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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 7022242" data-attributes="member: 6787650">To a certain extent it depends on how you want to play the EK and what your campaign is like in terms of magic items, but... if I were playing an EK at an unknown table, and I were going for maximum combat effectiveness, I'll prioritize:Mage Armor, Shield, Absorb Elements, Counterspell -- the obvious defense spells that keep you aliveMagic Weapon -- ensures that your offensive capability remains intact even against Rakshasas/werewolves/etc. Makes your spells more reliable than even spells, since some monsters shrug off magical effects.Expeditious Retreat -- I'd be playing a Sharpshooter archer with a longbow, and the ability to either kite or run away effectively can be a lifesaver, especially at low levels or if you run into something way too big to fight. Might be less important at a table where you know the DM manipulates the dungeon so you never run into anything you can't handle. In that case you might want Find Familiar instead.Animate Dead -- it's convenient to be able to generate your own meat shields if necessary, to give you more time to shoot things. Not available until at least 13th level (14th if you don't swap out any 1st or 2nd level spells).Dimension Door -- again because I'm into survivability and mobility. Otherwise I might pick Polymorph.Enlarge -- fighters are good at grappling, and grapple/prone is good at taking down single enemies, but by default you can't grapple Huge or Gargantuan enemies. Enlarge can be convenient for taking down giants and such. However, you don't have enough spell picks to get this AND the other non-abj/evoc spells I've suggested, so this is something you'd look into if you felt comfortable foregoing one of the above.Cantrip: Mold Earth -- endless fun digging pits, creating instant fortifications, and other out-of-the-box thinking. Being able to move 9600 lb. of dirt in six seconds has some real potential. Shape Water has some potential too but is harder to employ.Cantrip: Booming Blade -- my backup melee combat option. As an archer it's convenient to have options that also work in melee.Cantrip: Prestidigitation -- for staying clean and dry, other creature comforts.Cantrip: Fire Bolt -- ranged option in case I'm caught without weapons. Not super important but might as well.Fireball -- always good to have some AoE on tap.Darkness -- it can be good to have a way to impose complete darkness, either because you're trying to equalize a fight (e.g. against drow w/ their long-range Darkvision, and they're picking you apart where they can see you but you can't see them) or because you've got the Alert feat and you want something that's functionally equivalent to Blur for defensive purposes, but doesn't cost you an non-evoc/abj slot.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.</blockquote>

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