[GUIDE] NADRIGOL's Bladesinger Guide
Hmm let's see, that's very easy.
Concentration saves are a minimum DC of 10. A Bladesinger with 20 Int, 14 Con, and a Ring of Protection fails only on a roll of a 1. Increasing Con by 2 has no effect here because you've already met the threshold.
Let's go higher, a DC of 15 (from 30 damage). You fail on a 6 or lower, so suddenly the +2 Con helps the check.
Now lets add some HP to the situation instead of the +1 to the check, you still fail on a 6. Oh.
The creatures next hit will kill you, regardless of the extra HP, because it's not much (maximum 20). The extra HP has done nothing, but if you still had that haste, that's a full 10% more chance that you wouldn't be hit.
It's a very simple rule, being able to avoid damage is better than being able to absorb damage.
Ok. So here is my first issue with this. It's just math detached from the actual context of the encounter and Math that doesn't take into account all of the Bladesingers abilities.
First, you're assuming that a Singer would freely take the 30 damage (I wouldn't). If it's an AOE, Absorb Elements is gonna cut that in half and reduce the DC to 10 again. You still take 15 damage tho, so while the save still only fails on a 1 you are still down 15 HP. If you only took a ASI Con you now are down 5 points over the HP that ASI provided. But if you took Tough you still have 5 more HP than you would have had you not taken it.
If it's a target and not an AOE I still am not taking the 30. I'd use Song of Defense to reduce it a minimum of 15. Maybe even absorb all 30 points. Either way I'm still not failing that save (unless you crit fail) and I still have plenty of HP for the rest of the fight.
Now as to your Haste comment. How does Haste help if it's an AOE? It doesn't. But if it's single target? Let's look at it then:
Assuming you're level 20 (which is what the math assumes to begin with) and let's assume it's an Ancient Dragon you're fighting. Let's say Ancient White (CR20).
It's gonna make 3 attacks a round, each at +14 to hit. So with 20 Int, 20 Dex, Mage Armor, a Ring of Protection, Haste and Shield you are looking at a 31 AC. So the dragon hits on a roll of 17 or more. That's a 20% chance to hit? Ok. Not bad. It hits you 1 in 5 attacks. Take out Haste and it drops your AC to 29. That means he hits on a 15 or better. So 3 in 10 attacks. That's a clear difference.
But why are we using Haste when it has a huge draw back and doesn't help against AOE? Sure we get one extra attack, but we aren't doing huge martial damage anyway (1d8+10-13 depending on magic weapon type).
Instead why aren't we using Mirror Image? It doesn't require concentration and completely avoids damage assuming we make the roll. Even if you do get hit you still have Mirror Image active for 3 attacks minimum.
Or Blur, which gives the Dragon disadvantage? Let's look at Disadvantage and probabilities. You have a 30% chance to roll a 15 or higher without disadvantage. But with disadvantage that drops to less than 9%. That is a huge difference.
So why are we even using Haste in the first place when Blur is statistically better and uses a lower slot? And it doesn't have a draw back when it ends unlike Haste.
So to recap, for AOEs taking Tough over the Con bump means that, assuming you're actually playing like a Singer and casting defensively, you will come out better off with more HP overall and still making Saves as frequently as the Con Singer.
For single target attacks, you shouldn't be that close to something that does 30 a hit in the first place, but Song of Defense provides the same benefit for both Singers, making the Save easy and leaving the Tough Singer with more HP and a longer shelf life!
And for Singers in general, don't use Haste against big foes that hit hard and often. Use Blur. Haste is better for mobs of enemies that don't hit over your AC as often since the offensive benefit of Haste is greater than the defensive benefit.
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