I am creating a character for society play. The character will be a halfling brought up by goblins to dove tail into some previous runs in the Emerald Spire modules as my current character got ahead of things and does not qualify for the upcoming adventure. At the point he will be joining things he will be level 2 (I can get in 3 experience at a con in a couple of weeks).
So, I was thinking that the Magus would be nice since he will advance quickly in experience and Magi seem to suck at lower levels.
So, I was thinking Elder Scion because a halfling gets a bonus there, and I thought I could dip into Swashbuckler that way. Make him dex based. I'm a relatively new player though and never explored bloodlines and the like. So, the advice:
Should I dip into swashbuckler at some point?
Would it be better to stick with a straight Magus?
What feats work? Any combo ideas?
I only have the core, advanced players, advanced race, advanced class, ultimate combat, and ultimate magic.
-Magus is actually decent at lower levels, you just have to use your spells a little differently. The Wizard's range issues with Color Spray apply less when you're a Magus wearing actual /armor/.
-Any Magus can dip Swash by taking the Inspired Blade, which works off Int as well as Cha for the pool. That said, the dip isn't really great.
-Eldritch Scion is a fairly bad archetype. To writ:
--Charisma is generally not advantageous over Int as a casting stat. Especially with 2+Int in skill points, so you can't even take advantage of the great Cha skills.
--Spontaneous is cool, but unlike a Sorcerer vs. Wizard you don't have more spells per day, and since the Magus loves metamagic there's an inherent feat tax in that you need Spontaneous Metafocus on your spell of choice.
--You have to pay resources to use Spell Combat. Make no mistake: Spell Combat defines the Magus. If you're not using it, you're outshone by the Scryer Wizard 1/Inspired Blade 1/Eldritch Knight 10 who's rocking better BAB and higher spell levels. An Eldritch Scion has to spend a point of their Arcane Pool and a Swift Action for two rounds of Spell Combating. The Magus loves its Swift Action and it loves its Arcane Pool, so putting more constraints on both is a huge hurting. This fades at level 8... but personally, I don't like characters that get good 2/3rds of the way through the character's career. Especially when I can get it at level 1 instead.
Feats and combos depend a lot on your specific build choices. The standard cookie-cutter Magus looks something like this:
Human Kensai
Traits: Wayang Spellhunter or Magical Lineage (Shocking Grasp, build-specific trait (or generic goodstuff like Perception as a class skill or Int to UMD)
1. Weapon Finesse
1H. Fencing Grace
1K. Weapon Focus (Rapier)
3. Build-Specific Feat
3A. Flamboyant Arcana
5. Build-Specific Feat
5B. Intensify Spell
6A. Arcane Deed: Precise Strike
Build as a Kensai and you ease things a lot; Human Kensai gets Dex-to-Damage at level 1. If you don't mind waiting until level 3 for your Dex-to-Dam, Tieflings are a really strong choice. Non-Kensai and starting at level 1 will typically force a dip into Swash or Fighter (usually Inspired Blade Swashbuckler), a strength build, or coming online slowly (first-level open feat, third-level Weapon Focus, fifth-level Weapon Finesse+Fencing Grace). That said, "non-Kensai" includes the crazy good Hexcrafter.
You can use a third-level feat for taking Precise Strike sooner if you have another Arcana you like; I'm a fan of Arcane Accuracy and Spell Shield personally.
The Magus has a handful of set pieces that are really strong choices-- Precise Strike, Dex-to-Damage, Lineage+Intensify Spell+Shocking Grasp. But after that they're extremely open and can be built in all kinds of ways, so there's a huge number of feat options.
For society play, Bladebound.
FREE magic weapon that continues to get stronger as you level has a cost of 1 arcana and inability to get a familiar? Only "bad" if you wanna be a witch too.
Going Elf kensai magus allows higher INT and DEX with the restriction you need to wait till level 3 for dex to damage. Kensai can also take aldori dueling sword, which is better damage and finessable/slashing graceable.
Smaller crit range makes the Dueling Sword a #2 choice, though it's still pretty awesome.
I'm convinced that the Elder Scion is a mistake. It's also too complicated for my wee brain. I like the idea of Inspired blade if I want to double dip. Missed that one. Not sure I want to though.
Doesn't the loss of one spell of each level hurt the Kensai archtype more than it helps?
Remember that I'm looking for a race that would be adopted by Goblins. I would consider halfling or gnome, but not a human or elf. Something small. I'm going to have a lot of fun role-playing the little fellow with lots of goblin quirks.
I had a thought. I suppose I could play an elf or human with dwarfism. Make him ugly too. That would make the char fit in with the goblins. Hmmm.
There's no reason why Goblins couldn't adopt a Human, or an Elf, or a Tiefling, or an Aasimar, or whatever else. Your backstory is your own. But you're by no means required to go Human. It just means you don't get Fencing Grace until level 3, which is by no means crippling.
Kensai losing a spell of each level is certainly not good, but they're easier to boil down to two stats (Dex+Int) and get more use out of Int than other Magi, so they can at least get some of those spells back. If this were a home game with rolled stats, or you could start in the midlevels, I wouldn't be nearly as quick to recommend Kensai. It's still good there (I'm running a Str-based Kensai in a home game right now, actually), but its biggest advantage-- ease of setup-- tends to be somewhat reduced.
Kensai is overrated, IMO, but it's a valid choice. Eldritch Scion is a hate crime against Magi.
I don't have Advanced Class Origins so I can't take Fencing Grace anyway.
And no Wayang Spellhunter as that is in yet another book. I was thinking of taking the trait that gives me a bonus to concentration checks. I'm worried that will be of no use at higher levels though. But since it i for society play I don't see him getting played beyond 12 level.
Pupsocket wrote: Kensai is overrated, IMO, but it's a valid choice. Eldritch Scion is a hate crime against Magi. Kensai has a lot of problems, but its major advantage-- efficiently solving the MAD issues-- are really, really good. It's not the best Magus archetype, in my mind-- that goes to the Hexcrafter (and the Fiend Flayer for costing nothing). But it is a good one, especially for PFS play, and it does solve some of the Magus' biggest problems. That said, if you want a Str build or just really hate the archetype, by all means don't use it. Just be aware that it makes your low levels that much rougher.
No Fencing Grace = use Slashing Grace instead. Aldori Dueling Sword was mentioned earlier; it's a close comparison to the Rapier. Better damage, worse crit range, but some decent weapon-specific feats. Dipping non-Inspired-Blade Swashbuckler would let you use whatever Slashing weapon you want, though again I have a hard time recommending any kind of dip when you're a caster.
No Wayang Spellhunter = Magical Lineage. Exactly the same, just uses a different trait slot.
Concentration Checks are honestly pretty easy. The first few levels you may have to do the 5' Step Dance (stab them, 5' back, Ray of Frost to the face), but that's not really hard to do. As you level they become givens. Also keep in mind that Spell Combat lets you play with your to-hit rates in order to boost concentration.
Nothing wrong with a halfling magus. Make him dex based in the to hit department. Dervish Dance is still a good option. Maske sure to get the arcane deed for level to Dam also. And Pick Amateur swashbuckler for the parry riposte deed.
If you dont have the book just go dervish Dance and you Will still be fine. I love frost bite but some like shocking grasp or snowballs but the last is in expect table variance area.
What table variance with Snowball? It's not usable with Spellstrike outside of a specific 3/day magic item, that's all RAW.
Also, Precise Strike specifies light or one-handed piercing weapon, which means you pretty much need a rapier or Slashing Grace's language. Precise Strike killed Dervish Dance. Amateur Swashbuckler is kind of wasted when you get Parry/Riposte off an Arcana.
kestral287 wrote: What table variance with Snowball? It's not usable with Spellstrike outside of a specific 3/day magic item, that's all RAW.
Also, Precise Strike specifies light or one-handed piercing weapon, which means you pretty much need a rapier or Slashing Grace's language. Precise Strike killed Dervish Dance. Amateur Swashbuckler is kind of wasted when you get Parry/Riposte off an Arcana.
In my version of DD it says to treat the scimitar as a one handed piercing weapon.
And Amateur swashbuckler Will give you a panache pool so you Can parry a bit more than int+ Half level times pr Day.
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