D&D 5E (2024) Thoughts on New Bladesinger?

[Zardnaar]

Especially now that bladesingers can entirely focus on int.

I think it is easier now to blend wizardry with blade attacks than before.
Before that I'd had them focus dex over int.
Now 17int/14dex/14con is a great start.
Int gives both AC and concentration.

Not having masteries by default is a bummer though. I guess one or two level of rogue should work nicely here.
cunning action and some sneak attack dice should synergize well with a mobile character.

Ranger dip if you care about masteries imho.

 

[Tessarael]

Ranger dip if you care about masteries imho.

Taking character level 1 in Fighter gives Constitution saving throw proficiency vs. Ranger giving Dexterity saving throw proficiency. That's why I would suggest that Fighter is a better choice for a level dip. Two-weapon fighting works well with Bladesinger, which is another reason for that 1st level in Fighter to get Two-Weapon Fighting Style, which you cannot get until level 2 in Ranger.

The main benefit of the single level dip in Ranger is to avoid any reduction in access to higher level spell slots. That does make sense too. Depends exactly where your Bladesinger build is focused: if spell focused, then single-classed Wizard is best to access those highest level spells; mixed but still spell oriented, then a single level dip in Paladin or Ranger; if melee focused, then a one or two level dip in Fighter (Action Surge is so good!).

For a spell casting focused build, you should also consider Sorcerer. Taking 1st character level in Sorcerer gives Constitution saving throws for Concentration checks. At level 2 Sorcerer, you can quicken a spell once per long rest. That said, there's less motivation to level dip into Sorcerer in D&D 2024, as the Draconic archetype benefits are not given until Sorcerer level 3. In D&D 2024, those benefits were at Sorcerer level 1, making it a stronger level dip for the additional +1 HP/level and AC.

 

[Zardnaar]

Taking character level 1 in Fighter gives Constitution saving throw proficiency vs. Ranger giving Dexterity saving throw proficiency. That's why I would suggest that Fighter is a better choice for a level dip. Two-weapon fighting works well with Bladesinger, which is another reason for that 1st level in Fighter to get Two-Weapon Fighting Style, which you cannot get until level 2 in Ranger.

The main benefit of the single level dip in Ranger is to avoid any reduction in access to higher level spell slots. That does make sense too. Depends exactly where your Bladesinger build is focused: if spell focused, then single-classed Wizard is best to access those highest level spells; mixed but still spell oriented, then a single level dip in Paladin or Ranger; if melee focused, then a one or two level dip in Fighter (Action Surge is so good!).

For a spell casting focused build, you should also consider Sorcerer. Taking 1st character level in Sorcerer gives Constitution saving throws for Concentration checks. At level 2 Sorcerer, you can quicken a spell once per long rest. That said, there's less motivation to level dip into Sorcerer in D&D 2024, as the Draconic archetype benefits are not given until Sorcerer level 3. In D&D 2024, those benefits were at Sorcerer level 1, making it a stronger level dip for the additional +1 HP/level and AC.

True but you dont need proficiency in con saves as much as most wizards.

Level 5 +9 saves while singing? +7 at 3?

 

[Tessarael]

Agreed. Your Concentrations save will be good with the Intelligence modifier bonus when singing.

It appears that the primary motivation for you for multi-classing is to pick up weapon mastery. If that's the case, I suggest to talk to your DM and ask to swap out some other class feature, to get weapon mastery instead. At best, weapon mastery is giving you an extra light weapon attack as a bonus action - that's good, but not that powerful vs. being a single-classed spell caster focused on a spell casting. I'd argue that losing the +10' movement speed bonus from Bladesinging or losing Bladework (using your Intelligence modifier instead for +attack/damage modifier), would be sufficient to swap out for weapon mastery in two weapons of your choice.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

When Bladesinging, your AC is 20 = 10 + 5 DEX + 3 INT +2 Bracers of Defense. Have the Shield spell memorized for +5 AC as a reaction when hit by an attack. There are various other spells you can use to trade-off increased offense or defense (e.g., Blur), when you run of 4th level spells slots to cast Conjure Minor Elementals.

It's a good melee damage build with good defense too. Probably the biggest limitation of this build is that the number of uses of Bladesong per long rest is determined by your Intelligence modifier + 1 back on a Short Rest when you use Arcane Recovery, so 4 uses per long rest. Without Bladesong running, your AC is only 17, as you won't have the +3 Intelligence modifier. For an extra use of Bladesong with +1 AC and +1 spell save DC, you can go for DEX 18 and INT 18 at character level 10, rather than DEX 20 and INT 16, at the cost of -4 damage/round and -1 to attack.

Edit: The Mage Armor spell will give AC is 20 = 13 + 5 DEX +2 Bracers of Defense, so there's no real need to have Bladesong going for AC purposes. Getting the Intelligence bonus to Concentration saves and the +10' movement speed with Bladesong running is nice though.

Bladesong AC boost stacks with everything you have there. So it will push your AC to 23.
This matches as a baseline what a similarly-equipped fighter would be on, if the fighter focused on defence rather than damage by using a shield.
Combined with Shield and Absorb Elements, this probably means the bladesinger is more tanky than the fighter even if they aren't using false life to close the gap in HP totals.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

True Strike is a good substitute for the Blade Cantrips right now, and overall, I think it is better, but I lament the loss of Light Armor, as I love the armored fighter mage concept, and Eldritch Knight and Warlock just don't fit the bill for me.

You would know!

 

[FrogReaver]

On bladesingers - they are okay. I'm a bit disappointed they don't get extra spells known.

On wizards vs sorcerers - I believe sorcerer is stronger at combat and wizard is stronger out of combat, though the combat difference is quite a bit less pronounced at low levels.

On wizard subclasses - subclasses are probably the wizards biggest weakness, there's not a single wizard subclass that comes close to the dragon sorc subclass.

 

[NotAYakk]

I'm curious about Warlock 2 vs Wizard 2.

4 adventuring days with even odds:
(1 fight)
(2 fights)
(1 fight, 1 short rest, 1 fight)
(2 fights, 1 short rest, 1 fight)

16 casting stat, 14 con, 14 dex

Level 2 Wizard.
14 HP
No armor (12 AC, or 15 if use Mage Armor)
3.5 1st level spell slots/day on average
5/8 prepared spells
3 cantrips
Rituals (for all 8 spells)
Expertise in 1 skill
At-Will damage: 6.5 (Toll the Bell)

Could swap 0.5 spells/day for a 1 hour delay at start of day to get mage armor+arcane recovery to get it back.

Level 2 Warlock
17 HP
Light armor (14 AC)
3.75 1st level spells/day on average (3/4 example days have a break long enough to recover a slot, 2/4 have a short rest)
3 invocations (Say: Agonizing Blast, Pact of the Tome, 1 other Invocation)
2+3(Tome) Cantrips
3 Warlock+2(Tome) any Rituals prepared spells
Ritual casting on 2(Tome) spells
At-Will damage: 8.5 (EB, 5.5 + Agonizing 3)

Can get Mage Armor, Fiendish Vigor, Devil's Sight, Mask of Many Faces, Misty Visions, or many other great utility Invocations. I think that beats out +2 in a skill. Being able to pick any 2 ritual tagged spells beats out Wizard rituals I think. You can cherry-pick any Ritual from any list and cast it using slots or over 10 minutes, which I think matches the Wizard "choose 5/8 each day" flexibility.

You have 3 more HP, and 2 more AC without mage armor. You have more 1st level slots over a typical adventuring day at 2nd level. Your at-will damage is higher. You have more cantrips from a wider selection.

The Wizard spell list is better than the Warlock one, on the other hand, even at 2nd level; I find it hard to find good Warlock spells even with the short number of spells known.