W/Db/AbjChamp/EldKnight

[Tindragon]

36 Point build, Human.

16/14/16/16/10/10

Wiz 1, DuskBlade 5, Abj Champ 5 (wiz caster levels), Eldritch Knight 9 (Wiz caster levels)

14th level wiz (7th level spells)
+19 bab

Pump INT all the way through.

Am I missing anything of why I wouldn't want this for a sweet gish?

Can use flaws, not sure I'd need too? 1 Trait as well.

Feats:
1h improved initiative
1 power attack
3 improved bull rush
6 leap attack
9 shock trooper
12
12 (Bonus EK)
15
18

maybe extend? or just get a lesser rod... covers haste shield, et al...

Glaive wielder...
Unless I'm missing something, I like this build (human is a must in this case, I know other races could add to it, but human)

[Eldariel]

Well, Wizard spells are a hundred times better than Arcane Channeling or anything Duskblade gets so e.g. Duskblade 1/Wizard 5/AC 5/EK 9 would be far, far superior powerwise. Armor is made obsolete by Abjurant Champion and various armor producing spells.

Of course, if you want to Duskblade specifically, go for it. Though do consider the other Duskblade builds with fast progression classes like Sublime Chord or Nar Demonbinder. Full attack channeling is of course great but quite deep in the class.

[Tindragon]

Well, Wizard spells are a hundred times better than Arcane Channeling or anything Duskblade gets so e.g. Duskblade 1/Wizard 5/AC 5/EK 9 would be far, far superior powerwise. Armor is made obsolete by Abjurant Champion and various armor producing spells.

Of course, if you want to Duskblade specifically, go for it. Though do consider the other Duskblade builds with fast progression classes like Sublime Chord or Nar Demonbinder. Full attack channeling is of course great but quite deep in the class.

I really just like the idea of the Arcane Channeling since any spell can be used, not just DB spells. Ghoul Touch, not the greatest, but fun to paralyze, potentially heightened later...

Also,

Quick Cast 1x a day, free quickened spell...

I'm putting him into Mithral Full Plate of Speed, with Jump +10 added on for the leap attack, heedless charge. More style than AC, but with +3 max dex bonus, and the extended (persisted if the Incantatrix is around in the AM) Shield, then he's sitting at 29 right now...

He's starting at 10th level right now. And with a wounding, keen glaive, heedless charge, and situational haste on call (free action 10 rds a day) it's works for what I want him to be.

He's part of a 3-4 man anti hero group I'm building for next campaign. He's the 'likely' melee candidate, and looks the part with the armor. Has a lesser Extend rod, so quick cast extended heroism, early.... nerveskitter.... reach weapon, and access to extended, maybe persisted improved invis... displacement, a few other things... wraithstrike if the party starts cheesing too much as well....

I've got the full arcane power taken care of with the Incantatrix..

Gonna start working a DMM evil cleric, maybe Quickened, not persist since the Incantatrix can take care of all that...

Cleric of Vecna or Wee Jas... with DMM quickened...

It's all story based.

And they'll be the main 3, who sometimes recruit/hire, or often summon more meat shields as needed. Might give the cleric Leadership... just starting that one.

[DdarkED]

Wiz 2 Duskblade 3 Spellsword 1 AC 5 EK 9 would be good BaB and Better Spell progression. but it does give up quick cast and medium armor casting

(iirc medium armor casting would only work on your duskblade spells anyway)

[Tindragon]

Wiz 2 Duskblade 3 Spellsword 1 AC 5 EK 9 would be good BaB and Better Spell progression. but it does give up quick cast and medium armor casting

(iirc medium armor casting would only work on your duskblade spells anyway)




duskblade's limited focus and specialized training, however, allows you to avoid arcane spell failure so long as you stick to light armor and light shields. This training does not extend to medium or heavy armors, nor to heavy shields. This ability does not apply to spells gained from a different spellcasting class.

At 4th level, you learn to use medium armor with no chance of arcane spell failure.

DOH.... son of half orc...

[DdarkED]

the good news is Spellsword 1 gives you 10% redux to arcane spell failure due to armor so u can still get by in armor with 10% or lower arcane failure. spending more lvs in spellsword will increase this but will also reduce your spell progression. something to consider at the least.

[Tindragon]

I really just like the idea of the Arcane Channeling since any spell can be used, not just DB spells. Ghoul Touch, not the greatest, but fun to paralyze, potentially heightened later...

Also,

Quick Cast 1x a day, free quickened spell...

I'm putting him into Mithral Full Plate of Speed, with Jump +10 added on for the leap attack, heedless charge. More style than AC, but with +3 max dex bonus, and the extended (persisted if the Incantatrix is around in the AM) Shield, then he's sitting at 29 right now...

He's starting at 10th level right now. And with a wounding, keen glaive, heedless charge, and situational haste on call (free action 10 rds a day) it's works for what I want him to be.

He's part of a 3-4 man anti hero group I'm building for next campaign. He's the 'likely' melee candidate, and looks the part with the armor. Has a lesser Extend rod, so quick cast extended heroism, early.... nerveskitter.... reach weapon, and access to extended, maybe persisted improved invis... displacement, a few other things... wraithstrike if the party starts cheesing too much as well....

I've got the full arcane power taken care of with the Incantatrix..

Gonna start working a DMM evil cleric, maybe Quickened, not persist since the Incantatrix can take care of all that...

Cleric of Vecna or Wee Jas... with DMM quickened...

It's all story based.

And they'll be the main 3, who sometimes recruit/hire, or often summon more meat shields as needed. Might give the cleric Leadership... just starting that one.

Hrmm, guess that won't work.

Bracers of Armor. Wand with Haste, and Boots of Striding and springing then... Really won't need extra jump since the armor penalty won't be there... opens up some $ for him..

[Zaq]

I feel like there's kind of a donut hole in the middle. Once you hit ECL 7+ and start advancing Wizard casting with your PrCs again, you aren't exactly gaining level-appropriate power for a long time. Wizard spells are great, but not so great that having level 1 spells at ECL 7 or level 2 spells at ECL 9 is actually impressive in any meaningful capacity, you know? Ending with 7th level spells isn't so far behind the curve that you'd be useless (outside of an extremely high-powered campaign), but clawing your way up there with 5 lost CL at the beginning is kind of excruciating.

Is there any way you might be able to get some of the channeling effects you want out of Duskblade without spending so many levels on Duskblade? I see that Spellsword has already been mentioned, and there's also Smiting Spell (PHB2), Spell-Storing Weapons (DMG), and perhaps some similar effects (maybe Enlightened Fist if you're cool with going unarmed rather than using a weapon) out there. I feel like there's at least one other PrC that offers a general-purpose "cast spell through weapon" ability that's compatible with Wizard casting, though I can't recall which PrC that is off the top of my head, so I may be misremembering it or confusing it with something else.

[Eldariel]

Well, Duskblade 3/Wizard 2/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 9 (or whatever) gets full 9s, 16 BAB, Arcane Channeling and so on.

Alternatively the mentioned Duskblade 13/Nar Demonbinder 2/Abjurant Champion 5. 8th level spells, 19 BAB, full attack channeling. Not a particularly impressive spell list but easy to expand via. Arcane Disciple, items or such. Versatile Spellcaster would allow casting 9ths.

And yeah, there's always Bard 4/X 1/Spellsword 5/Sublime Chord 2/Abjurant Champion 4/Sacred Exorcist 4. Cha to damage from Divine Might, +17 BAB, full casting and Channel Spell 3/day. X must have full BAB, armor profs and martial weapons. Fighter or such works.

[Tindragon]

Love the ideas, thanks much for them.

I may use those down the road, for sure actually.

This build, for this guy (evil NPC) at this time, in an anti party with an Incantantrix, and DDM quicken cleric of war/travel domain, is what I need. I will likely utilize buffed up summons and/or hired meat shields as well. Seriously, these guys are all evil, and selfish, but have a 3 (evil) musketeer attitude toward each other. Long history. So, I may use those other builds, as cast offs, meat shields for them.

They will likely harry the party with summoned/hirelings that are way buffed, while they do their deeds, and make a get away, leaving the poor 'red shirt' to feel the full wrath of these 3 crimes per the party, for some time.

All building to a level 18-20 encounter BBEG(roup) fight much later.

If you've got any nasty tricks, summon n buffs, of levels 11-19 to suggest for such cast offs, I'll take them. I've got a few. Fiendish trolls with fire/acid resist and prots... Chain devils with extended haste and greater invis... Things like that.

Or even, the hireling evil Barbarian troll... with fire/acid resist and 1 solid weapon...

I've let me players, for YEARS now, make anything, but pretty much run them against stock creatures, villains... time to make them think and battle hard for the wins!

[Tindragon]

I feel like there's kind of a donut hole in the middle. Once you hit ECL 7+ and start advancing Wizard casting with your PrCs again, you aren't exactly gaining level-appropriate power for a long time. Wizard spells are great, but not so great that having level 1 spells at ECL 7 or level 2 spells at ECL 9 is actually impressive in any meaningful capacity, you know? Ending with 7th level spells isn't so far behind the curve that you'd be useless (outside of an extremely high-powered campaign), but clawing your way up there with 5 lost CL at the beginning is kind of excruciating.

Is there any way you might be able to get some of the channeling effects you want out of Duskblade without spending so many levels on Duskblade? I see that Spellsword has already been mentioned, and there's also Smiting Spell (PHB2), Spell-Storing Weapons (DMG), and perhaps some similar effects (maybe Enlightened Fist if you're cool with going unarmed rather than using a weapon) out there. I feel like there's at least one other PrC that offers a general-purpose "cast spell through weapon" ability that's compatible with Wizard casting, though I can't recall which PrC that is off the top of my head, so I may be misremembering it or confusing it with something else.

They're starting at level 10. Party is 5 players, characters level 9... So, get to skip most of that, and this guy is the most dedicated melee, other than the DMM quick cleric, who will have righteous might, divine power, persisted.extended from the Incantantrix's coop magic... when appropriate....