Build suggestions for 4th level undead slaying

[JonathanPDX]

I run a pathfinder group and every now and then I turn the DM seat over to a friend for a session or two. He's planning to run a single adventure focused on undead and my challenge is to cook up the best possible character for tearing through an undead-themed dungeon at 4th level.

We tend to keep the rules on the simple side because all of the other players are fairly inexperienced. I stick to the core rulebook, advanced players guide, unchained, and psionics books. Pulling things from other material is okay but I try not to confuse the new players with a bunch of deeply complex stuff from sources we don't have on hand.

The party is 4th level and consists of a Ranger (archer), Monk, and Druid (utility build.) My goal is to add a character who is built for one purpose: killing undead in a dungeon environment. The DM is perfectly happy with an optimized killing machine, though I don't want to duplicate one of their classes and then appear to overshadow them. Utility isn't that important; I want the other players to take charge when it comes to social encounters and puzzles, my job is to make the bad guys dead.

I've been looking at my options and I see a few possibilities but I wondered if anyone might have some more interesting or optimized suggestions. We're using a 20-point buy.

Two-handed blunt weapon (fighter, soulknife, Barbarian, or Paladin) - Smash skeletons with all the power attack damage I can layer. Aegis 1/Soulknife 3 might work too, but in the end all class options seem to fall somewhere around 2D6 + 10-13 damage with a single attack each round.
Channel energy - I've looked at both clerics and life oracles but I haven't found a way to make it as effective as a big dumb guy with a huge hammer.
Evocation - A sorcerer with Scorching Ray can throw around a lot of damage dice, though I worry about running out of firepower early in the dungeon.
Summoner - A natural-attacking Eidolon will probably lose most of it's damage to undead DR, and a greatsword-weilding Azata looks a lot like the fighter or soulknife build.

Can anyone suggest some other builds that would be ideal for this level and scenario, or any tips for optimization to make one of the listed builds go above and beyond the others?
Thanks!
-JonathanPDX

[Eldariel]

Why destroy, when you can control? I recommend a Wizard. Command Undead (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/command-undead) is a 2nd level spell that has no save for mindless undead, and a solid save-or-lose vs. intelligent undead. There are no HD limits - you can walk through the dungeon slowly building your own personal undead army, picking up anything you can - then use those undead to kill the other undead.

In the rest of your slots/for different enemies, you can prepare the various control-spells that work on undead and other stuff (Web, Glitterdust, Pyrotechnics, Grease) and there's nothing wrong with your Summons either - they make for great brawlers (though you'd have to wait 1 level for Summon Monster III, which is a huge leap compared to SMII). This guide (https://docs.google.com/document/d/16dZ5SBQMS1Yi6531tXOkKE_rmXEwn4VFacOEQKiHA5E/view#) goes to decent depth on how to best do work with the Summon Monster-line spells in PF. Then you can always also buff - Enlarge Person, Invisibility, etc. are great. And you can use Infernal Healing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/infernal-healing) Wands to keep the whole team, including your Undead toys, topped out as per normal (granted, that's from Inner Sea Guide but it's a simple spell).

[Geddy2112]

4th level.
Two-handed blunt weapon

It is sad you are not higher level, as the disruption (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/magic-weapon-special-abilities/disruption) magical property forces a will save or die against any undead it hits, on blunt weapons.

The cleric or channel build option is going to be stronger against hordes of weaker undead, but until you get channel smite it is not as powerful against single targets as a martial. The major boon is that this can also heal your party. If you go this route, grab the sun and glory domains, as the former prevents undead from adding their channel resistance to saves against positive energy, and the latter increases the DC against channeled energy by 2

If you go paladin, grab the undead scourge archtype, so your smite constantly deals 2pts damage per level until the undead is defeated. The oath against undeath gives you ghost touch armor, which might matter as well. You will be high enough level to channel as well, creating an AoE for hordes of undead.
You can also get the sun domain from the temple champion archtype, which prevents undead from allowing your channel resistance to your channeled energy. The paladin also has divine health and aura of courage-some undead carry diseases, and a lot of undead have fear based effects so immunities are nice. Paladins also have a strong will save where barbarian and ranger do not, and will/fort saves are the primary target for undead.
Corpse hunter ranger will do more damage per hit against undead, but lacks the ubersmite. A vanilla ranger is basically the same against undead at 4th level. A barbarian will do about the same damage while raging, but the favored enemy bonus is always on so the ranger wins out. The thing is, you already have a ranger and you might not want to create too much overlap...
I would personally go paladin, as you have the channel to deal with hordes, full bab power attack etc, and smite evil twice a day to erase key targets. The boosting of charisma to saves, heavy armor proficiency, and swift action healing will also make you more resilient than barbarian or ranger.

For feats, power attack+furious focus is probably your best choice. With 18 strength, and a 2d6 +1 magic weapon weapon power attacking, you should score 2d6+13 damage every time. A barbarian will add 1 from rage, ranger gets +2 always, and a paladin with smite will do +8 damage on the first strike and 4 afterwards, unless you are an undead scourge for a +8 always.

Likewise, this build always has an attack bonus of +9, and most undead of your CR will have between 14 and 20AC, so you should hit most of the time.

[Elricaltovilla]

If you're just trying to maximize your single target damage, it's hard to go wrong with Vivisectionist Alchemist/Barbarian.

Mutagen and rage both stack, which gives you +8 strength. Vivisectionist trades bombs for sneak attack, which you can't always use, but is great if you have a flanking buddy.

Go Orc or Half Giant for either a bigger strength bonus or a 3d6 large earthbreaker instead of just 2d6.

You could also do Abyssal Bloodrager, which grows in size at 4th level whenever they rage. Said Half giant could then swing around a 4d6 huge earthbreaker with a +6 to STR from rage.

[JonathanPDX]

Thank you for the suggestions, that's exactly what I was looking for!

A couple of questions:

Powerful Build allows me to use a large Earth Breaker for 3D6 (up from 2D6,) right? The wording is a bit vague so I want to make sure I get it right.

If that's the case, then when I Enlarge (spell or Abyssal Bloodrager 4th level ability) I'm gaining +2 STR from the size change, upping the weapon to 3D8 (since 3D6 is not listed on the weapon damage chart the die step increases instead of adding another die) and increasing my reach to 10', correct?

If that's right, then a 4th level Half-Giant Bloodrager (Abyssal Bloodline) with 20 STR would bloodrage, enlarge up to large size, gaining +4 STR from range and +2 from size for 26 STR total. Add in Power Attack (-2 hit, +6 damage two-handed,), and a +1 Earth Breaker and I'd have +11 hit (8 STR + 4 BAB + 1 weapon -2 PA) and 3D8+19 damage (12 STR, 6 PA, 1 weapon) while raging. That still leaves a couple spells and one more feat to play with, too.

Does that math check out?

Thanks!
-JonathanPDX

[CasualViking]

Occultist 1/Siege Gunner Funslinger 3. Enhance your +1 blunderbuss with Undead Bane using Legacy Weapon.

[the_archduke]

A size increase on top of 3d6 should increase to 4d6 not 3d8 (only .5 difference in average damage, but still)

[Kurald Galain]

Worth considering is a Magus who uses spellstrike with the Close Range arcana and the Disrupt Undead cantrip.

Combine with Eldritch Scion archetype to automatically enlarge as per bloodrager.

[Geddy2112]

Worth considering is a Magus who uses spellstrike with the Close Range arcana and the Disrupt Undead cantrip.

Combine with Eldritch Scion archetype to automatically enlarge as per bloodrager.

Also being able to cast chill touch through a spellstrike and panic an undead can effectively be the same as killing it, if you are able to corner it and then just wail on it.