Bardic Inspiration houserules

[Springheel]

I have an upcoming game where a player wants to play a bard. I've never been a huge fan of them in serious games, so this is the first time I've really looked carefully at the class.

I have a problem with the Bardic Inspiration power, primarily the fact that it lasts for ten minutes. That makes no sense to me in a fluff sense (the bard gives you a rousing word of encouragement in the middle of combat and ten minutes later you pick a lock better?), but more importantly, in a mechanical sense I feel like it will really add a lot of extra book-keeping. The bard has to keep track of how many times they've given out inspiration, the players have to remember they have the inspiration to spend, I as the DM have to track whether it's been ten minutes since the bard handed that particular inspiration out, and whether the player was quick enough in using it after the dice was rolled.

I'd like to tweak or replace the ability with something else about equally powered. I was thinking about having the inspiration only be effective as long as the bard continues to play music or encourage, which would be a lot easier to explain, but obviously that limits the usefulness quite a bit.

Anyone tackled this issue before? I'm interested in hearing what kinds of ideas are already out there.

 

[FrogReaver]

If the ability doesn’t make sense to you it’s only because your not trying to make sense of it.

Music doesn’t only inspire people when they hear the song. Words of encouragement can stay with a person a lifetime.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Try it for a couple of sessions and see if it turns out to be an issue for your group. Most people don't have a problem with it. If you do, there will be plenty of suggestions I'm sure.

 

[5ekyu]

I have an upcoming game where a player wants to play a bard. I've never been a huge fan of them in serious games, so this is the first time I've really looked carefully at the class.

I have a problem with the Bardic Inspiration power, primarily the fact that it lasts for ten minutes. That makes no sense to me in a fluff sense (the bard gives you a rousing word of encouragement in the middle of combat and ten minutes later you pick a lock better?), but more importantly, in a mechanical sense I feel like it will really add a lot of extra book-keeping. The bard has to keep track of how many times they've given out inspiration, the players have to remember they have the inspiration to spend, I as the DM have to track whether it's been ten minutes since the bard handed that particular inspiration out, and whether the player was quick enough in using it after the dice was rolled.

I'd like to tweak or replace the ability with something else about equally powered. I was thinking about having the inspiration only be effective as long as the bard continues to play music or encourage, which would be a lot easier to explain, but obviously that limits the usefulness quite a bit.

Anyone tackled this issue before? I'm interested in hearing what kinds of ideas are already out there.

My bard hands an actual big die over to a player when they give the character inspiration. They set it beside their dice or character sheet. It looks nothing like theirs.They give it back when it's used.

A ton of things in the game can last for 10m game time. We have never had an issue tracking them. Outside of combat, you just reacjph a point where we say "ok this is expired" if folks have not been rushing.

In the game I run, where they have teo bards of different colleges, each comes with index cards, one per die thry can give. The cards are colored differently. The cards list the die type in HUGE font and a bullet list of their uses - different color, different college, different features Again, they hand these colorful reminders to players whrn the inspiration is given.

No problem tracking.

So, those are how we do it.

Now, let me give you a suggestion.

When you want to portray a rule change as a sort of "convenience" thing as in "its gonna be too hard too track" try and make it a change that **lessens** restrictions, not tightens them. That keeps it from looking like a nerf-in-convenient-sheep-clothing.

So, if you want to tell your bard "I am really doing this to make it easier to keep up with, not because I want to nerf your character before I even see it in play" then tell the bard "so, instead of 10m, let's just have your dice last until spent or a short or long rest."

That won't matter all that much and it will reduce tracking "expiration" all the way since lots of things expire or reset at short or long rests.

Otherwise, it really looks like an intentional nerf being sold and spun.


Edit to add

Players who have characters who cast other buffs like bless, hate, shield of faith **ofter** in my games also hand cards summarizing the gains durations etc to other players when cast on other characters. It helps to have a colorful little reminder right there, sometimespaperclipped to the character sheet or slid into the tablet side pocket.

 

[Shiroiken]

In practice, I've never seen anyone hold a bardic inspiration for more than a combat or event. Usually the bard will save them for when they're needed, such as "hey before you try to (disarm the trap; cross the balance beam; talk to the leader)," so the 10 minute duration isn't that big of a deal. As for tracking uses, this is not different than any other resource players track, such as spell slots, ki, battle master dice, etc., so they should be able to manage it. If there's that big an issue with it, tell the bard to bring chits to represent them, handing them out to players has they use them.

 

[muppetmuppet]

Yes same story from me, and it can be a good source of roleplaying from the bard, I would try it first.

 

[DND_Reborn]

While I hope people can help you find something that helps, I'm sorry but whenever I see someone post about bards I chuckle... Never seen one played... ever. I've only even met one guy (not in our group) who likes bards, and frankly speaking there is a reason why he was never invited to play.

I guess the concept doesn't bother me, but to me they seem like blended rogue/casters, and I find most of the archetypes and their features lackluster.

Anyway, give it a try and others will definitely help with things if you aren't happy with it. Good luck!

 

[Blue]

I have an upcoming game where a player wants to play a bard. I've never been a huge fan of them in serious games, so this is the first time I've really looked carefully at the class.

I have a problem with the Bardic Inspiration power, primarily the fact that it lasts for ten minutes. That makes no sense to me in a fluff sense (the bard gives you a rousing word of encouragement in the middle of combat and ten minutes later you pick a lock better?), but more importantly, in a mechanical sense I feel like it will really add a lot of extra book-keeping. The bard has to keep track of how many times they've given out inspiration, the players have to remember they have the inspiration to spend, I as the DM have to track whether it's been ten minutes since the bard handed that particular inspiration out, and whether the player was quick enough in using it after the dice was rolled.

I'd like to tweak or replace the ability with something else about equally powered. I was thinking about having the inspiration only be effective as long as the bard continues to play music or encourage, which would be a lot easier to explain, but obviously that limits the usefulness quite a bit.

Anyone tackled this issue before? I'm interested in hearing what kinds of ideas are already out there.

I think you're trying to apply a solution in search of a problem. Having run with bards, run a bard, and run for a party with a bard, it's not bad to track at all. If you believe your players can't track simple "uses per rest", then D&D is not the game for them because it's a ubquitious game mechanic.

I've seen the bard player hand out little cardboard token they made reminding them of the Bardic Inspiration so the target doesn't forget. That might help if your party needs a visual reminder.

Think for a moment - If someone cheers you up, do you get sad against the second they stop talking? Inspiration: improving your mood, energy, outlook. Just like HPs can measure you getting worn down and not just actual wounds, Bardic Inspiration is the opposite, buoying someone up so they have a bit of extra effort they can give.

Wizards access their arcana through knowledge, bards through music, sorcerers through natural talent backed up with force od will, an warlock just trigger borrowed power. The bardic abilities are just as much magic as channel divinity or any of those. Don't write them off as mundane any more then you think a wizard can't cast fireball because it doesn't happen in real life.

You have a player interested in the bard in the book -- what part of that sentence do you think will be improved by someone who admits they dislike the concept changing it around? Let them play it and if you have balance issues address them, but don't dump all over their concept without even seeing it.

 

[Blue]

While I hope people can help you find something that helps, I'm sorry but whenever I see someone post about bards I chuckle... Never seen one played... ever. I've only even met one guy (not in our group) who likes bards, and frankly speaking there is a reason why he was never invited to play.

I guess the concept doesn't bother me, but to me they seem like blended rogue/casters, and I find most of the archetypes and their features lackluster.

I'd have to say that your theorycrafting of bards is well off the mark. They are wonderful force multiplier. I'd try seeing them in play before writing them off as lackluster.

The bard in one game I'm in is more often the MVP of our sessions than any other character. Taking out half the encounter with CC/debuffs so the damage dealers can concentrate on the other half while still handing out buffs (the only 5e class with significant non-concentration buffs for others) and bonus actions and still taking actions. Acing RP encounters. (We have a sorcerer, but he's a goblin with only Intimidate trained of CHR skills.) Having the right skill when we're missing it, or buffing the person who does have that skill to be even better. Backup healer, especially if the cleric goes down. Yeah, he doesn't deal a lot of damage - but the whole rest of the party is good at that.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'd have to say that your theorycrafting of bards is well off the mark. They are wonderful force multiplier. I'd try seeing them in play before writing them off as lackluster.

Fair enough, but that's my point. I haven't seen one played and other than one rather strange individual I know, no one has any inclination to play one in either of the groups I am in. The Bard class could have been left out entirely and no one would miss it as far as I can tell.

I suppose if you think of them as the Jack-Of-All-Trades-types, then they can act great in supporting roles but I can hardly seem them as being the MVP most of the time.

But I don't want to get this thread off-topic. Maybe someday I'll see one in action as you put it, until then I will remain unconvinced. As I said before, I hope you guys can help the OP if he decides it is actually needed, I'll keep reading with interest.