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 Post subject: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:46 am 

Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 10:11 am
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For those familiar, what's the best way to clone a magus from Pathfinder? The PC builder guide I read seemed to indicate expert. Any input?


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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:01 am 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Can you give some information on what a magus is in Pathfinder? The best way to make an arcane character is to use the arcane archetype, generally speaking, but then you also need to pick a type of magic. Martial ability can be gained through a variety of bacgrounds and paths.

Expert or Martial archetype can certainly be used to make an arcane character, but it is slightly more complicated and can be 'expensive' as far as advancement options go.

What specific abilities do you want the character to have? What types of magic do you want to have access to?

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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:18 am 
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To make a Magus style build, the keys are the following:
Arcane Casting (Elder, Eldritch, Psionic)
Armor Proficiency (Medium)
Weapon Training (Balanced Weapon)
Fighting Style: Arcimous Primus

The most efficient way to get there is:
Archetype: Arcane (Elder, Eldritch or Psionic depending on your flavor) - Elder or Eldritch would be the closest to a traditional Magus

Background: Something that gives a martial set of skills/talents and/or Medium Armor Proficiency (Veteran of the Altherian War, Elder Sorcerer's Apprentice, Former Shining Patrol, Former Soldier, Mercenary [Upgrade Light Armor to Medium], Soldier of Retribution, Squire, Veteran of the Wall [Upgrade Light Armor to Medium]

Take Weapon Training in your Balanced Weapon and Battle Magi as Talents and then take the Fighting Style (Arcimous Primus). Then take various adaptations or maneuvers to allow you to stroke multiple targets, add elemental damage, etc. to flavor it how you want.

Path: Take something melee and 'martial' oriented to boost your combat abilities.

You can also come at this from a Martial Archetype, but getting Arcane Casting at character generation is tough and would require Psionics or a Path that gives access to Arcane Casting (Delaying your ability to get the Fighting Style potentially).

John

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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:19 pm 
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If you take Eldritch (human-kin casters) you can gain the Battle Tradition for spells, though most of them can be found in other traditions at various tiers as well.

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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:32 pm 

Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 10:11 am
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Thanks! I'm not too far off then. I was a bit concerned about keeping my melee ability up to par with arcane archetype after reading the character guide.


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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:33 pm 

Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 10:11 am
Posts: 11
acurrier wrote:
Can you give some information on what a magus is in Pathfinder? The best way to make an arcane character is to use the arcane archetype, generally speaking, but then you also need to pick a type of magic. Martial ability can be gained through a variety of bacgrounds and paths.

Expert or Martial archetype can certainly be used to make an arcane character, but it is slightly more complicated and can be 'expensive' as far as advancement options go.

What specific abilities do you want the character to have? What types of magic do you want to have access to?


The magus is a 3/4 BAB class with the ability to cast touch spells through their weapon. They have a very narrow selection of wizard/sorcerer spells. I believe the above post addressed my concerns. Thanks, though!


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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:40 pm 
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There are ways of mitigating it, but if you do not take the Marital (or Expert) Archetype you will start to fall behind in your melee skills.

For example:

If you take Arcane-Human-Former Legionnaire, you can gain a start of +3 to your Melee Skill at character creation, and advance it by an additional +2/tier using normal advancements. A Martial (or expert) can do +3/tier, which means by tier V you'd be about 6 ranks 'behind' a Martial build for your melee skill, but generally 'on par' with your casting skill. This can be countered a bit by taking Paths (basically prestige classes) like Centurion: Master Tactician, Myrmidon, or Grand Master (which grants you bonuses to your Melee/Combat skills). You can also take the Talent Sabbatical for a one-time boost to your skills.

Alternatively, you can take Martial and be really good at hitting things, but then your spell-casting will fall behind. You would have to acquire your casting through a Path (most directly) as well, which slows down the spell casting even further. That said, if all you want are buff's from the spell casting rather than combat spells, this isn't that much of a loss in the grand scheme of things.

Expert is about halfway between Martial and Arcane, allowing you to be pretty good at both things, but not as good at any one than the other two.

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Cody Bergman
Legends of Arcanis Campaign Staff
Initial Author Contact/Adventure Vetting

Haakon Marcus val'Virdan, Divine Holy Judge of Nier
Ruma val'Vasik, Martial Crusader and Master of the Spear
Jorma Osterman, Arcane Coryani Battlemage


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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 1:47 pm 

Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 10:11 am
Posts: 11
My magus in Pathfinder actually used a good deal of defensive spells and utility spells, with a smattering of offense. I understand there is nothing as good as mirror image in Arcanis, nor should there really be, I think. I need to look at the spell lists more carefully in order to determine exactly what I want out of a magus conversion.


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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 3:07 pm 
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Oh i wouldn't go so far as to say that... Read the Tier 3 Illusionary spell: Illusionary Doubles

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 Post subject: Re: Fighter/caster or magus build
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 4:55 pm 

Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 10:11 am
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Ah, they just made it later in the progression. Fair enough. That is still an indirect nerf of course, but it is well deserved. The combat impact of mirror image in Pathfinder is stupid good for a 2nd level spell.


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