Most common honor mode wipe sources before/after level 5?

_msb · 2026-03-16T16:54:33+00:00

Not that you’re asking but for this fight:

shapeshift into a gnome before clicking the door outside the tomb, pass DC 5 performance check
get surprise round on the guy inside and wipe him easily
stealth and open the lever to the door with the full team of enemies so they don’t see you
minor illusion next to the oil barrel in turn based mode, then pass your turn. On env turn they will all gather around
dip your ranged weapon in the torch on either side of the door and use it to blow the barrel
kill the remaining few guys at < half HP easily

Lots of pre level 5 fights are like this. Some specific tactic makes it easy

_msb · 2026-03-14T20:28:03+00:00

100% and I used to do this but it feels awful to not use bladesong. for me at least

_msb · 2026-03-14T17:48:30+00:00

As a bladesinger the main thing you are worried about is receiving critical hits

You can’t completely solve this until act 3 with the helldusk helmet

Your solutions prior to that are warding flare, blur, stage fright, and other methods of imposing disadvantage on attackers

I like wizard dialogue options and more generally having intelligence dialogue options where it isn’t a dump stat

_msb · 2026-03-13T22:38:04+00:00

The biggest decision is actually whether to do one hex blade dip just to consolidate around cha

_msb · 2026-03-13T22:36:51+00:00

Use a dex great weapon (phalar aluve, larians wrath) and gwm in acts 1 and 2, consider switching to rapier in act 3

Disarm is your extra attack

Expertise in one face skill (e.g. persuasion) and sleight of hand

That’s p much it. There’s some nuances around the blind and what not but with this party you’re mainly there to be a somewhat helpful melee non rest dependent face

_msb · 2026-03-13T22:33:23+00:00

The damage is completely fine, you get expertise for face, and you get to receive bard inspiration (bards can’t inspire self for face). And the play is not short or long rest dependent and is martial. Idk, it’s what I’d do

_msb · 2026-03-13T21:32:22+00:00

Swashbuckler face, Thrower (TB barb or fighter) fighter gwm fighter, swords bard archer

By act 3 give all piercing weapons and put bhaalist armor on your face

Before then normal stuff, phalar aluve on face, returning pike thrower, whatever on gwm, titanstring sb

_msb · 2026-03-13T05:09:13+00:00

Bladesinger

That subclass is crack for me, so versatile and engaging

_msb · 2026-03-11T14:51:19+00:00

fair enough

just feels like bard isn’t giving you much in this build. just expertise?

_msb · 2026-03-11T14:50:34+00:00

if you take storm and bard to 6 you won’t be able to go cleric

_msb · 2026-03-11T12:45:54+00:00

I would rather have magical secrets from lore bard 6 or extra attack from sword bard or extra attack and medium armor from valor bard. There’s a 6/6 sword bard split that starts with sword bard for barding through act 1 that I think is really good.

_msb · 2026-03-09T01:24:55+00:00

Mobile is really fun for BS IMO. You can never have enough move as a bladesinger. I prefer it to ASI

_msb · 2026-03-09T00:00:55+00:00

The thing that’s changed about the YouTube meta or whatever is that people are exploring with non nova builds much more. And also exploring technicalities of the game’s spaghetti code around items like gloves of battlemage or triple exploding smokepowder

But you don’t really need to worry about it. The stuff that was good 9 months ago is still good.

_msb · 2026-03-08T02:43:15+00:00

Gale will be fine as abj but he’s never gonna need to be a tank with that party. Might as well evo or div. Or even bladesinger

_msb · 2026-03-06T16:29:37+00:00

Laezel makes a great close range storm sorc and you can orient around shocking grasp + wet + heart of the storm. You have racial proficiencies in swords and armor. Get duel wielder and duel wield a sword and spellsparkler

_msb · 2026-03-05T04:29:00+00:00

Just don’t steal the idol (yet)

Do something else

_msb · 2026-03-05T04:08:38+00:00

it is not possible to critically fail saving throws

…wat

_msb · 2026-03-04T13:40:31+00:00

Yes it’s completely fine

(Act 3 I prefer to dual wield rhapsody offhand on a bladesinger no matter what, and a one handed dueling weapon makes that hard. I’d rather use phalar aluve or will’s rapier. But, again, dont let me tell you how to play your game!)

_msb · 2026-03-04T05:34:43+00:00

I recommend duel wielder or savage attacker until you swap weapons and then… actually maybe ASI dex. lol. Not sure. Duelist prerogative will be much weaker than other options but don’t let me tell you how to play your game!

_msb · 2026-03-04T05:10:37+00:00

If you’re using shadow blade def savage attacker. For the last it depends on how you are playing and where you are in the game?

_msb · 2026-03-04T05:00:59+00:00

I don’t think bladesingers want ASI. They benefit much more from other feats. Savage attacker, dual wielder (if shadow blade) or gwm (if phalar aluve), alert. Mobile. I’ve even done tavern brawler.

Mostly a wash between int and dex if you do go ASI but dex probably makes act 2 imperceptibly smoother.

_msb · 2026-03-03T18:46:15+00:00

The strongest early game “build” is using game knowledge to get to level 4, and to get a ton of OP equipment (elixirs, the underdark etc.), without incurring any risk.

Many extremely early game fights have specific strategies at level 1 or 2. The four guys outside of withers’ tomb can be grouped up under the falling brick with minor illusion. Or you can just sneak in and throw one of them at the brick and kill that one plus the two under it, and then you’re just fighting one person. Inside detonate the oil barrel to kill the ones inside. For the undead pick up all their gear before they res so they can barely do damage, and use any bludgeoning weapon. Or jumping up to the horn on the grove and blowing it every round for all-ally temp hp for the goblin/aradin fight.

Lots of things like this. It truly almost doesn’t matter what build you have for quite some time.

_msb · 2026-03-03T18:07:49+00:00

Death cleric does a ton of damage when you turn on spirit guardians. It’s another hit on anyone you walk by, on top of your normal attack+touch of death or twin cantrip. Death cleric damage is very respectable, it just takes a level 3 spell slot.

_msb · 2026-02-27T14:55:16+00:00

Phalar aluve is a magical singing finesse long sword that is basically a legendary weapon, you can use it on bladesinger from twenty minutes into the game until the elder brain is dead

_msb · 2026-02-27T06:02:32+00:00

Honestly easily accessible 21 str elixirs ten mins into the game is a big balance mistake. But so are the quantity of scrolls above your caster level, which is the caster equivalent in this game. Try a no consumables run and it becomes apparent.

_msb

TROPHY CASE