Perhaps a Nagaji Bard, with the Wit archetype, for her. Good at combat, has good casting, spontaneous-based, good amount of skills too.
For you, you could go Wayang Unchained Rogue (I'm a super big fan of the new racial Shadowspeaker that appears on Blood of Shadows for them, and the feat that enhances it).
You'd both flank to help each other hit, you'll be the smart one whereas she's he charismatic one, she'll buff your ability to hit with Inspire Courage while you'll debuff the enemy's AC with Debilitating Injury.
Arcane Duelist Bard instead of Wit Bard then.
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If you want to do something a little different, have one of you play a Cavalier or other class with a mount (Paladin, Divine Commander Warpriest, etc)...
...and then have the other play a wildshape-orientated Druid, and serve as the actual mount! This way the two of you can literally charge into battle as a couple!
She'd probably take the rider role, but Cavaliers and Paladins are both pretty good at being social.
EDIT:
A slightly less wacky way to do it would be to use a Summoner instead of a Druid, and use the mount evolution for your Eidolon. This lets you do it from level 1.
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I've multiple paired builds in PFS. Based on my experiences, here are some things to do:
* Make sure the two characters fulfill different roles. That greatly reduces the chances of the table being unbalanced.
* Make sure that the two characters work well together to cover a wide range of skills. If one has a lot of the social skills, perhaps the other should try to cover physical skills. Don't specialize in the same skills except perception -- it is fine if both characters have max ranks in perception.
* Look for synergies between the two characters. What can one do that helps the other better do their job?
* Try to have one of the two characters capable of standing in the front lines.
* Try to have one of the two characters have some ability to open simple locks via Disable Device. They don't have to be an expert at it! Just someone who can sort of fill in if there is no one else.
Based on what you said above, I would say that having your wife play a Bard archetype that keeps bardic performance Inspire Courage, versatile performance and bardic knowledge is probably a good fit. You might also want to look at some of the Oracles, see if any of their mysteries interest her.
I would be looking to complement this build with a melee character. Ranger, Slayer, Barbarian that doesn't totally dump Cha and Int, or maybe an Unchained Rogue. If you are normally paired with a Bard, you can easily get by with a 16 Strength.
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If you want to do something a little different, have one of you play a Cavalier or other class with a mount (Paladin, Divine Commander Warpriest, etc)...
...and then have the other play a wildshape-orientated Druid, and serve as the actual mount! This way the two of you can literally charge into battle as a couple!
Or be a Halfling rider with a Dwarf Barbarian mount! This actually allows you to play one of the mount-based classes who don't get an animal companion (which is normally their huge weakness).
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I was looking at a sylph unchained rogue with focus on social skills and disable device for her.
She's much more talkative than I am but not very comfortable with spells.
But I couldn't figure out how best to support that and cover knowledges without summoning. I don't really want to summon monster as it slows down play and I'm not the quickest at calculating stuff.
Any sort of buffer class could work. A melee bard (as others mentioned) combos well and does all of the knowledge skills with ease. You buff her (especially since even Urogues have some accuracy issues) and tumble around for flanks (since you don't deal much damage anyway) or just cast Vanish on her.
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My concern with bard was how natural good they are with social skills. Though I could just choose not to use them or only take enough to aid other her.
Absolutely. Don't forget that Bards make for excellent libraries, which is really the one skill avenue (well that and spellcraft) that Rogues can't handle.
Suggestion works just as well (maybe even better) if you're not the main focus of the conversation, too.
I was looking at a sylph unchained rogue with focus on social skills and disable device for her.
She's much more talkative than I am but not very comfortable with spells.
But I couldn't figure out how best to support that and cover knowledges without summoning. I don't really want to summon monster as it slows down play and I'm not the quickest at calculating stuff.
Unchained Rogue for her? Make it to survive melee and that could work. Might want to supplement with a level or two of Urban Barbarian.
I would support it with a Brown Fur Arcanist or an Oracle that buffs. I would say an Arcanist would probably better complement an Unchained Rogue.
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For someone who really enjoyed Fighter and Bloodrager previously, I might suggest going Slayer for your wife's character rather than Unchained Rogue.
They're more durable and straightforward...and actually better at social skills, too, if you grab a Trait for Diplomacy as a Class Skill, anyway (or burn a Feat on Cosmopolitan to grab that and UMD).
I agree with Deadmanwalking that Slayer can make a better melee rogue. Unchained Rogue is generally better for finesse builds, while Slayer works great for strength builds.
They will not do as well as a Bard or Oracle at the social skills, but you can be competent.
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Slayer looks much more survivable but loses trap stuff / disable device. As a Scarab Sage she's more interested in exploring and preserving ruins and has a personal preference for social skills.
They can get the 'Trapfinder' Slayer Talent at 2nd level and get Disable Device as a Class Skill and Trapfinding. It's neat.
The rogue and bard combo has potential, though as a archaeologist bard she could cover both of those.
Totally. And Archaeologist is a great choice both ,mechanically and thematically...though it has spells, and I thought avoiding those was a goal here?
If you're willing to do spells, having her play some sort of Bard is almost certainly the way to go. Bards are amazing.
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I forgot about that talent somehow.
She's okay with spells as long as it's kept simple.
Then I'd definitely go Archaeologist if she's in the mood for something Rogue-ish.
I think she would love archaeologist bard but I don't know how best I could support that.
Something in a solid archer or a melee Cleric flanking buddy would both be good calls. Nobody ever minds a Cleric backing them up.
She should have the knowledge and face skills mostly covered as an Archeologist. She could also handle any Disable Device checks.
I assume you don't mind running prepared casters.
If you are looking for a god that would align with her interests, you might take a look at Irori as a seeker of knowledge or Desna as a traveler. If you go the bodyguard route, there is also Arqueros.
The main problem with Clerics is the low number of skill points. She will be able to make up for much of that. On the other hand, they are the best class for condition removal and healing. I have yet to encounter anyone who complains about someone bringing a cleric in.
If you want to go a bit more battle oriented, you can look at Warpriest. Their fervors allow them to buff themselves for combat, greatly improving the action economy over a cleric.
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If you want an 'ancient deserts' kind of theme, a pair of Ifrits would be pretty awesome. They have DEX/CHA with only a WIS penalty, so they work well for all kinds of characters.
You can make a pretty awesome dex-based Oracle with one level of Sohei Monk:
Sun-Scion Ifrit
Ifrit (Desert Mirage)(Wildfire Heart): 10STR, 16/18DEX, 14CON, 10INT, 10\8WIS, 14/16CHA
Sohei Monk 1/ Warsighted Oracle of Life 8
Traits: Fate's Favored, Magical Knack
Deity: Sarenrae
1Sohei. Weapon Finesse / +Dodge
2Oracle. *Martial Flexibility*: [Dervish Dance]
3Oracle. Weapon Focus: Scimitar
4Oracle. *Revelation: Channel Energy*
5Oracle. Crusader's Flurry
6Oracle.
7Oracle. Dervish Dance / [???]
Sohei can wear mithral medium armor while using Flurry of Blows, so you've got very nice defense with a mithral breastplate and high DEX. You can rely on the Warsighted Oracle's Martial Flexibility to use Dervish Dance with a scimitar while you pick up Crusader's Flurry, which lets you flurry a scimitar. You can cast Divine Favor and use Martial Flexibility in one round to get a major combat bonus and activate your combat style.
Once you hit level 7 you can properly take Dervish Dance, and then start using Martial Flexibility to pick up other stuff; at 8 you get the ability to activate two combat feats... such as the Ifrit's Scorching Weapons and Inner Flame, which lets you add fire damage to all of your strikes. Amateur Swashbuckler is also great for getting Panache, which would let you use a Swashbuckler's Flair: Blue Scarf with your scimitar for reach.
Thanks to Life Mystery you've got lots of healing spells, and Channel Energy as well. Your charisma is also good enough to use some offensive spells - at level 9, you can pick up Aura of Doom.
I like the desert theme but I think I'd be more interested in a prepared caster or a a partial/hybrid. I was leaning more colleague than bodyguard.
I'm not sure I'm following exactly what you mean by 'colleague'. Is the objective to have high intelligence and/or lots of skills on a prepared caster your primary concern?
I'd start by figuring out what kind of race and/or character you want, and then figure out how to make it happen with the abilities you want. Starting with only a sense of what abilities you want leaves endless options out there.
For a 'paired characters' theme, I think an elemental race duo would be pretty cool, since you're essentially doing the 'pair of kin among outsiders' thing. You can figure out how to get the abilities you want after you figure out your concept/story/theme.
Since I was kicking around some ideas earlier at work, here's a pair of Sylph warrior/explorer characters that fit together conceptually - they're very similar in many ways, but each specialize differently. I know you said only simple, non-prepared casting for the social character; this Witch/Rogue is prepared casting, but it's rather simple set-and-forget stuff that only goes 3 levels. Anyhow, I'm just posting them as an example of a fun concept thing, not as what you should do.
Isair and Madae
These kindred Sylphs from the far desert reaches of the east are talented explorers and adventurers, who draw great strength from their bond with each other - and with the greatness of the vast blue heavens. While very similar in many ways, they also have a diverse and complementary set of abilities.
Isair, Warrior-Mage and Scholar
Inspired Blade Swashbuckler 1/ Strength-Patron Hedge Witch 5/ Eldritch Knight 5
Sylph (Breeze-Kissed, Like the Wind): 13STR, 16/18DEX, 14\12CON, 14/16INT, 9WIS, 8CHA
Traits: Fate's Favored, Magical Knack
1IB. *Panache* / (+Finesse) / (+Weapon Focus: Rapier) / Fencing Grace
2HW. *Familiar: Raven* / *Hex: Ward*
3HW. *Hex: Tongues / Precise Strike (Teamwork)
4HW.
5HW. *Spontaneous Healing* / Combat Reflexes
6HW.
7EK. Airy Step (Sylph) / +EK: Power Attack
8EK.
9EK. Wings of Air (Sylph)
10EK.
11EK. Quicken Spell / +EK: Weapon Specialization: Rapier
Usual Spells:
1)(Mage Armor), Divine Favor, Ill Omen
2)False Life, Glitterdust, Hold Person
3)Heroism, Lightning Bolt, Sleet Storm, Cackling Skull
4)Wandering Star Motes, Confusion
5)Quickened Ill Omen
*Cure spells may be cast spontaneously by sacrificing a prepared spell*
Isair fights with rapier and buckler, relying on Mage Armor and excellent agility for defense and using Panache to dodge and parry attacks. He carries a Swordmaster's Flair: Blue Scarf to grant his rapier bonus reach, allowing him to use reach tactics - and eventually to use reach tactics from above while flying. Heroism and Divine Favor grant him a very strong bonus to combat ability, and he's also capable of casting spells like Ill Omen, Glitterdust and Wandering Star Motes to help control a battle. As a Hedge Witch, he can spontaneously turn his spells into healing at will. His fairly ample skill points are focused mostly on Knowledges. He has a raven familiar that keeps a watchful eye out for trouble... and curious objects.
Madae, Rogue-Mage and Explorer
Unchained Rogue 4/ Strength-Patron Witch 4/ Arcane Trickster 3
Sylph (Breeze-Kissed, Like the Wind): 10STR, 16/18DEX, 14\12CON, 12/14INT, 8WIS, 14CHA
Traits: Fate's Favored, Magical Knack
1UR. (+Finesse) / Amateur Swashbuckler: Dodging Panache / ~1d6 Sneak
2Wt. *Familiar: Thrush* / *Hex: Ward*
3UR. *Rogue Talent: Weapon Training: Rapier* / Precise Strike (Teamwork)
4UR. *Finesse Training: Rapier* / ~2d6 Sneak
5Wt. *Hex: Tongues* / Combat Reflexes
6Wt.
7Wt. *Hex: Feral Speech* / Airy Step
8UR. *Debilitating Strike*
9AT. *Ranged Legerdemain* / Wings of Air
10AT. ~3d6 Sneak
11AT. *Impromptu Sneak Attack* / Persistent Spell
Usual Spells:
1)(Mage Armor), Divine Favor, Ill Omen
2)False Life, Glitterdust
3)Heroism
4)Persistent Glitterdust
Like Isair, Madae fights with a rapier and buckler and a Swordmaster's Flair, though she focuses on using the Dodging Panache ability to dance around and away from attacking foes while increasing her AC even further. While less combat-trained than her partner, she's capable of inflicting lethal Sneak Attacks as they team up on foes. While she also uses Divine Favor and Heroism, she's a much less prolific caster than Isair; besides her standard combat buffs, she occasionally casts Glitterdust to blind enemies or the occasional Ill Omen to make sure Isair's spells stick to a dangerous target. Her Witch abilities allow her to converse not only in any language but even with beasts, and she's highly skilled in both social tasks and the many tricks and trades of an explorer. Her thrush familiar inspires her to truly skillful Diplomacy.
Teamwork
Isair and Madae fight as flanking partners, using Precise Strike to inflict extra damage against flanked foes. As they're both quick on their feet and both have reach with their weapons, they can easily circle around targets as they cast their buff spells, inflict attacks of opportunity on foes that move against them, and then finally move together to rack-up bonus damage by flanking. Once they both have the ability to fly at will, they can fly across the battlefield in tandem while casting spells, and then descend onto targets with lethal coordination - and then use Dodging Panache to suddenly vault back up into the sky if attacked. When spellcasting, Madae can utilize Ill Omen to help Isair's spells beat enemy saves, and Isair's Ill Omen and Cackling Skulls can help Madae's Glitterdust. Both characters are also able to use an assortment of curative scrolls thanks to the Witch's spell list, such as Delay/Neutralize Poison and Remove Disease.