| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
After puzzling for a while on the choices available to my Eldritch Knight for his 1-level martial dip, I thought to myself "golly I wish someone had written an incredibly specific guide for this". So I did! It's specifically measuring the benefits (or lack thereof) for all the classes you can take that grant you proficiency with all martial weapons.
In summary by the way;
Paladin is best if you're cha-based and can take it, Ranger is best if you're fighting one kind of enemy, Vigilante is best if you want two identities.
From there Fighter is a great default choice, Slayer gets you solid skill points and skill list while still contributing to general combat, and the Occultist is the only dip that will help your spellcasting.
Bloodrager, Cavalier, and Samurai all over a variety of quirky options to shop around for if you want, though most aren't worth giving up a combat feat.
Finally, you could take a dip in Aristocrat and be an eldritch knight if you really really want to.
You missed VMC battle oracle
The Mad Magic makes Bloodrager much more appealing.
As far as Gunslinger goes, there are archetypes to make it either Int-based or Cha-based. The Sorcerer/Mysterious Stranger in particular can be brutal, since you've got Cha-to-damage and a huge grit pool.
Also, be sure to give a PSA for prestigious spellcaster. Buying back that lost level of spellcasting progression is a big deal for the EK, since his entire niche to begin with is having better spells than the Magus.
Oracle has been added!
He didn't mean actually taking levels in Oracle (although that does technically work so I suppose it deserves a perfunctory listing), but rather using the Variant Multiclassing alternate rules. This trades out your 3rd level feat for a revelation, which you use to pick skill at arms. This allows you to qualify for Eldritch Knight as a Wizard 5.
ah
I was like "shoot what does VMC mean? I feel like I should know that..."
While I think the VMC Oracle is a good (green) option, I would not put it blue. Back before Prestigious Spellcaster existed it was the only way to "buy back" caster levels, but now it faces direct competition from that feat chain. There are lots of great feats and feat chains for your Eldritch Knight, and this path greatly restricts your ability to grab them.
Sohei monk gets you the weapon proficiencies you need, as well as 3 good saves. A particularly swanky option for an empyreal sorceror heading to EK.
I noticed an error. The vampire hunter is a full BAB class with d8 hd. As in many things it's weird.
Another option, not great but interesting, phantom blade spiritualist.
Also I didn't see swashbucklers, which is actually a pretty good option.