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View Full Version : How to make a duelist out of a Battle sorcerer. Help fast!



Scarlet-Devil
2011-01-30, 01:17 AM
So it turns out I'm going to be joining a play-by-post game, if I can create my character fast enough. I was wanting to try out the swiftblade prestige class, probably going into it with Battle Sorcerer, and I want my character's fighting style to be as a sabre (scimitar) wielding duelist (think Griffith from Berserk, but with a little magic thrown in). How can I do this without throwing levels away in duelist or dervish or anything else?

What feats, skill tricks, items, etc do I need to make this work?

Edit: Ah! Bless me for being an idiot; we're starting at sixth level, with 20,000 gp spending money, and a single, character-unique magic item for free (not quite certain what the limits are on this). Is there a low LA race or template that would be good, i.e. dexterity/charisma bonuses etc?

Runestar
2011-01-30, 02:52 AM
Try the swiftblade handbook, particularly the builds section.

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871410/The_Swiftblade_Handbook

Best I can do, regrettably, having no experience with the class whatsoever. :smalltongue:

MeeposFire
2011-01-30, 02:58 AM
Sounds like you just need swiftblade. What are you asking for that a straight sorc/swiftblade cannot deliver?

gbprime
2011-01-30, 10:54 AM
Either Battle Sorcerer or Stalwart Sorcerer gets you what you need. Straight class that to 6. Take Swiftblade after. You get 3 or 4 feats, and they need to include Dodge, Mobility, and (IMO) one of the Bloodline feats from Dragon Magazine Compendium to make up for the spells known hit you're taking.

Scarlet-Devil
2011-01-30, 12:47 PM
I wasn't talking about fulfilling the swiftblade requirements... What I meant was that I wanted duelist-like attributes on my swiftblade, i.e. the ability to avoid a lot of damage in light or no armor and be very mobile. I think I've pretty much got it worked out already though; I'll just take dodge, mobility, elusive target, combat expertise...

Flickerdart
2011-01-30, 12:55 PM
I wasn't talking about fulfilling the swiftblade requirements... What I meant was that I wanted duelist-like attributes on my swiftblade, i.e. the ability to avoid a lot of damage in light or no armor and be very mobile. I think I've pretty much got it worked out already though; I'll just take dodge, mobility, elusive target, combat expertise...
Except those feats are terri-bad. You're a Sorcerer, not a glorified pickpocket, so act like it. Get some miss chances stacked up, enchant some robes, use Haste for running around. Spend your feats on useful things like Versatile Spellcaster.

woodenbandman
2011-01-30, 12:56 PM
Cast Fire shield, then spend the rest of your spells on wings of cover.

Hammerhead
2011-01-30, 01:46 PM
Battle Sorcerer is the fastest route to Arcane Strike. AS heavily favors the nova-narcolepsy playstyle, but it can give your TWF a damage source.

Add Wraithstrike and Wings of Cover for higher level attacks and defense; maybe try to get your hands on a wand of Blades of Flame (and a wand chamber) for a bit of bonus damage in that tricky level 3 range.

I'd recommend using that money for a Sudden Stunning weapon. It would make the short adventuring day even more of a problem, but it would relieve some of your mobility problems until you get pounce somewhere (move->attack+stun->full attack).

MeeposFire
2011-01-30, 05:37 PM
Except those feats are terri-bad. You're a Sorcerer, not a glorified pickpocket, so act like it. Get some miss chances stacked up, enchant some robes, use Haste for running around. Spend your feats on useful things like Versatile Spellcaster.

The two worst feats are dodge and mobility which are required so no point in not liking those. Combat expertise is alright though I think there are better. Elusive target is very good if you are in a game that has enemies using power attack.

To the OP...use spells and not feats in general to improve your defenses. Swiftblade gives you most already with its in class miss chance on attacks and spells. It also gives bonus AC so I am not sure you particualry need anything outside of good choices for spells. What spells are you going to choose?

Scarlet-Devil
2011-01-30, 06:43 PM
The two worst feats are dodge and mobility which are required so no point in not liking those. Combat expertise is alright though I think there are better. Elusive target is very good if you are in a game that has enemies using power attack.

To the OP...use spells and not feats in general to improve your defenses. Swiftblade gives you most already with its in class miss chance on attacks and spells. It also gives bonus AC so I am not sure you particualry need anything outside of good choices for spells. What spells are you going to choose?

Yes, elusive target is definitely one of my favourite feats ever. Anyway, I haven't received any hints as to what kind of campaign this is going to be, but I have a very vague suspicion that it may involve an elder evil, for whatever that's worth.

I've just picked some pretty basic low level spells; charm person, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, ghoul touch etc.

MeeposFire
2011-01-30, 07:15 PM
Other people can give you better buffing spell ideas but you really want to include a few buffs in your list.

Stuff like polymorph, wraith strike, shivering touch, and the like can really help.

Getting more attacks on the move is important for you so look for ways to move outside of your move action, pounce, or similar methods.

Spells like mirror image or greater mirror image are great too since they stack with your innate miss chance.

Scarlet-Devil
2011-01-30, 08:09 PM
Other people can give you better buffing spell ideas but you really want to include a few buffs in your list.

Stuff like polymorph, wraith strike, shivering touch, and the like can really help.

Getting more attacks on the move is important for you so look for ways to move outside of your move action, pounce, or similar methods.

Spells like mirror image or greater mirror image are great too since they stack with your innate miss chance.

Hmm, wraith strike is lovely, I'll keep that in mind for my next second level spell; polymorph is inapplicable at the moment, and not really top priority for this character, as I want her to primarily fight in her normal form, and would only ever use polymorph if there happened to be a cool medium-sized form with really good physical attributes (that could wield a sword); and shivering touch is pretty meh at the moment too, as my first 3rd level spell is haste, the next will be slow, and I'm not really sure after that.

Mirror image is of course a wonderful spell, but it's also a 'just how does this work?' spell, in that you always have to figure out how to determine if an image is hit or not, and it's further complicated by the fact that this is a play-by-post game...

But yeah, buffs are nice, but most aren't super important to me; blades of fire might be worth picking up once I gain a second attack, deflect might be nice...