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There are numerous questions I have in order to do two things:
1) Make sure my character is legal for PFS.
2) Make sure I am well-informed as to my options.
I suppose I should start with what my character is. You can find that out by simply looking under this alias (Xanatos Grey) here for a full description and layout of my PFS Magus. The questions I have are as follows:
1) After researching, I am led to believe that Arcane Strike and Arcane Pool do not stack even though both are considered untyped bonuses. What is the final verdict on this? If the Arcane Strike feat does not stack with the abilities of my Arcane Pool, am I able to change this aspect of my character to make him legal for play?
2) I am seeing numerous reports based off of Spell Combat + Spellstrike + Etcetera, etcetera. The main focus of this is the Arcane Mark + Spellstrike + Spell Combat. First, as this is my first time playing a magus, what is the deal with Arcane Mark that everyone is vying it as such a breakthrough spell for the Magus? I understand that it is a touch spell, but what am I going to do? Sign my initials like Zorro in glowing runes? May I please have some clarification on this?
3) This last question doesn't apply at all to the Magus, but there's no need for me to start an entirely different thread for a single question. If my character - I'll use this one for example - is already part of a faction, can he still be sent through First Steps?
4) Mentioning First Steps reminds me that I have a character that is currently running through a First Steps PBP. Given the nature of PBPs to 'die', could I take the character from the 'limbo' of the dead PBP and start running him through scenarios? How would that play out with anything gained during that part of the scenario (i.e. Gold earned, items found that would be on the Chronicle sheet, etc.)?
Those are ultimately the most important questions I had in regards to it all. Most of this is simply me seeking clarification on things I've read and/or heard via the forums and friends, but I'm looking to play more and more society as time goes on, so I'd like to expand my knowledge, so I don't end up 'cheating'.
In summation, thank you.
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3) This last question doesn't apply at all to the Magus, but there's no need for me to start an entirely different thread for a single question. If my character - I'll use this one for example - is already part of a faction, can he still be sent through First Steps?
4) Mentioning First Steps reminds me that I have a character that is currently running through a First Steps PBP. Given the nature of PBPs to 'die', could I take the character from the 'limbo' of the dead PBP and start running him through scenarios? How would that play out with anything gained during that part of the scenario (i.e. Gold earned, items found that would be on the Chronicle sheet, etc.)?
Your first 2 questions are not PFS questions and should be brought to the PF RPG rules forum, you will get better results there.
Your other 2 are, so.
3. The only requirement to play in First Steps is that you are level 1, if during First steps you reach level 2 you can no longer play them. Having a Faction does not keep you from playing them.
4. Once you start a PBP game you are stuck playing that until it is complete, you can not play another scenario while still playing a PBP game. What you could do is convince your GM the scenario is dead and won't be completed and he can provide a Chronicle sheet giving a reward based on what you finished.
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3) This last question doesn't apply at all to the Magus, but there's no need for me to start an entirely different thread for a single question. If my character - I'll use this one for example - is already part of a faction, can he still be sent through First Steps?
If he's still 1st level, then yes. If he's got 2XP, he could play one of the three parts.
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1. Arcane strike is a swift action, lasts 1 round and grants an untyped bonus as you say. Enhancing a weapon with your arcane pool is also a swift action, lasts one minute and grants an enhancement bonus that stacks with existing weapon enhancements. You could use arcane pool in the first round, arcane strike in the second and subsequent rounds and they would stack. This leaves you with no swift actions. If you built this character from Ultimate Magic rather than the playtest and have already played him, the rules have not changed so you don't have an opportunity to rebuild.
2. By spellstriking with arcane mark, you get an additional weapon attack (with penalties and preventing you from using spell combat with something effective). edit: As mentioned by others, you probably need a (fairly easy) concentration check. It's a cantrip, so you can use it at will.
There was an earlier discussion about PbPs collapsing. I believe this works no differently than leaving partway through a face-to-face session: ask your GM for a chronicle containing any treasure the party secured, any PA you have already earned and 1 XP if you completed 3 encounters. The GM also might cross off any significant items that you didn't find. If the GM's gone silent, you're probably out of luck.
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Alright, in response, I appreciate the feedback so far.
@James - Appreciate the info, James. You are right that indeed that was the source of my confusion.
@Dragn - Thank you for the informative response as well. My apologies, however, that I posted the questions 'out of order'. Like I said, though, I didn't see the need to open up multiple threads just to have an extra question or two answered. I found it more productive and efficient to just post them all together.
@Paz - That's what I figured and I just wanted to say thanks for the answer.
@Starglim - Your answer for my Arcane Mark question is closest to what I was reading about, but I didn't understand it when I first read it. Is it because Arcane Mark is a touch spell and with touch spells you get the free melee attack?
So am I to understand that Arcane Mark is just used to get a free attack?
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So am I to understand that Arcane Mark is just used to get a free attack?
With a -2 penalty on your attacks for the round... essentially yes. But, as James was saying, there are people that frown upon it. So, since GMs vary in PFS, I'd inform them at the start of the game of your intention with the character, and see if they bite.
Don't forget this recently added official errata for the class:
Magus: Can a magus use spellstrike (page 10) to cast a touch spell, move, and make a melee attack with a weapon to deliver the touch spell, all in the same round?Yes. Other than deploying the spell with a melee weapon attack instead of a melee touch attack, the magus spellstrike ability doesn’t change the normal rules for using touch spells in combat (Core Rulebook page 185). So, just like casting a touch spell, a magus could use spellstrike to cast a touch spell, take a move toward an enemy, then (as a free action) make a melee attack with his weapon to deliver the spell.
On a related topic, the magus touching his held weapon doesn’t count as “touching anything or anyone” when determining if he discharges the spell. A magus could even use the spellstrike ability, miss with his melee attack to deliver the spell, be disarmed by an opponent (or drop the weapon voluntarily, for whatever reason), and still be holding the charge in his hand, just like a normal spellcaster. Furthermore, the weaponless magus could pick up a weapon (even that same weapon) with that hand without automatically discharging the spell, and then attempt to use the weapon to deliver the spell. However, if the magus touches anything other than a weapon with that hand (such as retrieving a potion), that discharges the spell as normal.
Basically, the spellstrike gives the magus more options when it comes to delivering touch spells; it’s not supposed to make it more difficult for the magus to use touch spells.
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I've been GMing myself for almost eight years, so I know what its like to have a player spring a questionable subject like that on me.Well just to make clear- by the rules it's not questionable, but a subset of people on the forums here get all bent out of shape by it. Knowing that ahead of time might be a good thing (say to find another table).
-James
I'd like to offer up my pitch on the whole "but the ruuuuules say I can" attitude toward things that are "questionable" in RPGs. In 3.5 you could make an infinite amount of gold by taking ladders (or some other mundane item) and breaking them down into their component parts, sell said parts for 1/2 what they would cost and make a profit. So, even though by the rules it wouldn't be questionable, I would never allow my players to say "for three days we do nothing but salvage ladders, netting us a profit of 43 thousand gold."
While there's nothing in the rules preventing the arcane mark flurry, it still makes me a bit nervous. Having a gish spellcaster/fighter class is already a bit disgusting, after having played one into the high levels. When you want to, you really outshine other characters. And taking away the coolness of a monks flurry in the early levels seems like punching the kid with glasses after his dog got leukemia. There's nothing stopping you (except a GM, or your conscience), really, but you still probably shouldn't do it.
But James is 100% right when he says the rules support it. So if a gaming group is fine with it, then rock man. We've gotta remember that PF, and all RPGs, should be about playing with other people and working together, rather than trying to out DPS someone else or make your GM's head explode by performing a million combat tricks.
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Unless you're simply DPSing with everyone else and your GM is a d$&@. Just kidding. I couldn't help but interject.
As someone who my wife considers easily confused, I think there should be some sort of official word on this. I realize that the devs have bigger things on their plate, but I'd like to hear something back on this.
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Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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I've got a 5th lvl magus, and I'll proudly say I've never used the arcane mark trick. There's always been better things to do than that. That and I have close range arcana, so I can use ray of frost, acid splash, or disrupt undead instead... ;)
Honestly, its not much different than having two weapon fighting, and no one gives grief about that.
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To Walter- with the concentration check you're worse off than a monk flurrying when they're not spending ki, let alone when they are. I don't think you have to worry about 'stepping on toes there'.. though if you're worried about overshadowing.. then the class you really want to avoid is the fighter as they'll blow a magus out of the water and not need to burn resources to do so.
This shouldn't become a "class X is better than class Y because of ability Z" discussion. Those don't end productively. That said, there's something about casting the same cantrip whenever you attack to prock spell combat on the chance you can succeed your concentration check every round that reeks of cheese. Like, limburger bad. There's no resource burning, as you say, in such an example. And, in my mind, comparing a fighter to a magus is a bit apples to oranges. One is a sort of standard of power, a baseline if you will, scuplted around the concept of little aside from multiple feats. While the other meshes arcane casting with a bit of melee "twang." If we were doing comparisons why wouldn't we pick another d8 HD class that had spells and a 3/4 bab? But I digress, again, this thread isn't about any of that. It's about someone that had a question and getting that answer resolved, despite differing opinions.
Rather than use 'questionable' as we both can agree that it's not questionable, perhaps you might wish to use 'unpalatable to some' as that's what it boils down to.
-James
+1
So, for the record (and if TLDR). I don't "jive" with the spell combat/arcane mark, but I wouldn't prevent a player in my game (or PFS) from doing. I just personally wouldn't do it with my magus. *shrugs*
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I would like to add that in real life, I choose to leave a private home game group where another player thought it was funny to put an arcane mark on my pc. I asked him to remove it. He declined. I choose to engage him in combat. After several limited per day resources were used up(after they were already strained) and not wanting to see our pcs die, we both withdrawed from combat saving. We each saved a few last resouces if the other choose to carry on. Had i really wanted, i believe the numbers on our sheets/play style would have given either of us a 50/50 chance of who would kill who. Our pcs parted ways. More importantly, I choose not to play with said group again. My point is, an arcane mark being scribed on someone could really enrage or humiliate someone. I think that could cause a failure to properly defend oneself for a moment. Or in other words, justify the extra attack when their guard is down or misguided. I will allow the tactic at my table. I just hope one of the characters involved is an NPC. If the target does not pass a spell craft check to know what it is, would that not be enough to fear it? I thought it both very funny and a worth while trick to try pulling when someone suggested the mage out of slots use a cantrip illusion and bluff it was a finger of death spell. Again, if someone does not pass that spellcraft, they may be so afraid, they may choose to runaway or surrender.
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Honestly, its not much different than having two weapon fighting, and no one gives grief about that.
I thought the same. Is there something inherent I am not seeing that makes attack-arcane mark-attack better than someone with TWF? Assuming that the magus (minus his spells) is a weaker fighter than a fighter/ranger on par with a rogue (less sneak attack) why would this tactic be concerning? Is it the arcane pool?