Your Poor Deserted Mother wrote: Give up this dangerous adventuring life. Come back home to the farm, marry that nice girl down the road. Give me some grandchildren. Now, given how the AP has started, that is indeed a good advice
Just for the sake of updating it, an interesting twist in the events happened.
DM didn't want a stat as low as 5, so in the end I asked him to roll my stats (I'll be out of the city and won't be able to meet him before next session).
They ended being 17, 15, 15, 14, 13, 13. Great rerolls even if his allowed reroll of the lowest was a discarded 12.
So, the 1st level tiefling kensai bladebound magus is going to be:
STR - 17
DEX - 17 (15+2)
CON - 14
INT - 17 (15+2)
WIS - 13
CHA - 11 (13-2)
Since he's not allowing the armor of the pit feat, the best option I see for the level 1 feat is Toughness.
With that I'm aiming for:
15 AC (3DEX, 1INT, 1silk), 19 with shield spell
14 HP (8class, 2CON, 3feat, 1level)
+4 hit (0BAB, 3STR, 1wfocus) I might get another +1 if I get a masterwork from the background
+3 damage
As I see it, it's not such a bad start.
Would a pure magus be better? Probably, but I like the idea of the kensai more
By level 4 AC will be at least 18. Nothing impressive but decent enough unless caught flat footed.
Since weapon enchants are costless and wonderous items will cost half the money at level 5, I can focus on a decent silk armor and also add some natural armor with magic items if needed
Ok, after some sessions some updates and a new question.
Some ROtRL spoilers ahead.
After barely surviving the catacombs of... can't remember, we have cleared the second level of thistletop and have reached level 3 (may be 4 when we get the xp from last session).
So far, it hasn't been that bad. Still suffering a bit in the defense area but doing god in the offense.
My magus right now:
STR - 17
DEX - 17
CON - 14
INT - 17 (18 at lvl 4)
WIS - 13
CHA - 11
Feats other than the class ones: Toughness and power attack.
AC: 17
HP: 32
Attack with Power Attack: katana +6 (1d8+7).
Now, at level 5 I had planned to pick arcane strike and craft wondrous items and then weapon specialization at 7, but my DM might let using the advanced player's guide opening the possibility to intensify spell.
Now I don't know if it would be better to keep the original idea of static damage or switch arcane strike for intensify spell at 5 (without magical lineage unless he let's me change a trait)
Ideas?
Even without Lineage (and unless your current traits are awesome, I'd try for the swap), Intensify > Arcane Strike. Without Lineage I would consider delaying Intensify to 7th if you have something else you can shuffle forward though; that'll make it easier to spare the 2nd level slots.
Currently I have a campaign one, bladed magic (arcane pool lasts 2 minutes), one that lets you recover 1 AP per day on a crit and, after discovering that demoralize is both a mind affecting and a fear effect, the most lacklustre, the home that lets you add into bonus to intimidate checks instead of cha.
If you have access to wands, check out the wand wielder arcana. A wand of True Strike or Vanish lets you land attacks all day long without blowing your 1st level spells. Or you can buff yourself without losing attack actions, which is really nice.
If your GM lets you pick up the Weaponwand spell, you can even have your hand free.
Uh, didn't know about Weaponwand.
Even though I highly doubt I'll be able to use it, it certainly looks interesting.
Yeah, if you're not fond of the Intimidate trait scrap it and move along to Lineage.
Wand Wielder's a decent investment even without Weaponwand; you just either need Quick Draw to go with it, or you grab a spring-loaded wrist sheath, or you resign yourself on focusing on one spell until you can get a quick breather (which, with Vanish, isn't hard).
At several times I've considered wand wielder and discarded it. Now it again looks tempting, only issue being I don't know where to squeeze the arcana (and some way to easily manage the wands)
Currently my plan was quite simple:
1 - Toughness
1 - Exotic weapon (katana)
1 - Weapon focus
3 - Power attack
3 - Black Blade
5 - Arcane strike / Intensify spell (new)
5 - Craft wonderous items
6 - Arcane accuracy
7 - Weapon specialization
9 - Critical focus
11 - Bleeding critical
11 - Prescient attack
12 - Accurate strike
13 - Empowered/Quickened/Maximized magic or critical strike
15 - ?
15 - Bane blade
Didn't really think past 15
All in all, since spell upgrades weren't that great it's more a "melee'ish" build than anything. Now, of course, that could change.
I'm in that area where I doubt the absolute need to have Arcane accuracy. Everyone says it's great but with a limited arcane pool I'm not that sure. I could put Wand wielder there.
Today we have a gaming session (2nd level of thistletop, there we go!) and I'll talk my GM about the trait and the spell.
Also, I think he'll let me buy a ring of arcane mastery (I think it's the name) if the occasion arises and I have access to the 20.000gp needed.
My husband runs a Wand Wielder (Spire Defender) with a rogue dip, using Vanish to get sneak attack in without a flanking buddy and True Strike when he has to deal with concealment. He got a monkey familiar to hand him his wands (you might be able to get away with just a pet), but Unseen Servant would also work.
For your build, you could save a feat by using a scimitar or cutlass instead of a katana: it only costs you 1 point of damage on average (1d6 instead of 1d8), which you could make up by taking Arcane Strike at level 1. That would let you take Extra Arcana at level 3 (or just pick up Intensified if you decide not to go with Wand Wielder).
If you're going to dip monk with a magus, I'd suggest ditch bladebound and kensai, and go with the Staff Magus archetype and possibly Master of Many Styles monk going with dragon and crane styles.
Being level 3 already, such changes can't be done :)
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Argh came late to the party. If you are doing the full AP as written...bladebound will hurt by book 4+. Magus peaks about level 9-11.
Hexcrafter extends viability a bit further...but your GM does not like optimization? He may tone the AP down then...plus AP's are built on the assumption of 4 15 point buys (iconic rogue, fighter, cleric, wizard) ideally...so you'll probably be fine.
Well, I'd like to thank all of you for your tips and ideas.
Sadly, the other day Nualia decided to show me her bastard sword. The sharp side. Through my chest.
So standing at 4HP and after a 25 damage crit, the magus is no more :(
At least she died...
I've decided to bring some ranged damage to the party in the form of a Zen archer. We'll see how that turns out.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Unien wrote: Well, I'd like to thank all of you for your tips and ideas.
Sadly, the other day Nualia decided to show me her bastard sword. The sharp side. Through my chest.
So standing at 4HP and after a 25 damage crit, the magus is no more :(
At least she died...
I've decided to bring some ranged damage to the party in the form of a Zen archer. We'll see how that turns out.
Don't feel bad. I was inivited to the AP late, rolled up an unchained rogue (great background and story) and Nualia critted me knocking me out and then channeled me to death.
Zen archer will do great...except the AP also goes past their peak.
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