Archives of Nethys
Source Impossible Magic pg. 9
Combining the physicality and technique of a warrior with the ability to cast arcane magic, you seek to perfect the art of fusing spell and strike. While the hefty tome you carry reflects hours conducting arcane research, your enemies need no reminder of your training. They recognize it as you take them down.
Key Attribute: STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY
At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to your choice of Strength or Dexterity.
Hit Points: 8 plus your Constitution modifier
You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.
Roleplaying the Magus
During Combat Encounters...
You channel spells through your weapon or body to hit enemies with a powerful attack and spell combination. Because your spells per day are limited, you often rely on trusty, carefully chosen cantrips and focus spells. When necessary, you know how to win a fight without magic.During Social Encounters...
Your education and breadth of experience make you knowledgeable about many subjects. You can contribute information related to your scholarly pursuits, especially about magic.While Exploring...
Your flexibility means you might look for magical auras, remain on guard, or even sneak around. Your ability to fill different niches means that your role often depends on the talents of the other members of your group.In Downtime...
You split your time between magical pursuits, like researching spells and crafting items, and martial practice, such as retraining combat abilities to learn new techniques.You Might...
- Continually refine your spell and item selections to suit your personal style, or prepare battle plans and spell lists for a variety of situations.
- Socialize with scholars of magic and veteran combatants alike, seeking out masters to teach you new techniques.
- Overreach with ambitious plans that pull you in too many directions at once.
Others Probably...
- Wonder how you can keep on top of two disparate disciplines at the same time.
- Believe you have a broad enough skill set to take care of yourself in most situations.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.Perception
Trained in PerceptionSaving Throws
Expert in FortitudeTrained in Reflex
Expert in Will
Skills
Trained in ArcanaTrained in a number of additional skills equal to 2 plus your Intelligence modifier
Attacks
Trained in simple weaponsTrained in martial weapons
Trained in unarmed attacks
Defenses
Trained in light armorTrained in medium armor
Trained in unarmored defense
Class DC
Trained in magus class DCSpells
Trained in spell attack modifierTrained in spell DC
Class Features
You gain these features as a Magus. Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels at which you gain them next to the features' names.| Your Level | Class Features |
| 1 | Ancestry and background, attribute boosts, initial proficiencies, magus spellcasting, Spellstrike, Arcane Cascade, hybrid study, conflux spells |
| 2 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 3 | 2nd-rank spells, general feat, skill increase |
| 4 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 5 | 3rd-rank spells, ancestry feat, attribute boosts, reflex expertise, skill increase, weapon expertise |
| 6 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 7 | 4th-rank spells, general feat, skill increase, studious spells, weapon specialization |
| 8 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 9 | 5th-rank spells, ancestry feat, expert spellcaster, perception expertise, skill increase, twofold will |
| 10 | Attribute boosts, magus feat, skill feat |
| 11 | 6th-rank spells, general feat, medium armor expertise, skill increase |
| 12 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 13 | 7th-rank spells, ancestry feat, skill increase, weapon mastery |
| 14 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 15 | 8th-rank spells, attribute boosts, general feat, greater weapon specialization, skill increase, spell-tempered body |
| 16 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 17 | 9th-rank spells, ancestry feat, master spellcaster, medium armor mastery, skill increase |
| 18 | Magus feat, skill feat |
| 19 | Double Spellstrike, general feat, skill increase |
| 20 | Attribute boosts, magus feat, skill feat |
| Your Level | Cantrips | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 14 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| 15 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 16 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Ancestry and Background
In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.Attribute Boosts
In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have four free boosts to different attribute modifiers.At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you get four free boosts to different attribute modifiers. If an attribute modifier is already +4 or higher, it takes two boosts to increase it; you get a partial boost and must boost that attribute again at a later level to increase it by 1.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.Magus Spellcasting
You study spells so you can combine them with your attacks or solve problems that strength of arms alone can't handle. You are a spellcaster, and you can cast spells of the arcane tradition using the Cast a Spell activity. As a magus, when you cast spells, you might draw sigils with your weapon or a free hand and shout magical words of power as battle cries.At 1st level, you can prepare one 1st-rank spell and five cantrips each morning from the spells in your spellbook (see below). Prepared spells remain available to you until you cast them or until you prepare your spells again. The number of spells you can prepare is called your spell slots.
As you increase in level as a magus, the number of spells you can prepare each day increases, as does the highest rank of spell you can cast, as shown in the Magus Spells per Day table.
Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Your spell attack modifier and spell DC are calculated using your Intelligence modifier.
Heightening Spells
When you get spell slots of 2nd rank and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-rank spells. This increases the spell's rank, heightening it to match the spell slot. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain ranks.Cantrips
Some of your spells are cantrips. A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn't use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level rounded up— this is usually equal to the highest rank of magus spell slot you have. For example, as a 1st-level magus, your cantrips are 1st-rank spells, and as a 5th-level magus, your cantrips are 3rd-rank spells.Spellbook
Every arcane spell has a written version, which you record in your personalized book of spells. You start with a spellbook worth 10 sp or less, which you receive for free and must study each day to prepare your spells. Your spellbook's form and name are up to you. It might be anything from a sturdy book with a secure latch entitled Theses on the Stratagems of Supernatural Warfare to a tattered collection of training pamphlets with your name scrawled on the cover.The spellbook contains your choice of eight arcane cantrips and five 1st-rank arcane spells. You choose these from the common spells on the arcane spell list or from other arcane spells you gain access to.
Each time you gain a level, you add two arcane spells to your spellbook, of any spell rank for which you have spell slots, chosen from common spells of your tradition or others you gain access to. You can also add spells to your spellbook with the Learn a Spell activity.
If you have a spellbook from multiple sources (such as being a magus with the Wizard Dedication feat, you can use the same spellbook for all your spells.
Spellstrike
You’ve learned the fundamental magus technique that lets you combine magical and physical attacks together. You gain the Spellstrike activity.Spellstrike [two-actions]
MagusSource Impossible Magic pg. 11
Frequency until recharged (see below)
You channel a spell into a punch or sword thrust to deliver a combined attack. You cast a spell that takes 1 or 2 actions to cast and requires either a spell attack roll or a saving throw. You imbue its effects into an attack instead of executing the spell normally. Make a melee Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack. This counts as two attacks for your multiple attack penalty, but you don't apply the penalty until after you've completed the Spellstrike. The infusion of spell energy grants your Strike the arcane trait, making it magical. If the spell required a spell attack roll, use your Strike's results to determine the effects of both the Strike and the spell. If the spell required a save, the target of the Strike rolls its saving throw normally regardless of your attack roll's result unless your Strike was a critical failure, in which case your spell is disrupted. Combine the Strike and spell's damage for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses.
After you use Spellstrike, you can't do so again until you recharge your Spellstrike as a single action, which has the concentrate trait. You also recharge your Spellstrike when you cast a conflux spell that takes at least 1 action to cast; casting a focus spell of another type doesn't recharge your Spellstrike.
Spellstrike Specifics
Though the base Spellstrike rules cover most spells, various modifications apply to more complicated spells when loaded into your fist, blade, or other attack.One Target: The spell targets only the target of your Strike, even if it normally allows more targets. This includes area spells, against which only the target attempts a saving throw. Any ongoing effects of the area, such as the difficult terrain from scatter scree, affect only the target's space. Some feats let you affect more creatures.
Reach: The coupled spell affects the target using the reach of the weapon or unarmed attack you use for your Spellstrike. For instance, gouging claw would affect a creature beyond the reach of your hand if you used a weapon with reach, and frostbite would affect only a creature in your weapon's reach, even though the spell's range is longer.
Ancillary Effects: Your spell still has any non-targeted effects that might affect creatures other than the target, as well as any ongoing effects starting from the moment you hit with the Strike. For example, scatter scree would still create difficult terrain in the target's space (as mentioned above), and tangle vine's circumstance penalty would last for its normal duration. The spell takes effect after the Strike deals damage; if the Strike has other special effects, the GM determines whether they happen before or after the spell.
Invalid or Immune Target: If the target you hit wouldn't be a valid target for the spell, the spell is still expended but doesn't affect the target. If the target is immune to your attack but not the spell, it can still be affected by the spell.
Variable Actions: Some spells have different effects based on the number of actions you spend to cast them. You choose whether to use the effects of the 1- or 2-action version of the spell when you use Spellstrike. A spell has to take exactly 1 or 2 actions; you can't use Spellstrike with a spell that takes a free action, reaction, or 3 or more actions.
Spellshape: Even if you gain a spellshape action from outside the magus class, such as from a multiclass feat or an item, you typically can't use spellshape with Spellstrike. Spellshape actions require the next action you take to be Cast a Spell, and Spellstrike is a combined activity that doesn't qualify.
Arcane Cascade
You can enter a special stance to blend magic into your attacks and defend against spells.Arcane Cascade [one-action]
Concentrate Magus StanceSource Impossible Magic pg. 12
You cycle arcane power through your body and weapon using specialized forms, breathing, or footwork. While you're in the stance, your melee Strikes gain the arcane trait (making them magical) and deal 1 extra force damage, and you gain resistance 1 to damage from spells. If you have the weapon specialization class feature, the damage and resistance increase to 2, and if you have greater weapon specialization, they increase to 3.
If you Cast a Spell and then enter Arcane Cascade on the same turn, you can change the damage from the stance to any one damage type that spell could deal instead of force.
Hybrid Study
Your extensive physical training and carefully chosen magic combine to form a unique and dangerous fighting style that's more than the sum of its parts. You choose one field of hybrid study to represent your particular combination of skills. Your hybrid study gives you a special ability, usually tied to Spellstrike or Arcane Cascade, and it determines your initial conflux spell. Your hybrid study will also grant you the listed studious spells, starting when you gain that class feature at 7th level. The hybrid studies can be found here.Conflux Spells
You learn a conflux spell from your hybrid study, and you can cast additional conflux spells by selecting certain feats. Conflux spells are magus-specific spells created for combat and are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to both study your spellbook and perform a physical regimen.Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, much like cantrips. Focus spells don't require spell slots, and you can't cast them using spell slots. Certain feats give you more focus spells. The maximum Focus Points your focus pool can hold is equal to the number of focus spells you have, but it can never be more than 3 points. The full rules for focus spells appear here.
Magus FeatsLevel 2
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a magus class feat.Skill FeatsLevel 2
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.General FeatsLevel 3
At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.Skill IncreasesLevel 3
At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase either to increase your proficiency rank to trained in one skill you're untrained in, or to increase your proficiency rank in one skill in which you're already trained to expert.At 7th level, you can use skill increases to increase your proficiency rank to master in a skill in which you're already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to increase your proficiency rank to legendary in a skill in which you're already a master.
Ancestry FeatsLevel 5
In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.Reflex ExpertiseLevel 5
You’ve developed a knack for dodging danger. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert.Weapon ExpertiseLevel 5
You’ve dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to expert.Studious SpellLevel 7
You've deeply studied certain beneficial spells to speedily enter Arcane Cascade when you cast them. When you cast a studious spell, you can use Arcane Cascade as a free action as your next action this turn. Add any studious spell you gain to your spellbook if you don't know it already. Your studious spells are gecko grip and an additional spell depending on your hybrid study, listed in the hybrid study's entry.At 11th level, add haste and an additional spell depending on your hybrid study to your studious spells.
At 13th level, add fly and an additional spell depending on your hybrid study to your studious spells.
Weapon SpecializationLevel 7
You’ve learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master and 4 if you’re legendary.Expert SpellcasterLevel 9
Your fundamental understanding of magic improves, making your spells harder to resist. Your proficiency ranks for your spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.Perception ExpertiseLevel 9
You remain alert to threats around you. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to expert.Twofold WillLevel 9
Mental diligence and combat resolve combine to fortify you against mental attacks. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.Medium Armor ExpertiseLevel 11
You’ve learned to defend yourself better against attacks. Your proficiency ranks for light armor, medium armor, and unarmored defense increase to expert.Weapon MasteryLevel 13
You fully understand your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to master.Greater Weapon SpecializationLevel 15
Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert, 6 if you’re a master, and 8 if you’re legendary.Spell-Tempered BodyLevel 15
The mighty spells flowing through your body have bolstered you physically. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Fortitude save, you get a critical success instead.Master SpellcasterLevel 17
You fortify your spells with masterful prowess. Your proficiency ranks for your spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.Medium Armor MasteryLevel 17
Your skill with light and medium armor improves, increasing your ability to avoid blows. Your proficiency ranks for light and medium armor, as well as for unarmed defense, increase to master.Double SpellstrikeLevel 19
When adding a spell to an attack simply isn’t enough, you combine two spells with your attack instead. You gain the Double Spellstrike activity.Double Spellstrike [two-actions]
MagusSource Impossible Magic pg. 11
Frequency once per day
Requirements Your Spellstrike is charged.
You Spellstrike, but you cast two spells instead of one. The combined rank of the spells must be 10 or less, and they must both meet the normal criteria for spells you can cast in a Spellstrike.
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