Duskblade vs Battle Sorceror

[Shades of Eternity]

Duskblade vs Battle Sorceror

Trying to figure out the pros and cons of the

duskblade (PHB II)

verses the

Battle Sorceror (UA)

Any ideas?

 

[Psion]

Battle sorcerer - access to the large body of wizard Sor/Wiz spells, flexibility in build, combines well with existing PrCs and other multiclass combos.

Duskblade - doesn't take a lot of thought. Can throw one together rather quickly.

For a quick dungeon bash, Duskblade seems like a workable quick take on the fighter/mage archetype. But for serious long term campaigns, I'd stay away from it.

 

[BadMojo]

Well, if you are going to be the primary arcane spellcaster, that pretty much rules out the Duskblade. You just won't have the area effect spells (our good friend, Fireball, for instance) or the utility spells.

Duskblade gets you a spellcaster with better armor class, better BAB, better fortitude saves, the ability to quicken and channel spells, free Combat Casting feat (lame by itself but used as a prereq. for a bunch of prestige classes), access to more weapons and a spell list focused on offensive spells that target individual opponents.

A Duskblade with the right feats would probably make a decent front line fighter. A Battle Sorcerer is more of the "artillery" of the arcane casters.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

I was actually trying to compare them as gishes.

so far, from what I understand

a battle sorceror can fight in melee slightly less well then the duskblade, but can use arcane ranged attacks to better "soften up a target" and to enhance self before do so due to enhanced spell list

 

[szilard]

I was actually trying to compare them as gishes.

so far, from what I understand

a battle sorceror can fight in melee slightly less well then the duskblade, but can use arcane ranged attacks to better "soften up a target" and to enhance self before do so due to enhanced spell list

Duskblade:
Pros: better BAB. Int-based caster (more skills). better weapon/armor choice. better direct-damage dealer.
Cons: few non-combat spells. few buff spells. no spells above 6th level.

Battle Sorcerer:
Pros: better spell list. high-level spells. familiar (or metamagic specialist). better lead-in to Abjurant Champion (from Complete Mage).

If the Duskblade spell list has what you want/need, go for that. Otherwise, I'd go with a Battle Sorcerer/Abjurant Champion.

-Stuart

 

[Nonlethal Force]

If you want a character who thinks melee first, Duskblade is your better bet hands-down. The spells they get aren't great and varied, but if you are thinking melee first that'll be just fine for you. Blus as others have said it has solid HP and BAB.

If you want a character that thinks casting before melee, then the battle sorcerer is the better choice. You have a full range of spells this way and you aren't going to charge into melee anyway.

Really, it depends on the kind of gish you're looking for. Does the magic enhance the fighting or does the fighting enhance the magic?

 

[Victim]

The battle sorcerer is a caster that can fight better than normal (and can use the wiz/sor melee buffs).

The duskblade is a fighter with a few magic tricks.

 

[Sejs]

Comparative analysis -

Duskblade benefits: You're proficient with more weapons. You're a better melee combatant. You can wear heavier armor. Your synergy with the Arcane Strike feat blows the mind.

Battle Sorcerer benefits: Your spells put the Duskblade's to shame. You are more versatile in what your spells can cast, and the upper limit of your magical capabilities is significantly higher. A Duskblade will never turn invisible, fly, or teleport - you can. A Duskblade will never cast Time Stop, Forcecage, or Shapechange - you can.

 

[Klaus]

With the feats Battle Caster and Arcane Strike, the Battle Sorceror can do pretty much everything required of a gish. He can cast better and more varied spells (specially factoring in scrolls and wands). His Arcane Strike can yield better results (higher level spells mean higher bonus to attack and damage). He is the closest to an arcane version of the cleric.

The Duskblade has better BAB, better Fortitude, have proficiency with more weapons, with medium armor and with shields.