Natural Magus (Archetype)
A natural magus wields magic through understanding the innate powers that reside within all living things. These magi spurn the tomes and tools of their brethren, finding all that they need within themselves.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A natural magus is proficient with the following weapons: bolas, dart, net, and sling. A natural magus is also proficient with leather and hide armor. He can cast magus spells while wearing such armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. A natural magus cannot cast spells while wearing a shield. This replaces the normal magus weapon and armor proficiency as well as the medium and heavy armor class abilities.
Spells: A natural magus casts arcane spells drawn from the magus spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.
To learn or cast a spell, a natural magus must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a natural magus' spell is 10 + the spell level + the natural magus' Wisdom modifier.
A natural magus can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level each day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Magus. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Table 1–3 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).
A natural magus' selection of spells is extremely limited. He begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of his choice. At each new natural magus level, he gains one or more new spells as indicated on Table: Natural Magus Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a natural magus knows is not affected by his Wisdom score. The numbers on Table: Natural Magus Spells Known are fixed.)
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third natural magus level thereafter (8th, 11th, and so on), a natural magus can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, he “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level magus spell he can cast. A natural magus may swap out only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
This replaces the normal magus spells and spellbooks class features.
Cantrips: A natural magus learns a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Natural Magus Spells Known under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again. This ability replaces cantrips.
Eschew Materials (Ex): A natural magus gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level. He can also use this ability to cast spells with a focus component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component. This ability replaces knowledge pool.
Unarmed Strike (Ex): At 1st level, a natural magus gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a natural magus striking unarmed. He may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes. A natural magus can choose to deal nonlethal damage with his unarmed strikes, taking no penalty on his attack roll. If he chooses to do so, any spell damage that attack delivers is also considered nonlethal.
A natural magus also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes. His unarmed strikes deal damage as that of a monk, except that his effective monk level is equal to his natural magus level - 4 (minimum 1). If he has levels in monk, these levels stack. This ability replaces improved spell recall.
Arcane Pool (Su): At 1st level, a natural magus can use his arcane pool to grant an enhancement bonus to his unarmed strike. At 5th level and above, he can only add special abilities that can apply to an unarmed strike. He cannot use his arcane pool to enhance a manufactured or natural weapon. A natural magus uses wisdom instead of intelligence to determine the number of arcane pool points. The pool refreshes once per day when the magus readies his mind to cast his daily allotment of spells. This ability modifies the Arcane Pool class feature.
Natural Spell Combat (Ex): This ability functions as Spell Combat, except the light or one-handed weapon is instead an unarmed strike. The natural magus must still keep one hand free to cast his spell, and the spell must be one from the magus spell list that he knows. He must also have a different limb available in order to make his unarmed strike(s). This ability replaces Spell Combat.
Natural Spellstrike (Su): This ability functions as Spellstrike, except he can only use it to deliver the spell through an unarmed strike. The spell must be one from the magus spell list that he knows. This ability replaces Spellstrike.
Magus Arcana: A natural magus may not select arcana that reference prepared spells. A natural magus may select the following arcana:
Rage Power (Ex): The natural magus can select a rage power in place of a magus arcana. The natural magus can select this talent multiple times. The magus must be at least 4th level before selecting this arcana.
Primitive Wrath (Ex): At 4th level, a natural magus may cast spells and use his abilities while under the effects of natural or magical rage. Add rage to the natural magus spell list as a 2nd level spell.
Natural Spell Recall (Su): This ability functions as Spell Recall, except the natural magus regains use of the spell slot, rather than having the spell prepared. This ability replaces spell recall.
Arcane Chrysopoeia (Su): At 5th level, a natural magus can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant his unarmed strikes the ability to bypass DR/slashing and DR/piercing for one minute.
Monk Training (Ex): Starting at 10th level, a natural magus counts 1/2 his total magus level as his monk level for the purpose of qualifying for feats. If he has levels in monk, these levels stack. This ability replaces fighter training.
Natural Spell Access (Su): At 19th level, the magus gains access to an expanded spell list. He learns 7 spells from the wizard's spell list as magus spells of their wizard level. He also learned 4 spells from the druid's spell list as magus spells of their druid level. These spells may be of any level he can cast. This ability replaces greater spell access.
lol I would rather play this and just call it a monk, though a monk dip is now huge for this archetype.
lol I would rather play this and just call it a monk, though a monk dip is now huge for this archetype.
A level of monk will put off your BAB and spellcasting progression, but you would get a feat and stunning fist. If you don't wear armor, you would get Wis to AC, and could flurry if you're not using natural spell combat.
The two classes should certainly work together, but it doesn't seem really unbalanced.
The archetype loses a bit of it's flavor with the recent ruling that a normal magus can use unarmed strike (or a claw) with Spell Combat. But I think the spontaneous casting and wis-based abilities make up for it.
-edit-
I added the Primitive Wrath ability to give a better option for non-lawful magi who want to multiclass into something a bit more martial.
All the spont magi are so very specific to certain things and it makes me sad face.
Wisdom-based arcane spells? I dunno...
There's a Cha-based 'Cabalist' Magus archetype from SuperGeniusGames. That plus one level of monk seems more ... natural.
There is this massive discussion I could try and hold about how wisdom is about understanding yourself which makes sense for spontaneous casters versus charisma is strictly social skills and makes no sense to base casting on for anyone except maybe the bard, but due to my intense bias against charisma I don't think it'd be a legitimate discussion
Wisdom-based arcane spells? I dunno...
There is precedent in the Empyreal sorcerer Bloodline Arcana.
There is precedent in the Empyreal sorcerer Bloodline Arcana.
True. But honestly, I don't like that one either.