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A lot of the complaints regarding the current iteration of the Magus are centred around the striking spell mechanic, and how it leads to arguably unfun lines of play and might not even be worth using to begin with. The short time limit you have for scrambling towards getting a hit in, so you don’t just lose your spell slot without even getting to roll for it. The fact that while it may at times be better to just cast a spell a normally if you really need it to hit right then and there, it simply feels less exciting than using your striking spell at all opportunities because cmooon, you’re the frickin Magus! That’s what you do, that’s your thing! These coming suggestions are a combination of a few ideas I’ve seen floating around and a few new ones of my own.
The next suggestions only really work if the Magus has int as its key ability and has 2 spell slots of its third highest spell level with the normal 4 it already gets, for a total of 6 spell slots of 3 different spell levels, so imagine it does while reading these suggestions.
Spell Combat
One action
Frequency: once per turn
You store the magic of a spell you’ve prepared into a single weapon or your own body. You expend a spell that can target one creature or one object. While a spell is stored this way, it is not considered to have been cast. It can only be cast by hitting a creature with a Spellstrike Technique. A normal strike will not discharge a spell stored by Spell Combat from its receptacle. Spells stored by spell combat last for a number of rounds equal to your intelligence modifier. At the end of the last turn the magic dissipates from the receptacle and the spell slot is lost. This duration is reduced by 2 rounds if the spell stored was of the highest level of spells you can cast and was at Third Level or higher, and reduced by 1 round if it was the second highest spell level you could cast and was at Second Level or higher or if it was of the highest level of spells you could cast and was at Second Level. (The higher the spell level, the lower the duration.) A discharged spell does not contribute to or suffer from multiple attack penalty. If you store a new spell while a spell is already stored in your weapon or body, the older spell dissipates.
Spellstrike Techniques
A Spellstrike Technique is a special type of attack that can release a stored spell from its receptacle. When you perform a Spellstrike Technique you can use your intelligence modifier instead of your strength or dexterity modifier for your attack roll. A discharged spell is considered to be cast. You learn two Spellstrike Techniques at level 1 and learn a new Spellstrike Technique every fourth level after that.
Level 1 Spellstrike Techniques
Sliding Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body.
Two actions
You step or stride and make a strike, in either order. On a hit, you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Cautious Spellstrike
Requirements: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body. You are wielding a shield.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit, you can immediately raise a shield. Then you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Studious Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit, you can immediately make a recall knowledge check with a +1 circumstance bonus about the target. The circumstance bonus increases to +2 on a critical hit. Then you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Brutish Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body. The receptacle is a weapon or unarmed attack that deals bludgeoning damage.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit, you can immediately make an athletics check to shove the target. On a critical hit, use the outcome of one degree of success better for the athletics check. Then you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Level 5 Spellstrike Techniques
Specialized Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit, you apply the critical specialization effect of your weapon or unarmed attack. On a critical hit, if your critical specialization effect requires a saving throw, your target uses one degree of success worse. Then you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Penetrating Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body. The stored spell deals acid, fire, cold or electricity damage.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit, if the target has resistance against any of the damage types your stored spell would deal, you ignore resistance of those types equal to half your level rounded down (minimum 1) for the damage roll of the spell. On a critical hit, the target instead loses resistance of those types equal to half your level rounded down (minimum 1) until the start of your next turn. Then you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Shifting Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit you can change the physical damage of the weapon you're holding or your unarmed attack from slashing, piercing or bludgeoning to any of those other damage types. Then you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell.
Sustaining Spellstrike
Requirement: You have a spell stored in your weapon or body.
Two actions
Make a strike. On a hit you can discharge the spell from its receptacle, using the target of your strike as the target for the spell. If the spell was discharged, you gain temporary Hit Points equal to twice the spell level of the discharged spell if you used a spell slot, or its level if you didn't use a spell slot (such as a focus spell or a cantrip). These temporary HP last until the end of your next turn.
Synthesis
As a Magus, you have trained both your body and your mind to the absolute brink. Your synthesis is the culmination of your efforts. Each magus has a unique way to combine their mental prowess with their physical excellence. Choose one Arcane Benefit and one Martial Benefit. These benefits are active as long as you have a spell stored in your weapon or body from using Spell Combat. You lose these benefits when you discharge the spell from its receptacle or when the spell dissipates from the receptacle and can only regain them by storing a spell into a receptacle with Spell Combat again. You gain a new benefit of your choice at level 7, level 13 and level 19. If you chose an Arcane Benefit at level 7 you have to choose a Martial Benefit at level 13 and vice versa.
Arcane Benefits
Spellsight
The range of all your spells increase by 20 feet. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, the range increases by 10 feet instead.
Arcane Outlet
You get a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls and spell save DCs against creatures within 30 feet of you. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, the range is 15 feet instead.
Defensive Casting
When you cast a non-cantrip spell, you get a +1 circumstance bonus to your AC and saving throws against spells. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, the +1 circumstance bonus only applies to the first hostile spell that targets you or the area you are in after the end of your turn.
Return to Sender
When you critically succeed at a will saving throw against a spell or ability that was cast or activated by a creature you can see and only targeted you, you can spend your reaction to deflect the spell or ability towards that target. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, the creature uses one degree of success better for its saving throw.
Energy Averse
When you use Spell Combat, choose acid, fire, cold or electricity. At the end of your turn, if you cast a spell or discharged a spell with a Spellstrike technique, you gain resistance towards that damage type equal to half your level, rounded down (minimum 1). If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, the resistance is only equal to one fourth of your level, rounded down (minimum 1).
Martial Benefits.
Heightened Senses
You get a +1 circumstance bonus to recall knowledge checks as well as athletics checks to shove, grapple, trip and disarm. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, you only gain this benefit when you are suffering from multiple attack penalty.
Arcane Coating
If you are wielding a shield, it gains a +1 circumstance bonus to hardness. This bonus increases by 1 at level 6, 11 and 17. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, it increases by 1 at level 11.
Heightened Speed
You get a +5 status bonus to your speed. If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, you do not gain this benefit the first time you stride each turn.
You Will Regret This
When you critically succeed at a reflex saving throw against a spell or magical ability cast or activated by a creature you can see, you can spend a reaction to move up to half your speed towards them. If your movement stops within reach of them, you can immediately make a strike against that target.
On a hit, you can discharge the spell from your receptacle, using the target of the strike as the target of the spell.
Matter Averse
When you use spell combat, choose slashing, bludgeoning or piercing. At the end of each turn, if you’ve made two or more attacks for the purposes of multiple attack penalty or have discharged a spell with a Spellstrike Technique, you gain resistance to that damage type equal to half your level rounded down (minimum 1). If the spell stored in your receptacle is a cantrip, the resistance is only equal to one fourth of your level (minimum 1). (Some actions and activities increase your multiple attack penalty several times for the purposes of multiple attack penalty.)
So, I’ve almost definitely created a lot of imbalanced options here. Good thing I’m just a random internet schmuck and can just throw half-baked ideas out into the Ethereal Plane with total impunity. Hopefully these ideas might be useful for something. I could have written down Spellstrike techniques for all the different levels but I think you guys get the idea regarding what you could do with this class.