I’m building a Bladesinger at level 3 for a new campaign, and I wanted to know: should I prepare Shield or Silvery Barbs or both?
Silvery Barbs is of course crazy good, but it’s only going to protect me from one attack if I’m facing multiple enemies or a single enemy with multi attack. Shield would be better to protect me from multiple attacks. I also technically can use Silvery Barbs to protect a teammate as my reaction if I don’t need to use it to protect myself.
I can always prepare both, but since I can only use one per reaction, it feels a little redundant to run both. And of course I should try and play it safe and avoid positioning where I’m taking multiple attacks, but it doesn’t always work out as planned lol.
Would you choose to prepare Shield or Silvery Barbs or both? Thank you!
I like both and absorb elements. Take mirror image or blur (or both) as a level 2 spell. Also, SB lets you give someone advantage too. I would save SB to protect yourself since you're the wizard (squishy) -- don't waste your reactions and spell slots. You can use SB to make an enemy reroll an ability check, or a saving throw...like when you cast a save or suck spell on them.
Luckily, my campaign DM said I could use any official material...so I took a Strixhaven (Quandrix) background for an extra feat and an expanded spell list for my custom Loxodon Evoker.
I think the advantage/disadvantage vs AC/hit bonus often depends on initial AC.
If you have 13 AC to begin with and they succeed (+6 modifier for example), then I'm afraid they will probably succeed with the second roll too.
But if your AC is 20, it's pretty unlikely to hit with disadvantage.
So disadvantage probably won't save a terrible AC. Going from 13 to 18 would probably make more of a difference, if you have to choose. I don't know where the balance shifts exactly.
Same goes the other way. Let's say barbarian with GWM uses reckless attack for advantage. Although it's somewhat equal to +5, I still probably wouldn't use GWM against a 20AC target if I had for example +3 after the penalty. The advantage would probably be a miss anyway.
I think the advantage/disadvantage vs AC/hit bonus often depends on initial AC.
If you have 13 AC to begin with and they succeed (+6 modifier for example), then I'm afraid they will probably succeed with the second roll too.
But if your AC is 20, it's pretty unlikely to hit with disadvantage.
So disadvantage probably won't save a terrible AC. Going from 13 to 18 would probably make more of a difference, if you have to choose. I don't know where the balance shifts exactly.
Same goes the other way. Let's say barbarian with GWM uses reckless attack for advantage. Although it's somewhat equal to +5, I still probably wouldn't use GWM against a 20AC target if I had for example +3 after the penalty. The advantage would probably be a miss anyway.
That is a good point, shield is probably better than SB if you have a low AC, but if shield can't save you from a particular attack or if it is a nat20 (crit), SB is a good option. At least it can (most likely) save you from the crit. Mage armor can help a bit with a low ac, isn't concentration, and lasts 8 ours.
I recently played a bladesinger to level 9. I always prepared both spells but definitely used shield more often. Silvery barbs was there to help me and allies with saving throws mostly. But seriously take shield, with high dex, blade song and shield I was almost never hit and was mostly on the front line support tanking with the Barbarian, easily holding my own.
SB has versatility in that it can protect from an attack or try to make an enemy fail a saving throw.
But, in terms of your personal defence - Shield is superior. Especially in later game where most enemies have multiattack.
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both are good spells. I tend to prefer shield, but I like to have both.
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Shield is definitely a little more situational than Silvery Barbs, but I do think it's much more reliable. You could make the argument that Silvery Barbs can do what Shield does, forcing the creature to reroll the attack roll that would have hit you. The problem with that is that the creature could still potentially hit you, especially if you don't have a particularly high Armor Class, or even roll a Nat 20. However, Silvery Barbs is much more versatile, and I'd say it's a little more useful to prepare it over Shield, because of the different ways it can be used. Regardless, Shield is still one of the best 1st level spells in the game by a landslide, and I'd recommend preparing both when you can.
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Hello!
I’m building a Bladesinger at level 3 for a new campaign, and I wanted to know: should I prepare Shield or Silvery Barbs or both?
Silvery Barbs is of course crazy good, but it’s only going to protect me from one attack if I’m facing multiple enemies or a single enemy with multi attack. Shield would be better to protect me from multiple attacks. I also technically can use Silvery Barbs to protect a teammate as my reaction if I don’t need to use it to protect myself.
I can always prepare both, but since I can only use one per reaction, it feels a little redundant to run both. And of course I should try and play it safe and avoid positioning where I’m taking multiple attacks, but it doesn’t always work out as planned lol.
Would you choose to prepare Shield or Silvery Barbs or both? Thank you!
Both.
I like both and absorb elements. Take mirror image or blur (or both) as a level 2 spell. Also, SB lets you give someone advantage too. I would save SB to protect yourself since you're the wizard (squishy) -- don't waste your reactions and spell slots. You can use SB to make an enemy reroll an ability check, or a saving throw...like when you cast a save or suck spell on them.
Luckily, my campaign DM said I could use any official material...so I took a Strixhaven (Quandrix) background for an extra feat and an expanded spell list for my custom Loxodon Evoker.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
I think the advantage/disadvantage vs AC/hit bonus often depends on initial AC.
If you have 13 AC to begin with and they succeed (+6 modifier for example), then I'm afraid they will probably succeed with the second roll too.
But if your AC is 20, it's pretty unlikely to hit with disadvantage.
So disadvantage probably won't save a terrible AC. Going from 13 to 18 would probably make more of a difference, if you have to choose. I don't know where the balance shifts exactly.
Same goes the other way. Let's say barbarian with GWM uses reckless attack for advantage. Although it's somewhat equal to +5, I still probably wouldn't use GWM against a 20AC target if I had for example +3 after the penalty. The advantage would probably be a miss anyway.
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That is a good point, shield is probably better than SB if you have a low AC, but if shield can't save you from a particular attack or if it is a nat20 (crit), SB is a good option. At least it can (most likely) save you from the crit. Mage armor can help a bit with a low ac, isn't concentration, and lasts 8 ours.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
I recently played a bladesinger to level 9. I always prepared both spells but definitely used shield more often. Silvery barbs was there to help me and allies with saving throws mostly. But seriously take shield, with high dex, blade song and shield I was almost never hit and was mostly on the front line support tanking with the Barbarian, easily holding my own.
SB protects from 1 thing.
Shield protects from all attacks for the round.
SB has versatility in that it can protect from an attack or try to make an enemy fail a saving throw.
But, in terms of your personal defence - Shield is superior. Especially in later game where most enemies have multiattack.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
both are good spells. I tend to prefer shield, but I like to have both.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Shield is definitely a little more situational than Silvery Barbs, but I do think it's much more reliable. You could make the argument that Silvery Barbs can do what Shield does, forcing the creature to reroll the attack roll that would have hit you. The problem with that is that the creature could still potentially hit you, especially if you don't have a particularly high Armor Class, or even roll a Nat 20. However, Silvery Barbs is much more versatile, and I'd say it's a little more useful to prepare it over Shield, because of the different ways it can be used. Regardless, Shield is still one of the best 1st level spells in the game by a landslide, and I'd recommend preparing both when you can.