Pathfinder lvl 7 Arcanist // Occultist help needed

[KrushKarrok]

Hello there :)

I could really need some help with a Pathfinder Arcanist-Occultist im building, lvl 7 starting lvl.
I like well built characters but I suck at building those :/

The Race should be human, referably chaotic good or chaotic neutral, feats I want are Spell Focus: Conjuration, Augment Summoning, Superior Summoning, (Summon Good Monster)

For the rest im kind of clueless right now, what spells are good? what other feats are good? I think i have 5 feats till lvl 7 as a human so 3 (or 4) are already done. Should i learn some metamagic feats / possibly as extra exploit -> metamagic knowledge -> Knowledge feat ?
I know i need quite some Buff spells and a lot of battlefield control - what are good spell picks for this till grade 3?

Is there any place for some nuke spells?
Now and later on, should i learn a spell perfection for any nuke spell paired with dazing spell or so?

What about traits? Reactionary for going first sounds cool and magical lineage for spell perfection plans maybe. what else is cool and recommended?

Aaaaand what to do with my 23500 starting gold? What equip do i need, what can you recommend? Any metamagic Staffs and rods?

Thanks for your help=)

[AnonymousPepper]

I'm not an expert on the occultist side of your gestalt, but let me pitch in on the arcanist side.

There are two arcanist exploits that, imo, nobody has any excuse not to pick up if they are able.

First, Potent Magic. +2 to the DC pretty much whenever you need it most is an absolutely baller pickup (or, for summoning, +2 CL means two more rounds). Second, and much much stronger than that even, is Quick Study. Look at it, and let it sink in: with a full round's prep time, you can spontaneously cast any spell that you know, and you learn spells as a wizard (and with the human favored class bonus ensuring you have more spells to start with) so theoretically you can know the entirety of the strongest spell list in the game and spontaneously cast off of it. That is so friggin' good I have no words to describe it. Throw in the Consume Magic Items exploit and carry around a bunch of cheap second-level scrolls at all times to top off your pool with, and you beat the sorcerer at being a sorcerer.

Also, if you're willing to give up a caster level, or spend the feats to get it back, while it's not immediately relevant at seventh level, you should look into it later: Arcane Savant pairs marvelously with Arcanist, as you can use the Esoteric Magic class feature to add nine spells cherry picked from other class lists to your list, which you can then pseudo-spontaneously cast with Quick Study. Breath of Life (paired with a Metamagic Rod - Quicken, which is definitely something you should invest in) and Heal say hello, for one. Also, Arcane Savant adds the ability to spontaneously Dispel and Greater Dispel Magic using any 3rd and 6th level spell slot, saving you one or two prepared spells.

[nmitchell2]

My first question is; are you gestalting Arcanist and Occultist or are you using the Occultist archetype of Arcanist? I'm going to assume the latter based upon the rest of your post.

As the poster above me has stated, Potent Magic and Quick Study are essential to any Arcanist that considers him/herself optimised. They are your first two Exploits, they are just that good. Aside from that, Dimensional Slide is amazing even if your DM rules that you can't escape from a grapple with it. Familiar is always great, especially when it can wield wands. Depending upon your priorities, Item Crafting and/or Metamagic Knowledge can be pretty amazing. Counterspell is campaign dependent but can be brutal in the right campaign. Those are pretty much all your best options right there.

Your secondary role is to debuff and control the battlefield. The power of AoE buffs increases exponentially when you're adding more members to the party. If you're using debuffs that require a saving throw, pumping Int and using Potent Magic can ensure your DCs are high enough that they almost always land. Dex and Con are your secondary stats, you want to start with decent scores and invest in a belt to boost them a bit further once you have a Headband of Vast Intellect. Going first is incredibly important when you're focusing on summons; you have to get your meatshields out before you get attacked and likely killed. Beyond pumping your Dex, taking Improved Initiative and taking a Familiar that pumps initiative gives you an additional +8 to initiative. Reduce Person increases your Dex and your AC, if you can cast it in preparation or have it permanently then you should.