So, I'm partial to the Battle Butler character trope. The kind of guy who kicks ass one moment and makes the perfect pot of tea the next. So much so that I have a few character ideas built around the trope.
- A Cavalier with the Order of the Staff. His employer would be, of course, the party spellcaster.
- A Slayer with the Studied Ally talent. Aids the Master when need be, kicks ass when not.
- A Monk. Naturally, he will wear tuxedos instead of robes.
Anyway, anyone else have any other ideas?
I like Monks for this concept, since Monks are very good at looking like noncombatants.
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Well...if your tea creemony was based on a cha roll, monks don't have good charisma. Better have some cha based class. Instant cleaning like prestigitation and unseen servant are marks of a good butler.
Ancestor oracles get a revelation that gives something like mage armor.
sorcerer could be of draconic bloodline and grow claws at need or even head into DD.
Armor can be glammered/disguised as well.
What about a Brawler?
Their Martial flexibility would allow for the "skilled for any situatuon".
Bards and the like are nice and a bard may actually be my top choice for the position, but I think a paladin can also fit the trope very well, especially if s/he's from one of the more pacifistic orders. They are very charismatic, tend to at least have the option to be cultured and diplomatic, and via smite and possibly weapon bond can go to town with anything on hand. Plus, when it comes to loyalty, honor and service to a good cause, it's pretty hard to top a paladin.
The main problem is the low number of skill points per level, which do not work very well if you want to make a character that is hypercompetent at everything. This is where multiclassing can work, I guess, or it could be that the character is still learning the ropes when it comes to butlering :) .
Other options:
- Ninja: while not quite as good in the ass-kicking department as, say, a cavalier or paladin, such a character is incredibly good at everything requiring some finesse.
- Swashbuckler: got style, will kick ass. Perfectly capable of handling armored louts one minute, then leading a cultured discussion the next - all the time, armed with nothing more than a tuxedo, a (sword) cane and an unmatched wit. The flying blade is also worth considering for a character who looks even more discrete and uses daggers rather than larger weapons.
- Investigator: A good butler knows where everything and everyone is and how everything works, and the investigator is hard to beat at that. With the expanded inspiration and underground inspiration, you add free dice to most non-combat rolls you care to make, and with studied combat and combat inspiration, you are far from a slouch in a fight either. Then, there's the alchemy, which makes you better at all those things. No one - barring alchemists and witches, but they are frankly no good for cultured occasions - makes as good a tea as an investigator. Both the empiricist and the mastermind are good archetypes for the role.
Ooh, I like investigator! Just flavor extracts as various delicious meals and drinks and get the Infusion talent.
I had a thought that a Bard or Battle Herald could be fun to play as "squire" to another character, characterised a long the lines of Puss in Boots (the fairytale, not Shrek's version). Essentially you go around making inflated claims about how great your "master" is and using cunning to come out ahead. Even better if you're using your trickery and boasting about a Paladin...
I really like this trope too. I know things like sword canes are a possibility, but to my mind you really want, maybe even need, to go with an unarmed combat style and no armor (or close to it).
Monk is the most obvious option for that- and with good reason, they can pull it off.
A slightly less obvious option (that might actually be even better, depending on the type of role you want to fill) is the Sacred Fist (warpriest archetype). They still don't rely on any weapons or armor, but with the right spell selection and/or blessings can be better support than a monk (and can still use those things, plus fervor, to self buff for their own combat effectiveness).
Brawlers are great for unarmed combat- they do monk unarmed damage and have full BAB, and martial flexibility as awesome for making sure they always prepared in a variety different situations. The big draw back here is that AC is still armor dependent :(
One last option I'll mention- kensai magus... This is kind of the opposite of the brawler... They'll rely on a sword cane or some such to attack, but they're not really armor dependent at all. And even when you're unarmed you can still be useful in combat situations by casting.
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Ooh, I like investigator! Just flavor extracts as various delicious meals and drinks and get the Infusion talent.
I was going to mention investigator. They fit battle butler role very well. You can use a sword-cane if you want flavor and a hidden weapon. Or you could make him use a rapier and he was a former fencer on his old prep school.
You could beg your DM that your Infusions are Tea and crumpets or the like.
Plenty of skills and Knowledges as it was usually the butler who helps educate the younger masters and Madams. Will remind them in social situations who is who of nobility and who not to be seen with.
Lots of flavor you can add while playing a investigator. Names of classes tend to hold back imagination.
I've tackled this as a Summoner, which makes the Eidolon a battle butler. Blow a point on the Skilled evolution, and he's a capable butler.