This sounds like a D&D Informercial.
I wanted to know general suggestions 1st. Now perhaps there would be different ones letting you know of the class of the PC: sword bard (XGE).
I wanted to know general suggestions 1st. Now perhaps there would be different ones letting you know of the class of the PC: sword bard (XGE).
Counterspell was not in the OP list because it was taken in the 1st Magical Secrets; same thing for cantrips (not in the OP list).If this is for a melee spellcaster with full spell progression, Armor of Agathys (non-concentration, temp hp, deals a lot of damage without using any actions in combat) is a good choice from an efficiency standpoint. I'd be tempted to say Simulacrum as spell number 2, but Counterspell is my choice.
You did not list cantrips, but if they were on the table, there are some gret cantrips to take...
"sword bard spell list" I don't have XGE, is there such a thing? If you have access to an electronic version of it, could you paste it (the sword bard spell list)? I compile different sites to make my sword bard, there could be some info that are on none of them.Then favor spells which are not on the sword bard spell list. As Gyor pointed out, Find Familiar and Find Steed have major utility, not just on the day you cast them. On another hand, you don't get any utility out of anything if you're dead, and two great spells for avoiding death are Shield and Absorb Elements.