Sometimes I have difficulties coming up with a character's class and build after I have already created their backstory. This is one of those times:
His name is Godric Emberwise, he is human, or at least partially so (could potentially work elven, orc, celestial or fiendish blood into his history if it suited the playstyle).
He was raised by a strange organization that runs an orphanage in the River Kingdoms. From a young age he was told it was his duty to bring light to the darkness of the world, to bring hope to the destitute. He was not the only child raised this way, but the group seemed to favour him. This group seemed to be made up of retired adventurers, and while they have never specifically told him, from overheard conversations Godric believes he is the son of the man who was once the leader of their adventuring party. He was tutored heavily in things like diplomacy, music, art, history and combat. All towards accomplishing his task. One day their orphanage was attacked and each child at was taken in a different directions by one of the companions who owned it. Godric was taken by a man named Sigurd whom was the closest thing he had to a father. Godric and Sigurd travelled south, through Galt and into Taldor, along the way Sigurd continued to train Godric. In Taldor Godric was left with a nobleman Sigurd called 'friend' and Sigurd himself left. A few years of being raised by the nobleman passed before Godric was given a letter signed by Sigurd telling him to meet him. (The meeting place will be determined by the campaign, just giving him a reason to go there)
So yes, there is the basics of his backstory, sorry for the rambling. Point is, does anyone have any good ideas for how this character should have been trained? (What class was he taught, how was he taught to approach combat?)
There aren't too many options that have diplomacy, knowledge, and combat... Bard is the best fit but probably not as strong in combat as you're hoping for...and there's the issue of being MAD to do all those things (need all physical stats for combat plus Int for skill points/knowledges, Wis for will, and Cha for diplomacy).
A lore warden fighter might be an option... Strong combat, extra skill points and all knowledges as class skills, and you can either just put a couple points in Cha and take a trait to make diplomacy a class skill (+1), or take student of philosophy so you can use Int for diplomacy.
If you put a little in Cha the variant multiclassing for bard could be a really nice addition to a lore warden chassis here too...
He was tutored heavily in things like diplomacy, music, art, history and combat.
Bard with a combat focus or perhaps Swashbuckler from ACG would be doable.
The other option is Elf with Breadth Of Experience (APG) to explain the teaching as only dabbling. Allows them to make the roll even without any skill ranks and the DC being higher than 10.
I'd look into the swashbuckler class if I were you. It has decent skill points for your training in various 'soft skills' and I think it might fit with the fact that the character has some kind of hidden destiny.
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Cayden Cailean followers run most of the orphanages in Golarion. The followers of Sarenrae run some orphanages as well. As the two most common gods who's followers run orphanages. Both also fit the background you wrote up.
My best suggestions to fit background. Bard, Swashbuckler, or Sorcerer dependent on your play style.
I don't know why no one's said Paladin.
Combat focussed, seems to fit the flavour perfectly (unless you don't want a divine caster, but since you don't get spells etc till 4th level, they don't have to be part of your background).
Diplomacy is a class skill (and you should have good Cha) as is Knowledge (Nobility). You could take Knowledge (History) and/or Perform as a cross class skill for flavour.
The only problem I see with this is that to take Diplomacy, Knowledge (Nobility) & (History) and Perform at first level you're going to need 14 Int, and as a Paladin your stats are already spread pretty thin. (And if you do take all those skills, you have no room for any others unless you up your Int to 16).
Edit: You should be able to get 14 (Str, Int & Cha), 12 (Dex & Con), and 10 Wis (Before Racial modifiers etc) with a 20 point buy.
Once again though, you'd be next to useless as a skill monkey =P
Sounds like a natural born Bard to me, yep.
Or, if you want more of an odd duck, go for a low Cha, high Wis Inquisitor with the Conversion Inquisition.
Inquisitors are better in combat than Bards (though less with the group buffing, more with the self-buffing), ad are all around a very good class, and one of the few who has an in-class way to substitute his casting stat for all relevant social skills.
Or for another option, Investigator with the Mastermind archetype.
Both of these latter two can get away with outright dumping Cha if need be and still cover the social skills quite easily.
This gives you an option for each of the mental stats Bards are Cha, Inquisitors are Wis, and Investigators are Int.
All are good, fun classes that fit into most any party. All have 6+Int skills per level and 6 levels of spellcasting, and a large number of unique class features (with investigator being the most modular).
Bard is the best group buffer.
Inquisitor is the biggest powerhouse.
Investigator rocks it in combat too, and would naturally have the highest number of skills (discounting smart Versatile Performance usage).
He was tutored heavily in things like diplomacy, music, art, history and combat.
this is the only pointer to his build in the background story and depending on how you undestand combat(melee, weapon and armor use, combat using magic ect.) it is very broard.
The Bard is a good option. But it is also possible to make a bloodrager, a cavaleir, a swashbuckler, a skald, a gunslinger, a shaman or any class with at least 4 skill points really into this. For the crunch to really be rigth you will need to visualise the character in action.
Thanks for all the replies guys!
I think the suggestions of Bard and perhaps Paladin/Inquisitor or even Swashbuckler make the most sense. I believe a melee combat Bard who leads by example might fit best. He gets the breadth of knowledge that was instilled in him (6+int skill points, bardic knowledge, etc.) and all the support abilities are there for the implication that he was raised as a leader. Paladin could also fit in combat and support, but would lag behind in skills. Inquisitor can get the skills and combat and have not to shabby support with spells. Swashbuckler or Daring Champion Cavalier can get skills and combat down and feels like a good fit, but doesn't really have any party support. I do kind of like the idea of going Flame Spirit Shaman or Flame Oracle, the fact that he was told to light the world being taken very literally.
Cavalier could be a good fit aswell
If you go with bard. Consider getting VMC magus for arcane pool to boost your rapire( with fencing grace) and precise strike via arcane deed. It Will cost you all your feats until level 9 but you Cannes great both defensively and on the offense.
Human
1 Weapon focus (rapire)
1 Weapon finesse
3 VMC magus (arcane pool)
5 fencing grace( dex to damage)
7 VMC magus (flamboyant arcana)
9 extra arcana: arcane deed(precise strike) (level to damage)
If you want hin to be a Leader and all round badass i suggest Not dumping any stats somthing like str 12, con 12, dex 17, int 12, wis 12, cha 14 on a 20 point buy.
On a vanilla bard.
The other thing is, being tutored heavily in music doesn't mean you have to use it in combat, no more than you use art. Get some Craft/Perform ranks and pick the class you want. Maybe Ranger.
This character definitely sounds like a Bard to me. Bards are very potent melee combatants in Pathfinder so you will have no issues with that. You'll want to stick with an unarchetyped Bard because most of the good archetypes swap out either bardic knowledge or versatile performance (and for your concept you want both).