Magical Build with bastard sword

[j_spencer93]

Ok i have a character that always wants to make a FF sort of character (at least that is how he describes it), and he takes duskblade as his base. From there he is looking for a good PRC to go into and the Raumathari Battlemage fits almost perfectly, but I am not sure if they really strengthen each other a lot.
So suggestions on how to make a melee magical fighter would be appreciated, duskblade is a must though.

[Extra Anchovies]

Duskblade has a lot of dead levels later on, so RB would be at least a slight upgrade. If you want full-attack channeling, Duskblade 13/RB 7 is all you need. If you don't, go DB 9/RB 10/DB 1.

Also, a tip: don't actually use a bastard sword (that feat prerequisite is just a tax). You get a lot more damage out of using a two-handed weapon, and you can't cast with a weapon and shield anyways.

[Th3N3xtGuy]

If he gets exotic training for bastard he can one hand it.

[nintendoh]

Thats part of the feat tax he was talking about. Greatsword is a martial weapon and cloud from ff7 uses one.

[(Un)Inspired]

Duskblade 1/cleric 19.

Now you player has the single level of duskblade so he's technically part of the class and 19 levels of a class that can ruin people with a vastard sword AND be useful outside of a fight.

He'll be great in melee

He'll be great at magic

He'll lose less caster levels than if he took levels in battle mage.

He can even waste a feat on bastard sword proficiency if he wants. The cleric spell list is strong enough to pick up the optimization slack.

[j_spencer93]

Well honestly he wants to build off of Duskblade not really take cleric with a duskblade dip. RB sounds interesting and i will try to get him to take it.
Spellsword might be interesting but looks a little bland.
He has made this build before and it died, so now he is trying to remake it a little stronger without ditching his core build.

[Zordran]

If you want a weapon that drags on the ground as you walk, and you're already willing to burn a feat, go for the fullblade from the Arms and Equipment Guide.

[j_spencer93]

I will pitch that too him. His personal favorite is a bastard sword but I wouldn't mind trying to get him to change his mind on that aspect. However, i am not sure he will.
He is wanting it to go one of two ways;

A fast "katana" user who channels magic through his sword. Fast strikes similar to any OA or Rokugan samurai build, maybe go into a ToB or PoW class

A massive blade user who channels magic through his sword. Devastating attacks that I am not sure how to flesh out.

[Flickerdart]

Thats part of the feat tax he was talking about. Greatsword is a martial weapon and cloud from ff7 uses one.
Cloud's Buster Sword would be at least a Fullblade.

[Troacctid]

Duskblade 10/Raumathari Battlemage 10 is a perfectly good, elegant gish build, since both classes' spell-channeling abilities can be used together. Get a bloodstone bastard sword of spell storing and you can be channeling four spells at the same time--that's some pretty nice nova damage.

[Seerow]

Cloud's Buster Sword would be at least a Fullblade.

More likely a Large fullblade. That thing is huge.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Duskblade 10/Raumathari Battlemage 10 is a perfectly good, elegant gish build, since both classes' spell-channeling abilities can be used together. Get a bloodstone bastard sword of spell storing and you can be channeling four spells at the same time--that's some pretty nice nova damage.

Just make sure you have solid defenses; Raumathari Battlemage's hit die leaves a lot to be desired unfortunately. That is part of the reason I like Duskblade 13/Battlemage 7.

[Extra Anchovies]

Cloud's Buster Sword would be at least a Fullblade.

Whenever someone reminds me that it's called a "buster sword" I just think of this image, and have a good laugh about it. I feel it's worth sharing with you all:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/86a715ab881c6ac1078f5dc7eb18cfe0/tumblr_mnhxhgjYO01roxyo7o1_500.png

[ExLibrisMortis]

How about a cleric 4/ordained champion 5/crusader 1/ruby knight vindicator 10?

That's 19 base attack, 15th-level cleric casting, spontaneous, swift-action war domain casting, channeling spells any number of times per day, getting extra swift actions from RKV, and you can smite.

Attack plan: move using shadow blink as a swift action, recover swift action using divine impetus, channel harm as a move action (150 damage, will half), deliver with a smite ancient mountain hammer (+cha to hit, an extra 12d6+9 damage, ignores DR and hardness) as a standard action, cast a spontaneous flame strike as a swift action (15d6 damage, reflex half).

That's an average of 253.5 bonus damage. You can't do that kind of move all the time, but it's pretty big when it works.

[Troacctid]

Just make sure you have solid defenses. Raumathari Battlemage's hit die leaves a lot to be desired unfortunately. PArt of the reason I like Duskblade 13/Battlemage 7

You get to wear mithral full plate and a heavy shield with no chance of spell failure, which does a pretty good job of armoring you up. Vampiric touch buffs your HP, and it's automatically empowered if you cast it through your bloodstone weapon.

You can also gain a pool of replenishing temporary HP through feats: Obtain Familiar and Planar Familiar for a Lantern Archon, for example, gets you your own personal Navi that can cast aid at will for 1d8+3 temporary HP and a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saves against fear, and as a bonus, it can also greater teleport itself plus 50 pounds of objects to anywhere on the plane, at will, as a standard action. (Need a flank? Poof, it's in position. Urgent message to deliver to the opposite side of the continent? Give it twelve seconds and it's done. Room filling with water? It'll be back in a jiffy with a potion of waterbreathing from the Magic Mart back in town. The possibilities are endless.)

[j_spencer93]

Duskblade 10/Raumathari Battlemage 10 is a perfectly good, elegant gish build, since both classes' spell-channeling abilities can be used together. Get a bloodstone bastard sword of spell storing and you can be channeling four spells at the same time--that's some pretty nice nova damage.

This sounds like what I will go with and propose to him. It fits the story we are heading into and it works pretty much how he wants it. Also, not very feat dependent leaving him some room for "fun feats", we get feats every odd level in our campaign. It also allows him to use a decent "nova" against bosses, something i can just imagine he will call his limit break lol.
As for the other build proposed, he wants duskblade as a must.

Now i am still open to other classes similar to duskblade/RB to mix into the build. Or feats that might be interesting to boost its potential.

Hexblade*- lose part of the nova but gain the ability to weaken a target, clearly told he is not interested in it.
Spellsword (think class name)*- seems to be alright but not really add anything.
Duskblade*- is a must. Wants the channel ability, any ACF or anything out there for it?

Arcane Strike?- a feat that expends spells for more damage?

[Troacctid]

Hexblade is godawful and should not be taken basically ever. Spellsword is redundant on a Duskblade since you can already cast in armor. Arcane Strike is fine.

[j_spencer93]

That is what I thought of spellsword. I like hexblade actually but i agree with it being not needed here. Was just trying to make a small list to atleast cover several ways this could have went.

[nintendoh]

More likely a Large fullblade. That thing is huge.

Have you seen advent children. The buster sword is a buncha smaller swords put together like voltron.... Can we do that in dnd.

[j_spencer93]

actually that wasn't the buster sword. the buster sword was placed above Zack's grave. that is the fusion swords, which look like a more mechanical version of the first.

[nintendoh]

Ah true my bad

[Flickerdart]

Hexblade is godawful and should not be taken basically ever. Spellsword is redundant on a Duskblade since you can already cast in armor. Arcane Strike is fine.
A hexblade dip is very useful in the ol' Unseelie Fey Hexblade/Blackguard build that reduces enemy saves while simultaneously boosting your own sky-high. But yes, it's not worth a lot on its own.

[Optimator]

After all the power-attacking and arcane striking/channeling the damage difference between two-handing a bastard sword (for free, mind you. The feat is to one-hand the sword at no penalty) in negligible, so it all comes down to aesthetics. I like the idea and image of a gish using the slightly smaller sword (though the size of what is traditionally called the Longsword). I mean, if he's putting his hand on and off the hilt constantly, he may as well go with the sword that fatigues his left wrist less, right? There is no functional reason not to go with the greatsword though.