Inquisitor, Heretic, Monster Tactician; Tengu

Self-Interested Preface: With the Monster Summoner's Handbook came a ton of archetypes that sacrificed class features for a version of the summoner's scaling Summon Monster special ability.  Monster Tactician's one of the more broken ones.  As a spell-like standard-action, a monster tactician inquisitor can summon monsters as a summoner (one minute per level) 3 + WIS times per day.  As a ridiculous, game-breaking bonus, the creatures summoned automatically gain a(n amount of) chosen teamwork feat(s) the inquisitor possesses without needing the prerequisites.  The gamebreaker is Share Spells, allowing the inquisitor to use (for example) all the self-only Invisibilities and even Antimagic Field.  The inquisitor qualifies with Bonded Mind and Wasp Familiar, a feat that gives a flying greensting scorpion (+4 Initiative!) in exchange for worshiping Calistria.  Additionally, the inquisitor gets to pick one creature per level of the highest summon monster level it can use from the Expanded Summon Monster list, which has some amazing creatures, and with the Gifted Linguist Tengu trait, this character should never have a problem commanding any intelligent summoned creature.  I've added personal recommendations for each level of additional Expanded Summon Monster, but I recommend looking over the list and tweaking it to the campaign you're in as well as the role you'd like your summons to play in your party.

Heretic is an archetype which adds WIS to Bluff and Stealth in addition to their normal modifiers (CHA and DEX, respectively).  The Reformation Inquisition changes the stat modifier for Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Perform (Oratory) from CHA to WIS.  This means that Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate, Perception, Perform (Oratory), Profession, Sense Motive, Stealth, and Survival are all boosted by WIS, with Stealth actually boosted by both DEX and WIS (though Bluff ends up with a detriment from CHA).  Reformation also lets this character roll-twice-and-use-the-best-of Diplomacy or Intimidate checks a number of times equal to WIS per day, making it an incredible party face.  Scroll down to below the build for a by-level skill chart- having a bunch of class skills all affected by the same important modifier makes this character amazing at ability score allocation.  Stealth and Sense Motive are especially ridiculous, hitting +21 without any items or modifications at level 8.

Aside from summoning, this character's meant to support with a decent series of buff spells and provide ridiculous ranged damage with a combination of Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Clustered Shots, and its Bane class feature (+2d6 damage per shot) at level 5 which improves to Greater Bane (+4d6 damage per shot) at level 12.  This character will always have some way to contribute to every situation.  Divine Interference, which should be every divine caster's 11th level feat, is meant to force a re-roll of critical hits.  Take The Hit and Shake It Off are meant for when you end up wanting to summon meat shields and bruisers instead of casters.  Signature Skill (Sense Motive) allows Sense Motive to add to Initiative if conversation breaks down into combat and can add a +2 insight bonus when attacked (see Sense Motive Unchained).

This character will likely always go first.  Its base Initiative, with no items or enhancements, is calculated as follows:
Level 1: +9 (combat trait + DEX + Improved Initiative)
Level 2: +13 (+Cunning Initiative)
Level 4: +14 (+DEX increase)
Level 5: +18 (+greensting scorpion familiar)
Level 12: +19 (+WIS increase)
Level 20: +20 (+WIS increase)
In addition to having amazing Stealth and Perception modifiers as the scout, this makes your character the tactician, setting the pace of every combat by summoning an appropriate creature or group of creatures to fuck up an enemy plan.

I could write a whole guide on summoned monsters and their fantastic spells, but other people already have, which I might link in the future.  Notable spellcasters (in my experience) include Bralani Azata for healing and lightning bolts, Axiomites for Haste and their empowered Order's Wrath (a lot of things are chaotic), and Movanic Devas for healing, antimagic field, cure spells and the amazing Holy Aura.  Something to note, however, is that summoned monsters cannot use teleportation or summon spells, which means you cannot use Share Spells and your summons for teleportation or Dimension Door, even though so many of them have those abilities.

I'm playing this character in a campaign right now as a replacement for another character and I wish I'd started playing it from the beginning.  It has so many abilities that I'm often forgetting different ones, like Clustered Shots calculating all my damage before applying DR, or that standing next to any allies, including my familiar (which has Bodyguard/Combat Reflexes, by the way; I forget that too), boosts saving throws through Shake It Off.  This build has incredible versatility and, played cleverly, can honestly fill almost an entire party's worth of roles.  It's an amazing face, scout, tank-summoner, healing-summoner, ranged attacker, debilitator-summoner, and blast-summoner.  Through the Stalwart and Improved Stalwart class feature along with its ridiculous saving throws, it shrugs off a crazy amount of spells and effects (it's like Evasion for Fortitude and Will saves) which helps a lot since its main drawback is a lack of serious hit points.  This character has been extremely fun and effective.

This build created in December of 2015 and tweaked several times up until May of 2016.

Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician), Level 20

Race: Tengu, +2 DEX, +2 WIS, -2 CON (+1 Hit Point/+1 Skill Point)

Racial Traits

Sneaky (+2 to Perception and Stealth)

Gifted Linguist (+4 Linguistics, learn two languages per rank in Linguistics)

Claw Attack/Natural Weapons (1d3 bite attack, 1d3 claw attack, 1d3 claw attack; free Improved Unarmed Strike feat)

Low Light Vision

Character Traits/Drawbacks

Drawback: Meticulous (predisposed to planning; -2 to all untrained skill checks)

Combat: Reactionary (+2 to Initiative)

Magic: Third Eye [+2 to Sense Motive (+4 to determine if creature is under mind-affecting effect), -1 Bluff/Diplomacy]

Regional: Armor Master (reduce armor check penalty by 1)

  

Class Skills: Bluff, Climb, Craft (Any), Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Planes), Knowledge (Religion), Perception, Perform (Oratory), Profession (Any), Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, Survival, and Swim.

Known Languages: Common, Tengu, Abyssal, Infernal

1: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 1 (d8 HD), +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +0

            Base Saves: +2/+3/+6

New Feats: Simple, Deity Favored Weapon (Whip), and Inquisitor Weapon Proficiencies, Light and Medium Armor Proficiencies, Shield Proficiency, Inquisitor Spellcasting, Hide Tracks, Lore Of Escape, Stern Gaze, Monster Tactician Summon Monster, Summon Monster I, Reformation Inquisition, [Inquisition] Inspired Rhetoric, Improved Unarmed Strike, [1^st Level Feat] Point Blank Shot, [Anti-Hero] Improved Initiative

Skills(6): Climb, Diplomacy, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

New Spells:    0^th Level – Brand, Detect Magic, Guidance, Sift

                        1^st Level – Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 2 Lvl. 1

2: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 2, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +1

            Base Saves: +3/+3/+7

New Feats: Cunning Initiative, Detect Alignment, Track

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Swim

Expanded Summon Monster: Kangaroo

New Spells:    0^th Level – Create Water

                        1^st Level – Protection From Evil

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 3 Lvl. 1

3: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 3, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +2

            Base Saves: +3/+4/+7

New Feats: Solo Tactics, Summon Monster II, [Teamwork 3^rd] Bonded Mind, [3^rd Level Feat] Precise Shot

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival

Expanded Summon Monster: Dimorphodon

New Spells:    0^th Level – Detect Poison

                        1^st Level – Burst Bonds

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 4 Lvl. 1

4: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 4, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +3

            Ability Score Increase: DEX +1 (18)

            Base Saves: +4/+5/+8

New Feats: [Inquisition] Blessed Correction

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Heal, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Giant Weasel

New Spells:    2^nd Level – See Invisibility, Silence

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 4 Lvl. 1, 2 Lvl. 2

5: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 5, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +3

            Base Saves: +4/+5/+8

New Feats: Bane, Summon Monster III, Summon Tactics 1, [5^th Level Feat] Wasp Familiar

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Arbiter Inevitable

New Spells:    2^nd Level – Blistering Invective

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 5 Lvl. 1, 3 Lvl. 2

Familiar: (Flying) Greensting Scorpion, Protector Archetype

6: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 6, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +4

            Base Saves: +5/+6/+9

New Feats: [Teamwork 6th] Share Spells

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Lyrakien Azata

New Spells:    2^nd Level – Honeyed Tongue

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 5 Lvl. 1, 4 Lvl. 2

7: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 7, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +5

            Base Saves: +5/+6/+9

New Feats: Summon Monster IV, [7^th Level Feat] Rapid Shot

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Crysmal

New Spells:    1^st Level – Shield Of Faith

                        3^rd Level – Blessing Of The Mole, Raven’s Flight

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 5 Lvl. 1, 4 Lvl. 2, 2 Lvl. 3

8: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 8, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +6/+1

            Ability Score Increase: WIS +1 (19)

            Base Saves: +7/+6/+10

New Feats: [Inquisition] Awaken Discontent, Summon Tactics 2

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Giant Skunk

New Spells:    3^rd Level – Dimensional Anchor

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 5 Lvl. 1, 5 Lvl. 2, 3 Lvl. 3

9: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 9, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +6/+1

            Base Saves: +6/+7/+10

New Feats: Summon Monster V, [Teamwork 9^th] Shake It Off, [9^th Level Feat] Manyshot

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Incubus Demon

New Spells:    3^rd Level – Communal Align Weapon

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 5 Lvl. 2, 4 Lvl. 3

10: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 10, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +7/+2

            Base Saves: +7/+7/+11

New Feats: (none)

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Vulpinal Agathion

New Spells:    2^nd Level – Soothing Word

                        4^th Level – Greater Invisibility, Freedom Of Movement

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 5 Lvl. 2, 4 Lvl. 3, 2 Lvl. 4

11: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 11, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +8/+3

            Base Saves: +7/+7/+11

New Feats: Stalwart, Summon Monster VI, [11^th Level Feat] Divine Interference

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Axiomite

New Spells:    1^st Level – Expeditious Retreat

4^th Level – Litany Of Escape

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 5 Lvl. 2, 5 Lvl. 3, 3 Lvl. 4

12: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 12, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +9/+4

            Ability Score Increase: WIS +1 (20)

            Base Saves: +8/+8/+13

New Feats: Greater Bane, [Teamwork] Take The Hit

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Animate Dream

New Spells:    4^th Level – Battlemind Link

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 5 Lvl. 3, 4 Lvl. 4

 

13: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 13, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +9/+4

            Base Saves: +8/+8/+13

New Feats: Summon Monster VII, [13^th Level Feat] Clustered Shots

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Movanic Deva

New Spells:    3^rd Level – Heroism

                        5^th Level – Litany Of Vengeance, True Seeing

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 5 Lvl. 3, 4 Lvl. 4, 1 Lvl. 5

14: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 14, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +10/+5

            Base Saves: +9/+8/+14

New Feats: Exploit Weakness

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Phistophilus Devil

New Spells:    2^nd Level – Spiritual Weapon

                        5^th Level – Break Enchantment

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 5 Lvl. 3, 5 Lvl. 4, 2 Lvl. 5

15: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 15, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +11/+6/+1

            Base Saves: +9/+9/+14

New Feats: Signature Skill Unlock (15^th), Summon Monster VIII, [Teamwork 15^th] Coordinated Charge, [15^th Level Feat] Signature Skill (Sense Motive)

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Monadic Deva

New Spells:    5^th Level – Flame Strike

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 6 Lvl. 3, 5 Lvl. 4, 3 Lvl. 5

16: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 16, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +12/+7/+2

            Ability Score Increase: WIS +1 (21)

            Base Saves: +10/+9/+15

New Feats: Summon Tactics 3

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Kolyarut Inevitable

New Spells:    4^th Level – Communal Protection From Energy

                        6^th Level – Blade Barrier, Heal

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 6 Lvl. 3, 5 Lvl. 4, 3 Lvl. 5, 1 Lvl. 6

17: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 17, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +12/+7/+2

            Base Saves: +10/+9/+15

New Feats: Summon Monster IX, [17^th Level Feat] Improved Initiative

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Sepid Div

New Spells:    3^rd Level – Burst Of Speed

                        6^th Level – Overwhelming Presence

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 6 Lvl. 3, 5 Lvl. 4, 4 Lvl. 5, 2 Lvl. 6

18: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 18, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +13/+8/+3

            Base Saves: +11/+10/+16

New Feats: [Teamwork 18^th] Target Of Opportunity

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Valkyrie

New Spells:    6^th Level – Greater Dispel Magic

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 6 Lvl. 3, 6 Lvl. 4, 4 Lvl. 5, 3 Lvl. 6

19: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 19, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +14/+9/+4

            Base Saves: +11/+10/+16

New Feats: [19^th Level Feat] (Teamwork) Tribe Mentality

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

Expanded Summon Monster: Great White Whale

New Spells:    5^th Level – Disrupting Weapon

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 6 Lvl. 1, 6 Lvl. 2, 6 Lvl. 3, 6 Lvl. 4, 5 Lvl. 5, 4 Lvl. 6

20: Inquisitor (Heretic, Monster Tactician) 20, +1 Hit Point

            BAB: +15/+10/+5

            Ability Score Increase: WIS +1 (22)

            Base Saves: +12/+10/+19

New Feats: Signature Skill Unlock (20^th), Summon Tactics (All)

Skills(6): Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, +1 other

Expanded Summon Monster: Diplodocus (Summon Monster VIII)

New Spells:    4^th Level – Death Ward

                        6^th Level – Litany Of Madness

Base Spells Per Day: ∞ Lvl. 0, 7 Lvl. 1, 7 Lvl. 2, 6 Lvl. 3, 6 Lvl. 4, 6 Lvl. 5, 6 Lvl. 6

 Linguistics Languages

There are 34 languages listed in Pathfinder, two of which are secret (Drow sign language and Druidic) and one of which is Vegepygmy, which is probably useless.  Two of these languages (Common and Tengu) are automatically leaned by this character, leaving only fifteen points necessary for this two-languages-per-hard-Linguistics-point character to understand and speak every available Pathfinder language, a feat not at all necessary, but interesting.  It may also be a good idea to allocate one language to being able to read lips as suggested in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play FAQ.  The languages by level I chose for my campaign are: