Sandshaper a good dip for duskblade?

[CyberThread]

Do you think the duskblade is a good dip for a duskblade to expand its spontanous casting list?

[Grod_The_Giant]

If you've got the feat, why not? It's not giving you anything new to channel, but there's a decent selection of buffs and BFC spells in there. It might be enough to actually kick you into T3.

[Urpriest]

Do you think the duskblade is a good dip for a duskblade to expand its spontanous casting list?

Yes, I think duskblade is an excellent dip for duskblade. I encourage all duskblades to take levels in duskblade.

[CyberThread]

If you've got the feat, why not? It's not giving you anything new to channel, but there's a decent selection of buffs and BFC spells in there. It might be enough to actually kick you into T3.

<-<, I thought they were t3, by the simple act they got spells and all that, and still retained almost full armor and decent HP/skill points

[Saintheart]

Yes, I think duskblade is an excellent dip for duskblade. I encourage all duskblades to take levels in duskblade.

As opposed to, say, monks, who should never take a level in monk if they can afford it.

[Azoth]

<-<, I thought they were t3, by the simple act they got spells and all that, and still retained almost full armor and decent HP/skill points

*points at the Healer* He gets 9th level spells and is Tier 5...

[CyberThread]

HEaler is so not tier 5 <-< , it can still heal which is tier 4 at the very least

[NeoPhoenix0]

Hey, healer might be tier 5, but his big brother healer 18 has the all powerful Gate spell.

Also, Duskblade is in a dubious spot. Personally I would call it a low tier 3. Definitely not as good as a bard.

[Grod_The_Giant]

<-<, I thought they were t3, by the simple act they got spells and all that, and still retained almost full armor and decent HP/skill points
Eehhh... they're usually put there, but I personally put the Duskblade, Crusader, Warblade, Warmage, and maybe Warlock at, oh, Tier 3.5. They're not capable of much beyond combat, but they have lots and lots of options in combat, and can handle just about any combat sitution. (Compare that to something like a Barbarian, who's good at only one trick).

Healer is T5 because while it's great at in-combat healing, that's not that useful a thing to be good at.

Sorry, didn't mean to start a tier argument. Sticking with the Sandshaper, I repeat my answer of yes, it's not a bad idea. More spells known are always good.

[CyberThread]

so a duskblade taking duskblade levels, that goes into sandshaper




would get these spells


1st—bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, endure elements, parching touch, speak with animals, summon desert ally I.
2nd—eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, heat metal, owl's wisdom, resist energy, summon desert ally II, summon swarm.
3rd—control sand, desiccate, dispel magic, dominate animal, haboob, slipsand, summon desert ally III, sunstroke, tormenting thirst, wind wall.
4th—blast of sand, summon desert ally IV, wall of sand, wither.
5th—choking sands, flaywind burst, flesh to salt, summon desert ally V, transmute sand to stone, transmute stone to sand.
6th— awaken sand, mummify, sandstorm, summon desert ally VI.


Which would leave open choices for transportation spells, and a few channeling damage spells (besides see invisibility which still need)

<-< that awaken sand sounds nasty to put into a bottle or such

[NeoPhoenix0]

I love it. Love it whenever people find fun ways to expand a duskblade's usefulness. Reminds me of a build i helped someone on a while back that had arcane channeling full attack and all seven levels of initiate of the sevenfold veil before epic. I highly suggest versatile spellcaster for duskblades. With the wording in their spells known it allows them to learn spells before they have spell slots of that level.

Wait, did you already know that? I see 6th level spells on your list even though duskblades only typically cast up to level 5.

[CyberThread]

One problem, does the duskblade know these spells then, he/she just can't cast them due to a lack of magical power?

Would a feat really be worth casting that higher level summon monster, and sandstorm? The other spells don't seem worth it.

[NeoPhoenix0]

If you could find a 6th level duskblade spell, you could definitely learn it if you had versatile spellcaster and gained 5th level spell slots. If you did that you definitely have access to 6th level spells and gain these 6th level spells. Since there aren't any 6th level duskblade spells, unless you home brew one, or arcane disciple to get a domain one, it is much less clear.

Edit: I still think versatile spellcaster is a good feat for duskblades, but it is typically used to cast the spells for nova striking more times in a day and a sand shaper duskblade wouldn't necessarily be doing that all the time.

[Bloodgruve]

Few iffy suggestions, DM approval needed.

Versatile Spellcaster allows you to cast any spell you know by dropping 2 lower level spells. 'Knowing' a 6th level spell when you can only cast 5 would probably be subject to DM approval.

Dip 1 lvl Archivist or Wizard and take Versatile Spellcasting feat. The classes 'know' the spell if they've input it to their spellbook. Then cast them through Versatile Spellcasting. All ya need is a high spellcraft check to record the spell and a source for the spell. From my interpretation at least.

Magical Training feat gives you a spellbook also, states you cast the spells as a wizard does. RAW doesn't state you can record more spells but my argument is you must have recorded the spells in the first place to cast as a wizard so why not be able to record more spells. You've gone through the training...

Either way, both are pushing RAW and its interpretation so hope your DM has bad aim.

Sandshaper, Bloodlines from Dragon Compendium and Arcane Disciple are good, unquestionable, ways to get more spells. Drake Helm from Eberron (forget the sourcebook) is an item that gives ya spells too.

Big problem here is that you want lvl 13 asap so any dips set you back. I like the Magical Training shenanigans personally as its just a feat ;)

GL
Blood~

[CyberThread]

Well a sandshaper duskblade goes from a warrior with a magical sword and a few skill points in various knowledge checks.


To one that has some battle field control, low level summon spells, and buffs at lower levels also as 1st instead of 2nd , and access to other buffs to give others.



Another thing I did not notice before either, flaywind burst has no SR, if you use your quick cast, you can channel into a sword strike and have an area spell. Blast of Sand also has no SR,


<-< now I totally forgot can you channel area spells into a strike, I think someone said if you channeled fireball, it would only hurt the person you strikes not an area bomb?

[Bloodgruve]

You can channel touch spells, so no fireball. Most touch spells that are area note if you're effected or not IIRC.

Blood~

[CyberThread]

So no ;_;

Well atleast you get a few blasting spells with no SR and good area of affect.