The Best Familiar for a Magus: A Comprehensive Guide
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Choosing the right familiar can significantly enhance a Magus’s capabilities, acting as more than just a pet, but rather an extension of their magical prowess and battlefield effectiveness. While the optimal familiar choice depends on a player’s specific build and playstyle, one familiar often stands out as the most versatile and universally beneficial: the Thrush with the Protector archetype.
Why the Thrush is Superior
The Thrush offers a fantastic combination of utility and combat support, which makes it an exceptional familiar for the Magus class. Firstly, the ability of the Thrush to speak is invaluable for communication and coordination, especially in situations where subtle interactions are paramount. Secondly, the fact that the Thrush can fly allows for unique opportunities for scouting, flanking, and other strategic maneuvers not otherwise available to a Magus. This makes it much more effective than the traditional rogue as an off-screen eye.
The Protector Archetype: A Vital Boost
Adding the Protector archetype to the Thrush grants it an invaluable +2 bonus to the Magus’s Armor Class (AC). This direct defensive boost is critical for a class that often finds itself in the thick of combat. This extra protection can be the difference between a narrow escape and a character death, especially in the early levels.
More Than Just a Stat Stick
The combination of speech, flight, and defensive capabilities makes the Thrush with the Protector archetype far more valuable than many of the combat-focused familiar choices. The Thrush can be sent to scout ahead, communicate warnings or secret information, and position itself to grant the Magus the protective bonus while being out of harm’s way. While a Mauler familiar may provide some extra damage, the utility and protective benefit of the Thrush are much more impactful.
FAQs: Magus and Familiars
1. Can a Magus have a familiar?
Yes, absolutely! The concept of a familiar that can assist in minor tasks and generally serve as an extension of the Magus is very traditional and can be considered a standard component of the class. There exists both a mental and physical connection between the two, solidifying their bond.
2. What is the best build for a Magus?
A Magus needs to balance spellcasting with martial combat. For melee builds, high Intelligence and Strength are essential, while ranged Magi benefit more from Intelligence and Dexterity. Overall, Intelligence is the most important as it fuels their spellcasting and skills.
3. What is the best skill feat for a Magus?
Intensified Spell is a vital skill feat for the Magus. It allows the Magus to extend the viability of spells like Shocking Grasp much later into the game by increasing their damage output. The small cost of one spell level increase makes it a very worthwhile investment.
4. Is the Magus a good class in Pathfinder?
Yes, the Magus is a strong class in Pathfinder. They excel at both dealing heavy burst damage and mobility thanks to supportive spells. They are considered a hybrid of both fighter and wizard, incorporating the best parts of both. However, they don’t specialize to the same extent in either role as a dedicated fighter or a pure wizard.
5. Is the Magus a good class overall?
Magus is well known for burst damage capability, with better initial survivability than other casters. They shine in early to mid-levels but may have less staying power than pure caster classes in the late game. However, the class is known to be a bit of a “glass cannon”.
6. How many cantrips does a Magus get?
A Magus learns three cantrips that can be cast as often as they desire. They prepare these along with their other spells after a night’s rest and an hour of study. Additionally, a Magus usually prepares one first-level spell per day, or two if they have a high Intelligence.
7. Can a Magus wear armor?
Yes, Magi can wear medium armor without incurring arcane spell failure chances. However, heavy armor or using a shield can cause spell failure if the spell has a somatic component. It’s important to be cognizant of which of your spells require hand movements.
8. Does a Magus need a free hand?
Yes, to use their Spell Combat ability, the Magus must have one hand free. They must be holding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. The free hand is crucial for casting spells while in combat.
9. Can a Magus learn wizard spells?
Absolutely. A Magus can learn spells from Wizard spellbooks, and vice-versa. The spells learned must still be on the Magus’ spell list. This allows for increased flexibility in spell choices.
10. What is the most powerful familiar?
While many familiars offer unique benefits, imps are often cited as the most inherently powerful, boasting magical resistance, invisibility, shapeshifting, and immunities to poison and fire. However, they may not be the best choice for a Magus in all cases.
11. What is the best race for a Magus?
Elves are often considered the top choice for Magi due to their bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence. They can also specialize in the Spell Dancer subclass.
12. Can a Magus use a bow?
Yes, a Magus can be proficient with ranged weaponry such as a bow. However, focusing on archery will be extremely feat-starved, making it hard to fully optimize the Magus’ spellsword capabilities.
13. What is Intensified Spell for a Magus?
Intensified Spell allows a Magus to increase a spell’s level by one to increase its maximum damage by five dice. This makes spells like Shocking Grasp more viable at higher levels, providing a scalable burst damage option.
14. How many spells does a Magus get?
A Magus learns and places fourteen spells from the wizard’s spell list into his spellbook as magus spells. They also gain two of each of the following wizard spells not on their list: 0 level through 6th level.
15. Can a Magus dual-wield?
A Magus uses their Spell Combat ability, which functions much like two-weapon fighting. However, instead of using a second weapon, the off-hand is used to cast a spell. The class is generally not designed to dual-wield in the traditional way.
Conclusion
While other familiars offer certain niche benefits, the Thrush with the Protector archetype provides the most well-rounded and universally helpful advantages for a Magus. Its ability to speak, fly, and add crucial AC bonus significantly enhances the Magus’ combat and utility effectiveness. Consider it to be an indispensable ally on the battlefield. With a balanced approach to build, skill selection, and spell choice, the Magus can be a very strong and effective class in the right hands.