Basic Arcane Duelist build

[Grenage]

Greetings!

I'm fairly new to RPGs (and hence, Pathfinder), so I'd appreciate a little help on a basic character concept for a Kingmaker campaign we'll be starting next month. I'm not too bothered about min/maxing, and our party is far from optimal in composition; we've got a Cavalier, two Sorcerers, and my Bard - we may gain another player, and we may lose one of the Sorcerers.

My rolled stats are:

11,11,12,16,16,16

I've chosen:

11 wis
11 dex
12 int
16 cha
16 str
16 con

I like the look of the archtype Arcane Duelist, as it fits in well with my character concept; I'm thinking of using a simple longsword two-handed. The feats I was considering are:

Arcane Strike (archtype freebie)
Weapon Focus (Longsword)
Spell Focus (Enchantment)

Is this a viable option as a bard who gets into the melee as required?

[Arutema]

Have you chosen a race? If not, which ones are available?

[lemeres]

I would switch dex and int, at the very least. Maybe use the 12 for con, and the 16 for dex.

I know you get less hp per level...but having a 5%-15% less chance of getting hit seems worth the trouble. Particularly since you are the only one with healing (unless one of the sorcerers infernal healing exactly half of the noncantrips they know)

I would personally grab power attack...but I am sure there is argument about that on the board.

[Imbicatus]

Also, Instead of two-handing the longsword, I would use a reach weapon. The reach will keep you a little safer, and allow you to attack with AoOs while still using your standard to start a performance or cast a spell.

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Weapon Focus: Longsword has a +1 BAB prerequisite.

[Grenage]

Ah good spot, I should - I noticed that on Power Attack and missed it on Weapon Focus.

I made a human, and was going to add the two to STR initially; as my rolls were so middling, the GM said I could raise two of my 12s to 16s, and forget about the Human bonus.

Would Improved Initiative be a good option? We've got CCRB and APG to choose from.

I could use a reach weapon, but the sword is pretty important to my characters 'style', so I'd prefer to keep it.

[Kaouse]

Improved Initiative is never bad, but it's a lot better for people who put out lots of battlefield control. Buffing is also good to do, but the Bard's buffs aren't really all that important to have before the enemy goes (though still nice). If the game is going on for a long time, I'd rather take Noble Scion (War) instead, as it's outright better as soon as you can afford the items to push your CHA past 20.

That said, what you go for depends on what you are building towards. Since you took Spell Focus Enchantment and Weapon Focus, it seems you are trying to mix both Magic and Combat together. If so, it may be a good idea to build towards a more debuff-focused style, allowing you and your sorcerers to do more to the enemy.

Since you have moderately high Strength, I'd go with Power Attack (always a useful feat) followed by Cornugon Smash for a free Intimidate after every Power Attack. From there, you can get the Cruel enchantment on your weapon and apply the "sicken" condition on top of the "shaken" condition, a net -4 to saves, attacks, etc. It's only 2 feats, so you can spend other feats on Metamagic if you so wish, though I would note that Metamagic and high spell DC is more difficult for 3/4 casters to pull off, so be wary should you go down that road.

[Grenage]

As we're playing for 12 weeks (possibly coming back to it in another 12 weeks), it's hard to be too concerned about more than the first couple of levels. Our seasons are rather short :(

[Arutema]

One thing to note is that you get Dirsuptive and Spellbreaker for free. These interfere with casters in your threatened area, but don't prevent the classic 5' step to escape your reach. For that, I suggest Step Up so that you can keep them adjacent when they try that trick.

My 6th level aasimar arcane duelist took Toughness at 1st (more HP never hurts), Power Attack at 3rd (More damage is good), and Step Up at 5th (see above).

A longsword works just fine for an arcane duelist.

I'd actually recommend against Spell Focus. The arcane duelist is not a casting-focused archetype. Focus on buff and healing spells for your spells known (I don't see a divine caster in that party). With 16 con and free arcane strike, get that Inspire Courage up, then join the cavalier in the front ranks. That is what the arcane duelist does best.

[Grenage]

That's great, as it's what I wanted from the character. Thanks very much for your advice guys. :)