So I will be a player in Wrath of the Righteous. And I am looking through the Mythic options, I really don't see anything good for a Magus. Is anyone going through this AP as a Magus? If so what path did you take and why did you take it? And is it working out for you?
Starting stats
Human Magus
Str 19
Dex 12
Con 15
Int 15
Wis 10
Cha 7
Max HP 14
Weapon Scimitar
Traits:
Adventure Riftwarden Orphan
Magic Magical Lineage (Shocking Grasp)
Religion Flame of the Dawnflower
Combat Anatomist
I have an idea of feats planned out:
Human Toughness
1 Additional Traits
3 Power Attack
5 Spell Penetration
7 Intensified Spell
Bonus:
5 Weapon Focus (Scimitar)
11 Weapon Specialization (Scimitar)
17 Greater Weapon Focus (Scimitar)
Archmage with the Mage Strike ability - sacrificing a spell for 2d6 damage per level of spell is quite effective, especially for a fighter-type like the Magus.
Switch the Strength and Dexterity though, and go for Weapon Finesse, while using a Rapier or short sword. See, Mythic Weapon Finesse lets you put your Dexterity bonus to damage as well as to hit. It improves your armor class as well, thus making for a very effective combatant. (Also, a Keen Rapier would critical from 15-20 which can be quite nice.)
The Scimitar has the same crit range and can be used for time and half damage which is why I am doing a str and heavy armor build rather than a dex based Magus.
Although Mage strike might be nice. Especially with the spell recall ability.
Although a 10d6 shocking grasp for a level 1 spell is also very nice, 20d6 if I crit.
Doesn't matter for the Magus. They get to ignore spell failure chances for heavier armor in time.
Yes, but what I'm saying is why waste three Mythic Path slots for this? Especially as Magus can use heavy armor at 11th level if I remember correctly. But they get their third Mythic Tier when 9th level. They could wait two levels and get to use that heavy armor without penalty.
If he used Mithral Full Plate, it wouldn't be that big a deal as the armor "counts as" Medium armor for most purposes and also allows a significant bonus to allowed Dexterity (which isn't even an issue as he's going for a low-Dex character).
The only class-line in which the Armour Master really works is the Eldritch Knight. And to be honest, two non-Mythic Feats could drop the spell failure rate to 5%.
One thing I want to point out from experience as a Dex Magus, and this might not bother you at all:
A lot of the buffing spells you might consider are great for a Strength-based character, and lousy, even counter-productive for a Dex-based character.
Granted, you may just be preparing nothing but energy-substituted, intensified shocking grasp, but if you want to buff yourself, a lot of options go away because you don't want to sacrifice Dex. Given that your spell DCs won't be very good, you're probably not going to be casting spells that have saves, which leaves you with touch attack spells delivered via Spellstrike, self-buffs, and the occasional utility spell. I was actually finding myself hard-pressed to pick up further spells known that I would ever prepare.
I found it frustrating, but I was also playing the rogue and arcane caster roles, which did mean my character was spread far too thin. So I found myself with very few spells prepared and too many uses for them. If you're not trying to fill any roles other than "stab you with magic", it'll be easier.
Well the party is looking like it will be Magus, Bard, Inquisitor, Qinggong/Zen Archer Monk, and an undecided. So we should be fine with the standard party 'tasks' spread out over everyone.
So I am thinking I will do Guardian with dual path Archmage.
Guardian's call: Absorb Blow
Archmage Arcana: Wild Arcana
1 Armored Might
2 Mythic Spellcasting
3 Mythic Sustenance
4 Arcane Potency
5 Mythic Spellpower
6 Sleepless
7 Cling to Life
8 Sanctum
I am not sure for the last two, maybe just Mythic Sight twice?
Feats:
1 Dual Path (Mythic)
2 Toughness (Mythic)
3 Power Attack (Mythic)
So I am thinking I will do Guardian with dual path Archmage.
Guardian's call: Absorb Blow
Archmage Arcana: Wild Arcana
1 Armored Might
2 Mythic Spellcasting
3 Mythic Sustenance
4 Arcane Potency
5 Mythic Spellpower
6 Sleepless
7 Cling to Life
8 SanctumI am not sure for the last two, maybe just Mythic Sight twice?
Feats:
1 Dual Path (Mythic)
2 Toughness (Mythic)
3 Power Attack (Mythic)
I would not suggest Mythic Sustenance, as you could just get a Clear Spindle Ioun Stone for 4,000 gold and not have to worry about food and water (less if your group has a crafter). An Iridescent Spindle Ioun Stone would help with air, though that is decently expensive at lower levels (costing 18,000 gold). It really depends on how much your group relies on magic items. Sleepless could also be switched out with a magic item, though you may not to want to need that item, or you may want to spend the gold on other stuff.
Also, do not forget that you can take Mythic Spellcasting up to 3 times, though you really don't need to worry about that, as you'll be focused on Shocking Grasp. Abundant Casting may be useful, since, from what I understand, it will allow you to use Shocking Grasp twice for the price of one (so you don't have to spend a many points from your Arcane Pool on casting it).
Re-reading the Champion they have a 6th tier that I really like Critical Master, it works great on my critical focused build.
Guardian's call: Absorb Blow
Archmage Arcana: Wild Arcana
1 Armored Might
2 Mythic Spellcasting
3 Abundant Casting
4 Imprinting Hand
5 Mythic Spellpower
6 Channel Power
7 Cling to Life
8 Sanctum
9
10
Feats:
1 Dual Path (Mythic)
2 Power Attack (Mythic)
3 Improved Critical (Mythic)
4 Critical Focus (Mythic)
5 Bleeding Critical (Mythic)
Also Alleran, Mythic Spellcasting, gives you one spell per tier and retroactively, so at tier 2 I would have 2 spells, then 3 at third, and so on.
And Frerezar, I am not going to be picking up Arcane Strike. To many mythic abilities that I have are swift actions so I doubt I would ever really use them.
I am not sure how high of an SR I will have by the end game. But I could just get a robe of SR or something.
Anyway for mythic spells I know you get mythic around lvl 6, not sure about when you get the second tier, but I have third level spells at level 7.
So the spell list would go:
1 Shocking Grasp
2 Haste or Vamp touch
3 Haste or Vamp touch
4 Fireball?
5
6
7 Transformation (I am guessing around here for 6th level spells)
8
9
10
I really don't know if I can fill the list with good spells, I might just end up throwing darts at the wall. Anyway shocking grasp is a must to get, the ability to still cast spells with transformation makes it worth it. Not sure about the other spells really, fireball and blink look good. Magic missile or invisibility might fill in the gaps well. Blood money + Mythic stoneskin could be a very useful combo.
Are there any feats that quickly restore ability damage? Even without it a spell of lesser restoration would do well. If so that would make blood money crazy powerful.
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OK, I think I have it hammered out as to what I will take.
Level Feats
1 Improved Initiative
3 Arcane Strike
5 Spell Penetration
7 Intensified Spell
9 Elemental Spell
11 Improved Critical
13 Critical Focus
15 Bleeding Critical
17 Greater Spell Penetration
19 Extra Arcana
Bonus Feats
5 Weapon Focus
11 Weapon Specialization
17 Greater Weapon Focus
Level Magus Arcana
3 Arcane Accuracy
6 Empowered Magic
9 Ghost Blade
12 Arcane Edge
15 Maximized Magic
18 Quickened Magic
19 Bane Blade
Tier Mythic Feats
Human Toughness
1 Dual Path
3 Arcane Strike
5 Improved Critical
7 Critical Focus
9 Bleeding Critical
Tier Path Features
AA Wild Arcana
GC Absorb Blow
1 Legendary Item
2 Armored Might
3 Mythic Spellcasting
4 Abundant Casting
5 Imprinting Hand
6 Legendary Item
7 Sanctum
8 Channel Power
9 Legendary Item
10 Mythic Resolve
10 True Archmage
Tier Mythic Spell
1 Shocking Grasp
2 Haste
3 Vampiric Touch
4 Fireball
5 Stoneskin
6 Magic Missile
7 Blink
8 Invisibility
9 Transformation
10 Disintegrate
Tier Legendary Weapon
LW Legendary Power
LW Legendary Surge (weapon)
1 Upgradable
2 Powerful
3 Unyielding
4 Returning
5 Powerful
6 Eternal Bond
7 Foe-Biting
8 Unstoppable Strike
9 Perfect Surge
10 Powerful
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Unless it's for flavour I'd drop:
Armored might
Imprinting hand
Sanctum
Possibly mythic resolve
And I'd tend toward champion arch age combo for
Ch. fleet charge instead of absorb blow
Mirror dodge
Competent caster
Precision twice ( at avg BAB you may need the boost to interview attacks)
You may even consider the kensai archetype and enduring armor. You loose armor proficiency and some other abilities but the mythic easily makes up for what's lost and you get critical and fighter feats earlier plus the added critical and defensive bonuses of he kensei. Mire in int less in con as well for this.
Unless it's for flavour I'd drop:
Armored might
Imprinting hand
Sanctum
Possibly mythic resolveAnd I'd tend toward champion arch age combo for
Ch. fleet charge instead of absorb blow
Mirror dodge
Competent caster
Precision twice ( at avg BAB you may need the boost to interview attacks)You may even consider the kensai archetype and enduring armor. You loose armor proficiency and some other abilities but the mythic easily makes up for what's lost and you get critical and fighter feats earlier plus the added critical and defensive bonuses of he kensei. Mire in int less in con as well for this.
Interesting, I didn't really look at champion, the precision mythic power is crazy useful for my build. I will have to think about the kensei.
It does have its possibilities but the lack of spell recall will hurt. I will have to look into it. The problem is the build I have is going to be useful nearly the entire time, where as kensei won't start getting good until much later. Both builds are terrible at the start.
If you wanted to do a Dex based magus, you could start in Archmage and take mage strike, then take Enduring Armor. It starts out giving you a +4 deflection bonus to AC, up to a +13 bonus at 10th tier. Combined with a high dex and good armor, and you'll have an AC to rival some fighters.
If you wanted to do a Dex based magus, you could start in Archmage and take mage strike, then take Enduring Armor. It starts out giving you a +4 deflection bonus to AC, up to a +13 bonus at 10th tier. Combined with a high dex and good armor, and you'll have an AC to rival some fighters.
While I could work in a high dex Magus, I should already have about 40 AC with dr 3/- by end game. While it is true with Enduring Armor and a dex build I would have roughly 50.
The problem is the high dex based character will take a while to get going and be really useful. Where as the high str build will be useful throughout the entire game.
I will have to build out a dex character and run him through levels 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 to see if this is true, assuming I just interchange the str and dex stat. (30 and 16 by end game, excluding things like the manual or belts/headbands/etc.)
Looking over Kensei, it is terrible from level 1-6, in fact I would say it is damn near unplayable. In fact it is damn near unplayable. If we were starting at 7th or higher I would consider Kensei.
Looking over Kensei, it is terrible from level 1-6, in fact I would say it is damn near unplayable. In fact it is damn near unplayable. If we were starting at 7th or higher I would consider Kensei.
Speaking as someone who's played this AP from level 2 onwards as a Kensai/Black Blade, I think we're going to have to agree to disagree here. Even without fully optimising (Went Strength-based) I'm dealing damage on par with the Paladin of the party.
Yes, a solid crit or a few strong attacks would have dropped me, but that's just low level play in general.
If you wanted to do a Dex based magus, you could start in Archmage and take mage strike, then take Enduring Armor. It starts out giving you a +4 deflection bonus to AC, up to a +13 bonus at 10th tier. Combined with a high dex and good armor, and you'll have an AC to rival some fighters.
It's an armour bonus, sadly. It's still really, really, good, though.
I sorry if i missed it some where but combat casting and mythic combat casting are musts. I'm dming wotr and one player is a magus he is finding it frustrating because most of the enemies have resistance or immunity to all energy types so make sure you have a way to bypass the electricity immunity.
Our magus is a dervish dancing kensei being the nice gm i am, i let him use finesse on the scimitar at level 1 but other then that he has kept up just fine and he would be adding dex to damage now anyway and has much higher ac then he would with a standard magus
I honestly think some sort of Energy Conversion (1st tier archmage) is required. Being able to adjust your elemental damage type (like from shocking grasp) on the fly is vital.
You are not going to want to depend on electrical damage to work, so the standard magus build won't work. If you're going to cast spells on opponents then you will want more spell pen, or mythic spell pen or eldritch breach.
the problem I see with a magus, 9and im building a bladebound one with a bastard sword) is getting around all the fire, cold, electricity resistance...sorry if that's a spoiler for anyone. is there a way to do sonic/force instead of elemental? without house ruling it?
Don't forget a lot of the Guardian abilities are immediate actions and that'll mean no arcane accuracy next turn.
Archmage/Champion is better. Make sure you take Coupled Arcana so you can swift mythic and swift arcane accuracy every turn.
I noticed you will be taking Mythic Spells and taking haste as one of them. I cannot begin to tell you how ENORMOUSLY useful that is. My WotR bard generally casts it on the first round unless we are only fighting the most pathetic of mooks. MY WHOLE PARTY advances with their 80' moves and then FULL ATTACKS!!
I couldn't help but notice that your party includes the buffiest of buffers, as well! I recommend leaving the buff spells to him/her and focusing on killing things.
If you are taking Dual Path (and you should), consider an archetype that trades Spell Recall and take Wild Arcana. Read Wild Arcana! Take a few metamagic feats and trade mythic points for the most ridiculous (that is: highest equivalent level you can cast) spell that you could possibly use right now. Too sick.
Don't forget: Immediate actions are the same as Swift actions. If you use an Immediate action before your turn, you cannot take a Swift action that turn. If you have already had your turn and took a Swift action, then the Immediate action takes the place of next round's Swift action.