Dragon as a PC Melee type; How I do?

[TheifofZ]

Okay, clear the decks on this one, guys. It's big, it's silly, and I need help pulling this off.
To explain: I was recently invited to a Pathfinder game starting up early next year, and the group is known for silly, over the top characters and a flagrant disregard for power balance.
The DM has given the party Carte Blanche, with the only stipulation being that any template or race has to keep the CR roughly around level 6. And anything that doesn't have rules for it in PF can be ported from 3.5.
So I decided I wanted to be a dragon. Figured we already have a Pixie, why not.
The GM has decided that, in the interest of letting me be properly PC sized, I've been allowed to handwave the LA for a dragon with up to 6 HD.
We have a 25 Point buy, and I plan on running a Fang Dragon with exactly 6 HD.
After that, it's all up in the air.
So I don't know if I want to make this a monk, a fighter, or something else, and I need suggestions and advice on how to do it well.

Help me out here, playground. I'm not use to making dragons.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Obligatory link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?303204-The-Truest-of-the-True-A-Handbook-to-non-Kobold-Dragons-(WIP)).

Dragons are typically strongest as gishes, but fang dragons have no casting at 6 HD, they are small-sized, and they have low ability modifiers and speeds. I'd have to recommend the wyrmling steel dragon (4 HD, CL 1), add the Wyrm of War or Loredrake sovereign archetype, then add crusader 1/sorcerer 1, and continue in Jade Phoenix Mage.

But, for fang dragons, you're good at tripping, so try taking levels in crusader, borrow size increases from the party caster, and be a dragon tank? The Wyrm of War archetype is very nice for this.

[Jack_Simth]

Okay, clear the decks on this one, guys. It's big, it's silly, and I need help pulling this off.
To explain: I was recently invited to a Pathfinder game starting up early next year, and the group is known for silly, over the top characters and a flagrant disregard for power balance.
The DM has given the party Carte Blanche, with the only stipulation being that any template or race has to keep the CR roughly around level 6. And anything that doesn't have rules for it in PF can be ported from 3.5.
So I decided I wanted to be a dragon. Figured we already have a Pixie, why not.
The GM has decided that, in the interest of letting me be properly PC sized, I've been allowed to handwave the LA for a dragon with up to 6 HD.
We have a 25 Point buy, and I plan on running a Fang Dragon with exactly 6 HD.
After that, it's all up in the air.
So I don't know if I want to make this a monk, a fighter, or something else, and I need suggestions and advice on how to do it well.

Help me out here, playground. I'm not use to making dragons.

Well, first, you'll want to point your DM Here (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/monstersAsPCs.html) for the relevant Monsters as Races rules. Pathfinder does monstrous PCs by CR, not LA.

You might consider a Dungeon Dragon (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/dragons/dragon/dungeon-dragon-tohc), as you can add two age categories (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/dragons/dragon#TOC-Age-Categories) which gets you two size increases (to medium), 5 racial hit dice total, Charm Person as an at-will, and Change Shape to any medium or small humanoid.

[TheifofZ]

Obligatory link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?303204-The-Truest-of-the-True-A-Handbook-to-non-Kobold-Dragons-(WIP)).

Dragons are typically strongest as gishes, but fang dragons have no casting at 6 HD, they are small-sized, and they have low ability modifiers and speeds. I'd have to recommend the wyrmling steel dragon (4 HD, CL 1), add the Wyrm of War or Loredrake sovereign archetype, then add crusader 1/sorcerer 1, and continue in Jade Phoenix Mage.

But, for fang dragons, you're good at tripping, so try taking levels in crusader, borrow size increases from the party caster, and be a dragon tank? The Wyrm of War archetype is very nice for this.

I had planned on doing Wyrm of War tripping, but I'm not certain if I should do Crusader or Pathfinder Monk or Fighter, as both of those include nice options to augment my shenanigans, or if I should include dips into something like Pouncebarian.
Also I'm stuck wondering whether I should grab a Mouthpick weapon, as unenhanced natural attacks are somewhat lackluster without plenty of steroids.

[Jack_Simth]

Also I'm stuck wondering whether I should grab a Mouthpick weapon, as unenhanced natural attacks are somewhat lackluster without plenty of steroids.
Eventually, yes, at 6th, no. The biggest advantage of a mouthpick weapon is the iterative attacks. You can get the basic +X from an Amulet of Mighty Fists (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/amulet-of-mighty-fists). Yes, it's twice times as expensive as a simple +1 weapon... but it affects all of your attacks, and the mouthpick weapon enchantment is a +1 equivalent - so a +1 Mouthpick weapon costs 8k (plus base weapon costs) and you get two attacks out of it a round, while the +1 Amulet of Mighty Fists costs 4k and you're applying it to five attacks (Bite, two claws, two wings).

Later on, that +3 Mouthpick weapon costs 32k, while the +3 Amulet of Mighty Fists costs 36k. However, you'll probably eventually want both, so get both when you can afford both. For starters, though, go with the Amulet of Mighty Fists, as it's more worthwhile.

[TheifofZ]

Eventually, yes, at 6th, no. The biggest advantage of a mouthpick weapon is the iterative attacks. You can get the basic +X from an Amulet of Mighty Fists (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/amulet-of-mighty-fists). Yes, it's twice times as expensive as a simple +1 weapon... but it affects all of your attacks, and the mouthpick weapon enchantment is a +1 equivalent - so a +1 Mouthpick weapon costs 8k (plus base weapon costs) and you get two attacks out of it a round, while the +1 Amulet of Mighty Fists costs 4k and you're applying it to five attacks (Bite, two claws, two wings).

Later on, that +3 Mouthpick weapon costs 32k, while the +3 Amulet of Mighty Fists costs 36k. However, you'll probably eventually want both, so get both when you can afford both. For starters, though, go with the Amulet of Mighty Fists, as it's more worthwhile.

If I could make attacks with my natural weapons after the Monk's flurry, like in 3.5, that'd settle the issue then and there.
As it is, it still doesn't answer my real question, which is which class benefits the natural attacks the most, and how to further optimize for those beyond Multi-attack, pounce, and Improved Natural Attack.

[Jack_Simth]

If I could make attacks with my natural weapons after the Monk's flurry, like in 3.5, that'd settle the issue then and there.

Pathfinder won't let you flurry with them, but it will let you IUS with them.

As it is, it still doesn't answer my real question, which is which class benefits the natural attacks the most, and how to further optimize for those beyond Multi-attack, pounce, and Improved Natural Attack.
As with any circumstance where you have a lot of attacks, anything that's essentially at-will and activates on a per-hit basis does well. Sneak Attack, Favoured Enemy bonuses, things of that nature. You'd likely find Pathfinder's version of the Paladin's Smite fairly tasty.