Let's Talk About Arcane Fists, Athletics, and Unarmed Proficiency

[cheolkeong]

I was curious when seeing the unarmed strikes being supported by Striking Spell and Slide Casting, and got excited to see unarmed strikes being supported by various feats, including the very first feat listed for the class. The feats specifically supporting unarmed strikes are as follows: Arcane Strike, Bespell Strikes, Energize Strikes, Runic Impression, Second Chance Strike, Supreme Spellstrike. Not to mention the specific inclusion within Magus Potency.

Isn't this odd? Even as late as level 20 they make sure to mention the option of an unarmed attack in your new feat, but you've got a difference of +4 on your weapon attacks compared to that, and you already are probably better off just trying to hit with a spell anyway. I get that unarmed strikes are a special thing for certain classes like monk or barbarian but if they include it so much anyway... why not have progression for unarmed strike proficiency? Even if Magi didn't get it baseline, shouldn't Arcane Fists allow you to scale your unarmed strikes with your other weapon proficiencies? Perhaps maybe tying it to a 4th level feat that specifically focuses on unarmed strikes?

If we can't get unarmed proficiency scaling from Arcane Fists, my proposal is the following Magi feat:

Brawler's Spell Strike | Feat 4
Prerequisites: Trained in Athletics
Requires: one free hand.
When using Striking Spell, you may Grapple, Shove, Trip, or Disarm instead of making a normal Strike. The spell discharges on a success. When a Magus class feature would increase your weapon proficiencies, your unarmed weapon proficiency increases as well.

[Mellored]

All other classes have scaling unarmed proficiency equal to their weapon proficiency. Even wizards.

So I imagine it is just a mistake and would play as if they had it. No feat needed.

[Squiggit]

Per earlier PF2 errata, unarmed scaling is free for everyone.

PF2 Errata wrote:

For any class feature that improves the proficiency rank or grants the critical specialization effect access for simple weapons or a specific set of weapons, that ability also grants that benefit for unarmed attacks.

So no feat necessary.

[Megistone]

You made me think about an Hydraulic Push spellstrike delivered by a kick: "THIS... IS... MAGUS!"

[Logan Bonner]

Your unarmed attacks scale with the other proficiencies. We're going to add that explicitly to the final version. I think an old template got used by accident.

[Unicore]

Megistone wrote:

You made me think about an Hydraulic Push spellstrike delivered by a kick: "THIS... IS... MAGUS!"

I really like the synergy of the sliding synthesis and hydraulic push as the spell to striking spell with. it buys you from space from your enemy after you hit (that you can close again by casting through striking spell) and the damage on it is pretty nice and scales decently up to about 3rd or 4th level spells. So it works pretty well for early play. Only gaining +2d6 even on a crit starts to kill the spell for the magus though, since the increased probability of criting on spell attack roll spells is one of the most fun features of spell striking.

[Nitro~Nina]

Unicore wrote:

Megistone wrote:

You made me think about an Hydraulic Push spellstrike delivered by a kick: "THIS... IS... MAGUS!"

I really like the synergy of the sliding synthesis and hydraulic push as the spell to striking spell with. it buys you from space from your enemy after you hit (that you can close again by casting through striking spell) and the damage on it is pretty nice and scales decently up to about 3rd or 4th level spells. So it works pretty well for early play. Only gaining +2d6 even on a crit starts to kill the spell for the magus though, since the increased probability of criting on spell attack roll spells is one of the most fun features of spell striking.

I also really like this synergy because it sounds truly awesome and full of energy in the fiction. Surfing the very wave you're about to smack'em in the face with: an elegant demonstration of conserved momentum.

[Inquisitive Tiefling]

Logan Bonner wrote:

Your unarmed attacks scale with the other proficiencies. We're going to add that explicitly to the final version. I think an old template got used by accident.

Probably not the best place to put this, but: I hope you're having a good day. I'm sure you've seen a lot of the heated discussion about the Magus and the state of its balance. And between here and Reddit, I'm sure there have been less than civil comments among them.

So I hope you're having a good day, and I hope that peoples' comments aren't getting you down. Thank you for bringing the Magus to us so early in PF2e's lifespan. Whatever opinions I may have on the class myself, I really do look forward to the finished project and seeing what else is coming out in the book.

I just wish I wasn't going to be 27 by the time it comes out .-.

[Nitro~Nina]

Inquisitive Tiefling wrote:

Logan Bonner wrote:

Your unarmed attacks scale with the other proficiencies. We're going to add that explicitly to the final version. I think an old template got used by accident.

Probably not the best place to put this, but: I hope you're having a good day. I'm sure you've seen a lot of the heated discussion about the Magus and the state of its balance. And between here and Reddit, I'm sure there have been less than civil comments among them.

So I hope you're having a good day, and I hope that peoples' comments aren't getting you down. Thank you for bringing the Magus to us so early in PF2e's lifespan. Whatever opinions I may have on the class myself, I really do look forward to the finished project and seeing what else is coming out in the book.

I just wish I wasn't going to be 27 by the time it comes out .-.

Yes, agreed, thank you!