Ultimate Magic - Magus Preview

[Walking Dad]

http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lc4e&source=rss

I really like the archetypes

Magus Archetypes
Bladebound: A magus with this archtype is bound to a special sword, called a black blade, that gains powers, and over time, sentience.
Hexcrafter: Using the powers of a witch, this magus can use hexes and can curse his enemies.
Spellblade: Capable of creating a light blade of pure force, the spellblade can wield two weapons and still cast his spells.
Staff Magus: Skilled at using the quarterstaff, these powerful magi can eventually treat any magic staff as a deadly weapon.

Good way to bring back the 3.5 Hexblade (Hexcrafter) and Soulknife (Spellblade).

 

[Jadeite]

The Soulknife already returned as 'Soulknife' in Psionics Unleashed.

I really like the changes to the magus, though.
When it was first announced, I didn't feel the class was necessary. I wasn't impressed with it's first incarnation, either. The revised magus changed that, but the changes in the final version make it seem like a very fun arcane striker.

 

[Glade Riven]

Psionics Unleashed is good from the standpoint of Pathfinderising psionics for those who are fans of psionics - but it is still it's own thing. Even if it is balanced, it doesn't feel integrated into the whole, and there are plenty of people who would insist on Paizo only or not allow psionics because they don't like psionics. This works as a way around it.

 

[paradox42]

I myself am most interested to see what they did with Elricthe Bladebound.

 

[SteelDraco]

I'm somewhat disappointed there isn't a ranged-based variant of the magus, as an alternative to the arcane archer. That's what I was hoping for. Still, it does look quite neat, and I'm looking forward to the book.

 

[Shisumo]

The four announced archetypes are the exact same list as the ones that were "sneak-previewed" in the Carrion Crown Player's Guide. The author of the guide, though, wrote on the Paizo site that those archetypes weren't a complete list, just the ones that seemed most suited to the Adventure Path. So my guess is that there are more archetypes being developed, but that likely got cut for space and are now being saved for Ultimate Combat. So I don't know if you should expect a ranged magus - in fact, I can see a couple of things that might make such a character problematic - but all hope is not yet lost, regardless.

 

[Walking Dad]

But there was a ranged monk variant, so everything is possible.

 

[Dingo333]

From what I can tell, you kinda can do a ranged magus build

Warning: this is pure speculation with some rules "bending" to work it all out
My computer also seems to have lost the playtest *glares at the tower* so forgive lack of class feature names


You need:Ability to change melee touch spells to ranged (already an arcana for the reverse)
Ability to deliver the spell through the ammunition (arrows, bolts, darts, thrown daggers)
Rules (house or official) that says you can use the "offhand" to cast, then use it to draw the arrows you are gonna fire.

(Technically, you can already do this. Holding a Bow or crossbow only requires 1 hand, fireing requires 2, drawing an arrow is a free action (crossbows are special), a still spell requires no hands. In theory, you could cast a stilled quickened fireball then unleash with a full round arrow volley, So I don't see why, with the magus, you couldn't do Spell, Arrows or Arrows, spell. At the time, the "offhand" is only doing spells or arrows, it is never trying to do both)

 

[Kaiyanwang]

Looking forward the Hexcrafter.

 

[Shisumo]

For me, it's all about the staff magus. "I beat people up with a stick. AND COSMIC FIRE."