John Constantine / Harry Dresden-ish character?

[crashcanuck]

So I'm trying to build a PFS character similar to the characters in the thread title. I figure a 3/4 BAB 6th level caster would be the best kind of class and I'm stuck between either Psychic Detective Investigator or some kind of Occultist, anyone have tips as to which would be better?

[leonvios]

I feel like Occultist is better suited for John at least. Reliquarian archetype maybe?

[Brother Fen]

Occultiust for both, and maybe even battle host occultist for Dresden.

[crashcanuck]

Would a reach build half elf occultist be viable? I'm thinking of having him be a melee support character using a Fauchard

[Fromper]

Occultists actually seem to make good front liners. I don't speak from experience, as I haven't seen them in actual play much. But I've been designing a couple of occultist PCs lately, and between the 3/4 BAB, d8 HD, medium armor, martial weapons, and lots of buffs from their focus powers and spells, they seem like they should be at least as good on the front line as any other 3/4 BAB class. Add in a reach weapon and a high enough int for Combat Expertise, which is the prereq for Improved Trip, and you should be golden.

Check out my post here for what I was thinking of for two possible occultists for PFS, one of which is melee focused.

[crashcanuck]

Haunt collector does look like a good archetype and having haunted implements very much fits the character concept

[plaidwandering]

Harry fits multiple ways. Some of his items Are clearly implements to help him focus. Others are definitely enchanted items he has made. He has things he can just do from years of prior study, and he has things he prepares for specific situations.

As a book hero he has far too many things he can do to fit well in one pathfinder character...what parts do you want to focus on?

Occultist works for some things, but the limited spell list clashes with the wide variety of things Harry pulls off for various encounters

[Neils Bohr]

plaidwandering wrote:

As a book hero he has far too many things he can do to fit well in one pathfinder character...what parts do you want to focus on?

I agree with this.

Personally I would build Harry as a wizard, because he is one. Use a trait to make perception a class skill and spend lots of skill points in that and knowledge arcana, religion, planes, and local. Build him with a fairly high constitution reasonable strength and a good inteligence.

His blasting rod would fit as a maximized, empowered, or intensified metamagic rod. His pendent is his bonded item.

He's clearly an evoker, probably with traits and feats spent on making burning hands as deadly as possible.

[james014Aura]

For Dresden, I'd say Occultist with:

Level 1: Divination/Evocation
Level 2: Transmutation (he uses some telekinesis)
Level 6: Abjuration (magic duster)
Level 10: Conjuration (he's a lot better at using Faerie and summoning things down the line)
Level 14/18: won't get here, which is good, because he doesn't really use illusion/enchantment/necromancy (much)

And add some psychic duels feats. EDIT: wait, I don't think those are PFS-allowed, so just add Iron Will or something.

Can't speak for Constantine, though, b/c I haven't read that one.

[The Shaman]

I would give the edge to Occultist for Dresden due to the many evocations and the brute force approach he uses.

I have heard that Constantine was supposedly subtler, so maybe investigator does make sense for him. I only read very little of the comic and I have not seen the series, though.