Hi,
a few points which jumps into my mind as I read the guide:- how do you get arcane shield feat at 3rd level?
It has requirement: 10th level spellcaster- Why no Power attack at the strength build? (skip this, you took at at level 9, little late for my taste)
- Why no bastardsword for the strength build? sure you didn't get the high crit range (only 19-20) but you can also do good damage if you're low on spells (1d10 + 1,5x str + Power Attack)
Let's face it, sometimes you will run low on spells and then you're back at you're melee/ranged weapon- Last Point, why no combat casting? you will be in melee most times you cast your spells, so why not grab this bonus?
I can only answer the last two question.
1) Because you burn a feat for that and still don't have the 18-20 critical of the scimitar. Just use a scimitar and just eat the lower damage (average 2 damage per hit) when you are weilding two handed.2) Yes combat casting can really help you at low levels (1-3) and give a boost at levels 4-5 but after that your concentration check for casting defensively quickly becomes auto success (mainly due to having 6 level of spells instead of 9), if that's big of an issue for you pick a trait for +2 on those checks.
1) Because you burn a feat for that and still don't have the 18-20 critical of the scimitar. Just use a scimitar and just eat the lower damage (average 2 damage per hit) when you are weilding two handed.
2) Yes combat casting can really help you at low levels (1-3) and give a boost at levels 4-5 but after that your concentration check for casting defensively quickly becomes auto success (mainly due to having 6 level of spells instead of 9), if that's big of an issue for you pick a trait for +2 on those checks.
Thanks for the answer, I agree with your point regaring combat casting, I totaly forgot that Magus have only 6 spell levels. :)
For the Bastard Sword, I think I only like the weapon and I really can't see in real how to wield a scimitar with two hands. ;) So Raw vs. Real-World :)
Another Point is the Power attack description
"This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon..."
From this the +50% Bonus is only with a real two-handed weapon, otherwise it would be phrased like this:
"This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you wield the weapon with two hands..."
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Another Point is the Power attack description
"This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon..."
From this the +50% Bonus is only with a real two-handed weapon, otherwise it would be phrased like this:
"This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you wield the weapon with two hands..."
Maybe you should quote the complete text:
This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls.
Are you still going to argue that it only applies to 'real two-handed weapons'?
Another Point is the Power attack description
"This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon..."
From this the +50% Bonus is only with a real two-handed weapon, otherwise it would be phrased like this:
"This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you wield the weapon with two hands..."Maybe you should quote the complete text:
This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls.Are you still going to argue that it only applies to 'real two-handed weapons'?
Hell, I have to check my eyes...
Sorry for the wrong quote from me.So from optimizing the scimitar is in-fact the weapon of choice. :)
- Last Point, why no combat casting? you will be in melee most times you cast your spells, so why not grab this bonus?
BEcause eventually it will be a dead feat. Plus you can actually spell combat quite a bit without needing to make concentration checks.
Out of general curiosity, what enhancements do you use with your Arcane Pool on your weapon between 5-7?
Personally I find myself throwing on keen every-time. I have a +1 weapon, throw it on there to get a 15-20 threat range, and go to town.
Using the Bladebound/Kensai, so my AP is fairly small.
If the fight is on the edge of doom, I might burn my last point or two to go for shocking or something more.
any thoughts on the whip magus after UC...
whip mastery is tasty
Bladebound Kensai whip magus?
any thoughts on the whip magus after UC...
whip mastery is tastyBladebound Kensai whip magus?
I suppose it would really depend on whether or not your DM would let you get Agile on your Black Blade somehow, IMO.
Regardless, it would be pretty sweet.
I suppose it would really depend on whether or not your DM would let you get Agile on your Black Blade somehow, IMO.
Yeah my group already house-ruled it so that agile can be added as a 2 AP addition at level 5. With keen and similar stuff available, there is no reason a Magus could not reasonably add agile.
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First and foremost, thanks to WalterGM for the great idea and hard work; thanks to everyone else who's contributed to making my build better. :)
Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 01:15 AM: At level 6, consider Permanency as one of your spells for level 19.Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 08:01 AM: A reason you don't want to do this via a spell storing item and save this for a spell you'll use more often?
-JamesWalterGM wrote:
Tue, Jun 28, 2011, 01:08 PM: Don't have one off the top of my head - I'm just used to Dark Sun where magic items are few and far between, even at the higher levels.
I'm far from an expert in the rules, but I thought a magus couldn't cast Permanency from a spell-completion item because it's not on the magus spell list. (Unless s/he is using UMD, of course. But, personally, Cha is definitely my dump stat.)
How would it work for a magus to cast Permanency from a spell-storing item? Wouldn't that require having someone else cast Permanency into the spell-storing item? Is this just a way to get around the "You can only make these spells permanent on yourself" restriction?The other thing I wanted to discuss were the magus spells from Ultimate Combat. A few of them look mighty nice to me, but was hoping to get a discussion going on the subject. In particular, these look great to me:
Tactical Acumen (lvl 2) (Bonus to you and allies for flanking, higher ground and cover? Sign me up!)
Burst of Speed (lvl 3) (20' of extra movement, no AOOs from movement _and_ you can pass through the space of larger creatures? Yes, it burns your swift action for the round and it only lasts until the end of your turn, but it still sounds useful fairly often.)
Walk through Space (lvl 6) (Teleport 30' as a move action? Then unleash a nova as a standard? Seems fairly sweet, but not sure it's worth a lvl-6 spell.)
So, how has the bladebound-kensai worked out for those that have played it? I am worried as what you give up versus what you get. We're about to kick up Jade Regent and I definitely want to do a magus, just not sure of doing only bladebound or also adding in kensai.
So, how has the bladebound-kensai worked out for those that have played it? I am worried as what you give up versus what you get. We're about to kick up Jade Regent and I definitely want to do a magus, just not sure of doing only bladebound or also adding in kensai.
I'm freaking loving mine, but we have not gotten too high at the moment - only level 5 at this point. I'm dealing reasonable damage (dex based) but hitting and getting crits constantly. The group is amazed at my versatility...we are just four players and I'm the first Magus, so putting out good damage with some spells has gotten me some group lovin.
Bladed Dash from Inner Sea Magic is an excellent 2nd level spell for the magus. Use it with Spell Combat to move up to your enemy and make one attack against him, than make a full attack.
I'll second that. I get lot's of use out of Bladed Dash.
Burst of Speed (lvl 3) (20' of extra movement, no AOOs from movement _and_ you can pass through the space of larger creatures? Yes, it burns your swift action for the round and it only lasts until the end of your turn, but it still sounds useful fairly often.)
I'm seriously interested in this one myself. I don't have it yet but I expect it will get used frequently.
I have a question about the bolded part.
Combat Casting **: If you are playing a low level game, this feat may be more useful than I rate it. I generally would shy away from Combat Casting because your magus abilities make concentrating for spells easier.
Why is that? Does the magus have something that allows him to cast defensively easier than other casters?
I Does the magus have something that allows him to cast defensively easier than other casters?
A Magus can trade an attack penalty for a concentration bonus up to his/her Int bonus.
Let me get this straight...
Spellstrike gives you a free attack (As a free action?), so Arcane Mark can be used to give you an extra attack. Is this correct?
That is the subject of some debate. It appears to be the case, but this may not be what was intended.
Bladed Dash from Inner Sea Magic is an excellent 2nd level spell for the magus. Use it with Spell Combat to move up to your enemy and make one attack against him, than make a full attack.
Force hook charge also gets you the same result although it's a 3rd level spell and it works quite differently (both better and worse).
Let me get this straight...
Spellstrike gives you a free attack (As a free action?), so Arcane Mark can be used to give you an extra attack. Is this correct?
Yes it is.
Arcane mark is clearly a touch spell and it clearly can be cast upon people.
For some reason knee-jerk reactions that this is 'over-powered' when it's a strictly less than useful Monk flurry attack.. because you know how overpowered Monks are..
-James
I am not saying that this is overpowered, but i can understand why some people say that it doesn't work. I would allow it but still i can see what those who disagree are saying.
I am not saying that this is overpowered, but i can understand why some people say that it doesn't work. I would allow it but still i can see what those who disagree are saying.Is it a touch spell? Yes. The entry specifies it as such.
Can it be cast upon people? Yes. The spell specifically details how it interacts when that is done.
There's no support for it not working, just desire for it not to be the case for some.
-James
Hey you don't have to convience me, i already agree.
I just say that i see the point of the people saying that allowing that isn't what the intention was, that's why the magus doesn't have any damaging touch cantrips and that's why close range arcana exists. I don't agree with them but i can see their point.
I just say that i see the point of the people saying that allowing that isn't what the intention was, that's why the magus doesn't have any damaging touch cantrips and that's why close range arcana exists. I don't agree with them but i can see their point.I guess that I can't.
Moreover I've witnessed enough blatant house rules in an organized setting where they weren't allowed to have some vehemence against the idea.
Can you give an example to that? i am not sure i understood it.
any thoughts on the whip magus after UC...
whip mastery is tastyBladebound Kensai whip magus?
This thought crossed my mind, too. A "Whip"bound Kenasi seems like an interesting idea. You'd be dealing low damage with a whip, but that's the price you would have to pay for Spellstrike with a reach weapon. They would be really good at battlefield control. On that same note, so would a Myrmidarch (or a regular archer) with Combat Reflexes, Improved Snap Shot, and Stand Still.
@james maissen
Ok that's not cool, organized play is supposed to be played with the rules as they are written and with the specific rulings made for organized play (no crafting feats for example).
Isn't there a place to report such things?
any thoughts on the whip magus after UC...
whip mastery is tastyBladebound Kensai whip magus?
Add in also combat patrol.
So, how has the bladebound-kensai worked out for those that have played it? I am worried as what you give up versus what you get. We're about to kick up Jade Regent and I definitely want to do a magus, just not sure of doing only bladebound or also adding in kensai.
Kensai Bladebound Magi have a hard life at the beginning of their career, because they don't get any arcana 'til level 6 and again by level 12, also they are not proficient with any armor (that's not really a problem, because you can afford a masterwork light armor or haramaki with no armor penalties) and they lose spell recall, putting them in a major need of Arcane Points for Magus Arcana uses, to compensate the diminished spellcasting ability (both the diminished number of spell slots per day and the inability to recall a spell).
You can avoid the Bladebound to retain more Arcane Points and get at least an arcana by level 3 (and the consequent possibility to get the Extra Arcana Feat) or you can avoid the Kensai and take the Hexcrafter.
Using Arcane Mark is not only an exploit that clearly violates the intended use of the spell. It's also a stupid choice when you've got a touch attack cantrip that can actually give you useful combat results.. Daze.
Why would anyone choose Arcane mark over daze if they're looking to get spellstrike on the cheap?
Because its not a touch spell.
Using Arcane Mark is not only an exploit that clearly violates the intended use of the spell.This is simply incorrect.
Arcane Mark has an intended use to be cast upon people (as well as other intended uses). How do I know this? Because the spell specifically details what happens when it is used this way.
It's a touch spell that can be cast upon people. You can use it with spellstrike.
No exploit, no OMG broken, no problems.
-James
After months of reading arguments about whether or not this idea is broken, I still don't understand the point. No one has explained specifically how this works. From reading the spell, what does casting this through spellstrike actually do for you besides magically tattoo your name on the target? I don't get how this is all that useful or exploitative.
After months of reading arguments about whether or not this idea is broken, I still don't understand the point. No one has explained specifically how this works. From reading the spell, what does casting this through spellstrike actually do for you besides magically tattoo your name on the target? I don't get how this is all that useful or exploitative.Using Arcane Mark is not only an exploit that clearly violates the intended use of the spell.This is simply incorrect.
Arcane Mark has an intended use to be cast upon people (as well as other intended uses). How do I know this? Because the spell specifically details what happens when it is used this way.
It's a touch spell that can be cast upon people. You can use it with spellstrike.
No exploit, no OMG broken, no problems.
-James
Spellcombat. Essentially you do your full attack adn then cast sarcane mark through spellstrike to deliver the attack through your sword. You effectively get an extra attack at your full BaB with no consequences other than a -2 attack and an easily made concentration check.
After months of reading arguments about whether or not this idea is broken, I still don't understand the point. No one has explained specifically how this works. From reading the spell, what does casting this through spellstrike actually do for you besides magically tattoo your name on the target? I don't get how this is all that useful or exploitative.Spellcombat. Essentially you do your full attack adn then cast sarcane mark through spellstrike to deliver the attack through your sword. You effectively get an extra attack at your full BaB with no consequences other than a -2 attack and an easily made concentration check.
Maybe I'm an idiot, but I still don't see what this does for you. If you attack with spell combat and spellstrike, you get one spell and one attack/touch spell as a full round action. The higher the bab, you still get iterative attacks, but one of them is still a spell, and one of them is still spellstrike. The rest would just be normal melee attacks. Where does arcane mark come into this situation as pulling off an extra attack?
Maybe I'm an idiot, but I still don't see what this does for you. If you attack with spell combat and spellstrike, you get one spell and one attack/touch spell as a full round action. The higher the bab, you still get iterative attacks, but one of them is still a spell, and one of them is still spellstrike. The rest would just be normal melee attacks. Where does arcane mark come into this situation as pulling off an extra attack?
Actually you get two attacks from level one. One from your regular attack adn one from your spellstrike. It's basically getting a free hasted attack from a cantrip.
I was under the impression that arcane mark doesn't work because it is a range:touch not a ranged touch attack...a distinction that makes it unusable with spellstrike. Is that not the case?
Edit: meant "range:touch not a touch attack" didn't mean to put ranged in there
Yea i didn't mean to say ranged... what I was referring to is that Arcane Mark is not an attack spell. The only cantrip you would be able to use is ray of frost, and that would require close range.
Yea i didn't mean to say ranged... what I was referring to is that Arcane Mark is not an attack spell. The only cantrip you would be able to use is ray of frost, and that would require close range.
Why isn't it an attack spell?
I can see a lot of reasons marking a foe with a series of characters would be highly beneficial. For instance, lycanthropes or shapeshifters? One swing, an invisible mark, and now they show up under Detect Magic no matter what form they take.