D&D 5E Must-have bard spells?

AmpsterMan

First Post
I see, so mainly "support" spells. This is good because I'll be playing a bard that has a sword and shield so I can't play my flute when in the middle of an engagement (I wouldn't allow myself to play a flute one handed and I consider my shield to be "weilded"; I don't try to beat the system much)

So as long as these spells are useful out of combat, which it seems they are, I am happy :D
 

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Paraxis

Explorer
I see, so mainly "support" spells. This is good because I'll be playing a bard that has a sword and shield so I can't play my flute when in the middle of an engagement (I wouldn't allow myself to play a flute one handed and I consider my shield to be "weilded"; I don't try to beat the system much)

So as long as these spells are useful out of combat, which it seems they are, I am happy :D

I don't think any bard will use instruments during combat, use a spell component pouch and just put your sword away while you cast.

Lutes are for the camp fire songs, spell component pouches are for battle.

Must have spell, the legendary monster killer, contagion.
 
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AmpsterMan

First Post
Heh, now I want to play a dual weilding bard; longsword in one hand, magic flute/dagger in the other.

Or better yet, metallic Banjo that doubles as a Maul :D
 

Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
Must have spell, the legendary monster killer, contagion.

This is, of course, assuming the interpretation that they get the disease on turn one is even the correct interpretation. Otherwise, I do not think it would be a wise choice for your Magical Secrets ability at 10th level.
 


Paraxis

Explorer
This is, of course, assuming the interpretation that they get the disease on turn one is even the correct interpretation. Otherwise, I do not think it would be a wise choice for your Magical Secrets ability at 10th level.

It is very hard for me to see how anyone would/could interpret the spell where you didn't get afflicted with the disease on turn one.

Your touch inflicts disease. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, you afflict the creature with a disease of our choice from any of the one described below. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it must make a Constitution saving throw. After failing three of these saving throws, the disease's effects last for the duration, and the creature stops making these saves. After succeeding on three of these saving throws, the creature recovers from the disease, and the spell ends.
Since this spell induces a natural disease in its target, any effect that removes disease or otherwise ameliorates a disease’s effects apply to it.


On a hit you are afflicted, seems straight forward to me.

After three successful saves you recover from the disease, you have to be suffering some effect to recover from for this part to make sense.

I know it is OP as all get out and trivializes legendary monsters once you touch them with it, but those things don't make another reading of the spell any more valid. D&D has always had save or suck/die spells and still does, this one spell just makes that legendary monster auto save thing kinda pointless.
 

Mandragola

First Post
Supposedly it still gets better after 3 turns... albeit a lot can happen in 3 turns.

I think hex is pretty good myself. Giving a critter disadvantage on attacks is excellent, especially for big guys. Nice that you also get to inflict more damage on them. It does feel a bit odd going for a level 1 spell, but you can cast it as a bonus action so it's something to do with low-level spell slots even up to quite high levels I think.
 

Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
It is very hard for me to see how anyone would/could interpret the spell where you didn't get afflicted with the disease on turn one.

Your touch inflicts disease. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, you afflict the creature with a disease of our choice from any of the one described below. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it must make a Constitution saving throw. After failing three of these saving throws, the disease's effects last for the duration, and the creature stops making these saves. After succeeding on three of these saving throws, the creature recovers from the disease, and the spell ends.
Since this spell induces a natural disease in its target, any effect that removes disease or otherwise ameliorates a disease’s effects apply to it.


On a hit you are afflicted, seems straight forward to me.

After three successful saves you recover from the disease, you have to be suffering some effect to recover from for this part to make sense.

I know it is OP as all get out and trivializes legendary monsters once you touch them with it, but those things don't make another reading of the spell any more valid. D&D has always had save or suck/die spells and still does, this one spell just makes that legendary monster auto save thing kinda pointless.

Disease affliction, however, does not mean you have the harmful symptoms right away. It just means you have the disease, and in this case it states it's the natural form of the disease.

One thing that separates disease from pretty much every other type of affliction, is that they have incubation times prior to being hit with the symptoms. This explains hundreds of side treks done over the years by adventuring parties to get a PC back to town and pay for a cure disease from a cleric before the symptoms kick in.

We won't know until the DMG, which will have the disease rules.
 

Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
Supposedly it still gets better after 3 turns... albeit a lot can happen in 3 turns.

I think hex is pretty good myself. Giving a critter disadvantage on attacks is excellent, especially for big guys. Nice that you also get to inflict more damage on them. It does feel a bit odd going for a level 1 spell, but you can cast it as a bonus action so it's something to do with low-level spell slots even up to quite high levels I think.

How does that work? Do you pick Strength for the ability that is cursed, and their attacks are strength checks? What if they end up using Dex for their attacks?
 

brehobit

Explorer
How does that work? Do you pick Strength for the ability that is cursed, and their attacks are strength checks? What if they end up using Dex for their attacks?

Attacks are not checks, so Hex won't do this.

That said, there are a handful of things that involve making an athletics check (grapple for example as I recall) and there Hex is brutal with it's "1st level have disadvantage, no save". Also could be fun if you've got an assassin on your team who hides a lot and you give a disadvantage on Wis to the target. Good luck with that.

Halfling warlock hiding behind a human is going to rock it out there.
 

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