by Lawrence Augustine R. Mingoa [Ed: The Eldritch Knight is not an official class, so it’s not been test for balance – but don’t let that stop you!] [Ed: The Eldritch Knight is not an official class, so it’s not been test for balance – but don’t let that stop you!] Sometimes a spell slinger wants to dabble in swordplay or archery, while at other times, the warrior wants to get that special edge that only magic can get them. Regardless of where they come from, the goal of the eldritch knight is still the same: the fusion of two different tools into a completely different fighting style.

Overview Playstyle: The eldritch knight is for those who want to mash up both melee and magic, so this class can be quite complicated or simple to use depending on how you utilize the talents and spells available to you. Ability Scores: You need Strength for melee prowess, Dexterity for deadliness with ranged weapons and Constitution for hit points to survive attacks. When dabbling with magic, Intelligence is very useful and even vital for some spells. Eldritch knights gain a +2 class bonus to Strength, Dexterity or Intelligence, as long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus. Races: While most races tend to favor a more purist approach to fighting, the Elves are traditionally known for their bladeslingers and arcane archers, special eldritch knights sworn to protect the Court of Stars. You can also find hammer mages guarding Anvil, and draconic disciples within the Imperial Army. Backgrounds: Here are some backgrounds to get you started with your eldritch knights: spell blade, escaped experiment from the Archmage’s laboratory, possessed by a warrior (or a wizard), elemental servant, former servant of the Throne of Bones. Icons: Eldritch knights easily find service among the royal courts of the Elf Queen, Emperor and even the Lich King, due to the dedication needed to wield both spell and weapon at once. The Archmage is always open to new experiments however, and those who want a shortcut to power have often gambled with the Diabolist as well. Sigils Most of the eldritch knight’s spells come in the form of sigils. Like runes, sigils grant magical effects to items and weapons. However, eldritch knight are able to release the hidden potential of their magic. When using a sigil, you first spend a quick action to imbue these sigils on an item or a creature. Once imbued, at any point during the encounter you can then either dismiss them as a quick action or release the true power of these sigils, usually as a standard action. Once released, you can only regain your sigil after a daily heal-up. Sigils normally disappear after 5 minutes or at the end of battle (whichever comes first), and can be used again later in the day if you imbue them but don’t release them. You can only have one sigil active at any given time. Sigils imbued on enemies can be resisted by them, and thus are usually save end sigils. Dismissing the imbued spell causes the enemy to automatically save against the effects of the sigil with no side effects. Eldritch Knight Level Progression Like other spellcasters, new spells at higher levels can simply be upgraded versions of lower level spells, though your talents can let you pick spells from another class instead. Gear At 1st level, eldritch knights start with their weapon of choice (usually either a melee or a ranged weapon), a backup weapon just in case, armor, and standard nonmagical gear that is suggested by the character’s background. Maybe a tome of magical spells as well. The typical eldritch knight starts with 25 gp at hand. The more daring eldritch knights start with 1d6 x 10 gp in their pockets. Armor Eldritch knights typically wear light armor, usually in the form of studded leather armor. This is more for practicality than style, as heavier armor tends to impede their spellcasting and flexibility. However, dedicated eldritch knights can utilize heavy armor to their advantage, should they wish to specialize in it. Eldritch Knight Armor and AC

Type Base AC Atk Penalty

None 10 –

Light 12 –

Heavy 14 -2

Shield +1 -1 Weapons Just as the wizard uses his wand or staff, the eldritch knight uses his weapon as his magical focus, usually relying on lighter weapons such as short swords and elegant rapiers. As for ranged weapons, the arcane archers of the Court of Stars typically favor the longbow, though other eldritch knights use smaller and more practical weaponry such as the crossbow. Eldritch Knight Melee Weapons One-Handed

Two-Handed Small 1d4 dagger 1d6 club Light or Simple 1d6 shortsword, rapier 1d8 spear

Heavy or Martial 1d8 (-2 atk) longsword 1d10 (-2 atk) greatsword, maul

Eldritch Knight Ranged Weapons Thrown Crossbow Bow Small 1d4 dagger 1d4 hand crossbow – Light or Simple 1d6 javelin, axe 1d6 light crossbow 1d6 shortbow

Heavy Martial – 1d8 (-1 atk) heavy crossbow 1d8 (-2 atk) longbow Eldritch Knight Level Progression Eldritch Knight Level Total Hit Points Total # Feats Sigils Level-up Ability Bonuses Damage bonus from Ability Score 1st level 3rd level 5th level 7th level 9th level Level 1 (7 + CON mod) x 3 1 adventurer 2 Ability modifier Level 2 (7 + CON mod) x 4 2 adventurer 3 Ability modifier Level 3 (7 + CON mod) x 5 3 adventurer 1 2 Ability modifier Level 4 (7 + CON mod) x 6 4 adventurer 4 +1 to 3 abilities Ability modifier Level 5 (7 + CON mod) x 8 4 adventurer 1 champion 2 2 2 x ability modifier Level 6 (7 + CON mod) x 10 4 adventurer 2 champion 5 2 x ability modifier Level 7 (7 + CON mod) x 12 4 adventurer 3 champion 2 3 +1 to 3 abilities 2 x ability modifier Level 8 (7 + CON mod) x 16 4 adventurer 3 champion 1 epic 6 3 x ability modifier Level 9 (7 + CON mod) x 20 4 adventurer 3 champion 2 epic 2 4 3 x ability modifier Level 10 (7 + CON mod) x 24 4 adventurer 3 champion 3 epic 7 +1 to 3 abilities 3 x ability modifier Eldritch Knight 1st Level Stats Level modifiers are already added in to the stats in this table. Ability Bonus +2 Strength, Dexterity or Intelligence (different from racial bonus) Initiative +1 + Dex mod Armor Class (light armor) 13 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis Armor Class (heavy armor) 15 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis Armor Class (shield and heavy armor) 16 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis Physical Defense 12 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex Mental Defense 12 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha Hit Points 3 x (7 + Con mod) Recoveries (probably) 8 Recovery Dice 1d8 + Con mod Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background Icon Relationships 3 points Adventurer-Tier Talents 3 Adventurer-Tier Feat 1 Eldritch Knight Basic Attacks At-will melee attack

Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage

Miss: Damage equal to level At-will ranged attack

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage

Miss: –

Eldritch Knight Class Features

Eldritch Knights have two class features: Access to Magic and Warrior’s Skill.

Access to Magic

Choose another spellcasting character class. Starting at 3rd level, you can take a spell from that class in place of an eldritch knight spell that is 2 levels higher than it. For example, you can take a 1st level sorcerer spell in place of a 3rd level eldritch knight spell. You cannot take spells that come from class talents.

You also gain the wizard cantrip Arcane Mark, and can use it at-will.

Warrior’s Skill

You can take one fighter flexible maneuver of your level or lower in place of an eldritch knight spell. This replaces one of your existing eldritch knight spells. You can even take all the feats related to the flexible maneuver you took to reach its maximum potential.

Eldritch Knight Class Talents

Choose three of the following class talents.

Arcane Archery

You no longer suffer the penalties for using heavy martial ranged weapons. In addition, your misses with basic ranged attacks deal damage equal to your level. Finally, if ever your GM asks you to keep track of ammunition, you no longer have to, as you are able to create ammunition out of pure magic as part of reloading, which disappear after 5 minutes or at the end of battle.

NOTE: Even though the ammunition created is made of pure magic, it is functionally no different from a regular arrow.

Adventurer Feat: Once per battle you can add a +4 bonus to the attack roll of one ranged basic attack before the end of your turn as a move action.

Champion Feat: Once per battle as a standard action at the start of your turn, you can make ranged basic attacks against 1d3+1 nearby creatures that are grouped together.

Epic Feat: Once per day you can spend a recovery as a quick action but regain no hit points. Instead, double the damage of your next ranged attack before the end of your turn.

Armored Caster

You no longer suffer the attack penalties for equipping heavy armor and shields.

Adventurer Feat: Once per day after taking damage from an attack, you can spend a recovery as a free action; you must be conscious and able to take actions for you to use this ability.

Champion Feat: You gain one additional recovery, and once per battle can rally as a quick action instead of a standard action.

Epic Feat: Once per day when an attack will reduce you to 0 HP or lower, you can immediately spend a recovery to heal after taking the damage (starting from 0 HP). You must have at least one recovery left to use this ability.

Bind Weapon

After a daily heal-up, choose one weapon that you do not suffer attack penalties from. This will be your bound weapon. Until you change your bound weapon, whenever you need that weapon, you can choose to have it appear in your hand as a quick action, as long as it is nearby.

Adventurer Feat: You can treat your bound weapon as a thrown weapon; martial heavy weapons thrown this way deal d8 damage (-2 attack, unless you have Arcane Archery). Normally the weapon automatically returns to you after the attack.

Champion Feat: You can summon your weapon even if it is miles away or not physically accessible. In addition, if the weapon you’re bound to is a true magic item and is somehow destroyed, you can commune with its spirit and attempt to resurrect it (see Cleric’s Resurrection spell for restrictions).

Epic Feat: One battle per day while you are at 0 HP or less, you can choose to manifest your soul in your weapon, allowing it to float around and attack as if you were alive and wielding it. While in this state, your attack and damage rolls use Intelligence instead of Strength or Dexterity, and you cannot take any other actions except move and attack. Once you die or regain consciousness, your weapon immediately returns to your hand.

Note: For true magic items, treat this feat as a role-playing opportunity. The fact that the character’s soul is going to be inside the weapon means there’s likely a lot of interaction going to happen between the character’s soul and whatever gives the item its quirks.

Elemental Affinity

Choose between acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder. As a quick action you can change the damage type of your basic attacks to the chosen element, causing visual effects like igniting your blade or creating an arrow of pure lightning.

Adventurer Feat: You can replace your chosen element with one of the following types: force, poison, positive, psychic and negative energy.

Adventurer Feat: Choose a second element. You can choose to switch between the two elements, or if the GM isn’t really particular with damage types even combine the two damage types.

Champion Feat: One battle per day, your basic attacks deal 10 ongoing damage, whose type depends on which element is currently active. Increase the ongoing damage to 15 at level 8.

Epic Feat: One battle per day you can gain resist 12+ to the chosen element(s).

Ghost Walker

Once per battle you can teleport to a nearby area that you can see as a move action.

Adventurer Feat: Once per day you can choose one nearby enemy as a quick action. Until the end of battle you can teleport to engage or intercept that enemy instead of moving normally to do so.

Champion Feat: You can use this talent twice per battle instead.

Soul Weapon

You gain a special familiar that uses the same rules as the wizard’s familiar, but this familiar comes in the shape of a weapon and can be used as such. Another difference would be in the feats, which gives this familiar a more “magical item” sort of feel.

Champion Feat: The familiar becomes a true magic weapon that is one tier lower than you, and gains quirks and abilities that closely reflect the familiar’s traits (GM’s choice).

Epic Feat: One battle per day you can allow your familiar to move independent of you as a quick action. While independent, your familiar acts after you, but cannot move far away from you, and uses your defenses but has a -1 to hit and weapon dice (being 1 tier lower than you). Also, attacks that hit the familiar deal psychic damage to you, and when you are reduced to 0 HP or lower, the familiar is momentarily free to deal with its own agenda, returning to you after a daily heal-up.

Talent for Magic

You can use one of your eldritch knight spell choices to choose any spell of your level or lower from the class you chose to access magic from (see Access to Magic). You only get one such equal-level class spell at a time; all others have to be purchased using the 2-level penalty in the Access to Magic class feature describe above.

Adventurer Feat: You can use Intelligence as the ability score for the attack and damage of all the spells acquired from a different class. In addition, you gain one cantrip of your choice from the class you chose for this talent; you can cast this cantrip at-will.

Champion Feat: You gain a bonus spell of your level or lower from the class you chose to access magic from.

Epic Feat: Whenever you roll a critical hit with your basic attacks, you can choose to turn it into a normal hit instead. If you do, you can either cast one non-eldritch knight spell or release an eldritch knight spell as a quick action instead of a standard action. When cast this way, your spell cannot crit, but neither does it provoke opportunity attacks.

Weaponmaster

You no longer suffer the penalties for using heavy martial melee weapons. In addition, you do not provoke opportunity attacks when using eldritch knight spells.

Adventurer Feat: You gain one fighter maneuver of your level or lower. This maneuver is a bonus ability, not included in your eldritch knight class count.

Champion Feat: One battle per day your melee basic attacks can target PD instead of AC.

Epic Feat: You gain a second bonus fighter maneuver of your level or lower.

Eldritch Knight Spells: 1st Level

Remember that you can only have one sigil active at any given time, and once you release it, you cannot use the spell until the next heal-up.

Burning Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends). Increase the ongoing damage to 10 at level 5, and to 15 at level 8. Until the target saves against the spell, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: The target immediately saves from the spell and takes 3d10 fire damage, and 10 ongoing fire damage (hard save ends, 16+).

Miss: 5 ongoing fire damage on a miss (save ends).

3rd Level: 6d10 damage, and ongoing 10 fire damage. 5 ongoing fire damage on a miss.

5th Level: 10d12 damage, and ongoing 15 fire damage. 10 ongoing fire damage on a miss.

7th Level: 2d6 x 10 damage, and ongoing 20 fire damage. 15 ongoing fire damage on a miss.

9th Level: 4d6 x 10 damage, and ongoing 25 fire damage. 20 ongoing fire damage on a miss.

Frost Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: The target takes a -2 penalty to disengage checks (save ends). Until the target saves against the spell, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: The target immediately saves from the spell and is now stuck (save ends).

Miss: The target is stuck until the end of your next turn.

3rd Level: The target is now stuck and takes 5 ongoing cold damage (save ends both).

5th Level: The target is now stunned and takes 10 ongoing damage (save ends both).

7th Level: The target is now stunned and takes 15 ongoing damage (save ends both).

9th Level: The target is now stunned, vulnerable and takes ongoing 20 cold damage (save ends all).

Shocking Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: Once per turn an attack that hit the target deal 5 lightning damage to a different nearby enemy (save ends); increase this damage to 10 at level 5, and 15 at level 8. Until the target saves against the spell, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: The target immediately saves from the spell and takes 5d6 lightning damage, and one nearby enemy takes half damage.

Miss: The target is weakened until the start of your next turn.

3rd Level: 9d6 damage.

5th Level: 8d10 damage.

7th Level: 2d6 x 10 damage, and 1d3 nearby enemies take half damage.

9th Level: 2d10 x 10 damage.

Warding Sigil

Ranged spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: You or one engaged ally.

Effect: Target gains +2 AC until either the spell is released or the end of battle. While the spell is in effect, you can release it as a free action when the target is hit by an attack.

Release: The normal benefits of this spell ends, and the target takes half damage from the attack.

3rd Level: The attacker also takes half damage from the attack.

5th Level: The target takes no damage from the attack.

7th Level: The attacker takes full damage from the attack.

9th Level: 1d3 nearby enemies other than the attacker take half damage from the attack.

Eldritch Knight Spells: 3rd Level

Dueling Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: Whenever you hit the target, you and the target take a -4 penalty to attack rolls against creatures other than each other until the end of your next turn. At any time before the end of battle, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: The normal benefits of this spell ends, and until the end of battle, the target must engage with you during its turn or be weakened until the start of its next turn.

Miss: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

5th Level: The target also takes 10 ongoing damage.

7th Level: The target is also vulnerable to your next attack.

9th Level: The target also takes 15 ongoing damage.

Strength Sigil

Ranged spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: You or one engaged ally.

Effect: Whenever the target hits with a natural even on their melee basic attack roll, they deal extra damage equal to your Intelligence modifier until either the spell is released or the end of battle; increase this bonus damage to twice your Intelligence modifier at level 5, and thrice it at level 8. While the spell is in effect, you can release it as a standard action.

Release: The normal benefits of this spell ends, and the target can automatically succeed on a Strength-related stunt of adventurer tier difficulty performed before the end of battle, and perform higher-tier Strength-related stunts as if they were one tier lower.

5th Level: The target can automatically succeed on a Strength-related stunt of champion tier difficulty performed before the end of battle.

7th Level: The target can automatically succeed on a Strength-related stunt of epic tier difficulty performed before the end of battle.

9th Level: The target can automatically succeed on a Strength-related stunt of epic tier difficulty performed before the end of battle, and can attempt to perform a Strength-related stunt that even Icons may have trouble achieving.

Wind Sigil

Ranged spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: You or one engaged ally.

Effect: Target gains +5 to disengage checks until either the spell is released or the end of battle. While the spell is in effect, you can release it as a move action.

Release: The normal benefits of this spell ends, and the target can fly at a rate equal to their normal movement until the end of their next turn.

5th Level: One nearby ally can also gain the benefit of the released spell.

7th Level: The target can fly at a rate equal to their normal movement until the end of battle (or five minutes).

9th Level: 1d3 nearby allies can also gain the benefits of the released spell.

Eldritch Knight Spells: 5th Level

Vampire’s Sigil

Ranged spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: You or one engaged ally.

Effect: Whenever the target roll a 16+ on their melee attack, they can regain hit points equal to their level as a free action. While the spell is in effect, you can release it as a standard action.

Release: The normal benefits of this spell ends, and the next time the target hits with a melee attack, they can spend a free recovery.

7th Level: The next time the target makes a melee attack, hit or miss they can spend a free recovery.

9th Level: The target can spend two free recoveries.

Banishing Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: Whenever the target engages you or one of your allies, it must make a save or be teleported to a randomly selected nearby area (save ends). Until the target saves against the spell, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: The target immediately saves from the spell and the target is removed from play (save ends). The target then reappears at the same spot from which he previously disappeared from, or at the nearest spot they can safely appear in.

Miss: The target is teleported to a randomly selected nearby area.

7th Level: The target is removed from play (hard save ends, 16+).

9th Level: The target is removed from play (hard save ends, 16+), but if you rolled a natural 20 on the attack and the target has less than 400 HP, it is instead permanently removed from play, banished from this world completely.

Eldritch Knight Spells: 7th Level

Homebound Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One object within touch range

Effect: This creates a waypoint that unlike other sigils has no time limit; it lasts until the spell is released. This is your destination sigil; when you release the sigil’s true power as a standard action, this is where the resulting portal will bring you.

Release: You create a portal, which will allow you to teleport yourself and up to four engaged allies from any location in the world, underworld or overworld to the waypoint made previously.

9th Level: You can keep the portal open for 5 minutes. Just remember that this is going to be a one-way ticket back and there’s nothing in the spell that would prevent others from going through.

Epic Feat: Using this sigil does not count to your normal limit of active sigils.

Note:Trying to close the portal when enemies are going through can be a very interesting event, but is unlikely to be fatal to those trying to break through.

Chaos Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: The target is confused (hard save ends, 16+). Until the target saves against the spell, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: Until the target saves against the spell, each creature they hit becomes confused (save ends).

Miss: The target is confused until the end of your next turn.

9th Level: Each creature the target hits becomes confused and each creature they hit becomes confused until the end of their next turn (save ends both).

Note:Also known as the “puppet master’s sigil”, the 9th level version can seem a little confusing, so think of it as creating mass hysteria. The original creature is confused (hard save ends, 16+), the first guy he hits becomes confused (save ends), then whoever is hit by the first guy he hits becomes confused until the end of their next turn.

Eldritch Knight Spells: 9th Level

Life Sigil

Ranged spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: You or one engaged ally.

Effect: The target can choose to gain 30 hit points at the start of their turn as a free action, so long as they can take actions. They can do this a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, but once this is expended you cannot release the spell. While the target hasn’t expended all uses of this spell and is at 0 HP or less (but still alive), you can release it as a free action.

Release: The target regains all hit points and recoveries, but takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls, defenses and weapon dice damage (easy save ends, 6+).

Death Sigil

Ranged Spell

Quick Action

Sigil

Target: One engaged enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: The crit range for all attacks against the expands by +5 (generally 15+) (save ends). Until the target saves against the spell, you can release the spell as a standard action.

Release: The target immediately saves from the spell, takes 2d10 x 10 negative energy damage, and it is helpless (hard save ends, 16+).

If the secondary target dies from this attack, or is reduced to 0 HP before they save against this, they cannot be resurrected unless the sigil is first removed (either by you or as part of a ritual).

Miss: –