How does Courageous Anthems +1 to damage rolls interact with a Magus's Spellstrike?


Rules Discussion


I combed through the threads to see if someone already asked this question; I haven't found an answer or the question so I do hope this doesn't double up.

During play an allied NPC Bard helped our party. Our Magus successfully landed a Spellstrike under the influence of Courageous Anthem and then a question popped up: Does the +1 damage bonus from Courageous Anthem apply to both the weapon Strike and the Spell (in our case Ignition), or does it only apply once.
So is it: 1d10+4 (+1) and 3d4 (+1) or just 1d10+4 + 3d4 +1?

I was thinking that it does apply twice. There are Feats that combine two attacks together to overcome Resistances or applying weakness (like Double Slice or Hunted Shot). Reading through the new errata section about Instances of damage it read like it would apply to both, since two seperate damage rolls are being made; one for the Strike and one for Ignition.

Both our GM and a fellow player argued it only applies once, which I can also see a case for.

So the question: Does the +1 apply once or twice?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

There are two separate damage rolls. The bonus applies to each one.


Yeah, it would apply to each damage roll separately.

Melee damage roll = damage die of weapon or unarmed attack + Strength modifier + bonuses + penalties

Spell (or similar effect) damage roll = damage die of effect + bonuses + penalties

You wouldn't add the bonus damage to the same spell dealing damage to the same target even if the spell deals multiple damage types.

You would add the bonus damage to the spell for each target if it deals damage to multiple targets. Normally that happens rather automatically since the most common way this happens is Area spells that have the damage rolled once and then that damage is applied to all targets in the area. But even for spells like Blazing Bolt or Force Barrage the bonus damage would be added once for each target.

Spellstrike is mostly action compression. You are still making a Strike and casting a spell. Both of those should be damage boosted separately.

Similarly this also happens in other action compression attacks such as Monk: Flurry of Blows or Ranger: Twin Takedown. It is a single named attack routine, but involves making (in these two cases) two separate Strike actions. Both of those Strikes should be damage boosted.

This would also apply to other similar damage boosts such as Witch: Stoke the Heart.

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