Best Feats for Bladesinger Wizards 5e
by Prince Phantom
Bladesingers are an incredibly popular Wizard subclass, and for good reason. The image of a warrior mixing magic with swordplay is well represented in media and pop culture. The mechanics of the subclass seem to be aiming to fix the main issue of the Wizard: durability. How well does it perform at this task? About as well as it could while still retaining some semblance of balance in my opinion. That being said, don’t be fooled into believing you are a tank. These defensive buffs mean we won’t instantly collapse like a jenga tower when opposed by a stiff breeze, not that we can go toe-to-toe with Pit Fiends.
Let’s also not forget that we are still Wizards, and spellcasting is still the strongest tool in our box. Feat selection then is difficult, and unique when compared to other Wizards. We are looking for defensive options and ways to bring our weapon attacks on par with an actual martial. Our utility and spellcasting is pretty well taken care of just by virtue of being a Wizard. We are also dependent on 3 different ability scores, so we have to really want a feat to take it over an ability score increase.
Best Feats for Bladesinger Wizards 5e
Sharpshooter/Crossbow Expert (ASAP): Ha! You thought I wouldn’t start an article with these just because we’re a full caster? Wrong! Your next question is probably wondering why I’m recommending ranged options when Bladesinger only gives us proficiency in a single melee weapon. Introducing a Bladesinger’s best friend: a 1 level dip in fighter. In fact, I recommend starting as Fighter 1, then going the rest of your levels in Wizard. This gives us Constitution saving throw proficiency, all weapon proficiency, a fighting style, and second wind for a small bonus heal every short rest. Delaying our extra attack from Bladesinger doesn’t hurt as much as it would for a normal martial because we have 3rd level spells at that point. Wielding a hand crossbow at range is also the biggest boost to our defense we can possibly get, and it allows us to only activate Bladesong on the biggest fights of the day, since our uses are very limited at low levels. All and all, I cannot recommend the ranged Bladesinger enough. You’ll deal more damage, take less damage, and have a much easier time placing your Fireballs when you don’t have to worry about being in the blast radius yourself. As usual, take Crossbow Expert first, then Sharpshooter.
Alert (Lv 8) : As a Wizard, our primary job is still control, and control spells are a lot better the sooner in combat you cast them. Laying down a Web, Hypnotic Pattern, Wall of Force, etc. before the enemy gets a chance to act can swing the tide of battle significantly. Anyone can make weapon attacks and do decently at it, only you can neutralize a swarm of orcs with a level 2 spell. Side note: this is a PSA to know your spells better. Control spells in particular can completely shut down certain combats, and be utterly useless in others. Web destroys grounded enemies, but is very limited in use against flying ones. Hypnotic pattern is game breaking as long as the enemy isn’t immune to charm. Pay attention to what you’re fighting and choose your opening spell accordingly.
Metamagic Adept (Lv 8): Take Quicken Spell and your favorite other metamagic and have a very powerful opening turn for your most important combat each day. Control spell + two Sharpshooter attacks is a tried and true strategy to absolutely trivialize a deadly encounter. Alternatively, Fireball + two Sharpshooter attacks is more nova damage than most dedicated nova builds can produce at this level.
Resilient (Lv 12): If you started as a Fighter, take it for Wisdom saves, if you started as a Wizard, take it for Constitution. Thanks to Bladesong, our concentration checks are good enough that we don’t need War Caster as long as we can get proficiency in Con saves somehow.
Tough (Lv 12): If you find yourself going down a lot despite your good defenses, this is a good pickup at this level. An extra 24 hp goes a long way when you are definitely sitting at under 100 hp right now. This is an even better choice if you started as a Fighter and are finding that your DM isn’t throwing many Wisdom saves your way.
Lucky (Lv 16): Use this for saving throws and whenever your enemy gets a nat 20 when attacking you. Crits hurt a lot at this level, and even just turning a crit into a regular hit can be the difference between life and death. Be picky about your uses and you’ll find Lucky serves you very well.
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