With the new %&¤# errata, the most balanced and fair Crane Wing took a huge hit. My DM decided we are using the errata but we agreed I can change my Crane Style Feat-tree and the Unarmed Fighter level dip I took to get Crane Wing.
So, any suggestions what to do with 3 Feats and one level? I'm a Tiefling Bladebound Kensai Magus 10/Unarmed Fighter 1. Kensai and Bladebound weapon is the rapier and the 7th level is the fighter level, which I will change. Oh, and I'm focused on Dex, instead of Str.
I've marked the things I can change with an asterisk. *
1 : Feat: Weapon Finesse
2 :
3 : Feat: Dodge*
4 :
5 : Feat: Weapon Specialization (Rapier) AND Intensified Spell
6 : Arcana: Arcane Accuracy
7*: [UA Fighter*, grants Improved Unarmed Strike and Crane Style] Feat: Crane Wing*
8 :
9 : Feat: Arcane Strike
10 :
11 : Feat: Crane Riposte*
I really liked the defensive abilities of Crane Wing, so I'd like to keep a good defense. My offense as Kensai Magus with Keen Rapier is already pretty good.
NOTE: Please keep the discussion about changes to Crane Wing in some other thread. I need to be able to rock without the Crane Wing. :)
Personally? I'd throw the the feats into intensified spell and other metamagics, throw the level in Magus and purchase some extra Pearls of Power II for ample castings of Mirror Image.
I also haven't spent much time on Magi.
If you guys allow the agile enchantment on weapons. Getting rid of bladebound and getting an agile rapier is a good idea.
If you have ok wis getting a monk level instead og the figther level is an option.
Going straigth magus and keeping Dodge but getting greater weapon focus and extra arcane pool. Get expertise i you want the possibility of extra AC.
Arcane strike costs a swift action so between arcane pooling the sword and going in to crane style you most likely have only used that feat in combat round 3 unless using arcane acuracy. I suggest exchanging it for power attack.
But there is no denying it the karate kid magus will need to use mirror image like the rest of them now:(
Oops, I do have Intensified Spell. Magi get a Bonus Feat at 5th level. Corrected the original post.
Arcane Strike is there because we fight a lot of mooks over multiple rounds and I'm trying to build up my static damage modifiers so I don't need to rely on just Shocking Grasp for damage.
Yeah, if you want to stick defensive, you could take a 2-level dip into duelist, getting a parry and +2 points of int to AC.
Otherwise, might as well stay as a magus.
Now, for the feats, there are NO decently powerful defensive feats now, so might as well boost yourself. You can take crafting feats (my own magus makes constructs), metamagic (empowered, maximized are fun) or extra magus arcana (spell blending should give access to decent spells by now, like resist energy & heroism).
Otherwise, there are no decent defensive options now.
I will point out you can still keep Dodge for that +1 AC. Could also grab Combat Expertise and the trait that lowers the penalty for using CE by 1. Either by convincing your DM to let you swap a trait or by taking Extra Traits. Then grab Signature Spell (regional trait), Gifted Adept (magic trait), or Magical Lineage (magic trait) as your other extra trait.
Probably not the BEST idea, but it's an idea.
Drop the level of UA fighter to get one level of kensai and go snake style, or keep it, go snake and replace dodge with skill focus sense motive.
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8mcz?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Ultimate-Com bat
The 1/22/2014 errata changes Crane Style.
Discuss the ramifications of that in the proper thread, please.
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yeah i second snake style. its almost as good at at preventing the attack and nets you a better return on investment, ie 2 attacks opposed to only one.
also if you went MoMs monk instead of unarmed fighter you could take snake style as you 7th level feat, then snake fang as your feat style from MoMS, and gain a feat in the process. rhyme spell is a good choice as a secondary non electric option for killing mobs.
rime spell + elemental touch is a very nasty combo.
It's true, Snake Style seems like the only worthwhile Style Feat a fencer could use. And Master of Many Styles could be good too.
Thing is, I'm Chaotic Good, have no ranks in Sense Motive AND I have a Wisdom penalty... :P
Right now, I'm thinking about going as straight Magus and replacing 7th lvl Feat with Combat Expertise and the 11th lvl Feat with Improved Critical. I'd get more spells, earlier access to Magus/Kensai/Bladebound abilities, I wouldn't need to use Keen anymore and my effective AC would only drop by one. My AC is already doing most of the lifting, Crane Wing just acts as a safeguard.
I guess I'll start to use Shield and/or Mirror Image more. Haven't really used those since I was busy to go kill things.
If you want to keep your AC up you could take Armor of the Pit.
That doesn't stack with Amulet of Natural Armor, right?
I should point out that since I'm Bladebound Kensai, I have no need to buy magic weapons OR armor, so I can just buy wonderous items.
Armor of the Pit stacks with AoNA - Armor of the Pit grants a natural armor bonus, AoNA gives you an enhancement bonus on top of that NA bonus.
Armor of the Pit stacks with AoNA - Armor of the Pit grants a natural armor bonus, AoNA gives you an enhancement bonus on top of that NA bonus.
Hmm... I agree with that but I can see different people could disagree about this. No idea what Hero Lab (which we are using and I don't have) would say about it. If it's cool by Hero Lab, I think I would take Armor of the Pit, instead of Improved Critical.
Basically every creature that doesn't have a typed NA bonus has a natural armor of +0. The amulet adds to that. Creatures with a typed NA bonus simply has a different starting point. I'm reasonably sure there is a FAQ or designer post on this somewhere, I'll see if I can drag it up.
Edit: Couldn't find the post after a quick search though there are plenty of threads on the topic - this one seems to be one of the better ones.
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Armor of the Pit stacks with AoNA - Armor of the Pit grants a natural armor bonus, AoNA gives you an enhancement bonus on top of that NA bonus.Hmm... I agree with that but I can see different people could disagree about this. No idea what Hero Lab (which we are using and I don't have) would say about it. If it's cool by Hero Lab, I think I would take Armor of the Pit, instead of Improved Critical.
It most definitely does stack. Armor of the Pit gives you a +2 Natural Armor bonus. Amulet of Natural Armor gives you a +2 Enhancement Bonus to your Natural Armor. The wording is not an accident - it is intended to stack, and it stacks.
It is the exact same mechanism by which a +1 Enhancement Bonus to a suit of armor stacks with the armor it is applied to. The +1 is an Enhancement Bonus to the Armor Bonus of the armor. A similar +1 Enhancement Bonus on a shield is an Enhancement Bonus to the Shield Bonus that the shield provides.
Disagreeing with it just makes you wrong - the distinction is extremely clear. Armor of the Pit gives you a +2 Natural Armor bonus. Amulet of Natural Armor gives you a +2 Enhancement Bonus to your Natural Armor. The wording is not an accident - it is intended to stack, and it stacks.Armor of the Pit stacks with AoNA - Armor of the Pit grants a natural armor bonus, AoNA gives you an enhancement bonus on top of that NA bonus.Hmm... I agree with that but I can see different people could disagree about this. No idea what Hero Lab (which we are using and I don't have) would say about it. If it's cool by Hero Lab, I think I would take Armor of the Pit, instead of Improved Critical.
Yes, *I* agree with that and understand that it's basically like adding enhancement bonus on top of a mundane full plate but I thought I'd need to locate the ruling for it. I have the sneaking suspicion that some people I play with may not see the distinction and I would have to explain it to them.
I would even consider dropping the entire Kensai archetype and going with a straight Magus instead.
Not an option. I can change the fighter level and the three Feats, not an archetype. It's an on-going campaign and I've played my magus for quite some time now.
Besides, I wouldn't change my archetypes even if I could. I like them, both from fluff and crunch perspectives. I'm supposed to be a magical master fencer and being a Kensai is like having several good buffs on, always. My natural Int is now 22, so my Kensai abilities get to shine.
I'd argue Swashbuckler from the ACG playtest - that would get you some parrying and riposte abilities, and fit well with what you're playing already.