Note, however, that this use of Knowledge Pool is a little shifty and may anger certain GMs. * - Not the greatest of the two hand spells available to you. With your arcane pool, you can give your weapon keen. It's a conundrum even for experienced players, and there's no ideal outcome. His spellstrike as part of that also hits on a +24 with his sword, critting on a 15-20. Laughing shadow with arcane fist and scroll striker. ** - A good blasting spell for level 2, but not that great for you. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The Magus relies heavily on Spellstrike for damage output and for interacting with their class feats. At level 11 they do the exactsame damage, except the Dervish has a higher chance to hit, and the Strength based magus has more health. The spell makes walls, bridges, towers, etc -- all of which are permanent. As far as action economy goes it's more something I would use in rp or exploration as opposed to combat. : Do sonic damage and have a chance to deafen when pool striking. Pros: Theres a lot to be said for what this archetype can do. So why play a magus? It essentially gives 50 arrows or bolts the flaming property for 10 minutes per level. It is a day long buff though, so if youre in a low magic item game, it may be very useful. Overland Flight**** - Slight reduction in move speed, but this version of Fly lasts all day long at this point. *** - Finally, another spell that we want. Do not use your spellbook for this. Yaaay. This one is just one of the better evocation ones there is now, so it is worth considering or picking up with Blood Transcription / at level 19. Awesome. A good investment. You need to enter Arcane Cascade then simultaneously cast a spell and strike with a weapon with SpellStrike. Also, if you have the wand wielder arcana, you can spellstrike any wand-cast touch spell. thats perfect. Profit? The amount of spells it applies to are small, and the ones with multiple rays per cast (e.g. At level 11 they do the. While this isnt that bad if youre starting off at level 8+, going without spell combat early on is going to be rough. Also, the spell can crit if the melee attack. Steam Community :: Guide :: Basic Magus Builds assumption in mind. Redor * = This _____ is quite poor, it either would never get used, picked, or another ability/feat does this for you. Id probably pass on this unless you really wanted to play an arcane spellcaster with a shield, as its your only option. -2 to AC in order to add 5 feet to your reach. Getting Deception and Diplomacy in case I end up boosting my Charisma later on. The third, and maybe coolest thing, is that when you cast the spell as part of spell combat, if you are doing it defensively, you can take a penalty of up to your intelligence modifier on all of your attacks and add it to your concentration check. Unfortunately, its two reflex saves and all the damage is non lethal. using the Optional Flaw rule to dump Wisdom in exchange for an Intelligence He can also power attack now to pump those numbers higher. If theyre not, they will be next round. RPGBOT June 5, 2021 Last Updated: March 1, 2023 Articles related to character optimization for Pathfinder 2nd edition. *** - This spell isnt useful for you, but it is useful for your teammates (namely a ranger). So if needed, you could cast Bulls Strength then take rest of your attacks (at a +2 to hit and damage). Spellstrike: Spellstrike is the Maguss That means youll only ever (probably) be adding one of these effects. and a high Dexterity, in exchange for a low Strength. * - I think that this spell is here because people feared they didnt have enough blast spells at level 4. If you drop it on foes its hard to get in there and mix it up. This one makes it burst to a handful of enemies within 15 feet. It does have some down sides like poor reflex defence - you will get tripped a lot. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. If you pick spell blending after level 10 (when you gain access to 4th level spells) you can pick both at the same time. I wish it applied to Black Tentacles. Do yourself a solid and skip it. STR 18, DEX 12, CON 14, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 10 (aiming for 22, 12, 20, 20, 10 and 18 at level 20)Skills: Arcana (T), Athletics (T), Crafting (T), Deception (T), Diplomacy (T), Occultism (T). Maxing Crafting will allow us to scribe magic scrolls, craft wands and staves that'll make up for our lack of spell slots. Recharging Spellstrike is easily the most challenging part of playing the Diminished spellcasting, just like the Myrmidarch and Kensai, and you get spell combat at level eight. If you are an elf, put a 10 into Dex and leave it alone. It gives you straight BAB progression for one combat maneuver. Its almost never a good idea to damage yourself unless you have a d10+ sized HD and are doing it with a vicious weapon. If you are considering a Kensai / Bladebound build centered around tripping, definitely consider grabbing a couple levels here to help you out with your feats. The most common application you will have is with Shocking Grip, making it 10d6 for a level 2 spell slot. You can join us on for direct discussion on discord.gg/pathfinder2e. Wand Mastery**:A neat arcana, one that calculates the DC for wand charges using your maguss Intelligence instead of the minimum required. Silent Image* - This may be where I get into serious trouble. The move speed increase stacks with Haste because Fly gives you a. Pathetic. It is worth noting, however, that this one has an after effect that deals half the damage to afflicted targets again (reflex negates). Note with melee weapons that when you fight and dont cast a spell, wield it with two hands to apply 1 your Strength modifier in addition to increasing the damage dealt by Power Attack. Award Favorite Share Created by CBAnaesthesia Offline Updated Magus Basics And since theres only a few great level 6 spells, youll probably take this. Get it if you think you like the idea of walling off enemies or punishing teammates. Not to mention spells gained with Spell Blending. Pass. I haven't spoken about the Lunging Spellstrike option, because it comes online very late. If you are Str magus, of course, avoid it. The first is an attack with his scimitar that hits for 1d6+6, while second (via spellstrike) hits for 3d6 with Shocking Grasp, plus another 1d6+6 from his sword. Pros: your shield is cool, really cool. However, if youre starved for slots theres other level 5 spells out there that are more impressive. cones/lines, so youre free to make those AOEs point in weird directions Unlike most RPGs, especially 3.X/PF1, build matters less for optimization than party synergy and battlefield tactics, which rely on an amount of fluidity and breadth that one PC cannot manage alone. No. This spell adds 2 hit points per level, so 20 at level 10. paizo.com - Forums / Pathfinder Second Edition: General Discussion learn more: https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/148ks6u/indefinite_blackout_next_steps_polling_your/jo0pqzk/ . Unfortunately, this speed increase is overshadowed when you gain access to Haste and Hasted Assault. This is because the most Dex you will ever need is 12. This was common in 3.X where many barbarians began their career as a second level fighter in order to snag 2 bonus feats. Cons:Delay your Spell Recall until level 11. Take it if you can, but dont worry if you dont. Where the Fighter is the master of arms and armor, the Monk is the master fighting unarmed and unarmored. If you want to turn into a diminutive flying creature gives you a large increase to AC and escape from some sticky situations, see Monstrous Physique III. Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more videos like this! To me the concept works, just not in a party where the enemy has other targets. You give up your medium and heavy armor proficiency, not such a big deal for Pathfinder Society or low level games, or for people with a high Dex. You can invest further in your mount if you can find the space, I cant. Although is associated with a sneakier Magus, it could work with a STR and armor build. If youre worried, get a feather token. If you train this, and you should eventually, keep one prepared at all times for HP emergencies. If needed, just reactive it, and use your arcana slot for something good. You can also recharge with certain Thats right, I said iit strips you of your spellcasting for the duration. This spell lasts long enough for one combat, that said, being invisible an entire combat is pretty powerful. How does this work? Again, this is a pretty hefty damage output, especially on a crit. Pathfinder 2e - The Monk Handbook | RPGBOT Archetypes, : a lot of magus arcana / other abilities are used as either a swift or an immediate action. Staff relies on your class DC, and the Magus doesnt have one. Depending on your build you could also serve as a Scout, but the Magus wont match a rogue and the Magus doesnt have the Wizards magic to fill the gap. Climb***: Time has taught me that its always worth putting 1 rank into this skill. Other spells that are essential to a group may be ranked lower (e.g. Get the Familiar Focus master ability. The -1 to hit for +2 to damage is an excellent trade, especially at the higher levels when it improves. You want to use Spellstrike as often as possible, but you need to do It gives a +4 enhancement bonus (which is likely already provided by items) to your physical stats, a bonus to Fortitude saves, and a slight bump in BAB. * - Like Shocking Grasp but 33% less damage. ***: If you have 13+ Strength, pick this up when you can. This will give us 3 spell slots to be filled how we desire. An effective +2 to hit and +2 to AC in exchange for going from a d6 to a d4 with your scimitar -- a fair trade. Sweet. Expeditious Retreat: +30 move speed and you free up a level 1 spell slot, not bad. Hybrid Studies:Twisting Tree You become trained in simple weapons. The only worthy combo I can see is something along the lines of a spellstrike Ray of Exhaustion, which wouldnt be until higher levels anyway, when something like an intensified shocking grasp would be more beneficial to cast 9 times out of 10. This will probably hit only one or two targets when you cast it. enemy movement. Its incredibly powerful in fights in the lower level bracket to be able to guaranteed hit (well almost, only +18 after the -2 from spell combat). In that case, you have more freedom and can score it during the second round (and it can even be argued that it's a good choice as it allows you to check first that the boss doesn't have some crazy defensive abilities). By spending 1 point from your pool, you can get an insight bonus equal to your intelligence on all attack rolls until the end of your turn. Since he is spellstriking his touch spells, they all get a +1 to hit from Weapon Focus. Magician both get you additional cantrips, Animal Accomplice gets you a With two levels in it, you three bonus feats, one of which is combat expertise. It does some damage but nothing else. Get this when you can, use it after you see an enemy caster buff themselves with something worth stealing (like Stoneskin). - Incredibly expensive, but incredibly powerful, these rings double the spells per day of their respective tier (e.g. Hit Points: 8+ wont compete with durable = This _____ is quite poor, it either would never get used, picked, or another ability/feat does this for you. And I hate swarms. I loved Treantmonks color coding and have adapted it to this guide -- but credit where credit is due, *. If you want to be immune to a damage source, use I instead. If theyre not, they will be next round. Remember that. Or at least I thought so at one point. Magus Builds : r/Pathfinder2e However, its worth noting that I was once in a game where our barbarian had a -4 or 5 to Initiative (from a trait) and we learned that having someone always go last is almost like having someone always go first on the second round. Spell Combat: This is essentially two weapon fighting for free, except instead of fighting with two weapons, you fight with a weapon and a spell. Itll ensure that you get it when youwant it and itll make your party happy. Skip it. Very flexible with damage types, though not great if your enemy is immune to magic or has an Attack of Opportunity - uncommon in this edition. However, it is worth mentioning that at his core, the magus learns spells as a wizard does. You also are. * - Deals a very small amount of damage and is easily avoidable. ago. If you envisioned your magus as a weapon weilding, spell channeling samurai, grab this archetype. This spell removes the time element from delivery quests: Take this crown from here to there and return within the -- oh! Spells, Deities & Alchemy . Pick up a breastplate and hold out till level 13. But dont forget the spells like Invisibility(4), Wall of Force that can turn a combat all by themselves without a saving throw or to hit roll. You cant spellstrike it, but its still worth picking up when you can. For a full breakdown of wizard spells, check out Treatmonks Guide. Any obvious simple builds I've missed or other Feedback? Color Spray: As the spell, this wand will serve you want until the enemies you are fighting have over 4 HD, after that its far less impressive. But they can be crit now, so dont bother learning this spell. However remember that you can't wield a rapier in two hands in order to apply 1-1/2 times yourStrength bonus to damage, so there is a bit of a drawback. Levitate* - This spell is a lot better for people that need to stay out of melee. You no longer need to make checks to cast defensively, although it was never really a problem beforeand you get a floating +2 modifier whenever you use spell combat. Int increases your arcane pool and Con gives you a buff to Fortitude saves and HP. Using Spellstrike is a 2-Action activity. Learn this and use it wisely (i.e. It does effect a lot of squares, though, so if you have enemies grouped up like that, drop Color Spray instead. The only drawback, but a pretty hefty one. If you combine this with a dip into fighter or the lore warden archetype, youll get your armor proficiency back. : Spend a point to get the bane effect instead of something else when you enhance your blade? you say, Walter, are you stupid? Dont get quicken spell? After your first Spellstrike, you should concentrate on the other Magus abilities. Then,* Fused Staff to get a Staff of Divination or a Personalized Staff along with our weapon, Arcane Shroud to get a few buffs and I think Cascading Ray could be thematic here (not the most optimal, but it could fit the concept of using or free hand to shoot a ray).For this, I'll use Multitalented to get a Rogue Dedication and the remaining two Feats to take Basic and Advanced Trickery for Distracting Feint (we'll be Feinting a lot, so might as well pick up a different effect) and Gang up. The answer to fairly balanced magic feeling less impactful is to have more of it (imo). Which seem to me would go well with a few Rogue feats. Hybrid Study: See my This is going to be around 5 or even more when you get it (minimum level 9) and at the very least it will do that extra damage once. Welcome to spell blending. * - Useful for straight casters that can afford to have extra spells, not you though. halfling the thats directly helpful for the Magus. Yes, you do want to control the battlefield but without concentrating it only lasts for a single round, meaning you wont be attacking as long as you want to maintain it. Again, if youre in a game that requires a lot of ground to be covered, it may be worth getting. This spell is useful all the way to the top, the damage becomes less impressive but the staggered becomes even more ridiculous. Theyre useful to have max ranks in when the situation arises, and youll have the Int to back it up. No attack of opportunity bc there's no space and we aren't using a reach weapon bc we want BIGGEST NUMBERS!!! If I can, I try to have it up at all times. Hes an odd bird, part twf fighter, part wizard, but weaker than both in those areas. This is in no way a only play the magus like this guide, but more of a heres how he, Throughout this guide I use a color coding style pulled straight out of Treantmonks series of, . : This wand is a must have if you are playing Dark Sun. However, this is likely not how paizo intended spell combat work, so some GMs may find your Zorro-esque magical sword-signing a tad munchkiny. A potent ability, yes, but at the cost of a standard action + rounds concentrating, dropping a single Tentacles and auto attacking is likely to be of more benefit to your team. Remember how you were proficient with light armor and no spell failure? * - Not that great, short duration buff for a minor changes. Great if you plan on using rods a lot, terrible if youre not. Take it if you can, but dont worry if you dont. If you pick this spell up from a scroll/spellbook/etc youll find it more useful for blowing holes through things (like walls or ships), instead of people. Blink* - A 50% miss chance, and a bunch of other minor stuff, like walking through things. But check this caveat out: if you use this with spell combat, you can make your melee attack from your starting position or your ending position. Teleport beside someone and take your full attacks. * - Low damage, immovable and can be stepped through. Unfortunately for this spell, youre not going to be staying in one place the entire combat so its hard to justify learning. So no battlefield control. * - A situational super long line thats 5 feet wide. That said, its never bad to have this prepared (unless you prepare it instead of things like Fly and Haste). It does have an oppourtunity cost in terms of what else you can take instead. - Scuttle **: If you are playing a low level game, this feat may be more useful than I rate it. The LVL 1 slot obviously goes to True Strike. and either Constitution or Intelligence. But it is repetitive. TOUCH GRASS TUESDAY -|- A good arcana that you dont have to wait until the higher levels to get. True Seeing*** - For most casters this is a two star spell. But what about the drawbacks? I'd love. Every time you take this you can add one sorcerer/wizard spell of your highest spell level to your list of spells known OR you can add two of a lower level. Its almost better than accurate strike. : Great for increasing the duration of buffs you want up at all times (Bears Endurance, Fly, Stoneskin, etc). Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. On one turn you can: Stride into position; AOE Spellstrike. The +2 to any stat goes into Int and a bonus feat never hurts. I've looked around in guides and they generally seem structured around melee or the suggested builds are missing a lot of feats for my play scenario, so I was just wondering if someone had a neat 1-20 build with some useful free archetypes I could nab, either for a bow magus or for a wizard of some kind. access to cool weapons like the Gnome Flickmace. +2 to your Arcane Pool, and can be taken more than once. And by being able to momentarily increase his chance to hit (arcane accuracy) and his critical threat range (arcane pool to make his weapon keen), he can make critting like that less of a pipe dream and more of a reality. Ill mention a few spells that work great for Spell Blending later in that section. In my opinion, if you aim at targetting non-experienced players with your builds it shouldn't even be a desirable situation. * - Just, well meh.