Arcane Strike question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Arcane Strike question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Palomides
06-23-06, 09:42 PM I read and ask for help in this forum for my fighter/wizard character and one of the feat that everyone told me to take was arcane strike. I'm at that time where I can take it. But I have second thought about it. The advantage it brings seems weak to me. I'm wondering when will sacrifice the possibility to cast magic missile or fireball worth adding +1/spell level on AB and +1d4 of damage/spell level for one round on one weapon?

Thanks in advance for your insight, I know that you work hard to make the best possible and probably play more often that I. That's why I'm asking you. Thanks again.
ninjarabbit
06-23-06, 09:56 PM It's worth it but you have to be a little careful about it. Obviously if you do it too much you'll run out of spells. But if you're doing a full attack with haste it is worthwhile and it works well with feats like power attack and combat expertise.

With wizard-gishes it's nice because it gives you a degree of spontanatity by turning a spell that you prepared that isn't going to be useful into something useful. For example if you have a fireball prepared and you come up against a fire immune enemy arcane strike can turn that into something that you can use.
Selnai
06-23-06, 10:06 PM It's worth it but you have to be a little careful about it. Obviously if you do it too much you'll run out of spells. But if you're doing a full attack with haste it is worthwhile and it works well with feats like power attack and combat expertise.

With wizards it's nice because it gives you a degree of spontanatity by turning a spell that you prepared that isn't going to be useful into something useful. For example if you have a fireball prepared and you come up against a fire immune enemy arcane strike can turn that into something that you can use.

The last part was the key. The feat allows useless spells to be turned into usefull ones. As a sorce I would suggest not getting this feat, but a wizard could def make good use out of it. I persoanlly do not play casters, but I can recognize the usefullness of this feat right off the bat.
RendakorRahn
06-23-06, 10:17 PM I'm a big fan of this feat, but you have to have a lot of attacks to really take advantage of it. When you have 4 attacks, every level of spells you burn gives you 4d4 extra damage assuming all hits. Compared to a spell of that level it might not seem like a lot, but consider it in addition to a full melee. Plus the attack bonus helps (or can be sacced to power attack without dropping chance to hit).

Its not particularly useful to a straight caster, but for a gish who has 16+ BAB its money.
AramilWindwalker
06-23-06, 10:35 PM I think it's a key feat for duskblades and battle sorcerors, since they are much more combat oriented and their lists are pitifully limited, but they get loads of spells/day.
Palomides
06-23-06, 11:21 PM We are playing with a spellcasting variant where you learn your spells everyday but you can cast a combination of any of those spells up to the number of spell you have for the day, i.e. if you have 3 spell of 3rd level you can learn three spells (ex. Haste, Fireball, Keen), and you can cast any combination of those three (ex. 3 fireball or two haste+one fireball, etc.).

It does happen where there is no spell I can cast, but it is rare.

I'm a level 8 two-weapon fighting gish (ftr 2/wiz[evo] 4/sps 2) leveling up to level nine.
Should I still go for sps 3 with arcane strike, or go for sps 3 + [other feat] or maybe rog 1 + [other feat] ?

PS
my feats are:
weapon focus (longsword); weapon finesse; practice spellcaster; craft wondrous item; two-weapon fighting + Improved two-weapon fighting.
RendakorRahn
06-24-06, 11:57 AM Well, Arcane strike isn't really going to be that useful for you since you TWF, because AS only applies to 1 weapon. (if you were using a double weapon you might be able to convince your DM that it works, but i see weapon focus: longsword, so that's out. As an aside...you can't finesse a longsword, can you?) So when you sac spells you're only buffing your Main hand attacks and not getting your offhand ones.

As for advancing, I'd say take Spellsword 3, then jump into Eldritch knight and finish it out.

As for your feat, are you dual wielding longswords? If so I'd say maybe grab oversized TWF so they count as light weapons instead of one handed.
Andrew
06-24-06, 02:50 PM PS my feats are:
weapon focus (longsword); weapon finesse; practice spellcaster; craft wondrous item; two-weapon fighting + Improved two-weapon fighting.If I'm remembering right, the Elven Thinblade exotic weapon from CW, with a sidebar from RotW, counts as a longsword for focus/etc, and can be finessed.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Palomides 06-23-06, 09:42 PM	I read and ask for help in this forum for my fighter/wizard character and one of the feat that everyone told me to take was arcane strike. I'm at that time where I can take it. But I have second thought about it. The advantage it brings seems weak to me. I'm wondering when will sacrifice the possibility to cast magic missile or fireball worth adding +1/spell level on AB and +1d4 of damage/spell level for one round on one weapon? Thanks in advance for your insight, I know that you work hard to make the best possible and probably play more often that I. That's why I'm asking you. Thanks again.
ninjarabbit 06-23-06, 09:56 PM	It's worth it but you have to be a little careful about it. Obviously if you do it too much you'll run out of spells. But if you're doing a full attack with haste it is worthwhile and it works well with feats like power attack and combat expertise. With wizard-gishes it's nice because it gives you a degree of spontanatity by turning a spell that you prepared that isn't going to be useful into something useful. For example if you have a fireball prepared and you come up against a fire immune enemy arcane strike can turn that into something that you can use.
Selnai 06-23-06, 10:06 PM	It's worth it but you have to be a little careful about it. Obviously if you do it too much you'll run out of spells. But if you're doing a full attack with haste it is worthwhile and it works well with feats like power attack and combat expertise. With wizards it's nice because it gives you a degree of spontanatity by turning a spell that you prepared that isn't going to be useful into something useful. For example if you have a fireball prepared and you come up against a fire immune enemy arcane strike can turn that into something that you can use. The last part was the key. The feat allows useless spells to be turned into usefull ones. As a sorce I would suggest not getting this feat, but a wizard could def make good use out of it. I persoanlly do not play casters, but I can recognize the usefullness of this feat right off the bat.
RendakorRahn 06-23-06, 10:17 PM	I'm a big fan of this feat, but you have to have a lot of attacks to really take advantage of it. When you have 4 attacks, every level of spells you burn gives you 4d4 extra damage assuming all hits. Compared to a spell of that level it might not seem like a lot, but consider it in addition to a full melee. Plus the attack bonus helps (or can be sacced to power attack without dropping chance to hit). Its not particularly useful to a straight caster, but for a gish who has 16+ BAB its money.
AramilWindwalker 06-23-06, 10:35 PM	I think it's a key feat for duskblades and battle sorcerors, since they are much more combat oriented and their lists are pitifully limited, but they get loads of spells/day.
Palomides 06-23-06, 11:21 PM	We are playing with a spellcasting variant where you learn your spells everyday but you can cast a combination of any of those spells up to the number of spell you have for the day, i.e. if you have 3 spell of 3rd level you can learn three spells (ex. Haste, Fireball, Keen), and you can cast any combination of those three (ex. 3 fireball or two haste+one fireball, etc.). It does happen where there is no spell I can cast, but it is rare. I'm a level 8 two-weapon fighting gish (ftr 2/wiz[evo] 4/sps 2) leveling up to level nine. Should I still go for sps 3 with arcane strike, or go for sps 3 + [other feat] or maybe rog 1 + [other feat] ? PS my feats are: weapon focus (longsword); weapon finesse; practice spellcaster; craft wondrous item; two-weapon fighting + Improved two-weapon fighting.
RendakorRahn 06-24-06, 11:57 AM	Well, Arcane strike isn't really going to be that useful for you since you TWF, because AS only applies to 1 weapon. (if you were using a double weapon you might be able to convince your DM that it works, but i see weapon focus: longsword, so that's out. As an aside...you can't finesse a longsword, can you?) So when you sac spells you're only buffing your Main hand attacks and not getting your offhand ones. As for advancing, I'd say take Spellsword 3, then jump into Eldritch knight and finish it out. As for your feat, are you dual wielding longswords? If so I'd say maybe grab oversized TWF so they count as light weapons instead of one handed.
Andrew 06-24-06, 02:50 PM	PS my feats are: weapon focus (longsword); weapon finesse; practice spellcaster; craft wondrous item; two-weapon fighting + Improved two-weapon fighting.If I'm remembering right, the Elven Thinblade exotic weapon from CW, with a sidebar from RotW, counts as a longsword for focus/etc, and can be finessed.