Ok so I am making a Card Caster/Staff Magus
So here is the build, let me know what you think.
Race: Aasimar (Peri-Blood)
(Scion of Humanity)
Flaw: Chivalrous Courtesy [-4 on all attack rolls to hit a creature you can tell is of opposite gender]
Flaw: Hot-Blooded [Automatically fail any fort saves against low temperature, +2 extra cold damage from cold effects]
Feats
(Flaw Bonus): Jotunbrud (Count as Large when beneficial)
(Flaw Bonus): Point Blank Shot
(Bonus): Deadly Dealer
(Bonus): Quarterstaff Master
(1st): Cosmopolitan
(3rd): Precise Shot
(Bonus): Quickdraw
(5th): Weapon Focus (Darts/Cards)
(7th): Weapon Spec (Darts/Cards)
(9th): Distance Thrower or Close-Quarter Thrower
Traits:
Blade Magic
Student of Philosophy
I do not yet have a plan for the Arcana, I need to look through guides to find ones suited for a thrown weapon specced character.
Weapon spec seems like a waste of a feat. If you're using the cards to carry touch spells the +2 damage is irrelevant, and you'd likely be better with Intensify Spell or Rime Spell, depemding on which spell you like. If not, you'd be better with Rapid Shot or something.
Close Quarter Thrower is also bad - you'd just switch to your staff in melee, right? If that's not so, why take the Staff Magus archetype? Distance Thrower seems weak, but I guess I can see the merit in it given you'll be at 1+ range increments more often than not. I'd probably get Extra Arcane Pool or Extra Arcana or something before either though.
The obvious arcana to get is Throwing Magus. Enduring Blade and Arcane Accuracy also seem good.
Edit: also, I'd reconsider Jotunbrud. If it's as you describe it's largely irrelevant to the character. That's the sort of level to get no-prereq feats like Distance Thrower, not 9th!
Alright so drop Weapon Spec, and replace it with Intensify Spell
Drop CQT for maybe Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff)?
Thanks for the advice on the Arcana. The reason I wanted to use Jotunbrud is to increase Dart dmg size to d6 not d4.
That name will be much more recognizable in 2016...
I know right lol my group is all comic nerds. We have a Shield Champion in our group called Steve. We are working getting more marvel or dc characters.
If you are using the cards as your primary damage source might I suggest Deadly Aim and Arcane Strike, as a magus Arcane Strike kinda stinks because you need your swift action a lot but still it might have some utility. Deadly aim is always useful for ranged characters.
Deadly Aim is really good, Arcane Strike it is not needed because Deadly Dealer normally needs it, but Card Caster ignores it as a pre-req
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I just came here to say, LeBeau
As actual advice, you want 3 levels in Witch Cartomancer archetype so your card deck isn't destroyed with every "shot".
No they are a hold over from 3.5 we use in our games. We like them because they can flush out a character a little more.
And I know its LeBeau but The Beau was a good game version of a name.
As far as that I don't know if I want to take 3 levels of Witch just to keep the cards from being destroyed when its 100 GP for 54 pieces of ammo, with Jotenbrud my darts deal 1d6 so 54 1d6s is not too bad.
There are a number of 3.x things that some people choose to use in Pathfinder. Gestalt classes seems to be another popular "bring over".
There are a number of 3.x things that some people choose to use in Pathfinder. Gestalt classes seems to be another popular "bring over".
Yeah I love Gestalt too.
Flaws can be found via google and so forth. You take negs to things but gain a feat as a benefit for the character development.
Gestalt is great to create fully flushed out concepts.
Hmm, OK I'd never heard of that before. I never played 3.5. I thought maybe there was a Pathfinder version.
Closest Pathfinder equivalent would be Drawbacks, which are much more minor than flaws and only give you a trait instead.
Hmm, OK I'd never heard of that before. I never played 3.5. I thought maybe there was a Pathfinder version.Closest Pathfinder equivalent would be Drawbacks, which are much more minor than flaws and only give you a trait instead.
I have no doubt that they are what inspired Drawbacks. PF gives you more feats then 3.5 did in general.
No they are a hold over from 3.5 we use in our games. We like them because they can flush out a character a little more.
And I know its LeBeau but The Beau was a good game version of a name.
As far as that I don't know if I want to take 3 levels of Witch just to keep the cards from being destroyed when its 100 GP for 54 pieces of ammo, with Jotenbrud my darts deal 1d6 so 54 1d6s is not too bad.
You're not seeing the larger picture. If you enchant the deck of cards (and you will need to for extra damage and to bypass damage reduction) they are destroyed. You're magical deck of cards that cost at least 2100 gold is slowly consumed until you're left without magical ammunition.
Even casting greater magic weapon only helps so much since they are destroyed after being used, and that's assuming your GM allows you to cast it on them (since it's not actually one of the listed ammunition types allowed).
Besides, those 3 levels of cartomancer witch will grant you:
the ability to deliver touch spells when you throw your card
the deadly dealer feat
the ability to target touch AC instead of normal AC (though the card itself will deal no damage when used this way)
You can then choose not use the cardcaster archetype because it becomes mostly redundant. But not losing your magical weapon....yeah, it's actually pretty important.
Well the problem is, if I give up the Card Caster Archetype then I am really not playing the same character am I? I am playing some witch focused on flicking cards at people rather then a martial character taking the time to throw charged cards at people.
Also it is only not destroyed if the spell is Touch
It's not quite as bad as that due to the way a card caster can enhance their deck using the arcane pool.
Re Jotunbrud, 1d4 vs 1d6 though is +1 damage, ~half the benefit of weapon spec. If you're looking at say 1d6+3 damage 1/round that is actually too bad to be worth relying on even at lowish levels. My advice - keep a composite longbow on hand for those times when you want to deal normal damage rather than shoot spells at people, and when you don't have arcane pool points to spend, and live with 1d4 base for the cards.
Picking up more than one weapon focus feat is generally a mistake. Your feats should go towards boosting your primary attack and the secondary attack forms can do without.
Very true but I do not want to pick up a Bow as it does sort of ruin the feel of Remy as he never has a bow. However I was thinking of changing some feats to adding to my arcane pool and so forth.
Change out my Pyrotechnics for an additional +2 to Int so a +4 total
Cards are cheap just buy a lot. If you need a magic weapon just enhance with arcane pool or cast Magic Weapon/ Greater Magic Weapon. The Deck counts as a weapon that can be used 54 times not as ammunition so it works (this is per deadly dealer in the varisia and harrow master folio books I'm not sure if there is errata).
I played one before the various archetypes existed as a Arcane Duelist Bard and it worked out just fine.Of course that wasnt in PFS so I don't know how that works out (if it matters)
Well the problem is, if I give up the Card Caster Archetype then I am really not playing the same character am I? I am playing some witch focused on flicking cards at people rather then a martial character taking the time to throw charged cards at people.
Also it is only not destroyed if the spell is Touch
I think you misunderstood my suggestion. You take 3 levels in cartomancer, and then the rest of your levels in Magus. But you don't need the card caster archetype.
I think I did. three levels gives a few witch spells and at least 1 functioning hex the second is used up in the Cartomancer. And a handful of Cantrips which might be fun.
I might have to look and see if my build can do it
I keep looking at the Card Caster archetype and just can't see what the big draw is about it. You even have to give up the regular spellstrike class feature in order to deliver touch/ranged touch spells. You lose the ability to spellstrike with a melee weapon! What!?
I'm with Claxon on this one. Dip 3 levels for the witch Cartomancer, then go regular Magus. Sure, Card Caster 'comes online' earlier but it is the superior choice.
However, I would build Remy differently (Though still the Cartomancer dip). The Myrmidarch* archetype already allows for both melee and ranged touch spell deliver and taking Card Dealer as a normal feat pretty much does everything you are looking for. Slap the Staff Magus archetype on with it and BOOM, you have everything Remy is in one package. The only conflict is the "Fighter Training" overlap. Fix that in a home game (I'd cut staff weapon), or don't take Staff Magus (mimic it with feat choices).
*I am aware that a lot of people don't like ranged spellstrike for the Myrmidarch because as written, it doesn't function in full attack mode. It is still a good suggestion for flavor reasons.
Think about it. You get fighter training! The cards are treated as darts for all intended purposes. Also, if you take the Familiar magus arcana, you only need two levels of Cartomancer, since your magus level would stack to determine the abilities for the 'familiar' (ie, the card deck).