Swordmage advice

[Krrth]

My current 4e character is going to level up Wednesday. I only have access to a few of the books, the GM has all of them. Since I don't want to drag the game down while I look for options on leveling, I was hoping those who are more conversant with 4E could give me some build advice.

Currently, this is my character (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=153718).


Ideas, comments, suggestions?

[incubus5075]

Pay ten bucks for a subscription to Dungeons and dragons insider and download an updated character builder. It has the rules for ALL of the books so you don't have to buy a single book if you don't wanna. If you're a pc it is all you need.

[NPCMook]

If you had one more in Dex, you could grab improved Warding

Focused Expertise: Longsword Weapon Focus: Heavy Blade Arcane Familiar Student of Artifice White Lotus Defense Toughness Improved Initiative Arcane Fire Extra Manifestation Elemental Echo Closing Advantage Elemental Blade Attunement


While most of these aren't the best choices(aside from Focused Expertise and Weapon Focus) the rest are just suggestions, since I have no real idea what you are building with your character. I'd also recommend dropping Lightning Lure, it honestly never worked for me... every time I used it I would roll a 3... Always, every time.

[Mando Knight]

Drop Greenflame Blade for Booming Blade or Frigid Blade (Dragon #367, the last of the free ones), which will let you pseudo-mark one target so you can leave your Aegis on a second to make it eat the penalty for not attacking you.

[tcrudisi]

Drop Greenflame Blade for Booming Blade, which will let you pseudo-mark one target so you can leave your Aegis on a second to make it eat the penalty for not attacking you.

This. I strongly advise doing this as well. It lets you mark one monster, then attack another with Booming Blade. It's win/win.

As for the feat, I would choose Focused Expertise (Longsword) first. Then, at level 4, I would take Intelligent Blademaster to use Int instead of Str for basic attacks... which sets up White Lotus Hindrance at level 8. Hit everything around you with Swordburst, and then laugh as they have to incur opportunity attacks when they try to leave you, since they can't shift. It makes you even stickier. Of course, that means retraining Lightning Lure to Swordburst at some point.

But I'm ranting: Focused Expertise (Longsword) is what I would do for the next feat.

[Aron Times]

Difficult terrain does not work that way. It only hinders movement if you're trying to enter it. Moving out of difficult terrain into normal terrain does not have any movement restrictions.

Anyway, the best White Lotus Feat is White Lotus Riposte (and Master Riposte). If they attack you, they take int mod damage (an another attack if you have Master Riposte), and if they don't attack you, they are subject to your Aegis.

Ask your DM if you can change your stats and your Aegis. I'd build a genasi swordmage with Aegis of Assault and the following stats:

Strength 16
Constitution 12
Dexterity 13
Intelligence 18
Wisdom 13
Charisma 8

This set of stats will let you take Improved Swordmage Warding and Learned Spellcaster (free skill + Ritual Caster) in the heroic tier, and the +1/+2 to all defenses feat in paragon/epic.

[Krrth]

I seem to have missed placing it on the sheet, but the character is using a broadsword, not a longsword. I don't know if that makes much of a difference.

Build wise, I'm currently looking towards elemental tempest, although I don't really have my heart set on it. Since this is my first 4e game, I'm picking it up as we go.

Our group consists of a (dragonborn) paladin, a (shifter)cleric, a (doppelganger)rogue, an (eladrin) wizard, sometimes a (human)fighter, and me.

Typical tactics involve the paladin and the summoned creature from the wizard tanking the bad guy, the wizard blasting everything, and the fighter and I taking on whatever looks nasty. The rogue has only been in one session, so I'm not sure what he wants to do.

As an aside, I'm looking at earthsoul manifestation when I do end up taking extra manifestation, although I'm hearing good things about the abyssal genasi.

[NPCMook]

That's a lot of defenders...

[Krrth]

That's a lot of defenders...

Is that a bad thing?

[NPCMook]

Not much for Large Quantities of damage out put

[Krrth]

Not much for Large Quantities of damage out put

True. Over the last year, the group has lost: A druid, a fighter, 2 rogues, 2 rangers, a cleric, and a warlock. We've got an avenger that wants to rejoin, but work isn't permitting.

That's what we get for playing next to a military base. Our players keep shipping out.