D&D 3E/3.5 Converting a duskblade from 3.5 to 4e?

[RangerWickett]

What's the best way to capture someone who fights with a sword, channels magic through it, and occasionally goes flying around for brief jaunts? I'm trying to show some 4e-reticent friends how their PCs from Red Hand of Doom would look in the new rules, and while the fire genasi wizard and human knight were really easy to convert (and even my own horse archer ranger wasn't too hard), the elf duskblade is a tough nut to crack.

Swordmage might work, but she operated more as a striker than a defender, and we already have a knight. Sorcerer only does blade channeling through daggers (how I wish it let you do it through any light blade). Multiclassing frankly sucks in 4e. Any suggestions?

 

[Nyronus]

What's the best way to capture someone who fights with a sword, channels magic through it, and occasionally goes flying around for brief jaunts? I'm trying to show some 4e-reticent friends how their PCs from Red Hand of Doom would look in the new rules, and while the fire genasi wizard and human knight were really easy to convert (and even my own horse archer ranger wasn't too hard), the elf duskblade is a tough nut to crack.

Swordmage might work, but she operated more as a striker than a defender, and we already have a knight. Sorcerer only does blade channeling through daggers (how I wish it let you do it through any light blade). Multiclassing frankly sucks in 4e. Any suggestions?

Melee Focused Warlock min-maxed for blasting and Eldritch Striking. Or, perhaps a Warlock/Swordmage hybrid.

 

[BobTheNob]

Sounds sorta close to a Hexblade (bar the "Jaunts")

 

[RangerWickett]

Since I'm starting the group at 11th level, I'm pondering making her a monk/soaring blade, so she can make monk attacks with her elven courtblade, which I think would just be a longsword.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I really liked the Duskblade class in 3.5.

I will second the Hexblade suggestion. You can ditch the pact fluff completely and just say that the character is an Arcane Duelist type (this actually came up in another thread recently).

The Fey pact has quite a few nice teleporting powers, and they can take the Warlock level 10 at-wil teleport utility (boosted by feats and items it can go much further than 1-square).

The only real issue is the Hexblade's ally - if you're not using the CB, you could sacrifice that for powers that allow her to "[go] flying around for brief jaunts?"

Barring that, and despite the fact that multiclassing sucks, MC into Sorcerer or Wizard for some jaunty flying powers would be neat.

Or you could fill the gaps by writing a custom Theme for the character (again if not using the builder and being 100% legal).

 

[Destil]

Int/Cha hexblade could pick up the Sorcerer utility at-will that lets you fly Dex mod squares with multiclass feats. That should do it.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

with a ranger, a knight and a wizard (striker, defender, vontroler) maybe bard would be a good way to go...


====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 11
Half-Elf, Bard, Paragon Multiclassing
Build: Valorous Bard
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Valor
Half elf Power Selection: Dilettante

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 20, Dex 11, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 21.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 9, Con 15, Dex 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16.


AC: 26 Fort: 22 Reflex: 21 Will: 23
HP: 82 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 20

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +12, Streetwise +15, Athletics +9, History +12, Perception +10

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +5, Bluff +11, Diplomacy +13, Dungeoneering +6, Endurance +10, Heal +6, Insight +8, Intimidate +11, Nature +6, Religion +8, Stealth +5, Thievery +5

FEATS
Bard: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Heart of the Blade
Level 2: Student of Malediction
Level 4: Combat Virtuoso
Level 6: Novice Power
Level 8: Acolyte Power
Level 10: Adept Power
Level 11: Versatile Master

POWERS
Bard at-will 1: War Song Strike (retrained to Concussive Spike at Paragon Multiclassing)
Bard at-will 1: Guiding Strike
Dilettante: Vengeful Strike
Paragon Multiclassing: Fire Burst
Bard encounter 1: Inspiring Refrain
Bard daily 1: Slayer's Song (retrained to Armor of Agathys at Adept Power)
Bard utility 2: Song of Defense (retrained to Wrathful Aspect at Acolyte Power)
Bard encounter 3: Charger's Call
Bard daily 5: Word of Mystic Warding
Bard utility 6: Warp in the Weave
Bard encounter 7: Scorpion's Claw Strike
Bard daily 9: Thunder Blade
Bard utility 10: Tactician's Measure

ITEMS
Ritual Book, Jagged Longsword +3, Summoned Finemail +3, Light Shield, Cape of the Mountebank +2
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Re: Warlord & Hexblade Pact Fluff

If you don't like it as is, change it to "Schools", like in martial arts. Each "School" has trained in a different way to do battle based on ancient teachings...

Re: class

I think the Fey Hexblade or Hybrid Warlock/Swordmage is the way to go in terms of flavor.

However, if you're going to go hybrid, you'll get better mechanical synergy as a Swordmage/Wizard. (And weren't duskblades Int based in 3.5Ed?)

Another combo that could work would be a Rogue/Sorcerer or Rogue/Warlock.

 

[jbear]

You could build a Warlock/Paladin Hybrid. Aslong as you get 13 in DEX you can Multiclass into Assassin and so pick up Shadow Walk. Duskblade ... sounds pretty shadowy. Also Assassin lets you use "any weapon you are proficient with" as your Implement ... which is exactly what you want to achieve. Plus some extra Striker Damage with Shroud is fantastic. Refluff at your lesiure if Assassin doesn't quite fit the concept.

Eldritch Strike gives you a Melee Basic Attack based on Charisma that slides enemies. You can just take mainly Warlock Powers (1/3 encounter, daily power as Paladin but they have some decent Cha-based powers anyway.) So mainly a striker who can defend quite well at a distance (as your Warlock Attacks will keep up Divine Challenge. And you can have her wearing plate and use a shield while she does all this! But that means not gaining the boon of your Pact ... But at level 11 you can take a feat that allows you access to a new Pact, Boon and All!!!! So just take a Pact initially you like/want for the riders of the Warlock powers you choose, and then as your level 11 feat take the Second Pact Boon feat and get Fey Pact which will allow her to teleport around the place like nobody's business!

Another option is perhaps an Avenger. They use big swords and can get around the place pretty well. They are divine, not arcane though.

 

[Ryujin]

What's the best way to capture someone who fights with a sword, channels magic through it, and occasionally goes flying around for brief jaunts? I'm trying to show some 4e-reticent friends how their PCs from Red Hand of Doom would look in the new rules, and while the fire genasi wizard and human knight were really easy to convert (and even my own horse archer ranger wasn't too hard), the elf duskblade is a tough nut to crack.

Swordmage might work, but she operated more as a striker than a defender, and we already have a knight. Sorcerer only does blade channeling through daggers (how I wish it let you do it through any light blade). Multiclassing frankly sucks in 4e. Any suggestions?

Multi-classing doesn't necessarily suck so much, as it gives you the implements of the class you're MCing into also. Presumably you would be able to use Swordmage implements, for Sorcerer powers, unless explicitly barred.

In my case I took a Fey Warlock and gave him the Arcane Implement feat, so that he could use swords as implements. By Paragon the amount of teleporting that I could do was rising to silly levels.