D&D 5E The non-mage mage, or an alternative to the EK, or an option for low-magic game

Ancalagon said:

Duelist is quite good when you have that sword in your hand *and a shield in the other*. This guy already is behind because he has less fighting feats/ASI, and isn't wearing heavy armor so... but a mage with a shield seems... well not so mage-ish

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Dueling Fighting Style is certainly better with a Shield in the other hand, but if you are Going Sword n Staff, I still think its in the Top two fighting styles.

Protection: Can't be used without a shield
GWF: Can't be use with a staff in one hand
Archery: Can't be used with Sword and Staff

This leaves Dueling, TWF, and Defense. TWF will work if you take the Dual Wielder Feat and Really want to Whack foes with you staff as a bonus action, but it has been shown that as fighter's gain extra attacks the +2 to damage from Dueling will outpace the extra attack from TWF.

Defense is the real strong contender here. +1 AC is always useful.

Huh, good point. One could say it reflects the staff being used defensively. You don't always need a perfect parry, esp with a bit of armor, sometimes a stick in the way is enough to foul a blow.

Thanks!

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Hemlock said:

Because spending all day, every day recasting the same spell over and over isn't much of a way to spend your life?

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Neither is adventuring in general though... I mean which is worse, having to spend half your time in an illithid sanctum muttering and mumbling, or becoming a lifelong thrall?

Because you can't afford the constant expenditures of holy water or powdered iron or silver?

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Using a focus overcomes that.

Because Protection From Evil And Good lasts for 10 minutes (concentration), and starting a ritual spell (such as Protection From Evil And Good) disrupts concentration, so at best you can have it up only intermittently, 10 minutes on and then 10 minutes plus an action off?

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Good point, and one I had overlooked.

I mean, yes, it's better for it not to be a ritual, but even if it were, if you tried to persuade me that you had those spells up all the time I'd tell you you're nuts.

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And if you told me you and four of your buddies were going to fight a flying elephant that breathes fire armed with only medieval weapons, I'd say the same

There's a lot of hardships in an adventurer's life. Spending half your day doing what a cloistered priest spends his entire life doing is not one of them.