Pathfinder Arcanist build advice?

[Minwaabi]

I’m trying to put together a 4th level arcanist for a low level campaign that will be starting soon and I wanted some advice since this is my first time playing a 4th level spell caster. We will be playing a module and then possibly rolling up new characters. So I expect I won’t make it beyond 6th level if we make it that far. I already asked about spell choices and got some great advice and noticed there were several folks who had experience with the class itself, so I thought I'd ask some general build advice. I'm planning on a controller type arcanist with a side blasting maybe.

First my attributes (20 point buy with an elf and an extra attribute point from level):
Strength 8
Dex 16 (14 + 2 from elf)
Con 12 (14 – 2 from elf)
Int 18 (15 + 2 from elf + 1 from 4th level)
Wis 10
Cha 14

This gives me a fort of 2 , ref of 4, and will of 4
Obviously the Int is low for the level but will that matter if we don’t go past level 6? Is Dex too high? Is charisma not all that important? I would probably only really use it for consume spells and charisma checks for charm spells and the like. I see people saying charisma is a dump stat but that seems to usually be before the errata nerfed consume spells and some other features. Are there other distributions that might make more sense?

For exploits I was thinking Potent Magic, Dimensional Slide, or Quick Study. Any suggestions for which to take or other ones to really consider? ( I can only pick two).

I get two feats. I’m thinking Improved Initiative and I don’t know. Fortitude? Extra Exploit so I can get all three exploits listed above? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance

[vorpalvolta]

I'd dump charisma and bump up your Int if you can. If you have a 7 CHA, you get one use of consume spells. With your 14, you get one extra use. Big whoop. Those points could be better spent unless it's essential for your character to be good with social skills. Plus you don't exactly have a ton of spells per day to burn right?

Quick study may or may not be of much use, depending on how many situationally useful spells you'll be able to add to your spellbook from now to level 6ish. think about what situations you'll need to swap out a spell, will you actually have enough cases where you know the spell in question to swap to at all that will justify taking this exploit? If not, it may not be necessary.

Potent magic is important, I'd suggest almost every arcanist take it.
Dimensional slide is fun and useful.

Now given that, if you were wanting to take extra exploit, I'd actually look at taking one of the blasts, like ice missile. Comes with a nice debuff and could save some of your daily spells prepared from being blasts, but you'll still have a straight damage option. This would also give you justification to keep your CHA in the positive range.

Have you chosen an archetype?

[Minwaabi]

I wasn't really planning on doing an archtype, but I'm open to suggestions.

[vorpalvolta]

Depends on the play style you want to go with. You could certainly get by without one.

I'd take a look at Brown Fur Transmuter if you wanted to go a buffing route. A +6 Bull's Strength on your main beatstick would be huge. Add that to Enlarge Person and you're really talking. Both of these could be extended an extra couple minutes if you desired using your Potent magic exploit.

In fact, looking at the text it appears you could cast Bull's Strength and spend a point to bump the strength bonus to +6, then next round cast Enlarge Person and spend a point to bump the size bonus from that spell to a +4. Now your fighter or Barbarian or whatever is looking at probably a 30+ strength with reach and a large sized hopefully two handed weapon. Whoa.

Now that is a significant use of resources but for a climactic battle if you have the points left, that's significant.

If you were to go that route I'd likely build this way:

Traits: reactionary or warrior of old for the +2 initiative.
Something else, I'd have to look

Feats: improved initiative, extra exploit (dimensional slide)

Take the elven alternate racial trait Fleet of Foot for another initiative bonus and the Run feat free.

Your third level exploit will be taken up by Powerful Change, your other exploit will of course be Potent Magic.

FCB likely will go into HP.

Just things to think about.

[Florian]

@Minwaabi:

You are absolutely sure that this character won´t raise above level 6?
Then you should think about switching race over to gnome or halfling, lowering final INT to 16 as more isn´t needed, going with 12 or 14 CHA and using the Blood Archaist or School Savant archetype. Con should be 14, better 16, as you won´t have all your defenses up all the time, so you need the hp buffer.

Reasoning behind this: INT18 is a "dead level" as it "only" raises the DC by 1, not giving you any additional spells per day. As we generally try to not pick stuff that has a save at all, you don´t gain much here. So either buy an INT+2 item (costly at that level) to raise to 20 and gain an additional 1st level spell, or stay at 16, which gives you more freedom with your overall stat spread.

I would stay away from "Consume Magic Item" for a low-level game, as this exploit needs an item with at least a 2nd level spell on it to work, which will be your highest available spell level until you hit arcanist 6. You´re always better off using the item instead of consuming it. That´s more of a high-level option when you have "useless" lower tier items to "burn".

Blood Arcanist or School Savant? Depends on what material is available. For School Savant, I´d go for the Void Elemental School, as both low-level powers, "Void Awareness" and "Reveal Weakness" are extremely powerful. A sorcerer bloodline with Blood Arcanist gives the bloodline arcana, which can be quite useful in its own right.

For race, I´d rather tend towards a Fell Magic Gnome as small size and the stat spread are more helpful in a low-level game. Elf is good and fine, but the CON penalty hurts and it is doubtful that at those levels, the +2 vs. SR will really come up.

Feats should focus on pure utility, nothing fancy as you can´t combo with it right now, so Toughness, Improves Initiative and Point-Blank Shot it is.

Equipment: As previously discussed, we´re playing fast and lose here. You start with a whopping 6K gp and you could either dedicate 4K to an INT +2 item here, or shore up on enough wands and scrolls to see you through to level 6 without stopping to cast.

I´d go for 20x 1st level scrolls (500 gp),10x 2nd level scrolls (1,5K gp), 4x 1st level Wands (3K gp) and a cloak of Resistance +1. The wands should be Mage Armor, Shield and, surprise!, Infernal Healing.

You should consider dropping Toughness and PBS for Scribe Scrolls and Cypher Magic. If your GM plays along, you might be able to halve the cost of your scrolls and enter the Cyphermage PrC at 6th.
Your Cypher Lore pick should go towards "Enhance Scroll" then, to have all those scrolls in your possession work with your actual CL then, giving you a much needed boost.