Best Warrior/Mage Combos

[Azhrarn]

I was just wondering what builds people have been developing for fighter/wizard types out there. With Eldritch Knight, Bladesinger, Spellsword, Knight Phantom and the like I was curious to see what people have gotten out of them. My PC just died, and we currently have an arcane / tank deficit, which is a tad hard to fill with just one person, and I am toying around with the concept of power attack and quickened true strike while enlarged and weilding a two-hander. However, I'm sure you guys have come up with something even worse, so I figured I'd ask for a little help.

 

[Tarangil]

Mixing Fighter/Warmage would be neat, you get to keep your armor light or medium, you have d6 Hp instead of d4...and by the time anything gets close to you it's already been softened up by your spells.

I don't know if you even need a PRC with that selection, the base character could be pretty cool.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Fighter 1/Caster X/Spellsword 1/Eldritch Knight Y - seems to be popular. Can wear mithril light armours and gets strong spellcasting.

Paladin 2/Sorceror 6/Spellsword 1/EK X - is also nasty. sacrifices an extra caster level over the above, but can wear armour and your casting stat adds to saves. On the downside, you have to be a goody two shoes.

Both are a bit 'crunchy' IMO, but quite workable! Although you will have quite low HP in either case... bit of a glass cannon?

Personally, I think Dual wielding + Arcane Strike + Sorceror levels is a good way to go - get lots of spell slots to pump into damage and it would be rather gruesome.


I was considering trying a Fighter/Mage type with the focus more on the fighter than mage. Possibly go all the way as a spellsword. Not sure how well it'd work, but I think the idea is cool.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I really like the flavour of the Phantom Knight, even though I've not seen one played in practice yet. Very nice ideas there, but not so good for primarily dungeon crawling.

My first 3e character was a Paladin/Sorcerer. 2 levels of paladin, then 4 levels of sorcerer then I jacked it in. Doing it as a built-at-high-level character may be fine, but getting up there the long way is Sooooooo boring (first 2nd level spell gained at 6th character level? yuck!)

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

My first 3e character was a Paladin/Sorcerer. 2 levels of paladin, then 4 levels of sorcerer then I jacked it in. Doing it as a built-at-high-level character may be fine, but getting up there the long way is Sooooooo boring (first 2nd level spell gained at 6th character level? yuck!)

That's a very good point. They really suck at lower levels. In fact, IMO it's not going to be very much fun until the teen levels! Oops.

 

[SBMC]

I was just wondering what builds people have been developing for fighter/wizard types out there. With Eldritch Knight, Bladesinger, Spellsword, Knight Phantom and the like I was curious to see what people have gotten out of them. My PC just died, and we currently have an arcane / tank deficit, which is a tad hard to fill with just one person, and I am toying around with the concept of power attack and quickened true strike while enlarged and weilding a two-hander. However, I'm sure you guys have come up with something even worse, so I figured I'd ask for a little help.

To be honest with you – game mechanic wise, the Eldritch Knight using the Fighter Sorcerer mix is about as good as you are going to get IMO. You loose a caster level (you don’t get the progression at 1st level) but get the BAB of the fighter (saves are a trade off; will versus Fort). With the core class in there you have the huge spell list to choose from; and as a sorcerer you get to cast more often – being this type of character; dishing out more fireballs is always a bonus. But also remember – with all of these classes where you get to increase another classes spell levels as you progress – loosing a caster level hurts you everyone as a caster; DC’s, increasing dice of damage, etc.

If you going to be a “Fighter/Mage” then your intent would be to be an arcane caster that can swing a sword equally or nearly as well. For that you need a fighter’s BAB progression not to mention you would be an aggressive type…

However in my opinion this is still the worst possible mix anyone could ask for; Arcane and Fighter. One of the most important aspects of a fighter; or any martial type; is the ability to wear armor. If you are going to be in combat up front and personal then you either need AC (i.e. fighter) or dish out damage by the boat load FAST (i.e. Barbarian), before the bad guys take down your HP's. In addition those levels you take in the arcane class are at the lowest BAB out there; dragging down your overall BAB and making it harder to hit the bad guys. HP’s are the same way; and we all know the importance of HP’s! Ya can’t stand toe to toe without good armor and shields and/or HP’s for long and survive (preferably you have both!).

I have heard it said “well with the casting beforehand they will be all softened up”. Well perhaps; but how many rounds in any encounter you have been in does it take for the face to face round to occur? Combat Casting helps here – but while your using that standard action you are not swinging the sword…so why have the sword to begin with? I mean there was a reason for the multi classing right?
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Arcane spells abound but one huge thing that they can do, for combat that is, is high damage area effect spells. Sure there are rays, touch attacks etc but everyone else has those to. The big time 10d6 fireball is touch to beat within that 20 foot radius. But one must be a 10th level arcane caster to get 10d6
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The best multi-class “Fighter/Caster” mixes I have seen is Fighter/Cleric. One of the primary reason being that the cleric can wear heavier armor, use shields, has OK hit dice, and…can cast nasty, nasty touch spells and; if ya are neutral or evil can cast inflict spontaneously! The Cleric is a much more up close personal caster; and has the spells for it. So whilst he can't toss out the area effects at lower levels an arcane caster can; as a combatant he has equal potential standing toe to toe using spells or a sword (or casting the heck of a lot on that sword!)

This goes without mentioning the fact that this PC has so many beefing up spells to choose from for himself and his buddies…oh where does one begin.

However – he will never beat a fighter as a fighter, and never beat a cleric as a cleric –he will be weaker at both diciplines (lower BAB, HP’s, fewer feats/ Lower caster level, lower DC’s, fewer Hit dice of damage) even though his CL indicates otherwise; and the EL’s faced match the CL.

 

[Luce]

Warrior/Cleric combo

It is a bit off topic. But in my group there is a figter/Monk1/flame steward(X).
Your Hp is almoust the same as "pure" fighter. FSw has BAB as figter, and +1STr every other level is "god-send"(as he likes to jock about it)

Back to topic. Instead of tank i think range specialist is the way to go (since magic users are usually not very sturdy) Magic blade(or sorcerer)/arcane archer will be my choice.

I might be biast, though. The DM interprets the Imbue arrow(2l Arcane archer ability) to allow
the charecter to enspell an arrow and shoot in in an arc, thus allowing to affect targets which are out of line of effect or even out of sight(though then you are shooting blind).
The argument is that you have a line of effect when you use the ability(enspell the arrow).

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

The Practiced Caster feat can help offset 4 levels in another class.

But, honestly, I think the last poster is right. Arcane/Melee really gets the shaft. I've had alot of good luck with Melee/Cleric in the past and right now.

--fje

 

[RigaMortus2]

As far as a PrC, I kind of like the Havoc Mage (MiniHB). The idea of making a melee attack AND casting a spell in the same round (as a full-round action) just seems cool to me. True Strike + Power Attack every round Or until you run out of True Strikes or opponents...

 

[Ghoti]

There is always the Battle Sorcerer variant from Unearthed Arcana. Multi-class that with a Barbarian and you get light armor, rage, and assorted spells to build up your fighting abilities.