two-weapon fighting using both hands

[b300mussolini]

So i am currently running a pathfinder game with one of my players running a magus and we have had an issue come up with his spell combat ability. the issue is that one of my other players thinks that the magus should be able to use both his hands to wield his weapon for the first part of the attack and as a free action let go of his weapon to cast the spell. the second player has sited something about wizards being able to let go of a weapon to cast a spell and then re-grip it so that they can take any AoOs they might get as his evidence. i think that this is total munchkin bull but i am not quite sure. what do you all say?

ability in question:
spell combat
At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

[SilverLeaf167]

Letting go of or grabbing your weapon is indeed a free action. (http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9qda)


Both are free actions. For example, a wizard wielding a quarterstaff can let go of the weapon with one hand as a free action, cast a spell as a standard action, and grasp the weapon again with that hand as a free action; this means the wizard is still able to make attacks of opportunity with the weapon (which requires using two hands).

As with any free action, the GM may decide a reasonable limit to how many times per round you can release and re-grasp the weapon (one release and re-grasp per round is fair).

However, going by RAW, Spell Combat says otherwise.


To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand.

So yeah, even if he does have one hand free, he can't use Spell Combat unless his weapon is light or one-handed. Currently being held in one hand doesn't count. I'd say his plan goes against the spirit of the rule as well as the word, too.

[Xuc Xac]

You can hold a two-handed weapon with one hand while you cast a spell with the other, but he can't "cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time". If he wants to do one or the other, he doesn't have to put the big weapon away. If he wants to attack with the weapon and cast the spell, the weapon needs to be one-handed by the rules.

[Lalliman]

Plus, RAI-speaking, the reason a Magus can cast and attack with one action is because they're doing it at the same time, not one after the other. So what your player is suggesting shouldn't work no matter how you spin it.