Understanding the Magus Class Plz Help

[PopsurSocks]

Ok 2 issues I am having (with Regongar as well as my main toon an Arcane Archer)

First, using the Magus ability to spellcast as well as attack is invoking Attacks of Opportunity. Am I supposed to get a feat to stop this, or is the class just bad?

Second, at level 5 you can enhance your weapon with a variety of different options. However, when I enable say Frost weapon and do an Arcane Enhancement, when I go to inventory screen the weapon doesn't look like it has anything added to it. Is this just poor UI or am I actually getting the bonuses?

Fck this game is complicated..

[EvilTwinTepe]

For whatever reason I cannot think of the name of the Feat - but the Conentration one is a must to help with the AOOs. Second, the level 5 imbuement doesn't make the base weapon magic,m just gives it a buff. You'll see it in game, but not on the weapon in your inventory.

[PopsurSocks]

Do you mean the Combat Casting Feat? The description says it only increases Concentration.. Having better Concentration = less AoOs?

[DodgeyB]

Normally, you use defensive casting to avoid the attacks of opportunity and it requires you to make a concentration check to cast instead.

I havent dabbled with the class much in game outside of pen and paper so im not sure the details here.

As for the second point i believe its just a UI issue, best bet is to check your combat logs and mouse over your damage to see where the sources for each point are.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by PopsurSocks:

Ok 2 issues I am having (with Regongar as well as my main toon an Arcane Archer)

First, using the Magus ability to spellcast as well as attack is invoking Attacks of Opportunity. Am I supposed to get a feat to stop this, or is the class just bad?

How is it bad?

Casting a spell has always provoked an attack of opportunity from anyone threatening you. That's an important balancing factor against spellcasting generally.

If you are having problems keeping Reg alive while he's slinging spells in melee combat, that's sort of the point. Try being a little more prudent about when and where you cast spells with him.

If you're casting Touch spells, you can cast the spell while outside of threat range, and then move in to deliver the Touch (you'll see their hands glow if they're "holding the charge"). This is what Clerics do all the time if you notice them pausing to cast a spell and then moving in to heal someone by touching them.

If you're casting buffs... Mirror Image and Displacement can be cast outside of melee combat and probably should be cast *before* you get into the fight.

Originally posted by PopsurSocks:

Second, at level 5 you can enhance your weapon with a variety of different options. However, when I enable say Frost weapon and do an Arcane Enhancement, when I go to inventory screen the weapon doesn't look like it has anything added to it. Is this just poor UI or am I actually getting the bonuses?

Check your combat log. Hover over his attack and you'll see a tooltip with more details about what happened in that line. If you aren't seeing his extra frost damage in the weapon swing and you are very sure that you activated the ability correctly, then it might be an exotic bug that no one else is having.

Originally posted by PopsurSocks:

♥♥♥♥♥this game is complicated..

It's a severely minimized, reduced and simple version of Pathfinder... And I don't think Pathfinder is all that complicated, really.

But the Magus class is one of the most complicated classes in the game, yes. There is no Warpriest[www.d20pfsrd.com] in this game (yet...?).

[PopsurSocks]

Ah I understand what is happening, the enhancement only works for 1 round of combat, something I didn't realize...Must have checked my weapon after charge already expended.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by PopsurSocks:

Ah I understand what is happening, the enhancement only works for 1 round of combat, something I didn't realize...Must have checked my weapon after charge already expended.

Uhhhhhhhhh....

Well, Shocking Grasp only works for one Touch. It has only one "charge" and is expended once you deliver the spell.

Is that what you mean? Because Shocking Grasp is a spell. It's just one "packet" of damage delivered with a Touch Attack. It's not really a weapon enhancement, the way you're thinking of like with a shocking shortsword. As a Magus he has an exotic class feature that allows him to hit something with his weapon (dealing weapon damage as well) to deliver a touch attack spell instead of just touching his target with his hand.

Because the enhancements he can apply to his weapon with his Arcane Pool points is supposed to last 1 minute (10 rounds)...

[PopsurSocks]

Originally posted by Jotunblut:

Normally, you use defensive casting to avoid the attacks of opportunity and it requires you to make a concentration check to cast instead.

I havent dabbled with the class much in game outside of pen and paper so im not sure the details here.

As for the second point i believe its just a UI issue, best bet is to check your combat logs and mouse over your damage to see where the sources for each point are.

How do I turn on defensive casting? Is it an ability, a feat, something I unlock at a certain level?

[wwolf69]

You see, casting in combat always require a concentration check, but not always attack of opportunity. When you cast a spell, first you make a concentration check to avoid attack, and only if you fail, you get one. Then you need another concentration check to not fail your spell.
So for magus concentration feats (like combat casting) are mandatory.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by wwolf69:

You see, casting in combat always require a concentration check, but not always attack of opportunity. When you cast a spell, first you make a concentration check to avoid attack, and only if you fail, you get one. Then you need another concentration check to not fail your spell.
So for magus concentration feats (like combat casting) are mandatory.

Actually, that's bugged right now.

Casting spells in melee combat is still provoking AoOs even if you pass the concentration check.

That's not how it's *supposed* to work, though, no.

[Sotanaht]

Originally posted by wwolf69:

You see, casting in combat always require a concentration check, but not always attack of opportunity. When you cast a spell, first you make a concentration check to avoid attack, and only if you fail, you get one. Then you need another concentration check to not fail your spell.
So for magus concentration feats (like combat casting) are mandatory.

They really should have just made Combat Casting a toggle like Power Attack, and automatically disabled it outside of combat the same way they currently accellerate spellcasts out of combat.

[wamphyri_99]

The only time a spell provokes AoO on my magus now is if he uses a ranged touch spell and that is because the ranged attack is provoking the AoO not the casting of the spell.

[Naked Granny]

Originally posted by Sotanaht:

They really should have just made Combat Casting a toggle like Power Attack, and automatically disabled it outside of combat the same way they currently accellerate spellcasts out of combat.

I haven't had to experiment with it much because it's trivial to just ... keep my casters out of the melee, but - anecdotally! - I don't think the defensive casting concentration check is doing anything at all because you don't lose the spell if you fail it. The separate concentration check against the damage you might receive from the AoO has caused me to lose a spell or two, but that's working as intended I think.

[raubrey]

Some things that may help.

7th Level - can use medium armor (a significant upgrade here)
Magnus Feat - Enduring Blade - adds *another minute per level* to enchantments.
Defensive Casting is automatic. See Useful Feats Below:


Useful Feats
Combat Casting
Toughness
Extra Arcane Pool

I also use :
Precise Strike (team feat)

Only if using much ranged and not focused on Spellstrike:
Point Blank
Precise Shot
(Buff Dex with Belt/Spell)

With his STR, can swap to 2H weapon when you need to change damage type.

There is really nothing that makes him weak (that can't be compensated for) other than trying to use him as a frontline fighter. Anything that is focused on will get hurt, so normal buffing/defensive spells as needed applies here.

Damage is midrange but VERY versatile. In one area, he beat Nok Nok, Ranger and Fighters and is faster than the mage if using Spell Strike. In fact I'm dropping the mage and keeping him and going back to the bard or alchemist.

While he is more complicated than the rest, once you figure out and remember to activate/deactivate Abilities, he's fairly low maintence after LV 7, other than in hard battles.

[wwolf69]

Originally posted by Aunt Tony:

Originally posted by wwolf69:

You see, casting in combat always require a concentration check, but not always attack of opportunity. When you cast a spell, first you make a concentration check to avoid attack, and only if you fail, you get one. Then you need another concentration check to not fail your spell.
So for magus concentration feats (like combat casting) are mandatory.

Actually, that's bugged right now.

Casting spells in melee combat is still provoking AoOs even if you pass the concentration check.

That's not how it's *supposed* to work, though, no.

No
For me it's working.

[Piggy]

I prefer my magus with heavy armor, the perk allows it later on or if it's a custom made u can get him with 100% no fail on spells with armor on.