Benefit: The magus can deliver ray spells that feature a ranged touch attack as melee touch spells. He can use a ranged touch attack spell that targets more than one creature (such as scorching ray), but he makes only one melee touch attack to deliver one of these ranged touch effects; additional ranged touch attacks from that spell are wasted and have no effect. These spells can be used with the spellstrike class feature.
There are two sides I can see to it, and I think it all comes down to what a "ray" spell is.
1) A ray spell is a spell with "ray" in its name. Therefore, only spells such as "ray of enfeeblement" and "scorching ray", as "ray" spells that feature a ranged touch attack, may be used with this arcana.
2) A ray spell is any spell that involves a ranged touch attack. Therefore, you are not limited to the above spells and can also use spells such as snowball.
I have seen it interpreted both ways, so I'm now finding myself curious. Is there some work on what the exact definition of a "ray spell" is?
3) None of the above. Ray spells are spells that have Effect: Ray. This includes, AFAIK, all spells named "Ray", but also Disintegrate and probably a few others. Notably, not Snowball.
Also, the second sentence ("you can do stupid, wasteful things") is dependent on the first.
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Aiming a Spell
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Ray: Some effects are rays. You aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon, though typically you make a ranged touch attack rather than a normal ranged attack. As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don't have to see the creature you're trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block your line of sight or provide cover for the creature at which you're aiming.If a ray spell has a duration, it's the duration of the effect that the ray causes, not the length of time the ray itself persists.
If a ray spell deals damage, you can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A ray spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit.
So spells that have the row: "Effect ray" in the description.
Examples of spells without ray in their name but that are rays:
Disrupt Undead
Searing Light
Enervation
Disintegrate
Dimensional Anchor
There aren't so many interesting ray in the basic magus spell list, but there are a few way to pilfer spells from other lists.
Ah. I never knew about the "effect: Ray" thing. TIL.