I don't know where I got this image, but before I played many (Western) RPGs I always thought of it as a classic trope up there with the Paladin. Yet I searched through game after game and never quite got the right feel. You could manage it in Elder Scrolls decently, given that you're able to basically design your own classes in those, but it wasn't quite the same.
Then I found the Eldritch Knight, and my eyes lit up - I'd finally found it after all these years.
One of my friends is planning on running a 1-shot with the main purpose of forcing another friend's wife (the second friend and the wife, who is also my friend, are my roommates) to finally play D&D with us.
As my group's DM, I rarely get a chance to play a character myself. I did get a chance earlier this year to play my most-wanted character, the Great Old One Warlock (Neutral Good! Insane Good?) which was really fun if limited at levels 1 and 2 (though holy crap did it pick up at level 2, getting eldritch invocations and a second spell slot.) However, for this 1-shot we're starting at level 3, and that means I get to play an Eldritch Knight Fighter - aka my long-sought Battlemage.
Fighters are a class I feel is pretty acceptable to meta-game as (obviously you can do so with any class if you want - you can still RP with a character optimized for combat.) While I love RP-enhancing spells like Prestidigitation, I feel like there's a special license for an Eldritch Knight to really focus on combat spells, and that's what I've done.
I picked a Blue Dragonborn as the race - mainly for aesthetics. I like lightning as an elemental damage type and a dragon-person feels like a good choice for someone both strong an magical. I realize that a Githyanki would probably be the ideal choice for total min-maxing, what with their extra spells and boosts to Strength and Intelligence, but even if the Dragonborn's charisma is going to waste a bit, I think it's a good choice (and a bit of CHA can make the roleplay more fun.)
While you can play a Dex-based EK, my fantasy is much more the arcane juggernaut, so I'm going with a primarily STR-based build (also, Dragonborn.)
For Fighting Style I'm going simple with Defensive. I had initially wanted to play a Warforged EK (and might some day) where the armor bonus would not have worked with their integrated armor, but as a Dragonborn I'm going to be wearing that gear, and focusing on this will allow me to choose between sword-and-board (or rather hammer-and-board, as I always tend to like blunt weapons) or two-handed weapons depending on how I feel, while also reinforcing the tankiness of the character (with a shield, he's at 19 AC in just Chain mail, and up to 21 with plate.)
Of course where an EK really gets to customize is spell selection.
I'm focusing on damage with Cantrips.
Toll the Dead (no magic school restriction on cantrip selection) will be my main ranged damager - I've considered switching this for something with more utility, though. I might consider swapping it for Ray of Frost to slow targets or Frostbite to impose disadvantage on their attacks.
Booming Blade has EK written all over it. It includes within it a full weapon attack, and then punishes people for running away from me (not to mention opportunity attacks.) The best part is that it adds Thunder damage to my attacks at level 5 and the other cantrip improvement levels, so I can forgo my Extra Attack and still get in for somewhat comparable damage (no STR modifier to that Thunder damage, of course, so it'll be a judgment call.) Certainly at level 3 and 4 there's really no downside to using it instead of an ordinary attack. One benefit (and you'll notice this is a theme) is that the chance to hit on this is all based on Strength instead of Intelligence, so the fact that I only have a +2 to Intelligence won't hurt me as bad (granted by Strength is only +3, but hey, we're only level 3.) Plus, at level 7 EKs get to make a melee attack as a bonus action after casting a cantrip, so it's a pretty serious potential damage output.
At level 3 I get three spells known and two 1st level spell slots.
I'm going primarily defensive with these. Generally EKs can only get Evocation and Abjuration spells, but you get one from any school every couple levels.
That being said, the three I chose were from those schools anyway. I wonder if perhaps I should drop one and pick up an "extracurricular" spell just to not waste the chance, but the three I found all seem pretty cool.
Shield is the first pick, allowing me to add 5 AC to myself or entirely negate a Magic Missle spell as a reaction. Pretty standard defensive spell in case someone rolls a big hit against me.
Next is Absorb Elements, which is a little flashier and also gets me a bit of damage out of it as well. Also as a reaction, I gain resistance to either acid, fire, cold, lighting, or thunder damage, and then on my next turn, I get to add a d6 of that damage to my next melee attack (and an additional d6 for each spell level above 1.) This seems like a really good clutch spell when dealing with a big burst of magic damage, which is something a low-DEX Fighter will probably appreciate. This might actually be more useful than Shield for someone wearing such heavy armor.
Finally, there's the one I really feel completes the image: Earth Tremor.
Earth Tremor causes the earth to erupt in a 10-foot radius around me (I'm safe from it,) requiring a DEX save from anyone in that radius or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage (gaining 1d6 for each spell level above 1) and then causing the ground that was hit to become difficult terrain. It's not without its downsides - successful saves mean no damage and I've also got to deal with that terrain. But as a 1st level spell with the potential for AoE damage and as a decent amount of crowd control (making it harder for bad guys to get to my squishy party members) it seems like a good fit for the class.
I particularly like the image of the somatic component of the spell being the fighter slamming his hammer into the ground and a seismic wave bursting out from the impact.
Anyway, I think this is all doing a pretty good job of fulfilling the battlemage fantasy. One thing I'll have to get used to after playing a Warlock is the fact that spell slots don't come back until after a long rest. This means that I'll probably save those slots for big moments - using an Earth Tremor if I get a tight group of bad guys, or saving Absorb Elements in case we face a caster.
There are, of course, a couple fun things you get that aren't based on spell casting. Fighters of course have their class features like Second Wind and Action Surge (I don't think you can cast two spells in one turn, but you can do a full spell and your attack action, or a spell and a cantrip.) Additionally you get Weapon Bond, which allows you to, as a bonus action, summon one of your two bonded weapons (the bonding process takes an hour) as long as they're on the same plane of existence.
I feel like there's actually a ton of RP potential with this ability. Your EK could be remarkably careless about where they leave their weapon, perhaps even not bothering to sheath it and just dropping it after a fight, confident that they can summon it back to them at any time. Likewise, you could easily go into areas where you aren't permitted to carry weapons and still be confident you can summon one to defend yourself if trouble comes for you. I'd love to somehow see a scenario where some bad guy has taken your weapon and is going to attack you with it but you summon it right out of their hands and into yours.
Practically this is also a great option for thrown weapons. Often thrown weapons should be treated as expendable, but with this ability you can simply throw a weapon and immediately have it back in your hand.
For logistical reasons I don't think this game is happening until January at least, but I am very excited to play this character.
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