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Bladesinger - a criticism of its design
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<blockquote data-quote="Rhenny" data-source="post: 7239097" data-attributes="member: 18333"><p>A lot of the time, I think a class may look more powerful than it actually plays because it has more versatility. This may be the case with the Bladesinger.</p><p></p><p>On the surface it looks as if it can do everything that a wizard can do and nearly everything that a melee character can do, but really when it is used in play, the choices and opportunity costs tend to make the PC play more evenly with others.</p><p></p><p> [MENTION=37579]Jester David[/MENTION] mentioned a lot in his posts that fit with this.</p><p></p><p>Keep in mind, to really be a Bladesinger that can survive, you'll need to make Intelligence, Dexterity and Constitution your highest scores. A fighter can get by with a high strength and constitution (or a dex fighter with dex). And this is just for combat with weapons. Bladesingers by and large will have so many less hit points (especially mid to higher levels), they will be vulnerable to area of effect spells and breath weapons. Sure, they can mitigate those types of attacks with counterspell or a protection from energy, but that means they have to keep that spell prepared and use a limited resource when the time arises. Do you know how many times playing a wizard I've kept spells in my back pocket and never used them because the situations never called for them? Quite often. The benefit of a fighter not having to make choices like that is actually pretty powerful, and fighters can use Heavy Armor Master and mitigate damage, choose other feats and fighting styles that benefit them more of the time than just a few spells cast or not cast throughout an adventuring day.</p><p></p><p>A lot of how a class plays is really in the DMs hands. If the players know what to expect they can optimize their characters. If they don't know what to expect, they may be woefully unprepared at times or they may be forced to diversify and not load up on specific spells. </p><p></p><p>In the game I'm playing in now, my 3rd level Bladesinger uses Mage Armor daily - sacrificing one prepared first level spell and one first level spell slot. She also prepares Feather Fall. The DM has made it clear that sometimes creatures will push or grapple and fly up with PCs so this character wants to be prepared if and when that might happen to someone in the party. That's another prepared spell sacrificed. Rope trick...for 2nd level is another one that I hold on to because it can save the party from TPK or give us a chance to rest even when we are deep in enemy territory. That's another prepared spell sacrificed until needed. That leaves me with 3 other to prepare daily - Burning Hands, Ice Knife, Sleep, Blur...oops that's too many. And, sleep is one of those spells that could be awesome in the right situation, but many times that situation never arises. This is the complexity of the issue that is often not accounted for in white room analysis. </p><p></p><p>I certainly would agree that the class may be the most versatile class. </p><p></p><p>Perhaps at 5th/6th level (again at 11th and 17th) there may be a slight power bump when using a blade and Greenflame Blade, but it isn't as big a bump as it seems. Even with 2 attacks, the Bladesinger must make a choice to attack twice or to use Greenflame Blade and attack once with extra damage on target and other target within 5', and by that time, the fighter is attacking 2x per round and can either use combat maneuvers to augment damage or they gain increased critical threat and other things that add to their damage.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rhenny, post: 7239097, member: 18333"] A lot of the time, I think a class may look more powerful than it actually plays because it has more versatility. This may be the case with the Bladesinger. On the surface it looks as if it can do everything that a wizard can do and nearly everything that a melee character can do, but really when it is used in play, the choices and opportunity costs tend to make the PC play more evenly with others. [MENTION=37579]Jester David[/MENTION] mentioned a lot in his posts that fit with this. Keep in mind, to really be a Bladesinger that can survive, you'll need to make Intelligence, Dexterity and Constitution your highest scores. A fighter can get by with a high strength and constitution (or a dex fighter with dex). And this is just for combat with weapons. Bladesingers by and large will have so many less hit points (especially mid to higher levels), they will be vulnerable to area of effect spells and breath weapons. Sure, they can mitigate those types of attacks with counterspell or a protection from energy, but that means they have to keep that spell prepared and use a limited resource when the time arises. Do you know how many times playing a wizard I've kept spells in my back pocket and never used them because the situations never called for them? Quite often. The benefit of a fighter not having to make choices like that is actually pretty powerful, and fighters can use Heavy Armor Master and mitigate damage, choose other feats and fighting styles that benefit them more of the time than just a few spells cast or not cast throughout an adventuring day. A lot of how a class plays is really in the DMs hands. If the players know what to expect they can optimize their characters. If they don't know what to expect, they may be woefully unprepared at times or they may be forced to diversify and not load up on specific spells. In the game I'm playing in now, my 3rd level Bladesinger uses Mage Armor daily - sacrificing one prepared first level spell and one first level spell slot. She also prepares Feather Fall. The DM has made it clear that sometimes creatures will push or grapple and fly up with PCs so this character wants to be prepared if and when that might happen to someone in the party. That's another prepared spell sacrificed. Rope trick...for 2nd level is another one that I hold on to because it can save the party from TPK or give us a chance to rest even when we are deep in enemy territory. That's another prepared spell sacrificed until needed. That leaves me with 3 other to prepare daily - Burning Hands, Ice Knife, Sleep, Blur...oops that's too many. And, sleep is one of those spells that could be awesome in the right situation, but many times that situation never arises. This is the complexity of the issue that is often not accounted for in white room analysis. I certainly would agree that the class may be the most versatile class. Perhaps at 5th/6th level (again at 11th and 17th) there may be a slight power bump when using a blade and Greenflame Blade, but it isn't as big a bump as it seems. Even with 2 attacks, the Bladesinger must make a choice to attack twice or to use Greenflame Blade and attack once with extra damage on target and other target within 5', and by that time, the fighter is attacking 2x per round and can either use combat maneuvers to augment damage or they gain increased critical threat and other things that add to their damage. [/QUOTE]
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