D&D 4E Building an Archivist in 4E

That’s one of the things I don’t like about 4e: creating a homebrew class is too much work. With simpler classes, this would be easier.

But… I don’t think we need too much work to simulate an Archivist. I do not know where this class appeared or what it exactly is, but if you want to make a “scholarly” divine caster, I think re-skinned Invoker would be the way to go.
If you want more healing than that, then multiclass/hybrid with Cleric to get the more powerful heals.

The 3.X Archivist was actually pretty cruddy in mechanical execution, so that's not what I'm looking to recreate. It's more the inspiration behind the archetype, which AbdulAlhazred does a pretty good job of capturing in his post above (#4). I think I have the basics of what I'm looking for down (post #8) but am open to suggestions for building upon that chassis via feats, powers, etc. (I would think either Monster Huner or Adventurer's Scion would be the best background).

How about if you took a cleric or an invoker, and gave them the wizard's spellbook class feature, maybe calling it a prayerbook. After all, archivists are essentially just wizards but divine instead of arcane. Themes, backgrounds, and feats can cover the more mundane sage-like abilities.

Igwilly said:

That’s one of the things I don’t like about 4e: creating a homebrew class is too much work. With simpler classes, this would be easier.

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Sure, and proportionately less rewarding. As soon as Essentials previewed choiceless martial sub-classes, I was able to dash off two or three of them in an afternoon (including a fighter controller sub-class aptly named the Piker), where I'd struggled for months to even brainstorm powers for a 4e-style Martial Controller full class.

I don’t think giving up and going into re-skinning because the amount of work is too much can be called “rewarding”.
Plus, I’m one of those persons that would be perfectly happy – I even prefer – if the game had, like, 30+ classes. In my game, the Warrior and the Fighter will be different classes

[MENTION=1282]darkbard[/MENTION]: my game has a PC who is a deva invoker (mutil-class wizard)/divine philosopher/sage of ages (ignoring the bits that restrict the epic effects to arcane powers). His knowledge skills are around about +40. He has many rituals that he uses often. His feats include a lot of skill and language acquisition, a book imp familiar, and other sage-y stuff.

In the party he is the "skill monkey" and general solver of technical puzzles. In combat he is the secondary controller (after the fighter) though sometimes takes on the main controlling task (eg when he breaks out his domination abilities).

That may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it probably gives you some ideas of what can be done in the broad thematic space you're talking about.

I've attached the combat summary version of the PC sheet, plus another version which lists rituals and feats.

View attachment Malstaph L30.pdf
View attachment Malstaph L30.doc

Thanks, [MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION]! I've already had a quick look over the sheets, and this does indeed cover a lot of what I think such an archetype might aim for. (And while I wasn't explicitly thinking of your player's character when the idea of recasting my wife's Archivist in 4E occured to me, I must confess I have been reading over your in-play posts for the past week and they must have played some unconscious part in my musings!)

Perhaps the "Oghma's Recall" utility power from the feat with the same name would fit in somewhere? (It's a minor action channel divinity power which give you +10 to all knowledge checks temporarily).

It's from the FRPG, dunno if that matters.

Oghma's Recall is pretty darn spot on for this purpose, if a bit costly on a non-Invoker (2 feats, including the kind of lame MC feat Divine Channeler).

But y'know what struck me as I was fiddling around in the CB last night: Artificer, despite not beginning with all the requisite skills, is much closer to the niche I'm looking to define, perhaps an INT/WIS variant of Killswitch (i.e., hybridded with Warlord) and then MCing Invoker for the rest of the elements. I can grab one of the missing monster knowledge skills (either Nature or Religion--and, while Nature is by far more encompassing of the number of foes at early levels, the Cloistered Priest background is both thematic and provides a fat +3 bonus to Religion checks) via background but would have to wait until the Scholar's 5th level feature kicks in to cover all 4 monster knowledge skills. (Unless there's something I'm overlooking that wouldn't cost any of the elements I've aready covered.)

EDIT: It just occurred to me that MCing Invoker via Acolyte of Divine Secrets gives Religion training, so that kind of solves the monster knowledge skill issue at level 1, assuming MCing from the beginning. Also, I think straight Artificer might be the way to go, rather than hybridding with Warlord, perhaps with picking up some Wizard powers via wand use. This still makes an effective leader (helping your allies through knowledge), while also picking up some control powers that work with the archetype.

It's probably not better than playing an Invoker or Artificer, like mentioned above, but an alternative may be playing a Warpriest of Oghma, who can use their Wisdom modifier in place of Int for skill checks, and thus have all knowledge checks derive from Wisdom. (though I guess, amongst other downsides, you wouldn't be able to access both the Divine Philospher paragon path and Sage of the Ages epic destiny). If you went with the Warpriest route, you could play as a human and pick up an extra skill at lvl 1 (though I guess you miss out on the Deva +2 Religion/History racial bonus and the Deva racial power & feat support)

Lightswitch (Cleric/Artificer) would probably fit quite well with your overall goal too.

If you don't go for pure Artificer, I recommend the Divine Secretkeeper feat in place of Acolyte of Divine Secrets to get Invoker multiclassing with Ritual Casting and either the History/Arcana/Religion skill and the ability to use Invoker implements.