Melee Magic Class (Other than the Spellsword)?

[Titanium Fox]

So, I'm coming up with characters for my campaigns that I'm participating in next year at the local college. So far I've rolled out two out of three characters, and have had them approved. However, for the last, I'm looking at something akin to a battle mage, and nothing like the Warmage.

I'm looking for a class (base or PRC) that would either buff/encourage standards spellcasting in melee range (something like the Enhancement Shaman from WoW), or something that would allow me to channel spellcasting through a weapon. I've looked through spellsword, and I have to say I'm not a fan. You can only burn a spell through a weapon 5 times a day at capstone, which seems like it would run out extremely fast, especially when the focus of the character is going to be an even split between melee and casting in some manner.

[Lord_Gareth]

I don't know if it's what you're looking for, precisely, but Swiftblade is one of the best gish PrCs out there. Learn it, love it, live it.

[Volthawk]

Duskblade from PHBII. Armoured casting, channeling magic through your attacks and some buffs.

[veven]

Duskblade gets to channel spells at level 3 and at level 13 they can channel a spell with a full attack. Pretty fun class. PHBII

EDIT: I'VE HAD IT WITH THESE M-F'n SWORDSAGES IN THIS M-F'n THREAD!

[Imperial Psycho]

Duskblade seems the most obvious. it's PHB II, and does get the ability to channel touch spells through it's sword.

EDIT: ARGH DOUBLE SWORDSAGE'd

[Shadowknight12]

Duskblade, from the PHBII. It has the "channel spells through weapon attacks" thing. Not a lot of buffing, though. For that, you want to go cleric and become part of the Divine Brotherhood of DMM Persist. I think you have to bring a virgin to sacrifice, though.

EDIT: N-N-N-N-NINJA COMBO.

[The-Mage-King]

Duskblade, maybe? Or a Jade Pheonix Mage build, starting with elf generalist, then warblade for a level and elf generalist until you can PrC to it for the rest?

EDIT: S-s-s-swordsage'd!

[Telonius]

The only thing other than Duskblade I can think of that comes close would be a melee Warlock with Hideous Blow or (much better) Eldritch Glaive. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're either very good at optimizing or your group is low-op - they usually take some shenanigans to bring them up to speed, and aren't full-BAB in any case.

[Lord_Gareth]

For a Cleric Gish option, try Ruby Knight Vindicator.

*Rocks the immunity to swordsaging*

[Person_Man]

Spell Storing magic weapon enhancement, strait out of the DMG.

[LansXero]

Bards can be made into good melee fighters, and a splash of barbarian wouldnt be too bad.

[Dusk Eclipse]

To be a little different, the Psychic Warrior is a warrior who uses mystical power (psionics) to become stronger, faster, better at fighting; don't let the 3/4 BAB fool you this guy can hit more and stronger than most classes.

For example here is one of the best known builds for psychic warriors, ladies and gentlemen I present you the:

King of Smack (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19866038/The_king_of_smack.)

[Volthawk]

Duskblade gets to channel spells at level 3 and at level 13 they can channel a spell with a full attack. Pretty fun class. PHBII

EDIT: I'VE HAD IT WITH THESE M-F'n SWORDSAGES IN THIS M-F'n THREAD!


Duskblade seems the most obvious. it's PHB II, and does get the ability to channel touch spells through it's sword.

EDIT: ARGH DOUBLE SWORDSAGE'd


Duskblade, from the PHBII. It has the "channel spells through weapon attacks" thing. Not a lot of buffing, though. For that, you want to go cleric and become part of the Divine Brotherhood of DMM Persist. I think you have to bring a virgin to sacrifice, though.

EDIT: N-N-N-N-NINJA COMBO.


Duskblade, maybe? Or a Jade Pheonix Mage build, starting with elf generalist, then warblade for a level and elf generalist until you can PrC to it for the rest?

EDIT: S-s-s-swordsage'd!

4x Combo! :smallbiggrin:

[Vent Reynolt]

While it is not quite channeling spells through your weapon, you can channel pure arcane energy from spell slots using the Arcane Strike feat. The only daily limit is the number of spell slots you have.

Most importantly, you can use Arcane Strike with any "Gish" class out there instead of limiting yourself to Spellsword, which is regarded as underwhelming because of the large number of lost caster levels.

[wuwuwu]

If your DM allows Pathfinder content, there is the Magus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus) class.

[Cog]

Spell Storing magic weapon enhancement, strait out of the DMG.
Alternatively, the Bloodstone enhancement: it stores Vampiric Touch only, but Empowers it for free.

[Fax Celestis]

If your DM allows Pathfinder content, there is the Magus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus) class.

Duskblade is cast-lite, melee-heavy, while magus is the reverse.

[Gwendol]

For good mix of buff and general utility: bard
Good melee and some magical tricks (including channeling): duskblade (as so many have already stated). My suggestion would be to tack on some rogue levels on the DB for better skills, including UMD, and adding precision damage to spells and melee attacks. Makes that puny ray of frost spell look a bit more lethal.

[gorfnab]

One build I like for buffing melee gish is Bard 8/ Paladin of Freedom 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Sacred Exorcist 3.

[Keld Denar]

Alternatively, the Bloodstone enhancement: it stores Vampiric Touch only, but Empowers it for free.

Alternatively, both. You can't stack Spellstoring twice, but you could have a +1 Spellstoring Bloodstone weapon. One hit and unleach a Combust + Empowered Vampiric Touch = OUCH!

Use Whirling Blade, and you can do it from across the room. BOOM SHAKA LAKA!

[Maho-Tsukai]

If you don't mind a bit of MAD Duskblade X/Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Theurge OR some melee-focused/gishy, 10/10 divine CL progression class looks like a fun, fun build. Duskblade dose not say that only arcane spells can be channeled and as a result Ur-Priest lets you get the whole cleric list, which has some notoriously deadly touch spells(Imagine channeling HARM through your weapon. :smallamused:) Your BAB will suffer, but with Ur-priest 2 you have the cleric list AND rebuke which means all you need to do if you want good BAB is slap on a DMM persisted divine power and call it a day.

If you don't like the dual casting stat issue you can use a 3rd party feat from Green Ronin's bastards and bloodlines called Lost Traditions, to set Ur-Priest casting to int OR duskblade casting to wisdom. Just choose whichever you prefer for RP.

[Gnaeus]

Don't forget Ordained Champion. (CChamp). It does a lot of what you are asking for from a cleric base.

[Psyren]

4x Combo! :smallbiggrin:

It was beautiful and terrifying all at once, like watching a 4-car pile-up happen in front of you.

The Binder/Knight of the Sacred Seal is a fantastic 'gish' class too.

[Optimator]

With three levels in Duskblade before going into CHameleon you can cherry-pick all your favorite touch spells up to 6th level.

[Treblain]

I say Bard/Swiftblade with Arcane Strike. If you're worried about running out of spells from Arcane Strike, take Lyric Spell (and maybe Extra Music) so you can spend bardic music instead of spell slots.

[Essence_of_War]

Have you considered a Suel Arcanamach?

Duskblade4/Warblade2/Suel Archa 4/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Spellsword1?

You have to burn a feat on Iron Will, but this could be reasonable.

With DB4 you can wear Mithril Plate w/o ASF. Warblade will give you a couple of useful maneuvers, and then the Suel Arch will give you some cool spells that can be buff/debuffy rather than flashy direct damage stuff.

[NeoSeraphi]

Casting in melee requires armor. And you say you want buffs. So rather than suggest duskblade like everyone else, I'm going to say you should go for the Paladin of Honor class (PHB). With the release of the Spell Compendium and Complete Champion, the Paladin is actually a viable class with a lot of good self-buff spells, and the ability to easily cast them in melee (The feat Battle Blessing from Complete Champion lets you cast all paladin spells that you can cast as a standard action as a swift action instead. Casting a spell as a swift action does not provoke an attack of opportunity or require a concentration check, no matter how flanked you are.)

[Essence_of_War]

Casting in melee requires armor. And you say you want buffs. So rather than suggest duskblade like everyone else, I'm going to say you should go for the Paladin of Honor class (PHB). With the release of the Spell Compendium and Complete Champion, the Paladin is actually a viable class with a lot of good self-buff spells, and the ability to easily cast them in melee (The feat Battle Blessing from Complete Champion lets you cast all paladin spells that you can cast as a standard action as a swift action instead. Casting a spell as a swift action does not provoke an attack of opportunity or require a concentration check, no matter how flanked you are.)

Piggybacking, Paladin 4/Crusader 1 is a reasonable entry into Ruby Knight Windicator also!:smallsmile:

[Dusk Eclipse]

Piggybacking the second a Sorcadin is also a great option

Paladin 2/Sorcerer 4/Spell Sword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 8

[Essence_of_War]

Piggybacking the second a Sorcadin is also a great option

Paladin 2/Sorcerer 4/Spell Sword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 8

Yikes, how did it take that many posts to get the Sorcadin!

[Dusk Eclipse]

Almost a full page.... must be a new record

[Volthawk]

Almost a full page.... must be a new record

Well there was the 4x combo ninjaing of duskblade and one or two posts about it...

[Dusk Eclipse]

Well there was the 4x combo ninjaing of duskblade and one or two posts about it...

Still, it is weird Sorcadin is mentioned so late in a thread about gishes...

[Mad Gene Vane]

If you don't want to waste time carrying around clunky weapons:

Monk/Sorc or Wizard/Enlightened Fist (Complete Arcane or Complete Mage, can't remember which).

Combinations that could work with Sacred Fist (Complete Divine), would get you some divine spell casting, which has lots of buffs.

Typical entry to the PrC would be Monk / Cleric / Sacred Fist, though I think some Paladin / Sacred Fists could work, since both have a +1 BAB progression.

Another twist would be Druid / Sacred Fist, since I think the Wild Shape ability wouldn't disqualify you from being a Sacred Fist. Natural Attacks aren't using weapons man made weapons.

[Amphetryon]

Wilder could work if you go for the magic/psionic transparency thing.

[gorfnab]

Well for Sacred Fist there is the amusing build of the Sacrilegious Fist.
Duskblade 3/ Monk 2/ Ur-Priest 2/ Sacred Fist 10/ Enlightened Fist 3

[Optimator]

Amusing, yes. I'd only recommend it for highish level play since it's such a late bloomer and very feat-intensive. Duskblade helps though.

[TroubleBrewing]

Cleric.

[/thread.]

[only1doug]

So, I'm coming up with characters for my campaigns that I'm participating in next year at the local college. So far I've rolled out two out of three characters, and have had them approved. However, for the last, I'm looking at something akin to a battle mage, and nothing like the Warmage.

I'm looking for a class (base or PRC) that would either buff/encourage standards spellcasting in melee range (something like the Enhancement Shaman from WoW), or something that would allow me to channel spellcasting through a weapon. I've looked through spellsword, and I have to say I'm not a fan. You can only burn a spell through a weapon 5 times a day at capstone, which seems like it would run out extremely fast, especially when the focus of the character is going to be an even split between melee and casting in some manner.

I'd like to echo all the Duskblade suggestions, my last character was a Duskblade 5 / Wizard 1 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Eldritch Knight 7

use wizard spells as long duration buffs, a bludgeoning weapon and Greater Mighty Wallop.

I added Fiery Burst reserve feat for tactical offensive spell-like power.

I went with a draconic influenced race (Silverbrow Human) and traded heavy armour proficiency for Dragonscale Husk ACF (Which in this build offers 7 AC and Energy Resistance 5 to all 5 energy types). (0% Spell failure).

[Veyr]

I'd like to echo all the Duskblade suggestions, my last character was a Duskblade 5 / Wizard 1 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Eldritch Knight 7
I'm trying to figure this out. Are AbjChamp and EK advancing Wizard casting? If so, why are you bothering with Duskblade 5 at all? Duskblade 3 and 13 are the only levels with decent class features, IIRC. Even then, I'm not sure the Wizard spells are worth it; you've already lost a ton of spellcasting levels, it'll be a long time before Wizard spellcasting overtakes what you would have had if you just advanced Duskblade casting...

[Kansaschaser]

Beguilar 6 / Swiftblade 10 / Paragnostic Apostle 4

The Paragnostic Apostle can get an ability that increases the speed of any spell that grants speed by +20ft. So Haste would get +50 feet of movement.

They can also increase the armor bonus of any spell that grants an armor bonus. So they would get the same armor bonus as 4 levels of Abjurant Champion. Plus, the armor bonus applies to any spell that grants an armor bonus, not just Abjuration spells.

Add some Bloodline feats from the Dragon Compendium to give you access to some more spells and the Arcane Strike feat and you're good to go.