My suggestions for the magus


Round 1: Magus


Assuming that the class layout is roughly fine for people I would suggest the following tweaks to them:

1. Spellstrike: allow as a standard action the magus to cast a 1 standard action casting time touch spell and then at any time during that round make a melee attack as a free action that would deliver the spell as well as whatever damage it would normally do. If holding a charge on a touch spell allow it to be delivered via normal melee attack.

In essence this would work much like any normal caster being able to cast a touch spell then at any time during that round attempt to deliver it as a free action with a melee touch attack. And if holding a charge on a touch spell being able to deliver it via an unarmed strike or natural weapon attack.

2. Spell combat: remove the forced concentration check, many times this will be needed anyway.. but remove the arbitrary requirement for it. Also remove the penalty to hit when using it.

Limited resources of the magus' bard casting will hold this in check. At higher levels the penalty is lessened and removed- the levels where this power is increasingly strong. At low levels its currently near useless, and certainly not worth the burn on the resources.

3. Magus arcana: don't fuel it via spell slots, rather fuel them via swift actions.

Much like an inquisitor can burn swift actions for bonuses, let the magus do likewise. The power level of the arcana imho should be around the same value as it seems to fill the same niche.

4. Alter the 10th level ability to have magus levels count as 1/2 ftr levels for feats. Change this to magus level-3 and have it start at magus level 7.

We've learned that in 3e having things progress at 1/2 the rate of another class is a mistake. Paizo has fully embraced this with the skills overhaul and Paladin/Ranger casting level. I applaud them for this realization as WotC never did. Now extend that realization here.

5. Spell list: play with the spell list to include some spells at a reduced level for magi as opposed to wizards.

Some tweaking here needs to be done. Currently its a much reduced list, while all the other 2/3 casters have spells that take this into account. Both the narrow focus of the spells and the increasingly lower relative spell power to a full wizard is too much.

-James


1. Yes.

2. Yes.

3. Probably, but still needs to interact with the spell system.

4. I don't know why this matters. They already have quite a few feats to take.

5. Yes.


Velderan wrote:


3. Probably, but still needs to interact with the spell system.

Why? The inquisitor's judgment ability doesn't have to interact with the spell system... why fuel this off the magus spells?

We allow any arcane caster to take a feat to add damage to their melee attacks with a swift action, why not let the magus do likewise with other things via swift actions and class features?

Velderan wrote:


4. I don't know why this matters. They already have quite a few feats to take.

It just is bad form. We've evolved away from 1/2 progressions and I don't like seeing it try to come back.

-James


james maissen wrote:
Velderan wrote:


3. Probably, but still needs to interact with the spell system.

Why? The inquisitor's judgment ability doesn't have to interact with the spell system... why fuel this off the magus spells?

We allow any arcane caster to take a feat to add damage to their melee attacks with a swift action, why not let the magus do likewise with other things via swift actions and class features?
-James

I'm sorry, I don't think I was specific enough. I don't mean that their abilities need to fuel spells, I mean that they need to affect spells.

For example, if they have a number of 'magi points,' they should be able to use them for certain forms of metamagic. (for example, something like burn 3 arcana points to maximize a spell).

Another poster suggested that they use points to buy rounds of spells other than haste (and their haste arcana ability sucks anyway), like blink, displacement, mirror image. Almost like a really selfish bard. That's the kind of thing I meant.

The inquisitor abilities don't really interact with the spell system in any way. They give you bonus to hit, or to damage, or to other things, which works for that class, but the magus is meant to be more of a spellcaster, and so I'd like their arcana pool to be more castery.


Velderan wrote:


I'm sorry, I don't think I was specific enough. I don't mean that their abilities need to fuel spells, I mean that they need to affect spells.

I see you want a few arcana that give metamagic like effects.

I can see that, akin to the sudden metamagic feats. Though personally I prefer that the things like spell shield and the like get revamped.

-James


james maissen wrote:
Velderan wrote:


I'm sorry, I don't think I was specific enough. I don't mean that their abilities need to fuel spells, I mean that they need to affect spells.

I see you want a few arcana that give metamagic like effects.

I can see that, akin to the sudden metamagic feats. Though personally I prefer that the things like spell shield and the like get revamped.

-James

There's certainly nothing wrong with that. My thinking is that stuff like the spell turning parry ability are not only gishy (parrying spells with your sword? Come on), but also give the magus something unique to do. If he had 10 rounds of 'blink' per day, AND could cast and fight at the same time, he'd be able to do something unique without breaking the game.

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