Making a Magus questions on my considered build

[Link2000]

So I'm going Bladed Brush and using a Glaive. I know that currently this will lock out spell combat, but meh, I'll still have spell strike and will be going Kensai anyways.

I can still use Spell Strike with Bladed Brush, right?

Also, I want to snag Flamboyant Arcana. I understand that I don't actually gain a penache pool, does this mean I can't riposte after a parry?

Thanks for the help!

[Ferious Thune]

There should be no issue using Spellstrike with a glaive with or without Bladed Brush.

They really nerfed Flamboyant Arcana with the errata. You do not count as having 1 panache in your pool, therefore you don't meet the requirements to riposte. You also get no benefit from taking Arcane Deed to pick up Precise Strike (not what you asked, but that was my plan with my Magus at one point, before the errata).

[Link2000]

Yeah, I caught that already. Decided to not go for Arcane Deed at all, but still want the Flamboyant as part utility/flair for my character. Shame I can't riposte, but parrying will be good enough for me for a while.

[Link2000]

New question that hadn't occurred to me until I went to writing up the character...

I was going to try to get a +1 Agile Glaive, but after rereading the Agile weapon property, I am now thinking that this is a no no...

Agile says it can only be placed on melee weapons usable with Weapon Finesse.

Now, even though Bladed Brush allows me to use weapon finesse for a Glaive, is it still considered a weapon that cannot qualify for Agile?

If so, this makes me a little sad, but I will figure out something (any suggestions?).

[Chess Pwn]

Yeah, glaives aren't finessable weapons. If it said it counted as such for weapon enhancements then you'd probably be okay. But as it is I'd rule that it's not a valid weapon to put agile on.

[Link2000]

Sigh...

I guess I'm going to be a low damage, non spell combating magus...

[Ascalaphus]

One of the FAQs about "treating weapons as" put forward the notion that that means that you use the weapon like that, but the weapon itself isn't changed. You can't enchant a glaive as a 1H weapon because it's a 2H weapon, even if you can use it as an 1H weapon.

[IDTheftVictim]

I think I saw mention of a feat that makes Glaives finessable in a new book. Something for worshippers of Shelyn I believe.

[Chess Pwn]

IDTheftVictim wrote:

I think I saw mention of a feat that makes Glaives finessable in a new book. Something for worshippers of Shelyn I believe.

That's this feat. It lets YOU use weapon finesse with glaives, but doesn't make glaives finessable for agile.

[IDTheftVictim]

Oh, my bad.

[Link2000]

So, I'm going to post my build without gear and see if anyone has any suggestions to help it out. Realize that I won't have access to dex to damage or a fully functional spell combat.

Level 5 Sylph Kensai Magus

Str: 13
Dex: 16
Con: 10
Int: 19
Wis: 8
Cha: 12

Feats:
Weapon Focus (Glaive) - Kensai
Weapon Finesse - Lvl 1
Bladed Brush - Lvl 3
Combat Reflexes/Power Attack and Intensify spell - Lvl 5

Arcana:
Flamboyant Arcana

[Chess Pwn]

I think your best bet is to rely on spellstrike. Get pearls and spam spells. Your stats to me say "caster, not fighter" so if you're going to fight you'll need to rely on spells.

[Ferious Thune]

That 10 CON could go badly for a melee character. I know you're taking a CON penalty with Sylph, but I'd strongly suggest you consider dropping INT to 17 to start and boosting CON to 12 (with +1 INT at 4th to get to 18 INT). Yes, with Diminished Spellcasting having an extra bonus spell eventually is nice, but a 1st level Pearl of Power is only 1,000 gold, and a level 2 is only 4,000. It would mean you wouldn't get to 22 or 24 until later, which also affects Canny Defense a little, but it just seems like you're going to want those extra hit points.

[Link2000]

Thanks for the tips!

I'll definitely bump con, and spellstrike was going to be the bread and butter of the build.

[Ascalaphus]

Consider the Phalanx Formation feat. If you're going to be a reach warrior, why not hide behind the party tank, too.