Myrrh, Frankincense, and Steel: Kurald Galain's Guide to the Magus (2024)

Multiclassing
The Magus has solid features throughout its career and is already a hybrid between the fighter and wizard; so it should be no surprise that Magus/20 is a perfectly respectable build, although the capstone at level 20 isn't that great. That said, if it is to your taste, a Magus can benefit from dipping into another class, or using the variant multiclass rules from the Unchained book.

Spoiler: Multiclassing and Prestige Classes

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Dipping Other Classes

• Alchemist (vivisectionist) - Its mutagen ability gives a good bonus for those tough fights, and it also gets perception skill. The bombs aren't too useful for a Magus, so take the vivisectionist archetype to replace that with sneak attack, and boost it with the Accomplished Sneak Attacker feat. If you want to dip a second level, you can take an alchemist discovery. Good choices include vestigial arm to hold metamagic rods; elemental or feral mutagen for offense; or preserve organs or spontaneous healing for defense.
• Bard (dawnflower dervish) - You get the Dervish Dance feat for free, and can buff yourself as a move acton. Decent at low level; at higher level you should have enough feats to take DD normally, and you should buff yourself with spell combat instead.
• Bloodrager - With the Mad Magic feat, you can rage in tough fights and keep your spell combat. You also gain fast movement (or a free feat, via the Blood Conduit archetype), and deal extra damage (Black Blood, Draconic, or Elemental bloodline) or add a debuff to your crits (Aberrant, Fey, or Kyton bloodline). All in all, a nice package of buffs. The Steelblood archetype is proficient with heavy armor; you could use that as a Magus if you rely on spells without somatic components, or if you take the Mindblade archetype which has no spell failure in armor.
• Fighter - While it may be tempting to dip fighter for bonus feats, this doesn't really help since the Magus already gets bonus feats, as well as feat-equivalent arcana.
• Monk - This combo doesn't work, because Spell Combat doesn't stack with Flurry of Blows.
• Occultist - The Legacy Weapon ability gives you a wide choice of weapon enchantments that aren't available to the Magus until much higher level, notably bane and ghost touch. It does cost a standard action to activate, but is versatile and usable on your allies. Nothing in particular stands out about occultist spells.
• Rogue (unchained + thug) - The Unchained rogue is a decent dip for a dex Magus, as it gains Weapon Finesse for free, as well as sneak attack (which can be improved with the Accomplished Sneak Attacker feat and Prescient Attack arcana), and a large skill list. Additionally, if you're planning to use the Enforcer feat or a whip, take the Thug archetype to make it much better.
• Sorcerer (crossblooded) - The crossblooded archetype (orc+draconic) adds +2 damage per die to your favorite damage spell. Want to do 10d6+20 damage with a Shocking Grasp? Well, here's how. As an added bonus, you gain access to low-level spells that aren't on the Magus list, by carrying a bunch of scrolls around. The downside is a penalty to will saves. The Blood Havoc ability doesn't help you, since it only works on sorcerer spells.
• Swashbuckler (inspired blade) - Free Weapon Focus and Weapon Finesse, and Opportune Parry and Riposte. At low levels, this is great; at higher levels, you should have enough feats and arcana to take these the normal way and retrain out of this class.
• Wizard - Several of the school powers are useful to a Magus, particularly the diviner's foresight and the evoker's energy admixture. In addition, the familiars from these schools give nice bonuses, and you can take wizard discoveries, particularly Creative Destruction and Knowledge Is Power; the latter is not PFS legal. As with sorcerer, you gain a few more spells to play with.

Prestige Classes

• Brewkeeper - Easy to qualify for, and a feat from the same book lets it advance spellcasting on every level. Notably, you can get a free empower spell a couple times per day, add a nasty condition to your touch attacks, and use your own caster level for potions. These are all very useful; just be mindful of your swift actions.
• Eldritch Knight - The Magus can enter this prestige class without multiclassing after level 7. You gain a few points more to hit in exchange for losing all your class features and getting all your spells a level later. The capstone ability at level 17 is basically a multi-use Critical Strike arcana, which is decent but not great since it costs a swift action. Overall the tradeoff isn't very good and I'd stick to a straight Magus instead.
• Evangelist - A flavorful choice for the devout, it delays your Magus abilities by one level in exchange for perception skill, more skill points, a minor AC bonus, and getting the boons from the Deific Obedience feat about five levels earlier. The deity Nethys is probably the best choice here, although Desna is good with the Eldritch Scion archetype.
• Magaambyan Arcanist - Another way of getting druid spells on your list, albeit at the cost of two fairly weak feats and a dip in wizard. None of the other class features are particularly good for a Magus, but it still fully advances spellcasting.
• Soul Drinker - Due to errata, this is no longer useful to the Magus.
• Stargazer - It's easy to qualify for, fully advances spellcasting, and starts by giving you a familiar and extra class skills, and a hex that stacks with the Hexcrafter archetype. Basically, two free feats for a one-level dip. The second level gives you a nice speed boost, or negates the flatfooted condition. This is worth considering for any Magus.
• Thuvian Alchemist - One of the few prestige classes to fully increase spellcasting, it trades your arcana for limited healing ability. Its main appeal are the Spontaneous Healing and Enhance Potion discoveries.

Path of War Classes

• Bladecaster - This prestige class basically trades arcana for martial strikes, which is an interesting option; and at level 4 you get to quicken a number of touch spells per day, for free, and attach a spellstrike to them as usual. This basically lets you use spell combat as a standard action.
• Harbinger - One level gives you a solid list of social and knowledge skills, acrobatics, and stealth. You add half your intelligence to attack rolls, get a speed boost, and can prevent creatures from hiding from you. Finally, you gain access to a set of Path of War maneuvers.

3.5 Prestige Classes

• Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil - One of the strongest prestige classes for wizards, it should be no surprise that it's good for a Magus as well. It does require three rather useless feats to enter.
• Mage of the Arcane Order - It fully advances spellcasting. A one-level dip allows your Magus to access the entire wizard spell list up to 3rd level a few times per day, and four levels get you up to 6th.
• Sublime Chord - Although it requires a level of (e.g.) bard to enter, or the argent dramaturge prestige class, this is one of the few ways to get ninth-level casting on your Magus. Take the Broad Study arcana to use these with spell combat.
• Wyrm Wizard - It's an expensive trick, but two levels in this prestige class let you learn any one spell from any other class list, such as the touch spell Harm if you're high enough level. You lose one level of spellcasting though.

Variant Multiclassing

• Cleric (level 1-10 / 11+) - At low level, a domain like Travel or Liberation is certainly worth a feat. Regular channel options are pretty pointless with the level restriction, but the variant channel of Self Perfection is very good. At higher level this, the options aren't worth the loss of other feats.
• Druid (level 1-6 / 7-10 / 11+) - If you want an animal companion as mount or flanking buddy, then this is the way to go. It'll be a bit squishy until level 11, but you can use the share spells ability with your defensive buffs to protect it.
• Fighter (level 1-10 / 11+) - This lets you use advanced options for weapon and armor training. Focused Weapon provides a decent damage boost at level 15 and up, Warrior Spirit lets you use Bane at level 11, Armored Sacrifice protects from lethal damage, and Armored Juggernaut gives you DR from level 7. Frankly, you're better off with the Martial Focus feat (which enables Difficult Swings and Smash from the Air).
• Rogue - While sneak attack is a nice ability, you only get +2d6 to damage by the time you've spent three feats. This is not a very good deal, although evasion is a decent perk. It's easier to use your spells to boost your damage instead.
• Wizard - A familiar is well worth a feat, and both the divination and evocation schools have very useful powers for a Magus; the conjurer's teleportation is also good if you take the Dimensional Agility feat. Alternatively, the void school gives a nice bonus to saving throws. At high level, you get a wizard discovery, which offers some powerful options like Time Stutter, Creative Destruction, or Knowledge Is Power.

Spoiler: Dipping Into Magus

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See Also

Magus - Classes - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder RPG DatabaseMagus - PathfinderWikiMagus: Pathfinder.d20srd.orgHomesteading--Wyoming Tales and Trails

Multiclassing Abilities

• One level - For other classes, dipping one level of Magus lets you cast a free buff spell during any full attack, e.g. Shield or True Strike. These can be cast in light armor, and Pearl of Power items give you more spells per day.
• One level, Kensai archetype - Gain exotic weapon proficiency, Weapon Focus feat, and an unarmored AC bonus.
• One level, Mindblade archetype - As above, but it works in any kind of armor, and with a different spell list.
• One level, Nature-bonded archetype - As above, but tacks on a free familiar, with archetype of your choice.
• Two levels - Now you can use flurry of blows with any one-handed weapon, via the spellstrike ability and any cantrip.
• Two levels, Puppetmaster archetype - Whenever an enemy fails a save, you can follow up with another spell as a swift action as an interesting combo.
• Three levels - You get arcana, and can take the Extra Arcana feat. Good choices here include Arcane Accuracy, Familiar, Flamboyant Arcana, and Spell Shield.
  

Variant Multiclassing

• Level 3 - At this point, VMC'ing into Magus doesn't do a whole lot.
• Level 7 - You gain the enchant weapon feature as well as one arcana, and you can take the Extra Arcana feat; see above for a list. This is a good boost to hit and damage for any melee character. Some arcana require Magus features like spell combat; these work well with archetypes that add Magus abilities to another class, such as the Phantom Blade.
• Level 11 - Gain spellstrike, which is rather situational for most classes, but decent if you're a spellcaster with a reach weapon or anything with the Keen enchantment.

Spoiler: Mythic Options

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Mythic Paths

• Archmage - The most powerful mythic path, and a solid choice for a Magus. The most fitting arcana is Mage Strike; Arcane Surge is so ridiculously overpowered that I recommend not using it. For abilities, I suggest Abundant Casting, Channel Power, Coupled Arcana, Eldritch Breach, Elemental Bond, Flexible Counterspell with Spellbane Counterstrike, Mirror Dodge, and Shapeshifting Mastery.
• Champion - While this sounds like a suitable path for any Magus, in practice it's just nowhere near as game-changing as the other mythic paths. As with the trickster, the best base ability is Fleet Charge. Good other abilities include Fleet Warrior, Precision, and Critical Master. I recommend taking the Dual Path feat to get your other abilities from a different path.
• Marshal - For a leader-oriented Magus, this path offers good options for teamwork. The best marshal's order is Rally, and good abilities include Distracting Assailant, Heroic Block, and Painful Gambit.
• Trickster - Even without sneak attack, this path offers various useful dirty tricks. The main one is Fleet Charge; the most suitable abilities are Mirror Dodge, Path Dabbling, Transfer Magic, and Vanishing Move.

Mythic Abilities

• Augmented spells - Numerous regular spells can be boosted with mythic power. As you're limited in how many of these augments you learn, most of them aren't worth it. Good augmentations include Color Spray's vastly increased area; Flesh to Stone's no-save stagger; Fly's defense bonus; Haste's free pounce for everyone; Heroism's double bonuses; and Shocking Grasp's free disarm. In addition, numerous blasting spells get a damage boost equivalent to (and stacking with) Empower Spell.
• Legendary item - One of the best universal path abilities. The best item picks are probably Foe Biting; Metamagician with Powerful; Everlasting with Flexible Bond; and Undetectable.
• Mythic feats - Given how strong path abilities are, the prime choices here are Dual Path, Extra Path Ability, and Mythic Spell Lore (the same as Mythic Spellcasting). The mythic versions of regular feats tend to be lacklustre: either too situational or just not worth the cost. Feats worth considering after the three path feats include Empower Spell, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration, and Weapon Finesse.
• Mythic items - Basically all of these are overpriced and not worth it.
• Mythic spells - From the mythic-only spells, the only one that stands out for a Magus is Borrowed Time, which further boosts your action economy.

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.

Spoiler: Grashnak Stormbringer, Assault Magus

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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.

See Also

Pathfinder: Player Core 2, Starfinder Second Edition Playtest, & More — Paizo - PHD Games

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

Spoiler: Ilyara Bladesong, Maneuver Magus

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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

Spoiler: Chryn Flamestaff, Controller Magus

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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