Best Pathfinder version of Beguiler?

[Wonton]

Given that the Beguiler was a very interesting 3.5 class that never made it to PF, I'm just curious as to what everyone thinks its best Pathfinder equivalent is. A Rogue/Sorcerer multiclass? Arcane Trickster? Some sort of archetype? Ideally I'm looking for something that works as low as level 5.

[stanprollyright]

Bard, probably. They're better casters in PF. Or a Sorcerer with an enchantment- or illusion-themed bloodline. Or an Enchanter/Illusionist Wizard.

[squiggit]

Or the Mesmerist.

[Psyren]

You could also try an enchantment/illusion-based Psychic for the Int focus; traits can help with the skillmonkey aspect or you can PrC into Evangelist for an easy 6+Int and 9/10 advancement of all your class features.

[Wonton]

Just found this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6bKY5cuGjh9WHowM0hOdGdNbEU/edit

Not official, of course, but it's a VERY interesting conversion. Very thorough - 20 pages for a fan-made class? 4 orders and 2 archetypes. Probably a little unbalanced like most fan-made classes, but definitely fine for most campaigns. (not all players choose the most broken options when given the chance to do so :smalltongue:)

[Florian]

I second the Mesmerist class.
When I first read that, my thoughts on it was "*yawn* basic beguiler again with all their lame problems", when I finished reading the whole class, tho, I was more than keen on having the opportunity to play one.
Else, what Psyren said, Psychic with Int/Cha will net a very similiar result and one of the phrenic options is to disable mind affecting immunity one a broad number of creature types.

[Wonton]

The biggest thing I don't like about Mesmerist is that they still have a Spells Known list like Sorcerer. Personally, I'm really a huge, huge, huge fan of Beguiler for that reason since their Spells Known list is their full spell list. There's almost no amount of class features that can make up the difference between being able to spontaneously cast 2 3rd-level spells, and being able to spontaneously cast 20 3rd-level spells.

[Psyren]

Unfortunately, there's no spontaneous class that knows their entire list in PF like Beguiler and Dread Necro do. You can simulate it fairly well on a spontaneous class by using items that let you exceed your spells known of a particular level, e.g. Page of Spell Knowledge or staves, but none of them just know their list outright. (Well, the Amnesiac Psychic can get spells from their entire list... after a fashion anyway.)

[Florian]

The closest thing to that particular spellcasting mechanic will propably be found with the Arcanist class. Build up your spellbook, then chose your daily spells known alotmemt from that. Broadest spells known possible.

OTOH, the occult classes have an enchantment version of shadow evocation, the Mesmerist has an archetype that builds on that, so no lack in spell copying ability here.

[Triskavanski]

I'd have to Say Mesmerist.

The basic fact they can penetrate through the normal immunities that would face a mind bender type character some of the time makes them pretty awesome.

[Prime32]

There's also the Eliciter class from Spheres of Power.