Magus and Natural Attacks: An Alter Self Story

[Joshua DiMarro]

So, apologies if this has been asked before or already FAQ'd, I've looked around but the threads I've found are still a tad confusing. I'm trying to figure out how Spell Strike and Spell Combat work with natural attacks.

So, say Bob the 4th level Magus transforms with a polymorph spell into a creature with several secondary attacks, 2 claws and a bite. Bob also has a rapier. Bob would like to use his Spell Combat Spell Strike to attack with Frostbite. Now, the questions are:

How does Bob attack? Is it two attacks with his rapier followed up with a claw and a bite? Two attacks with his rapier followed up with two claws and a bite? Something else?

Does he get to channel his frostbite through his claw attacks as well? Considering that his off hand is free when casting, is he even able to make those claw attacks at all? Would he need the Natural Spell Combat arcana for that? Or does he have to decide to use either his Rapier or his claws to be the channel and is unable to do it through both?

[Calth]

You cannot combine Spell Combat with Natural Weapons without the arcana. So without the arcana, he makes his single rapier attack from spell combat and the single rapier attack from spell strike.

If you took Natural Spell Combat(bite) you could then either add the bite to that routine at a -5 attack modifier, or replace the rapier attack from spell combat with the bite attack at no additional modifier. This additional attack would trigger a frostbite charge if you cast before making it.

Natural Spell Combat(claw) is trickier. One claw is out for holding the rapier. You definitely can not use the hand/claw you use to cast the spell to replace the spell combat attack. Expect table variation on whether you could make an additional claw attack at -5. This additional attack would trigger a frostbite charge if you cast before making it.

[Joshua DiMarro]

Further questions-

So, just to confirm, if I take Natural Spell Combat (Claw), I can use it as part of the full attack but NOT as the Spell Strike?

Do you still get your bite even if you don't have Natural Spell Combat- not to channel your Frostbite, but as part of your full attack during Spell Combat?

If you polymorph into a creature with more arms, can you use them to channel the spell with Natural Spell Combat? Can you use them as part of the full attack during Spell Combat like the bite example from above?

[Jurassic Pratt]

You can spell combat/strike with a claw, but not any other natural attack without the arcana.

FAQ wrote:

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