D&D (2024) Not a fan of the new Eldritch Knight

[Steampunkette]

Hot take early in my morning but...

If you create a class or subclass feature meant to facilitate a specific character identity and it functionally gets used primarily as a stepping stone to using the abilities of an entirely different class and results in the class fantasy you were creating being utterly subverted into something vastly different...

Well. You failed at your goal. Guardrails to ensure it is used in the "Proper" way in a later revision aren't really going to help much.

The purpose of a system is what it does. If it wasn't designed to do what it does you either messed up or lied about your intention. Y'know?

 

[Sulicius]

Hot take early in my morning but...

If you create a class or subclass feature meant to facilitate a specific character identity and it functionally gets used primarily as a stepping stone to using the abilities of an entirely different class and results in the class fantasy you were creating being utterly subverted into something vastly different...

Well. You failed at your goal. Guardrails to ensure it is used in the "Proper" way in a later revision aren't really going to help much.

The purpose of a system is what it does. If it wasn't designed to do what it does you either messed up or lied about your intention. Y'know?

I am not sure what you are trying to say. It looks like the biggest issue OP has is that he struggles with multiclassing.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

nevermind

 

[Oofta]

I think the class could be a pretty fun fighter. No, I'm not going to be spamming eldritch blast but that is hardly the only spell in the book. Want a decent ranged attack? Do a dex/int build and get a freakin' longbow. If you just can't stand losing a single point of damage on a hit, use a heavy crossbow and take the crossbow expert feat.

You may sacrifice a tad on AC over a heavy armor build but you'll be better at stealth and a ton of other benefits. Throw in the shield spell and it's not a big deal. On the other hand this build doesn't require any multiclassing that slows down progression in the main class.

If you really want eldritch blast, there are a ton of other ways of doing it. In the meantime there are still plenty of viable options with eldritch knight, just not exactly ones you had before.

 

[ECMO3]

Mostly you'd play one instead of a valour bard because of the rest of the fighter kit. I never really liked how people seemed to dump Int, and think it shouldn't really be a dumpable stat for them.

If I am not dumping Intelligence I struggle with why you would play a Fighter instead of a Wizard or Artificer, esp since the best parts of a fighter are available on a 2-level dip.

 

[ECMO3]

It shouldn't, so I wish there was something in the subclass to reward Int. Int skills really aren't it, so you're just looking at spell DCs, and you don't have the spell levels / slots to make that alone worth it.

As things are, are you going to boost Int over Str/Dex? Or boost Int over getting +1 stat combat feats? It's always going to lag behind, and even Int 14-16 will make cantrips feel bad to use over your main attacks.

Totally agree with this. With 2014 EK, I was maxing my Charisma and leaving strength alone, so the Cantrips were the better part of the attack. I was usually picking up Hex, either through Warlock or Through Fey Touched to boos damage.

The thing that really kills me is the new Truestrike seems like it is built purposely for this kind of play, but buffing intelligence in what is essentially a single class fighter is pretty dubious.

 

[DEFCON 1]

If I am not dumping Intelligence I struggle with why you would play a Fighter instead of a Wizard or Artificer, esp since the best parts of a fighter are available on a 2-level dip.

One plays a Fighter because they like the class fantasy of being a Fighter within the story being told. And the class fantasy of a multiclass character for some people is much different than a single-class character.

If you see your character rather as a bunch of mechanics that overall combined tell the story of your PC (and the labels given to the various individual pieces of classes / mechanics etc. do not mean anything on their own, but only as part of the whole)... then choose whatever mechanics you want. You don't need a great "Eldritch Knight" kit if your PC can be created with any and all other "magical warrior" pieces.

 

[ECMO3]

It's basically cheesing Eldritch blast and getting a free attack.

It is not really cheesing and that is one way to play it, but not the only way. On the old EK your attack comes as a bonus action, so I don't really see this as a cheese.

It did boost the ranged capability though on what was mostly a melee build, either through EB or another Cantrip like Chill Touch.

Being able to use Bladeward while making an attack was pretty awesome too.

 

[ECMO3]

You are basically saying you don't want to play it as intended, so maybe you should try. Start using like True Strike instead of Eldrich Blast.

No I am saying it used to be awesome (intended or not) and now it sucks.

True Strike is the ideal Cantrip to use and what I would be using in this build, but with a low (probably 7-10) Intelligence this Cantrip is going to suck. I basically have to max Intelligence, which means accepting a mediocre Charisma and dumping Constitution or Dexterity to make this work.

The thematics of a high-intelligence fighter just don't interest me.

 

[ECMO3]

I question why the build claims splashing a bard, sorcerer, or warlock and the complaint is specific to Eldritch Blast. I would think that if the build dumps CHA and then maxes INT instead of dumping INT and maxing CHA then splashing 1-4 levels of wizard would still supply that bit extra spell power similar to the bard or sorcerer mentioned.

My complaint is specific to Truestrike, not Eldritch Blast. Truestrike is the Cantrip I really want to use with this.

I don't want to play a high intelligence Fighter, nor a Fighter-Wizard. Neither of those interest me.

I like playing Wizards, but a Wizard is no Sorcerer for this kind of multiclass. This is especially true because a low-intelligence EK gives you most of the utility spells you want (Shield, Absorb Elements, Find Familiar, Feather Fall etc)

The fighter still has better armor than the valor bard, more attacks than the valor bard, weapon mastery and a fighting style over the valor bard, more hit points than the valor bard, more feats than the valor bard, Second Wind, Action Surge, Tactical Mind, etc.

And most (all) of that is available on a 2-level dip with Valor Bard as my main class.