D&D 5E 4th level Bladesinger with same AC as Tarrasque

[MostlyHarmless42]

Con save spells and grapple. If he's a Bladesinger I assume he's dex based. Can't swing a sword or cast a fireball if he has to spend all his turns and spell slots getting out of someone grabbing him.

 

[Seramus]

The biggest issue is not having enough encounters (even skill challenges) in a day. Which campaign are you running? They are usually generous with encounters, and having so few piques my interest.

What are the other classes in the party? This might be a Nova Class vs Short Rest Class issue, where just being any kind of nova capable character is disruptive.

I don't think this is a Bladesinger issue, since almost any class can temporarily hit that much AC (or higher) by level 4. A bog standard EK can hit 26 at level 3.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

OP: I have this problem, can anyone help me?
Group Mind: Here are some solutions.
OP: I can't use those solutions because I won't change anything about the 3P campaign, my session prep or my DM'ing, to address this problem.
Group Mind: ....

Well, good luck, then.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Quickleaf]

So I have a 4th level bladesinger in my game who essentially has the same AC as Tarrasque...

10 + 3 (from 16 DEX) + 4 (from 18 INT) + 3 (from Mage Armor) +5 (from Shield) = 25

So he essentially can only be hit with crits... how would you deal with this??

• Target saving throws instead of AC.
• Present more encounters and/or more threatening encounters to exhaust the PC's spell slots for shield.
• Use higher CR monsters with higher attack bonuses. For instance, I pitted a party of four 5th-level PCs against a CR 12 titanoboa (Tome of Beasts) and they just managed to emerge victorious.
• Have monsters Help one another (or otherwise gain advantage) and/or cast bless or other spells to buff themselves.
• Have monsters debuff the PCs with spells like bane or special abilities. You can even use counterspell or dispel magic sparingly to breach mage armor / shield.
• Present environments where magic doesn't work as normal, underwater environs where verbal components may not be possible, PCs being undercover as guards in heavy armor (limiting Dex bonus), etc.
• Create encounter objectives beyond "kill each other" so there are things for monsters to accomplish besides reducing the PCs to 0 hit points, and vice versa.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I had a similar problem with an eldritch knight. The solution was vhanging the rest system to suit my playstyle. It all boils down to how often can you use those limited resources.

On the other hand I (as a DM) remember our bladesinger from 3.x (she transitioned ftom. 0 to. 5 either shortly before or after the following encounter) very fondly.
In a prewritten adventure the party (5 or 6 level 5 characters) had to deal with a cave inhabited by 25 trolls.
In the deciding fight vs 13 trolls or so she was standing tall, with shield, expertise, 20 dex and bracers of AC 17 and boots of speed. She boasted an AC of at least 30. She could only be hit by a critical hit.
So she stood in the front at a chokepoint created by battle control spells while the multishot archer boosted by flaming arrows and the bard killed one troll after each other.

She only received 2 critical hits... On the same turn so she also was hit by the rend attack dropping her from full hp to 3 hp.

I think those fights can be memorable. DnD used to be fight for life back then, not fight for fun. (For the characters of course... For the players it should always be fun.) having that in mind you can enjoy it as a DM if such an epic fight occurs. I do.

 

[Flamestrike]

In a prewritten adventure the party (5 or 6 level 5 characters) had to deal with a cave inhabited by 25 trolls.
In the deciding fight vs 13 trolls or so she was standing tall, with shield, expertise, 20 dex and bracers of AC 17 and boots of speed. She boasted an AC of at least 30. She could only be hit by a critical hit.

That would have likely gone down differently in my 3E games.

The Trolls had a +14 Grapple bonus, and are at +9 to hit with Melee touch attacks vs the Bladesingers Touch AC (no bracers or shield) of 18 (2 attacks each) to initiate the Grapple.

Once grappled, the Elf loses his Dex bonus to AC, and all Dodge bonuses (such as those granted by Expertise), reducing his AC to 21 versus the other 24 Trolls.

They then surround and maul him to death at +9 to hit with his d4 hit dice.

Seeing as the Elf almost certainly dumped Strength, they're now in a world of hurt, and likely pinned in the following round (reducing their AC by a further 4).

Bullrush (+10 vs the Elfs bonus of likely +0) is also an option.

More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Iry]

Honestly, I think your best solution is just better monster tactics. Help, bless, prone, grapple and drag, poison, stunned, and non-ac saving throws are your best friend here.

Improving this skill will reduce your prep time overall.

 

[Flamestrike]

Honestly, I think your best solution is just better monster tactics

He's running 2 encounter adventuring days.

No amount of monster tactics is going to sort that out unless he does something about how often he allows long rests.

 

[clearstream]

So I have a 4th level bladesinger in my game who essentially has the same AC as Tarrasque...

10 + 3 (from 16 DEX) + 4 (from 18 INT) + 3 (from Mage Armor) +5 (from Shield) = 25

So he essentially can only be hit with crits... how would you deal with this??

Blur becomes very efficient with those stats.

 

[Flamestrike]

Blur becomes very efficient with those stats.

Also wastes a round the Wizard could be blowing things to pieces/ shutting the monsters down, ensuring the Monsters get one full extra rounds worth of actions doing things like hurting the party and the party wasting other resources on hurting them back.

Like I just dont see it with the BS. This party is what... 4th level? Presuming 5 x PCs, and looking at the 'Adventuring day' recommendations in the DMG, a 'standard' adventuring day budget for 5 x 4th level PCs is 8,500xp.

(Cold themed Rime of the Frostmaiden adventuring day):

1: Young Remoraz (1,800) - Medium
2: 2 Winter Wolves (1,400) (2,100 adjusted) - Hard
Short rest
3: 4 Orcs, Eye of Gruumsh, Orc War chief (1,950) (3,900 adjusted) - Deadly
Short rest
4: 1 Young white dragon (2,300) - Hard

7,450 base (10,000 adjusted) XP out of a 8,500 xp adventuring day budget so roughly par.

How is the Bladesinger breaking anything in that roughly par adventuring day?

And note, this doesnt have to happen all on the same game day. By simply implementing Gritty realism resting, an adventuring 'day' can take a month or more of in game time (any period of time between the week long, long rests).