Spellmaster gets to move and strike as part of casting a spell with atleast 1 action cast.At 16th level.
It's also not actually part of casting the spell. It's an activity you can take specifically after casting a spell requiring at least one action.
Still awesome though, still sounds like something Magus should have, totally think they should get it level 10-14 range.
Magus with spell master free archetype sounding my name
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I think the one that hurts the most is the Eldritch Archer. It’s there to prove that a one roll system is viable at least for spell attacks. If one can do so from range and a safer perspective, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work like that on melee. At least, maybe we need a melee version of the archetype if that’s not the way the devs want to go for the Magi, but I still think it could be possible.
Of course, adjustments should be made to preserve the Magus’ other gimmicks (Syntheses, the action versatility, etc), maybe through a Fortune trait, or by having a simpler version of the ability (only cantrips) at first and then get to a more advanced one (then spell attacks at level 2 and save spells as well at 6?) through feats.
I also think the Magus should get access to Magic Combat at some point in their career.
Is the Spellmaster already on AoN? I intend to buy the book, but would like to check it out to get a grasp on the ability.
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The eldritch archer ability is incredibly limited in its actual usefulness though. It is an ability essential designed around use on cantrips, because there are barely any spells from higher levels it works with and because no character gets martial weapon proficiency and spell levels equal to a full caster. In actual practice it is a much worse central class feature than the existing striking spell mechanic and would have to be modified to be even better than it currently is, as a 6th level archetype feature, to be functional for a magus class.
It would need to take less actions and work with more spells to be a core class element and at that point, there is no way it fits into a first level and up class that gets access to both the martial proficiencies and the spell slots.
There is an elegant simplicity to Eldritch shot, and I understand why it looks so valuable as a basis for the magus. Certainly for the shooting star magus, it is a very attractive option, even though there are very few spell slot spells to cast through it, but that seems to primarily be because they get so little from their synthesis ability.
I really hope the developers have something better than eldritch shot up their sleeve for the spell strike/ striking spell mechanic.
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Except Eldritch Archer also gets many 2 action attacks it can get are extremely good for a ranged character. Eldritch shot is great but isn't it's only tool, just the tool it gets at start.
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Except Eldritch Archer also gets many 2 action attacks it can get are extremely good for a ranged character. Eldritch shot is great but isn't it's only tool, just the tool it gets at start.
Eldritch archer does get a lot of cool stuff, but none of those one or two action activities interact with eldritch shot because eldritch shot is a 3 action activity that can't benefit from haste except to move or the strike. So all the other Eldritch archer abilities don't interact with spell casting at all. An eldritch archer like magus feels like it would not need spell slots at all, and would be better built as a cantrips + focus spell class.
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The eldritch archer ability is incredibly limited in its actual usefulness though. It is an ability essential designed around use on cantrips, because there are barely any spells from higher levels it works with and because no character gets martial weapon proficiency and spell levels equal to a full caster. In actual practice it is a much worse central class feature than the existing striking spell mechanic and would have to be modified to be even better than it currently is, as a 6th level archetype feature, to be functional for a magus class.
It would need to take less actions and work with more spells to be a core class element and at that point, there is no way it fits into a first level and up class that gets access to both the martial proficiencies and the spell slots.
There is an elegant simplicity to Eldritch shot, and I understand why it looks so valuable as a basis for the magus. Certainly for the shooting star magus, it is a very attractive option, even though there are very few spell slot spells to cast through it, but that seems to primarily be because they get so little from their synthesis ability.
I really hope the developers have something better than eldritch shot up their sleeve for the spell strike/ striking spell mechanic.
Just to be clear, I agree with you, Unicore.
I think the Magus' Striking Spell needs to be more interesting and I'm with you on the exact same routine not being ideal for the Magus, especially because, as it is, it would only be viable with Hasted and Slide Magi.
However, I really see no harm in folding the two rolls, if the devs think it viable and keeping the current action economy chassis.
In my opinion, the Magus needs to be the prime spellstriker like, for instance, the Monk is the better martial artist. That doesn't mean balance shouldn't be taken into factor, only that at some point in their career they need to get the best version of delivering attacks through weapons, magic combat, etc.
My problem with the current Striking Spell could be solved, for instance, if the Magus got a feat at level 6 (or at some level like the Champions get their upgrade to their reaction) that gave it the possibility to use Eldritch Shot-like routine for all attacks. It wouldn't be the central feature and it wouldn't go from level one. You still have the good ol' Striking Spell for the save spells, except if you want to focus on being a cantrip spell attacker, which is what your class is supposed to do, you get to do that without an archetype.
I think you pointed out that spell attacks are limited to cantrips and a few slotted spells, so folding the two rolls doesn't really hurt the system that much.
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I think the reason I keep harping on the eldritch shot model for the magus is not that it combines the weapon and spell attack roll, but that it does so into the same action as the casting.
It may seem like a small issue but it is important that the strike is separate from the casting for class flexibility sake.
I get that people mainly want to combine them for action economy reasons, but I just can't see folding casting a spell, attacking and moving into a two action activity, and because that is true, I'd much rather see movement folded into the spell casting than into the attack for the magus.
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Yup, but it's way more reliable to.
I'm starting to get sick enough of the swingy unreliable nature of spell strike they of I had to, I'd trade away it's versatility just so it freaking works.
Sad to say that, but something that works is better than all the versatility in the world but only sometimes works.