I am currently in a campaign where the players are getting frustrated that their characters aren't doing as well as they want them to, yet they don't want to change the concept of their characters. Likewise, the DM has given me permission to help them modify their characters to be effective, but I cannot change their race or class. I have already helped the halfing rogue in our party, our human paladin has been doing great from the get go so we're all good there, the last two that need help are the human fighter who has all his feats focused on mounted combat (DM doesn't want me to modify him, so I can't help him right now), but the character I'm having the most problems with now is our gnome magus. I did some stat modification and made him into a dervish magus, but the problem is that he really likes his heavy crossbow and has a hard time getting into melee combat in the first place. Everyone in the campaign is currently level 3, so my hopes are that the magus will drastically improve at level 4 when it can start shocking grasp/spell recall for damage, but I'm still struggling with his love for his crossbow. Aside from getting him use to more melee combat, is there anything else I can do? Possibly change his feats around? Any build advice or special tactics would be appreciated!
Magus cannot function with a crossbow.
Being a dex magus will certainly help.
The Kensai archetype could be useful if he has decent Int. Bladebound can also be decent.
But seriously, gnome? Didn't the player do just a tiny researsh before choosing gnome for a magus?
Actually, I will suggest to take the Cabalist archetype and rule that he casts with Charisma, a resonable houserule for a spontaneous caster and especially an underpowered one in order to make him competent. Choose the dragonic bloodline.
perhaps a myrmidach (magus archetype) wouldn't be so bad for the gnome.
it costs more, but he could do myrmidach and employ "range" metamagic a lot.
otherwise he just needs the generic crossbow feats.
Myrmidach is not functioning properly and can only work with a melee thrown weapon. Avoid it.
I suggest checking the Cabalist archetype and rule that he casts with Charisma, a resonable houserule for a spontaneous caster and especially an underpowered one in order to make him competent. Choose the dragonic bloodline.
Feats could be something like ths for the cabalist magus:
Traits: Magical Lineage (Fireball), Wayang Spellhunter (Shocking Grasp)
1 Weapon Finesse
3 Dervish Dance, Arcana: Arcane Accuracy
5 Spell Focus: Evocation, Bonus: Intensify Spell
6 Arcana: Empowered Magic
7 Greater Spell Focus (evocation)
9 Empower Spell, Arcana: Accurate Strike
11 Bonus: Elemental Spell
12 Arcana: Maximized Magic
13 Piercing Spell
15 Spell Perfection (Fireball), Arcana: Bane Weapon
17 Bonus: Quicken Spell
18 Arcana: Quickened Magic
19 Dazing Spell
I'll see what I can do with the Cabalist archetype, though the Dm is pretty strict on using third-party material period. Yes, he wanted a Gnome, not sure why. I guess he likes gnomes a lot. If I was limited to just using Paizo material what would you suggest?
Malusiocus wrote: I'll see what I can do with the Cabalist archetype, though the Dm is pretty strict on using third-party material period. Yes, he wanted a Gnome, not sure why. I guess he likes gnomes a lot. If I was limited to just using Paizo material what would you suggest? Complete respec to a Grenadier Alchemist, taking Explosive Missile at level 4.
Gnome Crossbow Magus just can't be salvaged.
With Magus fixed, Elf.
With Gnome fixed, Sorcerer focusing on illusions with the Effortless trickery feat. Otherwise Sorcerer focusing on Necromancy spells with the Fell Magic alt racial trait (harder to do until Enervation) or Sorcerer gnome focusing on fire with the Pyromaniac alt racial trait (fire restistance is going to be a problem. Best bloodlines for this is Arcane for the Illusion and Necromancy focused and Elemental (Primal) for the blaster focused. For the latter, take the tattooed Sorcerer if you are allowed (by RAW you are not, but it is an akward ruling that is perfectly fine to override).
With crossbow usage fixed, good luck. A Human Crossbowman fighter can make some decent use of it with Rapid Reload, Crossbow mastery, point-blank shot, precise shot, improved critical and the vital strike feat tree, using readied actions to add dex to damage. Actually a build like Crossbowman fighter 11 / Sniper Rogue 9 is viable, as you will add Dex to damage and sneak attack with every readied action you would take, as you will deny teh target's Dexterity bonus to its AC thanks to the Improved Deadshot and Greater Deadshot.
Since class and race seem fixed, is a different archetype for the class allowed? The ranged spellstrike of the Myrmidarch could help, if he REALLY wants to keep using the xbow. Other than that maybe go vital strike, since full attacks are hard to come by with a heavy xbow, if I remember correctly.
It's certainly not optimal, but better than nothing and it sticks pretty close to his original concept.
A gnome magus with a crossbow will suck no matter how much he tries. What Pupsocket said.
XMorsX wrote: With Magus fixed, Elf.
With Gnome fixed, Sorcerer focusing on illusions with the Effortless trickery feat. Otherwise Sorcerer focusing on Necromancy spells with the Fell Magic alt racial trait (harder to do until Enervation) or Sorcerer gnome focusing on fire with the Pyromaniac alt racial trait (fire restistance is going to be a problem). Best bloodlines for this is Arcane for the Illusion and Necromancy focused and Elemental (Primal) for the blaster focused. For the latter, take the tattooed Sorcerer if you are allowed (by RAW you are not, but it is an akward ruling that is perfectly fine to override).
With crossbow usage fixed, good luck. A Human Crossbowman fighter can make some decent use of it with Rapid Reload, Crossbow mastery, point-blank shot, precise shot, deadly aim, improved critical and the vital strike feat tree, using readied actions to add dex to damage. Actually a build like Crossbowman fighter 11 / Sniper Rogue 9 is viable, as you will add Dex to damage and sneak attack with every readied action you would take, as you will deny the target's Dexterity bonus to its AC thanks to the Improved Deadshot and Greater Deadshot.
Added Deadly Aim in the suggested feats.
Malusiocus wrote: I'll see what I can do with the Cabalist archetype, though the Dm is pretty strict on using third-party material period. Yes, he wanted a Gnome, not sure why. I guess he likes gnomes a lot. If I was limited to just using Paizo material what would you suggest? Also you should be aware tha the Cabalist archetype is actually worse than vanilla magus because the full-round action intensified shocking grasp combo cannot work with spell combat. You need the feat spontaneous metafocus (shocking grasp) in order to make it work which is another feat tax (should probably be taken instead of empower spell, so the blasting power will drop even more).
It is a fine argument to make your GM to agree to implement the archetype.
It will work even better after the first few lvls as Str-based using the Orc bloodline.
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