Magus Spell Combat and Polymorph gear melding.

[thelemonache]

I am pretty sure I already know the answer, I just want to clarify. :)

Magus Spell combat:

spell combat:

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.

senario #1
magus spends a full round to use spell combat: nothing in left hand, sword in right hand. Uses spell to cast monstrous physique, then attacks with his sword that is still in his right hand.

VS.

senario #2
magus spends a full round to use spell combat: nothing in left hand, sword in right hand. Uses spell to cast beast shape and turns into a tiger. The magus no longer has the sword that he met the requirements of spell combat with because it's melded into his body and cannot make any further attacks with this use of spell combat.

Is this accurate? (I know with senario #2, you could just attack first, and beast shape at the end of it for next turn, but that's not the point of the senario) :)

[Lord_Malkov]

You still have a weapon... its just that now it is a claw. So you can, in fact, continue to make your attacks. I think there is a FAQ on this that I will try to dig up

[Lord_Malkov]

From the FAQ:

Magus: When using spell combat, can the weapon in my other hand be an unarmed strike or a natural weapon?
Yes, so long as the weapon is a light or one-handed melee weapon and is associated with that hand. For example, unarmed strikes, claws, and slams are light melee weapons associated with a hand, and therefore are valid for use with spell combat. A tail slap is not associated with a hand, and therefore is not valid for use with spell combat.

—Pathfinder Design Team, 04/05/13

There it is.

[thelemonache]

I read that also, but it just reads to me that if you have a claw at the beginning of spellcombat, that you can continue to spellcombat with a claw after the spell is cast.

But you are thinking that the original weapon is irrelevant and you can finish your attack with whatever is left in that hand? Meaning in this case even though you have three natural attacks, after the spell combat turns you into a tiger, you can still get one free claw attack?

[Samasboy1]

Well, you can cast the spell before or after making your attacks.

So you
1)start round with a light or one handed weapon (sword)
2)cast Monstrous Physique
3)claw still qualifies as a light or one handed weapon, so you attack

But all that is unnecessary with Monstrous Physique, because you don't lose your gear, so you still have a sword in your hand.

Polymorph subschool wrote:

When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body.

But say you used Form of the Dragon instead, so you do lose your gear. Then since you started the round with a qualifying weapon (sword), and make your attacks with a qualifying weapon (claw) after casting the spell, I don't see a reason for it not to work.

[thelemonache]

cool thanks for the clarification everyone :)