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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
I really would like to thank you for the guide you made for the bard, it helped me so much!
My bard, Fimble Reed the Skilled Bard and Fabled Adventurer of the Sword Coast (self-made title), took one level in warlock (pact of the hexblade) and is three levels in bard (college of swords). I really like the amazing synergy between these two classes. Shield and defensive flourish really help the ability to survive for this character. When there is a gigantic baddie, Tasha's Hideous Laughter and Hexblade's Curse work incredibly well. In my opinion, this is the best multiclass for the bard to take, and is just bellow Paladin/Sorcerer multi-class. Faerie Fire is great as always, and of course I have Healing Word. Protection from Evil and Good is a nice protection spell just in case something happens. The only level two spell I have is Silence. All other spells I have are utility, and same with most of my cantrips (Light, Friends, Minor Illusion, Vicious Mockery, and Toll of the Dead for ranged damage if really really needed). My character's race is a variant human with the war caster feat. For the mechanical aspect, this is a bard that lays down a good debuff while waiting for the others to engage in combat in order to minimize being attacked, and then going in melee combat to assist a player that is in the deepest trouble.
The role play aspect of this character is really fun as well. My character has an 8 in intelligence. I use this as my flaw by making it so that he forgets anything he doesn't write down in his notebook (it's also cool because if he writes something down while changing the story to make it look like he is always the hero, he actually believes that he did it later on in the story, which he obviously does 100% of the time). He is the incredibly self-centered brat, and acts like the annoying noble that can't live on in life unless he takes a bath twice a day. The reason he keeps going with an adventuring life is because he's addicted to ancient texts (how he found a connection to his patron), so of course he meets dangerous things in dangerous places. This is why he made sure he learned how to use a blade. Also, whenever he gets the finishing blow on the enemy, Fimble taps in to his inner hexblade warlock and becomes an EDGELORD OF ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION!!!
One note on the hexblade bardlock. Since hexblades use charisma instead of dex or strength, you need minimal investment into dex stat, making it so that a variant human can be played while using the base 15,14,13,12,10,8 sats. For the final product, you have +3 Cha, +2 Dex and Con, +1 Wis, +0 Str, and my lovely -1 Int. Initiative is not a problem with +2 dex due to Jack of All Trades. With a shield, breastplate with +2 dex mod, shield(the spell from hexblade spell list) and defensive flourish, you can get a maximum AC of 29 AT LEVEL 4 (minimum AC being 24). Not only that, but with one attack, while hexblade's curse is active and having the dueling martial archetype and using a flourish, you get a maximum of 21 damage on one target without a crit (minimum of 9). All of these things can be done ON ONE ROUND OF COMBAT. Not done yet, because if all spell slots are open, you can use the pact magic slot for shield so that you regenerate everything except Bardic Inspiration on a short rest (and that fixes itself later). Pretty OP, especially because in Tomb of Annihilation, there is a lot of traveling (Rests!!!).
Could you please tell me if there are anythings that could make this character better or flaws mechanically that this character has? Thanks!
P.S. I don't believe you edited the part of Jack of All Trades so that it also mentions that it applies to initiative as well.
P.P.S. If you crit and use a flourish, I believe that you use only one of the dice that you point out before rolling. Correct me if I am wrong.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Miracle_Matter
Could you please tell me if there are anythings that could make this character better or flaws mechanically that this character has? Thanks!
Thanks for all the kind words! Honestly, your build looks pretty tight. Enjoy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Miracle_Matter
P.S. I don't believe you edited the part of Jack of All Trades so that it also mentions that it applies to initiative as well.
Good catch! It's fixed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Miracle_Matter
P.P.S. If you crit and use a flourish, I believe that you use only one of the dice that you point out before rolling. Correct me if I am wrong.
You get to roll two damage dice for the flourish, but you only use one die as a resource.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this yet, but the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide has some great tiefling variants. First up is Devil's Tongue which gives you Vicious Mockery for the cantrip and Charm Person & Enthrall as the higher-level spells instead of the more demonic damage spells. Second is the Winged Tielfing instead of extra spells, which is of varying use (YMMV). Lastly, the alternative appearance for tielfing provides some fun options for bards, such as looking like a normal human with small horns, fangs, or catlike eyes, and, most usefully, not casting a shadow or reflection.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
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Originally Posted by
EvilAnagram
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I think you might want to take a look at what the new book Mordenkainen's Tomb of Foes brings to the table for bards. Specifically I am talking about the Elf Subrace Eladrin or Fey Elves. That get everything the base elf gets with +1 Charisma, and the Fey step ability which is a nice 30 ft teleport that use can use after every rest, and not only that but at 3rd level you get additional affects depending on the season you chose for your Fey Elf, which you may change endlessly after a long rest, Autumn lets you charm two enemies, Winter lets you fear an enemy, Spring lets you teleport an ally you touch instead, and Summer lets you burn an enemy you teleport near. All in All I think this makes at least this Sub Race of Elf a very viable option for a bard.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Apologies if this was asked earlier in the thread:
Using the Magical Secrets feature, can a Bard choose cantrips? Or must they choose a spell that is 1st level or higher? Was thinking of taking Eldritch Blast using the Magical Secrets feature from the Lore Bard college to give my character a good damage-dealing cantrip (I have Vicious Mockery, but I keep hearing how EB is the most powerful damage cantrip in the game, so I wanted to consider it).
For what it's worth, the character will be starting at Level 8. I took Lightning Bolt as the other Magical Secret spell, and am now deciding between Counterspell or EB (again, if taking a cantrip is allowed). I'm also open to other suggestions on what Magical Secrets spells I should take.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Aboleth
Apologies if this was asked earlier in the thread:
Using the Magical Secrets feature, can a Bard choose cantrips? Or must they choose a spell that is 1st level or higher? Was thinking of taking Eldritch Blast using the Magical Secrets feature from the Lore Bard college to give my character a good damage-dealing cantrip (I have Vicious Mockery, but I keep hearing how EB is the most powerful damage cantrip in the game, so I wanted to consider it).
For what it's worth, the character will be starting at Level 8. I took Lightning Bolt as the other Magical Secret spell, and am now deciding between Counterspell or EB (again, if taking a cantrip is allowed). I'm also open to other suggestions on what Magical Secrets spells I should take.
You can take a cantrip, but I'm not sure Eldritch Blast will be worthwhile. Part of what makes it such a good cantrip is that Warlock Invocations provide it with boosts such as increased damage and pushing. Those aren't going to be available without multiclassing, and if you multiclass you can grab it as a cantrip without using your Magical Secrets.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EvilAnagram
You can take a cantrip, but I'm not sure Eldritch Blast will be worthwhile. Part of what makes it such a good cantrip is that Warlock Invocations provide it with boosts such as increased damage and pushing. Those aren't going to be available without multiclassing, and if you multiclass you can grab it as a cantrip without using your Magical Secrets.
Got it. So if you were in my shoes, you would stick with Lightning Bolt and Counterspell for the two Magical Secrets spells (again, the character will be starting at Level 8)?
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
How does the Drow Half-Elf Variant fares up against the plain Half-Elf?
Half-Elf Drow gets 2 less skills, but get Drow magic (Dancing Lights cantrip, free Faerie Fire & Darkness 1/day.
Note that the Half-Elf Drow does not suffer from any sunlight sensitivity.
The Half-Elf Lore Bard is already drowning in skills (10 skill proficiencies at level 3), plus with Jack of All Trades, you already get half the benefits of full proficiency anyway. Seems like trading 2 skills for some free spells is a decent deal, especially early on when the spell slots are very valuable and proficiency is just a +1/+2 bonus anyway.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Aboleth
Got it. So if you were in my shoes, you would stick with Lightning Bolt and Counterspell for the two Magical Secrets spells (again, the character will be starting at Level 8)?
Yeah, those sound like solid picks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Merudo
How does the Drow Half-Elf Variant fares up against the plain Half-Elf?
Seems like trading 2 skills for some free spells is a decent deal, especially early on when the spell slots are very valuable and proficiency is just a +1/+2 bonus anyway.
That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
So in my next game I was thinking of playing a dragonborn strength valor bard so I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips for it. Thanks.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Erk'd
So in my next game I was thinking of playing a dragonborn strength valor bard so I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips for it. Thanks.
When you give your combat inspiration die to someone, remind them to use it (as a reaction to boost AC, if they crit, then they can add the inspiration twice to the damage, but even outside of critting it might be enough to finish off an opponent).
What kind weapon will you use? if you go sword and board, look up which of your spells have material or somatic components, having both hands full will interfere in casting, also the war caster feat will be useful for you.
Depending on your charisma, you'll want to pick spells in regards to whether they need a saving throw.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
The new UA they made that renews the eberron races made Changelings really awesome.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Erk'd
So in my next game I was thinking of playing a dragonborn strength valor bard so I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips for it. Thanks.
You can Valor in four ways: sword-and-board, greatweapon, bow or weaponless.
Sword-and-board wants War Caster to be able to use all spells with their hands full. Advantage on concentration checks is also very nice to have, as well as opportunity attacks with spells. For the latter, be sure you pick some good single-target spells like Hold Person, Suggestion and Banishment.
Greatweapon doesn't need War Caster, but Great Weapon Master (for heavier hits) or Polearm Master (for more attacks). You could have both, of course, but two feats are heavy for a build that needs two stats. Good Magical Secrets are Elemental Weapon/Holy Weapon.
Bow wants Sharpshooter, and also a level of Fighter; that +2 to all hits is too good to pass. Swift Quiver is mandatory.
Weaponless seems counterintuitive, since you have Extra Attack. But in the end you'll be a Lore Bard with 18AC instead of Additional Magical Secrets; it can work.
Also, check with your DM if you can get darkvision. It makes no sense for dragonborn not to have it, and they're far from overpowered.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
I'm in a campaign where I will be trying out a Changeling (using the new Eberron UA) Lore Bard.
The story is that he is a mask maker, the thought being that Changelings will sometimes forget themselves or the faces of deceased love ones, so the mask maker will make masks to preserve these memories.
My party currently consists of a druid and a divine soul sorcerer.
Does anyone have any tips?
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
werescythe
I'm in a campaign where I will be trying out a Changeling (using the new Eberron UA) Lore Bard.
The story is that he is a mask maker, the thought being that Changelings will sometimes forget themselves or the faces of deceased love ones, so the mask maker will make masks to preserve these memories.
My party currently consists of a druid and a divine soul sorcerer.
Does anyone have any tips?
Well, your party is smaller and less than ideal in its makeup, so you will need to be able to fight on the front lines. Swords or Valor seem like the best approach mechanically, but I'm not sure how that works for you storywise.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EvilAnagram
Well, your party is smaller and less than ideal in its makeup, so you will need to be able to fight on the front lines. Swords or Valor seem like the best approach mechanically, but I'm not sure how that works for you storywise.
Well, I was planning on being a Lore Bard with a focus on debuffing. Fortunately we are getting a fourth player who is planning on being either a fighter or a barbarian and the Divine Sorcerer is planning on focusing some of their spells toward fire.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
werescythe
Well, I was planning on being a Lore Bard with a focus on debuffing. Fortunately we are getting a fourth player who is planning on being either a fighter or a barbarian and the Divine Sorcerer is planning on focusing some of their spells toward fire.
With that information, I think a Lore Bard sounds great.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EvilAnagram
With that information, I think a Lore Bard sounds great.
I'm glad you think so.
Now while we are starting at lvl 1 I did have some questions in regards to the Actor feat and my changeling traits.
With the way the new changeling changes appearance ability works it sounds like I can mimic the voice of someone I am impersonating already. So in that case would the actor feat still be worth it or should I simply go +1 CHR (currently at 19) and +1 DEX?
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
werescythe
I'm glad you think so.
Now while we are starting at lvl 1 I did have some questions in regards to the Actor feat and my changeling traits.
With the way the new changeling changes appearance ability works it sounds like I can mimic the voice of someone I am impersonating already. So in that case would the actor feat still be worth it or should I simply go +1 CHR (currently at 19) and +1 DEX?
Honestly, the advantage on checks would still be very powerful, especially because you can so easily pass yourself off as another person. I would talk to your DM about letting you take a tool or skill proficiency (something of that nature) because you would essentially be doubling a feature.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Erk'd
So in my next game I was thinking of playing a dragonborn strength valor bard so I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips for it. Thanks.
Consider, if using point buy, to start with 17 str. This would allow you to get heavy armor proficiency at level 4, diminishing the MADness of your character.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
So my Lorebard ("Names" Fretwield) just hit Level 6. (Two years playing this ...my first Character ever in D&D....in a West Marches Style game) So i come here for advice on a few things.
Instrument of the Bards Makes Hypnotic Pattern really strong. Any other Combos i should look out for especially with Items i may acquire?
Also What Choices would you recommend for Additional Magical Secrets and Magical Secrets? I've Chosen Haste and Counterspell since there were so many good choices. I asked the 30 players (Including DMs) to vote on what i should take.
I've been learning that Counterspell on a Bard is very good with Jack of All trades. (Another Combo that should be mentioned)
Thank you so much for this Guide...it's made my PC so requested on missions for my support and game changing spell choices.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sesimie
So my Lorebard ("Names" Fretwield) just hit Level 6. (Two years playing this ...my first Character ever in D&D....in a West Marches Style game) So i come here for advice on a few things.
Instrument of the Bards Makes Hypnotic Pattern really strong. Any other Combos i should look out for especially with Items i may acquire?
Also What Choices would you recommend for Additional Magical Secrets and Magical Secrets? I've Chosen Haste and Counterspell since there were so many good choices. I asked the 30 players (Including DMs) to vote on what i should take.
I've been learning that Counterspell on a Bard is very good with Jack of All trades. (Another Combo that should be mentioned)
Thank you so much for this Guide...it's made my PC so requested on missions for my support and game changing spell choices.
Well, it kind of depends on how you want to play your bard. For me (I'm level 3 so I'm not quite there yet) my bard has a dark past that they have forgotten (possibly part of a cult or secret society). At the same time, I am one of the most experienced players at the table, so I choose to focus on debuffing enemies to allow other players to have all the cool kill scenes. Thus using both of those elements I am planning on taking both Counterspell (a great debuff against mages:smallwink:) and Ray of Sickness (deal a decent amount of damage, doesn't require concentration, has the chance to poison the enemy).
One thing to try to remember is to avoid falling into the "This Guide says these Spells are Awesome... and forget that they are all concentration spells" trap. Make sure you have plenty of non concentration spells that you can use when necessary. Because nothing hurts worse then casting a spell and realizing to in order to fight the enemy you have to drop the first spell just to activate the second one.
Also consider if you are planning on multiclassing. As a lore bard it is possible that you may have studied dark lore and eldritch runes, etc... and perhaps your Magical Secrets can represent your subtle change to the dark side (or even the light side).
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
So in my first week, my party found some bush monsters in a forest who were apparently performing some sort of ritual on a girl they had captured. Unfortunately we couldn't save her as she became possessed with some kind of fungus and proceeded to attack us.
She attacked and knocked out our Divine Sorcerer, who I revived with Healing Words. She then proceeded to chase me around like crazy. In a panicked state I managed to defeat her with my rapier while the druid and fighter watched.
Then last week I managed to fail a drinking contest during a festival. Afterwards when the rest of the party was playing darts the druid missed and hit some fat chick. Being drunk my changeling bard saw the woman and in a drunken state thought she was beautiful and proceed to woo her (thus distracting her from the druid who she was going to smack). Now while the rest of the party is trying to chase after a man who lost his axe head in the woods (people have been disappearing the woods), my character is stuck, not only drunk but... having a good time with the fat chick.
This is why drinking is bad kids.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
[/QUOTE]
- Warforged: A Valor Bard can get some use out of this, but a Lore Bard should just say no.
[/QUOTE]
Why shouldn't lore bards be warfgrged?
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
My guess is that nothing in the base warforged does much for lore bard. Con boost is ok, but you shouldn't be in the frontlines anyways. Envoy's abilities are going to duplicate expertise and jack of all trades. Nothing in juggernaut does anything for you. I can see skirmisher being useful if the party doesn't have a rogue or ranger, but it's a pretty niche area and there are better ways to get dex.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
- Warforged: A Valor Bard can get some use out of this, but a Lore Bard should just say no.
[/QUOTE]
Why shouldn't lore bards be warfgrged?[/QUOTE]
This one's a simple thing to answer: the Wayfarer's Guide (and attached UA articles) were released after the Race section was last published, so the rating is based off of the Eberron UA from a few years back (which incidentally was the very first UA article to be released). The only Warforged in that article was the Juggernaut, which really isn't all that helpful on a caster. The new Envoy, on the other hand, would be rated a fair bit higher once it gets added to the guide (assuming Wizards doesn't nerf it dramatically beforehand, of course).
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Okay, Dissonent Whispers is awesome! Last session I killed two enemies with it by casting it as a lvl 2 spell (my only 2nd lvl spell was Heat Metal and none of the enemies were wearing armor or hold weapons).
There is little to no excuse not to pick this spell up at first lvl. Just do it.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
I think your underselling college of swords. It can turn a bard into a tank, by adding a d12 to your ac every turn at high levels.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kinglinus1
I think your underselling college of swords. It can turn a bard into a tank, by adding a d12 to your ac every turn at high levels.
I mean, you have to use a d6 if you want to do it every turn, but I agree that it's nice. That's why I rated it so highly. Frankly, I don't think the flourishes are as useful as simply passing out inspiration, but I tend to value teamwork in combat.
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Re: Player's Gonna Play: A Bard's Guide
I think it's worth noting that spells with only a verbal component, such as dissonant whispers, are especially good for valor and swords bards who are more likely to have both their hands occupied with weapons/shield. Even if it doesn't affect your rating of a spell, I think it would be worth mentioning like you do concentration.