Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 pudd Dec 19, 2014 7:06:11	So I've seen a few builds of this type with a few variations on it but I was wondering what people thought of my take on it. This build depends on a rule that I find to be a little unclear however. Normally you can't cast a spell that has somatic or material components to it when both your hands are holding weapons and stuff. The War Caster (pg 170) feat allows you to perform the somatic components of spells even when both your hands are full. Then over at page 203 in the Materials section under Components it says that the hand needed for material components can be the same hand being used for somatic components. Does that mean I could hold a 2 handed weapon and cast a spell that requires both material and somatic components? If so then this is my build. Human (variant) str 16 dex 13 con 12 int 8 wis 13 cha 13 background: soldier feats: great weapon master weapon: greatsword armour: chainmail Fighter 1: Fighting Style (great weapon style), Second Wind Fighter 2: Action Surge (one use) Fighter 3: Martial Archetype (Battle Master), Maneuvers - parry, precision attack, riposte Warlock 1: Pact Magic, Otherworldly Patron (Great Old One) Warlock 2: Eldritch Invocations (Devil's Sight, Feindish Vigor) Warlock 3: Pact Boon (Pact of the Blade) Fighter 4 or Warlock 4: either way I'm swapping the stat bonus for the War Caster feat. From here on I can decide if I want to be more magic or combat oriented. So the plan is to have False Life cast on myself every hour for 8 temp hit points (keep casting until I get max). Find target and cast darkness on either myself or the target. Assuming they can't see through the Darkness spell i have 2 options at level 7 The first is that I have +6 to hit, advantage, 2D6+3 damage rerolling 1's and 2's, and a bonus attack action if I crit or kill OR The second is that I use the Great Weapon Master feat giving me only +1 to hit, advantage, but 2D6+13 damage rerolling 1's and 2's, with a bonus attack action if I crit or kill. In addition to this I can expend a superiority dice to add 1D8 to hit with either attack using the Precision Attack maneuver. It gets fun when they attack back too. Given they are blinded by the Darkness spell that gives them disadvantage to hit me at AC 16 assuming my armour hasn't be upgraded. If they miss then I can use my reaction to use the Riposte maneuver and attack back with the above options and bonuses (except Precision Attack and the extra attack on crit or kill). If they hit then I can use my reaction to use the Parry maneuver to reduce the damage by 1D8+3, if that doesn't reduce the damage to 0 then I can use my 8 temporary hit points. That's atleast 12 damage they have to cut through. If they do then I'd be forced to take a concentration test for the Darkness spell. Thankfully fighters are proficient in con saving throws giving me a +4 to the roll. Heavily reliant on short rests for the maneuvers and warlock spells but I don't have to use this strategy EVERY fight, it's still decent at just hacking and slashing. Sorry for the essay but I wanted to fully explain how this would run (assuming the War Caster feat works how I hope it does). Speaking of which can anyone clarify if War Caster allows me to use material components while holding a 2 handed weapon? Cheers.
#2 Baphogoat Dec 19, 2014 13:44:04	The warcaster feat stats when you are using weaponS in both hands or a weapon and a shield.  I take this to mean that with a two-handed weapon you can freely remove a hand to cast a spell with S/M components, as it only takes one hand to hold the weapon even if it takes both to use the weapon.  If you want advantage on concentration and the spell AoO reaction then it is still a good feat for you.   I have a warlock who is going this route as well (MC fighter with two handed sword) and I do not plan on having warcaster.
#3 pudd Dec 19, 2014 14:37:19	Stupidly I didn't even realise it gave me advantage for concentration saves, that makes it even better. Thanks! If I don't require War Caster to cast spells then I'd have to pick between the stat bonus (+2 str), Martial Adept (extra maneuvers and superiority dice), and Heavy Armour Master (should have plate by this level).
(Reply to #3) Baphogoat	pudd wrote:
#5 Mephi1234 Dec 20, 2014 4:14:25	Just be careful with spells that use a material component - War Caster does nothing for material components, only somantic.   Darkness is a V, M spell, meaning that you need to be holding an arcane focus or the material components for the spell to work.    Now, you do get one free "interact with object" a turn, but your GM could rule that switching between the material component and your blade takes up the full action.    Or you miss an attack of opertunity because "drawing" the material component means you're not holding your weapon for a full round.   Hex, likewise, is a V, S, M spell, meaning you'll need the material component, and (depending on how your GM runs things) pulling out the material component and casting the spell shouldn't be a problem, but you could run into issues with dropping the component, gripping your sword, and then swinging your sword after casting the bonus action spell.         I suggest talking to your GM on the issue, since that could be conisidered interacting with more than one object a turn.    Also, though, keep in mind that there are a lot of spells in the warlock list that are only V, S; its more than possible to build one that never needs a material component.
(Reply to #5) Yunru	Mephi1234 wrote:
#7 Yunru Dec 20, 2014 6:14:35	That and it only requires a free hand to access the components, but you don't need to do that if you've say tied a wand to your sword hilt.
#8 Mephi1234 Dec 20, 2014 7:16:43	Yunru wrote:
(Reply to #8) Yunru	Mephi1234 wrote:
#10 Mephi1234 Dec 20, 2014 7:57:55	Yunru wrote:
#11 pudd Dec 20, 2014 18:07:22	There's an easy way around this. I start a battle with my sword sheathed, cast Darkness as my action, both move towards enemy and draw weapon as the move action, use Action Surge to attack, and if I kill or crit then I use my bonus action to attack again. It's a once per short rest thing but I can still hit stuff good in subsequent fights anyway.
#12 Ghost_Gallus Dec 20, 2014 19:32:22	Get a sheild or weapon made with a focus built into it. Take an orb and make it the pommel of you sword.
#13 Mephi1234 Dec 21, 2014 5:07:02	pudd wrote:
#14 Yunru Dec 21, 2014 5:14:37	Sure there is, it's called Duct Tape.
#15 Ashur420 Dec 21, 2014 7:01:13	Yunru wrote:
#16 Yunru Dec 21, 2014 7:47:16	I was thinking more "tape wand to sword" (so you're holding both at once), but that eorks too.
#17 Ashur420 Dec 21, 2014 9:31:06	In all seriousness I don't understand why you can't just use an arcane rod as the handle of your shield.  Sure you'd probably have to reinforce it so it doesn't break, but I can't think of any other reason why that wouldn't work with war caster.
#18 Ghost_Gallus Dec 25, 2014 17:23:37	Make a sword. Use an orb as the pommel. Done. No such thing indeed. Just because it takes more than a paint brush doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
#19 Yunru Dec 26, 2014 2:31:26	Hell their are a type of foci specifically called Rods. Just have one run through the centre of your sword.
#20 Swamp_slug Dec 27, 2014 7:23:07	Wizards, Warlocks and Sorcerers all have a paragraph included within their spellcasting class feature stating "You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your <class> spells". The Eldritch Knight does not have such a paragraph. To me this means that an Eldritch Knight cannot use an arcane focus for their spells and that a Wizard/Eldritch Knight multiclass could only use an arcane focus when casting their Wizard spells, not their Eldritch Knight spells.   Page 151 supports this by stating that "a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard can use such an item as a spellcasting focus".
#21 Zaruthustran Dec 29, 2014 11:36:29	Wear an orb as a necklace. Briefly grasp it when you cast a spell with a material component. That's your one "interact with an object" per turn.   Taking a hand off your greatsword for a moment to do the above--and then placing your hand back on the sword--is a nonaction. It's not "drawing or stowing a weapon", because the weapon is already drawn (and held). It's not "interacting with an object" because you're not opening the sword, closing the sword, or otherwise interacting. You're just placing your hand on the grip instead of placing your hand at your side / throwing the devil horns / high-fiving / doing something else with your hand, now that you're done interacting with the orb.   You're good, in other words.