D&D 5E The Bard's Inspiration Die...
Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
It’s already borderline overpowered, it definitely doesn’t need to be made any more powerful by affecting more than one character.
Satyrn
First Post
I think if I was to make your change, I'd also reduce the number of times you can do that to once per short rest (Instead of multiple times per long rest as it is right now).
But that would still leave the problem of the other uses of Inspiration that are clearly meant to affect only one creature, like tge lore bard's cutting words. Both of our ideas weaken those features, mine by making it useable less often, yours by making it clearly less powerful than the base use of the Inspiration Die.
But that would still leave the problem of the other uses of Inspiration that are clearly meant to affect only one creature, like tge lore bard's cutting words. Both of our ideas weaken those features, mine by making it useable less often, yours by making it clearly less powerful than the base use of the Inspiration Die.
Slit518
Adventurer
I really don't feel like it's that powerful, but then again it's just me. I've played in games with Bards, and have played it the way I mentioned, and everything works out fine, nothing too powerful there.
The solution for Cutting Words could be effect a number a enemies up to your Charisma modifier in range (a minimum of 1).
Honestly, I don't see the big deal. It's a one use, in most cases to either an attack roll or a saving throw. It ranges from 6-12 depending on what level you are. It makes the party feel awesome when they (or a majority of them) have Inspiration.
Can you combine Bless & Inspiration? And if so, meh, whatever. 1d20+x + 1d4 +1d6. As a DM, you could rule whichever is higher between the result of the Bless and Inspirational die if that matters to you so much.
Oh, and I guess throw a level 6+ Paladin in there, with a plus to all saves based on their Cha mod (probably a +3 to +4 at that level).
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Satyrn
First Post
That probably works fine. And there's bound to be a solution to all the other features, too. I was just suggesting you'd have to modify all of them, too, for your change to be a good one.
I really have no idea if your idea is too powerful, but I do understand the flavor of the original seems wrong to you.
Slit518
Adventurer
I think when you do it that way, it makes the Bard a great class.
Average party size is what? 4?
So 3 allies on average? That fits in with a "Cha mod," since most player's will have 16-17 Cha starting out.
If it's a larger party of 6, at higher levels (8 minimum, unless the player rolled) the Bard can effect 4-5 allies with an Inspiration instead of 1.
ad_hoc
(they/them)
The Bard is already possibly the most powerful class in the game. At the very least up there among the most powerful.
You might be missing that the choice to use the die is made after the d20 is rolled. Turning misses into hits or a failed saving throw into a success is huge. In the case of the Lore bard turning a hit into a miss is also huge. In effect it's not just 1 roll, it's like affecting all of the character's rolls until it is used.
i tend to have an aversion to proposed changes which get defended quickly by how little they will matter as in "I don't see the big deal."
making a change that doesn't actually in your own eyes make much of an impact seems like begging the question of "why bother?"
As for the combined "not a big deal" and ""makes the party feel awesome" in my experience a set of player can see the difference between "feeling awesome" and "being awesome" pretty quickly and the former does not last long without the other.
So, what do i think?
I think if you really believe it isn't a big deal then you should not do it. make it a noticable and cool cosmetic change not an inconsequential mechanical one that is intended to be no big deal.
I love the bard and the inspiration effects and can see it as fitting a whole lot of character concepts... but I myself have not seen its inspiration ability as "no big deal" or needing a boost in effect by multiplying its targets by 3-5.
Have you been seeing in those bard games you referenced that parties with bard's are struggling where those without bards are doing fine?
If so then a bard up-tune may be appropriate but then again would need more facts to decide that. if an up-tune was called for it should likely be in an area that would be a big deal.
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