Magus Spell Combat with Daggers

[Vincent The Dark]

Magus 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.

1.Includes the line "and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action". A magus/sorcerer can use spell combat with a spell that is on the magus list, as in snowball, if the sorcerer spell slot is used to cast it? I am only reading RAW, is there anything that I am not taking into account?

SOUL FORGER (ARCHETYPE):

SOUL FORGER (ARCHETYPE)
The soul forger has learned the skill of infusing the raw
magical essence of his soul into armaments of surpassing
power, combining the mystic arts with the arts of war in a
unity of steely perfection.
Diminished Spellcasting: A soul forger casts one fewer
spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number
to 0, he may cast spells of that level only if his Intelligence
allows bonus spells of that level.
Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, a soul forger gains a weapon
as an arcane bond item. This is identical to the wizard class
ability, but the soul forger must select a weapon.
Spell Combat (Su): A soul forger may use this ability only
when wielding his bonded weapon.
Spellstrike (Su): A soul forger may use this ability only
when wielding his bonded weapon.
Master Smith (Ex): A soul forger adds...

2.Can a firearm be the chosen weapon? 3.Can a bow be the chosen weapon? 4.Can such a weapon be used with acid splash or ray of frost as part of spell combat with the selected weapon? 5.Can a dagger be thrown as part of spell combat?

Thank you.

[Sagotel]

When the magus uses Spell Combat, he must cast a magus spell prepared in a magus spell slot. If he has levels in another casting class, those spell slots are separate and distinct from his magus spell slots, even if a spell appears on both lists.
I think he could choose a bow for his bond, but he could not use spell combat with the bow. A bow requires two hands to use, but the magus needs a free hand to use spellstrike.

[Sagotel]

There is a magus arcana that allows a magus to use a ranged spell with spellstrike. If the magus does not have that arcana, then no.

Spell Combat Description 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.

(emphasis mine)

I would have to say that the magus cannot use a thrown weapon.

[Blakmane]

Sagotel wrote:

When the magus uses Spell Combat, he must cast a magus spell prepared in a magus spell slot. If he has levels in another casting class, those spell slots are separate and distinct from his magus spell slots, even if a spell appears on both lists.

This isn't correct. The ability only specifies that it is on the magus spell list, not a magus spell slot. A magus/sorc can use sorc spells with spell combat, as long as those spells are on the magus spell list.

[Quantum Steve]

This has come up before.

Quandry wrote:

It's more of a corner case, but would Magus Spell Combat (if it allows casting other class' slots to begin with) allow casting SLAs as part of Spell Combat? (assuming the spell is also on the Magus list)

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

No, because he actually has to be casting one of his magus spells from his magus spell list ("... [he] can also cast any spell from the magus spell list ..."), not a spell-like ability that happens to have the same name as a spell from the magus spell list.

(As a related example, a druid/magus who had flaming sphere prepared as a druid spell shouldn't be able to cast it with spell combat just because it's also on the magus spell list. Even if the druid/magus had flaming sphere prepared as a druid spell and a magus spell, he shouldn't be able to cast his druid copy of that spell as part of spell combat because spell combat is about casting your magus spells in melee combat, and I doubt the casting of a druid's flaming sphere works the same way as the magus spell.)

Link to post

In short, Spell Combat only works with Magus spells cast using a Magus slot.

[TheBulletKnight]

Not completely true. If you take the Broad Study magus arcana, 6th level requirement, you can choose another of your spellcasting classes and cast spells from that class's spell list with spellstrike and spell combat. You incur normal penalties with armor when you use spells from the second class. But it is possible.

[Vincent The Dark]

What about making a ranged attack with a melee weapon or that archetype?

[Torbyne]

If you make a ranged attack then it's not a melee weapon anymore, consider it as the charge doesn't leave your hand. The weapon goes and you still hold the charge. There is a specific magus archetype to allow ranged spellstrikes. Actually there is a second archetype in the harrow handbook but you can only spell strike with one weapon with that one.

[Kazaan]

If you want to cast spells through a ranged weapon, Magus isn't your go-to class. What you want is Spellslinger (Wizard archetype) or Arcane Archer (PrC). Myrmidarch, the ranged weapon Magus archetype, breaks a lot of Magus paradigms and a few of its abilities don't work properly. For example, Myrmidarch doesn't gain any inherent ability to allow him to use a ranged weapon with Spell Combat. Granted, the description of the archetype states that this archetype focuses less on the spell-martial blending compared to the traditional Magus and it should probably be viewed more as a switch-hitter rather than trying to Spell Combat with a ranged weapon, but that leads into another problem; ranged spellstrike. It was probably written with the capacity to Spell Combat with a ranged weapon in mind (an ability you don't have) and, lacking that ability, the multi-targeted Ranged Spellstrike which relies on being able to make a full-attack worth of ranged attacks concurrent with the spell would only function properly if you use a quickened spell in conjunction with a normal full-attack. The whole archetype should probably be re-written or something but the bottom line is if you want to do ranged combat with a Magus, stand 10' away from an enemy, fire a Ray at someone, then 5' step in and deliver the melee attacks for your Spell Combat action.

[Artanthos]

There is a magus archetype that allows ranged spellstrike, the Myrmidarch.

[seebs]

Blakmane wrote:

Sagotel wrote:

When the magus uses Spell Combat, he must cast a magus spell prepared in a magus spell slot. If he has levels in another casting class, those spell slots are separate and distinct from his magus spell slots, even if a spell appears on both lists.

This isn't correct. The ability only specifies that it is on the magus spell list, not a magus spell slot. A magus/sorc can use sorc spells with spell combat, as long as those spells are on the magus spell list.

That is what the text says, but there is a clarification that, unlike every other use of the term, ever, in this case "the magus spell list" means "this specific magus's prepared spells using magus slots".

I am convinced that this is an error in wording, because if that's what "the magus spell list" means, then the examples for how spell trigger items work are wrong.

[Sniggevert]

seebs wrote:

Blakmane wrote:

Sagotel wrote:

When the magus uses Spell Combat, he must cast a magus spell prepared in a magus spell slot. If he has levels in another casting class, those spell slots are separate and distinct from his magus spell slots, even if a spell appears on both lists.

This isn't correct. The ability only specifies that it is on the magus spell list, not a magus spell slot. A magus/sorc can use sorc spells with spell combat, as long as those spells are on the magus spell list.

That is what the text says, but there is a clarification that, unlike every other use of the term, ever, in this case "the magus spell list" means "this specific magus's prepared spells using magus slots".

I am convinced that this is an error in wording, because if that's what "the magus spell list" means, then the examples for how spell trigger items work are wrong.

I agree it's a different interpretation of on the spell list, but you are right it is what was intended according to this FAQ

[Blakmane]

Sniggevert wrote:

seebs wrote:

Blakmane wrote:

Sagotel wrote:

When the magus uses Spell Combat, he must cast a magus spell prepared in a magus spell slot. If he has levels in another casting class, those spell slots are separate and distinct from his magus spell slots, even if a spell appears on both lists.

This isn't correct. The ability only specifies that it is on the magus spell list, not a magus spell slot. A magus/sorc can use sorc spells with spell combat, as long as those spells are on the magus spell list.

That is what the text says, but there is a clarification that, unlike every other use of the term, ever, in this case "the magus spell list" means "this specific magus's prepared spells using magus slots".

I am convinced that this is an error in wording, because if that's what "the magus spell list" means, then the examples for how spell trigger items work are wrong.

I agree it's a different interpretation of on the spell list, but you are right it is what was intended according to this FAQ

I was about to argue, but that FAQ is pretty conclusive. It also is somewhat contradictory of this FAQ and really messes up ALL spell trigger items... but that's what we've come to expect I guess.