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+1 to that - the Magus looks cool, and reads cool, but is very easy to play badly.
Thinking on the Dex-based Vs Str-based thing, I'm actually leaning towards Str-based in order to get the most out of those new polymorph spells the Magus has on his list (which he didn't during the playtest). Polymorphing for Dex means reduced size, damage, and reach. Polymorphing for Str means increased size, damage, and reach. I'll take the extra damage and reach for my melee character, please! :)
As Jadeite pointed out, reduce person is a boon to the dex build. Average damage stays the same (d6 to d4 loses 1 pt on average, but +2 dex adds a point) while attack goes up by 2 as well as AC. +2 to hit, +2 ac, yes please!
Casting DDoor is your last action. After that action is over, your turn ends. You cannot take any other actions.
But as a magus, you can cast DDoor as part of a full attack. And you can choose to cast it at the beginning or at the end of that action.
I disagree there, but ask a dev see if they'll side with you on it. I doubt many DMs would let it fly however.
-James
What exactly are you disagreeing with? The rules are pretty clear in that, that is how it works.
James is right. Dimension Door pretty clearly spells out that you cannot take any additional actions after using the spell.
What exactly are you disagreeing with? The rules are pretty clear in that, that is how it works.I disagree that you can make attacks after casting ddoor during that round.
I would also disagree if you tried to cast a quickened ddoor during a full attack action and wanted to complete the remainder of the attacks.
-James
I agree. If someone wants to DD they better do it after the full attack. Nothing in the Magus description says it overrides DD.
Oh. It didn't appear to me that Lyrax was saying as such. I thought you were disagreeing with the fact that DD ended your turn.
One additional benefit that hasn't been mentioned for the DEX Magus is that is also helps with the awful reflex saves they get.
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As far as damage goes, by lowering your threat range (15-20 to 17-20) do you feel that you balance things out with just the difference in the die via bastard sword? Best I can tell you *need* to be enlarged to make it worthwhile, and only marginally so (if at all) once you figure in chances to critical with a spell. Is my intuition off here?
Yeah, mechanics-wise you'll be wanting to focus on the polymorph spells to get big for combat if you're going the Str-based / bastard sword route... although bastard swords just look so damn manly! ;)
... MY bladebound magus only took one arcana power that uses arcane pool so the smaller pool doesn't bother me nearly as much as someone else...
Yeah, good call - I think that's an important character design point to consider: resource management (or lack of the same) could easily become a millstone 'round the neck for a Magus.
As Jadeite pointed out, reduce person is a boon to the dex build. Average damage stays the same (d6 to d4 loses 1 pt on average, but +2 dex adds a point) while attack goes up by 2 as well as AC. +2 to hit, +2 ac, yes please!
Yeah, it's fine if you plan on sticking to low-level play only. Once you hit the Tiny polymorph spells, then Tiny robs you of your reach, with is pretty much suicide for a melee-based character. Large gives you more reach, and the extra damage you're getting when you two-hand your (bigger, more damaging) weapon is getting better all the time...
E.g. Monstrous Physique II:
Tiny scimitar = 1d3 damage, no reach
Large scimitar = 1d8 damage, 10ft reach
Monstrous Physique III:
Diminuative scimitar = 1 point of damage, no reach
Huge scimitar = 2d6 damage, 15ft reach
The Dex or Str bonuses for going up or down in size match, so the Dervish Dance Dex-based Magus gets the same bonus damage in that respect... except that the Str-based Magus can two-hand as well, for x1.5. So the +2 damage from Tiny / Large is +3 for the Large guy, and the +3 damage from Diminuative / Huge is +4 for the Huge guy.
So, using Monstrous Physique III, the Str-based guy is doing an average of 7 extra points of damage per hit (if he used a bastard sword, instead of a scimitar, he'd be doing 3d8 base damage and getting an average of 14.5 extra points of damage per hit), and has that 15ft reach, while the Dex-based guy is provoking AoO just by trying to melee...
Shrinking is much better for guys planning on blasting away with ranged spells...
You're right they don't have reach, but they can be in the enemy's square and give flanking to all attackers (unless PF changed this)...
0 reach means you don't threaten and if you don't threaten you can't provide flank -- especially since you can't provide flank from the opposite side of the same square you are in.
0 reach means you don't threaten and if you don't threaten you can't provide flank -- especially since you can't provide flank from the opposite side of the same square you are in.
You're right they don't have reach, but they can be in the enemy's square and give flanking to all attackers (unless PF changed this)...
Yep. At least one of the GMs I play under has expressly forbid flanking from within a target's square for this very reason.
My poor familiar couldn't contribute worth a damn. :(
Yeah I won't say that the ability to be tiny doesn't have its place -- heck I've used a wild shaped druid to spy before as a house cat. However that place is usually not in combat (at least not melee combat). If you were using a ranged build and went with reduce person then you should get a lot of bonus -- however the language from reduce person doesn't match the language from enlarge person so you end up in a tight spot again (and introduce some odd round about rules contradiction).
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I've been playing in a 20 pointbuy game, with the following stats. I'm using the Black Blade archtype. I'm nearing level 3 with these stats.
Human
STR 14
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 16 (+2 racial included)
WIS 10
CHR 14
Interestingly (or not... YMMV) with those stats you could get the Familiar arcana at level three, and the Evolved Familiar Feat at the same level. I am, however, yet to figure out a good 1pt evolution to slap on a goat... ;)
I feel your pain Beckman, I appear to be the face of my party as well since the next highest charisma is 11. I rolled with the idea of these slightly unusual set of stats for the game. I plan to dump all but my first ability into intelligence. The first ability point will be going into charisma. I planned on using Eldritch Heritage and then Improved Eldritch Heritage for the abyssal bloodline to bump my strength to 18 though it will take awhile to get their but I figure it will be worth it.
Dexterity 14
Constitution 14
Intelligence 16
Wisdom 8
Charisma 14
Feats
Toughness
Additional Traits
Traits
Sword Scion
Heirloom Weapon
Rich Parents
Magical Lineage (Shocking Grasp)
I don't have a lot of time in playing a magus but from what I have seen and puzzled out so far the magus is a solid class. I see the magus's role as performing just behind the fighter in their primary abilities on a consistent basis, to hit, to deal damage, to soak damage, etc. However they have the ability to surpass these limits in bursts. The trick to the class is managing the bursts to get optimum performance. Spells that offer utility, control of the battle field and area damage along with special abilities that make a magus nearly the equal of a fighter or wizard in specific instances rounds out the class nicely. They will never really be able to outshine a fighter or a wizard that focuses on a similar path but their variety will offer other avenues the specialists will miss out on.