Do Eldritch Knights Need War Caster?
The short answer is: not necessarily, but it’s highly recommended. While the Eldritch Knight subclass of the Fighter doesn’t require the War Caster feat to function, it significantly enhances their spellcasting capabilities and greatly reduces the limitations they face. Let’s delve into why War Caster is so beneficial for this martial-magic hybrid.
The core issue revolves around somatic components for spells. Many spells require the caster to perform specific hand gestures. The Player’s Handbook explicitly states that a caster must have at least one hand free to perform these gestures. An Eldritch Knight, often wielding a two-handed weapon or a sword and shield, can run into problems here. While the rules allow for some workarounds, War Caster makes the entire process much smoother and more reliable.
The Problem: Somatic Components and Equipment
An Eldritch Knight might think they’ve got it all figured out. They could briefly drop their weapon, cast the spell, and then pick it back up. Or, if using a sword and shield, shift the sword into the shield hand for a quick spell cast. These are technically legal under the rules. However, these actions come with several drawbacks:
- Action Economy: Dropping and picking up a weapon uses your free object interaction, and you get only one per turn. This doesn’t work if you’ve already used your interaction to draw your weapon and move or if you’ve used your interaction on something else.
- Opportunity Attacks: Dropping a weapon can open you up to attacks of opportunity, making it a risky maneuver if you are surrounded by enemies.
- Fumbling: The shield and hand swapping method is tricky and can feel clunky in the heat of battle. The risk of dropping a weapon adds a layer of annoyance and takes time to accomplish.
- Inconsistent Gameplay: Relying on these workarounds can make your gameplay less fluid, interrupting the rhythm of combat.
War Caster, on the other hand, negates these issues almost entirely.
Why War Caster is a Game Changer for Eldritch Knights
The War Caster feat offers three crucial benefits that significantly impact an Eldritch Knight’s effectiveness:
- Advantage on Concentration Saving Throws: This is perhaps the most important benefit. Many of the best Eldritch Knight spells require concentration, and taking damage forces a saving throw to maintain that concentration. War Caster grants advantage on these saves, making it far more likely that your crucial spells like shield, blur, haste, or greater invisibility will remain active even when you are taking a beating. This is critical since Eldritch Knights are often at the front lines and will be taking damage frequently.
- Cast Spells with a Hand Full: This is the crux of the argument. The feat allows you to perform somatic components of spells even when your hands are full, such as when wielding a two-handed weapon or a sword and shield. This removes the need for clunky workarounds, allowing you to fluidly cast spells during combat.
- Cast Spells as Opportunity Attacks: If an enemy moves out of your reach, you can cast a spell with a single target as a reaction instead of making a melee attack. This adds versatility to your reaction options. While not always the best choice, it can be highly useful in specific situations.
The Verdict: A Worthwhile Investment
While an Eldritch Knight can technically function without War Caster, relying on dropping weapons or swapping hands is inefficient and risky. War Caster streamlines your gameplay, makes concentration spells more reliable, and generally makes your character more effective and enjoyable to play. It allows you to fully utilize your spells without awkward interruptions, ultimately making your Eldritch Knight a much more potent force on the battlefield.
If you’re playing an Eldritch Knight, strongly consider picking up the War Caster feat. It’s an investment that will pay dividends throughout your campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a somatic component in spellcasting?
A somatic component is a specific gesture or movement that a spellcaster must perform to cast a spell. It typically involves hand movements and requires a free hand for the caster to execute correctly.
2. Can Eldritch Knights cast spells in heavy armor?
Yes, Eldritch Knights can cast spells while wearing heavy armor. They suffer no penalties for armor interfering with their spellcasting.
3. What kind of caster is an Eldritch Knight?
Eldritch Knights are considered half-casters. They gain spellcasting ability at a slower rate compared to full casters like wizards or clerics and have a more limited selection of spells.
4. What is the spellcasting stat for an Eldritch Knight?
Eldritch Knights use Intelligence as their spellcasting ability score. Their spell attack modifier and spell save DC are based on their Intelligence score and proficiency bonus.
5. Can Eldritch Knights use a spellbook?
No, Eldritch Knights do not use spellbooks. They learn spells and change them on level up, similar to a sorcerer, but they are limited to spells from the wizard spell list, and mostly abjuration and evocation spells.
6. Do Eldritch Knights need a focus for their spells?
No, Eldritch Knights cannot use a focus. They must use a component pouch for material components when required by spells.
7. How many spells can an Eldritch Knight know?
The number of spells an Eldritch Knight can know is determined by their Fighter level. It is a relatively limited number compared to full casters.
8. Can an Eldritch Knight learn any spell on the wizard list?
Initially, Eldritch Knights are mostly limited to Abjuration and Evocation spells. However, once they reach level 8, they can choose spells from any school of magic.
9. Can an Eldritch Knight cast counterspell?
Yes, Eldritch Knights can learn counterspell once they reach 13th level. This makes them quite effective at controlling the flow of magic on the battlefield.
10. What fighting style is best for an Eldritch Knight?
The best fighting style for an Eldritch Knight often depends on their preferred weapon type. Duelling is excellent for a sword-and-shield build, while Great Weapon Fighting is beneficial for those using two-handed weapons. Defense Fighting Style is very popular as well for a boost in AC.
11. Can an Eldritch Knight dual-wield?
Yes, Eldritch Knights can dual-wield weapons. However, the class feature of weapon bond only allows them to summon one bonded weapon to their hand at a time as a bonus action.
12. Can an Eldritch Knight learn Misty Step?
Yes, an Eldritch Knight can learn Misty Step once they reach 8th level, as it becomes available for selection.
13. Is the Eldritch Knight overpowered?
No, the Eldritch Knight is generally not considered overpowered. They trade some martial prowess for spellcasting versatility and are designed to be a balanced hybrid.
14. Why is it called Eldritch Knight?
The term “Eldritch” refers to something mysterious, mystical, or weird. It describes a fighter that combines martial skills with magic abilities.
15. Is a Wizard/Fighter multiclass better than an Eldritch Knight?
A Wizard/Fighter multiclass can potentially surpass the Eldritch Knight in some aspects, especially when maximizing the use of offensive magic. However, the Eldritch Knight offers a simpler, more focused progression. Ultimately, the best choice depends on individual play style and goals.