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The Ovate is an Oracle who casts from the druid list, effectively giving us our spontaneous Charisma druid without causing base class bloat.
There rest are Magus archetypes, each of which starts with an existing archetype but makes far more significant changes.
The Hexblade is a spontaneous Charisma Magus working from the Hexcrafter. Thematically, they're a tradition of ambitious warriors who turn their desires into magical effects.
The Ascetic is a very different take on the spontaneous Magus. Its a martial artist with Wisdom-based casting, Kensi abilities and monk weapons.
The Bonded Blade is a modification of the Blade Bound Magus which stores its spells in the black blade.
Since you cast your spells using the blade, I included the option of taking a black staff instead. Staff Magi and Ascetic Magi should appreciate that.
The wording of Quarterstaff Casting is kind. It basically comes as close to being the Quarterstaff Master feat as possible without technically being the same (attacks resolve AS IF you were wielding it in one hand, you aren't ACTUALLY wielding it as a one-handed weapon).
Everything else seems fine.
It pretty much is Quarterstaff Master, yes. The differences are the feat has you hold the staff in one hand like a wizard instead of in two like a martial artist and the feat qualifies you for weapon specialisation, which seemed inappropriate given that the Kensai already has its own way of getting that.
I don't think it does anything better than Quarterstaff Master. In fact, it looks worse to me. No feat opened up, no using your other hand to do anything but cast spells. If it IS somehow better, let me know. I don't intend it to be.
Bonded Blade is brilliant
=D Glad you think so.
It shouldn't really change how the Blade Bound Magus plays, but I much prefer it. I think the black blade's abilities kick in at the right level, but I believe you should be able to start with it and I much prefer the as the source of your magic than your magic as the source of the bond.
I can imagine a setting where all magi are blade bonded. It would make them more thematically distinct.
All magi in my campaign are blade bonded. That's why I find your suggestion so brilliant.
Thanks Vindicator. I do think that would be a fun approach to the Magus.
Ascalaphus, I guess so. Your black blade does become unbreakable at 3rd level, but it's still an issue. I should make it unbreakable from level 1.
Changing that now.
Yeah, that's part of the fun and you can always recall it with the usual ritual. It's fixed now. Also fixed some bad editing and typos. Thanks for the useful feedback and I'm glad you like them.
Yeah, I also increase the ego of the black blade by 5 and change the alignment to one step away from the Magus (usually towards evil or chaos for fun). This makes the class much more interesting.
A farmer boy finds a strange black sword in a crater near his home. It crackles and seethes with dark energy. The boy gingerly touches the hilt of the blade. Its cool, yet comforting. He lifts the black sword into the air. Indigo runes glow down the center of the blade. The energy courses through the boy's arm and into his heart. Before he realizes what is happening, sparks are flying out of his other hand, igniting a nearby bush. The young man drops the blade. He is scared. He knows his simple life is over. Someone... something chose him. For what? He did not know. Yes, he was scared. But part of him knew he would be safe. So long as he held that strange black blade.
Yeah, the new archetype actually allows that to happen, rather than only experienced wizard knights ever bonding with the sword.
I haven't put anything explicit in the document to say it, but I intend the Hexblade and the Ascetic to be fully compatible with the Blade Bonded magus, even though they alter spells. I should probably add a bit explaining that if you combine them your spells known still live in the black blade.
Does anybody see a problem with the Ascetic lacking Knowledge (Arcana)? I'm aiming for a monastic tradition kind of feel, so I didn't think it made that much sense for them to know all about monsters or other kinds of magic but they're the only arcane class lacking it, to my knowledge.
You may have a point. I don't really see weird martial arts combat magicians as being experts on magical trivia, but it doesn't really make sense for them to be poor at identifying spell effects and the like.
It probably does have to be ride instead. I mostly left it there because it was on the Monk skill list, but with hindsight that is not a great reason.
Change made. Thanks again.
I just don't see a reason to have it not just be Quarterstaff master. I don't understand why giving him the possibility of taking a feat he could get for other reasons is a reason not to do it: a ranger's Combat Style can grant him feats that he can obtain through another method, but he won't because he gets it as a class feature.
Having the feat doesn't stop you from using a quarterstaff as a double weapon during rounds where you aren't using spell combat, as you still get that "style", and you can still using it with two hands while using spellstrike. Your ability is a slightly worse version of Quarterstaff Master that invalidates the player from ever choosing the feat.
Ultimately its your game, your rules but I really think you should just make it Quarterstaff Master.
Staff Magus gives Quarterstaff Master. Maybe just combine the 2 Archetypes or make them Stackable.
Azaelas, it cannot and should not be combined with Staff Magus.
Cannot because it already includes Kensai and the two replace some of the same stuff, should not because the Ascetic is not meant to be a master of staff magic items, he's a master of monk weapons.
I have nothing in particular against them being compatible, but it's hard to see how because of the Kensai thing. I don't see the lack of compatibility as a problem.
Big Lemon, you're right. I didn't see any reason for it to actually be the feat before, but now I think of it, it makes taking the feat pointless and thus locks you out of taking Tripping Staff and Tripping Twirl.
Changing it to Quarterstaff Master now.
Thanks for the feedback guys.
EDIT: Wait, no. They are listed under Quarterstaff Mastery, but don't actually say it's required... Oh well. I'm pretty much convinced the difference is too small to worry about anyway, so I will let the change stand. At the very least, it's fewer words.