Social Mage

[azulanaga]

I want to be the party face, but I also want access to 9th lvl spells.
Some options I'm considering are:
Beguiler
Sumblime Cord
Enchanter Wizard with social proficiancy from unearthed arcana

Which is best and why?
Also are there any better options I'm missing?

[Waker]

Well, "best" is somewhat dependent on what you want.
Though eventually Sublime Chord will gain access to nicer spells than a Beguiler, it does so at higher levels. Bard is a fun class to play though.
Beguiler is pretty simple, it comes out ready to do what it does. Tons of skill points and a nice spell list.
Wizards are of course one of the strongest classes in the game. However I think that the Enchanter specialization from UA is somewhat underwhelming. Add a few skills and small bonuses to these skills in exchange for feats? Bleh. Lose bonus spells for extend x/day? Not that amazing. The cohort is fine if your DM allows Leadership. All in all, I would suggest just taking some other acfs and useful PrCs like Master Specialist or dipping Mindbender.

[Laura Eternata]

If 3rd party is acceptable, a sorcerer with Versatile from (I think) Rokugan Campaign Setting should be sufficient. Otherwise, I think there's feat by Wizards that adds at least Diplomacy to your class skills list, but I can't recall the name. It's probably a FR (Regional) one.

[azulanaga]

All in all, I would suggest just taking some other acfs and useful PrCs like Master Specialist or dipping Mindbender.

What does that stand for?

[Waker]

Alternative Class Features. It is a mechanic that replaces a class's standard abilities with a new one. Here is a list of examples.
http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872054/Alternative_Class_Features_III

[Flickerdart]

Beguilers gain nothing from a high Charisma; while they could certainly play the role of party face, they're much better at being a behind the scenes puppetmaster. Enchanter Wizards are likewise more suited to this role. A Bard/Sublime Chord/Virtuoso build would definitely be the way to go.

[HunterOfJello]

ACFS are Alternate Class Features.

One build you could do with a wizard would be playing a Changeling wizard and taking the 1st level and 5th level substitution levels found in Races of Eberron.

If your DM will let you enter into it with the modified requirements, you could enter in the the Urban Savant prestige class from Cityscape and get continued spellcasting, lots of skill points, and some cool social abilities to boot.

~

The best class is the one that matches your playstyle the best. If you want to do lots of socializing, then you may pick one or two of the social skills, add in sense motive, and maybe a bit of tumbling for running out the door when necessary. Getting lots of skill points will help you out, and that can be achieved with ACFs, racial subsitution levels, and Prestige Classes if you want to go the Wizard route. Beguilers are fine without modifying them, but they are very limited compared to a wizard. Sublime Chord can work, but being a bard is another matter altogether. If you like playing a wizard, I'd go the wizard route.

[eggs]

I'd go Cloistered Cleric.

Divine Insight and Guidance of the Avatar are huge bonuses, and either the Substitute Domain spell with a flexible enough divine affiliation or a domain staff can give the Cleric basically whatever skills and enchantments/illusions/glibnesses the role could demand.

Add the Cloistered Cleric's rewards for high Charisma and its big heaps of skill points, and it's pretty hard to compete with.

[Waker]

I'd go Cloistered Cleric.

Divine Insight and Guidance of the Avatar are huge bonuses, and either the Substitute Domain spell with a flexible enough divine affiliation or a domain staff can give the Cleric basically whatever skills and enchantments/illusions/glibnesses the role could demand.

Add the Cloistered Cleric's rewards for high Charisma and its big heaps of skill points, and it's pretty hard to compete with.

A cloistered cleric with the Trickery domain could make a good party face, though the lack of Sense Motive might hurt it a bit. Fortunately that could be solved with taking Church Inquisitor.

[HunterOfJello]

I thought of another fun idea.


Telepath Psion 5/Thrallherd X

You get social skills from having the telepath discipline (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Sense Motive) and gain lots of great and highly persuasive abilities from the Thrallherd PrC. Thrallherd also requires the feat Inquisitor which lets you use up your psionic focus to gain a +10 on a sense motive check opposing a bluff check.

Plus, if you fail at being highly sociable and feel a bit depressed about it you can always go hang out with your thralls and believers who blindly worship the ground you walk on.