D&D 5E How do I eldritch knight?

[Shadai]

Make DEX your highest stat. Pick human, archery style, pick crossbow master, get a hand crossbow.

Proceed to level opponents.

I'd probably make CON second highest, you can actually dump INT and you don't need STR at all really. If you choose to dump INT be sure to pick spells that don't have a save, there are a ton of good one actually like Mending (broken xbow bolt... what broken xbow bolt), Shield (with high dex and some studded leather you can be more tanky than a tank), and Haste (even more bolts... later). If you dump INT you can then focus WIS as third highest to avoid all the nasty save or don't do anything crap that floats around.

Pump DEX to 18 at the first level bump you get, then on the next one you can contemplate bumping it to 20 or taking something like Sharpshooter for archer power attack and no more penalty for long distance/cover or something like Magic Initiate for Warlock for Hex and let the good times roll. By then you'll have like 3 attacks with a decent to hit bonus, Hex is just stupid good at that point.

If power characters are you thing, its a good one to play with.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I love mage knight types.

I know that the eldritch knight is something of a trap, but let's just assume that I want to spring the trap. I think what I'd like to do is to take some number of levels in fighter before multi-classing into wizard for a while. In terms of spells, I'd love to be able to eventually use some battlefield control spells: where the wizard is truly a beast. With that in mind, here are some initial questions:

• We rolled stats: how would you recommend assigning this stat array: 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 16 (I rolled well)
• What's the lowest level at which you'd advice multiclassing into wizard? Certainly not before lvl 5 for extra attack, but when after that? It's hard to choose when the goodies keep coming level after level.
• Any other thoughts or advice?

At this point, I'd really appreciate anyone who'd be willing to give me their initial $0.02. My first session of this new campaign is in a couple of hours. I intended to be a wizard, but, as the group has come together, our front line is pretty thin, so I think that I might want to bolster it.

Thanks!

I love Eldritch Knights. They are the best kind of fighter.

My favorite way to play them is as an archer. At first level, you'd be something like this:

Malachai, LN Human Spy, Fighter 1
Str 12 Dex 17 Con 16 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 11 HP 13 AC 16 (18 with shield)
Archery fighting style, Sharpshooter
Longbow (regular): 600' range, +7, d8+3
Longbow (sniping): 600' range, +2, d8+13
Rapier: melee, +5, d8+3

You start off as a pretty effective tank and an excellent archer, someone whom your companions should seriously consider Helping even if they have to forgo their own little d6+3 attacks to do so. (Because if Help doubles the chances of landing a d8+13 attack, they are doing more virtual damage by Helping you than they would with a d6+3 independent attack.)

At 3rd level you go Eldritch Knight and take Expeditious Retreat, Mage Armor, and Shield as your three spells. Expeditious Retreat should mostly keep you out of trouble (although it's really better combined with Mobile, especially for difficult terrain), and Shield will boost your AC to 23 when needed.

By 6th level you can have Dex 20 and Wis 15, then at 8th level take Resilient (Wis) for total +6 to Wisdom saves or Crossbow Expert for 3 attacks per round, and at 12th take Mobile or Lucky or Alert as you prefer. At 8th level you get a 2nd level spell from any school, and I'd take Magic Weapon, with Shatter as your other 2nd level Evocation spell. You won't use Shatter much, but in a situation where a Ranger would be tempted to Volley (lots of weak targets in an enclosed space, e.g. 8 hobgoblins in a single 10' x 20' space), you will Shatter them to kill them all. In any other situation you'll be better off sniping with your longbow or using your trusty rapier. Between Mage Armor, Dex 20, and Shield, you can have AC 25 whenever you really need it. (Blur would be nice too, since AC 25 with disadvantage is nigh-unhittable, but you spent your spell slot on Magic Weapon. If you happen to find a real magic bow though you can swap out Magic Weapon for Blur or Mirror Image.)

It's up to you what you do with your high levels. You could multiclass to Wizard for things like Portent and Undead Thralls; or Assassin for concentration-free Cunning Action to replace Expeditious Retreat; or just stick with Eldritch Knight until level 20. Personally I like EK 20 for that fourth attack and access to Greater Invisibility, but sneak attack is pretty decent as a replacement if you're willing to jump through the appropriate hoops (adjacent ally, etc.). Do note that Greater Invisibility won't help against creatures with truesight unless you are outside the truesight radius, but since truesight usually only goes 120' and your range is 600', that shouldn't really be an issue unless you're indoors.

 

[ppaladin123]

Eldritch knight is not a trap but it is mostly fighter with a dash of wizard (limits spells known, limited schools of magic, slow progression of spell levels). Blade-pact warlock is sort of the opposite...mostly mage with a dash of fighter. THey haven't really produced a good 50-50 split warrior mage class for 5e (oath of vengeance paladin is actually the closest but divine). But you can multiclass EK with wizard fairly well if you want more magic zing.....it'll just take a while to get there.

 

[Prism]

All the other advice is good. I'll just add one thing. From my experience during combat you will actually have very little time to cast spells unless you take it all the way to 18th level fighter and improved war magic. Most rounds, being a fighter you are simply better off attacking with your weapons. So choose spells that are bonus actions, reactions or out of combat utility spells. Oh, and if you do decide to multiclass wizard, I would look at divination or conjuration as these don't need many wizard levels to work effectively.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

All the other advice is good. I'll just add one thing. From my experience during combat you will actually have very little time to cast spells unless you take it all the way to 18th level fighter and improved war magic. Most rounds, being a fighter you are simply better off attacking with your weapons. So choose spells that are bonus actions, reactions or out of combat utility spells. Oh, and if you do decide to multiclass wizard, I would look at divination or conjuration as these don't need many wizard levels to work effectively.

If you're going to multiclass Wizard, I honestly wouldn't go Eldritch Knight at all. I'd go Battlemaster. According to my computations, a party of 5 Battlemaster(5)/Diviner(3) wizards and 1 Trickster Cleric(8) has an excellent shot at being able to kill Orcus in about 2 rounds (possibly before he even gets a non-surprised turn) by leveraging Portent, Pass Without Trace, Death Ward, Bless, Disarm (maneuver), Precise Strike (maneuver), Find Familiar, Magic Weapon, Action Surge, and Sharpshooter. In reality you'd never play such a monochromatic party but it does illustrate a few synergies.

 

[Prism]

If you're going to multiclass Wizard, I honestly wouldn't go Eldritch Knight at all. I'd go Battlemaster.

Yup, I'm playing a high level multiclass fighter wizard and I didn't go eldritch knight. I actually went champion (improved crit, bonus to initiative and skills, +1 AC from fighting style). Battlemaster works too. Eldritch knight is probably best for when you don't multiclass

As for Orcus, he's not the worry - its the 5 demiliches and 2 ghosts that he summons that really stuff you in

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Yup, I'm playing a high level multiclass fighter wizard and I didn't go eldritch knight. I actually went champion (improved crit, bonus to initiative and skills, +1 AC from fighting style). Battlemaster works too. Eldritch knight is probably best for when you don't multiclass

As for Orcus, he's not the worry - its the 5 demiliches and 2 ghosts that he summons that really stuff you in

Agreed. Hence the vital importance of the Disarm maneuver, plus familiars who can pick up the wand and fly away with it.

But all of this is a moot point unless you have a way to deal with the infinite number of liches, death knights, and death tyrants that Orcus has been summoning on all the days leading up to today.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

When did eldritch knight become a verb?

On the internet, you can verb anything.

 

[Shadai]

Yup, I'm playing a high level multiclass fighter wizard and I didn't go eldritch knight. I actually went champion (improved crit, bonus to initiative and skills, +1 AC from fighting style). Battlemaster works too. Eldritch knight is probably best for when you don't multiclass

This is probably true. Eldritch Knight gives you flexibility you don't get without the casting system. However like a lot of 1/4 cast classes, you get the best spells so late in the game. Haste is just a game changer. With your high con (and advantage on saves) you become the parties version of a long range haste bot if you build into dex like I suggested earlier. Luckily there are some good spells in lower levels that give great utility like Shield and Alarm, so waiting for those later spells isn't so painful.

It's also why I suggest going into Magic Initiate at some point, or just taking a level of Warlock. Hex is so good its broken with a fighter, as suddenly 4/5 attacks do what, 2d6+5 ish each? Not bad for 120 range, no disad in melee at a stupid good attack bonus because of high dex and archery style.

The point is you don't really need to multiclass with an EK, they do just about everything you need. At this point if you try to take damage spells with an EK you're doing it wrong.

 

[PnPgamer]

Isnt hex supposed to be warlock only? Where do you guys grab it?