Magus Wizard Eldritch Knight - Workable?

[alisdair smith]

As the title says, would the above combination be workable?

any suggestions on how to MAKE it workable?

presumably it'd require the following:
6 levels of magus for the arcana that lets you use magus abilities with spells from another class

Dervish Dancer? lack of medium or better armour means it'd need to be dex based, so scimitar with dex to damage is a requirement?

[EldonG]

Well...you can get a decent amount of armor from spells - shield and mage armor do stack...he'll still never cast spells over 7th level, though...I'd think he's going to end up weaker than a straight Magus, by a bit. I don't think it's going to be workable...unless you run with a very unoptimized group, and they don't bite off too much.

[Matt2VK]

The real question is, if you're going that many levels into magus, why do you want to go into Eldritch Knight?

My best suggestion for you is to make a list of everything you gain if you stay a pure magus. Then make list of what you gain going with the Eldritch Knight. Compare the two lists and decide which you like better.

For me, staying pure magus is better.

[Morgen]

I'm more curious if your going all the way to Magus 6, where your going to work in levels of Wizard.

Magus itself can roll right into EK too after all if you want more HP and BAB. Only loose 1 caster level unlike pretty much every other build.

[alisdair smith]

The idea I had was that it might end up being somewhat more versatile than a pure magus?

it'd have...

assuming int 20 by level 20.

9 level 0 spells (5 magus, 4 wizard)
12 level 1 spells (4+2 magus, 4+2 wizard +1 specialist)
10 level 2 spells (4+1 magus, 4+1 wizard +1 specialist)
6 level 3 spells (4+1 wizard +1 specialist)
6 level 4 spells (4+1 wizard +1 specialist)
5 level 5 spells (3+1 wizard +1 specialist)
3 level 6 spells (2 wizard +1 specialist)
2 level 7 spells (1 wizard +1 specialist)

maybe pick up split slot discovery via wizard to allow for additional variety of spells?

BAB will be the same as Magus, so not great, but at least its not behind a magus there.

Has a marginally improved skill list compared to a straight magus.

Wear a mithral shirt and maybe invest in Arcane Armour Training.

loses out on some of the magus class abilities, but a lot of them don't really fill me with excitement anyway... and I guess this character would be usable in slightly more encounters than a standard Magus? arcane pool is obviously lower than a normal magus and it'd therefore probably benefit from one of the archetypes?

Honestly I'll most likely stick with my plans for a Fighter/Wizard/Eldritch Knight/Arcane Archer but this seemed like it could be a fun alternative (though its neither as good a warrior or as good a wizard as the 'Eldritch Archer' would eventually be.)

[Darkflame]

the magus is the fighter/wizard and is a verry good class.

try a bladebound magus none kensai and wear heavy armor!

youll be able to do just about anything you are trying to de with your wizard fighter combo

[Corvo Spiritwind]

Use Guilds from Inner Sea Magic. Once you get 35 Fame with a guild, you get +3 caster level, including spell slots and spells per day to one class. +1 to another (+3 wiz, +1 magus). It requires about ten to fifteen years of your characters background though and a few thousand golds.

Totally worth it.

[Heymitch]

The magus is already a pretty versatile class. I really don't see the advantage.

Also, bear in mind with Arcane Armor Training that it's using your swift action to activate the feat. So, you won't have that available for anything else...

[LazarX]

alisdair smith wrote:

As the title says, would the above combination be workable?

any suggestions on how to MAKE it workable?

Define your standards for workable. You're foregoing a lot of magus progression for levels of wizard and the PrC. What you have to decide is whether what you're getting in terms of those classes is worth the trade off in magus abilities.

If you don't go beyond 6 levels of magus, then anything beyond light armor still subjects you to normal arcane spell failure chances. Does that mean it's not "workable"? Refer to my first question above. Workability is pretty much in the eye of the beholder.

What you have to decide is what you wantm and whether you're willing to trade off to get it.

[alisdair smith]

generally prefer dexterous light armoured (or unarmoured) characters so the lack of medium/heavy armour progression doesn't bother me as its not something I ever go for in characters anyway.

Which abilities from the magus class that he'd not get are considered major losses? Presumably a lower arcane pool and less arcana will be a pain, although I guess they could be resolved with feats?

I think if I went 'pure' magus, I'd still take two levels of monk (master of many styles and use crane style) and go a kensai (aldori dueling sword) anyway.

[Cyrad]

The reason Eldritch Knight exists is so you can play a fighter that's also a good wizard. If you're a magus, doing that has no benefit to you. You would need at least 7 levels of magus to even qualify for Eldritch Knight.

If you have no interest in spell combat and spellstrike, dip one level in fighter, play a wizard, and go Eldritch knight. Otherwise, stick to a magus.

[Darkflame]

kensai bladebound straight magus stil sounds better
human for the extra feat

and ofcourse dervish dancer with a scimitar!
its alot better to get the kensai abiletys sooner and dont multiclass as it wil always feel as if you are legging a bit behind.

getting INT to armor makes it nice but this is kinda optemized and maybe you dont want to?

Magus is already a hybrid class its already a sort of mutliclassed wizard/fighter no need to mix in more! :-)

[alisdair smith]

with all this in mind - i'll stick with ftr/wiz/ek/aa I think.

Thanks guys :)

[caith]

One advantage of going Magus/EK is the ability to take Greater Weapon Spec...is the +2 dam worth it? Probly not. Spell critical will give another vector for delivering touch spells, and with a high crit weapon this could be happening every round...ofc the Magus probly has better uses for that swift action. You get an extra feat, and the +2 to BAB(at level 20, at least) isn't too bad.

Now...what are you losing? Well...a whole lot :/.