Let's talk "Duskblade"

[Rahdjan]

Ok, so I'm playing a Duskblade in my current game. We've only played 1 session and I'm still lvl 1. I'm really liking the concept of the Duskblade and the character itself. What Spells/Feats/Ideas should I keep an eye out or steer clear of? Also, any bit of advice on Multiclassing and Prestige Classes would be most heartily welcomed.

[Ikkitosen]

Start with sword and board or 2h weapon. Once you get 13th level and the ability to have every hit convey the spell's effects then get 2 weapons.

[clericwithnogod]

Make sure your party understands what you are and what you can do...

In our game we had a guy play a few sessions as a Duskblade and everyone kept asking him to scout ahead, search for traps and try to open locks.

The name doesn't exactly scream, "I'm a heavily armored fighting guy that can cast some spells."

[ImperiousLeader]

Duskblade doesn't really play well with others, iow, it's not the best class for multiclassing or prestige classes. It already has full BAB, so a fighter/mage PrC is rather useless as you lose caster levels, and your casting isn't really good enough for a full caster PrC. You may want to dip into other classes, a level or two of fighter for bonus feats, for example, but Duskblade has enough class features that you'll probably want to keep to the Duskblade itself.

There is one exception, but I hesitate to offer it, because it's such a high level trick. Duskblades get Disintegrate, and the "Enlightened Fist" Prestige Class can turn rays into touch spells, a Duskblade 13/Enlightened Fist 7 can make a full attack of Disintegrates, but that ability only happens at level 20.

Another option is possibly dipping into Tome of Battle. A Jade Pheonix Mage Duskblade has a lot of neat options in battle, as you can get Devoted Spirit Strikes to heal yourself in while still dishing out damage. Especially if you can combine Arcane Channeling with Martial Strikes.

As for a Duskblade, you can get quickened True Strikes + Power Attack + Two-handed Weapon + Arcane Strike + Arcane Channeling = Lots of damage. I tend to think of Duskblades as glass cannons, they can dish out a lot of damage, but don't have the same endurance as your primary fighters, thanks to d8 hitdice. I definitely recommend Arcane Strike (Complete Warrior), Power Attack (and possibly Cleave, but you really won't need cleave until you can get the full-attack option of Arcane Channeling).

Speaking of Arcane Channeling, talk to your DM. There are constant arguments about whether you have to worry about Somatic components (if so, you'll want somatic weaponry from "Complete Mage"), and whether the full attack version allows you to hit a single target with the channeled spell multiple times, or just once. I think it's ambiguous enough that I leave it to the DM and optimize towards their decision. If they say you can hit the foe multiple times with the same spell, go to town. If not, then I do recommend considering a Spiked Chain or a reach weapon so you can strike multiple foes in a full attack.

One other controversy is "Extra Spell" (Complete Arcane), and whether it allows you to go outside your class list. If it does (ask your DM), without question, your 9th level feat must be "Extra Spell (Wraithstrike)" because making all your attacks into touch attacks is very pimp.

As for spells, the only major recommendation I have is Vampiric Touch, you'll want that. Definitely invest in those saveless touch spells.

ETA: If your AC needs pumping "Battlecaster" from Complete Arcane will allow you to wear heavy armour.

[Thomas]

I had success as a glaive-wielding Duskblade. Power Attack, reach, and spells (shocking grasp!) are nice enough for damage in combat.

Just make very sure you clear the mechanics with your DM. Can you cast while you're holding a shield? Can you cast while you're using a two-handed weapon? And so on.

[Lord Xaedien]

IMHO your weapon damage can take a backseat to your spell damage for the most part. What I mean by that is that a shield is going to be really handy, and I agree with the sentiment of switching to two weapon fighting later on in your career. There is a really great feat from dragon magazine 338 that lets you use a two handed polearm with a light shield, so you can have the best of both worlds, and another feat that lets you use a shield to avoid attacks of oppurtunity from spell casting, but I can't remember where it is from.

[Rahdjan]

cool, lots of things to proccess. Thanks guys.

[ImperiousLeader]

IMHO your weapon damage can take a backseat to your spell damage for the most part.

Agreed, Duskblades can use spells to up their damage, making them better at Storm-and-board builds. Just remember to only use a light shield, the heavy shield makes that hand useless for spellcasting (somatic components), unless you take somatic weaponry.

[Felan]

And don't forget that many of their spells are swift actions to cast, also (aside from their quick cast ability). That way, you could, for example, use swift expeditious retreat to increase, run up to a baddie, and channel shocking grasp into an attack, or cast blade of blood and channel shocking grasp for the same attack, etc.

Some of those mobility spells, such as swift expeditious retreat and dimension hop can be really handy as well, rather than only learning offensive spells.

[Roland St. Jude]

TheThan wrote a nice guide for duskblades that's worth a look: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...e%20duskblades

Also, there's been an attempt at a guide over on the Wizards site: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=637776


(I have a bunch to say about duskblades, as I'm playing a couple right now, but I don't have time right this minute to commit them to writing.)

[Tibor]

Chameleon is the best...and possibly the only good PRC for Duskblades aside from UR Priest which we don't allow in our games due to balance reasons.

Duskblade 13/Chameleon 7

Avoid sword and board like the plague...just cause you can use a sheild doesn't mean that you should, and take the TWF feat chain, but don't actually TWF until level 13. You'll need to take the feat that lets you do somatic components as sword gestures though from Complete Mage. Spells like Combust and Wraithstrike are very good for you if you take Chameleon.

[Fizban]

Baisically what everyone else said. You're a tank with another resource to look after, but a bit more versatility (you can cast a few spells that don't just deal damage). I don't know much more strategy than that unfortunately.

Now, who came up with that idea that you can get spells not on your class spell list with the Extra Spell feat? That's just stupid wrong. Unless something specifically says that you get a spell not on your class list, you only get spells off your class list. Otherwise we'd have people taking Extra Spell to learn all kinds of stuff. (Not that I think that would be all that overpowered).

If you want wraithstrike (and you should, it's cheese if your DM doesn't think to give your enemies any touch AC), you should negotiate with you DM to swap some spells on your Duskblade's spell list. The PHBII suggests that for spells in other books that make sense for Duskblades, and wraithstrike definitely fits the bill for a spell they would like.

[TheThan]

TheThan wrote a nice guide for duskblades that's worth a look: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...e%20duskblades

Also, there's been an attempt at a guide over on the Wizards site: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=637776


(I have a bunch to say about duskblades, as I'm playing a couple right now, but I don't have time right this minute to commit them to writing.)

unfortunatley its not done, I'm going to have to go back and finish it off one of these days. but I'm a bit too busy for such things, as it requires suprising amount of time. anway feel free to give it a read.

[Rahdjan]

I was looking at the Duskblade spell list and it has True Strike listed as a level 1 spell. Ok, that makes sense and all that good jazz. Then I noticed on the 2nd level spells, Sure Strike. now reading the difference between the 2, why on earth (or any other planet) would someone take Sure Strike when True Strike is so much better? Is there something I'm not seeing in Sure Strike?

[Dhavaer]

Is there something I'm not seeing in Sure Strike?

No. extra characters

[Winged One]

Sure Strike is an immediate(or was that swift?) action to cast, while True Stike is a standard action.

[Dhavaer]

Sure Strike is an immediate(or was that swift?) action to cast, while True Stike is a standard action.

The bonus is too low for this really to matter that much.

[Winged One]

Rahdjan didn't specify that the person taking Sure Strike over True Strike had to be a smart person.

[TheThan]

Yeah, true strike is much better than sure strike, +20 to hit is much better than +1 every three levels, think that works out to +6 or something at level 20. So yeah, I’ll take a true strike any day. Especially since duskblades can cast it as a swift action.

[its_all_ogre]

if you have the feats spare also take expertise.
that way when you use truestrike and power attack you can also gain the extra ac from the expertise feat and still end up needing a 2+ to hit!

the only shortfall of the duskblade imo is the lack of feats, it is a truly awesome class without being overpowered(again imo)

[Tibor]

You can gain access to wraith strike and combust from Chameleon. You get the ability to cast spells from the wizard/sorcerer spell list. No DM talk required.

[Rahdjan]

what book is the Chameleon Prestige Class in?

[AmoDman]

what book is the Chameleon Prestige Class in?

Book? What book?

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x...041210b&page=1

[Rahdjan]

well the problem with that, is that my DM wont allow anything not printed in a book. He doesn't even allow Stuff from Dragon Magazine.

[Roland St. Jude]

well the problem with that, is that my DM wont allow anything not printed in a book. He doesn't even allow Stuff from Dragon Magazine.

I think it's in Races of Destiny, too.

[Rahdjan]

Honestly, I don't see a whole lot of reason to take a full 7 levels of Chameleon. at lvl 1 I would be able to cast Wraithstrike, but I think my DM would frown apun me Dipping a prestige class just to be able to cast 1 spell.

[AmoDman]

Honestly, I don't see a whole lot of reason to take a full 7 levels of Chameleon. at lvl 1 I would be able to cast Wraithstrike, but I think my DM would frown apun me Dipping a prestige class just to be able to cast 1 spell.

Now you're just looking for excuses not to take it :P. But in all seriousness, when you ask D&D geeks to optimize, we optimize.

[Tibor]

Because 5th level spells rock the house, and your duskblade spell list is weak.

Edit: Also double aptitude will really help. Arcane and Divine spells at the same time.

[Fizban]

At least they didn't force the horrible fluff into the class or prerequisites.

[TheThan]

At least they didn't force the horrible fluff into the class or prerequisites.

for what? the duskblade?