Should we really call it "Magus"?


Round 1: Magus

Dark Archive

So far my only issues with the class is its name and the nature of spellstrike (and touch range spells). I dislike the idea of something (essentially a "spellsword" class) getting a name like Magus. The image I have of Magi in my head and the class presented differ a bit. Flavor-wise, I'd suggest coming up with something that displays what the class is better- Spellsword, swordmage, Imago or something else.

It doesn't quite suit me for the Magus name. A magus, the one I think of, is more akin to a magister, or some sort of wizard that is ultra-focused on all magic, not just wizardry. Something more like that, but something that isn't needed at the moment in Pathfinder, at least to me.

As for spellstrike, its neat-looking, but I wonder how useful it'll be with how few spells the Magus gets are actually touch spells (or at least touch range). I'd instead think maybe modifying the feature to mimic the spellstoring effect of some magical weapons, but thats kinda the same thing isn't it? Hmm.

Oh well.


Like it or not, really don't think there is any chance at all of the name changing

Shadow Lodge

There was an entire thread about naming this class, and the name the developers decided on was Magus, and it won't be changed now. Whether that's a good thing or not, I don't think I can say.


heh the name is the least of its troubles at the moment ;)

Liberty's Edge

There is always Magus from Chrono Trigger who cast spells and fought like a god. ^_^


Misery wrote:
There is always Magus from Chrono Trigger who cast spells and fought like a god. ^_^

Too bad this magus can't use a scythe. :(


Every time I see Magus I keep thinking Thorn Drumheller from the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy. Not quite the right comparison but that's what pops into my head.


Considering that all the "good" names were already used by wotc (Swordmage, Spellsword...) taking a name without the baggage seems like the clever choice here.

And from a DM/Player using english material in a german game it is blissfully easy to translate into german, Magus=Magus. ^^


Paizo would not use a two word name. It had to be one single word. Not two or a mesh up of two words. That thread did have alot of good names floating about and they choose magues

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Umbral Reaver wrote:
Misery wrote:
There is always Magus from Chrono Trigger who cast spells and fought like a god. ^_^
Too bad this magus can't use a scythe. :(

Well you could, but for a -2 size penalty.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)


James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)

I know it isn't changing, and this isn't a request for you guys to change it, but i did really prefer dervish as an option. But you know, that is just a personal taste thing.


James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)

But more in the way you get used to the name...

When I first read magus I expectet something different. more like DamnIAmPretty suggests.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)

It's not so much that the name is the worst choice I've ever seen for a class. It's that it takes the name away from what it's proper use should be... an honorific for an master wizard. (My Ars Magica history is showing here. :)

And really given that the magus is a class that combines two aspects in one, would a double-word name really have been that inappropriate?

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Paizo Forums: Where dead horses dwell.


Gorbacz wrote:
Paizo Forums: Where dead horses dwell.

*Offers a flogger*


James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)

I dont think it will ever feel fine. I will cry myself to sleep every night thinking of the horrible name for this class. sniffle....

Seriously, It's a horrible name for a melee arcane caster.

Funny also is the Artifact the Staff of the Magi. How come the Magus gets a staff named after the Magus rather than the wizard that was ment to use it?

Liberty's Edge

While I’m not convinced at this stage that the name they have chosen is the best one (for many of the reasons others have mentioned here and elsewhere – but as James said I may well have changed my mind in a year or so) it doesn’t seem that likely they are going to change it at this point.

The Paizo developers had a fairly strict (and in my opinion good) set of criteria for a name for this class, and magus fits it pretty well (even if I happen to think it was not the name that best fits the criteria and the class) as many, many of the other names suggested did not.

Besides, you can just do as someone suggested in another thread last week and pronounce it ‘May-Gish’.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32

Unfortunately, you guys are about six months late with this thread.

Erik Mona already had an open call for magus class name suggestions right here on the boards.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

LazarX wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)

It's not so much that the name is the worst choice I've ever seen for a class. It's that it takes the name away from what it's proper use should be... an honorific for an master wizard. (My Ars Magica history is showing here. :)

And really given that the magus is a class that combines two aspects in one, would a double-word name really have been that inappropriate?

Yes, because that would have been the ONLY double-word made-up name out of our 18 base classes. It's a matter of aesthetics, to a certain extent. Made-up words are best left for archetypes and prestige classes.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Kalyth wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... the name had to fulfill a lot of requirements, but one of the MAIN ones was that it had to be one word... one REAL word. Not a made-up word.

Anyway, a year from now, it'll feel fine. :-)

I dont think it will ever feel fine. I will cry myself to sleep every night thinking of the horrible name for this class. sniffle....

Seriously, It's a horrible name for a melee arcane caster.

Funny also is the Artifact the Staff of the Magi. How come the Magus gets a staff named after the Magus rather than the wizard that was ment to use it?

Part of my job is to disappoint people. Your tears are ambrosia to me.

On a more serious note—as mentioned above, we already had a VERY extensive discussion about what to name this class on these boards a few months ago. There were several good suggestions—my favorite was and remains "warlock," but for various reasons (mostly to do with Jason really REALLY liking the word magus for the class—he was concerned that the word "warlock" had too much baggage already from 3.5) we ended up with magus.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Part of my job is to disappoint people.

I need this phrase framed for my office.

(Sounds like you do too. :-D)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

I always preferred 'Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.'

A pity I'm not allowed to hold anyone to it. :/ </threadjack>

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Agree with OP, but nothing can be done about it.

In a list of many reasons why I am NOT currently planning to buy this book (subscription is being canceled after Bestiary II), the IMO silly and pointlessly restrictive criteria for coming up with the class name is perhaps the smallest, but still one of those reasons. (Just needed to get that out of my system. Not looking for support or agreement.)


I'd probably just call it a warlock if I used it my games. Done and done. Warlock is the superior choice. But paizo made their call. I work in a company too, there are politics behind these decisions... but there's no use crying over spilled milk.


James Jacobs wrote:
There were several good suggestions—my favorite was and remains "warlock," but for various reasons (mostly to do with Jason really REALLY liking the word magus for the class—he was concerned that the word "warlock" had too much baggage already from 3.5) we ended up with magus.

Thanks for the explanation. I was wondering about the name myself. It's a little weird to choose a word that has centuries of a different kind of baggage over warlock because of 3.5 but personal choice trumps logic every time. :)

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

Yeah,

Unfortunately, with their already being a 3.5 class with the name warlock, and with said class being compatible, it was just not on the menu. When it comes to core classes, we want them to be one word, a real word (not a portmanteau), and one that at least conjures an image close to what the class is.

Magus was our best option.

There is not much to debate on it at this point. This thread is locked.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

Community / Forums / Archive / Pathfinder / Playtests & Prerelease Discussions / Ultimate Magic Playtest / Round 1: Magus / Should we really call it "Magus"? All Messageboards
Recent threads in Round 1: Magus
Board closed