Help for combative oracle

[Omnitricks]

Friend is making a new campaign tomorrow (although its more of a one shot for me since I will be leaving the state for a bit) That said there are some new players so I should be showing some tricks and possibilities they can expect to use/plan for so the least complicated class I could think of which may be interesting would be the oracle (spontaneous casting, mysteries and revelations giving a lot of options while narrowing them in scope, etc.) Also flavorwise oracle may work because I am supposed to be a teacher/examiner to the group (aka may also be an npc in the future)

Game starts at level 3, 4k gold to spend and rolled stats. I rolled up 18, 17, 16, 15, 15, 13 (without race adjustments and can be allocated anywhere) As far as I know the other PCs are barbs, a summoner and a cavalier.

For races I am currently looking at the half orc because there are no negative stat modifiers and the alternate racial traits will give me more weapons as martial (nets, flails, etc)

Curse will likely be deaf. I considered clouded vision (too low level for me to enjoy) and tongues (also too low level and my friends all already consider me the looney)

Mysteries are the problem. I've always known Ancestor is good but level 3 is way too low to get any of the good stuff. So it comes down to Metal, Battle and Wood. Metal has lead blades (always good) a way to always have a weapon on hand (Iron weapon) although it will easily be redundant through Skill at Arms (one of the reasons I want to metal or Battle) so I'll be wasting two revelations although they are pretty neat and Armor Mastery/Dance of the Blades for movement speed stuff (ahhhh pathfinder scaling...)

On the other hand Battle has Combat Healer (but oracle doesn't have enough spell slots to make that viable on paper, someone with better experience can share what they found?) Maneuver Master (thinking of a reach trip/disarm build actually) and Surprising Charge (since it is a one shot for me I get to Leeroy without care) I mean even spontaneous cast of enlarge person is good and I'll get perception as a class skill.

With Wood I get my favorite skill (stealth) but...those revelations! Wooden Weapon is good but will pretty much make the choice of Half Orc for the martial weapon traits redundant (so I'll have to look for a new race) but it will allow me to be those kung fu teachers with the big stick (quarterstaff) or try the reach trip nonsense (longspear) Wood bond also seems alright for versatility if I want to go ranged or melee but that would be pretty feat intensive. Speak with wood and wood armor seems good for utility and combat though I'd have to admit.

Also in terms of archetypes there aren't really many options. Seeker and Seer seems good in terms for flavor but the prior doesn't have disable device as a class skill (what!) with me unable to figure out how the seeker lore works and the latter will pretty much eat my first two (and only) revelations for the game.

So uhhhh, the above is pretty much just details of my train of thought going into this. Didn't touch much on feats because those may be easier if I take the usuals.

Tl: dr. Want to play combat oracle. Too many/little options that I need help to make something worthwhile. Preferably maneuver/reach/trip capable or at least beating up enemies with a big stick like some enlightened guru. Any help will be appreciated.

Forgot to mention the GM prefers to stick to core although if I can source things to him quickly and easily (e.g. phone) he would allow it so the simpler the better.

[Mathmuse]

To help with designing an oracle, Sean FitzSimon wrote Channeling the Cosmos: A Guide to the Oracle.

Half-orc is a good choice for a warrior oracle. Its Favored Class bonus is my favorite, an extra spell known. And dark vision will let him fight and scout in the darkness.

I like your notion of a warrior oracle who is stealthy. The silent casting from the Deaf curse fits well with that,

Of the APG mysteries, Bones and Wind provide Stealth as a class skill, and Wind has Invisibility as a revelation. Of the Ultimate Magic mysteries, Dark Tapestry and Wood provide Stealth and Dark Tapestry's Cloak of Darkness revelation gives a stealth bonus. Metal enters the contest, too, because Metal's Armor Mastery reduces the armor penalty to stealth.

Put your half-orc's 18 and +2 bonus into Strength, and you will have a successful melee combatant. Yet you will want at least one revelation that aids combat, simply for the fun. Wind's Touch of Electricity gives a touch attack against well-armored opponents. Bone's Death's Touch and Dark Tapestry's Touch of the Void do the same. Wood is better, since the Wood Bond revelation does not consume any standard actions, leaving your character more time for attacks. Wood's Wooden Weapon and Metal's Iron Weapon don't help much if your character already carries a good weapon. Likewise, Metal's Skill at Arms helps only if your half-orc does not like his racial weapon proficiency or the oracle's simple weapon proficiency. Yet Metal still has one good trick up its sleeve, a revelation that literally affects sleeves. Metal's Steel Scarf revelation allows combat maneuvers 30 feet away, safe from attacks of opportunity.

I summarize that as Wind for best stealth, Wood for best action economy, and Metal for combat maneuvers. Wood's Shillelagh bonus spell and Metal's Lead Blades spell both enhance weapons. Wind's Alter Winds bonus spell is useless unless you are playing with fog.

I think Metal wins due to the opportunity to play with combat maneuvers. The regional trait Highlander gives +1 to Stealth (+2 on hilly ground) and Stealth counts as a class skill. If your GM does not give traits, take the Additional Traits feat and team it up with Focused Mind. The revelations would be Armor Mastery and Steel Scarf.

[Rhaleroad]

Every "rolled stats" post recently seems to have an average of 16+ for all the stats. I need a set of those dice.

[Omnitricks]

I looked at Dark Tapestry and it is good, especially if I am going for alter self nat weapons shenanigans but it is still a chore. As for Wind, I didn't even look at it. Still isn't that impressive. Invisibility, eventual flight and the shield is good but touch of electricity is too circumstantial. GM didn't really give me much information on the enemies we'll be facing/terrain we will be in or I would have gone for a catch off guard rogue.

One 18 for free, roll 4d6 and take the 3 best dice for every other stats. Also ends in a choice or rerolling the entire set once, a specific stat once or rolling an additional d6 to add to the lowest score. Sucks to be me if I didn't actually get a good set of rolls out of it.

[Omnitricks]

So I just tried the build today. Battle Oracle with Skill at Arms and Maneuver Master for trip. Turned out pretty good.

Feat were Quick Draw and Combat Reflexes. I guess my playstyle was a bit skewed towards the fact I wouldn't be playing this PC again so I just trolled around.

Deaf was funny, no one got the fact that I was deaf until the end of the game and I was ignoring them because of it and not because I was being a jerk. Silent Spell was also pretty good in effect as the party never even knew I was a spellcaster (not even when I used enlarge person on myself) thinking I was some sort of fighter.

Collected a few weapons which I used accordingly with Quick Draw. 4 nets, a scorpion whip, a halberd and a great sword. Combat Reflexes and the whip was surprisingly effective to trip a lot of enemies especially since my trips are done at BaB=level+2 from maneuver master. Towards the climax with my enlarge person I even got to trip the charging owlbear (3 attempts thanks to reach)

When I wanted to kill enemies (mostly a pack of goblins) I just drew my halberd while enlarged and used Combat reflexes to prod them to death. When I wanted to get up close and personal I just switched to the sword which while enlarged did 3d6 damage.

All things considered this joke of a character really has some potential. I initially wanted metal since lead blades was also pretty good and increasing my movement will be sweet but for a reach build enlarge was better.

Anyone have any suggestions to make a trip based battle oracle to great effect? So far the only problems I see are quadpeds and the eventual too large enemies from level 7 onwards but once I get greater trip it will be like whip trip + disarm/steal etc. etc. shenanigans. And I will still have some feats to play around with.