Magus Gear Advice

[Chad Rechkemmer]

My magus is currently at level 7 and I'm looking at what gear I should focus on upgrading or purchasing. Currently I have about 13k gold.

Equipment I have:
+1 Keen Adamantite Scimitar
+1 Mithral Chain Shirt
Ring of Protection +1
Cloak of Resistance +1
Belt of Dex +2
Headband of Intellect (Diplomacy) +2

I was considering saving for a Ring of Wizardry I, but am also looking at increasing my some of my other gear bonuses.

Other ideas I had:

Lesser Metamagic Rod of Empower
Amulet of Nat Armor
Ioun Stone for Wis Bonus + Wayfinder

My build is Dervish Dance with Intensified Shocking Grasp using level 1 slot.

Thanks

[Gold Tooth]

I'm not a person familiar with magus builds. What weaknesses has your character encountered?

[Gheddon]

Ah, the hold shock-n-stein build. I played one of these once, and as such I would highly suggest the Ring of Wizardry I. I used this to devastating effect before.
Another option to look at would be pearls of power. Cheap, easy to carry, and useful in case you should happen to nova on something, and your GM brings out one extra special challenge just cause, though the wayfinder is just all kinds of useful.
How's your AC looking?

[Chad Rechkemmer]

I'm careful about my spell usage, but getting less so. My AC currently is 23, 27 with Shield buff. My damage is limited to 1d6 + dex/enhance (7 right now), if I don't use spells. That was the reason for wanting to save for Ring of Wizardry.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Well, since your bread and butter is intensified shocking grasp, and you can prepare those in higher level slots if necessary, I'd look into something to increase your defenses. Increase that cloak to a +2, get that amulet of natural armor, but put a little money aside for the ring of wizardry.

You can also look into an amulet of spell mastery. It will give you 6 extra 1st level slots, more than the ring, and it will also give you flexibility.

[Chad Rechkemmer]

I believe Amulet of Spell Mastery only works as a Wizard's bonded item.

[Matt2VK]

Avoid the Lesser Metamagic Rod of Empower. As you can not use it while in combat and using spell combat - Where's your free hand?

All metamagic rods require being equipped and it has been errata somewhere that these need to be held in your hand to use. If this is a home game and your GM will allow you to use it while spell combating it is then very good.

Pearls of Power are about the cheapest and best over all buy you can get for your magus. Do check with your GM as there is some confusion on what spell level a Intensified Shocking Grasp using the metamagic trait actually is for bring back the spell. So grab a couple Pearls I and then one or two of Pearls II.
Do check with GM before getting on how they work with metamagic spells. Lots of confusion on this.

Utility Scrolls with spells you hardly ever use but can make your character's life so much easier if you have them. Spells like (examples) -
Floating Disk
Jump
Jury Rig
Mount (& Communal)
Unseen Servant
Levitate
spider Climb
I have seen someone use all of these at one time or another to great effect.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Chad Rechkemmer wrote:

I believe Amulet of Spell Mastery only works as a Wizard's bonded item.

Bah, you're right. I was planning ahead for it for my wizard and forgot that little caveat. It's too bad the magus arcana for a familiar doesn't allow you to choose either arcane bond choice.

[Firengineer]

For 1st level spells, it's often more efficient to use 5 pearls of power rather than a Ring of Wizardry for 1st level spells. You're mostly going to be expending them on the Shocking Grasp anyway, so you can simply prepare one or two SGs and recall them with the pearl on command.

The only problem I see is that you need to be careful in extended fights because speaking a command word is a standard action.

However, you are saving 15,000 gold (5000 for 5 pearls, 20,000 for the ring)

[Bigdaddyjug]

I would hope that no opponent lasts more than a couple of hits against a crit-fishing shocking grasp magus.

[Chad Rechkemmer]

Definitely true on the saving gold, especially since I miscalculated my belt and headband upgrades.

[robert best 549]

If you are up to a new feat option Spell-scars from blood of the moon helps a lot from the experience I have so far. Plus I think it is just cool having up to 18 levels of spells grafted to your skin for casting as needed.