D&D 5E (2024) Not a fan of the new Eldritch Knight

Oops may have been cleave
You hit one creature and if another creature stands within 5 feet of the first, you can roll to hit that one as well with the same attack if it's within your reach and for the damage, you don't add the ability modifier, but other modifiers like rage bonus and other damage riders still apply. For people, who are more visual, you can just show that on a battlemap. Like this:

1 - yes, with both Greataxe and Halberd
2 - yes with Halberd, no with Greataxe
3 - no with either
 

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You hit one creature and if another creature stands within 5 feet of the first, you can roll to hit that one as well with the same attack if it's within your reach and for the damage, you don't add the ability modifier, but other modifiers like rage bonus and other damage riders still apply. For people, who are more visual, you can just show that on a battlemap. Like this:

1 - yes, with both Greataxe and Halberd
2 - yes with Halberd, no with Greataxe
3 - no with either

It's the prof modifiers to danage. Its a pita to keep track seeing a player struggle (theyre 14 1 session played with feat).
 

It's the prof modifiers to danage. Its a pita to keep track seeing a player struggle (theyre 14 1 session played with feat).
You confused me now. Are we talking about Cleave or Great Weapon Master or both?

If it's Cleave, then your proficiency modifier doesn't matter because you don't add them to your damage roll anyway. You only add your ability modifier to damage rolls, except when it's the Cleave attack against the second creature because the Weapon Mastery property says so.

If it's Great Weapon Master, then yes, you add your proficiency modifier to the damage roll of attacks made with the attack action, but not bonus action attacks, opportunity attacks, or attacks made as part of the Magic Action, like when casting True Strike or Booming Blade and you're not an Eldritch Knight who replaces one attack with casting a Wizard cantrip as part of the Attack Action with War Magic.

Or do you mean a combination of both? Cleave when you have Great Weapon Master?

If so, this is indeed a bit more complicated, but I'd say no. Great Weapon Master says that the attack has to be made as part of the Attack Action and the Cleave Mastery Property does not say that the attack against the second is made as part of the same action like the Nick property says. Such wording is missing here. Also, the Cleave Mastery Property says that the target takes the weapon's damage, meaning just that and nothing else. Unlike spells like Conjure Minor Elementals, which say something like "any attack you make", so the damage could be added to the Cleave attack against the second creature, there is nothing regarding Great Weapon Master that could override the wording "takes the weapon's damage" like the wording of Conjure Minor Elementals does.

However, personally, I consider this an oversight as it is only missing a wording such as "as part of the same action, bonus action, or reaction" to make this applicable and I would homebrew this, so that the extra damage from Great Weapon Master applies to the Cleave attack against the second creature if the attack against the first creature was made as part of the attack action. And if it's your table and I were you, I'd make that ruling in favor of the player in that case. But I always rule in favor of the player in such cases, so you could call me biased. Quite honestly, if one of my players didn't go ahead now and create an Eldritch Knight and then Cleaved with True Strike as part of the Attack Action through War Magic and with Great Weapon Master, I'd be disappointed, but if they did, they'd get all the damage minus the ability modifier because that's cool and clever. And Rule of Cool is my jam.
 
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You confused me now. Are we talking about Cleave or Great Weapon Master or both?

If it's Cleave, then your proficiency modifier doesn't matter because you don't add them to your damage roll anyway. You only add your ability modifier to damage rolls, except when it's the Cleave attack against the second creature because the Weapon Mastery property says so.

If it's Great Weapon Master, then yes, you add your proficiency modifier to the damage roll of attacks made with the attack action, but not bonus action attacks, opportunity attacks, or attacks made as part of the Magic Action, like when casting True Strike or Booming Blade and you're not an Eldritch Knight who replaces one attack with casting a Wizard cantrip as part of the Attack Action with War Magic.

Or do you mean a combination of both? Cleave when you have Great Weapon Master?

If so, this is indeed a bit more complicated, but I'd say no. Great Weapon Master says that the attack has to be made as part of the Attack Action and the Cleave Mastery Property does not say that the attack against the second is made as part of the same action like the Nick property says. Such wording is missing here. Also, the Cleave Mastery Property says that the target takes the weapon's damage, meaning just that and nothing else. Unlike spells like Conjure Minor Elementals, which say something like "any attack you make", so the damage could be added to the Cleave attack against the second creature, there is nothing regarding Great Weapon Master that could override the wording "takes the weapon's damage" like the wording of Conjure Minor Elementals does.

However, personally, I consider this an oversight as it is only missing a wording such as "as part of the same action, bonus action, or reaction" to make this applicable and I would homebrew this, so that the extra damage from Great Weapon Master applies to the Cleave attack against the second creature if the attack against the first creature was made as part of the attack action. And if it's your table and I were you, I'd make that ruling in favor of the player in that case. But I always rule in favor of the player in such cases, so you could call me biased. Quite honestly, if one of my players didn't go ahead now and create an Eldritch Knight and then Cleaved with True Strike as part of the Attack Action through War Magic and with Great Weapon Master, I'd be disappointed, but if they did, they'd get all the damage minus the ability modifier because that's cool and clever. And Rule of Cool is my jam.

Think ill go with action tgat triggers it. So yes unless its a bonus action or reaction.

Simplicity is yes to everything.

I dont have tge books in front of me so can't remember exact wording.

One negative of 5.5.
 

Can't agree with that. First of all, you're a sitting duck and most likely get slaughtered.

No you aren't. If he is incapacitated he can't take actions

Second of all, with those actions, you could cast a control spell like Wall of Force, drop a Greater Demon behind the enemies, control a group of enemies with Hypnotic Pattern, debuff an entire group with Synaptic Static, just kill that guy, or do a lot of other things that have a much bigger impact.

You can't cast any of those things without using a spell slot and all of them are concentration.

As a matter of fact I can do one of these AND do Hypnotic Gaze the next round in addition in the same fight, for exactly the same spell slot resource cost! And do it again and again and again and again in the same day.


But tell me, you and your buddies are level 12 and you're fighting a Death Knight CR 17 in a deadly encounter. How are you going use the Enchantment Wizard's features to help your party get out ahead?

Been there, done that. Assuming he has already used his hellfire orb in round 1, then Otto's Iresistable dance - automatically imobilizes him for a turn.

After that you have a ton of effective spells to bring to bear at 12th level.


Or you're playing Eve of Ruin and are 17th level and all that stands between you and the next part of the Rod of Seven Pieces is the CR 23 Tiefling Bard Windfall. How are these features going to help you win the fight?

I played Vecna Eve of Ruin. We did not have a Wizard at all. I played a Kobold at that point she was a Swashbucker7/Whispers Bard 5/ /Hexblade Warlock 5 who was a Wrymspeaker in the Cult of the Dragon. We got into the Dragon's pride because I demanded an audience with Tiamat. When we got in Windfall turned on us and attacked us. We defeated her pretty darn easily.

Here is the PC at 20th level:


Because those are the fights where it matters.

Now what is Chronorgy going to bring to these two fights that and Enchantment Wizard can't already do or in some cases do better?

If you are "fighting" a death Knight you don't have time to start burning all your 5th and 6th slots for your telekenisis trick which has almost no chance of working and we didn;'t even know we were going to fight at all in the Casino, so you certainly woudl not heve burned spell slots ahead of time there.

It's generally considered the most powerful feature in the game by the likes of D4, Treantmonk, Dungeon Dudes, Pack Tactics, and others. But you don't have to agree with that.

I haven't heard them say that, and if they did they are wrong.

You can give it to your familiar and let them cast it.

And most of the time that is going to be a wasted spell slot. Familiars dies all the time, often in the first round of combat, if you have them walking around the dungeon with you often out of combat too. This can work and it can be powerful at times, but you don't have a great chance of pulling it off, especially since you need to burn the slot ahead of time.

It effectively lets you have an additional 4th level spell active at the same time without being limited to a particular school of magic.

Ok so the two examples you gave - Telekenises and Summon Dragon don't actually work with that spell.


I know, I said 5th level spell previously and I apologize for the error. I confused myself by not having my glasses on. So, Summon Dragon is out, but it still allows a Battlemaster Fighter to have Summon Minor Elementals active, if they're interested in that.

Casting it would cost the Fighter damage in most battles, you are talking 2d8 a hit, losing an action to do it, you need to keep concentration for the payoff AND you have to predict that it will be useful ahead of time.


I can't tell why. Since using Arcane Abeyance takes the casting time of the spell, hence in most cases an action, you can do it right before combat.

And then if you don't fight within an hour or more accurately if you don't have a fight where you want to cast that specific spell within an hour it is a wasted spell.

That is the hitch here - you need to know exactly which spell will be useful for another character and you need to know it ahead of time.

If you used your Wizard spells wisely and scouted ahead with Arcane Eye, Scrying, and other divination spells, you know what's coming, unless your party doesn't do that sort of thing.

No you don't. The enemy are not statues even when you do "do that sort of thing" and many times you don't even know they are enemies.

And 7 Attacks means Polearm Master with Action Surge

No it means just action surge and Nick, which is a basic normal fighter with no feats. If we are min/maxing and adding feats and masteries it could be 8 with action surge

because basic Great Weapon Fighting would be 6 with Action Surge, unless there's a crit, and Dual Wielding with Nick would be 8 with Action Surge..

It is 7 either with Cleave or with Nick and no feats. With feats it is up to 9.

The light weapon property allows you to make "one extra attack as a Bonus Action later on the same turn" and with nick "When you make the extra attack of the Light property, you can make it as part of the Attack action"

Nick does not allow you to make two attacks with the light property on the same turn.

Sorry, but already the math just doesn't add up in your favor. I could do a detailed list of which choice would lead to higher damage against enemies of various ACs with calculated hit chances and respective averages, but we're both experienced enough to ballpark that already without, right?

Go ahead and crunch the numbers and show me!

The math is in my favor and don't forget to account for things like losing concentration and then after all this we will need to apply a correction factor for the possibility the fight does not actually happen in an hour.

Go ahead though, do that math!


Why? There is no range requirement to maintain a summon. The familiar can cast the spell and then fly away, hide behind total cover, or otherwise make itself untouchable.

If he gets a tuirn at all he MIGHT be able to fly away.

You mention a death knight above he is going to come in with a 22 initiative and start off with a fireball equivalent that will likely kill your familiar before you or the familiar get a turn. I don't know Windfall's abilities but I bet they are even worse.

and if I am really being trickey, then they go and pick up your spell off the ground and cast it themselves, maybe as a Legendary action!

so if your DM is strict and requires the familiar to issue the commands, this doesn't work for summoning spells.

If something requires a "verbal" command a familiar can not do it RAW as they can not talk (unless you are a Warlock).

I don't do easy combat. No encounter is ever under deadly. As my players say, "If we can't lose, there's no point in having the encounter. You might as well narrate it and get it over with." They're a waste of time to us.

If your familiars survive combat or even reliably survive flying around the Dungeon it is easy.


Of course not, but that's also not the actual situation. You'd use these kinds of spell slots in deadly encounters because otherwise, you're not going to make it out alive.

But you would have to know they were going to happen within an hour and if you don't it is a waste. That is HUGE limit to their general effectiveness.

I am not saying you never know when there will be a difficult encounter, but there are many times you don't. I would say in most campaigns most times you can't anticipate a deadly encounter within an hour most of the time and then even when you can you must know what spell is going to be useful.

For example, probably the most powerful 3rd level spell in the game is Fear and it is a great spell for a front liner, like a Fighter, to have on hand. So if you just know a difficult encounter is coming you might give the fighter Fear because it is awesome. but if it turns out you are fighting 1 guy instead of 8 then it is not that awesome, and if it turns out you are fighting a death knight it is useless, and if you go the other way and say ok I will give him Summon Fey, because while that is not as powerful, it is always useful .... but then now you have used a 3rd level slot on Summon Fey and instead you could have used that slot on Fear if it turns out you do end up fighting those 8 toughs in the next fight!

But only one at a time since it requires the Magic Action to use it. And it works only against targets that aren't immune to the poisoned condition which is very common. Against all others, yeah, it's good.

Telekenisis is only one at a time, is less effective generally, and in your example you were using 4 spells slots to land it!

Moreover here is the problem with this - If I cast Selune's viper I am reasonably confident the enemy I am facing when I cast it is going to be effected by poison. I could be wrong, but probably not. You are precasting something where do not usually have that information about the enemy.

That Bonus Action Hide helps little when the enemy has Blindsight, True Sight, and/or a high Passive Perception.

That is why I said "probably".

I mean, a Rogue with Reliable Talent and Expertise could probably get away with it, but otherwise, you're probably seen.

I do not think you will be probably seen with a high Dexterity and proficiency. You will at times no doubt and on those times you will attack normal without advantage, which is generally going to land more than a save will.

At level 10, with a party of 4, your major combat will most likely be against a CR 15 creature, so a Vampire Umbral Lord with Legendary Resistance, Legendary Actions, an Initiative of +14, spells like Command and Hunger of Hadar, and a Bonus Action Sanguine Drain, an Adult Green Dragon with a 60 feet cone weapon and 60 feet Blindsight and a Passive Perception of 22, meaning they see you unless you're behind full cover, a Mummy Lord with 60 feet True Sight, Legendary Actions and Resistances, and Dreadful Glare, or a Purple Worm who burrows under after their turn and probably grapples and swallows the weakest party member - the Wizard - on their first turn. Two of them are immune to the poisoned condition, two are immune to the charmed condition, and one is immune to the paralyzed condition.

Sure it was one example. The example you gave - 4 people casting telekenisis, even if you could do it has virtually no chance of success against any of them (actually no chance at all against the Dragon and the Worm).

Now what 4 spells did you hand out to your allies that would be effective against defeating all of them and more effective than using the best spell you could and party members taking their own actions?

Oh and while I am at it; if I am an enchantment Wizard that Worm needs to pass a DC 16 Wisdom save to bite and grapple me, while that Chrono Wizard is in the Worm's Belly!



Against those, you could have had two Elementals, Constructs, or Aberrations that can exploit the Mummy Lord's Vulnerability to Fire in case of the Fire Elemental, could break concentration on Hunger of Hadar, try to grapple the Purple Worm when it comes up (any creature can grapple under the 5.24e rules), or chase the dragon with their fly speed in case of Beholderkin and Air Elemental. And because of careful scouting with your Divination spells, you'd know what to expect.


No. First off you don't have the spell slots. You are 10th level Remember and you are handing out spells to other players like they are Candy AND casting high level divinations.

What is going to happen is you are going to have 2 Fire elementals and a fireball for allies to summon/cast because you did divine a Mummy up ahead and then you are going to run into that Worm, because how would you have divined that and he is going to gobble you up and you have no good spells for it. You use your 5th level slot to Dimension Door and escape its Belly (since you burned your 4th level slots). A little ways down if I am really being mean the Vampire Lord is going to command your Fighter to drop his spell bead and then he will summon the elemental to use against you.

You really need a short rest, but you can't because your spell beads only last 1 hour.

So now you are going into the third fight being beat up pretty bad with only Fire Elemental and weak spells.

Meanwhile if you didn't do this you would have more spells, you could short rest, go into the final fight against the Mummy and open up with a Fireball!

I think the latter works out better 9 times out of 10.

an Chronurgy Wizard, a Devotion Paladin, a Light Cleric, and an Elemental Monk make BarBQ out of any of them in less than 4 rounds otherwise.

Oh easily, but wasting all your spell slots to creat the Abeyance beads just makes it more difficult.

I've had deadly encounters like this where we shut down the enemy so well, we didn't even lose a single HP.

Yep that is pretty much what happened when my party faced Windfall but we had none of those subclasses.

But if you are into this Goblin-Hide-thing,

I use hide, it is not all the time. If I am making an attack though and I have an opportunity I do, and I do get proficiency with stealth. The bonus action disengage is what you want an Enchantment Wizard.


I suggest a Goblin Conjurer, Necromancer, or Illusionist. Grab the Telepathic feat, so you can issue your verbal commands silently,

There is no way to issue "verbal commands" silently. The Telepathic feat lets you communicate silently.

In any case I would not play a Goblin on any of those subclasses, I would play an Eladrin.


Another neat approach is any Warlock with Gaze of Two Minds and Pact of the Chain. Grab an Imp, let him go invisible,

I've played tons of Warlocks, more than any other class in 5.5E and this is a good trick,, but it is expensive. It is beat by a country mile by a Pseudodragon which can sting at will and cause unconsciousness and you don't need to use any action at all because it is not an attack.
 

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