Pathfinder optimisation

[Unbeliever]

but their srd is pretty harsh on casters. or did i overlook the CL bonuses and unlimited damage dice?

(i see the candle of invocation,but thats just one item. its not an entire class/game fix)

Overall, its a relative thing. Everything did become less optimizable, including casters(they mostly got a fistful of filler class features really). Spells are overall much inferior compared to 3.5 options, particularly with the Polymorph changes(though I think they should be Touch spells so you can put them on others), and outright missing options. So while there is caster favoritism, casters got still weaker with everything else.

I think the argument is that while they took away some of a caster's tricks, they took away the majority of melee's tricks, e.g., ToB, really potent Power Attack.  So, while casters may be "weaker" -- polymorph nerfed, no celerity, no incantatrix -- they still have some of their avenues of power (god wizardry, battlefield control) readily available, while melee/"mundanes" kind of struggle. 

I don't play Pathfinder, just occasionally crib abilities from it, so I'm not speaking authoritatively.  This is just the sense of the criticism I've read and it fits with my own casual read of the rules.  PF also seems to confuse "class feature" for "good or useful class feature."  So, there's a lot of flotsam or contradictory abilities whose effects on gameplay are not well thought out.

[altpersona]

believe me, im not saying they hooked melee up and casters are no longer viable..

melee still sucks.
casters still win.

[radionausea]

I'm not sold on Power Attack as a stand alone feat in pathfinder being weaker.  Sure, Shocktrooper and Leap attack no longer exist but they're feats that modify power attack not the feat itself.

(click to show/hide)

Two-Handed Weapon
Level 1
3.5: -1 to hit +2 damage
PF Power Attack at level 1: -1 to hit +3 Damage

Level 4
3.5: -4 to hit +8 damage
PF: -2 to hit +6 damage

Level 8
3.5: -8 to hit +16 damage
PF: -3 to hit +12 damage

level 12
3.5: -12 to hit +24 damage
PF: -4 to hit +15 damage

Level 16
3.5: -16 to hit +32 damage
PF: -5 to hit +18 damage

Level 20
3.5: -20 to hit +40 damage
PF: -6 to hit +21 damage

At low levels the difference in damage is negligible with a large difference in to hit bonus.  As the levels go up, yeah 3.5 power attack is able to dish out more damage (almost double at 20th) but only by taking the full hit to attack bonus.  I'm not sold on -20 to hit ever being worth it

[radionausea]

IME its also easier to get builds allowed in a pathfinder game. Everything being available online means you no longer have the 'its from an obscure book' complaint as in effect there are no different books, just one easily searchable website.

[radionausea]

Ghetto Archivist got better with the ARG. 

Human with the racial heritage feat (or a half-elf I guess but the 16 extra spells from human favoured class bonus can't be turned down) can take Paragon Surge and use the feat granted by it to take Expanded Arcana to effectively expend two spell slots for access to any sorc/wiz spell in the game spontaneously.  Being part of a guild (Inner Sea Magic) means you can take Pathfinder Savant (only go to third level) with no loss of casting plus the ability to use scrolls at your caster level. You get two instances of esoteric magic as well so may as well pick a spell from the summoner list at a lower level (eg. haste at 2nd).

I like doing it with the Sage wildbloodline to have the same feel as a wizard but with potentially more versatility

[StreamOfTheSky]

ARG has a Samsaran race that can trade it's puny skill bonuses for the ability to learn any 6* spells you want that are of the same kind (arcane or divine) as your class, adding them to your spell list!

Hurray for plundering the Summoner, Pal, Ranger, Bard, and/or Inquisitor lists!

*It's 1+ your level 1 casting stat bonus, but the race gives you +2 int and wis, so...it's gonna be a total of 6 spells, always.