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Paizo Team, I need your help with the Magus. It is in regard to their ability to cast as a two weapon fighting skill. I have a player that is running a Goblin Magus/Bard. He is 5th level between the two classes (total) and has the ability to Spell Strike. What I need to know is, the description says that a magus can deliver the spell he is wielding as part of the melee attack. Here is where it gets confusing for me as a GM. It says on page 10 of the Ultimate Magic, that "Instead of a free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver a spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon(at the highest attack bonus) as part of casting this spell." So my questions is, does he make two attacks per round (like two weapon fighting with the -2 to each), one with the spell infused weapon and one without? My player seems to take it this way and the way I read the text seems to say this. If so, this makes the magus majorly powerful at 2nd level (especially if they have a high dexterity like my goblin player does). And, he matches it with combat casting and another feat. He basically killed a marsh giant in 3 rounds with this. Please help me to clarify this because it seems too powerful.
Ric M "Aka" Flynn Greywalker
"If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attack" Pg 10, ultimate magic. -that is from the Spellstrike (su) description, which tells us it can indeed be used with spell combat. Yes, it seems to good to be true. But, it is a full round action, requires a concentration check if cast defensively, and both swings of the weapon (the normal melee attack and the Spellstrike, which i would have to think would be your last swing, but perhaps not necessarily) are at a -2, like two weapon fighting. I believe this was also a FAQ.
Take a look at this guide, too; it is very useful if spell combat, spellstrike, or touch spells in general seem like a lot to digest. It's long, but it really spells everything out.
Here it is, simplified -
Spell Combat - Allows you to cast spells besides take a full round of attacks at -2 to all attack rolls, plus making a cast defensive roll if being threatened.
Spell Strike - All this does is allow you to attack using a weapon, and the weapon modifiers, with touch attack spells. So instead of attacking the Touch AC with a Touch Spell, you are attacking AC with a weapon. When you hit, you get to add the weapon damage, use the weapon threat range, and the weapon crit modifier.
Critic/threat range yes...modifier no...spells with spellstrike still keep a x2 multiplier
Paizo Team, I need your help with the Magus. It is in regard to their ability to cast as a two weapon fighting skill. I have a player that is running a Goblin Magus/Bard. He is 5th level between the two classes (total) and has the ability to Spell Strike. What I need to know is, the description says that a magus can deliver the spell he is wielding as part of the melee attack. Here is where it gets confusing for me as a GM. It says on page 10 of the Ultimate Magic, that "Instead of a free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver a spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon(at the highest attack bonus) as part of casting this spell." So my questions is, does he make two attacks per round (like two weapon fighting with the -2 to each), one with the spell infused weapon and one without? My player seems to take it this way and the way I read the text seems to say this. If so, this makes the magus majorly powerful at 2nd level (especially if they have a high dexterity like my goblin player does). And, he matches it with combat casting and another feat. He basically killed a marsh giant in 3 rounds with this. Please help me to clarify this because it seems too powerful.
Ric M "Aka" Flynn Greywalker
Yes, it works that way.
Yes, it's a good ability.
No, it's not overpowered.
I feel like I'm not hearing the whole story on the Marsh Giant thing. Unless it was a solo battle, I don't see why 3 rounds is bad. 3-4 rounds is the average combat, and for single enemy combats even an APL+3 encounter that's reasonable.
Even if he did do it singlehandedly, 3 round of Spellstrike is like all of his 1st level spells at 5th level on one combat, and if the Marsh Giant had rolled at all well (since he has 2 attacks at +16 and +11, when your Magus probably has like AC 21-22 or so) he would've squished him.
5th level is one of the peaks of the Shocking Grasp Spellstrike build, since that's when damage maxes out. With Intensify, 10th becomes another, but for the most part that 5d6-10d6 extra damage comes out to about the same amount of damage as your Barbarian or Fighter would be dishing out with a two handed weapon, and at a lower attack bonus and a much more limited number of times per day.
Killed a marsh giant in three rounds? The Magus I ran killed the marsh giant in one round. He killed a blood knight with one strike. Paladin gave him Smite Evil and he spellstriked the bloodknight for over 172 points of damage with a crit.
You ain't seen nothing yet if you think a lvl 2 Magus is causing problems.
I found the Magus and suggested it to a friend who is new to pf. The whole group is jealous that we didn't choose to become a Magus. Hexcrafter to abuse brand cantrip, and likes to say hello sometimes with a shocking grasp. If you miss with the touch spell, then you have it for next round where you can do it all again.