Help making a "casting through melee" build

[LaRayna]

Hi guys, hopefully someone can help me here. I have been trying to perfect a casting through melee build, similar to what the ordained champion or spellsword can do. Ordained champion is undoubtedly better since you can use it as much as you want with both arcane as well as divine if you can cast both. I've had several ideas and I've looked over the forums but all I can find are gish builds that have the capability for good casting as well as melee but not both at the same time. As a note, my DM doesn't like third party material, and I can apply up to a LA +2 template for free if that helps. Thanks in advance.

[ColorBlindNinja]

Duskblades can channel touch spells into their melee weapons.

The number of spells they can channel are limited, but they can do it right out of the box.

[LaRayna]

I've thought about that. and while that seems like an alright option, I was trying to go for something with a little more oomph behind it. And if it ends up being more divine than arcane from something like ordained champion thats fine. Because one build I had basically involved bard/cleric/ordained champion/sublime chord/xxx

[ColorBlindNinja]

I've thought about that. and while that seems like an alright option, I was trying to go for something with a little more oomph behind it. And if it ends up being more divine than arcane from something like ordained champion thats fine. Because one build I had basically involved bard/cleric/ordained champion/sublime chord/xxx

Duskblades are somewhat lacking in the oomph department. Ordained Champion does seem like a better option for what you want.

[LaRayna]

Duskblades are somewhat lacking in the oomph department. Ordained Champion does seem like a better option for what you want.

Yeah, thats kinda what I figured. Only real downside incorporating that into arcane, is the 4 level drop youll have to take sadly.

[Yklikt]

How about using Sha'ir

[ColorBlindNinja]

How about using Sha'ir

That class from the Dragon Compendium that gives you Jinn that you have to barter with to get your spells?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Southern Magician lets and arcane caster cast a few spells/day as divine, and vice versa for divine casters. That should get you into Ordained Champion without losing too many caster levels. From there, move on into the usual Abjurant Champion et al route.


That class from the Dragon Compendium that gives you Jinn that you have to barter with to get your spells?
They also explicitly cast both divine and arcane spells in a single class. All sorts of weird things you can do there.

[ColorBlindNinja]

They also explicitly cast both divine and arcane spells in a single class. All sorts of weird things you can do there.

True, just thought it seemed like an obscure choice.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Why not just stick with Cleric and go Ordained Champion 3 into other prestige classes?

You can get two or four levels of Divine Oracle for Evasion and Uncanny Dodge, and you can even get its feat prerequisite from the Frog God's Fane in CS without having to spend a feat on it. A single level of Seeker of the Misty Isle is superb, and Contemplative is a decent choice for finishing the build. I'd probably go Wild Elf, (Cloistered?) Cleric 4/ Ordained Champion 3/ Divine Oracle 2/ Seeker of the Misty Isle 1/ Contemplative 10.

If you choose to use Cloistered Cleric, replace the free Knowledge domain with Knowledge Devotion, and get the War domain. Pick up Extend, Persistent, and DMM: Persistent early (via flaws if possible) if you can use multiple Nightsticks (LM).

Get Divine Magician (CM) which replaces one of your domains with a Wizard spell of each level, which must be an Abjuration, Divination, or Necromancy spell. These get added to your Cleric spell list so you can prepare them as many times as you want each day. For this character I'd go with the following spells: Shield (for Persist) or Targeting Ray (SC), Escalating Enfeeblement (CM), Shivering Touch (Frostburn) or Vampiric Touch if that's too strong, Finger of Agony (CM), Mage's Private Sanctum, Greater Anticipate Teleportation, Avasculate (SC), Mind Blank or Moment of Prescience, and Disjunction which can be converted to a single-target spell by channeling it.

Your other domains will automatically include Oracle and Travel, and you'll get three more domains your deity offers. Law and Inquisition are good for domain spells and domain powers, respectively. You can also get a devotion feat instead of an extra domain, such as Law Devotion.

[Gruftzwerg]

Enlightened Fist could be another option. The Arcane Fist ability (needs Stunning Fist use/day) lets you use touch spells in a full unarmed attack. Later you can use Ray-spells as Touch-spells and combine it with Arcane Fist.
Compared to Duskblade you are limited to your Stunning Fist attempts for your daily uses, but on the other hand you can get access to better/higher lvl spells.

[nintendoh]

Are you just casting damaging spell? Depending on the end goal of the character a glaivelock with extra invoctions might be the ticket

[ColorBlindNinja]

Are you just casting damaging spell? Depending on the end goal of the character a glaivelock with extra invoctions might be the ticket

If you combo that will Hellfire Warlock and Shape Soulmeld (Strong Heart Vest) you can get some decent damage.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Enlightened Fist is actually quite good if you can use Master of the East Wind from Dragon 314. A Monk 1/ Wizard or Sorcerer 4/ Enlightened Fist 5/ Master of the East Wind 10 gets 18/20 spellcasting and 16/20 Monk abilities, but the BAB is a bit lacking. Use Kung Fu Genius or Carmendine Monk or Ascetic Mage to switch your AC bonus to Int or Cha, respectively. If you use a touch spell that can gets multiple uses, such as Chill Touch, you'll deliver it on every unarmed attack up to its limit per holding the charge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#standardCastaSpell).

[GilesTheCleric]

If you're starting with a Cleric base, the Raumathari Battlemage UE 30, Ordained Champion mentioned above, or Daggerspell Shaper CAd 36 are just about your only prestige class-based options.

[daremetoidareyo]

Runecaster 8. Permenant buff runes.

[ColorBlindNinja]

If you wind up with an arcane casting class that can use touch spells as melee attacks, Spellguard of the Silvery Moon let's you cast Personal range buffs as touch spells. That might be a fun combo.

[gorfnab]

If you can be Evil...

The Sacrilegious Fist
Duskblade 3/ Monk 2/ Ur-Priest 2/ Sacred Fist 10/ Enlightened Fist 3

[LaRayna]

Well ultimately I'll more than likely be casting damaging spells. As for the base, I was more than likely thinking cleric, for ordained champion, and my alignment will be chaotic neutral and I was planning on using winterhaunt of igoribhu from frostburn with ordained champion for a master if freezing cold type build if that's doable.