so i'm starting at full on fluff and wanting to know if i can congeal mechanics together to still make it viable for serious play.
what I want is some kind of character that is good at fighting casters, but also good against normal stuff. I also want to be able to get a familiar at some point with a effective level close to my character level.
He's basically going to be a witchhunter or some other kind of gothic esque anti-caster. I don't actually need him to be an inquisitor but that is about the power level I want. not full caster and not a silly mundane.
I want to know of archetypes, items and feats that I might not know about and could help this concept along.
note: as it is right now, I'm planning on playing a inquisitor (Witch hunter), but am wondering if a spellbreaker could be better, or possibly if there's other archetype stuff I could do on other classes. using eldritch heritage on arcane bloodline for familiar, but would like to know if i could get a familiar someway at my character level, that doesn't involve being a sorcerer or wizard(no not want AC).
3pp is allowed, pretty much anything on pfsrd, would prefer if the 3pp was balanced and stayed true to core design conventions(similar abilities with similar DCs etc).
I'm up for twisting fluff any way, so if a bloodrager or ranger or slayer or what have you, could potentially be better or even fit better with the proper feats or items, I'm all for it.
Your choice of inquisitor archetype seems more then adequate. However, since 3rd party is available I always recommend checking out the Multi-class archetypes - all community grown hybrid classes with and eye towards balance.
would prefer to be able to make knowledge checks at peak efficiency, just saying.
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Wants a witch-hunter that can hold up against other things, and has a familiar.
Well, if your GM allows you to pick up an Animal Domain (Eagle, Frog, Monkey, etc.), you can gain a familiar at your level.
Inquisitors make pretty good textbooks for identifying enemies. You could do a lot worse than an inquisitor for pulling textbook duty in the party, and not a whole lot better.
Well, a Spell Sunder-ing Barbarian (perhaps with the Disruptive and Spellbreaker Rage Powers) is far and away the best "all purpose" anti-caster. They're good against everything, and even better against casters. Being able to full attack and also Dispel Magic at a caster level about 4 times what an actual caster can achieve is a massive boon.
If you stick with Witch Hunter (which is a good option, though IMO the loss of Monster Lore is a punch in the gut), I'd also take the Spellkiller Inquisition for general aesthetic.
For a slightly off the wall idea, I'd go with an Inquisitor of Irori, so you gain Improved Unarmed Strike for free, and then take the Dispelling Fist Feat on down the line.
A final nonstandard approach for a more mundane anti-caster is a Brawler (Fighter archetype) specialized in Grappling.
Once you get in range, there is No Escape (literally, it's a class ability =p).
Combined with Disruptive, at 7th level you're giving essentially a -8 to Cast Defensively to any caster you threaten. This grows a bit over the levels.
Grappling a caster will impose somewhere in the ballpark of an (at 7th) DC 26 (effectively 34) Concentration check just to cast a 1st level spell.
Even against a boss creature of, say, CL 10, he probably only has a 50/50 shot at best of passing that check. And the odds drop steadily from there.
Evocation is pure destruction.
Necromancy is a perversion of life.
Illusion is pure deception.
Enchantment is subverting free will, an evil act.
Transmutation is a perversion of life, basically saying you know better then god about how this should look.
Conjuration calls forth evil from the pits and even if you are calling good creatures, you are enslaving and controlling them.Divination and Abjuration were the only schools they could not completely vilify, but they do believe you can still take them to extreme evil.
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like this idea but modified it
Evocation is pure destruction.
Necromancy is a perversion of life.
Illusion is pure deception.
Enchantment is subverting free will, an evil act.
Transmutation is a perversion of the Universe, attempting to change what already is.
Conjuration is pure Hubris, attempting to create like the gods.
Divination is pure Hubris, believing you can know all and see all.
Abjuration is pure Stagnation, resisting change that was meant to happen.
Following along the Barbarian Spell Sunder rage power line of thought, there is a 3pp variant called Serene Barbarian that functions exactly the same as a standard barbarian only instead of boosting STR and CON, it boosts DEX and WIS when it enters into Serenity (Rage). This would work very well with an Inquisitor. I dipped into it for my Zen Archer Monk. This route would not grant you a familiar though. It sounds to me like you need a gestalt PC to get everything you want.
so, I'm starting at level 5, if I'm human, that's 4 feats. 3 of them are needed to get a familiar if I am going to not get a class that gives a familiar, does this feel like it will be a great disadvantage for a while, or can a barbarian or inquisitor more than make up for it in other ways. I want to be melee so my one extra feat will either be weapon focus or power attack, probably.
if I forgo boon companion for a while, and got both weapon focus and power attack, would it be worth it? without bonus feats this is going to be tight.
Some say Rage Powers are as good if not better than feats and I agree that some of them are. You get those at even Barbarian levels, so that could help with some of the melee stuff. Boon Companion only works up to your current level, so you'd have to take it at level 5 or later to get the full effect from it.
I think Step Up (or Stand Still) is a must-have for magekillers. Combine it with a readied action to attack when they cast a spell. This seems to be the most effective way to shut down a caster, AFAIK.
The downside is that you'll be sacrificing full attacks. That being the case, this is a role where the much-maligned Vital Strike line can be a good choice. Get yourself enlarged, use a big ol' weapon, and go kill some wizards!