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View Full Version : D&D 5e Bard magic item, feed back requested!



Tino1440
2017-03-15, 01:48 AM
Hi guys!

So I'm just going to copy and past in a magic item I've drawn up from my parties bard. She often complains that her high performance score has no practical value, and being as she's my wife I also wanted to make sure I'm not going to give her something that's going to completely break the game.

"Taliesin Beirdd, The Bard King's song book.

A small and ancient folio of songs hand written by The Bard King himself.

* Song of Courage - a rousing folk jig that tell of battles won and lovers throughly loved, a song that can't help but add a spring to the step of all who hear it. casting time 1 action each creature within 20 feet of you that hears the song gains advantage on there next attack.
* Channelling the Discord - casting time 1 action. Not so much a song an anit-song a series of jarring and painful discords issue forth from you're instrument of choice. Make a performance check, enemy creatures within 20ft must make a constitution saving throw with the DC = to you're roll. On a failed save they take 2d6+ charism modifier sonic damage.
* Ballard of Careful Preparation - casting time 10 minutes. You play a Ballard that tells a cautionary tale of a group of foolhardy adventurers who went to fight a hill giant on a whim and of there tragic demise. Any creature who hears the song gains advantage on death saving throws for the next hour.

Due to the magic nature of this book only three songs can be played from it a day, on playing a fourth the book crumbles into dust and is destroyed."

So what do people think? If I'm being honest with myself I think it might be a little strong...

GalacticAxekick
2017-03-15, 02:16 AM
Bards are already balanced against the other classes in the game, so giving her additional combat features is bound to make her unreasonably powerful.

Instead, create situations where performance may be a useful skill, and be flexible with how performance can be used:
Consider Performance as a pseudo-stealth option. In the same way that extras in film and tv specialize in acting unremarkable and deflecting attention, your Bard might use Performance checks instead of Stealth checks to hide in plain sight, blending into the scene!
Consider Perfomance as a reverse-stealth option. It might be used to capture attention and hide all creatures EXCEPT the performer.
Remember that a charmed creature cannot attack its charmer, and that a frightened creature cannot move closer to the subject of its fear. Performance might be used to charm or frighten creatures in certain contexts, rather than persuasion or intimidation. A charmer can move without provoking opportunity attacks, because charmed creatures cannot attack their charmer. And frightened creatures cannot move closer to the subject of their fear. A charmer has advantage on checks to interact socially with charmed creatures, and frightened creatures have disadvantage on all ability checks (notably perception, athletics, acrobatics, and the charisma checks).