Building a Str based Magus

[Darkghost316]

Hi all, I am in a pathfinder campaign currently playing a Human Magus and the build is Str based. Here are my stats, I rolled d12+6 and got lucky with two 12s.

Human Hexcrafter Magus Lvl 2

Str: 18
Dex: 14
Con: 18
Int: 16
Wis: 11
Cha: 10

Feats: Improved Initiative, Toughness

So what feats are good for a Str based Magus? I have read Walter's guide but I'm still not sure, I think Preferred spell is good but is it really? When you get to lvl 15 you wouldn't need it anymore because if you are using magical lineage it pushes the spell to lvl 0. Also weapon focus is good for the 5th bonus feat a magus gets but then it lose effectiveness in higher level, and power attack is nice but not until higher levels when you have better To-Hit ratio. I took toughness because my concept is that he's a tough and reselient guy and that it benefits me at the lower levels and even higher levels. Also for arcanas, I'm going for arcane acurracy, familiar and spell blending. What is a good familiar to take? Also I'm going hexcrafter for some good hexes like evil eye and flight because I'm the main guy going in the front ranks. Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it .

 

[SteelDraco]

My Strength-based magus still uses Power Attack regularly. Cleave isn't really worth it, but Cleaving Finish (the 3.0/3.5 Cleave, it shows up again in Ultimate Combat) is worthwhile if you're going to be enlarged regularly - and you probably should be, if you're Strength-based. Might be worth it to take Cleave so that you qualify for Cleaving Finish.

I like the bastard sword as a magus weapon - it allows you to switch between one-handed and two-handed weapon efficiently if you've got the Exotic Weapon proficiency. It's certainly not necessary - you can get a good benefit from using a long sword or some other 19-20 critical threat weapon. The damage increase when you're enlarged from 1d10 to 2d8 is pretty nice, a jump from 5.5 to 9 average roll. My GM ruled that I can switch from one-handed to two-handed grip once per round as a free action, so I have to decide if I want to pass up casting for a round for the two-handed grip. If I'm conserving spells or already have a spell ready to go off in my blade, it's nice.

It's hard to pass up Intensify Spell at 7th level for Shocking Grasp. I certainly didn't, and use it all the time.

Arcane Accuracy (and Accurate Strike later on) help alleviate the attack bonus problem that you have as a magus. They're worthwhile arcana, especially for a Strength-based magus who will want to Power Attack. A high Strength helps too, and you can drop enhancement bonus into your weapon to increase your attack roll further. Don't forget about that as an option; my 10th level magus can bump his sword to +5 if he feels worried about hitting, and spend 2 points from his arcane pool to perform all his attacks for the round as touch attacks. Pretty nasty. Also keep in mind that Shocking Grasp will give you a bonus to your attack roll if your opponent is wearing metal armor.

I like Spell Storing for a magus's primary weapon. I throw Vampiric Touch in there daily, so that I can steal a few hit points from an enemy if I get hurt. With Spell Recall, it's fairly trivial to be able to recall some spell to put in there every day. Triggering it's a free action, so you can even do that in a turn you've already done a full spell combat attack routine, and it triggers only if you hit. You can also throw an Intensified shocking grasp in your weapon if you really want to be sure somebody's dead.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I would switch the Int and Con, I know you want to front line, but con 18 is not required... Since you're a hexcrafter, int has much more importance to you than it does a normal magus. Obviously put the Human +2 into Strength for Str 20.


I would not bother with Evil Eye or any of the cackle-based hexes. They would take a lot of hexes to get the most bang out of, and you won't be able to basically ever cackle between moving to engage foes and full attacking for spell combat. Stick to useful hexes that are powerful all on their own - Flight, Slumber, and Prehensile Hair are good. The latter to give you a 10 ft threatened area or possibly to spellstrike with from safety if you don't think you can make the concentration check while threatened.

I agree with you on how questionable power attack is. IME, Magus does not struggle for damage, I wouldn't want to reduce my to hit with it most times. As for cleave...it sucks. As for cleaving finish...it's not worth having to take Cleave first.

There really isn't and great str-based magus feats. But, your feats will be so tied up in Extra Arcana (both for arcana AND hexes!) and Improved Familiar, perhaps that's a good thing. Intensify Spell is one you definitely want. Along with Magical Lineage (shocking grasp) trait.

For weapon, you still want a 18-20 threat range weapon, its so much worth the 1 dice size decrease in damage, I can't even describe it. Switching hands should be a free action, so untilited use (within "sane" limits...), but only during your turn. Of course, the magus class features require having the hand free anyway.

For feats...it's extremely feat intensive, but perhaps as an alternative to the cleave chain and toughness: Consider Improved Unarmed Strike (pre-req feat), Dodge (pre-req, though certainly helps defense), Crane Style, and Crane Wing. Now, w/ 3 acrobatics ranks, you can fight defensively for a -2 to hit for +4 AC, and the first melee hit on you each round is deflected, similar to Deflect Arrows for ranged. You can also w/ IUS feat grab the Hex Strike (Slumber, or Ice Tomb or Retribution, if picking it up later) feat to deliver a hex as a swift action after hitting with an unarmed strike (I'd suggest using an iterative attack after the first for this, all other attacks w/ your higher crit range weapon). Pretty nice combo, but that's 5 feats! And the most important one, Crane Wing, requires BAB +5 and thus won't be available till level 7 -- right when you're looking to pick up Intensify Spell and Improved Familiar. But certainly a cool combo. You can get crane wing slightly earlier and alleviate some of the feat weight by dipping Unarmed Fighter or Master of Many Styles Monk, but it'll only let you get it like 2 levels earlier and isn't worth the loss of casting and hex progression in the long run.


SteelDraco: Keep in mind, he won't get Spell Recall till like level 11, and will never get Imp. Spell Recall, due to archetype.

EDIT: Possible feat progression. Like I said, this is painfully feat heavy

1 Dodge
1 Improved Unarmed Strike [Human]
3 Crane Style
5 Extra Arcana (for a new hex) or Hex Strike (Slumber)
7 Crane Wing
9 Improved Familiar or Intensify Spell
11 Intensify Spell or Improved Familiar
13 Hex Strike (Ice Tomb or Retribution)
15+ Extra Arcana feats; maybe Split Hex if you have Slumber w/ Hex Strike

 

[Darkghost316]

Thanks for the inputs. My character stats are set in stone, so i cant rearrange them anymore =/ and i put the +2 in Dex because i know the str based magus usually has low ac. However, i notice the +1 isnt that great after all but oh well.

Also the evil eye last longer and more beneficial than the cackle hexes IMHO. Because it debuffs the enemies and last as much as your Int bonus i think. However, i could be wrong. I definitely want flight hex but now not sure what other hexes or if i should stay normal magus.

Also for feats its hard, i agree. For my 3rd i was thinking extra arcane pool for more points to use. And then for the 5th lvl feats extra arcana for the flight hex and some combat feat for my bonus from magus, preferably weapon focus since nothing else is good =/. Then 7th would be infensify spell, but would it be good to get preferred spell beforhand? Also lvl 9 would be improved familiar because i would get familiar at level 6 from my arcana. What do you guys think?

 

[gamerprinter]

Agreed regarding switching Int with Con. Really you don't want to wimp out your arcane pool, which is entirely dependant on your INT score. I looked at doing a STR built magus once, until I realized how much a loss to your arcane pool with a low INT stat. I need more Arcane points, not less. The arcane pool is everything for a Magus. I almost always make my weapon have the vorpal weapon quality when I can, however, in the end, I still need points for Spell Recall - you can't do both, with a tiny arcane pool.

 

[Darkghost316]

I agree I would need to change my stats, but sadly my stats are already set permanently and cannot be changed.

Here are the feats I was thinking of getting. Retraining is allowed.

3 Extra arcane pool
5 extra arcana(flight), weapon focus(retrain for power attack at higher level)
7 Intensify spell
9 Improved familiar
11 spell penetration

Here are the hexes and arcana i was going to get as well.
3 Arcane accuracy
4 evil eye or slumber (not sure)
6 familiar
9 spell blending

Is the feat preferred spell good to obtain instead of going for the familiar? Or are these feats pretty good?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Why do you like Arcane Accuracy? Frankly, other than Familiar, all your arcana choices should basically be hexes, I think. I would take slumber over evil eye. Evil Eye is too reliant on Cackle, which you can't afford the feat or action on, and too small an effect. Yeah, if they fail the will save it lasts long. But if they failed a will save, you could've just slumbered them!

What were you taking with Spell Blending? Calcific Touch is pretty nice, but other than that, it seems like a waste, magus spell list is pretty sufficient. And a 4th level slot is pricy for a magus to be spending.

I would also get rid of extra arcane pool. Wthout arcane accuracy to blow points on, you'll have plenty.

Hexes to look at: Slumber, Flight, Prehensile Hair
Major Hexes to look at: Ice Tomb, Retribution
Grand Hexes: RAW, you'll never get one cause you don't get an arcana or feat at level 20.

Arcana I'd consider: Familiar, Accurate Strike (costly, but SO good if you have Power Attack), Bane Blade (it's like getting Inquisitor's best class feature for the price of a feat / arcana slot!), Devoted Blade (when you're not sure enough for Bane but know it's evil, Holy rocks), Enduring Blade (when you expect min/level to last for a few fights over just 1 min, this is very much worth the 1 point cost).
All but Familiar are from UC.

 

[Darkghost316]

Well the reason why is because I will be in most of the frontline and sometimes if I need to hit, Arcane accuracy will help out. Also we are doing slow progression and meet every two weeks, so it will be a long time until i get accurate strike =/.

As well my 3rd level arcana can't be a hex, as it is describe in the archetype or at least my dm interpreted it. By RAW it does look like you can switch arcanas until after level 4, but than again that doesnt make sense but oh well.

Thanks for the advice i appreciate, what are good familiars to get? Also if I do not get Arcane accuracy than what acrana should I get? and what feat instead of extra AP? im so lost now =/

Also slumber hex is nice but its like evil eye, if they succeed I'm screwed!! lol but with evil eye at least they have -2 or -4(at lvl 8) right? isnt that better than nothing?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Get the Familiar at level 3. Best choice s Compsognathus for the +4 Initiative, and the creature itself is decent, too. Past level 3, pick up hexes and the arcana I mentioned. Don't get Arcane Accuracy, it's not worth the cost.

Ok...Evil Eye vs. Slumber.

Evil Eye
Pass save: -2 to something for 1 round.
Fail Save: -2 to something for the whole combat.

Slumber:
Pass Save: Nothing.
Fail Save: An ally coup de graces, and they die.

Yes, evil eye is slightly better when they save. But -2 for 1 round is pretty weaksauce, and failed save = DEATH is pretty strong. And both are mind affecting and thus work / don't work on the same types of enemies.

 

[Darkghost316]

Also we have retraining rules applied for the campaign. honestly I don't know what to take for my 3rd level feat if not Extra Arcane pool. Honestly, Arcane Accuracy is not a go? Because from level 2 to 9 is a long way for slow progression path until I get Accurate Strike =/. Ok, so the progression for my feats and acranas/hexes should be like this?

Feats:
3 [open]
5 weapon focus (retrain for power attack later), extra arcana
7 intensify spell
9 improved familiar
11 spell penetration
13 greater spell penetration
15 [open]

Arcanas/Hexes
4 Slumber
5 flight(via extra arcana)
6 Empowered magic or enduring blade
9 Accurate Strike
12 retribution
15 ice tomb

is ghost blade any good? aren't there any good spells worth for getting spell blending? Also I feel bane blade comes to late, but devoted blade sounds interesting(holy power ).