D&D 5E No Bladesinger?

[Li Shenron]

So, Xanathars Guide leaves out the Bladesinger Wizard. Any thoughts on why?

Because it will be reprinted in the next supplement book.

My guess would be that since it theoretically only serves a single race, choosing a couple of the broader subclasses that more characters could take made more sense for them to re-release.

Is the Arcane Archer available to all races or restricted to (half)elves?

In my experience it’s definitely popular, it just evidently isn’t as popular as the Storm Sorcerer, Swashbuckler, Mastermind, or Sun Soul. The former two don’t surprise me, the latter two do. I was predicting the 4 most popular would be Storm Sorcerer, Swashbuckler, Bladesinger, and Arcana Domain. But what do I know? I’m just one DM, WotC has access to far more data.

I had the same prediction. Not that I actually wanted the Bladesinger reprinted, if I could have picked those four, I'd have chosen Storm Sorcerer, Swashbuckler, Undying Warlock and either Mastermind or Paladin of the Crown. I never heard anyone playing a Mastermind or commenting how interesting it is, so it was definitely a surprise to hear it's in the top-4 populars.

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Notice how Crawford actually doesn't answer the question...

 

[pukunui]

Is the Arcane Archer available to all races or restricted to (half)elves?

It's available to everyone.

Notice how Crawford actually doesn't answer the question...

Yes. He's got a politician's knack for using lots of words without really saying anything. Check out this recent exchange I had with him on Twitter: link. A simple "Yes" to my initial question would have sufficed, in my opinion.

 

[Charlaquin]

I had the same prediction. Not that I actually wanted the Bladesinger reprinted, if I could have picked those four, I'd have chosen Storm Sorcerer, Swashbuckler, Undying Warlock and either Mastermind or Paladin of the Crown. I never heard anyone playing a Mastermind or commenting how interesting it is, so it was definitely a surprise to hear it's in the top-4 populars.

My choices would have been Arcana Domain, Bladesinger, Swashbuckler, and Undying. But only because those would be the four easiest to slot into the WIP homebrew setting I’ll probably never finish.

Yes. He's got a politician's knack for using lots of words without really saying anything. Check out this recent exchange I had with him on Twitter: link. A simple "Yes" to my initial question would have sufficed, in my opinion.

Holy crap, that’s some serious commitment to being noncommittal. Is he allergic to candor?

 

[JacktheRabbit]

buuuuut you're ok with the 4 sublcasses? The cantrips take a lot less space, you know...

Nope. I never said that. I do not like any reprinting of material.

 

[jasper]

So, Xanathars Guide leaves out the Bladesinger Wizard. Any thoughts on why?

Due ruining their vocal chords summon demons to do house work, wizards always sing off key and they can't read music that well either. Also their play with their wands too much to handle a sword correctly.

 

[KahlessNestor]

My choices would have been Arcana Domain, Bladesinger, Swashbuckler, and Undying. But only because those would be the four easiest to slot into the WIP homebrew setting I’ll probably never finish.


Holy crap, that’s some serious commitment to being noncommittal. Is he allergic to candor?

That...does not make any sense. Since when is mithral magical?

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[Cap'n Kobold]

That...does not make any sense. Since when is mithral magical?

Hence the odd wording in the response I believe. Crawford had to explain the effect consistent with the current rules: (Mithral armour is listed as a magic item. Magic items lose their effects in antimagic fields.) without introducing new rulings about something not covered (whether the properties of mithral metal itself are magical.)

 

[Yaarel]

"Four of SCAG's most popular subclasses appear in XGE. Theyre a good fit for the game as a whole, not just FR."

I interpret the above quote to mean:

SCAG has many ‘most popular subclasses’ including Bladesinger, but only four of these were selected, because Bladesinger and the others were felt to be less fit for the game as a whole.

As such, the original post still stands. Why did Xanathars Guide leave out Bladesinger? What makes it ‘less fit’, if anything?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I think Crawford is on the Spectrum. (I don't mean that as an insult, but as an explanation. A lot of us here probably are.) He has a great grasp of rules minutia, but sometimes he's WAY too RAW for my tastes. Here he answers a vaguely worded rule with a vaguely worded ruling! (Kinda explains how the rules get written so vaguely in the first place.)

 

[Yaarel]

Is the Arcane Archer available to all races or restricted to (half)elves?

Arcane Archer is an explicitly ‘elven method’ that other races can learn as well.

Likewise, Bladesinger could easily be an explicitly ‘elven tradition’ that other races can learn as well.



Personally, I suspect your right that a future product will reprint the Bladesinger.

Possibly, it will be tweaked. Perhaps it will integrate more closely the 1e Fighter/Magic-User as a gestalt, or the 4e Swordmage, or be able to represent both.

Maybe the Bladesinger AC potential is problematic when stacking with other AC increases?

5e is a surprise because the spellcasters are balanced (mostly because of the concentration mechanic). This allows full casters to master melee combat, while remaining balanced.