I feel like bloodrager plays to the strengths better, and sorc (weirdly) plays to versatility.
Personally, i havent tried bloodrager, but its the one i'd pick if i were making a dragon disciple
Given those two choices, I'd say Bloodrager. But be aware you'd be delaying/losing access to the mid/later bloodrager class features.
If I may offer a different option, archaeologist bard.
If going bard or sorcerer, consider 2 levels of paladin if that matches your alignment.
I love the 2 levels of Paladin into Sorcerer Dragon Disciple build. I also like a level of Dragon Disciple Monk. Sure it cuts down on your caster level but it gives you incredible defenses.
Prestigious Spellcaster feat is a mainstay as it keeps your caster level high, even if you opt out of the Martial Options.
I would avoid Word Casting, but that is because I've never touched it myself and find spellcasting frustrating enough without extra add-ons.
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Do you want to tear your enemies' faces off with your claws or would you rather blast your enemies with magic? That's a preference, not a "this is better" for the most part. A bloodrager answers the first, a sorcerer speaks to the second. There are about a dozen other ways to go into dragon disciple of course for various special builds.
@666bender: With the lingering performance feat an archaeologist generally has enough rounds. The archetype makes an excellent jack-of-all-trades, and some people find RP'ing bardic performance embarrassing not to mention non-stealthy. Luck is much easier that way.
Fate's favored works with Archaeologist right?
Yeah. And though the bard abilities dont increase further, it grants many things in the first five levels that wont get better as a singleclass bard so soon anyhow.
The spell specialist arcanist can make an interesting dragon disciple.
I'm playing a Sor/Pal/DD build in Iron Gods and she's quite fun to play. We're evel 4 at the moment so still early to say if it will be good on all tier, but so far I can contribute well in fights with Enlarge Person, Shocking Grasp and my thrusty Spear - that thing must be sharp as hell cause I hit most of the time with it and managed to crit three times already!
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Ley-Line Guardian Witch with the Strength Patron, and probably take one level of Bloodrager or Barbarian with Extra Rage.
Ley-Line Guardian is spontaneous, INT-based Witch spellcasting (Sorcerer spells-per-day).
Strength Patron grants Divine Favor. Adding Divine Favor (possibly also Divine Power) to a Dragon Disciple is truly monstrous. Throw a +4 to attack and damage in there.
One level of Barbarian or Bloodrager and one Extra Rage is enough for 12 rounds/day of normal Rage, and Extra Rage grants +6 rounds/day as many times as needed if 12 isn't enough.
If you want to go Two-Weapon (since you've got a ton of static damage and ability score buffs), you can use the Artful Dodge feat to use INT for TWF prerequisites.
Witch Hexes are used for utility - like the truly awesome Gift of Consumption and Greater Gift of Consumption hexes (flip Fortitude attacks onto enemies). Also Flight Hex, though a Witch can just cast Fly (and eventually Overland Flight).
Witch spellcasting offers plenty of great things - and you can pick up Dimensional Dervish pretty easily.
Strength Patron grants Divine Favor. Adding Divine Favor (possibly also Divine Power) to a Dragon Disciple is truly monstrous. Throw a +4 to attack and damage in there.
Interesting, that witch build. But how do you get +4 with Divine Favor? Fates Favored?
Interesting, that witch build. But how do you get +4 with Divine Favor? Fates Favored?Strength Patron grants Divine Favor. Adding Divine Favor (possibly also Divine Power) to a Dragon Disciple is truly monstrous. Throw a +4 to attack and damage in there.
Yep. Witch also gets Heroism for 10min/level (or 20min/level with a cheap rod), so that's a +6 combat bonus from spells. If the Witch eventually grabs Divine Power by dropping one more point of BAB (Witch 8), then the combat bonus keeps going up per 3 levels and grants a bonus 'Haste' attack.
This got me thinking about a concept build I was looking at a while ago that takes Dragon Disciple in a very odd thematic direction:
Ranalc's Warlock
Scaled Fist Unchained Monk 1/ Ley-Line Guardian Hex Channeler Witch 4/ Dragon Disciple 4/ ???
Dual Talent Human or Kindred-Raised Half-Elf: 14/16STR, 10DEX, 12CON, 16INT, 8WIS, 14/16CHA
Traits: Fate's Favored, Magical Knack
Deity: Count Ranalc
1M. +Improved Unarmed Strike / +Dodge / (Ancestral Arms or Bonus Feat) Weapon Proficiency: Rapier
2W.
3W. [Channel Energy] / Weapon Focus: Rapier
4W.
5W. [Hex: Gift of Consumption] / Crusader's Flurry: Rapier
6DD.
7DD. Amateur Swashbuckler: Dodging Panache / +Power Attack
8DD.
9DD. ???
->???
Scaled Fist Monk uses CHA for all things Monk, so your high CHA is used for both AC and Stunning Fist. Ranalc grants Unchained Flurry of Blows with rapier.
With a rapier, you can use Amateur Swashbuckler: Dodging Panache and a Blue Scarf Swordmaster's Flair. The Blue Scarf grants the rapier a +5ft. reach and Dodging Panache lets you move 5 feet as an immediate action when attacked, so you can attack from a distance and then foil enemy full-attacks by moving out of range after the first strike (which you get to double your CHA AC bonus against). Against enemies who come to you, you can make a reach AoO and then maneuver away to set up another full-attack dodge. Once you can fly, reach rapier and Dodging Panache is even more evasive (move 5 feet up).
One simple, powerful Witch spell trick is to take a cheap +1 Spellstoring cestus (or two) and toss Ill Omen in there to drop a nasty debuff through a punch once or twice per battle.
Where the build goes after that... there's a lot of options. Prestigious Spellcaster to replace the spellcasting levels lost from Dragon Disciple and have nearly full spellcasting is one power-option.