Can a magus use natural attacks with spell combat?

[claudekennilol]

As it's written in the book, I know the answer is no (without the arcana mentioned below).

But this FAQ may imply otherwise

FAQ wrote:

Magus, Spell Combat: Does spell combat count as making a full attack action for the purpose of haste and other effects?

Yes.

Edit 9/9/13: This is a revised ruling about how haste interacts with effects that are essentially a full attack, even though the creature isn't specifically using the full attack action (as required by haste). The earlier ruling did not allow the extra attack from haste when using spell combat.

So I guess the question, rather than what's posted in the title is actually..

For the purpose of this FAQ, do natural attacks count as other effects and render the Arcana Natural Spell Combat essentially useless?

[Sniggevert]

The FAQ is about making spell combat count as a full attack action for certain effects. It changes nothing in regards to whether you need to wield a weapon per the normal rules, or if you can use a natural attack, which you can't normally.

So, no it does nothing to the relevance of the Natural Spell Combat arcana.

[claudekennilol]

So your reasoning that natural attacks don't count as other effects for the purposes of combining natural attacks with full attacks is what?

[Shane LeRose]

Yes you can use a natural attack as a primary attack in a spell combat. No you cannot use natural attacks in addition to your primary attack.

Example: a tengu with the claws racial feature can use a claw to attack with. The other claw is casting the spell and the tengu cannot use its bite attack.

If the tengu takes the natural spell combat feat and chooses bite then it can make a bite attack during spell combat. Alternatively the tengu could take claw with the feat and use its bite as the primary attack, but one claw is still casting a spell, so you get the same number of attacks. It all comes down to whether or not you want two attacks with your primary claw or primary bite. Assuming your casting a melee touch spell.

It's a little tricky to work your head around, but just remember spell combat is one spell and one weapon. The natural spell combat feat is the only way a magus can gain extra attacks beyond a haste effect.

[Brf]

The "other effects" in this FAQ is referring to "other effects that require a full attack".

In other words if you have an "other effect" that happens during a full attack, you should be able to have that effect happen during spell combat.

Suppose you had a feature that adds a d6 of fire to every full attack you make. Then that d6 of fire would happen during spell combat too.

[claudekennilol]

Ok good. No one actually thinks that this means you can use as many natural attacks as you want with spell combat.

[The Human Diversion]

all I can think of now is Magus Roper.

[kestral287]

If it's a hand-based attack-- Claw or Slam, for example-- you can definitively use one in conjunction with your Spell Combat and can make an argument for more.

For anything else, you have to take Natural Spell Combat.