I am asking for research to determine many class options and how I want to build a potential character. This concept has interested me for a while and I'd like to know. However, I could not help but notice that it doesn't say anything about it. As worded here:

Bladesong Starting at 2nd level, you can invoke a secret elven magic called the Bladesong, provided that you aren't wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield. It graces you with supernatural speed, agility, and focus. You can use a bonus action to start the Bladesong, which lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are incapacitated, if you don medium or heavy armor or a shield, or if you use two hands to make an attack with a weapon. You can also dismiss the Bladesong at any time you choose (no action required).

This would mean that it isn't exactly limited to melee weapons, but also certain ranged weapons such as the hand crossbow, the dart, and the sling. But, a problem I could not help but notice was that this ability is a bit hindering.

Song of Victory
Starting at 14th level, you add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to the damage of your melee weapon attacks while your Bladesong is active.

Thus, would it be viable for one to just use a hand crossbow, or would it be better to take thrown melee weapons?

A Hand Crossbow is not usable with Bladesong and does not synergize well with the Bladesinger class either

The only pertinent ending condition for Bladesong is the one you have listed.

It ends early if... you use two hands to make an attack with a weapon. (SCAG p142)

Hand crossbows only uses one hand to attack, as they lack the "two-handed" and "versatile" traits (PHB p147 and 149). Nothing else in the Bladesong feature precludes their use.

However, they are not a valid weapon choice as per the Bladesinger Styles descriptor, all of which are melee weapons. This question, while dealing with spells, has some great answers regarding the nature of flavour versus crunch in D&D 5e. It boils down to there is no flavour crunch within spell descriptions and that everything is important. Applying that logic to this section of the manual results in HCs not being a viable choice, because they are not listed as such.

Related to this, it's interesting to note that both High Elves and Wood Elves have racial proficiency with bows, both long and short. So even though these are weapons that literally every single Elf knows how to use effectively, they are not mentioned at all in the descriptor of different Bladesinger styles. This omission leads credence to the assertion that only melee weapons are valid choices for Bladesinging.

Negative Synergies

There are several other mechanical reasons why a Hand Crossbow is not a good choice as a weapon to utilize with this feature.

• The Bladesinging Arcane Tradition and Wizard class don't grant proficiency with the Hand Crossbow (SCAG p142 and PHB p113). The Training in War and Song Feature grants proficiency with

one type of one-handed melee weapon

This can be overcome via multi-classing, but I've included it here to point that out. The other way you could get proficiency with the Hand Crossbow is by being a Drow Elf (PHB p24).

• You won't be able to use the Extra Attack feature because of the Hand Crossbow's Loading trait (PHB p147 and 149) unless you take the Crossbow Expert feat (PHB 165).


• The Song of Victory feature becomes useless, as you can only add your Intelligence modifier to the damage rolls of melee weapon attacks (SCAG p142).

Probably not : it's written for melee weapons (thrown should work)

Here is the text from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide that indicates that this style of fighting is used with swords.

Under Bladesinging

They are elf wizards who master a school of sword fighting grounded in a tradition of arcane magic. (SCAG, p. 141)

Under the Green Box (Bladesinging Styles) on the next page:

From its inception, as a martial and magical art, Bladesinging has
been tied to the sword, more specifically the longsword. (SCAG, p. 142)

Other melee weapons can be used with the blade song.

When you read further into Bladesinging

Cat: Styles that employ a sword belong to this family...
Bird: Styles that focus on the use of a hafted weapon, uch as an axe or a hammer, have been grouped together as bird styles ... Eagle styles bladesingers use small hand axes, and many maneuvers in the style focus on fluid ways to throw the weapon and draw a new one.
Snake. Practioners of these styles use a flail, chain, or whip... (SCAG, p. 142)

Nowhere does it mention hand crossbows, or any other bow. If they had intended to include one handed bows in this style, it would likely have been put into that green box with an animal name. Given the thrown hammer style, a thrown dagger style would see to fit, perhaps as a variation on the Cat fighting style. (Interestingly, the errata does not address this).

Why doesn't the level 2 feature say "melee weapon" like the 14th level feature does?

Good question. I will suggest to you that having written all of that about swords in the introduction of the Bladesinger class, and the animal named styles in the green box for some other melee weapons, the authors didn't feel the need to be redundant in their phrasing of the 2d level class feature that unlocks the Bladesinger school. Or, they overlooked it in the final edit and now rue the day that text miners discovered their oversight. ;) The evidence points to this being linked to melee weapons, not any kind of bow. (Interestingly, the errata does not address this).

Ask your DM

If your DM is willing to let you use a hand crossbow with the Bladesong, you'll need to work together on that, and deal with the 14th level class feature when you get there. Hopefully, your adventures will take you that deep into the campaign!