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Bandyman1
Acolyte
3 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Apr 2014 : 11:22:27
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Hello all, new to the site, so let me start by saying that it's great to see so many who apparently love the Realms as much as I do :) !
With that out of the way, I have a question for you.
I've been a huge fan of elven bladesingers as characters ever since the release of The Complete Book of Elves. My friends and I are 1st and 2nd edition AD&D diehards, so I don't really know how they have evolved/changed in the newer editions, but the old 2e bladesinger rules were pretty clear about the fact that bladesingers fought with a single one-handed weapon, or they couldn't use the bladesong benefits.
Being a big fan of FR novels, I've noticed that many of the bladesinger characters in the novels use dual swords. I was wondering about the disparity, and if it had been discussed and/or addressed before? If so, if one of you kind souls could direct me to the relevant material I'd be extremely grateful  .
TY in advance.
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Renin
Learned Scribe
USA
290 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2014 : 16:44:33
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Hello, and welcome. :)
From my reading (which got a little more limited in the early 2000s), all mention of bladesingers became that of the prestige class, or of the bladesinging that melded sword play and magic. Of the pure martial bladesingers, those paragons of elven swordmastery (which I highly prefer, as that was my first character), well, they don't seem to be that much used or written of or in lore, to mine eyes. |
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jornan
Learned Scribe
Canada
256 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2014 : 21:32:13
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| Check out the Blades of the Moonsea trilogy by Richard Baker. It has a main character that is a blade singer and that series seriously rocked! |
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Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2014 : 14:26:12
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Also Bladesinger, by Keith Francis Strohm, the fourth book of The Fighters series. I found it to be a very entertaining novel.
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2014 : 17:22:39
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Speaking of Richard Baker - "Return of them Archwizards" (in Evereska).
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People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Richard Lee Byers
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
1814 Posts |
Posted - 08 Apr 2014 : 13:29:36
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| If memory serves, Taegan, the bladesinger in my "Year of Rogue Dragons" trilogy, is a single-sword guy. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 08 Apr 2014 : 18:14:32
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Oh, right, that avariel too.  |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3741 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2014 : 00:02:50
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| -One would have to assume, given the many different variant bladesingers we've seen in novels and in 3e sourcebooks (at least two, probably three if you scoured DRAGON magazine), that numerous bladesinging traditions exist. The basic concept is the same- fusing martial weapons and magic- but a bunch of different variations exist. The novel Bladesinger presented a bladesinger who was taught in an academy-like setting. Other bladesingers have been presented that learned in much more informal manner, one-on-one, teacher passing his knowledge down to student. Some have used traditional one-handed light swords. Some have used two swords. It would stand to reason that others might even use heavier swords. In theory, one might even be able to use axes or other one-handed weapons, but that is straying a little too far from the bladesinger concept for me. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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jerrod
Learned Scribe
157 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2014 : 23:09:24
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| No this subject,I remember the complete book of elves stated that drow weren't bladesingers,but had their own styles and teachers,yet I haven't found a template for drow bladesingers or prestige class . |
I haven't been here in years but I used to be DARKFLAME MILLITHOR(DROW ARCHMAGE of wildmagic |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2014 : 07:47:28
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In 3.x? Yeah. Several classes for stealth-based and mobile types (Scout, Dark Hunter, Invisible Blade...), but not weaponmasters and magic/melee. Even the shoehorning notes (that also suggested bladesingers in full plate) recommended giving Duskblades to Vyshaan and nostalgic remnants.
Other than that... "Exotic Weapon Master" (just drop the weird categories) and "Spellsword" from Complete Warrior would do. With some stuff from Underdark and "Drow of the Underdark" (3.5) like styles. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Bladesingers in the novels
