When using a metamagic rod, you "channel the spell through the rod". self explanatory right? well sure, except when you are talking about spells with a range of touch and/or personal. with a touch spell, would you use the end of the rod to deliver the touch attack, or would you have to use the rod to charge your opposite hand? same goes for personal since they act essentially like a touch spell that you can only touch yourself with...
i ask this because it is never clearly defined in the rules on rods...anywhere...
...also, the magus has an arcana called Rod wielder that states "...or when making a spellstrike attack channeled through a rod" in its description, but still does not specify if you need to make the attack with the rod (using the rod as your weapon for the purposes of spellstrike) or if you are holding the rod in your free hand and channeling the touch spell through your rod and into your weapon in the other hand....
I've always read that "channel" concept for meta magic rods as being like a focus item to cast a spell, not actually placing the spell on, in or through the rod.
Well see, I agree with the above that you don't touch with the rod. So then how exactly does rod we older even work unless you are using a specific rod that has weapon properties?
In game it works like a normal spell, but the rod provides the feat for you. "Channeling through the rod..." is basically flavor text.
What face slot item works like a rod?
The rules never say the metamagic rod stores the spell or delivers the spell.
Metamagic rods hold the essence of a metamagic feat, allowing the user to apply metamagic effects to spells (but not spell-like abilities) as they are cast. This does not change the spell slot of the altered spell. All the rods described here are use-activated (but casting spells in a threatened area still draws an attack of opportunity). A caster may only use one metamagic rod on any given spell, but it is permissible to combine a rod with metamagic feats possessed by the rod's wielder. In this case, only the feats possessed by the wielder adjust the spell slot of the spell being cast.
Possession of a metamagic rod does not confer the associated feat on the owner, only the ability to use the given feat a specified number of times per day. A sorcerer still must take a full-round action when using a metamagic rod, just as if using a metamagic feat he possesses (except for quicken metamagic rods, which can be used as a swift action).
Lesser and Greater Metamagic Rods: Normal metamagic rods can be used with spells of 6th level or lower. Lesser rods can be used with spells of 3rd level or lower, while greater rods can be used with spells of 9th level or lower.
As you can see the metamagic rods don't mention channeling. Only the magus does so the question should not be how metamagic rods work.
The question should be how does the magus ability "Rod wielder" work.
edit:for clarity
So let's look at Rod Wielder.
Rod Wielder (Su): The magus adds his Intelligence bonus (minimum 0) on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance when using a spell contained within a rod or when making a spellstrike attack channeled through a rod.
It refers to spellstrike and attacks channeled through rods.
Spellstrike (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon's critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.
Now we know spellstrike only delivers spells through weapons, and it never calls out metamagic rods which are not weapons anyway, but are there rods that are weapons?
Well yes.
Physical Description: Rods weigh approximately 5 pounds. They range from 2 feet to 3 feet long and are usually made of iron or some other metal. (Many, as noted in their descriptions, can function as light maces or clubs due to their hardy construction.) These sturdy items have AC 9, 10 hit points, hardness 10, and a break DC of 27.
So some rods are weapons and some are not, depending on their description.
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We know spellstrike only works with weapons as general rule.
We know that some rods are weapons, but they are called out.
Conclusion: So rod wielder works with rods that contain spells or rods(those that are weapons) used with spellstrike to deliver spells.
Now since there is no rule exception that allows for non-weapons to be used with spell strike and no rule exception allowing the metamagic rod to suddenly be used as a weapon the rod weilder ability should not apply to metamagic rod.
Either way, it's a really cool item, both thematically and functionally, but it's like 13k gold, so I want to make sure it works with a Magus before I buy it.
What is the item? I am not asking for the purpose of this thread. I am asking for myself as a player and GM. :)
That's pretty understandable... Ok cool.
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Either way, it's a really cool item, both thematically and functionally, but it's like 13k gold, so I want to make sure it works with a Magus before I buy it.What is the item? I am not asking for the purpose of this thread. I am asking for myself as a player and GM. :)
So, while wearing this item on my face, there should be no hindrance in using it with either Spellstrike or Spell Combat?
No. All the rod does is supply the feat, so if the item in question just supplies the metamagic feat it won't be an issue.
Not related to the thread-->I still can't find the item and I checked the PRD and PFSRD. What book is it in?
ok..I was hoping it was an item for the normal game..Thanks.