Feat advice for Magus-Kensai


Advice


So my Kensai is at level 11 right now, and I don't know what feats to take. My DM has a special rule where you can learn feats from NPC's and other PC's (with the exception that you have one, and only ONE roll to make and you fail, you fail) so any advice would be really appreciated.

Also any ideas for multi/prestige class?


It would help to know more information about your character. Especially which feats you already have.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Here you go, Magus handbook.


what do you like?
trip ? critical ? damage? debuff?


Sorry, should've put the feats

Weapon Focus: Wakizashi (Kensai bonus)
Weapon Finesse: Human bonus
Slashing Grace: 1st level
Spell Penetration: 3rd level
Intensify Spell: 5th level
Extra Arcana: Arcane Accuracy: 5th level magus bonus
Greater Spell Penetration: 7th level
Critical Focus: 9th level
Dimensional Agility: 11th level
Extra Arcana: Hasted Assault: 11th level Magus bonus

My build so far is focused on mobility and damage dealing, so any advice would be greatly appreaciated

Scarab Sages

So Dimensional Agility and Extra Arcana are the ones you're thinking of taking?

If you're casting Dimension Door a lot, then Dimensional Agility is worth it. But with Kensai you probably have 2 4th level spell slots? I'm not sure it's worth it for something you can only do twice a day, which also means you aren't using those spell slots for something else. If you're working toward Dimensional Dervish, then it makes a little more sense.

At 11th level you qualify for feats that require Fighter level 8. That would allow Greater Weapon Focus for an all the time +1 to-hit.

You could also take Weapon Specialization for an all the time +2 to damage.

Neither of those feats are exciting, but both provide solid constant bonuses, as opposed to something you'll only use situationally.

Hasted Assault looks good if your party doesn't have someone who regularly hastes the group.


Hmmm. Now you got me thinking on the Dimensional Agility thing with those limited spell slots, then again besides that and greater invisibility there aren't that many great 4th level Magus spells.

What about critical feats?


Weapon Specialization: +2 damage per attack
Arcane Strike: +3 damage per attack

An extra 5 points of static damage on a crit build is never a bad thing.

While Greater Weapon Focus give +1 to-hit, Possessed Hand gives +1 to both to-hit and damage.

Most of the really good critical feats don't start coming online until 13th level. You'll want Staggering Critical as the prereq for Staggering Critical. Blinding Critical at 15 is also worthwhile.

Less conventional, but worth a look: Lingering Pain. Lock down spells and SLAs with your first hit.

Grand Lodge

maybe pirahna strike?

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Snowlilly wrote:

Weapon Specialization: +2 damage per attack

Arcane Strike: +3 damage per attack

But AS eats your swift action, which the Magus will need for other things.

Possessed hand is great though.

I would still go for Dimensional Agility. You get to pounce from 800' away, how is that not awesome? You'll have more spell slots as you level up.

Scarab Sages

I always forget about Possessed Hand, because I mostly play PFS, and I don't think it's currently legal (I double checked against Archives of Nethys, but haven't looked at Additional Resources). Anyway, if your GM allows it, it's a better choice than Greater Weapon Focus. Though, without combat casting, the -2 on concentration checks might actually be an issue for you when you need that dimension door to get away from something. You've got the option to trade off attack bonus for a bonus on the concentration check, but then you're not really gaining much from the +1 to-hit from Possessed Hand. Although I guess if you're desperately trying to escape, attack bonus isn't really a concern. Penalties on a parting shot full-attack before you Dim Door would be the only thing. Still probably a better choice than Greater Weapon Focus, because that's a very situational downside.

It's true that you get more spell slots at higher levels, but you could always take Dimensional Agility at 13th when you have more spells to use it with. In the meantime, you'd have something that applies more often.

I agree that Arcane Strike conflicts with too many of your abilities. Especially if you use Arcane Accuracy often.

Stoneskin and wreath of blades are both good 4th level Magus spells. Stoneskin is especially good if you know you're going to be fighting often within the duration (dungeon crawl). Wreath of blades is probably less useful than the others, but it does make that penalty to concentration checks from Possessed Hand moot while it's active.

Scarab Sages

One note/thought on Dimensional Agility is that it depends a lot on what your typical adventuring days are like in your campaign. I, once again, tend to think in terms of PFS, where you often have 3 or 4 fights in the span of an hour or two in game. If you campaign is more 1 big fight a day, then even with limited spell slots, you be able to use Dimensional Agility most fights.


MagicA wrote:

Sorry, should've put the feats

Weapon Focus: Wakizashi (Kensai bonus)
Weapon Finesse: Human bonus
Slashing Grace: 1st level
Spell Penetration: 3rd level
Intensify Spell: 5th level
Extra Arcana: Arcane Accuracy: 5th level magus bonus
Greater Spell Penetration: 7th level
Critical Focus: 9th level
Dimensional Agility: 11th level
Extra Arcana: Hasted Assault: 11th level Magus bonus

My build so far is focused on mobility and damage dealing, so any advice would be greatly appreaciated

unlike Dervish dance, and a very poor thing by Paizo, Slashing Grace won't work with spell combat.


Kurald Galain wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:

Weapon Specialization: +2 damage per attack

Arcane Strike: +3 damage per attack
But AS eats your swift action, which the Magus will need for other things.

1. Kensai does not get spell recall

2. It can be used all day, every day - not tied to a limited resource

The only arcana the OP has requiring a per-round swift action is Arcane Accuracy; hopefully his base to-hit is high enough to not require relying on it, or he's in for a very short adventuring day.

Quote:
I would still go for Dimensional Agility. You get to pounce from 800' away, how is that not awesome? You'll have more spell slots as you level up.

Dimension Agility is not bad, but how many times per adventuring day do you need an 800' pounce.

Bladed Dash, Force Hook Charge, and Greater Bladed Dash all allow the magus to move + attack, and grant additional attacks in the process.

Ferious Thune wrote:
Though, without combat casting, the -2 on concentration checks might actually be an issue for you when you need that dimension door to get away from something.

At this level Gloves of Elvenkind are far cheaper than most other ways of getting +1 to-hit/damage.

I'll quote a few numbers from my magus, who just hit 10th level.

My normal attack (with 1 point from arcane pool to enhance my weapon): +23/+18 (1d6+18/15-20/x2)

All out (after hasting the entire group, spell combat, and spending resources) +22/+22/+22/+17 (1d6+21/15-20/x2).

If my kensai cannot hit, nobody else in the party can either, including both barbarians. (With two barbarians and a fighter in the group, my most damaging action is almost always Haste on round one.)

A kensai can spend 2 Arcane Pool after confirming a crit to increase the critical multiplier. This is what I save by Arcane Pool for. It requires no action and means I deal a static +63 damage before rolling any dice.

I have not taken Possessed Hand yet, though I have been joking with my group about Vampire Hunter D impersonations.


trip, with tripping strike is amazing , Kensai add crit focus and the int to the confirmation check - for a very viable score indeed.


666bender wrote:
trip, with tripping strike is amazing , Kensai add crit focus and the int to the confirmation check - for a very viable score indeed.

Any combat maneuver with True Strike.

At 11th, lots of things are untrippable. Better off with Dirty Trick.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Snowlilly wrote:
The only arcana the OP has requiring a per-round swift action is Arcane Accuracy; hopefully his base to-hit is high enough to not require relying on it, or he's in for a very short adventuring day.

Bear in mind that a regular adventuring day (by the normal adventure design guidelines) is about twelve rounds of combat total. Unless the OP is in a special extreme endurance campaign (and he has indicated nothing of the sort), there's no reason to assume any of his daily resources will run out at this level.

An 11th level Magus doesn't run out of spells per day, and an 11th level Magus doesn't run out of pool points.


Kurald Galain wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:
The only arcana the OP has requiring a per-round swift action is Arcane Accuracy; hopefully his base to-hit is high enough to not require relying on it, or he's in for a very short adventuring day.

Bear in mind that a regular adventuring day (by the normal adventure design guidelines) is about twelve rounds of combat total. Unless the OP is in a special extreme endurance campaign (and he has indicated nothing of the sort), there's no reason to assume any of his daily resources will run out at this level.

An 11th level Magus doesn't run out of spells per day, and an 11th level Magus doesn't run out of pool points.

Perfect Strike wrote:
At 4th level, when a kensai hits with his chosen weapon, he can spend 1 point from his arcane pool in order to maximize his weapon damage. Don’t roll for damage—the weapon deals maximum damage. This affects only the weapon’s base damage dice, not additional damage from sneak attack, magical weapon properties, spellstrike, or critical hits. If the kensai confirms a critical hit, he can instead spend 2 points from his arcane pool to increase his weapon’s critical multiplier by 1.

This tends to be the more efficient use of arcane pool for a kensai, and has no associated action cost.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Snowlilly wrote:
This tends to be the more efficient use of arcane pool for a kensai, and has no associated action cost.

That would be nice if that would also multiply spell damage, but unfortunately it doesn't.

So it's not a very good ability. Besides, if you crit a creature it tends to die from the damage (doing 120 points on a crit is pretty normal at this level) so there's no real need to boost your crits any further.

If you do the math, Arcane Strike (which also increases your chance of confirming a crit) is much better for your average damage. For that matter, so is spending a pool point to enchant your weapon.

Scarab Sages

I think you mean Arcane Accuracy? Since Arcane Strike offers no bonus to-hit?


Snowlilly wrote:
Kurald Galain wrote:
Snowlilly wrote:

Weapon Specialization: +2 damage per attack

Arcane Strike: +3 damage per attack
But AS eats your swift action, which the Magus will need for other things.

1. Kensai does not get spell recall

2. It can be used all day, every day - not tied to a limited resource

The only arcana the OP has requiring a per-round swift action is Arcane Accuracy; hopefully his base to-hit is high enough to not require relying on it, or he's in for a very short adventuring day.

Quote:
I would still go for Dimensional Agility. You get to pounce from 800' away, how is that not awesome? You'll have more spell slots as you level up.

Dimension Agility is not bad, but how many times per adventuring day do you need an 800' pounce.

Bladed Dash, Force Hook Charge, and Greater Bladed Dash all allow the magus to move + attack, and grant additional attacks in the process.

Ferious Thune wrote:
Though, without combat casting, the -2 on concentration checks might actually be an issue for you when you need that dimension door to get away from something.

At this level Gloves of Elvenkind are far cheaper than most other ways of getting +1 to-hit/damage.

I'll quote a few numbers from my magus, who just hit 10th level.

My normal attack (with 1 point from arcane pool to enhance my weapon): +23/+18 (1d6+18/15-20/x2)

All out (after hasting the entire group, spell combat, and spending resources) +22/+22/+22/+17 (1d6+21/15-20/x2).

If my kensai cannot hit, nobody else in the party can either, including both barbarians. (With two barbarians and a fighter in the group, my most damaging action is almost always Haste on round one.)

A kensai can spend 2 Arcane Pool after confirming a crit to increase the critical multiplier. This is what I save by Arcane Pool for. It requires no action and means I deal a static +63 damage before rolling any dice.

I have not taken Possessed Hand yet, though I...

How do you have such a high to hit at level 10?

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