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There is also the text of unconscious minds referring to spell components that no longer exist. Some conscious minds need to be adjusted to reflect the new way of doing cantrips, sometimes including base benefits and amps. Oscillating Wave's features interacting in unintended ways that have alrady been called out by the devs. And there is bound to be more.
That said, I don't expect this to come soon. They have to get through the Remaster first.
Those runes don't have saves attached where as spells do
My point is that Spellstriking with a save spell (with Expansive Spellstrike) shouldn't allow a save on the Strike's primary target, as the attack roll versus AC BECOMES the target's save.
Like I said, an advanced Expansive Spellstrike feat at 12th level that removes the need to save for the target would be welcomed. Back to my example with Electric Arc, the primary target (hit by Spellstrike) shouldn't get a basic Reflex save if hit, but a potential secondary target should, because it wasn't the main Spellstrike target. Same with Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Cone of Cold and others.
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I'm pretty sure they have a file of flagged things for errata, like typos.
They might as well clear out those flags when they drop the needed "how arcane cascade works now" errata.
For sure they will put out all the errata they currently have for Magus and Psychic first thing.
But that's it. They will not redesign the classes.
They will likely take advantage of this to bring all the errata they currently have for SoM and Dark Archive at the same time too.
Which is easier with the new policy that freed errata from reprints.
Talk about foresight here.
A magus will need to use intelligence if they plan to diversify their spells on two fronts: your saves and Learn a Spell. Those are a pretty decent reason to treat intelligence as a secondary stat but not a mandatory one for all builds. Seems like a good balance point.
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The one that's coming in the Tian Xia expansion. Forgot what it's called but it was mentioned in the announcement thread.I have high hopes for whatever the new hybrid study is gonna be like.What new hybrid study are you talking about ?
I mean I would love if we had a new one for Reload weapons for example, but I do not remember reading anything about a new hybrid study.
Good to know. Thank you.
Do you know what will its theme be ?
I guess it might be an unarmed hybrid study.
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As Ninja said, it' really 5 stats.
You can ignore Strength if you go Dex based and Dex if you grab a Heavy Armor. So you can build a 4 stat spread Magus easily.
Of those stats, INT is by far your least important.
It governs your Spell DCs. There are multiple situations where Spellstrike is no solution to the task at hand: Bunch of enemies waiting for their Fireball, boss that will launch you into orbit the second you land a Spellstrike so Slow is a better move, enemies with AoOs, especially when they disrupt your spell on a normal hit, etc...
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As Ninja said, it' really 5 stats.You can ignore Strength if you go Dex based and Dex if you grab a Heavy Armor. So you can build a 4 stat spread Magus easily.
Of those stats, INT is by far your least important.It governs your Spell DCs. There are multiple situations where Spellstrike is no solution to the task at hand: Bunch of enemies waiting for their Fireball, boss that will launch you into orbit the second you land a Spellstrike so Slow is a better move, enemies with AoOs, especially when they disrupt your spell on a normal hit, etc...
How is a Magus' spell DC relevant? Enemies will always succeed or critically succeed due to your lagging attribute bonus and your reduced proficiency, even when you target their weak save, that's the price they pay for full martial progression. Having played a Magus up to 5th level, only a handful of enemies have actually failed my saving throws, whereas the majority of them have saved or critically saved. Not to mention that a Magus' Spellstrike mechanic literally incentivizes them to utilize Spell Attack Roll spells, due that you are benefitting from the martial progression/item bonuses for them, whereas spell DCs are purposefully detrimented because that's what a pure spellcaster is for.
Legit, Magic Missile (or other auto-damage effects) is the only spell that is actually worth taking the Expansive Spellstrike feat for, since you are still doing automatic damage on a missed strike with no save to make it a waste of actions and spell slots, whereas if you use something like Fireball or Crashing Wave, enemies will either save for half or critically save for no damage.
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As Ninja said, it' really 5 stats.You can ignore Strength if you go Dex based and Dex if you grab a Heavy Armor. So you can build a 4 stat spread Magus easily.
Of those stats, INT is by far your least important.It governs your Spell DCs. There are multiple situations where Spellstrike is no solution to the task at hand: Bunch of enemies waiting for their Fireball, boss that will launch you into orbit the second you land a Spellstrike so Slow is a better move, enemies with AoOs, especially when they disrupt your spell on a normal hit, etc...How is a Magus' spell DC relevant? Enemies will always succeed or critically succeed due to your lagging attribute bonus and your reduced proficiency, even when you target their weak save, that's the price they pay for full martial progression. Having played a Magus up to 5th level, only a handful of enemies have actually failed my saving throws, whereas the majority of them have saved or critically saved. Not to mention that a Magus' Spellstrike mechanic literally incentivizes them to utilize Spell Attack Roll spells, due that you are benefitting from the martial progression/item bonuses for them, whereas spell DCs are purposefully detrimented because that's what a pure spellcaster is for.
Legit, Magic Missile (or other auto-damage effects) is the only spell that is actually worth taking the Expansive Spellstrike feat for, since you are still doing automatic damage on a missed strike with no save to make it a waste of actions and spell slots, whereas if you use something like Fireball or Crashing Wave, enemies will either save for half or critically save for no damage.
Why do people keep on forgetting that you can get an interesting result even on an opponent's successful save ?
It is after all the great value of save spells vs attacks (both spells and Strikes).
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How is a Magus' spell DC relevant?
Ho please. Your DCs lag behind by 2 points on average.
Unlike spellcasters, you don't have to always use spells, you can just use them when they are especially efficient. Fireballing a bunch of enemies will net you much more efficiency than anything else, despite your low DCs. And having a try at Slowing a boss is a winning move, even if you are slightly worse than the Wizard at it, but maybe the Wizard already failed it or there are no Wizards around. And Dispelling the enemy buff works even on a failure as long as your Dispel Magic is heightened high enough.| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
I find that that a Starlit Span with Expansive Spellstrike can make good use of spells with DCs. A cone or line lets you choose any square adjacent to the target as the source, meaning you can aim it to get around cover and/or hit targets you can't even see. This can mean you're hitting a save 4 lower than other casters would and/or forcing a save when they couldn't.
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How is a Magus' spell DC relevant?Ho please. Your DCs lag behind by 2 points on average.
Unlike spellcasters, you don't have to always use spells, you can just use them when they are especially efficient. Fireballing a bunch of enemies will net you much more efficiency than anything else, despite your low DCs. And having a try at Slowing a boss is a winning move, even if you are slightly worse than the Wizard at it, but maybe the Wizard already failed it or there are no Wizards around. And Dispelling the enemy buff works even on a failure as long as your Dispel Magic is heightened high enough.
I agree that it isn't irrelevant, but I fundamentally disagree that it is worth the cost. Your milage will probably vary depending on your GM and campaign.
Bosses are already a pain for real casters, and slow targets fortitude, which is essentially never a bad save on a boss. So you are blowing a precious resource and two actions and hope against all odds that you'll have an effect. In my eyes that is a pure waste. Similar with dispels - if it is worth dispelling, it is almost guaranteed to be at least your highest spell level, if not one above, and the DC will be astronomical. Meaning you have to succeed. [A major caveat depending on your game - if the GM likes to regularly drop casters with lower level CC spells into fights, then my reasoning doesn't apply and this actually is a priority.]
As for fireball and other Aoe spells, they are only effective against significant amounts of mook enemies or finishing off several wounded ones. Even then, you need at least 3 or 4 enemies to not crit succeed their save to even try to approach the damage a single Spellstrike with a focus spell. The Spellstrike also has a significant chance to take out one of those enemies or at least let your party finish it off, which means it doubles as damage reduction as well. This makes it way more valuable than moderate damage dealt to several targets, even if you risk overkill sometimes.
When looking at this heavy reliance on pure luck and correct enemy composition, I don't see a compelling reason why I shouldn't invest a stat and spells that will almost always be useful instead. You don't have to go full true strike/4th level invisibility cheese, there are plenty of spells that allow for good effects and versatility without giving the enemy a save. Darkness vs human enemies, obscuring mist vs standoff-sih mooks, defensive spells for you and your party and so on. Adjust for expected opposition and boom, you don't have to suffer the parade of likely failures that the other way promises. I absolutely hate that.
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Bosses are already a pain for real casters, and slow targets fortitude, which is essentially never a bad save on a boss.
Spellcaster bosses are a very common trope. Bosses have extremely variable saves because they are all unique to your stories. Mooks, on the other hand, tend to be often melee brutes. Mooks have high Fortitude.
Similar with dispels - if it is worth dispelling, it is almost guaranteed to be at least your highest spell level, if not one above, and the DC will be astronomical.
Far from it. A lot of spells are a pain to deal with despite being quite low level. A Haste on a boss has massive effect and is dispelled easily. Grounding the Gelugon while dealing automatic damage would have saved a lot of parties from a lot of hassle. Dispel Magic is an extremely versatile tool in the right hands.
Similar with dispels - if it is worth dispelling, it is almost guaranteed to be at least your highest spell level, if not one above, and the DC will be astronomical.
A Fireball cast by a Magus does half the expected damage of an Imaginary Weapon Spellstrike (without True Strike). And facing 3 or 4 enemies is very far from a rarity. It also changes a lot your positioning: If you're the first one to act, going for the Spellstrike is putting you in the middle of the pack and you're no tank as a Magus.
I don't see a compelling reason why I shouldn't invest a stat and spells that will almost always be useful instead
An always useful stat? Besides your main attack stat, that doesn't exist.
I absolutely hate that.
On that we agree. And I think it clouds your judgment on the question.
Bosses are already a pain for real casters, and slow targets fortitude, which is essentially never a bad save on a boss.Spellcaster bosses are a very common trope. Bosses have extremely variable saves because they are all unique to your stories. Mooks, on the other hand, tend to be often melee brutes. Mooks have high Fortitude.
This will vary from table to table, but the vast majority of bosses - in APs for example - aren't casters or at least not "normal" spellcasters. Instead they are dragons, fiends and so on. Either that or the caster is not the main threat. The occasional lich is a notable exception.
Similar with dispels - if it is worth dispelling, it is almost guaranteed to be at least your highest spell level, if not one above, and the DC will be astronomical.Far from it. A lot of spells are a pain to deal with despite being quite low level. A Haste on a boss has massive effect and is dispelled easily. Grounding the Gelugon while dealing automatic damage would have saved a lot of parties from a lot of hassle. Dispel Magic is an extremely versatile tool in the right hands.
Good point for innate spellcasters, though that is extremely dependent on how often that happens at your table and what your party composition is. In my experience, most of the time is is much better to leave such highly situational spells for the real casters. Because unless you have it on good authority that you'll face such a threat, chances are very high that you have wasted one of your most precious resources already during daily preparations. On the other hand, if you regularly face these threats, then it is a different matter entirely.
A Fireball cast by a Magus does half the expected damage of an Imaginary Weapon Spellstrike (without True Strike). And facing 3 or 4 enemies is very far from a rarity. It also changes a lot your positioning: If you're the first one to act, going for the Spellstrike is putting you in the middle of the pack and you're no tank as a Magus.
Yes, facing multiple enemies is fairly common, but this many enemies without obstacles or teammates in the way? That chance is a lot more variable. And most of those enemies will succeed their save.
Going first is rather uncommon due to the Magus' chronically low Perception, but hey. It's a good opener, no disputing that. But the melee Magus doesn't have to be an idiot. You know the initiative order. So if your buddies go after you, there is nothing stopping you. And casting a different spell (most likely defensive/buff) plus Arcane Cascade or Stride is a also a good opener that will make it up in later turns. Starlit Span just doesn't care, because Starlit Span.
More often than not it goes the other way around. You are starting somewhere in the middle of the initiative pack, meaning you would fireball half your own party. And once the two sides engage, you likely don't get another chance.
I don't see a compelling reason why I shouldn't invest a stat and spells that will almost always be useful insteadAn always useful stat? Besides your main attack stat, that doesn't exist.
That's why I said "almost always". Even your main attack stat isn't always useful - when you are stunned, it doesn't do anything. But INT only comes up a couple of times a day. Meanwhile, the other stats come up all the time. Charisma only if you build for it ofc, but I think you can see where I'm going here.
Despite this low relevance, maxing INT still means significant sacrifices in other stats. Most likely in CON, STR or WIS.
I absolutely hate that.On that we agree. And I think it clouds your judgment on the question.
Oh, it absolutely influences my opinion. I don't like failure being common, which your way almost guarantees. Clouding my judgment? Maybe. At the end of the day, for me the at best moderate and highly situational gains from investing in INT are not even remotely worth making sacrifices for.
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In my experience, most of the time is is much better to leave such highly situational spells for the real casters. Because unless you have it on good authority that you'll face such a threat, chances are very high that you have wasted one of your most precious resources already during daily preparations.
It's exactly the opposite that you should do. As a Magus, you don't rely on your spells slots for your routine, so you don't care "wasting" one of your "precious" slots. On the other hand, the casters in your party rely mostly on these resources. For them, wasting a spell slot is a direct impact on their efficiency, they don't have Spellstrike that they can use as fallback any time their spell slots are not useful. So they will choose spells they will use for sure as niche spells are eating their spell list for not much.
More often than not it goes the other way around. You are starting somewhere in the middle of the initiative pack, meaning you would fireball half your own party.
Nope.
You don't have to Fireball the enemies. Your Fireball is here to handle the cases where Spellstrike is not the most efficient way to deal with the issue. If you are in the middle of the pack then you should be able to Spellstrike in proper conditions. But when you are the first one to act? Of course, you can Delay. But it's rather sad when you can Fireball the enemies and start the fight with a strong advantage.But INT only comes up a couple of times a day. Meanwhile, the other stats come up all the time.
All the time? Just after stating that your main stats doesn't come up all the time. No, other stats don't come up often and they rarely have the impact of Int (I take a -2 to Initiative every day if it means a +2 to Spell DC).
Anyway, we will have to agree to disagree. But the Magus has a reason (even 2 with Multiclass Archetypes that are extremely common) to invest in Int. You don't find it good, others do.
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How is a Magus' spell DC relevant? Enemies will always succeed or critically succeed due to your lagging attribute bonus and your reduced proficiency, even when you target their weak save, that's the price they pay for full martial progression. Having played a Magus up to 5th level, only a handful of enemies have actually failed my saving throws, whereas the majority of them have saved or critically saved. Not to mention that a Magus' Spellstrike mechanic literally incentivizes them to utilize Spell Attack Roll spells, due that you are benefitting from the martial progression/item bonuses for them, whereas spell DCs are purposefully detrimented because that's what a pure spellcaster is for.I'm going to note here that you don't actually lag in proficiency at levels 1 to 4, and at levels 5 and 6 you could've actually caught up to a full caster's DC due to how the ability boost system works. So complaining that the majority of enemies succeeded or critically succeeded seems like it'd apply to all spellcasting, not just magus.
Yes, that's because it is a very common complaint for casters in general. Probably the most common, even, and not entirely without merit.
The magus has it worse, because proficiency is only one part, there is also your casting stat, Intelligence. So these levels 1-4 you are still worse because you have at least 1 less of that. 5, 6 and 9 are actually the only levels where you are caught up. All the other times you are 1 or more behind. The other post is mostly hyperbole, but you most definitely feel it very acutely. To the point that 10 INT Magi are something you see regularly, hence this thread.
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Even when your proficiency is down by 3, you have a ~65% chance of landing success or worse against a high save, ~80% against a moderate save and ~95% against a low save vs an equal level enemy.
Slowing some mooks or inconveniencing an obviously high fort solo or duo boss with resilient sphere is easily within the realm of possibility. Just don't ever expect a failed save, which you shouldn't be expecting on a full caster either.
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Reduced proficiency is indeed a price for full martial. But if you keep your INT up it shouldn't be that bad. You will only be behind a full caster during levels 5-6, 15-16, and 19-20. The other 14 levels, you're the same.
This is not true. Level 5, 6 and 9 are the only "even" levels. At all other levels you lag behind in either ability score (from increases and/or apex items), proficiency, or both.
I always wondered why magus didn't have int as a kas choice. It wouldn't be a very good idea but you could at least leverage your caster half a bit better if that's what you wanted to accomplish with your build.
For additional utility of int on a magus, the fact that you don't have a class DC means that dumping int also dumps your ability to utilize other save effects like some weapon specializations and certain archetypes.
Mainly because Paizo sees the Magus' theme more as a martial with some magic than a caster. The less important part is mechanics. Spellstrike is the core mechanic of the class and it runs on either STR or DEX, so that's your primary stat.
You and I look at and play this game quite differently. For one if I'm going Str I decide whether I'm archetyping in alchemist or wearing armor. If I choose armor it's either scale or chain so I need a 12 or 14. I put my dex there then raise str int con and wis for the rest of the game. I always start with 16's in Str and Int. My spells usually in up in the pass/fail range as much as any other caster. I've never had an issue where enemies have crit succeeded more on my spells than anyone else in the parties I've played in.
Looks like it, yeah ^^. I only really raise INT to 14 at level 2 or 3 (we use Gradual Ability Boosts) for the theme and to mooch some spell slots of the wizard or witch via FA. As far as experience goes, it is the complete opposite for me. I've played 1 for a little while (like 10 sessions or so) and GM'd for 2 and a half (a player left early on). All doing APs, none in the same party. I didn't use save spells in the first place, but my players all had profoundly negative experiences, even having enjoyed playing casters before.
I find that that a Starlit Span with Expansive Spellstrike can make good use of spells with DCs. A cone or line lets you choose any square adjacent to the target as the source, meaning you can aim it to get around cover and/or hit targets you can't even see. This can mean you're hitting a save 4 lower than other casters would and/or forcing a save when they couldn't.
This would require meta knowledge of knowing exactly where the enemy is, which isn't a guarantee. Just because it's possible doesn't mean that it should be acceptable or even common in gameplay. Short of some imprecise sense like scent or tremorsense, this shouldn't be plausible if they are, say, 30 feet down behind a wall with some enemies peeking around and suppressing fire.
How is a Magus' spell DC relevant? Enemies will always succeed or critically succeed due to your lagging attribute bonus and your reduced proficiency, even when you target their weak save, that's the price they pay for full martial progression.'Lagging attribute bonus' is kinda the answer to the OP's question. A reason to take Int is so that you don't lag in spell DC.
Reduced proficiency is indeed a price for full martial. But if you keep your INT up it shouldn't be that bad. You will only be behind a full caster during levels 5-6, 15-16, and 19-20. The other 14 levels, you're the same.
I had a thought that the save vs. AC spellstrike choice unevenness could be solved and the whole spellstrike mechanic made a lot simpler if it used slots instead of specific spells. As in: expend a level-X slot, get Y magical damage added to your weapon damage. With higher slots giving more damage, some extra flexibility as to damage type, or may giving add-on effects. This would also let the Magus prepare a wider variety of spells. But I have no idea if that's a good thought or a bad one. :)
Keeping up intelligence is something only plausible with the alternative ancestry boosts, whereas doing so otherwise comes at the detriment of other attributes, up to and including your primary attribute. It'd be different if Magus could select Intelligence as a primary attribute, but with how the class is constructed, you make attacks with spells via martial progression, meaning you need to use martial stats to excel at this ability. It's just constructed to where only attack roll spells work this way, which is a little silly to me.
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If that were the case with magus, the least they could have done is give the class a feat at level 1. Being a caster seems to be important enough to deprive it of that.
It's not just the spellcasting, it's that plus all the rest - Spellstrike, Arcane Cascade, Hybrid Study benefits and Conflux Spells. Basically, they said the Magus was getting so much at level 1 that they had to cut the feat to compensate. And I find it hard to disagree.
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If that were the case with magus, the least they could have done is give the class a feat at level 1. Being a caster seems to be important enough to deprive it of that.It's not just the spellcasting, it's that plus all the rest - Spellstrike, Arcane Cascade, Hybrid Study benefits and Conflux Spells. Basically, they said the Magus was getting so much at level 1 that they had to cut the feat to compensate. And I find it hard to disagree.
Considering how dubious the value of three of those things are, it really feels like they didn't deserve to lose the feat.
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Considering how dubious the value of three of those things are, it really feels like they didn't deserve to lose the feat.If that were the case with magus, the least they could have done is give the class a feat at level 1. Being a caster seems to be important enough to deprive it of that.It's not just the spellcasting, it's that plus all the rest - Spellstrike, Arcane Cascade, Hybrid Study benefits and Conflux Spells. Basically, they said the Magus was getting so much at level 1 that they had to cut the feat to compensate. And I find it hard to disagree.
I mean, considering how the Magus has a serious case of "caster feats" syndrome, I really don't consider that a loss.
Anyway, which ones do you mean?
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Considering what kineticist gets, and they still get a first level feat, The fact the magus lacks one seems more like a flavor choice to fit it in as a "caster" more than a deliberate balance decision.
Aren't feats the equivalent of spells for the Kineticist ?
Casters, including Magus, do not need to spend feats to get spells.
Considering what kineticist gets, and they still get a first level feat, The fact the magus lacks one seems more like a flavor choice to fit it in as a "caster" more than a deliberate balance decision.Aren't feats the equivalent of spells for the Kineticist ?
Casters, including Magus, do not need to spend feats to get spells.
that's why kineticist feats are real limited comparatively to other classes yeah but also level 1 is I'd say one of the lowest times to need to spend feat to get impulse while also having some feats you actually want to get for combat like weapon infusion or versatile blast
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Two things I think need to happen for Remastered Magus.
1. Condensing Arcane Cascade. My suggestion would be to make it flexible to where it is either a single action or a free action.
If you cast a single action spell, immediately after casting you can activate Arcane Cascade as a single action.
If you cast a spell that takes two or more actions, immediately after casting you can activate it as a free action. This should always be the case for Spellstrikes(regardless of how many actions the spell used has).
2. Attack of Opportunity/Reactive Strike is no longer a class feat. It becomes a class feature. This is something I think should happen for any class that has AoO as a class feat. I tire of this feat tax. After hearing that Organized Play would have Tieflings for no AcP cost, I just made two new characters. In trying to build the characters I envisioned, I was unfortunately reminded that their 6th level class feat couldn't be anything interesting or fun. It had to be Attack of Opportunity. Not the one feat that I really want from my archetype.
(Before anyone comes at me with the "You don't HAVE to take Attack of Opporunity!", how are you going to be a melee focused martial and not have the major reaction of the game? You can make whatever choices you want to with your character building, but I'm not running a sword and board warrior on Str & Con of 10)
It should be easy enough and makes thematic sense to just add it into the weapon proficiency improvement that most martials get at 5th level or the weapon specialization they get at 7th.
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Two things I think need to happen for Remastered Magus.
1. Condensing Arcane Cascade. My suggestion would be to make it flexible to where it is either a single action or a free action.
If you cast a single action spell, immediately after casting you can activate Arcane Cascade as a single action.
If you cast a spell that takes two or more actions, immediately after casting you can activate it as a free action. This should always be the case for Spellstrikes(regardless of how many actions the spell used has).
2. Attack of Opportunity/Reactive Strike is no longer a class feat. It becomes a class feature. This is something I think should happen for any class that has AoO as a class feat. I tire of this feat tax. After hearing that Organized Play would have Tieflings for no AcP cost, I just made two new characters. In trying to build the characters I envisioned, I was unfortunately reminded that their 6th level class feat couldn't be anything interesting or fun. It had to be Attack of Opportunity. Not the one feat that I really want from my archetype.
(Before anyone comes at me with the "You don't HAVE to take Attack of Opporunity!", how are you going to be a melee focused martial and not have the major reaction of the game? You can make whatever choices you want to with your character building, but I'm not running a sword and board warrior on Str & Con of 10)It should be easy enough and makes thematic sense to just add it into the weapon proficiency improvement that most martials get at 5th level or the weapon specialization they get at 7th.
On the 2nd point, any ranged character of such a class will get zero real benefit from automatically getting AoO but will be hit full force with any weakening of the class' features required to balance such a powerful change.
Also it will tend to make Reach weapon users even more prevalent in such classes, leading to fewer variety in builds. Which is not something the system should encourage IMO.
I fully expect Remastered to not do this anyway. Especially because of the rebalancing part.
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2. Attack of Opportunity/Reactive Strike is no longer a class feat. It becomes a class feature. This is something I think should happen for any class that has AoO as a class feat. I tire of this feat tax.
You'll have hard time getting a consensus on feat taxes. Also, giving AoO for free means reducing incentive to take other reactions instead.
AoO is an optimal pick but it's hardly a fun one. If there was a fun pick at lvl 6 I'd snatch it up instead in a heartbeat. Better to have a fun tool over a slight damage bump in situations where your dm doesn't metagame you. Also an easier decision provided AoO is no longer a baseline assumption. Ive, honestly never but a martial that bought AoO with a feat.
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Sparkiling targe would rather keep its reactions defensive
And you can add all the builds who grab better reactions (Champion's Reaction, Opportune Backstab for example) through archetyping or dual classing and who don't don't have a Reaction for AoO.
And finally all the builds with very low base damage (one-handed Finesse builds) that count on Imaginary Weapon for the damage and ignore AoO because the damage would be laughable.
For a Barbarian, I'd definitely agree. But there are a lot of Magus builds that disregard AoO.
On the 2nd point, any ranged character of such a class will get zero real benefit from automatically getting AoO but will be hit full force with any weakening of the class' features required to balance such a powerful change.
Doesn't seem to be a problem for ranged fighters. All martial classes grant trained proficiency in unarmed attacks, so even ranged characters can use it. It can also be a choice that is gained through leveling, I'm just tired of it being a class feat.
Also it will tend to make Reach weapon users even more prevalent in such classes, leading to fewer variety in builds. Which is not something the system should encourage IMO.
Like flickmace(or any other reach weapon) fighters?
Also, giving AoO for free means reducing incentive to take other reactions instead.
No one freaked out when champions started with both Champion's Reaction and Shield Block until they get to higher levels and have the choice of more reactions per turn.
Starlit span isn't the only study that would be hurt by that rebalancing. Sparkiling targe would rather keep its reactions defensive
Sparkling Targe would just have the same choices as basic Fighters.
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The only class that has AoO where I would consider it an Auto-Pick is the Barbarian, simply because the Barbarian doesn't have tremendous accuracy, but hits *hard* so making Reactive Strikes without MAP is a huge boost to their damage potential.
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Another reason to not let your Int lag too much is not spell DC when you cast a spell, but it also makes it harder to dispel your spells as well.
I actually want... something more than just Spellstrike as an attack option.
There's simply no accessible options to do anything other than Spellstrike and our own conflux spell, and that feels weird for a martial class with exceptional STR or DEX.
A 2-hand Fighter has choices between Power Attack and Intimidating Strike and Exacting Strike and more, and that's all in the very early game.
Laughing Shadows are supposed to be free-hand combatants but they have nearly nothing designed to leverage the free hand besides a small bump in Arcane Cascade damage and an optional Spell Parry feat.
Sparkling Targes get their Conflux Spell and two class feats related to their Shield (and two Tome-shield feats, which are just awful). Fighters get five shield feats by level 2. One of those is a level 1 feat that's pretty much exactly the Sparkling Targe's level 4 feat.
Starlit Spans don't even get an interesting Conflux Spell or Arcane Cascade. And they don't get the interesting fewer-actions feats of, say, Eldritch Archer.
Even if that's only free admission to a combat style archetype like the Mauler/Duelist/Archer/Bastion/Martial Artist archetypes so that you don't have to wait till level 4 to give yourself a better option.
Give me a reason to use Arcane Cascade to do more than 2 possible damage per round.
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After preparing several Magus versions for my upcoming campaign, I'd like to add a couple more things.
One, I'd like it that if spells add a certain bonus to the spell attack roll, that that bonus affects the regular attack roll as well, e.g. magnetic acceleration's +1 and phase bolt ignoring cover from shields. Currently, that is entirely GM fiat due to the "ancillary effects" section.
Two, with the introduction of spells that do more damage as a melee spell attack (e.g. ignition), Starlit Span could use a clarification whether it is treated as a ranged spell attack roll or not.
Three, I don't like it that the Magus is now even more heavily compelled to go grab attack focus spells off of the Psychic. That should be an option, but that is all it should be. I would much prefer it if the Magus had actually good attack focus spells to solve that problem in-class. You should never have to multiclass to efficiently take advantage of your own features.
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I actually want... something more than just Spellstrike as an attack option.
Something like a scaling Bespell Weapon?