Duskblade/Warblade question

[Morph Bark]

For a Gestalt campaign, I am planning on making a villain that is a Duskblade//Warblade. My question is, can Arcane Channeling be used at the same time as initiating a maneuver?

[The-Mage-King]

For a Gestalt campaign, I am planning on making a villain that is a Duskblade//Warblade. My question is, can Arcane Channeling be used at the same time as initiating a maneuver?

...That... I know not... I would think so, if the maneuver requires an attack roll...

[kamikasei]

IIRC, Arcane Channeling is a standard (later full) action which includes an attack, not an ability that lets you add spell damage to an attack without an action (or with a free or swift action). So you can't use the same standard action to use Arcane Channeling and initiate a standard action strike (or other) maneuver. You could use a boost as a swift action and have it affect the attack(s) you make as part of Arcane Channeling, though.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

And here to argue the other side of things...

I don't believe you can use Arcane Channeling while initiating a maneuver. Arcane Channeling says

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack.

Based on that, it doesn't sound like the standard action for Arcane Channeling can be combined with the standard action for initiating a maneuver. Remember, Arcane Channeling isn't using a regular attack with a spell tacked on, it's casting a spell and tacking on an attack.

EDIT: Ninja'd. TL;DR: What kamikasei said.

[Saph]

RAW, you can't, as Kami says. Lvl 3 Arcane Channelling is a standard action. A strike is a standard action. You can't do both at once.

Of course, since you seem to be the DM, you can just make up some random feat/ability/PrC/ACF that makes it legal. :P

[Ormagoden]

RAW, you can't, as Kami says. Lvl 3 Arcane Channelling is a standard action. A strike is a standard action. You can't do both at once.

Of course, since you seem to be the DM, you can just make up some random feat/ability/PrC/ACF that makes it legal. :P

I know!
Lets call that feat "OMGWTFBBQ!"

[Morph Bark]

Hm, alright, thanks all.

RAW, you can't, as Kami says. Lvl 3 Arcane Channelling is a standard action. A strike is a standard action. You can't do both at once.

Of course, since you seem to be the DM, you can just make up some random feat/ability/PrC/ACF that makes it legal. :P

Well I can always make it a Factotum 8//Warblade X/Duskblade X and use up 3 Inspiration points to make it work.

[Arbitrarious]

You could drop Duskblade and go Wizard with Smiting Spell Metamagic. Not necessarily the best option, but it is something to consider.

[Morph Bark]

You could drop Duskblade and go Wizard with Smiting Spell Metamagic. Not necessarily the best option, but it is something to consider.

Haven't ever heard of Smiting Spell Metamagic. Where is it from?

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Haven't ever heard of Smiting Spell Metamagic. Where is it from?

PHB2. It's a feat.

[Morph Bark]

Hm, the feat doesn't say anything against casting several such spells on the same weapon and discharging several spells at once... sounds like something to abuse for a Sorcadin sometime.

[Noodles2375]

Alternatively, you could go Wiz into Spellsword.

Gives you the casting in armor, but channeling a spell for a spell-sword is only a move action, but it doesn't actually deliver the hit. So, you could channel + manuever as a full-round action.

I'm guessing you don't need the higher level spells, the duskblade doesn't really get them anyway, so the reduced casting progression is probably fine.

[AtwasAwamps]

Something you might want to think about is the Spellsword's version of Arcane Channeling...more limited in uses per day, but discharges on the next attack made with the weapon.

NINJA'D.

[Morph Bark]

Alternatively, you could go Wiz into Spellsword.

Gives you the casting in armor, but channeling a spell for a spell-sword is only a move action, but it doesn't actually deliver the hit. So, you could channel + manuever as a full-round action.

I'm guessing you don't need the higher level spells, the duskblade doesn't really get them anyway, so the reduced casting progression is probably fine.

Might as well yeah. The villain will be relatively low level, since it is an E6 campaign and I plan on not making humanoid NPCs be more than level 8 and only in very special cases (effectively E8 because they're demigods or somesuch, rules for gods are different in my campaign too, anyway).

[Person_Man]

RAW solutions:

• Spell Storing weapon enhancement: Delivers any 3rd level or lower spell on a successful attack. No reason you can't carry more then one weapon. DMG.
• Eilservs School feat: When you strike a creature with a magic staff, it deals +1 damage for every 10 charges it contains. And if you strike a creature with both ends, you can activate one of the spells in the staff (on your target or on you) as a Swift action. Drow of the Underdark.
• Enlightened Fist: Can burn a Stunning Fist use deliver a Touch spell as part of a "full attack action" (not full round action), and can cast Ray spells as Touch spells. So while you couldn't combine it with Standard Action strikes, you could use it with any Boost and Full Round Action strikes (most of which say, "you take a full attack action and..." Complete Arcane.
• Arcane Strike: As a free action burn a spell for an untyped bonus to hit equal to the spell level sacrificed and 1d4 * spell level bonus damage, for 1 round. If you're playing a Full Caster Progression 20//Full BAB Class 20, the math on Arcane Strike is far superior to the Duskblade's Channel Spell ability (given their limited spell list). Complete Warrior.

Also, there's no reason you could have a Wizard 5/Whatever 15//Warblade 20 using a Spell Storing Staff with Arcane Strike and Eilservs School at the same time.

[Master_Rahl22]

Duskblade//Warblade should work just fine. Concentrate on boosts, the few counters you get, and stances. Then you could have some strikes that let you do more than just damage, like add a status effect or allow extra movement or something. That way when all you want is damage, channel a Shocking Grasp or something, but you have more options available.

Alternatively if you're willing to lose the d12 HD and access to Iron Heart, you could go Duskblade//Swordsage or //Crusader. You get less stat synergy, but Devoted Spirit is awesome and Swordsages have access to quite a few more boosts and counters to use while you're Arcane Channeling.

[Morph Bark]

Alternatively if you're willing to lose the d12 HD and access to Iron Heart, you could go Duskblade//Swordsage or //Crusader. You get less stat synergy, but Devoted Spirit is awesome and Swordsages have access to quite a few more boosts and counters to use while you're Arcane Channeling.

Hm, that could be interesting too, since it'd be tougher to make Arcane Channeling + strikes work out, even though I wanted to do that originally. It would throw my players a bit for a loop though, considering one is a Favoured Soul//Swordsage and the other is a Warblade//Scout going into Binder after that first Scout level. Neither has played Duskblade and though one might have skimmed it sometime, I doubt he remembers the specifics.

And if I just want tons of low-level boost, I could just make the villain a Duskblade 3//Swordsage 1/Warblade 1/Crusader 1. He isn't meant to last endlessly long, but considering our sessions tend to go slower than expected often, it might take 8-10 sessions rather than just 5 or so.