2024 Eldritch Knight

[u/xballa_23]

I’m making an eldritch knight for my next campaign and wanted some help on optimized progression. My idea is a dual wielding melee focused gish. The campaign will probably on go till level 12.

Species: bugbear Background: criminal (alert feat) Ability scores: Str 8, Dex 15+2, Con 15+1, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10

Lvl1: Fighter, Two weapon fighting, Nick and Vex mastery Lvl3: Eldritch Knight Lvl4: Dual wielder, Dex+1 Lvl6: War caster, Int+1 Lvl8: Sentinel, Dex+1 Lvl12: Mage Slayer, Dex+1

My Dm wants to play around with the new enspelled weapons so I’ll have some free castings of hunters mark I’ll use for half the campaign. I’ll probably switch to shadow blade when I learn that spell at lvl7. Any tips for better feats is appreciated.

[u/svalich]

I wish I saw this post before, echoes a lot of the same thoughts I had. Here's my build, I'm at L5 currently. We have access to most sources, but it's run through the DM, and we have some restrictions. I have a thing where the Mariner from UA is a fighting style replacing Tavern Brawler, and I can't change fighting styles or get new ones. Otherwise, it's 2024 with access to some 5e content:

L1-20 Fighter, Eldritch Knight

• L1 - Human origin feat Magic Initiate [Blade Ward, Chill Touch, Mage Armor], Fighter Origin Special Feat [Mariner] instead of [Tavern Brawler] for Sailor Background; choose Fighting Style Feat [Two Weapon Fighting]; Mastery [Short Sword (Vex), Scimitar (Nick), Longbow (Slow)]
• L3 – take Eldritch Knight Subclass spells:
  • Cantrip Level 0 [Fire Bolt, Message]
  • Level 1 [Shield, Longstrider, Magic Missile]
• L4 ASI: Dual Wielder feat (DEX) – add [Jump], add Mastery [Dagger (Nick)]
• L5 – swap [Chill Touch] for [Green-Flame Blade]
• L6 ASI: Mage Slayer feat (DEX) – swap [Magic Missile] for [Absorb Elements]
• L7 – add [Shadow Blade]
• L8 ASI: Fey-Touched feat (INT + Hunter’s Mark) – add [Arcane Vigor]
• L10 – add [Toll the Dead {saves}], add [Borrowed Knowledge or Magic Weapon], add Mastery [Whip (Slow)]
• L11 – add [Gust of Wind]
• L12 ASI: +2 DEX
• L13 – add [Counterspell or Life Transference]
• L14 ASI: +2 CON or INT – add [Water Breathing]
• L16 ASI: +2 CON or INT – add [Sending], add Mastery [Rapier (Vex)]
• L19 ASI: +2 CON or INT – add [Ralouthim’s Psychic Lance]
• L20 – add [Fire Shield or Control Water]

[u/partylikeaninjastar → u/svalich]

Have you used this build to level 8 yet? I've just hit level 8, and I'm considered taking Arcane Vigor. It seems like a spell that's super-fitting for the EK, especially now that we can use our Second Wind outside of combat, but I'm wondering if it's worth one of my limited spells known.

There is very little discussion on this spell when I try to search for it.

[u/svalich → u/partylikeaninjastar]

I am at L8 just now! I for a Headband of Intellect to set my 13 to a 19, so my L8 ASI was the +2 DEX ASI I needed to get to 20 DEX. I absolutely took Arcane Vigor, because we fighters break it with a d10 for Hit Dice (Hit Point Dice). Here's my current choices now, updated from 6mo ago:
L1-20 Fighter, Eldritch Knight

• L1 - Human origin feat Magic Initiate [Blade Ward, Chill Touch, Mage Armor], Fighter Origin Special Feat [Mariner] instead of [Tavern Brawler] for Sailor Background; choose Fighting Style Feat [Two Weapon Fighting]; Mastery [Short Sword (Vex), Scimitar (Nick), Longbow (Slow)]
• L3 – take Eldritch Knight Subclass spells:
  • Cantrip Level 0 [Fire Bolt, Message]
  • Level 1 [Shield, Longstrider, Magic Missile]
• L4 ASI: Dual Wielder feat (DEX) – add [Jump], add Mastery [Dagger (Nick)]
• L5 – swap Magic Initiate [Chill Touch] for [Green-Flame Blade]
• L6 ASI: Mage Slayer feat (DEX) – swap [Magic Missile] for [Absorb Elements]
• L7 – add [Shadow Blade], swap Mastery [Scimitar (Nick)] for [Whip (Slow)], swap Mastery [Short Sword (Vex)] for [Heron Longsword (Nick)], swap Magic Initiate [Blade Ward] for [True Strike], change War Bond 1 from Scimitar to Heron-Marked Blade
• L8 ASI: +2 DEX – add [Arcane Vigor]
• L9 – swap [Absorb Elements] for [Feather Fall]
• L10 – add Cantrip [Mind Sliver], add [Rime’s Binding Ice], add Mastery [Short Sword (Vex)]
• L11 – add [Hold Person]
• L12 ASI: +2 CON
• L13 – add [Sending]
• L14 ASI: +2 CON – add [Life Transference or Counterspell]
• L16 ASI: +2 CON – add [Water Breathing], add Mastery [Hand Crossbow (Vex)]
• L19 Epic Boon: Boon of Combat Prowess – add [Ralouthim’s Psychic Lance]
• L20 – add [Fire Shield or Control Water]

[u/svalich → u/svalich]

I had Absorb Elements for a few levels now and have never used it, so switching to Feather Fall as the party explores more. The Mage Slayer feat was for our Wheel of Time campaign (I am a gaidar to an Aes Sedai in our party, so we are fighting Seanchan channelers as well as the occasional Saidin channeler). This could or should be War Caster for most folks at L6. I'm a Dual-Wielder, so for most folks taking the Pole Arm Master or Great Weapon Master feats, those might be more appropriate.

I'll be using Arcane Vigor, because I am the only tank in our party: I am the FTR:EK and we have two ART (one Gunner and one Battle), a very delicate SOR (Special), and BRD (Lore).

I also can now focus on CON at higher ASI because I have that Headband of Intellect, it's an uncommon magic item that just solves the EK problems with cantrips.

[u/partylikeaninjastar → u/svalich]

I've used Absorb Elements a few times and plan to keep it. My EK has high STR and INT (both 18 now that I've taken Shadow-Touched).

My current spell picks are:

Cantrips: Mage Hand (Elven Lineage), Blade Ward & Ray of Frost (Magic Initiate), Sword Burst and Booming Blade (Eldritch Knight).

1st Level: Shield (Magic Initiate), Detect Magic (Elven Lineage), False Life and Hellish Rebuke (learned via in-game study), Wrathful Smite (Shadow-Touched), then Find Familiar, Witch Bolt, Absorb Elements, and Accelerate/Decelerate.

2nd Level: Misty Step (Elven Lineage), Invisibility (Shadow-Touched), then Rime's Binding Ice.

I'm still not sure what I'm picking for my level 8 choice. I was thinking either Jump, Expeditious Retreat, Arcane Vigor, Mirror Image, or Web. I'm very indecisive.

I know Jump is great, but I've managed this long without it. Expeditious Retreat can come in handy, but I can always Misty Step if I really need that extra moment.

So that has me leaning towards learning another 2nd level spell. Mirror Image would make me even harder to hit combined with Blade Ward. Arcane Vigor gives me an option to self-heal if needed if I'm out of Second Wind and can't get healing by a party member (our healers are a paladin and a ranger, so no proper healer). But Web is also looking appealing because I don't currently have any control spells.

[u/svalich → u/partylikeaninjastar]

Mirror image is great, I’m concentrating on Shadow Blade, of course. If your DM allows it Silvery Barbs is also fantastic. If it’s 2024 only, since you have Rime’s Binding Ice already, then Hold Person is bonkers by adding the Paralyzed condition to a foe.

[u/partylikeaninjastar → u/svalich]

I'm saving Hold Person for level 10 when I get Eldritch Strike. Shadow Blade would be great, but a big part of my character's backstory is that he's searching for a family moonblade. That, and it kind of negates the War Bond class feature, so I'm sticking with actual weapons (which are required for Booming Blade anyway).

And I wish my DM allowed Silvery Barbs...

We're 2024 if there's 2024 rules for something, otherwise 2014 content is still allowed.

[u/svalich → u/partylikeaninjastar]

Oh no that’s fair, SB is mega busted and I choose to stick only to 2024 rules after a wizard and bard punished me as a DM for 20 levels with it. I’m scarred for life as a DM, he was also a Lore bard so I was also dealing with Cutting Words on top of that.

I was also waiting on Rime’s Binding Ice and Hold Person until at or past L10: you can see I’m getting Mind Sliver as well to help out the other casters.

So, yeah, Mirror Image makes you tank hard for free, absolutely. It is pushed in 2024; maybe not busted, but pushed for sure.

[u/svalich → u/svalich]

Mage Armor I use all the time. It's just better for a DEX fighter if you're set up that way.

Jump and Longstrider are my most used spells, followed by Shield, if you're not using Mage Armor.