Force Knight (advice)

[WolfsGoRawr]

I've been trying to create combat mages and spellblades and next on my list is Sorc. + Dhamphir

My idea of a Force Knight spellblade is simple:
Cast force spells, but gain buffs and apply debuffs with melee (and bonus damage with force imbue)
As an arcane trickster this is easily done but I want to do something on the Sorc.
I'm going with dhampir so I can do the palemaster tech without needing wizard.

These are the build ideas I had:
- Full Sorc: Easy but no force imbue, and the elemental form had I gone with an elemental type does not work with the dhamphir's undead form.
- 18 Sorc / 2 arcane trickster: Easy force imbue, evasion, and allows me to pick up the big arcane aoe spell, can leverage deep feywild.
- 12 Sorc / 8 arcane trickster: Same as the above, minus the big aoe spell, forced to go deep feywild, but can pick up sharp magic.

I'm aware that this will work better on a wizard or a pure arcane trickster, but its time for a sorc.
Anyone have any good ideas on this or am I too far outside the realm of reason, no matter the path I feel like I'm giving up too much in either direction by not picking up capstones etc.

 

[Hobgoblin]

wild mage and archimage? mixed magics plus the the force sla things

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

wild mage and archimage? mixed magics plus the the force sla things

Wild mage to pick up the sorc, archmage on wizard for magic missles and eldritch?
Could work, I'm not sure how the attribute req's fall for that

 

[unbongwah]

https://forums.ddo.com/index.php?threads/dhampir-makes-sorcerer-an-extremely-fun-eldritch-knight.22313/

I haven't seen any more recent takes on dhampir Eldritch Knight.

If you don't need level 9 spells, you could do sorcerer 16 Arcane Trickster 3 (Mixed Magics) FvS 1 (Divine Might).

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

https://forums.ddo.com/index.php?threads/dhampir-makes-sorcerer-an-extremely-fun-eldritch-knight.22313/

I haven't seen any more recent takes on dhampir Eldritch Knight.

If you don't need level 9 spells, you could do sorcerer 16 Arcane Trickster 3 (Mixed Magics) FvS 1 (Divine Might).

Yeah I saw that one as well, which is a very good way of doing it, and prob the better way of doing it since it is CRIT.
Sadly that is not the path I wish to walk, my path does not lead to quick cutter!

FVS just for the trance?

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

- the shattermantle, maybe this could work?
I briefly considering dropping 1 level of sorc for warlock ES but then I would lose the 4th core there

 

[unbongwah]

Problem with Force spells has always been damage scaling. Pure Arcane Trickster "fixes" that via Magical Ambush + AT capstone. Everything else is fairly niche AFAICT. If you really wanted a Feydark build, I'd do T5 Feydark + AT capstone if you were trying to go all-in on that approach; however the level 18 core Enhancement doesn't count towards Sharp Magic IIUC. But now you're complicating that via Eldritch Knight without focusing on melee DPS? Uhh good luck with that.

From one flavor builder to another:

 

[Hobgoblin]

get 8 more points and fdi cap?

 

[Hobgoblin]

and why ignore stats in tree?

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

Problem with Force spells has always been damage scaling. Pure Arcane Trickster "fixes" that via Magical Ambush + AT capstone. Everything else is fairly niche AFAICT. If you really wanted a Feydark build, I'd do T5 Feydark + AT capstone if you were trying to go all-in on that approach; however the level 18 core Enhancement doesn't count towards Sharp Magic IIUC. But now you're complicating that via Eldritch Knight without focusing on melee DPS? Uhh good luck with that.

From one flavor builder to another:

We live tough lives.

 

[saekee]

What about a monk splash (at least 3) and ki bolt? SWF kukri or dagger and vistani capstone, 6 AP in henshin mystic for ki bolt, then splash around—mixed magics, some EK, Dhampir—use the darkhallow set for self healing for funsies.

I have a similar build but 12monk/5 dark apostate/3 Atr dhampir. Insanely fun.

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

What about a monk splash (at least 3) and ki bolt? SWF kukri or dagger and vistani capstone, 6 AP in henshin mystic for ki bolt, then splash around—mixed magics, some EK, Dhampir—use the darkhallow set for self healing for funsies.

I have a similar build but 12monk/5 dark apostate/3 Atr dhampir. Insanely fun.

That is more crit based with weapons, I'm trying to be more of a spellblade meaning my damage is mostly magic.

 

[Frantik]

Surely the Dhampir transformation is incompatible with that of EK?

EDIT... crikey they are compatible!

Personally I think you are sacrificing a LOT for T5 Feydark. Why not simply 18 Sorc 1 DA/FvS 1 Warlock and EL T5/core5? Saves a +1 lHoW.

Keep meaning to try SDK pure ATr melee+spells.

 

[Marshal_Lannes]

Arcane Trickster and wear a cosmetic armor skin.

If you must have "knight" on your character sheet, then 18 AT and 2 Fighter (the feats will at least be useful - SWF to beef up your HPs). You can get away with medium armor (but you'll have to sacrifice your evasion) with spell agility.

 

[unbongwah]

Surely the Dhampir transformation is incompatible with that of EK?

Knight's Transformation isn't that sort of transformation. Which is also not to be confused with Tenser's Transformation.

 

[saekee]

That is more crit based with weapons, I'm trying to be more of a spellblade meaning my damage is mostly magic.

Fair point but ki bolt is a magic attack and the bulk of the dps—figure 30-125K from ki bolt hits and draconic tics (so spell power is key here, forgive pun); the melee attacks are for debuffing and CC. A strong melee becomes handy for mobs immune to the ki bolt element, eg acid or whatever.

You can do a ki bolt build too with high melee power and Law of the Divine on a deity weapon for your interest in procs, push for
lots of imbues too from another source and hence have a great synergy with spellpower procs (ki bolt and some spellpower imbue) and then the Law of divine etc etc.

 

[Kimbere]

Problem with Force spells has always been damage scaling. Pure Arcane Trickster "fixes" that via Magical Ambush + AT capstone.

This bears repeating.

Yeah, the damage output on the base Force spells is garbage. Magical Ambush is the only thing that makes force-centric damage casting even remotely competitive and fun. It's a shame SSG chose Magical Ambush as the band-aid to fix force spell damage.

They have effectively coded themselves into a corner regarding baseline force spells now. If they ever try to properly buff/fix force damage spells for non-Arcane Tricksters, it will make ATr's stupidly overpowered.

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

Surely the Dhampir transformation is incompatible with that of EK?

EDIT... crikey they are compatible!

Personally I think you are sacrificing a LOT for T5 Feydark. Why not simply 18 Sorc 1 DA/FvS 1 Warlock and EL T5/core5? Saves a +1 lHoW.

Keep meaning to try SDK pure ATr melee+spells.

this is what I was thinking too if I want to make a more normal build, or just go pure sorc and drop the whole force aspect and go lightning so I can grab a dash too.

 

[WolfsGoRawr]

Arcane Trickster and wear a cosmetic armor skin.

If you must have "knight" on your character sheet, then 18 AT and 2 Fighter (the feats will at least be useful - SWF to beef up your HPs). You can get away with medium armor (but you'll have to sacrifice your evasion) with spell agility.

already played a pure trickster, it plays wonderfully, I would never go 18 trickster instead of 20 though.
But yeah the arcane trickster is prob one of the better spellblades out there right now in the game, its so good for both melee and magic at the same time.

 

[Marshal_Lannes]

I've been running an 18 AT/1 Barb/1 Wiz, and it plays just fine - primarily because it's faster than anything which isn't a monk, and those who get there first get the kill You also get another magic missile SLA. Pure is no doubt better DPS, but I wouldn't rule out all MC possibilities.