Class Feature Friday: Laughing Shadow Study (Pathfinder Second Edition Magus Hybrid Study)
(art by DjWelch on DeviantArt)
The hybrid studies of the Second Edition Magus contain references not just to the archetypes of the First Edition version of the class, but also to many classic ways to build the class as well. Last time we did one of these, it was the Inexorable Iron study, which revolved around hitting foes really hard with powerful buffed weapons. Today, however, we’ll be looking at a more agile and subtle choice.
The study of the Laughing Shadow is all about using magic to improve mobility and elusiveness, truly emulating it’s name by making the magus hard to hit and pin down, slipping away like a faint illusion only to return with lethal precision moments later. They always have a trick, and they’re always one step ahead.
To accomplish this, the study pays homage to the dimensional agility line of feats, which are a classic pick for agile magi in 1E. While the second edition version doesn’t quite let you jump around the battlefield striking foes across the battlefield, it does let them vanish in and out of combat with teleportation magic.
There’s even a little bit of the rogue in this study as well as they favor deception and striking from unexpected angles.
As you might imagine, these warrior-mages revel in the combat superiority that their magic gives them, and as we’ll soon see, they use that edge to full effect.
The arcane cascade of this path has two effects, the first bolstering the movement speed of the user, while the second enhances their precision and ability to target the vulnerable points of unaware foes, bolstering their damage output.
Meanwhile, their conflux spell gives them a short-range teleport that they can attack out of, striking from all sorts of angles.
The spells associated with the study include creating illusory doubles, warping perception to make others take the fall for their attacks (or alternatively, a very brief time stop), and of course, a short-range dimensional hop.
Of course, there are feats directly associated with this study as well. With a Distracting Spellstrike, they can use flashes and sparks of illusionary magic to cloud a foe’s vision before striking. With Dimensional Disappearance, they can turn invisible as they exit their dimensional assault, either to catch foes off guard with their attack or to slip away unnoticed.
Other feats they might find useful include Cantrip Expansion, Expansive Spellstrike, Force Fang, Spell Parry, Spirit Sheath, Steady Spellcasting, Attack of Opportunity, Cascade Countermeasure, Capture Magic, Runic Impression, Spell Swipe, Standby Spell, Cascading Ray, Rapid Recharge, Conflux Focus, Arcane Shroud, Hasted Assault, Preternatural Parry, Supreme Spellstrike, or Whirlwind Spell. Naturally, your build will likely vary.
This study is begging for a combination of defensive buffs, battlefield control, and lovely damage-dealing spells both for area effects and intimate single-target damage. Also consider illusion and stealth-buffing spells as well. Regardless, your battle strategy will likely revolve around vanishing and reappearing to strike foes from multiple angles, as well as debuffing foes to leave them open to your attacks as well.
With their focus on magic that makes them really annoying to pin down, it’s super tempting to play these characters as being truly insufferable to their foes (and potentially their allies), and that’s fine as long as you’re not being insufferable to the players themselves, but also consider that they may instead be more the “shadowy expert” sort that are totally in the zone and focused while fighting.
The party is being hunted, an assassin sent by one of their enemies in the form of a mistsoul undine sprite. Despite their unassuming form, they are an elusive killer that uses their mist and cold spells to open up their prey to their deadly strikes. Their only hope it to lure them into an ambush.
Though he has lost nearly all memory of those skills, the hunter wight known as Shadowfang was once a legendary magus who could disappear into shadow and strike from anywhere. Now as an undead, the only echo of his former skill lies in his short-range teleportation.
After their performance in a local fighting tournament, a young magus has decided to become the party’s rival, though his definition borders on nemesis, so eager to challenge and vex them that he has joined up with their other enemies repeatedly, always vanishing when things go south.
