Pathfinder 2E Playtest Pathfinder's New Magus & Summoner Classes

Paizo has launched the public playtest for two new classes which will be appearing in July 2021's Secrets of Magic. The playlets runs until October 16th.

The magus combines spells with attacks. The classic concept of the warrior-mage hybrid lives here. The test will show whether this class outshines martial characters or spellcasters, or whether it balances its two sides in a satisfying way that feels special. The magus gets fewer spell slots, though the slots’ spell levels get as high as a wizard’s!

The summoner is for the player who wants to adventure alongside a cool sidekick! A powerful entity called an eidolon holds a supernatural connection with the summoner, sharing health and working in tandem. This class also casts spells but has fewer per day than other spellcasting classes.

Download it from here!

 

[Bravesteel25]

Very exciting! I'll be telling my group about this playtest tonight.

 

[TwoSix]

1) The limited spell progression for magus and summoner (2 max level, 2 max level -1) is a really cool idea for a limited spell caster.

2) I really like how the eidolon determines the spell list for the summoner, much like sorcerers and their bloodlines. Making the 4 distinct spell lists have a strong identity independent of classes is a really fantastic idea that PF2 has had.

 

[imagineGod]

Sometimes, I just purchase Pathfinder products for the artwork for Wayne Reynolds. Ever since I first encountered him doing the Eberron covers for DnD3.5e, I followed his artwork into Pathfinder.

 

[Minicol]

1) The limited spell progression for magus and summoner (2 max level, 2 max level -1) is a really cool idea for a limited spell caster.

Argh !

No
That seems just awful to me as you cut yourself off some very useful lower level spells + seems to have no consistent logic with the rest of the game

 

[CapnZapp]

The logic is likely that it is a way to distinguish the new class mechanically.

(Over at Paizo, there's lots of complaints the Magus doesn't work like it used to in PF1. But I have news for you - Pathfinder 2 is its own game, very different from PF1. The design space is simply different, meaning the opportunities to go in a certain direction is either larger or smaller. Apparently Paizo couldn't make the Magus both balanced and different by hewing close to the previous concept, so they changed tack.)

 

[UngeheuerLich]

That progression looks quite familiar... oh yes, that is very similar to the 5e warlock.

The Idea is not bad. You can still cast lower level spells with increased effects.

 

[Ancalagon]

This is a very blind answer because my understanding of PF2 is quite limited. But... 4 spell slots a day?!? That's brutal. Those cantrips better be great...


(how are the cantrips in PF2 compared to say, PF1 or 5e?)

 

[glass]

Those cantrips better be great... (how are the cantrips in PF2 compared to say, PF1 or 5e?)

Much stronger then in PF1 even at first level, and scaling up quite well too. Similar to 5e I suspect.

In between slot spells and cantrips, there are also focus spells in PF2. They are cast using focus points, one point per spell, with a pool of up to three points. You can recover one point by resting for ten minutes, but cannot recover any more that way until you've spent some so topping up is tricky. There are feats that tweak this, but getting back to three is tricky if you spend too many.

_
glass.

 

[jmartkdr2]

This is a very blind answer because my understanding of PF2 is quite limited. But... 4 spell slots a day?!? That's brutal. Those cantrips better be great...


(how are the cantrips in PF2 compared to say, PF1 or 5e?)

Cantrips are, I would say, slightly stronger in PF2 than 5e. When, as a magus, you stack them onto a regular weapon strike, you hit as hard as any other full martial class. Summoners just have their eidolon hit stuff usually.

Also, compared to 5e, you much less likely to have 5+ encounters.

The spell slots are usually saved for just the right situation - when you really want a specific defense, when you can catch a lot in an AoE, or (for magi) when you're likely to crit the weapon attack to ensure the spell will land. But most of the time, you're a weapon-user, and a pretty good one. (The classes needs better feat support, but it's a playtest, not the finished versions.)