RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Well, first of all, you're certainly welcome to just go ahead and use a different weapon anyway. The magus class really pushes you toward using a one-handed weapon with a high threat range, but it's a sufficiently well-designed class that you can still do just fine without taking the absolute best choice (unless your GM runs high-lethality games, I suppose). So, feel free to use a longsword (STR magi are a thing) or use a rapier without DEX to damage or whatever else. You'll probably be okay.
As for why the options for getting the same thing with non-scimitars were suddenly taken away... well, you're not the only one wondering that. Doesn't make a lot of sense.
The thing with the scimitar is that one of the mechanically best weapons for magi, whether dex or strength based.
We all know the dex reason (dervish dance, and its relatively low requirements), but for str based, it is a one handed weapon (one that can be 2 handed, unlike rapir) with 18-20 crit range. Since they can crit with spell strike... that is massively attractive. Just think of how there is a 30% chance of getting double shocking grasp damage.
I mean, you could go with a cutlass (exact same stats, no dervish dance, but just fine for str builds). Or maybe something nice and exotic , like a rhoka or estoc. But You just have too much invested in 'one handed, high crit range'.
For dex, there are options like rapier, kukri, etc. Of course, the dex to damage feats don't seem to play nice with their abilities any more, but you could always grab agile. But again- HIGH CRIT RANGE.
Now, going beyond that, there are other ways to make a magus other than crit fishing shocking grasper. Take hexcrafter, focus on a frigid touch/chilling touch build with rime spell metamagic on top... you can make a fine debuffer. If you are more concerned with crippling the enemy, then high crit isn't as vital (although, again- EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE)
So overall point- scimitars are just one of the mechanically best weapons if you are looking at one handed.
The "issue" is that the feat, Dervish Dance, is in a "splatbook" aka "player companion" and those books never get changed. So the DEVs that do the CORE RPG line, that slashing graces is in, probably would LOVE to change dervish dance to work the same as slashing grace. But they can't since it's in the player companion.
"Rapier's Grace" they got around this issue by printing the feat again in a CORE RPG line book and rewriting it how they wanted.
So if Dervish Dance ever gets looked at it'll read the same as the others. But that would mean either reprinting it in a CORE RPG line (very unlikely since it's tied to a specific Deity and coreRPG is setting free) or having the planets and moons align to get an ERRATA for a companion book.
|
|
I made a Magus that uses a two-handed Fauchard (Mindblade archtype so I cast psychic spells and don't use my hands). I can't use spell combat but with the reach weapon I get plenty of extra attacks from Combat Relexes.
I really wanted to play a Magus but refused to be just like every Magus before me. On the plus side I get a free magic weapon and can use the gold I would have spent on the weapon on other areas. Down side is my AC is much lower than traditional Magus
The "issue" is that the feat, Dervish Dance, is in a "splatbook" aka "player companion" and those books never get changed. So the DEVs that do the CORE RPG line, that slashing graces is in, probably would LOVE to change dervish dance to work the same as slashing grace. But they can't since it's in the player companion.
"Rapier's Grace" they got around this issue by printing the feat again in a CORE RPG line book and rewriting it how they wanted.
So if Dervish Dance ever gets looked at it'll read the same as the others. But that would mean either reprinting it in a CORE RPG line (very unlikely since it's tied to a specific Deity and coreRPG is setting free) or having the planets and moons align to get an ERRATA for a companion book.
They easily could have reprinted both Dervish Dance and Rapier's Grace at the same time as they are both from 'splat books' if they wished. I don't see why they picked one and not the other if they intend to 'fix' both.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
|
If you don't care about crit threat, the Esoteric magus uses unarmed strikes and 4K for an Agile amulet is cheaper than a weapon initially (and the fact you can use your Arcane Pool to give it enhancement bonuses and can wear light armor with the Brawling propery) really helps offset the lack of making those unarmed strikes magical).
They easily could have reprinted both Dervish Dance and Rapier's Grace at the same time as they are both from 'splat books' if they wished. I don't see why they picked one and not the other if they intend to 'fix' both.The "issue" is that the feat, Dervish Dance, is in a "splatbook" aka "player companion" and those books never get changed. So the DEVs that do the CORE RPG line, that slashing graces is in, probably would LOVE to change dervish dance to work the same as slashing grace. But they can't since it's in the player companion.
"Rapier's Grace" they got around this issue by printing the feat again in a CORE RPG line book and rewriting it how they wanted.
So if Dervish Dance ever gets looked at it'll read the same as the others. But that would mean either reprinting it in a CORE RPG line (very unlikely since it's tied to a specific Deity and coreRPG is setting free) or having the planets and moons align to get an ERRATA for a companion book.
If intrigue talked a lot about Saranites or the region they live in, then maybe they would.
Rapier is kinda iconic to nobles and so they could thematically fit it into a book about nobles and intrigue. Throwing in a "BTWs even though this book is all about X, here's a reprint of a feat about Y, we just couldn't wait to 'fix' this"
As a gambler, I went with Falcata. The higher multiplier made it more appealing for the burst enchantments the Magus cam apply on the fly. Was not disappointed.
I am playing a Magnus with a bastard sword.
Yup, dex to damage is super tempting but really all a magus wants is anything with an 18-20 threat range, the rest is just gravy.
Yeah... this is honestly a case of 'the system just makes some weapons superior than others'.
For their mechanics, there are only so many weapons you can use without it just being a willful downgrade.
If intrigue talked a lot about Saranites or the region they live in, then maybe they would.
Nothing in the feat relates to Saranites or a region of the world. "You have learned to turn your speed into power, even with a heavier blade." As far as only having feats that are "iconic to nobles", which nobles are the starknife iconic for because that put THAT in.
I've seen nothing to explain why they planned to alter the Dervish Dance but didn't add it to the book that presented new dex damage options and reprinted others. If they couldn't wait to reprint one, why not the other? Seems like the perfect time doesn't it?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I made a dwarf magus that began with a single level dip in barbarian and used a dwarven waraxe. He obviously wasn't crit-fishing, but he could cast enlarge person and then rage and do 2-handed Power Attack. He could also do regular spell combat and spell strike stuff too. Very, very versatile and every combat was fun and exciting and different.
I considered taking a 2nd level in barbarian for the rage power Moment of Clarity, but the campaign was suspended.
I really wanted to play a Magus but refused to be just like every Magus before me. On the plus side I get a free magic weapon and can use the gold I would have spent on the weapon on other areas. Down side is my AC is much lower than traditional Magus
I've wanted to make a Kensai with an Amiri-style Large Bastard-Sword or something to take advantage of their Perfect Strike ability. Large-size +1 Impact Bastard Sword, then buff with Enlarge Person. I haven't looked into the actual numbers yet, but hitting max damage with the damage dice for a Gargantuan Bastard Sword seems pretty rad to me.
I wonder if Dervish Dance just got in under the radar.
Seeing how much Dexterity does for you if you can get Dex-to-Damage compared to how much Strength does for you if you only have Strength-to-Damage, the various Dexterity-to-Damage feats probably really did make Dexterity-to-Damage too easy to use. That said, I would like to have seen Elven Swashbuckler and Magus archetypes(*) that override some of the restrictions on Dexterity-to-Damage, since it fits thematically.
(*)Elves have the Spelldancer Magus archetype, but it doesn't do anything with Dexterity-to-Damage, for or against, other than encourage Dexterity builds by trading out Medium and Heavy Armor; not sure if this archetype was written before Dervish Dance, but it was definitely written before Slashing Grace and Fencing Grace.
To the OP, I think Magus is a good enough Class that you could actually play it without spell combat (use buffs, & use Spell-strike on rounds where you move) and still be competitive.
Also, losing dex to damage on rounds with spell combat isn't the end of the world.
Let's say level 8, 10-str, 20-dex. +2 weapon & +1-Flamng from Arcane Pool, for a +3 flaming weapon total. (oh, and I'll say 1d6 dmg weapon)
Full Attack (with all hits) = 2d6(weapon) +10(dex) +6(weapon enhance) +2d6(fire) =4d6+16. Average 30 dmg.
Spell Combat (with all hits) = 3d6(weapon) +0(dex) +9 (weapon enhance) +3d6(fire) +spell =6d6+9. Average 30 damage + spell.
Shocking grasp adds 8d6(~28) damage, frostbite adds 3d6+24(~34.5) damage plus fatigue.
Obviously this is a very simple analysis. I didn't take into account crits, misses, other buffs you might (will) have on any of the other million things that could affect your damage. But you can see that spell-combat is still worth it even if you're losing some damage from your dex.
Is keeping your dex to damage better? Absolutely.
Is it going to ruin the class to lose it? Nope.
A strength-based Magus can be wearing mithral heavy armor by 7, so it's not like going with strength is a big problem. It makes polymorph more useful too.
Unfortunately, Spell Combat is hard-coded to always require a one-handed weapon and spellstrike is hard-coded to always grant a x2 crit, so scimitar is still pretty much default 'best' unless you spend a feat on katana or something. Not that a 1-in-10 change in critical chance is that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.
As far as Dervish Dance getting a nerf goes, the thing about Dervish Dance is is that you can't do dex-to-damage TWF with it, which was probably the thing that really put Slashing/Fencing Grace in the crosshairs. I doubt they care even remotely as much about it.
Just in case anybody didn't notice:
{. . .}
To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), {. . .}
The only thing I can think of off-hand that overrides this is the Skirnir's Shielded Spell Combat ability (which provides Spell Combat but requires the Skirnir to be holding the Bonded Shield(*) in the non-weapon hand). A Magus archetype that was going to be good with fighting with a Two-Handed Weapon or Two-Weapon Fighting(**) would need something similar, but no such archetype is curretly available, which makes a problem for a Hellknight Magus in an Order that has a Two-Handed weapon as its Favored Weapon -- wonder if the upcoming Path of the Hellknight will have a fix?
(*)Which oddly can't be a Tower Shield, even though Skirnir is the only Magus archetype that gains Tower Shield Proficiency -- seems that this archetype was written by 2 committees that weren't communicating very well.
(**)Closest thing to this is that a Spellblade Magus can create a dagger of arcane energy that can be used in Two-Weapon Fighting along with a normal weapon, but not at the same time as Spell Combat.
^Oops, forgot about Mindblade, whose Dual Weapons ability specifically overrides the Spell Combat limitation.
I really wanted to play a Magus but refused to be just like every Magus before me. On the plus side I get a free magic weapon and can use the gold I would have spent on the weapon on other areas. Down side is my AC is much lower than traditional MagusI've wanted to make a Kensai with an Amiri-style Large Bastard-Sword or something to take advantage of their Perfect Strike ability. Large-size +1 Impact Bastard Sword, then buff with Enlarge Person. I haven't looked into the actual numbers yet, but hitting max damage with the damage dice for a Gargantuan Bastard Sword seems pretty rad to me.
If the character will be human, half-elven, or half-orc you might also consider the Weapon Training Ulfen Race Trait for a +1 trait bonus to damage with Bastard Swords. (And battleaxes, greataxes, greatswords, handaxes, light hammers, longbows, longswords, shortbows, short swords, throwing axes, and warhammers.)