Suppose I want to run a Warlock/Duskblade...

[redzimmer]

From level 2, a level of each, what would be optimal race, gear and feats, not to mention which starting class?

My long-term goal is to serve a dual role as back-up arcanist and party face, with a lot of guile and less 'splosions.

[Troacctid]

It depends on what you're trying to do. The two classes have very little synergy, so I'm not sure what your goal is. Eldritch Blast and Arcane Channeling are mutually exclusive and have no synergy whatsoever, and most Duskblades wouldn't want to go into a half-BAB prestige class like Eldritch Theurge, so if you're multiclassing between them, it's probably because you have something specific in mind, e.g. "I'm dipping Warlock because I'm building towards a combo with Darkness," or "I want Otherworldly Whispers to buff up my Knowledge Devotion feat," or "I just need to be able to cast 1st level spells to qualify my Warlock for a prestige class, and Duskblade gives them to me on the best chassis," or something like that.

[WeaselGuy]

Well, not really knowing the direction you want to go with this character, it's hard to give great advice. But, off the top of my head, I would say go for a Lesser Tiefling (+2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha) as the race. Order of which class you're taking doesn't matter too much, but I would probably start with Warlock, since it gives a little more bang for it's buck in the way of dips.


It depends on what you're trying to do. The two classes have very little synergy, so I'm not sure what your goal is. Eldritch Blast and Arcane Channeling are mutually exclusive and have no synergy whatsoever, and most Duskblades wouldn't want to go into a half-BAB prestige class like Eldritch Theurge, so if you're multiclassing between them, it's probably because you have something specific in mind, e.g. "I'm dipping Warlock because I'm building towards a combo with Darkness," or "I want Otherworldly Whispers to buff up my Knowledge Devotion feat," or "I just need to be able to cast 1st level spells to qualify my Warlock for a prestige class, and Duskblade gives them to me on the best chassis," or something like that.

also, yeah, that. I think I did a Duskblade/Warlock build for a competition a while back, gimme a few to find it, or whatever it was that I'm thinking of. I think I was building to a Telflemmar Shadowlord, but I could be mistaken.

Ah, I think I found it. It was a Shadowcaster/Duskblade/Noctumancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19184723&postcount=100) build, to utilize Darkness. Probably not what you were looking for. I do think I've build a Warlock/X/Telflemmar Shadowlord before though. Gimme a little longer, and I might find it >.>

Here's my Crinti Shadow Marauder (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19185764&postcount=108) build, which used Warlock levels with Beguiler.

[nedz]

My long-term goal is to serve a dual role as back-up arcanist and party face, with a lot of guile and less 'splosions.

This doesn't sound like a Warlock/Duskblade, more like a Beguiler with Social skills.

[redzimmer]

This doesn't sound like a Warlock/Duskblade, more like a Beguiler with Social skills.

Yes, I am trying out a different character.

[Troacctid]

Duskblade is less about guile and more about stabbing people in the head until their faces melt off. It's probably not the class you're looking for.

[gadren]

My long-term goal is to serve a dual role as back-up arcanist and party face, with a lot of guile and less 'splosions.


Sounds like you'd be a lot better off playing a spellthief with the trickster alternate class feature.

[nedz]

Yes, I am trying out a different character.

Warlocks are good at infiltration, and tricking magic items.

Duskblades are front line gishes. Their trick is to either channel a spell through a weapon or use Arcane Strike - neither of which you can do through Eldritch Blast, Eldritch Claws or Eldritch Glaive - the Warlock melee options. Now Duskblades do have some utility spells so a dip might work - but beyond 2 levels this is fairly pointless.

The two classes just don't gel very well.