Hi guys i want to play a Magus Archtype Kensai in my new group but my problem is i dont know how to build a really good one. I am new with the Pathfinder Rules and hope u can help me. I want a little bit survivability do nice damage and some nice spells to have an ace in my sleeve when there is a critical situation for me or my group. My exotic weapon will be a Katana cause i dont like the scimitar + dervish dance build which is the only one i found in this forum.
So what do u say can u help me to pick the right feats and some nice magus arcanas??? Would be great when u could post the MUST HAVES for a nice Kensai Magus.
Thanks guys
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Take Toughness, the extra health is nice. YOU CAN'T GET KATANA AS A HALF-ELF MAGUS! The BAB doesn't allow it. The idea of Samurai to Kensai is a great idea. You could cast Shield, +4 to AC for a minute per casterlevel. You don't have to take Samurai for this combo, so no minus to caster level. What race do you plan on taking? Try taking Half Orc, the Darkvision is nice, and when you lose enough health to go below 0, you stay up a round so that you could drink a potion.
First thanks for the fast answer!!!
I wanted to take a Half Elve as Race and i thought when i push my Intelligence everytime i can, there would be enough AC to stay in the fight?
The first lvls arent a big problem for me because we switch the DMs between the adventures in our group (and i lead the first adventure) so that i will start with lvl 5 or 6 i think.
My problem is i dont know which feats i should take at higher lvls and i am afraid that i will make not enough damage to stay in 1vs1 fights.
To fit this problem i thought i will take a weapon with high crit chance an max this out so that i will do a crit on a 15 or something like that what do u think is this realistic.
And to answer your first question Helaman i will have 15pts to build my char!
What do you think about this?
Race Half Elf
STR:14
DEX:12
CON:14
INT:14 (16)Half Elf
WIS:8
CHA:10
Feats:
Weapon Focus (Katana) / Toughness
I dont know how to push my AC now and if i do enough damage my next thoughts about feats are Improved Critical / Critical Focus and Power Attack what do you think ?
Weapon Focus requires a +1 BAB. Unless there's something I'm missing, a level 1 Magus does not qualify.
Weapon Focus requires a +1 BAB. Unless there's something I'm missing, a level 1 Magus does not qualify.
Like i said i will start the campaign with lvl 5 or 6 i just need some advices for a bunch of feats i should not miss and which arcanas i have to get!!! Thx for the help
Take Toughness, the extra health is nice. YOU CAN'T GET KATANA AS A HALF-ELF MAGUS! The BAB doesn't allow it. The idea of Samurai to Kensai is a great idea. You could cast Shield, +4 to AC for a minute per casterlevel. You don't have to take Samurai for this combo, so no minus to caster level. What race do you plan on taking? Try taking Half Orc, the Darkvision is nice, and when you lose enough health to go below 0, you stay up a round so that you could drink a potion.
No need to yell, and yes you can. Half-elves get an alternate racial trait called Ancestral Arms that gives you free M/EWP in one weapon. So you can. It's not a bad idea either.
You should seriously consider dervish dance if you want to stay competitive.
You should seriously consider dervish dance if you want to stay competitive.
Not necessarily. I've played a strength based magus with a bastard sword and was pretty effective
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Heres a quick build idea I put together, use what you feel like.
If you are starting at 4th or 5th level you can deffinetly have that.
Example:
Kensai lvl 5
(15- point build)
Race Half Elf
STR:10
DEX:15 (16 at lvl 4)
CON:14
INT:14 (16)Half Elf
WIS:8
CHA:10
Feats And Special Abilities:
Arcane Pool (Su)
Spell Combat (Ex)
When wearing light or no armor and not using a shield, a duelist adds 1 point of Intelligence bonus (if any) per duelist class level to her Dexterity bonus to modify Armor Class while wielding a melee weapon. If a duelist is caught flat-footed or otherwise denied her Dexterity bonus, she also loses this bonus.
Weapon Focus(Ex)
Spellstrike (Su)
Magus Arcana:
Benefit: The magus can deliver ray spells that feature a ranged touch attack as melee touch spells. He can use a ranged touch attack spell that targets more than one creature (such as scorching ray), but he makes only one melee touch attack to deliver one of these ranged touch effects; additional ranged touch attacks from that spell are wasted and have no effect. These spells can be used with the spellstrike class feature.
At 4th level, when a kensai hits with his chosen weapon, he can spend 1 point from his arcane pool in order to maximize his weapon damage. Don’t roll for damage—the weapon deals maximum damage. This affects only the weapon’s base damage dice, not additional damage from sneak attack, magical weapon properties, spellstrike, or critical hits. If the kensai confirms a critical hit, he can instead spend 2 points from his arcane pool to increase his weapon’s critical multiplier by 1.
Feats
lvl 1 Wep Finesse
lvl 3 Quick Draw
lvl 5
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks as long as you start combat with an Aldori dueling sword in your hand. As long as you wield only a single Aldori dueling sword in one hand, you gain a +2 shield bonus to your AC—if you wield the sword in two hands, this bonus drops to a +1 shield bonus to AC. Although the dueling sword inflicts slashing damage, you treat it as if it were also a piercing weapon when determining the effects of weapons used by a duelist.
lvl 5 Bonus (magus)Combat Expertise
Traits:
Benefit: When you use Combat Expertise, reduce the number you subtract from your melee attack rolls by 1.
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks
So sum it all up at lvl 5 you have
+5 Initive (+8 at lvl 7)
Base of +7 to hit with your chosen weapon
Using a +1 Agile Aldori Dueling Blade 1d8 + 4 19-20 X2 (can add extra abilities with arcane pool)
Base AC of 18 (With no magic equipment)
Using Combat Expertise puts you at 19 (No penalty cause of Trait)
Adding your spells on top of that and things can get quite fun.
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Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A kensai is proficient in simple weapons and in a single martial or exotic melee weapon of his choice.
no need to be half elf (if you dont want)
Weapon Focus (Ex)
At 1st level, a kensai gains Weapon Focus with his chosen weapon as a bonus feat.
no need to take it as a feat. you get it free
after 3rd level you can take power attack. you'll need it. dodge and toughness arent bad.
First of all thank you for the big help i have thought about all the things you have said and did some homework by myself. What do u think about these two builds?
First a Magus with the Bladebound Archetype
ST: 15 (18 at lvl 4)
DEX:10
CON:14
IN: 14
WIS: 8
CHA:10
AC: 14 with a Chainshirt AC:16 at Lvl 7
BAB: +3 (+4 ST) (+1 Weapon Focus Katana) 1d8+4 (+2 with Arcane pool) and 15 - 20 crit with keen
Magus Arcana
Lvl 3 Blade bound Katana
Lvl 6 Broad Study (for Mage Armor)
Feats
Lvl 1 Toughness
Lvl 3 Exotic Weapon Katana
Lvl 5 Weapon Focus
Lvl 6 ???
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Second one is a Magus Kensai with Dervish Dance
ST:10
DEX:15 (18 at lvl 4)
IN:14
WIS:8
CHA:10
CON:14
AC: 16 (Uncanny Dodge +2 and DEX + 4) AC: 17 (at lvl 12)
BAB: +3 (+4 DEX) (+1 Weapon Focus Scimitar) 1d6+4 (+1 with Arcane pool) and 15 - 20 crit with keen
Magus Arcana
Lvl 3 ???
Lvl 6 Broad Study (for Mage Armor)
Feats
Lvl 1 Toughness
Lvl 3 Weaponfinesse
Lvl 5 Dervish Dance
Lvl 6 ???
This are my two builds now its your turn which one would u prefer and much more important which one do u think has more survivability related to the AC in higher levels and the damage output. Feel free to switch around my points and tell me when i forgot something. Perhaps you know any nice feats i must have and a arcana i should prefer?!
THANK YOU GUYS
First a Magus with the Bladebound Archetype
ST: 15 (18 at lvl 4)
You have a typo here. I presume you mean STR: 18 (15 + 2 racial + 1 at 4th level)
DEX:10
CON:14
IN: 14
WIS: 8
CHA:10AC: 14 with a Chainshirt AC:16 at Lvl 7
What medium armor does he don at Level 7? Chainmail, I would guess. He should spend some of his 23,500 gp on enchanting that armor. And did you notice that medium armor slows his speed down to 20 feet?
BAB: +3 (+4 ST) (+1 Weapon Focus Katana) 1d8+4 (+2 with Arcane pool) and 15 - 20 crit with keen
A katana with a keen enchantment on it must also have a +1 enchantment or better, too. Fortunately, your magus has hoarded the cash by level 5 to buy a +1 Keen Katana--which means that if his black blade is +1 and keen the GM wouldn't quibble much.
Magus Arcana
Lvl 3 Blade bound Katana
Lvl 6 Broad Study (for Mage Armor)
Broad Study requires that he take a level in Sorcerer, Summoner, Witch, or Wizard to get Mage Armor. The Spell Blending arcana would suit your intent better. However, I don't see the point in learning Mage Armor when your magus wears a chain shirt. The armor bonus from Mage Armor does not stack with the armor bonus from real armor.
Feats
Lvl 1 Toughness
Lvl 3 Exotic Weapon Katana
Lvl 5 Weapon Focus
Lvl 6 ???
Level 6? The magus gets a second feat at level 5 due to his bonus feat ability, but he does not get one at level 6.
A spell list of the spells the magus has learned from leveling up would be a good addition to this list.
By the way, have you seen the duplicate of your posting at the Advice subform? (link) You never added any comments there.
EDITED to shorten rambling wording.