Character Submission Thread

[GlassEye]

Thanks, Aura. I'm glad you like the character's feel.

Just a couple of comments/questions in response:
1) Out of curiosity, why caution flags? FYI, the idea for this character is to work towards maneuver mastery and tripping staff so trip will eventually be a major tactic for him.
1a) Yeah, it's embarrassing to forget major points about your character (I've done it!). This is my first magus, I wanted to remember everything, and I have a tendency to look at the Weapon Statistics block more frequently than just about any other section.
2) His short list for skills was really short and I waffled over what to do with that skill point. I considered Sleight of Hand for his urchin background, Perform (Oratory) for his tendency to tell tales, Perception just because he's so abysmal at it but eventually decided that since none of those were class skills and the relevant ability was low he'd never be very good anyway. And the first two he can still do some things untrained or with a Dex check.
3) & 4)

 

[Aura]

Ever since standing up was changed to provoking attacks of opportunity (v 3.5), Improved Trip has been something to keep an eye on. It's generally good (unless your DM confronts you with a lot of multi-legged critters), but particular scenarios don't work well any more, such as party vs 1 or 2. (To a certain extent, this applies to any ability which applies a conditional that takes an action to remove.) So, I keep an eye on it, particularly if there are synergies within the character to specifically take advantage of it.

 

[perrinmiller]

Agno is now officially retired and replaced by Qalabash (at 1st).

Strongly tried to come up with a cleric type but just couldn't find something that I liked.

GE, we actually discussed Agno's retirement in the Judges area. I suggest you join that conversation.

 

[GlassEye]

GE, we actually discussed Agno's retirement in the Judges area. I suggest you join that conversation.

Thanks for the heads up. I check for a while and then it slips my mind.

 

[Satin Knights]

Looking over Lazarus Murdocke:
a) You had not included the toughness or favored class hit points. Fixed.
b) You don't have any weapons. That means you won't survive long as you only have a couple spells per day.
c) The owl needs some stats.
d) The Animal Archive is a valid source to use and has a few interesting bits for critters.
e) A wizard doesn't get the cantrips from his opposition schools for free in the beginning. Removed.
f) LPF has some Alternate Cantrips that you can choose from. They can be swapped in to replace some of the default ones.
g) Both of your traits are from the magic group. You can only have one from each group. So, one will need to be changed.
h) A librarian that isn't trained in Linguistics? Oh my!
i) LPF has a 100% sell back policy. So, it is best to spend all buy your last 10 gold pieces on equipment. Alchemist's fires and healing potions do a better job saving you in the field than shiny bits of yellow metal.

A good start. But, there are still a few pieces that require work.

 

[Satin Knights]

Reviewing Qalabash:
I stamped him approved, but here is some advice.

a) Right now, your defensive casting has a 45% chance of success with cantrips, and 35% with first level spells.
b) The DC for Touch of Fatigue is Fort 13. Slowing a first level barbarian with that while he is raging is tricky. At later levels, this is futile. The spell doesn't have long term viability.

So, I would swap out Two World Magic for Focused Mind. You at least get the cantrips working above 50% of the time that way. The feat to take at third level would be Combat Casting. By then, you are landing cantrips 85% of the time and first level spells 75%.

 

[GlassEye]

My thought was that Q's AC 14 + Shield + prone penalty for his opponent (presuming his trip is successful) would give him an effective AC 22. With a DC 17 concentration check for Q to cast 1st level spells defensively I figured it would be harder for the opponent to hit than for Q to make the DC of concentration so I would rely on his defenses instead of casting defensively.

Touch of Fatigue was more for 2nd level and Spellstrike to get the extra weapon attack to deliver the spell. Didn't really matter so much to me whether it actually affects the target than he get that extra chance at a weapon attack.

I haven't really seen a magus in play before so if this is horrible logic I'd like to know.

 

[Satin Knights]

Well, I haven't played a magus before. So, this may or may not be useful. That defensive strategy requires you to cast Shield every combat, draining your spell resources quickly. It also assumes you went first, as the weapon you are using is not a reach one.

The magi I have seen in PFS go with Magical Lineage trait + Intensified Spell + Shocking Grasp to have a first level touch spell that lasts a while through their career. Doing that, Light or Arcane Mark can be your touch cantrip for Spell Strike. As a staff wielder, you would go with a spell storing staff, which could also be charged up with Intensified Shocking Grasps to be a double whammy on the first strike. Invest in a lot of 1st level Pearls of Power and you are doing weapon + weapon + 7d6 + 7d6 at seventh level on the first round. At that point, there usually isn't a second round.

Or, they boost their defensive casting with Focused Mind + Combat Casting, in order to be sure their spells go off reliably. Using Close Combat magus arcana, they use the Ray of Frost for the Spell Strike cantrip.

Your spending two feats at the beginning and your 9th for Greater Trip, ties up your feat tree pretty well. Putting Combat Casting at 3rd, Combat Reflexes at 5th, Intensified Spell at 7th, you are buttoned up tight. And the magus is only going to be an average tripper. A fighter or monk trip specialist with a reach weapon is always going to outshine you. You are never allowed the reach weapon as a magus.

 

[GlassEye]

I think he's always going to be feat-starved and its going to be a while before he has enough spells to last a whole adventuring day. Anyway, advice noted and switched from Two World Magic to Magical Lineage. Thanks for the advice.

 

[perrinmiller]

I am submitting Pirvinia von Lichenstein for two approvals. New character and leveled up to 3rd level with DMC.