AttilaTheGeek
2012-11-26, 06:52 AM
Hey everyone, long time lurker, first time posting.
I'm joining a campaign that needed a fighter, but I refuse to play a class without spell slots, so I decided to give the Magus a whirl. However, after reading over Spellstrike and Spell Combat, a couple times, they seem ambiguous. Here's what they say, for convenience.
Spell Combat (Ex): At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a 2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.
Spellstrike (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of touch from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon's critical range (20, 1920, or 1820 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals Χ2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.
So here's how I see it going down in combat, but I'm not sure.
1) Using Spell Combat, I take a full attack action at a -2 penalty.
2) I cast a spell, say, Shocking Grasp.
3) I get another attack at my highest attack bonus -2, and if it misses, then Shocking Grasp misses. I also have to not roll a 1 on concentration.
4) I wind up with one more attack than my BAB would allow through a full-round action and a spell.
That doesn't seem right, especially that last bit.
But what if I cast a Quickened spell? Do I then get two more attacks than normal? And does it stack with haste? The campaign is 12th level, so it seems like attacks at +7/+2/+7/+7/+7 and a Maximized Intensified Shocking Grasp all in the same round would be pretty silly.
I'm joining a campaign that needed a fighter, but I refuse to play a class without spell slots, so I decided to give the Magus a whirl. However, after reading over Spellstrike and Spell Combat, a couple times, they seem ambiguous. Here's what they say, for convenience.
Spell Combat (Ex): At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a 2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.
Spellstrike (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of touch from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon's critical range (20, 1920, or 1820 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals Χ2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.
So here's how I see it going down in combat, but I'm not sure.
1) Using Spell Combat, I take a full attack action at a -2 penalty.
2) I cast a spell, say, Shocking Grasp.
3) I get another attack at my highest attack bonus -2, and if it misses, then Shocking Grasp misses. I also have to not roll a 1 on concentration.
4) I wind up with one more attack than my BAB would allow through a full-round action and a spell.
That doesn't seem right, especially that last bit.
But what if I cast a Quickened spell? Do I then get two more attacks than normal? And does it stack with haste? The campaign is 12th level, so it seems like attacks at +7/+2/+7/+7/+7 and a Maximized Intensified Shocking Grasp all in the same round would be pretty silly.