Tips for the Magical Child?

[ThinkMinty]

I want to try the Magical Child Vigilante archetype at some point before I die, because it sounds fun.

Anyone know how it plays?

[Serafina]

A generalist, buff-centered spellcaster that can do melee combat with a flanking buddy, social interaction and Intimidation reasonably well.


Your familiar is much more of a class feature than it is for other classes which gain one.
You get to choose four different forms for it, three of which are improved familiars: pick an innocuous one, a combat-capable one, and one that has nice utility (from spell-like abilities or other such things).
Your choice of familiar archetype (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/familiar/familiar-archetypes) is also important:
- you can combine Figment with Emissary or Sage, but there are no other combinations
- Figment is nice for the evolution points it gets, especially if you pick skilled, which gives you a highly flexible "skill-monkey", especially when combined with Sage
- Mascot is nice for aid another builds, but great if you have other spellcasters that cast buff-spells on themselves or need touch-spells delivered
- Mauler can make for a dangerous flanking buddy, although it loses the ability to speak (telepathy can bypass this)
- Pilferer is great for sneaking ahead (arguably better than the Infiltrator), and steal combat maneuvers can be nice too
- Protector is great for enhancing your own (or your teammates) defenses, and goes well with aid another builds
- Sage just turns your familiar into a living encyclopedia, and is even better when mixed with Figment
- Valet is good for delivering touch spells, and if you want to go into magic item crafting.

Generally, you might want to dip Eldritch Guardian (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fighter-archetypes/eldritch-guardian-fighter-archetype) Fighter. You won't get bonus feats or bravery - but you can now share all your combat feats with your familiar.
You can then use this to take feats that go well together here - aid another feats (such as Swift Aid (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/swift-aid-combat)), or Paired Opportunist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/paired-opportunists-combat-teamwork) and Outflank (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/outflank-combat-teamwork) (or both, of course). That combo gives your familiar an Attack of Opportunity whenever you land a critical hit, which in turn gives you an AoO too. And with Bodyguard and Swift Aid, your familiar can give you (or an ally) a good boost to attack and AC, assuming you take the right traits and magic items this can scale up to +7.
Other tricks like that are probably possible, but that's the best use I've found.

I can also recommend the Small Aether Elemental (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/elemental/elemental-aether/aether-elemental-small) really highly. It's a pretty flavor-neutral form, is permanently invisibly, can fly, and can make ranged combat maneuvers with what effectively amounts to a full BAB.


As for your actual character build:
You still get some Vigilante talents, which are generally good. You might want to use a reach-weapon, because that makes casting much easier. Social talents are also interesting, and can make you pretty good at a bunch of skill-related stuff. And of course you get spells, take a good look at the unchained summoner list to see what you can do with those.