Thoughts on Eldritch Knight Polearm Build

[MonkeezOnFire]

I was thinking over possible build options for the Eldritch Knight and since I like halberds I was wondering how it would do with Polearm Master. At first I thought it would be fun to combine reach weapons with Booming Blade until I realized that BB has a reach of 5 feet and the enemy must be within that range. No matter, I thought to myself as the bonus attack from Polearm Master requires taking the attack action anyway. But I recently saw a discussion elsewhere where someone pointed out the missing piece of the puzzle: Spell Sniper. This doubles the range of cantrips that have an attack roll. So that will allow one to Booming Blade from 10 ft away which goes a long way in helping to ensure that they move if they have no reach themselves. The icing on top of all of this is War Caster which will allow you to cast booming blade on opportunity attacks, which you can make when someone approaches you with Polearm Master.


Now that's a lot of feats. But, the fighter does get a number of extra ASIs to use. And even without the interactions Polearm Master and War Caster are just good feats to have on an Eldritch Knight so the build performs pretty well before it goes online. I'm aware that it's probably not optimal dps, but if I cared for such things I could just go Dex with Sharpshooter. I find this build appealing because I've always liked gishes and halberds and mechanically I find this interaction pretty neat. I haven't seen discussion of this on these forums so what do you think about it?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

You could also just swing a halberd without worrying about Booming Blade, and you'll be fine. Eldritch Knights are starved enough for cantrips as it is. Spending both a cantrip and a feat for a situational benefit with a particular weapon seems like a lot of work.

But that's just me. I like gishes as much as anyone else, but I strongly prefer their original incarnation as a multi-class fighter/wizard, over the later version where they use spells to modify their physical attacks. I'd rather swing a sword and also cast chill touch, rather than swing a sword and also magic-swing a sword.

 

[Mistwell]

My initial reaction is that sounds like it should work well and will also be fun. Controlling the battlefield ads an interesting element to the more typical fighter role.

 

[BookBarbarian]

It certainly doo able if a little feat starved.

I think if I wanted to maximize damage with a Polearm on an EK i'd grab PM and GWM and look at spells that will generally buff melee like Haste or Shield.

 

[jaelis]

Spending both a cantrip and a feat for a situational benefit with a particular weapon seems like a lot of work.

Well, you get a free cantrip if you take the sniper feat. So really it is just one extra feat for the whole BB trick, and fighters do get a decent number of feats.

 

[neogod22]

I was thinking over possible build options for the Eldritch Knight and since I like halberds I was wondering how it would do with Polearm Master. At first I thought it would be fun to combine reach weapons with Booming Blade until I realized that BB has a reach of 5 feet and the enemy must be within that range. No matter, I thought to myself as the bonus attack from Polearm Master requires taking the attack action anyway. But I recently saw a discussion elsewhere where someone pointed out the missing piece of the puzzle: Spell Sniper. This doubles the range of cantrips that have an attack roll. So that will allow one to Booming Blade from 10 ft away which goes a long way in helping to ensure that they move if they have no reach themselves. The icing on top of all of this is War Caster which will allow you to cast booming blade on opportunity attacks, which you can make when someone approaches you with Polearm Master.


Now that's a lot of feats. But, the fighter does get a number of extra ASIs to use. And even without the interactions Polearm Master and War Caster are just good feats to have on an Eldritch Knight so the build performs pretty well before it goes online. I'm aware that it's probably not optimal dps, but if I cared for such things I could just go Dex with Sharpshooter. I find this build appealing because I've always liked gishes and halberds and mechanically I find this interaction pretty neat. I haven't seen discussion of this on these forums so what do you think about it?

So the misconception with green flame blade and booming blade is that people think you're casting the spell on the enemy. You are actually casting it on your weapon. The reach of the spell should say melee weapon. The is no somatic component, only verbal and material components, and the material component is the weapon. These spells are basically the cantrip version of smites. It does the weapon damage, plus the spell damage. There should be no problem using the cantrips on polearms.

 

[jaelis]

So the misconception with green flame blade and booming blade is that people think you're casting the spell on the enemy. You are actually casting it on your weapon. The reach of the spell should say melee weapon. The is no somatic component, only verbal and material components, and the material component is the weapon. These spells are basically the cantrip version of smites. It does the weapon damage, plus the spell damage. There should be no problem using the cantrips on polearms.

First, Jeremy Crawford does not share your interpretation:
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/01/14/can-booming-blade-and-green-flame-blade-used-with-a-whip/

Second, the spell itself says the creature you attack is the target:

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a successful melee attack with a weapon against one creature, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and it becomes sheathed in booming energy until the start of your next turn. If the target willingly moves before then, it immediately takes 1d8 thunder damage, and the spell ends.

 

[neogod22]

The problem you're going to run into though, is when you go up in level and have multiple attacks. BB and GFB will be less attractive than just taking 3 attacks (2 attacks and the bonus), and less attractive than taking 4 attacks on the same turn. You would do better taking ranged cantrips for when you actually need ranged attacks.

 

[neogod22]

First, Jeremy Crawford does not share your interpretation:
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/01/14/can-booming-blade-and-green-flame-blade-used-with-a-whip/

Second, the spell itself says the creature you attack is the target:

This is why I rarely look at Sage Advice, because 1. it's not a rule, and 2. sometimes I don't think they know what they're talking about because it makes no sense. When I'm the DM, the rule is the way I interpret it, if I'm not the DM, I ask and follow their ruling.

 

[jaelis]

The problem you're going to run into though, is when you go up in level and have multiple attacks. BB and GFB will be less attractive than just taking 3 attacks (2 attacks and the bonus), and less attractive than taking 4 attacks on the same turn. You would do better taking ranged cantrips for when you actually need ranged attacks.

i think this is true, but it is somewhat offset at level 7+ by War Magic.