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Keno Darkfire
2015-07-03, 04:02 PM
Pathfinder System

The only current magus archetypes that make ranged a viable option are the card caster and the Myrmidarch. The flaws here are A: limited to using cards/throwing weapons if you wish to go card caster. B: the Myrmidarch is designed completely as a switch hitter. So I thought i'd try my hand at making a balanced (hopefully) ranged based magus archetype.


Mystic Hunter

Add Survival to the list of Class Skills Known (Loses Use Magic Device)

Track (Ex)
A Mystic Hunter adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.

Aim, Focus, Release:
+1 to hit and damage with ranged weapons, this bonus increases at 1st, 6th, 12th and 16th level to a max of +4.
This ability replaces Spell Combat, Improved spell combat and Greater spell combat


Arcane Pool Focus (Su)

A Mystic Hunters arcane pool can be used to augment only ranged weapons. At 5th level, a Mystic Hunter can use his arcane pool to add any of the following weapon special abilities to ranged weapons: brilliant energy, distance, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, returning, seeking, shock, shocking burst, and speed. This ability only works for the Mystic Hunter while they wield the weapon. This ability modifies arcane pool.
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Mystic Shot (Su)

Beginning at 2nd level, Mystic Hunter can imbue a single Ranged weapon with a single melee touch spell as part of the spell's normal casting time. The spell must target a single creature, and the spell's range changes to match the ranged weapon's range increment. This ability otherwise functions identically to spellstrike, except it can only be applied to ranged ranged weapons instead of melee attacks.

This ability replaces and modifies spellstrike.

Mine Aim Strike True
A Mystic Hunter gains a combat style as a ranger of the same Level, but may only choose from: Archery, Crossbows, or Throwing weapons
(A total of 5 feats from a limited selection based upon the ranger combat styles listed)
This ability replaces the bonus feats at 5th, 11th and 17th, as well as Medium and Heavy armor training.

All the harder to hit you with my dear (Arcane Impact)
Increase the effective Size catagory of your ranged weapons by 1 for the purpose of damage calculation only. This will stack with similer effects such as Gravity Bow.
This replaces the level 20 magus capstone

I would appreciate comments, suggestions, and concerns. In general I seek to make a range focused magus archetype that is not overpowered, nor underwhelming by comparison to the standard paizo archetypes. Instead of Limiting it simply to "I wanna make a magic bow user" I wanted to design it with the idea that "I could make a throwing axe specialist" or any form of ranged magic type.

Xerlith
2015-07-05, 04:03 AM
The loss of spellstrike, the action economy equaliser, for an almost irrelevant numerical bonus? Don't.

I feel like spellstrike is too big of a Magus signature skill to yank it away. Other than that, the archetype is... Weak. It trades too much for way too little.

Raenel
2015-07-05, 04:15 AM
How about, in addition to aim, focus, release, the arcane hunter gains an animal companion, who you treat as if you where a druid of you level -3? But it shares your int score and can use spells of yours a level lower than you can, and uses your caster level. But any round you cast a spell, it can't, and vise versa.
Edit: But that would discourage channeling spells through your bow(or other relevant missile weapon) ...... maybe just limit it to touch spells and let you both cast
Re-Edit: I would also say to allow ranged touch attack spells be channeled through your bow (or other relevant missile weapon) as well as melee. And maybe eventually allow aoe spells be cast (maybe times per day or just as an upgrade)

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 01:30 AM
The loss of spellstrike, the action economy equaliser, for an almost irrelevant numerical bonus? Don't.

I feel like spellstrike is too big of a Magus signature skill to yank it away. Other than that, the archetype is... Weak. It trades too much for way too little.

It's actually not losing Spellstrike, that ability is being altered similer to the Cardcaster archtype, it's losing it's Spell Combat feature (Duelwield a spell and melee weapon as if using two weapon fighting)

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 01:33 AM
How about, in addition to aim, focus, release, the arcane hunter gains an animal companion, who you treat as if you where a druid of you level -3? But it shares your int score and can use spells of yours a level lower than you can, and uses your caster level. But any round you cast a spell, it can't, and vise versa.
Edit: But that would discourage channeling spells through your bow(or other relevant missile weapon) ...... maybe just limit it to touch spells and let you both cast
Re-Edit: I would also say to allow ranged touch attack spells be channeled through your bow (or other relevant missile weapon) as well as melee. And maybe eventually allow aoe spells be cast (maybe times per day or just as an upgrade)

A way to add ranged touch attacks to the spellstrike ability is already included in the existing magus arcanas, bit convoluted but would pick up the magus arcana: Close range, which converts ranged touch spells into melee touch spells which could then be used with the now range based spellstrike.

Xerlith
2015-07-06, 01:59 AM
It's actually not losing Spellstrike, that ability is being altered similer to the Cardcaster archtype, it's losing it's Spell Combat feature (Duelwield a spell and melee weapon as if using two weapon fighting)

A typo. Spell combat is what I meant.

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 02:23 AM
aye, I wanted to take away a lot of it's melee power, the archtype was meant to be focused around an almost purely ranged style, the Myrmadarch archtype is based upon being a hybrid. But there was no true range specilist magus.

Raenel
2015-07-06, 02:49 AM
A way to add ranged touch attacks to the spellstrike ability is already included in the existing magus arcanas, bit convoluted but would pick up the magus arcana: Close range, which converts ranged touch spells into melee touch spells which could then be used with the now range based spellstrike.

While that is true, I still think you should build it into the archetype regardless. I mean, you already give up (in my opinion) one of the coolest and most powerful class abilities (spell combat). Why not make it a little more worth a characters while and give it to them automatically? Why make them use a magus arcana, when they only get six anyways? I like the concept a lot (especially if it applies to all ranged weapons, gunslinger/ magus would be so awesome, but I don't think thats close to what you want), but I think it needs to be a little bit more powerful. It feels like your giving up too much for too little. Sure, five feats for three and armor prof. sound cool, but they are more limited then the regular feats. I'm not saying this would be bad to play. I just feel that it lacks.... pzazz, if you catch my drift. Like it's just missing one or two things to make it go from "Okay, not bad", to "Now this is something I wanna play!". Well, that's just my opinion anyways
Edit: An idea just hit me. You could modify the arcana a bit, so if you cast a ranged or melee touch spell with multiple charges or attacks and channel it through you weapon, you can attack up to x, where x is the number of attacks you can normally make on a full attack action or the charges and/or attacks the spell has, whichever is less. Just make it a full round action that only works with spells with a casting time of standard or less (or however you want, because it's your archetype).

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 10:17 AM
While that is true, I still think you should build it into the archetype regardless. I mean, you already give up (in my opinion) one of the coolest and most powerful class abilities (spell combat). Why not make it a little more worth a characters while and give it to them automatically? Why make them use a magus arcana, when they only get six anyways? I like the concept a lot (especially if it applies to all ranged weapons, gunslinger/ magus would be so awesome, but I don't think thats close to what you want), but I think it needs to be a little bit more powerful. It feels like your giving up too much for too little. Sure, five feats for three and armor prof. sound cool, but they are more limited then the regular feats. I'm not saying this would be bad to play. I just feel that it lacks.... pzazz, if you catch my drift. Like it's just missing one or two things to make it go from "Okay, not bad", to "Now this is something I wanna play!". Well, that's just my opinion anyways
Edit: An idea just hit me. You could modify the arcana a bit, so if you cast a ranged or melee touch spell with multiple charges or attacks and channel it through you weapon, you can attack up to x, where x is the number of attacks you can normally make on a full attack action or the charges and/or attacks the spell has, whichever is less. Just make it a full round action that only works with spells with a casting time of standard or less (or however you want, because it's your archetype).

Actually was seeking critique like that, as I said, I want to avoid making this overpowered (hello Synthisist) but I don't wish it to be underwhelming either (pfft, archeologist)

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 10:46 AM
what about replaceing AIm, Focus, Release with
When using Spellstrike to imbue a Multi ray spell you may take a full round action to make as many attacks as the spell would normally allow rays, imbueing each one Ex: a level 11 magus using scorching ray might make 3 attacks each imbued with a ray from the spell, each taking a successive -2 penality, 1st attack would be at base, 2nd at -2 third at -4

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 11:02 AM
I was hesitant to just give ranged touch to the spellstrike, though I will agree losing spell combat is a major hit. So that might not be as overpowering as I feared.

Raenel
2015-07-06, 11:51 AM
I think that would be fair. But I do have a question. Does counterstrike work with ranged weaponry? Because if it doesn't, you might think about replacing it with ranged spell barrage (just what I'm gonna call it for the moment), but making it scale with level. For example, at first level, they can only get one shot off of multiple ranged touch attacks, but every five levels after, it increases by one (level 6 and 11), while at level 16 you can fire off as many as the spell normally allows. Or just cap it at four.

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 10:06 PM
Mystic Hunter

Add Survival to the list of Class Skills Known (Loses Use Magic Device)


A Mystic Hunter adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.

Aim, Focus, Release
+1 to hit and damage. At 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th levels this increases by another +1 to a maximum of +5, this damage is precision based.
This ability replaces the spell combat line

Arcane Pool Focus (Su)
A Mystic Hunters arcane pool can be used to augment only ranged weapons. At 5th level, a Mystic Hunter can use his arcane pool to add any of the following weapon special abilities to ranged weapons: brilliant energy, distance, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, returning, seeking, shock, shocking burst, and speed. This ability only works for the Mystic Hunter while they wield the weapon.
This ability modifies arcane pool.

Mystic Shot (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, Mystic Hunter can imbue a single Ranged weapon with a single melee touch spell or ranged spell as part of the spell's normal casting time. The spell must target a single creature, and the spell's range changes to match the ranged weapon's range increment. This ability otherwise functions identically to spellstrike, except it can only be applied to ranged ranged weapons instead of melee attacks.
When using Spellstrike to imbue a Multi ray spell you may take a full round action to make as many attacks as the spell would normally allow rays, imbueing each one Ex: a level 11 magus using scorching ray might make 3 attacks each imbued with a ray from the spell, each taking a successive -2 penality, 1st attack would be at base, 2nd at -2 third at -4
This ability replaces and modifies Spellstrike and Counterstrike

Mine Aim Strike True
A Mystic Hunter gains a combat style as a ranger of the same Level, but may only choose from: Archery, Crossbows, or Throwing weapons
This ability replaces the bonus feats at 5th, 11th and 17th, as well as Medium and Heavy armor training.

All the harder to hit you with my dear (Arcane Impact)
Increase the effective Size catagory of your ranged weapons by 1 for the purpose of damage calculation only. This will stack with similer effects such as Gravity Bow.
This replaces the level 20 magus capstone

Keno Darkfire
2015-07-06, 10:07 PM
what about replaceing AIm, Focus, Release with
When using Spellstrike to imbue a Multi ray spell you may take a full round action to make as many attacks as the spell would normally allow rays, imbueing each one Ex: a level 11 magus using scorching ray might make 3 attacks each imbued with a ray from the spell, each taking a successive -2 penality, 1st attack would be at base, 2nd at -2 third at -4

After reviewing the magus spell list again I found a whopping 2 spells which fit into this catagory from Tier 1-6

Raenel
2015-07-07, 12:47 AM
After reviewing the magus spell list again I found a whopping 2 spells which fit into this catagory from Tier 1-6
Maybe give them access to more multi-ray spells? And don't forget, you do eventually access to 12 or 14 (I forget which) spells from the wiz/sorc list.