Horrifically Overpowered Class Features for Pathfinder 1e - The Magus (Patreon)

The Horrifically Overpowered class feature articles for 1st-edition Pathfinder 1e started with Horrifically Overpowered Fighter Class Features. Paying members of this Patreon also receive exclusive articles that have covered all the Hybrid classes, and are now going through the Occult Classes. They also get access to the Index of Horrifically Overpowered Content, which I will update every time a new Horrifically Overpowered products or article goes up.

We've finally gotten to the Magus, unquestionably the most popular base class, and it's easy to see why. A character able to both fight well and cast a wide range of powerful spells is obviously a popular concept, and mixing spellcasting and non-spellcasting classes in Pathfinder 1e is hard to do without being well below the power curve for several levels, especially if you want your character to begin with swords and spells at 1st level.

The Magus fixes those issues, though it does so in a way that has a much more narrow conceptual path than something like elven Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight builds do. I've done both many times, and find the Magus works better if I want to make a character close to what the core Magus makes easy. But if I want a diviner who happens to be a master shot with a longbow, a Wizard/Ranger/Eldritch knight does a better, easier job.

I've always considered the Magus to be the first Hybrid class, since it's clearly a blend of the fighter and wizard, and it's design philosophy matches that of the classes we eventually got in the Advanced Class Guide. The only mechanical thing that sets the Magus apart from the official Hybrid classes is that you aren't restricted from taking levels in Fighter or Wizard, which would be its two "parent" classes.

Okay, on to making the Magus a Horrifically Overpowered class!

Horrifically Overpowered Magus Class Features 

You access these class features with the Horrifically Overpowered Class Feature feat (see the Fighter article, or Index).

(When the guy in full plate starts casting arcane spells, you know you're in trouble. Art by Kalleeck)

Horrifically Overpowered Magus Class Skills (Horrifically Overpowered): At each Magus class level you gain 2 bonus skill points that can only be spent on Fighter class skills, and 2 bonus skill points that can only be spent on Wizard class skills. You still cannot have more ranks in a skill than your character level.

Horrifically Overpowered Magus Weapon and Armor Proficiencies (Horrifically Overpowered): When wearing armor you gain proficiency with through your Magus class, if you cast a spell you gain a shield bonus to your armor class equal to the spell's level until the beginning of your next turn. When wielding a weapon you gain proficiency with through your Magus class, if you hit a foe with the weapon then until the beginning of your next turn your Magus spells gain an enhancement bonus to their save DCs equal to the weapon's enhancement bonus.

Horrifically Overpowered Arcane Pool (Horrifically Overpowered): Add your Strength bonus or Dexterity bonus (whichever is higher) to your arcane pool. You can use this ability as a swift or move action. You can enhance a second weapon (or a second end of a double weapon) with your arcane pool without a prior enhanced weapon losing its enhancement. You can enhance a collection of up to 50 pieces of ammunition (all receiving the same enhancement) in place of a single weapon. You add your Magus level to the number of rounds weapon enhancements from your arcane pool last.

Horrifically Overpowered Spell Combat (Horrifically Overpowered): You do not need a hand free to use this ability (though you cannot complete somatic components if some outside force immobilizes them, such as being bound or paralyzed). You can use this ability with ranged weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons. You do not take the normal -2 penalty to attack rolls from spell combat. If you take a penalty to attack rolls to add top concentration checks, you gain a +3 to concentration checks or ever -1 you take.

Horrifically Overpowered Spellstrike (Horrifically Overpowered): You can use this ability with any spell that affects 1 or more targets or an area, though it only applies to a single target when used with spellstrike. You can use spellstrike with a ranged weapon you are proficient with, delivering the spell with a successful ranged attack roll. A spell you cast as part of spellstrike does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Horrifically Overpowered Magus Arcana (Horrifically Overpowered): The first time each day you use a magus arcana that requires the expenditure of points from your arcane pool, you can use it without expending those points. You gain a bonus magus arcana at 1st level and every 3 Magus levels thereafter.

Horrifically Overpowered Spell Recall (Horrifically Overpowered): When you use this ability, rather than recall the exact spell you cast, you can recall any spell you know of that level or lower. You can still only recall spells equal to the spell you've already cast that day.

Horrifically Overpowered Bonus Feats (Horrifically Overpowered): Each time you gain bonus feats, you gain one bonus feat of each of the three types of feats allowed (combat, item creation, or metamagic).

Horrifically Overpowered Knowledge Pool (Horrifically Overpowered): When you use this ability to treat a magus spell as a spell known, you may also prepare that spell once without using any of your normal spell slots.

Horrifically Overpowered Medium Armor Proficiency (Horrifically Overpowered): When you wear medium armor, any round you do not cast a spell you gain spell resistance equal to 10 + your Magus level. You may choose to turn off (or turn back on) this ability as an immediate, swift, or move action.

Horrifically Overpowered Fighter Training (Horrifically Overpowered): Select armor training or weapon training. You gain this class feature as a Fighter with a class level equal to half your Magus level. If you actually have Fighter levels, you gain this class feature as a Fighter with a level equal to your Fighter levels +1/2 your Magus level.

Horrifically Overpowered Heavy Armor Proficiency (Horrifically Overpowered): When you wear heavy armor, you gain spell resistance equal to 10 + + your Intelligence bonus + your Magus level. You may choose to turn off (or turn back on) this ability as an immediate, swift, or move action. You must have Horrifically Overpowered Medium Armor Proficiency to select this Horrifically Overpowered class feature.

Horrifically Overpowered Greater Spell Combat (Horrifically Overpowered): Arcane spells you cast do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Horrifically Overpowered Counterstrike (Horrifically Overpowered): The attack of opportunity granted by counterstrike comes before the triggering spell is completed, and can interrupt the spell.

Horrifically Overpowered Spell Access (Horrifically Overpowered): After selecting the 14 spells this ability grants you automatically, you can also now learn 0-6th level Wizard spells (adding them to your spellbook using the normal rules for doing so) and treat them as Magus spells.

Horrifically Overpowered True Magus (Horrifically Overpowered): You base attack bonus increases by +2. You learn a single 7th-level Wizard spell you treat as a Magus spell, and gain one 7th-level Magus spell slot you can prepare that spell in.