In a few months, we will be starting a new campaign and I had been considering playing a Druid or a Magus.
However, I downloaded the Super Genius New Magus Arcana PDF and was intrigued by the Cabalist archetype since I generally prefer spontaneous casters. The Cabalist gains a Sorcerer's bloodline arcana and powers at 7th level using his Magus level as his Sorcerer level. And then I remembered the Sylvan bloodline from UM which grants you an animal companion.
So now I'm thinking I get the best of all three worlds: I get a spontaneous-casting Gish with an animal companion. Possibly not what the Super Geniuses were intending, but it seems fun and workable.
I'm picturing a whip Magus being a controller (tripping someone repeatedly with Calcific Touch channeled through a whip just seems... mean) while a Tiger companion does the actual damage or helps keep foes at bay. I could trip guys and have the Tiger pounce on them, do whip/ray combos on multiple enemies, maybe pick up Spiked Pit for trip/pit combo, etc, etc.
I also really like the Dervish Magus concept, but I'm completely at a loss as to what animal would compliment this build.
Any suggestions for a companion for either build? Any strategies pop into your head?
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Animal companion type: I'd look at a wolf or a big cat. This way, you can focus on tripping/disarming with your whip, and your companion can maul your opponents while they're down. In fact, I'd put all my feats into disarming and tripping (and I'd take the Serpent Lash and Greater Serpent Lash feats from the Rival Guide, if your GM is okay with that).
A couple other ideas come to mind:
First, I'd give the animal companion barding. You can't injure an armed creature when using a whip, so you can cast buff spells with Spellstrike on your companion at a short distance.
Second, I'd put your points into your physical ability scores. Don't focus on pumping Int too high--you need about 16 Int maximum, so you can get 6th-level spells eventually. As a magus, there are a lot of great spells that don't require saving throws--buff spells and many touch spells (especially those that do direct damage). I know people say min-maxing is bad, but if you're going to focus on using your whip, you need all the points you can get in your attacking scores.
I would take the Boon Companion feat from Seekers of Secrets. The sylvan bloodline gets a companion at -3 character level, but this feat will make your companion's level equal to your magus level.
And lastly, I'd probably take agile maneuvers and weapon finesse and pump Dex. That way you can hit with scorching ray more easily, you can hit with your whip more easily, and you have better AC (which you need if you're going to be in melee while wearing light armor).
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Malebranche's advice is excellent.
There is a trait that lets you use your whip like a rope with a grappling hook, letting you do all those Indiana Jones, swinging around type stunts. I think it is called Prehensile Whip, it could be fun for your build.
Go for human for the bonus feat, and make sure at some point to get Quick Draw, then acquire a scorpion's tail, which is a whip that can damage armored foes. That way you can switch between spellstrike buffing your barding-wearing animal companion and havng a more effective weapon for your enemies.
Remember to get Intensify Spell at later levels to really boost some of those low level spells (Shocking Grasp especially, 10d6 at level 10 as part of your full attack using a level 2 spell, or level 1 spell if you get the Magical Lineage trait for that spell).
Another thing to do is to be Human and take Eye for Talent. Give your animal companion an Int of higher than 3, and it can take any feats.
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Dervish dance doesn't work with spell combat, I do believe however you can make it work with spellstrike as long as you don't use spells with a material or somatic component.Sure it does... you have neither a weapon nor a shield held in your other hand.
-James
Using spell combat treats your other hand as armed as you are using it for a spell, usually to harm. The casters hand is not free if he uses it for spellcasting. SKR or someone else even weighed in and cleared this up about a week ago, I can't find the proper thread link ATM but maybe your search-fu is better than mine.
It doesn't work, and it is clearly against RAI. Dervish Dance requires a free hand in the same way that spell combat does and they cannot be used together.
A couple posts to consider. At the end, the middle ground I think is to leave the Dervish Dance call to the GM unless we see a definitive ruling either way. I personally would allow Dervish Dance to be used.
At the end, the middle ground I think is to leave the Dervish Dance call to the GM unless we see a definitive ruling either way.You can leave everything up to your GM including what hit dice a magus gets and what BAB they get. However by RAW it's perfectly clear to all of these things including Dervish Dance.
-James
Yes, you could, but those items don't have the recurrent theme of at least two predominant interpretations so I don't think you can universally qualify that "it's perfectly clear". It may be perfectly clear to YOU but not to others. Keep in mind, I am in your camp, I think you can do it but there's enough grey area there where I can see "the other side" of this. Hence the middle ground.
This divergence tends to come up in any magus thread dealing with dervish dance or spell combat. Read what James wrote when directly asked this very question. Again, he isn't the "rules" guy but I take his response as credible on the matter.
At the end, the middle ground I think is to leave the Dervish Dance call to the GM unless we see a definitive ruling either way.You can leave everything up to your GM including what hit dice a magus gets and what BAB they get. However by RAW it's perfectly clear to all of these things including Dervish Dance.
-James
James you can post YOUR VIEW on this as much as you want . It does not make it true . There are almost as many people that think Dervish Dance does not work with spell combat as that think that does . I wish they would just come out and give a firm ruling on this . I'm guessing they are going to leave it up to the DM like everything else that is so grey .
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James you can post YOUR VIEW on this as much as you want . It does not make it true . There are almost as many people that think Dervish Dance does not work with spell combat as that think that does . I wish they would just come out and give a firm ruling on this . I'm guessing they are going to leave it up to the DM like everything else that is so grey .At the end, the middle ground I think is to leave the Dervish Dance call to the GM unless we see a definitive ruling either way.You can leave everything up to your GM including what hit dice a magus gets and what BAB they get. However by RAW it's perfectly clear to all of these things including Dervish Dance.
-James
Going by strict RAW, spell combat does not violate the conditions of the Dervish Dance feat....
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Weapon Finesse, Perform (dance) 2 ranks, proficient with scimitar.
Benefit: When wielding a scimitar with one hand, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. You treat the scimitar as a one-handed piercing weapon for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon (such as a duelist’s precise strike ability). The scimitar must be for a creature of your size. You cannot use this feat if you are carrying a weapon or shield in your off hand.
Spell combat does NOT violate the bold condition. That is the only rule that would negate the feat RAW
So a monk can furry and use spell combat ?
So a monk can furry and use spell combat ?
A monk can always furry, they just need to come up with the gold to pay for the appropriate costume.