The Arcane Engineer (Wizard/Animator/Rogue)

Not quite the "all magical crafter" as Rusty's "Creator of Anything", but still a very versatile crafter and party support character. This is a modified version of the build I have with Agamemnon, the 4th husband of Galitha Darkroot. The difference between this build idea and Aga's actual build will be pointed out afterwards.

Race: Gnome (subrace, brightgnome)

Deity: Ralth, the god of crafts and crafting

Classes: Wizard 23, Animator 7, Rogue 10.

Starting Abilities/Ability points: Maxed Intelligence, the rest focusing on dexterity. Some strength is good for carrying all the equipment, and consitution is good for well...just staying alive. Ideally go for all intelligence.

Level progression: Exact progression of the class levels is unimportant. Which you take more of first depends on the playstyle you want.

Feats to get:
Skill Mastery (as the 10th level rogue bonus feat).
Creature Lore (required for Animator)
Enchant Magical Arms and Armor
Imbue Spell Focus
Forge Jewelry
Brew Potion
Enchant Items

Themed feats:
Skill focus/epic skill focus feats in craft armor, weapons, traps, disable traps, set traps, and open lock.

Good feats to have as well: Epic Skill Focus: Spellcraft, Mystical insight, plus whatever magic feats suit you. Gnomes have spell focus:Illusion for free, so building on that is good. Transmutation is a good theme for this build as well. Extend spell is a great feat too.

Skills: At least 10 craft armor and craft weapons for the animator requirement. Creature lore has a minimal lore requirement as well. But as a highly intelligent type, you'll have skill points to spare. The theme focuses on crafting, so... craft traps, craft armor, craft weapons, disable trap, open locks, set traps are all themed skills. Search is good. Lore as well. Use Magical devices as well.

Playstyles:

This build focuses on making stuff, and party support, be it fellow adventurers, or the character's own golem creations.

The rogue levels allow superior trapmaster skills. Creating and setting traps is a focus for this character, as is disabling enemy traps, and opening the locks they place on their treasure chests/doors/ect. The UMD skill also allows you to make use of any device... and one can't call himself an arcane engineer if he's unable to make use of any magical device, no?

The animator levels grant you golems to do your fighting for you. Animator 7 grants the Iron Golem, which is a very nice one to have.

The wizard levels grant you the enchanting feats, and also a wide range of spells to buff up your allies and golems with. Epic magic also grants you the ability to buff up your golems VERY well.... they won't be your squishy dire badger, that is for certain. The wizard levels also grant you a load of offensive spells... but, your focus is making stuff and making golems. Let them do the fighting and use your spells for buffing and crowd controll.

If you go more rogue levels early on... you'll rely on traps to deal with enemies, as well as subterfuge (hide, sneak). This is more hands-on, and you'll be in combat directly more.

If you go for more wizard first, you'll play as a normal wizard...relying on wands and rods, scrolls, as well as your spells for getting things done.

If you go for more animator early on... you'll have your golems to fight for you, while you supplement them with either traps (if you have more rogue levels), or with your magics (if you have more wizard levels).

Any route is viable.

Equipment:

Catapults from Blackfoot's implements of war.... set up your artillery while your golems fight toe-to-toe with the enemy.

Wands, scrolls, potions, other magical devices... save your spell slots for buffs and such, and let the equipment provide the bang where possible.

Traps.... traps, and oh, more traps! Get yourself trap-making crates, and use them. Go sneaky, scout out the enemy, then plan your attacks... set up traps, and then set up your catapults behind the traps. Blast the enemies with the catapults, and then when they charge at you, they run over the traps. And then they come face to face with your golems.

Bags of holding... Because.. you'll want a lot of traps and other machines to do your arcane-engineering with. Carrying goods to craft magical gear with too can be quite burdensome!

And, as for the difference between this build (wizard 23, animator 7, rogue 10), and Aga's actual build... I went with 1 rogue, 7 animator, the rest wizard. The 10 rogue version of the build allows for more rogue skills to be used through the life of the character. Aga didn't take his 1 level of rogue until level 37 for a skill dump. And from a power-play perspective... skill mastery is good, but not entirely necessary. Aga has more wizard levels too for more powerful offensive spells. The theme build as posted here though can do quite well even without the huge epic wizard levels. As long as you eventually get epic magic, you can buff up your iron golem to be an amazingly durable meatshield.