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View Full Version : Potential Duskblade/PF Magus mashup. Thoughts?



Stormbinder86
2011-08-07, 01:25 AM
I just started a campaign in which I will eventually become a duskblade.

For this campaign, our DM gave us a restricted list of basic classes to start with, most of which are slight variations of DMG NPC classes, that we will build up until 5th level before taking our main classes which have become 15-level prestige variants of the original class, a la the Unearthed Arcana prestige bard, paladin, and ranger. As stated above, I will eventually be taking duskblade as a prestige class.

However, I am now having second thoughts after being introduced to the Magus from Pathfinder. I honestly cannot see which class I would prefer.

So, I decided to try and come up with a way to have my cake, eat it, and finally blast it with a scorching ray by mashing together the two classes in the following manner.

Remember that my character will already be 5th level by the time I get my first duskblade level. Another thing I should mention is that there are very few magic items in this world. Aside from powerful ancestral relics/legacy weapons left over from an age gone by, most regular magic items have lost power over the years. Mages are sequestered away in a central location and magic is distrusted in general so there's no market to drive the creation of new items en masse. As a result, my character will be exceptionally lucky to have more than 3 or 4 magic items by 20th level:



Gains from Magus class:

Magus Arcana at 1st, 4th, 7th , 10th, and 13th duskblade levels (maintains the progression from Magus class)

Arcane Pool (points only, weapon enhancing ability is a magus arcana choice requiring three levels of Duskblade, this replaces Broad Study on the magus arcana list)

Spell Recall/Improved Spell Recall (both as magus arcana choices, lesser version is a prerequisite for improved version, these replace Dispelling Strike and Spell Blending on the magus arcana list)

Losses from Duskblade class:

Arcane Attunement (we have two other arcane casters in the party, no need for cantrips that I'll never use by the time my character becomes a duskblade)

Spell power (forces me to use feats to augment caster level checks instead of simply channeling, which would deal weapon damage first and resolve the spell afterward)

Quick cast (keeps me from casting anything before/after I attack, cast a different spell, or channel)



Everything else will follow Duskblade rules (good BAB, good Fort, bad Ref, good Will, channeling, duskblade spells/day, spells known, and spell list)

Thoughts? Do my losses seem to balance the gains? Is it skewed one way or another? Is attempting this combination empirical evidence of having my head up my rear end? Thanks ahead of time.

Prime32
2011-08-07, 10:52 AM
Have you seen the Vanguard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/s/vanguard) class?

Stormbinder86
2011-08-07, 01:53 PM
Have you seen the Vanguard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/s/vanguard) class?

That class looks awesome. I especially like Spell Block and Spell Grapple.

I had not seen it before now, however the Vanguard would not work as well in our campaign world as a Duskblade would, despite its really awesome-looking abilities. I may see about adding in one or two of them as magus arcana choices.

Another thing I should have mentioned in my first post is that our characters, in an attempt by our DM to give us more variability in our spell choices, allows spontaneous casters to cast any spell they are allowed from their list so long as there is an opening in the character's spells known list. However, they must pass Spellcraft checks a number of times (DC 15 + 2x Spell level) when casting a new spell before retaining it permanently. The end result is that we have a chance to try out new spells before committing them to our spells known list for good.

As a result, having Intelligence as my key spellcasting ability meshes well with the need to use Spellcraft to learn my spells

EDIT: I should mention that our DM is not allowing any kind of retraining because of this new mechanic.

Additionally, we are using a vitalized spell points system, so meshing magus arcana and the arcane pool will grant me a few non-spell based attack or defense options to use while I nurse my spell point pool. Exhaustion and Fatigue are much nastier on a melee combat character than on a sorcerer, who would be well away from the melee fray.

Phosphate
2011-08-07, 02:15 PM
Another thing I should have mentioned in my first post is that our characters, in an attempt by our DM to give us more variability in our spell choices, allows spontaneous casters to cast any spell they are allowed from their list so long as there is an opening in the character's spells known list. However, they must pass Spellcraft checks a number of times (DC 15 + 2x Spell level) when casting a new spell before retaining it permanently. The end result is that we have a chance to try out new spells before committing them to our spells known list for good.

That's just ****ing brilliant.

dexhalodren
2011-08-11, 05:07 PM
i assure you that you have your head in almost constant contact with your rear end, though your DM seems to be simply brilliant, or insane.

in all seriousness though the real question is do the abilities your giving up equal out to those your gaining?

Stormbinder86
2011-08-11, 06:33 PM
Magus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus)

Under arcane pool, the first paragraph is all I'd get (points). The ability to add to weapon enhancements or add special properties to a weapon would have to be a magus arcana choice. I put a minimum of Duskblade level 3 on it, but 5 seems more appropriate after further thought.

For Magus Arcana (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/magus-arcana), I'd lose Dispelling Strike, Spell Blending, and Broad Study to gain the enhancement part of Arcane Pool, as well as Spell Recall and Improved Spell Recall as choices.

Losing Quick Cast as a Duskblade prevents me from Dimension Hopping into a group of enemies and laying down the channeling hurt all in the same turn. It also prevents me from adding a Maximized scorching ray onto the end of my attacks for an automatic 72 fire damage (no save). Nor could I quick cast True Strike and follow up with a Power/Leap Attack (feat from Complete Adventurer) that, thanks to True Strike, will give me extra damage for, at worst, no penalty.

Losing Spell Power forces me to use up feat slots to overcome SR that could otherwise be used to increase my character's spell knowledge or versatility in combat (with disarming, sundering, or tripping feats).

Gaining Magus Arcana allows me to pick some class features that will increase the versatility of my character. A duskblade has a wide variety of spells to choose from (buff, debuff, damage, control) and as a result can fill many different roles. Meshing spell choices, feats, and arcana can produce a duskblade that can act as a backup buffbot alongside our alchemist, a backup caster that can stand with (and protect) our sorcerers, a tank that can help control enemy/ally position, a channeler that can deliver debuffs through attacks, or a supernova that deals a ton of damage at the rapid expense of resources.

In short, adding arcana at the expense of quick cast and spell power curtails the duskblade's ability to go nova, but gives them the ability to explore other avenues of development that otherwise wouldn't mesh with the duskblades stock features.

dexhalodren
2011-08-11, 08:33 PM
The less nova you go the happier your dm will be