Does Phase Bolt allow Spellstrike to reduce the target’s circumstance bonus to AC

maguspathfinder-2espells

My Magus takes Phase Bolt as a cantrip. They use it with Spellstrike. My target has Raised a Shield for a +2 circumstance bonus to their AC. Do I Spellstrike against their AC with or without their circumstance bonus? Phase Bolt normally allows me to ignore it, but I'm not positive on how it interacts with Spellstrike. The key phrase in Phase Bolt:

Make a ranged spell attack roll against your target's AC; if the target has any circumstance bonuses to AC (such as from a shield or cover), reduce that bonus by 2 for this attack.

Best Answer

No, you don't gain that (or any other similar spells') benefit

You are not using the spell to attack. Spellstrike is pretty clear...

You channel a spell into a punch or sword thrust to deliver a combined attack. You Cast a Spell that takes 1 or 2 actions to cast and requires a spell attack roll. The effects of the spell don't occur immediately¹ but are imbued into your attack instead. Make a melee Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack. ² Your spell is coupled with your attack, using your attack roll result to determine the effects of both the Strike and the spell.³

  1. The effects of the spell do not occur as they normally would.
  2. You are making a melee Strike, which is a type of basic action. Nothing about "the effects" of the spell being "imbued into your attack" alters how you make the Strike.
  3. Your (melee) attack roll is used to determine the effect of your spell.*
  • Arguably, you could partially benefit from phase bolt and similar effect but not for the Strike; you could theoretically miss the target's shielded AC but have phase bolt function as it's success condition by hitting their reduced AC because you use the "roll", not the "result" of your Strike.
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