Duskblade vs. Magus

[Grim Reader]

I've only had a short look at the Magus, but it seemed to fill the same niche as the Duskblade. Worse BaB, better spell advancement. I've been thinking, in world-building, one class could be a debased version of the other.

Does anyone here have any thoughts on how the two classes compare/stack up?

[FMArthur]

The Magus has a much, much more versatile spell list. It's like a limited Wizard list, with things like battlefield control and non-offensive utility, and can simply and easily get other Wizard spells they want via a Magus Arcana and a very late class feature that gives them tons more. They both have an embarrassing lack a lot of Touch spells beyond Shocking Grasp to use with their whack-and-blast ability, but Pathfinder at least has the Intensify Spell metamagic to improve its cap, and the Magus spell chart itself gets higher level spells sooner to improve its ability to metamagic that Shocking Grasp. In addition, the presence of Magus Arcana and the ready supply of ACFs make the Magus class far more customizable. It can also make a full attack and cast any of its spells. The Magus is a prepared caster compared to the Duskblade's spontaneous crippled-spells-known casting, and can spontaneously adjust a couple of its prepared spells with a Swift action.

The Duskblade by comparison only has a higher (low-level) spells-per-day, full BAB and eventually full-attack touch spell channeling.

The Magus blows the Duskblade out of the water at nearly everything else. It's a really impressively-designed class compared to the Duskblade... and compared to almost every other class in all of 3.5 and PF combined. Either it was a really fortunate fluke or there is actually at least one person at Paizo who knows the game...

[Greenish]

So duskblades are like brutes relying on sheer strength compared to master swordsmen, the magi?

[FMArthur]

It's more than that. What you're suggesting implies that one is a strong combatant but the other is similar but superior for focusing on a more impactful strategy. It's more like the Magus is a master swordsman and the Duskblade is that swordsman's identical twin who was bumped on the head at a young age. I would say it totally outclasses the Duskblade.

[stainboy]

Duskblade favors the fighter half more and is harder to screw up. Magus is stronger and has more options, but requires more optimization to make the fighter half matter (and if the fighter half doesn't matter you shot yourself in the foot by not being a wizard).

[MeeposFire]

Duskblade to magus is like fighter to swordsage. Duskblades can hit for crazy damage but his spells are just for damage for the most part while the magus has more versatile choices and still has excellent damage options (not quite as extreme bot more than good enough high level duskblade damage is overkill at times). Fighter can deal lots of damage but that is about it while the swordsage can hit hard but is more versatile in what it can do (fighter might hit harder but could waste damage and the SS versatility makes it a better class).

It is not surprising that the magus is alright. It casts spells. Paizo loves spell casting classes. It is the true warrior classes that they screw up.

[Mikka]

Duskblade is the wizards son who decided to use his powers to smack people hard in the face.

The wizard is the ambitious one

{Scrubbed}

[Curious]

Duskblade is the wizards son who decided to use his powers to smack people hard in the face.

The wizard is the ambitious one

and the Magus is the retarded one who tries to do both and fails.

Somehow, your argument fails to move me when FMArthur has so aptly described the comparative powers of the two classes just above you, but by all means expand on this and explain to me why the Magus is a terrible class. I'm all ears.

[Mikka]

Somehow, your argument fails to move me when FMArthur has so aptly described the comparative powers of the two classes just above you, but by all means expand on this and explain to me why the Magus is a terrible class. I'm all ears.

Simple. First 6 levels i'd prefer Duskblade any day.

After 7'th level? the wizard wins : )

[Curious]

So you admit that after the first few levels a Magus is better than the Duskblade?

And comparing any class that isn't a full-caster to a Wizard is just a waste of breath.

[stainboy]

I made a helpful diagram. Apologies to Randall Munroe. (http://xkcd.com/435)

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3254/gishes.png

[Curious]

I made a helpful diagram. Apologies to Randall Munroe. (http://xkcd.com/435)

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3254/gishes.png

I lol'd. That seems to sum it up pretty well. :smallamused: