I have a 2nd level Magus for PFS (4XP) I just want to kill off; someone help me save him!


Advice

Silver Crusade

I created a Magus some months ago that I feel totally blah about. I was excited to create him because I just got Ultimate Magic and I saw so many ultra powerful Magus' around that I wanted to try it out for myself (you know the kind, Intensified Shocking Grasp with Scimitar, etc.).

Well, he is a combo Strength/Dex build and never lined up with the often-seen full-dex built Dervish Dancer types I saw out there (didn't have the right books at the time to build that anyway).

I just simply don't care to play this Magus but I also can't recreate the character since he has 4XP now. I was actually thinking of having him die in some grand, noble way during a PFS encounter. BUT, I don't think that would be fair to the table to have me be careless with him since I would be supporting the party.

I don't have his stats handy at the moment, but I'm curious to know what things I could do to him that might make him more interesting. I'm thinking of the lines of multi-classing him but not sure how what classes might meld well with his current low level Magus abilities.

All ideas welcome, including allowing him to be thrown as a sacrifice to an Ancient Red Dragon!


I think i will need to know his numbers if i am to give advice other than. Throw him out and make another.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Well PFS allows some archetypes to be adopted after 1st level. You could look at Kensai if you want a more combat heavy focus, Hexcrafter if you want to splash some witchiness. Bladebound is flavorful but some consider it a trap, though in PFS it does well due to the free magic weapon.

Out of the 3, I'd give Hexcrafter a shot. You play a witch with a better to hit, more hp, better AC plus Spell Combat brokenness. And instead of Arcane Mark, you use Brand.

Mind posting your current build? It will help make decisions. Also which direction would you like to take him?

Grand Lodge

To my knowledge, you could always just shelf the guy. I am not aware of any rule that you have to play the same character every game until it dies or hits level 12 (or whatever max you are heading for, since there seems to be ways to go to level 20)

If you can retrain him, Kensai and Bladebound are great archetypes with some great powers. Though do not expect much in the way of bursts at low level.

You also have the option of taking 5 levels of Wizard to get the 3rd level arcane spells for Eldritch Knight.

Or a few levels of Sorcerer, going for the Dragon Disciple.

Witch and investigator will both benefit from the high INT you should have for spells. Alchemist too. Magus with mutagen would be interesting.

Silver Crusade

STATS:

STR: 15
DEX: 16
CON: 12
INT: 17
WIS: 10
CHA: 7

I realize I could shelf him, but I guess I have some OCD in regards to wasting the XP already put in him. Although, if it ends up that I'm not thrilled with the possibilities of modifying him as he goes on, I probably will abandon him.

He might make a good Wizard (although Strength would seem to be wasted on him), or even Investigator actually. I already created one Investigator but this might be an intriguing possibility.

Liberty's Edge

If you want a more melee focused character you could also switch to a Swashbuckler Inspired Blade from the Advanced Class Guide.

Sovereign Court

The retraining rules in Ultimate Campaign might be of interest to the OP as well. They can be reviewed in the PRD, and the way they're modified in implementation for PFS is also freely available in the Guide.

It doesn't cost a lot of gold, and the in-universe time investment is moot since PFS already has infinite/undefined time between adventures anyway. The real biting cost for PFS is the Prestige required. At 4 scenarios, the retraining available is going to be limited. But my point is, with the prestige earned in 4 scenarios, there might be some viable options.

Silver Crusade

I don't have Ultimate Campaign, but if the Guide has it that's great. How much PP is needed to retrain to a new class?


Pathfinder Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

It requires 1 PP per week of retraining. This is found in the Guide to Organized Play, pg 10.

The time required are in Ultimate Campaign. You would need that in order to use the rules. The PDF is relatively cheap.

What are you looking for in the Magus? Perhaps we can come up with some ways to take the Blah away. What sort of a background do you have for them? Where are they from, why did they take up Magus, that sort of background material.

Failing that, go in for one of the more deadly modules with the idea that everyone ELSE gets out alive.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

I know that my Magus didn't really get interesting until 5th or 6th level. I used a lot of GM credit to move him up and out of the low levels, but I don't know if that is an option for you.

Here are his stats, not quite up to date, and being a tiefling he isn't quite exactly what you might want. I thought about a level of Trapper Ranger, but so far it hasn't been all that necessary.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
BretI wrote:


Failing that, go in for one of the more deadly modules with the idea that everyone ELSE gets out alive.

I actually had quite a bit of fun playing a suicidal character that I was trying to kill off. Amazingly, he kept surviving everything I put him through (charging through a lake of piranha to get to the halfling archers on the other side that were harrying our party -- the piranha mostly missed as did the archers.) So long as I was trying to kill him off, his rolls and saves were fantastic. It was eerie.

I think going for the one last stand could be a great send off for a character that no longer interests you.

Hmm

Silver Crusade

Hmm wrote:
BretI wrote:


Failing that, go in for one of the more deadly modules with the idea that everyone ELSE gets out alive.

I actually had quite a bit of fun playing a suicidal character that I was trying to kill off. Amazingly, he kept surviving everything I put him through (charging through a lake of piranha to get to the halfling archers on the other side that were harrying our party -- the piranha mostly missed as did the archers.) So long as I was trying to kill him off, his rolls and saves were fantastic. It was eerie.

I think going for the one last stand could be a great send off for a character that no longer interests you.

Hmm

That's exactly what I was thinking of. I just would hope it would be at a spot where the rest of the party could survive.

Silver Crusade

BretI wrote:

It requires 1 PP per week of retraining. This is found in the Guide to Organized Play, pg 10.

The time required are in Ultimate Campaign. You would need that in order to use the rules. The PDF is relatively cheap.

What are you looking for in the Magus? Perhaps we can come up with some ways to take the Blah away. What sort of a background do you have for them? Where are they from, why did they take up Magus, that sort of background material.

I sort of work in reverse with characters I create...usually. I like to find a class or class combo that seems interesting to play and then I build a background around that. In this case, with an uninteresting character, I have little incentive to build an interesting background. I do like your other idea though, of having everyone else get out alive!

Grand Lodge

I've got a bladebound kensai magus and he's a beast. He doesn't do insane damage as I didn't go the "make shocking grasp overpowered and super awesome build" but he's got the most AC and HP at every table I've sat at. (14 con, favored bonus into HP). That and he's not high enough for shocking grasp to do as much as that would allow it

I planned him out to use fencing grace and finally in two days it'll be legal (hopefully, there's no way they can disallow the one feat that was spoiled a couple months ago when it's not any different than slashing grace).

He's a tiefling and his starting stats were

str 9
dex 18 (16 + 2)
con 14
int 18 (16 + 2)
wis 10
cha 5 (7 - 2)

Free magic weapon at third level and not being proficient in armor leaves me with a ton of money for random items that I normally wouldn't have the money to buy. Granted he's only 4th level, and I haven't figured out how to best use him, yet, but it's been good so far.

Grand Lodge

My magus is a Kensai Bladebound too. However, I went a different route. He uses a whip and very little can actually "stand" in his way. He trips everything in his path.

He does little damage, but hey, its a tripping build. The undead in the first 6 games were not fun as I could not hurt em (whip is nonlethal, well, until I got whip mastery). Kensai also cuts spells per day down, not a lot, but it really is slow first few games. That said, things die quickly in the games either because of the reduced AC from prone or the multiple AoO from trying to stand up.

If you do not dump Cha, you can also look into Calistra's Diefic Obediance. Makes you more useful in social encounters. (+4 to Cha skills when dealing with those who are/can be attracted to you, as long as you find a prostitute that day, or wish for vengeance

It has been said before, but PFS play, FREE is AWESOME. Free weapon and no armor. Kensai makes using the black blade even better for ya. I also have a higher touch AC then most people (level 4, 18 touch AC) when wielding the black blade.

Grand Lodge

Dafydd wrote:

My magus is a Kensai Bladebound too. However, I went a different route. He uses a whip and very little can actually "stand" in his way. He trips everything in his path.

He does little damage, but hey, its a tripping build. The undead in the first 6 games were not fun as I could not hurt em (whip is nonlethal, well, until I got whip mastery). Kensai also cuts spells per day down, not a lot, but it really is slow first few games. That said, things die quickly in the games either because of the reduced AC from prone or the multiple AoO from trying to stand up.

If you do not dump Cha, you can also look into Calistra's Diefic Obediance. Makes you more useful in social encounters. (+4 to Cha skills when dealing with those who are/can be attracted to you, as long as you find a prostitute that day, or wish for vengeance

It has been said before, but PFS play, FREE is AWESOME. Free weapon and no armor. Kensai makes using the black blade even better for ya. I also have a higher touch AC then most people (level 4, 18 touch AC) when wielding the black blade.

I went with Torag so I could get Defensive Strategist. Since almost all of my AC comes from dex/dodge, being flat-footed is deadly. Defensive Strategist makes it so that you are not flat-footed in combat from not having acted yet. This was a much cheaper solution than Improved Initiative and works better because even a 1+8=9 is still a really low initiative roll.

One pearl of power has been enough for me to make up for less spells. I've been making rather gratuitous use of Arcane Mark and only use my big (big as in not cantrips..) when the situation calls for it. In PFS, there's generally more than enough people around to not need to hog all the damage dealing with spells, too.

Silver Crusade

So far, I think the best option is to multiclass him as an Investigator as soon as he hits the next level (3). I might do him as an Empiricist. I already happen to have a pure Empiricist, but this might be interesting to have him with a couple of levels of Magus to give him some interesting options.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Prethen wrote:

I created a Magus some months ago that I feel totally blah about. I was excited to create him because I just got Ultimate Magic and I saw so many ultra powerful Magus' around that I wanted to try it out for myself (you know the kind, Intensified Shocking Grasp with Scimitar, etc.).

Well, he is a combo Strength/Dex build and never lined up with the often-seen full-dex built Dervish Dancer types I saw out there (didn't have the right books at the time to build that anyway).

I just simply don't care to play this Magus but I also can't recreate the character since he has 4XP now. I was actually thinking of having him die in some grand, noble way during a PFS encounter. BUT, I don't think that would be fair to the table to have me be careless with him since I would be supporting the party.

I don't have his stats handy at the moment, but I'm curious to know what things I could do to him that might make him more interesting. I'm thinking of the lines of multi-classing him but not sure how what classes might meld well with his current low level Magus abilities.

All ideas welcome, including allowing him to be thrown as a sacrifice to an Ancient Red Dragon!

My PFS magus isn't a carbon copy dervish dancer either, and I have a ton of fun with her. There are a lot of different ways to play a magus besides the one trick pony shocking grasp crit fisher (although I do make use of the spell)

Post the the build and we might have suggestions. Keep in mind that the magus does have class features beyond just munchkin use of one single electric spell. At your level I bought a composite mighty bow and made good use of it for range.

Grand Lodge

Quote:
It requires 1 PP per week of retraining. This is found in the Guide to Organized Play, pg 10.

It's 1 PP per *DAY* of retraining. Had me excited that I might have a bunch of extra PP. :)


Pathfinder Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Sorry, you're correct. I can't believe I made that mistake! Yes, it is per day.


You should not waste your time in PFS on a character you dont like to play. Not every class is for everybody. I am a form belived of not playing characters one dont like to play. Grinding is for MMORPGs it is sad to do in a proper RPG. Consider taking up GMing if you want to sneek in some extra XP to compensate for the loss.


Multiclass into Swashbuckler with the Inspired Blade Archetype?

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