Classes from the Advanced Class Guide now on Pathfinder SRD

[Libertad]

Here they are.

I know that there's a comparison thread between Arcanist/UA Gestalt Sorcerer/Wizard, but I'd like this thread to evaluate the classes on their own merits within the Pathfinder ruleset.

What do you think?

[Nanshork]

Well there goes the rest of my workday...

[Nanshork]

I really like what they did with the Brawler and the Hunter.

[Garryl]

I've only skimmed a few of them, but I like what I'm seeing so far.

[Calico]

I'm of the humble opinion that the investigator is a steaming pile of crap.  I liked the slayer, and the brawler.  The latter of those two may be skewed a bit toward the powerful end of the mundane melee spectrum, so I won't be surprised if it gets nerfed.  I was surprised by how much I liked the bloodrager and the skald because the notion of combining barbarian with spellcasters had me flashing back to the 3.5 rage mage.  The shaman was kinda meh.  It seemed about on par with the witch for power level, though I didn't take a real close look at its spell list.  The swashbuckler is pretty much a melee focused gunslinger, so whatever you thought about that class, and not the gun rules themselves, will probably apply here.  The hunter disappointed me with its focus on the animal companion.  I'm not sure how it will hold up mechanically.  I haven't taken much of a look at the warpriest yet.  It looks more like a paladin/cleric rather than the purported fighter/cleric, maybe with a bit of monk thrown in for seasoning.

The arcanist was interesting and provides flexibility that I would have previously believed obscene.  Since then I've played both an oracle and a sorcerer with Paragon Surge.  Now the arcanist just seems like it wouldn't have enough staying power.  Without archetypes it will only have as many spells as a Universalist wizard, something I've never actually seen played because giving up 1 spell per day of every level isn't worth it.  Also I was not particularly impressed with the various exploits.  A great number of them are so-so blast substitutes that take the equivalent of a level 1 spell slot and can't be modified with metamagic.

[Libertad]

The Arcanist's Quick Study Exploit effectively allows the class to switch out prepared spells.

Quick Study (Su): The arcanist can prepare a spell in place of an existing spell by expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir. Using this ability is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. The arcanist must be able to reference her spellbook when using this ability. The spell prepared must be of the same level as the spell being replaced.

[Calico]

One of the better exploits to be certain.  The campaign I'm playing in will have two Slayers joining the party next week, one focusing on ranged, one on melee.  I'll let y'all know how it goes.

[phaedrusxy]

Just looking around in the SRD, it seems like there are some amazing options for other core/base classes which seem to be from this book. The Spirit Guide archetype for the Oracle looks incredibly good to me. It lets you bind one of the spirits from the shaman class, which basically gives you a domain that you get to change every day.

 You also get to choose one hex from the spirit, and a few other things. One of the hexes available gives you Clairvoyance/Clairaudience at will as a standard action (Wind Spirit)! Another lets you choose a number of sorc/wiz spells equal to your charisma modifier as spells known! The Nature spirit has a hex that lets you spontaneoulsy cast Summon Nature's Ally spells like a druid. So this is a way to majorly expand the spells known of the Oracle class, among other things. It looks so much better than the other archetypes (that I've looked at) that it is nuts!

Edit: I guess the drawback is... you're still an Oracle... and you could have instead played a cleric or druid.

Edit2: Working on a build here.

Edit3: OK... so how is this not a better sorcerer than a sorcerer? Here is my level 5 Oracle's spells known:

(click to show/hide)

0th (unlimited): 6 known
1st (6+2): Command, Protection from Evil, Dream Feast, Obscuring Mist
2nd (4+1): Burst of Radiance, Lesser Restoration

Spells added from Mystery: alter winds (2nd), gust of wind (4th)
Extra spells known from Lore spirit: Identify (1st), tongues (2nd)
     + cha mod sorc/wiz spells from Lore Hex
     1st:  Silent Image
     2nd: Defending Bone, Resist Energy, Web, Mirror Image, Rope Trick
Can spontaneously cast Cure spells (as cleric).

[Frogman55]

I retrained my high-level PFS Dervish Magus so that he could use the Swashbuckler's precise strike - it was fun. Sure, it cost 2 arcana (well, 1 arcana and 1 feat), but adding 9 damage to (nearly) every attack was a blast. I only used parry/riposte once though - spending that arcane pool point is expensive when you can't recover them.

The other Arcanist exploit that shines to me is the counterspelling one. Being able to counterspell as an immediate action will be pleasant. There is some talk about whether or not you could use a dispel magic slot to counterspell something of the same level, but I haven't seen a definitive answer there yet.

I to am very disappointed with the investigator. It's like they tried to make a factotum, then removed all ability to be effective in combat. 

Oddly enough, even though he isn't as good as he was in the playtest, I'm looking forward to test-driving the warpriest. Sure, it's limited to 1/2 level + Wis mod, but free quickened self-buffs are not to be sneezed at. Not to mention buffs to his weapon, armor, abundant healing, and channel energy. It just looks fun.

[Keldar]

Have the people bitching about Investigator really read it, or have you just looked at Studied Strike and given up?  The class can get 2d8+10 to hit on every attack at level 20.  (And +10 Damage for what its worth.)  Even before then Studied Combat is granting 1/2 level to all attacks and damage against one foe at a time. That's not small for a Medium BAB class.  Quit letting the trap of Studied Strike distract you, and look at the rest of the class. 

I'm not up on the intricacies of alchemy to really know how that effects the class, but worst case is its a solid tier 4.  (Tier 3 if its alchemy really does measure up to 6th level casting.)  Over all a very solid class to fill the skill monkey party slot, and certainly better than Pathfinder's Rogue.

[phaedrusxy]

Have the people bitching about Investigator really read it, or have you just looked at Studied Strike and given up?  The class can get 2d8+10 to hit on every attack at level 20.  (And +10 Damage for what its worth.)  Even before then Studied Combat is granting 1/2 level to all attacks and damage against one foe at a time. That's not small for a Medium BAB class.  Quit letting the trap of Studied Strike distract you, and look at the rest of the class. 

One crazy thing I noticed is that an Oracle can poach these abilities via the Psychic Searcher archetype.

[Garryl]

Have the people bitching about Investigator really read it, or have you just looked at Studied Strike and given up?  The class can get 2d8+10 to hit on every attack at level 20.  (And +10 Damage for what its worth.)  Even before then Studied Combat is granting 1/2 level to all attacks and damage against one foe at a time. That's not small for a Medium BAB class.  Quit letting the trap of Studied Strike distract you, and look at the rest of the class. 

I missed that it boosts damage rolls as well. It makes Studied Strike into quite a bit of a trap unless its your finishing blow, seeing as how you lose those attack and damage roll goodies once you use your single shot ersatz Sneak Attack.

[Calico]

Have the people bitching about Investigator really read it, or have you just looked at Studied Strike and given up?  The class can get 2d8+10 to hit on every attack at level 20.  (And +10 Damage for what its worth.)  Even before then Studied Combat is granting 1/2 level to all attacks and damage against one foe at a time. That's not small for a Medium BAB class.  Quit letting the trap of Studied Strike distract you, and look at the rest of the class. 

I'm not up on the intricacies of alchemy to really know how that effects the class, but worst case is its a solid tier 4.  (Tier 3 if its alchemy really does measure up to 6th level casting.)  Over all a very solid class to fill the skill monkey party slot, and certainly better than Pathfinder's Rogue.

A very nice bonus to attack, I'd say even for a full BAB class, but hitting the enemy isn't useful if you can't hurt them.  Aside from the aforementioned trap, I'm not seeing a solid way to boost damage built into the class.  That means you'd be relying feats, feats that an alchemist with the vivisectionist archetype could also take.  That archetype completely outclasses the investigator when it comes to combat.  If you want skills with that sort of character add in the mindchemist archetype and/or take the appropriate discoveries.  After that comparison, skills would seem to be the investigator's relative strong point.  What I would be interested in learning, is whether or not it can compare favorably to the bard in that arena.
...
Ok, I was interested, until I had a look at the psychic searcher archetype for oracles that phaedrusxy pointed out (thanks).  That archetype has inspiration, and is only missing access to 5 of the skill related talents, 2 of which it gets the function on half the skills for that talent anyway.  Add in access to the cleric spell list and I am seeing very little reason for a skill monkey to go investigator.  The only real reasons I can conjure is if you're wanting device talent and underworld inspiration, or to avoid what would be a noticeable level of MAD with the oracle.

So it likes half of what it does, it does poorly, and what it does well was also given to a better class.  So while the investigator is tier 4 at worst, and alchemy may well drag it into tier 3, you're just always going to have a better option.

[Keldar]

So it likes half of what it does, it does poorly, and what it does well was also given to a better class.  So while the investigator is tier 4 at worst, and alchemy may well drag it into tier 3, you're just always going to have a better option.

If that's your benchmark for if a class is worthwhile there are only about 4 classes then.  CoDzilla and Wizards trump all.

[Mithril Leaf]

So it likes half of what it does, it does poorly, and what it does well was also given to a better class.  So while the investigator is tier 4 at worst, and alchemy may well drag it into tier 3, you're just always going to have a better option.

If that's your benchmark for if a class is worthwhile there are only about 4 classes then.  CoDzilla and Wizards trump all.

Hardly, he noted several other classes that can do interesting and unique things in that post alone. I just so happens that the investigator is not one of those classes in his eyes.

[Calico]

@Keldar
I realize I phrased that last part badly and wasn't sure how to rephrase it that night so I left it.  What I meant was that for the type of character that the investigator seems intended to be, there is always a mechanically better option even within the same power level.  Paizo did provide a new mechanic with that class, but the flavor niche the class seems to be intended for is better served by existing material and the new mechanic was also distributed to stronger classes through archetypes, leaving little reason, in my eyes, to play the investigator.  Now unless you have something in support of the class, (perhaps something to do with the extracts?  I haven't delved into the list to see if any would be better for the investigator relative to the alchemist.) I shall stop beating this horse for the moment; we've still got nine others that need abuse.

I perused the arcanist exploits again.  Only about a fifth of the regular exploits are the blasts I had previously bemoaned.  From the other 18 we have:

• Arcane Barrier: comparable to False Life
• Arcane Weapon: GMW with a lower cap but the bonuses can be traded for enchantments
• Counterspell: do it as an immediate action
• Dimensional Slide: Su teleport 10ft/lvl as 5ft of a move action
• Energy Shield: Resist Energy with a shorter duration and smoother slower scaling
• Familiar: you acquire one
• Item Crafting: pick an item creation feat
• Potent Magic: boost the basic uses for arcane reservoir
• Quick Study: swap a prepared spell out as a full-round action
• Spell Tinkerer: extend decrease a spell effect by 50% (only once)
• Swift Consume: consume spells as a swift action

And all of these cost 1 spell level of resources from the reservoir.  So I find 11 out of the 23 to be decent which is about half.  Oh, and this list of 23?  Those are your options for the first 5 exploits, before the list expands to include the greater exploits.  That's pretty much in keeping with my opinions of the various talents/powers/arcana for previous classes so I'd say these are better than my initial reaction.  However my main previous gripe with the Arcanist was that it didn't have spell staying power.  Thankfully there are a couple archetypes that address this, and bring spells per day on par with a specialized wizard.  So at this point I'd say I find the Arcanist to be a fine tier 1 caster, that has insane flexibility without paragon surge.  Certainly something I'll consider should that spell be disbarred but the hybrids be allowed.

[EDIT:9/2/2014]
My pathfinder group has played a session with two players using the slayer class.  However, they were both cowardly pansies who avoided combat so I didn't gain any insight into how the class will play.