The key here is to make good use of the Twisting Fear Vigilante Talent.
Basically, when you intimidate an enemy you also deal your reduced hidden strike (1D4/2 levels) damage to them as nonlethal damage. This only works once per round per enemy, but it's still rather nifty damage.
So obviously we want to apply this each round, but ideally without sacrificing our action economy. Well, that's what
Dazzling Display is there for. Well, and the feats that enhance it.
Violent Display is great - land a sneak attack or a critical hit, and you get to use Dazzling Display as an immediate action. There are a bunch of ways we can do this ever round, more on that later.
Disheartening Display is great once we get Frightening Appearance at 11th level - now we can start combat by making people run away, by stacking our Dazzling Display on top of frightened and shaken to increase those conditions to panicked/frightened.
First, the feats. Violent Display is locked behind a BAB of +6, so it won't be around until 9th level, so for now we need another trick. Enter the
Enforcer feat, along with the
Blade of Mercy trait. Now we just use our attacks to deal non-lethal damage, and get free-action Intimidate. Obviously we also want the Intimidate Skill Unlock, so we pick Signature Skill.
1: Enforcer 3: Weapon Focus 5: Signature Skill (Intimidiate) 7: Dazzling Display 9: something 11: Violent Display 13: Disheartening Display 15: Shatter Defenses
Now, onto the Vigilante Talents.
Twisting Fear is the core of the build. 1D4 nonlethal damage each time you make someone shaken/frightened/panicked by any means.
Shield of Fury gives us Two-Weapon Fighting and Improved Shield Bash.
Armor Skin allows us to ignore armor check penalties for Acrobatics, Escape Artist and Stealth. At 8th level, it also gives full speed in medium armor.
Evasion is nice, we can pick it
Shadows Speed gives +10 foot to land speed, later +20.
Hide in Plain Sight is good for anyone, and we can pick it at 7th level if we want.
Honestly, there's a lot to mix and match here. But I'd go with with the Psychometrist Archetype and just take Twisting Fear at 4th and Shield of Fury at 8th level, with Armor Skin at 14th.
As for ability scores:
If you want to be unorthodox, you can very much just go for a strength-based shield-bashing build here. So good Strength, Constitution and Charisma.
We also get social talents.
There are a lot of options, but you can get a lot out of renown and it's improvements for the +4/6/8 to Intimidate in your area of Renown.
