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So I was thinking about the Magus feats, namely how Raise a Tome and Spell Parry are super cool, but Magus will rarely use them because the class tends to anchor around a three action sequence of Striking Spell -> Cast a Spell-> Make a Strike.
How about if that three action sequence stays the heart of the class, but some of their one action feats gain the Synthesis trait and you can gain the benefit of one Synthesis effect when you use Striking Spell.
So if you have Slide Casting and Spell Parry, when you use Striking Spell and Cast a Spell, you can use Slide Casting OR Spell Parry.
Basically the three actions sequence is the heart of the class, but you can choose from a variety of Synthesis effects as the bonus you get on that three action sequence.
Would open up the class a bit tactically, where which synthesis effect you activate can be context sensitive and add a bit of Fighter flavour to it of getting to customize how your Magus plays.
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I’m not going to lie I like this a lot. It reminds me a bit of the Class Feats with the Rage trait on Barbarians but isolated to within a single repeatable activity that’s core to the Magus.
I will say that incentivizes using striking spell a lot though, since it unrestricts the action economy, and that could make it feel extremely mandatory to striking spell every turn.
I also think your main synthesis should then be the same kind of actions, so you choose between raising a tome or slide or steel or whatever.
It could work but it needs fleshing out and probably rebalancing actions against each other.
Cool concept for sure and definitely opens the design up IMO.
It does make Striking Spell a big priority but I think that makes the Magus play differently to other martials, less flexible but not completely rigid in tactics.
Reformating the Synthesises to feats works as well.
Slide Casting
Single Action
Magus 1
Synthesis
You Stride.
And you'd have to rebalance some stuff but you could do things like this, which meld an spellcasting and martial flavour.
Arcane Flicker
Single Action
Magus 4
Synthesis
You Step and gain concealment for a round.
I like the idea.
But I like the idea of them continuing to be available as single action activities that can occur outside of your spell strike. However, allowing for them to be substituted for your synthesis bonus action if you choose, and meet the requirements for the action/feat would be a cool flavorful addition.
It would also be interesting to have Synthesis actions usable as a way to substitute spell components. Like, since slide casting involves movement it makes sense that it would stand in for a somatic components, or spell parry is sorta like shield, so it can stand in for a verbal component. Raise a tome fills a substitute for a material component. This makes the magus' spell casting a little bit more martial too, as they're literally using their combat skills to cast spells.
It would probably need a limit of only 1 synthesis per striking spell.
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Just going to toss out the fact that no synthesis can actually use Raise a Tome. Not unless said tome is also their weapon.
Weapon + Free Hand (where's the book?)
Two-handed weapon (where's the book?)
Most ranged weapons are two-handed (where's the book?)
Weapon + Free Hand (where's the book?)
Arcane fists: you punch/kick and have a hand for your book.
"You can Stride or Step only if you’re storing your spell in a one-handed weapon or your body, and only if you have your other hand free.
A book and fist Magus would be a very interesting and unique class build. They need to get one of their two class feats for free though.
A book and fist Magus would be a very interesting and unique class build. They need to get one of their two class feats for free though.
Agreed: Arcane fists should be built in at first IMO.
Weapon + Free Hand (where's the book?)Arcane fists: you punch/kick and have a hand for your book.
"You can Stride or Step only if you’re storing your spell in a one-handed weapon or your body, and only if you have your other hand free.
The monk-magus could use it, sure, but its super niche and requires a lot of feats to be functional.
The monk-magus could use it, sure, but its super niche and requires a lot of feats to be functional.Weapon + Free Hand (where's the book?)Arcane fists: you punch/kick and have a hand for your book.
"You can Stride or Step only if you’re storing your spell in a one-handed weapon or your body, and only if you have your other hand free.
Human can get all TWO feats [IMO, lots of feats is more than 2] when they first become available and your post was "no synthesis can actually use Raise a Tome" so "super niche" really isn't a factor in proving it wrong. They specifically made a feat for punching so IMO they didn't expect it to be TOO niche.
I mean a Human still can't do this until level 2. A Magus doesn't get a level 1 Class Feat. Without Human, we're talking level 4 and giving up Level 4/2 options to get them both.
And if you want to multiclass into monk for that sweet sweet unarmed bonuses, that takes up even more of your feat slots.
Its a very cool, very thematic feat, that is virtually unusable and that's even before we get into the "what book is it?" question because it matters (and no, they never published The Weaknesses and Resistances of Everything as the editor kept finding things that weren't in the book).
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If the magus is supposed to function like a martial and build it's class identity through feats like a martial, It would be nice to get a feat at first level, if it can fit in the balance of the class. If its identity is supposed to be tied more to casting, it is really difficult to fit that in to cantrips and 1 spell a day at level 1.
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I mean a Human still can't do this until level 2. A Magus doesn't get a level 1 Class Feat.
True, I keep thinking of them as more martial so they should get a feat at 1st. I have to go back and ditch that 1st level feat when I double check it when I make up characters. My bad, it just makes more sense that way my head. :P
However, this doesn't necessarily mean RAISE A TOME can't be used at 1st: you just have to look outside the class. Plenty of ancestries/heritages have [or have a feat] for unarmed attacks like goblin, catfolk, leshy, lizardfolk, ratfolk, tengu, tiefling, 1/2 orc, changeling, dhampir,.
And if you want to multiclass into monk for that sweet sweet unarmed bonuses, that takes up even more of your feat slots.
Not sure what you mean by "sweet sweet unarmed bonuses". You can get cool attacks, stances and even unarmored speed boosts but I can't think of any bonuses off hand.
Its a very cool, very thematic feat, that is virtually unusable
Do not disagree that this wasn't very well thought out if it was meant for people other than unarmed builds.
and that's even before we get into the "what book is it?" question because it matters (and no, they never published The Weaknesses and Resistances of Everything as the editor kept finding things that weren't in the book).
Hopefully there are prices and classifications for books in the actual book. I agree, right now all we know is a spellbook. [and maybe a craftbook for craft]
If the magus is supposed to function like a martial and build it's class identity through feats like a martial, It would be nice to get a feat at first level, if it can fit in the balance of the class. If its identity is supposed to be tied more to casting, it is really difficult to fit that in to cantrips and 1 spell a day at level 1.
If you remove more of the martial aspects of the class, like default medium armor for instance, you can also get the Class Feat back at level one that way.
The options aren't go hard martial or stay as is, there is a third option to go less martial by default and add it back in via a choice as a level 1 Class Feat.
But I think you and I have very different views on what a Magus is actually supposed to be. I do not see them as Martial, I see them as a hybrid (a flat 50/50) that should get the choice to lean in one direction or the other (but the default with no paths or feats is a flat 50/50).
If you remove more of the martial aspects of the class, like default medium armor for instance, you can also get the Class Feat back at level one that way.
I don't think that's even needed as it's NOT a full caster either and so far that's the cut-off for 1st level class feats and we can see where the line is to get it back with the universalist wizard. With where they stand in the playtest, I don't think anything would go off the rails with adding a 1st level feat in. Cutting into things like medium armor is just going to also cut into viable builds by making str builds less tenable.
If you remove more of the martial aspects of the class, like default medium armor for instance, you can also get the Class Feat back at level one that way.I don't think that's even needed as it's NOT a full caster either and so far that's the cut-off for 1st level class feats and we can see where the line is to get it back with the universalist wizard. With where they stand in the playtest, I don't think anything would go off the rails with adding a 1st level feat in. Cutting into things like medium armor is just going to also cut into viable builds by making str builds less tenable.
I would say they could be undertuned, that's possible, but I will say that powerwise, their earliest 4 levels are the strongest levels of the Class agnostic of Feats.
That's why the spell progression changes at level 5, because Cantrips at level 1 are considered quite powerful.
Whether or not it is over the top is up for debate, but I will say that I can definitely see Paizo's concerns on front-loading a Class that is already pretty front-loaded as is.
But I hear ya.
Cutting into things like medium armor is just going to also cut into viable builds by making str builds less tenable.
I proposed in another thread a solution that involves removing Medium Armor, giving them a Class Feat at level 1, Sustaining Steel getting Medium as part of the Synthesis, and then offering an "Upgrade Armor a step" feat as a Class Feat at level 1.
That to me keeps from cutting the STR builds (and even brings Heavy Armor Sustaining Steel into the mix).
That's a net buff, but not as big of a net buff as a consequence-free Class Feat at level 1.
And if you want to multiclass into monk for that sweet sweet unarmed bonuses, that takes up even more of your feat slots.Not sure what you mean by "sweet sweet unarmed bonuses". You can get cool attacks, stances and even unarmored speed boosts but I can't think of any bonuses off hand.
...Flurry of Blows?
I mean, sure, you can't get it until 10th, but seriously, you didn't think of it?
Flurry of blows isn't that great for the magus though, because the second attack gets MAP. The rules are not super clear about it, but I don't think using an agile weapon gives your spell attack roll the agile trait, so if you flurried, missed with your first attack and hit with the second, your spell attack roll would still be at -5. I guess it wouldn't matter if you used only saving throw spells with the flurry, but I would much rather see a new feat for the magus that simulates how double strike handles making two attacks (for 2 actions) without increasing the MAP until afterwards.
The cool stuff about the monk MC is getting stances that let you do cool things with your attack or give you much more powerful attacks, like Stumbling stance getting backstabber and making an enemy that hits you flatfooted, the added crit effect of tiger claws, the ability to move after hitting with peafowl stance (which pairs really well with sliding spell for maximum mobility and protection from counter attack), or one inch punch stacked on top of a dragon tail attack, etc.
And if you want to multiclass into monk for that sweet sweet unarmed bonuses, that takes up even more of your feat slots.Not sure what you mean by "sweet sweet unarmed bonuses". You can get cool attacks, stances and even unarmored speed boosts but I can't think of any bonuses off hand....Flurry of Blows?
I mean, sure, you can't get it until 10th, but seriously, you didn't think of it?
When you use a specific term like bonus, I was looking for what circumstance, item, ect bonus. I'm aware of flurry already but the way you worded it, it didn't sound like that's what you where talking about.