Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Benjamin Olson" data-source="post: 8054020" data-attributes="member: 6988941">Bladesinger Wizard/Arcane Trickster Rogue wins for me on several bases:1. It makes for a better Bladesinger than a straight Bladesinger. Bladesingers just don't have enough actual melee kill power to be worth spending your action on and risk melee for once you get to be a higher level wizard. Sneak attack changes that calculus. Being able to easily disengage is also naturally invaluable to someone with Wizard hit points (even if you do have an insane AC) and makes for a much more viable approach to melee combat for the Bladesinger. Rogue levels also unlock all the finesse weapons you might use with your Bladesong except for the whip (so choose that for your Bladesinger weapon proficiency) including the Hand Crossbow which you could not choose as a Bladesinger weapon proficiency. It also means expertise in Arcana and a better Mage Hand than other Wizards.2. It makes a better Arcane Trickster than a straight Arcane Trickster. Arcane Tricksters have to wait too long to get enough magic to really up their Rogue game, and while the focus on illusion and enchantment is totally thematic they also gain a lot from combat enhancing and mobility spells (Shield, Absorb Elements, Misty Step) and very much could use a familiar for advantage. By the third level of Wizard they have all the spells and slots they need to be a pretty effective gish. If they push to level 6 they can even get an extra attack. Bladesong also gives a leg up avoiding damage and maintaining concentration, and gives them a little extra mobility. They even get yet one more skill (albeit just Performance) to up their skill monkey game ever so slightly more.3. It is good any way you slice it. Almost any combination of levels between the two classes makes for a satisfying and powerful character. Near pure Bladesinger Wizard who just has a couple Rogue levels so he gets a single Sneak Attack die and can disengage after he casts Booming Blade is fun. Arcane Trickster who just has two levels of Bladesinger for Bladesong and mastery of 1st level magic is good. Even split is pretty good. Everything in between basically works.4. It plays well through every level, almost any way you level. It's not a "it'll come online at level eight" multiclass. It's never really not online. As soon as you have 1 level of each class you can be a Rogue with a familiar giving you constant advantage for sneak attack and some magic for personal defense and trickery. Everything else just builds on that. Booming Blade means you don't miss your slowed sneak attack progression too much, waiting longer to get Uncanny Dodge doesn't much hurt when you can cast Shield and have an exceptional AC anyway, and there's so much fun to be had with 1st and 2nd level magic that being behind on Wizard levels rarely feels like a big limitation. It's optimal to take Rogue for level 1, and when there are no special class or subclass features you should take a Wizard level before an equivalent Rogue level for extra spells and spell slot progression, but otherwise there is really no wrong way to progress.5. It's plenty lore friendly. One subclass is a Rogue who dabbles in wizardry the other a Wizard who dabbles in stabbing people. No troubles finding a character who blends those two things, there just different points on the same spectrum.</blockquote>

Verification