D&D 5E May belong in the homebrew forum but about Eldritch Knight

[Evenglare]

I've heard many mention that the Eldritch Knight doesn't feel as "sword magey" as it could have been. I personally don't have any gripes with it but one thing did cross my mind. Would it break the game if you just allowed the EK to pick 2 schools and call it a day, or atleast be able to switch one out with another school. Instead of being bound to Abjuration and Evocation. I get that those are debatably the most useful for a fighter, but what if you just want a fighter that can fill in a particular hole in your party. It, of course, wouldn't be any where near having a full blown wizard or cleric or whatever, but it could provide some potential support. Especially things like conjuration's ensnare where you can have a bit more control over the battlefield. You could make lesser versions of other classes (by this I mean lesser in magic, but still fill the role of a fighter). For example you could have necromancy and evocation and be a death knight. Again, I'm aware we have these or variants of these already but what if no one in your party is and you wanted to dabble? Unless I'm completely missing something, I don't think it would break the game. In fact many of the choices might be a downgrade in a combat situation but it'd be nice to have the option I think.

And to pre-empt the question of "Why do that when you can be X", my answer is "I don't want to be X I want to be an eldritch knight with different access to schools". A Devotion Paladin and an Eldritch Knight with Evocation and Enchantment may play similar to each other but thematically they are very different.

Again if the mods feel this needs to be moved to homebrew I completely understand, I figure I'd post here because of the traffic and technically not homebrew more of a question.

 

[fjw70]

I say just don't restrict schools at all.

 

[Paraxis]

What I want to feel like a swordmage or bladesinger is a bonus action cantrip.

Say something that shoves the target at range, does casting ability modifier damage, grapples the target for one round , stuff like that.

That way from the get go any arcane caster can feel like a swordmage, attacking and casting a spell in the same round.

 

[Evenglare]

I say just don't restrict schools at all.

As in let them have the full range of any school? That could work too given the limited casting power they get. Might be fun narratively to have the EK go and seek out a master of every school and let that open the doors to each school

 

[Hereticus]

I've heard many mention that the Eldritch Knight doesn't feel as "sword magey" as it could have been. I personally don't have any gripes with it but one thing did cross my mind. Would it break the game if you just allowed the EK to pick 2 schools and call it a day, or atleast be able to switch one out with another school. Instead of being bound to Abjuration and Evocation. I get that those are debatably the most useful for a fighter, but what if you just want a fighter that can fill in a particular hole in your party. It, of course, wouldn't be any where near having a full blown wizard or cleric or whatever, but it could provide some potential support. Especially things like conjuration's ensnare where you can have a bit more control over the battlefield. You could make lesser versions of other classes (by this I mean lesser in magic, but still fill the role of a fighter). For example you could have necromancy and evocation and be a death knight. Again, I'm aware we have these or variants of these already but what if no one in your party is and you wanted to dabble? Unless I'm completely missing something, I don't think it would break the game. In fact many of the choices might be a downgrade in a combat situation but it'd be nice to have the option I think.

And to pre-empt the question of "Why do that when you can be X", my answer is "I don't want to be X I want to be an eldritch knight with different access to schools". A Devotion Paladin and an Eldritch Knight with Evocation and Enchantment may play similar to each other but thematically they are very different.

I envision two different types of Eldrith Knights; those that would non-visibly cast enhancements on themselves (Message, True Strike, Expeditious Retreat, Longstrider, Shield), and the more "sword magey" (Fire Bolt, Prestidigitation, Burning Hands, Find Familiar, Thunderwave).

 

[DEFCON 1]

Would it break the game? I don't personally think so. If you can multiclass fighter and wizard unhindered, there's not going to be that much of a difference with the EK.

As is always the case with any house ruled or created content, try it out with the understanding that the DM might need to nerf you later on if it gets out of hand.

 

[Evhelm]

I'm a somewhat conservative DM in that I always try to think of how widening a class feature might unbalance the game in a way that would make it un-fun for other players.

The Eldritch Knight is a fighter derivative focused on damage-dealing/preventing. All of its abilities/class features encourage an Eldritch Knight to combine weapons and spells in interesting or clever ways to deal more damage to an opponent or avoid some damage from that same opponent. Having a fighter, in full plate armor, with a teleporting weapon, who can also cast area controlling or mind affecting or [insert other wizard spell type here] and then land a fireball does seem like it might be a bit overpowered.

On the other hand, I completely see your point in that the PHB doesn't seem to offer a true "spellcasting swordsman" variant. What about the fighter who does want to dabble in divination magic without also giving up his combat prowess?

Conservatively, I'd say you might want to try creating a variant where the Eldritch Knight loses the two schools (abj/evo) focus and us reduced to one, and has a different tenth level class feature (more in keeping with a different school of magic). Therefore, our new Knight is a specialist in one of the other magic schools.

For example: an Enchanter Knight might be able to choose her numbered spells from the enchantment school (two of the three at first level, etc., just as abj/evo are in the original). In this instance, I don't even think you'd have to change the 10th level class feature; it works just as well with enchantments as it does with evocations.

I know it seems weird to restrict school choices (from 2 to 1) but I think that when you go "off-theme," so to speak, you need to pay for that with some measure of specialization. I haven't gone through the wizard spell list extensively enough by school to know this will work, but a few demo Knights (diviner? illusionist?) with sample spell lists would probably give you a sense of whether or not it will do the trick

 

[Erifnogard]

I just don't see it as a big deal to allow the EK to pick any two schools since standard EK's already get limited access to all schools anyway. And frankly if a player came to me with the idea to play a Divination/Necromancy EK with a decent background for the knighthood associated with it then I would be all over it (or I could make up the background if necessary because the combo sounds badass). My point really is the that EK's are limited both in number of slots and in max casting level and by most of their spells having to come from two specific schools. I think that's limitation enough and there's room to be flexible on the specific schools in question.

Honestly I think the Evocation/Abjuration thing was more to fit a theme. If your player has a better theme for them, run with it!

 

[Piratecat]

Wow, I love the idea of an Elven eldritch knight focused on illusion and enchantment magic. That'd be huge amounts of fun.

 

[77IM]

I think it's fine. I'd go so far as to let them use the sorcerer or warlock list if they wanted and cast using Cha. What would be cooler: an arcane trickster who cast as a cleric, or one who cast as a druid?