Striking Spell and Magic Missile


Magus Class

Lantern Lodge

For Striking Spell, it says "If your next action is to Cast a Spell that can target one creature or object, instead of casting as normal, you place its magic into one melee weapon you’re wielding or into your body to use with an unarmed attack."

Does that mean you choose to cast magic missile through your strike since it also targets 1 creature?

If so does that mean if the strike crits than the magic missile auto-crits since you don't roll attack or saving throw for that spell.

Also, do you just cast the 1 missile or can you charge it with both with the 2 action missile (or 3 if hasted)?


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Yes, you can choose Magic Missile to use with Striking Spell.

No, Magic Missile doesn't have a Critical Success line in its description. So you can't crit with it. Or maybe you can but it wouldn't change its damage.

You can use any number of actions to cast a spell with Spell Strike. You don't even need to be hasted for the 3-action version since you can use one round to charge the weapon and hit the enemy in the next round.


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In a way it makes Magic Missile the only spell to work as we'd expect Striking Spell to.

Lantern Lodge

Okay. I follow.


Magic missile is a pretty good combo with Striking Spell. Not only does it not have accuracy issues, but it complements the action economy nicely: you can cast it as one action, get your magus synthesis benefit, and Strike twice, all in one round.

Scarab Sages

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Kalaam wrote:
In a way it makes Magic Missile the only spell to work as we'd expect Striking Spell to.

Yes, but all you really gain by doing that is the ability to use other options tied to using Striking Spell (like Slide Synthesis). At the cost of adding an attack roll to a spell that doesn't have an attack roll, since you now need to hit with your weapon in order for Magic Missile to even happen.


Ferious Thune wrote:
Kalaam wrote:
In a way it makes Magic Missile the only spell to work as we'd expect Striking Spell to.
Yes, but all you really gain by doing that is the ability to use other options tied to using Striking Spell (like Slide Synthesis). At the cost of adding an attack roll to a spell that doesn't have an attack roll, since you now need to hit with your weapon in order for Magic Missile to even happen.

Absolutely, I didn't mean to say it like it made Magic Missile super duper great or something.

Lantern Lodge

Blave wrote:

Yes, you can choose Magic Missile to use with Striking Spell.

No, Magic Missile doesn't have a Critical Success line in its description. So you can't crit with it. Or maybe you can but it wouldn't change its damage.

You can use any number of actions to cast a spell with Spell Strike. You don't even need to be hasted for the 3-action version since you can use one round to charge the weapon and hit the enemy in the next round.

Wait, that sounds like a terrible tactic. If the opponent sees you charging the spell he can just move away and the spell will discharge at the end of your next turn. Benefit Shooting Star and Slide Caster, but the Sustaining Steel would likely be armored down and too slow to catch up.

The description of the ability is rather confusing. It lists Strike Spell as a Free action, but it is really 3 separate actions.

0- Metamagic Action
Varied action (usually 2 actions)- Casting A Spell Action
1- Attack action

Then the last two actions are rolled in reverse, because you have to hit with the weapon for the spell to go off.

In the end, casting a spell and hitting would be the same effort. The only difference is the attack penalty is removed.

Since the goal is to put it on par with Double Strike and Flurry of Blows, it would stand to say that making Spell Strike a 2 action attack would move things along in combat. In essence, it would function like ...
I lost my train of thought. My point is, it's a little complicated and it should be defined simply and decisively to avoid confusion or loopholes.

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