Spellstrike

You've learned the fundamental magus technique that lets you combine magical and physical attacks together. You gain the Spellstrike activity.

Spellstrike Specifics

Though the base Spellstrike rules cover most spells, various modifications apply to more complicated spells when loaded into your fist, blade, or other attack.

One Target The spell targets only the target of your Strike, even if it normally allows more targets. This includes area spells, which only the target attempts a saving throw against. Any ongoing effects of the area, such as the difficult terrain from scatter scree, affect only the target's space. Some feats let you affect more creatures.

Reach: The coupled spell affects the target using the reach of the weapon or unarmed attack you make your Spellstrike with. For instance, gouging claw would affect a creature beyond the reach of your hand if you used a weapon with reach, and frostbite would affect only a creature in your weapon's reach, even though the spell's range is longer.

Ancillary Effects Your spell still has any non-targeted effects that might affect creatures other than the target, as well as any ongoing effects starting from the moment you hit with the Strike. For example, scatter scree would still create difficult terrain in the target's space (as mentioned above) and tangle vine's circumstance penalty would last for its normal duration. The spell takes effect after the Strike deals damage; if the Strike has other special effects, the GM determines whether they happen before or after the spell.

Multiple Defenses Any additional rolls after the initial spell attack still happen normally, such as the Fortitude save attempted by the target of a disintegrate spell. Similarly, a spell that allows you to attack with it again on subsequent rounds would only combine a Strike with its initial attack roll, not with any later ones. Invalid or Immune Target: If the target you hit wouldn't be a valid target for the spell, the spell is still expended but doesn't affect the target. If the target is immune to your attack but not the spell, it can still be affected by the spell.

Variable Actions Some spells have different effects based on the number of actions you spend to cast them. You choose whether to use the effects of the 1- or 2-action version of the spell when you use Spellstrike. A spell has to take exactly 1 or 2 actions; you can't use Spellstrike with a spell that takes a free action, reaction, or 3 or more actions.

Spellshape You typically can't use spellshape with Spellstrike because spellshape actions require the next action you take to be Cast a Spell, and Spellstrike is a combined activity that doesn't qualify.