Magus 5th Level Bonus Feat Suggestion? (PFS)

[Sagotel]

I am playing a magus, and just reached 5th level. I am trying to decide what to take for my bonus feat.
Current Build:
Race: Elf
Class: Magus (bladebound) 5
STR: 13
DEX; 18
CON: 14
INT: 16
WIS: 12
CHA: 10
Traits: Desperate Focus, Eyes and Ears of the City
Feats:
1 - Weapon Finesse
3 - Dervish Dancer
5 - Extra Arcane Pool
5 (bonus) - ?

The bonus feat must be either combat or metamagic. I was thinking about either Weapon Focus (Scimitar) or Blind-Fight. A constant +1 to hit is always good; changing miss chance against an invisible enemy from 50% to 25% also seems pretty good, albeit situation-dependent.

[mplindustries]

Most Magi take Intensify Spell so Shocking Grasp continues to scale past 5d6 or Rime Spell so Frostbite/Frigid Touch are more debilitating. Can I assume you have one of the traits that reduces the cost of metamagic on at least one of those spells?

[Dafydd]

Best option I can find is 5th level Additional Traits for Magical knack/Wayang spell hunter and taking the 5th level bonus for rime or intensify.

[kestral287]

Dafydd wrote:

Best option I can find is 5th level Additional Traits for Magical knack/Wayang spell hunter and taking the 5th level bonus for rime or intensify.

This would be about the standard option. You'll want either Frostbite (Rime Spell) or Shocking Grasp (Intensified Spell) to be the one getting the trait help.

Weapon Focus is solid; Blind-Fight isn't great since you can Spell Combat -> True Strike. Lunge is kind of cool and tends to be overlooked. You have 13 Str; I assume that's for Power Attack? While I really don't like that feat for the Magus it seems like you're building for it.

[Sagotel]

@mplindustries:
I was planning to wait until 7th level to take a metamagic feat, because I want to keep my second-level spell slots open for second-level spells, but it's certainly something to consider. The Eyes & Ears trait makes Perception a class skill and adds +2 trait bonus; Desp. Focus gives +2 concentration bonus for defensive casting.

@Dafydd:
Why Magical Knack? I have no levels in another class. I can't take it anyway because I already have a trait from the Magic Traits group.

[kestral287]

He meant Magical Lineage, not Magical Knack.

Magical Lineage and Wayang Spellhunter both give a particular spell -1 to their level when they're boosted with metamagic. Thus, one often sees a Magus with Magical Lineage (Shocking Grasp) and Intensify Spell, basically giving them a level 1 spell with a 10D6 damage cap that can be used with Spellstrike. Alternately, they can take one of those traits with Frostbite, adding on Rime Spell (and possibly other things) to have a more debuff-oriented set of abilities.

[mplindustries]

You wouldn't be using 2nd level slots for your metamagicked spells if you had Magical Lineage or Wayang Spellhunter, that's the point of the standard Magus builds.

I'm sure Dafydd meant Magical Lineage, and choosing "Desp. Focus" over Magical Lineage was probably a huge mistake. Not only are concentration checks really easy in general, but you actually end up with the same effective benefit (plus more) in the end by taking the metamagic cost reducing traits.

Think about it:
The DC to cast Shocking Grasp or Frostbite defensively is 17. The DC to cast Intensified Shocking Grasp or Rime Frostbite defensively is 19.

With the +2 to concentration checks trait, you're facing an effective DC 17 casting your 2nd level metamagicked spells.

With a trait to reduce the cost of that metamagic, you're, well, also facing an effective DC 17.

The whole point of typical Magi is to critfish with Intensfied Shocking Grasps or mega-debuff with Rime Frostbites. If you're doing neither, I don't know how effective you can realistically be.

[kestral287]

mplindustries wrote:

The whole point of typical Magi is to critfish with Intensfied Shocking Grasps or mega-debuff with Rime Frostbites. If you're doing neither, I don't know how effective you can realistically be.

With other tricks, like spamming True Strike combat maneuvers or the like, very. Or at higher levels when they get some of the really nice 4th-5th level spells, but that stuff is all but post-PFS since you get 4th level spells at 10th.

[Dafydd]

Sagotel wrote:

@Dafydd:

Why Magical Knack? I have no levels in another class. I can't take it anyway because I already have a trait from the Magic Traits group.

Brain Farted Magical Knack and Magical Lineage. I did mean Lineage.

[Chad Rechkemmer]

Spell Penatration is a nice addition, especially once you start running into SR.

[Shane LeRose]

Power Attack. You have the 13 Str requirement. It also opens up other potential feats. The same is true for Combat Expertise. Then, at 7th you could take Barroom Brawler.

Look it up. You'll be glad you did.

[Sagotel]

Hmmmm...
These are some really good options. If I take the Additional Traits feat, I could pick Wayang Spellhunter, because it is not in the Magic Feats list. I could also take the Reactionary trait; I have no combat trait. Then I can Intensify Shocking Grasp "free". The only downside is giving up Extra Arcane Pool now.

[DinosaursOnIce]

I would give up Extra Arcane Pool for more traits. Getting level 1 10d6 shocking grasps is ridiculously good.

I'm currently playing a Magus and here is a list of potential traits I was thinking about getting (I took Magical Linage and Warrior of Old to start):
Arcane Revitalization
Bladed Magic
Cross-Disciplined
Malleable Magic
Clever Wordplay
Metamagic Master (Wayang Spellhunter)

[mplindustries]

Yeah, I don't think I'd ever see the need for extra Arcana Pool. Extra Arcana, yes, but not the pool.

[kestral287]

mplindustries wrote:

Yeah, I don't think I'd ever see the need for extra Arcana Pool. Extra Arcana, yes, but not the pool.

Presumably, it's to offset the Bladebound costs. I could see it if one wanted to get heavy use out of Spell Recall, but I do have to admit that my first instinct with Bladebound is "combine with archetypes that trade away abilities with arcane pool costs for other abilities" (Hexcrafter, Kensai, etc.)

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Intensify spell or Arcane strike. If you like spamming shocking grasp then Intensify. if your moving to a different touch spell then Arcane strike. But I would get both in my build.