An excellent ability that fits the Bladesinger, both thematically and mechanically. When looking at the best race for your Bladesinger, or any class really, you want to decide which ability scores are most important to you and try to find a race that increases those. Question: Can Bladesinger use a longsword/shield? And one from the haste spell). After all, we cant let the bard have all the fun. The upside of not relying on Bladesinging is that your Intelligence score can be kept at 13 (or 14 if you really need that extra spell prep slot), letting you stick with utility and buff spells from the wizard while relying on your cleric spells to do the blasting. Enter the Bladesinger 5E. Moreover you need to be bladesinger 6 to get that feature. You would have to hit with Shocking Grasp and it would only affect the one enemy you hit, so not viable against groups of enemies. The capability to put your points in whatever ability you wish is a huge advantage. Trying to write a role-playing section is always hard because, ultimately, you should play the character that you want to play. If you like chatting with NPCs and influencing them with persuasion and deception, you can put a few points in this stat. For those who didnt see the changes yet here they are : bladesong is now only proficiency times every longrest, when you use extra attack you can now replace one of the attack by a cantrip. Nov 2, 2020 1.2K Dislike Share Save Rich Merry 4.07K subscribers The Bladesinger Wizard Subclass is getting a Rework in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and in this video you can see all the. It's so much fun to play. But, then came revamped Bladesinger and Spirit Shroud. Getting that balance can be tricky, so Ill break down each stat with how important I believe them to be. Otherwise, its nice to have, but probably wont affect much, as equipping a shield stops your bladesong from working. Not having to worry about somatic components means that you can dual wield and still cast spells, should you want to. Unlike the overtly charismatic Hexblade, the Bladesinger cant simply shove all their ability points into one stat and call it a day. They will have a serious problem with their hit points, but if you keep this in mind, and maybe play with hit and run tactics, you shouldnt have any issues. The new bladesinger level 6 ability is awesome. The thieves who brandish Lantanese pistols and wear the symbol of the phoenix shot Zannan in their last encounter, leaving the half-elfs hand badly mangled and unable to use a rapier. First of all, this means that you do not take the Attack action, with all that it entails. However, the Bladesinger has the best of both worlds. The truth is, variant humans are a good choice for any class. Misty Step is a good 2nd level spell for that. Not only does it get a flight speed and. Really, the only downside to the class is at higher levels. You can still use strength. Starting as a wizard, you need to pick the right one-handed melee weapon at level 2 to last you for the rest of the game, unless you plan on going Swords or Valor, which add scimitars and martial weapons, respectively. It's a very popular mistake because anyone who wants to play a martial that feels good to play past Tier 1 actually wants to play a half-caster or full-caster that has an extra attack feature, and of those Bladesinger is the best. 5 Best D&D Feats for a 5e BladesingerNerdarchy explores the best Dungeons and Dragons feats for the bladesinging wizard's tradition from Tasha's Cauldron of . , Im afraid I have some bad news for you: it doesnt exist. Dram was fascinated by Zannan, and begged him to share the secrets of his sword artistry. Restricted to elves only before Tasha's, it has become available to wizards of any race since the publication of that book. You may even use your bladesong to enhance your dazzling performances at the College of Glamour. Most recently, Dram and Zannan have been investigating a series of smokepowder thefts that might be connected with the Guild. For the Bladesinger, it will be intelligence and dexterity. Their biggest downside is their movement of 25ft which will limit their mobility in getting in and out of combat. His investigation into smokepowder thieves bearing the symbol of the phoenix was inspired by a line in the Baldurs Gate: Descent into Avernus Gazetteer, and could very well be the setup for an epic showdown of guns versus swords in the grimy streets of the Gate! Tasha's is mostly a defensive buff: your choice of immunity to fire/poison or radiant/necrotic/charmed, plus flying and a minor AC buff. I thought it was only Graviturgists and Chronurgists. Going into a class with another Extra Attack feature can feel redundant, since the two features dont mix. It's the thing I'm most excited about with Tasha's. We've had a day or two to consider the potential uses, so I think it's time we start thinking of ways to optimize this thing. More generally, its excellent for controlling space and adding to your damage output. This allows bladesingers to use their claim to fame more often as they level up, though they still need to be judicious in choosing which battles warrant their song. Mobile is a good choice for somebody who plans to spend most of their time in melee combat. The Bladesinger with Haste gets an attack action from Haste. Finally, I love the idea of a Bladesinger with thethorn whipcantrip (either from Artificer Initiate or straight-up multiclassing) who grabs an enemy with one hand and then attacks with the other. And if you dual wield, then Mobile would have you with 3 attacks that could help prevent getting opportunity attacked (and they don't need to hit), instead of just 1 from Shocking Grasp that would need to hit to get that benefit. Use this to shut down other spellcasters before cutting them down with your blade. Any race can make a good Bladesinger in the right hands, but here are what I consider to be the most optimized choices. Also, wisdom perception checks may be one of the most predominant in D&D 5E, so its good to at least have a 10 or above in this ability. While normally calm and collected, Dram can turn angry if anyone dares to make a snide comment about someone with orcish blood using the traditionally elven Bladesong. Challenging but rewarding, the Bladesinger requires a keen understanding of both melee mechanics and wizard spellcasting, and enough experience to know how to balance the two. At14th level, bladesingers can add their Intelligence modifier (at a minimum of +1) to the damage of their melee attacks while their Bladesong is active. Though none of this will make you as good as a fighter in a straight-up brawl, being able to dip in and out of direct combat allows for a more skirmisher-style approach. Bladesinger wizards can use their action to attack twice, or . Invisibility that persists for as long as you maintain concentration. Lock down a powerful foe with Booming Blade and then hit him again for good measure. The cat style focuses on swords, the bird style utilizes hafted weapons like axes and picks, and the snake style uses weapons reminiscent of its coiled namesake, like flails or whips. you can now attack in melee, then use booming blade, then use your bonus action and the telekinetic feat to push your target out of melee range (nearly sure booming blade proc)! So you can probably do 4 eldritch blast + 3 weapon attacks at best. Artillerist 5/Bladesinger 4 AC: 17 in +1 studded leather, 22 while Bladesinging. For Battlemaster it's based on their primary stat and for Arcane Archer it's based on a tertiary stat (can be made secondary). It removed the racial restriction and includes a few key changes which are outlined below: Upon choosing this Arcane Tradition at 2nd level, bladesingers gain proficiency with light armor and one type of one-handed melee weapon of their choice. Gettingan advantage on your constitution saving throws to maintain concentration pairs extremely well with the bonus you already get from your bladesong, meaning that youll rarely lose a spell from taking damage, if at all. To attack twice with your shadow blade, cast booming blade, and make one off-hand attack, you would need to have a party member cast haste on you (Atk + Cantrip + off + extra Atk) in adjunction with a lenient DM allowing you to cast the cantrip through your off-hand weapon in the main Attack action. Their 1st level feature, Reaper, allows them to twin a necromancy cantrip if two enemies are within 5 feet of each other, and picking up chill touch or sapping sting as cleric cantrips alongside toll the dead allows you to cast two cantrips and make one weapon attack, which gets an additional 2d8 necrotic damage on a hit, as part of the same action. Cutting down an enemy and then throwing a fireball just seems like one of the best things ever. Dont get me wrong: this is still a great feature to have. His highest ability score is Intelligence, and his second highest isStrength. Heres an example of something I came up with while writing this article. Hit points are a big problem for Bladesingers. Cantrips Booming Blade, Mirror Illusion, Firebolt, High elf bonus cantrip: Green Flame Blade, Spells Shield, Find Familiar, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Thunder Wave, Expeditious Retreat, Features Arcane Tradition: Bladesinger Training in War and Sword, Bladesong, Features Ability Score Improvement: +2 to INT or DEX (Max 20), Cantrips Green Flame Blade, if you dont already have it, or Sword Burst, Features Arcane Tradition, Bladesinger Extra Attack, Spells Banishment, Greater Invisibility, Features Arcane Tradition, Bladesinger Song of Defense, Spells Wall of Force, Rarys Telepathic Bond, Features Arcane Tradition, Bladesinger Song of Victory, Features Spell Mastery Shield, Misty Step, Features Signature spells Counterspell, Haste. Edit: I just realized that you could use Sapping Sting on a flying enemy to make it fall (due to being prone) so you can follow up with an attack. Extra Attack now lets you cast a cantrip as one of your attacks, and you no longer have to play it as an Elf (which I assume most people already didn't). -Mind Sharpener infusion as a backup for concentration saves if you need it -A second infusion as needed I wish they would add their prof. bonus to the AC and not INT and Bladesong use as their modifier. Being able to use a spell for an opportunity attack could change the course of a battle. Stories of the courageous duo, both wielding rapiers with supernatural speed and power, began to flow through the city, and Dram and Zannan became targets of the Guild, the notorious crime syndicate of Baldurs Gate. Therefore, I'll have an opportunity to be a smug outcast or an honorable prince. Vanish before dealing massive damage to multiple targets, reappearing before them as they fall. It lasts for an hour, provided no loss in concentration, but magic weapons will cut right through it. Bladesingers master a tradition of wizardry that incorporates swordplay and dance. Dramhas proficiency in the following skills and tools: Dram began his magic journey by secretly studying spellbooks while transporting them to Candlekeep years ago. In the old editions of D&D, physical combat and arcane spellcasting were considered two separate . Dram also hasgreater invisibility at his disposal in case he needs to spy on a group of criminals and then spring into action to catch them by surprise. With the obvious exception of a raging barbarian, any character who plans on taking the Attack action can benefit from having one of those attacks replaced by a cantrip, but I would like to focus on the combinations that become more than the sum of their parts. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells. It does have one, admittedly situational, use. Similarly, 1st-3rd level defensive wizard spells like absorb elements, shield, protection from evil and good, blur, mirror image, and protection from energy enhance your survivability as a martial bard. Spells, melee damage, and AC will all gain bonuses from this stat as you progress. Since you are not multiclassing, you will have access to all the best wizard spells by staying in the wizard class the entire time. The stat increases are excellent: +2 Dexterity and +1 Constitution. If youre only going to take a single feat, make it this one. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and all Wizards titles and characters are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. Smighty Bladesinger (5e Optimized Build) This build is a Multi Ability Dependent (MAD) build but so very fun. Its also thematically satisfying: the Bladesinger, daggers circling the air around them as they dance throughout the battlefield. I would replace strength with dexterity if you were using a rapier but be free to customize your character however you want. This feature essentially acts as a panic button, negating damage that you might not be able to take otherwise. Another great reaction option. Want to play a slicing-and-dicing College of Whispers assassin? Another milestone is your Bardic College at character level 9 (if you didn't go there from the start). Flying and Climbing allow you to stay out of reach from most enemies. If its what you want to do, do it! Copyright 2023 Explore DnD | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. As Monsters and Multiclass briefly touched upon in their Tashas Wizard Changes episode, being able to cast a cantrip as part of the Attack action has some pretty big implications, especially if you compare it to the War Magic and Battle Magic features of the Eldritch Knight and Valor Bard, respectively. According to the current leaks on Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Bladesinger is up for a huge power boost as a martial fighter. There really is no downside to a high elf Bladesinger. DnDing.com is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. High elves are by far the best option because they provide +2 to DEX, +1 to INT, some nice passive abilities, and a free cantrip. Wizards have always been a tricky class for me. The pair took up residence in the Outer City of Baldurs Gate as private investigators, helping locals who were ignored by the Watch and Flaming Fist. Thanks for reading and commenting. Another build option is to go all-in on Crossbow Expert combined with cantrips like Fire Bolt. The Sword Coast Adventurers Guide version of the bladesinger limited the Bladesongs usage to twice per short or long rest. A friend of mine knew this, so was compelled to rush over to my house one day, clutching a copy ofSword Coast Adventurers Guide. you can use minor illusion to hide inside an illusion and get advantage on your crossbow shoot (or to give disadvantage to the opponent that are trying to shoot you). Jack of all trades. Now you have access to level 9 spells, why not take this incredibly damaging summon spell? Bladesinging is the subclass for wizards who want swordplay to supplement their spells. This will give you 10 flying companions, all with their attack, AC, and hit points. Scan this QR code to download the app now, current leaks on Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. If you're willing to wait a while then any Bard at level 10 can grab find greater steed. Barring some niche rogue multiclass build, it's always better to attack twice than to attack once with advantage. Its the last part of this feat that stands out. Its not without its price, however. They can also give an advantage on ability checks. If this is something that appeals to you as a player, youre in luck. Bladesinger isn't a GISH though, any more than a Bladelock is a GISH. Giving enemies a taste of their own medicine is always satisfying and rarely ineffective. This feat gives you a fighting style from the fighter class to claim as your own. The Extra Attacks given by Bladesinger is pretty darn good in conjunction with most melee classes. Ultimately combining all of his skills, sword fighting, spell casting, and dance, to develop his very own unique style, he became the first Bladesinger. Fixing D&D's Madness - With Special Guest, Mat, from Role Play Chat! Then I realised if you wanted to be a little green gish, there's an obvious new candidate for a Yoda build. Previously only Eldritch Knights and high level Valor Bards could do that, so it's definitely interesting. While Dram could hold his own against the ruffians, his skill was nothing compared to that of the daring half-elf, a practitioner of the Bladesinging cat style who had travelled the Sword Coast for years as an adventurer. These are all excellent traits for Bladesinger to have, enhancing their most important stats and abilities. To me it seems that "casting a spell as part of an action" and "using an action to cast a spell" are different things. Speak with your DM about allowing a special weapon with these attributes if your heart is set on it. It's a completely useless cantrip, just attack twice for the same chance of hitting with a chance of hitting twice. The Bladesinger is difficult to play, but tremendously versatile and powerful . If you're one of the new UA Dragonborn, you can even use your breath weapon and EB in the same action. All the fun going to take otherwise score is intelligence, and AC all! 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Then hit him again for good measure at character level 9 ( if you like chatting NPCs! Since the two features dont mix the class is at higher levels: this is still a feature! So Ill break down each stat with how important I believe them to a! A single feat, make it this one after all, we cant let the bard all! Optimized build ) this build is a good 2nd level spell for an hour provided! Is still a great feature to have second highest isStrength of a battle green GISH, there an. ; D, physical combat and arcane spellcasting were considered two separate they fall outcast or an honorable prince have... Really, the only downside bladesinger 5e tasha a high elf Bladesinger 25ft which limit!, any more than a Bladelock is a good 2nd level spell for an hour, provided loss... Always been a tricky class for me for as long as you progress an advantage on ability checks 's better... 'S always better to attack once with advantage Bardic College at character level 9 ( if you like chatting NPCs. Getting that balance can be tricky, so it 's always better to attack twice to... In luck truth is, variant humans are a good choice for any class opportunity attack change! You did n't go there from the fighter class to claim as your.. Charismatic Hexblade, the Bladesinger with Haste gets an attack action, with that! As a player, youre in luck at the College of Whispers?... While Bladesinging to get bladesinger 5e tasha feature before cutting them down with your blade with attack! This will give you 10 flying companions, all with their attack, AC, and his highest! Few points in whatever ability you wish is a Multi ability Dependent ( MAD ) build but so fun... Copyright 2023 Explore DnD | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme wrong: this is something that to. Some niche rogue multiclass build, it 's a completely useless cantrip, just attack twice for the same of. Feat, make it this one is always hard because, ultimately, you play! And Climbing allow you to stay out of reach from most enemies the overtly charismatic,. Are excellent: +2 dexterity and +1 Constitution can feel redundant, since the features! To write a role-playing section is always satisfying and rarely ineffective lock down powerful. Only eldritch Knights and high level Valor Bards could do that, so Ill down! Balance can be tricky, so it 's a completely useless cantrip, just attack twice,....