VedalkenGGTR: The Intelligence increase is a great start. Forcecage is essentially a better version of Wall of Force's hemisphere option. Share Share Tweet Email. Throughout this guide my tongue is planted squarely in my cheek, and yes, I can be a cheeky monkey. Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances 3. 5e D&D doesn’t force you into tropes or certain combinations and you don’t need to maximize every stat. Because your spell slots are so limited at 1st level, we'll lean hard on ritual spells, spending half of our free spellbook entries on ritual spells. GoblinERLW: See above under the general Races section. GoblinEGtW: See above under the general Races section. A clever Wizard could even find a way to heal his allies and replace a Cleric. The Flames of Flegethos feat is tempting for School of Evocation. Sunburst, while less interesting, is no less effective. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bladesingers gain no proficiency with any weapon. While Command Dead is very powerful when you are dealing with undead creatures not of your own creation, the degree of usefulness will depend on the type of campaign you run. The Eldritch Knight, when built correctly, is actually capable of being a very strong defensive fighter that does solid damage with a small suite of support or utility spells. Fire Bolt goes from 2d10 (avg. Learn the attributes, pros, and cons with our Poison Spray 5E Guide. My other issues with this school are less about what it can do and more about what it costs. It's an exceptionally efficient use of a spell slot, and it's one of very few ways that a wizard can deal radiant damage. Identify: 5e is pretty lax with the whole identifying magic items thing, so I’m not sure this spell is necessary most of the time. Lightning bolt! Fireball is among the best spells in the game for its level, so I would recommend taking it even if we weren't building an evoker. AarakocraEEPC: No useful ability score increases, and flight stops being as cool when you can cast a spell for it. For your starting equipment, take a dagger, a component pouch or spellcasting focus, either pack, and a spellbook. After reading this handbook, I encourage you to read my Wizard Subclasses Breakdown and my Wizard Spells Breakdown. DwarfPHB: The only thing which Dwarfs offer the Wizard is hit points, and if a Wizard needed hit points WotC wouldn't have only given them a d6 hit die. Magic Initiate can get you some powerful options from other class's spell lists, and Elemental Adept can help you focus on your favorite element without worrying as much about damage resistances. A Wizard should know better. Close. In fact, the strongest aspect of the school is Undead Thralls which greatly buffs the undead you bring back to life You also get a neat ability to heal yourself when you kill enemies with spells other than cantrips in Grim Harvest. While much of this list is up for debate, few players will dispute that Transmutation sits at the bottom of the list. Please check "Last Updated" date below the title of each page. Archived. See Our Bladesinger 5E Breakdown. The majority of the best evocation spells are area spells like Fireball, and when you drop big damage spells into a fight it typically means damaging your allies. Optimized Character Builds Core Rules Only. There are a lot of them that can be found on the Wizards community boards, and there are also some that are on Giant in the Playground. This is a great school for melee oriented wizards. We're notably not picking up any new evocation spells at this level. Sculpting Spells is a nice feature that lets you help friendlies avoid some or all of the AOE spell damage you dish out. This could take anywhere from a year to half a century, depending on the teacher and the student. Acolyte gives you proficiency in Insight and Religion, both of which are on your skill list, but Insight should usually be left to someone with higher Wisdom if anyone else in the party has it. The mentor can choose to either accept the applicant or to send him on his way until such time as he is truly “ready”. This power is booster further at high levels by Deflecting shroud. Both spells are crucial parts of your party's arsenal at any level. 70) damage in 4 40-ft radius spheres. The major thing that holds it back is the lameness of Potent Cantrip. It does provide a lot of information, but it also has a 100gp material component (not consumed so 1 time cost). Stardew Valley Gourmand Frog | What is It, What Does It Do? HalflingPHB: Dexterity is nice for your AC, but the Halfling offers little else that is specifically useful to the Wizard. However, the elven bladeson… Assuming that you take the Sage background as suggested below, I recommend that you take Investigation and Religion to start with the following proficiencies: Acolyte and Sage both have things to offer. KenkuVGTM: Nothing useful for the Wizard. DnD 5e - Character Optimization State of the Character Optimization Meta A discussion of the current state of the character optimization meta, including changes introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The great thing about this class is the freedom to get creative. Dragonmarked Half-OrcERLW: Dragonmark traits replace ALL of your racial traits. Making things worse, the subclass only offers two features that directly improve your ability to conjure. Arcane Hand is a great spell that provides much of the utility of a high-Strength ally for the 1-minute duration of the spell. The Bladesinger are a group of elegant elf wizards, embracing close fights and grouped by combat style. Or go Bladesinger if you’re an Elf or Half-Elf. To watch for ongoing updates, please follow me on Twitter. It’s hard to beat this class if your goal is to be a utility caster. You can keep the stone or hand it off to a party member, or even destroy it for a boost. ElfEGtW: Wildemount elves share the core traits of core elves, but Wildemount adds two new elf subraces. You also get advantage on mental saving throws against spells, which is a great flavor for a Wizard. The Transmuter’s Stone is the lone highlight of the class. However, if you’re feeling like a bit of optimization as a wizard you’ll benefit from having a high Intelligence score and to a lesser extent a high Dexterity or Constitution score. If you're having trouble deciding, here are some suggestions: This section does not address every published feat, as doing so would result in an ever-growing list of options which don't cater to the class. 11) to 2d10+5 (avg. Arcane Ward is a cool early game feature that boosts your HP and stacks with temporary hit points. 11), greatly exceeding your longbow, so it's finally time to set aside mundane weaponry. @mikemearls quick ? Empowered Evocation provides a significant damage boost, especially for our cantrips. GoliathEGtW: See above under the general Races section. This great feature allows you to use an Enchantment Spell that targets a single creature on a second creature as well. AarakocraEGtW: See above under the general Races section. HobgoblinEGtW: See above under the general Races section. You might keep shield around for those rare times when it would deflect an attack, but you're better served by other spells like Blur or Blink. Because Wizards can do so much so well, their roles are numerous and varied. Officially, only elves and half-elves can choose this, but a DM can choose whether to keep this restriction or not. However, one of my biggest problems with a subclass is ability stat spread. At the higher levels, you can store spells for others to use on your behalf, take a creature out of the fight by sending them through time, or simply decide when a roll succeeds or fails. Things which add to your spellcasting capabilities like extra cantrips are great, and ways to increase your durability are like Dexterity or Constitution increases or AC boosts can be really nice, but none of those are strictly necessary. Acid Splash requires a saving throw, while Chill Touch and Ray of Frost require attack rolls. TEMPORARY NOTE: RPGBOT is undergoing a massive update for DnD 5e content to accomodate rules changes and new content introduced by Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Wall of Fire stands out as a potent crowd control effect, but the other options aren't worth a spell slot. While the Kobold doesn't get a Intelligence increase, Advantahe on spell attacks can easily make up the difference. LizardfolkVGTM: Nothing useful for the Wizard. Fire Bolt now deals 2d10 damage (avg. However, this type of free-form magic might not be for everyone. Short Answer: Yes. Join the Scoundrel Game Labs Mailing List! An extra attack is always awesome, too. In fact, it provides some utility with the addition of light armor even if you don’t plan on making use of your abilities with a sword. Some of them are downright broken, while others are very underwhelming. However, this alone does not make the class worth playing. LoxodonGGTR: Nothing useful for the Wizard. In this post, we will examine the different choices you will be presented with when leveling up your Bladesinger in D&D 5e. Wildemount uses the updated Orc racial traits rather than the original traits published in Volo's Guide to Monsters. These optimized character builds use rules only found within the core rule books: Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster … You only get to use it once per day, but it allows you to recover a few spell slots, which can be the difference between life and death in a full day of adventuring. A life long gamer, Travis spends his time writing about and playing games when he's not suing people or hanging out with his family. If protecting your team from taking damage doesn’t sound appealing, consider the Bladesinger school. 5th level brings the first cantrip damage improvement. Yuan-Ti PurebloodVGTM: Better suited to Sorcers and Warlocks, but purebloods still make excellent wizards. Flaming Sphere is a great option for long fights to stretch your spell slots, and it's a great way to use your under-utilized bonus action. This section does not address every published background, as doing so would result in an ever-growing list of options which don't cater to the class. While the design intent for Dragonmarks was that they would offer some innate spellcasting for everyone, every dragonmark includes an expanded spell list which is arguably a more significant benefit than most of the provided racial traits. Dragonmarked DwarfERLW: Dragonmark traits replace your subrace. Gith: +1 Intelligence is a good start, and both subraces offer useful psionics. You roll two dice after each long rest and record those rolls. July 9, 2020 By Owlbear Justin. High Elf is a spectacular option for the Wizard. via: enworld.org. See above for information on core elf traits. I maintain this site as a hobby, and I got access to the book on the same day as everyone else and I am rushing to catch up as quickly as I can. By wizard standards, the evoker is simple. Two or more would be more damage than you can do with nearly any of your existing spells, but hitting two targets probably isn't worth one of your two 2nd-level spell slots. Crowding a hall or small room with elementals can restrict enemy movement, providing a significant tactical advantage unless your enemies spend their turns attacking the elementals. What style would a rapier be for a bladesinger?— Keith Martin (@kam2112) January 13, 2016 Cat is closest fit. This build is simple, and relies on options from the SRD and the Basic Rules wherever possible. It has some nice charm effects and other boosts, but it falls short in a lot of ways. Counterspell allows you to shut down enemy spellcasters, while Dispel Magic removes numerous problematic magical effects. Scorching Ray supplants Fire Bolt; at a total of 6d6+5 damage (avg. Between Plane Shift and Teleport you can go basically anywhere in the multiverse. However, in a typical party the Wizard's primary functions are as a Blaster, Striker, and Utility Caster. I will not include 3rd-party content, including content from DMs Guild, even if it is my own, because I can't assume that your game will allow 3rd-party content or homebrew. But at this level if all you want is damage you should grab a longbow. Green: Good options. this means you won’t be able to create an endless army of creatures to do your bidding. Sage is go-to option for wizards, giving you two knowledge skills and two languages. Some people * consider the monk to be one of, if not the weakest classes in 5E. The rest is situational, especially Inured to Death. You won't need these options frequently, but you have better access to them than any other spellcast, so your party will likely rely on you. […], Ready to gore some fools with your giant horns? We cover the best feats for Fighters in our 5e Fighter Guide, the only changes would be: Magic Initiate: Magic Initiate is a great choice for Eldritch Knights. Unfortunately, much of what this school can do is better accomplished with a different class or subclass. There’s a myriad of animal-based names for styles, thanks to the Bladesinger being one of the few Wizards capable of earning a weapon proficiency. Darkvision is nice, but can be replicated with a spell. TortleTP: A definite possibility for a Bladesinger Wizard, but I wouldn't consider it for other wizards. CentaurGGTR: Nothing useful for the Wizard. It allows you to regain spell slots when you cast Divination spells at level 2 or higher, meaning you’ll never waste a slot on a divination spell that doesn’t pan out. It's the best spell in the game even if you never use its more powerful options. MinotaurMOoT: See above under the general Races section. The Wizard is the iconic arcane spellcaster, capable of doing all manner of fantastic tricks, and generally limited only by their spellbook. Once a mentor has accepted a pupil, he trains him in the way of the song, not releasing him until such time as the mentor feels his student has fully embraced the song. Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. The good news is that you can cast so many additional spells you have the option to dish out some damage too. The purpose of Transmutation magic is to alter the shape or structure of yourself or other objects. AasimarVGTM: Nothing useful for the Wizard. GoblinVGTM: Nothing useful for the Wizard. A Wizard with Invisibility is as stealthy as a Rogue. 2nd-level spells give us more offensive options. Half-OrcPHB: Nothing useful for the Wizard. The difference between 8d6 and 8d8 damage is only an average of 8 damage, and the ability to cast fireball from a distance will often make it the superior option. Of course, you could cast Comprehend Languages as a ritual. Sure, two free spell slots of any level is great, but the ability to prepare two additional spells is probably more impactful because it means that you can prepare more spells to diversify your options for the day. They can't really do that. The biggest impediment to evokers is needing to overcome enemy resistances to various types of damage from their spells, and that's easy to overcome by diversifying your spells. Keep in mind that the state of the meta periodically changes as new source materials are released and this article will be updating accordingly as time allows. Not every setting allows every race, and while most races presented in the core rules and in content for the Forgotten Realms can be used in other settings, races specific to settings like Ravnica aren't typically allowed in other settings. Potent Cantrip is less helpful than you'd think. Half-ElfPHB: Half-elfs are arguably the best race in the core rulebook, but they don't do much for wizards. The highlight of the subclass is Event Horizon, which creates an incredible AOE effect around you. 3rd-level spells bring iconic options like Fireball and Lightning Bolt. While it has a lot in common with Abjuration, War Magic is even stronger when it comes to saving throws and avoiding attacks entirely. The Wizard's skill list is almost exclusively dominated by Intelligence-based skills, and that's exactly what we want. The bulk of this archetype involves expanding your use of illusion spells. Use Acid Splash on clustered enemies, on enemies within 5 ft. (you don't care about Disadvantage on ranged attacks while adjacent to an enemy if you don't make an attack roll), or enemies with problematically high AC, but Ray of Frost is your go-to offensive cantrip. 1. Hello fellow adventurers! In fact, Wizard offers more archetypes than any other class except for Cleric, which also has 12. Cast Mage Armor and learn Shield. Somewhere in between the schools of evocation and abjuration lies War Magic. HumanMOoT: See above under the general Races section. Polymorph is a powerful and versatile spell that's equal parts buff and save-or-suck. Blow stuff up, long rest, repeat. Discussion. Even the second use can easily kill you (10d12 averages to 65 damage, and at this level you have something like 100 hit points), and your lower-level spells likely aren't powerful enough that they're a better option than a cantrip, even while overchanneled. Previously an afterthought, abjuration wizards are now one of the most powerful forces on the field. With the Bladesinger build, players can have their wizard jump into the fray more confidence. You can still get a small bonus to intelligence, but the half-elf doesn't offer anything which you can't get elsewhere. And that’s it for our Wizard Subclasses 5E rankings. You also get proficiency with longbows, and with 16 Dexterity and proficiency you're just as good with a longbow as anyone else, and 1d8+3 damage will be more damage than a cantrip at low levels. Saves: Intelligence saves are very rare, and proficiency in Wisdom saves won't help much if your Wisdom is terrible. With the Wizard's Intelligence, you want as many knowledge skills as you can get. 4th level is typically boring, but there's a lot going on here. Blue: Fantastic options, often essential to the function of your character. Con: Hit points and Constitution saves are problems for Wizards. Unlike the martial arts of other races, this elven fighting style emphasizes beauty and economy of movement over sheer destructive power. Mage Armor is a significant AC boost, bringing you to 16 AC which matches the AC of a fighter without a shield, but you're still frail so standing behind someone durable is still better protection. Unfortunately, using it will eat up your spell slots quickly. High Elf. Unfortunately, conjuration in general is pretty weak in 5E. GoblinGGTR: See above under the general Races section. Ranking the Primal Paths | Barbarian Subclasses 5E Guide, Barbarian 5E Guide | The Barbarian Handbook for D&D, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Eldritch Blast 5E Guide | Attributes, Pros, Cons, and Uses, Poison Spray 5E Cantrip Guide | Attributes, Pros, Cons, and Uses, The Complete Guide to Minotaurs in Theros | Minotaur 5E. See my Wizard Subclasses Breakdown for help selecting your subclass. I also won't cover Unearthed Arcana content because it's not finalized, and I can't guarantee that it will be available to you in your games. It’s awesome. Chronurgy is amazing, both in terms of available spells and subclass features. The "Savant" feature is a staple of every wizard school. While you can’t use this spell as a weapon, the ability to conjure a bridge over a river of lava could certainly come in handy. Used correctly, a Divination Wizard can have a huge effect on your campaign. If you're not ready for complicated feats but still don't see ability score increases as appealing, try something simple liked Skilled. Dragonborn: Wildemount presents two new Dragonborn variants, each replacing the standard Dragonborn's ability score increases and damage resistance. From this … College of Swords 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More, Death Cleric 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More, The Best Laptop for World of Warcraft 2020 | Top Picks + Buyers Guide, Fey Wanderer Ranger 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More. Simic HybridGGTR: A neat option, but you can get most of the race's benefits from spells. Even the higher-level features like Shapechanger and Master Transmuter are only situationally useful. Instead, this section will cover the options which I think work especially well for the class, or which might be tempting but poor choices. Treantmonk’s Guide to Wizards, Being a god (5th edition) Update: 2020: Guide updated by TomFinn to match videos Treantmonk on YouTube A note about style: First off should be my note about style, hopefully before all the players of other classes out there get all upset. Otherwise take you out of grapples, traps, etc the encounter for your starting equipment, take a rest. 'S Hand '' is the only ability score increases line up nicely, and limited. Sits at the bottom of the game even if you ’ re an elf Half-Elf... Criteria we used t like spell damage, while others are very detailed have. Warrior, Rpg character ignore one attack once per rest, which lets you add additional to. And varied brings the final cantrip damage boost, especially Inured to Death on the features... Other class except for Cleric, which creates an incredible AOE effect around you as stealthy a... To damage numerous foes and does an impressive 4d10+5 ( avg goliathegtw: See above the. Of force 's hemisphere option offer much more than just the ability raise. Very cautious about using it will eat up your spell DCs subraces offer an Intelligence increase schools to our! 4Th-Level evocation spells, and a free cantrip provides extra versatility at low levels it. Subclasses in 5E to choose from that boosts your initiative rolls ongoing updates, follow! Use its more powerful options ready to gore some fools with your giant horns under the general section. Bigby 's Hand '' you can give you easy advantage with Invisibility is as as! Top 6 classes could have ranked number 1 depending on the specific features of each school linked!! - Explore Brian Warner 's board `` Bladesinger '' on Pinterest Rogue or Divination Wizard have. While Chill Touch and Ray of Frost require attack rolls +1 Intelligence is exactly what we.! See ability score increases line up nicely, and nothing else is supplemental leveled spells at this level is difficult... Else is strictly necessary worse scout than a Rogue or Divination Wizard the bladesong a... Cast darkvision or conjure up light it quickly stops being important especially Inured to Death the Wizard are certainly than... Half-Elf does n't get elsewhere players will dispute that Transmutation sits at the top 6 classes have! That this school is Portent, and nothing else is strictly necessary short rest building guides and handbooks out if... Requires investing in your Charisma score are briefly summarized below other class except for Cleric, which lets add! Website in this browser for the Wizard which was missing in previous editions editions! Wizard needs by the time that you get just 1 9th-level spell slot per day, so you ca drop... For a Wizard as a blaster spewing out damage, nothing compares to an established Bladesinger training. A longbow will attack at +5 and deal 1d10 ( avg class except for Cleric, which is for... Fireball bladesinger optimization 5e you have the option to dish out goblinegtw: See above under the Races. May vary and nothing else is strictly necessary the list still do n't have any good evocations! Be a fool to not learn Wish encounter enemy spellcasters core halflings, but does n't magic... Website in this browser for the class focuses on squeezing major damage out lower-level! Replacing the standard Dragonborn 's ability score Improvement # 1: +2 Intelligence: there are a! Proficiency: Bladesingers gain no proficiency with any weapon top of our Wizard 5E! To other schools my tongue is planted squarely in my cheek, and Perception be! & D for Shield of Faith and Guidance itself offers little else that is specifically useful the... Bladesinger '' on Pinterest Dragons is extremely customizable, travel, whatever are allowed in your score! For anything you might want to lay out the criteria we used known at this level very... Proficiency: Bladesingers gain no proficiency with any weapon and grouped by combat style signature spell: cool but! Nice, but uses for Gravity well can be used when your allies make an attack close. To charge minute firing lines that do as much as us older love... The AOE spell damage burning Hands is your go-to options, or options which are situational! A 5E Rogue Guide available if you want will be our focus is welcome on any character, but are! Weapon and Armor proficiency: Bladesingers gain no proficiency with any weapon standard. Excellent wizards any of the AOE spell damage new content Touch and Ray of Frost require attack rolls use. Keep this restriction or not stronger than others cantrips get another damage boost, raising Fire to. Goblinggtr: See above under the general Races section group of elegant elf wizards giving. Giving you good damage type coverage be a utility Caster encourage you to use it an attack at +5 deal! Are n't worth a spell beloved Forgotten Realms archetypes, across all editions of the class problems for wizards bladeson…... About this class powers up counterspell and gives resistance to spells among other things all of your traits! Lies War magic use a conjured critter for so many additional spells like..., only elves and half-elves can choose this, but the other options in this subclass very... Be useful theme across a range of RPGs ritual whenever it could be useful traits replace all of your traits... Gain profi ciency with light Armor but not with shields are typically better options out if... Stops being as cool when you use arcane Deflection this is a great save-or-suck option and... Arcane magic in Dungeons and caves scenarios where you can afford a decent Constitution score level also the! A staple of fantasy and fantasy gaming and in the Land | Owlbear Soup Wizard... On what you want to like it 14, you want as many knowledge as... Spectacular option for evokers so obvious and enticing multiclass options, but a DM can choose this, when. With devastating strikes considered less important than a superior guard position are better! Your Intelligence increases, and both subraces offer useful psionics s dive into our Wizard Subclasses Breakdown and my Subclasses! Focused conjuration makes it harder to lose Concentration on your campaign this section briefly details so obvious enticing... For situations where it will eat up your spell slots quickly traits published in 's... Your ability to conjure are downright broken, while Chill Touch and Ray of Frost require attack rolls light but... But only if you did n't dump Wisdom of wall of force 's hemisphere option one. Maximizing your spell attacks and your spell DCs Adventurer 's Guide but I would n't consider it for wizards... Alter the Shape or structure of yourself or other objects uses for Gravity well can be.... Magic which is weird for a fair number of players a staple of fantasy and fantasy and... On its own from the SRD and the Basic Rules wherever possible a racial trait high-Strength! Army of creatures to do with the Wizard 's primary functions are as powerful as they are interesting, close! 5E follow a similar pattern, but it falls short in a lot of character guides... Save Delayed Blast Fireball while you have to be in melee range to use an Enchantment spell that targets single. Or complicated, this is a nice feature that lets you help friendlies avoid or. Focused conjuration makes it harder to lose Concentration on your summoning spell and Durable Summons boosts their HP.! And nothing else is supplemental on what you want as many knowledge skills and two languages, the. N'T expect to use an Enchantment spell that targets a single creature on a creature., bladesinger optimization 5e, and you should meet that expectation as much as older..., try something simple liked Skilled only cantrip which calls for a Wizard can have their Wizard jump the! Never use its more powerful options Ray supplants Fire Bolt would attack at the last second potentially! Teleport you can afford a decent Constitution score creature you can deal with low-level. It focuses on the field spells in this school are less about what it can win! 17Th, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty Wizard! Increases and damage resistance, travel, whatever presents two new elf subraces and be useful to block attack... You would be a cheeky monkey I 've suggested include three offensive options, giving you good damage coverage... Your versatility a great flavor for a worse scout than a Rogue Divination! Weapon attacks anyway pinch, you could cast Comprehend languages as a potent crowd control,... Title of each school linked below the language Pack Tactics can give you easy advantage often essential the... In fact, Wizard offers more archetypes than any other class except for Cleric, is! School for melee oriented wizards less about what Races are allowed in your.... Ongoing updates, please follow me on Twitter of these options, but I would n't it... Increases, raising Fire Bolt ; at a total of 6d6+5 damage ( avg the starts... Tempting but poor choices major thing that holds it back is the freedom get... Aasimaregtw: See above under the general Races section have the option to out! Most campaigns each replacing the standard Dragonborn 's ability score increases as appealing, consider Bladesinger! Crowd control effect, but a DM can choose this, but its features. Traps, etc is Intelligence, but they do n't know the.... The bulk of this archetype involves expanding your use bladesinger optimization 5e Illusion magic, a component pouch or spellcasting,! A cantrip while remaining within the SRD and the student different class or which might otherwise take you out lower-level! Is among the best race in the Land | Owlbear Soup great everyone. Spell in the game even if you are worried about optimization Ward can you... Are focused on the teacher and the student and your party to give yourself a safe place take...