5e Class: Magus

[slikshot]

Here is the URL to the Google Doc of the class (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CSkaMnisU71mKt59VbtERg-Gla9xdcfaGpzLo0t1WyY/edit)

Any help and critiques would be greatly appreciated :)

[BRKNdevil]

I was going to say remove expertise, but then it disappeared before my very eyes

you should also break up abjurant mantle into one thing, and then another later if need be. but the character is still pretty beefy with a d10 hit die

[Ninja_Prawn]

I can't see any balance issues here, well done! All I found was two stray apostrophes, which I marked up in the doc.

I assume you haven't written up true spellsight and perfect abjurant mantle yet?

[slikshot]

I can't see any balance issues here, well done! All I found was two stray apostrophes, which I marked up in the doc.

I assume you haven't written up true spellsight and perfect abjurant mantle yet?

Yeah, the second part of abjurant mantle is typed up. The True Spellsight is part of the original spellsight description. It's basically allowing the Magus to expend extra uses for truesight, as found in the PHB. Will rename it though.

Thanks for pointing out the apostrophes!

[Startouched]

I quite like it. Doesn't seem obviously overpowered at glance and the spells are cool. Not sure how the Strikes will prove in practice since they're quite restricted. I suspect that I'd need to playtest the class to find out.

[Ziegander]

Great job, I just have two concerns: Arcane Champion, the Lorekeeper capstone, is WAAAAY overpowered. Bonus action spells and disadvantage to your spells are both almost certainly too powerful just by themselves. Getting them both at once along with 10 temp hp per round is overwhelmingly too strong.

And your spell Ghostwalk... doesn't appear to actually do anything. It does have niche uses, but, correct me if I'm wrong, your intention wasn't juts to create a spell to allow players to suicide run into places and then provide an automatic, "safe (ish)" escape was it?

[Startouched]

Great job, I just have two concerns: Arcane Champion, the Lorekeeper capstone, is WAAAAY overpowered. Bonus action spells and disadvantage to your spells are both almost certainly too powerful just by themselves. Getting them both at once along with 10 temp hp per round is overwhelmingly too strong.

And your spell Ghostwalk... doesn't appear to actually do anything. It does have niche uses, but, correct me if I'm wrong, your intention wasn't juts to create a spell to allow players to suicide run into places and then provide an automatic, "safe (ish)" escape was it?

Not the creator, but isn't Arcane Champion pretty much identical to the Ancient Paladins Elder Champion form but with temporary health instead of real health (so arguably a tad weaker)? I agree that it seems a bit powerful at a glance, but given that WoTC were apparently alright with the same feature on a half caster I'm unsure it's a colossal balance oversight.

As for Ghostwalk, it sounds like it would be incredible for a thief. No distance cap and can be broken even when it isn't your turn (tied to concentration, which can be dropped at any time).

[Ziegander]

Not the creator, but isn't Arcane Champion pretty much identical to the Ancient Paladins Elder Champion form but with temporary health instead of real health (so arguably a tad weaker)? I agree that it seems a bit powerful at a glance, but given that WoTC were apparently alright with the same feature on a half caster I'm unsure it's a colossal balance oversight.

Huh. It seems you're right. Seems way too good. I guess at 20th level, nothing matters anymore, so no big deal.


As for Ghostwalk, it sounds like it would be incredible for a thief. No distance cap and can be broken even when it isn't your turn (tied to concentration, which can be dropped at any time).

Sure, but nothing about the Magus screams thief to me, either in established themes or mechanical execution. If that's really all the spell was intended to do I a) question what it's doing on the Magus spell list, and b) question why it's a 5th level spell.

[Startouched]

Sure, but nothing about the Magus screams thief to me, either in established themes or mechanical execution. If that's really all the spell was intended to do I a) question what it's doing on the Magus spell list, and b) question why it's a 5th level spell.

Hmm, I guess I can see where you're coming from to a degree with regards to thematic appropriateness for the class. I guess you could make a case that the class fluff strongly encourages the acquisition of new knowledge and techniques, so spells that help someone to explore and scout fit that? I

I disagree that it isn't worth a 5th level spell, though. There are no spells in the Handbook with unlimited teleportation range below 5th level and whilst this one has it's limits, so do Word of Recall (6th level) and Teleportation Circle (5th level). Whilst it might not be the strongest spell of it's level, if someone had asked me to take a look at the spell description and estimate it's level I would have probably said in the 4-6 range.

Hopefully the creator can step in to shed some light on this/explain something we've missed about the spell.

[PotatoGolem]

I'd say it seems pretty much balanced. Less raw power than a paladin, but more versatile.

[Llama513]

My player is having a lot of fun with this class, its awesome, I am really glad that the class exists to give an in between a full caster and playing a eldritch knight

[Quillblade]

I realize it's been a really loooooooong time since this was posted, but I do have a question. I am currently set to play a 1st level magus in our home game, since my GM has allowed custom/homebrew options if we can sell him on them ;)

Your 5E Magus has ranger weapon and armor proficiencies and number of skills, and otherwise follows the paladin chassis. It seems to balance out. Level by level, the class mimics the paladin in terms of when it gets certain kinds of abilities – except at third level, when the paladin gets both Divine Health as well as choosing an Oath, but the magus only gets the Order ability.

I don't think this makes the magus under-powered (they seem solid), I'm just genuinely curious about the reasons behind it. Is immunity to disease generally considered something of a paladin ribbon ability in 5E and therefore an equivalent wasn't needed? Is there another ability that is considered to compensate for the lack of Divine Health? Was it just an oversight? Am I overthinking the whole thing and it really doesn't matter? (Probably...)

PS: Thanks for including the Multiclassing details, a lot of homebrew classes forget about this :)