So I'm currently considering putting together a half-elven magus with a one level dip in crossblooded sorcerer; said dip will likely include the orc bloodline, which (per the baseline arcana) gives me access to the orc subtype. I will use this to argue that I should have access to half-orc favored class bonuses (which admittedly isn't quite raw but would make for an extremely reasonable reading of the rules).
Half-elven magi get the following favored class bonus:
Add +1/4 to the magus's arcane pool.
Elven magi get the following favored class bonus:
The magus gains 1/6 of a new magus arcana.
Half-orcish magi get the following favored class bonus:
Add +1/2 point of fire damage to spells that deal fire damage cast by the magus.
(Not going to bother posting the human one because it's the same as the half-elven one.)
Some would say that the elven favored class bonus blows the other two out of the water, which would make sense... If you wanted more magus arcana. But the damage bonus on the half-orc on has me wondering - is the benefit enough to warrant its usage? When compared to the half-elven bonus, is 5 extra arcane pool points worth more than an extra +10 to damage (at 20th level)? If used with elemental fire frostbite (or some similar ability), that could be a +10 damage per hit. (Combine with Geniekind for an additional +10 per swing.) Considering that the half-orc sorcerer gets a similar benefit, does making use of this ability not behoove one to ask if they should simply be making a half-orc sorcerer instead? What's the likelihood that this ability could be more useful than the extra five arcana points (or another three arcana abilities)?
Five extra +INT to hit for the whole round...that's pretty good for a 3/4 bab semi-mad class. That could be +5,6..10 to hit.
Arcane accuracy, to me, is just so damned good but in your proposed building I can totally see the attraction of +10 damage.
I think in this sort of unusual build what's right is what you want more regardless whether I or anyone else thinks its not optimal.
I'm currently playing a half elf Hexcrafter magi but I'm going white haired witch so I've taken the extra arcana as I get to choose from all arcana and hexes and there are more good ones than I have room for!
[Edit] having said that I have taken Extra Arcane Pool twice to have more accuracies!
Don't forget, half-races can pick things like this in regards to both sides of the family.
Don't forget, half-races can pick things like this in regards to both sides of the family.
If that was forgotten, I wouldn't have mentioned the favored class bonuses for elf and human. ;)
Don't forget, half-races can pick things like this in regards to both sides of the family.If that was forgotten, I wouldn't have mentioned the favored class bonuses for elf and human. ;)
Ah, yes.
Perhaps I was reminding myself. Even I forget this rule from time to time.
Five extra +INT to hit for the whole round...that's pretty good for a 3/4 bab semi-mad class. That could be +5,6..10 to hit.
Arcane accuracy, to me, is just so damned good but in your proposed building I can totally see the attraction of +10 damage.
I think in this sort of unusual build what's right is what you want more regardless whether I or anyone else thinks its not optimal.
I'm currently playing a half elf Hexcrafter magi but I'm going white haired witch so I've taken the extra arcana as I get to choose from all arcana and hexes and there are more good ones than I have room for!
[Edit] having said that I have taken Extra Arcane Pool twice to have more accuracies!
While I consider arcane accuracy a must-take for any Int-based magus build, I'm somewhat leery of it simply because of the cost to action economy (a swift action every round) and the fact that it doesn't apply to attacks of opportunity. The arcane pool cost is easy enough to ameliorate if I just build around it (a wyroot boken used against summoned creatures being the simplest solution that comes to mind). It also competes with arcane strike, which I'm currently favoring (though I have no real reservations about ditching).
I would agree flavor trumps optimization when it comes to enjoying a character, but I'm not really favoring any of the aforementioned favored class bonuses flavorwise. I suppose my two big questions would be along the lines of:
- Could the half-orc favored class bonus for magus be considered equal (or even superior to) the half-elf one?
- Given that half-orcs get the exact same favored class bonus for magus and sorcerer, is there any point to playing a half-orc magus over a half-orc sorcerer other than perhaps +5 BAB and flavor? (Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious - even with the lower BAB, a half-orc sorcerer casting fire shurikens will be getting that +10 to damage more times than any half-orc magus could hope to get. o.O
I would stick with the half elf favoured class bonus.
Dip sorcerer for crossblooded elemental dragon.
Any spell with an energy type can be changed to match your elemental aspect, and any spell matching your draconic aspect's energy type gets +1 damage per dice.
Shocking Grasp can thus become freezing grasp, burning grasp, and so on.
Burning hands can be good old Force Lightning.
Since you're a magus, you love shocking grasp. You've taken the trait which mitigates some of the metamagic tax.
As lvl 1 spells, your shocking grasps do 10d6+10, critting on a 15+ attack roll for 20d6+20. (and still getting the +3 to hit metallic targets)
I'd take 5 more of those a day over the half-orc bonus.