What do you think of the Duskblade?
- Thread starter DM-Rocco
- Start date
Klaus
First Post
They're nice, but they ain't no Battle Sorcerer (a much more flexible class that should be made into core D&D in 4e).DM-Rocco said:What do you think of the Duskblades?
I have some mixed feelings about them. The basic idea of the class is great, but the channeling magic through a melee weapon seems to be limited. I looked up the "touch" spells in the spell list and I think it was something like 3 or 4 touch spells. That seems a bit limiting as a class feature. Sure you could take the learn spell feat and get cause critical wounds, but just going off of the spell list, it seems weak.
Unless you allow "ranged" touch spells too. Then they are mean, nothing worse than a full Whirlwind attack of Disintegrate per hit
Although, there is a difference between ranged touch attack and touch attack, so I would say that doesn't work.
krunchyfrogg
Explorer
Having never actually seen one in play, it seems too powerful to me. My instinct is to think that my observations are incorrect though (since I haven't actually seen one played).
It reminds me a lot of the Elf class in OD&D.
It reminds me a lot of the Elf class in OD&D.
Brian Compton
First Post
I played a duskblade in a recent campaign, and it wasn't too overpowered. The spells, while nice, are limited in that you know a very small number/level, and can only add one/level to any level you know. The trade-out rule helps here somewhat, but I never saw a need to get rid of a current spell for a different one.
The spells I used the most were Stand and Dimension Hop, with Shocking Grasp for offense. With Shocking Grasp capped at 5d6, it's a nice spell early on but loses punch over time. Stand is a nice spell to have, especially when enemies are using trip, but again, allowing someone to stand from prone as a free action once in a while is not overpowering, and also depletes your 1st-level spells (e.g. Shocking Grasp). Dimension Hop helps in a quick escape, and combined with your free swift casting/day, can help a character get around the battlefield quickly. Again, though, not a breaker.
Yes, duskblades get Disintegrate and Polar Ray later on, but if you are relying on the duskblade as a primary arcane blaster, your party has other issues. I could foresee my character never even picking up those spells, as his offense came mostly through his sword. I would advise going the one-handed weapon and shield route. With only a d8, you need all the defense you can get. Don't overlook the Battle Caster feat too; at 7th level, your use of medium armor upgrades to heavy armor.
This class makes me wonder if a similar class for warrior-clerics could be done (similar to the 2E FR Crusader- I loved that class!).
The spells I used the most were Stand and Dimension Hop, with Shocking Grasp for offense. With Shocking Grasp capped at 5d6, it's a nice spell early on but loses punch over time. Stand is a nice spell to have, especially when enemies are using trip, but again, allowing someone to stand from prone as a free action once in a while is not overpowering, and also depletes your 1st-level spells (e.g. Shocking Grasp). Dimension Hop helps in a quick escape, and combined with your free swift casting/day, can help a character get around the battlefield quickly. Again, though, not a breaker.
Yes, duskblades get Disintegrate and Polar Ray later on, but if you are relying on the duskblade as a primary arcane blaster, your party has other issues. I could foresee my character never even picking up those spells, as his offense came mostly through his sword. I would advise going the one-handed weapon and shield route. With only a d8, you need all the defense you can get. Don't overlook the Battle Caster feat too; at 7th level, your use of medium armor upgrades to heavy armor.
This class makes me wonder if a similar class for warrior-clerics could be done (similar to the 2E FR Crusader- I loved that class!).
Grimstaff
Explorer
Its always amusing to me the great lengths 3.5 designers have gone to to emulate the simple effectiveness of the 1E Elven Fighter/MagicUser. We have probably 100 or so pages of rules from various splats and corebooks all trying to do fix what d20 multi-classing rules broke: a competetive spell-casting multi-classed character.
Just an observation.
That said, I think that if you favor high-level play, then the Duskblade is a viable option, with enough options at level 12 and higher to keep the character interesting in play. If you favor low-to-mid level games, the class seems a bit of a lame duck, once his few spells are expended he's just a fighter without all the cool feats.
Just an observation.
That said, I think that if you favor high-level play, then the Duskblade is a viable option, with enough options at level 12 and higher to keep the character interesting in play. If you favor low-to-mid level games, the class seems a bit of a lame duck, once his few spells are expended he's just a fighter without all the cool feats.
The_Gneech
Explorer
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-The Gneech
I personally like it but I really hate the fact that WotC doesn't give you any sort of rules to determine which NEW spells to add to the Duskblade spell list outside the PHB and PHB2. So far, most touch spells, small range spells and small area spells, and a few miscellaneous stuff were the guidelines.
Not entirely very helpful. It would've been better for WotC to state which schools of magic from which spell list they had access to, or which type of spells (e.g. "For spells outside the PHB and PHB2, any touch or ray spell may be added along with etc. etc.") That would've been helpful. They did it with the Beguiler, Warmage, Dread Necromancer, and especially the Spellthief.
Currently I had to painstakingly go through every spell from every WotC and Paizo product to look for spells that I can add to the Duskblade spell list. I did a half-ass job because, seriously, WotC should've had this already prepared for me. It's ridiculous I have to do this myself.
Not entirely very helpful. It would've been better for WotC to state which schools of magic from which spell list they had access to, or which type of spells (e.g. "For spells outside the PHB and PHB2, any touch or ray spell may be added along with etc. etc.") That would've been helpful. They did it with the Beguiler, Warmage, Dread Necromancer, and especially the Spellthief.
Currently I had to painstakingly go through every spell from every WotC and Paizo product to look for spells that I can add to the Duskblade spell list. I did a half-ass job because, seriously, WotC should've had this already prepared for me. It's ridiculous I have to do this myself.
Garnfellow
Explorer
I had a player with a duskblade for most of my converted G3 and D1-2-3. In general, the class seemed pretty good, but what really made the character shine in combat were his use of new spells from the PHII and SC that focused on tactical movement and swift actions. The regroup spell alone saved the party's bacon many, many times in G3.
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