@Findywen Shifters are allowed as I feel that race is not too far removed from non-Eberron settings. But yes Eberron specific things like Artificer, War-Forged and Dragon Marks are restricted this time around. I will be allowing Eberron related stuff (except for dragon-marks) when I run Spelljammer in the future.
And what’s with this “back to the drawing board”, you don’t already have 10 other characters pre-made? I’m surprised…surprised I tell you 
lol, how can i jerk your chain if i don’t exaggerate a little.
would be as surprised if i said at least 5 of the characters i had from the 1-shot fell into your exclusion categories? That being said most of those i wouldn’t have played, they were fun one-shot characters not something to actively play.
I am fully undecided on what to play actually 
I have not gone nearly as overboard with character concepting.
I’m going a bit more traditional on this one as Icewind Dale is a pretty isolated place. I have Spelljammer in the pipe for my next games and I will be allowing a lot more stuff for Spelljammer.
Knight, check your character in dnd beyond, looks like you need to assign the bonus Stat from your observant feat.
Your right, thanks. I just popped into Wis. I did take some Cure spells also.
several directions you can go with a druid, are you planning to provide primary healing for the party, or is it just for backup/shared burden?
@everyone Roll20 and Discord invites will go out Saturday February 18th, this weekend. We can move pre-game discussion to my Discord server and go over characters some more prior to session zero.
I think I may play a warlock, as I have never done so, and it sure looks weird and fun. I was warned by another player that I should first ask the GM how he will handle short rests, because if they are rare I should not try that class. That question can wait for session zero, so no worries.
Backup, shared if we have a cleric
ok, maybe someone can help me here, especially Ryukan since he said he is already playing a blade singer in a campaign.
Last night I was theory crafting a swords bard, grabbing a 1 level dip into Hex blade (possibly 2 if I wanted a specific invocation bad enough). And I was originally going to grab a 3 level dip into Wizard for blade singer. Thematically it made sense in my head, i have always like the idea behind blade singer. However mechanically, im not sure i get enough out of it for the dip. PBTPD I could get +2 ac, concentration saves and 10 movement speed. as well as level 2 wizard spells and wizard cantrips. I lose the ability to wear medium armor, and use a shield, as well as delaying some of the higher bard spells.
So, am I overlooking something or does the dip for blade singer just not make sense?
Hypothetically Swords bard could tank or off tank at a minimum, with Blade singer that isn’t happening.
@Findywen When multiclassing, consider what you lose and what you gain. Anytime you multiclass you will be slowing down your progression in relation to the rest of the group and the game content. If you multiclass before reaching lvl 4 you delay getting that first ASI/Feat and other capstone lvl abilities. If you are looking at a sword bard melee build, getting to the point of having two attacks per round is important, for any melee class getting to the point of two attacks per turn is significant. Most classes/subclasses you don’t get two attacks per round until lvl 5, the Bladesinger doesn’t get two attacks per round until lvl 6 and same thing with Bard College of Valor and Bard College of Swords, both subclasses don’t get a second attack per action until lvl 6.
I would not triple class as Bard with dips into Warlock Hexblade and Bladesinger. You would be stretching yourself quite thin and the gains are possibly likely to not outweigh the losses. Also unless you do roll for stats and get some really good rolls you may not have the stats to adequately mutliclass. If you were to go Sword Bard+Hexblade+Bladesinger you would need at least high stats in Charisma, Dexterity and Intelligence with at least a decent score in Constitution as well.
Also, if you were to dip into Wizard enough to get Bladesinger, you would only need to go lvl 2 Wizard as that is when Wizards pick a subclass. If you are to multiclass with this build I would pick either Hexblade or Bladesinger and I would not multiclass until after reaching lvl 6 Bard.
When running a Warlock or a Bladesinger, always count on using the Mage Armor spell, it’s going to be equivalent to medium armor and unlike medium armor, there is no Dex bonus cap with Mage Armor. It also lasts for 8 hours. If you multiclass into Bladesinger or Hexblade you really don’t need physical armor as long as you keep Mage Armor up. Warlocks can get a eldritch invocation at lvl 2 called Armor of Shadows that lets them cast Mage Armor at will without expending a spell slot or components.
That’s all the food for thought I can cook up at the moment.
Also, I forgot to mention tanking with any build in DnD starts with High AC and high CON/HP. After that you look for damage mitigating abilities or other defensive abilities like the Monk has. It is possible to tank/off-tank as a Bladesinger, but only with the right build. My Bladesinger once stood surrounded by a group of kobolds which have pack tactics (gives them advantage on attack rolls if another kobold is within 5 feet of their target) and didn’t get hit once. BUT, by this point my Bladesinger has an AC of 18 with Mage Armor activated/cast, an AC of 21 once I use the Bladesong and an AC of 26 when I cast Shield; I practically save all my 1st lvl spell slots for casting Shield.
Here is my Bladesinger at lvl 5 so far running a Shadowblade Bladesinger build. I may multiclass after lvl 6 into either Twilight Domain Cleric or Fighter Psi Warrior, but I also may just go straight ass Bladesinger.
I forgot how OP ac is in 5th edition. In pathfinder there are basically 3 different ACs (touch/flatfooted/normal). I always though it was odd that 5e armor protected the same vs a blast of frost and a sword.
thanks - that is basically what my thought process was as well. But it did also open my eyes to the fact that the hexblade dip to use Cha for attack and damage is really only a +1 until after the first ASI. Though there are other benefits to grabbing that warlock level, like a ranged cantrip, booming blade, armor of agathys.
I will have to reconsider a few thoughts, especially since booming blade cant be used with the bard flourish anyway. And the fact that until lvl 14 a swords bard is very selfish with their inspiration dice. I need to figure out what role i am trying to fill and then stick to that, this concept is ending up all over the place with different “cool” things it could do.
Much will depend on if we are a group of 4 or 5. We will need more synergy with 4 players so we don’t get our butts kicked 
Rest assured, If no one else comes in to want to join between now and next Saturday Night, I’ll take the spot and be the 5th person. So you will have a full group.
I’m honestly not thinking about characters until then. It’s been so long since I played 5E I might as well be learning it fresh. So If there is an obvious gap in the party makeup I can fill it since I can learn a class I never played before or just relearn one I have played. And I have no access to any of my 5E books since they are all packed away in the attic and I can’t get to them right now.
Mith
Findy has obviously infected me. So far I have made a warlock, a rogue and a wizard. I could also help with some healing if I take the Celestial. One other note on the bird race. I ran a 5e campaign once and fly at level 1 would have broken the game.
I think i keep getting stuck on charisma - too many videos on optimized builds, have corrupted me. Even though when i look at the videos i realize im not sitting at a table that requires that level of character optimization. And i tell myself that I am not going the route they are in their builds it has still instilled in me a 1 level dip in hexblade + elven accuracy = win, no matter what class practically. But that isn’t the answer, especially since frost maiden is 1st to 12th level I need to reel myself in and not be thinking about how cool this combo will be at lvl 14 Heck even planning for a blade singer’s extra attack at lvl 6 ( further with a dip in anything else) is a long ways away.
@Mithinar if we get 5 players and you find you are in a position where you still want to play there is a 6th spot for you if you want it. I can run it with 5 or 6, I just alter encounters a bit to up the challenge some. The Thursday night group ended up with 6 players quick, so I will go to 6 players for Saturday as well.
Yeah Mith, just join us for fun and don’t stress about it.
As for builds, While I might min max on my own, I never look for optimized builds online, as that way leads to brain lock