D&D 5E Bellator Arcana - The Eldritch Knight Guide

[LightningArrow]

Thanks.

Good guide, I like it. I suspected that the EK could pull his own if well designed. That being said, a question:

If I play a very "vanilla" 5e (no feats, no multiclassing, core books only) is the EK still viable?

For a shielded EK, the main things you'd be missing are Absorb Elements (from Elemental Evil, to avoid area), War Caster and Resilient (Wisdom). It's doable, but losing a lot of potential.

Still, I don't know why any DM would ban feats, or even multiclassing for that matter.

 

[Prism]

I don't rate War Caster for an eldritch knight.

Firstly, fighters get a pretty decent con saving throw anyway so the advantage on concentration checks is not really needed. Secondly it doesn't remove the requirement for material components and so you still need to sheath your weapon if you are using a shield. This probably effects about 50% of the spells, especially the evocations. A two weapon fighting sword and staff combo might work if you rule that a staff (component) is the same as a quarterstaff (weapon). The spell on opportunity attacks is nice but I find it doesn't come up that often.

Except for the fact that you can't make decent opportunity attacks sheathing your weapon to cast a spell isn't to bad. However I still think two handed weapons are the way to go since these allow easy combat and casting

 

[pukunui]

Just one initial comment: dragonborn don't have darkvision.

 

[feartheminotaur]

I'd second the two-handed weapon suggestion (unless your house rules allow casting with your shield hand) and recommend making the ubiquitous Great Weapon Master as higher than black. On a fighter with multiple attacks it's great; on an EK who can get advantage via magic or auto-crit via Hold Person, it's awesome.

Nice guide.

 

[famousringo]

This guide really undersells War Magic with the new melee cantrips.

At 7-10, you're basically getting both of your normal attacks, plus add the effects of the cantrip (at least 1d8 damage, plus boom or cleave damage).

At 11-15, you trade one attack (avg ~13 damage for great weapon style) to get 2d8 (average 9 damage plus cleave or boom effect). A worthy trade in almost all situations, IMO.

16-19 trade one attack for 3d8 (13.5 avg) + bonus effects. Simply a no-brainer.

Only at level 20 does four attacks definitively pull ahead of War Magic, but only really for a single target whose movement you don't want to control.

War Magic also has crazy synergy with Sorcerer and Warlock multiclass, which is very viable because EKs can easily dump Int and grab buff spells to focus on Cha as an attack stat.

A level 11 dex fighter gets 3 bow attacks for 1d8 + Dex, while an EK/warlock multiclass gets 3 attacks for 1d10 + Cha plus 1 bow attack for 1d8 + Dex, each with 1d6 bonus damage if Hex is up. It's probably the most dangerous ranged attacker short of Swift Quiver plus Sharpshooter, and it doesn't cost any feats or high level spell slots.

An EK/Sorcerer multiclass can twin Booming Blade + War Magic to get just as many attacks as a straight fighter, but with a bonus 4d8 damage plus boom effects. Requires two adjacent foes, but it does great damage and controls two foes!

I'd also quibble with some of your spell recommendations too, but I think I've done enough damage for one post.

 

[Giant2005]

If I play a very "vanilla" 5e (no feats, no multiclassing, core books only) is the EK still viable?

That is when the EK is the most viable. You can get all of the EK's defensive tools by multiclassing or taking feats, but being an EK is the only way to have them all in a vanilla game.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

It's worth bringing up that you can simply drop your weapon, cast you spell, and then pick your weapon back up again as your free item interaction. The only time you'd need to worry about it is if you are in a bad situation to be dropping your weapon (like hanging on a ledge, etc). But for an eldritch knight...you can summon it back again.

So there is almost no downside for using a shield, and you don't need the War Caster feat.

(...says the guy who plays a Strength-based half-elf eldritch knight with high Charisma in medium armor using a longsword and no shield for the cool factor.)

 

[LightningArrow]

This guide really undersells War Magic with the new melee cantrips.

At 7-10, you're basically getting both of your normal attacks, plus add the effects of the cantrip (at least 1d8 damage, plus boom or cleave damage).

At 11-15, you trade one attack (avg ~13 damage for great weapon style) to get 2d8 (average 9 damage plus cleave or boom effect). A worthy trade in almost all situations, IMO.

16-19 trade one attack for 3d8 (13.5 avg) + bonus effects. Simply a no-brainer.

Only at level 20 does four attacks definitively pull ahead of War Magic, but only really for a single target whose movement you don't want to control.

War Magic also has crazy synergy with Sorcerer and Warlock multiclass, which is very viable because EKs can easily dump Int and grab buff spells to focus on Cha as an attack stat.

A level 11 dex fighter gets 3 bow attacks for 1d8 + Dex, while an EK/warlock multiclass gets 3 attacks for 1d10 + Cha plus 1 bow attack for 1d8 + Dex, each with 1d6 bonus damage if Hex is up. It's probably the most dangerous ranged attacker short of Swift Quiver plus Sharpshooter, and it doesn't cost any feats or high level spell slots.

An EK/Sorcerer multiclass can twin Booming Blade + War Magic to get just as many attacks as a straight fighter, but with a bonus 4d8 damage plus boom effects. Requires two adjacent foes, but it does great damage and controls two foes!

I'd also quibble with some of your spell recommendations too, but I think I've done enough damage for one post.

The attack cantrips become gold when their specific situations arise (defending/hitting two foes), otherwise they're blue. At 7-10, using them is very good. At 11-16, trading 2d8 for 1d8 or higher + STR/DEX is kind of an even trade, but an extra attack means another chance to hit, too (another foe or the same). From level 17 to 19 it really is better to use them. All of this assuming the EK is taking his two cantrips on melee cantrips (which would reduce melee-ranged versatility) and also using up their bonus action every turn.

There's plenty of debate whether Agonizing Blast would work on multiple beams. Since the Evoker can't apply his INT to every magic missile dart they fire, I would definitely rule that out.

Good call on the Twinning.

 

[LightningArrow]

It's worth bringing up that you can simply drop your weapon, cast you spell, and then pick your weapon back up again as your free item interaction. The only time you'd need to worry about it is if you are in a bad situation to be dropping your weapon (like hanging on a ledge, etc). But for an eldritch knight...you can summon it back again.

So there is almost no downside for using a shield, and you don't need the War Caster feat.

(...says the guy who plays a Strength-based half-elf eldritch knight with high Charisma in medium armor using a longsword and no shield for the cool factor.)

You're right, but the feat helps with material components: since you can use the same hand for them as the one for somatic components and the feat removes the necessity for a hand, I'm assuming you can hold the component pouch with your shield.

Also, cool >>>>>>>> optimized.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

The guide seems solid to me. My biggest problem is the name--my Latin training makes me twitch at the conflicting declensions.

("Bellator" is nominative masculine singular, "arcana" is either nominative feminine singular, or nominative neuter plural. The "proper" title would be Bellator Arcanus, or possibly Bellatores Arcani.)