D&D (2024) Not a fan of the new Eldritch Knight

ECMO3

Legend
Overall I am pretty happy with the 2024 subclasses, but EK is an exception to this. I hate it.

Eldritch Knight was my favorite fighter subclass by far and it was the fighter I played the most with 2014 rules. Usually I dumped Intelligence, maxed Charisma and multiclassed with a Bard, Sorcerer or Warlock, usually with a 1-4 level dip in one of those.

When played that way in 2014 the class was awesome, Warmagic was not as effective as the Bladesinger extra attack but it was pretty darn fun. On the new EK, Warmagic gets a slight improvement and then a big nerf. It works with the attack action, not requiring an extra action, but it also only works with your Wizard spells. This means Eldritch Blast is not even usable with it and it means if you want to use it in combat you really need to have a good Intelligence, when most fighters dump intelligence.

I have been trying to put together a good EK build and I can't figure one that is going to work for me. I am having trouble figuring why I would ever play an Eldritch Knight when a Valor Bard is available.
 
Last edited:

log in or register to remove this ad


PHB-only EK is in a really weird place. It feels very off to only get your defining feature at lv7... and even a not-dumped Int 16 will feel like it misses too often compared to your actual power stat. And you cannot use your bond weapon as a casting focus (unless it's a quarterstaff), oh no, what do you think you are, a Valor Bard?

You basically pick EK for the 3rd attack, one of which is done with +2dX for being a weapon cantrip. So, you really need that Booming Blade.
 

Mostly you'd play one instead of a valour bard because of the rest of the fighter kit. I never really liked how people seemed to dump Int, and think it shouldn't really be a dumpable stat for them.
It shouldn't, so I wish there was something in the subclass to reward Int. Int skills really aren't it, so you're just looking at spell DCs, and you don't have the spell levels / slots to make that alone worth it.

As things are, are you going to boost Int over Str/Dex? Or boost Int over getting +1 stat combat feats? It's always going to lag behind, and even Int 14-16 will make cantrips feel bad to use over your main attacks.

Best you can do is Vex weapon hit, into a cantrip with attack roll to get that advantage, and then you realize that anything besides True Strike isn't going to be getting bonuses from your (hopefully magical) weapon or its masteries. So you go back to Booming Blade, and then there's no reason not to dump Int again...
 






I question why the build claims splashing a bard, sorcerer, or warlock and the complaint is specific to Eldritch Blast. I would think that if the build dumps CHA and then maxes INT instead of dumping INT and maxing CHA then splashing 1-4 levels of wizard would still supply that bit extra spell power similar to the bard or sorcerer mentioned.

The fighter still has better armor than the valor bard, more attacks than the valor bard, weapon mastery and a fighting style over the valor bard, more hit points than the valor bard, more feats than the valor bard, Second Wind, Action Surge, Tactical Mind, etc.

They're definitely similar but one is more magical and the other is more martial. Playing a valor bard will let you sneak Eldritch Blast into the attack sequence, however, if you build a splash that way. It'll just be missing the rest of the fighter kit.
 

Trending content

Remove ads

Top