Statting up a magus for the first time and I'm having a little bit of trouble with a part of the character concept. I'd like her primary element type to be acid, while the staple magus spells shocking grasp and snowball are electricity and cold element respectively. Out of the two I do like shocking grasp the most, but I was wondering if there are some ways to swap that element type.
The first way to mind was to combine magical lineage with elemental spell, but that means that intensified spell will make shocking grasp take up a level 2 slot. Adding wayand spellhunter doesn't ring too well with me because the flavor text doesn't mesh with my character's background at all and I'm not sure if my GM would approve of stacking the two traits.
I also know of the option to take a level in wizard to get the admixture evocation school power, but multiclassing doesn't seem all that tempting either.
Anyone know of any other ways to accomplish this?
(This is not for pathfinder society by the way.)
I think dipping a level into elemental sorcerer will let you do this, its bloodline arcana lets you change the type. Or if theres a way to grant the magus a bloodline arcana, do that. There might be, I havnt checked (magus isnt my favorite class).
Pretty sure the only way to get a bloodline arcana is to be a sorcerer, and I'd rather avoid the multiclassing option if possible.
I believe you've mentioned all the ways except maybe a metamagic rod.
There is no free way if by free you mean not expending any resources. You will have to multiclass, get a metagmagic feat or get a metamagic rod. Even going 3rd party something will have to be given up.
Of course I am willing to expend some resources. If it was as simple as a feat it wouldn't even be a problem, same with a magic item.
I just don't think that spending both a feat and a higher spell slot to change the element type of one spell is a fair one, and while I'm new to the magus class, it doesn't seem like metamagic rods work all too well with their spell combat mechanic.
VMC wizard?
As mentioned, your best is to take one level of admixture wizard. It's it may not be the way you want, but it's the only real way to get what you want.
Of course I am willing to expend some resources. If it was as simple as a feat it wouldn't even be a problem, same with a magic item.
I just don't think that spending both a feat and a higher spell slot to change the element type of one spell is a fair one, and while I'm new to the magus class, it doesn't seem like metamagic rods work all too well with their spell combat mechanic.
The ability to change any type of element based spell into another element is not a small thing since. It allows you to take less spell if you only plan to take as few evocation spells as possible. Otherwise for a caster to cover every energy type he has to get several different spells.
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If it's for a home game, why not just ask your GM if you can research an acid touch spell that is identical to shocking grasp but acid damage instead? The major thing you're paying for with all the normal options is versatility - you can choose the normal version or the altered version, which expands your options. If your goal is just to have acid damage, not the choice between acid and electricity, see if your GM will just allow the permanent substitution.
Umm... just use Corrosive Touch?
The ability to change any type of element based spell into another element is not a small thing since. It allows you to take less spell if you only plan to take as few evocation spells as possible. Otherwise for a caster to cover every energy type he has to get several different spells.Of course I am willing to expend some resources. If it was as simple as a feat it wouldn't even be a problem, same with a magic item.
I just don't think that spending both a feat and a higher spell slot to change the element type of one spell is a fair one, and while I'm new to the magus class, it doesn't seem like metamagic rods work all too well with their spell combat mechanic.
I'm honestly starting to wonder if you are even reading what I am typing. I don't need the ability to change any spell into acid, I just wanted to see if anyone had alternative ways for my magus's to have acid instead of electricity on what seems to be the base of magus strategy. I'm not even trying to get a way to take less variety of evocation spells, I love evocation and don't mind having different spells of that school. What I do mind is that magus basics seems to try and shoehorn me into either ice or electric damage and neither goes with the character flavor I want.
Ryric, I would talk to my GM about it. The thing is that I'm statting this character up not quite knowing which campaign I will enter her in. I've got at least three GMs in my circle of PF friends and I'm trying to build the character to fit into any potential future campaign (and because of timezones none of those friends are online at the moment).
I'm honestly starting to wonder if you are even reading what I am typing. I don't need the ability to change any spell into acid, I just wanted to see if anyone had alternative ways for my magus's to have acid instead of electricity on what seems to be the base of magus strategy. I'm not even trying to get a way to take less variety of evocation spells, I love evocation and don't mind having different spells of that school. What I do mind is that magus basics seems to try and shoehorn me into either ice or electric damage and neither goes with the character flavor I want.
Ryric, I would talk to my GM about it. The thing is that I'm statting this character up not quite knowing which campaign I will enter her in. I've got at least three GMs in my circle of PF friends and I'm trying to build the character to fit into any potential future campaign (and because of timezones none of those friends are online at the moment).
Yeah, then what you want is Corrosive Touch.
Awesome, 33% less damage for the same level of spell slot.
thanks for the tip anyway.
VMC Admixture Evocation Wizard will get you a familiar at first and the ability to change evocation damage type at 7th. You only trade some feats and you're option to multiclass.
Corrosive Touch does less damage, but gives you a better energy type at no additional cost.
There are several one-level dips.
You can use a one-level metamagic to switch the type, either by paying it or using a rod for it. Metamagic reducer shenanigans apply as normal.
And, to my knowledge, that's it. You can ask your GM to make your shocking grasp build better some other way, or just pick your favorite from above. If there were anything cheaper (like a single feat), the standard Magus would probably be using it.
Awesome, 33% less damage for the same level of spell slot.
thanks for the tip anyway.
Acid spells generally do less damage because there are quite a few creatures which are specifically harmed by them (think trolls) and very few creatures with resistances to them. Electricity has a TON of beings with immunity or resistance.
Having the option for creatures immune to electricity is a life-saver.
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There is the Mask of Conflicting Energies from Inner Sea Gods. It is an item described in the section of Nethys, but its function is not limited to his worshippers, so knock yourself out (three times a day).
Statting up a magus for the first time and I'm having a little bit of trouble with a part of the character concept. I'd like her primary element type to be acid, while the staple magus spells shocking grasp and snowball are electricity and cold element respectively. Out of the two I do like shocking grasp the most, but I was wondering if there are some ways to swap that element type.
The first way to mind was to combine magical lineage with elemental spell, but that means that intensified spell will make shocking grasp take up a level 2 slot. Adding wayand spellhunter doesn't ring too well with me because the flavor text doesn't mesh with my character's background at all and I'm not sure if my GM would approve of stacking the two traits.
I also know of the option to take a level in wizard to get the admixture evocation school power, but multiclassing doesn't seem all that tempting either.
Anyone know of any other ways to accomplish this?
(This is not for pathfinder society by the way.)
Hm... A shame Elemental Spell is in the game, because 3.5 had a metamagic feat that let you do exactly what the aforementioned feat does with no adjustment. Energy Substitution was what it was called, and it was from Complete Arcane. It required 5 ranks in Kn: Arcana (Converted to PF I believe that's 1 rank) and any other metamagic feat.
There is the Mask of Conflicting Energies from Inner Sea Gods. It is an item described in the section of Nethys, but its function is not limited to his worshippers, so knock yourself out (three times a day).
Wow, that one is really good. Nice find!
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Just ask your GM to convert permanently your Shocking Grasp in an "Acid Grasp". You don't know Shocking Grasp, neither you can learn it.
It's a simple reskin that doesn't alter the game in any way. Acid and Elecricity are both elements with average resistance. I'm not saying to substitute Burning Hands (fire -> high resistance) with a cone of 1d4 sonic damage per level (sonic -> very low resistance).
The balance is save, and the flavor of your character too :)
VMC Wizard (Evocation:Admixturer) gives you the ability to change the element of your Evocation spells on the fly (to any of the big 4, not just 1 of them as with Elemental Spell) at 7th level (and gives you a Familiar at 3rd level), so before then, you need to do something different. If you are going to use Magical Lineage to reduce the Metamagic cost of Shocking Grasp anyway (for Intensify Spell), you could use this with Elemental Spell (Acid) up to 6th level, and then retrain Elemental Spell (Acid) to Intensify Spell at 7th level. The only downside of this is that at exactly 6th level you are down 1 die of damage on Shocking Grasp. Well, actually, it does have one other downside: Since the 11th level VMC Wizard ability is a Cantrip, you have to figure out something that you actually want from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list that is not also on the Magus spell list. The 15th level VMC Wizard ability is a Wizard Arcane Discovery, which can be really good, and the 19th level VMC Wizard ability is the Arcane School's 8th level ability Elemental Manipulation, which is situational but could be useful.
Awesome, 33% less damage for the same level of spell slot.
thanks for the tip anyway.Acid spells generally do less damage because there are quite a few creatures which are specifically harmed by them (think trolls) and very few creatures with resistances to them. Electricity has a TON of beings with immunity or resistance.
Having the option for creatures immune to electricity is a life-saver.
Hrm. Acid spells tend to do less damage because they tend to be conjuration rather than evocation (which this is) and that usually comes with SR: NO, which this doesn't. :( It's a poor trade-off IMHO. I think it would be right in line if it didn't allow for SR.
I looked around for the same thing when building my current PFS magus - I wanted to build him as an ice mage from Irrisen, so using cold spells was important to me for the concept. I ended up taking a level in arcanist for a few useful exploits, including School Knowledge (Evocation/Admixture). It was the best way I could find to do it at low levels.
Ultimately your options (without multiclassing) are:
Elemental Spell metamagic feat (or rod).
The Rod can be made to work while using spell combat by means such as the glove of storing, a tail (or extra arm) that can hold an object, etc.
You can reduce the cost of metamagic by one by taking the Magical Lineage or (maybe both?) Wayang Spellhunter traits.
There may be other ways to reduce the cost of metamagic.