Class Selection

[AmbientRaven]

Hi Folks,

I have joined a game recently for pathfinder (my first one), and, originally planned to play an oracle.
Since i made the decision the whole party make-up has changed. I plan on changing my class now as well (partly because the old one didn't fit and partly because I didn't like the character concept).

The party composition currently is
Rogue (skill monkey, not built for combat), Druid (Archetye that uses shifting, gives better bows, traps and better pet), Synthist Summoner and a druid or bard (Most likely Alchemist as of this morning, but one built as a knowledge/party face)

Besides the Synthist, the party lacks front line.
I am considering either a Mutagen Alchemist (Post here discussing race (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?424314-Alchemist-Advice&p=19460918#post19460918)). Since one of our other players has decided more formally on an alchemist as well, I thought I would look into my other class options besides an alchemist that can fit in the front line roll.
Sine I don' know much about pathfnder classes/archetypes I thought it may be best to come here and ask for some advic!

Rules: No Hybrid classes, 15pt buy, starts at level 2, campaign will be be balanced between rp/skills and combat, custom world setting
I find straight combat classes rather dull (from my experience with 3.5 and 5e)

Thanks for your feedback!

[Callin]

Magus could work in that party. Let the druid pet do the heavy lifting and you and the rogue go to town.

[Honest Tiefling]

I'd worry that melee that is MAD would do poorly in a 15 point buy game, but if you can swing it, Paladin might be worth a look as the divine goodies can help make the class more interesting. I would also consider the Cavalier, which can get some RP skill bonuses.

Any reason you don't want to go with two alchemists? If you are on the frontline and they're a skill monkey, you could probably build the two to compliment each other and share formulae if the other person is game for it.

[grarrrg]

I'm assuming "straight combat classes rather dull" means you want something with Skill Points and/or Spells.

Well, you could go back to Oracle. Battle, Metal, and Ancestor Mysteries can all make good front-liners, and you have full Divine spellcasting.

Inquisitors can make quite competent Front-liners. Between the Judgements, Bane, and Spells, they are solid. And the 6 Skills/level doesn't hurt either.

Bards can likewise make OK front-liners, but the build-options are fewer.

Magus fit the bill and can dish out a lot of damage, but tend to be weaker than the above in Skill support and spell versatility.

[AmbientRaven]

Thanks for ll the feedback folks!

Main reason for not alchemist is to reduce the same-class stacking. But I love the alchemist idea that I have had (He was a pet/familiar that drank some of his masters mixture, making him humanoid.

I really do like the alchemist idea though as it is the most fleshed out.

Inquisitor is another class I have looked at, but I have had trouble finding a legitimate reason they would be an adventurer.

[grarrrg]

Inquisitor is another class I have looked at, but I have had trouble finding a legitimate reason they would be an adventurer.

Eh, typical 'holy crusade' type stuff.
Convert to the cause, doing good/evil/neutral as required, spreading the good/evil/neutral word.
Smite the heathens, because they aren't good/evil/neutral and are doing good/evil/neutral in defiance of your cause.

[Extra Anchovies]

Inquisitor is another class I have looked at, but I have had trouble finding a legitimate reason they would be an adventurer.

I like to think of Inquisitors as the religious FBI while Clerics are the religious local police. Clerics mind temples, look after their townsfolk, sometimes go off on big quests, but Inquisitors answer directly to the highest authorities in the church (both mortal and outsider), and their tasks can put them pretty much anywhere. Under that interpretation, at least, Inquisitors have more reason to adventure than Clerics do.

Sure, a large part of adventuring is centered around acquiring loot, but that's easily explained as taking gear that isn't needed by others (e.g. because they're dead) and repurposing it towards serving the church's goals (by becoming part of an Inquisitor's arsenal).

It also makes sense for Inquisitors both good and evil to attach themselves to groups of powerful adventurers in hopes of leveraging those adventurer's power to aid the church, whether overtly (asking your party members to help you with the occasional task handed to you by the church) or covertly (slowly nudging them closer and closer towards evil).

[Ssalarn]

15 point buy makes Magus a pretty hard sell, given that they're one of the more MAD casters. Inquisitor can squeak it out a bit better, though if you want to go front line you'll probably want something like a half-orc with the Rage subdomain or Anger Inquisition.

Ranger can be very decent, and can get by with basically just STR and a splash of WIS if you're using any of the melee combat styles, thanks to his ability to ignore prereqs.