The Occultist

The Occultist is one of the occult classes and thus is a psychic spellcaster. Psychic spellcasters have a list of interesting features concerning their spellcasting, making it sort of at a crossroad between arcane and psionics from 3.5. The Occultist in particular has an interesting method of spellcasting. It uses implements, foci items related to one of the schools of magic to fuel its powers and its spellcasting. It is a fascinating class and herein will be five builds exploring it in details.

Notes on how the Occultist Spellcasting Works

Okay, the Occultist has possibly the single most complex spellcasting in all of Pathfinder, thus it requires a small explanation.

Implements

Occultists gain implements once every so often. Two at level 1, then 1 at 2nd level and then every four levels after that. An implement is an item foci that contains 6 spells, one of each level of spell available for Occultists (as they can cast spells of up to 6th lvl).

You do not need to choose all the spells in advance, you instead “unlock them” each time you gain a new Spell Level. You also gain one Knack(Cantrip) each time you get a new implement(this cantrip may be from any school as it is not tied to your Implement).

Each Implement is tied to a single school of magic. This means that all spells without exception from that Implement must be from that very same school.

Meaning that an Occultist begins with say an Implement of Abjuration and one of Evocation.

First level, he learns 2 Knacks of any school, then one spell of Abjuration and one of Evocation.

Second level, he gets a new implement and he say he chooses that new implement to also be evocation. He learns a new cantrip and a new Evocation spell.

Fourth level, he gains access to 2nd level spells, so he gains 3 2nd level spells, one Abjuration, two Evocation.

Sixth level, he gains another Implement and he decides to put it in Divination. He instantly gains one cantrip and 2 Divination Spells, one of lvl 1 and one of lvl 2.

Seventh level, as he gains access to lvl 3 spells, he learns four 3rd level spells, one Abjuration, one Divination, and two Evocations. And etc.

Occultists are Spontaneous Casters and can cast any spell they know without preparing. Simple enough right?

Ha!

As if that was that simple.

Mental Focus

You also gain a pool of points called Mental Focus. Each day, you divide those points amongst your Implements. Each Implement has a Resonance that will be stronger the more Mental Focus points you put in it. Regardless of how you subsequently spend those points, the bonus you got from the Resonance at the time of the distribution remains the same for the whole day, unless you spend all the points in that same Implement, in which case the Resonance disappears until the next day.

In addition, you can spend those Mental Focus points to activate Focus Powers, which are also tied to your different Implements. And you can only spend Mental Focus Points spent in an implement to use on a power tied to the same school. So spending a point of Implements distributed in a Divination Implement can only be used to activate a Divination Focus Power.

Each Implement has one Resonance power(which doesn’t stack if you get multiple of the same School) and one Basic Power that you automatically learn when you chose that new Implement, and then each odd level you can learn a new Focus Power between any School Implements you know.

You can lend that Implement to another character, in which case said character gains access to that Implement’s Resonance, but casting spells from that Implement becomes much, much more difficult until you get back that implement.

Also, instead of choosing an Implement when given the option, you can instead chose to learn a Panoply. Panoplies work like Implements for Focus Powers but they do not grant spells(they do grant the usual Knack however). The Resonance power of Panoplies however works a little bit differently. Each panoply has a few schools associated with each and to learn a panoply you must know one implement of each listed school. For example, to learn the Trapping of the Warrior panoply, you must know an Implement of both Abjuration and Transmutation. The Resonance of a Panoply activates whenever you distribute a certain amount of Mental Focus points between each listed School. For example, the Resonance of Trapping of the Warrior activates when you spend at least 4 Mental Focus Points in one Abjuration Implement and 4 Mental Focus Points in a Transmutation Implement.

And that is how Spellcasting and Focus Powers work. I will not repeat it each time for each build so come back here if you get lost. Thanks 😀

The Base Occultist

Occultists are Intelligence-based psychic spellcasters that specialize in summoning entities from beyond and using foci items to fuel their spellcasting, making them the no. 1 expert in Use Magic Devices in the entirety of the game.

Class

Occultist 20

Race

We will go for an Elf as it gets bonuses to two important stats and the best Alternative Favored Class Bonus for the Occultist period. We will also pick the Fleet-Footed Alternative Racial Trait for extra Initiative.

Ability Scores

Round up Constitution if odd, then everything in Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 18/Wis 10/Cha 8

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 13/Int 18/Wis 10/Cha 8

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 13/Int 18/Wis 10/Cha 8

Traits

You are taking Pragmatic Activator and that is it. All Occultists should take this trait so much that it’s a no-brainer. It switches the ability score tied to Use Magic Devices from Charisma to Intelligence. And UMD is your whole damned shtick. Take Warrior of Old for an extra +2 to Initiative too.

Favored Class Bonus

We are taking the Elf’s Alternative Favored Class Bonus for Occultists as it increases our number of points in Mental Focus by ½ each level, meaning at lvl 20 we have a hard +10 Mental Focus which is just the best.

Skills

Use Magic Devices. Perception. Linguistics. Every single Occultist should take all three. Everything else can go in the different Knowledges and Spellcraft.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

Fleet-Footed

Elf Bonus-Run

3-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

5-Orator

7-Piranha Strike

9-Improved Initiative

11-Step Up

13-Following Step

15-Step Up and Strike

17-Combat Reflexes

19-Skill Focus(Use Magic Devices)

Weapon Finesse and Piranha Strike let us focus on Dexterity in melee, meaning that getting a bow for supporting range is not all that bad of an idea at lower levels as our Dex will already be fairly high. Orator let us roll Linguistics instead of Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate which turns our low Charisma build into a capable social character, the Step Up feat chain lets us stick to fleeing spellcasters. Finally, with our high Dex, Combat Reflexes and Improved Initiative make us truly a fast character (+12 in Initiative!) and give us many Attacks of Opportunity each round.

Implements by Level

1-Abjuration, Transmutation

2-Trapping of the Warrior

6-Divination

10-Evocation

14-Illusion

18-Necromancy

The Resonance of Abjuration gives you a Resistance Bonus to all Saving Throw which is fantastic, and Transmutation gives you an Enhancement Bonus to a physical stat! Wooh! That is really good!

Trapping of the Warrior requires you to distribute at least 8 points between Abjuration and Transmutation but it raises your Base Attack Bonus by +1 for each 8 such points. This means that by level 20, if we distribute all our Mental Focus points between Abjuration and Transmutation, we can get a BAB like that of a Fighter. This. Is. Crazy Good considering that we are a ¾ caster. Even only spending 8 such points lands us at lvl 20 at a +16 BAB, meaning four iterative attacks. Just. Shut up and take it. Divination is going to eat a large portion of our Mental Focus because of a great bonus to Perception, but also because it eventually gives us See Invisibility for the entire day…

Evocation‘s Resonance gives us a small boost to spell damage, Illusion can, as a standard action, give us a Concealment effect until the next time we attack, eventually Invisibility. As long as we do not attack…So we can be technically Invisible the entire day if we do not attack. Spells are not attacks unless they have an Attack roll…

Finally Necromancy lets us essentially double the amount of Undead HD we can control at once…

And don’t forget that you get to choose each day how you spend those Mental Focus Points, this instantly makes you one of the strongest Jack of All Trades.

Focus Powers

1-Legacy Weapon, Mental Barrier, Aegis
2-Combat Trick
3-Size Alteration
5-Quickness
6-Sudden Insight
7-Mind Over Gravity
9-Telekinetic Mastery
10-Energy Ray
11-Radiance
13-Wall of Power
14-Minor Figment
15-Shadow Beast
17-Unseen
18-Mind Fear
19-Soulbound Puppet

Boost weapon and armor magic enchantments, give us a Damage sink pool, let us become large for more damage, Haste at level 5, Fly at lvl 7, Telekinesis at level 9. Why is it that Transmutation Focus Powers are so damned good?

Radiance lets us kill Darkness spells, Wall of Power grants some good Battlefield Control Shadow Beast is broken and should be banned but it isn’t so here we are, Unseen is Invisibility and Invisibility is never out of fashion, finally Soulbound Puppet gives you a Familiar and familiars are great.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Read Magic, Shield, Lead Blades4-Resist Energy, Spider Climb
6-Telekinetic Projectile, Detect Secret Doors, Analyze Aura
7-Thaumaturgic Circle, Arcane Sight, Haste
10-Stabilize, Shocking Grasp, Ghost Whip, Twilight Knife, Freedom of Movement, Scrying,
Etheric Shards, Echolocation
13-Greater Dispel Magic, True Seeing, Wall of Force, Telekinesis
14-Ghost Sounds, Silent Image, Mirror Image, Displacement, Greater Invisibility, Seeming
16-Antimagic Field, Greater Scrying, Contingency, Project Image, Animate Objects
18-Mage Hand, Inflict Light Wounds, Spectral Hand, Animate Dead, Death Ward, Greater
Object Possession, Greater Possession

Equipment

A Rapier, a Longbow, a Heavy Shield and the best Medium Armor you can afford.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So…You are the single most versatile build I can think of. You can have both four Iterative attacks while casting 6th lvl spells, become Invisible for scouting, are doing great in social situation, have access to some of the strongest spells in the game, cam fly, can haste yourself without spending spell slots, destroy darkness spells, can obliterate Spellcasters between Antimagic Field and Step Up and Strike. And you can become one of the greatest necromancers in the game by level 18, can summon as well as a summoner via Shadow Beast, have some brutal combinations (Telekinetic Mastery+Etheric Shards comes to mind). And all that is without accounting for your massive Use Magic Device skill which lets you become somehow even more versatile with wands and scrolls of all kinds.

This is just downright not okay, and that’s a base Occultist.

The Chronicler

As Lore maniacs, Occultists are bound to be found in libraries. You could say that they puts on sunglasses, devour books for a living 😁

I will let myself out now.

Introducing the Tome Eater Archetype and the Chronicler Prestige Class. Our Leveling should look like the following:

Class

Occultist (Tome Eater) 10/Chronicler 10

Race

Human, this build is going to be feats intensive. Put that floating +2 in Intelligence.

Ability Scores

Round Up Constitution of odd, then everything into Intelligence

15Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 18/Wis 10/Cha 8

20Point-Buy

Str 15/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 19/Wis 10/Cha 8

25Point-Buy

Str 15/Dex 10/Con 13/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 8

Traits

Pragmatic Activator for Intelligence-Based Use Magic Devices, Reactionary for a boost to our Initiative.

Favored Class Bonus

We will be meleeing a lot so put those into HP would ya?

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Perception and Linguistics are no-brainers, we need to invest 5 points in both Perform(Oratory) and Profession(Scribe). Everything else should go in Spellcraft, and various Knowledges.

Feats by Level

1-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

Human Bonus-Orator

3-Power Attack

5-Improved Initiative

7-Heavy Armor Proficiency

9-Toughness

11-Extra Mental Focus

13-Scribe Scrolls

15-Lingering Performance

17-Combat Expertise

19-Extra Performance

Orator at level one is crazy good for us as it means we start with the Equivalent of Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidation and Linguistics at +7 before our Intelligence Bonus (meaning +11 to +12 by lvl 1 which is immense).

Power Attack makes us a dangerous melee combatant and since Psychic Spellcasting does not require Somatic Component, getting Heavy Armor Proficiency lets us cast spells in Heavy Armor. We gain some Bardic Performance via Pathfinder Chronicler so Lingering Performance and Extra Performance are no-brainers and since we stop accumulating Mental Focus at lvl 10, Extra Mental Focus is great to keep us on track a little longer. As we can feed our Mental Focus by eating Scrolls, getting a steady supply of those via Scribe Scroll is just great.

Implements by Level

1-Transmutation, Divination

2-Abjuration

10-Trapping of the Warrior

Once again, Enhancement to a Physical Stat is bonkers, and the eventual ability to See Invisibility is nothing to sneeze at. Abjuration gives us Resistance to all Saving Throw which is great and Trapping of the Warrior raises our BAB which helps a lot. Conjuration lets our Conjuration spells last longer which is indeed fairly useful.

Focus Powers by Level

1-Sudden Insight, Legacy Weapon, Size Alteration

2-Mind Barrier

3-Aegis

5-Quickness

7-Mind Over Gravity

9-Telekinetic Mastery

10-Combat Trick

Buffing Armor and Weapons, Getting Haste, getting Fly, getting Enlarge Person for large damage, and Telekinesis for battlefield control.

Chronicler

You get Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Performance up to like a Bard of 10th lvl, can perform using not charisma, add a +10 to Linguistics making your Social rolls explode into the damned stratosphere, and eventually summon an army of ghostly barbarians to fight at your side which is epic af.

Spells Gained by Level

1-Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Detect Secret Doors, Lead Blade
2-Stabilize, Shield
4-Node of Blasting, Find Traps, Heat Metal
7-Explosive Runes, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Haste
10-Ghost Sounds, Freedom of Movements, Scrying, Parchment Swarm

Equipment:

A Greatsword and the best armor you can get.

Final Thoughts on the Build

What we lose in spellcasting we gain in Bardic Performance and significantly improved combat abilities. We can stand at the frontline easily with our Heavy Armor and Power Attack, and our spells help our versatility quite a lot, and allow us to trap the battlefield in advance if we can prepare the field to our advantage. We can also replenish our Mental Focus by eating Scrolls which is an extremely funny and yet fairly powerful ability.

The Doll Cartomancer

One Occult trope is that of the cartomancer, who can divine future events and talk with things from beyond the veil via a deck of cards. Pathfinder has an entire lore developed around that idea, the Harrow Deck. And an entire Prestige Class dedicated to enhance spells via said Divination Tool, the Harrower. We will be taking that PrC, along with the Archetype Silksworn. Our leveling will look like the following:

Class

Occultist (Silksworn) 10/Harrower 10

Race

Halfling, which may come as surprising, but they get the same Alternative Favored Class Bonus as the Elf, so we will jump on the occasion. We will also be taking the Creepy Doll Alternative Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

Round up Charisma if odd, otherwise everything in Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 6/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 16/Wis 10/Cha 12

20Point-Buy

Str 6/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 17/Wis 10/Cha 14

25Point-Buy

Str 6/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 18/Wis 10/Cha 15

Traits

Will you be surprised if I say Pragmatic Activator again? Silent Hunter to gain Stealth as a class skill.

Favored Class Bonus

We are taking that +½ Mental Focus thank you very much.

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Perception, Linguistics, Stealth, we also need 5 ranks in Knowledge(Arcana or Religion) and any Perform.

Feats by Level

1-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

3-Orator

5-Point-Blank Shot

7-Precise Shot

9-Harrowed

11-Rapid Shot

13-Arcane Strike

15-Deadly Dealer

17-Improved Initiative

19-Extra Mental Focus

Orator is as broken as it is for any other Intelligence-Based Character, and Rapid Shot allows us, combined with Arcane Strike and Deadly Dealer, to attack enemies with Harrow Deck Cards for a not all that insignificant damage. It is also full of fluff.

Implements by Level

1-Divination, Transmutation, Enchantment, Conjuration

2-Illusion

6-Evocation

10-Necromancy

Buff to Strength to make our damage suddenly surprisingly good with playing cards, See Invisibility all day, bonus to Charisma skills make up for a great start, a buff to spell damage is always welcomed, Concealment and Invisibility all day is just crazy to pass up, and more undead hit dice controlled is extremely fun to get.

Focus Powers

1-Servitor, Sudden Insight, Cloud Mind, Legacy Weapon,

2-Minor Figment

3-Obey

5-Quickness

6-Energy Ray

7-Mind Over Gravity

9-Side Step

10-Mind Fear

Various Buffs and Summon Monster are great, Haste and Flying without casting spells are as bonkers as all the other builds, the ability to cast Command too. But Side Step in particular needs some discussion.

You can Teleport as a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. This is a ridiculously good mobility power and you would be mental to overlook this. This power alone makes taking a Conjuration Implement worth it.

Harrower

So, you can draw cards from your Harrow Deck, and depending on the cards you pull, you get a bunch of additional bonuses on your spell, varying from self-healing to higher Spell DC, damage, or increased caster level. Random effects, but all beneficial to you.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Read Magic, Ghost Sounds, Stabilize, Cure Light Wounds, Psychic
Reading, Charm Person, Gravity Bow
2-Resistance, Silent Image
4-Cure Moderate Wounds, Find Traps, Demand Offering, Mirror Image, Warp Wood
6-Grave Words, Floating Disk, Shatter
7-Urban Step, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Suggestion, Call Lightning, Vision of Hell, Haste
10-Bleed, Grasping Corpse, Spectral Hand, Animate Dead, Dimension Door, Scrying, Hold
Monster, Etheric Shards, Impossible Angles, Possession, Echolocation
13-Wall of Stone, True Seeing, Mind Fog, Call Lightning Storm, Mislead, Suffocation,
Telekinesis
16-Heal, Greater Scrying, Symbol of Insanity, Contingency, Project Image, Greater
Possession, Statue

Equipment

A Harrow Deck, Darts, a Chain Shirt.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Well, this is the main caster build of the Occultist. Mainly intended as a main spellcaster, it is still remarkably good in social and scouting scenes and with it’s vast array of battlefield control, buffs and debuffs spells (which due to Silksworn are no longer Psychic but Arcane spells) we can make extremely difficult encounters feel like a walk in the park for the rest of our party. We can support damage wise with a good combination of spells and throwing weapons, and with the various bonus to spells we get via our Harrow Casting, we are truly a magnificent support character.

The Spymaster

Occultists are based around Intelligence quite a lot, and it is easy to make as many things fit via Intelligence due to this class.

If only there was a combat ability of some sort based on Intelligence. Like Death Attack.

We are going for the Secret Broker Archetype, along with both the Master Spy and the Assassin Prestige Classes. Our spellcasting will take a hit, but our combat abilities will be up the stratosphere, we will also be taking a single level of Witch with the White-Haired Archetype, as this will be explained soon.

Our Leveling should look like the following:

Class

Occultist (Secret Broker) 4/Witch (White-Haired) 1/Assassin 5/Master Spy 10

Race

Human, and throw that floating +2 into Intelligence where it belongs.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Intelligence and don’t look back.

15Point-Buy

Str 12/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

Traits

Pragmatic Activator as per usual, Silent Hunter for Stealth as class skill.

Favored Class Bonus

We will be in the thick of things, meaning that we will require a lot of HP, thus, HP it is.

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Linguistics, Stealth, Perception, we also need to invest into Disguise, Bluff, Sense Motive and various Knowledges, and Sleight of Hands is not a bad choice to round up everything once you have at least one rank in every Knowledge

Feats by Level

1-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

Human Bonus-Orator

3-Improved Unarmed Strike

5-Kirin Style

7-Iron Will

9-Deceitful

11-Kirin Strike

13-Improved Initiative

15-Ability Focus (Death Attack)

17-Extra Mind Focus

19-Toughness

Kirin Strike allows us to add double our Intelligence bonus on damage against a foe we have identified with a Knowledge Check, Orator is as broken as always, and Ability Focus grants a flat +2 to the DC of our Death Attack.

Implements Gained by Level

1-Divination

2-Illusion

Focus Powers

1-Sudden Insight, Minor Figment, Watchful Eye

3-Trap Sense(from Secret Broker)

Detection and Surveillance abilities, which is what we are looking for as a Spy.

White-Haired Witch

So, we gain a Familiar, pick a Parrot for the +3 in Linguistics. We also gain an attack with our Hair, which deals damage with Intelligence. It counts as a Primary Natural Attack, meaning we can combine it with iterative attacks. This will combine great with our future Assassin’s Dagger.

Assassin

We get Uncanny Dodge, Poison Use (dipping our hair in poison for hilarious effects?) +3d6 Sneak Attack and our main goal: Death Attack. By lvl 10, our DC should be 21 which is great.

Master Spy

So, we are le indetectable from any divination ever. Also, it continues leveling our Death Attack starting level 18, but retroactively grants an additional boost to the DC. We also get more Sneak Attack(we are at a fantastic +7d6 by the end).

Occultist Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Identify
2-Ghost Sounds, Silent Image
4-Invisibility, Augury

Witch Spells

5-All Witch Cantrips, Ill Omen, Obscuring Mist, Ray of Sickening, Shadow Trap, Wizened
Appearance, Youthful Appearance, Summon Minor Monster, Cure Light Wounds

Equipment

Chain Shirt, a Greatsword at first, as soon as possible switch to a Assassin’s Dagger.

Final Thoughts on the Build.

Our Death Attack reaches a DC of 34, 36 with an Assassin’s Dagger, more with Tome and Circlet of Intellect. We can easily reach a DC of 40. And with Ill Omen the target must roll twice and take the worst result. Otherwise our Social is through the roof, with a Linguistic bonus by lvl 5 of +19(and it just keeps on upgrading), and with our hair dealing a potential of 1d4+3x Intelligence modifier, and with a more than decent Sneak Attack, we are reaching truly insane damage.

Tomb Explorer

As Occultists are fascinated by lore and history, it is natural that they would be fascinated by old ruins. Enters the Occult Historian Archetype. No multiclassing with this one. We are staying Occultist(Occult Historian) 1-20.

Class

Occultist (Occult Historian) 20

Race: Back to the Elf we are, taking once again Fleet-Footed.

Ability Scores

Round up Dexterity if odd, otherwise everything in Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 14/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 17/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

Traits

Pragmatic Activator, yadda yadda you know the drill. Warrior of Old for a +2 in Initiative which will be of good use.

Favored Class Bonus

We will take that juicy +½ Mind Focus thank you very much.

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Linguistics, Perception and all the Knowledges.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

Fleet-Footed Elf

Bonus-Run

3-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

5-Orator

7-Elven Battle Training

9-Elven Battle Style

11-Elven Battle Strike

13-Piranha Strike

15-Deadly Aim

17-Extra Mental Focus

19-Improved Initiative

The Elven Battle Style feat line allows us to add our Intelligence bonus to damage with Elven melee weapons(including our Weapon Finesse‘d Rapier). Orator because duh, and both Piranha Strike and Deadly Aim for extra damage both in melee and at range.

Implements by Level

1-Transmutation, Abjuration

2-Evocation

6-Necromancy

10-Divination

14-Conjuration

18-Illusion

Again, a bonus to physical stats, spell damage, See Invisible all day, Concealment turning into day long Invisibility. All great.

Focus Powers

1-Legacy Weapon, Mind Barrier, Aegis
2-Energy Ray
3-Trap Sense(from Occult Historian)
5-Quickness
6-Mind Fear
7-Mind Over Gravity
9-Telekinesis Mastery
10-Sudden Insight
11-Necromantic Servant
13-Spirit Shroud
14-Servitor
15-Side Step
17-Soulbound Puppet
18-Minor Figment
19-Shadow Beast

Buffing weapons and armors, Haste, Flying, Telekinesis you know the drill. Servitor allows us to Summon Monsters, Shadow Beast allows us to Summon Monsters but illusions, Side Step lets us Teleport as a move action, Spirit Shroud gives us a bunch of temporary HP and a bonus against Fear, Soulbound Puppet gives us a Familiar and Necromantic Servant allow us to summon an undead temporarily.

Occult Historian

We gain a certain ability at level 12 called Crumbling Strike. It functions essentially like Disintegrate, but as a Full Round Melee Attack. A potential of 40d6 of damage in one round is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. We also gain other stuff like Ruin Reading and Trap Sense but we really are here for that 40d6 melee Disintegrate.

Spells Gained by Level

1-Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Shield, Lead Blades
2-Read Magic, Shocking Grasp
4-Resist Energy, Force Sword, Heat Metal
6-Stabilize, Inflict Light Wounds, Spectral Hand
7-Animate Dead, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Haste
10-Telekinetic Projectile, Object Reading, Find Traps, Retrocognition, Freedom of
Movements, Scrying, Etheric Shards, Death Ward, Spellsword
13-Communal Stoneskin, True Seeing, Wall of Force, Unwilling Shield, Telekinesis
14-Mage Hand, Cure Light Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds, Cure Serious Wounds, Cure
Critical Wounds, Teleport
16-Antimagic Field, Heal, Greater Scrying, Contingency, Harm, Disintegrate
18-Bleed, Silent Image, Mirror Image, Invisibility Sphere, Greater Invisibility, Seeming,
Project Image

Equipment

A Rapier, a Longbow, a Chain Shirt and a Heavy Shield.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, we got all the goodies from the first build except for the high BAB, but we compensate with more spells known and Crumbling Strike up to three times a day which deals a metric ton of damage. Add the massive versatility of being able to do fairly well both in melee and at range, as a spellcaster, as a scout and as a face, and you have truly become the walking exemplification of the term “Jack of All Trades”