Bladesinger Preview!

[Zaphling]

Well, I think I "got" it almost immediately.

It's basically a melee class using Intelligence in place of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls. The control effect comes from at-will powers that trigger every time the character hits with a melee attack. These automatically affect an enemy - no need for an attack roll, and not necessary the one they hit - and deal a small amount (Dexterity modifier) of damage plus some small effect (target grants combat advantage, target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, target is slowed, target takes damage if it moves, target is prone, target is slid 3 squares). It can thus function as a once per hit minion killer, or the bladesinger could be attacking one enemy in melee and messing with another within 10 squares. (The bladesinger also doesn't provoke AOs for using ranged powers when fighting with a one-handed weapon and nothing in the other hand.)

The encounter power grants it a bonues to attack rolls and defenses, and a larger bonus to damage rolls. Based on the preview, it gets other encounter powers as it levels up.

It also gets three cantrips (chosen from ghost sound, light, mage hand, prestidigitation, and suggestion) and the magic missile spell.

The only questionable design decision that I can see is that it uses wizard encounter spells as its dailies. I'm guessing that the somewhat more powerful and flexible at-will abilities are supposed to compensate for that.

Well, it uses Wizard dailies since it is a subclass of Wizard. Wizard, Bladesinger.

 

[DracoSuave]

Well, it uses Wizard dailies since it is a subclass of Wizard. Wizard, Bladesinger.

Actually it doesn't. It uses wizard encounter powers as dailies.

 

[Zaphling]

Well first off it is supposed to be a controller and yet it is missing most controllerish powers. Second, there is too much going on at one time in this class. I love complexity but I don't like clutter and this class feels a bit too cluttered to me.

I can help you about the controllerish powers. The at-wills alone are controller powers, you can hit your current target a second time for free, or target another one and auto-hit with little damage. auto-miinion killer. and the effects are actually the useful ones. very useful to assist alllies who are far away.
For example, your ally rogue 5 squares away needs that CA to SA his opponent and he has no flanking buddy, immediately assist him with Dancing Fire. right?

 

[Zaphling]

Int/Dex so it's already fail right from the start.

It doesn't mean since you don't have a boost to two other NADs means it's a fail. They use Int/Dex because it is the most logical abilities for the subclass. You slice an enemy with basic attack using ur Int, then 'quickly' fire a secondary free attack which is Dex. I put emphasis on QUICKLY. Dex also since it explains why they don't provoke OA's whenever they use ranged and area attacks in melee. They're just very quick enough to react or somthing.

 

[Zaphling]

Why is this a build for Wizard? why isn't it a build for swordmage that makes no sense.

Since this will be the very first, melee oriented controller. Iknow there is already the warlock, but it was too few. And swordmages are actually a different training style, since they have to master the Aegis which is their bread and butter.

Bladesingers are just another or a special group of wizards who still use their wizard attacks but with a dip in swordplay.

Although i am quite bothered why they have proficiencies in nearly all weapons, even military ranged? swordmages didnt get this even. they only get BLADES. do you think we can't make a SPEARMAGE? Hammermage? axemage?

 

[Zaphling]

Actually it doesn't. It uses wizard encounter powers as dailies.

Oh, That I didn't notice. My mistake. I wonder and think their encounter powers will be a bladesinger versions then.

 

[Kzach]

I'd be more concerned why it isn't a bard. That's its pedigree after all.



...fighter mage indeed....

It should be a paragon path for arcane classes, period. Trying to shoe-horn the concept into the wizard as a sub-class is all sorts of fail.

 

[DracoSuave]

It should be a paragon path for arcane classes, period. Trying to shoe-horn the concept into the wizard as a sub-class is all sorts of fail.

It's a full class. There's a lot of room for design in bladespells, and something that a paragon path can't do. So... that's not gonna work.


The thing is, the original bladesinger was a kit for the 'demibard' in the Complete Book of Bards... demibards being 'How to get around barding racial restrictions.'

It was also considered broken as hell.

Besides... look at the name itself. Bladesinger.

 

[RangerWickett]

It should be a paragon path for arcane classes, period. Trying to shoe-horn the concept into the wizard as a sub-class is all sorts of fail.

Except that this would be a fun and cool fighting style to have. I love it when people can have cool fighting styles at 1st level.

 

[fba827]

** never mind what I had originally written here, I misread something **