Build help: Wizard / Arcane caster with skills (at least a few) that isn't a bard
Dessert Nomad
Adventurer
I built a character that might have the kind of play style you're looking for but is a warlock instead of an arcane caster. He doesn't have things like stealth and thief's tools, instead he's able to impersonate people on a whim to get where he wants to be and avoid trouble. While his direct casting is somewhat limited, he has access to all ritual spells, which include a lot of information gathering options.
Story wise, he started off as a simple street hustler, who got good at impersonating people and forging documents, but got overconfident and was caught and pressed into service as a spy for a noble house. While working as a spy he began to appreciate the power inherent in information, and eventually he left to become a priest of knowledge. While serving as a cleric, his curiosity led him to use his skills to gain access to tomes better left locked away, and he made contact with a Great Old One, which lead him on his adventuring career.
The mechanical build starts as a variant human, with variant Charlatan as background (for the variant I swapped sleight of hand for investigation) and Actor as first level feat. First level is as a knowledge domain cleric, which gives expertise in Arcana and History, and other skills went to all of the Charisma skills except Perform. Then multiclass to a Warlock which will do most future levels. The important features from warlock are the Pact of the Tome, Mask of Many Faces Invocation, and Book of Ancient Secrets (delaying Book of Ancient Secrets until later to take combat Invocations is advised). When you're ready to be an "anything" skill monkey, you put a second level into cleric so you can use Channel Divinity to be proficient in any skill or tool for 10 minutes every rest.
With the ability to Disguise Self at will and all social skills, you can scout and infiltrate by looking like anyone that you please. The Actor feat gives you advantage on impersonating a specific person, and the ability to exactly mimic voices (which nothing else explicitly does), and it is possible to skip it. The low level cleric spell slots are actually quite valuable to a Warlock, as Hex and Dissonant Whispers are first level spells that you'll want to cast all the time. The first level cleric spells Cure Wounds and Healing Word let you be a useful backup healer. When you get Book of Ancient Secrets, your spellcasting expands to include a lot of useful informational rituals.
The idea of this build is something I didn't run across in any guides, so hopefully this inspires someone.
Story wise, he started off as a simple street hustler, who got good at impersonating people and forging documents, but got overconfident and was caught and pressed into service as a spy for a noble house. While working as a spy he began to appreciate the power inherent in information, and eventually he left to become a priest of knowledge. While serving as a cleric, his curiosity led him to use his skills to gain access to tomes better left locked away, and he made contact with a Great Old One, which lead him on his adventuring career.
The mechanical build starts as a variant human, with variant Charlatan as background (for the variant I swapped sleight of hand for investigation) and Actor as first level feat. First level is as a knowledge domain cleric, which gives expertise in Arcana and History, and other skills went to all of the Charisma skills except Perform. Then multiclass to a Warlock which will do most future levels. The important features from warlock are the Pact of the Tome, Mask of Many Faces Invocation, and Book of Ancient Secrets (delaying Book of Ancient Secrets until later to take combat Invocations is advised). When you're ready to be an "anything" skill monkey, you put a second level into cleric so you can use Channel Divinity to be proficient in any skill or tool for 10 minutes every rest.
With the ability to Disguise Self at will and all social skills, you can scout and infiltrate by looking like anyone that you please. The Actor feat gives you advantage on impersonating a specific person, and the ability to exactly mimic voices (which nothing else explicitly does), and it is possible to skip it. The low level cleric spell slots are actually quite valuable to a Warlock, as Hex and Dissonant Whispers are first level spells that you'll want to cast all the time. The first level cleric spells Cure Wounds and Healing Word let you be a useful backup healer. When you get Book of Ancient Secrets, your spellcasting expands to include a lot of useful informational rituals.
The idea of this build is something I didn't run across in any guides, so hopefully this inspires someone.
I'd go with half-elf, because they get pretty good stats and 2 skills. As a 1st-level half-elf wizard you'll have 6 skills, which is the same number of skills as a halfling rogue, for example.
I think the four most valuable skills are Perception, Stealth, Persuasion, and Athletics. For the remaining two, I'd probably select Deception and Investigation. If you've got a good Dexterity (and you should), then I'd swap Athletics for Acrobatics. OR if you've got a great Charisma and Wisdom, swap it for Insight, which really locks you down as a social-interaction character. I think tools are usually more useful than languages (especially since half-elf gets a lot of languages) and thieve's tools are both useful and can be made to fit your concept (try the "spy" background). Forgery kit, poisoner's kit, disguise kit, and alchemist's tools could all come in handy.
Arcane Tradition is trickier. I love the idea of getting Conjuration and abusing the ability to create small objects. Illusion fits well with a spy theme and Enchantment fits well with a social theme. However if you want to be a true skill-monkey, try Divination, for its ability to reroll via portents. That's a pretty awesome ability, and it fits well if you're going for an "investigator" kind of role.
You can pick up the Skilled feat later in life if you really want 3 more skills. As a half-elf you would also qualify for the Prodigy feat (in Xanathar's) which gives you 1 skill, 1 tool and 1 language -- plus Expertise in a skill.
Finally, don't forget that you can train more tools and skills in your downtime. It's much cheaper and faster if you use the rules in Xanathar's.
I think the four most valuable skills are Perception, Stealth, Persuasion, and Athletics. For the remaining two, I'd probably select Deception and Investigation. If you've got a good Dexterity (and you should), then I'd swap Athletics for Acrobatics. OR if you've got a great Charisma and Wisdom, swap it for Insight, which really locks you down as a social-interaction character. I think tools are usually more useful than languages (especially since half-elf gets a lot of languages) and thieve's tools are both useful and can be made to fit your concept (try the "spy" background). Forgery kit, poisoner's kit, disguise kit, and alchemist's tools could all come in handy.
Arcane Tradition is trickier. I love the idea of getting Conjuration and abusing the ability to create small objects. Illusion fits well with a spy theme and Enchantment fits well with a social theme. However if you want to be a true skill-monkey, try Divination, for its ability to reroll via portents. That's a pretty awesome ability, and it fits well if you're going for an "investigator" kind of role.
You can pick up the Skilled feat later in life if you really want 3 more skills. As a half-elf you would also qualify for the Prodigy feat (in Xanathar's) which gives you 1 skill, 1 tool and 1 language -- plus Expertise in a skill.
Finally, don't forget that you can train more tools and skills in your downtime. It's much cheaper and faster if you use the rules in Xanathar's.
clearstream
(He, Him)
I like the concept! When I envision characters, I think about how they will be from level 4 to level 12. I don't worry about higher, because one spends little time playing there, nor lower as levels 2 and 3 typically fly by. With that in mind, the first thing your idea makes me think about is its MAD nature. For instance, say we take -
Variant-Human with Prodigy. That will get you one skill, one tool and one language, with expertise in a skill of your choice (that you are proficient in). Spy then gets you Charisma (Deception) and Dexterity (Stealth). Say we go Wizard and take Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight). All useful skills, relevant to our nefarious interests, but reliant on four different abilities!
So I think one has to narrow. Investigation seems to me a gimme, for an arcanist. Everyone else is terrible at it, you will be great at it! Skill-happiness achieved. Say we take -
Wizard and take Intelligence (Investigation) and Intelligence (Arcana).
Noble (disgraced, obviously) to get Intelligence (History) and Charisma (Persuasion).
Variant-human and take Prodigy for Dexterity (Stealth), Thieves Tools, a language, putting expertise into Intelligence (Investigation).
The character can find stuff out, especially arcane stuff, but also political stuff wherever history comes into it. We can sneak, unlock doors without spells, and persuade creatures. Also we can gamble... not very well, recently. It's MAD, needing three decent stats. I suggest Intelligence highest, Dexterity second (instead of the more usual Constitution) and Charisma third.
Diviner is tempting, but how about taking Enchantment? We can (eventually) find things out, make other creatures our cats paws, and have them forget it ever happened.
So that's how I might take it. Doubling down on strengths (Intelligence!) and using utility spells to oil the gears. Mage Hand, Charm Person, Disguise Self, Sleep and so on. Invisibility and Misty Step. Rope Trick, Suggestion. Nondetection. That sort of thing. Perhaps a pacifist, preferring Hypnotic Pattern to Fireball?
EDIT - re: later feats. I expect at 4th an ASI might turn out best. It depends on your stats. At 8th, I think interesting feats to look at include Actor (+1 CHA and other reasons explained by another poster above), Observant (+1 INT and +5 passive Investigation?! you know things you have no darned right to know), Alert (it never hurts to go first), Warcaster (I think it likely you will have concentration spells you wouldn't enjoy the consequences of dropping) or Resilient (Con), or Lucky (seeing as some of your rolls will be very clutch to make, rather than fail!)
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clearstream
(He, Him)
Re: my post above, looking more at spells I question whether you need Charisma (Persuasion) or (Deception). Enchantment Wizard has plenty of spells that simply make people friendly/cooperative/mindless-slaves to your will. A similar argument applies against Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) of course. Why struggle in a grapple when you can Misty Step out? Why climb when you can Spider Climb or Levitate (even better, due to possible use on troublemakers.)
It's true, spell slots are limited, so it's a balance. Observably Dexterity (Stealth) checks are made all the time, so the skill is vital. Grapple escapes? Not so much. Climbing? Somewhat. Swimming? Rare enough that Water Breathing could cover it.
Anyway, Wisdom could be your third ability, allowing the very useful Wisdom (Perception) as a variant human skill choice, and perhaps not Noble...
It's true, spell slots are limited, so it's a balance. Observably Dexterity (Stealth) checks are made all the time, so the skill is vital. Grapple escapes? Not so much. Climbing? Somewhat. Swimming? Rare enough that Water Breathing could cover it.
Anyway, Wisdom could be your third ability, allowing the very useful Wisdom (Perception) as a variant human skill choice, and perhaps not Noble...
TaranTheWanderer
Legend
Remember too, that a Wizard can already 'do it all'
wanna be stealthy? Invisibility
Want to overhear a conversation? clairvoyance
Want to be persuasive? Enhance ability
Want to Insight someone? Detect Thoughts
Want to open a lock? Knock
Want to climb up to that room on the second floor? Levitate, Misty Step, Rope trick, Fly, Dim door, Arcane Gate, Teleport,
As many people suggested, Half elf and prodigy will help you pick up skills, tools and boost charisma and Portent will give you a couple good successes/day.
wanna be stealthy? Invisibility
Want to overhear a conversation? clairvoyance
Want to be persuasive? Enhance ability
Want to Insight someone? Detect Thoughts
Want to open a lock? Knock
Want to climb up to that room on the second floor? Levitate, Misty Step, Rope trick, Fly, Dim door, Arcane Gate, Teleport,
As many people suggested, Half elf and prodigy will help you pick up skills, tools and boost charisma and Portent will give you a couple good successes/day.
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clearstream
(He, Him)
I agree that he needs to count on spells, but also...
Invisibility creates the possibility to Hide, but is not Stealth.
Enhance Ability needs a reasonable Persuasion to work with, since it gives advantage.
Knock is really loud!
At 4th level, you can Levitate twice, and can't Fly.
I mention this to say that I think for his character concept to work, he needs to think about which skills will be rolled for all the time (we see a lot of Stealth and Persuasion checks) and which are rare enough to rely on spells. Also, which spells can replace or buff hugely, like all the various Charms.
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