help me with an Arcane Trickster Build

[d12]

So, based on a FAQ ruling a character can enter Arcane Trickster with the following:

tiefling
rogue 3
wizard specialist 1

I am aiming at a character that can effectively fill the party role of rogue (finding and removing traps, sneaking, decent in social situations). I also see him as a sort of "swashbuckler who always has a trick up his sleeve." So, at level one, he's the guy with the smokesticks. Later, he has a well-timed bead of force to throw. He will use spells like grease, true strike, vanish, invisibility, minor image, etc... to remain useful in combat. What mix of other classes, feats, skills, spells, items are good here? I don't mind sacrificing some spell progression to get a better BAB as he is not supposed to be the party wizard.

As a related question, I am wondering how useful UMD will be. Should I even bother with it since he'll be an arcane caster and can use many arcane items outright or should I save the points for bluff, sneak, acrobatics, etc....?

High dex, high int seems like a good way to assign stats, but advice there would be appreciated also.

 

[Herobizkit]

I don't have all the answers... [MENTION=19675]Dannyalcatraz[/MENTION] might, among others... but I'll pitch in what I can.

[Personally, I'd go Bard/Sorcerer and see if there are any Bard Archetypes that grant Sneak Attack. I don't know if there are at present. Also, if you're not using Archetypes, then n/m.]

UMD is of limited use to you unless you want to use wands etc. with spells other than those on your own spell list. Still, it never hurts to know how to use a Cure wand in a pinch. Since it's based off Cha, you won't be too hot at it unless you pump your Cha.

High Dex is a must, and High Int gives you bonus skill points. Since you're not going for full mage, you could easily get away with 14 Int and have 10 skill points for thief skills.

If you plan on melee at all, stick with Light weapons and take the Weapon Finesse feat as early as possible. This allows you to use your Dex mod for your to-hit roll. I'm guessing your guy doesn't need to be strong, but even a 12 STR is nifty if you can get away with it... otherwise it will likely be your dump stat. You COULD dump Wis, but a few decent social skills and Perception are tied to it... I advise against dumping Wis.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Alas, I don't know PF like I do 3.5Ed, so all I can offer is building style advice.

When building an arcane trickster in 3.5Ed, I try to find a shtick and whack the game with it. By that, I mean I try to find a feat, selection of spells (beyond the obvious, like illusions, Grease, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand and Pyrotechnics) and/or items that let me do a certain few things that are repeatable ad nauseam, and fit the PC's style.

So, I might have one who masters all kinds of teleport and/or TK spells. Being able to do either or both resonate well with the concept.

Another might have one of the sorcerous heritage channeling feats so they could always have an arcane attack at the ready. Similarly, one of the reserve feats that granted an attack power would also be on the list. They're not necessarily über powerful, but they do provide flexibility and concealed offensive strike capability.

I also try to play up the arcane and trickster aspects of the build when choosing classes. I'm not so much looking for BAB boosts because I'm generally looking for stuff that doesn't require a huge BAB group is to use effectively. So, choose classes that up your arcane prowess and your overall sneakiness.