How To Build The Best Magus In Pathfinder: WotR (2024)

Players have a lot to choose from when it comes to character creation in role-playing games. The RPG world includes Wizards, Druids, Shamans, and Sorcerers. Pathfinder has all of these, plus several more that are unique to the franchise. The Magus is one example of a class that only appears in Pathfinder, and players can experience the Magus in both the tabletop version and the video games.

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Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous includes the Magus amongst its 25 other class choices. This is a spell-casting class that relies on study and memorization, like a Wizard, as opposed to spontaneous casting like a Bard or Sorcerer. What sets them apart from other spell casters is their ability to fight with a blade in one hand and a spell at the ready in the other. There are a lot of details to think about when building a Magus, which is why this is one of the most difficult classes to play.

The Magus - Character Creation

Ability Scores

• Intelligence. The primary Ability Score of the Magus, a higher intelligence means your spells are more powerful, and you can memorize more of them every time you rest.
• Dexterity. After casting, the Magus deals damage with a blade, and this is usually a finesse weapon or a dagger, all of which need a high Dexterity score to be effective.
• Constitution. Extra hit points are better for everyone and this kind of combination class in particular. The Magus is often within melee range but has limited AC.
• Strength. Your Strength score depends on the individual build. A Magus who has more power with a melee weapon will need a higher score here, but if this is a ranged build it's much less important.
• Charisma. A nice Ability Score for Persuasion checks and spontaneous casting, but otherwise a purely cosmetic or RP choice.
• Wisdom. Pathfinder uses your Wisdom score for Religion Lore Knowledge checks, but other than that, it's not important to the Magus.

Party Roles

• Damage. The Magus is mostly a damage-dealer, using a combination of magical spells and physical weapons in combat. There's actually a wide variety of roles the Magus can take in that regard, which is the main reason they're considered to be one of the more complex Pathfinder classes.
• Melee Damage. This Magus will have a higher Strength and Constitution, so they can stay in melee range. They might rely more on physical weapons than magical damage.
• Ranged Damage and Support. A role that requires a higher Dexterity for ranged weapons and spell hit rating, this Magus relies more on spells that protect the party and boost their abilities as opposed to doing physical damage.

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Racial Choices

• Aasimar. Known more for their Charisma, this race does get some Dexterity and Intelligence bonuses depending on the Heritage chosen, so it has potential.
• Dhampir. One of the best choices for a magic-user with consistently high Intelligence and innate magical abilities, several Heritage choices for Dhampirs also include Dexterity buffs.
• Dwarf. The Constitution bonus is a good start, and although Dwarves take a penalty to Charisma that doesn't matter to a Magus.
• Elf. Bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence make Elves of the best choices for a Magus, especially one focused on ranged damage. The Spell Dancer subclass is limited to this race.
• Gnome. A Constitution and Charisma bonus isn't ideal, but it's still a good start. Gnomes also have some useful racial skills like Keen Senses.

• Half-Elf. A great start for almost any class thanks to the +2 that you're free to add to any Ability Score, along with access to Elven Weapon proficiencies.
• Half-Orc. A Half-orc Magus would be lethal at melee range with their physical presence alone. Add the magical abilities and the result is a classic battle mage.
• Halfling. The Dexterity bonus is a great start, and the Strength penalty doesn't have to affect every Magus build.
• Human. A great start for any class of any build, Humans in Pathfinder gets a +2 to any ability score, plus an extra Feat and more skill points.
• Kitsune. Another great option for a Magus, the Kitsune are known for Dexterity and Intelligence, but lack Constitution, so a better choice for a ranged build.
• Oread. Strong, wise, and charismatic, this might be the only race that wouldn't make a good Magus, unless the player has a lot of patience and doesn't mind leveling them for a longer time before they're equally effective.
• Tiefling. There are many choices for Tiefling Heritage, and several include bonuses to both Dexterity and Intelligence. Choose carefully, however, as some options have penalties to key stats as well.

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The Magus Subclasses

• Arcane Rider. As the name suggests, this Magus has a mount, and they share a special Arcane bond. If the Magus teleports, the mount can travel with them. The mount also gets the same benefit of any support spells the Magus casts on themselves.
• Armored Battlemage. This is the subclass that suffers less of an Arcane casting penalty when using heavier armor. For a Magus that wants to be a Defender, this is by far the best option.
• Eldritch Archer. For a Magus that's serious about ranged damage, this build gives your character extra abilities like Ranged Skill Combat.
• Eldritch Scion. Make sure your Magus has a decent Charisma score before choosing this spontaneous casting Archetype. You lose the Arcane Pool ability but don't have to memorize spells.
• Hexcrafter. Yet another descriptive subclass name, this Magus studies and learns the ways of Witches and specializes in Hexes.
• Spell Dancer. Focused on the roots of Wizardry in Elvish culture, and considers the craft to be an extension of existing spell-casting practices as opposed to a deviant type of art.
• Sword Saint. The ideal choice for a Magus that wants to specialize in melee damage with a focus on their talent with a single weapon.

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Prestige Classes And Multi-Classing Options

Regular Classes

• Alchemist. A Magus that wants to be able to mix concoctions, including both potions and explosives can get those abilities from an Alchemist.
• Fighter. Give a Magus better options for AC and weapon choices by combining them with a Fighter.
• Kineticist. A melee Magus can improve their DPS abilities with the skills of a Kineticist, a type of fighter that manipulates the energy close to them into a lethal weapon.
• Ranger. A great way to make your ranged Magus even more talented with certain weapons, specific terrain, and extra spells, provided their Wisdom score is high enough.
• Rogue. A common multi-class choice due to their unique class abilities such as lock-picking, Stealth, and finding traps. Both a Magus and a Rogue use Dexterity as a primary Ability Score and use similar weapons, so this makes even more sense.
• Shaman. A way to extend the Magus spell-casting ability with a Shaman spell list, which includes healing abilities and elemental damage.
• Slayer. This is primarily a fighting class, but they have some extra combat abilities related to their Intelligence score, so a good choice for a melee-based Magus.
• Wizard. One way to start a really savage Arcane damage build, combining a Magus with a Wizard gives your character a whole other spell-book, and gives your Wizard better melee abilities.

Prestige Classes

• Eldritch Knight. A common choice for any fighter-mage combination, the Magus already has most of the prerequisites needed for this Prestige Class. Make sure to pick up Diverse Training and a Bonus Combat option when choosing Feats.
• Aldori Swordlord. If your Magus is focusing on a single melee weapon, specifically a Finesse Weapon, this is a natural progression choice. Extra skills include Quick Draw and Defensive Parry.
• Duelist. This is a similar choice to the Swordlord, but only requires Dodge, Mobility, and Weapon Finesse as opposed to being restricted to dueling weapons.
• Hellknight Signifier. The spell-casting wing of the Hellknights welcomes anyone with some Arcane and World knowledge, a decent Persuasion skill, and any Lawful moral alignment.
• Student of War. If you want to lead a Crusade, this might be the perfect Prestige Class. Characters get additional combat skills and Feats to complement their high Perception and Will saving throws.

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Examples Of Magus Builds

The Battlemage Build

• Party Role: Melee damage, with Support when necessary.
• Ideal Race: Half-Orc or Half-Elf, for the extra skills and abilities when it comes to melee weapons.
• Best Subclass: Armored Battlemage, for the ability to wear medium armor.
• Important Ability Scores: Dexterity and Strength, along with a few extra points in Constitution, are key to the Battlemage. This is the kind of spell caster that has to stay in melee range and takes more damage in battle than other Magus builds.

Dr. Feelgood

• Party Role: Damage and Support, the latter in the form of both magical devices and spells.
• Ideal Race: Elf or Dhampir for the Dexterity and Intelligence bonuses.
• Best Subclass: Spell Dancer for an Elf, or the Hexcrafter for the useful support spells.
• Important Ability Scores: Intelligence might eke out Dexterity here since the use of Magical Devices depends on a skill check and Intelligence is connected to how well you can brew potions and write scrolls.

Arcane Studies Specialist

• Party Role: Support and ranged damage.
• Ideal Race: Smaller and faster is better, so consider Gnomes or Halflings.
• Best Subclass: Arcane Rider, mainly for the ability to move quickly around the battlefield to aid allies and distract enemies. Eldritch Archer is another good choice if you prefer to focus on your weapon skills.
• Important Ability Scores: Dexterity is just as important as Intelligence for this build, which is mainly focused on ranged damage.

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