Fighter/Wizard multiclass build help?

[Dragoon Fighter]

Hopefully this is the right place, but I am wanting to build a multi-class of Fighter/Wizard and I have several ideas for builds l, but feel unsure on which I should go with or if there is something better I can do. Here are my build ideas so far. Battlemaster 4 and Blade singer 16 using feats to max dex and int taking the weapon master feat to get the mariner fighting style and for fighter's fighting style get dueling. Alternatively go 12 levels in battlemaster and 8 levels in evocation or war mage, for varient human get the feat weapon master for the defensive style instead of mariner style as I can use a shield as I wouldn't be bladesinger in this build. I thought about picking up the manuvers I want real badly with a feat and maybe going eldritch knight instead which might work for the build where I put more levels into fighter. Alternatively Alternatively I could put 8 levels into battlemaster fighter and put the remaining levels into wizard. IDK what do you guys think?

[Dork_Forge]

Hopefully this is the right place, but I am wanting to build a multi-class of Fighter/Wizard and I have several ideas for builds l, but feel unsure on which I should go with or if there is something better I can do. Here are my build ideas so far. Battlemaster 4 and Blade singer 16 using feats to max dex and int taking the weapon master feat to get the mariner fighting style and for fighter's fighting style get dueling. Alternatively go 12 levels in battlemaster and 8 levels in evocation or war mage, for varient human get the feat weapon master for the defensive style instead of mariner style as I can use a shield as I wouldn't be bladesinger in this build. I thought about picking up the manuvers I want real badly with a feat and maybe going eldritch knight instead which might work for the build where I put more levels into fighter. Alternatively Alternatively I could put 8 levels into battlemaster fighter and put the remaining levels into wizard. IDK what do you guys think?

Are you using a homebrewed version of Weapon Master? In the PHB it's just a half feat that gives proficiency with 4 weapons of choice. Otherwise I think you'd be better off going 6 Fighter 14 Bladesinger (unless there's a certain spell you want), how much of a focus on melee were you after?

[Bobthewizard]

If you want primarily a caster, I wouldn't multi class at all. Straight spell caster almost always is better and more fun than a delayed spell caster, even with armor and action surge.

As primarily a Battlemaster, dipping 3 levels of wizard after level 5 can make you feel like an Eldritch Knight but with maneuvers. So Battlemaster 5, then wizard 3 for shield, absorb elements, misty step and shadow blade. After fighter 11, then go wizard 9 for better shadow blade and more spells. Personally, I think maneuvers would be more fun on this build than the 3 extra levels of spell slots from Eldritch Knight, but you could go either way. I'd go DEX based with a rapier and shield and take dueling.

I wouldn't mix blade singer and fighter. The abilities are redundant. Bladesong doesn't work with armor. You'd be doubling up extra attack.

[Dork_Forge]

If you want primarily a caster, I wouldn't multi class at all. Straight spell caster almost always is better and more fun than a delayed spell caster, even with armor and action surge.

As primarily a Battlemaster, dipping 3 levels of wizard after level 5 can make you feel like an Eldritch Knight but with maneuvers. So Battlemaster 5, then wizard 3 for shield, absorb elements, misty step and shadow blade. After fighter 11, then go wizard 9 for better shadow blade and more spells. Personally, I think maneuvers would be more fun on this build than the 3 extra levels of spell slots from Eldritch Knight, but you could go either way. I'd go DEX based with a rapier and shield and take dueling.

I wouldn't mix blade singer and fighter. The abilities are redundant. Bladesong doesn't work with armor. You'd be doubling up extra attack.

Blade Song works with light armor and more importantly with Mage Armor, you may get a higher base AC with regular armor but unless you're going the Medium Armor Master route you're not going to benefit enough to warrant anything higher than light armor. Slap a +3 Int onto your already 18 (MA) AC and you're pushing mundane plate AC limits with room to grow that further and Shield at the ready if need be.

Otherwise what's redundant? The only thing you're doubling up on is Extra Attack which is going to happen on a lot of builds anyway, extra move speed is always nice and that Shadow Blade is going to benefit from the bonus to Conc saves.

[GlenSmash!]

Are you using a homebrewed version of Weapon Master? In the PHB it's just a half feat that gives proficiency with 4 weapons of choice. Otherwise I think you'd be better off going 6 Fighter 14 Bladesinger (unless there's a certain spell you want), how much of a focus on melee were you after?

I have seen a homebrew variant here: http://gdnd.wikidot.com/feats#toc49 that lets you pick a fighting style instead of weapons.

Note to the OP, that is not how the actual feat works, though that may not matter to your DM.

This is the text of the actual feat:


You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice. Each one must be a simple or a martial weapon.

[Bobthewizard]

Blade Song works with light armor and more importantly with Mage Armor, you may get a higher base AC with regular armor but unless you're going the Medium Armor Master route you're not going to benefit enough to warrant anything higher than light armor. Slap a +3 Int onto your already 18 (MA) AC and you're pushing mundane plate AC limits with room to grow that further and Shield at the ready if need be.

Otherwise what's redundant? The only thing you're doubling up on is Extra Attack which is going to happen on a lot of builds anyway, extra move speed is always nice and that Shadow Blade is going to benefit from the bonus to Conc saves.

I like Bladesinger a lot. Just not sure dipping into fighter is worth it. I think the two most important things you get on a wizard from fighter are armor and extra attack and you don't need these on a bladesinger. You already get blade song and extra attack so you don't get as much from fighter as other wizards. You can make a fun character with it, but I'd rather stay wizard and get spells faster. It works well with shadow blade, but if I'm making a shadow blade build, I'd rather use armor all the time and get battle master maneuvers, than blade song twice per short rest (not sure if that's right). Lots of ways to skin this cat though.

[Dork_Forge]

I like Bladesinger a lot. Just not sure dipping into fighter is worth it. I think the two most important things you get on a wizard from fighter are armor and extra attack and you don't need these on a bladesinger. You already get blade song and extra attack so you don't get as much from fighter as other wizards. You can make a fun character with it, but I'd rather stay wizard and get spells faster. It works well with shadow blade, but if I'm making a shadow blade build, I'd rather use armor all the time and get battle master maneuvers, than blade song twice per short rest (not sure if that's right). Lots of ways to skin this cat though.

Twice per short rest is right, though there's nothing stopping a Battle Master Blade Singer dip? As for Fighter dips on a Blade Singer it comes down to what you want out it, frequently I see advice that basically amounts to only go melee for x-z levels then switch to essentially just being a regular Wizard, but if someone is looking to go Fighter/Wizard it lends to more of a wanting to be in melee. As for why dipping Fighter you get the proficiencies, more hp, a fighting style and beyond that Action Surge and whatever subclass abilities you like.

Lots of different ways to do it though for sure.

[Bobthewizard]

Twice per short rest is right, though there's nothing stopping a Battle Master Blade Singer dip? As for Fighter dips on a Blade Singer it comes down to what you want out it, frequently I see advice that basically amounts to only go melee for x-z levels then switch to essentially just being a regular Wizard, but if someone is looking to go Fighter/Wizard it lends to more of a wanting to be in melee. As for why dipping Fighter you get the proficiencies, more hp, a fighting style and beyond that Action Surge and whatever subclass abilities you like.

Lots of different ways to do it though for sure.

I'd probably take Aburation to stack temp HP on a fighter with armor and a shield and make this a tank. When I first read the Shadowblade spell I felt it would be good for a Bladesinger/Eldritch knight combo but when I tried to plan out the levels, I never felt like it was as good as a straight Bladesinger. I'm not a fan of fighter 2 then wizard X because your always behind spells. Then by the time you can dip 2 levels for action surge, it always seemed better to stick with wizard and get the next level of spells. I've always felt that a wizard dip on a fighter after level 5 is better than a fighter dip on a wizard.

If you were to make a Fighter/Bladesinger, how would you level it up? I couldn't figure it out.

[Dork_Forge]

I'd probably take Aburation to stack temp HP on a fighter with armor and a shield and make this a tank. When I first read the Shadowblade spell I felt it would be good for a Bladesinger/Eldritch knight combo but when I tried to plan out the levels, I never felt like it was as good as a straight Bladesinger. I'm not a fan of fighter 2 then wizard X because your always behind spells. Then by the time you can dip 2 levels for action surge, it always seemed better to stick with wizard and get the next level of spells. I've always felt that a wizard dip on a fighter after level 5 is better than a fighter dip on a wizard.

If you were to make a Fighter/Bladesinger, how would you level it up? I couldn't figure it out.

I've never been much of a fan of Abj for that, it basically just covers the hp lost by the Wizard hit die. I'd rather go for something like BS or War Wizard and pick up the hp slack with Tough.

As in Fighter dipping BS? If you're going primarily Fighter then there's no reason to go higher than 4th level in Wizard really (if EK) as the main things you'd want are Shadow Blade, Shield and Misty Step. Break down wise I'd go F1/W3/F5/W1/F10 (if you're using rolled badly or just want an ASI earlier than just take all the Wizard levels together) taking dueling as the style and using a Rapier when SB is unavailable, if you don't want to be relying on Mage Armor too much then you could go Defense but I think the bonus flat damage is more important overall than saving a slot.

You get Extra Attack at 8th, but between Shadow Blade and melee cantrips you're not really missing out on anything and you have Action Surge for Nova as needed. A primary Fighter/Bladesinger dip using anything other than EK gets a bit meh in later levels if magic weapons are around unless you dip heavier into Wizard to upcast shadowblade but you can definitely still enjoy a BM or Samurai (especially with Elven Accuracy) primary too.

[Bobthewizard]

Break down wise I'd go F1/W3/F5/W1/F10 (if you're using rolled badly or just want an ASI earlier than just take all the Wizard levels together) taking dueling as the style and using a Rapier when SB is unavailable

That looks good. I'd play that for a fighter/wizard combo. Not sure where I went wrong when I tried it. I think I was trying to get extra attack early and it pushed back shadow blade. I'd maybe add one more level of wizard to get 3rd level spells. You'd end at EK 15, BS 5 with 10th level caster spell slots.

[Dork_Forge]

That looks good. I'd play that for a fighter/wizard combo. Not sure where I went wrong when I tried it. I think I was trying to get extra attack early and it pushed back shadow blade. I'd maybe add one more level of wizard to get 3rd level spells. You'd end at EK 15, BS 5 with 10th level caster spell slots.

In that case I'd probably finish up Wizard to W5 after getting to total of F6 then switch back over, it's a good split and you'd end up with 3rd level spells a lot earlier but yeah Extra Attack isn't needed on this build before 8th, Shadow Blade and melee cantrips more than make up for the damage.