So I loved playing the magus, and I wanted something similar but with spontaneous casting. I looked at the Eldritch Scion, but he just doesn't quite feel right to me. Then I thought, why not a sorcerer with swords?
The basic idea that I'm wanting to do is to take full advantage of the sorcerer's full spellcasting repertoire, and the ability granted to spellstrike (and thus attach a crit range of 15-20 to) touch spells. The disadvantage is the poor melee combat potential of the sorcerer.
Attribute ranking would be Dex > Cha > Con > Int > Str > Wis, since the sorcerer would be in the middle of combat and reliant on dexterity to hit her melee attacks and have a decent AC. This becomes especially apparent with her lack of armor proficiency, and her spell failure when using armor.
Her bloodline would most likely be arcane, and the arcane bond would be a weapon of her choice, probably scimitar or rapier, maybe something else with a high crit range.
The build would be a little feat starved, since you sacrifice feats for the VMC.
Bloodline feats: 7, 13, 19. Combat casting, Still spell, spell focus.
Magus arcana: levels 7, 15, 19. Level 7 will probably be broad study to allow the higher selection of sorcerer only spells to be used with spellstrike, at level 11. Levels 15 and 19 I'm having trouble deciding between Maximized Magic (once a day cast a spell as if maximized without increasing the slot), Close range (cast ranged touch as melee touch, good for increasing the options), and critical strike. Though now that I think about it critical strike would probably be overkill.
Feat choices: levels 1, 5, 9, 13, 17. 5 feats is little low!
In order to make up for the sorcerer's glaring melee weaknesses, some spells and most feats have to be used to make up for it. Obvious choice is weapon finesse, and dervish dance/fencing grace is also under consideration. Planning to take dodge for the AC.
Other feat choices is where I'm not sure of. Should I get more metamagic to synergize with the arcane bloodline? More feats into bonuses to hit to make up for the sorcerer's low BAB?
Does anyone have any ideas to make the build a bit better? Something to mitigate the fact that the build's spellstrike isn't gained until level 11? Notable spell choices?
Get enervation on your list. Maximize once per day. Nastiest use of the spell most of the time.
Hmm. If I end up being able to spellstrike it, how does it play out? Assuming I hit, are the levels subtracted first or is the damage dealt first?
Related, now that I think about it, if I attach an attribute penalty to a spellstrike and it hits, is the attribute reduced first or damage dealt?
In fact, what if both of those spells crit? does enervation increase the level penalty (kinda doubt this), and does "attribute damage" get doubled? (not sure)
broad study requires levels in another spell casting class... really weird thinking about this when you have no magus levels. does it come from your sorcerer, does it only care about magus levels even though it's not explicitly stated... weird.
possible options to help your character, 1 level of swashbuckler for free weapon finesse and weapon proficiencies(freeing up your bloodline), one level of monk for free wisdom to AC then get guided instead of agile, potentially helpful.
Get enervation on your list. Maximize once per day. Nastiest use of the spell most of the time.Hmm. If I end up being able to spellstrike it, how does it play out? Assuming I hit, are the levels subtracted first or is the damage dealt first?
Related, now that I think about it, if I attach an attribute penalty to a spellstrike and it hits, is the attribute reduced first or damage dealt?
In fact, what if both of those spells crit? does enervation increase the level penalty (kinda doubt this), and does "attribute damage" get doubled? (not sure)
negative level attacks that crit double the negative levels gained. i know that much... due to experience.
broad study requires levels in another spell casting class... really weird thinking about this when you have no magus levels. does it come from your sorcerer, does it only care about magus levels even though it's not explicitly stated... weird.
Looking at it, the requirements are "level 6 magus" and "levels in another spellcasting class". "Level 6 magus" is satisfied by the VMC stating "treats his character level as his effective magus level when determining whether or not he can select an arcana.", and of course you have levels in sorcerer with this build. Am I reading into this wrong?
possible options to help your character, 1 level of swashbuckler for free weapon finesse and weapon proficiencies(freeing up your bloodline), one level of monk for free wisdom to AC then get guided instead of agile, potentially helpful.
If I'm only going to level 20, multiclassing makes me lose the big level 20 metamagic benefit of the arcane bloodline. If i multiclass in swashbuckler and monk, that'd be two levels and I'd also lose out on the level 19 bonus feat for the bloodline. Though that level in swashbuckler is definitely tempting, since it does free up a lot of feats to be used on possible metamagic or additional combat benefits.
I dont see how a sorcerer is gonna get that much benefit from VMC magus. Spell strike is only gonna be worth it if you use a weapon and you actually can hit some thing that you Care to spend a Spell on. Arcane pool is so so unless you have a weapon and plan to use it. These two both suffer from your low BaB.
The arcanas can be good but they are either ment for combat or once pr day tricks.
5 feats to have 1 time empowered, 1 time maximised and 1 time quickend. Sounds a bit weak. But that is what i can come up with.
If you use VMC the book suggest thet you dont use normal multiclass as well.
Multiclass with 1 Level of Inspired Blade Swashbuckler, 6 levels of Sorcerer, then into Eldritch Knight.
The bonus feats from Shwasbuckler and later on Eldritch Knight help with the massively featstarved build. VMC is really costly in this regard.
If you use VMC the book suggest thet you dont use normal multiclass as well.
Not quite:
"It is probably a good idea to use either this variant system or normal multiclassing, but its possible for the two systems to be used together. In a game using both systems a character cant take levels in the secondary class she gains from this varriant."
It only prevents you from being a VMC Magus and then takeing actualy Magus levels. But doesnt forbid taking, lets say, 2 Fighter levels, on a VMC Magus character.
If you use VMC the book suggest thet you dont use normal multiclass as well.Not quite:
"It is probably a good idea to use either this variant system or normal multiclassing, but its possible for the two systems to be used together. In a game using both systems a character cant take levels in the secondary class she gains from this varriant."
It only prevents you from being a VMC Magus and then takeing actualy Magus levels. But doesnt forbid taking, lets say, 2 Fighter levels, on a VMC Magus character.
It is a book of house rules nothing is forbidden and all have to go by the GM.
Magus VMC llows you to take extra arcana as a feat, so i strongly suggest getting Flamboyant Arcana at 7 and extra arcana(Arcane Deed(precise strike)) at 9 if you plan on meleeing. Broad study can wait for the level 15. Anyway, I think that trying to qualify for EK is a must, half BAB is not going to cut it.
Magus VMC llows you to take extra arcana as a feat, so i strongly suggest getting Flamboyant Arcana at 7 and extra arcana(Arcane Deed(precise strike)) at 9 if you plan on meleeing. Broad study can wait for the level 15. Anyway, I think that trying to qualify for EK is a must, half BAB is not going to cut it.
without broad study can he even use his sorcerer spells to spellstrike?
What Kestral said. The magus gets 99% of those within 6th spell level, so you really have no use for it untill level 14 anyway.
Looking at eldritch knight... This might be a good addition.
I would have to change up the build a bit. One of the requirements is "proficiency with all martial weapons", which isn't something you can just feat in, I don't think. The obvious solution is 2 levels in fighter, since it gives you 2 more feats and you qualify at fighter level 12 for greater weapon specialization. The downside, though, is that build puts you 3 levels behind in sorcerer spellcasting progression. That makes you completely miss out on 9th level spells.
Looking at eldritch knight... This might be a good addition.
I would have to change up the build a bit. One of the requirements is "proficiency with all martial weapons", which isn't something you can just feat in, I don't think.
Thats what the 1 Swashbuckle ris for. Plus all the goodies an d Bonus feats for a DEX-based char.
Oh. I just saw the swashbuckler, and that class does have a lot of goodies that fit with this character, and fits well into this character already maxing charisma and dexterity.
So it would be 1 level in swashbuckler at 1 or 7 the other 6 are sorcerer levels, then 8 - 17 are eldritch knight 1-10, then just sorcerer levels. You only lose 2 levels in spellcasting progression but you gain a huge amount of capability in terms of BaB and combat feats, making the character better able to consistantly apply those crit spells that she wants.
The only problem is going to be balancing swift actions. Swash already have problems with those, and the EK capstone is really too juicy to pass up when it procs.
The only problem is going to be balancing swift actions. Swash already have problems with those, and the EK capstone is really too juicy to pass up when it procs.
one level of swash isn't going to use up swifts...
(idk, dodging panache might be useful)