Whats the best aura buff class?

[Hackulator]

Other than just a full caster focusing on buffs, whats the best aoe buf class? Can the bard actually do well? I'm looking for something like the Marshal but not terrible.

[Rebel7284]

Bards focusing on Dragonfire Inspiration are fairly good buffers. There are a number of classes that focus on Auras, but all of them suck.

[Elkad]

Bards focusing on Dragonfire Inspiration are fairly good buffers.

DFI is only a flavor feat. It nets your party almost nothing compared to regular Inspire Courage. Spend a feat (or 2 if you don't want your race selection limited, or a dip level in DFA) to trade away +1 to hit and +1 damage, for 1d6 damage that often hits an energy resistance of some sort.

Even ignoring resistances, that +1 to hit turns into 2 more power attack damage for the frontline types. So 3 melee dmg vs 3.5 fire damage.

Of course if you want to use yet another action (and maybe another feat on Lingering Song), you can stack both. Then the value goes up.

[Rainshine]

In PF, there's the Master Performer and Grand Master Performer that can add +1 each to bardic performances; there's a few favored class bonuses that can boost your level for performances, as well as an item or two I believe; all this allows you as early as ~ 12 or 13 to be giving +6 to hit/damage. Pick up Discordant Voice, it's also 1d6 damage on all ally attacks within 30'. You can go Flagbearer/Banner of Ancient Kings if you prefer more passive bonuses (gives aoe morale around you), Heroism if you only have one or two people thwacking, or I prefer Good Hope with a Suzerain Scepter (+1 to morale bonuses) and Encouraging Spell (rod, minor if your DM will let you) which lets you give out another +4 to allies on most things. Haste is an excellent buff to carry as well. +11 attack/damage, +1d6 on all attacks, and an extra attack all up and running in the first two rounds isn't terrible.

[Fizban]

Depends on what you mean by auras and AoE buffs. If you want attack and damage, nothing is going to beat Bard stacking Inspire Courage boosts from a dozen sources. If you want anything else you're basically screwed. The "aura" classes (Marshal, Dragon Shaman, and Divine Mind) have more options, but lack the ability to stack buffs from a dozen sources. Sor/Wiz actually has very few proper team buffs. Cleric is the class with the buff spells, mostly defensive but with enough offensive that a Bard has to stack at least a few bonuses in order to pull ahead, in attack+damage only.

The War of the Burning Sky campaign has among its material a Commander class, which is essentially a combination Marshal/Bard. The class and feats are available in the free player's guide, linked at the bottom of this (https://wotbsadventurepath.com/) page.

[LTwerewolf]

DFI is only a flavor feat. It nets your party almost nothing compared to regular Inspire Courage.

Or use both, because you can. With lingering song they'll both last the entire fight pretty much all the time.

[Svata]

I always found DFI Bard > War Weaver > Virtuoso (Optionally into Sublime Chord) (with lingering song, of course) a good path. you get to slap all your buff spells onto the whole party, rather than just one member. Sure, your DFI/IC is a little worse, but I always found the added utility to be worth it.

[Eldan]

Both of the Dragon classes are quite uninteresting, I don't recommend those. If you want to just buff, Bard is the way to go. Or cleric, I guess, if you get the right spells, but that's more a spellcaster. If you want to wreck face as well, a White Raven Crusader does quite well, too. Or a Bard/Crusader multiclass with Song of the White Raven.

Dragonfire Inspiration is brutal when done right.