doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Except you're attempting to use the tool of "fighting style" for something it was not originally intended to represent, "subclass type". If you're going to use the tool for a new application, then it makes less rational sense to restrict it to the original theme of "fighting style" as you've already ditched that restriction. Eldritch Knights are magical fighters who start with no magic and all fighter. Allowing them to pick a cantrip which emphasizes MAGIC as opposes to emphasizes FIGHTING makes sense.
No. It’s still a Fighting Style. I’m not changing what Fighting Styles are, I’m adding one or more to the list that will allow any fighter to play like their planned archetype from level 1. That’s it. I haven’t ditched any restriction, nor have I actually made it a subclass choice. No one is locked in to any Fighting Style. An Eldritch Knight who would rather have +1 AC can choose that just as before, and take the subclass at level 3, and flavor that however they want.
The only difference is that someone who wants their fighting style (generic term usage) to match their concept from level 1 can have some magical juice, and can better represent the concept of someone whose martial practice is magical at all levels, by making their otherwise mundane Attack Action attacks somewhat magical, rather than purely going back or ignoring Extra Attack entirely.
If you want to pursue an entirely different goal with variant feature options go for it, but it’s not what I’m doing here in this thread.