Myrrh, Frankincense, and Steel: Kurald Galain's Guide to the Magus

[9mm]

you should add the estoc to your guide, magus's love it.

one handed piercing falchion? yes please.

[TheOneHawk]

In general, exotic's aren't worth the feat. If you have a way of getting EWP for free, though, then yeah. Estoc is the best choice.

[Deadkitten]

In general, exotic's aren't worth the feat. If you have a way of getting EWP for free, though, then yeah. Estoc is the best choice.

Kensai Magus says Hi.

[TheOneHawk]

One of the ways of getting it for free, yes.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Half Elf with Ancestral Arms racial trait also says hi, also the Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid ioun stone gives you weapon familiarity with any weapon for 1500 GPs (you can embed it if you are extremely paranoid about it getting sundered or stolen)

[Kurald Galain]

you should add the estoc to your guide, magus's love it.

So, basically, a rapier that deals 1.5 more damage per hit? Yes, that's pretty good.

It's odd that the weapon makes a big deal out of being compatible with Finesse, but then it doesn't work with Slashing Grace...

[Bovine Colonel]

Feat for a Cha-based magus, not sure how good it is: Spontaneous Metafocus. Allows normal casting time with metamagic for one spell (i.e. Shocking Grasp)

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Spontaneous magus would be a better way to put it, since the Mindblade exists.

[GhorrinRedblade]

Very interesting guide. I've never tried to build a magus, mainly because I wanted to have more of a plan than "scimitar and meta'ed shocking grasp until you're sick of putting those two words together".

But now I've started to get a guy percolating in my mind. It would be an Eldritch Scion, draconic bloodline, and taking a few levels in Dragon Disciple to get some of that good time, too. I was envisioning him as doing natural attacks as much as possible, claw/claw/bite (with some wings amdbtails thrown in later). I know the same sort of thing can be done as a bloodrager, but I'd like to see of this approach has any legs.

Any particulars to be on the lookout for with a build like this? I know there's an arcana that allows for spellstriking with natural weapons; that seems like a no-brainer, yes?

Ghorrin Redblade

[Ninjaxenomorph]

The arcana allows you to spell combat with natural weapons you would not be able to normally. Even a non-magus can spellstrike with natural weapons, its part of delivering touch spells; the only difference is that it doesn't share the natural weapon's crit range, I think (as in if your claw threatens on a 19-20, your spell only crits if you roll a 20)

[GhorrinRedblade]

Hmm, yes, I think we're seeing why I haven't done a magus yet, I can't keep the class features straight in my head. :)

So bottom line, I'd be interested in trying a character who used natural attacks and the other fun bits of the draconic bloodline as much as anything else. Do you think the Eldritch Scion lends itself to that sort of thing? The idea that I'd have to spend a swift action and an arcana point every 2nd round seems a bit off-putting...

[Kurald Galain]

Do you think the Eldritch Scion lends itself to that sort of thing? The idea that I'd have to spend a swift action and an arcana point every 2nd round seems a bit off-putting...

Depends on your level. Given that combats tend to last 3-4 rounds, by level six or so you should be having enough pool points to last you through the day, if you pick arcana that don't use any.

It may be easier to get your attacks from a polymorph spell, or to play a race with natural weapons (e.g. Tengu).

[Vultawk]

Forgive me for not knowing, but how is Arcane Mark listed as that good? I thought that any touch spells cast through Spell Combat are delivered via the free hand.

[Andreaz]

Forgive me for not knowing, but how is Arcane Mark listed as that good? I thought that any touch spells cast through Spell Combat are delivered via the free hand.

spellstrike stacks.

[Vultawk]

spellstrike stacks.

I get that it would work with Spellstrike. I guess it's just useless at Level 1 then?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

At 1st level yes.

[User_Undefined]

Flaming / Freezing / Shocking - Your staple trick for doing extra damage, this ability means you won't need Power Attack since you can already take -1 to hit for +3.5 damage. Use knowledge checks to pick the best one for each combat.
Flaming Burst / Freezing Burst / Shocking Burst - It is better to use e.g. flaming and shocking instead of flaming burst: 2d6 all the time beats 1d6+1d10 on a crit.

Am I missing something here? I've always thought that the elemental burst enchantments did the same damage as their elemental counterparts AND did extra damage on crits. So it wouldn't be 1d6 all the time vs. 1d6+1d10 on a crit. It'd be 1d6 all the time vs. 1d6 all the time and 1d6+1d10 (2d10 with a x3 weapon, 3d10 with a x4) on a crit (at the cost of an extra +1 bonus).

[Aldrakan]

Am I missing something here? I've always thought that the elemental burst enchantments did the same damage as their elemental counterparts AND did extra damage on crits. So it wouldn't be 1d6 all the time vs. 1d6+1d10 on a crit. It'd be 1d6 all the time vs. 1d6 all the time and 1d6+1d10 (2d10 with a x3 weapon, 3d10 with a x4) on a crit (at the cost of an extra +1 bonus).

I think that the "burst" ones are a +2 enhancement while the regular ones are +1 is the point. At level 5 could get either Frost and Shock for 2d6 all the time, or just Shocking Burst for half that normally and 1d6+1d10 on a crit, and even with the common crit focus magi have the first will end up being more damage.

You have a maximum of +5 worth of enhancements to spare, so that's probably +1 for Keen, up to +3 for the elemental bonuses, and unless you have a +5 weapon already at least 1 to the enhancement bonus. I guess a 17th level bladebound magus might find themselves with nothing better to put that last enhancement point into than a burst enhancement, or if you're fighting something immune to one of the elements.

[User_Undefined]

Ah, now I understand the reasoning. Yeah, using two elemental enchantments does seem more powerful.

[Markdoc]

I've seen Frostbite mentioned, but I don't think it gets enough love. Combine it with rime spell and magical lineage, and you have a nice 1-use-per-level debuff, that can be combined with other spells for spellstrike. It's pretty good at level 1 and stays relevant through the lower levels - it's good enough that I don't miss a pumped-up shocking grasp, and at level 6, it's still my go-to spell for basic combat.

[Andreaz]

I've seen Frostbite mentioned, but I don't think it gets enough love. Combine it with rime spell and magical lineage, and you have a nice 1-use-per-level debuff, that can be combined with other spells for spellstrike. It's pretty good at level 1 and stays relevant through the lower levels - it's good enough that I don't miss a pumped-up shocking grasp, and at level 6, it's still my go-to spell for basic combat.

Now I wish the PC that pairs with mine for frontline combat was a magus. Shaken, Sickened, Entangled and Fatigued all at once. No running, no charging, -6 attack, -6 DEX, -4 Skills and Saves, -2 damage, -2 STR.

[Second Arrow]

With Heroes of the Streets, we got a new funky Magus archetype - and is it a wonder* to behold! *Feelings of wonder might vary from individual to individual.

Basically, it alters Spell Combat & Spellstrike, turning them into Ranged Spell Combat & Ranged Spellstrike (and yes, they actually work, you can cast a spell and make multiple ranged attacks using Ranged Spell Combat).

In addition, it gives you a bonded ranged weapon (functions as an Arcane Bond, you can hold it and still be able to use spells with somatic components, though it doesn't give you a free spell /day.), swaps out UMD for Perception, and replaces some abilities like keen from the arcane pool, adding stuff like distance & returning.

Also, the book has two new arcana, one of which includes Reach Spellstrike (level 9), which basically gives you the option of delivering spells with a range of "touch" with a ranged weapon. (The arcana requires ranged spellstrike - making it available to both Eldritch Archers and Myrmidarchs)



-----

And that is where I'd like to request a little bit of aid. After seeing this archetype, I've become enamoured with the thought of a gun magus (since you can't hold the charge with your spells should you miss), but am uncertain where to go with it - or more precisely - is there a way to go straight magus without dipping into gunslinger? I'm thinking of going Half-Elf for the free EWP and pick up a free bonded Pepperbox to negate the need of Rapid Reload at low levels, but the feat starvation is still overwhelming, to say to the least.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

I was actually thinking about going Spellslinger first, then magus, to pick up an arcane bond revolver. It would net you the relevant feats, but would kinda limit your casting; however, the stuff it gets you is pretty solid, I think.

[Kurald Galain]

All right, time for some updates. Added Body Double, Crusader’s Edge, Martyr’s Bargain, Sense Vitals spells; climber's kit item; Tireless Logic, Favored Champion, Magaambyan Arcana, and Cunning Liar traits.

More additions to come as I work through the recent set of splatbooks (Inner Sea Races, Heroes of the Street, and Occult).

[Kurald Galain]

I've added some more spells from a variety of sources. Floating Disc, Hydro Push, Fallback Strategy, Ablative Barrier, Bear's Endurance, Elemental Touch, Water Breathing, Solid Fog, Dragon's Breath, Symbol of Striking, Ill Omen, Mage Armor, Twilight Knife, and Dimensional Anchor. I've got a list of extra feats that I'll be adding shortly.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

The Skinwalker race might be knocked down a notch; the ISR book changes a few of the heritages, including the Scaleheart. It no longer gains any intelligence bonus.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Goddammit... why does Paizo hates the genius bruiser archetype so much? There are so few str/int races, specially compared to the Dex/int ones

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Well the PFS resources say that you could choose either; overall I think the ISR skinwalker race is better overall since they have unlimited changes per day, and since you can pick and choose... But yeah, the statline is better in BotM. The new one isn't bad though, with +Str/+Con/-Wis. The ragebred are similar, with +Str/+Con/-Cha. The Nightskulk's distraction was nerfed, though.

[TheOneHawk]

More additions to come as I work through the recent set of splatbooks (Inner Sea Races, Heroes of the Street, and Occult).

I've fallen totally out of the loop of this kind of stuff recently, but... are there traits in those books?

[Sayt]

I've fallen totally out of the loop of this kind of stuff recently, but... are there traits in those books?

Yes there are, some interesting ones. I believe Heroes of the Streets has a trait which lowers Gather info time to 1d6x10 minutes, rather than d4 hours.