Duskblade Build Help

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

Repeat spell gets you the most TrueStrikes per spell slot. Quicken Spell frees up your actions a bit. If your group has many encounters each day, Repeat spell is much more efficient. If your group only has 1 or 2 encounters typically before resting, Quicken might be better.

Picking up Bo9S Maneuvers might be a good idea. (Crusaders strike is great at low levels, and meshes well with duskblade)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Level 1 (Duskblade): Still Spell
Level 1 (Duskblade): Power Attack
Level 3 (Duskblade): Combat Reflexes
Level 4 (Fighter): Weapon Focus [Glaive]
Level 5 (Fighter): Short Haft
Level 6 (Duskblade): Repeat Spell
Level 9 (Duskblade): Arcane Strike or Extra Spell: Wraithstrike
Level 12 (Duskblade): Arcane Strike or Extra Spell: Wraithstrike

The only reason I pick Still Spell at level 1 is because I need a metamagic Feat to get Repeat Spell (which I want to use for True Strike). Or is the Repeat Spell not all that good? I’m also considering switching the first two Feats to a Crusader Maneuver and Stance (Martial Spirit) so I can heal myself a little bit in a party that lacks a good healer.

Since there are three tanks already, I want to opt for a supporting role. Using a reach weapon (glaive) with Combat Reflexes will give me enough opportunities to make Attacks of Opportunity and the reach of the glaive will make it easier for me to use Arcane Channelling.

1) Depending upon your DM's interpretation, Extra Spell doesn't allow you to add spells from other class lists. You may want to check. If it does, also consider the spell Whirling Blade, which (again, depending upon interpretation) is a candidate for Sculpt Spell.

2) Short haft sounds great, but IME you're better off just using Armor Spikes (or IUC, if you have it).

3) Still Spell is not the best choice for this PC since he can already cast in Armor to a certain point. You'd be better off with something like Silent Spell, Extend Spell, Reach Spell, Sculpt Spell, or some such.

4) Combat Reflexes is your friend. To get the most out of it, you should probably take Deft Opportunist to get +4 to each of your AoOs.

5) I want to like True Strike, I really do- its one reason I'm currently playing a multiclassed Diviner. However, IME, the spell is usually wasted- it takes a Standard Action to cast, and by the time I get it off, the party tanks have eliminated any target within my striking range. Its a spell that is probably best partnered with Quicken Spell or used by archers or ray specialists.

 

[Humanaut]

Too, if you take one level of Monk, you get ImUnStrike and bonus feat... combat reflexes. That can replace selecting CR and the need for Short Haft. Lose a BAB, but all saves get +2, not all bad.

 

[Fifth Element]

I think – a very wide array of possible Prestige Classes to pick from.

Not really a lot of prestige classes that make sense for a duskblade, actually. Eldritch Knight is a waste, since the regular duskblade levels are better. Also, if you're planning on a long campaign, you'll probably want at least 13 duskblade levels, in order to get full-attack channeling.

I'm running a duskblade in a game right now, and I wound up taking Abjurant Champion levels (from Complete Mage) after a level of wizard. It's not really optimal design, but it was based on the needs of the party rather than character building.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

PrCls & Duskblades

1) Kensai is a good one if you're primarily a combatant rather than spellchucker. Prereqs are 5 ranks in Concentration, Diplomacy, and Riding, a +5BAB, and Combat Expertise.

In exchange, you'll get 2 really strong abilities: he'll be able to boost his weapon's magical ability as a class feature and he'll get a +8 bonus to Str (uses limited only by your luck with the dice) that stacks with just about anything.

2) I'd have to look for it, but I was just reading through a pile of books and found a PrCl that allowed you to channel your spells through your weapon- and here's the shocker- it wasn't the Spellsword*!

3) If you like and are allowed the use of Psionics, take the Wild Talent Feat, which will qualify you for Pyrokineticist (and/or the other energy type versions of the PrCl). A few levels of Pyrokineticist gets you a firebolt with unlimited uses (like a Warlock), and a weapon sheathed in energy.

* I don't recall if it's the one I saw then, but the Ordained Champion is one of them.

 

[Aleolus]

Actually, I just found a race that would do extremely well as a Duskblade. The Sharakim. The big issue is how a Sharakim became a duskblade, because the class, as listed in the PHBII is largely of Elven origins, and Sharakim look almost identical to Orcs. The big difference, while Orcs are unintelligent brutes, Sharakim are very well educated, and do everything in their power to differentiate themselves from the Orcs. Here's their racial stuff

Str +2, Dex -2, Int +2, Cha -2
Humanoid (Human)
Medium
30 feet
Darkvision 60 feet
+1 natural armor
Shadow Affinity (Ex): +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, Search and Spot checks
Light Sensitivity: -1 attack rolls in bright sunlight or the radius of a daylight spell.
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and half-orcs.
Automatic languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome and Orc
Favored Class: Wizard
Level Adjustment: +1

 

[szilard]

The big issue is how a Sharakim became a duskblade, because the class, as listed in the PHBII is largely of Elven origins, and Sharakim look almost identical to Orcs.

The sharakim hate orcs, though. How about saying that the sharakim have made a study of those methods that have been successfully used against orcs. The most implacable of the enemies of orcs, of course, are the elves. While the sharakim are ill-suited to replicate the success of elven woodland archers, they are well-suited to adopt the study of merging blade and magic as a duskblade...


-Stuart

 

[Aleolus]

Yes, but the elves don't trust or like the Sharakim either, thinking 'an orc in fancy clothes is still an orc'. But your point is valid, about the possibility of a Sharakim learning of Elven techniques through watching the elves, humans and half-elves who utilize their powers. Possibly they even got a human teacher, since humans are somewhat torn on what to think about them.

 

[shilsen]

The big issue is how a Sharakim became a duskblade, because the class, as listed in the PHBII is largely of Elven origins

That's purely flavor text, with no effect on the class' mechanics, so whether it's relevant or not depends on the particular campaign. In my Eberron campaign, for example, elves have absolutely nothing to do with duskblades.