Spellsword25/Ranger5: STR and INT routes?

[Opustus]

Fine buildettes,

Since Spellsword was introduced, I have been fascinated with Spellsword functioning as a "be your own summon" type of path, with the main focus still in spellcasting yet standing your ground in most of PvM as a melee (permitting longer runs without rest and the micro of summons) and reserving your mighty spells mainly for tough PvM spawns and PvP. I came up with a build that works for both purposes, and I now leave it to your perusal and appraisal. I hope to roll a Major award one day to make a Deep Imaskari out of it.

Race: Deep Imaskari
Sex: binary

Level spread: Spellsw0rd16/Ranger4 pre-epic into 25/5 when big.

Starting stats STR16/DEX12/CON14/INT16/WIS8/CHA8
with gifts and subrace activated: 18/10/14/20/8/8

STR base: 26/10/14/20/8/8
INT base: 18/10/14/28/8/8

Feats with STR base

Feats pre-epic (11): WF, Extend, Maximise, Arcane defence: Abjuration, SF Abjuration, GSF Abjuration, Expertise, Improved expertise, Blindfight, SF transmute, GSF transmute

Epic feats (6): EWF, Armorskin, ESF: Transmute, ESF: Abjuration, Epic mage armor, Great strength I

Feats with INT base

Feats pre-epic (11): WF, Extend, Maximise, Silent, Empower, Arcane defence: Abjuration, SF Abjuration, GSF Abjuration, SF Evocation, GSF Evocation, Blindfight

Epic feats (6): EWF, Armorskin, ESF: Evocation, ESF: Abjuration, Epic mage armor, Great intelligence I

Skills for both: Discipline, Spellcraft, Tumble15, Concentration, Animal empathy, Heal, Lore, Spot, Search.

Offensive spells to use?
-For both build types:
Against enemies you know to have a specific low save, you can use certain powerful spells, such as Wall of fire, Cloudkill, Negative energy burst, Acid fog, Power word Stun and Kill, Balagarn's iron horn, Magic missile spells, Banishment, and Incendiary cloud.

-For the INT-based build type:
You attain respectable DCs for all kinds of spells, making available insta-gib spells against low-fortitude targets and great disablers like Sunburst and Great thunderclap against low-will and -reflex targets. Against high AC targets, like most DEX-based builds and PMs, you now have the option to spam select damage spells from the Evocation school.

[Maladus]

I’m not a build jockey, but based on what I know from playing my Spellsword and asking questions, there doesn’t really seem to be a reason to go the INT route. I know you are intending to be a spell caster primarily but I get the impression from playing one that if you don’t focus enough in the melee side of things you won’t be hitting anything so your imbues (the main draw of the class imo) will do nothing and if you focus on casting you might as well play a Wizard since they do it so much better and can summon things.

That said if you decide to stick to the build and go the STR route, the general consensus is that you don’t need more than 23 Spellsword levels because you don’t get any extra cookies as far as I am aware. The typical build only takes 4 levels in a martial class and the last 3 levels are Bard to use as a disc, tumble and UMD dump. This is by no means the only way to do it, it’s just become the standard and I’m pointing it out here in case you hadn’t seen.

[Opustus]

Even if you went full STR, you wouldn't have good enough AB to beat the AC of most DEX builds and builds with otherwise high AC. The difference between the AB of STR and INT is regardless only 3-4 in total from levelups into either stat. The question for me is, then, which is more important: hitting your targets with your attacks (which can be exceedingly difficult!) or having more DC to nuke them down with? Most high-AC builds lack in Will and/or Fort saves. If you can flatfoot these targets with disablers that's an effective +20 to AB from the decrease of Dodge and DEX AC.

Also, spellswords don't have to sacrifice any of their spellpower; they still have the exact same things as regular mages, except for the summons. I don't see why the INT route wouldn't work out just as well as with any wizard.

[Maladus]

They lose a spell school but sure, otherwise they are mages without summons who can hit things. I guess to me if you want to cast spells then the standard wizard build is just better.

[legionetrangere]

Offensive spells to use?
-For both build types:
Against enemies you know to have a specific low save, you can use certain powerful spells, such as Wall of fire, Cloudkill, Negative energy burst, Acid fog, Power word Stun and Kill, Balagarn's iron horn, Magic missile spells, Banishment, and Incendiary cloud.

Howdy

I don't get it, you plan to make use of offensive spells. I presume you would be wearing armor. Are you considering Arcane Spell Failure?

IMO you should pick Still Spell, so you can offensive spells in your armor suit while in combat. Or you can just go greensteel when you're high lvl, but then you'll miss balagarn iron horn wearing a fullplate at lvl 13, which is darn cool

[Opustus]

I'd be looking to cast metamagicked spells as well while armored, so it has to be either Greensteel or Auto-still spell, and the Auto-still spell is a tall order. So yurp, I'd plan to wear a greensteel armor, either chain or banded mail.

[StrykerMontgomery]

Green steel is fine. Tou miss out on full plate (just have a dex mod of 3(, but not the plus 3 adam property because your mage armor wouldnt stsck with it anyways. Which means you are also free to enchant your helmet to do other things also.

Don't forget about the black staff spell that applies to all weapons now.