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2nd-level Bard spells
- Thread starter Nathan
- Start date
Would that be "take" in the Biblical sense?
Regardless, the first ones I'd take are (PHB only):
- cat's grace, a fine buffing spell
- glitterdust, great for finding invisible people, and blinding them into the bargain
- levitate, a good way of getting out of jams
- silence, cast it next to spellcasters and shut down any spells with a V component (until they move, anyway)
Don't take any of the healing spells unless you want to become the party's medic. Summon swarm is also good for shutting down spellcasters, but not really worth it IMO unless you're a druid.
Regardless, the first ones I'd take are (PHB only):
- cat's grace, a fine buffing spell
- glitterdust, great for finding invisible people, and blinding them into the bargain
- levitate, a good way of getting out of jams
- silence, cast it next to spellcasters and shut down any spells with a V component (until they move, anyway)
Don't take any of the healing spells unless you want to become the party's medic. Summon swarm is also good for shutting down spellcasters, but not really worth it IMO unless you're a druid.
Zhure
First Post
Well, a lot depends on what your bard does thematically. Here's my commentary for the Bard 2nd level spells:
Animal Trance - tends to be outmoded fairly soon as it is limited in hit dice. Like a Sorcerer avoiding Sleep, I'd avoid this one.
Blindness/Deafness - Nice one even at higher levels.
Blur - superb for shutting down Sneak Attack
Bull's Strength - useful even at high levels, especially if you plan on making a lot of STR-related magic items.
Cat's Grace Subject - as Bull's Strength. Plus, very useful for archer-type Bards.
Cure Moderate Wounds - Better than Cure Light, still helpful even for higher level characters since it tops out at 26 points whereas Cure Light tops out at 13.
Darkness - Stops Sneak Attacks, great defensive or retreating spell.
Daylight - Praise Pelor! Good duration, lots of light. More useful for humans and halflings than for dwarves and half-orcs.
Delay Poison - Usually not frequently used enough to make it worthwhile, but when it's needed, it's really needed.
Detect Thoughts - excellent recon and investigation spell. Not often taken and far more useful in low-combat campaigns.
Enthrall - partially useless as Bardic perform can sort of replicate this.
Glitterdust - double duty: blindness and finding invisible.
Hold Person - a classic stand-by. Can certainly swing a combat.
Hypnotic Pattern - like Sleep, this one can become useless in higher level games and it also replicates to some degree the Bardic perform
Invisibility - Better than hiding in shadows since there's no roll.
Levitate - If you haven't pumped your Climb skill, this is really useful, or in certain dungeons, or as a classier alternative to clambering up to a beau's window.
Locate Object - extremely useful detection spell, but almost all spellcasters can get it.
Magic Mouth - enh. Nice, useful, lots of tricks. Very low combat use, low non-combat use since most casters won't be fooled by it. Basically it's a post-it note and an alarm clock.
Minor Image - sonic image, which makes it the first illusion likely to actually fool someone for an extended period.
Mirror Image - Except for it's low duration, this one is one of the best defenses against targeted attacks.
Misdirection - nice if you're doing lots of stealthy things; not so useful in high combat games or if the opposition is caster-weak.
Obscure - As Misdirection.
Pyrotechnics - Weeeeeeeeee.
Scare - Like Sleep, of limited use.
See Invisibility - Glitterdust is usually better.
Shatter - not terribly useful, but definitely a sonic attack, of which their are few.
Silence - Best anti-caster spell EVER. Downside is you can't usually use perform in it can't ever learn the Silent Feat.
Sound Burst - little damage, but can create a stun effect, from which there's almost no defense in 3e.
Suggestion - Mind altering = good. Unless you're going against constructs, undead or those with high Will saves.
Summon Monster - Also a very limited spell, like Sleep, but not completely useless at higher levels.
Summon Swarm - immobile, small area, but still does damage for concentration + 2 rounds in very limited circumstances. Wouldn't take it as a primary spell but makes a nice backup low-damage spell. Bards are weak on damage spells.
Tasha's Hideous Laughter - a variant on Hold Person, but most of the subjects you want to affect the most will gain a +4.
Tongues - since language is the forte of a Bard, this is a nice spell for groups who travel frequently and expect the party Bard to be the communications officer. In groups which travel little or who have lots of high-INT characters or multiple races, it's less useful.
Undetectable Alignment - enh. Only really useful if you're evil and hiding from the paladin or doing a lot of covert work.
Whispering Wind - Nice communication spell, but Magic Mouth is almost more flexible if used creatively.
As I mentioned earlier, it all depends on what you're trying to do. Bards are very flexible and often considered the Jacks-of-all-trades, so they can have lots of different roles.
Perhaps you could explain what goal you're trying to accomplish with the character?
Greg
Animal Trance - tends to be outmoded fairly soon as it is limited in hit dice. Like a Sorcerer avoiding Sleep, I'd avoid this one.
Blindness/Deafness - Nice one even at higher levels.
Blur - superb for shutting down Sneak Attack
Bull's Strength - useful even at high levels, especially if you plan on making a lot of STR-related magic items.
Cat's Grace Subject - as Bull's Strength. Plus, very useful for archer-type Bards.
Cure Moderate Wounds - Better than Cure Light, still helpful even for higher level characters since it tops out at 26 points whereas Cure Light tops out at 13.
Darkness - Stops Sneak Attacks, great defensive or retreating spell.
Daylight - Praise Pelor! Good duration, lots of light. More useful for humans and halflings than for dwarves and half-orcs.
Delay Poison - Usually not frequently used enough to make it worthwhile, but when it's needed, it's really needed.
Detect Thoughts - excellent recon and investigation spell. Not often taken and far more useful in low-combat campaigns.
Enthrall - partially useless as Bardic perform can sort of replicate this.
Glitterdust - double duty: blindness and finding invisible.
Hold Person - a classic stand-by. Can certainly swing a combat.
Hypnotic Pattern - like Sleep, this one can become useless in higher level games and it also replicates to some degree the Bardic perform
Invisibility - Better than hiding in shadows since there's no roll.
Levitate - If you haven't pumped your Climb skill, this is really useful, or in certain dungeons, or as a classier alternative to clambering up to a beau's window.
Locate Object - extremely useful detection spell, but almost all spellcasters can get it.
Magic Mouth - enh. Nice, useful, lots of tricks. Very low combat use, low non-combat use since most casters won't be fooled by it. Basically it's a post-it note and an alarm clock.
Minor Image - sonic image, which makes it the first illusion likely to actually fool someone for an extended period.
Mirror Image - Except for it's low duration, this one is one of the best defenses against targeted attacks.
Misdirection - nice if you're doing lots of stealthy things; not so useful in high combat games or if the opposition is caster-weak.
Obscure - As Misdirection.
Pyrotechnics - Weeeeeeeeee.
Scare - Like Sleep, of limited use.
See Invisibility - Glitterdust is usually better.
Shatter - not terribly useful, but definitely a sonic attack, of which their are few.
Silence - Best anti-caster spell EVER. Downside is you can't usually use perform in it can't ever learn the Silent Feat.
Sound Burst - little damage, but can create a stun effect, from which there's almost no defense in 3e.
Suggestion - Mind altering = good. Unless you're going against constructs, undead or those with high Will saves.
Summon Monster - Also a very limited spell, like Sleep, but not completely useless at higher levels.
Summon Swarm - immobile, small area, but still does damage for concentration + 2 rounds in very limited circumstances. Wouldn't take it as a primary spell but makes a nice backup low-damage spell. Bards are weak on damage spells.
Tasha's Hideous Laughter - a variant on Hold Person, but most of the subjects you want to affect the most will gain a +4.
Tongues - since language is the forte of a Bard, this is a nice spell for groups who travel frequently and expect the party Bard to be the communications officer. In groups which travel little or who have lots of high-INT characters or multiple races, it's less useful.
Undetectable Alignment - enh. Only really useful if you're evil and hiding from the paladin or doing a lot of covert work.
Whispering Wind - Nice communication spell, but Magic Mouth is almost more flexible if used creatively.
As I mentioned earlier, it all depends on what you're trying to do. Bards are very flexible and often considered the Jacks-of-all-trades, so they can have lots of different roles.
Perhaps you could explain what goal you're trying to accomplish with the character?
Greg
My bard is a female CG drow, at the moment of 3rd level.
Stats: 9, 12, 12, 18, 6, 19.
HPs: 11
As my bard is a drow, she won't have need of having the Darkness spell as a bard and the Daylight spell isn't appropiate.
She knows about ten or eleven languages, so Tongues is also not of much use.
Undetectable Alignment is not of much use (since she is good and there is no Demon or Devil in her adventuring group...)
Her Faerie Fire also finds invisible creatures. However, its area of effect is only 5'x5'. So, Glitterdust may still be useful.
Her 1st-level spells are Charm Person, CLW and Unseen Servant. So she wouldn't want Cure Moderate Wounds. Perhaps Cure Serious Wounds...
Some spells reappear in the higher levels:
Hold Person -- Hold Monster
Invisibility -- Improved Invisibility
...
Am I right that one should one OR the other? So, for example, should one wait for Improved Inv.?
As you can see from her stats, she is not very good at combat. Some spells which helps her in this way would of course be good.
Her main aim is to show the surface races that there are indeed good drows. So, very cruel spells wouldn't fit her.
And lastly one word to the spells
Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Owl's Wisdom, etc.
Personally, I find these spells rather bland. And, Eagle's Splendor for example, gets uninteresting once my bard gets a Cloak of Charisma. Of course, with Cat's Grace, etc., I can make some friends in my adventuring group. Can you give me a reason, why I should take one of these spells?
The other party members are
a Fighter, a Cleric, an Evocer (no Transmutation) and a Ranger.
P.S.: Thank you very much for your replies so far.
Stats: 9, 12, 12, 18, 6, 19.
HPs: 11
As my bard is a drow, she won't have need of having the Darkness spell as a bard and the Daylight spell isn't appropiate.
She knows about ten or eleven languages, so Tongues is also not of much use.
Undetectable Alignment is not of much use (since she is good and there is no Demon or Devil in her adventuring group...)
Her Faerie Fire also finds invisible creatures. However, its area of effect is only 5'x5'. So, Glitterdust may still be useful.
Her 1st-level spells are Charm Person, CLW and Unseen Servant. So she wouldn't want Cure Moderate Wounds. Perhaps Cure Serious Wounds...
Some spells reappear in the higher levels:
Hold Person -- Hold Monster
Invisibility -- Improved Invisibility
...
Am I right that one should one OR the other? So, for example, should one wait for Improved Inv.?
As you can see from her stats, she is not very good at combat. Some spells which helps her in this way would of course be good.
Her main aim is to show the surface races that there are indeed good drows. So, very cruel spells wouldn't fit her.
And lastly one word to the spells
Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Owl's Wisdom, etc.
Personally, I find these spells rather bland. And, Eagle's Splendor for example, gets uninteresting once my bard gets a Cloak of Charisma. Of course, with Cat's Grace, etc., I can make some friends in my adventuring group. Can you give me a reason, why I should take one of these spells?
The other party members are
a Fighter, a Cleric, an Evocer (no Transmutation) and a Ranger.
P.S.: Thank you very much for your replies so far.
Darklone
Registered User
Well...
My bard took See Invisibility. Very important, saved the party a few times since the invis purge of the priest got some problems (like him having to prepare it!!!)
Cure light wounds was always nice. I wouldn't use buff spells like bull's strength usually, in this case I did it cause my bard is a multiclassed barbarian bard and the group where he plays is kinda... No mage or cleric there would cast such a spell on someone else. Well.
As active spells I would take: Blindness and Silence. Both can take out enemy spellcasters very fast. Cast silence on yourself and go into melee with the hostile spellcaster. (Ok, this one is better for multiclassed bards). Blindness: Good range, Fort save, permanent duration. Very very very good against enemy fireball sorcerers.
Since your bard is no melee type (low physical stats), I'd go with the Blindness thingy. Then choose another utility spell.
My bard took See Invisibility. Very important, saved the party a few times since the invis purge of the priest got some problems (like him having to prepare it!!!)
Cure light wounds was always nice. I wouldn't use buff spells like bull's strength usually, in this case I did it cause my bard is a multiclassed barbarian bard and the group where he plays is kinda... No mage or cleric there would cast such a spell on someone else. Well.
As active spells I would take: Blindness and Silence. Both can take out enemy spellcasters very fast. Cast silence on yourself and go into melee with the hostile spellcaster. (Ok, this one is better for multiclassed bards
). Blindness: Good range, Fort save, permanent duration. Very very very good against enemy fireball sorcerers.Since your bard is no melee type (low physical stats), I'd go with the Blindness thingy. Then choose another utility spell.
Shin Okada
Explorer
My favorite of attacking spells are Blindness/Deafness, Glitterdust (yes blindness!), and Hold Person. And my favorite defensive spells are Blur (negates sneak attacks) and Mirror Image.
My number 1 choice is Glitterdust. It can be useful in two ways, to locate invisible critter and to blind opponents. It's an area spell and can target non humanoids. Great!
Usually, I do not take ability enhancing spells for bards. They do not stack with items and thus no good for those who have limited numbers of spells known. Also, I tend not to take utility spells for a bard, as I do not use it often, DC is not so important, and can have scrolls.
My number 1 choice is Glitterdust. It can be useful in two ways, to locate invisible critter and to blind opponents. It's an area spell and can target non humanoids. Great!
Usually, I do not take ability enhancing spells for bards. They do not stack with items and thus no good for those who have limited numbers of spells known. Also, I tend not to take utility spells for a bard, as I do not use it often, DC is not so important, and can have scrolls.
Crothian
First Post
So far my bard has Detect Thought, Pyrotecnics, Shatter, and Hold Person.
I like these spells becaouse of the versatility. Detect thoughts is just so handy in all sorts of situations. Pyrotechnics is fun because of the two different effects it can have. Do you want to blind or choke them? Plus it takes out their light source. Great ambush spell. Shatter is just fun. Especially in bars. And everyone knows the value of hold person.
I like these spells becaouse of the versatility. Detect thoughts is just so handy in all sorts of situations. Pyrotechnics is fun because of the two different effects it can have. Do you want to blind or choke them? Plus it takes out their light source. Great ambush spell. Shatter is just fun. Especially in bars. And everyone knows the value of hold person.
Chimera
First Post
Silence is a long ranged spell, with a Will Save. So you don't cast it on yourself (defeating your own spells and Perform), or the enemy spellcasters (who will have high Will saves).
No, no, no.
You cast it on your group's Fighter, Monk, Rogue or other non-spellcaster who intends to try to stay in the enemy caster's face.
He or she can 'voluntarily' fail the save and the keep the 30' diameter sphere of silence in the bad guy's face while you stay in the background firing off your other spells.
On the original topic, since the party Wiz can't do Transmutation spells, the Bard may find them of value. Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, heck, Eagle's Splendor. Hey, even when you've got a Cloak of Charisma+6, wouldn't you *still* like an extra +2-5 charisma when you really need it? It increases your spell DCs, for one.
No, no, no.
You cast it on your group's Fighter, Monk, Rogue or other non-spellcaster who intends to try to stay in the enemy caster's face.
He or she can 'voluntarily' fail the save and the keep the 30' diameter sphere of silence in the bad guy's face while you stay in the background firing off your other spells.
On the original topic, since the party Wiz can't do Transmutation spells, the Bard may find them of value. Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, heck, Eagle's Splendor. Hey, even when you've got a Cloak of Charisma+6, wouldn't you *still* like an extra +2-5 charisma when you really need it? It increases your spell DCs, for one.
bensei
First Post
I always found the Enchantment spells pretty nice for a Bard. Hold Person and Suggestion are very nice, especially with Spell Focus (Enchantment). Especially Suggestion is a very interesting spell from a role playing point of view, very useful in non-combat situations like Charm Person and hypnotism, too).
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