TentacleSurpris
2015-12-16, 11:16 AM
Like many people I'm excited to play a bladesinger. Unlike many people, I actually read the fluff text in the sidebar above the crunch text. From that I've come to the conclusion that whoever wrote this doesn't actually play DND. It's sad that Wizards or the subcontractor hires writers who don't play the game, but it seems to be true. Let me review the styles (which I genuinely wanted to integrate into my character concept).
Bladesinger Styles
Cat.
Lion: Uses a Longsword, which Elves are trained in. They don't favor any particular type of spells. This is all fine, it doesn't say much so there isn't anything to complain about. At least they got the Elven trained weapon right.
Leopard: Focuses on the shortsword and spells of illusion and stealth. That's good, Wizards have plenty of those, and the Shortsword makes a pretty good weapon choice.
Red Tiger: Do Tigers that are Red exist in Forgotten Realms? I've never heard of them. This style favors the scimitar, which is a Finesse Weapon. It makes sense that a non-traditional elven weapon is the newest style, just three centuries old. The whirling dance of defense describes the Bladesinger playstyle pretty well.
At this point, the author takes a dive into the shallow end.
Bird.
Eagle style focuses on the handaxe and fluid ways of throwing the weapon and draw a new one. Why? Elves have proficiency with Longbows and Shortbows, which don't disarm you every time you attack. That aside, no matter how fluid your style, throwing handaxes doesn't work with the Bladesinger's 6th level Extra Attack feature, as you can't draw weapons that quickly in DND. It also doesn't work with any Cantrip. So how or why do you actually use this style in the game of Dungeons and Dragons?
Raven: This style uses a Pick, which isn't even a weapon in the PHB. Next, the Raven style uses "spells which grant the bladesinger more agility in combat." To my knowledge, there aren't plural "spells" which grant agility, there is only one, Enhance Ability: Cat's Grace. Shouldn't this be the favored spell of the Cat style? Even then, this spell gives Advantage on Dexerity checks, such as Acrobatics. But the Bladesinger already has advantage on acrobatics. This is the absolute LAST spell any bladesinger should be using.
Snake
Viper: this style uses a whip which "can keep many foes at bay." Actually whips don't keep foes at bay, that's not how Attacks of Opportunity work. It's a common misconception, but AoOs trigger when leaving a threatened area, not when leaving a threatened square to enter another one. It also says it "allows the bladesinger space to cast the cruel spells of poison and disease favored by the style." There are so many things wrong with this. First, Bladesingers have zero disease spells on their class list. None. They have only a few poison spells, but they all have a range of Touch or 10 ft, and if you're using a whip to somehow keep enemies at bay, are useless.
If the author of this list had actually played DND, the most prominent styles would use the Rapier, which most Bladesingers will use because it's the highest-damage Dexterity based weapon, and the Rapier is what Bladesingers used in 2nd Edition. Elves get a bonus to Dexterity. Every bladesinger PC out there is using a Shortsword or Dagger at level 1 and a Rapier after level 2. Every. Single. One. I include the Dagger because it's on the Wizard starting equipment, unlike the shortsword.
It just bugs me to pay the highest $/page ratio for a DND book in history and get content written by people who don't even play the game, or who aren't thinking about DND when writing it.
I like fluff that enhances roleplaying or that I can incorporate into the game. I like fluff written by people who understand the game they're writing it for. I like it when authors understand if they're writing a sourcebook, unlike a novel, should be geared towards being incorporated into the game.
As an aside, the sidebar also mentions Bladesingers getting tattoos of their styles. Think about that for a second. Do Elves ever have tattoos in any of the novels or fiction or fluff? No they don't, because tattoos turn black and disgusting after about 20 years. You wouldn't want some droopy 500 year old tattoo of a smeared mess on your beautiful elven body.
Bladesinger Styles
Cat.
Lion: Uses a Longsword, which Elves are trained in. They don't favor any particular type of spells. This is all fine, it doesn't say much so there isn't anything to complain about. At least they got the Elven trained weapon right.
Leopard: Focuses on the shortsword and spells of illusion and stealth. That's good, Wizards have plenty of those, and the Shortsword makes a pretty good weapon choice.
Red Tiger: Do Tigers that are Red exist in Forgotten Realms? I've never heard of them. This style favors the scimitar, which is a Finesse Weapon. It makes sense that a non-traditional elven weapon is the newest style, just three centuries old. The whirling dance of defense describes the Bladesinger playstyle pretty well.
At this point, the author takes a dive into the shallow end.
Bird.
Eagle style focuses on the handaxe and fluid ways of throwing the weapon and draw a new one. Why? Elves have proficiency with Longbows and Shortbows, which don't disarm you every time you attack. That aside, no matter how fluid your style, throwing handaxes doesn't work with the Bladesinger's 6th level Extra Attack feature, as you can't draw weapons that quickly in DND. It also doesn't work with any Cantrip. So how or why do you actually use this style in the game of Dungeons and Dragons?
Raven: This style uses a Pick, which isn't even a weapon in the PHB. Next, the Raven style uses "spells which grant the bladesinger more agility in combat." To my knowledge, there aren't plural "spells" which grant agility, there is only one, Enhance Ability: Cat's Grace. Shouldn't this be the favored spell of the Cat style? Even then, this spell gives Advantage on Dexerity checks, such as Acrobatics. But the Bladesinger already has advantage on acrobatics. This is the absolute LAST spell any bladesinger should be using.
Snake
Viper: this style uses a whip which "can keep many foes at bay." Actually whips don't keep foes at bay, that's not how Attacks of Opportunity work. It's a common misconception, but AoOs trigger when leaving a threatened area, not when leaving a threatened square to enter another one. It also says it "allows the bladesinger space to cast the cruel spells of poison and disease favored by the style." There are so many things wrong with this. First, Bladesingers have zero disease spells on their class list. None. They have only a few poison spells, but they all have a range of Touch or 10 ft, and if you're using a whip to somehow keep enemies at bay, are useless.
If the author of this list had actually played DND, the most prominent styles would use the Rapier, which most Bladesingers will use because it's the highest-damage Dexterity based weapon, and the Rapier is what Bladesingers used in 2nd Edition. Elves get a bonus to Dexterity. Every bladesinger PC out there is using a Shortsword or Dagger at level 1 and a Rapier after level 2. Every. Single. One. I include the Dagger because it's on the Wizard starting equipment, unlike the shortsword.
It just bugs me to pay the highest $/page ratio for a DND book in history and get content written by people who don't even play the game, or who aren't thinking about DND when writing it.
I like fluff that enhances roleplaying or that I can incorporate into the game. I like fluff written by people who understand the game they're writing it for. I like it when authors understand if they're writing a sourcebook, unlike a novel, should be geared towards being incorporated into the game.
As an aside, the sidebar also mentions Bladesingers getting tattoos of their styles. Think about that for a second. Do Elves ever have tattoos in any of the novels or fiction or fluff? No they don't, because tattoos turn black and disgusting after about 20 years. You wouldn't want some droopy 500 year old tattoo of a smeared mess on your beautiful elven body.