This is for PFS play, I'm considering having my Lore Warden dip a level (or possibly 3) as a Wizard. He has an 18 INT so no stat issues and his DCs will be okay (likely will boost INT to 20 soon). He's already a level 5 Lore Warden and has 1 level as a maneuver master monk.
So either going unarmored (and casting Mage armor likely via a wand) is an option as is taking the arcane spell failure chances when he does the occasional casting. (he currently wears +1 studded leather so exactly the same AC as if he cast mage armor)
A few schools seem like good dips for a melee fighter type:
Earth elemental school (likely with Wood as opposition school) - +2 to CMD against a bunch of things, +1 to melee attacks and damage (both while on the ground - so not all the time but frequently enough in PFS play), Acid cloud school power doesn't do a ton of damage (1d6+1) but is a 5' burst (so 4 squares) and does sicken (at a DC 15 which isn't horrible but isn't great). And Grease is a pretty good spell to always prepare. Both grease and the school power appeal since my character already does a lot of debuffing via Dirty Tricks and Trips.
Divination (Foresight?) - for the always acts in the surprise round ability and the roll a d20 at the start of the round and choose when to use it - both are nifty powers and useful (though they don't add anything to say help deal with swarms). School spells include a few useful 1st level spells like True Strike (though actually my character rarely needs a lot of help to land maneuvers or for that matter to hit most of the time)
Transmutation - for the stat boost.
Other elemental schools for their nifty abilities and spells. Wood gets some nice things - though the stat boost there wouldn't at the moment help my character (has all even stats in the three that could be boosted) . Air's at will Feather Fall is rather nice defensively especially as at higher levels flight becomes more of a factor.
What would people recommend? And yes I know dipping full casters isn't usually advised but dipping an arcane caster really does fit this character's backstory and play style. Wizard is a very real option due to the arcane school powers, bonus spell and familiar (likely hedgehog to really boost his weakest save - Will or greensting scorpion to boost his init as if having improved initiative and alertness will also help two of his weakest skills)
If I go Wizard in PFS play I'll get a free spell focus (in place of Scribe Scroll) so choose which school to get spell focus in is another consideration. And I have a 7th level feat to spend so could get something that requires spell focus (specifically either Varisian Tattoo for a +1 to CL for an entire school plus a 3x day cantrip or Spell Specialization for a +2 CL effective boost to a single spell (not sure whether to choose Mage Armor for duration or Shocking Grasp etc for possibly effectiveness)
The issues however is that even boosted 3d6 damage isn't all that much when I could be taking another level as fighter for a 6 BAB, iterative attacks doing 1d6+8 (or more if I took Power Attack).
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The Divination (Foresight) one is by far the strongest school for Martial characters dipping into Wizard.
The ability to never miss the Surprise Round is amazingly useful.
Also, the ability to manipulate your dice rolls (the Prescience ability) is incredibly helpful for a character who rolls a lot, like a Fighter.
Also, I definitely agree that getting a Familiar who increases some stat (Will and Initiative are both the really big ones) is the way to go. I actually really like the idea of getting a Will-familiar so that you get an effective +4 to your Will saves. Very nice for a Fighter type.
The teleportation school is nice, too. using it ends your turn, so you should only use it at the end of your turn but it can still be very useful.
In combat to get further than 5ft away from someone while still fullattacking?
setting up flanking position?
Out of combat for getting at places hard to reach. Like the other side of a prison door.
Transmutation with Enhancement subschool is what I used for my gnoll wizard. I was the party tank/melee guy. No fighter dip needed!
Divination is king of Fighter-dippage. I'd place a single level of Universalist in there for hand of the apprentice all by itself as a strong second contender after Divination.
Your main concern is being able to use wands of extended true strike all day long. ^____^
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Note that true strike does not have a somatic component, so you can cast it in armor without a chance of failure ("Armor interferes with the gestures that a spellcaster must make to cast an arcane spell that has a somatic component."). Other spells that don't have somatic components include flare, spark (verbal or somatic), feather fall, and flare burst.
@Turin the Mad: Extend Spell on true strike is pretty underwhelming. It lasts two rounds or until your next single attack roll, instead of one round or until your next single attack roll.
I like Transmutation for both the school power to increase your physical stats, and to put some of the awesome polymorph spells into the extra slots.
Have you thought about grabbing a level of Magus or 3?
A magus 3rd level can grab the arcana to use wands with their spellstrike class feature.
Maybe even go with the Kensai archetype.
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For reference (copied and pasted from an old post of mine) I've made a list of all the (sorcerer/wizard) spells I could find that lack somatic components. These spells can be cast with hands full, and don't incur the normal chance of spell-failure brought on by armor.
(i.e. These spells essentially have 0% spell failure chance. Wear as much armor as you want when using them.)
Quote: 0th - Flare, Light
1st - Hold Portal, True Strike, Flare Burst, Ventriloquism, Feather Fall, Jury-Rig, Liberating Command, Lighten Object
2nd - Darkness, Blur, Blindness/Deafness, Steal Voice, Buoyancy, Knock
3rd - Tongues, Lover's Vengeance, Suggestion, Displacement, Vision of Hell
4th - Dimension Door, Communal Tongues, Lesser Geas, Shout
5th - Teleport, Contact Other Plane, Echolocation, Mass Lighten Object, Planar Adaptation, Planetary Adaptation*, Truespeak**, Damnation Stride**
6th - Ice Crystal Teleport, Quest Geas, Mass Suggestion, Unconscious Agenda***
7th - Phase Door, Greater Teleport, Teleport Object, Power Word Blind, Resonating Word
8th - Mass Charm Monster, Irresistible Dance, Power Word Stun
9th - Mage's Disjunction, Prismatic Sphere, Interplanetary Teleport, Teleportation Circle, Power Word Kill, Wail Of The Banshee, Fiery Body, Time Stop
* From Distant Worlds
** Racial Spell (Truespeak is an Aasimar spell, Damnation Stride is a Tiefling spell)
*** From Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition
i don't have much to say regarding school that hasn't been said,
expecting 1st level school abilities to let you deal with CR-spec swarms isn't realistic,
acid balls or similar effects granted by 1st level powers are just as easily replicated by alchemical consumable items.
i would heavily suggest using magus instead, it makes a 3 level dip much more rewarding...
alternately, consider the Wildblooded variant of Arcane BL Sorcerors, they use INT as Casting Stat, and if you can use it with Cross-Blooded: Draconic, you could qualify for Dragon Disciple...? (not sure if that combo is PFS-legal, though)
Crossblooded wildblood doesn't seem to be PFS legal (I personally debate this but the rulings seem to be that they are not).
Further my fighter is a Dex based finesse fighter who specializes in maneuvers. (A lore warden) so dragon disciple while fun and flavorful is not that helpful for this character.
I was thinking wizard over magus for:
1) arcane school - abilities, bonus spell
2) arcane bond (probably familiar) for alertness and a near feat equivalent bonus (likely either +2 will save or +4 initiative)
3) in PFS play scribe scroll is not legal so you get spell focus for free. This opens up easy access to either spell specialization (so CL 3 in one spell) or Varisian Tattoo (CL +1 for an entire school plus a minor 3x/day spell like ability) this isn't huge but is nice
4) if I did go 3 levels I would get 2nd level spells (including int bonus and arcane school) so more casting ability than a 3rd level magus.
But HP per level is lower than the magus and BAB is slow so 3 levels of wizard is a big hit to BAB.
Magus would get me:
1) spell combat BUT this apparently does not work with my other dip ability - Flurry of Maneuvers so I woul have to choose between two good options.
2) arcane pool (free weapon enhancement bonus as swift action is nice and definitely attractive) other uses of the pool less likely to be used by my character with only a few levels dipped.
3) after three levels spellstrike (decent since I use a rapier and have weapon training, focus and specialization already) and one magus arcana (plus ability to take extra arcana as a feat should I choose)
Wand Wieldee is a nice arcana but access to higher caster level wands in PFS is rare. Good options to explore but fully charged wands of a higher than 1st level spell are costly.
Not sure which other arcana would be worth the three level dip to get.
Spell casting as a magus would be limited - just a few 1st level spells and some cantrips.
Wand access as a magus is a bit less than wand access as a wizard.
For the moment the debate is entirely theoretical as a I decided to go the route of a rogue level and then pump UMD and fake my way
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