Eldrtich Knight vs Spellsword

[Thanee]

Incidentally, if you are playing in FR, there are two feats (Militia & Otherworldly) that grant proficiency with all martial weapons; thus removing the need to take a level of Fighter.

I don't think Otherworldly does that. It only grants proficiencies, if you have racial HD, I think.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

The EK is a bit bland to me.

That's a matter of how you look at it.

While it does not have nifty special abilities, which provide flavor, it also does not enforce a certain flavor and restrict the class that way.

I really like that they have made it such a 'bland' progression, because then it can fit to numerous different character concept and thereby support a lot more flavor than a class with tons of highly specific special abilities can do.

The Eldritch Knight is a mechanical class, a solution for fighter/mage multiclass characters to become viable concepts from a balance point of view. It doesn't need its own flavor, that's provided by the character, which is not hindered by the prestige class.

Bye
Thanee

 

[FEADIN]

Hello,

I'm debating which of these two classes to allow in my game - they seem too close in flavour to allow both. My initial reaction towards the Eldritch Knight is that it is too powerful a class... but I used to think the same thing about the Mystic Theurge. On the other hand, the Spellsword is more in line with the Arcane Trickster ... rather than simply mixing the main abilities of two classes, it gains unique abilities by merging two skill sets into a distinct whole.

Thoughts?

Shawn

In fact all these prestige classes are for the old players who started scratching their head with the conversion of 2nd edition characters to 3rd, all those lovely elven fighter/mage 7/7 or 15/15 and those 1/2 elf fighter/mage/cleric 10/10/11....
The spellsword: fighter with some helpfull fighting spells.
The Eldritch Knight : magic user with a sword, not really fantastic, for the small monster who reached you by luck:"strike".
Two important points:the better BAB to hit with ranged touch spells and the better FORT save, surprise for the enemies.

 

[Longbow]

That's a matter of how you look at it.

While it does not have nifty special abilities, which provide flavor, it also does not enforce a certain flavor and restrict the class that way.

I really like that they have made it such a 'bland' progression, because then it can fit to numerous different character concept and thereby support a lot more flavor than a class with tons of highly specific special abilities can do.

The Eldritch Knight is a mechanical class, a solution for fighter/mage multiclass characters to become viable concepts from a balance point of view. It doesn't need its own flavor, that's provided by the character, which is not hindered by the prestige class.

Bye
Thanee

Good point, can´t argue with that. Mechnanical class is a good name for the EK. Still, I like the Spellsword better´(I´m biased ).

 

[Evilhalfling]

There is a Tiefling wizard 5/ek1 in my group, using the opion that outsiders recieve martial weapon profs. Sword 'ell its all about the polearm. The low hp will pull the char out of melee completely before too long.

 

[Lodow MoBo]

The Eldritch Knight is okay, but not amazing (you get 9 levels of spellcasting, a slightly better hit die, and full BAB, but since you can't wear armor or shields, you only get half of what's necessary to fight in the front lines).

Take a two lvl spell casting hit and use the still spell metamagic feat all the time. Then you can dress in full plate np.

 

[Errant]

Being one full spell level behind in progression is a huge reduction in power for a wizard.

Bye
Thanee

Not to mention three bonus wizard feats lost and a significantly weaker familiar.

 

[green slime]

There is a Tiefling wizard 5/ek1 in my group, using the opion that outsiders recieve martial weapon profs. Sword 'ell its all about the polearm. The low hp will pull the char out of melee completely before too long.

In my experience, the eldritch knight doesn't do well as a frontliner. Instead, I found the EK to be an excellent archer. Totally dominated the battlefield in a CotSQ game. Only trouble was trying to figure out all where to keep all the arrows needed.

 

[Thanee]

Get a quiver of unlimited arrows, there is one on the WotC site with one of those Drizzt-and-friends character writeups (or some extradimensional storage for plenty quivers).

And use Mending to repair broken arrows.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

There is a Tiefling wizard 5/ek1 in my group, using the opion that outsiders recieve martial weapon profs.

I still think you need racial hit dice to actually get those, a creature with only 1 HD in the MM and class levels replaces the feats with those from the class.

Bye
Thanee