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My own take on this that I posted a couple weeks ago was to simply give the Kineticist a CON-based resource. That way if nothing else they have a real reason to invest in CON and, since they have this limited resource, it can be used to add in a little extra power elsewhere compared to the current "low power but constant" method the class currently uses.
So full disclosure, I have not played Kineticist at all yet, nor have I read through every single detail of the class; I read through the baseline stuff, the default feats, and fire. Along with some air. I'm also not really one for white room math and all that stuff, but I see a lot of recurring comments talking about how CON isn't relevant as a KAS and how people want Burn- in some fashion- to return. However, it feels like people are kind of stuck in a rut of "power at a price" meaning that it has to mean it impacts your HP or CON ability somehow. But instead of that... What if Kineticist had a resource that was tied to CON? Clerics get extra slots for Heal/Harm equal to their CHA modifier. Alchemists get infused reagents equal to level + INT modifier. So there's precedent for this kind of thing already. With that in mind, perhaps Kineticist can get some sort of daily resource equal to their CON modifier that they can spend to boost their performance in some way. How? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe you can spend a point in place of expending your gathered element on an overflow ability. Maybe you can spend this resource to amplify your damage- increase your blast or overflow damage die by one size, add CON and/or level to damage, etc. Maybe you can gather elements as a free action by spending a point. Perhaps for X rounds you get certain benefits similar to the above? This gives Kineticist something that actually runs off of their CON score besides HP/Fort, and it's something that can be used to help Kineticist feel more powerful while also making said power resource-based, thus minimizing what Kineticist needs to sacrifice from its current setup. It also fulfills the "power at a price" theme somewhat since the resource is tied to CON, thematically signalling just how much of this power you can draw out and put to use. It could, potentially, even pave the way for a feat for more traditional burn. Letting players expend X amount of HP to regain the resource, extend it, or replace it after having run out. The idea is vague, I'm aware, but it's in large part because there are a lot of ways that Paizo could theoretically go about it. It's not an avenue I've seen other people offer up though, so I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring with this prospect. Who knows, maybe it's worth something.
I can't help but notice we've gotten "Iconic Encounters" for just about all the current iconics.... except for the Magus. Why is that?
Here I am twiddling my thumbs waiting for Paizo to make a solid Dragoon type Class (or even Archetype) that lets a Heavy Armor PC jump 25-250 ft in the air to deliver devastating aerial attack charges with two-handed piercing weapons. Funnily enough the first PF2e character I ever played was based on this very idea, made appropriately enough for Age of Ashes. Dragon Scholar for Dragon Lore, focused on polearms and took very nearly every feat I could for leaps and jumps. Very nearly almost to level 15, and once I get Cloud Jump holy hell will I be abusing that. Combined with Sudden Leap and felling strike, it may not be "devastating" but you'll be bringing down dragons and airborne foes.
C'mon, let a man dream. Maybe they'll have it work not unlike talismans or magic items; activate it in order to gain an effect on your next attack or something. I know I wouldn't mind wasting a full turn or a Haste spell to make something like this happen. Avoiding the matter of stacking for a single uber-powerful attack is, unfortunately, rather valid. It's not like I'm looking to make a broken "automatically take a single enemy out on the first round" attack; I just really like the idea of that finishing move mixed in with the Magus' own unique flair ;w; Kinda like the level three limit breaks in FF14, I guess. My first thought was that since the Soulforger archetype seems to let you give your soulforged armor/weapon unique properties, using the finishing attack reverts it to its normal form and causes it to lose any runes given to it by the Soulforger archetype. Better have a backup weapon you invested your money into in case you whiff or there's more to the fight. Blatant theorizing though, based solely on the little scraps of info we've gotten.
C'mon, let a man dream. Maybe they'll have it work not unlike talismans or magic items; activate it in order to gain an effect on your next attack or something. I know I wouldn't mind wasting a full turn or a Haste spell to make something like this happen.
Soulforger is, as far as we know, a free archetype that requires either divine casting or 14 Wisdom. With it, you can have a special set of armor and/or weapon that you can summon to yourself ala Super Sentai and Power Rangers. Given examples of the things a Soulforger can do with their weapon is giving your designated weapon the Returning rune and "Thrown 30ft" trait, even if it's a weapon like the greatsword. It's even been mentioned that you'll have a super powerful "finishing move" you can use with your weapon, with obvious restrictions that you can't spam it. Why am I mentioning all of this? For the context that whatever form the "finishing moves" are in, I really hope it's possible to combine them with Spellstrike somehow. Potentially overpowered? Maybe, I don't know. I just hope it's possible because I want to add Shocking Grasp/Disintegrate/Arcane Cascade to my "finishing move" for that additional personalization and flavor. Anyone else have any particulars they're really interested in/hopeful for based on what we know of SoM? Another idea I had- that I can't recall if it works or not- is a Wellspring Magic Oracle. Anxiety personified.
I'm going to echo the call for a book about dragons.
I could in all honesty probably go on, particularly regarding draconic mounts and the like, but I think this list is enough for the time being to give an idea of just what could be explored in a book about dragons and wyrmkind in general. And that's not even talking about the likes of the linnorm!
The kind of thing you're talking about is on a scale they'd build entire campaigns around. But besides the fact that at least some of them are undead and thus have some kind of immunity to disease, the court more than likely has every single member of their families either under tight security or just killed outright. Remember, Zon-Kuthon is a guy who espouses pain and suffering for its own sake, as some kind of art form. Inflicting it both on oneself and on other people, just because you can. Killing, maiming, torturing family members? Wouldn't be surprised if that was a regularly performed ceremony or something.
I wonder how well magus will work unarmed, or with a monk dedication. I just made a character from Worlds Without Number which was essentially this to an extent, and I wonder how well I will be able to transfer her over in PF2e One of the feats from the playtest was called "Arcane Fists" and essentially gave Magus 1d6 and the option to do lethal with unarmed strikes. Magus no longer gets their first feat at level one on account of just how much other stuff they do get, but I haven't seen anything said about them losing this feat. Personally I hope it stays in as well. I like the idea of playing a Magus who can fall back on just punching people if they get ambushed or disarmed.
That was asked in the after panel discord and the answer was simply "no" with no elaboration. There was some indirect elaboration, actually: "Intelligent weapons are kind of a GM decision. They are not an object or slave, they're a person, basically an NPC along with the party with their own motivations and actions in combat, so it's unlikely to really make a player-opt-in intelligent item for those reasons. But a GM interested in the idea and OK with the power boost of those extra actions can totally work with players to make a soulforged weapon intelligent, or I think you could pick an intelligent weapon as your soulforged weapon if you have one but I don't have my file open," Basically because of how powerful they can be and being another NPC for the GM to play and manage, they want to make sure it's in the GMs hands to decide when or if an intelligent weapon is included.
I was already planning on trying "Laughs in Shadows" because of the implications for its teleportation and mobility prowess. But if there turns out to be a gunblade you can use with finesse- because being split between STR, INT, and DEX sounds painful- then I'll absolutely want to try a Starlit Span Magus who can dip and dive through melee, slinging and swinging spellstrikes at any range. Of course, it depends on what Starlit Span can actually do and how it deals with reloading. But the idea itself sounds like a fun all-rounder concept.
While I doubt a full-blown dragon ancestry will ever be a thing- and don't get me wrong, I really do wish it could be a thing, I would be incredibly happy with some kind of not!Dragonborn ancestry or heritage. Playing as a draconic race with all the potential abilities that could come from it would be so incredibly awesome, and I just love dragons as a thematic in general. If we got some kind of Dragonkin ancestry- which are a thing in Starfinder, so precedence is there!- after Magus and to a lesser degree Gunslinger and Automatons- I would have to bandwagon off of other people because everything that I currently want in PF2e would be in. Everything else would be "hey that's cool" or "I agree, I want that in the game too".
I'm going to guess we'll get a book on the forces of nature. We're exploring the countries and the technology and the magic of Golarion, and bestiaries absolutely abound, but a book actually focused on Golarion's nature and ecosystem. Its forests, its plants, its animals, its various climates. Perhaps even more emphasis on the Fey and the role they play in the world at large. For the two classes in the book? Shifter and Kineticist. Shifters tap into the power of the animal kingdom for enhanced martial prowess and have a lot of potential when it comes to their theme, and it wouldn't at all surprise me if Paizo wanted to take a crack at redeeming the class after its.... problematic debut in 1e. Kineticists channel the elements of the world- fire, earth, wing, but also even things like aether and gravity itself- through their bodies. It would be an opportunity to explore how one can channel these powers in ways beyond casting spells from a book or drawing upon one's heritage. The third and newest class? Perhaps something that channels the otherworldly power of the Fey. Illusions and portals and manipulations in ways that go beyond what casters are capable of. Redirecting attacks, altering the positions of allies, turning enemies on one another. Someone who causes a lot of mischief on the battlefield.
I never played Inquisitor, so I can't really say much. But they're basically meant to be religious assassins who preserve and protect the faith by taking out enemies that other members wouldn't be able to deal with. I think that should be played up a bit with special rules regarding anathema, perhaps even having their own code of conduct not unlike Champions. They should fill a niche similar to Rogue and/or Investigator, as they're described using guile and trickery and generally being pragmatic to levels normally unacceptable by their churches. They should get fewer skills at level 1 compared to Rogue and Investigator but similar skill progression, and then get Investigator-styled extra skill feats dedicated specifically to their religion (say, Religion + deity's chosen skill or skills). In terms of how they fight? Inquisitors should be the dedicated focus spell martial. Bards, Witches, even Oracles and Magi use focus spells in a complementary/supplementary way- Oracles and Magi more than others based on what we've seen- but Inquisitors should thrive in using focus cantrips and spells to augment their power. The sheer strength of their faith earns them a sliver of their god's blessing, used in ways that the god can't approve of but deems necessary. Focus cantrips and spells focused almost entirely on buffing an otherwise martial fighting style and debuffing the opponent. Perhaps even making Judgment a baseline focus spell for all Inquisitors.
I'd like to see spells like Storm Step, Damnation Stride, and Bladed Dash. Spells that feel a bit more dynamic in doing their thing rather than just standing there throwing out magic. But, maybe I've just been playing too much Wizard of Legend lately. I'd also like to see Scorching Ray make a return, along with the various attribute buff spells, if only because they're classics and really cool. And I too would like to see something to make spell attacks a bit more... maybe not simply stronger, but more relevant? I mean hell, I made a thread about the Sorcerer feat Split Shot, and as one comment pointed out there are exactly seven spells that work with it across all four traditions. I'd like to see some means of buffing or improving spell attacks (without having to resort to "fixer" feats), if just to expand on the options that casters have for how they build. I know they're supposed to fall short in single-target DPS compared to martials, but still.
What I liked most about the 1e Dragon Disciple was that it allowed full casters to build themselves into something beefier and more capable of fighting in the front lines. They had to sacrifice some of their spellcasting power (unless they took Prestigious Spellcasting multiple times), but in return they became a genuine melee threat. I feel like they should do something to lean into that kind of fantasy. For example, Claws of the Dragon; why not give Sorcerers a means of getting higher proficiency with the claws specifically? Let them get master proficiency at 13th- or even 15th-level. Hell, make a level 14 DD feat that increases their proficiency, or lets them use their spellcasting proficiency (while still using Dex stat and appropriate item bonuses) when using their dragon claws. Frankly I wouldn't be opposed to giving up the 1d6 slashing damage and/or permanent claws for something like that. Also, what about a "Resiliency" feat? "Class granting no more Hit Points per level than (10 or 8) + your Constitution modifier" so Barbarians can't abuse the Hell out of it, then "You gain 3 additional hit points for each Dragon Disciple feat. If you're a Draconic Sorcerer, you also gain these additional hit points if you take the Advanced Bloodline and Greater Bloodline Sorcerer feats." Suddenly the Sorcerer isn't as squishy, and can actually try fighting in melee without getting torn to shreds by a strong breeze.
I had the idea of certain firearms having an additional trait, called "Capacity/Magazine X", the number being how much ammunition the weapon could store before needing to reload. For example, a revolver could have the trait "Magazine 6" (probably lower like 4 or 5 realistically), meaning it can be fired six times consecutively before needing to reload. The tradeoff? Having Reload 2 or even Reload 3, so that after you fire off everything- which a Gunslinger will probably do frequently, given all their strike and reaction options- you're going to be forced to duck out of the fight for a turn so as to reload, or reach for a backup weapon.
Well it's unfortunate that Split Shot is as limited as I thought it was, especially since in theory it could be such a useful feat. If you managed to take advantage of weaknesses, you could Split Shot a spell to hit two creatures at once for a minimum of X damage, without wasting one of your bigger AoE spells. Hopefully Secrets of Magic will do something to give more attack roll spells and make them a bit more useful. I'm missing Scorching Ray.
Split Shot is probably one of my favorite Sorcerer feats, even if it's actually a really bad feat (not saying it is, but halved damage is halved damage). But the thing is... I don't know what spells actually work with it besides Produce Flame. Ray of Frost inflicts a movespeed penalty on a crit, so I assume it falls under the "no additional effect" clause of the feat. In fact depending on how you read that stipulation, Disintegrate is similarly disallowed because it requires the target to make a fortitude save. Because of that, I'm asking the titular question; what spells work with this feat? Arcane, Primal, Occult, Divine; whatever. I'm just curious about what the options are when it comes to this rather flavorful Sorcerer feat, as well as how others might interpret its wording and stipulations.
So reading over the Inventor class.... has anyone realized it means you can do RWBY? Because as it stands Inventor legit lets you make a RWBY-styled weapon by level 4.
So I thought flying mounts lost their flight if you were riding them? Or is that only if you're trying to fly an AC without the mount ability?
So, just going to bring up the question I asked earlier that seemed to get lost in the thread: Y'know, this brings a question to mind, only semi-related but all the same. Again, my idea is a mounted caster. Do the rules say anything- for or against- the idea that I can command my animal companion to move, then I cast, then the animal companion moves again?
Y'know, this brings a question to mind, only semi-related but all the same. Again, my idea is a mounted caster. Do the rules say anything- for or against- the idea that I can command my animal companion to move, then I cast, then the animal companion moves again?
Well that's irksome. So if I want to do a riding drake and not have it be easily struck and/or killed, I'll have to go nimble and sacrifice its ability to actually hit people? Which granted isn't a huge deal given the penalties to mounted combat, but still.
So with the second errata having been released, I wanted to follow up on something. I read something that said the other options for mature animal companions are basically trap options because of low AC and armor proficiencies. I have a potential idea for a character, that being a Wizard w/ Cavalier archetype riding a riding drake, but riding drakes seem pretty clearly STR-based with their attacks. I briefly caught something in an errata discussion mentioning barding, so I wanted to follow up on that and see if non-nimble animal companions are more viable. So... are they?
Also very much interested in seeing a blog post or post-playtest stream regarding what they've learned and what they're going to consider for the two classes. I stayed mostly on the Magus side of things but it's my impression that apparently Summoner was about as controversial as the Magus. With two classes being so contentious in their current experimental forms, I'm really curious what insights Paizo will give. The most painful part though? The oncoming drip-feed of news and information that will be the next eight and a half months TT^TT
Spellmaster gets to move and strike as part of casting a spell with atleast 1 action cast.At 16th level. It's also not actually part of casting the spell. It's an activity you can take specifically after casting a spell requiring at least one action. Still awesome though, still sounds like something Magus should have, totally think they should get it level 10-14 range.
This is some very last-second feedback of my own, but something I've been told about from the latest Lost Omens book: a feat called "Mobile Magic Combat" for the Pathfinder Society archetype, Spellmaster. Mobile Magic Combat: Level 16
I read this feat and I immediately fell into a love-hate relationship with it. I love it because it's such an incredibly cool feat despite being so remarkably simple. There's so much flexibility you can do with this kind of feat; cast a one-action spell and then stride and strike twice. Cast Haste on yourself, then stride/strike/strike or stride/strike/stride, then get similar flexibility for the next minute. I hate it because this absolutely screams being a Magus feat. I know playtests are for only the most radical and experimental feats/aspects of a class, but if this isn't a roughly mid-level Magus feat I am absolutely going to cry. Not even talking about how it might interact with "that feature", thematically speaking it's just.... it's too perfect! If Paizo somehow doesn't make this a Magus feat, I can only call it an utter waste.
Well, it's the final stretch of the playtest. This thread is confirmed to have the developer's eyes on it for things unrelated to Striking Spell. In short, if there are any ideas or criticisms or suggestions you want to throw out there, do it now or forever hold your piece!
This is not a thread to talk about Striking Spell. If you want to do that, take it elsewhere.
The ability to hold the charge for a full minute, right out of the gate at level 1 is basically giving a class the equivalent of a quickened spell at level 1 that is useable in every combat. It completely wrecks havoc on the action economy of spell casting (snip)This would be one of my main concerns to. One of the options we're looking at is somewhat similar, in that you have the option to not trigger a spell till later (and get a buff while the spell is held). Solving this action economy issue is one challenge of that. Having it so you can effectively only do it in combat is the most direct path, but a bit narratively weird in the same way stances can be. Wait... that sounds like my idea! That sounds like the idea I posted in this thread right here! I know it's likely that Paizo's designers came up with this idea on their own without even seeing the thread I posted- or someone posted similar here, on Reddit, on Discord, or somewhere else- but if nothing else I'm happy to hear that they like this line of thought.
1) Adding to the chorus of "Improve Spellstrike". Make it more reliable, make it more efficient, but overall make it fun to use. A Rogue feels good when they get off a Sneak Attack. A Monk feels good when they use Flurry of Blows. Spellstrike/Spell Combat/Whatever it becomes should feel first and foremost fun. 2) Also adding to the chorus of "More spell slots". Magus should not feel like it needs to MCD into a pure caster to have a usable number of spell slots. Maybe 2/lv, maybe "wave progression" as it's called, maybe just copy the number MCDs get w/ breadth, something. 3) More feats incorporating magic into combat maneuvers without being solely Spellstrike or using spells. Maybe a unique reaction that gives them a miniature True Strike, working similar to Cat's Luck and the like but only for attacks. Maybe they can imbue themselves with magic to make their maneuvers extra powerful, performing grapples/trips/shoves/disarms as two-action activities but gaining bonuses or additional benefits. 4) More "baked in" features. Some feats seem like they'd work better as part of the default Magus chassis, and the Magus is outright missing aspects like (at least some equivalent of) critical specialization. Things like Energized Strikes could be made a default part of the Magus, and the level 10 Syntheses feats could likewise be made an innate part of each Synthesis as a satisfying display of progression. 5) Adjustments to the current feats we have from the playtest. Some aren't practical, some aren't satisfying, some just don't work at all. Improve upon Raise a Tome for example, make the book & blade not only practical but effective. There have been a lot of complaints about other feats that could arguably use some more love & improvements, and I'm not going to go over all of them. 6) .....Something I can't remember after getting distracted, but I refuse to leave this blank lest I remember it later. EDIT: 6.1) Improve their proficiency progression! That's what I was forgetting! Magus gets their Master spellcasting at the same level pure Casters get Legendary. Champions and Monks both get Master in their spellcasting at level 17, while also getting legendary proficiencies at the same level. Hell, MCD characters can get Master proficiency at level 18 for the cost of a feat, while still getting their innate class benefits. I mean FFS, Investigator gets Legendary Perception at level 13; it should not be a stretch for Magus to get master/master at a relatively earlier level.
I get the feeling that, much like with the prior playtests, we haven't been shown all of the Syntheses that Magus will have available to it. More than likely we've been shown the most contentious or most complete ones, and Paizo is going to use the tests involving these three as a frame of reference for whatever else is used.
I just realized that this thread is starting to become less "what do we want to see improved" and more another "wishlist" thread. So let's try and build specifically on what the Magus already has or is sorely lacking, rather than what would be "nice" to have.
I put up an idea of my own about a week ago, and I've got no problems posting it here as well:
A bit wordy, but I think that between the tags and the consistent benefits with periodic burst, it would make the ability more worthwhile. Getting a sustained benefit from charging your spell with a weapon also helps the Magus get more bang for its buck with limited spell slots.
When I think of Focus Stances, I'll be honest here, I think of Bleach and Monk Stances (with the focus cost of Wild Winds and Grasping Shadows) having an unholy lovechild we get to play with. And going full weeb, I wonder if this might be better done with a Black Blade archetype. Hey, I'd play the f&!~ out of that. Frankly I'd play the hell out of both stance ideas. Now I'm also imagining a "sword beam" stance where you can make (short, 30ft at max) ranged spell attacks with your melee modifier, similar to how Wild Winds works.
Okay this is a reminder for everyone: this is a thread about the Magus, and what people want to see improved or changed besides the hot topic Striking Spell. If you wanna argue things like STR vs DEX damage comparisons for other classes like Swashbuckler or Investigator, you are more than welcome to do so elsewhere. Please keep focused on the topic at hand.
I'm sorry but I just.... entirely disagree with this. Magus is not "warrior first, mage second"; that's a martial class with a caster dedication, or an Eldritch Trickster. The Magus' biggest thing, it's central theme before even spellstrike or spell combat, is that it uses magic and weaponry in equal measure. Magus uses not sword first, magic second; it uses whatever the situation calls for. It doesn't have the extensive capabilities of a true specialist in either field, but it's also much more than one dabbling in the other. Magus is the iconic "gish" class that's supposed to be a 50/50 mix. It's a casting class, and it's being introduced in a rulebook that is literally "Secrets of Magic". I'm sorry but in what way or what understanding is the Magus not a class defined as much by its casting as it is its martial prowess?
For my part, I think letting the Magus have medium armor proficiency is a good middle ground compared to 1e. It started with only light armor but was able to eventually get to full-on heavy armor. Now it starts with medium armor at most and never goes any higher. At worst I'd say maybe slow down the rate at which it increases its armor proficiency.
Thanks for starting this thread, Inquisitive Tiefling! A lot of interesting info in here. NGL I got giddy when I saw your comment thanking me for this thread. When the lead designer thanks you, you know you've done something good. Since it has your attention I'm actually curious; what do you think of the Magus and the feedback you've gotten so far? I know, I know; it would be a little dangerous for the lead designer of the class to give input such as that. Many people would take your word as gospel, even though being lead designer still means you're just one person working at Paizo, with commitments and higher-ups we know very little about. But still, I think just about everyone would love to poke your brain and see how their feedback is being taken, even if you leave out mention of Striking Spell. Anything else in particular that's stood out as an issue for players?
Also, I don't think that Portal Slide would be overpowered if it was implemented as a magical alternative to Tumble. Make an Arcana check, move up to half-speed via teleportation as a single action. Jail cells and other such constraints are now little more than a joke for any slide-casting Magus. Who needs a Rogue to sneak or squeeze when a Magus can just "poof!" to the other side?
Unique activities with magical flavor. Barbarians get sudden charge, Fighters get power attack and Magi should get some similar stuff too.
I'm in full agreement with this. Take Portal Slide for example. It and probably Capture Spell (and Raise a Tome, were it written better) are probably some of the most flavorful and unique feats available to Magus right now, and they just look so absolutely fun. Honestly Portal Slide is probably one of the reasons I propose more spells for Magus; I wanna be teleporting around the battlefield more often than four times a day, even though I understand why it can't be allowed to work with cantrips. I feel like a lot of the feats in the playtest are already trying to deliver on that. I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the ones past 6th level looked, in that they were all trying to add some kind of magical spin on combat actions, like Spell Swipe and Cascading Ray instead of Sweep. I think keeping on that track is the way to go. I think the problem is that it's a "magical spin" on otherwise normal combat maneuvers. Rather than being something genuinely unique and all its own, several of these feats are "Martial/Caster feat, but spellstrike". Which, of course, exacerbates that particular problem. Many of the feats aren't so much a magical spin as they are... a magical or martial derivative. I'd like to see Focus Cantrips, and Focus Stances. We could get some really wild stuff with focus stances. You just made me realize that Monk is the only class with a focus point stance, AFAIK. Magus could absolutely change that, and I for one would be more than happy to have something like that.
Your unarmed attacks scale with the other proficiencies. We're going to add that explicitly to the final version. I think an old template got used by accident. Probably not the best place to put this, but: I hope you're having a good day. I'm sure you've seen a lot of the heated discussion about the Magus and the state of its balance. And between here and Reddit, I'm sure there have been less than civil comments among them. So I hope you're having a good day, and I hope that peoples' comments aren't getting you down. Thank you for bringing the Magus to us so early in PF2e's lifespan. Whatever opinions I may have on the class myself, I really do look forward to the finished project and seeing what else is coming out in the book. I just wish I wasn't going to be 27 by the time it comes out .-.
So, yeah. Striking Spell. There's been a lot of discussion about it. A LOT. There's been a lot of discussion on what to do with it, or how to fix it. I've taken part in that myself, to limited attention or success. But here's the thing that we're forgetting in all this in all this hubbub: Magus is more than just Striking Spell/Spellstrike. Yes, it's a core feature of the class. Arguably THE core feature, which can make or break the class. I'm not going to dispute that at all. But a Rogue is more than just Sneak Attack, Barbarian is more than just Rage, and Sorcerer is more than just its Bloodline. These are iconic and central to the class yes, but there's also the entire rest of the class to consider; a Barbarian with 6 HP/level would not be a good class to play, after all. Quite a while back, I made a thread that asked what people wanted for Magus. Now that we actually have (a version of) the Magus, I'm making a new, similar thread here: What else, besides Striking Spell, would you like to see changed or improved upon with the Magus? Hit Die? Initial skills? Saves? So on and so forth. Paizo has undoubtedly gotten the message loud and clear that people are not satisfied with Striking Spell; it takes up at least 90% of this particular forum. But we shouldn't miss the forest for one unfortunate tree, lest the rest of them suffer for it. For me? I'd like to see Magus shifted away from the four-slot casting that Paizo has been trying out. Some close friends of mine have argued that giving a martial class inherent casting better than what others get from multiclassing would be overpowered, and probably negate any other class as an option for gish options. But currently by and large people feel like Magus has to MCD with other casting classes, and that in itself is obviously a problem. I'd like to see Magus get an overall 2/level casting paradigm, and maybe specify that Magus class features/abilities only work with spells they get as a Magus. Additionally, Magus is supposed to be the premier gish class. Currently everyone is so focused on Striking Spell as to forget that little fact. Additionally, I'd like to see the scaling of their proficiencies altered. Monk and Champion get master proficiency in their spells before Magus does. Whereas Monk/Champion both get a multitude of features and their spells are mostly optional, for a Magus those spells are absolutely central. Casting at expert until level 19 when their casting stat is already sub-par is just too much. Multiclass dedications get master proficiency before Magus. While yes they sacrifice class feats, they still get their own core features on top of their MC options. Magus, currently? Not so much. So yes, those are the two things I'd like to see the Magus get. And yes, I know these are in a void and that a cascade effect of fixing Striking Spell and implementing additional buffs could go the opposite direction, making Magus overpowered. But I choose to believe that Paizo will, given time, parse through everything and figure out what's for the best. We just need to give them options and feedback to point in the appropriate direction. So what about all of you? What do YOU think can be done to make Magus feel better as a class? And I do emphasize, besides fixing Striking Spell. That horse is being beaten to death so thoroughly you'll need a Wish spell to bring it back.
For the sake of cringe/crass comedy, the first thought that came to my mind upon reading this thread title? Right next to the pants zipper, or on the inside of a robe/kilt/etc. I mean hey, it's bound to catch enemies off-guard isn't it?
Two feats I'd love to see Magus get are Cut from the Air and Smash from the Air, mostly the latter. Granted they already have Capture Spell, but I mean c'mon. How could feats like these, or the 1e feat Spellcut not be part of the Magus' repertoire?
So I couldn't find any place to put this, but there's something I felt the need to point out after looking at items on AoN. Spell-Storing is, as it stands, outright a better version of Striking Spell. You can store any single-target spell in your weapon, it uses the same results as your attack roll (meaning a hit with your weapon is a hit with the spell attack), and spells have a flat DC of 30. For comparison, a full caster of the same level has a DC of 32. Reading this, I couldn't help but be slightly annoyed. Yes, it requires one minute of casting a spell into the weapon. That means you can only use it once per combat, and you'd need your caster to sacrifice slots to empower it. And at 3rd-level or lower, the spell is never going to have a lot of raw power. But it's nonetheless a more functional and feasible version of Striking Spell.
Here's an idea. What about a property rune or magical item that gives an item bonus to spell attack rolls? Most casters aren't going to spend a lot of money powering up their martial weapon, but having some kind of "Spell Focusing" rune would give them ample incentive to do just that.
Where do you get the 1d6 from? If you mean from Bespell Weapon, then I'll clarify that Imbue Weapon does not give bonus damage as written above. It only changes the damage type of the weapon, doing so as described in the Bespell Weapon feat. For example, Divination/Enchantment/Illusion inflicting mental damage, Necromancy inflicting negative damage, so on and so forth. Removing weapon specialization is something I'd be wary about, as it's something literally all classes get- even the infamously underpowered Alchemist and the very non-Martial casters. Having the damage be slightly increased, say based on the Synthesis you've chosen, could certainly work. Also, Quick Imbue is a cool idea. Only downside I see is that it would all but require Spirit Sheath in order to be usable.
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