Duskblade/Spellsword

[Cranthis]

How does a duskblade with 4 levels of spellsword sound to you guys? Basically, it gives you the ability to channel 2 spells at once. 3 if you have a spell storing weapon.

Edit: changed 3 levels of spellsword to 4, its what I meant to put originally.

[Essence_of_War]

I'm not sure what exactly you're getting from it.

You already have full BAB.
You already have the ability to ignore ASF.

The Spellsword's Channel Spell is limited use/day, and doesn't get it until level 4.

So assuming you took Spellsword to 4 rather than 3, you're giving up two caster levels for the irrelevant ability to ignore ASF, and the ability to channel two spells as a full round action a couple of times per day?

Seems pretty dubious to me. I feel like you're better as a straight Duskblade.

[Cranthis]

Yeah, I might 4 levels of spellsword, I'll edit that into the post.

But what I'm thinking is ending people in one blow. Use the 2 channels, a spell storing weapon, and a large sized fullblade. doing 2d10 melee, as well as whatever spells.

[laeZ1]

Then you prestiege into daggerspell mage!

After taking a level of something with sneak attack, of course.

[Cranthis]

Then you prestiege into daggerspell mage!

My god you're right haha. And I wouldn't need to multiclass, I could just be a Changeling.

[eggs]

I played a gimmicky character once built around Duskblade/AbjChamp/Spellsword to channel something like 4 spells per attack. With the Spellsword's spell list, it was less interesting than I'd hoped.

[Cranthis]

Spellsword doesn't have a spell list, and why would you go AbjChamp with just duskblade? It doesn't have the Abjuration spells that make it worth it.

[eggs]

Duskblade's spell list I mean. AbjChamp was mostly for the level 4-5 abilities. And because losing Duskblade levels isn't a huge cost if the build won't be hitting DB 13 anyway.

[Essence_of_War]

I think he meant to say "the duskblade's spell list".

Which would be the source of the problem since the Spellsword obviously doesn't have its own spell list.

[Essence_of_War]

If you really want to use the Duskblade as a jumping off point for PrCs, you could take a cleric/cloistered cleric dip, take 13 level of Duskblade, dip Nar Demonbinder, then use Abj Champ or something to progress the Demonbinder Casting.

Or you can take a Bard dip, and do the same with Sublime Chord.

Duskblade straight to 20 is perfectly good though, it really doesn't need any PrCs at all.

[Cranthis]

I know its great, now this is kind of just about abusing spell channeling.

[ThiagoMartell]

Well, if you really want the channeling, what about the Smiting Spell feat?
Between arcane channeling, Spellsword's ability, Smiting Spell and Spell Storing (or that specialized Spell Storing for Vampiric Touch, forgot the name, from MIC) you would be getting 4 spells out of a standard action (well, full-round action, since it is metamagic and Duskblade is spontaneous, unless you change that with feats).

I don't think that is a good idea because you're sinking so much resources into a single strike. You might deal more damage than the target has hp, wasting perfectly good spells. The cost of 4 levels of Spellsword for a 1/day ability is heavy (more usable if you have action points to use it more times, but heavy nonetheless). I guess this concept works better without Spellsword. Your number of simultaneously channeled spells falls by one, but three spells is already a lot. With the duskblade spell list, you'll be channeling Shocking Grasp and Vampiric Touch most of the time, anyway (unless you dip to expand your list).

My suggestions: don't take Spellsword, take Smiting Spell, expand your spell list (Fiendblooded, Arcane Preparation+Wym Wizard, Arcane Disciple, Sandshaper). If possible get Spellblade enhancement on your weapon, you might get an extra spell in per round that way, not counting the extra defense.

[Allanimal]

Originally Posted by ThiagoMartell

Well, if you really want the channeling, what about the Smiting Spell feat?
Between arcane channeling, Spellsword's ability, Smiting Spell and Spell Storing (or that specialized Spell Storing for Vampiric Touch, forgot the name, from MIC) you would be getting 4 spells out of a standard action (well, full-round action, since it is metamagic and Duskblade is spontaneous, unless you change that with feats).

I am not sure if you can Metamagic a duskblade channelled spell.

Originally Posted by PHB2, Duskblade's Arcane Channeling Ability

The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less.

To me, that says if bumping up the casting time by applying Metamagic to a full round, you can no longer channel it, because the casting time isn't 1 standard action or less.

[TheOOB]

You can metamagic a spell in a spell storing weapon though, Maximised Empowered Scorching Rays are surprisingly nasty.

[ThiagoMartell]

Originally Posted by Allanimal

I am not sure if you can Metamagic a duskblade channelled spell.

Practical Metamagic is required then.