D&D 5E Any good eldritch knight guides?

[krunchyfrogg]

I'm looking to build a good gish character, and I'm considering an eldritch knight.

I need to know, in a point buy setting, if it's worth boosting INT.

I'm really only interested in some spells like shield and misty step.

I'm also wondering if the spells like booming blade and green flame blade are worth it, considering they don't seem as useful once you get extra attack at level 5.

 

[mellored]

There's enough spells to not need Int that you can dump it. Though there are some good control spells that could be used, like suggestion.
Either way, avoid any damage spells like burning hands.

Attack cantrips also scale at level 5, and are slightly behind 1-handed weapon attacks depending on how frequently you can trigger their secondary damage or not. They get more behind if you have any damage bonus, like dualist style, or a magic weapon, or even high Str/Dex which get's multiplied by multi-attack.


Also consider bladewarlocks/tomelock (with 1 level dip for armor), tome warlocks can use shillelagh to attack with Cha to attack, and paladins. Or multi-classing into them.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

There's enough spells to not need Int that you can dump it. Though there are some good control spells that could be used, like suggestion.
Either way, avoid any damage spells like burning hands.

Attack cantrips also scale at level 5, and are slightly behind 1-handed weapon attacks depending on how frequently you can trigger their secondary damage or not. They get more behind if you have any damage bonus, like dualist style, or a magic weapon, or even high Str/Dex which get's multiplied by multi-attack.


Also consider bladewarlocks/tomelock (with 1 level dip for armor), tome warlocks can use shillelagh to attack with Cha to attack, and paladins. Or multi-classing into them.

Could you please explain these alternate builds you're speaking of?

 

[Cognomen's Cassowary]

There is a guide: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?479648-Bellator-Arcana-The-Eldritch-Knight-Guide

The scaling of cantrips and the war magic feature make booming blade very good; green-flame blade can be good, but that depends on how little you invest in Int.

 

[mellored]

Could you please explain these alternate builds you're speaking of?

Well it depends on what you want. Offense, defense, spells, and how much.

If you're more interested in damage, use a 2-handed eldrich knight. The big weapon damage is multiplied with multi-attack, plus you can just hold your weapon in 1 hand to cast a spell.

If you want more spells, tome warlocks can pick up shillelagh at level 3, which allows you to use Cha with booming blade, which is less damage but gives you access to saving throw spells like suggestion. Plus some nice defensive spells like armor of agathy and darkness with devils sight, rituals, and a lot more slots to use. Though warlocks still need armor from somewhere. Plus a good ranged damage as well.

Bladelocks do a bit more damage than tome, usually with a polearm master, but can't put as much into Cha which hurts their spell options. Still need to dip for armor though.

Paladins are just gishy by nature with good melee attacks and support/defensive spells that can be turned to offense with smites.

Paladin/tomelock is probably the most well-rounded build but takes a few levels to get going.


Some clerics also work. Though are obviously heavily on the support side.

 

[WarpedAcorn]

Some clerics also work. Though are obviously heavily on the support side.

Surprisingly, a Light-Domain Cleric is a pretty good Melee/Caster Hybrid. They get access to all the big Fire Spells on top of the Cleric standards like Spirit Guardians and Spiritual Weapon. Not to mention their Defensive and Support spell list that scales as a full caster (unlike Eldritch Knight). And to top it off they have access to most weapons and armor (of course you can pick different Domains to get access to better weapons or armor if you prefer).

Overall...a straight Cleric is a pretty good Gish type class by itself. Now, I will be the first to admit that the concept of playing a straight Cleric is 100% not exciting and the Eldritch Knight is a much sexier thought...but I think a lot of that has to do with this old D&D mentality of the Cleric = Healer.

 

[mellored]

Surprisingly, a Light-Domain Cleric is a pretty good Melee/Caster Hybrid. They get access to all the big Fire Spells on top of the Cleric standards like Spirit Guardians and Spiritual Weapon. Not to mention their Defensive and Support spell list that scales as a full caster (unlike Eldritch Knight). And to top it off they have access to most weapons and armor (of course you can pick different Domains to get access to better weapons or armor if you prefer).

Their more melee ranged spell casters rather than actual gishes. Light clerics should still bump wis and cast sacred flame on an adjacent enemy.

Now death clerics with their channel divinity, or nature with shillelagh have more reason to swing weapons. You can be a high elf or use a feat to grab green flameblade. Arcana can also get it.

 

[WarpedAcorn]

Their more melee ranged spell casters rather than actual gishes. Light clerics should still bump wis and cast sacred flame on an adjacent enemy.

Now death clerics with their channel divinity, or nature with shillelagh have more reason to swing weapons. You can be a high elf or use a feat to grab green flameblade. Arcana can also get it.

Good point. I was more thinking about being able to swing something heavy and cast something flashy, and Light Cleric fills those options. But yeah, other Cleric Domains would fit better...because Clerics are way too customizable than they should be. =)

 

[Yunru]

While we're on the subject, what's people's thoughts on a Precision Battle Master vs an Eldritch Knight with Bless?

 

[Blue]

While we're on the subject, what's people's thoughts on a Precision Battle Master vs an Eldritch Knight with Bless?

For front liners, I'd worry that a profusion of Concentration checks would make Bless wasted, it wouldn't stay up long enough to offset the action to cast. For a ranged character Bless affects all attacks in the combats it's cast and also helps two additional characters. Also boosts saves.

Precision and Bless are best when you can take a -5/+10 damage feat, so 2H weapons or ranged are best to take advantage of them.

Spell slots are a daily resource while superiority dice are a short rest resource - how that plays out probably depends a lot on how your DM throws encounters at you.

Note that you're doing something to get Bless on your list - you could be a Precision Battlemaster with a level of cleric and do both.