Adding to the Duskblade

[Infernum]

Ive been working on fixing some of the classes in my game and of the many things ive been doing, expanding spell lists for things like War Mage, Duskblade and the like has been at the forefront of my efforts as of late.

I have been focusing on Duskblade at the moment, adding things like the Wujin spell Lightning Blade and the Cleric spell Ice Axe to this classes arsenal. What other things do you think i should add. My main purpose was to add more spells that deal with weapons either making them or augmenting them, more fitting with the class than some of the spells already on the list.

Any input would be nice.

[Vladislav]

Add as many Touch spells as you can think of. It gets really boring only channeling Shocking Grasp and Vampiric Touch and nothing else.

[Snowbluff]

Add as many Touch spells as you can think of. It gets really boring only channeling Shocking Grasp and Vampiric Touch and nothing else.

This so much. I thought it was a joke when I looked at the spell list the first time.

I'd start with Slay Living for 5th level. Might be a little on the strong side, but you don't get the high DC, which makes up for being able to full cast it.

Also, add Wrack to 3rd or 4th.

So, now DB has a Save or Suck and a Save or Die. Pretty sweet. :smallsmile:

[Person_Man]

You might want to consider Flame Blade, Fire Dagger, Sand Scimitar, Holy Sword, Shillelagh, Spectral Weapon, Wraithstrike, Thunderlance, Whirling Blade, Chill Metal, and Magic Stone.

Or you can just let your PC choose any spells they want from any list. They still have a pretty limited number of spells per day and spells known. I have no problem with a Duskblade that knows Alter Self, Solid Fog, etc.

Having said that, I've found that the Duskblade is a fairly balanced Tier 3 class as written.

[NeoSeraphi]

Combust! (Spell Compendium). 1d8/level fire damage, max 10d8, 2nd level spell. Perfect for duskblades.

Other than that, bestow curse and greater bestow curse are good.

[Randomguy]

There are a bunch of low level sword/melee related spells in spell compedium. Blades of flame, wraithstrike, steeldance, weapon of energy and sonic weapon all come to mind.

[Greyfeld85]

It seems to me that weapon/combat-themed spells should be worked in as well.

Acid Arrow
Blade Barrier
Flame Arrow
Iron Body
Hand, Interposing/Forceful/Grasping/Crushing [+Clenched Fist]
Mage's Sword
Magic Stone
Magic Weapon [+Greater]
Produce Flame
Stoneskin

Just to name a few.

[Roland St. Jude]

I embarked on such a project once to expand the Duskblade spell list to cover thematically appropriate spells from other sources. Here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7807766&postcount=19)

Note: I didn't add more core spells or otherwise try to expand the spell list to expand their power. It was just an attempt to add spells from other splats because standard procedure for 3.5 WotC splats to include spells only from core and that splat itself on the assumption that players may not have these other texts. That leaves out lots of appropriate spells from other sources.

[docnessuno]

I always wandered why Shield is not on the duskblade list...

[Daftendirekt]

Simple solution to fix the duskblade =

Replace it with Pathfinder magus. It's what duskblade was supposed to be.

[Grim Reader]

Yes...but I'd quite like to have both, really. The Duskblade as a more martial gish, and the Magus as the more arcane one. The problem is that the Magus is flat-out better than the Duskblade.

One of the fixes I've been considering is to let Duskblade spells count as higher-level ones for the purpose of Dragonpacts.(I'd probably refluff to some other creature, but the mechanics stay the same)

[Roland St. Jude]

...Having said that, I've found that the Duskblade is a fairly balanced Tier 3 class as written.I'm with Person Man here; I can see wanting to tweak the Duskblade to alter the flavor or give it a new niche or something, but I don't think it needs to be "fixed." My experience has been that it's a balanced, playable class.

[eggs]

In terms of damage, the Duskblade blows the Magus out of the water. It definitely has a role of its own among the Magic+Casting hybrids.

But I'd definitely appreciate more spell channeling options, like Bestow Curse, Night's Caress, Poison, Spectral Touch and Plane Shift and swift/immediate boost-type effects like Permeable Form, Rhino's Rush or the Karmic X line. Just so every Duskblade doesn't wind up as the same Vampiric Touch-spammer.