I thought Maybe I had missed this somewhere in the magus playtest faq, but my searches led to nothing I could find. The spellstrike can be used in conjunction with the spell combat ability, as stated explicitly in the rules.
However, I can't determine if this "free melee attack" instead of the "free melee touch attack" means that you get can take an additional attack with the weapon in your main hand instead of delivering the spell as a touch attack with your off hand. If that isn't clear enough, I can add more details, but any thoughts would be helpful :)
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I thought Maybe I had missed this somewhere in the magus playtest faq, but my searches led to nothing I could find. The spellstrike can be used in conjunction with the spell combat ability, as stated explicitly in the rules.
However, I can't determine if this "free melee attack" instead of the "free melee touch attack" means that you get can take an additional attack with the weapon in your main hand instead of delivering the spell as a touch attack with your off hand. If that isn't clear enough, I can add more details, but any thoughts would be helpful :)
You didn't get thet extra attack during the playtest, but you do now. Its kinda like "rapid shot" for melee. You can spam a 0 level touch spell like daze just for an extra attack
What Name Violation has said.
That's what I thought, thanks :)
I don't know why, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how this all works out. So if someone could break it down for me step by step I would appreciate that.
Here's what I got. So lets say we have a Level 5 Magus, who has a total of +6 to hit in Melee. He wants to use spellcombat & spellstrike using corrosive touch.
If we wanted to just use Spell Combat, I would make an attack roll @ +4, hit and deal damage, then I would make my concentration check to cast defensively, followed by my melee touch attack to hit my foe with corrosive touch deal damage of the spell, then I'm done. Assuming it all goes well, doing sword damage, and spell damage.
Taking the above scenario, and adding spell strike, it would be the same, except I would make another melee attack (still at -2?) instead of a melee touch attack to deleiver the spell? Essentially doing Sword Attack, Sword Damage, Spellstrike Attack, Sword Damage + Spell Damage?
Do I have this right? Also, I don't see the disadvantage to using spellstrike with spell combat, is there ever a case that you wouldn't want to spellstrike with spell combat?
Thanks for the help!
It sounds like you have the gist of it yes. Both sword attacks (the normal attack and the spell strike one) would be at the -2. It sounds like you had that, but I just wanted to clarify.
As to why you wouldn't is if you were casting something that wasn't a touch/ranged touch spell, such as shield, stoneskin, fireball, etc. Also, if you're fighting something huge that you have a small chance to hit their armor (full plate wearing fighter, dragon, etc.), you could use the normal attack to take a bonus on your concentration check and still use the touch attack to try and hit a possibly much lower AC. Of course, YMMV.
Do I have this right? Also, I don't see the disadvantage to using spellstrike with spell combat, is there ever a case that you wouldn't want to spellstrike with spell combat?
You're effectively granting your opponent a bonus to AC against your touch spell equal to the difference between their touch AC and their regular AC by using spellstrike. It's the same idea as power attack - you give them an effective AC bonus (i.e. a penalty to your attacks, which is mathematically the same) in exchange for more damage if you hit. Some things you might prefer to use the touch attack with.
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You're effectively granting your opponent a bonus to AC against your touch spell equal to the difference between their touch AC and their regular AC by using spellstrike. It's the same idea as power attack - you give them an effective AC bonus (i.e. a penalty to your attacks, which is mathematically the same) in exchange for more damage if you hit. Some things you might prefer to use the touch attack with.
This.
Just casting and touching without the sword attack: targets Touch AC.
Casting the spell through your sword and attacking: targets Normal AC.
You're effectively granting your opponent a bonus to AC against your touch spell equal to the difference between their touch AC and their regular AC by using spellstrike. It's the same idea as power attack - you give them an effective AC bonus (i.e. a penalty to your attacks, which is mathematically the same) in exchange for more damage if you hit. Some things you might prefer to use the touch attack with.This.
Just casting and touching without the sword attack: targets Touch AC.
Casting the spell through your sword and attacking: targets Normal AC.
Which is why I say the best weapon for a Magus is obviously a brilliant energy weapon :P
Do I have this right? Also, I don't see the disadvantage to using spellstrike with spell combat, is there ever a case that you wouldn't want to spellstrike with spell combat?
Thanks for the help!
The main case I can see would be if you wanted to cast a non spellstrike spell like co our spray. The other two that I see, a magus is actually better at casting defensively while doing spell combat than without. If you really get cornered you could do spell combat defensively, and add your full int to your concentration gaining +2 AC and int mod to concentration, while taking -(4+int) to hit. The other is, as was said above, if the baddy has a high AC and low touch.
I don't think it was a changed, at least as far as the 3 round magus, more of a clarification. Also, two other ways you could theoretically get a melee touch cantrip at level 2 is Arcane mark (range of melee touch, questionable) and words of power, which allow for a 0-level touch, at least as far as I have heard.
so spellstrike lets me cast a spell for free as a melee attack, and then spell combat is my left hand casting a spell.
spellstrike and spell combat lets you cast two spells in a turn?
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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so spellstrike lets me cast a spell for free as a melee attack, and then spell combat is my left hand casting a spell.
spellstrike and spell combat lets you cast two spells in a turn?
No.
Spell Combat lets you take all your normal attacks and also cast a spell.
Spellstrike gives you the option of delivering a touch spell (that you've already cast) with your sword instead of your wet finger.