Hello! This is my first build share on this forum so please be kind! I wanted to share my magus build for Pathfinder 1E that attempts to follow what the archetype might take for feats as well as some minor optimization picks. This build is half crafter and half mage fighter. Please let me know what you think about this character plan!
Keep in mind that this build is intended to expand upon the Jistkan Artificers inventive nature as well as pulling in some of the typical magus tricks. Also, DM approved the extra arcana feat at level one for the familiar because it made sense for my characters backstory. I plan on enchanting my golem arm with agile for dex to damage as well as buying an intensify metamagic rod ASAP.
Custom Point Buy @ Level 1
STR: 10
Dex: 17
Con: 15
Int: 15+2 (Human)
Wis: 8
Cha: 7
Planned Feats:
Improved Unarmed Strike @ 1st
Extra Arcana Familiar (Valet Ioun Wyrd)@ 1st
Weapon Finesse @ 1st
Craft Wonderous Item @3rd / Empowered Arm @ 3rd (Arcana)
Extra Arcana Shield Arm @5th / Craft Magical Weapons and Armor @5th
Sharpened Arm @ 6th
Combat Reflexes @ 7th
Step Up @9th / Spell Blending @ 9th
Extra Arcane Pool / Following Step @ 11th
Disruptive Arcana @ 12th
Critical Focus @ 13th
Spell Blending@ 15th / Craft Construct @15th
Traits:
Magical Lineage (Shocking Grasp)
Two World Magic (Touch of Fatigue)
Alternate Racial Trait (Innovative)
Rather than critical focus (pointless for you, really) I'd get the flurrying arm. I might reorganise to get it earlier too - +3 BAB and an extra attack is above and beyond what feats can normally do. Extra arcane pool might be useful early but not late, you've nothing which especially draws on it.
You rather lack spell slots as a Jistkan artificer. Magical lineage in a longer lasting spell like frostbite might be an idea - and possibly a metamagic feat to make it worthwhile later on. Rime spell or empower spell depending on your interests.
I'm a fan of stacking Hexcrafter with the Justkin Artificer to help offset the lowered spells-per-day. It also has the advantage that you can use HEX STRIKE without jumping through all the hoops a Hexcrafter usually does (to use Hex Strike with hair). You just punch someone and apply your favourite Hex.
The only other thing I'd maybe rethink is taking 2 crafting feats. It fits your character but unless you have a lot of downtime you may find yourself feeling like you've wasted one of these. If you can get another character to take one you can craft one set of items while they craft the other. Personally I'm a huge fan of Craft Wondrous Items because of the huge variety of things you can give the party.
Rather than critical focus (pointless for you, really) I'd get the flurrying arm. I might reorganise to get it earlier too - +3 BAB and an extra attack is above and beyond what feats can normally do. Extra arcane pool might be useful early but not late, you've nothing which especially draws on it.
You rather lack spell slots as a Jistkan artificer. Magical lineage in a longer lasting spell like frostbite might be an idea - and possibly a metamagic feat to make it worthwhile later on. Rime spell or empower spell depending on your interests.
I plan on picking up the sharpened arm arcana to increase my crit range from 19-20 (also adds keen to my list of enhancements). Would you still consider this sub par?
I'm a fan of stacking Hexcrafter with the Justkin Artificer to help offset the lowered spells-per-day. It also has the advantage that you can use HEX STRIKE without jumping through all the hoops a Hexcrafter usually does (to use Hex Strike with hair). You just punch someone and apply your favourite Hex.
The only other thing I'd maybe rethink is taking 2 crafting feats. It fits your character but unless you have a lot of downtime you may find yourself feeling like you've wasted one of these. If you can get another character to take one you can craft one set of items while they craft the other. Personally I'm a huge fan of Craft Wondrous Items because of the huge variety of things you can give the party.
I have been looking at the hexcrafter archetype. My party will have a witch so i dont want to rain on his parade. But if the story pushes my character towards learning from him then maybe I will pick it up. I also really enjoy the spell recall feature (most people think its a waste of arcane pool though)
I definitely don't think Spell Recall is a waste (anyone who thinks that is crazy, it's amazing), but I do think an infinitely spammable all-day debuff will be better. It might cost you a couple of Arcana/feats to be really useful, so if you really don't want to spend more there then Spell Recall is probably better.
Remember you can use Pearls of Power to recall spells if needed. Spell Recall offers a combat option for this (swift action rather than standard) and often lets you recall higher level spells (getting pearls for your highest level spells is always expensive), but the basic premis can be repeated with money.
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I would consider a +4 to confirm criticals greatly inferior to a +3 BAB and an extra attack, even if the latter requires a full attack. It's harder to compare the benefit to following step since they do such different things, but I'd still be iffy about critical focus there.
Critical focus isn't a good feat IMO and the main reason to take it is as a prereq to critical feats. You're not getting those.
I would consider a +4 to confirm criticals greatly inferior to a +3 BAB and an extra attack, even if the latter requires a full attack. It's harder to compare the benefit to following step since they do such different things, but I'd still be iffy about critical focus there.
Critical focus isn't a good feat IMO and the main reason to take it is as a prereq to critical feats. You're not getting those.
Thanks for the advice! I'll reconsider critical focus for something less luck based!
So here is an update on my feat selection. I was hoping to get some advice on the higher level options. Also I know the fighter multiclass isn't optimal but I plan to make a "sash of the war champion" for the armor training feature and +1 BAB doesn't hurt. And I stuck with critical focus because I want to make better use of that crit arcana at level 6. These choices are fairly locked in so I'm mostly looking to fill the gaps.
Improved Unarmed Strike @ 1st
Extra Arcana Familiar (Valet Ioun Wyrd)@ 1st
Weapon Finesse @ 1st
Empowered Arm (Arcana) / Craft Wonderous Item @3rd
Weapon Focus / Craft Magical Weapons and Armor @5th
Sharpened Arm (Arcana) @ 6th
Step Up @ 7th
Combat Reflexes / Shielded Arm @ 9th
Extra Arcana Flurrying Arm / Craft Construct @ 11th
Empowered Arcana or Spell Blending @12th
Critical Focus / Disruptive @ 13th ----------Fighter Multiclass
Dimensional Agility @15th
Quicken Arcana @16th
_____________@ 17th
_____________@ 18th
_____________/Spell Blending @ 19th
If you're getting dimensional agility then you probably want the other dimensional feats. Those'd be my suggestion for your level 17-19 feats.
Though keeping your options open and not deciding yet should also be fine - 17th level might be RL months or even years off.
If you're getting dimensional agility then you probably want the other dimensional feats. Those'd be my suggestion for your level 17-19 feats.
Though keeping your options open and not deciding yet should also be fine - 17th level might be RL months or even years off.
Im interested in Dimensional Dervish but the Dimensional Assault feat seems like a complete waste for a Magus. Any thoughts on this?
You can call assault a dead feat on your path to dervish, or if you like there's other feats in the sea - dimensional step up so people can't teleport away from you, staggering critical to build on critical focus, extra magus arcana for reflection (or bane blade, devoted blade etc.), jabbing style for extra damage, etc.
How have I never seen dimensional step up??? Thats awesome but also seems super risky!