Ok, after learning more about the campaign and rest of the party, I have changed my plans somewhat.
I do not plan to specialize in animating undead minions. Rather the multitude of necromancy attack spells. Also the party has more arcane casters, so I'm kinda leaning more toward a divine caster. Though I'm not set in stone on that. I would still have the option taking over and using up the undead we encounter with Control Undead channeling (or the spell).
We have clerics and bone oracles. I also wondered if warpriest might be worth while to allow me to survive up close and deliver those nasty touch spells. Probably either a Dhampir or Fell Gnome since they seem very thematic.
What class/build do you folks recommend and why?
A warpriest (or cleric) of Torag can use a warhammer to deliver those touch spells which seems useful. Only from 7th level though, see the feat Blessed Hammer. Most, maybe all cleric necromantic touch attack spells aren't [evil]. A dhampir can have a wisdom bonus and moves at full speed, a gnome on the other hand may be a while getting to the fight, especially in armor. I find that frustrating personally.
Don't go Warpriest unless you're looking to be a warrior first and a spellcaster very distant second.
Much depends on what spells you really want, and what kind of deities you're willing to work with.
There are ways to create dangerous Clerics and Oracles who can cast strong spells as well as fight, so that could be an option. A Cleric/Monk1 of Magdh can do the whole 'grim reaper' thing well, flurrying a scythe and wearing a tattered robe. Magdh is a Fate goddess, so a Separatist Cleric of Magdh with Fate and Repose could be very appropriate. Pharasma is another obvious choice, and gets some interesting stuff.
The spell Boneshatter is very thematic and deadly necromancy, though it's from a specific AP.
I don't think I really want to try and be good with a weapon for this character. He is really going to be a spell caster. Though carrying a scythe would be very thematic.
A shaman is also do-able. Play like a Voodoo Doctor who curses and Hexes people.
Shaman gets some nice spells and with the right race, you can cherry pick the Cleric Spell list or the right Race can as well.
I've been playing around with an evocation cleric/oracle starting off with things like toppling admonishing ray and ending with a persistent Holy Word/Blaspheme with a CL of 30-34.
Pretty sure blending some necromancy in their wouldn't be too difficult. Cleric would be nice for the ability to channel to control undead. Although you could grab that with the bones mystery. Other mysteries offer some fun spells and powers without the channeling though, like heavens.
Probably one of the easiest ways to make clerics/oracles that rely on just spell casting.
Boneshaker is a remarkably sold spell....
A Samsaran Divine Paragon of Zyphus could be good thematically and power wise...
Cherry pick any missing necro spells (eg) Exploison of Rot), get some nice bonus spells and a good set of boons.... hellooooo perm Death Ward!
Honestly, inflict spells with channeling bonuses aren't bad for psuedo-necromantic spells either. Free AoE, negative life-draining energy, and you can add a feat to not hit your teammates. It scales and can be upgraded further with feats to take bonuses from your CHA and similar.
Going that route will make you very mediocre against Undead and Evil Outsiders (I think) but will otherwise make you a pretty good nuker.
Lunar Oracles who use negative energy spells can freely tack-on confusion, which is pretty awesome - the save is character-level-based instead of spell-level-based. Prophetic Armor is also pretty sweet for a touch caster. Dual-Cursed Oracle is a monster, what with getting Ill Omen and Misfortune. Spirit Guide opens up some thematic options with Bones Spirit.
Witch/wizard/oracle/shaman probably win. Its hard to be an offensive necromancy spellcaster without enervate/energy drain IMO
Oh, I totally forgot about shaman. Do they make decent necromancers.
Still more info, I just found out this is for the Strange Aeons adventure path. I just downloaded and am now reading the adventure guide. Don't give away any spoilers, but let me know if something is very inappropriate for the AP.
Shamans have a pretty short basic spell list but the Bones spirit adds some necromantic spells and the Lore spirit has the option of the arcane enlightenment hex - which can steal off sorc/wiz.
I don't know the AP but from the subject I'd expect crazed cultists, gibbering aberrations, and maybe a few outsiders or constructs. Necromancy should be OK against most of those.
Lore Spirit on a Shaman is very handy if you're going pure caster. You can pick whatever necromancy you like from the Wizard list. As said, Bones Spirit works well for a necromancy theme. The Spirit Warden Archetype also includes more necromancy-related stuff, even if it's about battling death.
I feel, at this point, that it would be irresponsible not to point out that even a caster-focused Shaman could be very dangerous with a scythe several times a day by also taking Battle Spirit for Enemies' Bane.
Ok, here is a first pass at an oracle version one he gets up to 7th level. I think I will look at a shaman next.
Male gnome oracle 7 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 42)
N Small humanoid (gnome)
Hero Points 1
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3
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Defense
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AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 59 (7d8+21)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6 (-2 vs. Charm or Compulsion effects if there's a promise of wealth or power); +4 Competence bonus vs. disease, +2 vs. illusions, +2 bonus vs. fear and despair, +2 trait bonus vs. charm and compulson, +1 trait bonus vs. aberrations
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2; Immune sickened
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
. . 1/day—bleed (DC 14), chill touch (DC 15), detect poison, touch of fatigue (DC 14)
Oracle Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +11)
. . 3rd (5/day)—animate dead, blindness/deafness (DC 20), inflict serious wounds (DC 20), nap stack[APG] (DC 20)
. . 2nd (7/day)—false life, heroic fortune, inflict moderate wounds (DC 19), sentry skull[ARG], spiritual weapon
. . 1st (7/day)—cause fear (DC 18), doom (DC 18), infernal healing[ISWG], inflict light wounds (DC 18), liberating command[UC], ray of sickening[UM] (DC 18), remove fear
. . 0 (at will)—bleed (DC 17), create water, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, mending, stabilize
. . Mystery Bones
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Statistics
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Str 5, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 19
Base Atk +5; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Command Undead, Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Greater Spell Penetration, Spell Focus (necromancy), Spell Penetration
Traits birthmark, foe of the strange, rapscallion
Skills Acrobatics +2 (-2 to jump), Appraise +2, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +0, Escape Artist +3, Heal +5, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (planes) +11, Knowledge (religion) +13, Linguistics +6, Perception +3, Profession (Undertaker) +8, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +11, Stealth +10
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Elder Thing, Gnome, Necril, Shadowtongue, Sylvan, Undercommon
SQ eternal hope[APG], hero points, oracle's curse (wasting), power-hungry, revelations (armor of bones, resist life, undead servitude)
Other Gear 100 pp
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Special Abilities
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Armor of Bones +6 (7 hours/day) (Ex) +6 AC.
Channel Resistance +2 +2 bonus to save vs. Channel Energy.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Eternal Hope (1/day) +2 save vs. fear and despair. 1/day, reroll a 1 rolled on 1d20.
Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy) +1 to the Save DC of spells from one school.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Immunity to Sickened You are immune to the sickened condition.
Power-Hungry -2 vs. Will saves if the effect's creator promises wealth or power
Resist Life (Su) Treated as Undead for positive/negative energy. +2 channel resistance.
Spell Focus (Necromancy) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Wasting +4 competence bonus to save vs. Disease
Let me know what you think.
Just a suggestion, but for more flavor you could go with Occult Mystery, and take Spirit Guide to grab the Bones Spirit. Extra Revelation can grab things you really want that you missed due to losing Revelations. Bones Spirit grants the same spells as Bones Mystery, but you then also get Occult Mystery spells. Ectoplasmic Armor replaces of Armor of Bones if you want, though the armor revelations are a bit weak unless a GM approves using Magic Vestment on them (which technically should work on anything that conjures 'armor', but...). Occult Mystery has a no-save panic touch attack...
And here is a very rough version as shaman. Never played a shaman before, so I don't know as much about building them.
Male gnome shaman 7 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 35)
N Small humanoid (gnome)
Hero Points 1
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3
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Defense
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AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 59 (7d8+21)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +8 (-2 vs. Charm or Compulsion effects if there's a promise of wealth or power); +2 vs. illusions, +2 bonus vs. fear and despair, +2 trait bonus vs. charm and compulson, +1 trait bonus vs. aberrations
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Special Attacks hexes (cackle[APG], deathly being, misfortune[APG]), wandering hex (arcane enlightenment)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +9)
. . 1/day—bleed (DC 16), chill touch (DC 17), detect poison, touch of fatigue (DC 16)
Shaman Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +10)
. . 4th—inflict critical wounds (DC 20); fear[S] (DC 20) or legend lore[S]
. . 3rd—bestow curse (DC 19), blindness/deafness (DC 19), speak with dead (DC 19); animate dead[S] or locate object[S]
. . 2nd—command undead (DC 18), inflict moderate wounds (DC 18), spectral hand, spectral hand; false life[S] or tongues[S]
. . 1st—blend[ARG], chill touch (DC 17), produce flame, protection from chaos, remove fear; cause fear[S] (DC 17) or identify[S]
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, detect poison, guidance, touch of fatigue (DC 16)
. . S spirit magic spell; Spirit Bones Wandering Spirit Lore
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Statistics
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Str 5, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 14
Base Atk +5; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Greater Spell Penetration, Spell Focus (necromancy), Spell Penetration
Traits birthmark, foe of the strange, rapscallion
Skills Acrobatics +2 (-2 to jump), Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +3, Fly +8, Handle Animal +11, Heal +7, Knowledge (nature) +11, Knowledge (planes) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Linguistics +3, Profession (Funeral Director) +14, Ride +6, Spellcraft +11, Survival +9; Racial Modifiers +2 Profession (Funeral Director)
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Gnome, Necril, Sylvan
SQ eternal hope[APG], hero points, monstrous insight, power-hungry, spirit animal, touch of the grave
Other Gear 100 pp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Enlightenment (Su) Add Charisma bonus wizard spells to your spells known list.
Arcane Familiar Nearby You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Cackle (Su) As a move action, extend the duration of other hexes by 1 rd.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Deathly Being (Su) Channeled energy affects you as though you are undead.
Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Eternal Hope (1/day) +2 save vs. fear and despair. 1/day, reroll a 1 rolled on 1d20.
Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy) +1 to the Save DC of spells from one school.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Misfortune (1 round, DC 16) (Su) Foe in 30 ft must take the lower of 2d20 for rolls (Will neg).
Monstrous Insight (5/day) (Su) As a standard action, attempt know check to ID monster and gain +2 to att & AC vs. that foe.
Power-Hungry -2 vs. Will saves if the effect's creator promises wealth or power
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Speak with Animals (Ex) Your familiar can communicate with animals similar to itself.
Speak with Familiar (Ex) You can communicate verbally with your familiar.
Spell Focus (Necromancy) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Spirit Animal If spirit animal is slain, cannot use spirit magic or prepare new spells.
Touch of the Grave (1d4+3 negative energy, 5/day) (Su) As a standard action, melee touch deals damage.
Just a suggestion, but for more flavor you could go with Occult Mystery, and take Spirit Guide to grab the Bones Spirit. ...
Yeah, your right. That does work out better with a few more options. Since I can later change the spirit if needed.