It reads to me like the foe takes the same damage roll, limited to the one damage type, that the spell inflicts.
So if you were to Striking Spell Eclipse Burst for instance, you would have to choose either 8d10 Cold Damage or 8d4 Negative damage for the foe to take.
I suppose you could read it as noting the amount that was rolled from the initial spell, but I doubt that is the case, especially if the foe Critically failed their initial save (or you critically succeeded the Spell Attack) but you only succeed on the Ray attack roll.
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While here, I'd like to get another quick clarification on this ability since right now I feel like it's a little vague on a point that may cause this effect to be a complete waste of a Reaction.
(reaction) FEAT 10
MAGUS
Trigger You discharge a stored spell that deals acid, cold,
electricity, fire, force, negative, positive, or sonic damage....Make a spell attack roll against this new target,
applying your multiple attack penalty normally...
So this is a Reaction... that lets you make a third attack after already building up MAP from one or two strikes? Some questions:
1. Does casting a Save Spell through Striking Spell build MAP? (Hopefully no)
2. Is attempting a spell attack roll with low proficiency and any level of MAP ever worth even attempting? Like maybe I'm missing something but this kinda seems like an ability that will only work 5% of the time on a Nat 20, which feels wrong.
While here, I'd like to get another quick clarification on this ability since right now I feel like it's a little vague on a point that may cause this effect to be a complete waste of a Reaction.
(reaction) FEAT 10
MAGUS
Trigger You discharge a stored spell that deals acid, cold,
electricity, fire, force, negative, positive, or sonic damage....Make a spell attack roll against this new target,
applying your multiple attack penalty normally...So this is a Reaction... that lets you make a third attack after already building up MAP from one or two strikes? Some questions:
1. Does casting a Save Spell through Striking Spell build MAP? (Hopefully no)
2. Is attempting a spell attack roll with low proficiency and any level of MAP ever worth even attempting? Like maybe I'm missing something but this kinda seems like an ability that will only work 5% of the time on a Nat 20, which feels wrong.
1. That depends on the Spell. If the Spell has the Attack Trait, I believe it builds MAP.
The second time you use an
attack action during your turn, you take a –5 penalty to
your attack roll. The third time you attack, and on any
subsequent attacks, you take a –10 penalty to your attack
roll. Every check that has the attack trait counts toward
your multiple attack penalty, including Strikes, spell attack
rolls, certain skill actions like Shove, and many others.
So looking at a few Save based spells, it seems that most of them don't have the Attack Trait. But anything that includes a Spell Attack Roll does.
2. This does feel like a real issue for Cascading Ray. At best you will be at -5 for the Ray Attack, and as noted the Magus suffers from Low proficiency. And since you won't be attacking the enemy you are already attacking, your opponent won't likely be flanked or many other situations that would normally offset this penalty.
If you used a Spell with an attack roll, like say Polar Ray, then you would be making your Ray attack at -10, which does put it into rolling for 20 territory against many foes.