Editing Bladesinger (section)

==4th Edition==
In 4th edition, the [[Swordmage]] was introduced in the Player's Guide to Faerun as a spiritual successor to the Bladesinger, only with pretty much none of its original fluff. The Swordmage was described as an '''Arcane Defender'''; a [[Gish|warrior-wizard]] tradition that specialized in the use of one-handed weapons and spells that augmented its defense, boosted its mobility, and gave it lots of elementally charged or mystically empowered attack options. Want to Force Choke a bitch? Throw your sword and turn it into a ricocheting lightning bolt before summoning it back to your hand? Sketch sigils in the air with your sword that make fuckers explode? The Swordmage had you covered.

Still... even with the fluff that it was very popular amongst [[eladrin]], the Swordmage wasn't a "true" conversion of the Bladesinger of old. So, when Essentials took over and WoTC released the Neverwinter Campaign Setting, they introduced a new Bladesinger class. This was an '''Arcane Controller''', a [[Wizard]] variant that was noted by fluff should be restricted to eladrin, elves and half-elves, and which keyed its abilities off of Intelligence and Dexterity, in contrast to the Int/Str focus of the swordmage. Its major difference to a wizard was its class features, which mechanically supported the idea of a warrior-mage who forsook armor but wielded a one-handed sword instead of a traditional wand or staff.

Like all Essentials classes, it went for a "simpler" approach to class design, locking itself into a singular identity for focusing on gaining features across levels as it advanced and relying exclusively on a combination of magic-boosted basic melee attacks, daily spells, and features that grant it bonus basic melee attacks. Yeah, that's right, this class gets '''no''' encounter attacks powers, period; only a handful of Encounter utilities.

At first level, it gains the following features:
* '''Instinctive Attack:''' Melee basic attacks with one-handed weapons key off of Int rather than Str. Basically a built-in but suckier version of the "Intelligent Blademaster" feat that almost all [[Swordmage]]s take.
* '''Guarded Flourish:''' Whilst holding a one-handed melee weapon, your ranged attacks and area attacks do not provoke opportunity attacks - also, you gain a +2 shield bonus to AC if you're also wearing light armor or no armor.
* '''Blade Magic:''' Pick one Light Blade or Heavy Blade category weapon that you have proficiency with; you treat that weapon as an Implement for your spellcasting, though it can still only hold weapon-specific enchantments. It also "counts as a wand for you", but the book doesn't clarify what this actually ''means'' - presumably, it functions as per the normal [[Wizard]]'s Wand of Accuracy feature and/or it grants a bonus for "added in" wizard spells that specifically key off of being used with a Wand.
* '''Bladesong:''' You have an Encounter Utility power called Bladesong, which grants you a +2 bonus to attack rolls, a +2 bonus to all defense rolls, and a +5 bonus to damage rolls (+10 at 17th, +15 at 27th) until the end of your next turn. It only works if you're wielding a one-handed melee weapon and not wielding a shield.
* '''Bladesinger's Spellbook:''' Like a [[Wizard]], you select 2 powers whenever you are allowed to learn new spells that are not at-will attacks. Unlike a wizard, you only learn encounter attacks (which, for you, function as daily attacks) and utility spells.
* '''Bladespells:''' You must take your 3 default at-will attacks from a special list of cantrips that have the Bladespell keyword, consisting of Dancing Fire, Dazzling Sunray, Frost Bite, Lightning Ring, Shadow Sever, and Unseen Hand. Bladespells differ from normal at-will attacks in that they are Triggered attacks, which go off automatically when you hit the target with a basic melee attack. You can only apply one Bladespell per hit, and they do... very little damage.

Also, you get 2 "Bladesinger Daily spells", 3 cantrips, and Magic Missile as a bonus at-will attack.

At level 3, you gain the '''Arcane Strike''' feature, which lets you make a melee basic attack as a minor action on your turn after using a bladesinger daily attack.

At level 7, you gain the '''Steely Retort''' feature, which lets you make a melee basic attack as an opportunity action whenever an adjacent enemy hits you whilst you have Bladesong active.

At level 11, you gain the following features:
* '''Choir of Swords:''' When Bladesong is active, you can spend your action point to make a melee basic attack against all adjacent enemies as a standard action.
* '''Boon Spell:''' You learn a bonus 7th level wizard encounter attack power, which functions as a daily power for you, and can prepare a bonus daily power each day.

At level 12, you gain the '''Bladesong Ballet''' feature, which lets you shift squares up to your speed as a move action whilst Bladesong is active.

At level 13, you gain the '''Unerring Bladespell''' feature, which lets you apply bladespells to foes you attack even if your strike misses. But '''only''' whilst your Bladesong power is active.

At level 16, you gain the '''Bladespell Step''' feature, which lets you teleport up to 5 squares as a free action after you use a bladespell power.

At level 20, you gain the '''Signature Spell''' feature, which grants you access to a level 19 Wizard Daily Attack spell of your choice.

Finally, at level 23, you gain the '''Bladespell Burst''' feature, which lets you apply the effects of a bladespell to all adjacent enemies after hitting one adjacent enemy, which you can do once per day.

Even amongst Essentials classes, the Bladesinger is widely considered terrible. At best, it's a Striker masquerading as a Controller, but even then, it's pretty badly designed. If you want to play a 1st level [[gish]], play a [[Swordmage]], at least you'll be able to fill your intended class role.

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