Staff Magus (Frost Bite / Maneuver Build)

[Nosta]

How do these look for feats for such a build

1 Dirty Fighting
3 Rime Spell
5 Improved Trip
5 Enforcer
7 Greater Trip
9 Dazing Spell

[Psyren]

Why Dirty Fighting? Magus is one of the few martial classes where you're actively trying to get Dex and Int above 13. Unless you're going for a full plate build anyway, but those work best if you're starting at 13 or higher.

[Heavenblade]

Enforcer is a neat feat, but intimidation without mid-heavy investment becomes bad pretty soon - you could go instead for the tripping staff feat, that will let you deliver spellstrikes through trip maneuvers, and Imprpve action economy (also opening up the cool tripping twirl feat)

Also, a "low cost" alternative to rime spell is chilling amification which reduces speed by a bit and prevents 5 ft steps - but for a much cheaper cost than another spell level

[Kurald Galain]

Enforcer is a neat feat, but intimidation without mid-heavy investment becomes bad pretty soon
That's incorrect; it's a free effect on every attack, and you'll be getting a lot of those. Just grab a +5 item and invest your skill ranks.


you could go instead for the tripping staff feat
Unfortunately, that feat doesn't do anything: whoever wrote that forgot that you can already spellstrike on a trip. Twirling trip is cool in concept, but since it doesn't work with spell combat, it's a poor pick for a Magus.


Also, a "low cost" alternative to rime spell is chilling amification
Ideally you should use all three (plus a cruel weapon), but Rime Spell and Enforcer are both better than chilling amp.

[Heavenblade]

All of these are excellent points! thanks for correcting me (:

OP= so yeah, Ignore what I said

[DrMartin]

Why Dirty Fighting? Magus is one of the few martial classes where you're actively trying to get Dex and Int above 13. Unless you're going for a full plate build anyway, but those work best if you're starting at 13 or higher.

Dirty fighting is really handy! The extra +2 bonus from flanking offsets nicely mystic combat's penalty, opens up using a maneuver you didn't plan for in a pinch (like sundering hydra's heads, or disarming mc-guffin-wielding foes, or what have you), and opens up more options than expertise for paragon surge if you're a half elf

Even for non half elf I think it's a generally more useful feat than combat expertise on a class that already needs to optimize for accuracy somewhat.

Re: build - I am personally a fan of combat reflexes on a trip based build, if your Dex supports that. You could pick that with your level 5 bonus feat, as an alternative to enforcer