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Pathfinder Rules You Don't Like

Creatures Size Rules. An enlarged creature doesn't even have an increased speed. Also 5ft steps are the same for every size. The bonuses and penalties...

We pretty much houserule all, for those interested:

Be a Sage Sorcerer and focus on INT, then go Arcane Trickster.

Dualcursed (wolfscarred face, deaf) samsaran (gets strong jaw) dark tapestry (or whatever gives you a huge size for most of the time) with an amulet of mighty fists with Impact property. Then take improved natural attack, improved flyby attack and vital strike line feat as feats.

Add in Aasimar with scion of humanity.

First, let me say that this guide is great, possibily the best one I've seen around cause gets updated and covers many aspects with useful informations for Oracle class players. So, great job here and keep it updated: your work is really appreciated!

Second, this guide and many hours of playing with oracle PCs made me appreciate this class a lot. The oracle class is great, very fun to play and creative. It's the only class I consider to play multiple times and without getting bored, because of the flexibility and adaptability to every concept (thanks to the curse and the mistery mechanics).

Third, I would like to contribute sharing my impressions and game experience with this fantastic class:
- oracle's armor (refered to the tipical armor the oracle can conjure that lasts [lv] hours and gives a scaling armor bonus) is always a great choice, possibily every oracle 7th level revelation (with a duration of 7 hours). Speaking by numbers, at level 7th you will have an armor with an AC of 6, no penalties neither constrictions which can be improved to 7 with a magic vestment spell (same duration!). Also, it's a very useful buff to use while sleeping. By level 20 you can reach a 12 AC bonus + 5 from magic vestment = 17 total armor bonus, not bad at all...
- aasimar, ifrit and sylph makes for great oracles because of the racial favorited class bonus. Unless I'm reading it wrong, possible great uses are: spirit of the warrior [ancestor] by level 11 will give 16 bab, so 4 attacks and a really good bonus to hit, CMD and qualify for amazing feats like dazing and stunning assault (also having a greater DC). By level 20 a 30 bab... Same, but limited, for maneuver mastery [battle]; raise of the dead [bones] will last more and will let you conjure a really strong -fast advanced- zombie (no HD cap); many forms [dark tapestry] by level 10 you will have access to greater polymorph; form of flame [flame] and water form [waves] for even more hours and polymorph by level 9 into a huge elemental form with elemental body IV; mental acuity [lore] for even extra intelligence (by level 20, a +8); bonded mount (nature) calculates your companion using your level (x1.5); spell resistance [spellscar] for quasi-immunity to spells! (level 12 -> 23, level 20 -> 35 SR). The possibilities... I'm not sure about the DC of abilities like lignification that uses level to calculate the DC. In this case the racial favored class bonus of the aasimar might increase the DC by 5...
- halfelf is possibily the best race for the oracle. With Paragon Surge spell, this class becomes the king of versatility

My girlfriend plays an aasimar Life Oracle with spells focused on siege engines and crafting construct in a steampunk campaign and firearms. A sort of Seraphim from Sacred the fallen angel game...
Life Oracle are solid healers, check out there in the guide to the oracle for more specific considerations on revelations.

Oracles. No archetypes really needed, just different curses and mysteries. I am currently playing in a group of 7 oracles: Flame, Waves, Wind, Wood, Metal, Bones and Life. We have the blaster, the tank, the sniper, the trapper, the crafter, the caster and the healer.
For a more D&D traditional group I would reccomend Battle, Life, Lore, Dark Tapestry and Nature.
Also, if you ever heard about Castle Crashers, then Flame, Waves, Wind and Stone mandatory.

I would also NEVER allow it to stack with itself for extra feats and spells. One casting at a time.

Paragon Surge it's a polymorph effect so it is always one casting at a time.

Best thing to do is to use contingency with this to not lose actions or spell slots. Oracles must use paragon surge to get contingency to have paragon surge contingent on subsequent days.

It's pretty obvious to me that you take whatever is worse when you cannot switch between modes of attack

That's exactly the kind of logic I use: you are both A and B, A says you are Ok but B means you should be restricted, so you are restricted. I admit this is more a MTG kind of logic, so maybe for Pathfinder is invalid reasoning...

Rationale for my position on manufactured weapons:

...

You Gauss have always something to say, even when I stole your words! But seriously, a morning star (leaving a part the fact that can have different styles) is more efficient than an hammer underwater, thanks to spikes and rounded ball (cubic or sharpened objects offer more resistance), so it might stand between full damage and half damage (0.75?)...

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This is a continuation of this thread. Some info about underwater combat are in the GMG while the CRB has only a short descriptive text and a table with penalties applying in water-environment combat. Apparently aquatic creatures just ignore the penalties, while land-based creatures take a -2 to hit and half damage while attacking underwater with any slashing or bludgeoning weapon.

James Jacobs stated however that manufactured weapons even wielded by aquatic creatures are meant to be penalized.
The questions are:

Are natural weapons (both of water native creatures and landbased creatures) affected by the penalties? Do aquatic creatures have penalties while attacking with manufactured weapons underwater?

Discuss and FAQ.

Also, Sanakht Inaros don't bite me for this. I understood your position :P

EDIT: actually the RAW in GMG seems to imply that aquatic creatures do not take penalties with neither natural or manufactured weapons. This part is also missing in the CRB, so the FAQ is a request for putting a text in the CRB.

This thread is a follow up of this one, but considering only this question:

Assuming that you are fighting with a morning star do you do half or all the damage while attacking underwater?

Answers so far:

Jiggy wrote:

Its damage is both piercing and bludgeoning, and is therefore bludgeoning. Thus, anything affecting bludgeoning damage will affect it.

Roac wrote:

I'm going to have to disagree with Jiggy here.

I would think that it works like DR on monsters. That is to say, if you don't have both types you can't overcome the DR (or in this case do damage). Here's a relevant quote from the Beastiary: "A few other creatures require combinations of different types of attacks to overcome their damage reduction, and a weapon must be both types to overcome this type of damage reduction. A weapon that is only one type is still subject to damage reduction."

Mojorat wrote:

I think for the budgeoning slashing piercing thing you need to extrapolate logic here.

The majority of bludgeoning and slashing weapons in the game either have to be swung in an arc to use them or in the case of swords have flat blades making them difficult to adjust side to side. Where as most piercing weapons are thrust.

Anyhow i think thats the intent of the rule

Gauss wrote:

My take is that manufactured weapons that have an OR should be able to do whatever is most favorable. Manufactured weapons that have an AND should be affected by what is least favorable.

For creatures the main issues are bite and claw attacks. I can see Bite ignoring the half damage penalty but claws are a questionmark in my mind. However, since both bite and claw do all 3 types at once an argument can be made for the AND statement I made in my last paragraph.

James Jacobs wrote:

That text is pretty awkwardly written, I'll agree.

My take: Creatures that have the aquatic type don't have to worry about those penalties... but ALL manufactured weapons must abide by these rules, regardless of whether or not the creature wielding them is aquatic.

Discuss here please.

The table itself states that these penalties are applicable to LAND- BASED CREATURES. How much more implicit do you want? Do you want a full list?

The 'Any thought?' is refered most to questions number 5 and 7 that are still without any answer...

1) I personally disagree with rays not being subject to the underwater penalties but thats just me.

3) My take is that manufactured weapons that have an OR should be able to do whatever is most favorable. Manufactured weapons that have an AND should be affected by what is least favorable.

For creatures the main issues are bite and claw attacks. I can see Bite ignoring the half damage penalty but claws are a questionmark in my mind. However, since both bite and claw do all 3 types at once an argument can be made for the AND statement I made in my last paragraph.

5) I believe that B is correct. The rationale:
If 5A were to be used it would work like this: You are using a fire within 10feet per level as a 'crystal ball' in order to use clairvoyance. However, clairvoyance does not require this so while this could make sense it is a change.

If 5B were to be bused it would work like this: You are using clairvoyance normally and the sensor is any active fire on the other end. You can see around that fire 10feet per level. This to me makes alot more sense than 5A and is closer to how clairvoyance works.

7) By RAW at level 20 the Wood Oracle would become immune to her own polymorph effects. Bestiary p301 immunity does not offer any ways to bypass or drop immunities.

However, I would houserule that the Wood Oracle could still do so if he/she desired.

- Gauss

1) Can I ask you why you would apply these penalties to rays?

3) Interesting idea. I'm going to make a thread apart for this question...
5) That makes sense. Also, -A- has very limited range, it would be very weak comparing that with the other clairvoyance sense of Wind and Waves oracles counterparts.
7) So immunity to polymorph isn't like having an unbeatable SR?

This is clearly a situation where the text from the GMG should be included in the CRB. Oh well.

- Gauss

Totally. And thanks to everyone for clarification of this underwater combat.

I'm dividing the 3 answers left (3,5 and 7) in 3 different threads, so we can discuss with no confusion.

EDIT: This is the thread for weapons with both type of damage

This one is for natural attacks and manufactured weapons underwater, just to request a FAQ for better rewrite.

Last Bump. Or I'll let this thread die.

I endorse Ravindork's build efficacy. I played a very similar one, but with combat patrol, greater trip and fury's fall (add twice Dex bonus for tripping with a dervish dancer build). Combat patrol helps a lot moving around when surrounded by many, add in combat reflexes and tripping maneuvers for total fun...

So having the aquatic subtype is the way to save a character from these restrictions? Seems reasonable.

Answers so far:
1) rays are not weapons so no penalty underwater.
2) aquatic (subtype) creatures are not affected by penalties for underwater combat (no RAW supporting).
3) weapons that deals both type of damage can either deal full or half the damage, take or not the penalty for attacking underwater, subject to GM fiat (no real RAW, table lacks specifics on this).
4) no deadly aim for bombs.
6) Wood and Metal are intended to be superior to weapon at-fly-summoning/creation than Ancestor.

5) and 7) still wait, here they are for quick and easy reference:

Any thought?

I never played a character with a Strength score lower than 12!

I found this quote from Jonathan Tweet in regard of underwater combat in 3.5.

If you don't have a swimming speed (or a freedom of movement effect), you suffer a -2 penalty to attacks and damage when underwater. Any slashing weapon, blunt weapon, claw attack, or tail attack also inflicts half damage. (Subtract the 2 points first, then take half of the rest and round down.)

Remember that a successful hit still inflicts at least 1 point of damage.

Even if you have a swimming speed, you inflict half damage with slashing or blunt weapons (but not claws) unless you have a freedom of movement effect.

Also here and there on page 5 seems that attacking with natural attacks doesn't get around underwater combat hindrances...

More confusion...
Hit the FAQ if you do think it's needed!

Get an improved familiar homunculus, give him a nodachi and feats like combat reflexes, outflank, improved critical, seize the moment. Then use as a fighter yourself a nodachi and those feats, then flank and fullattack. Everytime the fighter gets a critical (with 5 attacks it should happen 1-2 times) the homunculus gets two attacks of opportunity. If its crits, the fighter gets back two AoOs. This can be accomplished only with someone who has many feats like the fighter class, so it may be considered in a 'contest'.
Or you can butterfly sting yourself after a nodachi critical from the homunculus and hit hard with the fighter's tetsubo, then quickdraw the nodachi to give your familiar the same possibility to do that.
Two handed fighter (archetype) is the way to go.

Forget about number one, I got trapped in the 'X count as Y for Z'. Environment is not an effect, game speaking.

I was thinking living, as in like a tree. Not animated. I know Eberron had Livewood.

Livewood or Liveoak?

1) I think I am confused. Weapon focus feat applies to weapons and is appliable to rays, doesn't this imply that rays are weapons? Also here's a FAQ about rays (scroll down a bit).

2) There's the table for reference. It speaks about land-based creatures and characters, so does this mean that land-based creatures are doomed to not use any slashing or bludgeoning weapon underwater barring freedom and freedom of movement?
As a side note, I read that many people sub survived a whale's tail slap because, even if the tail weighs a ton, the strike could not land effectively thanks to water environment.

3) Ugh, I was on the wave of asking and I mindlessly wrote too much. Thanks.

4) That make sense and that's what I thought until I read Ogre guide to alchemist -sorry to mention- where there was an indirect reference to Deadly Aim feat...

6) Ok, so no love for Ancestral weapon :P

5) and 7) will wait.

As for now, thank you for responding. If others have an answer, write it! Or, please, hit FAQ button.

So here they go and sorry if they are mixed and not related:

1) So ranged attacks underwater have a -2 penalty to hit for every 5 feet square they have to pass, do that penalty apply to rays?

2) Bludeoning and slashing attacks deal half their damage underwater, is this intended to apply also to natural attacks? Does this mean that a squid or a kraken are dealing only half their damage with their tentacles?

3) Assuming that you are fighting with a morning star do you do half or all the damage while attacking underwater?

4) So alchemists' bombs are thrown splash weapons and they hit touch AC, does this means that Deadly Aim feat does not apply?

5) I'm always failing on translating the Gaze of Flames revelation. Does it means:
A. You use a source of fire that is between 10 feet per oracle level and you can see with your normal sight
or
B. You can use a source of fire that is in the spell's range (400 ft + 40 ft per level) and your sight through it is only 10 ft per level?

6) I've read a quote from a developer saying that special abilities can be similar (and actually works the same way) or completely different. So is it intentional that the Ancestor Oracle ancestral weapon lasts only 1 minute per level while the Metal and Wood oracle can use it more times?

7) If you are immune to polymorph spells are you immune to your beneficial polymorph spells? Wood oracles with Tree Form won't like to reach level 20...

Thanks in advance

I'd pick Qinggong if it gave me more. The spells and abilities listed are, for the most part, stuff that I think could be used for better objects or reasons to use your Ki.

If I did the Inquisition, I'd have to take a level in Inquisitor, which I refuse to do. Firstly, I don't like too much dipping. Multiclassing is fine, and when I do multiclass I like to do it on an even ratio, with the only exception of a Barbarian taking a Fighter dip. Secondly, it doesn't seem to fit her as a character.

You can take inquisitions as a Druid just have a look here!

We are using two HR that gives the players more options to increase number efficacy.
One is an increased list of spells that can be made permanent. The other is a quantity of points you gain by leveling that you can use to improve your stats or saving throws or armor class. This greatly reduced the impact of Big Six. This way players who dislike to adventure carrying a lot of objects (or even one) are still competitive with the use of magic or total self relying.

Qinggong monk for having barkskin instead of using the druid spell. Also you might like the Tactics inquisition that lets you add your wisdom bonus to your initiative and to that of your allies.

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Highlevel wizards are balanced IF you sandbag

I just realized that the title ends with sandbag and not douchebag as I was reading. Oh well, I can throw away my well constructed post about wizards with no self awareness...

I had a character who didn't take Power Attack until 6th level. Am I a bad person?

The Pathfinder is a system, TOZ. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Minmaxers, roleplayers, rulelawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it. Were you listening to me, TOZ, or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?

1. Awaken just awakens mind, it does not resurrect so even if it may work on dead trees, they are still dead creatures... Totally doable on damaged trees.
2. Doable. However, wood shape has a target of a piece of wood, I'm not really sure if every GM will consider a tree just a piece of wood...
3. No size limitation.
4. Ironwood targets an object, so the tree before the cast of Awaken can be a valid target, but when you awaken that tree it gains the Plant type becoming a creature and thus no valid target for Ironwood. For Darkwood, no problem here. The awakend tree becomes a Animated object and reading the Animate Object specifics you get this:

[...]all animated objects are made of wood or material of equivalent hardness.

5. The subject of a Polymorph subschool spell does not change the type of creature, so no PAO here.

45ur4 wrote:

I strongly suggest a Synthesist/Kensai.

what's knesai?

evil is allowed. hence the asassin levels from my previous plan.

A magus archetype.

I strongly suggest a Synthesist/Kensai.

Totally, it's part of the fun and immersion. I'm currently playing a Summoner, a Sage Sorcerer and an Inquisitor:

the first one is captain Gray L.(eo) Eon, captain of a Boros unit (we are playing in the MTG Ravnica setting) and he speaks with a loud voice almost the time, even in a stealth action he shouts to his enemies "Please Surrender now!" with an australian accent. The Eidolon speaks with a roaring voice because its form is that of a Leonid, the best part is when the summoner merges into his eidolon and I use a vocal synth to speak with a double voice;

the second one is Mimesis the sorcerer, a scientist and an engineer who often make exclamations in italian like "Fantastico!", "Magnifico!" or "Bravo, molto bene!" and has a large iron construct (Omegawar) he created for help (in and out of game) that speaks like this;

the last one is Alarico Flaminio Benedicto Santa Espada del Castillo, an Inquisitor in a group of bounty hunters that's very religious and even after he kills an enemy, he closes the enemy's eyes and says a little pray for his soul "Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros!" and the like...

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Jupistar you obviously have see invisibility! I hit the FAQ button to contribute.

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You are all wrong. The last and relevant part of the spell description answers clearly all these questions. I'll quote it for you:

from Invisibility wrote:

Emphasis mine.

One of the drawbacks that Cursed Items in CRB have is "Character cannot cast any spells.". Just make a pair of cursed chained +1 gauntlets that has this drawback and put them on the caster while he is sleeping, so he won't receive a saving throw, then put for security a pair of manacles or two cursed locked gauntlets that locks each other...

I've said this a ton of times before, but what I really want is more non-class options.

For example, levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 are empty levels for non-class abilities. What I mean by this is characters get feats at all odd levels, ability score boosts at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, but there is nothing at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18.

I think those levels could be used for extra racial abilities, or new rule sets, like luck re-roll rules, action point rules, hero point rules, bonus traits, skill tricks, etc. etc.

This. And more Oracle curses. And more Oracle revelations, because Oracle is one of the best class from the immersive and flavor point of view!

Oh and more Sorcere bloodlines... The truth is I want more of everything, so more Ultimate- and Advanced- books is my final vote.

I know we're just throwing stuff out there, but I was curious how you get the familiar as an Oracle? I'm not seeing any revelations of the Wood mystery that grant a familiar... how were you planning to make that one happen? I'd probably be really interested in it if you could do it.

Also you can take IEH (arcane bloodline, new arcana) and steal some useful spells like Fabricate and use the Wasting curse to look barky.

Finally, I know you were asking yourself "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?", so I looked for you one possible answer.

Wood oracle, with a Shikigami improved familiar made of wood, that crafts items made of wood thanks to master craftman and human heart of fields bonus along with crafting constructs and siege engines all made of wood, of course...
Bonus points for fighting while in plant form with a shillelagh quarterstaff and with wood armor, sometimes unleashing thorn bursts and being helped by splintering wood golems.

...But a true fire elemental might (an hypothesis) not enter in water because it is an elemental (and it has the subtype) and elementals are entirely made of their element (in this case fire) that would extinguish underwater. The spell doesn't give the caster a creature subtype.

I may be wrong, this is purely my point of view I admit...

Kept. Some of your skills might be unusable, due to the situation, though. (Swim, anyone?)

Actually you can swim just as normal while under the effect of the spell, because you are not really a Fire Elemental, which cannot touch water. You are emulating the Fire Elemental form and abilities and not becoming a true elemental.

The spell doesn't even gain the Fire descriptor so you can freely cast it while underwater (or ativate the spell-like ability in the case of the Oracle).

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- if you don't use finessable weapons and want a better initiative, get a +1 gauntlet of dueling.

- with a scroll of polymorph any object (3k cost) you can have a good and permanent buff, for example to your strenght using alter self or even immunity to critical hits, bleed and sneak attacks (PaO -> polymorph, greater -> elemental body III) if you play an outsider...

- a Quickdraw Steel Light Shield +5 with the feat quick draw will provide a +6 AC increase to any character without hindering it (just quickdraw the shield at the end of the turn and put it away at the beginning) for only 25 k.

- menacing weapons (one is fine though) and the outflank feat actually work really great together in a tactical party granting a +6 to hit and even better with an inquisitor or a cavalier.

- morning star is one of the best weapons, for base damage and ability to get around DRs.

- shatter defense with a lord's banner (terror) will make your enemies within 30 feet flat-footed with no action required.

Maximum Dex Bonus

This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to Armor Class that this type of armor allows. Dexterity bonuses in excess of this number are reduced to this number for the purposes of determining the wearer's Armor Class. Heavier armors limit mobility, reducing the wearer's ability to dodge blows. This restriction doesn't affect any other Dexterity-related abilities.

Also, maximum dexterity bonus is not a penalty...

EDIT: the word 'ability' in this text is used in the word meaning, not the game term, as the wording suggests (any other refered to the use of dexterity in AC calculations).

Druid 6 Monk (flowing for sickened condition or sohei for not being surprised) 1

45ur4 wrote:

Bestow Grace is the 2nd level paladin spell, obtainable as a potion or a wand, and it gives a sacred bonus to all saves (thus stacking with divine grace). Bestow grace of the champion is indeed a clerical 7th level spell/ paladin 4th level that grants Charisma modifier as a bonus to all saving throws.

And is stil available as a Wand if you want. All 4th level Paladin spells are.

Yeah, just sayin' and endorsing the value of having high charisma for higher saving throws (two spells that stack).

@OP: are you interested in 3rd party material? Weapon Trickery lets use your Cha modifier instead of Str to hit under some circumstances...

Just a quick (random) advice: you can't use Power Attack with touch attacks, so do not PA while you are using Accurate Strike arcana...

Marid Style
Marid Spirit
Marid Coldsnap

The spell 'Bestow Grace of the Champion' (theoretically available as a potion or wand) also jacks people the hell up for a few rounds making them Paladins-lite, and thus bestowing all sorts of Charisma based bonuses.

Bestow Grace is the 2nd level paladin spell, obtainable as a potion or a wand, and it gives a sacred bonus to all saves (thus stacking with divine grace). Bestow grace of the champion is indeed a clerical 7th level spell/ paladin 4th level that grants Charisma modifier as a bonus to all saving throws.

Living Menhir (Su): you can place Rune spells (spells with rune on their name or symbol and warding spells) on yourself as you were an object. You can have one spell active at time. You must be at least 11th level to select this revelation.

Rune of Summoning (Su): you can inscribe ancient runes that helps your summoning last longer. Whenever you use a Summon Monster spell its duration is increased by 5 rounds. At level 5 and every five levels thereafter increase the duration by 5.

Solemn Warding (Su): You can call upon the inner power of the magic and form a coat around you of glowing and twisting runes that blocks incoming attacks and grants you a +4 armor bonus. At 7th level, and every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +2. At 13th level, this coats protects you against magic giving you a spell resistance of 5 + your oracle level. You can use this shield for 1 hour per day per oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-hour increments.

Spontaneous Simbology (Ex): as the Lore mistery.

Rune Delver (Ex): you can sense the presence of runes and symbols nearby you. Everytime you pass between 10 feet of a rune spells, you can make Knowledge (arcane) or a Perception check against a DC of 20 + spell level to detect it without activang the effects. At 7th level you can directly look and observe a rune or pass on a symbol without activating it if you have sensed before their presence. At level 13th and every 4 levels after the radius of this ability increases by 10 feet. You must be at least 3rd level to select this revelation.

Work In Progress...

I'm really bored with wielding a scimitar - it seems a lot of builds end up using them for the Dervish Dance feat.

Are there some viable (for PFS play) options to the scimitar for a melee focused magus? I'm planning on building a Tiefling magus (have the racial boon) and was probably going to stay as the standard tiefling (so +2 Dex and Int -2 Cha though I'm open to suggestions for of racial heritages that would work well). I am also thinking about some levels of Lore Warden for the many bonus feats and the melee focus (I want to be heavily melee based with spells used to augment my melee effectiveness)

I'm also considering the hexcrafter archetype but may choose kensai for the melee focus.

Thanks!

Play the Kensai, choose a light or finessable weapon and weapon finesse, then as many other suggested enchant it with the Agile Property. You won't need to multiclass, magi are not that feat-starved, nor a kensai needs more melee focus than it has. Whatever you need to melee, the kensai has it.

Use Variant Tiefling Abilities and ask your GM if you can choose your ability (instead of rolling the d%), just a few that you will like:

• You have oversized limbs, allowing you to use Large weapons without penalty.
• You gain an additional +2 racial bonus to your Intelligence score.
• Your skin is unnaturally tough, granting you a +1 natural bonus to your AC.
• You receive +1 bonus hit point per level.
  

And here some of my favorites:

• You do not need to sleep. You are not immune to sleep effects.
  
• As a full-round action, you can bleed and collect 5 sp worth of precious blood per day.
• You can speak to all birds/insects.
• You heal yourself of double the normal amount of damage by resting.
  

EDIT:

It goes way beyond a simple refluffing in one persons home game. I think I stated my desire pretty succinctly, my desire is for the Longsword (the one in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, the classic D&D sword, one that elves like to play with, elves who were once by default all fighter/mages, fighter/mages being the inspiration for the Pathfinder Magus class) to be the most statistically powerful Magus weapon.

In one way it is... Possible. Magi have problems bypassing SR past level 10. Well in a high level campaign, you can choose the Rod Wielder magus arcana to add the magus' Int modifier to overcome enemies SR while spellstriking with a rod. The best rod to use in combat that I know is the Rod of Lordly Might which can turn into a Longsword (use arcane pool to enhance the sword). The longsword here is the most suitable weapon for the magus.

Also with the feat Iomedaean Sword Oath and the Kensai class feature Fighter Training you may have a fighter level equal to magus level +1...

What level? A 10th level ninja can select Unarmed Combat Mastery as a master trick. This gives the ninja the unarmed strike damage dice of a monk equal to his ninja levels -4. That is in addition to 5d6 sneak attack at that level. Might be an option.

Master Arminas

I support this concept.

Add in bludegeoner, sap adept, sap master, enforcer, weapon focus (rogue talent), weapon finesse (rouge talent), dazzling display and shatter defenses.
Or take the Scout archetype and save feats for Two-weapon fighting.
Or, again, play a Scout Rake Rogue and take unarmed combat training (ninja trick with rogue talent), bludgeoner sap adept and sap master...

-That flat-footed enemies don't get to add Dex modifier to their CMD, so Shatter Defense and other feats like that, are really useful for high-level characters using combat maneuvers.
-That enemies that lose Dex bonus to AC might lose it also to CMD (though I'm not really sure about this, but according to this old thread it is plausible).

It's a very good, fun, balanced and flavorful class. Maybe, Fighter Training might be removed and Improved Spell Recall moved to level 10...