Rhoka or Bastard Sword? Rhoka has a super crit threat, bastard sword deals more damage on average.
Its for a bladebound hexcrafter spellblade magus, so I need to take the proficiency regardless, though I may take the Heirloom Weapon trait instead. Starting with max gold, first level.
If neither of these can someone suggest an alternative? It has to be Core, UM, UC or UE. I plan on dual wielding black blade and force athame.
Hate to say it, but I vote scimitar.
Personally, I think that any optimized magus should be scimitar with dervish dance. There is a question of whether or not you want to take an archetype (the only one that I really like is the kensai for more AC without dealing with armor).
Crit range > everything else. Kukri, Cutlass, Rapier, Scimitar, Rhoka, Wakizashi, Katana, and the oddballs, Urumi and Sharpened Combat Scabbard. The latter one has an Equipment Trick feat to go with it ;-)
i say Aldori Dueling swords ,at least for a kensai
If you're going to dual wield Scimitar is out. I like the Aldori, there are some neat feats that go with it.
Scimitar is the best weapon, followed by every other one-handed weapon with an 18-20 crit that doesn't cost a feat to learn, followed by every light weapon with an 18-20 crit that doesn't take a feat to use, followed by every one-handed 18-20 crit weapon that does take a feat to use, followed by...
Yeah, you get the idea. Rule #1 18-20 crit. Rule #2 spending a feat on +1 damage is worthless, so don't spend a feat. Rule #3 Dervish Dance unless you have a high point buy or can deal with lowish AC for 6 levels.
Hmm. Carrying an empty scabbard would be pretty unique. So I guess its rhoka or scabbard. Can a sharpened combat scabard become a black blade? Cuzz thatd be kind of epic...
I'm ignoring the urumi because its basically a rhoka that costs 6x as much. Mechanically, anyway. Also because I'm doing a strength build.
Spellblade gives up spellstrike, so crit range is not the winner like it is for a normal magus.
I'd go dagger for feat consolidation with the force athame.
Or unarmed strike for Hex Strike and metamagic rod use and crane style, but that would negate the black blade.
Or mithril klar for some extra defense.
So I guess its rhoka or scabbard. I'm ignoring the urumi because its basically a rhoka that costs 6x as much. Mechanically, anyway. Also because I'm doing a strength build.
I don't know what setting you're playing in, but in Golarion, rhoka are used almost entirely by Urdefhans, a race of vampiric outsiders that live in Orv, super deep below the earth. So, at least lorewise, getting a rhoka is going to be damn near impossible.
I also think rhoka look ridiculous, totally ineffective/awkward, and their design does not represent the wide crit range it has in any way similar to other wide crit range weapons.
Meanwhile, the Urumi looks sweet as hell and is a real weapon, so we know it works.
Ultimately, though, I'd suggest a scimitar for a strength build, too. There is no reason to use a feat on an exotic weapon in this case--it's wasteful. There are such better things you could use that feat on, rather than just +1 average damage. Also, you can two-hand it for AoOs.
Its for a bladebound hexcrafter spellblade magus
Spellblade is terrible. There is literally no way you could get the spellblade to deal more dpr than spellstrike. It's just a terrible, poorly thought out archetype all around (or more likely, it was well thought out, but multiple edits out of the hands of the author probably stripped it down to worthlessness).
Seriously, don't do Spellblade.
So I guess its rhoka or scabbard. I'm ignoring the urumi because its basically a rhoka that costs 6x as much. Mechanically, anyway. Also because I'm doing a strength build.I don't know what setting you're playing in, but in Golarion, rhoka are used almost entirely by Urdefhans, a race of vampiric outsiders that live in Orv, super deep below the earth. So, at least lorewise, getting a rhoka is going to be damn near impossible.
I also think rhoka look ridiculous, totally ineffective/awkward, and their design does not represent the wide crit range it has in any way similar to other wide crit range weapons.
Meanwhile, the Urumi looks sweet as hell and is a real weapon, so we know it works.
Ultimately, though, I'd suggest a scimitar for a strength build, too. There is no reason to use a feat on an exotic weapon in this case--it's wasteful. There are such better things you could use that feat on, rather than just +1 average damage. Also, you can two-hand it for AoOs.
Its for a bladebound hexcrafter spellblade magusSpellblade is terrible. There is literally no way you could get the spellblade to deal more dpr than spellstrike. It's just a terrible, poorly thought out archetype all around (or more likely, it was well thought out, but multiple edits out of the hands of the author probably stripped it down to worthlessness).
Seriously, don't do Spellblade.
If you're dead set on going Spellblade then convince your GM to let you get the splatbook spell I listed in this thread: Unbalanced Splatbood Spell?
It was the only way I was able to give a Spellblade character credible DPR. Oh, and also convince your GM to allow you to use Spell Combat as a prerequisite for Improved Two-Weapon Fighting.
EDITED to respond to mplindustries and Xexys. Didn't want to look like I was ignoring you guys.
Hmm... Can I cast a touch spell and then on my next turn cast another spell without discharging?
For example, cast Shocking grasp on turn 1, in turn 2 attack an enemy (discharging shocking grasp) and cast burning hands as part of spell combat? Oh, or better yet, cast another shocking grasp as part of spell combat instead of burning hands, gaining a free attack as part of the casting?
Dropping spellblade but the above question stands, off-topic as it is.
Black blade cant be a dagger, its specifically a one-handed weapon. Or does that just mean it can't be a two-handed weapon? Can a chakram be a black blade?
Sharpened combat scabbard=lighter and has combat tricks, but more expensive and less damage
Rhoka=more damage and cheaper but heavier and requires a feat
Screw it, I'll take both: a rhoka with a (nonsharp) combat scabbard. That way I have a way to get through DR/blunt.
On that note, can a combat scabbard be enchanted to function as, say, a Scabbard of Keen Edges or the like?
I was going to use the heirloom weapon trait as a way to get the rhoka; his father fought urdefhan during his career as an adventurer and took a rhoka as a trophy.
As for the urumi, it may be a real world weapon but its not as effective as you might think: I was very disappointed with it's performance on Ultimate Warrior.
f you're dead set on going Spellblade then convince your GM to let you get the splatbook spell I listed in this thread: Unbalanced Splatbood Spell?
He's actually made it quite clear, no 3rd party. Otherwise I'd be playing a half-giant with a large Elven curve blade or piston maul, dipping into titan-mauler barbarian to use it one-handed.