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Red Bear
2016-11-08, 10:36 PM
In short: is it two attacks and one spell or two spells and one attack? (at level 2)

Long Version:
For your 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, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

Eldritch Archer Archetype

Ranged Spell Combat (Ex)
Instead of a light or one-handed melee weapon, an eldritch archer must use a ranged weapon for spell combat. She doesn't need a free hand for ranged spell combat. The eldritch archer cannot accept an attack penalty to gain a bonus on concentration checks to cast a spell defensively.
This ability modifies spell combat.

Ranged Spellstrike (Su)
At 2nd level, whenever an eldritch archer casts a spell that calls for a ranged attack, she can deliver the spell through a ranged weapon she wields as part of a ranged attack. Instead of the free ranged attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, an eldritch archer can make one free ranged attack with a ranged weapon (at her highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell.
This ability alters spellstrike.

My interpretation was that if I make a full attack action combining this two abilities I get to make two ranged attacks (at BAB -2) one of which carries the spell. My DM thinks that I get to make two spells one of which is carried by a ranged attack. Which interpretation is correct? Or alternatively if both are wrong How does it work? And what happens if I take the rapid shot feat? How many attacks and spells can I make and how many can be or have to be carried by the attacks?

CasualViking
2016-11-08, 11:39 PM
One spell, two attacks (provided the spell is a touch spell). Yes, even with Arcane Mark. This question has been asked a lot, and there is massive consensus on the answer.

EDIT: Atually reading your post, the answer is still the same: One spell, two attacks, provided the spell is a ranged attack spell. As for Rapid Shot, (Ranged) Spell Combat is a (modified) Full Attack action, and Rapid Shot can be used, getting you one spell and 3 ranged attacks (one of them carrying the spell) at -4, -4 and -4.

Kurald Galain
2016-11-09, 02:19 AM
In short: is it two attacks and one spell or two spells and one attack? (at level 2)
Two attacks and one spell, and you should avoid using ranged spellstrike (because e.g. Scorching Ray is a touch attack and the arrow is not, thereby losing you a lot of accuracy).

Red Bear
2016-11-11, 12:05 PM
One spell, two attacks (provided the spell is a touch spell). Yes, even with Arcane Mark. This question has been asked a lot, and there is massive consensus on the answer.

EDIT: Atually reading your post, the answer is still the same: One spell, two attacks, provided the spell is a ranged attack spell. As for Rapid Shot, (Ranged) Spell Combat is a (modified) Full Attack action, and Rapid Shot can be used, getting you one spell and 3 ranged attacks (one of them carrying the spell) at -4, -4 and -4.

Thank you for your answer


Two attacks and one spell, and you should avoid using ranged spellstrike (because e.g. Scorching Ray is a touch attack and the arrow is not, thereby losing you a lot of accuracy).

Yeah, after playing a while, I'm starting to think ranged spellstrike isn't worth it

exelsisxax
2016-11-11, 12:27 PM
Thank you for your answer



Yeah, after playing a while, I'm starting to think ranged spellstrike isn't worth it

Don't use ranged spellstrike with higher-level spells that are important to actually hit with. ALWAYS use ranged spellstrike if possible with a cantrip(acid orb) if you A: are going to spell combat and B: if you aren't otherwise spellstriking. Getting a third attack with some bonus damage is worth a -2 to hit. You lack the main magus drawback of being squishy as hell but requiring all-in melee combat, so get yourself hasted and pepper things with -3/-3/-3/-3 rains of arrows. Your BAB and attack bonuses are going to go up, but the penalties don't.

Kurald Galain
2016-11-11, 02:25 PM
Don't use ranged spellstrike with higher-level spells that are important to actually hit with. ALWAYS use ranged spellstrike if possible with a cantrip

Of course, using spell combat is better than not using it. But if you have anything better to cast than a cantrip (which will almost always be the case, except at very low levels) you should cast that and forget about spellstriking.