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The problem with the build is that it doesn't mature at all until 8; you won't have GMW around until then, and your stats are set with no 18s until then.
If you want to GMW, you can always Amulet of Mighty Fist (instead of Katana) and be a Warpriest of Irori (with Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike). Then you get full benefit of the GMW, and can enchant your bonded Amulet of Mighty Fist.
Is Int 18 (pre-buff) really that important? Are you casting any offensive spells; or is it strictly a buffing caster?
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The problem with the build is that it doesn't mature at all until 8; you won't have GMW around until then, and your stats are set with no 18s until then.
Uh, I get STR 18 at 4th level. Not sure what you're talking about here.
At 2nd (when I start playing him), I'm attacking two-handed for 1d8+4. Not stellar, but hey, it's 2nd level.
At 3rd, picking up Power Attack, I'm 2h Power Attacking for 1d8+7.
At 4th, with my STR bump, I'm 2HPA-ing for 1d8+9.
At 5th (adding Arcane Strike and my 4th point of BAB), it's now 1d8+14.
Basically, in the early levels, I'm a swordsman with minor magical supplementation. Then I start to shift, as significant spellcasting potential gets added to an already solid martial.
Sure, the wizardy stuff doesn't "mature" until later levels, but until then I can still slice things up just fine. There's a shift, but the build is still solid before then.
Or so it seems to me. :)
Quicken vanish? No no no friend, you want a sipping jacket with potions of vanish.
Save yourself a feat and use some of the dosh you are saving to get vanish as a swift action for a round. 5000 for the jacket, 50 per potion. Up the CL on the potion to get that vanish 2 or 3 times per day. Say hello to cheap 50% miss chance on demand. Or any other potion with rounds/level you feel you should use for the day. Like all those spells not on your spell list. (unless you are using your swift action for something else, just looking at the feats/classes you listed)
Also, I'm not sure if spring attack is worth the feat tax. You plan on using defensive illusions like vanish and mirror image, so I don't think the pre reqs would see any use. Maybe there is a lot of nasty cleaving going on in PFS that encourages only one person being close to an enemy, but I'm not sure how spring attack is going to justify two dead feats for you. Unless this has something to do with the latest seasons meta. I've only seen a smattering of season 3.
If it were me building this without considering other class options, and I just HAD to have spring attack, I'd drop empower, quicken, and toughness. The quicken you can get from the jacket(not all spells, but some good ones), the empower you can get from a rod (if you really gotta have it), and your defensive illusions could cover the hp loss from toughness.
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Decided to switch deities from Shizuru to Tsukiyo; the former was originally chosen for katana proficiency, but only one of his domains/blessings (Good) made sense for the concept. That eventually bugged me enough that I went looking for other Tien deities, and Tsukiyo still offers Good while also adding Darkness (mechanically very on-theme) and some tasty lunar-mysticism flavor that I can much more easily apply to the concept than some of Shizuru's stuff. :D
Jiggy, I have to say I really appreciate your build and the thought you have given it.
I wanted to ask you what would you do differently IF the character was not limited by PFS rules, and also if you have a final version for this build after all the feedback received on the thread.
Thanks in advance for any possible feedback.
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Jiggy, I have to say I really appreciate your build and the thought you have given it.
I wanted to ask you what would you do differently IF the character was not limited by PFS rules,
That's hard to answer, as it depends heavily on the rules of the campaign—PFS or otherwise. What races does the GM allow? Which books? Which classes/archetypes/etc? Can I make custom requests like "Will you let me do X if I spend a feat/trait on it?" or research custom spells? What deities or alignments would or wouldn't fit the campaign?
Too many variables.
and also if you have a final version for this build after all the feedback received on the thread.
It's changed remarkably little since I first posted; I did notice that I didn't like any of my options for my second Warpriest blessing (after Good) with Shizuru as my deity, and then noticed that Tsukiyo offers Good and Darkness, with the latter fitting perfectly with what I'm already doing (basically 1min of blur from 1st level), and a pretty cool flavor vibe to boot. Unfortunately, that costs me katana proficiency, which leaves me looking at either scimitar or longsword for my weapon. I'm currently leaning toward switching to Tsukiyo, but waffling on the sword choice; I like the mental image of a not-scimitar, but katana is gone and my last EK used a longsword. :( But either way, it's going to be made of obsidian (weaker and more expensive than steel, but IT IS A BLACK SWORD). :D
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It's changed remarkably little since I first posted; I did notice that I didn't like any of my options for my second Warpriest blessing (after Good) with Shizuru as my deity, and then noticed that Tsukiyo offers Good and Darkness, with the latter fitting perfectly with what I'm already doing (basically 1min of blur from 1st level), and a pretty cool flavor vibe to boot. Unfortunately, that costs me katana proficiency, which leaves me looking at either scimitar or longsword for my weapon. I'm currently leaning toward switching to Tsukiyo, but waffling on the sword choice; I like the mental image of a not-scimitar, but katana is gone and my last EK used a longsword. :( But either way, it's going to be made of obsidian (weaker and more expensive than steel, but IT IS A BLACK SWORD). :D
Use a half-moon battle axe!
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Eldritch Knight has a pre-req that says you need to be able to cast 3rd Level arcane spells. This build doesn't meet that criteria.SLA's count now following the FAQ. Jiggy even mentions it in the very first post. Did you actually read it?Yes I did read it. I just don't agree with it. There was a series of posts about this as well regarding if the Scryer subschool actually was the ability to cast a 3rd level arcane spell. I understand what the FAQ says, I just don't agree that the scryer ability at level one functions like a level 3 spell. They have changed have the SLA functions to the point where it doesn't really function like the 3rd level spell.
That's just my opinion and I don't think the DM I play with would agree with this either. If someone lets you do it though, then it's fine.
I agree with this, unfortunately. Does having the teleportation subschool mean that the character is capable of casting 4th level spells at level 1?
Did that question asked about the caster level of (Sp) abilities that aren't spells ever get answered?
It shouldn't't be enough period, modifications or not, but regardless...
Did that question asked about the caster level of (Sp) abilities that aren't spells ever get answered?
If you mean Spell Level, it is in the book. The level of the equiv. spell, or the highest spell the class can cast at the level it's gained.
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It shouldn't't be enough period, modifications or not, but regardless...If you mean Spell Level, it is in the book. The level of the equiv. spell, or the highest spell the class can cast at the level it's gained.
Did that question asked about the caster level of (Sp) abilities that aren't spells ever get answered?
You are correct, I meant spell level.
So, the spell level of Send Senses (Sp) is level 1, since it's not identical to clairaudience/clairvoyance?
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Nope, that FAQ only applies to abilities which are not based on existing spells. The Scryer School ability makes explicit reference to Clairaudience. It is a level 3 ability and qualifies.It shouldn't't be enough period, modifications or not, but regardless...If you mean Spell Level, it is in the book. The level of the equiv. spell, or the highest spell the class can cast at the level it's gained.
Did that question asked about the caster level of (Sp) abilities that aren't spells ever get answered?You are correct, I meant spell level.
So, the spell level of Send Senses (Sp) is level 1, since it's not identical to clairaudience/clairvoyance?
Could I ask where it says that a (Sp) need only reference a spell in order to be considered that spell's level? I don't read that at all from the two FAQ answers.
I think there's a pretty large difference between this ability and say, the Creation school's 8th level power, which explicitly allows you to cast minor creation.
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Could I ask where it says that a (Sp) need only reference a spell in order to be considered that spell's level?
Alternatively, you could ask where it says that a spell-like ability's spell level would ever be anything other than the spell that it's based on.
Even so, here you go. :)
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Could I ask where it says that a (Sp) need only reference a spell in order to be considered that spell's level?Alternatively, you could ask where it says that a spell-like ability's spell level would ever be anything other than the spell that it's based on.
Even so, here you go. :)
Thank you.
Back on topic! I still recommend a half-moon battle axe: different from a longsword while roughly equivalent, and fits with Tsukiyo semi-thematically.
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Something you might consider to is going into the hellknight signifier if you want to wear armor... your BAB will go down by one or so, but the build I'm going for EK, uses lvl 6-9 for hell knight (it's cool being able to look and see level of spells and what's on someone...) But also you get arcane armor mastery for free.
I built an eldritch knight before the SLA ruling. Also before the Magical Knack ruling.
Fighter 1, Sorcerer 6, EK 2 at this point. Even took the Arcane Bloodline so I could get a cheap bonded item (Lesser Ring of Spell Storing). Took Magical Lineage with Scorching Ray, so Still Scorching Ray is a 2nd level spell.
And yes, I played him all the way through levels 2, 3 and 4 (AKA the Valley of Suck).
You punks got it easy. Get the hell offa my lawn. :)
I took Still Spell because one feat is better than two feats, and Arcane Bloodline means that Still Spell adds one to the DC of any saves. I planned to stage my first level spell slots through the Lesser Ring of Spell Storing. (Then they published the Cracked Purple Ioun Stone which was even cheaper than the Lesser Ring of Spell Storing for that purpose...)
By and large, until you get to the EK Capstone Ability (which you'll never see in PFS play) the only thing you're using your Swift Action for is Arcane Strike...which, aside from using it with Scorching Ray, you don't use when casting spells.
Arcane Armor Mastery and Mithral Full Plate work just fine if you don't do the Still Spell route.
I'm mildly considering Arcane Blast at 11th level.
An eldritch knight adds his level to any levels of fighter he might have for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites for feats (if he has no fighter levels, treat his eldritch knight levels as levels of fighter). He also adds his level to any levels in an arcane spellcasting class for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites for feats.
It allows me to convert my 1st level spell slots into 3d6+3 rays that ignore SR and energy resistance completely, and I'm now in the "never miss other than a 1" for ranged touch spells. If a foe doesn't have fire resistance to fire, I'm better off using Still Scorching Ray with the Veil of Acrimony, but especially with Season 5, that Arcane Blast is looking real tempting...
Unless I am mistaken, my caster level would be 9 at 11th level. The feat requires caster level 10th normally.
I lose one from the first level of fighter.
I don't think I gain a caster level for the first level of eldritch knight.
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there's some small debate, but yeah you're in general two caster levels behind. Although some will play it that any class that grants spell levels grants you caster level, even if your spells aren't progressing... but the least advantageous interpretation is yours and the one people default to.
I was mainly pointing out that at lvl 10, you could if you were say wiz5 ftr 1 ek 4 pick up opposition research, etc.
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I built an eldritch knight before the SLA ruling. Also before the Magical Knack ruling.
As did I. Lucky for me, my selection of traits was such that I was able to pick up Magical Knack via Additional Traits when it became legal (somewhere around... 7th or 9th level?) so I got to have full-CL spells for a little while before I hit 12th. It was nice. :)