I have read over the message boards and have been flipping around my books for the last 5-6 days trying to get the Magus to something I really enjoy. It is more of a melee caster which is something I have wanted for a long tyme. I remember seeing a picture of a spellsword in a 3.5 book and thought that would be fun. This class seemed like a good mix of what that was. Then the more I read and the more I found I was pulled to this kind of hybrid. I know it will be a tough class the first 2-3 levels, but I look at the long term flare and RP value and it just gets me excited. I hope I live long enough to get to LvL 4-5 and start to get that Super Natural Animeish (Bleach) vibe that I am picturing. Also to bad this build doesn't work with the Urumi (whip sword) which is really what I wanted for this Look , but thats just visualization and fluff and a d8... I can manage.
I am leaning towards Human with a Dex bump.
Str-11
Dex-17+2=19 (ability bump- 4,16,20) extra hit, dmg, ac, saves etc.
Con-15 (Ability Bump- 12) HP and higher save never hurt
Int-17 (Ability Bump-8) extra AC, skills, spells
Wis-12
Cha-10
Current plan for build is to go with the Dervish Dancer Scimitar Bladebound Kensai. Yes, I have realized how limited my spells will be how much do you think this will hurt my character? I have no problems being selfish and lacking CC and party buffs. And yes I will be rough on the first 2-3 lvls of Melee since Weapon Finess doesn't work with scimitar until lvl 3 with Dancing Dervish.
Kensai- Weapon Focus-Scimitar
1st- Weapon Finess-Scimitar (I know this doesn't work til 3rd with Dancing Dervish, but its a prereq. So I will suck it up and hope it don't hurt me to much before lvl 3.)
Human- Dodge
Blackblade- Alertness
3rd- Dancing Dervish
5th- Intensify Spell-Shocking Grasp
Magus 5th- Empower Spell-Shocking Grasp (I know I can't cast it, but I'm prepping for Spell Perfection and this has no Prereq. If this is a flaw let me know. I can adjust.)
7th- Maximize Spell- Shocking Grasp (same as above)
9th- Critical Focus (Eligible via Kensai Critical Perfection)
11th- Improved Critical-Scimitar
Magus 11th- Bleeding Critical (Eligible via Kensai Critical Perfection)
13th- Staggering Critical (Eligible via Kensai Critical Perfection)
15th- Spell Perfection- Shocking Grasp
17th- Critical Mastery (Eligible via Kensai Critical Perfection)
Magus 17th- Stunning Critical (Eligible via Kensai Critical Perfection)
19th- Penetrating Strike
Would 13 Charisma & Skill Focus: Survival for Eldritch Heritage: Orc Bloodline be worth the Wisdom dip and the Ability Pt. I would have to use to get it? 1 pt of damage per die rolled with Damage Spell and Darkvision. At LVL 11 with Imp. Crit range and Intensify spell this could be anywhere from 10d6+10 to possibly 20d6+20. As with most things it gets better the higher you go, but is it worth having to grab a semi useless Skill Focus: Survival and dumping an Ability point in CHA lowering my WIS and thus Will Save? This could be a replacement for the Meta feats I'm unsure about and would force me to adjust my end game Crit Mastery strategy.
Not a fan of Power attack I want every swing to hit even if it is for less damage cause less damage still does some damage and a miss does nothing.
I don't see the Weapon Specialization being that good at higher lvls when I can possibly add other feats that give more than a base 1 or 2 damage. This should scale IMO then it would be useful.
Inspired by Greatness-Shocking Grasp
Magical Lineage-Shocking Grasp
3rd-Lost due to Bladebounds Black Blade ability
6th-Empower
9th-Lost due to Kensai Critical Perfection
12th-Critical
15th-Maximize
18th-Accurate Strike
LvL 1- Shocking Grasp
LvL 2- Intensified Shocking Grasp
LvL 5- Maximized Intensified Shocking Grasp
LvL 6- Maximized Empowered Intensified Shocking Grasp (Spell Perfection)
Leaving me with a few levels of spells to play around with for CC and Buffs/Debuffs.
I picture a few bursts with the posibility somewhere along the lines of 1d6+10 + 10d6 maxed +50%... and thats without the 30% possible Crits that would do 2d6 +20 +20d6 maxed +50% +10 Bleed and a stunned effect.
Feedback? Any misused powers/feats or design flaws please let me know. I dont want to have this build set in my mind and then realize that this or that isn't legal and it throws the entire concept out of line. Thanks in advance!
At the high level, I'd be much more tempted by Bane and Quicken rather than Maximize. Any bane you want every time you arcane pool is pretty good even at high level, and a quicken should average same as a maximize but gives more versatility.
I'd rather have accurate strike or even arcane strike using the swift action every round then hoping for the spell critical.
I'm pretty sure that Eldritch Heritage only gives you the 1st level bloodline ability, not the Arcana too; have to dip sorceror to get those tasty spell damage arcanae.
For the first 3 levels use a rapier. Same stats as a scimitar, but benefits from finesse. At level 3 make sure you haver a MW or +1 scimitar ready, and you are good to go.
I keep thinking that since I am Bladebound I should have the Scimitar from LvL 1... I know it doesn't state that I HAVE to, but i just FEEL that is how a Bladebound should work. However, maybe I can use a part of my backstory that I grew up training with the rapier, but always wanted to use the scimitar my father gave me and as I grew older and became a better swordsman I can switch to the weapon of choice and find this mysterious power that overcomes me as the blade comes to life in my hand... The Bladebound Archetype doesn't start til lvl 3, at least not from any statistical impact... I just think it would be about RP and other Fluff on how to pull off a toon that is built around the use of one particular weapon and then start the character by using a totally different type.
Besides that... no one has said anything about the spells and how I Meta'd them. Is that correct? Can I use them with the different Meta's as diff lvls? I figured they would be similar to say Enlarge person is one level and mass enlarge person is the same spell just higher so its 2 different spells in the spell book. So a shocking grasp is one spell and intensified shocking grasp is a more powerful version of same spell and thus just a higher lvl. So I can have them both in spell book/prepared.
Oversight on my part and touched upon in a seperate post, but with the Trait Magical Lineage my spell list would read:
LvL 1- Intensified Shocking Grasp
LvL 4- Maximized Intensified Shocking Grasp
LvL 5- Maximized Empowered Intensified Shocking Grasp
Which gives me even more wiggle room if the Big Ugly is immune to Lightining.
I keep thinking that since I am Bladebound I should have the Scimitar from LvL 1... I know it doesn't state that I HAVE to, but i just FEEL that is how a Bladebound should work. However, maybe I can use a part of my backstory that I grew up training with the rapier, but always wanted to use the scimitar my father gave me and as I grew older and became a better swordsman I can switch to the weapon of choice and find this mysterious power that overcomes me as the blade comes to life in my hand... The Bladebound Archetype doesn't start til lvl 3, at least not from any statistical impact... I just think it would be about RP and other Fluff on how to pull off a toon that is built around the use of one particular weapon and then start the character by using a totally different type.
Or you got so good at finessing a rapier, you were able to finesse something even heavier or you wield a rapier that looks a whole lot like a scimitar. Personally as a DM, I would let you finesse the scimitar at level 1. There really is no good reason to not let you do it, when you can finesse a rapier which has basically the same stats.
|
I went with Dawnflower Dervish bard archetype for my Bladebound Kensai Dervish at 1st level in PFS, with the "Maestro of the Society" trait for additional rounds of performance.
The use of the Scimitar and Dervish Dance from level 1, the extra few bard spells, and the +2 morale bonus on hit and damage from the battle dance made me viable from the get go. I did not have to "waste" a feat in Weapon Finesse, as you get the Dervish Dance as a bonus at 1st level.
The question is whether you can live with the level loss. Since PFS is only to 12, my answer was "yes".
I love the dip into Evocation Specialist Wizard: Admixture... I will have to look it over to see what kind of drawbacks if any would be for the dip. Also when you multiclass as a wizard how does that effect my spellbook? I have never played a caster before so some of these things are a bit beyond my normal knowledge. Appreciate the dip suggetion it looks to be great!
As for the Spell Perfection I took it at 15th first chance I got. Figured it was a must.
For the first 3 levels use a rapier. Same stats as a scimitar, but benefits from finesse. At level 3 make sure you haver a MW or +1 scimitar ready, and you are good to go.
The problem with this is that he won't be proficiant with the rapier due to the Kensai archetype since it's a martial weapon ("A kensai is proficient in simple weapons and in a single martial or exotic melee weapon of his choice"). Yes, he'll be able to use his +4 DEX to hit, but he'll have a -4 for not being proficient. Plus, he won't have the Kensai's Weapon Focus, so he'll actually be much worse with a rapier. He'd be better off using a dagger for the first two levels and switch to scimitar at level 3 if he's having trouble hitting. +4 from Weapon Finesse verses +1 from Weapon Focus (Scimitar), and the weapon stats arn't that bad for low level. 1d4 with 19-20/x2 crit vs. 1d6 with 18-20/x2 crit.
Shocking Grasp is a 1st level spell, only taking up one page in your spellbook.
As a prepared caster, you apply metamagic feats during preparation, so you could prepare an Intensified Shocking Grasp in a 2nd level spell slot. You don't need to use another two pages and appropriate gp to scribe it into your spellbook again.
Hmm nice catch seems like this build is really hamstrung at 1st and 2nd LvL... I could just cast more spells the first few lvls since I will be a lower end AC it wouldn't be smart for me to be all up front and personal at first. Toss out some acid Splash, Ray of Frost, or Disrupt Undead if the opportunity presents itself and hope for the best. I can Daze... /shrug
Could always start as the lvl 1 Wizard Evocation Specialist Admixture... with weapon finess scimitar. It might look odd, but it could work its a way out take Kensai Magus at lvl 2 to get weapon focus then at 3 dancing dervish and bladebound. It would help me get past the limited spells at lvl 1 from Kensai's reduced spell casting. Lvl 2 would be a bit easier. IDK its an option. However, it would mess with the feat selection at higher lvls since most of the crit feats were taken at their first available chance. Now as a magus 1 level lower I would have to take them a lvl later and they wouldn't fall right.
This would be great if we weren't starting at lvl 1 lol