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

[Zardnaar]

It is not the damage, it is the frightened condition that you are after with it and they get disadvantage on the save against it after level 10. Further if you hit them at least once every round they keep getting disadvantage on the save to break it.

Frightened is extremely powerful because of the movement restrictions and in one-on-one melee combat it effectively eliminates extra attack, reducing enemies to one attack a round, burning a reaction to do it and making that attack with disadvantage. You hit the enemy, frighten it, then back up (taking an AOO) and the bad guy can't move into attack you on its turn.

Hmmn. How does it compare to hex though? Say at level 4 think I would take that.

By 8 warcaster and fae/shadow touched so maybe both?

 

[Zardnaar]

A multiclass. Usually I play EKs with a high charisma and dump intelligence.

We are thinking Wisdom for guide origin. Miss out on true strike via EK though but better save than intelligence.

 

[ECMO3]

Hmmn. How does it compare to hex though? Say at level 4 think I would take that.

By 8 warcaster and fae/shadow touched so maybe both?

The target for WS is level 10. That is when it takes a huge leap in effectiveness, and you are starting to get a decent amount of spell slots. At level 4 Hex is probably better (and misty step is certainly better than invisibility). 3 half feats is easier to do on a fighter than anyone else because of the 3rd feat, but personally I would take Shadow Touched over Warcaster if I only had room for two of them.

I am fleshing out my EK I plan to play in the future. I think it will start with 2 levels in Warlock, then 12 levels in EK then probably 4-6 Sorc levels. I already talked to the DM and from his point of view, any spell on the Wizard spell list is a "Wizard spell" regardless of how you got it or what ability it uses. So Truestrike and blade Cantrips - yes, Eldritch Blast - no

S15 D14 C12 I8 W8 CH17

I plan to play a Tiefling, get Pact of Blade, Agonizing Truestrike and Agonizing Green Flame Blade, then Flames of Phelethegos, Warcaster, Shadow Touched, Mage Slayer and not sure on the last feat. I am debating what origin feat, going between Tough and Magic Initiate.

 

[Zardnaar]

The target for WS is level 10. That is when it takes a huge leap in effectiveness, and you are starting to get a decent amount of spell slots. At level 4 Hex is probably better (and misty step is certainly better than invisibility). 3 half feats is easier to do on a fighter than anyone else because of the 3rd feat, but personally I would take Shadow Touched over Warcaster if I only had room for two of them.

I am fleshing out my EK I plan to play in the future. I think it will start with 2 levels in Warlock, then 12 levels in EK then probably 4-6 Sorc levels.

S15 D14 C12 I8 W8 CH17

I plan to play a Tiefling, get Pact of Blade, Agonizing Truestrike and Agonizing Green Flame Blade, then Flames of Phelethegos, Warcaster, Shadow Touched, Mage Slayer and not sure on the last feat. I am debating what origin feat, going between Tough and Magic Initiate.

Think I've worked out how to cast 6 spells a round. Have to be level 13 though.

Fae/Shadow Touched 4&6, warcaster 8?

I'm not stressed about warcaster due to proficiency in constitution saves.

Int vs wisdom though.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

weird thought. Is True strike really that good? could you take it through magic initiate so you can cast it with Wisdom or Charisma instead of INT?

 

[ECMO3]

weird thought. Is True strike really that good? could you take it through magic initiate so you can cast it with Wisdom or Charisma instead of INT?

It is pretty good yes, in prt because you can use it with ranged weapons, meaning keep a heavy crossbow handy on your 8 dex character and use Truestrike with it, then follow it with attacks with thrown weapons.

 

[Ashrym]

Treantmonk is wrong because you don't even need to use a staff at all, you can cast Shilleleagh on a club

I think there's some confusion going on somewhere. The issue is that a person cannot use the quarterstaff as a focus to cast Shillelagh because there is both a material component and a somatic component unless Shillelagh counts as a class spell spell through the means of acquisition, which means normally being a druid spell it would require the caster to have druid levels. Alternatively a ranger using Druidic Warrior can do this too.

A character can use a spell focus as a replacement to components while casting a spell from their class spells. This is stated in every spell casting class in their spellcasting sections.

An EK can use a quarterstaff as a spellcasting focus to cast wizard spells but not druid spells. Shillelagh needs to somehow become a wizard spell for this to work, or at least for that character; or have multi-class levels that match. That means the EK needs to give up their shield in order to have a hand available to use for the material components to cast Shillelagh whether it's on a quarterstaff or a club.

They can cast it but there are caveats.

 

[pukunui]

I think there's some confusion going on somewhere. The issue is that a person cannot use the quarterstaff as a focus to cast Shillelagh because there is both a material component and a somatic component unless Shillelagh counts as a class spell spell through the means of acquisition, which means normally being a druid spell it would require the caster to have druid levels. Alternatively a ranger using Druidic Warrior can do this too.

A character can use a spell focus as a replacement to components while casting a spell from their class spells. This is stated in every spell casting class in their spellcasting sections.

An EK can use a quarterstaff as a spellcasting focus to cast wizard spells but not druid spells. Shillelagh needs to somehow become a wizard spell for this to work, or at least for that character; or have multi-class levels that match. That means the EK needs to give up their shield in order to have a hand available to use for the material components to cast Shillelagh whether it's on a quarterstaff or a club.

They can cast it but there are caveats.

Good point! So the fact that a quarterstaff can be used as either an arcane or druidic focus is irrelevant in this case, because unless shillelagh counts as a wizard spell for the EK, the EK cannot use a druid focus and therefore cannot substitute a quarterstaff for the mistletoe.

While Magic Initiate allows you to cast the level 1 spell gained from it with any spell slots you have, regardless of what class has granted you those slots, it doesn't specify whether you can count the spell as a different class spell than it is originally.

 

[mellored]

Hmmn. How does it compare to hex though? Say at level 4 think I would take that.

Consider dipping ranger 1.
Multiple free casting of Hunter's Mark, more slots, and goodberry.

Ranger 2 and you can pick up Shillelagh and Guidance, and expetise. (Blind Fighting to go with EK's Fog Cloud is also very good).

And GloomStalker 3 is just heavily front loaded too.


Probably go EK 5 first though.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

The civility and consideration of others and their opinions in this thread is refreshing.