What are some good non-restricted Eldritch Knight spells?

[SociopathFriend]

For context I am currently a Level 7 Eldritch Knight and next session am due to level up- a Level I intend to take into Warlock for various reasons. Some thematic, some mechanical (what it represents), and some based on spells/invocations.

One such reason is I will gain two cantrips and a 1st level spell AFAIK. That spell is (atm) intended to be Find Familiar because then I can free up one of my any-school spells from the Eldritch Knight spells known.
Well that's apparently somewhat wrong.

As such out of the Player's Handbook and Tashas- what are some potent spells for an Eldritch Knight at 1st or 2nd level?

Notes:
I primarily play something of a disruption tank- I have the Blind-Fighting style, the Sentinel feat, the Booming Blade cantrip, and have taken Darkness as one of my Eldritch Knight spells so I can set up a field and whup upon people in there while refusing to let them leave. DM was even nice enough to allow Booming Blade to work with Reach weapons.

[Rukelnikov]

Heya, just wanted to point out, Find Familiar is not a Warlock spell, they get their familiars at lvl 3 via Pact of the Chain. You can, however, get some other 1st level spell you already know as an EK to "free up" that EK slot, take into account though, that RAW you only get to change it once you go up in level as an EK, but maybe your DM lets you change it right away.

Regarding some good lvl 1/2 Eldritch Knight spells, well, I don't know what your current selection is, but in general Absorb Elements (Xan) and Shield are pretty standard for EKs, Protection from Evil is sometimes very useful for a lvl 1 spell, as for level 2 Mirror Image is amazing (Block 3 attacks non-conc), Blur is good, Misty Step is extremely useful, See invisibility can be good, but if someone else in the party can cast that maybe better so you don't have to spend one of your precious few spells known on it.

[SociopathFriend]

Heya, just wanted to point out, Find Familiar is not a Warlock spell, they get their familiars at lvl 3 via Pact of the Chain. You can, however, get some other 1st level spell you already know as an EK to "free up" that EK slot, take into account though, that RAW you only get to change it once you go up in level as an EK, but maybe your DM lets you change it right away.

Regarding some good lvl 1/2 Eldritch Knight spells, well, I don't know what your current selection is, but in general Absorb Elements (Xan) and Shield are pretty standard for EKs, Protection from Evil is sometimes very useful for a lvl 1 spell, as for level 2 Mirror Image is amazing (Block 3 attacks non-conc), Blur is good, Misty Step is extremely useful, See invisibility can be good, but if someone else in the party can cast that maybe better so you don't have to spend one of your precious few spells known on it.

Huh- the website I was using had it as a Warlock spell. Well serves me right for never splurging for a proper PHB.

My selection is limited to PHB and Tasha- the DM is running a PHB +1 splat book rule and I, at the time, didn't think that applied to spells and so chose Tasha for the fighting style.
I have (some of this is racial):

Prestidigitation
Booming Blade
Thaumaturgy

Shield
Protection from Good and Evil
Magic Missile
Find Familiar

Darkness

[Mastikator]

As you can't take Find Familiar with a level in warlock you could just take a level in fighter and use your next feat on either Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate to take find familiar. (or just use the extra spell you learn from EK to take find familiar)

[Rukelnikov]

Huh- the website I was using had it as a Warlock spell. Well serves me right for never splurging for a proper PHB.

My selection is limited to PHB and Tasha- the DM is running a PHB +1 splat book rule and I, at the time, didn't think that applied to spells and so chose Tasha for the fighting style.
I have (some of this is racial):

Prestidigitation
Booming Blade
Thaumaturgy

Shield
Protection from Good and Evil
Magic Missile
Find Familiar

Darkness



Well, PHB+1 is somewhat common since its AL system. Protection from Evil is a Warlock spell, so you could get that one to free up one of your EK slots, Thunderwave, Burning Hands or Shatter can be useful to have at least 1 area option.

Consider that the spell you are gonna get at EK 8 can be from any school, I like Mirror Image, its not very useful against hordes of mooks, but its amazing against 1 or 2 very powerful enemies.

[solidork]

Expeditious Retreat is great on a Fighter. Hellish Rebuke could be interesting with the number of slots you have, though it competes with Sentinel.

[SociopathFriend]

Well, PHB+1 is somewhat common since its AL system. Protection from Evil is a Warlock spell, so you could get that one to free up one of your EK slots, Thunderwave, Burning Hands or Shatter can be useful to have at least 1 area option.

Consider that the spell you are gonna get at EK 8 can be from any school, I like Mirror Image, its not very useful against hordes of mooks, but its amazing against 1 or 2 very powerful enemies.

I will mention it's Storm King's Thunder so for the most part we fight low numbers of hard enemies- not mobs. If it helps we just got a giant artifact and are headed back to the temple.

[RogueJK]

Mirror Image or Misty Step are good choices for an EK's 8th level "any school" pick. Mirror Image is a great non-concentration defensive buff. Misty Step helps with exploration and combat movement, as well as providing a handy "emergency escape" button from nasty enemy grapple/swallow/restrain/etc. effects.

Or Shadow Blade is a good choice for DEX-based melee EKs. (Which it sounds like doesn't apply to you.)


In general, since EKs have such limited spells known (6 total at Level 8) and limited school restrictions, plus the nature of some spells being better/more broadly useful than others, most EKs will end up with the following Abjuration/Evocation spells by level 8:
-Shield
-Absorb Elements
-Thunderwave, eventually swapped for Shatter once available - or now possibly Rime's Binding Ice from Fizban's. (This one might be skipped by EK's that are fully dumping INT; otherwise it's handy to have an AoE on tap.)
-One of the following, depending on circumstances: Mage Armor (if DEX-based), or Protection from Good/Evil, or Magic Missile, or Darkness, or Warding Wind.

-Plus one 1st level "any school" pick, likely Find Familiar or Fog Cloud or Disguise Self.
-And one 2nd level "any school" pick, likely Mirror Image or Misty Step or Shadow Blade (if DEX-based).

That's their 6 total spells known.

Tasha's new spells don't really add anything to the equation here.

[dafrca]

I always love when I learn new things from a thread. :smallsmile:

Some great ideas and thoughts here.

Thanks Folks!