A 1-level dip into Hexblade gets you Shield and Medium Armor proficiency, as well as a 1st level slot that comes back on a short rest (good for spamming Shield once per fight!), and a concentration free Hexblade's Curse that adds PB damage to attacks, lets you crit on a 19 or 20, and gives you temp HP on a kill (none of these require you to use your Hex weapon).
If you are dead set on getting Extra Attack, Swords Bard will let you get this at Bard 6 without delaying you spell progression. All of the Blade Flourishes will still work with your Shadow Blade, and you can take the Dueling Fighting Style to bump your SB damage. This does not get you access to shields, though, but it does get you Medium Armor.
The problem with Swords Bard is you are not getting Shadow Blade until level 10 at the earliest. This is really late especially since some campaigns can end at around that level.
A 1-level dip into Hexblade gets you Shield and Medium Armor proficiency, as well as a 1st level slot that comes back on a short rest (good for spamming Shield once per fight!), and a concentration free Hexblade's Curse that adds PB damage to attacks, lets you crit on a 19 or 20, and gives you temp HP on a kill (none of these require you to use your Hex weapon).
If you are dead set on getting Extra Attack, Swords Bard will let you get this at Bard 6 without delaying you spell progression. All of the Blade Flourishes will still work with your Shadow Blade, and you can take the Dueling Fighting Style to bump your SB damage. This does not get you access to shields, though, but it does get you Medium Armor.
The problem with Swords Bard is you are not getting Shadow Blade until level 10 at the earliest. This is really late especially since some campaigns can end at around that level.
I meant as a multiclass with Sorcerer (which is the OP's original question). You could get Shadow Blade as early as 3, and then take Swords Bard to level 6 for Extra Attack. That means it doesn't come online with Extra Attack until level 9, though.
The easiest way to get Extra Attack and SB is by going with a Bladesinger Wizard, but this locks you into Light Armor at best and no shield and by the time you hit level 6, you're probably better off using your second attack as a cantrip versus another swing of Shadow Blade unless you upcast it. And per RAW, Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade don't work with SB, but they would work with a Rapier. They probably come out pretty close to even using a Rapier and then BB versus two swings of a SB.
One should be able to use main-hand shortsword + Booming Blade, off-hand Shadow Blade, Two-weapon fighting Shadow Blade again.
One should be able to use main-hand shortsword + Booming Blade, off-hand Shadow Blade, Two-weapon fighting Shadow Blade again.
No that is not how it works. Two-weapon Fighting explicitly states if you make an attack with a weapon with your Attack Action then you can make a Bonus Action attack with a different weapon (offhand).
Casting Booming Blade does not count as a attack, you are casting a cantrip, the weapon attack is merely a part of resolving the spell. Therefore if you make your normal attack with the Shadow Blade, you will be required to make your Bonus Action attack with your other weapon because the attack made by the Shadow Blade is what triggers Two-weapon Fighting.
Maybe this would help? It’s been a while since I watched this video so….
Thanks - that's actually very helpful. He has one on monk shadow blade users too.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
One should be able to use main-hand shortsword + Booming Blade, off-hand Shadow Blade, Two-weapon fighting Shadow Blade again.
No that is not how it works. Two-weapon Fighting explicitly states if you make an attack with a weapon with your Attack Action then you can make a Bonus Action attack with a different weapon (offhand).
Casting Booming Blade does not count as a attack, you are casting a cantrip, the weapon attack is merely a part of resolving the spell. Therefore if you make your normal attack with the Shadow Blade, you will be required to make your Bonus Action attack with your other weapon because the attack made by the Shadow Blade is what triggers Two-weapon Fighting.
I would disagree. Booming Blade isn't just a cantrip, it's a cantrip that requires a melee weapon attack as part of the spellcasting. Using Booming Blade with your shortsword would involve making a melee weapon attack with the shortsword which fulfills the requirement of Two-weapon Fighting, allowing you to attack with Shadowblade as a bonus action.
On another note, however, I would argue you can just use BB with Shadowblade, avoiding this altogether. Some argue Shadowblade does not qualify because it doesn't have a specified price, and that convinced me for a while. But now I would argue that it would count as a weapon worth at least one silver. The cost is just meant to establish you can't use your component pouch for this material cost. But Shadowblade can still be a material component.
One should be able to use main-hand shortsword + Booming Blade, off-hand Shadow Blade, Two-weapon fighting Shadow Blade again.
No that is not how it works. Two-weapon Fighting explicitly states if you make an attack with a weapon with your Attack Action then you can make a Bonus Action attack with a different weapon (offhand).
Casting Booming Blade does not count as a attack, you are casting a cantrip, the weapon attack is merely a part of resolving the spell. Therefore if you make your normal attack with the Shadow Blade, you will be required to make your Bonus Action attack with your other weapon because the attack made by the Shadow Blade is what triggers Two-weapon Fighting.
I would disagree. Booming Blade isn't just a cantrip, it's a cantrip that requires a melee weapon attack as part of the spellcasting. Using Booming Blade with your shortsword would involve making a melee weapon attack with the shortsword which fulfills the requirement of Two-weapon Fighting, allowing you to attack with Shadowblade as a bonus action.
On another note, however, I would argue you can just use BB with Shadowblade, avoiding this altogether. Some argue Shadowblade does not qualify because it doesn't have a specified price, and that convinced me for a while. But now I would argue that it would count as a weapon worth at least one silver. The cost is just meant to establish you can't use your component pouch for this material cost. But Shadowblade can still be a material component.
This ONLY works with a Bladesinger, as TWF requires you to use your Attack Action to make a melee attack with a light weapon. To my knowledge, Bladesinger is the only class/subclass that lets you cast a cantrip as part of the Attack Action.
And I am pretty sure that the errata on GFB and BB was put in place specifically to prevent using them with Shadow Blade. Before the errata, the material component was a melee weapon (already your component pouch would not qualify).
Actual, JC confirmed that's not the reason. The reason is that they wanted to make it clear your component pouch or focus don't satisfy the material cost.
The problem with Swords Bard is you are not getting Shadow Blade until level 10 at the earliest. This is really late especially since some campaigns can end at around that level.
One should be able to use main-hand shortsword + Booming Blade, off-hand Shadow Blade, Two-weapon fighting Shadow Blade again.
No that is not how it works. Two-weapon Fighting explicitly states if you make an attack with a weapon with your Attack Action then you can make a Bonus Action attack with a different weapon (offhand).
Casting Booming Blade does not count as a attack, you are casting a cantrip, the weapon attack is merely a part of resolving the spell. Therefore if you make your normal attack with the Shadow Blade, you will be required to make your Bonus Action attack with your other weapon because the attack made by the Shadow Blade is what triggers Two-weapon Fighting.
Maybe this would help? It’s been a while since I watched this video so….
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Thanks - that's actually very helpful. He has one on monk shadow blade users too.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I would disagree. Booming Blade isn't just a cantrip, it's a cantrip that requires a melee weapon attack as part of the spellcasting. Using Booming Blade with your shortsword would involve making a melee weapon attack with the shortsword which fulfills the requirement of Two-weapon Fighting, allowing you to attack with Shadowblade as a bonus action.
On another note, however, I would argue you can just use BB with Shadowblade, avoiding this altogether. Some argue Shadowblade does not qualify because it doesn't have a specified price, and that convinced me for a while. But now I would argue that it would count as a weapon worth at least one silver. The cost is just meant to establish you can't use your component pouch for this material cost. But Shadowblade can still be a material component.
Actual, JC confirmed that's not the reason. The reason is that they wanted to make it clear your component pouch or focus don't satisfy the material cost.
https://x.com/JeremyECrawford/status/1327132714013782017?lang=en