Duskblade into JPM

[yougi]

This is my first try at a build that's even slightly complex, so please be lenient in criticizing in. I also want to say that my goal is not to break the game, and this might even be the upper limit of the optimization I can do in the game for which I'm planning this character.

What I want is help filling up the two missing feats, and selecting spells/maneuvers. The rest of the party is not set, but there will be a Fighter (probably of the Weapon Focus/Weapon Spec type, played by a player's son), a Sorcerer, a Dragon Shaman, a Druid and a Scout/Ranger Swift Hunter.

Sources: Core, Races, Completes, ToB and ToM. No LA accepted, and game starts at lv1. No homebrew, no Dragon Magazine.

I'm still not sure if I'm allowed to take flaws, so let's assume I am not. You're still welcome to offer one in case I am.

Race: Dwarf
Stats: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 6 (these were rolled for)

Build:
Duskblade 8/Warblade 1/Duskblade 5/Jade Phoenix Mage 6

Feats:
1- Versatile Spellcaster
3- Power Attack
6- Knowledge Devotion
9- Battle Caster
12- TBD
15- Practiced Spellcaster
18- TBD

Ability Boosts:
4- Strength
8- Strength
12- Intelligence
16- Intelligence
20- Intelligence

Spells:
1- True Strike, Ray of Enfeeblement, Bigby's Tripping Hand, Shocking Grasp, Resist Energy
2- Ghoul Touch, Dimension Hop, Swift Fly, Swift Invisibility
3- Vampiric Touch, Crown of Protection, Crown of Might, ________
4- Dispel Magic, Fire Shield, Dimension Door, Bigby's Interposing Hand
5- ____________

Maneuvers (trying to focus on boosts and counters so I can use them with channeling):
Lv9: Moment of Perfect Mind, Wall of Blades, Iron Heart Surge
Lv15 (IL8): Lightning Recovery
LV17 (IL10): Disrupting Blow
LV19 (IL12): Manticore Parry

Stances:
LV9: Pearl of Black Doubt
LV19 (IL12): Hearing the Air


So here's the Feedback I'm looking for:
- Help filling the spell list and Feats
- Are the feats/maneuvers/Stances/spells a good choice?
- How viable is the build as a whole?

[prufock]

Looks fairly solid, expecially considering the party makeup, but I'm not a ToB expert. Greater Magic Weapon or Keen Edge (if using a weapon with a good threat range) for the 3rd level spell are simple, but decent choices. Polar Ray or Disintegrate as the 5th level spell could be fun, or Slashing Dispel. As for the undefined feats, are there any maneuvers/stances you don't have that you'd like to grab?

[Snowbluff]

You have too many leveled points invested in int. 15 is the highest for base should be if you're going str.

[Vaz]

Your missing 3rd spell "should" be Dispel Touch.

Arcane Disciple can help out with your good spells. Have a look here (http://home.comcast.net/~ftm3/ASMoNM/domains.html) for a complete list of Domains. Alternatively, Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment) nets you the Domain Power.

Spells;
Competition; Prayer, Righteous Might
Dragon Below; Bestow Curse, Slay Living
Endurance; Refreshment, Stoneskin
Entropy; Ray of Exhaustion, Waves of Fatigue
Envy; Touch of Idiocy, Crushing Despair
Forge; Keen Edge, Wall of Iron (very useful if you can introduce that Fighter to Dungeoncrasher)
Gnome; Minor Image, Hallucinatory Terrain (a bit more utility, as with Vampiric Touch, you don't need much more). Lacking a Wizard, it's unlikely your Sorcerer will take such spells.

For Powers from Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment) I don't think you can go far wrong with any of them that don't specify Cleric. However combine Dispel Touch with Inquisition, and you're cooking (1d20+14). Magic Domain for Wands of Shivering Touch. Retribution Domain (combine with Shivering Touch for Instant Gibbing, or Vampiric Touch for immense healing).

Other decent feats include;
Death Devotion (ask your DM for Nightsticks so you can use the ability more than 1 minute/day.
Arcane Strike isn't so much needed, but JPA comes online VERY late; if retraining is allowed, take it, and then swap later on.

[GeekGirl]

Personally, I wouldn't take battle caster. If you really feel you need heavy armor, you can always go with Mithril.

I agree with Vaz, arcane discipline is great, but with your wisdom you won't be able to cast anything.

I would take first level, at least, of JPM as soon as you can for Arcane Wrath.

[yougi]

Looks fairly solid, expecially considering the party makeup, but I'm not a ToB expert. Greater Magic Weapon or Keen Edge (if using a weapon with a good threat range) for the 3rd level spell are simple, but decent choices. Polar Ray or Disintegrate as the 5th level spell could be fun, or Slashing Dispel. As for the undefined feats, are there any maneuvers/stances you don't have that you'd like to grab?

Spellwise, I was keeping Disintegration at the top of my list, because Phantasmal Killer require saves and my Int will be low...


You have too many leveled points invested in int. 15 is the highest for base should be if you're going str.

Not a bad point, I thought that increasing the Int bonus could mesh well with Knowledge Devotion by giving me more skill points AND raising the bonus.


Your missing 3rd spell "should" be Dispel Touch.

Arcane Disciple can help out with your good spells. Have a look here (http://home.comcast.net/~ftm3/ASMoNM/domains.html) for a complete list of Domains. Alternatively, Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment) nets you the Domain Power.

Spells;
Competition; Prayer, Righteous Might
Dragon Below; Bestow Curse, Slay Living
Endurance; Refreshment, Stoneskin
Entropy; Ray of Exhaustion, Waves of Fatigue
Envy; Touch of Idiocy, Crushing Despair
Forge; Keen Edge, Wall of Iron (very useful if you can introduce that Fighter to Dungeoncrasher)
Gnome; Minor Image, Hallucinatory Terrain (a bit more utility, as with Vampiric Touch, you don't need much more). Lacking a Wizard, it's unlikely your Sorcerer will take such spells.

For Powers from Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment) I don't think you can go far wrong with any of them that don't specify Cleric. However combine Dispel Touch with Inquisition, and you're cooking (1d20+14). Magic Domain for Wands of Shivering Touch. Retribution Domain (combine with Shivering Touch for Instant Gibbing, or Vampiric Touch for immense healing).

Other decent feats include;
Death Devotion (ask your DM for Nightsticks so you can use the ability more than 1 minute/day.
Arcane Strike isn't so much needed, but JPA comes online VERY late; if retraining is allowed, take it, and then swap later on.

Yes, Death Devotion is a pretty cool shtick. Is the Nighstick trick legal? I mean, I don't have the ability to turn undead, could I still use them?

And is Arcane Strike that helpful on a Duskblade? I mean, I can already use my spell slot to add (more) damage anyway...

Arcane Disciple is pretty sweet, but it's pretty hard on a char with a Wisdom of 6. And I can't really place this 6 anywhere else...


Personally, I wouldn't take battle caster. If you really feel you need heavy armor, you can always go with Mithril.

I agree with Vaz, arcane discipline is great, but with your wisdom you won't be able to cast anything.

I would take first level, at least, of JPM as soon as you can for Arcane Wrath.

Well, I could go with Mithril armor, but then, I couldn't go with Adamantine... I thought that since I already had too many feats, I could as well take it.

And I could take JPM earlier, but it would delay the acquisition of full attack channel... Once again, like with Arcane Strike, is Arcane Wrath that useful on a Duskblade?

[prufock]

Your missing 3rd spell "should" be Dispel Touch.

Wouldn't Dispelling Touch be somewhat redundant with Dispel Magic?