D&D 5E Opinions on Bladesinger

[IlluminatedSeraph]

[MENTION=57494]Xeviat[/MENTION]

On the one hand, it is a bit frontloaded. On the other hand, exactly how many AC-driven combat characters who're going to dump the necessary stat points for Int that makes Bladesong worthwhile (I'm assuming point buy or standard array, because if you're rolling for stats then you have only yourself to blame when it breaks your game)? Remember, if you don't have a +3 Int mod or a strong reason to keep a free hand while you use a one-handed weapon, a shield is just flat-out better and doesn't require two levels of multiclass.

I suppose it's possible that someone is going to come out with a totally killer Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger cross-build that's going to blow my mind, but that's about the only potential dip-pickup that even seems vaugely worthwhile to me.

 

[Neyd]

I don't have SCAG yet, and one of my players is planning on converting his level 4 PC into a Bladesinger.

Any opinions? How powerful is this? Anything I need to be aware of?

The cantrips seem powerful, but not all *that* powerful... but their 'power up' ability seems pretty boss. (The one they can use 2 times per short rest)

Just looking to tap into the collective wisdom so I am not surprised.

The Bladesinger is fine on it's own. There are some multiclassing options that benefit more strongly than others (rogues and monks) but even those are not in "gamebreaking" territory unless your PC has uber abnormal stats.

 

[CapnZapp]

The Bladesinger is fine on it's own. There are some multiclassing options that benefit more strongly than others (rogues and monks) but even those are not in "gamebreaking" territory unless your PC has uber abnormal stats.

Yeah.

And if your character has, I don't know, Constitution 20, Dexterity 22 and Wisdom 24, what's really broken here?

Is it really the class ability (Unarmored Defense) that's gamebreaking?

Or could it be whatever decisions your DM made that got you those stats?

 

[Coredump]

Its for AL, so high stats are not a problem. (Nor am I concerned about any builds past level 10-12...)

The consensus is about what I thought when I looked/glanced at it.... that it looks more powerful at first glance than it actually is.

 

[jgsugden]

Head over to the optimization forums in a week to see if it is broken.

Right now, I can see games in which there are two combats per rest (lower than recommendatrion for average combats per rest) seeing this be a strong option - like we see in other classes with certain low uses / rest core abilities - but I do not see it being broken. When we get a class that gets unarmored defense using intelligence + dexterity at first level to determine AC - then the risk of this becoming too powerful gets more real. As it stands, a high elf bladesinger looks like a fun option that will shine for a couple battles per rest, but is not over the top. I do not think we can break it too bad.

 

[psychophipps]

Head over to the optimization forums in a week to see if it is broken.

Right now, I can see games in which there are two combats per rest (lower than recommendatrion for average combats per rest) seeing this be a strong option - like we see in other classes with certain low uses / rest core abilities - but I do not see it being broken. When we get a class that gets unarmored defense using intelligence + dexterity at first level to determine AC - then the risk of this becoming too powerful gets more real. As it stands, a high elf bladesinger looks like a fun option that will shine for a couple battles per rest, but is not over the top. I do not think we can break it too bad.

My one comment on this is the fact that the other classes that get the AC bonus don't cast Mage Armor and chuck Fireball outside of multi-classing.

 

[Xeviat]

[MENTION=57494]Xeviat[/MENTION]

On the one hand, it is a bit frontloaded. On the other hand, exactly how many AC-driven combat characters who're going to dump the necessary stat points for Int that makes Bladesong worthwhile (I'm assuming point buy or standard array, because if you're rolling for stats then you have only yourself to blame when it breaks your game)? Remember, if you don't have a +3 Int mod or a strong reason to keep a free hand while you use a one-handed weapon, a shield is just flat-out better and doesn't require two levels of multiclass.

I suppose it's possible that someone is going to come out with a totally killer Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger cross-build that's going to blow my mind, but that's about the only potential dip-pickup that even seems vaugely worthwhile to me.

I wouldn't say a 2 level dip for an Eldritch Knight into Bladesinger would blow your mind, but there's almost no loss once you have the ability to make an attack after casting a cantrip, or especially after casting a spell. Faster spell progression, a nice AC boost, not having to take warcaster for a concentration boost and ability to cast with a shield.

We're just starting a 5th level game. One player is playing an Eldritch Knight, high elf, starting with 16 Dex and 16 Int. He took Warcaster at 4th instead of a stat bump. He's using a shield currently. Bladesinger is going to be tempting, and only the fighter abilities will keep him from considering that. We're not planning on hitting 20th level; the campaign is going to 11 or 12 (a premade). Since he likes his spells, that 3rd attack might not interest him; he's probably going to be using green flame blade plus 1 attack from his level 7 ability most of the time.

 

[spectacle]

My one comment on this is the fact that the other classes that get the AC bonus don't cast Mage Armor and chuck Fireball outside of multi-classing.

Elemental monks can cast fireball

 

[Xeviat]

Right now, I can see games in which there are two combats per rest (lower than recommendatrion for average combats per rest) seeing this be a strong option

Uh ... the guidelines are 6 to 8 medium to hard fights a day, and 2 short rests a day. That means 2 to 2.67 fights per short rest, and if the number of encounters are aiming towards 8, those are going to be mostly medium fights (to stay within daily XP budgets) and those will likely not even need an encounter ... short rest ability.

 

[psychophipps]

Elemental monks can cast fireball

At level 5?