PF/3.5 Occultist/Binder OP or just right?

[Desiani]

I'm having a disagreement with another player in a newly started campaign that the DM has allowed all 3.5 stuff minus Exalted Deeds and Vile books. It's nothing too game disrupting, just something we don't agree on.

I'm arguing that the binder/occultist class is a literal jack of all trades. I say this because if you take the character and strip him of his binding magic... He's just a pretty charismatic dude that is good with however you stat him. Binding magic allows him to almost literally fill any situation that comes on hand. This he can do by just not binding until he knows what he is doing for that day, the down side is that he's stuck with that choice unless you feat tax it with expel vestige. This gets alleviated as you gain higher levels and gain a better understanding of the whole binding shendig.

This doesn't take into account the various PrCs from the Tome of Magic that make you better with certain vestiges.

The person I am talking with is saying that because the binder has this almost on demand 'win button,' he's borderline OP. He means win button in the sense that when you compare it to a wizard who uses empty spell slots in the same way with spells (he's a big fan of the tier list.)

So I bring it to y'all. What are your thoughts and opinions on this unique and super fun class!?

Edited for spelling and other typos

[JusticeZero]

Well, how are they dealing with Wizards? That seems like it is important to this, given that they are making an argument about versatility that applies to other core high tier classes.

[Gemini476]

As good as Vestiges are, they aren't quite as good as spells. That's why the Binder isn't in Tier 2 - other than Zcerryl, he doesn't really have anything terribly game-breaking.

Also, you have less of them per day. Expel Vestige only works once per day, after all! You can be prepared for any challenge with a couple minutes warning, but you can only do so a few times per day. The Wizard can do so until he runs out of spell slots. After a certain level, his situation-to-situation versatility is a bit higher than yours.

Also, if the Win Button is basically just saying "am I going to be a Rogue, Warlock, or Monk today", it's not exactly that much of a Win Button.

[Desiani]

As far as I know... He has only played wizards. At least in the 3 games we have played together... He doesn't really even make them any good... He's known to make all his spell slots for the day grease... He tends to favor one spell to fill his slots for the day... Not sure why...

It's enough to know that he views this form of spell prep as 'versatility.'

[Psyren]

No, they're fine. What they do is make great 5th-men, like bards do - whatever the party needs a little more of, they can do. (Backup melee, backup ranged, backup knowledge, backup casting etc.) The Occultist is somewhat better at being a primary face because they get more benefit out of high Charisma.

But unless you specifically build for something they will likely be middling/average at it. This is because there are still fixed/sticky aspects to characters (like stats, items and feats) that vestiges and spirits won't change. For example, if you dumped Str and Dex (12 or less in each), you will be mediocre at melee no matter which vestiges/spirits you bind. If you dumped Cha, you will have to avoid vestiges/spirits whose abilities have save DCs.

You can go for a Dex/Cha build to be as versatile as possible - but even then you will want some feats like Weapon Finesse and Deadly Agility, or Agile weapons, and various combat-maneuver feats like Agile Maneuvers, to be good at melee - none of which will help you be a good face or caster. In short, even if your stats are great, every direction you build them in pushes them away from other directions unless you are okay with being a backup in terms of effectiveness.