I will be playing in a game in the near future and have been thinking of various characters. Recently our group shrunk a few members and so we picked up some new guys who haven't played much table-top RPGs. (I'm actually DMing there first foray into Pathfinder, running FGG's Slumbering Tsar. It's brutal and they love it.)
ANYWAY, in this game I'll be playing with them and so don't really want to be a "center of attention" character. Besides they are leaning towards martial anyway. I came up with an idea for a character, specifically an old man. Class is up in the air, but something that casts spells is obvious. My question however is how do you best build a venerable character and survive? What tactics should I employ? What class would grant me the largest benefits. Thinking perhaps Sorcerer so my bluff skill is high, but I'm not sure that's my best bet.
It should also be revealed that the game I'm playing in MAY be Rappan Athuk. (Another FGG horror show.) Needless to say I'm not hopeful on this character surviving but now I consider it a personal challenge.
(No Summoner, btw. I hate that class.)
TL;DR - How would you best build a venerable spell-caster at lower levels, optimizing in survival.