In your opinion, what would be the best way to play a necromantic Bard?

[TheExplosiveRog]

So, one of my players wanted to play a Dwarf Bard who uses necromancy (I asked why, he responded "He plays Death Metal"). He doesn't have a lot of time to make a character, so I'd like some tips. I haven't played a lot of bards myself, so sorry if something whooshed over my head.

[Misterwhisper]

He would almost have to go with lore and steal them because bard is very slim on necromancy.

Valor would also make sense for a dwarf but there are no necro cantrips of first level spells for bard. Only blindness for second.

Necro and bard don’t really work very well.

How about death or grave cleric, death if evil is ok, grave if not.

Or magic initiate cleric, but feats at low level are not worth missing stats in my opinion.

[Zetakya]

Does he actually mean Necromancy in a "raising the dead" way, or is he open to a more general interpretation of theme? Because I've been thinking on how to put together a Bard with a similar concept: " The Herald of Doom".

You're mostly looking at taking Warlock and some Cleric spells with Magical Secrets. If you want to go all out as a caster then taking Magical Initiate (assuming vHuman) for Toll The Dead cantrip (Warlock, so CHA based) from level 1 as your standard magical attack, with maybe Chill Touch (to prevent healing) and Arms of Hadar (as a once per day escape spell).

You then look at Magical Secrets like Hunger of Hadar, Maddening Darkness, Shadow of Moil and Contact Other Plane

From your own spell list Bane, Bestow Curse and Eyebite are flavourful.

I can make no vouches for the effectiveness of this in combination, but conceptually it works.

The idea of a small dip into Warlock (probably GOO/Tome) might work well too.

[Nagog]

I have a similar character based on the music by Mystery Skulls. I ended up going Rogue 1 Necromancy Wizard X. Still get expertise and can make use of high Charisma, while also getting access to all the good Nercomancy spells.

I considered going Lore for the MS to steal them, but I felt that those wouldn't quite be enough to pull the full NecroDancer aesthetic. So while my Rogue/Wizard doesn't have any Bard levels, he plays like a Bard, minus the Bardic Inspiration

[TheExplosiveRog]

Does he actually mean Necromancy in a "raising the dead" way, or is he open to a more general interpretation of theme? Because I've been thinking on how to put together a Bard with a similar concept: " The Herald of Doom".

You're mostly looking at taking Warlock and some Cleric spells with Magical Secrets. If you want to go all out as a caster then taking Magical Initiate (assuming vHuman) for Toll The Dead cantrip (Warlock, so CHA based) from level 1 as your standard magical attack, with maybe Chill Touch (to prevent healing) and Arms of Hadar (as a once per day escape spell).

You then look at Magical Secrets like Hunger of Hadar, Maddening Darkness, Shadow of Moil and Contact Other Plane

From your own spell list Bane, Bestow Curse and Eyebite are flavourful.

I can make no vouches for the effectiveness of this in combination, but conceptually it works.

The idea of a small dip into Warlock (probably GOO/Tome) might work well too.

The general. Thanks!

[Zetakya]

Yeah, so if you're ok with that (Black Metal Bard, rather than Death Metal) then a 2 level dip into Warlock gets you Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast plus a couple of Cantrips and level 1 spells and one other Invocation.

[TheExplosiveRog]

Yeah, so if you're ok with that (Black Metal Bard, rather than Death Metal) then a 2 level dip into Warlock gets you Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast plus a couple of Cantrips and level 1 spells and one other Invocation.

Well, knowing my player, that works.

[the_david]

This is the best way to play a necromantic bard, in my opinion.

[AttilatheYeon]

The Grateful Undead?

[MrStabby]

Some of the ravnica backgrounds might be worth looking in to. This could add a number of necromancy spells to the Bard list.

[JakOfAllTirades]

A necromantic bard?

Guess I'd play a lot of funeral dirges.

And command my zombie minions to cheer at all my performances.

On a more serious note (see what I did there?) I'd definitely choose the Lore College, so I could grab as many Necromancy spells as possible using Magical Secrets starting at 6th level.

[Dr. Cliché]

For flavour reasons, I'd suggest trying to pick up Toll the Dead somehow.

[Arnie82]

This is the best way to play a necromantic bard, in my opinion.

I was going to post the same thing!

[Corran]

Yeah... I am going to leave this here...

Build wise, lore bard for additional magical secrets and animate dead at level 6.

[Xihirli]

Glamour Bard and teamwork, with a necromancer wizard in the party. You channel your power into increasing the fortitude of the undead thralls of your teammate and moving them around. Later you can grab Crusader’s Mantle for a mass damage buff to the horde.

[Agent-KI7KO]

Make sure to steal soul cage.

[GreyBlack]

..... So feel free to ignore me but I see "necromantic bard" and loose word association automatically goes to "necro romantic bard". So that's something there, but that also reminds me of the Romantic literature movement.

Your character is a Romantic who would go beyond the veil and rend his soul so that they could stay with those they love. They write sonnets and poetry romanticizing death a la Emily Dickinson or John Keats.

[KorvinStarmast]

In your opinion, what would be the best way to play a necromantic Bard?

All of your songs have to be covers of songs by the Grateful Dead.

[Agent-KI7KO]

..... So feel free to ignore me but I see "necromantic bard" and loose word association automatically goes to "necro romantic bard". So that's something there, but that also reminds me of the Romantic literature movement.

Your character is a Romantic who would go beyond the veil and rend his soul so that they could stay with those they love. They write sonnets and poetry romanticizing death a la Emily Dickinson or John Keats.

Contract vampirism and you can be a Necro Romantic Neck-romancer, which fits the modern Bard stereotypes.

[GreyBlack]

Contract vampirism and you can be a Necro Romantic Neck-romancer, which fits the modern Bard stereotypes.

YES! Exactly! Why aren't there more bard vampires? Eminently persuasive deviants with spellcasting ability who are skilled in a bit of everything and can convince anyone of anything!

[Zetakya]

Make sure to steal soul cage.

Definitely one of the better options.

I'd add to this that you should look at Rituals quite closely: A Bard can cast 22 spells per day if they use all of their slots, and knows 22. A Lore Bard knows 24. A few Rituals are good to have. It's also no detriment to take a few very situational spells.

[JackPhoenix]

YES! Exactly! Why aren't there more bard vampires? Eminently persuasive deviants with spellcasting ability who are skilled in a bit of everything and can convince anyone of anything!

Because sir Christopher Lee is dead, unfortunately.

[GreyBlack]

Because sir Christopher Lee is dead, unfortunately.

Blatant lie and you know it. We all know that's code for "Resting in his coffin to recharge."