[PF] Magus Advice for Next Level

[NightbringerGGZ]

I'm playing a Bladebound Kensai Magus in a campaign with only moderate optimization. I'm advancing to Level 5 and having a ton of trouble deciding on my feats, so I was hoping ya'll would help. At the moment I'm the party's primary damage dealer though some of the other builds are starting to come online now.


House Rule: Fighting without wearing armor grants a Dodge bonus to AC equal to half your character level. Armor provides DR bonuses. Magical "Armor" bonuses don't negate the Dodge bonus but don't grant DR either.

Other Characters: Healer (house class), Were-bear Inquisitor, Martial Artist Monk, Spellslinger Wizard, Musketmaster Gunslinger.

My Character: Str: 20, Dex: 14, Con: 12, Int: 18, Wis: 10, Cha: 7

Feats: Weapon Focus (Katana), EWP (Katana), Nemesis, Arcane Strike, Power Attack, Alertness (when wielding my Black Blade).

Gear: +1 Katana, Bracers of Armor (+1), Cloak of Resistance (+1), Pearl of Power (1st Level), Custom Artifact (+2 Str, +2 Int).

Ok, so at 5th level I gain 2 feats, my Black Blade is a +2 weapon and when I spend an arcane point to further enhance it I can add another +2 worth of effects. Basically I'll be fighting with a +3 Keen Katana. I just need to decide what feats to pickup to support this build, and am debating among the following:


Furious Focus - I tend to Power Attack multiple times per combat, so I'm pretty sure I'll be picking this feat up.
Extra Arcane Pool - Having more AP to spend is always nice, especially with Perfect Strike letting me spend 2 points to increase my crit modifier to x3 after I confirm the crit.
Combat Casting - I'm still failing the occasional Concentration Check when surrounded by melee. This would be nice to have.
Toughness - With only a 12 Con I'm pretty squishy.


What do y'all think? Got any better options? Note: Pathfinder only and anything outside of a hard-cover book requires DM permission. I also have 1500 gold to spend and am considering creating a custom 1st level spell. I'm just having trouble thinking of a good one.

[Spore]

Combat Casting and Toughness are both boring but sadly required. Fights are pretty basic until 8-9 where the big hitters tend to come in (various giants, trolls, adult dragons) and if you want this character to live a bit longer, improve your defenses.

[khachaturian]

if you don't have traits, you could pick up the feat to pick up magical lineage for shocking grasp. other choices for the second trait include +2 initiative, +2 concentration, save bonuses, etc.

if you already have magical lineage, empower spell isn't bad. you probably also want to pick up intensified spell either now or at level seven. elemental spell may also be worth looking into for being more effective against enemies immune to electric damage.

+1 bracers of armor might be worse than giving your wizard a level one pearl of power to cast mage armor on you

since you depend on full attacks with spell combat, quick runner's shirt may be worth looking into. feather step slippers are probably also helpful in this regard.

keep in mind that arcane strike requires a swift action. enchantment from your arcane pool is also a swift action, as is a quickened spell, spell recall, and many of the abilities from magus arcana

[Marcelinari]

Frankly, I would invest in some actual armor until about level 8, which is when your dodge bonus draws equal to a chain shirt. Plus, you get some DR in there, which is nice.

Alternatively, you could research an armor-like spell. I've always been fond of a first-level Divination spell that lets you see a few moments into the future. +4 insight bonus to AC, divination gets some more combat love, and everyone's happy. It's pretty much equivalent to Shield or Mage Armor.

On the subject of feats... Furious Focus is a good move. Landing those Power Attacks will end the fight quickly, and a fight over quickly is more health in your pocket. As for the other? Toughness and Combat Casting are both useful, neither more obviously so than the other. Toughness will maybe let you survive one more turn, letting you do your damage again, Combat Casting will maybe let you attack more each turn, thanks to being a Magus. Your call.

[Kudaku]

First of all thank you for providing a comprehensive character type-up, it really helps give you better advice. The only thing I don't see listed is traits - are you allowed to take traits?

Kensai, unlike regular magi, get their intelligence modifier as an AC bonus whenever they're wielding a melee weapon. However, they can't cast spells in armor without a spell failure chance - buying traditional armor might cause some issues.

Combat Casting I'm not so keen on. The slow magus spell progression and that you'll mostly want to cast low level spells in combat means you'll out-level the concentration DCs.

Toughness is an incredibly boring, but nevertheless solid feat for a magus. It's not my first choice but I can't blame you for considering it.

You could take Extra Arcana --> Spell Blending to pick up Mage Armor and one other level 1 wizard spell, like Touch of Fatigue? Mage Armor should help your AC quite a bit and free up funds from Bracers of Armor, and Touch of Fatigue is handy for Spellstriking goodness when you don't need to go full nova.

[NightbringerGGZ]

Traits: Seeker & Arcane Temper. I'm purposefully avoiding the Magical Lineage + Shopping Grasp combo as my group tends not to optimize heavily. That's also why I took a story feat (even if it is a rather useful one). The story feat is also pretty fun as my character has been woven pretty well into the overall plot.

Note that I'm getting half my level as a dodge bonus thanks to a house rule. So I've got 19 AC total before buffs. Shield of Faith & Mage Armor from the other casters makes me rather hard to hit.

I don't actually get my first Arcana until level 6, but I was thinking of picking up Mage Armor and Touch of Gracelessness. Our mage player isn't always present, so I can't rely on his Wizard being there to buff me up.

Any thoughts on Combat Expertise & Improved (Maneuver) as my feats? My level 6 Arcana could be used to boost my CMB to full BAB levels and I could have fun with trips or disarms. Furious Focus + Improved Sunder isn't a bad idea either.

[watchwood]

I'd wait a few levels for the spell blending, for Resist Energy and Heroism. You're pretty short on good buffs right now, so both of them would look nice on your spell list.

Extra Arcana is good, though. There's a bunch of the Arcana options that are just as good as feats (some are better).

Arcane Strike and Arcane Accuracy would both be good abilities to have. The Spell Penetration line will be nice to have as well, when you start facing higher level mobs.

[Kudaku]

Traits: Seeker & Arcane Temper. I'm purposefully avoiding the Magical Lineage + Shopping Grasp combo as my group tends not to optimize heavily. That's also why I took a story feat (even if it is a rather useful one). The story feat is also pretty fun as my character has been woven pretty well into the overall plot.

Bless you :smalltongue:. I realize that magical lineage/wayang spell hunter is the bee's knees for magi but I'm really, really tired of seeing it combined with Intensify spell for basically every magus build ever made.

[Thrair]

Shopping Grasp

GUARDS! WE'VE A THIEF! SHOPLIFTER!

*EDIT* Or, alternately, your character is shopping to the soundtrack from Inception.

[NightbringerGGZ]

GUARDS! WE'VE A THIEF! SHOPLIFTER!

*EDIT* Or, alternately, your character is shopping to the soundtrack from Inception.

LOL, that was an odd mistype on my part. Shopping Grasp: (Transmutation) Duration: Rounds / Level. Effect: Apply a bonus equal to your Caster Level on Sleight of Hand checks to apply a "Five-Fingered Discount".


Bless you :smalltongue:. I realize that magical lineage/wayang spell hunter is the bee's knees for magi but I'm really, really tired of seeing it combined with Intensify spell for basically every magus build ever made.

Oh it is a great build and I've seen it in action. I just wanted something a bit different, and while my build isn't a DPS Olympics kind of build I'm still putting out nice damage. Regular crits of 2d8 + 26 aren't bad at level 4.

[BWR]

I've never seen anyone need Combat Casting in PF, even our Magus. I'd argue against Combat Expertise unless you really need the AC boost. It's not a particularly good feat (I've house ruled it to grant twice the penalty taken, like PA), and combat maneuvers are not your thing. You don't have the feats for them. Leave that to fighters and monks.

Toughness is nice. Boring, but helps keep you on your feet.

[Arc_knight25]

For spells, I hope you've taken Mirror image (Best buff spell for magus). I have a dex based build Magus in my campaign.

Also nice level 1 spell called Frostbite does 1d6+CL non lethal cold dmg. Also has as many charges as your CL. So if your lvl 5 you do 1d6+5 for 5 attacks. Also if you crit spell dmg is doubled as well.

Improved Initiative is a good choice.

What race are you? If you are Elf and have been spending your favoured class option on the 1/6 to another Magus Arcana. Take the Familiar that gets you another +4 to initiative.

For a total of +8 and your dex.

Also Weapon focus opens you up for more fighter fighters at 10th lvl.

[stack]

If you want to do maneuvers, wand wielder arcana and a wand of true strike to a long way.

[Barstro]

Bless you :smalltongue:. I realize that magical lineage/wayang spell hunter is the bee's knees for magi but I'm really, really tired of seeing it combined with Intensify spell for basically every magus build ever made.

But it's pretty much the only great combination. It probably should just be a class feature so that other people stop shouting "cheese". (I'm one of the shouters)

OP, great job walking the fine line between cheese and uselessness.

[Karoht]

Frigid Touch. 4D6 Cold and target is staggered for 1 round, no save. IF you crit the Staggered duration is extended to 1 minute. Same combo as Shocking Grasp really, but with an extra benefit.
Combo with elemental spell for damage and stagger all the time.
Force Punch is an awesome alternative once you hit 3rd level casting. Solid damage, solid effect.
Vampiric Touch is always good to have.

And yes, if you haven't got Mirror Image yet, get it ASAP, that spell is awesome at saving casters, especially combined with Blink/Invisibility.

[Kudaku]

But it's pretty much the only great combination. It probably should just be a class feature so that other people stop shouting "cheese". (I'm one of the shouters)

I don't really mind the power level of Intensify Spell + Magical Lineage/Wayang Spell Hunter Shocking Grasps, I just find it sad that so many magi wind up taking the same trait(s) and relying on the same spell.

I have the same issue with Dervish Dance - love the mechanical aspect of making 1h free fighting viable by applying dexterity to damage, hate that it only works with scimitars.

[NightbringerGGZ]

Offensive Spells I'm using:
Arcane Mark, Chill Touch, Shocking Grasp, Burning Hands, Elemental Touch. I've been calling this my "Bad Touch" build :smallbiggrin:

Buff/Defensive Spells I've used: Obscuring Mist (while in a train), Bull's Strength, Windy Escape. Mirror Image will see more use now that I have more than just 1 2nd level spell per day.

@Arc_knight25 - I'm a human and chose the story feat Nemesis at first level. This grants me 2 favored class bonuses, so I've taken HP and the 1/4 Arcane Point. If I can kill my nemesis (who I haven't even identified yet), I'll also get a +2 Strength bonus. Unfortunately I can't have a familiar due to the Bladebound archetype. I think it's a fair trade off when you look at everything I get.

In the game my entire society was wiped out while I was away from home and the only clue I have is a medallion with a strange symbol. Turns out some crazy cultists are associated with the symbol so I'm tracking them down for info. So far I've only fought shadow critters (evil outsiders), ghouls and vampire orc monks.

@Barstro - Thanks! Maintaining the balance is tough.

@Kudaku - My table has a few simple house rules for dex-based melee. Dervish dance can be refluffed for Rapier to start off. We also allow Graceful Edge & Improved Weapon Finesse as feats. Contrary to what some of the Paizo devs have worried about, Str builds haven't been made obsolete =P

[Kudaku]

@Kudaku - My table has a few simple house rules for dex-based melee. Dervish dance can be refluffed for Rapier to start off. We also allow Graceful Edge & Improved Weapon Finesse as feats. Contrary to what some of the Paizo devs have worried about, Str builds haven't been made obsolete =P

I've been using a similar house rule in my games for about six months and it's been working out very well indeed. There has been some posts on the Paizo forums that hint heavily that the Advanced Class Guide will have more feats available for Dexterity melee users.

[BWR]

My house rule: Weapon Finesse lets you replace Strength modifier with Dex modifier for attack and damage.

Problem solved.