Hail and well met.
This week we are talking about our favorite classes, and my favorite classes are always “Gish” classes. If you don’t know what that means then keep reading. If you know what it means and want to know why I like it, then feel free to join us below.
The “Gish” is an affectionate name for a martial/spellcaster blend class named after the “Githyanki” race in D&D. Well, not named after the race as much as one of their castes that consisted of Fighter/Wizards, and now exists to label any hybrid class.
I think its important that I don’t intend this to be a catch all style choice - my affection for the class comes from enjoying the idea of wielding powerful magic in one hand and ancient weapons of history in the other (or any weapons for that matter). To elaborate a little further, my first major dive into RPGs was when I played World of Warcraft for the first time, and my infatuation for the Enhancement Shaman was unbreakable.
The Enhancement Shaman was a class that wielded the powers of the elements to infuse into their weapons, as well as wade into battle in heavier armor, wielding epic weapons like a two-handed sword and eventually dual wielding. In Pathfinder I would find my relationship with the Enhancement Shaman blossomed into a wonderful gift in the form of the Magus. Checking off all the boxes, the Magus quickly became my favorite class in the game, and one of my personal goals is still to sit down and create a build for every archetype of that class.
Unfortunately, my passion for the “Gish” is not always shared; often in tabletop games outside of pathfinder and video games, I have to do a lot of work to create a build like the Magus that I enjoy playing. I may not be able to hurl a lightning bolt with one hand and slice a fool with the other, but if I can wield a sword and cast supporting spells on myself or crowd control, I will take that too.
So grab a sword, a spell book, and a copy of Paizo’s “Ultimate Magic”; we have a Magus to build. I’ll see you all in the next question of the week.
