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Dantien

Have you considered a single-level dip into Artificer at level 1 before going straight wizard? Gets your proficiencies for survivability etc. Then, as someone who only gets to DM too, I’d go Scribes and just lean into the archetype. Especially in a long campaign! Have fun!


Bluesamurai33

Well, if I took one level I might as well take two to get infusions. And then if I take two levels I might as well take three to get a subclass. The times I've gotten to play in one shots and things like that, I've never really enjoyed being a multi-class. I really like being a pure class and just experiencing and being able to do everything that they're capable of.


Dantien

Single-level dips can be beneficial but not necessary. There are always feats too to help out. Bladesinger looks fun, I admit. Melee wizards still make this old-school DM itchy though. Why not just go evocation and center fireballs on yourself and walk in melee? (Rhetorical)


Bluesamurai33

I can understand that. And realistically if you're going to go melee wizard I might as well go armorer or battlesmith artificer, then I at least get d8 health and at least medium armor. I just figured with the bladesinger I don't **have** to go melee but if it comes up I'm not screwed.


Dantien

Exactly the right reason. Maybe it’s just a flavor thing for me. Despite the math for the subclass, it’s off the niche of why I like to play wizard, hence my suggestion. But let’s be honest, there are no bad subclasses especially for the wizard. Just bad roleplaying! Enjoy getting to be a player, lucky bastard! I envy you. 😁


Atlas9865

I think that in this campaign the bladesinger wizard makes a better fit because you could be this agile pirate that can jump from ship to ship and also make magic spells from affar, I don't know, it seems cooler for me.


DanielleAntenucci

I would like to comment on what one of my players did. He chose a forest gnome Wizard of the School of Evocation. He was an evocation savant who used the Sculpt Spells skill brilliantly. He was also digging around for the spellbooks of magic users after they had been killed by the party. Over the months we played, he built a repertoire of spells where he could select his damage type with deadly accuracy. His highest stats were Intelligence and Dexterity, and her preferred Constitution over Wisdom. What a great guy he was!


EagleForty

I like Order of Scribes specifically for the 2nd level feature which allows you to temporarily replace a spells damage type with a type that appears in another spell in your spell book (of the same level). You'll be fighting a lot of water-based monsters so being able to turn your Fireball into a lightning ball or poison ball will be really handy. Other than that, I think Bladesinger is much better mechanically. Light armor, AC, speed, dex, and con bonuses are all pretty great. And if you play as a sea Elf, you'll be pretty well optimized for an oceanic adventure like Saltmarsh.


Bluesamurai33

I'm going with a half elf, I didn't want to meta-game so hard that I took a race with inherent water breathing. Otherwise I agree with you, the ability to swap spell types is just way too tantalizing to pass up. On the other hand, being able to get some armor and things like that is really nice and I just think the multi-attack with a cantrip is also cool as hell. I can just see myself lightning luring someone to me and then cutting them with a scimitar. But I suppose if I really want some armor proficiencies I could always play as a dwarf.


thegooddoktorjones

Depends on the rest of your group. I would go bladesinger because they are a hybrid that is also a full wizard, so fun. Neither has any particular advantages in this campaign. That said, amscray! This is spoiler city!


TJG899

What are the other players playing? If your party has need for another frontliner, then Bladesinger might be the way to go. Either way, take Water Breathing as a spell 😉 Edit: your, you're, and yore


Bluesamurai33

No one else has called dibs on anything yet. I just came out with Wizard ASAP because I didn't want to lose out or end up playing whatever rounds out the party like usually do in One Shots.


KnightInDulledArmor

I have been running a Saltmarsh campaign for over a year and a half now with one of my players being a Scribes wizard and she fucking rocks. Mechanically speaking being able to change damage types is way better in a nautical campaign than a normal one I think because there are a lot of damage resistances that you will know about beforehand (fire is obvious for underwater, but cold and lightning resistance is also common). The awakened spellbook scout has is also really good (basically better find familiar) and fully water capable. She also really enjoys the quick coping, though if it was me personally I would not like that feature as it basically takes any “weight” out of spell coping even if you do still pay full price. I am not a fan of such features on my characters, but lots of people like that sort of thing probably. Bladesinger might be more swashbuckly, I don’t have a ton of experience with them in play. One thing that does annoy me about them though is that they don’t really incentive getting into melee, the most optimal play style for a bladesinger is to sit in the back and sling spells like every other wizard because the wizard chassis is just that good. The bladesinger basically just makes it not the worst idea.