Hello all, Looking at starting a character for PFS and also perhaps the next campaign I can get in. Originally I was thinking a Necromancer but decided to steer away from moral ambiguity and GM Fiats. So I decided to move to a Eldritch knight. I have played in a pathfinder game before but I have never multiclassed or used a PrC.
I was just looking to find some advice about how I should build him. I was thinking fighter 1 / Wizard x / EK 10. The thing that I dont understand was that as I was looking for info on EKs I saw a guide about how to get into the class earlier mentioning Wizard/Fighter 1 and then straight into EK.?!?1 How does that work, I dont understand how they could just jump into the class when they need to be able to cast level 3 Arcane, and then I saw things about being able to go from magus 1 and that just confused me even more.
I'd like to be able to get into the class ASAP but not sure if MAgus 1 is a good start, or how I would be able to go from Wizard/Fighter 1 straight in. IF anyone can explain the process to me, and perhaps give me some pointers on which one is "best" or what the benefits to each set is i would REALLY appreciate it.
Thanks all,
Zack
Some FAQ entries established that spell-like abilities count as arcane/divine depending on which lists they come from. An Aasimar's Daylight is a 3rd-level arcane spell, so they can go right to Eldritch Knight once they get martial weapon proficiency.
I'm not aware of any other PFS race options without using a boon. Note that Aasimars are now illegal without a boon in PFS, unless they were played before the change (sometime in August, I believe).
Because a ruling about SLA counting for pre req for Prestige classes. Basically find a race that can cast a 3rd level arcane spell as a SLA and go into Eldritch Knight. Not sure if it is allowed in PFS tho.
Yeah id like and keep it pfs legal and since i dont have an assimar cheaty facing in with daylight is not an option.
Aasimar had a 3rd-level spell-like-ability which allowed them to start Eldritch knight at level 3. Aasimar are no longer allowed in PFS, unless you have a boon.
You can also do the same with a Scryer Wizard (subschool of Divination). Their Arcane school grants them the equivalent of a third-level spell at first level.
I believe this is PFS legal.
If memory serves, a Wizard of the Scryer school can qualify at level 1. Send Senses is a Spell-Like Ability that functions as Clairvoyance/Clairaudience with some tweaks. Assuming my memory is correct and that works, an Arcanist can also do it by taking School Understanding as the first-level Arcane Exploit. No way I can figure to do it with a Magus outside of Aasimars though (and, to be honest, Magus classing to EK that early is kind of silly).
So yeah. Wizard (Scryer) 1/randommartialclass 1/EK X. Magical Knack to shore up your casting.
Magus gets martial weapon proficiency, so it is an alternative to taking a level of fighter. It isn't an alternative to wizard for an Eldritch Knight because it needs its own class benefits.
As a single classed character, it is an alternative way to have a spellcaster who fights in melee.
Zwolfe124 wrote: Hello all, Looking at starting a character for PFS and also perhaps the next campaign I can get in.
<I deleted some stuff>
I'd like to be able to get into the class ASAP but not sure if MAgus 1 is a good start, or how I would be able to go from Wizard/Fighter 1 straight in. IF anyone can explain the process to me, and perhaps give me some pointers on which one is "best" or what the benefits to each set is i would REALLY appreciate it.
Thanks all,
Zack
Home game: Aasimar Monk (Sohei) / Sorceror (Empyreal) --> Eldritch Knight
Bases your casting stat and ac off of your wisdom. The only downside is you can't use your wisdom to AC in armor. You can use spells like chill touch with flurry of blows for 1d6 fist + 1d6 cold + 1 strength damage.
PFS: Anyrace Wizard (Diviner) / Hunter (Verminous) --> Eldritch Knight
Don't use your companion, just apply aspect of the worm to yourself. Added benefits of permanent fast healing, and ability to use wands of all level 6 and lower druid and ranger spells, plus a tiny amount of divine casting. 12 wis recommended for an extra first level spell slot and +1 will saves, entangle really doesn't need a high save.
Fighter...provides too many things that don't work with casting, like tower shield and heavy armor proficiency. If you do anything arcane / fighter 1, trade as many of your useless proficiencies out as possible through archetypes.
Edit: Someone just told me verminous wasn't allowed--in that case, normal hunter with some aspect you'd like applied to yourself.
Honestly, for PFS just play a straight Magus. The only advantages the Eldritch Knight has is better spellcasting after ~L11, and an extra iterative attack at ~L18 (PFS ends at level 12). The rest of the time their BAB and spellcasting are roughly even. Difference is the Magus has class features, and the EK doesn't.
Athaleon wrote: Difference is the Magus has awesome class features, and the EK doesn't. Fixed that one for you. Xp
But in seriousness, basically the above post. Personally, I think I'd only ever really consider EK for weird Blade Adept Arcanist builds and maybe for a baseline Magus after level 9-10, when most of their abilities start to look less crazy-awesome.
The question you have to ask yourself is why do you want to be an EK over a Magus.
I found an answer once and I have had a kinda crazy EK build rattling around in my head for awhile. This is more or less the current incarnation of the idea (which has never been put into practice).
Wizard 7 (Exploiter Archetype)
Swashbuckler 1 (Inspired Blade Archetype)
EK until cap
The main idea behind this was to get the dimensional dervish feat chain on levels 7,9,11 (and 13 but PFS typically ends at 12).
Hawktitan wrote: The question you have to ask yourself is why do you want to be an EK over a Magus. Magus trades in eventual 7th-9th level spell access for class features, and also loses out on getting the full benefits of the entire Sorc/Wiz spell list.
Personally, I prefer EK for the Wizard progression and full spell list, particularly so for a game that will reach (or is in) the low teens and above. Your mileage may vary.
Alleran wrote: Hawktitan wrote: The question you have to ask yourself is why do you want to be an EK over a Magus. Magus trades in eventual 7th-9th level spell access for class features, and also loses out on getting the full benefits of the entire Sorc/Wiz spell list.
Personally, I prefer EK for the Wizard progression and full spell list, particularly so for a game that will reach (or is in) the low teens and above. Your mileage may vary. Yes this is true, but the OP specifically mentioned PFS and PFS doesn't typically get into the teen levels.
My response was filtered through that context.
One possible way of trying to redeem the Eldritch Knight at lower levels would be to have a Blade Adept Arcanist grab Scryer through School Understanding via the Extra Exploit feat at 1. There's no Black Blade involved; just an Arcanist 1 with an Arcane Bond that can pick up Spell Strike and Arcanist Exploits with feats, and start up Eldritch Knight at 3.
It's still an extremely uphill battle to compare to the 'hey lets give it easy, easy access to Precise Strike because people weren't pumping out enough dex-fighting clones and anyways the class was struggling with damage' Magus.
Kodger wrote: Aasimar had a 3rd-level spell-like-ability which allowed them to start Eldritch knight at level 3. Aasimar are no longer allowed in PFS, unless you have a boon.
You can also do the same with a Scryer Wizard (subschool of Divination). Their Arcane school grants them the equivalent of a third-level spell at first level.
I believe this is PFS legal.
This. Without an Aasimar Scryer Wizard is the only early entry I know of for PFS.
Fighter 1/Wizard (Scryer) 1/EK X. If you build one, this is how you do it.
In PFS I would vote magus, or the early entry fighter/scryer wizard. because the levels don't get too high so theres only so much you can do in llower levels.
In a home game, I would take a look at Blade Adept arcanist into EK. Mostly because you can get a tasty black blade. Granted it's a bit hard to build that with some of the weird stuff.. I'm not sure if they have any SLA for early entry though.. I never looked because my GM doesn't allow the SLA entry usually. but I love Swashbuckler (maybe inspiried) Blade adetp 5 (because I want acces to "extra exploit" feat and the first and third level exploits are taken by blade adept). There are many exploits you def want as a blade adept into EK. Of course the one that runes the black blade off caster level first. there are a few other blade adept exploits that are great, and main ones that are nifty ( I personally like the teleporting as part of a movement exploit, possibly the school understanding one depending on what you want to do (either the elemental shifting one or universal's long range melee attack one)
Depending on what you wanna do with it of course
Said this before but early entry for the Eldritch Knight is not critical.
Why? Because the higher the BAB when you qualify for bonus feats the better your choice.
I played a Fighter 1/Wizard 6 (+4 BAB) when I started E.K. and it worked out fine. It's one of the best classes to play in my opinion - at all levels. The wizard doesn't suffer too much from a level of fighter and when you do qualify you get more combat abilities than a 'full' wizard.
Yes you are more MAD, designing a character for spells and combat but my E.K. was a dex based fighter so Dex, Con, Int (same as a normal mage?) were their primary stats. Hit Points may be better for early entry but there are feats you can take and the until you are comfortable in combat you can stand back and be a 'regular' mage.
PFS is principally lower level but if you foresee playing this character into the higher levels I wouldn't agonise too much about (cheesy) entry into the class.
Divination has some great school powers for the Arcanist to scoop up. Especially the Foresight subschool.
BadBird wrote: One possible way of trying to redeem the Eldritch Knight at lower levels would be to have a Blade Adept Arcanist grab Scryer through School Understanding via the Extra Exploit feat at 1. There's no Black Blade involved; just an Arcanist 1 with an Arcane Bond that can pick up Spell Strike and Arcanist Exploits with feats, and start up Eldritch Knight at 3.
It's still an extremely uphill battle to compare to the 'hey lets give it easy, easy access to Precise Strike because people weren't pumping out enough dex-fighting clones and anyways the class was struggling with damage' Magus.
You can't get the Extra Arcanist Exploit feat until you have the Arcanist Exploit class feature. Blade adepts don't get that until 5th level.
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