D&D 5E Bladesinger with a staff

[TwoSix]

No, it's not just a preference. Virtue is literally a synonym of good. Saying it's no virtue is saying it's not good. In other words, it's saying that your way is better. No different than saying that the other way is boring(ie bad). Both are expressions of superiority and neither is gatekeeping.

No, it isn't. Saying something isn't a virtue doesn't make it a vice. Preferring pepperoni pizza is also no virtue, but that doesn't mean I think it's bad.

My own preferences are also not in any way virtuous, they're simply what I prefer. Hell, half the discussions in this forum over the past 20 years are simply reminding people that just because they like to play in a certain style, that doesn't mean it's any better than any other playstyle. I'm sure MikalC's playstyle works just fine with his group, and I don't think he needs to change anything, but it would be a poor fit at my tables.

 

[Earth2Carnifex]

This actually sounds like the makings of a decent feat.

Weapon Dancer:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You add the Finesse quality to a single weapon type that does not already have it.

 

[aco175]

I would be in favor of certain races having weapon characteristics abilities. I can see dwarves having hand ax be a finesse weapon , or an elf having a staff be a finesse weapon, maybe halfling as well. Not sure where to draw the line and most may be just flavor for my world.

 

[NotAYakk]

This actually sounds like the makings of a decent feat.

Weapon Dancer:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You add the Finesse quality to a single weapon type that does not already have it.

The weapon should only be a 1 handed weapon. Also it should be a melee weapon.

A heavy finess weapon, or a finess ranged wespon, does strange things.

 

[TwoSix]

I could see a common magic item, like a Ruby of the War Mage, that attaches to a weapon and gives a shillelagh type effect, letting you use a different stat for attacks with that weapon. Taking up an attunement slot seems a fair tradeoff.

 

[TwoSix]

The weapon should only be a 1 handed weapon. Also it should be a melee weapon.

A heavy finess weapon, or a finess ranged wespon, does strange things.

Ehh. It opens up Dex-based GWM, I guess, which might be problematic if you're worried about protecting Str's niche. I'm not sure what ranged weapon that isn't already finesse would be problematic.

 

[ph0rk]

Yeah... But you can easily achieve tha with two short swords...

The difference is song of victory and the free hand.

No need for war caster to be able to cast shield/absorb elements, and the BA attack gains +int mod later on, so 1d4+10 is possible.

That isn't the same thing at all as an offhand shortsword.

Ehh. It opens up Dex-based GWM, I guess, which might be problematic if you're worried about protecting Str's niche. I'm not sure what ranged weapon that isn't already finesse would be problematic.

As it stands, bladesong stops when a bladesinger uses a bow - this is a good mechanic because it forces them to rely on thrown weapons and cantrips once they start bladesong to avoid it dropping and it is a comparable "must keep it going" mechanic to how rage works.

Letting them switch between melee weapons and bows is, again, just making them stronger, and they do not need to be stronger.

This actually sounds like the makings of a decent feat.

Weapon Dancer:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You add the Finesse quality to a single weapon type that does not already have it.

I'd add "that does not have the heavy property" to that feat. Balance between str and dex is already precariously tipped towards dexterity as it is in 5e; this would tip it right over.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I would be in favor of certain races having weapon characteristics abilities. I can see dwarves having hand ax be a finesse weapon , or an elf having a staff be a finesse weapon, maybe halfling as well. Not sure where to draw the line and most may be just flavor for my world.

To my mind, that is all just flavor and nothing that needs to be written down anywhere by a DM. I mean at the end of the day, do we really need to incentivize players to use stereotypically dwarven weapons? Especially by making their use mechanically more useful? Heh heh... I thought the whole point of the optional racial options in Tasha's was to open up the range of things a particular race could use and would be good at.

If a particular PC wants to use a particular "weapon" because it just looks cool or is an interesting part of their story... I don't see any reason why any DM would need to create houserules or catalog it into some sort of established rules package. The DM just needs to look at what the PC could normally have if they went the stereotypically "good" choice, and then change the weapon's fluff to be whatever weapon they want. So long as the player realizes that this is a change to fluff only, and not a way of getting around prerequisites for other game mechanics... everything will be fine.

It is no different than opening up the "weapons" a rogue can use Sneak Attack on, or a Monk can use with Martial Arts. Just refluff for a particular PC in a particular game and not worry about codifying it, because the specific combo will probably never come up in another campaign again anyway.

 

[jasper]

This actually sounds like the makings of a decent feat.

Weapon Dancer:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You add the Finesse quality to a single weapon type that does not already have it.

Are you a private dancer for money? Or a Sgt Dancer who works for a living?

 

[TwoSix]

This actually sounds like the makings of a decent feat.

Weapon Dancer:

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You add the Finesse quality to a single weapon type that does not already have it.

I think this could work as a racial feat. Then we have to choose between are we human, or are we dancer?