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Bladesinger - a criticism of its design
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<blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 7238802" data-attributes="member: 71699"><p><strong>Bladesinger </strong>(SCAG) is an Arcane Tradition for Wizard that seems to be balanced around the assumption a PC won't have high Intelligence and high Dexterity. I believe that is an unjustified assumption in a game where points buy is an <em>option</em>. The TotYP campaign I'm in will have a Wizard with Intelligence and Dexterity at 20/+5 and 18/+4 by level four, and both at 20/+5 by level eight.</p><p></p><p>At 2nd level they gain <strong>Bladesong</strong>, which lasts 10 rounds and can be used twice between short rests. Bladesong includes Intelligence ability modifier in AC. With Mage Armor, it allows an <strong>AC of up to 23</strong>. This can easily be buffed. Shield can make it 28 for one round. Shield of Faith can make it 25 for 10 minutes, or 30 with Shield. It doesn't matter, because at 4th level all these ACs are only hit on natural 20.</p><p></p><p>Bladesinger additionally gains <strong>Green-Flame Blade</strong> (GFB) from SCAG. GFB isn't wildly over-powered, but it scales with <em>character </em>level, and pushes the Bladesinger's damage toward the high-end for melee. Bladesong incidentally improves your Concentration save and Acrobatics (in case anyone was thinking of shoving or grappling you).</p><p></p><p><strong>Straight Wizard levels</strong> is the bar by which other classes are essentially judged. Can you survive a flying, invisible assailant who can turn you into stone, or a frog? If the answer is no, then no matter what your theoretical damage out put on paper, you're below the bar. BTW that assailant is a non-complex, single-classed character. With few conditionals on its abilities.</p><p></p><p>Bladesinger as I read it appears to say: "<em>You can take straight Wizard levels while having better AC than a plate-mailed fighter with Defense fighting style and shield. And you can put out top-notch melee damage.</em>" Other than fluff, I'm not sure at this point why anyone would play anything different? Even the dreaded SS/CEx Archer is trivialised by Bladesinger.</p><p></p><p>Often people will now say - Bladesong isn't up all the time. Except, it is. It's up for two combats per short rest, which is the standard (ignoring the words in the DMG, the actual table for daily XP produces two, not three, combats per short rest). Many groups experience fewer than that. People also sometimes overlook that in easy or medium combats, you don't need it. So for combats where it matters, it's up about 100% of the time.</p><p></p><p>Why am I writing this? I want to say to WotC's designers, <u>stop making casters that trivialise melee</u>. It narrows the game. It's less fun. Look at the casting power you give your melee classes (Eldritch Knight, Ranger, Paladin and if you want to count it, Arcane Trickster) and do not give casters anything that scales better in melee, than those melee classes scale in casting.</p><p></p><p></p><p>[Edited to fix and clarify stat line.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="clearstream, post: 7238802, member: 71699"] [B]Bladesinger [/B](SCAG) is an Arcane Tradition for Wizard that seems to be balanced around the assumption a PC won't have high Intelligence and high Dexterity. I believe that is an unjustified assumption in a game where points buy is an [I]option[/I]. The TotYP campaign I'm in will have a Wizard with Intelligence and Dexterity at 20/+5 and 18/+4 by level four, and both at 20/+5 by level eight. At 2nd level they gain [B]Bladesong[/B], which lasts 10 rounds and can be used twice between short rests. Bladesong includes Intelligence ability modifier in AC. With Mage Armor, it allows an [B]AC of up to 23[/B]. This can easily be buffed. Shield can make it 28 for one round. Shield of Faith can make it 25 for 10 minutes, or 30 with Shield. It doesn't matter, because at 4th level all these ACs are only hit on natural 20. Bladesinger additionally gains [B]Green-Flame Blade[/B] (GFB) from SCAG. GFB isn't wildly over-powered, but it scales with [I]character [/I]level, and pushes the Bladesinger's damage toward the high-end for melee. Bladesong incidentally improves your Concentration save and Acrobatics (in case anyone was thinking of shoving or grappling you). [B]Straight Wizard levels[/B] is the bar by which other classes are essentially judged. Can you survive a flying, invisible assailant who can turn you into stone, or a frog? If the answer is no, then no matter what your theoretical damage out put on paper, you're below the bar. BTW that assailant is a non-complex, single-classed character. With few conditionals on its abilities. Bladesinger as I read it appears to say: "[I]You can take straight Wizard levels while having better AC than a plate-mailed fighter with Defense fighting style and shield. And you can put out top-notch melee damage.[/I]" Other than fluff, I'm not sure at this point why anyone would play anything different? Even the dreaded SS/CEx Archer is trivialised by Bladesinger. Often people will now say - Bladesong isn't up all the time. Except, it is. It's up for two combats per short rest, which is the standard (ignoring the words in the DMG, the actual table for daily XP produces two, not three, combats per short rest). Many groups experience fewer than that. People also sometimes overlook that in easy or medium combats, you don't need it. So for combats where it matters, it's up about 100% of the time. Why am I writing this? I want to say to WotC's designers, [U]stop making casters that trivialise melee[/U]. It narrows the game. It's less fun. Look at the casting power you give your melee classes (Eldritch Knight, Ranger, Paladin and if you want to count it, Arcane Trickster) and do not give casters anything that scales better in melee, than those melee classes scale in casting. [Edited to fix and clarify stat line.) [/QUOTE]
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