Characters with one of the Mage abilities can take the New Technique feat to learn a magical trick that uses their body instead of mind to channel magical forces and create a magical effect. Essentially, it allows you to cast a spell via martial arts, rather than via traditional magic.
Martial Spell Techniques are always Exceptional actions. They exclusively use Somatic components, and never require a Manipulate action.
If the Technique is an Infusion, you can only apply it to yourself. Any spell attack abilities granted by the Infusion (such as those granted by the Telekinetic Field spell) still count as spell attacks, using your Spell Attack Proficiency and the higher of your CON, STR, or DEX modifiers for their Attribute Modifier.
You cannot learn Techniques with the Wall or Summoning tags.
If the Technique is an Attack Spell and you are wielding a melee weapon, the Technique's Range drops to the Reach of your weapon, and any attacks you make using the Technique are melee attacks. This can result in you dealing damage to yourself from an Area Attack Spell, i.e. by punching an adjacent target and setting off a Fireball that includes yourself in the effect’s radius. The Technique’s Range can be increased as usual via the Reach Spell or Artillery Spell Metamagics; doing so changes any attacks with the Technique to Ranged Attacks.
If the Technique is a Ranged Attack Spell and you are wielding a ranged weapon, the Technique's Range is equal to the lower of the Spell's Range or your weapon's Range. The Technique’s Range can be increased as usual via the Reach Spell or Artillery Spell Metamagics, possibly exceeding the weapon's normal Range. Each casting of the Technique uses one piece of ammunition or thrown weapon. Note that this can result in (for example) a single shot from a Crossbow firing three Magic Missiles, if the Technique being used is enhanced by the Barrage Metamagic. Ammunition and thrown weapons are not consumed by the Technique, and can be recovered later as normal, at the GM's discretion.
You cannot combine an Attack Technique with an Aethertech Device attack.
Martial Spell Techniques that have the Curse tag function in all ways the same as a normal Curse Spell, but are almost always delivered via some form of attack that transmits the curse to the target, regardless of how close or effective the physical attack is — you can punch an enemy’s shield and have a tendril of violet energy go through the shield to inflict the Mind Spike curse, for example, or an arrow that zaps a target with burning energies to cast the Immolate curse, even if your target dodges the arrow itself. You still cannot target a creature with a Curse attack if you cannot see or touch them. Essentially, don’t be afraid to flavor your Technique to make them suit your character, just remember to keep that flavor within the limits of the mechanics for both Techniques and Curse Spells.
Attack rolls with a Martial Spell Technique count as Weapon Attacks, and use the higher of your STR, DEX, or CON modifiers as its Attribute Modifier (applied to both its attack and damage rolls) and your Proficiency Modifier with the weapon you are wielding (which is an Unarmed Strike or Natural Attack if you aren’t wielding a weapon). The spell counts as an attack with that weapon, and gains any bonuses or penalties you would apply to a normal attack with that weapon.
You can apply a Weapon Ability or other similar modification to a Martial Spell Technique attack as if it was a normal attack with that weapon, but any additional attacks that result are normal attacks and not part of the Technique. i.e., if you combine a Technique with the Cleave ability, the Technique works as normal and then you make a normal weapon attack for the Cleave.
You can spend Mana Flux as usual on Martial Spell Techniques, though you must learn new Metamagics for a Technique via the Enhanced Technique feat instead of the Extra Metamagics feat.
Martial Spell Technique Feats: