D&D 5E Opinions on Bladesinger

[Minsc]

Barbarian/Bladesinger AC totally works.

One sets your AC (Unarmored Defense), one is an AC bonus (Bladesinging), and Bladesinging only works for two combats per long rest.

That being said, it's a combo I don't see being used often. As mentioned earlier, you probably don't have the stats to make it more effective than adding a level of Sorcerer (especially if you use Point Buy, since you'll need a 13 STR as well).

Bladesingers are Wizards. Just cast Mage Armor.

 

[DeathMutant]

. . . Bladesinging only works for two combats per long rest.

Bladesong fully recharges after a *Short* Rest and lasts up to a minute without requiring Concentration. I am curious how many DMs are running more than 2 combats between Short Rests to feel that the 2 uses of Bladesong is a significant limitation? Also, how many DMs are regularly running combats that last more than one in-game minute (10 rounds)?

 

[Charles Rampant]

This where we have another strong disconnect. You see the ability to drop an Arc Light (B-52 strike or in this case the D&D equivalent) on yourself and/or your comrades without fear of harm to yourself and/or <insert random target here> as some sort of great thing.

With the phenomenal toolbox available to Wizards due to the great variety of spells, the best solution to a given tactical situation that hops into the game designers's heads was "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if they could just crank off whatever, whenever?" I'm sorry, but as an Old Skooler that actually likes to think and stuff, I don't see that as "Man that's a great addition to the Wizarding toolbox!" I see it as "It's Wizardarding for Idiots!"

I don't really understand this post. You regard the ability to use AoE spells without their main drawback - friendly fire - as bad and stupid because you are an 'Old Skooler'? Uh, why? It seems to me that the main disconnect here is your strange perspective on the Wizard class.

 

[DeathMutant]

BTW, for the most part, melee cantrips like Thunderclap/Greenflame Blade/Sword Burst/Booming Blade (yech, horrible name--I'd rename it False Fetters) help Fighter 1/Wizard X more than they help Bladesingers. Gives them a pretty good at-will attack with no Extra Attack opportunity cost, since they don't have Extra Attack anyway.

I thought that was really strange too, that non-Bladesinger Wizards benefit more from these new cantrips than Bladesingers due to wasting their Extra Attack. Perhaps if the cantrip was a Bonus Action that "charged" their melee weapon (like the Paladin's "Searing Smite" but without the Concentration requirement?) so the next attack would trigger the effects? That way, a Bladesinger with Extra Attack could cast a cantrip -and- attack twice.

 

[CapnZapp]

BTW, for the most part, melee cantrips like Thunderclap/Greenflame Blade/Sword Burst/Booming Blade (yech, horrible name--I'd rename it False Fetters) help Fighter 1/Wizard X more than they help Bladesingers. Gives them a pretty good at-will attack with no Extra Attack opportunity cost, since they don't have Extra Attack anyway.

I thought that was really strange too, that non-Bladesinger Wizards benefit more from these new cantrips than Bladesingers due to wasting their Extra Attack. Perhaps if the cantrip was a Bonus Action that "charged" their melee weapon (like the Paladin's "Searing Smite" but without the Concentration requirement?) so the next attack would trigger the effects? That way, a Bladesinger with Extra Attack could cast a cantrip -and- attack twice.

You know, I thought Green Flame Blade was interesting because it provided a wizard with an alternate way to get that second attacks most others get through Extra Attack.

 

[Minsc]

Bladesong fully recharges after a *Short* Rest and lasts up to a minute without requiring Concentration. I am curious how many DMs are running more than 2 combats between Short Rests to feel that the 2 uses of Bladesong is a significant limitation? Also, how many DMs are regularly running combats that last more than one in-game minute (10 rounds)?

You're right, short rest, not long. My bad.

Still, the ability by itself works with light armor.

The Monk and the Barbarian ability doesn't work together because they're both Unarmored Defense. The Bladesinger ability is different. It's a temporary bonus.

 

[Prism]

Bladesong fully recharges after a *Short* Rest and lasts up to a minute without requiring Concentration. I am curious how many DMs are running more than 2 combats between Short Rests to feel that the 2 uses of Bladesong is a significant limitation? Also, how many DMs are regularly running combats that last more than one in-game minute (10 rounds)?

It depends massively on the situation but if we doing a traditional dungeon type adventure it would probably be 2-4 encounters before the first short rest. If at that point if it makes sense to do so (timing wise) and there is a safe place to do it then the party will probably take one.

Its player led rather than DM led, however make the wrong decision and the next fights might be harder as the monsters have chance to regroup. Monsters often try and flee if they are losing and a short rest might mean they regroup with their allies. Also, interrupting a short rest can happen if its taken in the wrong place.

So in this case I could see a bladesinger being able to use bladesong most fights and certainly any fight where it mattered, assuming they saved it for a difficult fight.

 

[Mirtek]

No, there are two ways of phrasing it, and the Bladesinger is clearly using one and not the other.

And I am not sure if whoever chose this one phrase over the other was aware of why there are two phrases and what's the difference between them

 

[Mouseferatu]

And I am not sure if whoever chose this one phrase over the other was aware of why there are two phrases and what's the difference between them

The people working at Green Ronin are pros. More to the point, the people working at Wizards who developed/edited/approved the stuff in the book are pros who created the system.

I won't go so far as to say it's impossible for a mistake like that to creep through, but it's exceedingly unlikely.

 

[Mirtek]

The people working at Green Ronin are pros. More to the point, the people working at Wizards who developed/edited/approved the stuff in the book are pros who created the system.

So hopefully were all WotC employees working at the different editons (well, except maybe OD&D and 1e since everything was so new that there were no professionials at this field yet), however that didn't prevent quite a lot of such cases in the 3.x and 4e rules

I won't go so far as to say it's impossible for a mistake like that to creep through, but it's exceedingly unlikely.

I am just surprised since this is the only class ability changing the standard AC formula by adding an extra ability modifier that does not use the stacking-proof phrase. Seems like a curiosity to me.