Hep.
First a little info, to understand on what I base my suggestions:
I've poked some friends to take the Magus on a minor gladitorial spin around the other comparable classes - Alchemist, Bard, Inquisitor and Summoner - in a handful of one-on-one fights with what-ever powergaming we could throw in on both sides. At the levels 1, 5 and 10, the Magus had his face effektively melted by the other classes so badly that we didn't really bother trying it further than that.
The only class where he went fairly against was the bard, who is the core of the concept "support class", and even then, the bard had some lucky rolls, some nice self-buffs through his music and some interesting uses os his various utility spells.
A quick overlook of the fights before I get to the suggestions:
All the combatants are melee based (yes, I know about the archery builds, but range is irellevant for the Magus, so we played fair), so they start within charging distance of eachother. I've boiled the fights down to avoid math-walling you.
The fights with the Alchemist was all certered around his bombs and mutagens. He had the higher dex, and imp. initiative, combined with the elven reflexes talent, so he won initiative at the first two combats and basically bombed the hell out of the poor Magus.
The process was pretty much the same in the 5th and 10th level battles, where he had to use his mutagen, but the buffed bombs, and his melee poisons made short work of the Magus' wonky spellcasting and poor attacks (the player with the alchemist is fond of melee combat, so he went for AC, and used his gold on some rather nifty poisons).
The fights with the Bard was somewhat more balanced, though they took forever once both combatants got invisibility. On the up side, that changed once again when the Bard got see invisibility and the Magus was raving around blind. The Magus got a slight upper hand when he got his medium armour, and got himself a Mithril fullplate for the level 10 fight. The Bards greater invisibility, combined with a few summoned monsters level'ed the field though, and after a long, tough fight, the self-healing Bard stood victorious.
The battles with the Inquisitor is hardly worth mentioning. I've been running a campaign with one of the players being an Inquisitor and the player himself defines the class as a "one man adventuring party". Needless to say; His better over all AC was a major issue for the poor Magus, and his healing spells and Judgements kept him going to easily that he steamrolled the Magus in every encounter. Especially the level 10 fight was unimpressive, the Magus bit the grass after a mere 5 rounds of being ineffective, while the Inquisitor still had more than half his HP left.
It looked easier with the Summoner. In the first fight they where pretty well balanced on AC, and hit, but the Summoner had his Eidolon flank the Magus and hit him 3 times for some 15 damage, ending the fight on round 1. The later battles was no better, as the summoner used invisibility and let his Eidolon do all the hard work while he healed it. All in all the Magus just didn't have the staying power to fight the Eidolons damage and it's invisible HP battery.
Now, Suggestions:
Spellstrike:
Problem: As it currently is, this ability is a waste of rounds. Use a round to cast a touch spell, then make it harder to use said touch spell by making it into a regular melee attack. You even have to wait for the next round to deliver it, thus using around on what is basically nothing.
Solution: Make the casting of the touch spell part of the melee attack. This way you will get a "damage boost" even at the low levels. If you also remove the demand for a free hand in relation to this attack, you get more varied combat options for the Magus (Dual-wield, two-handed). The problem with this being a "free melee attack" will moderate itself with the relatively small number of spells that the Magus has in an entire day.
Spell Combat:
Problem: People has already been over this everywhere else, but for a reminder; Casting is harder, attacking is harder, the result is not really that impressive.
Solution: Replace the ability with something that allows him to cast spells in melee easier than other casters. If you combine it with the suggested change for the Spellstrike ability, his melee casting won't have to be based on him getting his damage spells of with this ability, but it can be used (better I'd say) for Combat control spells like wall of fire and the like. This will make him far more versatile and thus a better choice for the melee support role that he seems to be build for.
Magus Arcana:
Problem: The Arcana is either too limited, or demands a relatively high sacrifice for a minor bonus. Examples are the "Arcane Accuracy" power, wich sacrifice a precious spell slot for a short time bonus. Or we can take a power like "Empowered "Magic", which is rather nice, but it's only usable a mere once per day.
Solution: Remove the Arcana that requires spell sacrifices (maybe leave Hasted assault though), and make the Spell buffers something like 1+Int per day.
Arcane Weapon:
Problem: None really. It is a wonderful way to boost an otherwise weak class easily. But the list is somewhat limited.
Solution: It needs more flavorful abilities, such as "Wounding", and "Spell Storing".
Fighter training:
Problem: The issue of balancing it against the Eldritch Knight hampers the ability a little. The Magus is supposed to be a melee combatant, but since he gets access to Fighter feats around the same time as The EK, he doesn't really have an advantage from them. Besides, most fighter feats of the level he will be able to use will be at their most effektive at the lower levels.
Solution: Move the ability down, or (as someone suggested earlier), make it use the Magus' BAB as effektive Fighter level.
Counterstrike:
Problem: It comes into play way to late in the game. It's an interesting flavor ability, which actually allow the Magus to be quite disruptive against enemy spellcasters, especially if combined with some of the fighter feats like "Step Up".
Solution: Drop it down in level, around 7 or 8 would do nicely, and then scale it as the Magus gain levels. It could grant a bonus to hit on such attacks, or damage equal to the spell level the opposing spellcaster just used.
Weapon Bond:
Problem: Like Counterstrike it comes into play way to late in the game, and it's benefits aren't good enough for it to be a carrot, such as most of the other core classes have.
Solution: Like Counterstrike, drop it in level and make it scale as the Magus gains levels. Yes like scaling things.
True Magus:
Problem: Doesn't really feel like an ability for a "Master of spells and combat", more like a level 10 ability. Besides, a +2 bonus for a level 20 ability seems rather cheap.
Solution: I have no ideas for this one other than scrapping it and starting over with something more in the flavor of a great Spell-wielding warrior.
The Spell list:
Problem: Too Combat focused. It is build around him dealing loads of damage (with he doesn't really do too well either), and is quite lacking in utility, such as the afformentioned "See Invisibility"
Solution: He's delayed in progression anyway, so beef it up with some utility, at least the ones that will benefit him against other spellcasters.
Overall:
Problem: The class should have a feel of awesome battle caster, but instead it feels like a mellow support class. It's abilities are based around melee combat, but it's too squishy to hold it's own for about half the levels and it's spell list feels more like a "master blaster wannabe" than a warrior mage.
Solution: The class could use a revision on the overall feel. It wouldn't be bad for it to get a more effektive blend of magic and melee than it already has. A more personal feel woulod be good for it as well, since it doesn't really shine on it's own as is.
Personal opinion:
I personally think that making the Emo Half-elf the icon character was a mistake, since it makes the class designet for him, instead of it being a new thing in it's own right. That said, I still adore the art of "WAR" ;)
The class isn't anything special, it's powers isn't very interesting, nor very effektive and the only interesting stuff comes to late that it'll either make no difference, or never get relevant.
Having taken it's measure against a few of the other classes, I fear that I would do nothing in a group as much as being outshined by everyone else. In short: I'd be bored within a few levels, and from there, it's an uphill battle.
It has nothing to offer as a support class. It can't follow the constant damage output of the Rogue, nor the party pleasing abilities of the Bard and it haven't got the supportive mobility of the Monk.
All in all I wouldn't play the class as it is. Should I do something to Redesign it, I would take a long, hard look at the old 3.5 PHP2 Duskblade and then balance it somewhere in the middle.
Last but not at least: Having looked around during these first few days of playtest, I seem to be seeing the Devs shooting down most of the interesting suggestions as being overpowered. There seems to be a fear of overpowering the class, which seems to result in something underpowered and basically unenjoyable.
I'm giving up on this class. The changes needed are so basic that they won't come, since the Devs have a deadline and in reality doesn't really seem to have the time to listen to us on this one.
I'm sorry Dev guys, but you're not delivering the awesome act you did with the Core book and the APG.
Sorry for hitting you with a text wall, I won't be bothering you again.
Just a minor thing: Although the mithral full plate counts as medium armor, the magus would still need Heavy Armor Proficiency to wear it effectively.
Would you mind posting up at least the first level Magus build you tested?
Would you mind posting up at least the first level Magus build you tested?
I'm too easy xD
Half-Elf Magus 1
Str 16
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 16
Wis 10
Cha 11
Stats are rolled, not PB. Used the same stats for all classes
HP: 11 (Favored class bonus +1 hp)
AC: 16 (Chainshirt, dex)
Fort: +4
Ref: +2
Will: +2
Longsword: +4, d8+3
Feats:
Focus (Longsword)
Skills:
Know. (Arcana) +7
Know. (Dungeoneering) +7
Know. (Planes) +7
Spellcraft +7
Use Magic Device +7 (Skill focus)
Spells memorized:
0th:
Acid splash
Ray of frost
Spark
1st:
Shocking grasp (To try out Spellstrike)
Can't remember the traits though, sorry.