Sacred Fist or Arcane Monk build

[Troxber]

If I wanted to make someone who was able to fight unarmed or with a quarterstaff, but also cast offensive spells, how would you suggest I build that character? I'm partial to the arcane classes, but not opposed to a sacred fist type monk.

[1ttffsse]

the 1 level dip in monk for defensive crane feats and ac is a classic on 19 level arcane or divine casters since they go in robes....

otherwise from the top of my head something weird like a sensei /archeologist/dragon d (fire)/eldritch knight who gets access to scorching rays through monk...but that can be somewhat clunky going eldritch knight on this build rather than vivisectionist, but it might work.

[Autocthon]

Quarterstaff EK with a monk dip would honestly be the most straightforward way to make that kind of character.

The question is how optimal do you want to be?

[1ttffsse]

of the top of my head the essentials would look like this:

10 levels eldritch knight
4 levels of dragon disciple
3 levels of archeologist (bard)
up to 3 levels of monk (scaled fist CHA I guess though you could go sensei and get inspire courage bardic ability which you will stack and you can use along with the archeologist buff)
or 1 level monk dip and just go bard up to 5.

start as a monk or dip early to boost some defenses then go into dragon dis when your spell progression allows it to get to level 3 spells and unlock eldritch knight, then go eldritch knight 10 when that is unlocked. basically, you will be an off tank? with enlarge person on you you should stay relatively safe behind a main tank.