| Kay9Cop |
Expansive Spellstrike allows taking three actions (strike plus cast a two-action spell) for two actions, but decouples the damage from the attack roll and allows the target(s) a saving throw. The second part is what I don't like and I feel it doesn't align with the normal Spellstrike coupling the attack roll with the spell damage.
Here is my proposed homebrew rule change. The damage portion of the spell cast with Expansive Spellstrike will couple with the attack roll against the initial target of the strike, as if it were a normal Spellstrike. Any additional effects from the spell that might affect the initial target will be adjudicated by a saving throw. Any additional targets from an AoE spell will have their damage and affects adjudicated by a saving throw, as is the current way with Expansive Spellstrike. So, the only change is linking damage with the attack roll against the target of the strike.
Example: Magus uses Expansive Spellstrike and casts Polar Ray / Arctic Rift against three creatures in a line. Under the proposed rule, the Magus rolls an attack roll to hit against creature #1 and critically succeeds. Creature #1 takes 12d8 x 2 spell damage plus the appropriate double weapon damage. Creature #1 also rolls a fortitude save and succeeds, so it gets no slowed condition. The next two creatures in line roll fortitude saves and fail, so take 12d8 and are slowed 1.
Thoughts? It doesn't seem too overpowered and seems more in line with normal Spellstrike, but I might be missing something.