Are the Bladebound and Hexcrafter magus archetypes compatible?


Rules Questions


1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

Title says it all. Bladebound replaces the 3rd level arcana, while Hexcrafter offers to let the magus replace ANY arcana with a hex. The archetype feature is even called 'Hex Arcana', which seems to suggest they're really the same class feature being modified.

For an FAQ question, I guess this could be summed up as asking, "Is an archetype that replaces or changes a class feature compatible with an archetypes that allows, but does not mandate, the replacement of a base class feature?"


I would say they are mixable based on Qiqqong monk being mixable with a similiar "you can replace if you want" clause.

Sczarni

In regards to your question, Cerberus; This reminds me of the Monk and the Qinggong Archetype stacking with, well, nearly every other Archetype. Even though you CAN replace the Monk ability, you don't have to and may forego swapping out the other Archetype's ability and later change out one of the standard Monk's ability.

They seem 100% compatible to me. It seems you wait an extra level, as opposed to getting your Arcana at 3rd, and you may choose either a Hex or Arcana. "Hex Arcana: A hexcrafter gains access to the following magus arcana, or may select any witch hex in place of a magus arcana. At 12th level, the hexcrafter may select a hex or major hex in place of a magus arcana. At 18th level, a hexcrafter can select a hex, major hex, or grand hex in place of a magus arcana. He cannot select any hex or arcana more than once."


The confusion here is that Hexcrafter does in fact not replace the Arcana. It replaces the Spell Recall ability, which gives them the option to do that.

Black Blade Archetype has one class feature the Black Blade, which replaces Spell Recall. If the hexcrafter magus does not replace spell recall, then they are compatable.


Kazumetsa Raijin wrote:

In regards to your question, Cerberus; This reminds me of the Monk and the Qinggong Archetype stacking with, well, nearly every other Archetype. Even though you CAN replace the Monk ability, you don't have to and may forego swapping out the other Archetype's ability and later change out one of the standard Monk's ability.

They seem 100% compatible to me. It seems you wait an extra level, as opposed to getting your Arcana at 3rd, and you may choose either a Hex or Arcana. "Hex Arcana: A hexcrafter gains access to the following magus arcana, or may select any witch hex in place of a magus arcana. At 12th level, the hexcrafter may select a hex or major hex in place of a magus arcana. At 18th level, a hexcrafter can select a hex, major hex, or grand hex in place of a magus arcana. He cannot select any hex or arcana more than once."

Hmm, good point. I didn't even consider the example set by the Quinggong monk archetype.

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber
Mojorat wrote:
Black Blade Archetype has one class feature the Black Blade, which replaces Spell Recall. If the hexcrafter magus does not replace spell recall, then they are compatable.

No, the Black Blade replaces the 3rd-level Magus Arcana.

Liberty's Edge

Hexcrafter does not replace arcana, but it does modify the ability. Archetypes are incompatible if they modify or replace any of the same abilities. I would say that by a strict reading of RAW they are incompatible.


I would normally agree with ShadowcatX's stance, but the Qingong monk argument uses very similar (or identical) language and seems to function very much like the Hexcrafter. I'm not certain if it's clear RAW, but based on that comparison I'd say it's probably RAI that it's allowed.


ShadowcatX wrote:
Hexcrafter does not replace arcana, but it does modify the ability. Archetypes are incompatible if they modify or replace any of the same abilities. I would say that by a strict reading of RAW they are incompatible.

They're not technically the same ability. As I said in my OP, Hexcrafter has an ability called 'Hex Arcana' rather than just 'Magus Arcana', or plain 'Arcana'. The very similar language with the base magus class feature is what makes me wonder, though.

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber

It is completely RAW and RAI and any possible interpretation legal. Hexblade and Bladebound are completely compatible in every way.

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