Thoughts on Eldritch Knight Polearm Build

[neogod22]

Not unless you have some other method to attack at 10 ft with a greatsword. (Lunging Attack maneuver, for instance.)

And this is why the idea of the spell's supposedly was given a 5ft range on purpose is stupid.

 

[jaelis]

But that assumes the target moves every time. But the more likely scenario would be the target moves 1 time, if it doesn't die, gets smart to the situation and stops moving assuming this is an intelligent creature. Or if it does die, its allies get smart to the situation and knows not to move. Then your average goes down.

Yes, but the whole point of using BB with a reach weapon is to put the target in a situation where he has to move do do anything useful.

Against a target where that isn't true (for instance, someone with a good ranged attack), certainly you would not use the BB combo.

 

[jaelis]

And this is why the idea of the spell's supposedly was given a 5ft range on purpose is stupid.

Unless they felt that being able to use it at 10 foot range made it too powerful.

 

[neogod22]

Yes, but the whole point of using BB with a reach weapon is to put the target in a situation where he has to move do do anything useful.

Against a target where that isn't true (for instance, someone with a good ranged attack), certainly you would not use the BB combo.

I'm not sure how much you've played in tier 3 or higher, but at this stage, monsters are usually either huge or bigger, have range, magic, or ranged attacks. There usually isn't an advantage of being 10ft. away from a lot of creatures.

 

[FrogReaver]

On the range of booming blade:

They didn't want you to be able to hit an enemy with booming blade and move off (with no downside) thus forcing the creature you hit into a no win situation is exactly why they intentionally gave it a 5ft range.

It's so blindingly obvious why are we even still discussing that part?

 

[neogod22]

On the range of booming blade:

They didn't want you to be able to hit an enemy with booming blade and move off (with no downside) thus forcing the creature you hit into a no win situation is exactly why they intentionally gave it a 5ft range.

It's so blindingly obvious why are we even still discussing that part?

Because there's no such thing as ranged attacks?

 

[Caliban]

Because there's no such thing as ranged attacks?

That is one interpretation.

 

[Dausuul]

Can you use spell sniper and a great sword to get extra range with it?

"As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, or the spell fails."

The way I read this is that, in addition to the range limit, you have to abide by all the usual rules for making a melee attack with the chosen weapon. So the target must be within range of the spell and within the reach of your weapon. If either of those is not the case, you cannot make an attack that meets the requirements, and the spell fails.

I suppose you could argue that the attack is a special melee attack granted by the spell, and therefore its only constraint is the range limit. I don't really buy this argument, though, and I don't think most other DMs would either.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes, I was thinking "could I use this spell with spell sniper/distant spell to make a dagger attack at 10'?" But I agree with your interpretation - a weapon attack is explicitly part of casting the spell, so the conditions for the weapon attack - i.e. reach, must also be met.

 

[neogod22]

BB works best on a Swashbuckler with the magic initiate feat. And have the polearm fighter use ranged cantrips so he can be versatile in both ranged and melee combat.