately, that requires Trap Sense, which isn't very common or very good.
Virginia Yen: Crypt Pillager (Indiana -> Virginia, Jones -> Yen, Tomb -> Crypt, Raider -> Pillager)
I'd be tempted to go with Feat Rogue. You could spend the Fighter bonus feats on things like Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Martial Study (Moment of Perfect Mind) and, Martial Study (Mind Over Body). Or true archeologist style, you could master the whip and revolver, or dual pistols.