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I'm relatively new to Pathfinder and RPGs in general, so I was pretty clueless when I made my first character. After getting really harsh feedback on her, I started religiously following the advice from Walter's Guide to the Magus. That was a year or so ago...
By now I realize that it's a tad outdated, and honestly I don't really need it for the campaign I'm in.
I was wondering if I could get some help in continuing to develop my Magus now and in the future in a more laid-back way.
She's a level six now, Str based, and I was wondering if you have any lv. 2 (or 1) spells to recommend, and maybe level 3s for later on? I realize new ones have been released since Walter's guide was made, and there's a lot I may have missed out on.
She already knows Frigid touch, Acid Arrow, Pyrotechnics, Scorching Ray, Bear's Endurance, Mirror image, Web, and Glitterdust.
str 18
dex 14
con 15
int 15
wis 10
cha 10
She has the "close range" feat that turns rays into touch attacks. :)
I'm not as insistent on optimization as I once was, so I welcome any spells that are useful or fun, as well as feats and arcana if you have nay you really like. :D
It dépends on the other members of your party.
Aside from the good suggestions above, other interesting spells for you might be:
level 1
Blade lash: if you want to trip. +10 is always useful
Enlarge person or long arm: to increase your reach (also easier to avoid casting defensively)
obscuring mist: can give you concealement. usefull to avoid sneak attack
Ray of enfeeblement to reduce strength
Shield: if you don't already have a wand of that. +4 ac always good for melee...
snowball: good ranged attack. no save for the damge, no SR. can stagger (save)
true strike: better in a wand if you have wand wielder
vanish (short term invisibility can be useful
Weaponwand. if you have wand wielder, that is really cool. (like true strike a trip attack)level 2
ablative barrier: may be good if you have healers in your group. usually not super effective to heal in combat, but this makes each cure twice effective practically...
blur
bull'S strength: nice buff
web: good battelfield controlFor level 3, there is a bunch of good spells, but displacement, haste, vampiric touch are all good spells.
Again depends if you have other buffing casters in your party....
I do have shocking grasp. I just didn't list my lv. 1 spells. :p
The other members of my party (all lv. 6) include a druid, a ranger, a barbarian, a bard, and a dinosaur....I don't think he has an official class.
Okay, this might be helpful:
http://charactersheet.co.uk/pathfinder/#/statblock/54ee06a37bb39c03003909aa
Here's everything...everything except her items.
For level 2 spells Pilfering Hand can be fun. Levitate, Invisibility and Gust of Wind are frequently useful.
At level 3 your party will likely appreciate Haste if there isn't someone else casting it already. Fly is also very useful.
Spell Blending is a great arcana for picking up interesting or useful spells from the wizard list.
Wand Wielder is also good and you can have a nice big collection of wands to play with.
Do you think pilfering hand would work well with animate weapon? :D That's the first thing I thought of.
Only a couple of spells to add, but none very essential:
while it may seem like a waste - i've found it worthwhile to dip into the mage spell list with Spell Blending arcana. Ghoul touch (level 2) is really handy for taking down a spazzy rogue, or generally any critter with a low fort save.
Shocking grasp is good- really good actually, if you also take intensified spell. normally it caps at 5d6 damage (no save), but with intensified it can go all the way up to 10d6 at level 10. (no save, ahem)
If you also take the Empowered Arcana, or use an empowered metamagic rod, this can become 15d6 at level 10. That's really nasty, especially if you're rocking say, a keen scimitar ( or whatever weapon) and you manage a crit. (also if you take the maximized arcana at 9 or 12? you do 60 damage automatically, 120 on a crit. Just silly)
Likewise for scorching ray, at the very high levels. Theoretically you could take that ray (or stone discus if you like bludgeoning damage, its the same spell with a different name, basically) all the way up to level 22 or whatever. Single target meteor strike, for all intents and purposes (as, again, no saves against this damage).
Another good level 2 magus spell is armor lock - for when you want to nerf someone in heavy armor, which can be your bane as a magus. You're squishy, they aren't. Make him work to get to you, and keep out of range while the party beats him down.
Long arm is also handy (level 1) to get reach. Anything to increase your attacks, particularly if you invest in combat reflexes.
Finally, ray of exhaustion is a must have, imo. End the fight before you come close enough for the enemy to swing, or use it on a spellstrike, your call. Fatigued even if they save? yay. And if you have other abilities that cause fatigue, RoE will cause them to automatically become exhausted even if they do save.
-if your gm allows for Player vs player conflicts, this is very handy for nerf cudgeling those pests who took a 6 strength halfling so they could be uber with their 22 dex. >.< -6str/dex = lie down and squirm, runt. Or, you know.... you *could* use it on smaller npcs they same way.
Generally very bad for Bosses - half speed, no running, -6 dex/str? I lub it.
Edit: oops almost forgot, ghoul touch - very handy if you're being swarmed by a bunch of lesser mobs, when you're on your own - creates a secondary poison cloud around the target, which sickens anyone - except you - within 10'. Might be great if you're the last one standing. Or horrible if your party is also standing next to the target. Edit to the edit: but also kind of funny.
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Sorry for the ledger here - while i mostly gm, magus is my favorite class. So many options. Just wanted to mention, I found combat casting to also be a very good feat to pick up. Too often, I lost a spell because of failed concentration in close combat. Very annoying, especially given your limited spell pool.
At 1st level, there is absolutely no better spell than Magic Weapon.
Casting it prior to activating your Arcane Pool gives you a +2 weapon that lasts for 10 rounds, longer than most buffs or bursts you have.
Blur, Mirror Image, Displacement, Haste, Fly, and Dispel Magic are the staple spells from core.
Bladed Dash, Effortless Armor, Darkvision, Fickle Winds, Knock, Identify, Shocking Grasp, and Greater Magic Weapon are all spells you should look into.
The magus arcana that lets you pick up wizard spells is gold and you should consider it often.
People often spam Shocking Grasp because it works, and well.
Good point with magic weapon (/greater magic weapon) - also allows you to allocate that extra +1 enchant from the arcane pool into another effect, like flames or Keen. Improved critical in effect, at level 3? why not. Nice for scimitar/kukri types.
As a strength-based Magus, Monstrous Physique I is pretty great. Instead of using Fly to grab 40ft flying (in medium armor), you use Monstrous Physique to become a gargoyle and grab 30ft flying, +2STR, +2AC, and Darkvision.
Hey, you know how you can enchant your weapon with elements at level 5? GM says I can't use keen (and a few others) because They require more points than I can expend in one round. Is this true?
We're both a little confused about it.
Oi, I wish I could edit my old posts instead of just adding new ones.
Aanyways, me and my DM are new to this, and because of that I've NEVER had to make a concentration check. I guess we're just unsure of when they're needed. I'd like to have more of a challenge, so could someone please tell me when I need to make these checks?
My co-players also think I have it too easy when it comes to dealing damage. ^^'
You only expend one point, at level 5 by spending the one point you gain access to enhancing your weapon by +2 instead of +1.
So for one point, you get +2 on your weapon, as a swift action.
You also get the choice of the list of abilities listed instead of additional enhancement bonuses if you so choose, but you have to have at least a +1 weapon to do so.
At 5th level it is totally okay to make your weapon +1 and keen for a single arcane pool point as a swift action.
What Arcana are you using?
I dont see why you cant have keen on your weapon. Are you a bladebound Kensai?
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level 3 spells. Vampiric touch scaled too slowly for my taste. I like the spell Force Punch quite a bit. useful against incorporeal and can have some fun with the knockback. Defensively i like blink over displacement. You do have some miss chance, but less things can bypass it and added utility of walking through walls.
Also, force hook charge (lvl 3) and bladed dash (lvl 2) are really fun pounce like spells. Bladed dash is actually better in a lot of ways, but force hook charge can do things bladed dash can't. (range, cliff, chasms)
Concentration checks are made when you cast defensively, take damage when casting a spell, entangled, grappled or other conditions that might impede spellcasting. The checks generally get harder as you cast higher level spells. As a magus the most common check you should make is casting defensively. Generally casting a spell provokes an attack if you are next to a target in melee. Casting defensively negates this AOO, but if you fail you lose the spell. The DC is 15+(spell level * 2). Thus casting a second level spell 15 + (2*2) = 19. You roll a d20 and add your caster level plus casting stat modifier (int for magus/wizards, wis for clerics, cha for sorcs). A level 5 magus with an int of 15 would make it +5 for caster level and +2 for intelligence. Thus only succeeds casting the above level 2 spell defensively on a 12 or better. Decent chance of failure. Feats like combat casting can help this check (+4 bonus). A level 8 magus with combat casting feat and an int of 16 would look like (+8 caster, +3 int, +2 improved spell combat, +4 combat casting) = +17. Thus only fails to cast defensively with a 2nd level spell on a roll of 1. Fails to cast a 3rd level spell on a roll of 3. Never fails to cast a 1st level spell.
Not using concentration checks makes the magus much more powerful.
At level 5, one arcane point gives you up to a +2 bonus in any way you choose. Assuming you have a magic weapon already... keen/shocking, +2 enchancement, +1 enchancement/keen, shocking/shocking burst, etc are all viable combinations. But you couldn't add speed yet (which is a +3 value of enchancements)
What Arcana are you using?
I dont see why you cant have keen on your weapon. Are you a bladebound Kensai?
I am not. And this isn't from an arcana, it's part of the arcane pool:
"At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal.
Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus."
See my predicament?
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i don't see your predicament... perhaps a lack of understanding?
As stated. for every 4 additional levels... 1 point from your arcane pool gives you +1 at level 1. +2 at level 5, +3 at level 9, +4 at level 13 and finally +5 at level 17.
you can divide up these bonuses as you see fit, as long as you use them to add abilities from the list. Again, spending 1 point from your arcane pool gives a number of + bonus based on your level as stated above.
you can spend these + points to add enchancement or abilities. at level 9 you have +3 points worth. Examples: can do flaming(1 point)/shocking(1 point)/icy(1 point), shocking burst(2 points)/keen(1 point), or spend all three points to add Speed(3 points). It is also possible to add straight + enchancement bonuses to your weapon, but can't go higher then +5.
Then as long as you dont use another swift action that turn you can spend an arcane point from your pool and get that modifier for, i believe, a minute. So is the GM just not letting you do it and if so why?
i don't see your predicament... perhaps a lack of understanding?
As stated. for every 4 additional levels... 1 point from your arcane pool gives you +1 at level 1. +2 at level 5, +3 at level 9, +4 at level 13 and finally +5 at level 17.
you can divide up these bonuses as you see fit, as long as you use them to add abilities from the list. Again, spending 1 point from your arcane pool gives a number of + bonus based on your level as stated above.
you can spend these + points to add enchancement or abilities. at level 9 you have +3 points worth. Examples: can do flaming(1 point)/shocking(1 point)/icy(1 point), shocking burst(2 points)/keen(1 point), or spend all three points to add Speed(3 points). It is also possible to add straight + enchancement bonuses to your weapon, but can't go higher then +5.
Wow, I need to read that one more time...@_@ I'd love some further explanation, because I'm really not getting this impression when I read the official text.
We were under the impression that since I could only spend 3 points per swift action, I wouldn't be able to use vorpal or any of the others that have a price above 3.
So how does the price system work then? I expend 1 point which is worth a +3 enhancement, which I can divide as I see fit...
Which brings me back to this: Vorpal costs +5. I only have access to +3 Can I still use Vorpal? And if so, how?
I'm just confused as to why they included it on the list if you can;t use it until level 17.
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At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal.
Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus.
You are correct, you can't add vorpal until level 17. As for why it is on the list, just for very high level play. That's all. You need to spend all 5 points at one time to get that feature. Likewise, the dancing property opens up at level 13 (+4 bonus). If you were level 17 you could add the dancing property (+4 bonus) along with flaming (+1 bonus) for the total of +5.
rundown:
Regardless of level you spend 1 point from your arcane pool as a swift action. Then you get a number of bonuses based on level.
between levels 1-4 you get +1 worth of bonus (can only be used to add an enhancement bonus)
5-8 +2 worth of bonuses (can now add enhancement bonuses or special properties, divide as you see fit)
9-12 +3 worth of bonuses
13-16 +4 worth of bonuses
17+ +5 worth of bonuses
*words*
Alright, I got it. :) Thanks for all of your help--and sorry for totally derailing this thread. >_>