And in a gestalt game he's not comparing damage with a standard full-BAB martial but the samurai//rogue who just dices anything that gets within reach of his twin wakizashi,
That assumes on a guaranteed full attack from flank while mine works most of the time without special maneuvering.
Debilitating Injury helps, but first you have to successfully sneak attack your target, which may be difficult if they have a high flat-footed AC or - as is the case with that samurai//rogue - they have an ability like uncanny dodge.
attacking from hidden closes the BAB gap nicely, so it's not much different. If you add investigator for buff, I'd have 2 6th level casting levels of magus spells to buff/debuff. Vanish-truestrike can make sure most Debilitating Injury attacks stick if someone has a truly insane touch AC. And spells that magus have, like web, can immobilize creatures, negating uncanny dodge. Boosting accuracy to the max isn't the only way to hit: you can drag down the foes defenses.
Invisibility breaks when you attack - you can't take Master Ninja Tricks so you never get access to Greater Invisibility. That means one invisible attack per round - assuming that your opponent doesn't have See Invisibility. Smoke bombs are more robust but you need a way to see through your own bombs, it takes a standard instead of a swift action, and they can still be countered by things like Gust of Wind.
But they have 2 classes that can use imp invisibility...
Hidden Strike only works at full strength for the first attack you make in an encounter. After that your opponent is aware of your presence and the damage dice drop to d4s. It's also vulnerable to being negated by the same things that negate Sneak Attack, ie uncanny dodge or inconsistent concealment.
I don't see the drop to d4 a problem and sneak attack is an issue with any build that has it.
You've also got a lot of melee features that are under-utilized if you plan on a primarily ranged build. These include the magus' spellstrike, and arcana such as accurate strike - hitting touch AC would be a great way to get Debilitating Injury onto someone, but it only works in melee. Also, Finesse Training doesn't work on bows, since bows aren't valid selections for Weapon Finesse, which means that you'll rely on strength for a ranged...
The easy way to use those melee abilities is to get Sharding on a amulet and Throwing Magus: punch at range plus get arcane/ki back while doing it. Punch also get the pool ability to 'enchant' their fist. if you wanted to add reach spellstrike or accurate. I'm fine with spellstrike being a finisher move instead of a general damage boost. Overusing a pimped out shocking grasp gets old fast IMO so why not use some spells to buff/debuff?
Finesse training allows for a viable AoO, something everyone should have. Combined with the sharding/throwing, you could 'kick' at ranged and use a finesse polearm to get dex hit/dam on AoO at reach. Even without the polearm, the bow would give more range. Lots more options than 'stand next to target and swing twin wakizashi until one of you drops...
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No, the samurai//rogue does pretty reliable damage. To be fair, my monk//alchemist is a "reposition and pin down" specialist so flanking is easier than it might otherwise be. If he can't flank, he has Two-Weapon Feint - or a Dirty Trick to blind. If sneak attack doesn't work period, there's challenge. Sometimes he flanks and challenges at the same time and that's when things just die.
You can cast extra spells to buff your attacks or debuff your foes. But that takes actions, and since esoteric magus doesn't get ranged spell combat that means you're either spending rounds not attacking OR you have to spend a lot of time prepping your ambush. Or both.
But they have 2 classes that can use imp invisibility...
But need a standard action to cast it, and then you've got dispel magic, see invisibility, and glitterdust to worry about.
I'm reminded of a ninja succubus I threw at a party a while back. She had vanishing trick, Darkness, and maybe smoke bombs. She gave the party a good scare for the first two rounds and then went down pretty quick.
I don't see the drop to d4 a problem and sneak attack is an issue with any build that has it.
But it's a double issue in gestalt builds that have it twice. Very all or nothing.
The easy way to use those melee abilities is to get Sharding on a amulet and Throwing Magus: punch at range plus get arcane/ki back while doing it. Punch also get the pool ability to 'enchant' their fist. if you wanted to add reach spellstrike or accurate. I'm fine with spellstrike being a finisher move instead of a general damage boost. Overusing a pimped out shocking grasp gets old fast IMO so why not use some spells to buff/debuff?
I was not familiar with Sharding. That's a neat trick, though a bit expensive. I'm pretty sure it doesn't alter the restrictions on spellstrike and spell combat being used in melee. The esoteric magus doesn't qualify for Reach Spellstrike because they don't have Ranged Spellstrike.
Finesse training allows for a viable AoO, something everyone should have. Combined with the sharding/throwing, you could 'kick' at ranged and use a finesse polearm to get dex hit/dam on AoO at reach. Even without the polearm, the bow would give more range.
I'm getting a bit confused about how you're suggesting building this. I think Bladed Brush would let you use Finesse and Spell Combat since you're using the glaive one-handed, but spellstrike is still limited to your unarmed strike - and as described above I don't think Sharding is as good for the magus as you think it is. Enhancing an AoMF plus a manufactured weapon is also pricey. And even when using reach weapons we get back to the issue of "someone is going to close with you, and you have only a d8 HD and no armour and whoever closes with you probably has very good to-hit and damage modifiers...."
Lots more options than 'stand next to target and swing twin wakizashi until one of you drops...
That's not the samurai's only option, it's just the one that usually ends the fights.
Slayer/Ninja/Investigator.
Perfect saves, d10 hd, 8+int skills, damn near all the skills, full bab, studied combat and studied target bonuses stack to my reading, studied strike and sneak attack are technically separate abilities which means one could technically hit both with one shot for double the damage. You get three pools of talents/tricks to gain from, and so many utility abilities. Oh, and 6th level casting, and there are some fun options on the alchemist spell list.
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Kitsune Vigilante (warlock)/rouge (unchained, vexing dodger) /swashbuckler
Take the fox form feat
primary weapon is 1d6+ 1/4th level+dex+level-3+weapon training+1/5th level +feats for damage + sneak attack that works damn near every time
At 3rd level it's a touch attack that lets you roll an intimidate check as a swift action
The first d6 scales with war priest sacred weapon damage if you take the feat Advamced weapon training
Sneak attack every round is guaranteed by being really small and using pinned to the wall feet. The ground counts as a wall
You also have casting up to 6th level wizard spells
Spend rogue talents on
ki pool for extra attacks and occasionally a bonus to stealth or just going flat invisible
familiars are cool
Anything that enhances your sneak attack, climb checks, acrobatics checks or defenses
Vigilante talents are good to spend on social stuff and elemental armor and arcane striker
In effect you get this tiny fox that hops off the wizard's shoulder as you charge the mate, you laugh because he must be really desperate if he sending his familiar at you, but then blades of pure energy appear and he wraps himself in lightning as he tackles you, slicing at your most vulnerable parts and being damn near impossible to hit
Evil Campaign 3 class Gestalt campaign?
Race: Kasatha (4 arms, get TWF and two Greatswords and two bucklers)
Anti-Paladin 20, Cross-blooded (Orc/Dragon) Sorcerer1 w/ Evocation-Admixture or Necromancy Wizard19, Vitalist1 w/ Student Surge Wilder19
Cha=Str > Int > Wis=Con > Dex
Get Extra Cruelties and Extra Touch of Corruption feat for Anti-Paladin. With 4 arms, you can have all kinds of fun with Touch Attacks and have some absolutely insane debuffs, and afflict these on creatures that are normally immune to these effects.
Cross Blooded Sorc1 for obvious reasons. Evocation-Admixture for blasting, Necromancy for a small army of undead. Necromancy Wizard would fit better than Evocation-Admixture for action economy (imho). So, your choice.
Vitalist1 for Collective Healing, Student Surge Wilder19 (Use the same build as the Chaotic Wilder I mentioned earlier, except add 5 more free EK's for your improved surge bond). Heal everyone as free actions whenever they cause healing or ability score restoration with collective healing (even with others drink potions), and nuke like a champ when you need to.
Instead of Necromancy school for Wizard, consider the same build but with Cross-blooded Sorc20 with Undead/Pestilence bloodlines. That could be really fun inflicting Mummy Rot with every touch and every attack with a 10 + 1/2 lvl + Cha Fort DC save as a 4 armed, 2x Greatsword Swinging, Full BAB Anti-paladin.
Since you're crossblooded, you can pick and choose the best parts of each bloodline as your Sorc levels. You get a -2 Will, but you'll make up for it with +Cha to Saves from Anti-paladin.
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Undead Bloodline: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines -from-paizo/undead-bloodline/
Bonus Spells: chill touch (3rd), false life (5th), vampiric touch (7th), animate dead (9th), waves of fatigue (11th), undeath to death (13th), finger of death (15th), horrid wilting (17th), energy drain (19th).
Death’s Gift (Su): At 3rd level, you gain resist cold 5 and DR 5/— against nonlethal damage. At 9th level, your resistance to cold increases to 10 and your DR increases to 10/— against nonlethal damage.
Grasp of the Dead (Sp): At 9th level, you can cause a swarm of skeletal arms to burst from the ground to rip and tear at your foes. The skeletal arms erupt from the ground in a 20-foot-radius burst. Anyone in this area takes 1d6 points of slashing damage per sorcerer level. Those caught in the area receive a Reflex save for half damage. Those who fail the save are unable to move for 1 round. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. The skeletal arms disappear after 1 round. The arms must burst up from a solid surface. At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day. This power has a range of 60 feet.
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Pestilence Bloodline http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines -from-paizo/pestilence/
Bonus Spells: charm animal (3rd), summon swarm (5th), contagion (7th), repel vermin (9th), insect plague (11th), eyebite (13th), creeping doom (15th), horrid wilting (17th), power word kill (19th).
Plague Carrier (Su): At 20th level, your touch inflicts mummy rot on those you strike. You can choose to suppress this ability for 1 round as a swift action. You can make a touch attack to inflict this disease on a target, or transfer it as part of an attack with any melee weapon or touch-based spell. The creature touched can resist contracting mummy rot by making a Fortitude save – the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier.
This would synergize soooo well... Omg
Plague Bringer (Ex)
At 3rd level, the powers of darkness make an antipaladin a beacon of corruption and disease. An antipaladin does not take any damage or take any penalty from diseases. He can still contract diseases and spread them to others, but he is otherwise immune to their effects.
Anyone know of a way to get monk to go off int?
If so wizard/kensei/monk would be great.
While not from Pathfinder, there is a feat from the 3.5 era of Dragon magazine (specifically issue 319 May 2004 page 71; in the "Warriors of the Animal Fist" article by Patrick Younts) that has to be taken at or before the first monk level (so first level for this tristalt). The feat is called Kung Fu Genius, and allows you to base all monk abilities off of INT instead of WIS, requires INT 13 and the above stated timing for taking it.
Seducer Witch/ Elder Mythos Cultist Cleric/ Anti-Paladin
Hugely dependent on charisma, but full BAB, d10 hit dice, full armor and weapon proficiency, charisma modifiers added to saves, and three prepared spell lists from three different classes, two of which are full casters. This is a front liner that legends consist of.
Base or weapon master fighter/cave druid/(unchained?) monk. Wis to AC, wild shape to carnivorous crystal, strong jaw, flurry of 14d8 (+ Str + weapon training + whatever AWT goodies you can muster) slams using Feral Combat Training. Enjoy the benefits of massive fighting ability with full casting progression. Great at parties. Feel free to swap fighter for something else (e.g., RAGESLIMEPOUNCE)? Alternately, swap monk for something more fun (psychics are full casters and can wear heavy armor) and go Vital Strike chain (DR? LOL). Or do both--RAGESLIMEFINISH is a beast.
Good luck keeping track of all your abilities, though.