So for about 3 years now I've had this idea rolling around in my head that's a Paladin, not because of celestial favor or from will, but because he has a metallic dragon ancestor. a Draco-din if you will.
This is a Non-Gestalt build that takes a 2 Level dip into Paladin and then everything else into Magus (Eldritch Scion Archetype) (STRagus) to Level 16, and with the Magical Knack trait to make up for the lost 2 spell levels from taking Paladin.
So I spent 3 days coming up with a build for this concept. a Paladin who uses a Keen Long sword (or keen Bastard sword with Effortless Lace) , but because of his Gold Dragon Bloodline, has a prodigy-like control of Fire, and So Favors Fire Magic. Of course though, I have made sure to take the "bread and butter" spells of a Magus like Shocking Grasp, Mirror Image, Displacement, Haste, Vampiric Touch, Stone Skin and Corrosive Consumption, and additionally tried to take at least 1 useful Fire spell at each level. Although he has claws a a Draconic Eldritch Scion, they are more of a perk of the build for if grappled or swallowed, favoring the heavier damage and crit range of a sword is all other circumstances.
What I'm looking for is some advice and side by side comparisons on how this build stacks up against other classes ideally. I'm not looking for comparisons for a Combat Monster or completely number-crunched build. I already have 4 characters like that. This is a Roleplay Concept Experiment, losing a touch of power in favor of versatility.
Below is a link to the build. But first, and last, A couple of things to keep in mind: This is not a Level 20 / Level 16 character. This is a composite layout of the character, giving rough snapshots on the build at certain levels, so you are able to see where the character generally stands from level to level. Any other questions, thoughts, suggestions, etc, feel free to respond here or comment on the document itself.
Looks solid. Best advice I'd have is to drop the bastard sword though.
It's not worth the feat to just have +1 average damage over a longsword, and a magus really benefits from 18-20 weapons because they can crit on spellstrike for major damage.
I know it might be a personal "rule of cool" choice (bastard swords are pretty dang cool), but the cons outweigh the pros over just using a scimitar or rapier.
EDIT: Angel kin Aasimar might be your best option for +2 Str/Cha
Cool! Thanks! I appreciate the feedback!
Are you at all interested in prestiging into Dragon Disciple?
I was thinking about it, but the earliest level I'd be able to do it with this build would be 16... which would only give me only 4 levels of Dragon Disciple to work with. Heavy Armor is an intended part of the build. I was definitely looking at it at first, but then realized it wouldn't work with what I wanted to do. Eldritch Scion gave almost all the same benefits without any of the drawbacks.
All in all though, may not be a bad idea, depending on the nature of the Campaign and how the character actually developes. 4 Levels of Dragon Disciple would be +2 More natural Armor, +2 More Strength, an Extra use of Breath Weapon and a Bonus Feat by Level 20.
*(Edit) and up to 4d12 extra HP
Would also be more BAB and d12 hit die