D&D 5E (2014) Bladesingers And The “Average” Game

[doctorbadwolf]

I’m very curious about how people play Bladesingers, because I often see folks say that they are “mostly” or “usually” played as a normal wizard with a defensive buff, not as a weapon user.

This is entirely the opposite of my experience with them.

IME, they basically only ever get played as a melee weapon focused gish.

How have you seen them played?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I've never seen one played.

 

[Zardnaar]

Kind of like a skirmisher. They're good with flaming sphere for example.

 

[X13Phantom]

The one I saw played like a fighter with a d6 hit die. They did o.k. until they gained the ire of the foe then they spent the rest of the battle making death saves. (or trying to make death saves) AoE's are their doom

 

[DND_Reborn]

Loved bladesingers in 2E, they are entirely lackluster in 5E and I haven't seen one played, either.

 

[Zardnaar]

Loved bladesingers in 2E, they are entirely lackluster in 5E and I haven't seen one played, either.

They work well with a handful of spells.

Otherwise it's good at concentration crap at the fighting part.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Bladesingers where notoriously overpowered in 2e.

 

[S'mon]

Wizard with crazy AC.

 

[clearstream]

From playing alongside one what I saw most is the powerful efficiency they create for a party. It matters if you are using 4dk3 or points-buy for characters, as to how strong they can be. The key weakness is hold person (and cc of that ilk). The rest depends on player choices and which books are open at your table (e.g. Xanathar's absorb elements against AoE).

In tier-1 their melee damage is good enough to matter. After I believe they're strongest as a wizard that can efficiently tank as needed. For a combat-focused campaign, bladesingers and diviners stand out among the schools of wizardry. One has to think laterally... I know from past debates that the maths of blur (or anything else that gives disadvantage to attackers while you have bladesong running with shield available) might not be intuitive. Also easy to overlook the benefit bladesong gives to concentration checks.

 

[Blue]

I've seen them played by people who want to gish - either pure or as part of a multiclass though even then it's usually just a dip elsewhere - they need INT and that doesn't have a lot of synergies. Booming Blade / Green Flade Blade, and once they get Extra Attack I see Shadowblade or a buff like Haste or even better Greater Invisibility, which helps keep away the damage that can break concentration.

Often goes ranged with elven longbow prof when low on HPs ... until they hit the levels where cantrips outdamage two attacks. And in that time some discover they can be just a normal wizard but super defensive.

I've seen a player start with the bladesinger as wizard+defense+concentration, never really weapon wielding except the occasional opportunity attack, or when it's better than a cantrip. They were just playing as a pure wizard with defensive options.

From what I've seen (and some has been at other tables at my FLGS/friends stories so not direct observation), they shine as weapon-user when the DM does the 6-8 encounters a day and gives out a decent number of short rests. Because spending actions on weapons is an action not spent using a slot, and that means they have plenty for when they do cast.