Some spend their lives poring over ancient tomes and texts, unlocking the power of magic, and some spend their time perfecting the use of individual weapons, becoming masters without equal.
Bladesingers are at once students of both philosophies, blending magical ability and martial prowess into something unique, a discipline in which both spell and steel are used to devastating effect.
Whether you want to focus on crowd control or damage, Bladesingers keep the spellcasting prowess of wizards, with the added benefit of being melee dynamos.
Since you can virtually fit any combat role, you can easily build a powerful wizard who is ready to tackle any situation.
However, it all starts from the moment your character was born. Since Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything came to be, Bladesinging is no longer exclusive to elves, thus you can pick from the broad spectrum of races for your wizard.
Grab your pointy hats, grip your sword by the not-pointy end and memorize your spells, for tonight we discuss the best races for Bladesinger Wizards in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons!
5. Hobgoblin.
In most worlds, Hobgoblins are a goblinoid race of raiders and pillagers, taking what they need with steel and fire from more advanced cultures before vanishing back into the wilds, enslaved people, and plunder in tow.
Hobgoblins are a perfect fit for Bladesinger. Just look at them, they’re disciplined, militaristic, and cunning.
Let’s take a look at their ability score increases: They get a +2 for Constitution and a +1 to Intelligence. Both are main abilities for Bladesingers since it boosts our Health pool and our spells.
Additionally, Hobgoblins gain extra weapon proficiencies, broadening our combat prowess, and are excellent team players thanks to their saving face feature.
Why Hobgoblin is Great for Bladesinger Wizard:
- Since bladesingers are melee-oriented, a larger Health Pool helps offset the wizard’s puny Hit Die.
- More often than not, D&D is a group game, meaning that, with your party around you, you’ll make the most out of your Saving Face feature!
Pick Hobgoblin if...
- You want to focus on the melee aspect of Bladesingers.
- You like playing exotic races.
- You are a team player.
Hobgoblin details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/hobgoblin
4. Stout Halfling.
Optimistic and cheerful by nature, blessed with uncanny luck, and driven by a powerful wanderlust, halflings make up for their short stature with an abundance of bravado and curiosity.
Some of them are particularly hardy, Stout even, making for excellent front-liners who rely on quick movements rather than brawn.
Stout Halflings gain a +2 to their Dexterity and a +1 to their Constitution, making them a perfect pick for any finesse combatant, something most Bladesingers opt for.
Additionally, they get a bunch of extra racial features like resistance to poison damage and advantage against fear effects as well as the great ability to reroll natural 1s!
If you’re feeling extra cheesy, you can grab the Mobile feat, exploiting your small size and nimbleness to go past your enemies in squat grace.
Why Stout Halfling is Great for Bladesinger Wizard:
- A natural 1 can completely ruin your turn. The ability to reroll them every time is a godsend to avoid nasty save or suck effects!
- It’s no secret that Dexterity is an amazing ability score since it governs everything from Armor Class to Attack and Damage for some builds.
Pick Stout Halfling if...
- The dice gods hate you.
- The hobbit is your favorite book.
- You enjoy playing Dexterity-based characters.
Stout Halfling details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/halfling
3. Githyanki.
Githyanki are psychic humanoids who dwell in the Astral Plane. Long ago, the ancestors of the githyanki were primitive humans (or a race very like humans), enslaved en masse by the star-spanning Illithid Empire.
The githyanki plunder countless worlds from the decks of their astral vessels and the backs of red dragons. Since winning their freedom from the illithids, the githyanki have become ruthless conquerors under the rulership of their dread lich-queen, Vlaakith.
If being a dragon-riding space Viking doesn’t sound cool enough for you, their mechanical benefits surely are.
In game terms, they are badass. You get a +2 to your Strength and a +1 to your Intelligence, extra weapon and armor proficiencies, an invisible mage hand and extra, innate spells as you level up.
Why Githyanki is Great for Bladesinger Wizard:
- Strength and Intelligence are important ability scores if you want to use the most damaging weapons.
- Free, extra spells are always handy to have (because of mage hand, get it?).
Pick Girhyanki if...
- You want to play a Strength-based bladesinger.
- You like aliens, imperialism, and complex backgrounds.
Githyanki details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/gith
2. Variant Human.
Humanity is best characterized by its tumultuousness and diversity, and human cultures run the gamut from savage but honorable tribes to decadent, devil-worshiping noble families in the most cosmopolitan cities.
Thanks to this diversity, Variant Humans make for excellent anything!
You gain extra skill proficiencies, can increase any two ability scores by 1 each and, if your game allows them, you can get a feat as early as 1st level.
Considering how bladesingers are usually portrayed, getting something like Warcaster, Sentinel, Resilient (Constitution) or even Polearm Master early can be an amazing power boost.
Why Variant Human is Great for Bladesinger Wizard:
- Freedom is power. Variant Human allows you to customize your strengths as you see fit.
- Feats are extremely powerful tools, and getting one ahead of time can make wonders.
Pick Variant Human if...
- You like feats.
- You want to appoint your Ability Score increases freely.
- You like projecting.
Variant Human details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/human
1. High Elf.
Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry. They are the creators of the Bladesinger tradition, thus it’s no wonder they are one of the best races for it.
For starters, High Elves gain a +2 for Dexterity and a +1 to Intelligence, both (usually) main abilities for bladesingers.
Additionally, they can get an extra Intelligence-based cantrip and know how to use several weapons.
Why High Elf is Great for Bladesinger Wizard:
- Your main abilities get a nice boost.
- More proficiencies are tantamount to more versatility.
- An extra cantrip is always nice.
Pick High Elf if...
- Legolas is your favorite fantasy character.
- You want to feel as if magic is an integral part of your being.
- You like optimizing.
High Elf details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/elf
You may also be interested in:
- The Best D&D Classes (Ranked from Worst to Best)
- Top 25 Best D&D Villains of All Time
- 32 Most Interesting Facts About Dungeons and Dragons!
- 25 Best D&D Games for PC That Every Fan Must Play!
- The 10 Best DnD Streams
- Most Powerful D&D Dragons For Adventurers To Defeat
- Top 10 Best DnD Campaign Ideas
- Top 5 DnD Most Useful Languages
- D&D Top 10 Most Damaging Spells That Obliterate Foes
- Top 15 Most Powerful D&D Spells
- The Best D&D Race for Every Class
- Top 10 D&D Best Quests That Are Amazing
- Top 10 D&D Best Utility Spells
- [Top 10] D&D Best Zombies
- [Top 10] D&D Best Simple Weapons For Killing Foes
- [Top 10] D&D Best YouTube Channels
- [Top 5] D&D Best Tank Builds That Can Withstand Massive Damage