My nagaji eldritch scion is just about ready for play. I only need 3 more things before her debut:
1. A name
2. A copy of the Dragon Empire Primer for legal access to a trait & language
3. Spells
Today, I'm looking for advice on the latter. Normally not a difficult question as I could pick up any number of spells from scrolls/spellbooks. However, the eldritch scion does not have a spellbook, nor can she learn new spells from them or scrolls. No, she is a spontaneus caster with limited spells known. 4 level-0 and 2 level-1 @ first level.
First of all, I dislike prepared casters. The sorcerer is one of my favorite classes. Unfortunately, the eldritch scion advances spells known and spells per day as a bard, meaning even with 18 charisma, I only get 2 1st level spells/day - half as much as a regular magus/scorcerer. And with no spell recall, I will have to be more careful with my selection and usage. Therefore I have decided to take the arcane bloodline and become a pain for enemy casters.
Anyhoo, back to the matter at hand. With only 4 cantrips (at will) and 2 level-1s (2/day), what spells would you suggest to piss off mages?
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I would suggest:
Level 0:
Arcane Mark (useful to spam for spell combat)
Detect Magic
Disrupt Undead
Ray of Frost (or Acid Splash - no SR)
Level 1:
Shocking Grasp (damage)
Grease (battlefield control)
You will likely want to use scrolls, but you can pick up a wand of Read Magic for 375 gold. It's always available in PFS, and the spell is on your list (no UMD needed).
EDIT:Grease can really piss off a wizard who has a weapon, wand or staff as a bonded item.
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Where the "go-to" touch spell for the Magus is Shocking Grasp; do note that Chill Touch scales with levels. So, as you level up- you do get more charges to hold for spell combat. You want to save on spells? Chill Touch is worth considering.
and i believe there there is a huge misconception with Spell Combat & Arcane Mark.
Spell Combat says you can cast a spell as part of your attack; it's Spellstrike that limits Spell Combat to "touch" spells.
"Spamming" Arcane Mark- a spell that does more or less nothing- that costs you a -2 to attack, imo is a bad strategy.
You can cast a different 0 spell, 5' step closer to your enemy, and then whack them with your weapon.
Where the "go-to" touch spell for the Magus is Shocking Grasp; do note that Chill Touch scales with levels. So, as you level up- you do get more charges to hold for spell combat. You want to save on spells? Chill Touch is worth considering.
and i believe there there is a huge misconception with Spell Combat & Arcane Mark.
Spell Combat says you can cast a spell as part of your attack; it's Spellstrike that limits Spell Combat to "touch" spells."Spamming" Arcane Mark- a spell that does more or less nothing- that costs you a -2 to attack, imo is a bad strategy.
You can cast a different 0 spell, 5' step closer to your enemy, and then whack them with your weapon.
Doesn't change the usefulness of arcane mark + spell combat once you hit level 2, though.
The net effect is, essentially, two-weapon fighting that requires a concentration check.
EDIT: ohay, we use the same avatar. I thought I had double posted.
I don't fully understand this Arcane Mark spamming, but I know enough to know that I won't be able to abuse it until 8th level when I can use Spell Combat outside of Mystic Focus.
Didn't think of Grease that way...sounds fun.
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Arcane mark is a touch spell, when using spellstrike you can take a free weapon attack to deliver the touch. Spell combat lets you attack and cast at the same time. So use both abilities and cast arcane mark. Two sword attacks at -2 to hit, and you get to leave graffitti all over the enemy.
What I have so far:
Level 1 Nagaji Eldritch Scion (Magus) with 1 GM credit
STR 16
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 6
WIS 12
CHA 18
(trait) Reactionary
(trait) Veteran Jungle Guide
(feat) Noble Scion (War)
AC 16
Touch 10
Flat-footed 16
(-1 if she attacks in melee)
FORT +4
REF +0
WILL +3
Initiative +6
Perception +8
Knowledge (Nobility) +4
Nagaji, Tien, Taldane (Common)
Mw Scizore +3 (1d10+3/x2)
Light Crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20 x2)
Lamellar Leather Armor
Wand of Infernal Healing
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Noble's Outfit
Jewelry (100gp)
Signet Ring
Spell Component Pouch
Plans include a Pseudodragon familiar @5th via chronicle boon, Measured Response & Step Up feats, and Disruptive/Spellbreaker arcana
Shield may be better as a wand since I only have 2 1st level/day. Colour Spray shuts things down quickly, awesome!
Arcane mark is a touch spell, when using spellstrike you can take a free weapon attack to deliver the touch. Spell combat lets you attack and cast at the same time. So use both abilities and cast arcane mark. Two sword attacks at -2 to hit, and you get to leave graffitti all over the enemy.
Neat. But limited to 2 rounds at a time and requiring 1 pool point for a total of 10 round/day.
Arcane mark is a touch spell, when using spellstrike you can take a free weapon attack to deliver the touch. Spell combat lets you attack and cast at the same time. So use both abilities and cast arcane mark. Two sword attacks at -2 to hit, and you get to leave graffitti all over the enemy.Neat. But limited to 2 rounds at a time until 8th level...
The combo was put together before eldritch scion existed, with your limits on spell strike and spellcombat, sticking to the standard touch spells that hurt the bad guy is likely a better plan.
So, looking between Shocking Grasp, Chill Touch, and Frostbite for 1st level
Pretidigitation, Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, and Arcane Mark are my likely cantrips.
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Prestidigitation is a novelty spell, it's always more useful to get Ray of Frost/Acid Splash as an alternate source of damage.
Since you plan on going after mages, Blade Lash once you get more spells should work wonders. Mages tend to have low CMD's.
Also, random- have you played Cyphermage Dilemma?
Chill Touch or Frostbite are better choices for early attack spells on the Eldrich Scion than Shocking Grasp. As you point out, you aren't going to do a lot of Spell Combat until 8th level.
I would also be tempted by Burning Hands as a way to deal with swarms.
What is your Bloodline? That will also make a difference. Arcane is probably the strongest.
I've played Cyphermage Dilemma, though I am a fledgling GM for our lodge, so I could look in to GMing it some time if you think it's important... Or was it for a chance to shine as a Mage Masher? (I think I'll name my Scizore that)
And yes my bloodline is Arcane.
Prestidigitation is more of a fluff spell. (Can't let that Noble's Outfit get too dirty!)
Forget about Detect Magic.
Even if you don't have the ranks in spellcraft or knowledge (arcana), even just having the power to know that something is magic (or that there is something magic that you can't see) is very powerful.
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I've played Cyphermage Dilemma, though I am a fledgling GM for our lodge, so I could look in to GMing it some time if you think it's important... Or was it for a chance to shine as a Mage Masher? (I think I'll name my Scizore that)
nah, it's that the BBG in Cyphermage Dilemma is-
When i GM'd it, i rarely got a chance to effectively play the character... damned high level ranger.
You don't see a lot of Magus in PFS scenarios.
0 level spells (Cantrips)
Forget about Detect Magic. You do not have the INT or the skill points to have ranks in Spell Craft & Knowledge: Arcane...unless you get something like bardic knowledge.
This is actually why I don't have a rank in those yet. With only 2 ranks per level (minimum 1 + Favored Class Bonus) I'll never be as good at those things as my 11th level Dragon Disciple with 1 & 5 ranks respectively. This is also why decided on not going Evangelist.
Perception is an amazing skill and Nagaji get a bonus so it was an easy choice for my first rank. (Though I did need a trait to make it a class skill). Knowledge (Nobility) was a fluff choice and the only one I can be decent with as my feat gives me a bonus and makes it a class skill.
But I agree that just knowing there is something magical is an important ability.
You don't see a lot of Magus in PFS scenarios.
But when you do, they are often player killers. I recall 3 magi (not counting that one)...
In an early CORE game one killed our Monk in his first or second ever Pathfinder game (We pooled gold for a raise)...
In a different scenario in REGULAR one killed The Shredder and the rest of us soon followed in a TPK (to date my only permadead character)...
And one was the big bad of an end of season special. Wasn't as bad as the others which were all tier 1-3 as we were 7-9 vs her 3 simulacrae and my reach fighter/brawler used martial flexability to become Disruptive. Before we could really fight her true self, the plot moved on.