D&D 5E What Spells Would You Recommend for an EK?

[Prism]

So ditch the real shield and grab a greataxe instead

Agreed. I was just referring to the OPs second post which referred to going sword and board

 

[Ancalagon]

So ditch the real shield and grab a greataxe instead

It really bothers me that the "hand economy" makes the sword and shield EK almost unplayable.

 

[Prism]

It really bothers me that the "hand economy" makes the sword and shield EK almost unplayable.

Hardy unplayable, you just can't use reaction spells unless you take the warcaster feat - basically shield and counter spell. Everything else works out just fine, even if occasionally you skip the odd opportunity attack. In fact sword and shield is probably the best option if you plan on using war magic, since the two handed weapon damage is not as significant

 

[Gwarok]

Pretty much what it says on the tin...

For those of you that have played an Eldritch Knight (or seen one played), what cantrips and spells do recommend taking?

True Strike, Longstrider or Expeditious Retreat, Prot v. Evil/Good, Misty Step, Blur, See Invis, Animate Dead, Water Breathing, Haste, Slow, Banishment, Conjure Minor Elementals, Evards Tentacles, Greater Invis, Stoneskin .

 

[Azzy]

It really bothers me that the "hand economy" makes the sword and shield EK almost unplayable.

Well, you can just drop your weapon and cast Shield, then next turn use your bonus action to have your bonded weapon pop into your hand (assuming you're not using your bonus action for anything else that turn—which should be most of the time).

 

[Ancalagon]

Hardy unplayable, you just can't use reaction spells unless you take the warcaster feat - basically shield and counter spell. Everything else works out just fine, even if occasionally you skip the odd opportunity attack. In fact sword and shield is probably the best option if you plan on using war magic, since the two handed weapon damage is not as significant

Well, if it was just "some spell" but shield is a pretty important part of his kit. I can't find the rule at the moment, but there was a big discussion about this (that was lost to the database crash) where the "choice" was to either put away the weapon at the end of the round (and thus be unable to do a reaction attack) *or* keep the weapon (and thus be unable to cast shield). I mean I know you can't do both, but it basically required you to decide in advance, not knowing which one would be needed.

Warcaster is not ideal because it doesn't deal with material components, and not all games have feats allowed.

 

[Warpiglet]

Many good suggestions...let me advocate for an odd pair!

I took magic initiate. With it, I snagged disguise self and took silent image in Addition to shield and something else. Cantrips were doubled and I was able to snag minor image too. Here is the point: being able to change yourself and throw illusions is great for infiltration and escape. At the same time, you are a fully loaded fighter. I think Magic initiate adds so much and ssilent image and disguise self get overlooked for more raw power. I think it is a fun path less travelled....

 

[Barolo]

You should definitely have at least one good concentration spell starting from when you get access to level 2 spells. They are the best buffers, after all, and potentially synergize with your fighting-thing, or reduce the concentration load from your group's primary spellcasters. Just beware of concentration limits. It is nice to have two concentration spells that can give you benefits for fairly different situations, but having concentration spells with very similar uses might prove a little disappointing, specially considering that you don't have a very long set of spells to work with.

Note: as you can see, I disregard evoc spells almost entirely and focus on free picks and abj spells. A little bit of evoc goes a long way.

I just want to point out that for a fighter, evocations are a nice addition for area effects. You are usually better off with multiple basic attacks or weapon cantrips (plus eventual bonus action attack) to deal with single targets.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I just want to point out that for a fighter, evocations are a nice addition for area effects. You are usually better off with multiple basic attacks or weapon cantrips (plus eventual bonus action attack) to deal with single targets.

True. You can get area effects from cantrips like Thunderclap or Sword Burst, though, without needing to expend spell slots. E.g. 2d6-3d6 from Thunderclap is competitive with 2d8 from Thunder Wave, but Thunderclap is at-will.

As a fighter with Shield access you have no particular need to be shy about getting on the front line.

 

[steeldragons]

Chromatic Orb is essential. Gives you access to most forms of energy damage with a single spell selection.

The image of the EK's blade pulsing red/orange/yellow/blue/green/indigo/or violet light for a moment before coalescing into a ball of colored light that shoots forth from the sword's tip is, for me, the quintessential imagery of what being a magic-wielding sword-swinger is all about.