Critique my build please. (3.5)

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

After being dissuaded from taking Green star adept I have created a new build for a Duskblade and I was wondering how this one is in terms of being a good build or not.

1. Duskblade 1
2. Duskblade 2
3. Duskblade 3
4. Swashbuckler 1
5. Warblade 1
6. Duskblade 4
7. Duskblade 5
8. Duskblade 6
9. Duskblade 7
10. Duskblade 8
11. Duskblade 9
12. Duskblade 10
13. Duskblade 11
14. Duskblade 12
15. Duskblade 13
16. Abjurant Champion 1
17. Abjurant Champion 2
18. Abjurant Champion 3
19. Abjurant Champion 4
20. Abjurant Champion 5

1) Arcane Attunement, Armored Mage (Light); Feat: EWP: Spiked Chain, Eschew Materials, Power Attack; Flaws: Dark Secret, Deep Sleeper
2) Combat Casting
3) Arcane Channeling; Feat: Knowledge Devotion
4) Weapon Finesse
5) Battle Clarity (Reflex Saves), Weapon Aptitude
6) Armored Mage (Medium); Feat: Battle Casting
7) Quick Cast 1/day
8) Spell Power +2
9) Armored Mage (Heavy Shield); Feat: Obtain Familiar
10) N/A
11) N/A
12) Quick Cast 2/day; Feat: Arcane Strike
13) Spell Power +3
14) N/A
15) Arcane Channeling (full attack); Feat: Improved Familiar (Pseudodragon)
16) Abjurant Armor, Extended Abjuraion
17) Swift Abjuration
18) Feat: Versatile Spellcaster
19) Arcane Boost
20) Martial Arcanist



[Sources: Players Handbook, Players Handbook 2, Complete Warrior, Complete Mage, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Champion, Dungeon Master Guide, Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, Races of the Dragon, Races of the Wild, and Flaws from here (http://www.roleplaynexus.com/flaws.html).]

[Zaydos]

My optimization-fu is weak so mostly just a few questions:
Any specific combos in mind with the psuedodragon? I've seen games where familiars ended up pretty beastly, but normally that requires polymorph, being an animal companion as well, or variant rules. Then again a duskblade has enough touch spells to make them nasty. That and familiars are just plain fun especially the more talkative ones.

Also why Battle Casting (Caster?)? You can't use Insightful Strike in medium armor so it seems rather counterproductive (I'm assuming the 3 levels of swashbuckler are for the purposes of gaining insightful strike).

Other than that a little disappointed that you don't get arcane channeling (full attack) till 20th but then I remember that it only applies once to each creature hit and shrug. Could go for the capstone from Abjurant Champion but Practiced Spellcaster feat would do that just as well and the caster level isn't too important.

Wish I had a better idea of your stats and what level you'd probably be playing. I'd also say Arcane Strike earlier would be useful but other than that looks decent.

[Prodan]

Do you really want Int to damage that much?

[Os1ris09]

It might help if you gave us a concept to go with... I can make a better arcane fighter gish thing without duskblade. BUT if you really want duskblade then I have other ways to get you something better in the long run... and with out armor either. Just let us know what you want and I will do my best to help out.

[FMArthur]

Do you really want Int to damage that much?

This. 3 levels is a pretty large investment to increase a Duskblade's already good damage. You will probably deal less damage on average because of what you lose.

[Keld Denar]

I agree with the above. Ditch the Swashbuckler levels...

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

You can't use Insightful Strike in medium armor so it seems rather counterproductive

First off I am not going to be in Medium Armor.


Do you really want Int to damage that much?

Second I do, because I have a ridiculous Int bonus


I'd also say Arcane Strike earlier would be useful

I can't don't qualify for it till around level 12 and that is when I am taking Improved familiar but I could push that back for Arcane strike first.

And as for what I was planing on doing, truely I was aming for tankish with spells attached because I have full BAB so I can deal some damage. The race is a Sun Elf (Same as elf but +2 Int instead of dex) and my stats are as follows: Int: 20, Dex: 18, Wis: 16, Str: 14, Con: 14, Cha: 10. The DM doesn't like point-buy so we roll for our stats and I got good rolls.

[FMArthur]

First off I am not going to be in Medium Armor.



Second I do, because I have a ridiculous Int bonus



I can't don't qualify for it till around level 12 and that is when I am taking Improved familiar but I could push that back for Arcane strike first.

And as for what I was planing on doing, truely I was aming for tankish with spells attached because I have full BAB so I can deal some damage. The race is a Sun Elf (Same as elf but +2 Int instead of dex) and my stats are as follows: Int: 20, Dex: 18, Wis: 16, Str: 14, Con: 14, Cha: 10. The DM doesn't like point-buy so we roll for our stats and I got good rolls.

You have the typical Int bonus of someone who wants a high Int bonus for their class. 5 damage isn't worth 3 levels.

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

I am also taking it for Weapon Finesse

Granted if I were to replace the 3 levels of swash with 2 of dusk and 1 of champ, I would get 3 more spells (yes I know that is good) but really nothing else.

[Hyooz]

The earlier you hit Duskblade 13 the better. Full Attack with Channeling is SO good.

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

True, I have no idea why I had Abjurant Champ at such a low level, probably for Arcane Boost but Arcane Channeling at full attacks would be better.

[gallagher]

With such a high int, I would go with levels of warblade

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

With such a high int, I would go with levels of warblade

If I were to I would be losing (more) spells for abilities that I don't think compliment the build (from a standpoint of never having used or even looked at Maneuvers and Stances). This is of course if it is the Warblade on Pg.20 of the ToB that you are talking about and not one from an obscure book.

[Gorgondantess]

If I were to I would be losing (more) spells for abilities that I don't think compliment the build (from a standpoint of never having used or even looked at Maneuvers and Stances). This is of course if it is the Warblade on Pg.20 of the ToB that you are talking about and not one from an obscure book.

A one level dip in warblade fits in all builds. Not kidding- the concentration replacing save roll maneuvers are always good if you have maxed conjuration, and if you can manage to take the dip at 9th level or later, iron heart surge work well on everything. And while I do love swashbucklers... you're better off skipping the swashbuckler levels. 20 intelligence does not equal massive intelligence.

[BooNL]

What level of optimization is required for the game? From the looks of it, you're trying to squeeze the most out of a relatively unoptimized combination.
What you have is plenty fine for most games and I don't think you'd run into any problems with the average DM. However, you really want to turn this up a notch, let's try to help you.

There are two things incredibly important in a Duskblade's career: Arcane Strike and level 13. In no way should you try to delay those, unless it's for RP reasons or very particular builds.

Besides loving Duskblades I'm a big Swashbuckler buff, but I wouldn't combine those unless it was a gestalt game. The reason, fastforward you character to level 13.

Yours would be doing ~8-9 extra damage per hit with Swashbuckler, as well as having a generally low base damage from weapon finessing instead of power attacking.
A straight Duskblade can channel spells through every attack made in a full round, that's 5d6 damage per attack with Shocking Grasp! Insane life leech with Vampiric Touch! Furthermore, you'll have a higher base damage from power attacking as well as being able to burn off spell slots to fuel your Arcane Strike.

Tl;dr: Duskblades are Gish-in-a-cans, don't multiclass them.

[Os1ris09]

Personally the build I would go with is the following with your scores:

Sun Elf

Duskblade 13/Abjurant Champion 5/PrC 5(7 if you can get into incantatrix somehow someway :smallbiggrin:)

Feats are yours for the picking besides your Prereqs but I believe u get those as bonus feats from duskblade. From there you should do the Power Attack Leap Attack Shock Trooper (if you can) style and make the most out of your damage and ability to channel spells. IIRC about the class feature you charge and channel spell and hopefully have a swift spell to cast a rhino rush version or some spell that gives you pounce before charge to get your full BAB attacks.


Hope this helps its late at night and I am AFB right now.

[Keld Denar]

You can't charge and channel a spell. Arcane Channeling is specifically a standard action, and charing is a full round action. If you do one, you don't have enough action left over to do the other, and you can't do them simultanteously for the same reason you can't execute a martial strike while Arcane Channeling.

I'm gonna echo the advice given, don't take the Swashbuckler levels. From a CharOp PoV, it takes away too much for what it gives. Even if at level 20, the loss isn't so great, it pushes back all of your Duskblade stuff 3 levels. The sooner you get 3rd level spells (specifically Vampiric Touch), the better off you are. The sooner you get full attack channel, the better off you are. Trust me, its not worth it.

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

Ok I edited the build again, but I am keeping 1 level of Swash for weapon Finesse because my Dex is better then Str and since I am useing a spiked chain I thought it would help.