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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 3244816" data-attributes="member: 3146">I disagree. Eldritch Knight has a lot going for it vis a vis Duskblade (it doesn't have much vis a vis Abjurant Champion of Phantom Dragoon, but that's a different discussion). While I haven't played a duskblade, I did play an eldritch Knight from levels 1-18 (final level: Fighter 1/Wizard 6/Eldritch Knight 9/Spellsword 1) in the Living Greyhawk campaign (without dying which is more than most retired LG characters can say), and I don't think I'd trade the abilities that he got for the duskblade abilities.The duskblade ends up with 3-4 more points of BAB, 20 more hit points (more or less, this depends upon what classes the eldritch knight has other than Fighter 1/Wizard 6/Eldritch Knight 10) and no need to shop for another full caster level prestige class. The dusskblade also has arcane attunement, arcane casting, armored mage (eventually medium armor+heavy shield), and arcane chanelling. (Of these, quick cast and arcane channeling are obvious points for comparison--armored mage is likely to net the duskblade one point of AC in his mithral fullplate vis a vis a mithral chain shirt of the spellsword/eldritch knight, though it will require less of an investment in dexterity boosters to attain that AC).On the other hand, his final saves +12/+6/+12 are not quite as good as the eldritch knight (+11/+5/+12 at 17th level plus saves from the last few classes to round it out--the worst case here is probably one level of spellsword and two more levels of wizard for +13/+5/+15; Levels other than wizard would obviously improve this--even three levels of Spellsword would net +14/+6/+15). The Eldritch Knight also ends up with more spells per day, higher level spells, at least 3 bonus feats (stacking the duskblade's combat casting against Scribe Scroll), and access to the Sor/Wiz spell list rather than the duskblade list. The eldritch knight doesn't natively get armored caster, but the expected level of spellsword will enable the use of a mithral chain shirt without spell failure, and a twilight mithral animated shield would also avoid spell failure.Obviously, though, the comparison is going to end up in a comparison of the spell lists and spells known. The duskblade list seems solid and has a number of spells at significantly lower level than the sor/wiz counterparts:1. Standouts: shocking grasp, swift expeditious retreat, ray of enfeeblement, true strike, resist energy (reduced level).2. Standouts: Dimension hop, scorching ray, touch of idiocy, swift fly, see invisibility3. Standouts: Crown of might, crown of protection, dispelling touch, energy aegis, greater magic weapon, vampiric touch4. Standouts: Dimension door, enervate, fire shield, toxic weapon5. Bigby's Clenched Fist, Chain Lightning, Polar Ray, Slashing Dispel, Sonic ShieldThat's not a bad list and has some really incredible parts--resist energy as a first level spell, vampiric touch and shocking grasp for use with arcane chanelling, bigby's clenched fist and polar ray as 5th level spells.However, even ignoring the ludicrously overpowered wraithstrike, the list is missing a number of the sor/wiz spells that really shine for fighter/mages.1. Critical Strike, enlarge person, mage armor, magic missile2. Whirling Blade, alter self, false life, glitterdust3. Blink, displacement, fly, heroism, dragonskin, haste, anticipate teleportation4. greater invisibility, polymorph, solid fog5. Improved Blink, wall of force, teleport6. Contingency, fires of purity, brilliant blade, greater dispel magic7. Bigby's grasping hand, spell turning, limited wish, energy immunity, etc8. Iron body (primarily for the construct immunities--it's an "I win" card against hordes of greater shadows, dread wraiths, etc, though it's also quite nice against dragons or other creatures that deal out their damage in lots of moderately damaging attacks rather than one big one), mind blank, moment of prescience, polymorph any object9. shapechange, time stop, etc.These spells actually give the eldritch knight much more defensive prowess and flexibility than the duskblade (especially the combination of contingency and spells like blink or greater blink) and enable him to give the duskblade a run for his offensive money too. The fact that his spells fill higher level slots than the duskblades also makes Arcane Strike work out better for the Eldritch Knight than it does for the duskblade.The eldritch knight also has the advantage of a much greater number of spells known/in spellbook which, combined with the larger spell list, enable an eldritch knight to function as a backup or secondary arcane caster in a party. The duskblade is not sufficiently flexible to serve as a party's arcane caster.Duskblade is much more straightforward than an eldritch knight and fills a more clearly defined role in a party--the tank--than the eldritch knight (who functions best as a pinch hitter, switching to whatever role is needed). However, if you're handing the class to a skilled player and looking for sheer power, Eldritch Knight seems superior to me.</blockquote>

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