Magus spell combat when free hand is a natural weapon


Rules Questions


I recently made an adjustment to a BBEG from Runelords (found here if you're interested) to give him magus levels. Normally, he has a weapon (with only one attack), a claw, and a bite.

I'm not entirely sure what happens to the claw attack when using spell combat. I know the magus is supposed to keep one hand free for casting, but the question is whether making the attack with the claw means you can't also cast the spell. Extrapolating from the rule for shield attacks losing the shield's AC, it seems like it's either the spell or the attack.

As for the bite, I'm pretty sure he keeps that even if he doesn't keep the claw.

This would also be useful to know for when a magus morphs into a form with claw attacks.

Sczarni

Spell Combat wrote:
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.

Is your clawed hand free? Are you wielding a light or one-handed weapon in your other clawed hand? Then yes, you can.

ADDENDUM: You would not also get your bite attack, since Spell Combat is a special full-round action of its own. You only get all your iterative attacks with your weapon, plus the spell.


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As for the bite...as stated many times in many threads...spell combat is a special full round action, not a full attack action, so you cannot add in your bite attack

Spell Combat calls out "he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a -2 penalty..." so you get all your attacks with the weapon and 1 spell, thats it

However since this seems to very much be for a home game, just throw caution to the wind and allow it...a bite won't be that big of a deal. If you do then its secondary, so -5 to hit from BAB and only 1/2 str

EDIT: GRRR!! NEFREET, just had to add that and make my post useless eh


Yeah, the plan was not to make him less dangerous. It looks like my choices are between bumping up a level to get BAB +6/+1 and 2nd level spells, or ignoring the rules and giving him at least one of the natural attacks. Or I could just use the original stat block. Thanks for the help.


With home games, fudging a rule now and then usually leads to more fun and better story, unless you players are rule Nazis that won't give up until they know exactly what you did and try to do it themselves. That can get annoying


After thinking it over, I'm going to let him have the bite attack. You can see the original thread for the reasoning behind giving him the magus levels, and that hasn't changed.

Sczarni

Oh, sorry, missed that. No, you could not attack with your clawed hand in the same round as Spell Combat. This would follow the same logic train as not being able to use your bite.

I thought you were just asking if you could do Spell Combat when your only "free hand" was also a natural weapon.

Sczarni

But, of course, your game, your rules.

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