MYTHIC HERO'S HANDBOOK : Mythic spell combat (Magus ability)

[bobby Pouledo]

Hello,

i don't understand the interest of Mythic spell combat. Can you use spell combat with two-handed or two weapons ? or does it just allow two-weapons magus to cast spells (but not with spell combat...)?

[Chemlak]

Really not sure I entirely understand the question.

Basically, it removes the "must have one hand free" restriction from spell combat (oddly, though, it only works for spells that have somatic components, while the standard spell combat restriction applies to all spells), as long as the hand that would have been free is wielding a weapon. What that weapon is, ultimately, is up to you.

So, to answer your questions:

Yes, yes.

No.

My reasoning is that the Mythic Class Features are meant to be enhancements to existing class features, and need to be read in the context of that class feature, so Mythic Spell Combat is a rider to Spell Combat, altering the normal "one hand free" restriction to "if the spell has somatic components, you don't need one hand free, but can be wielding a weapon". Personally, I'd houserule it to be just a flat removal of the "one hand free" restriction as long as the hand is wielding a weapon, because the restriction on somatic component spells is kind of silly (because the ability then says "if the spell has somatic components, you can cast it as part of spell combat while wielding a greatsword, but if it doesn't, you can't").

[Jason Nelson]

Owen wrote that section of the Mythic Hero's Handbook, and I've pinged him about this thread. He's out sick today, but I'm sure when he is feeling better and has time he'll pop in and give his thoughts.

That said, I think Chemlak gave a pretty good answer to your question.

[Owen KC Stephens]

Chemlak wrote:

Mythic Class Features are meant to be enhancements to existing class features, and need to be read in the context of that class feature, so Mythic Spell Combat is a rider to Spell Combat, altering the normal "one hand free" restriction to "if the spell has somatic components, you don't need one hand free, but can be wielding a weapon".

Correct

[bobby Pouledo]

Thanks a lot (and sorry for my english), my question comes from the fact that spell combat does not refer to somatic components (besides saying that even spell without component needs one hand free) and the two-weapon fighting reference.
For what I've red, mythic hero's handbook offers well-calibrated mythic feats/paths. Grats.

[Lou Diamond]

Owen would'nt be easier to give mythic Magus component freedom somatic as a class feature and delete the sentence requiring a magus to have one hand free to cast from spell combat.

[Chemlak]

While I'm inclined to agree with you, Lou, I'm sure Owen has a reason for mythic spell combat being non-functional on spells that lack a somatic component.

Now, that reason might be "oops, I fudged up", or it could be some complex balance reason involving the spells that don't have a somatic component (because if you think about it, balance has to be the reason "one hand free for spells with no somatic component" exists on the core magus, since a core wizard doesn't have that restriction).

Looking a little deeper, though, since it's completely reasonable to ungrip one hand from a two-handed weapon as a free action, then re-grip later in the round as another free action, this is not a big deal for two-hand magus, but utterly shafts two-weapon magus who don't also have mythic quick draw.

The good news being that since we can absolutely guarantee this is never going to be a PFS issue, and "because mythic", your suggestion or my suggested houserule (which amount to the same thing, although yours benefits multiclass characters more) are both easier to remember and more likely to be allowed in games using these rules.