D&D 5E Your best Eldritch Knight?

[Stormonu]

Funny, I quite like Hexblades though I've seen everyone else trash them. They do require some level of "Killer Instinct" sort of attack power combos though to be dangerous in combat. Also quite the fan of paladins, so I guess deep down I like the character concepts of a sword-swinging caster, with their (self) enmagicked weapons. Eldritch Knight just ruffles me as "not enough magic slinging".

Sword Bard is College of Valor? Bladelock is Warlock/what - sorcerer?

I have not gotten into the swing (no pun intended) of Artificers, but my brief brush with seeing a battle smith in play and running an armorer is that the class feels too narrow and constricted.

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Back on Eldritch Knight, I've been playing with character creation in Beyond. Made an 8th level Eldritch Knight

Variant Human
AC 19 (breastplate + shield) hp 68
S10 D14 C14 I17 W12 Ch8
Feat: Defensive Duelist, Sentinel, Shadow Touched, War Caster
Fighting Style: Defensive
Wpn: Rapier +5 dmg: 1d8 + 2 + 1d8 fire (Green-flame blade)

SPELLS (1st: 4 slots, 2nd: 2 slots; DC 14
Cantrip: Green-flame Blade, Mind Sliver
1st: Absorb Elements, Cause Fear, Shield, Witch Bolt
2nd: Blur, Crown of Madness, Invisibility, Spider Climb

Tactics:
General - Close & Rapier + Rapier & Green-flame blade or Rapier + Mind Sliver
Close & Witch Bolt, Sentinel to lock opponent from fleeing
Mind Sliver then Cause Fear, possibly Spider Climb to keep dangerous brutes at bay
(Mind Sliver then) Crown of Madness to remove/redirect enemies
Absorb Elements, Blur, Invisibility, Shield to mitigate being targeted for attacks and reducing incoming damage

Does this sound typical and/or workable? Overall, it seems rather underwhelming to me what other characters would be capable of at this level. And it may be the fault of my spell choice, but out-of-combat utility spells seem extremely lacking for what can be chosen.

 

[SkidAce]

I wonder how a fighter with a subclass that casts the same level spells as an equal level wizard, but say half as many would balance?

 

[Stormonu]

I wonder how a fighter with a subclass that casts the same level spells as an equal level wizard, but say half as many would balance?

That'd be close to a hexblade, I would imagine.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Funny, I quite like Hexblades though I've seen everyone else trash them. They do require some level of "Killer Instinct" sort of attack power combos though to be dangerous in combat. Also quite the fan of paladins, so I guess deep down I like the character concepts of a sword-swinging caster, with their (self) enmagicked weapons. Eldritch Knight just ruffles me as "not enough magic slinging".

Sword Bard is College of Valor? Bladelock is Warlock/what - sorcerer?

Sword bard is a different subclass, but similar. They get to use Bardic Inspiration like battlemaster maneuvers, but better. I played one to 20th, and they have the same problem as Bladesingers: actually swinging the sword is almost always worse than casting a spell, so they don't really play differently than a regualr bard/wizard.

Bladelock is a warlock with Pact of the Blade, who are usually considered to muti-ability-dependent to be viable in many campaigns.

I have not gotten into the swing (no pun intended) of Artificers, but my brief brush with seeing a battle smith in play and running an armorer is that the class feels too narrow and constricted.

Yeah artificers have weirdly restrictive design; you kinda have to play them a very specific way to work for no apparent reason. IE playing an armored artificer with a hammer is basically a major self-nerf.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Bladelock is a warlock with Pact of the Blade, who are usually considered to muti-ability-dependent to be viable in many campaigns.

There is a reason I'm specifying the OneD&D bladelock; the 2024 Pact of the Blade lets you attack with Charisma. And the patrons are much better written to synergise with the Pact of the Blade.

Yeah artificers have weirdly restrictive design; you kinda have to play them a very specific way to work for no apparent reason. IE playing an armored artificer with a hammer is basically a major self-nerf.

It feels like they were even more of a published draft than the 2014 classes

 

[Clint_L]

I have not gotten into the swing (no pun intended) of Artificers, but my brief brush with seeing a battle smith in play and running an armorer is that the class feels too narrow and constricted.

This is the opposite of my now considerable experience with the Battlesmith. Can't comment much on armourer - had one student play one and didn't think it was very effective.

5e offers a ton of takes on the sword+magic archetype. There's artificer, paladin, ranger, hex blade, blade singer, rune knight, eldritch knight, college of valor, college of swords, arcane trickster. And then there's multi-classing. We're spoiled for choice, but no system is ever going to nail every possible niche.

 

[Neonchameleon]

This is the opposite of my now considerable experience with the Battlesmith. Can't comment much on armourer - had one student play one and didn't think it was very effective.

The armourer has more than a few flaws, starting with a complete lack of ability to enchant both the armour and weapon before level 10. The Battle Smith is fine because it's a pet class with extra attack.

 

[jmartkdr2]

There is a reason I'm specifying the OneD&D bladelock; the 2024 Pact of the Blade lets you attack with Charisma. And the patrons are much better written to synergise with the Pact of the Blade.

Oh yeah that's a major fix that's been sorely need for... ten years now.

 

[ECMO3]

Funny, I quite like Hexblades though I've seen everyone else trash them. They do require some level of "Killer Instinct" sort of attack power combos though to be dangerous in combat. Also quite the fan of paladins, so I guess deep down I like the character concepts of a sword-swinging caster, with their (self) enmagicked weapons. Eldritch Knight just ruffles me as "not enough magic slinging".

Sword Bard is College of Valor? Bladelock is Warlock/what - sorcerer?

I have not gotten into the swing (no pun intended) of Artificers, but my brief brush with seeing a battle smith in play and running an armorer is that the class feels too narrow and constricted.

-------
Back on Eldritch Knight, I've been playing with character creation in Beyond. Made an 8th level Eldritch Knight

Variant Human
AC 19 (breastplate + shield) hp 68
S10 D14 C14 I17 W12 Ch8
Feat: Defensive Duelist, Sentinel, Shadow Touched, War Caster
Fighting Style: Defensive
Wpn: Rapier +5 dmg: 1d8 + 2 + 1d8 fire (Green-flame blade)

SPELLS (1st: 4 slots, 2nd: 2 slots; DC 14
Cantrip: Green-flame Blade, Mind Sliver
1st: Absorb Elements, Cause Fear, Shield, Witch Bolt
2nd: Blur, Crown of Madness, Invisibility, Spider Climb

Tactics:
General - Close & Rapier + Rapier & Green-flame blade or Rapier + Mind Sliver
Close & Witch Bolt, Sentinel to lock opponent from fleeing
Mind Sliver then Cause Fear, possibly Spider Climb to keep dangerous brutes at bay
(Mind Sliver then) Crown of Madness to remove/redirect enemies
Absorb Elements, Blur, Invisibility, Shield to mitigate being targeted for attacks and reducing incoming damage

Does this sound typical and/or workable? Overall, it seems rather underwhelming to me what other characters would be capable of at this level. And it may be the fault of my spell choice, but out-of-combat utility spells seem extremely lacking for what can be chosen.

Your spells are not workable RAW. From level 3-7 only 1 spell can be not Abjuration or Evocation. From 8-13 it is only 2 spells. So you need to pick two of Blur, Invisibility, Crown of Madness, Cause Fear and Spider Climb. I would recommend getting Invisibility and cause Fear on a feat through Shadow Touched.

I would also not get Crown of Madness at all. The thematics on it are awesome but if you look at the mechanics it is very rare that it will be a good use of your action.

In terms of raw power you will be somewhat underwhelming in combat becuase your stats require you to use finesse weapons. I would go with a 16 strength and heavy armor. This lets you use a Maul or Greastsword and bumps damage by quite a bit.

I would also take both booming blade and green flame blade. I would use a feat to get both of them if I needed to. There are times you would want one and times you would want the other.

 

[Stormonu]

Your spells are not workable RAW. From level 3-7 only 1 spell can be not Abjuration or Evocation. From 8-13 it is only 2 spells. So you need to pick two of Blur, Invisibility, Crown of Madness, Cause Fear and Spider Climb. I would recommend getting Invisibility and cause Fear on a feat through Shadow Touched.

Actually, the Invisibility and Cause Fear is actually from Shadow Touched (it's listed in Feats) .

I had gone the Dexterity route as I thought it would be better for AC and saves and not spread ability scores out too much. I do see though, that it is hitting on damage output.

Why does everyone seem to recommend Booming Blade? I don't see that the damage triggers until the target moves (not via push or forced movement). So unless your somehow moving away from the foe, or moving the foe to force it to come back after you that would be the only way to trigger the damage and you risk the target just standing still and using a ranged attack of some sort for the round. Or am I missing something - shoving attack or some other feature that pushes the foe away?