Bladesinger in the right thread!

[jadiusmaximus]

Ok, so here's what i'm thinking for a Bladesinger.
Elf, 12 Wiz EK, 8 Fighter, focused on melee.

I would build around Harper and Int to hit/dam/saves
SWF (I am hoping the orb in off hand will help compensate for losses from no TWF but i've never played with one)
Enhancements invested heavily into Harper and EK to Tensers, stack INT, and Longsword buffs from Elf.
Use spells to buff since i'll prob miss out on some Action boosts.
Will wear heavy armor and work towards no spell failure through harper/elf/EK whichever. (mixed with elf plate or something looks like spell failure not a big deal)
Someone posted the idea of using swashbuckler for sonic damage to get the bladesong effect but i just dont see 2 levels of bard adding much since i'm running heavy armor.
That gives me 3 spellsword toggles, tensers, int based attack/damage/saves, weapon crit buffing, a bit of melee AOE, and just some fun stuff from elf like see invis all the time, etc.

I would be melee so i'm thinking it isn't as necessary to have high DC's for damaging spells.

All this is based around what i know of D&D, not DDO so if i am waaaaay off on something please let me know. If this is totally gimp, let me know. Otherwise it seems like a fun concept.

If your still reading... I'm contrasting this to an INT based Assassinate Rogue 18/ 2 tempest character that i was first thinking of playing. While I'm thinking Assassinate rogue would be the 'easier/ straight forward' thing to play I just really miss Bladesinger. But, if anyone thinks there is no contest between output of an Assassinate rogue vs This Bladesinger concept please say something. I love flavor but i don't want to be a total gimp.
Thanks all! here's a rough total of enhancement if you want to see what the output would be without looking at FEATS: has another 4 points left to spend.

to hit +2%
Longsword specific +5 hit/ +4dam
Int +6
Int bonus to hit/dam/saves
3 spellsword toggles for +9d4 elemental dam/hit
Know the Angles for int bonus damage
Doublestrike +7%
Healing amp: +10
PRR (when shield spell on) +10
Confirm crit +3
Crit dam +3
Force spell power +20
Universal spell power + approx 16%
Melee power +2
Arcane spell failure -20%
Weapon attacks gain "On Vorpal" from Kensai up to +10 enhancement (not sure if this stacks with harper enhancement)
Auto see invis, auto search checks at -4,
Tensers for full BAB etc.
can fill out with some more buffs to longsword hit/dam or doublestrike/ or some survivability if needed.

[unbongwah]

For SWF builds, it's very hard to beat the crit bonuses from Swashbuckler on a bard 3+ splash; and rapiers beat longswords even without Swashie bonuses and elves get bonuses to both. The only downsides are being restricted to light armor (& bucklers if going S&B) and losing your lvl 18 enhancement in your primary PrE (not having lich form on an INT-based wiz build is...unfortunate).

[dunklezhan]

Ok, so here's what i'm thinking for a Bladesinger.
Elf, 12 Wiz EK, 8 Fighter, focused on melee.

I have a great-axe swinging half orc one of these at L27. Lots of fun, DPS is adequate only but I only have half decent named weapons (cormyr axe, CITW axe, a T2 thunderforged, some other situationals) and half decent to average equipment. AP are also spread very thin - EK, PM (for wraith) a bit of kensai and a couple of points in some horc racials. Still, EE aside, extremely survivable (defense mostly comes from avoidance, but with hide of goristro and EK SLAs the AC is a good 40% avoidance on it's own I think). Is also a 32pt first lifer with at most +2 stat tomes and not on every stat - so perhaps EH is not a bad expectation anyway. Not quite a bladesinger, but still.

I'm also levelling one of these, for fun, though clearly the enhancements have changed the build is still fine: http://ddowiki.com/page/Elven_Bladesinger

That one is about L14 and still plenty of fun (Scimitar TWF). Pretty strong, less survivable without a hire, because I haven't gone PM at all. This one is mostly Kensai and EK investment. Again, not really a true bladesinger as TWF, but certainly has the caster/melee flavour and it does work.

[FuzzyDuck81]

An elf 15paladin/5wizard could be a good option too (or 14/6, but that way you wouldn't be able to have DW or zeal in addition to holy sword.. maybe even 14pal/5wiz/1fvs or cleric to cram in SP-powered divine might for even more STR & less AP than going in KOTC? same loss of spell slot though) - you could stack sacred defender & perma-tenser for a nice stat boost, then take the elven dragonmark for a long-lasting displacement, have that handy shields-up proc from EK, shield & mage armour SLAs from there too for extra AC & PRR, and since you wouldn't really be using arcane spells the spell failure chance wouldn't be an issue most of the time.

[elcagador]

Ok, so here's what i'm thinking for a Bladesinger.
Elf, 12 Wiz EK, 8 Fighter, focused on melee.

I would build around Harper and Int to hit/dam/saves
SWF (I am hoping the orb in off hand will help compensate for losses from no TWF but i've never played with one)
Enhancements invested heavily into Harper and EK to Tensers, stack INT, and Longsword buffs from Elf.
Use spells to buff since i'll prob miss out on some Action boosts.
Will wear heavy armor and work towards no spell failure through harper/elf/EK whichever. (mixed with elf plate or something looks like spell failure not a big deal)
Someone posted the idea of using swashbuckler for sonic damage to get the bladesong effect but i just dont see 2 levels of bard adding much since i'm running heavy armor.
That gives me 3 spellsword toggles, tensers, int based attack/damage/saves, weapon crit buffing, a bit of melee AOE, and just some fun stuff from elf like see invis all the time, etc.

I would be melee so i'm thinking it isn't as necessary to have high DC's for damaging spells.

All this is based around what i know of D&D, not DDO so if i am waaaaay off on something please let me know. If this is totally gimp, let me know. Otherwise it seems like a fun concept.

If your still reading... I'm contrasting this to an INT based Assassinate Rogue 18/ 2 tempest character that i was first thinking of playing. While I'm thinking Assassinate rogue would be the 'easier/ straight forward' thing to play I just really miss Bladesinger. But, if anyone thinks there is no contest between output of an Assassinate rogue vs This Bladesinger concept please say something. I love flavor but i don't want to be a total gimp.
Thanks all! here's a rough total of enhancement if you want to see what the output would be without looking at FEATS: has another 4 points left to spend.

to hit +2%
Longsword specific +5 hit/ +4dam
Int +6
Int bonus to hit/dam/saves
3 spellsword toggles for +9d4 elemental dam/hit
Know the Angles for int bonus damage
Doublestrike +7%
Healing amp: +10
PRR (when shield spell on) +10
Confirm crit +3
Crit dam +3
Force spell power +20
Universal spell power + approx 16%
Melee power +2
Arcane spell failure -20%
Weapon attacks gain "On Vorpal" from Kensai up to +10 enhancement (not sure if this stacks with harper enhancement)
Auto see invis, auto search checks at -4,
Tensers for full BAB etc.
can fill out with some more buffs to longsword hit/dam or doublestrike/ or some survivability if needed.

Why so many fighter levels? If you try for keen edge you are already very tight on Ap between Harper, knight, pale master, stalwart, etc.
I'd go with 17 Wiz/3 fighter or 16 wiz/4 Fighter if going for t4 stalwart abilities. That way can get better self healing from PM with shroud of the wraith, more sp, and could use lvl 8 spells like black dragon bolt, also could use web spell for some cc (no spell resistance feats needed) like spiderman builds. Could use Harper tree mainly (I prefer harper tree over Eldritch knight for dps as Intelligence based). Also I'd go drow elf instead elf for more int.
Meele style could be swf + orb, could use a kophesh for better crit dmg or if have good named weapons no need for exotic feat.

Action points could be mainly harper (around 33-36 ap )for meele power, imp deception, spell power, int to hit and dmg + kta, etc; pale master around 21-24 ap for shroud of wraith; Stalwart defender around 9 ap for stalwart stance+prr/mrr+saves (or 24 ap if going for swift defense +20%hitpoints+ 6 con with the 4 fighter splash); archmage 6 ap for web sla; rest on eldritch knight 6ap at least for 5% arcane spell failure; drow 6-9 ap for arcane fluidity and int.

[unbongwah]

15paladin/5wizard

I've got a BF based on this split: primarily a melee build, but with extra feats & defensive buffs from wiz lvls. Spent about 14 APs into EK for +3% doublestrike, EK Cleave, Imp Mage Armor & Shield, and Arcane Barrier. I first made this build pre-U23 and back then I went for T5 EK (perma-Tensers etc.); but right now KotC is a much stronger DPS tree, so that's where I put the majority of my APs (Avenging Cleave etc.).

[nobdog]

I'm running a melee wizard right now based roughly on the Shadovar Infiltrator build found on the wizard forums(i went 18wiz/1clr/1rog).

I'm gonna strongly recommend against going to top tier in EK. You are already getting Heavy armor proficiency elsewhere and tensors is virtually worthless if yer going INT based. The attack speed gain is negligible, even more-so for you since you've got a better BAB than I do with that many fighter levels. I have a blue augment in my orb that lowers ASF by 10% and am able to wear full plate with only the lower EK enhancements and the elf ones.

I am a bit curious why you are set on going heavy armor. As someone who is into D&D outside of DDO, a Bladesinger is almost always light or no armor. Heavy armor is indeed awesome right now, but the swashbuckler tree is really right up Bladesong alley.

the melee wizard plays very fun, honestly you dont need to splash as heavily as you have planned. even 2 levels of fighter will make a very solid "mage knight" type of character(again I hesitate to call a character in full plate a Bladesinger).

[jadiusmaximus]

I'm running a melee wizard right now based roughly on the Shadovar Infiltrator build found on the wizard forums(i went 18wiz/1clr/1rog).

I'm gonna strongly recommend against going to top tier in EK. You are already getting Heavy armor proficiency elsewhere and tensors is virtually worthless if yer going INT based. The attack speed gain is negligible, even more-so for you since you've got a better BAB than I do with that many fighter levels. I have a blue augment in my orb that lowers ASF by 10% and am able to wear full plate with only the lower EK enhancements and the elf ones.

I am a bit curious why you are set on going heavy armor. As someone who is into D&D outside of DDO, a Bladesinger is almost always light or no armor. Heavy armor is indeed awesome right now, but the swashbuckler tree is really right up Bladesong alley.

the melee wizard plays very fun, honestly you dont need to splash as heavily as you have planned. even 2 levels of fighter will make a very solid "mage knight" type of character(again I hesitate to call a character in full plate a Bladesinger).

you are totally right and now i feel like a goon. I can't seem to remember where i got the elven plate fighter wiz type character from then. thought for sure it was bladesinger but after googling some 2nd ed/3.0 editions definitely not it. Now i have no idea where i got the concept from...wonder if there was a book series i am somehow mushing in with the blade singer.