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So a while back i was working on a magus build that i would enjoy playing, and i thought i had it down pact but recent events forced me to look back on it and now i've come down to 2 Feat paths(Both builds are human and both go up to level 13)
1.Caster Path
Iron will
Bonus Human Feat:Additional Traits
Combat casting
Bonus Magus Feat:Rime Spell
Amateur Investigator
Intensified Spell
Studied Combatant
Bonus Magus Feat:Piercing Spell
Extra Arcana(Spell Blending:Emergency Force Sphere)
Improved Studied Combatant
I like this spell over all as it gives both firepower and versatility, You're almost assured to pass upclose concentration checks. But i have 2 very big issues that bug me, First is defenses don't scale as high as i would like since this build is way more reliant in armor for decent ac, but the big issue is, while most may say it isn't an issue. If you get caught in a situation where you can't use magic you're kinda screwed unless you're really good at thinking on your feat since this build path is very reliant on spells to do proper damage(Primary spell being frostbite)
2.Martial Path
Dodge
Bonus Human Feat:Additional Traits
Combat casting
Bonus Magus Feat:Crane Style
Amateur Investigator
Crane Wing
Studied Combatant
Bonus Magus Feat:Crane Riposte
Extra Arcana(Spell Blending:Emergency Force Sphere)
Improved Studied Combatant
This one is much more combat proficient and won't be cause with their pants down in the case of any sort of anti magic shenanigans(You say it won't happen, I've seen dm's pull this if they feel the team is too reliant on magic.) I used a wayfinder embedded with a deep red sphere to get the Improved unarmed strike proficiency needed.
Downside to this path however is, well.....spell combat is basically useless until level 11 as the negatives you take to your attack bonus end up being just too big to use spell combat reliably.
So between these 2 who has the better chance of making it to level 13?
A perfectionist shavtoosh is a cheaper way to get IUS if that matters.
A magus with no magic is going to be fairly ineffective either way. A little more defence may not help all that much - if you're doing something like 1d6+4 damage 1/round, with +7 attack at level 6 it will take you forever to take down anything near your level and you may well get ground down regardless.
Obviously more defence (rime spell is extra defence, but only 2 points usually and only on enemies you've hit) will help build 2 survive. I think build 1 would be more fun.
Actually if you are using a magic item to gain proficiency in unarmed strike the second build falls apart in in an anti-magic zone. That means that all your feats that require it also cease to function. So your whole crane style chain is no longer accessible.
Without the full build including stats and what arcana you went with it is difficult to judge either build.
Buy Gloves of Elvenkind.
+5 bonus to concentration checks.
Take the trait Focused Mind
+2 bonus to concentration checks.
I've found Focused Mind is usually sufficient to make spell combat reliable. The gloves tend to be overkill by the time you can afford them, but still better than burning a feat on Combat Casting.
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Buy Gloves of Elvenkind.
+5 bonus to concentration checks.
Take the trait Focused Mind
+2 bonus to concentration checks.
I've found Focused Mind is usually sufficient to make spell combat reliable. The gloves tend to be overkill by the time you can afford them, but still better than burning a feat on Combat Casting.
Problem focused mind is a magic trait and i plan to get magical lineage for frostbite, and you're right it probably is overkill. But i cant figure out what else to replace combat casting with you got any ideas?
It would really depend on the full build and archetypes chosen.
Arcane strike, flamboyant, another spell blending, lingering pain.
Lots of direction to go.
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It would really depend on the full build and archetypes chosen.
Arcane strike, flamboyant, another spell blending, lingering pain.
Lots of direction to go.
Well i intend to just go bladebound then get spellshield, accurate strike, hasted assault and reflection.
And i always thought arcane strike was terrible for magi, due to how much it would be competing with your other swift actions.
* What are the four traits both of these builds are desiring at 1st level?
* Don't bother with Iron Will unless you're taking Improved Iron Will (which is the real deal) right after/alongside it. (Human + Iron Will is worse than almost any other race with a wisdom or will-save bump who doesn't take the feat, unless an extra skillpoint per level is worth more to you than a fat grab-bag of other racial bonuses. Vanilla half-elf actually gains a feat relative to the human+IW combo, and qualifies for everything a human does.)
It would really depend on the full build and archetypes chosen.
Arcane strike, flamboyant, another spell blending, lingering pain.
Lots of direction to go.
Well i intend to just go bladebound then get spellshield, accurate strike, hasted assault and reflection.
And i always thought arcane strike was terrible for magi, due to how much it would be competing with your other swift actions.
Not all magus builds use a lot of swift actions.
A kensai with spell blending, for example, only uses 1 swift action per combat - to augment his weapon with arcane pool.
Hasted Assault is useful for the magus, but unless he is the only martial in the party casting Haste is more effective. Haste is one of the most powerful offensive spells available to any arcane caster, make use of it as a generous caster instead of a selfish caster.
Spell Reflection is very expensive and will quickly run the magus out of arcane pool. Lingering Pain can completely shut down a caster. It's not like anything can stop a magus from closing to melee, especially if he has Dimensional Assault.
Accurate Strike is also very useful, but my preference is using Spell Blending to pick up Heroism + Energy Resistance. With all the resources available to a magus to augment their to-hit, they are usually just as accurate as most full BaB classes.
Consider picking up Bane Blade. Bane vs every opponent is always nice.
Clever Wordplay
Reactionary
World Traveler(Diplomacy)
and Magical Lineage(Frostbite)
Unless your GM is always bouncing you off the same recalcitrant royalty-level NPCs, you can get most of your Magus Diplo needs off a different class skill:
<after "face" PC blows it> "Eh, excuse me, but let's try it my way. You there. Muggle. Yeah, you. See this hand?" <finger-waggle> I'm going to need you to talk to the hand." <whoosh!> "Right *now*, if you please, and I know you aim to please, because you're my pal...."
-- Take Bruising Intellect, thereby saving two traits, and thus a feat.
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Clever Wordplay
Reactionary
World Traveler(Diplomacy)
and Magical Lineage(Frostbite)Unless your GM is always bouncing you off the same recalcitrant royalty-level NPCs, you can get most of your Magus Diplo needs off a different class skill:
<after "face" PC blows it> "Eh, excuse me, but let's try it my way. You there. Muggle. Yeah, you. See this hand?" <finger-waggle> I'm going to need you to talk to the hand." <whoosh!> "Right *now*, if you please, and I know you aim to please, because you're my pal...."
-- Take Bruising Intellect, thereby saving two traits, and thus a feat.
That's not a bad idea but....i just find diplomacy more versatile, due to its gather info aspect, it allows me to kinda do my own side investigations during downtime and it keeps me from making too many enemies. Thought it would be a more...direct approach wouldn't it?
Thought it would be a more...direct approach wouldn't it?