Very few builds have this much AC without magic items.
Without multiclassing anyway. Paladin + Sorcerer arguably does it better.
With Paladin level 6, you get Shield of Faith, Cure Wounds, Compelled Duel, Lay on Hands, immunity to Disease, Aura of Protection (+CHA to all saves), and for kicks you get Divine Smite.
With Sorcerer you get more spell slots faster (and spell recovery) than Eldritch Knight. Although, you could do the same thing with EK + Wizard. But Sorcerer also gives more hit points with Draconic Resilience and Metamagic. And being CHA based means you can choose Half-Elf for +2 CHA, +1 STR, +1 CON, Adv on Saves vs Charm, Immune to Sleep, and Darkvision.
And if you're playing Adventurer's League you can get Cloak of Protection from the Order of the Gauntlet faction.
Finally they're also insane at nova damage:
Imagine going Paladin 2, Sorcerer 4 (Quicken Spell), Warlock 1 (Old One for Dissonant Whispers), with War Caster feat and doing the following:
I think the weakest part of the Eldritch Knight is their spell progression. I would have preferred their spell progression be the same as a paladin. I've actually changed this for Eldritch Knight's in my games and it turned out great. The EK started performing better overall and he wasn't getting overshadowed constantly by Rangers and Paladins. It felt better, not only for the player but for Me as the DM. He felt more like a traditional fighter/mage that just a fighter with a few spells tacked on for flair.
Well. I know this thread is a bit old, but I shall revive it anyhow.
An upcoming campaign is going to place us as a group of Eldritch Knight soldiers in an over arching story line. These characters will die horribly. And the next story arc will place us generations away in the timeline working with actions created by our previous campaign. But that is neither here nor there for this post.
I had to create an Eldritch Knight. Having never really looked at them as something I pursue I used this thread and many others to help me try and understand the maximum potential this character could offer.
There will be four to six other players so I went the odd route. DEX based Archer. We start at LVL5, 27 point build.
Spells - [Cantrips] Light, Minor Illusion [1st LVL] Fog Cloud, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Protection From Good/Evil Breast Plate gives armored AC 18, Mage Armor AC 17, No Armor 14
If needed the plan is to use Light on the dagger, throw on the ground into combat. When/if it gets blocked return it with bond and repeat. Use Fog Cloud to force enemies into closer combat for my melee EKs partners. Then Longstrider, Protection and Minor Illusion to bolster my defences. Mage Armor is a back up vs. capture/peace bond events.
DId I miss anything or possibly totally FUBAR this build?
Well. I know this thread is a bit old, but I shall revive it anyhow.
An upcoming campaign is going to place us as a group of Eldritch Knight soldiers in an over arching story line. These characters will die horribly. And the next story arc will place us generations away in the timeline working with actions created by our previous campaign. But that is neither here nor there for this post.
I had to create an Eldritch Knight. Having never really looked at them as something I pursue I used this thread and many others to help me try and understand the maximum potential this character could offer.
There will be four to six other players so I went the odd route. DEX based Archer. We start at LVL5, 27 point build.
Spells - [Cantrips] Light, Minor Illusion [1st LVL] Fog Cloud, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Protection From Good/Evil Breast Plate gives armored AC 18, Mage Armor AC 16, No Armor 14
If needed the plan is to use Light on the dagger, throw on the ground into combat. When/if it gets blocked return it with bond and repeat. Use Fog Cloud to force enemies into closer combat for my melee EKs partners. Then Longstrider, Protection and Minor Illusion to bolster my defences. Mage Armor is a back up vs. capture/peace bond events.
DId I miss anything or possibly totally FUBAR this build?
I started a fighter with the idea of being a tank, so i picked Eldritch Knight and looked at my options. I was allowed to start at Level 3 with minimal magic items, I chose Adamantine Splint (though non magical it did negate critical hits, reducing damage from attacks that DID hit, and crits can be life ending so adamantine it is). Using the standard array for abilities: STR 15, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 (the str had to be 15 to carry the heavy armor and minimal equipment without losing 10' movement under alternate encumberance rules - it'll still have to be 15 under normal rules to wear the armor under RAW, remember i dont want to be slow I want to be able to get engaged and take the heat off my team mates as soon as possible).
Variant Human (+1DEX, +1CON) , Feat: Heavy Armor Master (+1 STR, -3 damage from any non magical weapon attack (Equip: Adamantine Splint, AC 17))
Fighter with: Eldritch Knight, Two Handed Fighting Style (equip: Scimitar and Dagger), Action Surge, Second Wind
Spells: Blade Ward and Firebolt (Cantrips); Shield, Featherfall, Magic Missile
The idea is to engage the first round by casting Firebolt and Bladeward, closing distance with the scimitar out only needing one hand free to cast the cantrips.
Protected by blade ward into the end of the players next turn, you wade into the enemy drawing their attacks (with blade ward up and heavy armor mastery you reduce weapon damage against yourself if they hit your ac 17).
In the next round, depending on your initiative (going last isnt bad because you are protected by BW longer) you can defensively cast shield if hit (if you go too soon in the round and lose BW before your main enemies hit you) and attack with the scimitar.
In the next round you can either draw the dagger and attack with 2 wpn fighting (if engaged), or recast BW and FB (cantrips) and re-engage.
I'd save my 1st level spell slots to cast shield unless FF or MM was a wiser choice depending on circumstances.
It worked. I had a fighter that could take a hit from more than one opponent and that could effectively engage opponents out to 120 feet (Firebolt) until he coudl get stuck in.
Quick Question: How are you casting Blade Ward and Firebolt in the same round? Aren't they are both 1 Action spells? I could see that on round one if you Action Surged, but you made it seem like, to me, this was applicable over several rounds.
1 Action (i.e. casting a spell that requires an action OR one that requires a bonus action)
then 1 Bonus Action (i.e. if you haven't used your bonus action spell yet, you can use it OR if you have used it, you can use another bonus action ability.
and your Free Action.
Casting that bonus action spell (a cantrip) precludes you casting a reaction spell in the same round so no shield spell that round is possible but you want to tank damage the first round (and maybe the second) not AC.
Under Bonus Actions it says "You can take only one bonus action on your turn, so you must choose which bonus action to use when you have more than one available.", and under Casting a Spell it says "You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action."
I am still not seeing it, a bonus action cannot be used to cast a spell that is "1 Action", and both Firebolt and Blade Ward are both "1 Action". So for instance a Cleric could cast Sacred Flame and Healing Word in the same round because Sacred Flame is 1 Action, and Healing Word is 1 Bonus Action. But the Cleric cannot case Sacred Flame and Bless because both are 1 action.
That does not change the fact that both of those spells (Fire Bolt and Blade Ward) have a casting time of "1 action". You cannot cast either of them with your bonus action. If you were to cast a spell like Shield of Faith or Shillelagh, which specifically has a casting time of a bonus action, then that section would apply.
That does not change the fact that both of those spells (Fire Bolt and Blade Ward) have a casting time of "1 action". You cannot cast either of them with your bonus action. If you were to cast a spell like Shield of Faith or Shillelagh, which specifically has a casting time of a bonus action, then that section would apply.
I was pointing out things like "take one action" and "You can take a bonus action only when a special ability, spell, or other feature of the game states that you can do something as a bonus action. You otherwise don't have a bonus action to take."
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
That does not change the fact that both of those spells (Fire Bolt and Blade Ward) have a casting time of "1 action". You cannot cast either of them with your bonus action. If you were to cast a spell like Shield of Faith or Shillelagh, which specifically has a casting time of a bonus action, then that section would apply.
I was pointing out things like "take one action" and "You can take a bonus action only when a special ability, spell, or other feature of the game states that you can do something as a bonus action. You otherwise don't have a bonus action to take."
I was talking to BobHolsomback, but you guys beat me to it because I was a little distracted :P
Our Dm read the Bonus Action spell RAW broadly and allowed a second cantrip to be cast as a bonus action (cantrip + cantrip in one round). I thought that was clear. Sorry. If you want to limit it to Bonus Action Spell (specific casting duration on a Bonus Action) + Cantrip you can. The alternative is one less FB on the same round as a BW. If a FB unbalances a DM's game i'm a duck.
Our Dm read the Bonus Action spell RAW broadly and allowed a second cantrip to be cast as a bonus action (cantrip + cantrip in one round). I thought that was clear. Sorry. If you want to limit it to Bonus Action Spell (specific casting duration on a Bonus Action) + Cantrip you can. The alternative is one less FB on the same round as a BW. If a FB unbalances a DM's game i'm a duck.
That is not an "interpretation" it's a massive game-altering house rule which normally requires high level to get that ability. You think it's not big because it's firebolt. It will be friggen massive later in the game when a warlock NPC hits you with two Eldritch Blasts enhanced by blast-altering invocations. All of a sudden you will be a cooked duck. Though really it's seriously unbalanced right now at level 3 - you get ONE action. You're acting as if you get two attacks with one action, pretending a bonus action is something completely different from what it is. It sounds like maybe your DM is inexperienced with 5e and either misread some things or has some false carry-overs from prior editions.
There is also no such thing as Adamantine Splint, another house rule. Adamantine is supposed to be +3 items according to Mike Mearls. 3rd level characters shouldn't have any magic items aside from the most weak items like a couple of potions. Also Splint is AC 14, with a max bonus dex of 2, for a max AC of 16 not 17.
Our Dm read the Bonus Action spell RAW broadly and allowed a second cantrip to be cast as a bonus action (cantrip + cantrip in one round). I thought that was clear. Sorry. If you want to limit it to Bonus Action Spell (specific casting duration on a Bonus Action) + Cantrip you can. The alternative is one less FB on the same round as a BW. If a FB unbalances a DM's game i'm a duck.
That is not an "interpretation" it's a massive game-altering house rule which normally requires high level to get that ability. You think it's not big because it's firebolt. It will be friggen massive later in the game when a warlock NPC hits you with two Eldritch Blasts enhanced by blast-altering invocations. All of a sudden you will be a cooked duck. Though really it's seriously unbalanced right now at level 3 - you get ONE action. You're acting as if you get two attacks with one action, pretending a bonus action is something completely different from what it is. It sounds like maybe your DM is inexperienced with 5e and either misread some things or has some false carry-overs from prior editions.
There is also no such thing as Adamantine Splint, another house rule. Adamantine is supposed to be +3 items according to Mike Mearls. 3rd level characters shouldn't have any magic items aside from the most weak items like a couple of potions. Also Splint is AC 14, with a max bonus dex of 2, for a max AC of 16 not 17.
That would be 8 attacks, each dealing 1d10+5, 10 feet of knockback, and 10 feet of speed reduction for 1 round, from 600 feet away, indefinitely.
Our Dm read the Bonus Action spell RAW broadly and allowed a second cantrip to be cast as a bonus action (cantrip + cantrip in one round). I thought that was clear. Sorry. If you want to limit it to Bonus Action Spell (specific casting duration on a Bonus Action) + Cantrip you can. The alternative is one less FB on the same round as a BW. If a FB unbalances a DM's game i'm a duck.
That is not an "interpretation" it's a massive game-altering house rule which normally requires high level to get that ability. You think it's not big because it's firebolt. It will be friggen massive later in the game when a warlock NPC hits you with two Eldritch Blasts enhanced by blast-altering invocations. All of a sudden you will be a cooked duck. Though really it's seriously unbalanced right now at level 3 - you get ONE action. You're acting as if you get two attacks with one action, pretending a bonus action is something completely different from what it is. It sounds like maybe your DM is inexperienced with 5e and either misread some things or has some false carry-overs from prior editions.
There is also no such thing as Adamantine Splint, another house rule. Adamantine is supposed to be +3 items according to Mike Mearls. 3rd level characters shouldn't have any magic items aside from the most weak items like a couple of potions. Also Splint is AC 14, with a max bonus dex of 2, for a max AC of 16 not 17.
That would be 8 attacks, each dealing 1d10+5, 10 feet of knockback, and 10 feet of speed reduction for 1 round, from 600 feet away, indefinitely.
Not sure where that adamantine armor is from? It's not in any core books I am aware of? Mike Mearls was saying just a couple weeks ago on twitter he considers +3 items to be adamantine.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Unfortunately their hit points are pretty low with little ways to deal with non AC targeting attacks.
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I think the weakest part of the Eldritch Knight is their spell progression. I would have preferred their spell progression be the same as a paladin. I've actually changed this for Eldritch Knight's in my games and it turned out great. The EK started performing better overall and he wasn't getting overshadowed constantly by Rangers and Paladins. It felt better, not only for the player but for Me as the DM. He felt more like a traditional fighter/mage that just a fighter with a few spells tacked on for flair.
Well. I know this thread is a bit old, but I shall revive it anyhow.
An upcoming campaign is going to place us as a group of Eldritch Knight soldiers in an over arching story line. These characters will die horribly. And the next story arc will place us generations away in the timeline working with actions created by our previous campaign. But that is neither here nor there for this post.
I had to create an Eldritch Knight. Having never really looked at them as something I pursue I used this thread and many others to help me try and understand the maximum potential this character could offer.
There will be four to six other players so I went the odd route. DEX based Archer. We start at LVL5, 27 point build.
STR 12, DEX 18, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 9, CHA 8
LVL 0 - Human Variant - +1 DEX, +1 INT, Crossbow Expert Feat
LVL 1 - Archer, Second Wind
LVL 2 - Action Surge
LVL 3 - Eldritch Knight, Weapon Bond; Dagger, Rapier
LVL 4 - ASI - +2 DEX
LVL 5 - Extra Attack
Spells - [Cantrips] Light, Minor Illusion [1st LVL] Fog Cloud, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Protection From Good/Evil
Breast Plate gives armored AC 18, Mage Armor AC 17, No Armor 14
Urchin Background. Proficient Skills - Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth. Proficient Tools - Disguise Kit, Thieves Tools.
If needed the plan is to use Light on the dagger, throw on the ground into combat. When/if it gets blocked return it with bond and repeat.
Use Fog Cloud to force enemies into closer combat for my melee EKs partners.
Then Longstrider, Protection and Minor Illusion to bolster my defences. Mage Armor is a back up vs. capture/peace bond events.
DId I miss anything or possibly totally FUBAR this build?
Pain Heals, Chicks Dig Scars, Glory Lasts Forever!
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Pain Heals, Chicks Dig Scars, Glory Lasts Forever!
I started a fighter with the idea of being a tank, so i picked Eldritch Knight and looked at my options. I was allowed to start at Level 3 with minimal magic items, I chose Adamantine Splint (though non magical it did negate critical hits, reducing damage from attacks that DID hit, and crits can be life ending so adamantine it is). Using the standard array for abilities: STR 15, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 (the str had to be 15 to carry the heavy armor and minimal equipment without losing 10' movement under alternate encumberance rules - it'll still have to be 15 under normal rules to wear the armor under RAW, remember i dont want to be slow I want to be able to get engaged and take the heat off my team mates as soon as possible).
Variant Human (+1DEX, +1CON) , Feat: Heavy Armor Master (+1 STR, -3 damage from any non magical weapon attack (Equip: Adamantine Splint, AC 17))
Fighter with: Eldritch Knight, Two Handed Fighting Style (equip: Scimitar and Dagger), Action Surge, Second Wind
Spells: Blade Ward and Firebolt (Cantrips); Shield, Featherfall, Magic Missile
The idea is to engage the first round by casting Firebolt and Bladeward, closing distance with the scimitar out only needing one hand free to cast the cantrips.
Protected by blade ward into the end of the players next turn, you wade into the enemy drawing their attacks (with blade ward up and heavy armor mastery you reduce weapon damage against yourself if they hit your ac 17).
In the next round, depending on your initiative (going last isnt bad because you are protected by BW longer) you can defensively cast shield if hit (if you go too soon in the round and lose BW before your main enemies hit you) and attack with the scimitar.
In the next round you can either draw the dagger and attack with 2 wpn fighting (if engaged), or recast BW and FB (cantrips) and re-engage.
I'd save my 1st level spell slots to cast shield unless FF or MM was a wiser choice depending on circumstances.
It worked. I had a fighter that could take a hit from more than one opponent and that could effectively engage opponents out to 120 feet (Firebolt) until he coudl get stuck in.
Quick Question: How are you casting Blade Ward and Firebolt in the same round? Aren't they are both 1 Action spells? I could see that on round one if you Action Surged, but you made it seem like, to me, this was applicable over several rounds.
In no particular order you can take:
1 Movement
1 Action (i.e. casting a spell that requires an action OR one that requires a bonus action)
then 1 Bonus Action (i.e. if you haven't used your bonus action spell yet, you can use it OR if you have used it, you can use another bonus action ability.
and your Free Action.
Casting that bonus action spell (a cantrip) precludes you casting a reaction spell in the same round so no shield spell that round is possible but you want to tank damage the first round (and maybe the second) not AC.
Under Bonus Actions it says "You can take only one bonus action on your turn, so you must choose which bonus action to use when you have more than one available.", and under Casting a Spell it says "You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action."
I am still not seeing it, a bonus action cannot be used to cast a spell that is "1 Action", and both Firebolt and Blade Ward are both "1 Action". So for instance a Cleric could cast Sacred Flame and Healing Word in the same round because Sacred Flame is 1 Action, and Healing Word is 1 Bonus Action. But the Cleric cannot case Sacred Flame and Bless because both are 1 action.
What am I missing here?
For reference: https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/phb/combat#YourTurn
fire bolt
blade ward
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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That does not change the fact that both of those spells (Fire Bolt and Blade Ward) have a casting time of "1 action". You cannot cast either of them with your bonus action. If you were to cast a spell like Shield of Faith or Shillelagh, which specifically has a casting time of a bonus action, then that section would apply.
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Our Dm read the Bonus Action spell RAW broadly and allowed a second cantrip to be cast as a bonus action (cantrip + cantrip in one round). I thought that was clear. Sorry. If you want to limit it to Bonus Action Spell (specific casting duration on a Bonus Action) + Cantrip you can. The alternative is one less FB on the same round as a BW. If a FB unbalances a DM's game i'm a duck.
The ways you can combine two spells in one turn are:
1 bonus action cantrip (Shillelagh) + 1 action spell (Fog Cloud)
1 bonus action spell (Healing Word) + 1 action cantrip (Vicious Mockery)
1 action cantrip (Produce Flame) + 1 bonus action cantrip (Shillelagh)
If you use Quicken Spell metamagic to cast a spell which normally requires an action, then it applies as listed above as a bonus action.
Action Surge: 1 action spell/cantrip + 1 action spell/cantrip. Either or both can be a spell that uses a slot
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Adamantine Armor is the DMG.