Natural Attak Magus, can it be done?

[Dusk Eclipse]

This is just a random idea that suddenly struck me; It is incredibly simple, a Magus that focuses in using Natural weapons (most likely claws and/or bite) as opposed to the traditional scimitar/sword.

My first instinct would be to go Eldritch Scion with Draconic or Abyssal bloodline and call it a day, but I'm sure we can do better. So any ideas? I'd like to keep things as close as possible to Paizo-only since I may or may not be able to switch my current RotRL character.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Yep, can be done. Claws and Bites are your friends, all primary attacks so (unless stated otherwise) they all use your highest AB.

You will want to look around for abilities that add to damage, not on a per-use basis, but on a per-round basis. Power Attack, Arcane Strike, the Frostbite or Chill Touch spells, those sorts of things.

Higher up, you will pick up Monstrous Physique II and Spell Combat cast it to turn into something with loads of natural attacks, like a Four-Armed Gargoyle. Six attacks a round, all adding several nasty damage effects, is a pretty effective knockout blow.

Damage reduction will always be a problem for you. I've eventually chosen to bite the bullet and buy myself a bloody +5 Amulet of Mighty Fists at outrageous cost, as the game I'm playing in with a Natural Attack warrior is loaded with outsiders and beasts with DR. Even when I can power through DR 15/Good, just by dealing more damage per hit, it feels dirty to leave that much damage on the table.

[Kurald Galain]

Yes, you can, although I'm not sure what the magus adds to it (after all, the magus's main trick is Spell Combat and you can't use that with a full-natural-attack routine).

That said, you can increase the amount of attacks by being a Tengu (claw/claw/bite right out of the gate) or Tiefling with Mother's Teeth trait (same thing), and various druid and barbarian builds can add natural attacks at low level, as can alchemist and white-haired witch.

I find the easiest way to boost damage is with sneak attack dice, so take a level each of ninja and snakebite brawler. It may sound tempting to go arcane trickster after that to boost both your spells and your sneak attack, but I don't recommend that as it ruins your BAB.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Spell combat days that you can take your full attack routine, why would using natural weapons be different than using manufactured weapons?

As for why I want to do it, I just thought it would be fun.

[Kurald Galain]

Spell combat days that you can take your full attack routine,

Sorry, you'd need Natural Spell Combat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/magus-arcana/paizo---magus-arcana/natural-spell-combat-ex) to use natural attacks with spell combat. If you want to use a claw/bite/gore routine, you'd need to take this arcana three times.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Really Paizo? Really? Ahg... Dammit.

[Psyren]

Sorry, you'd need Natural Spell Combat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/magus-arcana/paizo---magus-arcana/natural-spell-combat-ex) to use natural attacks with spell combat. If you want to use a claw/bite/gore routine, you'd need to take this arcana three times.

You don't need that arcana (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fz#v5748eaic9qhg) to use claws and slams with Spell Combat. That arcana is for other natural attacks (bites, tail slaps etc.)

[Ssalarn]

I think that arcana is an unfortunate consequence of Paizo changing their mind. Originally, Spell Combat was a full round action different from a full attack, but these two (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fz#v5748eaic9qhg) FAQs (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fz#v5748eaic9qhe) make the feat fairly pointless for claws (unless you want to spend a feat for a +2 bonus to concentration checks), though still useful if you want to deliver the spell with a bite or tail slap.

[Psyren]

It's actually an arcana, not a feat (though of course it can be a feat for that reason.)

And I wouldn't call it unfortunate. You can spell combat with claws and slams without any investment, from level 1 - I call that a win. Catfolk Eldritch Scion ftw.

The part about that FAQ I like the most is that it clarifies that you can wield an unarmed strike in one hand, unlike 3.5. (There is another FAQ that syncs with this, letting you TWF with Unarmed Strike.)

[Ssalarn]

It's actually an arcana, not a feat (though of course it can be a feat for that reason.)

And I wouldn't call it unfortunate. You can spell combat with claws and slams without any investment, from level 1 - I call that a win. Catfolk Eldritch Scion ftw.

The part about that FAQ I like the most is that it clarifies that you can wield an unarmed strike in one hand, unlike 3.5. (There is another FAQ that syncs with this, letting you TWF with Unarmed Strike.)

Oh, don't get me wrong, I like the FAQ, I just think the arcana is unfortunately much less useful than it was intended to be since the FAQs removed a lot of the need for it, making it very niche.

[grarrrg]

Natural Spell Combat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/magus-arcana/paizo---magus-arcana/natural-spell-combat-ex)

I get the feeling that whoever wrote up that Arcana had little/no knowledge of how Natural Attacks actually work...