Which PF caster is the best pick for blasting?

[TheMonocleRogue]

I'm a huge fan of wizards with all their spellcasting perks and scaling that makes them godly, but I'm just starting to see myself as the party toolbox whenever I play since everyone relies on me to get things done with magic no matter what build I'm going for (no need for hard labor when a wizard is in the party). After playing party utility wizard for several years it becomes a VERY boring role to play and I would like to try something new.

I'd like to build a PF caster that can nuke single targets and dish out lots of AoE damage with spells but I'm having a dilema, I don't know which class to pick from. So I would very much like some suggestions on classes that can fulfill the role of damage dealer.

P.S: I have played summoner/conjurer, and while they are great picks for a caster built around eidolons/summons I am looking for raw spell damage and not merely creatures that fight for the party.

[watchwood]

Play a Sorceror, take a good selection of blasty spells, and leave all the wizardy utility stuff for someone else to deal with?

Also, you could try looking into a Magus as well. It's basically a gish-in-a-can, and it does single target damage better then almost any other class.

[Slipperychicken]

For a pure nuker, you could do worse than Sorcerer. But don't take Crossblooded, because that's a trap. Anyway, here's the gist of it:

Race: Gnome (Pyromaniac, Eternal Hope) +1 CL for [Fire] spells.
Class: Sorcerer
ACF/Bloodline: Take (Wildblooded->Primal->Fire) if you need the elemental ray, or (Orc bloodline, Tattooed Sorcerer) if you can go without it.
Feats: Magic Tattoo, Spell Focus (Evocation), Dazing Spell.
Items: Goblin Fire Drum (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/goblin-fire-drum) (2000gp, grants +1 damage per die for all fire effects within 30ft, up to +10, also randomly explodes stuff while you play it), metamagic rods of empower, intensify, and elemental spell.


Basically, you're a crazy gnome casting fire evocations at +2 CL (all other evocations at +1), and you're scoring +2 damage per die with such spells (+1 for any other damaging spell). Elemental spell lets you convert the damage type, but curiously leaves the spell's descriptor the same, which interacts strangely with your abilities.

[ArcanistSupreme]

If you don't mind psionics, I've heard that Wilders make superb blasters.

[NightbringerGGZ]

A Crossblooded Sorcerer 1 / Wizard X can be a pretty powerful build. With the right trait you won't loose any caster level progression as a Wizard and the benefit of having two bloodline arcana will (imo) offset the 1 level of delayed spell progression and class abilities.

Combine any two of the following bloodlines and you'll add +2 damage per die rolled to your spell damage: Draconic, Orc, Primal

You'll only get full damage with one element, so for your Wizard levels make sure to use the Admixture Arcane School.

If your GM will let you use one of the Beta classes from the Ultimate Class Guide you might want to give the Arcanist a try. They can be pretty good blasters too.

[Saidoro]

One could make an argument that wizards are the best blasters because they can most effectively do things that aren't blasting, but that's kind of silly.

The sort answer is sorcerers. The main class-related options to use with them are as follows:
Crossblooded (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo---sorcerer-archetypes/crossblooded) lets you get two damage-boosting bloodlines instead of one. I prefer Orc and Draconic, though primal fire is acceptable(technically primal fire is unusable with crossblooded due to poor wording on Paizo's part, but any sensible DM will ignore that).
Tattooed Sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo---sorcerer-archetypes/tattooed-sorcerer) trades eschew materials for a feat that gives you +1 CL to you blasting spells. It's a good choice for any sorcerer and even better for a blaster.
Words of Power (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/variant-magic-rules/words-of-power) trades your normal spell list away for one that provides significantly more blasting utility at the cost of most of the more conventionally good spells(which you've noted boredom with anyway). WoP is also good for summoning and necromancy, so you won't be completely constrained.

For race I'd go with Ifrit, Gnome or Human.

Important feats are metamagic(note: elemental spell does not change the descriptor of damage spells, just the damage type. So bloodlines that boost spells with a given descriptor still work even when you change the damage type), Mage's tattoo, and spell specialization. Metamagic is important later on, CL boosts early.

[Psyren]

If Psionics are allowed, Kineticist or Wilder; otherwise go with Sorcerer. Orc Bloodline works well IIRC.

[grarrrg]

I was going to suggest one of the Element-type Bloodlines of Sorcerer.
Because Fireballs are nice and all, but Fire Resistance is fairly common.
Acidball (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/shaitan-bloodline) on the other hand...