Loss of class features for Eldritch Knight in exchange for becoming half-caster?

[Yunru]

Not to be the one to point out the obvious but...
A Paladin is already a half-caster that can fill the knight roll, designed for precisely that. Why not simply use Paladins?

 

[steeldragons]

Not to be the one to point out the obvious but...
A Paladin is already a half-caster that can fill the knight roll, designed for precisely that. Why not simply use Paladins?

If I had to venture a guess, I would think because "divine magic/flavor" instead of "arcane/swordmage flavor."

 

[EditorBFG]

If I had to venture a guess, I would think because "divine magic/flavor" instead of "arcane/swordmage flavor."

It will still be a lot easier to convert paladin to arcane flavor than convert fighters to half-casters, but the original poster has decided to do a bit of game design. Which can be fun, even as it risks balance issues.

 

[steeldragons]

It will still be a lot easier to convert paladin to arcane flavor than convert fighters to half-casters, but the original poster has decided to do a bit of game design. Which can be fun, even as it risks balance issues.

Absolutely agreed!

 

[miburo99]

Building new class features is indeed a lot of fun. If homebrewing for arcane halfcasters is of interest to you, I built out a whole 5E Swordmage class (arcane halfcaster fighter/mage hybrid) after some extension revisions over on the WotC forums. Here's the Google doc link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13x7vH-j0yrvoVKmgDWK8q22uWH9hgUvGYRdFz-LBXrk/

On the topic of reworking the paladin, everyone's favorite [MENTION=6801209]mellored[/MENTION] once came up with a swordmage archetype for the paladin. Dunno what's going on with it on the WotC forums, but I put it together in a google doc (adding some balance edits and a really nifty capstone from Aelioran). It's a really easy way to get the arcane flavor using the paladin chassis (and thus less worries about balancing).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fBoC8bVRb_0syWHZORwWeagijKOX5bljMza8rbziBQI

 

[I'm A Banana]

So now I have a new question: does this new version of the EK seems viable and fair?

It does to me! I might ditch the second extra attack, keep the ASI's, and keep the Weapon Bond (it's really just a ribbon, a flavor thing), but we're pretty much talking nuance.

The real test would be if you had a "regular EK" and this blasty EK in a party together, played by optimizing characters....but most tables probably don't have to deal with that, so you're fine for most purposes, I think.

 

[jgsugden]

I'd certainly use the paladin as a model if I were to build the 'Arcane Paladin', but I don't think it necessary at all. I think you get what you want with Eldritch Knight 6 / Wizard 14 as a multiclass.

Eldritch Knight to 5th, then take 3 levels of wizard, a 6th level as Eldritch Knight, then 11 more levels of wizard. 16th level casting on top of 6th level fighter by 20th seems right.

 

[Flamestrike]

EK 11/ Wizard 9

Youll be a half caster with 5th level spells, 6th level slots, 3 attacks.

 

[Xeviat]

I'd suggest dropping Action Surge if you're going to be getting spells at 2nd level. Drop Action Surge, give them Arcane Smite (as the paladin, but let them make a one-time choice for the damage type, or maybe let them chose the damage type on a long rest). Drop the extra ASIs at 6th and 10th levels. Move Improved War Magic down to 15th level (the bard gets it at 14th) since Arcane Charge is of less value. Then just generally rearrange the abilities so they have the same "dead" levels as the paladin (9th, 13th, 17th).

Until they have war magic and improved war magic, their spells are likely to be less effective individually than just attacking. I tested War Magic once and found it actually deals more damage than the fighter's 2 and 3 attacks at certain levels, and otherwise it's pretty reasonably close. But without dropping a regular attack ontop of a spell (and even with it), they won't do evoker levels of damage. They'll be more resilient, though, and a better vessel for buffs, so it should balance out.

I've been wanting to redo the Warlock as an arcane half-caster, mostly because I'd like it to play nice with the multiclassing rules.

 

[EditorBFG]

On the topic of reworking the paladin, everyone's favorite [MENTION=6801209]mellored[/MENTION] once came up with a swordmage archetype for the paladin. Dunno what's going on with it on the WotC forums, but I put it together in a google doc (adding some balance edits and a really nifty capstone from Aelioran). It's a really easy way to get the arcane flavor using the paladin chassis (and thus less worries about balancing).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fBoC8bVRb_0syWHZORwWeagijKOX5bljMza8rbziBQI

That is a fantastic idea. And really well executed.