Eldritch Knights

Lateralus

I am obsessed with this class. They are awesome, capturing my imagination like no other. I am starting a new play through from start to finish with a Invoker turned Fighter (at level 2). That's about as close as 2nd ed will allow one to get to the martial prowess--abjuration/evocation--complimentary magic of the EK. But...what IS Eldritch? Sure it's a cool word, but what IS it? And why are there knights? It's mysteriousness is appealing. I remember an old episode of the DnD cartoon when a Celestial Knight made a cameo, and I can only think of Eldritch Knights in a similar way. Wading into the fray with a two-handed sword and an aura of intimidation...slashing through several foes with tactical efficiency...while a foe is impaled, a hand leaves the hilt and lays waste to reinforcements with a chain lighting spell...the sword is freed in time to parry a massive attack from a seasoned fighter, followed by a touch attack that drains that foes life and strengthens the Knight...

Fully armored arcane spell casting combined with great martial combat is what they are all about.

What alignment should an eldritch knight be?

Do they have a code, what is it?

What familiar suits them best?

Kamigoroshi

I never understood that class name. *shakes head*
They have nothing to do with knaves, knights, honor, or dragons in distress.

The strongest image I have of Eldritch Not-Really-Knights are the Battle Mages from the TES games: Perfectionists, power hungry and being jelly for all enchanted trinkets they can find.

As they don't follow a code any alignment is fair game. Though they should act more self-centered in their quest of archieving perfection.

It might be most fitting for those Eldritch Something-Something to have arcane familiars (in contrast to mere magical animals, that is). Mephit, Imp, Quasit, Fairy Dragon and Psychodragon (or was it pseudo? whatever) are all save bets for them to own.

Lateralus

According to Websters Dictionary, the word eldritch means: unearthly, weird.

lol that's not much of a clarification.

It gets even more confusing when you consider that a knight is a man considered to have a chivalrous code and a golden reputation.

It's hard to be considered a man of the people, and un-faerun-ly. Or, honorable yet...weird.

The way I see it, this class is wide open for interpretation. I am going to go with a power hungry scoundrel approach like Kamigorishi suggests.

A glutton for arcane treasure, somebody who would swear an oath to help a lady recover her family relics (like Safana) only to keep them for himself and shrug his shoulders at her dismay. Perhaps reminding her of her good fortune that she wont be reduced to ashes. The first so-called Eldritch Knight of Faerun, "Valduran the Eldritch Knight". A self proclaimed title invented to further add to his reputation as someone who has mastered the art of casting arcane magic with unheard of quickness and concentration whilst donning full plate armor and wielding weapons! Of course, it's all a ruse. He literally has a wand up his sleeve, a scroll inside his shield, or an inherently otherworldly power granted by a dead god. He will scour every inch of the Sword Coast and beyond for scrolls, tomes, and other relics. Preferring not to split the loot with others, he usually travels alone. A dim witted rogue would be an ideal sidekick, just gotta find the right cursed belt to give her...

His magic is centered around causing damage, the wands of lightning, frost, and fire are the core. So it helps to have a familiar that is immune to said elements. A creature conjured from the dust on ancient tomes inside Candle Keep, and bound by the blood of a dead god. This creature shall have a special power of it's own, the ability to smell magic. No cloak is safe (looking at you Algeron), no rock shall be unturned (ring of wizardry, BLING!), and all houses shall be looted (magic inspector coming through...).

The Code of the Eldritch Knight: Gain power.

I would like to run through the plot, gathering up BSPs and the +1 STR ASAP. But, I'd also like to explore, it's a quandary...

Klorox

Sounds to me that an Eldritch Knight is a Fighter/Mage. You should be lawful. No armor, using robes, a shield and helmet.

Lateralus

Klorox said:

Sounds to me that an Eldritch Knight is a Fighter/Mage. You should be lawful. No armor, using robes, a shield and helmet.

They are fully armored, at least that's how they are in my minds eye. They are fighters through and through who dabble with only two arcane schools: invocation and abjuration. The armor and the school focus are what make them different from every fighter/mage.

BobC

Don't see how it's possible for them to be fully armored when arcane spells suffer from spell failure in the forgotten realms universe

Nimran

BobC said:

Don't see how it's possible for them to be fully armored when arcane spells suffer from spell failure in the forgotten realms universe

Elven chain, maybe?

abacus

BobC said:

Don't see how it's possible for them to be fully armored when arcane spells suffer from spell failure in the forgotten realms universe

Mods...

There are a few out there that let you throw spells with armour on... Use one of the versions that gives a chance of spell failure for the non-dairy option.

Lateralus

BobC said:

Don't see how it's possible for them to be fully armored when arcane spells suffer from spell failure in the forgotten realms universe

Scrolls and wands. As an invoker, they are primarily concerned with dealing elemental damage. And for everything else (except enchantment) there are scrolls. In BG, the casting level for items is 6 (wand of frost supposedly does 8d6) or the minimum for the spell. So for all intents and purposes, he's a 6th level mage that is fully armored. Start with a fireball, swing the greatsword around for a few rounds, lightning bolt here and there, you get the idea. My actual spells don't get used very often, they are level 1. Identify, infravision, trivial cantrips.

scriver

It's not like armour spell failure is a constant (class features or feats could easily sidestep it), and regardless, people were talking flavour, not mechanics.

I'm not sure why people are getting so hung up on the words in the name, though. "Eldritch" just means Mystic/Arcane and "Knight" doesn't have to mean "Knight In Shining Armour". In the end, they just chose those two words to make the class sound cool.

FinneousPJ

NWN2 has Eldritch Knight PRC http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Eldritch_Knight

Archaos

Eldritch Knights is a very misleading name.

They are not knights nor do they have to do anything with Warlocks, in 3.5E. (Yes I now EK existed since 3E).

They should have been Arcane Warriors or Battlemages.

I am not sure if Eldritch Knights existed in ADnD but they are better known as Gish. Basically, Fighter/Mages.

They also have no lore in 3E. They are just the prestige class for warrior-mage types.
Bladesingers on the other hand do have lore behind them, both as a class and as a title.

kcwise

My guess is Eldritch Knight was chosen because it sounds cool (as scriver said), and because they were perhaps running out of names. Classes like Warmage, Hexblade, Duskblade, Swordsage, Arcane Archer, and Arcane Trickster probably left them searching for something suitable that wouldn't sound too much like existing classes or prestige classes.