Duskblade Advice Needed

[Dusto]

Since i'm kinda the 5th wheel in the party, I thought Duskblade would be a great fit for my play style.

I'm level 15 and looking at the following build:
Human
Duskblade13/Warblade1/Jade Phoenix Mage1
Feats
Lvl 1: Power Attack, Exotic Weapon Prof (spiked chain)
Lvl 3: Practiced Spellcaster
Lvl 6: Mage Slayer Yikes! I forgot about the negative to caster level. Need to replace this one! (leap attack?)
Lvl 9: Knowledge Devotion
Lvl 12: Martial Study (Foehammer) Replacing with Arcane Thesis
Lvl 15: Martial Stance (Thicket of Blades) Replacing with Empower Spell

Str: 16
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 16
Wis: 10
Cha: 8

Basically he's a melee focused caster with a few tricks up his sleeve. He's there to really support the tank and to keep baddies off the scout, wizard and druid. I plan on getting in there and basically either using vampiric touch or blowing spells with arcane wrath (jpm ability).

Is there anything basic that I'm missing or not taking advantage of?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Dusto]

I am considering taking Arcane Thesis and Empower spell instead of Martial Study and Martial Stance so I can cast Vampiric Touch at +2 caster level and empowered for only +1 spell level. Though I'd really like to keep that Thicket of Blades with my spiked chain.

[BowStreetRunner]

I've always done Crusaders with spiked chain, not Warblades. Iron Guard's Glare, Defensive Rebuke, Thicket of Blades and Entangling Blade all work well with feats like Combat Reflexes, Robilar's Gambit, Close Quarters Fighting, Defensive Sweep, Mage Slayer, Stand Still, Improved Trip, and any other feats that you use in your chain fighting build. The Crusader just seems more built for it than Warblade.

[Troacctid]

Duskblade doesn't synergize super-well with martial adepts, because strikes compete with channeled spells for standard actions. If you're mostly in it for Arcane Wrath, you might be better off just taking Arcane Strike as a feat. If you're definitely going JPM, though, then try and stick mostly to boosts and counters. The save-replacement Diamond Mind maneuvers, for example, should be pretty good, as should Sudden Leap to help you get in position for full-attack channels, and Iron Heart Surge to help you out of a tough spot. I'd definitely recommend against Crusader, since they're almost all strikes--White Raven Tactics is a good boost, but there's not a lot else for you.

[Dusto]

I'm only dipping Warblade 1 level to get into Jade Phoenix Mage. And while doing that dip I'm grabbing Wall of blades and Iron Heart Surge because they are way too useful to not have.

[Dusto]

Duskblade doesn't synergize super-well with martial adepts, because strikes compete with channeled spells for standard actions. If you're mostly in it for Arcane Wrath, you might be better off just taking Arcane Strike as a feat. If you're definitely going JPM, though, then try and stick mostly to boosts and counters. The save-replacement Diamond Mind maneuvers, for example, should be pretty good, as should Sudden Leap to help you get in position for full-attack channels, and Iron Heart Surge to help you out of a tough spot. I'd definitely recommend against Crusader, since they're almost all strikes--White Raven Tactics is a good boost, but there's not a lot else for you.

Yep! That's exactly what I am thinking. Arcane Wrath will make good use of low level spells later one burning them for damage/bonus to hit. Looking more at Mystic Phoenix Stance I really think I'm going to drop martial study and martial stance now.

[Kurald Galain]

I've found that Arcane Disciple is a nice way to get some more spellls on your list.

[Troacctid]

If you're spending a feat on Practiced Spellcaster but only getting 2 caster levels out of it, seems like you might as well be an Illumian. Go with naenkrau sigils and get the +2 CL, plus a +2 to all Intelligence-based skill checks for Knowledge Devotion. Seems better than an extra skill point per level.

Any particular reason you need a spiked chain rather than, like, a glaive or whatever? You can threaten adjacent squares with armor spikes, and it doesn't look like you're using the tripping or disarming.

Obtain Familiar and some variant of Improved Familiar could be good for you. If you grab a Lantern Archon off of Planar Familiar, for example, it can cast aid every round to give you or a party member a small replenishing pool of temporary HP, plus a bonus on attack rolls, which is quite handy. And outside of combat, it can basically teleport anywhere in the world, at will, as a standard action, and bring along 50 pounds of objects. If you can't think of at least a dozen uses for that just off the top of your head, you are fired from D&D.

Also, for your gear, if you can afford a +1 Whirling Spell-Storing Bloodstone weapon (32,000 gp), that would be pretty good for you. Whirling lets you hit everyone in reach with your channeled spells, and Spell-Storing and Bloodstone let you channel even more spells for extra nova power against tough enemies.


I've found that Arcane Disciple is a nice way to get some more spellls on your list.

Not an option with that Wisdom score. You're MAD enough already. Also, the 1/day thing is pretty lame. I'm not a fan.

[Optimator]

Spiked Chain but no Combat Reflexes? I guess your dex isn't high enough to take advantage. Spiked chains are still good for reach attacks though, I guess. Still, spiked armour/gauntlets and a polearm with reach would save you a feat. I cannot endorse Arcane Strike enough. Combining it with Knowledge Devotion and a channeled Shocking Grasp/Vampiric Touch is so good. Duskblades excel at the alpha strike/arcane Barbarian so you may as well double-down. Rings of Wizardry are amazing.

How generous is your DM with the Extra Spell feat? Picking up a few gems off of the wizard list can help immensely. Wraithstrike, (lesser and regular) Shivering Touch, Combustion, Bestow Curse... there are a lot of fantastic touch spells to channel.

[Dusto]

We have to keep our current equipment, and I have a +5 lucky, spell storing, magebane spiked chain, so I'm sticking with that.

The practiced spellcaster I am debating not taking since it is only 2 levels I'm out. Maybe combat reflexes would be much better since I am using the chain.

Another build of this I am considering is Duskblade 7/Abjurant Champion 5/Warblade 1/ Jade Phoenix Mage 2

Abjurant 5 gives me full caster level equal to be bab, and then JPM 2 gives me mystic phoenix stance. Though with this build I am giving up the full channeling from Duskblade 13 and I don't really think I want to give that up.

Our DM is picking on religions so Arcane Disciple might be tough. We also have a full wizard so we already have haste, teleports, dispells and all that jazz.

I think he's aware of the extra spell feat and it would just be on my list.

[hex0]

Don't give up full channeling. Since you have other spellcasters in your party you could start with Spellthief for first level some good skills then take Master Spellthief. Your buddies can voluntarily give you a touch spell or two to channel. This feat also somewhat replaces practiced spellcaster if you continue to another arcane class. Personally, I would consider trapsmith/swiftblade for the end, too.

[Dusto]

Ok i'm admittedly a little confused on arcane channeling combined with power attack and leap attack. Can I leap attack and arcane channel in the same round? Or is my first attack going to be leap attack, and second round I start arcane channeling?

*EDIT* Also the more I look at Arcane Strike, I am starting to dig it since I plan on full round attacking with PA alot. Maybe I'll drop Arcane Thesis and Empower Spell and take Arcane Strike and Martial Study - Iron Heart Focus (I roll 1's like you wouldn't believe).

[StreamOfTheSky]

Man, you're high enough level to actually do the build I've wanted to try for a while. Well, mostly...ideally you'd be ECL 16 for 2/day dance...

Duskblade 13 / Dervish 2 (next level also dervish, then back to duskblade or whatever). The whole concept is combining Duskblade 13's ability to full attack with a touch attack spell w/ Dervish Dance to full attack and move between each attack. Picking up Whirlwind Attack once Dervish grants you Spring Attack is good, too. I don't know, I always thought that'd be pretty fun, I always like the idea of melee attacking the entire room, and you can use that dimension hop spell to corral all the enemies in one spot, and so forth.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You seem to have forgotten to take Combat Reflexes, and Stand Still (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#standStill) would be a superb choice.

You can get a Devoted Spirit maneuver at JPM 1, so you can get Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades at 15th without spending a feat on Martial Study. However, you would want to spend your 15th level feat on Defensive Sweep in PH2, so it's a bit of a conflict of interests. If you can take up to two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (more here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?258440-The-quot-Best-quot-Flaws#30)) for as many extra feats, it could work. Flaws must be taken when creating a character, so if you're creating the character at 15th level a flaw can be used to gain an extra feat at 15th level. This will enable you to have both Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades and Defensive Sweep, so you AoO if they don't move and you AoO if they even take a 5-ft. step, their only option would be to tumble.

Take Rapid Metamagic in CM and use (lesser) metamagic rods to empower or maximize your spells. The Bloodstone weapon property (MIC, +1 cost) acts like a Spell Storing weapon but can only store the Vampiric Touch spell, but it automatically Empowers it for free for you.

I would switch your feats to the following:
Lvl 1: Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Prof (spiked chain)
Lvl 3: Stand Still
Lvl 6: Power Attack
Lvl 9: Knowledge Devotion
Lvl 12: Rapid Metamagic
Lvl 15: Martial Stance (Thicket of Blades), Defensive Sweep, (flaw)

You can switch to a different race or take one more feat at any level with a second flaw.

Be sure to get the Collector of Stories skill trick in CS for a bonus to your Knowledge Devotion checks.

Get all the Necessary Magic Items (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items), along with a decent magic weapon, armor, and animated shield. Don't forget that you can add enhancement bonuses to ability scores and natural armor, deflection bonus to AC, resistance bonus to saving throws, etc. to existing items for the same price as a standalone item of that same bonus would cost (MIC p234). For example, you can get Armbands of Might and add enhancement bonuses to Str and Dex for the same price as a Belt of Str and Gloves of Dex at the same bonuses.

[Dusto]

Thanks, I almost forgot about Thicket of blades and I am for sure taking that. Definitely picking up Collector of Stories! I don't know if I can fit in stand still, and honestly 50% of our fights are against 1 big baddie, so I'm not overly worried about controlling their movement. Also flaws are not allowed in our game, DM thinks they are way too cheesy to be worth feats, and honestly I have to agree with that.

Game is tonight and I think I'm going to go with the following:
Power Attack
Exotic Weapon Prof - Spiked Chain
Combat Reflexes
Leap Attack
Knowledge Devotion
Arcane Strike (still on the fence on this one since I'll have the JPM ability - Maybe take Stand Still instead?)
Martial Stance - Thicket of Blades

Skill Trick Collector of Stories

[Dusto]

Get all the Necessary Magic Items (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items), along with a decent magic weapon, armor, and animated shield. Don't forget that you can add enhancement bonuses to ability scores and natural armor, deflection bonus to AC, resistance bonus to saving throws, etc. to existing items for the same price as a standalone item of that same bonus would cost (MIC p234). For example, you can get Armbands of Might and add enhancement bonuses to Str and Dex for the same price as a Belt of Str and Gloves of Dex at the same bonuses.

Unfortunately our equipment is currently already set and we drained almost every coin to get to where we are at. Our DM does allow the combining of bonuses like that, but he charges a hefty up-charge on top of the already costly price (usually 50% or more!).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Unfortunately our equipment is currently already set and we drained almost every coin to get to where we are at. Our DM does allow the combining of bonuses like that, but he charges a hefty up-charge on top of the already costly price (usually 50% or more!).

The DMG says that when combining items, the added effects get their price increased by 50%, but the more current rules on combining certain types of effects is found in the Magic Item Compendium, page 234. It sounds like your DM just needs to be updated on the current rules.

[True believer]

well i think that the best thing to do is to go for straight duskblade. it is actual the only class in the game that you can go for the entire 20 lvls , why ruined that ? i have tried the same built (except i used crusader) and in the end it simply doesn't worked as good i hoped , some years later i tried to play a fighter1/duskblade19 with feats that emphased on the mean things that you can do with your chain ( trip , disarm etc). In the end my conclusion was that whatever you do your spell casting powers will suck compare to a wizard so it doesn't worth to spend your feats in it.

Whatever built you actually go i strongly suggest the next feats :

Arcane strike
improve trip
knock down

[Dusto]

The DMG says that when combining items, the added effects get their price increased by 50%, but the more current rules on combining certain types of effects is found in the Magic Item Compendium, page 234. It sounds like your DM just needs to be updated on the current rules.

He's aware, he is just hard with buying/selling stuff. It's his way of "keeping control" of the gear in game.

[hex0]

There is also wyrm wizard or chameleon to get some cooler touch spells. Bleed, infestation of maggots, poison [and variants] , slay living...

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

He's aware, he is just hard with buying/selling stuff. It's his way of "keeping control" of the gear in game.

In that case, take Craft Wondrous Item and upgrade them yourself for the printed price.