I've got this idea for a PFS character based around pairing the order ability Flat of the Blade (+2 damage and no -4 penalty for nonlethal) with the Enforcer feat (free intimidate check after you deal nonlethal and the duration is tied to the damage done) to intimidate all the things. Is the base Cavalier, the Emissary archetype, or the Samurai a better fit?
Cavalier pros: heavy armor
Cons: tactician doesn't seem a good fit for the quasi-random party formation of PFS, probably won't be doing much charging
Emissary archetype pros: less focus on mounted combat, trades tactician
Cons: loses heavy armor
Samurai pros: less focus on mounted combat, trades tactician, keeps heavy armor
Cons: eastern flavor doesn't fit current concept
Remember to dip a level of Rogue (Thug). Now everyone you hit is frightened instead of being shaken!
I just started playing a half-orc paladin with Enforcer/Blade of Mercy. My intimidate is +11 at level 1 (+4 cha, +1 rank, +4 with class skill trait, +2 for being half-orc.) As soon as I hit level 2 I'm gonna dip Thug and then it's game on!
I'm not sure frightened is a useful enough debuff to dip a level to get it consistently, but it's certainly a clever combo.
Really? Frightened eats up at least one (and often two) rounds of actions, so it's generally better than dazed or stunned (which are already some of the best conditions.) Plus it's against an easy DC, and it's a free action.
(Getting sneak attack and all the skills doesn't exactly hurt, either.)
Note, if your only con is "Eastern Flavor doesn't fit" while the pros are "Everything I wanted", flavor can ALWAYS be changed. Your Samurai could be a blonde haired blue eyed European with a broadsword and full plate if you wanted him to be and it wouldn't change anything.
Go for a Samurai, Sword Saint archtype.
You can change the Iaijutsu strike damage into non-lethal, practically an instant KO on anything. It works especially well since, as a Samurai of the Blue Rose, you need to give your enemies a chance to surrender anyway.
EDIT: In other words, you spend your first turn challenging and offering terms of surrender. And if they don't surrender? BAM! Take them out on the second turn and intimidate everyone.
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+1 for the Thug dip. Frightening your opponents is awesome and can devastate an encounter if paired with dazzling display.
I would advise the Samurai (Sword Saint) over Cavalier for Society play. The Samurai is a fantastic class and Sword Saint does away with mounted abilities which are rarely used in PFS in favor of Iaijutsu Strike. Eventually you get a fearsome Iaijutsu strike that fits flavor-wise. Also, you'll be wielding an 18-20 (eventually 15-20) crit katana which will capitalize on the Enforcer Feat. Here is a quick build suggestion:
Race: Human or Half Orc
Str: 18 (+2 race)
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 8
Wis: 10
Cha: 12
lvl 1 Samurai: Intimidating Prowess, Enforcer (bonus feat)
lvl 2 Thug:
lvl 3 Samurai: Power Attack
lvl 4 Samurai:
lvl 5 Samurai: Weapon Focus (Katana)
lvl 6 Samurai:
lvl 7 Samurai: Weapon Specialization (Katana), Dazzling Display
lvl 8 Samurai:
lvl 9 Samurai: Skill Emphasis (Intimidate)