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I'm running an Eldritch Knight in PFS. I just hit 7th level (had been a Fighter1/Wizard5) and therefore took my first real EK level. I get a bonus combat feat, and don't know what to take.
Here's a quick summary of my build so far:
STR 18
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 10
CHA 7
Traits:
Reactionary and Indomitable Faith
Feats:
HD1:Toughness
Hmn:Improved Initiative
Ftr1:Dodge
HD3:Weapon Focus (Longsword)
HD5:Arcane Armor Training
Wzd5:Reach Spell
HD7:Additional Traits (World Traveler [Diplomacy] and Magical Lineage [Shocking Grasp])
Fighter1 (No archetype)
Wizard5 (Divination [Foresight], no archetype)
HP 54
AC 20 (24 with wand of shield, kept in spring-loaded wrist sheath)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6
I plan to pick up Weapon Specialization at 9th level, but in the meantime, my level of EK is giving me a Combat feat and I don't know what to pick! Maybe Arcane Strike for a free +2 damage?
If your specalizing in Melee then Arcane strike isn't a bad idea.
However if you're going the mobility -> spring attack route then you need to take mobility.
Edit: or if you're going the ray's route via reach spell, then you may want to invest in point blank shot and precise shot. That'll let you shoot into Melee without the -4.
Arcane strike is probably your best bet.
I was going to suggest Power attack, but that +6 to damage (Assuming you use the longsword with both hands) comes with a -2 penalty to attack rolls (and you should have ~+9 to melee attacks atm)
Also, the usual downside to Arcane Strike is the loss of your swift action for the turn, which isn't going to be a real issue for you, since PFS doesnt reach high enough levels to have all this quickened crazy spell.
SO
Let's see Power Attack Scales up:
LV7: 4 BAB, -2 Atk, +4 Damage (+6 Damage THW)
LV11: 8 BAB, -3 ATK, +6 Damage (+9 Damage THW)
Arcane Strike
LV7: +2 Damage
LV12: +3 Damage
So...Damage wise, power attack > Arcane Strike. But it might depend on how often you feel you hit.
Alternatively, you can take mobility and later no spring attack, but ask your GM if you can spring attack with your fly spell. You know, like a fly by attack
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Hm... I think I'm leaning towards Arcane Strike. Seems like most good combat feats are chains, and I'm not doing any chains. I also thought about Power Attack, but the to-hit penalty seems too much for my taste.
I also thought about Blind Fight. Any thoughts on that one?
Arcane Strike or Power Attack for more damage. I wouldn't do Blind Fight. Maybe lunge when you get the chance since your con is ass.
Why not magical knack to even up your caster level? How are your stats so high in pfs? Stat boosters?
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Why not magical knack to even up your caster level?
For starters, Magical Knack isn't PFS-legal. Secondly, Additional Traits is not a combat feat. And finally, I already have a Magic Trait.
How are your stats so high in pfs? Stat boosters?
I do have a +2 INT headband. My 4th level stat bump went into STR.
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Excellent questions, James!
You might want to list stats by natural (modified) such as INT 14 (16).
Does it matter that much?
What are you wearing/armored in? From the WF feat you are using a longsword.. is your other hand free? From your AC it is looking like no shield. Do you have a bow for ranged or simply rely on spells?
I wear a +1 mithral chain shirt (though I have some cash and am debating whether to put some of it toward upgrading to +2). When it looks like I'm going to be doing mostly melee (or if my Spider Sense goes off without me knowing what I'm facing), I activate a wand of shield. I do keep one hand free for casting, though when I attack with my sword (after putting away any wand I might have been using) I use both hands for more damage.
For range I mostly use spells, and I also have a CL3 wand of magic missile.
You do wind up being the primary fighter at tables? With what frequency?
It varies by table, or even by encounter. Hard to guess a frequency...
Do you travel with the character? How far afield/frequency?
No, I pretty much stay local, but there's a lot of PFS here so the table composition can vary a lot.
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Arcane Strike takes up your swift action, so if you go that route make sure you don't have anything else that is more important for your swifts or immediates.
I've already looked into that; I use swifts for Arcane Armor Training, but if you think about it, I'm never going to use AAT and AS in the same round. ;)
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There's a lot of options depending on what you want to do. You said generalist, but that's still vague.
Step Up is usually useful for fighting classes, but not sure if you want to be in their faces.
Combat Expertise opens up maneuvers, but you said you weren't going for feat chains.
Combat Reflexes allows some stuff as well.
Power Attack could work since you have BAB 4, and personally I hate taking it before BAB 4.
I would not take Arcane Strike because it uses a swift action that you can use to Quicken something with a rod, and still have a standard/full to attack with.
Step Up or Power Attack would be my choices.
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I'm hearing that you feel behind the damage curve (saying that weapon spec is in the future).. do you tend to feel that a bit?
Not too badly, honestly. I can already two-hand for 1d8+6, which isn't bad for someone who has a broader schtick than just melee. Weapon Spec and Arcane Strike would certainly make it stronger, though.
My leaning toward Arcane Strike is based largely on looking at combat feats and realizing that most of them are feat chains that I don't have the time or interest to invest in. The "just grab it" combat feats are a short list indeed (especially when you've already got Dodge and ImpInit).
Towards items I'm guessing your last point of AC is a ring+1 or amulet+1?
Ring of Protection +1. My amulet slot is taken up by my Amulet of Spell Cunning (PFS-legal pseudo-crafted bonded item FTW!).
With your varying tables, is the regional feel more along the lines of people support one another or every man/woman for themself?
There's never any preemptive tactical planning, though there's a... decent level of tactical assumption/common practice. I.e., it goes without saying that the tough guys try to keep baddies away from the ranged folks, etc. But nothing very advanced, so when someone needs something specific (like always wanting a charge lane, or needing a specific buff frequently) they tend to get a little frustrated and find a way to do it themselves (Dragon Style, one-level sorcerer dip, etc).
People are always appreciative of things done to help them/the group, but it's never hammered out ahead of time.
Do you ever enlarge, any frequency?
Nope. Don't even have the spell, come to think of it. Pretty much the only buffing I do is my wand of shield (might get replaced later by a wand of blur or displacement) if my Spider Sense goes off or if I expect to spend some time on the front lines.
(Small question: could you break down your FORT save.. I'm missing a point there after figuring in your +1 resistance item)
Going from memory, but +4 base (+2 fighter, +1 wizard, +1 EK), +1 CON, and +1 trait (Resilient), and +1 cloak.
Lastly, I would suggest that you consider planning your last feat at this time as well. Give you a picture of things.
-James
I'm open to suggestions.
Just a reminder:
You can take Weapon Focus (Ray) and Weapon Specialization (Ray) if you want your ray spells (ie scorching ray) deal a little more damage.
Sadly, reaching spell just makes your tough spells be ranged touch attacks, not rays :(
Just a reminder:
You can take Weapon Focus (Ray) and Weapon Specialization (Ray) if you want your ray spells (ie scorching ray) deal a little more damage.
Sadly, reaching spell just makes your tough spells be ranged touch attacks, not rays :(
So how does one use a touch spell at range if it doesnt become a ray? I always thought it did become a ray as it is a ranged touch attack, just like rays.
Yup, orb of acid for example is a ranged touch attack, but it is not a ray.
Meanwhile, theres that feat that turns a spell slot into a ray specifically
Interestingly, a spell is only a ray if it says "Effect: Ray".
I sense you're being a smartass. I respect that. However, I'm just trying to visualize the effect.
Edit: So reach spell + touch spells could be used with weapon focus touch?
Yup, orb of acid for example is a ranged touch attack, but it is not a ray.
Meanwhile, theres that feat that turns a spell slot into a ray specifically
Sculpt spell?
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Interestingly, a spell is only a ray if it says "Effect: Ray".I sense you're being a smartass. I respect that. However, I'm just trying to visualize the effect.
Okay, in retrospect, I did sound like a smartass. Totally my bad, didn't mean to.
I actually do find it interesting (and kind of annoying) that we can't just call all ranged touch spells/effects "rays".
tcf,
I know it's counterintuitive, as a ranged touch attack spell should always be a ray. However, to my knowledge, there is nothing that says that all Ranged touch attacks from spells are rays.
As Jiggy mentioned before, the spells actually say effect: Ray. Acid splash has for effect "one missile of acid"
Let's look at arcane blast
Prerequisites: Arcane spellcaster, caster level 10th.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can sacrifice a prepared spell or unused spell slot of 1st level or higher and transform it into a ray, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. This attack deals 2d6 points of damage plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every level of the spell or spell slot you sacrificed. 0-level spells may not be sacrificed in this manner.
This is a supernatural ability.
The feat specifically says this is a ray.
Maybe Paizo should consider making this simpler and achieving world peace with an errata saying that all spells that require an ranged touch attack roll (Whether by virtue of the spell itself or using reach spell) be considered rays. In the meantime, GMs can make that ruling for their games.
Oh yeah
Arcane Strike.
Btw, regarding the whole "I cant quicken spells because of AAT" thing,
These are the spells that require no somatic components, and thus can be cast while wearing armor
0: Flare, Light
1: Feather Fall, Hold Portal, True Strike, Ventriloquism
2: Blindness/deafness, Blur, Knock
3: Displacement, Suggestion, Tongues
4: Dimension Door, Geas (lesser), Shout
5: Contact Other Plane, Teleport
6: Geas/Quest, Suggestion (Mass)
7: Phase Door, Power Word Blind, Teleport (Greater), Teleport Object,
8: Charm Monster (Mass), Irresistible Dance, Power Word Stun, Shout (Greater)
9: Mage’s Disjunction, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Sphere, Teleportation Circle, Time Stop, Wail of the Banshee
True Strike.
so what you're saying is, you won't be really quickening spells anyway?
Take Arcane Strike
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I didn't see this mentioned, but you don't need to use a one-handed weapon for spellcasting. You can easily wield a two-hander (read: Falchion/Greatsword/ w/e) and just take a hand off it to use your spells, then wield it in two-hands again. This way, you at least get good damage off the weapon.
Feat-wise, I've always liked Power Attack. The damage is nice, and usually the to-hit penalty isn't very noticable (I usually easily hit or drastically miss). If you have some time, throw on True Strike before you attack and just enjoy the Power-Attacky goodness. Arcane Strike is good for Gishes, but I typically only take it on Bards or Dragon Disciples, simply because they can get more use out of it. That's not to say EK's don't benefit from it, but they're usually a bit more spread in the feat department, being more focused on spellcasting than either Bard or DD.
Bottom line, I like Power Attack, recommend a two-handed weapon, Combat Reflexes will be really good if you decide to use Enlarge Person frequently, and Defensive Combat Training is always handy.
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I didn't see this mentioned, but you don't need to use a one-handed weapon for spellcasting. You can easily wield a two-hander (read: Falchion/Greatsword/ w/e) and just take a hand off it to use your spells, then wield it in two-hands again. This way, you at least get good damage off the weapon.
I occasionally have to do a bit of wand-and-sword juggling, such that I want to attack while I still have a wand in one hand (partly, I'm unwilling to drop a wand on the ground and come back for it later). Thus, one-handed weapon. The smaller damage die isn't that big of a deal, seeing as I still get the two-handed damage boost from STR.
Also, as you may have noticed, I've already got Weapon Focus (longsword). ;)
Feat-wise, I've always liked Power Attack. The damage is nice, and usually the to-hit penalty isn't very noticable (I usually easily hit or drastically miss). If you have some time, throw on True Strike before you attack and just enjoy the Power-Attacky goodness. Arcane Strike is good for Gishes, but I typically only take it on Bards or Dragon Disciples, simply because they can get more use out of it. That's not to say EK's don't benefit from it, but they're usually a bit more spread in the feat department, being more focused on spellcasting than either Bard or DD.
Bottom line, I like Power Attack, recommend a two-handed weapon, Combat Reflexes will be really good if you decide to use Enlarge Person frequently, and Defensive Combat Training is always handy.
I don't like Power Attack when my to-hit is already this low. I'm 7th level and just hit BAB4. I have a grand total of +10 to hit. That would be +8 to hit with Power Attack. I'd really rather my to-hit bonus be more than 1 point higher than my level, you know?
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See, I kind of understand that, and then I kind of don't. A -2 penalty to attack rolls is nothing. I mean, most rogues/monks are hitting... probably about the same thing, without access to spells like Haste, True Strike, Undead Anatomy/Alter Self/Monstrous Physique, GREATER MAGIC WEAPON, etc., and that's not including the debuffs you can slap on creatures (touch of gracelessness, slow, hold person) that reduce their defenses enough for you to hit.
But, then, if I felt passionately about Arcane Strike, I'm sure I could rationalize taking it, too. I don't like it, but opinions are opinions :P.
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See, I kind of understand that, and then I kind of don't. A -2 penalty to attack rolls is nothing. I mean, most rogues/monks are hitting... probably about the same thing,
Rogues and monks have a higher BAB than me at this level, and have two attacks (TWF or Flurry) to my one. That is, a TWF rogue or a monk will attack twice for a net +1 to hit over what I would roll for one swing with Power Attack.
As I mentioned on one of my first posts, if you feel you are having trouble hitting as it s, you're better off just taking arcane strike. If anything, you can pick up power attack when your BAB catches up to that of a 3/4 BAB class.