Bladesingers and the Bladesong Fighting Style

[haplessvictim]

Can an elven fighter/magic-user who is using the Bladesinger Kit (from The Complete Book of Elves) also acquire the Bladesong Fighting Style? The book states:

There are two types of bladesingers: those who learn it as an additional skill (described below), and those who have made it their lives. Those in this second category are known as Bladesingers, and they are described in Chapter Ten.

which could imply that using the Bladesinger kit is mutually exclusive with learning the Bladesong Fighting Style. Any thoughts on this?

As a side-note, if I'm aiming to be a good ol' fashioned AD&D gish, is this the best class choice? 'Best' in this case being some combination of fun, flexible and powerful enough to participate in a mildly optimized party.

[MeeposFire]

Can an elven fighter/magic-user who is using the Bladesinger Kit (from The Complete Book of Elves) also acquire the Bladesong Fighting Style? The book states:



which could imply that using the Bladesinger kit is mutually exclusive with learning the Bladesong Fighting Style. Any thoughts on this?

As a side-note, if I'm aiming to be a good ol' fashioned AD&D gish, is this the best class choice? 'Best' in this case being some combination of fun, flexible and powerful enough to participate in a mildly optimized party.

I have not seen anything that says specifically that you cannot pick up the bladesong style as a bladesinger though the part you quoted indicates that the kit is what gives you the title "bladesinger" not the style but the rule does not say that badesingers could not pick up the style.

Now that style is relatively expensive so it might be a strain on you to pick up and if you look at the fluff you probably want to pick it up before you start adventuring since supposedly it takes a really long time to acquire. Still it is thematic so I would do it.

As for the fighter/mage it is the quintessential gish in AD&D (well if you want to be pedantic in actuality it would be a githyanki fighter/mage but close enough). You will be one level behind your single class counterparts in both classes for a really long time (until you get into the teen levels which many games do not get to or continue in) so you will be really effective. If you are used to other editions of D&D then just as a note blasting is a lot more effective in AD&D than it is in say 5e and save and die spells have the same nasty effects but become less and less likely to work as you level (saving throws are against static numbers not a DC).

If you meant the kit specifically it is from a book that some call the "complete Book of Elvish Cheese" or some such but really the kit is not so much overpowered rather that it gives some decent benefits but its disadvantages are relatively weak to many people so it feels to some like a free lunch.

The trickiest thing about playing a fighter mage is the AC issue. You can wear excellent armor and have a great AC but if you do you generally cannot cast spells (outside of exceptions like special elven armors like elven chain). If you want to cast you usually have to go with no armor or use tactics that mages employ like the shield spell (short duration though) or finding magical robes or bracers. You can offset the potential lack of armor by playing a ranged fighter using a bow. Firing into melee can be a pain but you will be safer and will be quite deadly in combat as bows have a good rate of fire (2 attacks at level one is great in AD&D).

[LibraryOgre]

It implies it, but I don't see any reason why they couldn't.

[Lo'Tek]

Your definition of "mildly optimised" is "elven special forces"?

With the elven cheese parry they are "mastery like" (+3/+3) sword fighters "wielding" a parry weapon.
With a defensive casting stance using the sword like a shield (take -2 on your offhand when you parry)
You know what also qualifies as a "mastery level sword fighter dual wielding a parry weapon who can also cast spells"?

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