looking to build a gestalt wingman

[Dingleberry]

I'm planning to run a buddy through a solo run of the Serpent's Skull AP. We normally play pretty straightforward (e.g., he's currently running a group, including me, through Rise of the Runelords and we're playing Core Rulebook/APG with no archetypes), but since this will be a solo campaign, I'm amping it up: epic point buy, Core/APG/UM/UC and archetypes ok. I'll start him at level 2.

He's going to play a gestalt Ranger/Magus using both the staff magus and spellblade archetypes (I'm tweaking the black blade into a staff). I'm going to play a DM PC (we've done this plenty in our 20+ years of playing together, so no issues expected) to complement his abilities and fill in the gaps without overshadowing - probably also a 2nd-level epic point buy gestalt.

By my read, key lacking areas are healing/restorative magic, anti-undead, ranged attacks, and anti-trap skills. (Social skills will be handled more through roleplaying than ranks and dice.) I definitely don't want to overshadow him in melee, arcane spellcasting, or survival skills since those are his focus. And I want to minimize things to keep track of, so no familiars/mounts/animal companions/eidolons.

My random thoughts:
- oracle/alchemist (gnome pyro Flame oracle?)
- gunslinger/alchemist (gnome pyro again, with a rocket-launching musket?)
- gunslinger/cleric (my current front-runner)
- alchemist/rogue (tinker nerd)
- cleric/zen archer monk

Advice from the creative character-building crowd, including race-class combos I surely haven't thought of?

[Oterisk]

Bard (Archeologist or straight up) /Paladin (Divine Hunter) would be good at most of the stuff you are dealing with.

Alchemist/anything would be cool, I play an alchemist in Serpent Skull and he has been useful for healing and ranged damage.

Bard/oracle
Ninja/oracle

There really are lots of good choices.

[Deadmanwalking]

I'd suggest archery-based (for combat) Bard/Oracle of Life. Probably with the Lame Curse. Makes your protagonist look better, heals like nobody's business, and while it's not the best trap-spotter ever, a Trait can make Disable Device a class skill, which should be enough.

If you go Archivist on the Bard you can do a very sidekick-y info-dump as part of his performance, too.

Technically, this guy'll be about as good at Arcane Magic as the PC, but if it's mostly focused on buffing/support spells I doubt he'll notice, care, or complain.

[Dingleberry]

I'm not a huge fan of bards conceptually, though I've never seen one played in PF and I haven't delved into the archetypes. I was also thinking a bard was a lot like a magus, but again, maybe the archetypes help there. I'll definitely look into it.

Oterisk, alchemist seems like a very good fit for the SS AP, especially the first book. It's also pretty different from the other NPC castaways.

DMW, I'm actually playing a Life Oracle (Haunted) in our RotR campaign, so I'd been ignoring that option - but maybe the duplication wouldn't bother me in a gestalt character. And the Life Oracle does *rock* at healing, and would be good against undead.

A high Dex/Cha oracle/archer would be pretty sweet. Or maybe a mysterious stranger gunsligner/oracle to get away from duplicating the magus' arcane spellcasting?

[Oterisk]

I think an alchemist (mindchemist) / Lore Oracle might fit your bill. There is some synergy there that might be fun. There is tons of healing and utility spells with the ability to throw down if need be.