Spellcasting dip for unusual fighter build - looking for suggestions!

[DrMartin]

Hello Playground

I am looking for a 1-level dip in a spellcasting class for one character I'm currently playing. He's a Fighter (Martial Master) who took a bunch of Dragonmarked Feat (Mark of Storm) and he's going to max out his first prestige class in the next session or so (Storm Guard, 3.5 Eberron prestige class boosting his mark of storm abilities), and I am thinking about where to go next, class-wise.

I am thinking about the Windwright Captain prestige class, as overland travel shenanigans have become a focus in the campaign and starting up an intercontinental merchant empire is definitely in the cards at this point. Plus we have a flying ship already. Thing is: I need proper spellcasting to do that, and my dragonmark spell-like abilities don't qualify.

Stats are rolled and the only one worth mentioning are high strength (20) and charisma (18), the rest is strictly average. So far I am the party face and in combat it plays as a mobile striker, picking a relevant feat with martial master depending on the situation, and using acrobatics to offer flanking to one of the three other sneak-attacking dudes in the party.

The setting is a sort of post-apocalyptic eberron, so no magic marts or widespread artificiery (we do have a flying galleon though).

I am thinking about going Magus - Eldritch Scion, picking up Draconic as bloodline for fluff purposes, and getting a bloodline familiar instead of the rather useless first level power (thinking about a draconic monkey with the figment archetype for mobility, wand using hands, plus easy replaceability/oh no they killed kenny moment - and to boost my already decent acrobatics check, thanks to the dragonmark and skill focus). My magus spell would probably be Jump (for more acrobatics) and Enlarge Person (we have quite a few powerful magic items too large to use - becoming large would give me access to a good array or really powerful swords now on idle display on our ship).

All the while Magus would allow me to cast while wearing light armor (which is what I am wearing anyway). Only downside is losing the BAB and the low skill points (it's only for 1 level, but still).

The party is pretty low on optimization so flavor is more important than power for this one - but an effective choice that gives me something fun to do at the table is better than a purely "fluff" one.

So, Playground: is there a better pick than Magus? classes from 3.5 are game too, as are prestige classes as long as they don't have too much weird fluff attached to them. Psionics are, sadly, not on the table - neither is DSP / Sphere / 3rd party in general

[Psyren]

Cleric is honestly one of the best 1-level dips in the game because you get two domain powers right off the bat. Some of these stay good at any leveel.

What book is Windwright Captain from?

[DrMartin]

Windwright captain Is from eberron's explorer's guide, a certain website tells me it's on page 70 (am not at home to check on my books at the moment).

Cleric would be a good alternative since some domains are pretty cool and flavourful and no problem with armour, but the prestige class requires either 1st level arcane casting or 1st level artificer infusion (also I have wisdom 10, could become 11 at level up though if there is a way to count cleric casting as arcane)

[Spore]

Arcane caster and armor is always tricky. How much do you depend on armor for your AC? Or let me rephrase that: Do you need heavy armor for a decent AC or do you have a decent dex score?

For flavor reasons I like the Tattooed Sorcerer (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo-sorcerer-archetypes/tattooed-sorcerer) with the Stormborn bloodline (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/stormborn-bloodline/).

Benefits:
0) The bloodline is just for flavor reasons and if you somehow got a robe of arcane heritage, you get nice resistances and a bonus in windy weather.
1) You get a familiar (as well as the alertness feat if your familiar is a tattoo).
2) You get two arcane spells, one of which should be feather fall (vocal component only so no arcane failure chance). I would make the other Endure Elements (again for flavor, cast before you equip your armor each day), Crafter's Fortune (if you ever plan on crafting) or Alter Winds. (It requires you to undress, but the advantage of an hour of improving winds is good for a prospective captain of an airship). If you decide to go unarmored, Mage Armor/Feather Fall is obviously the pick (along with Abjuration Mage Tattoo for 2 hours of use, so pick mage hand and dancing lights/ligh with your normal cantrips.)
3) You get a free Mage's Tattoo. (so a free cantrip: dancing lights or mage hand does not care if you fail the casting).

[DrMartin]

Tattooed sorcerer fits the dragonmarked theme really well - but I think that crunch-wise the magus still comes on top. It does offer very good inspiration for re-skinning the magus magical and bloodline abilities though!

Regarding the flying ship captain abilities, I am already quite well covered through the various dragonmark abilities and storm sentry alternate uses: I get some crowd control with gust of wind, binding wind and a hydraulic-push-but-with-air ability, can cast feather fall pretty much at will, and have alter winds and control weather to ensure that the weather conditions are always what I want them to be, both on the small and the large scale. In combat I also the option of a wind flavored shield-alike spell but with duration extended to 2 hours, and give shocking or shocking burst properties to weapons and ammunitions I touch.
But the best ability is Updraft, which launches me in the air more than a hundred feet and then lets me slowly descend. Grappling someone and then launching us both in the air has been an hilarious way to remove / displace foes.

It sort of plays like a Jedi-like, sans mind control. Very fun, if very dependent on the battlefield conditions

Using light armors is a big plus as I have a nice magical not!Mithril breastplate, which makes up the bulk of my AC. Dex is 13 so rather meh (rolled stats are rolled - Would have liked to drop my 18 in Dex instead of Str, but getting the dragonmarked abilities is feat intensive enough that adding weapon finesse, slashing grace etc seemed impractical - and GM at that time would not allow swashbuckler - he has changed opinion in the meantime but don't feel like rebuilding :) )

So far I am considering:
- Duskblade - only casting, full BAB option so far - spell list is rather meh though, and no familiar (I have come to the realization that this sky pirate needs a monkey)
- Eldritch Scion Magus - with a bloodline familiar re flavored as tattoo familiar pending (likely) GM approval.
- Bard Arcane Duelist - also fits the magical swordman theme, and my character is also the party face, but sadly no familiar
- Vigilante Magical Child - gets a pet, gets some spell, can cast in light armor, plus some meh social perks. The dual identity would add some mechanical weight to the fact that we (as a group) have two very different reputation on the two continents we are mostly travelling through - sort of wildcards on one, outlaw enemies of the empire on the other :D

[DrMartin]

Is there a list of Prestige Classes with their own casting out there? (like assassin for instance). I could take a level in one such class and then use Windwright Captain to advance the first prestige class´s casting. Usually not the best idea, but maybe in this case there´s something that ticks.

Or has anyone more suggestions?

[Alexvrahr]

So you want to cast spells in light armour, would like a familiar or similar pet, and are looking for a class which has Cha as the spellcasting ability, from class level 1 not level 4 or whatever. Some ability which is still useful when it's way below your character level would obviously be handy.

An oracle has divine spellcasting, unaffected by any armour. Some revelations can still be useful even when not at all close to your level, e.g. most of the battle revelations. Take legalistic or covetous as your curse and there are about not downsides and some useful abilities. No obvious way to get a familiar though short of spending feats.

A feyspeaker druid can pick a druid animal/terrain domain which gives a familiar e.g. monkey domain. It does limit your armour some but good options exist. Not your breastplate, probably.

The psychic bloodline sorcerer has no issues with armour, and can get a familiar via the tattooed sorcerer archetype or the crossblooded archetype.

Eidolons can look like a small-size monkey easily enough and summoners can cast in light armour. A 1HD eidolon will be tissue paper at your level but it can be replaced the next day without cost, and could have odd abilities.