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I have been thinking about an idea recently.
If you take a small sized Tiefling Barbarian (Titan Mauler archetype) to level 2, then swap class to Magus (Kensai archetype) you could be weilding a Fauchard 1 handed at level 3.
Traits would be Wayang Spellhunter (Shocking Grasp) and Magical Knack (Magus)
This gives;
+4HP net after loosing 2 favoured class bonus HP and gaining 6HP from Barb levels.
Reach + Spell Combat.
+2 to hit from big game hunter and small size should off-set the -2 for using Fauchard 1 handed.
Shocking grasp hits just as hard at level 3 and every level for that matter as it would as pure Magus.
No minus to STR and a +2 in Int and Dex is about as good as you are going to get for a Magus.
Sometimes 2 handing the Fauchard and RAGE!!! will get the job done, lol.
Sound good? Or total madness?
consider the bladebound magus at lvl 5 he has a +3 keen scimitar ....
I like it. I have been thinking of ways to get reach for a magus, and didn't even consider that.
enlarge person cast!
got reach ! and STR bonus to boon!
Dot
consider the bladebound magus at lvl 5 he has a +3 keen scimitar ....
I'm sure he could afford a keen fauchard by lvl 5 as well... And the reach would keep him safer by far.
I have been thinking about an idea recently.
If you take a small sized Tiefling Barbarian (Titan Mauler archetype) to level 2, then swap class to Magus (Kensai archetype) you could be wielding a Fauchard 1 handed at level 3.
Maybe I'm missing something or did you go with the Sidebar option below and pick a halfling or gnome tiefling? RAW - Size: Tieflings are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. I also see that they range in size for females 4 ft. 7 in. to 6 ft. 1 in. and males are 5 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in.
The creatures of the depths of the Outer Planes do not limit their foul miscegenation to humanity. Elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes all have tales of tieflings in their histories, and those who appear among them now often suffer even greater stigma than those born to humans.
Other humanoids see tieflings in their midst as well. Many of the monstrous races of the world have demonic origins—most notably gnolls, who still thank the Mother of Monsters for their birth. Ogres, orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and other creatures that call upon the powers of the evil Outer Planes are equally likely to see tieflings living among them, but unless a given race holds to a code of racial purity, tieflings are far less likely to be shunned by such populations
It should be noted that while any monster or animal that breeds with a fiend may give birth to half-fiend offspring, only humanoids may give birth to tieflings. Thus, while it’s possible to encounter a half-fiend dragon, bear, or otyugh, any children of such creatures would be either half-fiends or normal members of their race. (And just as often, these less conventional half-fiends are simply sterile.) When discussing half-fiends and tieflings, it’s important to distinguish them from both true fiends (devils, demons, etc.) and simple fiendish creatures (creatures with the fiendish template, which are themselves denizens of the evil Outer Planes but similar in many ways to their Material Plane counterparts).
In game terms, the difference between non-human tieflings and human tieflings is purely a matter of size. Unless they have specific tiefling-related size modifiers, the tieflings of each of these races are the same size as their non-fiendish ancestors. They gain any of the bonuses or penalties related to that size, but gain no racial bonuses except those of the tiefling; beyond size, their humanoid ancestry is purely cosmetic.
4 lvls of phalanx soldier gets the same thing by lvl 3 (using a buckler) and 3 extra feats, and 4itterative attacks by end game. You are missing out on some magus goodies, but it can be done...
Sidebar nonstandard tieflings from blood of fiends it can be done
consider the bladebound magus at lvl 5 he has a +3 keen scimitar ....I'm sure he could afford a keen fauchard by lvl 5 as well... And the reach would keep him safer by far.
good luck spending 8000 gold for a weapon on lvl 5 where total player wealth should be around 10500 ....
im playing a Bladebound human magus started at lvl 5 right now there is stuff you can use far better like pearls of power and belt of giant STR you can make your weapon keen at lvl 5 tho...
if you realy want reach just get the lunge feat when it comes up
consider the bladebound magus at lvl 5 he has a +3 keen scimitar ....I'm sure he could afford a keen fauchard by lvl 5 as well... And the reach would keep him safer by far.good luck spending 8000 gold for a weapon on lvl 5 where total player wealth should be around 10500 ....
im playing a Bladebound human magus started at lvl 5 right now there is stuff you can use far better like pearls of power and belt of giant STR you can make your weapon keen at lvl 5 tho...
if you realy want reach just get the lunge feat when it comes up
Touché cost mart...
Also, am I right in thinking that you could then use light armour and still get Int to AC as you would gain light armour prof from Barb, you would have a small amount of ASF for your somantic spells but probably worth it?
As for Lunge its kinda late entry for a Magus? level 9? also you have to activate it, so will miss a lot of attacks of opertunity on first rounds maybe?
I guess you could go a medium sized Tiefling (or elf/human/halfwhatever)and then do the same thing + enlarge person for 20 feat of reach, or add lunge as well as using this setup for even more reach.
Even if its not quite as optimal as the thousands of Scimitar Magus Characters running arround, I like the option of when DM asks if you want to cast a spell, you say, na, I am just gonna activate Rage and cleave some fools two handed.
spell combat.
cast acane mark touch atack with scimitar (spellstrike)
grip scimitar with 2 hands BAB + STR bonus + weapon focus + arcane accuracy + magic weapon bonus + arcane pool (keen?) to attack.
with my magus at lvl 6 this is 4+5+1+4+2+1+keen -2 spall combat=
+15 keen attack with 1d6 + 10 (15-20 X2) TWICE!
never forget you can also wield a 1handed weapon 2 handed and it is a free action to put your spellcasting hand to your weapon when sriking.
oh and considering i got 18 int and got 3 pearls of power lvl1 i can shocking grasp at 6d6 (intesefied an no lvl increase trough trait) so i can technicly cast shocking grap 7 times a day with not spending arcane points. i got 8 arcane points considering 4 fights a day i can cast shocking grasp 11 times a day. at lvl 6 using spell recall. i have practicly no chance at failing my consentration check with combat casting.
casting mirror immage as a second lvl spell I can bolster my defenses and if i want more ofensive spells I can put in frigid touch !!
Darkflame I get it that you like the Schimitar (so do I) but you are talking about a level 6 magus with 20str and 18int, puting your level 4 stat bump into str meant for a 20 point buy you would have had to start with 19 8 8 18 8 7 as your stats? or maybe you are talking about some crazy point buy or mega lucky roll to make your point.
But I would have thought that reach would be useful to a glass cannon melee that with your stats is looking like having thirty something HP and what 14AC?
Also is that free action put your hand on a weapon then get spell combat, spell strike and 2 handed str bonus legit? fair play if it is.
I am not even 100% sure the titan mauler thing will work, Jotungrip tells us that your 2 handed weapon counts as a one handed weapon for purposes of power attack and str bonus and the like. Spell combat requires a one handed or light weapon in one hand. I am not sure if one qualifies me for the other.
actualy my magus has 44 hp at lvl 5
my stats are 20 pt buy but i chose for the alt racial trait to get +2 to two stats and i got a belt of giant STR
nothing strange at lvl 5 :-)
i also put every skilpoint in HP so thats 15HP without dicerols starting with 8hp and then rolling 4 D8 rerolling 1 and 2
ill do 1 better :-)
here he is:
Male Human Blade bound magus 5
CG Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +5
Defense
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex)
hp 44 (5d8+10+5)
Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +4
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Attacks: scimitar +10/ 1d6+7(18-20 x2)
spell combat with spellstrike: Shocking grasp +8/+8 5d6 +1d6+5 (18-20/x2)/1d6+5(18-20/x2)
--------------------
--------------------
Statistics (+2 to two ability scores Alt racial dual talented 20 point buy)
--------------------
Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 7
Base Atk +3; CMB +8; CMD 19
Feats weapon Focus Scimitar, extra arcane pool, combat casting, intensified spell
Traits Family Ties(campaign), Magical Lineage
Languages: Common Giant Orc Infernal Sylvan
Equipment:
• +1 chain shirt (1250g)
• +2 scimitar Black blade
• Belt of giant Str +2 (4000g)
• 3 pearls of power (3000g)
• 6 potions of cure light wounds (300g)
• 1 potions of cure moderate wounds (300g)
• Explorer gear worth (75g)
• Wand of vanish (750g)
• Wand of shield (750g)
10425 of 10500
--------------------
spells known:
LVL1: Color Spray, Enlarge person, frostbite, grease, obscuring mist, reduce person, shield, Shocking grasp, true strike, unerring weapon, Vanish
LVL2: Bear’s endurance, frigid touch, Mirror image, web
Spells prepared:
lvl0: Detect magic, Ghost sound, Arcane mark , Read magic
lvl1: Shocking grasp X3, True strike, Vanish,
lvl2: Bear's endurance, Frigid touch, Mirror image
That's great and all, but you are kinda stealing thunder here. It's not a best build competition, it's a crazy magus idea... And I think it's just crazy enough to work!
There are light armors that have no spell failure when modded. There is also the buckler. You could do that cerimonial robe/ armor thing with an armored kilt and a buckler for some nice enchant able AC.
What is trying to be accomplished by going into Titan Mauler? I guess I am not seeing it.
1 handed reach weapon.
Ah that makes sense.
I wouldn't do it for the simple reason you can't cast spells when raged and urban barbarian doesn't stack with Titan Mauler.
Memorize Enlarge Person or get a couple of potions of it and call it a day.
That is why I suggested phalanx soldier. The extra feats always help a magus.
Yeah, mechanicly I like Phalanx Soldier a little better than Titan Mauler. Mithril buckler and you are golden.
Another option (and if you like crazy ideas I think this takes the cake) take 2 levels of Alchemist for an extra arm and mutagens (mutagens are better than rage for a magus). Archetype as desired but probably at least Vivisectionist for a bit of sneak attack damage. While technically you aren't using a single hand for a polearm you still have a free hand for spell casting and I believe you would be getting Strx1.5 even when you use spellstrike and spellcombat.
I like the alchemist/ magus combo, but I think that is a better 4lvl dip. It really depends on what you want out of the build as a whole. Phalanx soldier gives you good BaB and feats for a more combat build, while alchemist gives you a bit less combat (not bad though, but versatile caster options.
Alchemist does not work because Spell Combat calls out the need to have a free hand and a light or one handed weapon in the other hand, titan mauler text tells you to treat your two handed weapon as a one handed weapon, so does phalanx soldier, but then it also has the text "while wielding a shield" and if you cast a spell you loose the AC from the buckler because you are not wielding it as a shield and so the polearm stops being a one handed weapon and spell combat fails?
I guess it depends on your view of RAW/RAI
The way I see RAW only titan mauler works for this and phalanx soldier and alchemist do not.
The way I see RAI probably titan mauler should not work for this either.
As for the Rage not working with spells thing, why not have Rage as a backup for if you run out of spells? or to use on Mooks so you can NOVA the Big Bad with all your shocking power? It's just an extra tool in the toolbox.
Anyway food for thought, when i made a test mock up of a titan mauler magus i thought much like Darkflame, ooh but i loose some spellpower blah blah, better with a pure magus, but then take that a step further and i would be better with a Wizard so sometimes its better to just do the best you can with the idea you have rather than comparing it to other ideas.
Phalanx soldier with shield bash: buckler?