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The choices I've boiled it down to are the sage sorcerer and the exploiter wizard.
The sage sorcerer is very limited in what spells they can cast and the sorcerer imo is arguably the weakest of the 9th level casters anyway, so its limitations would make for a good vibe.
As for the Exploiter Wizard, in my opinion the arcanist is everything the wizard should have been, and considering the exploiter wizard only gets exploits once every 4 levels instead of once every 2, you could definitely make the argument that they are a bit rough around the edges in terms of mastery.
Kineticist is a fun way to play someone who can only get the hang of a couple of spells but is really good at them. Aether kineticist as a wizard school drop out who only learned mage hand, but is really good at it, is a character I'd like to play some time.
An item mastery focused fighter build also works pretty well. You have a handful of spells available, but you always need a relatively potent spell focus to do anything.
Witch would be not too shabby. Their unconventional Arcane spell list would be thematically appropriate for somebody who didn't get a shot at formal magic training. The Ley Line Guardian archetype is even a spontaneous caster (but still Intelligence-based), with only a few spells known but the ability to keep casting them more times (and dispenses with the Spell Storage Familiar).
I also vote for Eldritch Scoundrel and Magus, depending upon just what kind of environment the would-be mage had to survive in while growing up
Also depending upon environment, Psychic is another option (also Intelligence-based but spontaneous, and the Occult spellcasting and weird spell list reflects somebody who never got the normal Arcane spellcasting training and had to improvise it, especially in a disapproving but physically not too harsh environment).
^But they will reflect somebody who had to start out as a novice and work their way up with no help, which is what I think the original poster meant.
Now if you want somebody that stays a novice, use normal Rogue with the Minor Magic and Major Magic Rogue Talents (and preferably the Bookish Rogue feat).
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^But they will reflect somebody who had to start out as a novice and work their way up with no help, which is what I think the original poster meant.
Now if you want somebody that stays a novice, use normal Rogue with the Minor Magic and Major Magic Rogue Talents (and preferably the Bookish Rogue feat).
You basically got exactly what i'm trying to go for.
I think you could play an Eldritch Scoundrel as an amateur wizard who tries to get by as much by his wits and plucky gumption as his limited casting abilities.
I tried to do this in a campaign once... she certainly felt like a novice wizard... which was my intent with the character after all... but the DM kept referring to her as “the rogue”...
In all aspects of this concept, I think it is a roleplaying style choice... not a class or archetype choice. Sorcerers have magic in their blood, they are magical... sure there's probably a learning curve, but by adulthood you are probably no longer novice. Wizards are the experts on all things magical... they generally don't stay novice for long unless they are stupid and have lazy studying habits.
Exploiter Wizard as a novice? Isn't it arguably one of THE most powerful archetypes in the entirety of PF1?
You can be literally any class/archetype you want. It doesn't even need any actual magic... you can be a novice spellcaster that relies on item mastery feats and UMD. Can't get anymore novice of a spellcaster than litetally no magic whatsoever.
The real question is what is your character supposed to offer the party?
^To put the original poster's question another way, which classes give off the best novice vibes at their starting and near-starting levels? I don't think most types of Wizard are among this list . . . .