Myrrh, Frankincense, and Steel: Kurald Galain's Guide to the Magus

[TiaC]

I mean, you're forgetting the best 1st level stance, Unbroken Stride. You can walk on water on 1st level, which upgrades to spider climb at 5th, to good fly speed up to your land speed (but you can't hover), to Perfect fly speed (and hovering) at 15th.

I considered adding it, but magi have enough decent flight options that I thought I'd leave it at 3 stances. It does have the cool factor going for it though.

To bring things a bit closer to the topic, there are a few things added in Path of War expanded that could be great for magi. The Elemental Focus feat lets you ignore reduce resistance to your chosen element by your character level and at 10th level lets you deal half damage to immune targets. The Combat Training trait lets you pick up a 1st level maneuver, which can make it easier to get some PoW feats.

A good but obscure feat for Kensai is Scar-thickened from PFS 1-34: "Prerequisite: A member of the Rumawa tribe in the Mwangi Expanse.
Benefit: Provided you are not wearing any other form of armor, you gain a +2 natural AC bonus. The bonus increases by +1 per every five character levels."

[Kurald Galain]

On a different topic, one thing I've liked about multi-hit spells like Frostbite is how they combine with metamagic like Dazing Spell, Authoritative Spell, or Cherry Blossom Spell that add an additional effect whenever they do damage. You can get a lot out of those feats by hitting all combat with the same spell.

Oh, it gets worse. You can easily stack Enforcer + Rime Spell + Chilling Amplification on Frostbite

The Elemental Focus feat lets you ignore reduce resistance to your chosen element by your character level and at 10th level lets you deal half damage to immune targets.

Not bad, but swapping elements (e.g. Elemental Spell) is probably a better deal, as it lets you deal full damage unless the enemy is immune to every element.

A good but obscure feat for Kensai is Scar-thickened from PFS 1-34

Wow. Yes it is. That feat would see a lot more use if it were legal in more games (it's not legal in any PFS game, and most likely out-of-setting for any non-PFS game).

[techpriest35]

wait does this use the new pathfinder 2.0 crap? i refuse to play that as its a direct violation of all the reasons pathfinder was originally created.
EDIT
so another question that is only kind of related to this thread. is there a way to make a teifling's prehensile tail be useful with an actual weapon and is this a good idea compared to having meta magic rods?
edit 2. i liked your guide the layout was easy to read and i liked the color coding. i also liked how you sorted it by type of magus instead of sorting it by each of the various parts of any normal character. i havent played much pathfinder mostly cause the few times i can get a group together we play d&d 5th edition or d&d 3.5

[Kurald Galain]

wait does this use the new pathfinder 2.0 crap?

It does not. P1 and P2 are not compatible, so none of the P1 guides contains P2 material, and vice versa.

[khadgar567]

It does not. P1 and P2 are not compatible, so none of the P1 guides contains P2 material, and vice versa.

plus magys in 2e not released yet.

[Crimson_Crow]

For monstrous physics,I recommend Calikang or Shobhad(this one is even PFS compatible).My MC use to say that,if the monstrous humanoid have no weapon attack,it can't use weapon. So both of these little giant give you 4 (or 6) arms, capacity to use weapon,a boost to damage and AC...And now you can Power attack with two hand AND use spell combat AND use a metamagic rod or a buckler.

[Kurald Galain]

For monstrous physics,I recommend Calikang or Shobhad(this one is even PFS compatible).My MC use to say that,if the monstrous humanoid have no weapon attack,it can't use weapon. So both of these little giant give you 4 (or 6) arms, capacity to use weapon,a boost to damage and AC...And now you can Power attack with two hand AND use spell combat AND use a metamagic rod or a buckler.

Funnily, we just had the exact same discussion over at the Paizo forum. However, spell combat explicitly requires "wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon". So even in a four-armed form, you don't get the two-handed bonus for power attack when using spell combat.

[Crimson_Crow]

Funnily, we just had the exact same discussion over at the Paizo forum. However, spell combat explicitly requires "wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon". So even in a four-armed form, you don't get the two-handed bonus for power attack when using spell combat.

In theory a katana or a longsword is a one-handed weapon that you can use with two-hand. So RAW it should work.Also I would recommen spiresteel for your weapon, for a nice debuff on crit,with a correct DC ( as magus 's enhancement stack with and is a enhancement bonus)

[Kurald Galain]

In theory a katana or a longsword is a one-handed weapon that you can use with two-hand.

I don't believe in that kind of loophole; if you're wielding it in two hands, then it's not a one-handed weapon.

(if you want to be nitpicky, spell combat requires "wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand", so wielding it in two hands does not meet the requirement).

Spiresteel is cool though, unfortunately it's from a rarely-allowed source.

[Crimson_Crow]

I don't believe in that kind of loophole; if you're wielding it in two hands, then it's not a one-handed weapon.

(if you want to be nitpicky, spell combat requires "wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand", so wielding it in two hands does not meet the requirement).

Spiresteel is cool though, unfortunately it's from a rarely-allowed source.

Except that,even if you wield it with the other hand,nothing specify you can't help yourself with a third one. I think the restriction was put to stop magus of using a sledghammer or a curve elven blade with some cheesy think like "with a free action I only wield my greatsword with my right hand, then I cast my spell then, by a free action I put back my left and on the handle of my Greatsword and I do my attack" .Even without the 2-hand, 4 hand is really interesting

[Arkhios]

Whether or not a weapon is one- or two-handed is not a matter of belief, it's a matter of reading and understanding written rules as written. And proficiency.

Katana falls into Exotic One-Handed Weapon category by RAW. If you have exotic proficiency, it's a one-handed weapon for you, regardless of how you wield it.

If you have only martial weapon proficiency, it falls into martial two-handed weapon category for you.

[Kurald Galain]

Whether or not a weapon is one- or two-handed is not a matter of belief, it's a matter of reading and understanding written rules as written.

I don't believe in that kind of loophole; if you're wielding it in two hands, then it's not a one-handed weapon.

(if you want to be nitpicky, spell combat requires "wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand", so wielding it in two hands does not meet the requirement).

[Arkhios]

I don't believe in that kind of loophole; if you're wielding it in two hands, then it's not a one-handed weapon.

(if you want to be nitpicky, spell combat requires "wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand", so wielding it in two hands does not meet the requirement).

I saw you say that before.

I repeat in kind. It's not a matter of what you believe. It's what the rules say.

[Kurald Galain]

I saw you say that before.

I repeat in kind. It's not a matter of what you believe. It's what the rules say.

Exactly. You believe in a loophole, and the rules say that you are wrong, as noted in the bolded part of my last two posts.

[Crimson_Crow]

And, In the rules, there's no such thing as: when you spell combat, you can't use your third hand to fight two-handedly. The only think you must do is wielding your weapon with the hand that doesn't cast the spell.
Alors, if wielding a one-handed 2handedly make it a 2HW,then wielding a light weapon with one-hand make it a...OHW? See the problem ?

[Crimson_Crow]

For half-elf I would also recommend the Fast learner feat: in late game you can have +2 arcane point and 2 more arcana. Quite juicy for a unique feat

[Ilorin Lorati]

For half-elf I would also recommend the Fast learner feat: in late game you can have +2 arcane point and 2 more arcana. Quite juicy for a unique feat

This doesn't work by RAW.

The RAW is that you get your HP and skill points, or you can pick an alternative. Both or one. It was highly debated on if this is RAI (I believe the writer worded it so that you could do as you suggest but the wording was changed before release), but unfortunately that will require a GM ruling.

[Crimson_Crow]

Oooh, miss that . Too bad.

[techpriest35]

so i found some feats that i'm not sure if i should grab. they are feats that require you to be able to cast spells of a particular type and level.
the book i was looking at had reserved spell feats. you get a different effect based on which spells you prepare but dont cast.

acid splatter=must have the ability to cast and prepare 2nd level arcane spells
as long as you have an acid spell of 2nd level or higher prepared you can throw an orb of acid as a ranged touch attack.the orb has a range of 5ft times the highest acid spell level prepared. the orb deals 1d6 times the highest acid spell level prepared.you gain a +1 competence bonus to caster levels when casting an acid spell.both the acid orb and the caster level bonus are supernatural abilities.(thought this might add a bit more damage and im not sure if this could be used with spell combat. since it is generated from a spell being held in reserve)

aquatic breath= ability to prepare 3rd level arcane spells
as long as you have a water spell of 3rd level or higher prepared you can breathe both water and air
you gain a +1 competence bonus to caster levels of water spells(there are probably better ways to get water breathing)

clutch of earth= ability to prepare 2nd level arcane spells
as long as you have a 2nd level or higher earth spell prepared you can spend a standard action to cause all land bound enemies base land speed,burrow speed, and climb speed reduced by 5ft times the highest level earth spell prepared.this effect can only reduce a creature's speed to a minimum of 5ft. the effect lasts 1 round. a fort save negates the effect and makes that individual immune for 24 hours.creatures swimming or flying when this effect is activated are not affected.gain a +1 competence bonus to caster levels of earth spells (this could be useful for the battlefield control path)
EDIT
other feats i saw that were kind of interesting
bore strike= requires improved sunder
when making a sunder attempt double your effective strength modifier for damage purposes.

dark sight= can see in darkness and magical darkness

stroke of vengeance= requires power attack
if you strike a target 2 times with 1 melee weapon target makes a will save dc 10+damage dealt by second attack
failure causes the target to be shaken for 1 round. creatures immune to fear or mind affecting abilities are immune fighter's may select this as a bonus feat

from complete arcane
arcane defense=requires spell focus
grants +3 on all saving throws from the selected school of magic. special you can grab this feat multiple times but its effects do not stack instead they apply to a different school of magic

arcane mastery=you are quick and certain in your efforts to defeat the arcane defenses and spells of others
requires ability to cast arcane spells or use spell like abilities(including invocations)
benefits:
can take 10 on caster level checks(as if the spell was a skill check)

the below feats i would not suggest as they feel like they should just be minor trinkets that provide the same spells
communicator
RAW
you possess a magical understanding of the essence of language.
benefit:an innate talent for magic grants you the following spell like abilities as a 1st-level caster: 1/day- arcane mark,comprehend languages,message

insightful = you possess a magical understanding of the workings of arcane detection
benefit:an innate talent for magic grants you the following spell like abilities as a 1st- level caster: 1/day detect magic,detect secret doors,read magic

necropolis born= you possess a magical understanding of the essence of mortal dread
benefit:an innate talent for magic grants you the following spell like abilities as a 1st-level caster: 1/day cause fear,ghost sound,touch of fatigue spell save dc 10+spell level+your cha mod

night haunt=you possess a magical understanding of the workings of the unseen
benefit:an innate talent for magic grants you the following spell like abilities as a 1st- level caster :1/day dancing lights,prestigitation,unseen servant. save dc=10+spell level+your cha mod

soul of the north= you possess a magical understanding of the nature of cold
benefit:an innate talent for magic grants you the following spell like abilities as a 1st- level caster:1/day chill touch ray of frost resistance. spell save dc=10+spell level+cha mod

spell hand= you possess a magical understanding of the manipulation of force
benefit:an innate talent for magic grants you the following spell like abilities as a 1st- level caster: 1/day mage hand,open/close,tenser's floating disk. spell save dc 10+spell level+cha mod

[Kurald Galain]

the book i was looking at had reserved spell feats. you get a different effect based on which spells you prepare but dont cast.

Well technically, those are feats are from 3.5 so they're not usually legal in Pathfinder. That said, they're not overpowered or anything so asking your GM can't hurt.

Acid Splatter doesn't work in spell combat. It's essentially a fallback for wizards that run out of spells (although a well-played wizard probably won't), and a Magus tends to use his weapon if out of spells. So this is not a very good pick for a Magus.

Aquatic Breath, as you state, there are better ways to get water breathing.

Clutch of Earth doesn't strike me as worth your action in combat. Save negates, only one round, and only reduces their speed a bit; your spells will do a better job at battlefield control.

HTH.

[Chaos Jackal]

Do you think the Planetouched feats are worth anything? Somebody suggested them to me, but I find the magus to be a bit tight with feats for most levels...

[Kurald Galain]

Do you think the Planetouched feats are worth anything?

Did you mean Conduit feats? There are a few of them in the feats list of the handbook, but most aren't very good.

[Chaos Jackal]

Yeah, Conduit feats. I'm not even sure why I wrote planetouched...

Wanderer's Fortune seems decent, although the swift action has competition and there are other ways to escape grapples.

[aglondier]

Awesome, if very long, thread. A question or two, if I may?

My 4th level dwarf fighter (dwarven longhammer +8, 2d6+14, Str 17, weapon focus, weapon spec, power attack, furious focus, two-handed power strike) has just advanced to 5th level and I am switching to Magus (deep marshall), taking the feat Intuitive Spellcaster.

As a level 1 magus, spell combat allows me to whack someone with the hammer and cast a spell, gaining a touch or ranged attack for that spell as per normal spellcasting. As the hammer is two-handed, I would use a free action to take one hand off the hammer to cast, cast the spell, and use another free action to grab the weapon again, just like a wizard with a staff would. Am I correct?

What is your take on the interpretation of a deep marshall's Bound by Tradition ability, allowing Spell Combat and Spellstrike to be used normally with a Dwarven Longhammer?

Also looking to homebrew a cantrip: Elemental Hand, evocation, touch, 1d3 elemental damage chosen at time of casting from fire, cold, acid, electricity or sonic, VS, save no, resistance yes, 1 standard action. Basically trading Close range for elemental versatility.

[Kurald Galain]

As the hammer is two-handed, I would use a free action to take one hand off the hammer to cast, cast the spell, and use another free action to grab the weapon again, just like a wizard with a staff would. Am I correct?

Unfortunately not: Spell Combat requires you to wield a one-handed weapon (although Arcane Pool enchant and Spellstrike have no such restriction). Bound By Tradition is a further restriction; its wording does not override or bypass existing restrictions. So you can use Spellstrike with the longhammer but not Spell Combat. That's important because the Magus doesn't normally get weapons with 2d6 base damage or with reach, and this archetype doesn't just give you that for free, either.

Also looking to homebrew a cantrip: Elemental Hand

For a Magus, that the spell is not close-range is an improvement, not a tradeoff. It's not gamebreaking or anything, but it's clearly better than all existing cantrips. Personally I'd let you spend a feat on that, and drop the (normally not accessible) sonic element; it strikes me that the Magus is strong enough that it doesn't need the boost for free. But it's homebrew so ask your GM.

[Crimson_Crow]

For the Eldricht Archer you said:"Ranged spellstrike is not so useful though, as it mainly makes your spells less accurate; just aim the spell normally, or use a firearm so you can make ranged touch attacks" But I don't really see your point,it's the same deficit in accuracy for a normal spellstrike from a normal magus

[Seto]

Ranged spellstrike explicitly cannot benefit from the Accurate Strike arcana, which is a big loss from level 9. Otherwise, I'm not sure, clarification would indeed be welcome.

[Chaos Jackal]

Key difference is crit range.

Ranged weapons can't be keen. The primary reason you're spellstriking rather than simply delivering the spell with your hand is the 15-20 crit range you can get. On top of that, a bow lacks a few other bonuses when attacking, such as adding your stat modifier to damage.

That's not to say that getting an extra attack with your bow is bad, but there's far less to be gained by doing so compared to the loss of accuracy you'll suffer for hitting regular rather than touch AC.

[Kitsuneymg]

Key difference is crit range.

Ranged weapons can't be keen. The primary reason you're spellstriking rather than simply delivering the spell with your hand is the 15-20 crit range you can get. On top of that, a bow lacks a few other bonuses when attacking, such as adding your stat modifier to damage.

That's not to say that getting an extra attack with your bow is bad, but there's far less to be gained by doing so compared to the loss of accuracy you'll suffer for hitting regular rather than touch AC.

Also, I don’t think you can hold a ranged charge. With a shocking grasp, you can keep trying to deliver it on subsequent hits.

[Kurald Galain]

Also, I don’t think you can hold a ranged charge. With a shocking grasp, you can keep trying to deliver it on subsequent hits.

Yes, that's it.

A melee spell with spellstrike is a guaranteed hit, because you hold the charge until you hit something.
A spell with ranged spellstrike gets one chance to hit, and is lost if the attack misses.
E.g. a ranged touch for 4d6 (scorching ray) is pretty much always better than doing a ranged non-touch for 4d6+arrow damage.