Melee Control Magus

[ShadowcatX]

I'm considering a magus for my first PFS character and I was wondering how well a controlling style magus would work and if a magus could handle doing both DPS and Melee controlling (combat maneuvers) with the same build.

I was thinking the reach and trip ability of the whip, ranged touch attacks from a net might make everything work out pretty decently and that if I focused more on the whip and buffs early on using spell combat (and thus combat casting) wouldn't be as big a deal.

The odds of me getting above 5th level are very low (heck, the odds of me making it to third are pretty remote) so I'd like it to be viable at low levels.

I was thinking half-orc beast hunter (to get whips and nets) with the following stats:

Str 18
Dex 14
Con 12
Int 15 (+1 @ 4)
Wis 9
Chr 7

Feats:
1: Combat Reflexes
3: Power Attack
5: Combat Expertise
5B: Improved Trip

Arcana:
3: The one that lets me make trip attacks at my magus level rather than my BAB.

Skills:
knowledge (arcana), Knoweldge (planes), a craft, spellcraft,

Normally I'd have taken UMD but taking a penalty to the stat and not expecting to reach high levels any time soon I don't see it as truly viable.

Spells:
Probably enlarge person, color spray, and shocking grasp as the mainstay spells.

So my questions are how viable would this character be? I don't want to be a drag on the rest of the party.

[Kolokotroni]

Why are you taking combat reflexes if you are using nets and whips? Do you anticipate getting a whole bunch of attacks of opportunity somehow?

Also if you want to be a controller, you should have grease as a first level spell. Great control spell for low levels in many different ways.

[ShadowcatX]

Kolokotroni wrote:

Why are you taking combat reflexes if you are using nets and whips? Do you anticipate getting a whole bunch of attacks of opportunity somehow?

Also if you want to be a controller, you should have grease as a first level spell. Great control spell for low levels in many different ways.

I figure with the whip giving a 15 foot reach, and the ability to cast enlarge person for a total of 20 foot reach I'd be making more than a few attacks of opportunity. Is it worth it with only a 14 dex though? I'm not sure. Mainly I just thought it would be more of a fun feat to have than combat expertise would be and would give me a decent amount of battle field control from the start.

You're right about grease though I totally over looked that one.

[Kolokotroni]

I thought that you might have been thinking that.
From the PRD:
Whip: A whip deals no damage to any creature with an armor bonus of +1 or higher or a natural armor bonus of +3 or higher. The whip is treated as a melee weapon with 15-foot reach, though you don't threaten the area into which you can make an attack. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, you can use it against foes anywhere within your reach (including adjacent foes).

You actually cannot make attacks of opportunity with a whip unless you have an ability that allows you to threaten with it. There was a 3.0 Prestige class that allowed this, and 3PP super genius games has an archtype called the blacksnake that allows it. Otherwise whips never take attacks of opportunity. So for PFS you are out of luck on that.

[ShadowcatX]

And things like that are why I ask questions. Thanks!

[LazarX]

Why not just play a barbarian with a level or two of sorcerer? Outside of grease and shield what more would you need from casting?