Making a melee/spellcaster combo and need help

[nittanytbone]

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=482636

Scroll down to the "Gish" section in handbooks.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Fighter 1/Wizard 5/Eldritch Knight 2/Abjurant Champion 5 will work well. Basically, you are a 11th-level wizard with BAB of +10. With Practiced Spellcaster feat, you can have full caster level of 13. You also have 2 Fighter bonus feats and 1 Wizard bonus feat (and Scribe Scroll).

Fighter 1/Wizard 6/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5 is slightly better. BAB 10, CL 12. Replace with sorcerer 6 if you prefer.

Feats: Arcane Strike, Power Attack
Spells: Wraithstrike

Spellsword - CW
Abjurant Champion - CM
Arcane strike - CW
Wraithstrike - SC

 

[Patlin]

Wraithstrike has the honor of being the only spell (as far as I can recall) that I don't allow in my otherwise very permisive games.

Don't forget luminous armor for your Abjurant Champion.

 

[Klaus]

I am currently trying to make a character who is a spellcaster/melee hybrid. Thing is, I want a character where both sides work together. I also want a normal range of spells, not just a bunch of evocations and combat boosts. Its a level 13 game, evil oriented classes are right out.

I know that there are classes out there who get close, and I can work with them if I have to, but could you guys give me some help with finding a build that gets as close as possible to that idea? I have access to pretty much all books, so thats not a problem.

Human Battle Sorcerer (UA) 13
S 14 D 13 Co 12 I 10 W 8 Ch 18

Armor: Mithril Full Plate (+8 AC)
Weapon: +2 Longsword (wielded two-handed) - BAB +9/+4 +2 magic +2 Str = melee +13/+9 (1d8+5, 19-20)

Saves: F +4 R +5 W +7 (+12 vs. mind-affecting)

Feats: Arcane Strike (9th - CW), Battle Caster (12th - CAr), Improved Familiar (3rd - DMG/CW), Combat Casting (1st), Force of Personality (h - CAdv), Intimidating Strike (6th - PHBII).

Alternate feats: take all Fey Heritage feats from CMage (armor is reduced to Mithril Breastplate, familiar becomes hawk, Will save is flat +7) for DR x/cold iron and spell-like abilities.

Skills: Concentration (10 ranks), Spellcraft (9 ranks), Intimidate (class skill, 8 ranks), Ride (cross class, 4 ranks).

Familiar: hippogriff

Spells per Day: 5 5 5 5 5 5 3
Spell Known: 8 4 4 3 3 2 1

 

[rgard]

Human Battle Sorcerer (UA) 13
S 14 D 13 Co 12 I 10 W 8 Ch 18

Armor: Mithril Full Plate (+8 AC)
Weapon: +2 Longsword (wielded two-handed) - BAB +9/+4 +2 magic +2 Str = melee +13/+9 (1d8+5, 19-20)

Saves: F +4 R +5 W +7 (+12 vs. mind-affecting)

Feats: Arcane Strike (9th - CW), Battle Caster (12th - CAr), Improved Familiar (3rd - DMG/CW), Combat Casting (1st), Force of Personality (h - CAdv), Intimidating Strike (6th - PHBII).

Alternate feats: take all Fey Heritage feats from CMage (armor is reduced to Mithril Breastplate, familiar becomes hawk, Will save is flat +7) for DR x/cold iron and spell-like abilities.

Skills: Concentration (10 ranks), Spellcraft (9 ranks), Intimidate (class skill, 8 ranks), Ride (cross class, 4 ranks).

Familiar: hippogriff

Spells per Day: 5 5 5 5 5 5 3
Spell Known: 8 4 4 3 3 2 1

Hi Klaus,

Nice build! I like the Hippogriff addition.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Shin Okada]

Fighter 1/Wizard 6/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5 is slightly better. BAB 10, CL 12. Replace with sorcerer 6 if you prefer.

Yeah. that is an alternative build. Has 1 less bonus feat and slightly better saves. That is the trade off.

Then, when he level-up, he have to take some more levels later and in your build, he would better take Eldritch Knight after that anyway (Abjurant Champion is 5 level class), and lose one vurtual wizard level at that time.

And for my build he can either just continue to level up as Eldritch Knight or take 1 level of Spellsword (and if he prefer, a level of Dragn Slayer) for the same result.

 

[Nifft]

For full spellcasting in light armor, consider the combination of Dragonslayer (BAB +5, Iron Will, Dodge, some cross-class skill points) + Spellsword (requirements met by Dragonslayer). This is particularly easy with Battle Sorcerer's BAB.

Then, Abjurant Champion.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Shin Okada]

That's if his DM allow to use Unearthed Arcana. That book is often condidered to be a real option rule (technically, all the supplements are option rules, but many DMs regard UA and BoNS as much "optional").

 

[Klaus]

For full spellcasting in light armor, consider the combination of Dragonslayer (BAB +5, Iron Will, Dodge, some cross-class skill points) + Spellsword (requirements met by Dragonslayer). This is particularly easy with Battle Sorcerer's BAB.

Then, Abjurant Champion.

Cheers, -- N

You don't need spellsword for that if you go Battle Sorcerer. The class itself grants Armored Mage (light). With Battle Caster you can get Armored Mage (medium).

And since your caster level will be so close to your character level, and since you're rlying on armor for AC (as opposed to spells), Abjurant Champion becomes kinda redundant (unless you reeeeally want to cast that shield spell to get +9 to AC ).

 

[Klaus]

Hi Klaus,

Nice build! I like the Hippogriff addition.

Thanks,
Rich

Thanks! I threw it together off the top of my head (I happen to have a Word file with the Battle Sorcerer changes applied to the Sorcerer entry from the SRD). On hindsight, I'd probably have placed more ranks in Ride and less in Spellcraft. And Intimidate/Intimidating Strike was more of an afterthought. I'd probably change that to a Reserve feat, like Invisible Needle or somesuch.

If you go the Fey route:

Feats: Fey Heritage (1st - CMage - Will +3 vs. enchantment), Fey Legacy (9th - CMage - confusion, dimension door and summon nature's ally V, each 1/day), Fey Power (h - CMage - +1 caster level with enchantment spells), Fey Presence (6th - charm monster, deep slumber, disguise self, each 1/day), Fey Skin (3rd - DR 5/cold iron), Improved Familiar (12th - CW).

That way you get six spell-like abilities, DR 5/cold iron, a hippogriff familiar and bonus to cast and resist enchantments.