Sample Builds
To show what the Magus can do, here are a strength build focusing on damage, a dexterity build aiming for maneuvers and debuffs, and an intelligence build doing battlefield control. These can be customized or optimized as you see fit.
Getting different spells on a Magus is easy, just buy them for cheap and prepare something else the next day. If you have more spells per day than listed here, simply pick your favorite and prepare it again. Spend about half your money on getting the standard magic weapon and defensive gear, the other half on the suggested magic items when you can afford them.
Grashnak Stormbringer, Assault Magus
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8. Increase strength every 4th level.
Archetype: Bladebound
Race: Half-Orc
Racial abilities: Bite attack, darkvision.
Racial class bonus: Extra hit points.
Skills: Climb / Swim 1, Fly / Perception / Spellcraft maxed, Knowledge skills as needed.
Traits: Lessons of Chaldira, Gifted Adept: Shocking Grasp.
Tactics: This is a straightforward damage-oriented Magus build. At level one, start each battle by putting up Shield, then either spell combat with Daze to disable an enemy, or full attack with your scimitar and bite; never reduce your to-hit to boost your concentration. Use Shocking Grasp at +1 caster level for your nova. At level four, you can pounce with the Bladed Dash spell, and use Mirror Image as your defensive buff. At level five, your enchant weapon ability comes online; by this point you should make your weapon Keen every combat, and enjoy critting with Intensified Shocking Grasp, and automatically confirming it with the Blood Scarab. Also note the black blade's ability to give +2 damage for 2 combats per day. By level seven, you can fly when needed, wear medium armor for decent defense, go nova with Empowered Magic, and use Close Range + Ray of Frost for a more damaging spell combat as your default attack.
Later levels upgrade your black blade for free, and add nice tricks such as Haste, Lunge for reach, Fortified Armor and Stoneskin for defense, Caustic Blood to punish people attacking you, and Enervation (with Close Range and possibly Empower) as a nasty debuff. At top levels, you have heavy armor, Overland Flight all day, use Bane Blade and Deliquescent Gloves and the black blade's +5 to deal heavy damage every combat, and can use the ultimate touch attack of Empowered Disintegrate (again with Close Range), which deals 96d6 if you manage to crit with it. Be sure to invest in AC and saving throw items, and to start each combat with a defensive buff in addition to Spell Shield as needed.
Overall, you have a fun and potent striker with one of the best novas in the game, who is very mobile thanks to flight and Bladed Dash.
Arcana
- 6. Close Range
- 7. Empowered Magic (feat)
- 9. Accurate Strike
- 11. Natural Spell Combat (feat)
- 12. Spell Shield
- 13. Spell Blending (feat)
- 15. Bane Blade
- 18. Maximized Magic
Feats
- 1. Improved Initiative; Endurance (race)
- 3. Step Up; Alertness (archetype)
- 5. Additional Traits: Seeker, Sound of Mind; Intensified Spell
- 7. Extra Arcana
- 9. Lunge
- 11. Extra Arcana; Weapon Focus
- 13. Extra Arcana
- 15. Fortified Armor Training
- 17. Spell Penetration; Weapon Specialization
- 19. Greater Spell Penetration
Spells Prepared
- 0. Daze, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost
- 1. Blade Lash, Magic Missile, Shield, Shocking Grasp
- 2. Bladed Dash, Glitterdust, Intensified Shocking Grasp, Mirror Image
- 3. Call the Void (blend), Fly, Haste, Vampiric Touch
- 4. Caustic Blood, Enervation (blend), Stoneskin
- 5. Cone of Cold, Corrosive Consumption, Overland Flight
- 6. Disintegrate, Form of the Dragon
Equipment
- Black Blade Scimitar
- Plate armor of Fortification
- Standard AC gear, Belt of Strength, Headband of Int, Pearls of Power
- Bane Baldric
- Boots of Speed
- Deliquescent Gloves
- Liquid Ice
- Pendant of the Blood Scarab
- Wands of Infernal Healing and Shield
Ilyara Bladesong, Maneuver Magus
Str 8, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 8. Increase dexterity every 4th level.
Archetype: Hexcrafter
Race: Elf
Racial abilities: +2 vs spell resistance, +2 concentration, +2 perception
Racial class bonus: Extra hit points.
Skills: Perform 2, Knowledges / UMD 1, Escape Artist / Fly / Intimidate / Perception / Stealth maxed.
Traits: Bred for War, Reactionary.
Tactics: The Magus is one of the best classes in the game at using maneuvers. You'll be hitting high CMD values using True Strike, and use your various defensive buffs to avoid the OAs. In addition, this build has several good debuffs available, and can use Unseen Servant to pick up disarmed weapons.
At level one, use your high initiative to attack flat-footed opponents with dirty trick or steal, or use the Daze cantrip to prevent them from acting, then disarm or trip them. Again, never drop your to-hit to boost your concentration. At level three, you get your dexterity to damage for regular attacks, and can start using a wand of True Strike in spell combat so that your maneuvers will almost always connect. Use stealth, Vanish or Mirror Image to stop enemy opportunity attacks, or counter them with the flamboyant Parry and Riposte ability, or even do it from range with Pilfering Hand. At level five, you get consistent flight with the hex, and your debuffs start coming online: cast Frostbite and for one attack per level you get to fatigue, entangle, and shake enemies at the same time; and level seven adds misfortune as a ranged debuff.
By level nine you can haste yourself at need, and often do maneuvers without taking an OA by using Lunge; next level, you can use Greater Invisibility for this as well. You can use Bladed Dash to quickly reach a disabled or flat-footed enemy to make multiple maneuvers or attacks, and by level eleven gives you can do this at huge range with Dimension Door. The later levels add further bonuses to trip and disarm so you can try it on your iterative attacks, especially when your enemy is already disabled somehow; you also gain major and grand hexes, and the ability to redirect attacks.
All in all, a build that can act fast to strip the enemy of offensive capabilities, then vanish or teleport to reposition and do it all again.
Arcana
- 3. Wand Wielder
- 4. Hex: Flight (archetype)
- 6. Flamboyant Arcana
- 7. Hex: Misfortune (feat)
- 9. Hasted Assault
- 12. Major Hex: Agony
- 13. Maneuver Mastery: Trip (feat)
- 15. Maneuver Mastery: Disarm; Reflection (feat)
- 18. Grand Hex: Abominate
- 19. Quickened Magic (feat)
Feats
- 1. Weapon Finesse
- 3. Dervish Dance
- 5. Enforcer; Rime Spell
- 7. Extra Arcana
- 9. Lunge
- 11. Dimensional Agility; Combat Reflexes
- 13. Extra Arcana
- 15. Extra Arcana
- 17. Artful Dodge; Redirect Attack
- 19. Extra Arcana
Spells Prepared
- 0. Brand, Daze, Mage Hand
- 1. Frostbite, Magic Missile, True Strike, Vanish
- 2. Bladed Dash, Mirror Image, Pilfering Hand, Rime Spell Frostbite
- 3. Dispel Magic, Displacement, Greater Magic Weapon, Storm Step
- 4. Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility, Shield of Dawn
- 5. Dimensional Blade, Greater Bladed Dash, Wall of Force
- 6. Greater Dispel Magic, True Seeing
Equipment
- Scimitar +1 of Dueling, Spell Storing, and Cruel
- Celestial Armor of Spell Storing
- Standard AC gear, Belt of Dexterity, Headband of Int, Pearls of Power
- Buffering Cap
- Incandescent Blue Sphere Ioun Stone with Wayfinder
- Gloves of Marking
- Maiden's Helm
- Wands of True Strike in spring sheath; Blade Tutor's Spirit, and Unseen Servant
- Myrrh
Chryn Flamestaff, Controller Magus
Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 18. Increase charisma every 4th level.
Archetype: Eldritch Scion and Staff Magus.
Bloodrager bloodline: Destined.
Race: Human
Racial abilities: Bonus feat.
Racial class bonus: +1 pool every four levels.
Skills: Climb / Swim 1, Bluff / Spellcraft maxed, the rest goes to Perception.
Traits: Defensive Strategist, Glory of Old.
Tactics: A spontaneous caster with high charisma, the controller invests in good save DCs to lock down the battlefield with area spells, then wields an enchanted staff along the rest of the party to finish off the enemies. This build often wants to boost concentration by taking a to-hit penalty.
At first level, rely on Color Spray to knock out groups of enemies, or use spell combat with Arcane Mark. At this level, there's no need to use a staff yet, so start with a dagger for its crit range. Since this build runs through pool points quicker than most, the feats provide extra pool points. At level 4, you can shape the battlefield with Euphoric Cloud or Web. Outside of combat, support your teammates with your good social skills, and at level 5 by creating magical items for them.
By level 9, you've switched to a staff for its defensive abilities, and you can use spell combat even outside your trance. Try to lock down an enemy every turn with Touch of Blindness or Color Spray at a good save DC, while still making full attacks with your quarterstaff buffed with Heroism, and a +5 bonus to armor class from bloodline and staff. At higher levels, you gain access to some potent blasting spells, still at a good DC, such as Intensified Fireball (as a full-round action). Your arcana allows you to maximize and quicken these, and by level 15 the powerful Spell Perfection comes online, and lets you do it as part of spell combat. Should somebody try the same at you, you can reflect their spells using the Ring of Arcane Mastery.
So, instead of a warrior who casts spells, this is more like a wizard who uses a weapon, trading some spell power for the ability to stand in melee with a versatile weapon and touch attack debuffs. After all, you are destined!
Arcana
- 3. Familiar; gain Alertness and +2 to will save
- 6. Arcane Accuracy
- 9. Spell Blending
- 12. Maximized Magic
- 15. Spell Blending
- 18. Quickened Magic
Feats
- 1. Extra Arcane Pool; Extra Arcane Pool (race); Quarterstaff Master (archetype)
- 3. Spell Focus: Evocation
- 5. Craft Wondrous Item; Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
- 7. Spontaneous Metafocus: Fireball
- 9. Intensified Spell
- 11. Divine Defiance; Dazing Spell
- 13. Quicken Spell
- 15. Spell Perfection
- 17. Spell Penetration; Improved Initiative
- 19. Greater Spell Penetration
Spells Prepared
- 0. Arcane Mark, Daze, Light
- 1. Chill Touch, Color Spray, Grease, Touch of Blindness (blend)
- 2. Blindness / Deafness (blend), Defending Bone, Euphoric Cloud, Web
- 3. Fireball, Greater Magic Weapon, Heroism (blend), Slow
- 4. Black Tentacles, Bestow Curse (blend), Ward Shield
- 5. Baleful Polymorph, Fire Snake, Wall of Stone
- 6. Chain Lightning, Greater Dispel Magic
Equipment
- Quarterstaff +1 of Menacing and Spell Storing
- Elven Chain of Spell Storing
- Standard AC gear, Headband of Charisma, Belt of Strength, Runestones of Power
- Eyes of the Eagle
- Metamagic Rod of Piercing
- Metamagic Rod of Selective
- Ring of Arcane Mastery
- Wand of Infernal Healing
- Myrrh
Really, I've just tried to get as much AC as possible early on, while still maintaing some of the offensive qualities and getting Sl. Grace at lvl 2, Precise Strike at lvl 3, Acc. Sneak at lvl 5, Crane Wing at lvl 6 and Outflank at lvl 7 helped.
