A Bartitsu Magus - Any advice?

[Calemyr]

Here's the deal. I'm in a game where I'm playing a card caster magus. The character is a "gentleman/gambler"-type character modeled somewhat off of Setzer Gabianni from Final Fantasy VI. Everything about him is set up to look mundane. A leather greatcoat rather than armor, a deck of cards rather than a bow, and a sword cane rather than a rapier. Even his spellbook is written to resemble a text on card games and tricks rather than a tome of arcane power.

Here's the problem: I like my character, but in a group oriented towards combat and in a campaign designed to be at least a bit hardcore, I realize I'm somewhat less than optimized. 1d4+Str is not great for a primary attack, 20 ft is not an admirable range increment, and the sword cane is basically a woefully subpar rapier. I don't expect to keep up with the half-orc barbarian with the earthbreaker hammer, but I would like to be able to carry my weight. And, if possible, do so without sacrificing the character's style.

My solution, I think, is Bartitsu, the British martial art of "gentlemanly combat". Think Robert Downey Jr's version of Sherlock Holmes.

Here's what I've got so far:
* The DM is willing to let me use the scabbard part of the sword cane as a sort of buckler, giving me a +1 shield bonus to my AC when it's in my hand.
* I'm too feat starved to support unarmed combat, but I am trying to think the addition of magic and some Iaido (drawing and sheathing the blade as part of each attack to keep my main hand generally free) balances it out a bit. (I'm taking the quick draw feat to approximate Iaido).
* I'm hoping I'll be able to use the cane sword (in cane form) as club and/or tripping/disarming weapon. Of course, any attempt to use the scabbard in an offensive way invalidates the shield bonus for that turn.
* I'm taking arcane accuracy (magus arcana) so that I can add +5 to my attacks when they really matter.

My character is currently level 3 (leveled at the end of the latest session). Does anyone have any advice how I can further this to actually be useful without sacrificing the soul of the character?

[Bluydee]

Are you trying to keep the concept intact? What part of the magus is essential to your character? If you want the gentlemanly concept, you can ask if you can switch to an Investigator, but that gets rid of your card-throwing.

[Calemyr]

Are you trying to keep the concept intact? What part of the magus is essential to your character? If you want the gentlemanly concept, you can ask if you can switch to an Investigator, but that gets rid of your card-throwing.

I'm trying to keep the whole of the character intact. Besides the fact that we already have a swashbuckler/investigator in the party, my magus is the party's sole source of arcane casting. I'm primarily a caster (20 int, 16 str and dex). I'm just trying to think of tricks and tactics I could use to make my rather sub-par choice in weaponry work for me rather than against me.

[Kurald Galain]

All right.

How does debuffing your enemy into the ground fit into gentlemanly combat? Would you like dealing fatigue + shaken + entangle + sickened on your regular attacks? Aside from that, if your int is high then the Magus has a good suite of debuff spells available, starting with Daze and Color Spray.

Or if you want to trip and disarm, never underestimate the value of True Strike. You don't even need the feats per se, just do spell combat + True Strike + 5' step + the maneuver of your choice. Deal with opportunity attacks by either pulling this on flat-footed enemies, or casting Long Arm first, or having Mirror Image up.

And if you think 1d4+str is not a lot of damage, bear in mind that the Magus has a very good nova in the form of Intensified Shocking Grasp.

Recommended reading material (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?423754-Myrrh-Frankincense-and-Steel-Kurald-Galain-s-Guide-to-the-Magus).

[Calemyr]

All right.

How does debuffing your enemy into the ground fit into gentlemanly combat? Would you like dealing fatigue + shaken + entangle + sickened on your regular attacks? Aside from that, if your int is high then the Magus has a good suite of debuff spells available, starting with Daze and Color Spray.

Or if you want to trip and disarm, never underestimate the value of True Strike. You don't even need the feats per se, just do spell combat + True Strike + 5' step + the maneuver of your choice. Deal with opportunity attacks by either pulling this on flat-footed enemies, or casting Long Arm first, or having Mirror Image up.

And if you think 1d4+str is not a lot of damage, bear in mind that the Magus has a very good nova in the form of Intensified Shocking Grasp.

Recommended reading material (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?423754-Myrrh-Frankincense-and-Steel-Kurald-Galain-s-Guide-to-the-Magus).

Heh. Yeah. Last session I used True Strike + Bullrush to give our barbarian some desperately needed breathing room, and I'm quick to cast Shield in any real fight, which really helps. Daze might get more use, now that you mention it, at least for a level or two, and I'll admit I hadn't considered Color Spray for a spellstrike.

Actually, in your recommended reading, you say that Familiar is an exceptional arcana. I was toying with getting that with an Ioun Wyrd or a Cat Sith (masquerading as a plain cat until level 7). Where can I read up on the "archetype" for familiars that you mentioned there?