I'm brainstorming ideas for my next Core PFS character, and I'm looking to blend arcane power with martial prowess. I played around with Eldritch Knight concepts, and I think this is my favorite so far, but I'm looking for suggestions to take it to the next level.
Human Barbarian/Wizard (transmuter)/Eldritch Knight
17/14/14/15/10/7
Traits: Magical Knack, Reactionary
Arcane Bond (amulet)
Barb1: Toughness, Extra Rage
Wiz1: Spell Focus (???)
W2: Arcane Strike
W3: +1 Int
W4: Improved Initiative
W5: Heighten Spell
EK1: Weapon Focus (claw), Power Attack
EK2: +1 Str
EK3: Weapon Specialization (claw)
EK4:
EK5: Dodge, Lightning Reflexes
Starting at level 4, he can use alter self to turn into a troglodyte with 3 natural attacks, and eventually turn into big animals with beast shape.
The transmuter stat bonus goes into Strength until I get a +2 belt, at which point it goes into Con for survivability. Plus, with an amulet of mighty fists as my arcane bond, I can probably get it up to a +4 by retirement.
I'm still a little iffy on the feat selections; not sure whether Weapon Focus/Specialization is worth it since they'll only apply to some of my natural attacks. Any suggestions?
One word of advice: If you're multiclassing barbarian with any other caster (other than bloodrager), you should (IMO) take a second barbarian level and pick up the Moment of Clarity rage power. It can save your hide big time; otherwise, you need to end your rage to cast (which sucks in the middle of a fight).
If you are willing to contemplate a different, but more consistent, path: fighter (or ranger) 1/bard 1/wizard 3/dragon disciple (advance wizard spells) 4/eldritch knight 3 loses some spellcasting, but gains an always on +4 Str and +3 natural armor plus some versatility from the bard level.
One bard level isn't going to pay off. Perform won't be worth the action and extra first level spells on a different stat aren't worth losing a wizard level.
Considering that the primary "pay off" is to qualify for dragon disciple in the first place, a +4 Str and +3 natural armor (not an enhancement bonus to natural armor) isn't a bad choice for a combat-focused character. The bard level also lets you use wands of cure light wounds without Use Magic Device checks, a wider range of class skills, and a few more skill ranks.
Also, DD probably shouldn't be able to progress prepared caster levels.
The rules are explicit in allowing it:
Spells per Day: At the indicated levels, a dragon disciple gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a dragon disciple, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
There is no restriction on "must use with spontaneous arcane spellcasting class" or anything like that.
I'd never advocate playing a raging class with no diehard feat for core, chance of permadeath is always there
One word of advice: If you're multiclassing barbarian with any other caster (other than bloodrager), you should (IMO) take a second barbarian level and pick up the Moment of Clarity rage power. It can save your hide big time; otherwise, you need to end your rage to cast (which sucks in the middle of a fight).
If you are willing to contemplate a different, but more consistent, path: fighter (or ranger) 1/bard 1/wizard 3/dragon disciple (advance wizard spells) 4/eldritch knight 3 loses some spellcasting, but gains an always on +4 Str and +3 natural armor plus some versatility from the bard level.
How often will a polymorph specialist EK in PFS who has polymorphed, turned on Rage and committed to melee decide they want to cast another spell instead of attacking - if it's even possible for them to do so?
Going Barbarian 1/ Wizard 5 (or 6)/ Eldritch Knight loses the absolute minimum of caster levels and BAB, and having a dozen Rage rounds right from the start is also very useful for the first half of a PFS career. Dropping two extra caster levels and a whole level of spellcasting combined with losing two more points of BAB is a horrible hurdle; Beast Shape 2 appears at level 11 instead of at level 7/8, and the full +4STR from Disciple only appears at level 9, where it's only belatedly compensating for the hit to BAB.
Do you really need to Rage? A d12 and some movement seem good enough on their own...
One other interesting thing one can do with a Core character is to use the Elven Curved Blade as a surrogate dex-to-damage thing, since 14STR and two-handed Power Attack will make it quite competitive with a typical dex-to-damage rapier. Something like:
Fighter 1/ Transmutation Wizard 5/ Eldritch Knight 5
Elf: 14STR, 16/18DEX+, 14\12(+2Wiz)CON, 14/16INT, 9WIS, 7CHA
1F. +Elven Curved Blade / +Weapon Finesse / Iron Will
2W. +Spell Focus: Enchantment
3W. Arcane Strike
4W.
5W. Power Attack
6W. +Empower Spell
7EK. +Weapon Focus: Elven Curved Blade / Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment
8Ek.
9EK. Weapon Specialization: Elven Curved Blade
10EK.
11EK. +Improved Critical: Elven Curved Blade / Heighten Spell
...where damage is quite solid when making two-handed Power Attacks with Haste or when casting Scorching Ray, and spells like Hideous Laughter and Confusion can be thrown with a pretty solid DC. Just for a change of pace, you could use a +1 Holy Cold Iron Elven Curved Blade with Greater Magic Weapon for a fair deal of extra punch a lot of the time.
I've always been a fan of the shapechanging Gish.
I'm curious as to why you opt for Heighten Spell, rather than Extend or Silent Spell? Do you plan on Rods to cover most metamagic needs?
I wasn't sure on the metamagic feat, really. I do plan on using an Extend rod or two. The only use I see for Silent Spell is perhaps a Silent Dimension Door for when I'm in Beast Shape, but I don't think there are any other good V-only spells to use with it, and that would only come online at level 11. What do you suggest I use it for?
For the OP's build, you need to change barbarian to fighter in order to qualify for weapon specialization. Rage is going to be dubious anyhow. You're sinking a feat into having a useful quantity so you could have two more feats by going fighter. You lose the fast movement bonus, but that loses value when you get to beast shape anyways because you'll be moving fast already.
Yeah, totally forgot I was behind a level on the qualification when I switched to Barbarian. Honestly, I was having trouble coming up with good feats to pick, which is why I switched to Barb. I felt being able to rage while polymorphed would be more broadly useful than the bonus feat in that situation. What feats should I take instead?
One other interesting thing one can do with a Core character is to use the Elven Curved Blade as a surrogate dex-to-damage thing, since 14STR and two-handed Power Attack will make it quite competitive with a typical dex-to-damage rapier.
That's actually a build I looked at, but my wife has already played a vanilla ECB Fighter similar to that, and I'd rather tread new ground.
Do you really need to Rage? A d12 and some movement seem good enough on their own...
Why would I pass up a +2 to attack and damage as a free action?
That's actually a build I looked at, but my wife has already played a vanilla ECB Fighter similar to that, and I'd rather tread new ground.
Yeah, polymorph is a little more unique that way. There's a "Northern Dragon-Warrior" Dragon Disciple I've been looking at that's mostly Core, where you wield a longsword two-handed for single attacks, while full attacks involve TWF longsword and unarmed strike plus one dragon claw and bite. Something like 18/15/12/10/8/14 to start, Fighter1/Sorc4/Disciple4/EK?. Tons of attacks per round right from the start and dragon arcana blasting.
Do you really need to Rage? A d12 and some movement seem good enough on their own...Why would I pass up a +2 to attack and damage as a free action?
Pretty much all the reasons people were claiming you need Moment of Clarity or Diehard.
Personally, I would just have Rage as a finisher. I would try to win without it, and if I need it I would resort to it.
Do you really need to Rage? A d12 and some movement seem good enough on their own...Why would I pass up a +2 to attack and damage as a free action?Pretty much all the reasons people were claiming you need Moment of Clarity or Diehard.
Personally, I would just have Rage as a finisher. I would try to win without it, and if I need it I would resort to it.
Yeah, fatigued is only a -2 to Str and Dex, and if I have to cast something, I can lean more on spells until I recover.
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I wasn't sure on the metamagic feat, really. I do plan on using an Extend rod or two. The only use I see for Silent Spell is perhaps a Silent Dimension Door for when I'm in Beast Shape, but I don't think there are any other good V-only spells to use with it, and that would only come online at level 11. What do you suggest I use it for?I've always been a fan of the shapechanging Gish.
I'm curious as to why you opt for Heighten Spell, rather than Extend or Silent Spell? Do you plan on Rods to cover most metamagic needs?
Silent Dispel Magic can deal with magical silence, Displacement is a great melee buff that has verbal and material components: silent spell plus eschew materials means you can cast it in any shape you're using. That's one of my favourite tricks with my many forms dark tapestry oracle (using the deaf curse for free silent spell).
Barb1: Toughness, Extra Rage
Wiz1: Spell Focus (???)
W2: Arcane Strike
W3: +1 Int
W4: Improved Initiative
W5: Heighten Spell
EK1: Weapon Focus (claw), Power Attack
EK2: +1 Str
EK3: Weapon Specialization (claw)
EK4:
EK5: Dodge, Lightning Reflexes
That should be a half-orc instead of a human, really. The alternate racial trait to get Endurance is PFS legal (as is Sacred Tattoo), and you gain access to a range of interesting feats.