Magus spell combat ( / Any / spell?)

[Wrothmonk]

Spell Combat (Ex): -- 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. -- Excerpt from Ultimate Magic, Ch 1, Magus

"any spell from the magus spell list" Does that actually mean any spell, as in a magus could cast level 2 spells if she/he had a high enough int? If thats the case how does the spell being wasted work when the magus doesnt have any spells per day of that level to cast it?

[Patrick Harris @ SD]

... they have to be spells the Magus knows and has memorized, obviously.

If that doesn't answer your question, I'm not sure what your question is.

[LazarX]

Wrothmonk wrote:

Spell Combat (Ex): -- 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. -- Excerpt from Ultimate Magic, Ch 1, Magus

"any spell from the magus spell list" Does that actually mean any spell, as in a magus could cast level 2 spells if she/he had a high enough int? If thats the case how does the spell being wasted work when the magus doesnt have any spells per day of that level to cast it?

Any spell that you've got PREPARED. So yes, you prepare and spend spells exactly like wizard does, only you can mix it up with weapon strikes as well.

Spell Combat does not give you free spells. You can however use cantrips which aren't expended when cast as normal.

[LazarX]

Patrick Harris @ SD wrote:

... they have to be spells the Magus knows and has memorized, obviously.

If that doesn't answer your question, I'm not sure what your question is.

He obviously was hoping that spell combat would give him free spellcasting in addition to his spell slots. As well as being able to cast beyond what he could, the answer to both, being hell no.

[Cao Phen]

Yeah, casting Cloudkill at level 1 would be rediculously stupid.

But for ideas on what you can do with Spell Combat at earlier levels:

- Ray of Frost, 5-foot adjustment, Melee Swing.
- True Strike, 5-foot adjustment, Melee or Combat Maneuver
- Grab the Two-World Magic Trait and Touch of Fatigue, Spell Combat into Spellstrike Touch of Fatigue, a decent variant of cantripping Arcane Mark for extra attacks.

or you can go cookie-cutter, but still very efficient, Grab the Magical Lineage Trait, Spell Combat into Spellstrike Intensified Shocking Grasp. Always that Shocking Grasp...