D&D 5E The Bard: A missed opportunity.

[Sailor Moon]

Did you notice that the player chooses whether to use the Bardic Inspiration die only after rolling their d20 first? The idea is that you wait until you believe you have a near miss, then you spend the die to turn it into a hit. If in the space of 10 minutes you believe you will have multiple near misses for attack rolls or saving throws, you can hold out until a high-leverage roll, such as an attack roll for a spell, saving against fireball, or making that ability check to catch that rope before going over the waterfall.

As you noted in your analysis, the 10th-level bard can probably offer this die 10 times per day, at the cost of only bonus actions. Sounds pretty good to me.

You've managed to leave out something very important. Yes you get to call it after you roll, but it has to be before the DM gives you the target number. That is a really big deal.

 

[Sailor Moon]

They used their magic system to represent a class that uses magic. Saying that is lazy is like saying the fighter design is lazy because it uses d20s to attack.

Not quite.

 

[Mistwell]

I can't recall seeing a single buff spell above 4th level. And there's a lot of filler.

They're there. Remember all casters have fewer higher level spells across the board in this version of the game. But for the 4th level and above, we have:

Freedom of Movement – unaffected by difficult terrain, speed reduction, paralysis, or restraint, can escape from nomagical restrains, freely move underwater.

Polymorph – definitely can be a buff, particular in that it essentially boosts your hit points during those rounds.

Regenerate – cast before a battle, it’s a buff.

Foresight – immune to surprise, advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saves. Other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against target as well.

True Polymorph - can be a buff, depending on what you turn someone into.

There are lots of other spells that are more subtle in the way they help the party, but which have essentially the same net effect as a buff. For instance, Guards and Wards protects (essentially) against wandering monsters interrupting a rest, and can be a strong advantage for a raid on a building if the party prepares in advance for the things it does to various corridors while those inside the building were not prepared. Symbol has a similar effect. Some other spells help with distance communication (Dreaming), or serve to help the entire party bypass a threat through a mass illusion (seeming). Again, not direct buffs, but the net effect of these spells, used well, can serve the same end result.

And there's some bard spells for 3e that are missing like song of discord, shout or nightmare.

Nightmare is Dream now. Song of Discord is mostly Crown of Madness now.

And other bard spells like grease, glitterdust, summon monsters, shadow evocation/conjuration, geas, heroes feast, veil or seeming, haste and slow.

A bunch of those are there. Glitterdust is Faerie Fire. Veil is Seeming or any of several illusion spells, depending on your use. Geas and Seeming are there. Grease, Summon Monsters, Shadow conjuration/evocation, Heroes Feat, and Haste/Slow are indeed missing. Consistent with all those spells, they've removed most of the physical conjuration spells from the Bard, and focused it more mind and illusion.

 

[Imaro]

You've managed to leave out something very important. Yes you get to call it after you roll, but it has to be before the DM gives you the target number. That is a really big deal.

Actually it's before the DM tells you whether a roll succeeded or failed... I think this is more an issue in theory than in actual play since my players tend to quickly determine a rough gauge of AC's for monsters and I would also assume most character's can roughly judge the difficulty of most actions involving ability checks... I think the only instance where one would be totally blind to the DC would be in the case of saves...

 

[Stalker0]

The bard can get the paladin's mount spell, and basically acquire a full class feature

That is all.

 

[Sadras]

If there was a missed opportunity, for me it was in not making some version of the bard druidically themed.

Are you referring to the skald concept? If yes, perhaps they will offer that option with supplements, although I agree it would have been sweet if the option were in the PHB. Perhaps we will be fortunate with a write-up of it within the DMG, similar the cleric's Death domain, although I doubt it.

Much as the class structure was baroque, the 1e bard had a certain style I liked...

I get that.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Actually it's before the DM tells you whether a roll succeeded or failed... I think this is more an issue in theory than in actual play since my players tend to quickly determine a rough gauge of AC's for monsters and I would also assume most character's can roughly judge the difficulty of most actions involving ability checks... I think the only instance where one would be totally blind to the DC would be in the case of saves...

Okay, clearly the players aren't supposed to know these things because of certain mechanics such as the Inspiration ability, but we can't sit there and say this ability is all good because your players will be metagaming. I will be changing things around so this won't happen.

 

[Mistwell]

If there was a missed opportunity, for me it was in not making some version of the bard druidically themed. Much as the class structure was baroque, the 1e bard had a certain style I liked...

Seems like the spells are there for a Skald-type bard. In addition to your standard healing spells that Skalds usually have, they get Animal Friendship, Speak with Animals, Animal Messenger, Locate Animals or Plants, Plant Growth, Speak with Plants, Locate Creature, Polymorph, Awaken, Hold Monster, Find the Path, Regenerate, Dominate Monster, True Polymorph. Pair those nature spell choices with the appropriate background like Outlander, and the subclass College of Valor (which describes them as daring skalds), and I think you have your druidic skald bard.

 

[Imaro]

Okay, clearly the players aren't supposed to know these things because of certain mechanics such as the Inspiration ability, but we can't sit there and say this ability is all good because your players will be metagaming. I will be changing things around so this won't happen.

Metagaming? Why wouldn't someone trained in a skill be able to estimate how hard a task in that particular area be for him or her? Why wouldn't a skilled combatant be able to judge the skill of an opponent after engaging or witnessing said opponent engage in combat? I see these as things that c.an be assesed and determined by the character in the fantasy world... I don't really consider it metagaming but to each their own.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I've always liked bards ever since they came out, but the 5th edition bard has left me with a bit of disappointment. This edition really could have had them focusing on their songs, but instead they are given 9th level spells.

I don't want most of their magical ability tied up in a spell list. In my opinion, that seems rather "tacked on". I would have liked to see bards with a few spell slots that go to maybe 5th level, to represent their dabbling, but their songs be what really brings the class out.

What do you think?

I think you should give the 13th Age bard a try. They have spells, bardic songs, and battle cries (kind of like the warlord). It's a lot of fun to play.