Eldritch Knight Revamp (Fleshed Out)

[LaryTrueman]

Hey Folks,
now that the Dragonborn are out, I'm really really bummed the Eldritch Knight is still in this sorry state. Would've loved to play an EK Dragonborn. So I sat down and fleshed out an entire reworked EK tree, based primarily around sword+board, gaining a few melee centric defense stats while gaining mostly melee capabilities through scaling elemental damage on hit (in the style of AA arrow imbues), and increasing their throughput with doublestrike. No melee power involved, just spellpower. But the different abilities should provide enough cool stuff for splash ideas.

A little disclaimer though: The numbers need some play testing of course, so they might not be 100% in line. Here it goes:

Core Enhancements:

(Level 1): Eldritch Knight: You gain proficiency with shields. Weapons you wield are treated as Spellcasting implements. Passive: -5% Arcane Spell Failure, +1% Double Strike, 0.5 Universal Spellpower per point spent in this tree.
(Level 3): Eldritch Protector: You gain light armor proficiency and proficiency with all martial weapons. Passive: -5% Arcane Spell Failure, +1% Double Strike, 5 PRR.
(Level 6): Enchanted Armory: Weapons, Armor and Shields you equip gain an enhancement bonus equal to the number of core enhancements you have in this tree. Passive: -5% Arcane Spell Failure, +1% Double Strike.
(Level 12): Eldritch Vanguard: You gain medium armor proficiency. Passive: -5% Arcane Spell Failure, +1% Double Strike, 10% chance of a secondary shield bash.
(Level 18): Arcane Buildup: Whenever you hit an enemy with a spellsword toggle active, you have a chance to gain an Arcane Charge. Passive: -5% Arcane Spell Failure, +1% Double Strike, 10% chance of a secondary shield bash.
Arcane Charge: Increases your universal spellpower by 1 for 30 seconds. Stacks up to 10 times.
(Level 20): Eldritch Mastery: You are an unstoppable arcane juggernaut. Use this ability to take advantage of your arcane buildup. Passive: -5% Arcane Spell Failure, +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +10 PRR, +15 Hitpoints, +5 Universal Spellpower.
Overcharged!: When you have 10 Arcane Charges, consume them and explode with eldritch energy, dealing 1d6 force damage per character level to enemies around you. For 15 seconds, you gain +15 Universal Spell Power and +15 % Doublestrike. You cannot gain Arcane Charges while Overcharged! is active. Cooldown: 60 seconds.

Tier 1 (11 AP)

• Improved Mage Armor (1 AP per Rank): +4/+8/+10 % AC while under Mage Armor Spell, Mage Armor SLA.
• Battle Mage (1 AP per Rank): +1/+2/+3 to Intimidate, Spellcraft, Concentration.
• Battle Hardened (1 AP per Rank): +2/+4/+6 PRR and +3/+6/+10 HP.
• Spellsword: Choose one:
  • Spellsword: Acid (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Acid Damage, Shields you equip gain Acid Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Acid damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.
  • Spellsword: Cold (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Cold Damage, Shields you equip gain Cold Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Cold damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.
  • Spellsword: Fire (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Fire Damage, Shields you equip gain Fire Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Fire damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.
  • Spellsword: Lightning (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Lightning Damage, Shields you equip gain Lightning Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Lightning damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.

Tier 2 (11 AP)

• Improved Shield (1 AP per Rank): Shield SLA, +3/+6/+10 PRR while Shield is active.
• Item Defense (1 AP per Rank): 25/50/75 % Chance to negate potential item wear.
• Spellsword: Choose one:
  • Spellsword: New Element (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Elemental Damage, Shields you equip gain Elemental Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Elemental damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.
    Also gain +1 to the Damage of all your spellsword toggle effects.
  • Spellsword: Damage Increase (2 AP): Your spellsword toggles gain an additional damage die.
• Armored Spellcasting (1 AP per Rank): 5/10/15 % reduced Arcane Spell Failure.

Tier 3 (11 AP)

• Eldritch Power (1 AP per Rank): (Cost to Activate: 25/12/6 SP): Gain strength equal to your charisma or intelligence bonus (whichever is higher) for 30/60/120 seconds. 20 Second Cooldown. (Shares cooldown with Divine Might and Know The Angles)
• Eldritch Strike (2 AP): Melee Cleave Attack. Activate to strike enemies in front of you. While a spellsword toggle is active, expend 2 SP to deal 1d2 force damage per character level to enemies around you. Scales with force spell power. Cooldown 10 seconds.
• Spellsword: Choose one:
  • Spellsword: New Element (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Elemental Damage, Shields you equip gain Elemental Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Elemental damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.
    Also gain +1 to the Damage of all your spellsword toggle effects.
  • Spellsword: Damage Increase (2 AP): Your spellsword toggles gain an additional damage die.
• Armored Spellcasting (2 AP): 10 % reduced Arcane Spell Failure.
• Abilities (2 AP): (Select one) +1 Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, or Charisma

Tier 4 (11 AP)

• Improved Blur: Spell Like Ability: Blur (15/7/3 SP)
  Passive: While Blur is active and you fall below 50% health, gain an arcane Barrier that reduces all damage taken by 25% for 10/15/20 seconds. This can only happen every 150/120/90 seconds.
• Eldritch Fighting: Choose one:
  • Fighting Natural (2 AP): Gain 3% Doublestrike and 15% chance of a secondary shield bash when attacking in melee.
  • Arcane Focus (2 AP): Gain +10 Universal Spellpower.
• Spellsword: Choose one:
  • Spellsword: New Element (2 AP): Weapons you equip gain +1d4 Elemental Damage, Shields you equip gain Elemental Guard (Attackers take 1d6 Elemental damage when they strike you in Melee Combat).
    Only one Spellsword Toggle can be active at a time. All Damage scales with the appropriate Elemental Spell Power.
    Also gain +1 to the Damage of all your spellsword toggle effects.
  • Spellsword: Damage Increase (2 AP): Your spellsword toggles gain an additional damage die.
• Armored Spellcasting (2 AP): 10 % reduced Arcane Spell Failure.
• Abilities (2 AP): (Select one) +1 Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, or Charisma

Tier 5 (10 AP)

• Tenser's Transformation (1 AP): Toggle. (Activation Cost: 24 SP)
• Eldritch Tempest (2 AP): Melee Cleave Attack. Strike all enemies around you with a spinning attack. When a spellsword toggle is active, expend 20 Spell Points and emit a blast of pure energy, knocking enemies caught within prone for 1 second and dealing both 1d6 force damage and 1 damage of the respective spellsword type per character level. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
• Ultimate Spellsword (2 AP): Your spellsword toggles gain the following: +1d10 Force damage on critical and an additional bonus, based on type:
  • Fire: On a Vorpal strike, your weapon burns enemies viciously, dealing 30 fire damage every 2 seconds over 6 seconds. (Scales with Fire Spell Power)
  • Cold: On a Vorpal strike, your weapon freezes enemies solid. DC: 10+1/2 Wizard/Sorcerer Level+CHA/INT Mod+Stunning Bonuses.
  • Acid: On a Vorpal strike, your weapon corrodes the enemies defenses, making them 15% more vulnerable to further attacks (15 Vulnerability Stacks).
  • Electricity: On a Vorpal Strike, your weapon overcharges you, granting you +10 Universal Spell Power over 10 Seconds.
• Still Spell (2 AP): 15 % reduced Arcane Spell Failure.
• Arcane Alacrity (1 AP per Rank): 3/6/9 % Doublestrike

Entire Tree: 54 + 6 (Cores) = 60 AP

Edit 1 : Lowered the Cooldown of Eldritch Tempest from 25->15. I don't think its that much stronger than greater cleave to explain 5 times the cooldown.

[SeveredSteel]

The tree should use some help[ to make it competitive and desirable. Your post is very detailed and though out. But, EK doesnt need its entire tree changed. Simply change the tier 5 cleave, eldritch tempest. Shorten the cooldown to 10 seconds. This makes the EK capable of doing aoe cleave damage followed by some aoe nukes. Ties it in with harper tree for int to dmg and hit. Giving EK effective melee damage and decent DCs for nukes or CC. It wont be the best DC base because it is using EK tree and melee feats. It wont be the best melee becuase it is using the EK tree and casting class base. But it would make for a flavorful and playable hybrid. Something this game lacks.

[LaryTrueman]

The tree should use some help[ to make it competitive and desirable. Your post is very detailed and though out. But, EK doesnt need its entire tree changed. Simply change the tier 5 cleave, eldritch tempest. Shorten the cooldown to 10 seconds. This makes the EK capable of doing aoe cleave damage followed by some aoe nukes. Ties it in with harper tree for int to dmg and hit. Giving EK effective melee damage and decent DCs for nukes or CC. It wont be the best DC base because it is using EK tree and melee feats. It wont be the best melee because it is using the EK tree and casting class base. But it would make for a flavorful and playable hybrid. Something this game lacks.

I play mostly melee, so I am biased in a way that I like the play style a lot. My idea was to make this Tree attractive for a melee centered play style, which it isn't in its live state. Its way too weak. Whichever way you turn it, when you go wizard or sorcerer, investing in EK will make you a worse caster by a lot, but doesn't result in any meaningful melee benefit in return. And I think that when you go eldritch knight, it should be a comitted thing, with adjusted base abilities and everything. I don't think that a frail little guy with 8 strength should be carrying heavy armor, shields and swords into melee battle. Even if int-based exists, it doesn't make a lot of sense here. I imagine an eldritch knight mostly using spells for utility, and in battle rely on his magically augmented fighting prowess instead.

[SeveredSteel]

I imagine an eldritch knight mostly using spells for utility, and in battle rely on his magically augmented fighting prowess instead.

There are not enough spell buffs that would work well enoguh to make a wizard class with only one melee tree a top tier melee. The spells used have to have more than just utility. CC spells will not land in the top content playing an EK. Melee dmg, hp and EK tree are not enough to make it a pure melee basher. KtA in harper tree ties in the builds strengths with aoe nuking spells like energy burst, int to hit and dmg covers dire charge for the rest of the things that the mid tier cc dcs wont hit(or low spell pen).

The 2 EK cleaves are the cornerstones of the build and, I imagine, something the devs wanted to make attractive to melee play styles. They should be both low cooldowns so a rotation of cleave, great cleave, eldritch strike, eldritch tempest, energy burst finish off mobs cc'd by disco/hold or dire charge. Get evasion by splashing and take insightful reflexes. It's probably better than heavy+shield. Either way SWF is your best form. THF would be good but you can get glancing blows off Bastard Swords and have an orb/shield slotted.

[SeveredSteel]

The devs should also look at the henshin mystic tree and its monk special spell like abilities. those should be high dc high damage but as it stands the tree will never be used by monks looking to play with spell like abilities or staff users since rogue staff is way better. henshin is stuck in as a bad tree that shines on melee splashes looking for low melee power using 11 ap.

[LaryTrueman]

The 2 EK cleaves are the cornerstones of the build and, I imagine, something the devs wanted to make attractive to melee play styles. They should be both low cooldowns so a rotation of cleave, great cleave, eldritch strike, eldritch tempest, energy burst finish off mobs cc'd by disco/hold or dire charge. Get evasion by splashing and take insightful reflexes. It's probably better than heavy+shield. Either way SWF is your best form. THF would be good but you can get glancing blows off Bastard Swords and have an orb/shield slotted.

That's a pretty specialized build outline (It sounds pretty fun though). But what of heroic content? IMO, the tree should also be a viable option there. And looking through the sorcerer/wizard spell list, you have a point that there's only a few spells that actually do anything once you're in epic content. But that is a more general problem with the way DDO combat works these days, with tons of mobs with gazillions of HP and saves in the 60s hiding behind every corner.