5e Duskblade PEACH

[Gr7mm Bobb]

2. Spell Combat. This thumbs its nose at the concept of the action economy. You now can now smite twice, then either channel EB or Firebolt in melee range, or use GFB or Booming Blade, sending your DPR through the roof, especially at 14+, when your enemies have disadvantage on saves from the cantrips. Without using SCAG, it lets you add 2d10-4d10+5 damage per round, while still letting you trigger things like PAM or GWM. Compare that to the paladin, who gets at most 3d8 (dual wielding)

Ok did some math with various other classes involved:

This is assuming all weapon attacks hit, each relevant modifier is a +3, and the weapon used is 1d8, no combat styles applied.

Duskblade

Spoiler

Show

11th Level Magus
2 attacks w/ arcane strike with max slots available (lvl 3) + Firebolt channeled: (1d8 + 5d6 +3) x2 + 3d10 + 3 = 69.5

14th Level Magus
Spell slots 1 4th, 3 3rd level, same approach as above: (1d8 + 5d6 + 3) x2 + 1d6 + 3d10 +3 = 73

18th Level Magus
Spell slots 1 5th, 3 4th level, GSP(breaker is active): (1d8 + 6d6 + 6) x2 + 1d6 + 4d10 + 6 = 88.5

Paladin

Spoiler

Show

11th level Paladin
2 attacks + spell smite (thunderous smite), max slots are the same as duskblade: (1d8 + 5d8 + 3) x2 + 4d6 = 74 add 6 if Oathbreaker for 80

14th level Paladin
2 attacks + spell smite (thunderous), spell slots same as Duskblade: (1d8 + 5d8 + 3) x2 + 1d8 + 4d6 = 78.5 add 6 OB for 84.5

18th level Paladin
2 attacks + spell smite (thunderous), spell slots same as Duskblade: (1d8 + 6d8 +3) x2 + 1d8 + 5d6 = 91 and 6 for OB for 97

Ok here's the hairy part where multi-classing takes hold and messes with the numbers a tad.

Those Multi-class Shenanigans

Spoiler

Show

Warlock 2 + Duskblade 12 = 14th level total
2 attacks + Eldritch Blast, spell slot avail are 3 3rd level: (1d8 + 5d6 + 3) x2 + 3d10 +15 = 81.5

Bard(Lore) 7 + Pally(Oathbreaker) 7 = 14th level total
2 attacks + Spell Smite(thunderous); Spell slots 2 5th level, 1 4th: (1d8 + 6d8 + 3) x2 + 5d6 = 86.5 add 6 for OB pally for 92.5

Warlock 2 + Duskblade 11 + Pally(Oathbreaker) 7 = 20th level total
2 attacks + Eldritch Blast; Spell slots 1 5th, 3 4th level (1d8 + 6d8 + 6) x2 + 1d8 + 4d10 + 18 = 119.5 with the Channel ability as written.
Written to ensure bonus damage to multi-hit spells is only applied once, the damage is pulled back into a more tame 110.5 without the looming threat of multiplied damage.

There are a couple of things to note while looking at these. When a Duskblade uses its Arcane Strike feature, it does have advantage on the attack. This is only equaled by a Vengeance Paladin using its Channel divinity to gain advantage against a single selected target. The multi-class business is not meant to be complete, just to be a list of examples that hopefully show potential issues. Also, the Magus has a better spell recovery than any other 1/2 caster, which is made up for by being less defensively inclined than the paladin.

Speaking of issues, as written, the agonizing blast invocation causes the numbers to become out of hand. With that being said I am beginning to work on a way to state Arcane Channel in such a way that the bonus damage from Agonizing blast is only applied once. Overall though, this has shown that the paladin still is winning in terms of potential damage dealt with the Duskblade keeping up by having advantage to ensure its Arcane strikes deal the damage they need to.

3. Battle Hardened. Expertise in concentration saves is incredibly powerful for a gish; you'd pretty much never have to worry about concentration ever again.

I see where you are coming from with this one and have considered making it either 1/2 prof or just equal to the characters Int Modifier like the paladin has for its blanket save buff it gets.

Again, thank you guys for your help. Also updated to read as 1.9.

Made changes to: Hexblades curse, and subsequent 15th level feature. Arcane channel to curb in the damage spike that Spell Combat and Agonizing Blast were doing together. Added Ritual casting to Magus (may chop it off but we'll see, maybe just removing the Heavy armor prof will be good enough. Removed some cantrips from the spell list. May add the SCAG ones just for completeness. Restored the original intent of Spell Puncture.