Eldritch Knight question...

[cadan1973]

What magic spells can an Fighter Eldritch Knight use in Baldur's Gate 3 actually?

[Dragon Master]

The Eldritch Knight, by fighter level 10, would know 3 cantrips and 7 spells, and will have four 1st level spell slots and three 2nd level spell slots.

The spells the Eldritch Knight can learn are Wizard spells. Spells like "Spider Climb" (lets them walk on walls), "See Invisibility", "Detect Magic" and "Shadow Blade".

Intelligence would be the modifier for them so if you make a fighter you want to be an Eldritch Knight, make sure they have a decent Intelligence score.

Eldritch Knights get some cool abilities as well. I'll only list the levels 3-10 ones because I don't know how much higher the level max is.

Weapon Bond

At 3rd level, you learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can’t be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

You can have up to two bonded weapons, but can summon only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.

War Magic

Beginning at 7th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

Eldritch Strike

At 10th level, you learn how to make your weapon strikes undercut a creature’s resistance to your spells. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell you cast before the end of your next turn.

[cadan1973]

Thanks greatly.

[AdahnGorion]

EK is pretty much what you want for your Githyanki... (I know that is what I want) and as Dragon Master writes, they are actually pretty awesome, as long as you remember to have decent int.

[Opossum]

I would like to add because it was not mentioned in Dragon masters posts.

Eldritch Knights spell list Almost entirely comes from abjuration and evocation. Spells known gained at 8th, 14th, and 20th can be of any school but most of your spells will be Abjuration or Evocation (cantrips are not held to this limitation )

https://donjon.bin.sh/5e/spells/
Donjon has a pretty good spell searcher if you want to take a look at what might be availible to you. BG3 will mostly be PHB so dont expect expanded stuff and not everything will be in so trying to "prebuild" wont be perfect

[cadan1973]

Will custom create a very handsome looking young adult human male Fighter/Eldritch Knight class character in this game that I will name Aengus Savageblade actually by my own choice of preference basicly, alright?

[TrogdorBurning]

You don't have to have amazing intelligence scores for EK necessarily. Since a lot of abjuration spells are cast on yourself or willing party members you don't have the spell-save checks that would cause intelligence scores to be a factor. The same goes for Arcane Trickster, to a lesser extent. If Laezel's stats remain the same as those from gameplay videos, (Int: 11), it's a pretty mediocre score. I am still planning on using her as an EK however.

[Dragon Master]

Originally posted by TrogdorBurning:

You don't have to have amazing intelligence scores for EK necessarily. Since a lot of abjuration spells are cast on yourself or willing party members you don't have the spell-save checks that would cause intelligence scores to be a factor. The same goes for Arcane Trickster, to a lesser extent. If Laezel's stats remain the same as those from gameplay videos, (Int: 11), it's a pretty mediocre score. I am still planning on using her as an EK however.

You don't have to have an amazing score, since you are still a fighter. Just a decent intelligence score to make the most of it.

I would go a minimum of 12 so you at least have a +1 to your spells, 14 if you can manage it, 16 if you can get it without sacrificing either your STR/DEX or CON score, depending on what kind of fighter you are.

[Rhawkas]

Here's a list I found online:

First Level Spells (2 at level 3, 3 at level 4-6, 4 at 7-20)
Evocation
Burning Hands
Chromatic Orb
Magic Missile
Thunderwave
Witch Bolt

Abjuration
Alarm
Mage Armor
Protection from Evil and Good
Shield

Second Level Spells (2 at level 7-9, 3 at 10-20)
Evocation
Continual Flame
Darkness
Gust of Wind
Scorching Ray
Shatter

Abjuration
Arcane Lock

Third Level Spells (2 at level 13-15, 3 at 16-20)
Evocation
Fireball
Lightning Bolt
Sending

Abjuration
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Glyph of Warding
Magic Circle
Nondetection
Protection from Energy
Remove Curse

Fourth Level Spells (1 at level 19-20)
Evocation
Fire Shield
Ice Storm
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
Wall of Fire

Abjuration
Banishment
Stone Skin

It's a pretty good set of spells. The issue is how late they get them in comparison to other casters. In comparison, Wizards get 4th level spells when they reach level 7. So while it's cool to be able to throw around fireballs and lightning bolts as a fighter, they're gonna be pretty weak compared to what you're fighting when you finally get access to them (at levels 13+). That's why the defensive stuff tends to be better, at least in my opinion. Course, they can pick spells from any school of magic at levels 8, 14, and 20, so they can pick up something like Haste or Greater Invisibility which aren't reliant on the caster's intelligence to be useful.

[Dragon Master]

Originally posted by Rhawkas:

Here's a list I found online:

First Level Spells (2 at level 3, 3 at level 4-6, 4 at 7-20)
Evocation
Burning Hands
Chromatic Orb
Magic Missile
Thunderwave
Witch Bolt

Abjuration
Alarm
Mage Armor
Protection from Evil and Good
Shield

Second Level Spells (2 at level 7-9, 3 at 10-20)
Evocation
Continual Flame
Darkness
Gust of Wind
Scorching Ray
Shatter

Abjuration
Arcane Lock

Third Level Spells (2 at level 13-15, 3 at 16-20)
Evocation
Fireball
Lightning Bolt
Sending

Abjuration
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Glyph of Warding
Magic Circle
Nondetection
Protection from Energy
Remove Curse

Fourth Level Spells (1 at level 19-20)
Evocation
Fire Shield
Ice Storm
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
Wall of Fire

Abjuration
Banishment
Stone Skin

It's a pretty good set of spells. The issue is how late they get them in comparison to other casters. In comparison, Wizards get 4th level spells when they reach level 7. So while it's cool to be able to throw around fireballs and lightning bolts as a fighter, they're gonna be pretty weak compared to what you're fighting when you finally get access to them (at levels 13+). That's why the defensive stuff tends to be better, at least in my opinion. Course, they can pick spells from any school of magic at levels 8, 14, and 20, so they can pick up something like Haste or Greater Invisibility which aren't reliant on the caster's intelligence to be useful.

It's true that Eldritch Knights don't get as many spells as other casters, but I feel like that's the point The Eldritch Knight is still a fighter. They still get 2nd wind, action surge, multiple attacks in a round, and the most ability boosts of all the classes.

Being proficient with all weapons and armor, feats, can attack multiple times in a round without haste, impossible to be disarmed and cast spells make Eldritch Knights brutally terrifying. Their lack of spells and spell slots compared to other classes is more than made up for what they get as fighters.

[Rhawkas]

Originally posted by Dragon Master:

It's true that Eldritch Knights don't get as many spells as other casters, but I feel like that's the point The Eldritch Knight is still a fighter. They still get 2nd wind, action surge, multiple attacks in a round, and the most ability boosts of all the classes.

Being proficient with all weapons and armor, feats, can attack multiple times in a round without haste, impossible to be disarmed and cast spells make Eldritch Knights brutally terrifying. Their lack of spells and spell slots compared to other classes is more than made up for what they get as fighters.

I wasn't saying they can't be good. I love me some feats, and fighters get the most opportunities to get them. I was just saying that an eldritch knight's damage spells aren't going to be that great, even if they do have high enough DCs that the enemies can reasonably be expected to fail. If you're going into EK expecting to be some sort of master of sword and spell like some OP protagonist from a book series or anime, you're probably gonna be disappointed when your spells just don't have the same oomph as your weapon.

[Dragon Master]

Originally posted by Rhawkas:

Originally posted by Dragon Master:

It's true that Eldritch Knights don't get as many spells as other casters, but I feel like that's the point The Eldritch Knight is still a fighter. They still get 2nd wind, action surge, multiple attacks in a round, and the most ability boosts of all the classes.

Being proficient with all weapons and armor, feats, can attack multiple times in a round without haste, impossible to be disarmed and cast spells make Eldritch Knights brutally terrifying. Their lack of spells and spell slots compared to other classes is more than made up for what they get as fighters.

I wasn't saying they can't be good. I love me some feats, and fighters get the most opportunities to get them. I was just saying that an eldritch knight's damage spells aren't going to be that great, even if they do have high enough DCs that the enemies can reasonably be expected to fail. If you're going into EK expecting to be some sort of master of sword and spell like some OP protagonist from a book series or anime, you're probably gonna be disappointed when your spells just don't have the same oomph as your weapon.

That's true. They are still a fighter.

I find they're the most effective with the spell sniper feat, a couple of evocation spells (FIREBALL) and a bunch of buff and debuff spells.

I mean, I once did a pvp session and one of the people playing was an eldritch knight who's highest score was dexterity so he used a long-bow. It was fascinating seeing him fight the last person (wizard) and the wizard just couldn't damage him enough to make up for all the extra damage that wizard was taking. Getting shot three times by a bow, having an action surge that made him roll with disadvantage on a saving throw and then getting shot again, with the fighter wearing heavy armor also being able to cast shield on himself made for a very interesting throwdown.