Well the idea somewhat revolves around using chill touch/frostbite and a few other natural attacks as well as TWF to deal quite a bit of strength damage to a character all at once especially at early levels; was just wondering if there were any other good debuffer builds for magus; this build is also a hexcrafter 19/martial artist 1.
TWF is terrible for a Magus. You must keep one hand free to benefit from Spell Combat.
If you have already cast a spell this round you cannot attack with a weapon in that hand, and if you have attacked with your off hand you cannot cast a spell.
But who says you need to have two "blades" to two weapon fight? The feat only says "weapon" and as a monk my unarmed strikes count as both manufactured and natural. True, there is some debate as to whether you can use your hand and a weapon (kukri) during spell combat but you can always hold the charge on your touch spell and forgo the potential failed casting defensively check.
But who says you need to have two "blades" to two weapon fight? The feat only says "weapon" and as a monk my unarmed strikes count as both manufactured and natural. True, there is some debate as to whether you can use your hand and a weapon (kukri) during spell combat but you can always hold the charge on your touch spell and forgo the potential failed casting defensively check.
But why invest in TWF?
Use spell combat and get an attck at full BaB for free + spell delivery.
Get a spiked gauntlet on the other hand or armor spikes and it even looks like TWF.
But who says you need to have two "blades" to two weapon fight? The feat only says "weapon" and as a monk my unarmed strikes count as both manufactured and natural. True, there is some debate as to whether you can use your hand and a weapon (kukri) during spell combat but you can always hold the charge on your touch spell and forgo the potential failed casting defensively check.
But why invest in TWF?
Use spell combat and get an attck at full BaB for free + spell delivery.
Get a spiked gauntlet on the other hand or armor spikes and it even looks like TWF.
If you're whacking with your gauntlet in that round, or doing ANYTHING with that other arm, the hand is not free, which means again... no spell combat that round.
Well I guess the point I'm trying to make here is why not go TWF when it seems you'll be only capable of, at most, using power attack with your one handed scimitar instead? Wouldn't another attack or three be more useful?
Unless you really want spells, if you're looking to become a master of status conditions and two weapon fighting, your best route is probably rogue. You can then take the feats in which you trade sneak attack d6's for status effects.
The only reason I'm attached to hexcrafter is because it has a heck of a lot more chance to hit with each attack compared to a rogue when you compare them class to class. What feats might these be? I can only think of one that changes your d6s into conditions and it's apart of an archetype (rake), which seems like something alot of creatures will be immune to/won't produce much of an effect (unlike say stunning fist, serpentine bloodline, or hex strike would) besides allowing for sneak attack.
I seem to remember an exploit that would let you get 2 weapon combat (sort of)for free.
You're a hexcrafter magus?
I believe that adds all the curse descriptor spells to you magus lists.
And isn't there a cantrip level curse spell?
Then spell combat would let you vitually 2 weapon fight with your weapon and a spell attack, without needing the minimum dex for TWF, the feat, or taking a level of monk for unarmed strike and flurry.
Both attacks would be at the -2 to hit, but your weapon's bonus would apply to both, as would any thing like weapon focus.
Of course, you would only use one charge from multi charge spells, then end the extras by casting a cantrip.
Might not be what you're after.
Also, I could be wrong about this, as I'm at work and don't have time to search for a curse cantrip.
Brand is the spell you're thinking of. You can do it with arcane mark as any magus though (if the GM allows it). The only reason for TWF is so i can get the improved and greater versions. The level of monk is for unarmed strike and stunning fist. When I get back home I'll share the build I have so far. It focuses on chill touch/frostbite and battering blast (via spell blending) at later levels, as well as having access to pounce through monstrous physique 2.
The idea is to use chill touch/forstbite for the weaker mobs since their efficiency is much higher due to being level one spells that scale according to your level. You can pounce an opponent at level 11 due to monstrous physique II which will give you 5 attacks (4 from ITWP + Prehensile Hair) + from the tikbalang you'll be transforming into you'll gain another 3 (bite + 2 hooves) + 1 more if hasted giving you a grand total of 9 attacks with a possibility of making the bite poisonous due to your serpentine bloodline ability. You'll have a unarmed strike as your off hand weapon and a kukri as your main weapon allowing you to both stunning strike and hex strike an opponent on the same turn if you full attack past level 10. If the SR gets too serious you can always rely on your hexes and if the DR proves too much you can always rely on your Dazing Intensified (Persistent???) Battering Blast Spell.
Still not sure concerning the parts marked ??? Could they be replaced with something better???
Well I guess the point I'm trying to make here is why not go TWF when it seems you'll be only capable of, at most, using power attack with your one handed scimitar instead? Wouldn't another attack or three be more useful?
Screw Power Attack, break out Precise Strike.
The reason not to go two-handed is because it destroys your action economy. For example: Your level 11 plan involving TWF and Monstrous Physique II. Drop the unarmed, use the freed-up feats for Flamboyant Arcana and Precise Strike. You lose two attacks, but each does +10 damage (or +11 since you don't really need Monk anymore). Further, you get to guarantee that "+1 more if hasted", or deliver whatever other spell you feel like. Spell Combat is, by far, the Magus' greatest advantage. Losing it vastly reduces your effectiveness, so I really can't understand throwing it away.
Also, why would you try to make a Persistent and Dazing Battering Blast? At that point the bulrush is immaterial, just use a Fireball for the extra damage and area of effect. That frees up an arcana (or gets you a different useful spell, either or).
Swap the placement of Intensified and Persistent, and honestly I don't like Persistent in the least. You're realistically better off taking Heighten Spell, and that's... kind of sad.
If you want to work Battering Blast into something ridiculous, use Intensify. At caster level 15 it's a base 21d6 force spell with a +20 bullrush before save does anything for them - and of course you don't need to be level 15 to have a caster level of 15. If you tack Empower or Maximize onto 21d6 force, the target may well wish it had at gotten a shot at saving vs daze.
Persistent is equivalent to a +4/5 to save DC; you don't get any bonus spell level but it's potent for crushing resistance.
TWF is terrible for a Magus. You must keep one hand free to benefit from Spell Combat.
If you have already cast a spell this round you cannot attack with a weapon in that hand, and if you have attacked with your off hand you cannot cast a spell.
If using Chill Touch, you won't be using Spell Combat every round. TWF would give you the means to deliver your charges more rapidly. You don't even need to hold a weapon in your off hand, just dip into the TWF feats and make touch attacks with your off hand while holding charges.
Well I guess the point I'm trying to make here is why not go TWF when it seems you'll be only capable of, at most, using power attack with your one handed scimitar instead? Wouldn't another attack or three be more useful?
Screw Power Attack, break out Precise Strike.
The reason not to go two-handed is because it destroys your action economy. For example: Your level 11 plan involving TWF and Monstrous Physique II. Drop the unarmed, use the freed-up feats for Flamboyant Arcana and Precise Strike. You lose two attacks, but each does +10 damage (or +11 since you don't really need Monk anymore). Further, you get to guarantee that "+1 more if hasted", or deliver whatever other spell you feel like. Spell Combat is, by far, the Magus' greatest advantage. Losing it vastly reduces your effectiveness, so I really can't understand throwing it away.
Also, why would you try to make a Persistent and Dazing Battering Blast? At that point the bulrush is immaterial, just use a Fireball for the extra damage and area of effect. That frees up an arcana (or gets you a different useful spell, either or).
Swap the placement of Intensified and Persistent, and honestly I don't like Persistent in the least. You're realistically better off taking Heighten Spell, and that's... kind of sad.
Flamboyant Arcana does seem like a very nice trick, since it doesn't require an action to activate, not sure if I could reliably beat an opponents attack roll though (especially a huge or larger creature); Precise strike I like quite a bit less since it requires you to flank with someone who also has the feat and only adds 1d6, interesting way to get pseudo sneak attack though. Both of these feats together would only (on average) add 3.5 to your damage, 7 if you had the immediate action and succeeded and 8 if you took away monk. Although, I do see your point about not using spell combat and losing action economy because of it, my thoughts were that my concentration checks would likely end up failing and I'd lose my spell at earlier levels, but I could add natural spell combat (unarmed strike) to remedy this situation. How many unarmed strikes would I get? Besides all of these things if I don't go with unarmed strike I lose the action economy of hex strike, which would make pretty much the whole build useless since I'd have to take away 4 feats (not including the 3 I would gain from monk).
The reason for the use of battering blast is that it doesn't allow for a 1/2 damage save like fireball does, which they'd always get since it's a level 3 spell. Second, I assumed with persistent and dazing they'd have to save twice on each hit; if your position is that they don't work together my rebuttal is that an admixture wizard that completely changed the type of the spell would also not benefit from persistent since the class ability not the spell did the damage. If your fine with that as well I can agree with you.
my GM allows odd things so when I gain bonus spells per day I can immediately use them; thus, I can cast dazing chill touch at level 6 with 18 int. The same GM doesn't allow heighten spell to affect things passively so I'd have to use a level 9 slot or spell perfection to get what you are suggesting and then I could only increase the dc by 2 if I wanted to daze and intensify it.
Thanks for the post
might've been resolved already; and I don't know if it stacks with Hex magus but. That one magus archetype that makes a force blade out of spell slots, allows you to cast spells while holding it. So that'd work for TWF. well i think anyway
3/4 BaB. Negatives from spellcombat...needing 1 hand free to cast. Need dex gor TWF pre read and need str....point buy spread thin.
Twf is terrible on a magus.
Advice...dont do it.
Build a magus either dex based or str based. 1 handed high crit weapon. You can crit touch spells when delivered by spellstrike. Higher crit rating means more crit spell damage.
You can waste your time and feel disappointed or you can take the advice and build in a way that you will recieve good results. I personally like the Str magus...but the dex build is stronger in the long run.
If you want to work Battering Blast into something ridiculous, use Intensify. At caster level 15 it's a base 21d6 force spell with a +20 bullrush before save does anything for them - and of course you don't need to be level 15 to have a caster level of 15. If you tack Empower or Maximize onto 21d6 force, the target may well wish it had at gotten a shot at saving vs daze.
Persistent is equivalent to a +4/5 to save DC; you don't get any bonus spell level but it's potent for crushing resistance.
Empower does sound nice but it doesn't work for a lot of my other spells since I only have access to level 6 spell slots.
3/4 BaB. Negatives from spellcombat...needing 1 hand free to cast. Need dex gor TWF pre read and need str....point buy spread thin.
Twf is terrible on a magus.
Advice...dont do it.
Build a magus either dex based or str based. 1 handed high crit weapon. You can crit touch spells when delivered by spellstrike. Higher crit rating means more crit spell damage.
You can waste your time and feel disappointed or you can take the advice and build in a way that you will recieve good results. I personally like the Str magus...but the dex build is stronger in the long run.
Huh? I was rather confused with you argument at first since you alluded that TWF (a highly dex oriented build) is terrible and then concluded that a dex build is stronger but I'll assume you meant with three different feats. What might those feats be? I have a high crit weapon: a kukri, which I use in conjunction with my unarmed strike when I'm two weapon fighting.
Precise strike I like quite a bit less since it requires you to flank with someone who also has the feat and only adds 1d6, interesting way to get pseudo sneak attack though.
He means the Swashbuckler Deed Precise Strike, add your level to your damage (!).
The dex based builds use a scimitar and the feat dervish dance or slashing grace.
Str builds use power attack to get more damage. But still uses the scimitar for its crit rating.
Both are built to deliver intensified shocking grasp through the weapon. If you crit the weapon you crit the spell. They shoot for 22d6+ (static crit damage).
They can also specialize in frigid touch builds as well.
I highly recommend against 2 weapon fighting because your to hit is too low. Not hitting is 0 damage.
Precise strike I like quite a bit less since it requires you to flank with someone who also has the feat and only adds 1d6, interesting way to get pseudo sneak attack though.
He means the Swashbuckler Deed Precise Strike, add your level to your damage (!).
Wow that is good, especially for two handed weapon users, it's like the 3.5 feat craven. Not sure if the GM would allow it since it's from a newer book that we don't have yet. Wouldn't work for this build unfortunately since we want more attacks and this deed restricts the amount of attacks you can make.
TWF-Magus
Female human (taldan) magus (bladebound, kensai) 10 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 55; Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 9, 47)
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +12; Senses Perception +14
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Defense
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AC 28, touch 23, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +6 dexterity, +5 dodge, +1 luck, +1 natural)
hp 82 (10d8+29)
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +10
Defensive Abilities canny defense
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee black blade +17/+12 (1d6+14/18-20)
Special Attacks spellstrike
Magus (Bladebound, Kensai) Spells Prepared (CL 10th; concentration +15)
. . 4th—greater invisibility
. . 3rd—fly, haste (2)
. . 2nd—bladed dash, blur, rime frigid touch{super}UM{/super}, mirror image
. . 1st—blade lash{super}ACG{/super}, chill touch (DC 16), rime frostbite{super}UM{/super} (2), mage armor, shield
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, mage hand, read magic, touch of fatigue (DC 15)
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Statistics
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Str 13, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +7; CMB +8; CMD 31
Feats Arcane Strike, Dervish Dance[ISWG], Improved Two-weapon Fighting, Rime Spell[UM], Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (scimitar), Weapon Specialization (scimitar)
Traits magical lineage, wayang spell hunter
Skills Acrobatics +11, Climb +5, Diplomacy +9, Disable Device +14, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +17, Knowledge (planes) +17, Perception +14, Perform (dance) +1, Sense Motive +2, Spellcraft +18, Survival +0 (+2 to avoid becoming lost), Swim +5, Use Magic Device +4
Languages Common, Minatan, Minkaian, Osiriani, Osiriani, Ancient, Thassilonian
SQ arcane pool, black blade, black blade: arcane pool, black blade: energy attunement, black blade: strike, black blade: telepathy, black blade: teleport blade, black blade: unbreakable, chosen weapon, critical perfection, iaijutsu, magus arcana (spell blending [2 spells of lower level]), spell combat, perfect strike
Combat Gear jingasa of the fortunate soldier, pearl of power (1st level), pearl of power (1st level), pearl of power (1st level); Other Gear amulet of natural armor +1, belt of incredible dexterity +4, cloak of resistance +3, handy haversack, headband of vast intelligence +4, clear spindle ioun stone, cracked dusty rose prism ioun stone, ring of protection +1, wayfinder, 2,000 gp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Pool +3 (8/day) (Su) Infuse own power into a held weapon, granting enhancement bonus or selected item powers.
Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Black Blade (Ex) You gain an intelligent bonded weapon whose power grows with your own.
Black Blade: Arcane Pool (3/day) (Su) The Black Blade has an Arcane Pool used to fuel its own abilities.
Black Blade: Energy Attunement (Su) Replace weapon dam with fire/cold/elec for 1 point, or sonic/force for 2 points.
Black Blade: Strike +3 (Sp) The Black Blade can grant itself a damage bonus for 1 min.
Black Blade: Telepathy (Su) The magus can telepathically communicate with his black blade if it is worn or held.
Black Blade: Teleport Blade (Sp) Spend 1 point from own or blades pool to teleport it into hand.
Black Blade: Unbreakable (Ex) The Black Blade is immune to the broken condition while the arcane pool is not empty.
Canny Defense +5 (Ex) +INT bonus to AC (max Kensai level).
Chosen Weapon (Scimitar) Kensai abilities only function when wielding a weapon of this type.
Critical Perfection +5 (Ex) Bonus to confirm threats & qualify early for critical feats with chosen weapon.
Dervish Dance Use Dex modifier instead of Str modifier with scimitar
Iaijutsu (Ex) May draw chosen weapon and make attacks of opportunity when flat footed.
Improved Spell Combat (Ex) Use a weapon with one hand at -2 and cast a spell with the other.
Ioun stone (clear spindle) Sustains bearer without food or water.
Jingasa of the fortunate soldier (1/day) Activate to negate a critical hit or sneak attack as an immediate action.
Magical Lineage (Frostbite) A chosen spell counts as 1 level lower when metamagic feats are applied to it.
Perfect Strike (Ex) Use 1 arcane pool to maximize weapon dam, or 2 for +1 to crit multiplier.
Rime Spell Spell with the cold descriptor also entangles creatures if the spell damages them
Spellstrike (Su) Deliver touch spells as part of a melee attack.
Wayang Spell Hunter (Frigid Touch) Reduce spell level increase from metamagic for chosen spell by 1.
Wayfinder (1 @ 0 lbs) A small magical device patterned off ancient relics of the Azlanti, a wayfinder is typically made from silver and bears gold accents. With a command word, you can use a wayfinder to shine (as the light spell). The wayfinder also acts as a nonmagical (magnetic) compass, granting you a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to avoid becoming lost. All wayfinders include a small indentation designed to hold a single ioun stone. An ioun stone slotted in this manner grants you its normal benefits (as if it were orbiting your head), but frequently reveals entirely new powers due to the magic of the wayfinder itself (see Seeker of Secrets page 51).
Note: This item costs only 250 gp for members of the Pathfinder Society
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, light; Cost 250 gp
Round 1: Arcane Pool + Spell Combat
+17/+17/+12 (1d6+13+(1d6+10 cold)/15-20/x2)
It is not optimal from a NOVA pov; it is optimal from a resource management pov. Rimed Frostbite also allows for entangling multiple foes, with half of the attacks made against touch AC.
Adding bladebound to my build would be helpful but my DM doesn't allow taking 2 archetypes. The reason I didn't like the frostbite combo as much is because it covers two types of damage that alot of creatures are probably going to be immune/highly resistant to. In that case it kinda does nothing since it did no cold damage, which means it doesn't get the entangle either. Frigid touch is better but doesn't have the spells per level like frostbite.
Chill Touch was also on the memorized list. Unless your running in a cold themed campaign or the GM is deliberately designing encounters to circumvent your build you should be fine.
Bladebound was secondary for the build. You would have to buy a sword, but would have an additional arcana available.
I had 1 Chill Touch prepared on the build I posted, along with 3 pearls of power. The build I posted also has the option to chain Touch of Fatigue, relying on pure melee damage.
Cold Resist 15 would be needed to completely negate the cold damage, and thus avoid the entangle, at 10th level.
Good point; sorry I failed to remember that part. I must say mirror image can be a sad thing: I had 6 of them on me, so on the first round the mimic goes charging in on me and on a 1/7 he still manages to grapple me.
But who says you need to have two "blades" to two weapon fight? The feat only says "weapon" and as a monk my unarmed strikes count as both manufactured and natural. True, there is some debate as to whether you can use your hand and a weapon (kukri) during spell combat but you can always hold the charge on your touch spell and forgo the potential failed casting defensively check.
But why invest in TWF?
Use spell combat and get an attck at full BaB for free + spell delivery.
Get a spiked gauntlet on the other hand or armor spikes and it even looks like TWF.
If you're whacking with your gauntlet in that round, or doing ANYTHING with that other arm, the hand is not free, which means again... no spell combat that round.
You don't have to unarmed strike with a hand though, it can be a foot or even an eyelash ("death wink!!"). Besides that I picked up prehensile hair which acts like a hand, although the addition of natural spell combat kind of leaves it up to debate whether you can use it or not.
But who says you need to have two "blades" to two weapon fight? The feat only says "weapon" and as a monk my unarmed strikes count as both manufactured and natural. True, there is some debate as to whether you can use your hand and a weapon (kukri) during spell combat but you can always hold the charge on your touch spell and forgo the potential failed casting defensively check.
But why invest in TWF?
Use spell combat and get an attck at full BaB for free + spell delivery.
Get a spiked gauntlet on the other hand or armor spikes and it even looks like TWF.
If you're whacking with your gauntlet in that round, or doing ANYTHING with that other arm, the hand is not free, which means again... no spell combat that round.
You don't have to unarmed strike with a hand though, it can be a foot or even an eyelash ("death wink!!"). Besides that I picked up prehensile hair which acts like a hand, although the addition of natural spell combat kind of leaves it up to debate whether you can use it or not.
You cannot use an unarmed attack as an 'off-hand' and Spell Combat in the same turn. The Monk being able to use different parts of its body does not override you needing a free hand. So that's a no.
Prehensile Hair is fine because it's a natural attack, but the unarmed strike is a no-go with Spell Combat unless you can pick up more actual hands.
Prehensile Hair (Su)
Effect: The witch can instantly cause her hair (or even her eyebrows) to grow up to 10 feet long or to shrink to its normal length, and can manipulate her hair as if it were a limb with a Strength score equal to her Intelligence score. Her hair has reach 10 feet, and she can use it as a secondary natural attack that deals 1d3 points of damage (1d2 for a Small witch).
Her hair can manipulate objects (but not weapons) as dexterously as a human hand.
The hair cannot be sundered or attacked as a separate creature. Pieces cut from the witch’s elongated hair shrink away to nothing. Using her hair does not harm the witch’s head or neck, even if she lifts something heavy with it. The witch can manipulate her hair a number of minutes each day equal to her level; these minutes do not need to be consecutive, but must be spent in 1-minute increments. A typical male witch with this hex can also manipulate his beard, moustache, or eyebrows.
So why can't I use the hair instead of my hand if you're allowing prehensile hair to be used with spell combat, which I disagree that you can.
EDIT: Also, I don't understand how using your foot with unarmed strikes leaves you unable to have a free hand. If pressed, you could even forgo the use of a single main hand weapon BAB to use an unarmed strike in its' place (especially since monks count their unarmed strikes as manufactured weapons).
I'm confused as to what you are referring? That I can't swap out a BAB for another type of attack? So if I'm fighting with a one handed weapon at +6/+1 BAB and decide to attack normally (no TWF) I'm not allowed to make my first attack with the weapon and the second with my unarmed strike?
Fruian: Spell Combat requires an open hand. His plan is to use Improved Unarmed Strike, paired with a weapon, paired with Spell Combat.
Iterman: If you are making a normal full attack, you may only attack with your off-hand if you invoke the Two-Weapon Fighting rules. You cannot, unfortunately, just swap attacks in.
If you are making a Spell Combat full attack, you may not use your off-hand for any purpose other than casting a spell. For a Monk, using Improved Unarmed Strike for a kick or headbutt is still considered to take up a 'hand's' attack. You could cast a spell and punch, but you cannot cast a spell, punch, and stab with another weapon, unless you have additional hands.
Frankly, if you're intent on carrying this strategy out your best option is to cut the weapon out entirely, using a fist in one hand and casting with another. Personally I would still remove the level of Monk, picking up Improved Unarmed Strike the old fashioned way since you freed up your first-level feat. This delays Stunning Fist-- if you really want it-- until 11th level when you can take it as a feat. However, since it's Wis-based and a Magus has very little use for Wis, the DC is going to be rather low on it.
Ultimately, that's the most viable way I can figure to make use of a Hex Strike Hexcrafter. But you need to be aware that your boring straight-Magus will massively outclass you in damage as well as be much less MAD.
How so? I have given nothing up except for 4 or 5 feats from the usual build; I still have the option of delivering an intensified shocking grasp with a 15-20 critical weapon; the only downside I see is that I lose is some attack and damage bonuses, which is more than made up for by the fact that I have scaling su and ex abilities (hexes, serpent's fang, stunning fist) and accurate strike; all of which can be used in conjunction with a misfortune hex strike. Besides this, there is the fact that the longevity of your adventuring day has been greatly increased (slumber/ice tomb every single encounter).
I can accept that you cannot unarmed strike while using spell combat but this can be remedied with the feats feral combat training and/or natural spell combat. I fail to see how it will be "massively outclass (ed)" by any stretch of the meaning.
Thanks for the input.
Baseline damage: Your standard Magus has Precise Strike access. You effectively do not since it can't be applied to any of the weapons you're looking at. You can sneak an extra attack in while Spell Combating with your serpent fangs... but using them with Feral Combat Training and Stunning Fist/Hex Strike means you're looking at a -5 to hit with your primary trick.
General utility: At this point you're talking about sacrificing three feats for the TWF chain, one feat for Eldritch Heritage, one feat for Serpent Style, one feat for Hex Strike, and now another feat for Feral Combat Training plus an Arcana for Natural Spell Combat. That's eight of your options that you're giving up. As a Hexcrafter you have a total of 20 options (10 feats, 3 bonus feats, 1 hex, 6 arcanas/hexes). Baseline build functionality is dictating that you sacrifice 40% of your options.
MAD: You need Strength, Dex, Int, some amount of Wis for Stunning Fist, Cha for Eldritch Heritage, and of course Con. Your standard Magus needs Dex, Int, and of course Con, with Strength being a possibility if they want to conserve feats. If you rolled dice for stats and your lowest roll was a 13 or so this is a non-issue, but this character is going to be a mess in point-buy.
Class abilities: Since you have that level of Monk, all of your actual abilities come slower. You also lose a Caster Level fairly early on.
Resources: Worth noting that you gain nothing over a standard Hexcrafter in terms of endurance, since they can also apply Slumber and Ice Tomb. You have Stunning Fist only once per day and fangs, in all likelihood, for four-five rounds per day. This gives you very limited combat endurance on your main set of tricks; what endurance you do have is quite literally nothing that a standard Hexcrafter does not have.
I'm confused as to what you are referring? That I can't swap out a BAB for another type of attack? So if I'm fighting with a one handed weapon at +6/+1 BAB and decide to attack normally (no TWF) I'm not allowed to make my first attack with the weapon and the second with my unarmed strike?
Spell Combat = TWF
Your off hand is already being used: it is occupied with casting.
Good points. I must say that the hexcrafter version of this magus does sound extremely potent in almost any scenario (barring places devoid of magic, although I think there are some Ex hexes).
However, given the rule structures/house rules I'm currently in, I'm still inclined to think my build has a better chance at more baseline damage output. For starters criticals don't include any additives in our games, so a 2d6+20 only turns into a 4d6+20. Meanwhile, a TWF gains an additional attack per BAB depending on what stage of the TWF chain he/she is at [example: BAB +6/+1 (with only TWF becomes +4/+4/-1/-1) (whereas with ITWF, it becomes +4/+4/+4/-1/-1/-1 one with your main hand and two with your off hand for each BAB)]. True this is lost on spell combat but it seems better to me as far as damage is concerned especially if you transform yourself into something with more natural attacks and higher str. Snake style is a feat I'm still unsure of, which can be replaced with a few other feats.
The suggestion of using feral combat and natural spell combat was mostly to say that it can be done. When you want to just full attack you can add in hex strike/stunning fist/poison to do quite a bit of debuffing. However, when using spell combat, I must say the build using precise strike does seem to have much better baseline dpr.
Using the standard method to determine ability scores (which is the only method we seem to use) it doesn't seem too hard.
Stunning fists' usage is one every monk level plus one every four none monk levels, so not too terrible for a free-ish feat. The difference between a regular hexcrafter and this build is hex strike allowing both combat and a hex, sort of like another version of spell combat.
Lastly, most of the discussion for a better magus using precise strike becomes moot when you can't use feats from the book or even the classes in the book. Barring that one feat makes TWF seem that much more inviting.
