Seeking Input on Eldritch Knight Build

[Kilgore Trout]

Hi –

Looking for feedback on my EK build. I know this could be more optimal as a Vuman, but I like the Gnome concept as well as the spell resistance! Only play in AL at the moment, so doubtful this guy will ever see the upper levels but still wanted to think that far ahead.

Race - Forest Gnome
Class - EK Fighter

S – 14
D – 10
C – 14
I – 16
W – 13
Ch – 8

Dueling Fighting Style

Feats

4 – Magic Initiate – Druid for Shillelagh and Produce Flame (as I’m using EK cantrips for melee). Not sure about Level 1 spell
6 – Polearm Master
8 – Mobile
Not sure on Feats 14 – 19. Likely some stat increases, maybe War Caster if I want the use of a Shield again and maybe Resilient (Wisdom).

EK Cantrips – Green Flame Blade and Lightening Lure. Booming Blade for Level 10 cantrip.

Spells @:

Level 3 – Shield, Protection from Evil, Expeditious Retreat (to close ranks as quickly as possible when needed)
Level 4 – Thunderwave
Level 7 – Shatter or Scorching Ray
Level 8 – Hold Person
Level 10 – Darkness or Gust of Wind or Melf’s Acid Arrow
Level 11 – same as above
Level 13 – Swap Hold Person for Haste
Level 14 – Counterspell or get back Hold Person
Level 16 – Protection from Energy
Level 19 – Fire Shield
Level 20 - Polymorph

Tactics:

1-2: Battleaxe or Warhammer and Shield with Chain Mail. Standard stuff.

Starting at Level 3, will get rid of shield and use weapon one-handed. Will start to use cantrips with attacks where appropriate. At Level 4, will begin combat by casting Shillelagh (with Dueling, makes average damage as good as a Greataxe) and then using other cantrips as appropriate. Polearm Master and Lightening Lure will provide good opportunities for damage and battlefield control. When Level 10 comes around, then I can case Booming Blade and move away from the target, hopefully inducing them to move. While use of cantrips might wane as other attacks come on board, the foundation is there when the right opportunity presents

I’m sure there are holes in this, so appreciate any insight you can give!

KT

 

[carnage220]

Magic Initiate – Druid for Shillelagh is useless for you with a wis of 13. you would use the wis to cast the spell. so you don't gain any attack bonus for doing that just the d6 to d8 but since you have martial you have plenty of d8 weapons to use.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Magic Initiate – Druid for Shillelagh is useless for you with a wis of 13. you would use the wis to cast the spell. so you don't gain any attack bonus for doing that just the d6 to d8 but since you have martial you have plenty of d8 weapons to use.

Spell says you CAN use wisdom but you don't have to so strength can
be used.

Also, for polearm master feat, only the quarterstaff works for a small race. With dueling, gives damage of 3-10 damage before modifiers, plus allows for opportunity attacked when approached. And it's magical.

So it seems to be of use with the right combination of feats.

 

[bid]

You realize Str16 would do better than shillelagh?

Quarterstaff is versatile and does 1d8 when used 2-handed. No gain for magic initiate.
Str16 would result in +1 hit and +1 damage. Gains for Str ASI.


In case you are confused: "Two-Handed (p. 147). This propertyis relevant only when you attack with theweapon, not when you simply hold it. "

 

[Grue AC]

What they said. Only use for shillelagh is when using casting stat also for melee. Great on a full caster but pointless for a fighter. Also means no Haste.

 

[Cinderwell]

Yeah, I took Magic Initiate(Shillelagh) at level 8 on a Polearm Master Paladin once; I wanted a way to bypass all the melee resistance I was encountering, and I didn't have a magic weapon (good ol' AL).

I'd skip it in this build though, you can learn Magic Weapon at 8 with one of your unrestricted spells if necessary.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

You realize Str16 would do better than shillelagh?

Quarterstaff is versatile and does 1d8 when used 2-handed. No gain for magic initiate.
Str16 would result in +1 hit and +1 damage. Gains for Str ASI.


In case you are confused: "Two-Handed (p. 147). This propertyis relevant only when you attack with theweapon, not when you simply hold it. "

Don't want to use the quarterstaff 2-handed, want to use it 1-handed. Yes, I realize the Versatile property would give me the same damage die but then the Dueling modifier is lost. Two examples:

STR 14, 1-Handed "Shillelagh" Quarterstaff, Dueling Fighting Style: 1d8+4 damage = 8.5 avg damage, +2 TH
STR 16, 2-Handed Quarterstaff: 1d8+3 = 7.5 avg damage, +3 TH

Now, the additional TH is something I hadn't considered and is a good point as avg damage increase doesn't mean anything if the shot doesn't connect. And 1 additional avg damage is not a whole lot. And, not sure if the other Druid cantrip and Level 1 spell is enough to warrant the feat. Doubt that it is.

Also means no Haste.

Why does it mean that – please explain.

Yeah, I took Magic Initiate(Shillelagh) at level 8 on a Polearm Master Paladin once; I wanted a way to bypass all the melee resistance I was encountering, and I didn't have a magic weapon (good ol' AL).

I'd skip it in this build though, you can learn Magic Weapon at 8 with one of your unrestricted spells if necessary.

Thanks for confirming – I thought magic items might be rare in AL and this might be a good bypass.

Thought about Magic Weapon as well although it requires concentration. Certainly an option I’d considered although Hold Person sounds good, too!

All in all, I’m probably better served skipping the feat, although I do believe it would work in the way I’m thinking. Gets me Polearm Master at 4, too, which I’ll keep as I’m imagining this will be fun:

(Assuming Level 7) Cast Lightening Lure. Draw opponent adjacent. Opponent takes 2d8 damage from the spell, then 1d8 damage from the Polearm Master feat and then the bonus Attack action from War Caster. With a 14 STR, looking at 9 + 6.5 + 6.5 = 22 avg damage assuming both weapon attacks hit. (Would be 26 damage if the quarterstaff was shillelaghed and it was a 1-H attack where the fighter had dueling style which is what attracted me to the concept in the first place…)

Not bad for a cantrip…certainly no DPR king, but it can pull an enemy away from someone squishier so that can be advantageous.

Will likely go with the Defense Fighting Style which offsets no shield.

Appreciate everyone’s feedback.

OK, assuming Fighting Style moves to Defense and we nix Magic Initiate (moving Polearm Mastery to 4, Mobile to 6, STR +2 to 8), any other thoughts? I’ve read a lot that EKs should just have 10 INT but about half the spells I picked have Saves or Spell Attack Rolls so seems reasonable to have higher INT. Plus, it’s not hard on a gnome.

It’s funny, as I was looking at feats, I initially looked at Magic Initiate to get some more Wizard cantrips…the cantrips out of SCAG are great, and I think if you wanted to go on the defensive Blade Ward could be useful after level 7 and Fire Bolt would be good for an easy ranged attack against flyers but, again, not sure if that’s worth a feat….

 

[mellored]

1d6+5=8.5 and +3TH, and +2AC from a shield.

Or use a long sword.

 

[Kithas]

Dueling and Polearm master combined numberwise is very very strong. To the degree that in my group we have ruled you can only use PaM with a weapon used in two hands.
That said if your group has no problem with it abuse away!
The shillelagh will give you d8's instead of d6's. That's only 1 avg damage increase. You would be better served with a str +2 boost. Same damage increase and you get the other bonuses too.
If you are already planning on using Wizard cantrips like Booming blade you have a built in way to do magic damage with your weapon. That said if you do plan on doing that you will not get the bonus action attack from polearm master or extra attack and lose those triple duelling bonuses that this build has. My advice would be to get a few levels in Wizard so you get some halfway decent spell slots and use magic weapon if you need to. Being a 1/3 caster means you have awful spell slots, even a 2-3 level dip in full wizard would give you a massive boost in spellslinging. Every 1 level in wizard is the equivalent of 3 levels in EK as far as spell slots/known is concerned. A school like abjuration or evocation would give you some other great bonuses too, plus more cantrips!
P.s. Get warcaster asap with a con of 14 your concentration saves are going to get dicey sometime soon and that shield will help a ton too. Also chromatic orb as a reaction is just silly.
P.P.S. For your cantrips keep in mind that you have no good ranged option as of yet, also that you don't have much in the way of aoe, sword burst and firebolt do wonders for this.
p.p.p.s if you plan on being on the front line with that con you should probably look into concentrating on Blur most of the time. Disadvantage to get hit is huge.

 

[bid]

P.s. Get warcaster asap with a con of 14 your concentration saves are going to get dicey sometime soon and that shield will help a ton too. Also chromatic orb as a reaction is just silly.

I usually find warcaster is overplayed, but yeah this is a must. Str16 ASI also gives you +2 AC (access to full plate), so it comes to concentration + OA BB vs +1TH/damage.