That kinda hit all of the sudden after checking the other hybrid classes.
Yeah, yeah, I know that the Magus was introduced before the ACG, but still...
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The thing is that hybrid is mostly a meaningless term now. At one point in development, being a hybrid meant that you also qualified as your parent classes. But now there is no rules difference between a hybrid class and any other base class.
No, because it has a VMC and hybrid classes don't get VMC versions.
You could say this, yes. He has delayed access to fighter feats and his list of arcane bonus feats (item creation and metamagic) is at least related to wizard's one.
There isn't much of an official definition of 'hybrid class'. ACG demands two parent classes, but that's it (unless I miss something). Depending how broad you use the term, you can find 'hybrid classes' in Core:
Bard = Sorcerer + rogue
Paladin = Cleric + fighter
Ranger = Druid + fighter + rogue (wait...)
No, because it has a VMC and hybrid classes don't get VMC versions.
VMC?
VMC = Variant Multiclassing.
But the omission of VMC options for hybrid classes was simple a development decision and not anything inherent about the nature of hybrid classes. I know of a 3rd party product that invented VMC options for the hybrid classes in the Advanced Class Guide.
The prohibition against multiclassing between parent and child classes disappeared after the Advanced Class Guid playtest. But the magus is a hybrid in the sense that magus levels count as fighter levels for certain purposes and in that the magus is a prepared spellcasting class for which many "wizard only" options would be a reasonable fit even if they are not explicitly allowed by the rules.
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No.
Because what defines a magus is what the fighter and wizard can't do.
No.
Because what defines a magus is what the fighter and wizard can't do.
By that definition, there's no such thing as a Hybrid class. Discounting archetypes:
Arcanist: Neither the sorcerer or wizard have an arcane pool, nor can they use arcane exploits, have consume spells, etc.
Bloodrager: The key point of a Bloodrager is the"casting while raging," something not possible outside of the Mad Magic feat or Moment of Clarity rage power.
Brawler: Neither the Monk nor Fighter can switch feats and get new ones from a vast list on the fly, nor can they perform an Awesome Blow.
Hunter: Druids and Rangers alike can get the animal companion (though not as powerful as a Hunter's), but neither have anything really comparable to Animal Focus.
Investigator: Inspiration is brand new, as is Studied Combat, Keen Recollection, etc.
Shaman: the Wandering Spirit is unique (well, at least before the Medium), and the Spirits are distinct from Mysteries.
Skald: Neither Barbarian nor Bard can make someone else rage.
Slayer: Really, Studied Target is closer to a Cavalier's Challenge than anything.
Swashbuckler: Yeah... You got me here. The swashbuckler is basically a melee gunslinger.
Warpriest: Swift action buffing, anyone? Plus, Sacred Weapon, Focus Weapon, etc.
Magus: Cast a spell as part of an attack, deliver touch spells through a melee weapon.
Really, a Warpriest is just a divine Magus.
VMC = Variant Multiclassing.
But the omission of VMC options for hybrid classes was simple a development decision and not anything inherent about the nature of hybrid classes.
It is the only real thing that separates Hybrid classes from other classes that were released at the time.
I know of a 3rd party product that invented VMC options for the hybrid classes in the Advanced Class Guide.
3rd party is pretty irrelevant. I mean, they could make VMC for classes that don't exist and hybrid classes which have three classes or be a hybrid of a class and an archetype.
I think that while the Magus is not technically a fighter/wizard hybrid, it does obviate the need for a different fighter/wizard hybrid.
I mean, what would anybody want from a theoretical fighter/wizard hybrid that could not be done with a Magus Archetype instead?
Of course there's not a VMC for occult classes or the vigilante either. And those aren't hybrid classes.
By that definition, there's no such thing as a Hybrid classNo.
Because what defines a magus is what the fighter and wizard can't do.
The difference is that hybrid classes were intentionally designed with their parent classes in mind. Some hybrid classes have primary classes that are literally just the two parent classes's primary class features meshed together.
That kinda hit all of the sudden after checking the other hybrid classes.
Yeah, yeah, I know that the Magus was introduced before the ACG, but still...
No.. because multi-classing with a Magus does not have the interactions that a standard hybrid class will.
I will say that because of the Magus, we won't be seeing a fighter/wizard hybrid, at least not from Paizo, because it's not needed.
You could say in a roundabout way it is. The magus is a single class version of the Eldritch Knight (so much so that the iconic EK was retconned to become the iconic Magus). And the EK is obviously a prestige class designed to fuse/hybridize the casting of a wizard with the martial abilities of the fighter.
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Other than just because it's an interesting question to ponder in general, though, does it matter? As others have pointed out, the only real reason for differentiating hybrid classes from standard classes went away during the playtest.
So, out of curiosity - is there some reason to ask the question, much less care about the answer?
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You could say this, yes. He has delayed access to fighter feats and his list of arcane bonus feats (item creation and metamagic) is at least related to wizard's one.
There isn't much of an official definition of 'hybrid class'. ACG demands two parent classes, but that's it (unless I miss something). Depending how broad you use the term, you can find 'hybrid classes' in Core:
Bard = Sorcerer + rogue
Paladin = Cleric + fighter
Ranger = Druid + fighter + rogue (wait...)
This is what I was going to say. There have been hybrid classes for as long as there have been Paladins. Warrior/Rogue/Mage/Priest have always been viewed as the Holy Quaternity (you could remove Cleric for the even more widespread Warrior/Rogue/Mage trinity, or perhaps expand it to Warrior/Rogue/Mage/Priest/Psionic 'quintinity'), and everything else is a combination/variation/extrapolation thereupon.
Calling them "hybrid classes" is only useful for grouping classes together for the purpose of reducing the perception of bloat in the game.
Calling them "hybrid classes" is only useful for grouping classes together for the purpose of reducing the perception of bloat in the game.
More "so you guys can tell the theme of the group of classes that are otherwise completely different".