Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Tetsuoh Nov 27, 2013 2:48:40	As the title says I'm wondering what classes and or prestige classes Have Good BAB and Full Spell Progression?   Or at least close enough.   I found the eldritch knight and wondered if there is any other classes that did this better?   I blame on introducing a reoccuring villian that is an armored caster who is just as good in combat and am looking for a good class to make her.
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Nov 27, 2013 7:58:41	What sort of magic? Cleric will do the trick with Divine Power persisted.   Or use this (which I found in a few seconds at the handbook index I linked for you yesterday); that's aimed for dippers, but the lists will be helpful.    Finally, see the Dread Lord of the Dead in my sig, which sadly uses a lot of variants - but manages to be this from almost every level.
#3 StevenO Nov 27, 2013 11:01:04	Abjurant Champion but it only five levels long.  It is in  the Complete Mage and just about every gish build you'll find.   I think there are a few PrCs where you find a 3/4 BAB and full spellcasting and a few with full BAB and 4/5 casting but the names escape me at the moment.
#4 Tetsuoh Nov 27, 2013 22:41:29	Arcane Preferred but either will probably work.   And i doesn't nessesairly have to have a BAB and continued spell progression EVERY level - but close would be nice.   Those lists have helped Tempest - Thank You.   Keep suggestions coming guys - always appreciated.
#5 Tempest_Stormwind Nov 27, 2013 23:02:43	Tetsuoh wrote:
#6 Tetsuoh Nov 28, 2013 0:40:17	Okay - Looking to make a knight from the local kingdom currently run by a mind controlled king - flip out.   The kingdom are the "good guys" knights that are trying to wipe out rampaging orcs and other monsters - who are in turn proving to be stronger than the humans and actually far more "cival" to the group.   I'm looking to make a heavy armor wielding magic user - full plate if possible - more than likely magical.   looking to be able to cast spells of rather high dmg dealing so thats why im looking for a nice spell progression. He will serve as probably the second in command for the evil doer in my campaign as of the moment.   Weapons will probably be either a two'er or sword and board.   I kind of want his spells to be of mass destruction - he COULD use spells that target without damaging everything else around - but doesn't.   And will more than likely have bane spells versus montrous humans and such, namely goblins, orcs, and half orcs.   The kind of villan you think you escaped only for him to destroy a wall in a back alley and continue after you.
#7 Andarious-Rosethorn Nov 28, 2013 6:53:46	What you're discribing is just a Duskblade, but beware Evocation's a trap. Melee easily outputs more damage, and even well built Bow Users do too. There are just too many sources of bonus damage for melee, it's almost impossible to miss enough of them not to out damage a spellcaster. Spell casters usually do one of two jobs if they want to be combat effective, they make the Big Stupid Fighter BETTER at kiling people, and or they make the people the BSF wants to kill incapable of killing him back (this may mean dead via a non-damaging spell).   Think of things in terms of action economy and in available resources. A Lightning Bold can be cast once or maybe twice per round and from a level 10 effective caster will deal 35 damage (10d6), without any metamagic (which consumes more resources, in feats and higher level spell slots). In order for a Greatsword to deal 35 damage you'll need with Str 16 base to have bumpted it twice by 8 and likely have a +2 Enhancement by theis point. Damage so far looks like 7 for your Greatsword (2d6, averaged), 7 for Str, and at least 1 for Enhancement, so we're up to 15, and you get two attacks/round you already deal 30 damage without ANY feats to improve that, even simple Greater Weapon Specialization (3 really bad feats) will have you up 19 damage/swing and averaging 38/round. So your action economy's better, and your resources spent will be minimal, as you can swing your big stick all day.   That spellcaster at level 10 could cast Black Tentacles however and watch as potentially several enemies were violated by high octane nightmare fuel. Or cast Dimension shuffle to get the entire party into superior combat position (or out of a jam anyway). The problem is you'll lose precious casting resources if you want to do any kind of meleee effectively, so you won't be able to do all of the cool stuff wizards do AND do any kind of fighting.   What a BSF could be doing is well... CHARGE!   If you're insisting on a Blaster Gish though, really look no further than Duskblade, it does what you want right out of the box and it does it fairly well. Other good options include the Jade Phoenix Mage and most of what's listed above. If you go the multiclass rout you may want to consider the Orb of X line of spells for a damage source and possibly find metamagic tricks to make them more effective (including Arcane Thesis and Residual Magic to conserve /day resources).
#8 New-Shadow Nov 28, 2013 12:12:47	There's also Dragonslayer(from Draconomicon), Spellsword(Complete Warrior), and Swiftblade(found here:http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327 ) if dipping is available.  Aren't there a few Gish guides around here, or did they get deleted with the changeover?   Spellwise, you may want to get the Lost Empires of Faerun book, as there are quite a few spells and feats that any gish would love to use (though I'm uncertain if the book is 3.0 or 3.5, may want to check).  Part of the allure of gishes isn't just being able to blast like a better Evoker or be less of a glass cannon, it is the ability to use magics' boost effects like Shield, True Strike, or any number of Transmutation spells.  Search for some good boost spells to use along with spells that go boom, and you'll be awesome at what you do.
#9 Tempest_Stormwind Nov 28, 2013 12:56:53	Tetsuoh wrote: