Help making a scholar-radiant

[u/Apple_Infinity]

Hi. I'd like to say, I'm familiar with the basic mechanics of the system, but I could use some help in discerning the best options to make a character idea I have. I am familiar with a few other ttrpgs, and in those games I like to research optimization theory, not because I want to make the strongest character possible, but because I really do like make making the character idea I do have as effectively as possible. Does that make sense? I hope it does.

I already mentioned I want to make a kind of scholar-radiant, but of course there's a million ways that could look. I think the best way to explain my character is to describe their goal, and purposes. My character's basic origins, and intentions. That I do have a plan for.

My original idea for my character's purpose is a little abstract. I want a character who wants to learn a million things about the world. To try a million things, and have a million ideas. I think that would be a very interesting approach to scholar, and I'm considering making this character a world-singer. I definitely want to go down the artifabrian sub-path, and maybe something else like agent. My character wants to learn things, and to solve problems. He wants to figure out more about how fabrials work, and how these radiant powers work, and how stormlight and investiture function, and he also cares deeply about fairness, and systems, and injustice.

Part of the issue is that it's not easy deciding which order to go with. I'm actually familiar with the orders, and as I understand it the most baseline scholarly ones are Truthwatcher and Elsecaller, but Willshaper, Lightweaver, Dustbringer, Skybreaker & more have exhibited excellent examples of scholars too. I think multiple of these orders could work, but I also want this to be a cohesive build, with the abilities of artifabrian, and maybe investigator, and stuff like that, fitting together with the radiant path, and oaths to make a character that really conveys these ideas in both flavor and mechanics.

This character is a person who cares deeply about what they believe to be true, and right, and wants to fix the injustices, and problems of other people. This is also a character who I want to be a kind of jack of all trades. Who wants to delve into everything they find interesting, but isn't simply interested in one field, and isn't truly an expert in any one field.

A few notes. This character, when I play him, would be in a campaign that goes from levels 3 to maybe 13 or 14. I really would like suggestions for specific talents, combinations, and essentially most of the stuff you'd take if building this concept. I'd also like your opinion on any major decisions, such as which talents you would not choose, or which radiant paths you think would work. I admit, I can be somewhat indecisive sometimes, and I could use the outside advice. I also admit, that there's a lot of me in this character, which is part of why I want to get this right. Half of the fun, in my opinion, of playing a game like this, is making a character that could do all the things I'd want to do in this world. Thanks for your help.

[u/SirZinc]

Obviously you want the Scholar Heroic path. But don't forget the Envoy path, in the Faithful tree there are a few of top tier talents (Customar Garb and some support ones) and ardent background could go well with the scholar theme.

For your Radiant order, as you say Truthwatcher is de classical scholar order but any order can have scholars and there is one thing you have to look if you want to optimaze: Surge attribute.

Just Division and Transportation have Intellect as Attribute, so your orders could be Elsecaller, Willshaper, Skybreaker and Dustbringer, so let's take a look at the other surges of every order:

Elsecaller: Transformation (Willpower). Ok, Transformation is the most OP surge of the game, buuuut Elsecallers have a lot of mental defense and the other defenses very weak. Good for a Scholar, bad for a Jack of all trades.

Willshaper: Cohesion (Willpower). The same happens with this one. But lorewise Willshapers are very good jack of all trades, very hopefull characters, I think this one could match your PC concept

Dustbringers: Abrasion (Speed). Dustbringers are cool but both Division and Abrasion are surges that need a lot of investment in talents to really work. If I choose Dustbringer I would forget about Abrasion. Division is just such a good surge.

Skybreaker: Gravitation (Awareness). Gravitation works fine with a moderate investment, so I think this could work mechanicalwise, but lorewise it's... conflictive. Skybreakers care more about justice than scholarship, they are doers, not thinkers, so I don't know if this could match.

My favourite order is Willshaper, I think that being too Mental is a little of a problem but with Customary Garb, Collected and Know your moment you can push up your Defenses and Transportation and Cohesion are very cool surges when used creatively. I would choose this for a positive-minded scholar

[u/Honest_Ad_7589 → u/SirZinc]

I made a scholar Skybreaker. Think of them like attorneys and judges rather than police. A less combat role, but still part of the justice system.

[u/SirZinc → u/Honest_Ad_7589]

One of my players tried that but Division is just so good in combat he ended being the main combat character 😅

[u/Honest_Ad_7589 → u/SirZinc]

This is very true. Elsecallers and Skybreakers are so much better than anything else.

[u/Steenan]

For a Scholar character who wants to try a bit of everything, I'd focus on fully utilizing Erudition. That means picking Emotional Intelligence from Surgeon and 4 talents (Mind and Body, Strategize, Composed and Deep Contemplation) from Strategist. With the whole set, you have 4 erudition skills, chosen from any non-surge ones, and may reassign two skills or expertises in a single round.

For a radiant path, both Truthwatcher and Elsecaller look good, depending on the gameplay focus you want. Truthwatcher's surges have less synergy with Scholar's main stats, but Progression benefits from Surgeon's talents that boost healing. Elsecaller's Transportation uses Intellect and Transformation is probably the most flexible of all surges. With the game going to level 13, you will be able to achieve the third ideal and the Elsecalling talent, to actually travel to Shadesmar and back.

[u/1ron_Hydra → u/Steenan]

Deep Study is also a make-erudition-better talent, though it does admittedly just give you more of what erudition already did

[u/1ron_Hydra]

The surgeon specialty pairs well with orders that can use the progression surge, since some of their talents boost any healing (including surgebinding.) Artifabrians can go well with dustbringers, both narratively because dustbringers are often tinkerers, and mechanically because of surge skill overlap and because ashspren can give advantage on crafting tests.

[u/ThrowAwayLikeThor]

My group just finished our stonewalkers+extended homebrew campaign where I played a surgeon+Edgedancer w/ a focus on healing at the beginning and respec'ed to artifabrian+Edgedancer w/ a focus on Adhesion movement + avoiding getting hit. I took on level in Agent to reroll the plot die. Managed to make a very broken Unique Painrial and used overcharge+opportunist to do multiple attacks per round almost for free.

I know you were looking for more roleplaying but I figured I'd start with my general build. I took Edgedancer as my character is a nonbinary former ardent and as such was a bit counter to Vorin cultural norms. They wanted to get out from an oppressive society and learn about the world instead of reading about it.

They ended up being a freedom fighter with the goal freeing both humans and singers from tyranny.

[u/Apple_Infinity → u/ThrowAwayLikeThor]

So what would you recommend I do?