Working on a diplomancer build for 5e. This is what I have so far, wondering what you all would pick for the unchosen spells especially those gained from magical secrets.
Diplomancer
Half-Elf Bard (Lore) level 6 background: Noble
AC: 15 H.P: 45 Hit Dice:6d8
Strength 10 (+0)
Dexterity 16 (+3)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 10 (+0)
Wisdom 10 (+0)
Charisma 18 (+4)
Skills: Prof bonus +3, expertise doubles that
Jack of All Trades (all other skills) +1
History
Persuasion - expertise
Deception - expertise
Intimidate
Performance
Insight
Perception
Tool Proficiencies:
Gaming Set (Any 1)
Musical Instrument (Any 3)
Languages:
Common
Elven
(Any other 2) - hopefully talk to DM and get two languages that will be used often diplomatically
Cantrips
Prestidigitation - for keeping yourself clean, and fancy tricks and flirtations
Vicious Mockery - for combat and fun insults
Guidance - gained from magical secrets, makes you the super skill monkey
>one of the following two
Message - for secret conversations, lots of fun especially if carrying on secret relationships
Friends - this spell works great for intimidation, but just makes most targets enemies not friends
Spells Known:
1st- Charm Person, Disguise Self
2nd- Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, Suggestion
3rd- Tongues,
Any 3 other bard spells of level 3 or lower.
Magical Secrets: any 1 other spell of level 3 or lower including cantrips
Any 1 spell -
Persuasion & Deception rolls with Charisma +proficiency +expertise and advantage from Enhance Ability (Eagle's Splendor).
Result - Percentage chance to get that result or higher.
11 100.00
12 99.75
13 99.00
14 97.75
15 96.00
16 93.75
17 91.00
18 87.75
19 84.00
20 79.75
21 75.00
22 69.75
23 64.00
24 57.75
25 51.00
26 43.75
27 36.00
28 27.75
29 19.00
30 9.75
So at 6th level you can hit the highest DC in the game almost 10% of the time, and the 25 which is Very Hard 51% of the time on persuasion and deception checks.
If you don't want to use a 2nd level spell slot for enhanced ability just pop off guidance instead and you get the following numbers.
Result - Percentage chance of that or greater
12 100.00
13 98.75
14 96.25
15 92.50
16 87.50
17 82.50
18 77.50
19 72.50
20 67.50
21 62.50
22 57.50
23 52.50
24 47.50
25 42.50
26 37.50
27 32.50
28 27.50
29 22.50
30 17.50
31 12.50
32 7.50
33 3.75
34 1.25
The background benefit and spells known mean you can get into most social places, and speak with anyone there.
This build focuses on social pillar optimization, the idea is to utterly dominate any social combat or skill challenge like encounters. But vicious mockery is a solid at-will debuff to apply every round in combat and the empty spell known choices could be filled with some ok combat effective spells.
Almost forgot, cutting words is a great use of your bardic inspiration is the social combat is any kind of opposed skill check. You give your opponent a -1d8 penalty on his roll.
For the sake of completeness with the math, here is the percentages with Charisma + proficiency + expertise, when guidance is cast and you have advantage, like when an ally uses the Help action to support your persuasion or deception skill roll.
Result - percentage chance of result or higher.
12 100.00
13 99.94
14 99.69
15 99.13
16 98.13
17 96.63
18 94.63
19 92.13
20 89.13
21 85.63
22 81.63
23 77.13
24 72.13
25 66.63
26 60.63
27 54.13
28 47.13
29 39.63
30 31.63
31 23.13
32 14.13
33 7.19
34 2.44
Thats nearly a 67% percent chance to hit a 25, and a 32% chance to hit a 30 which is Nearly Impossible tasks.
Bards make great lawyers and politicians.
Diplomancer
Half-Elf Bard (Lore) level 6 background: Noble
AC: 15 H.P: 45 Hit Dice:6d8
Strength 10 (+0)
Dexterity 16 (+3)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 10 (+0)
Wisdom 10 (+0)
Charisma 18 (+4)
Skills: Prof bonus +3, expertise doubles that
Jack of All Trades (all other skills) +1
History
Persuasion - expertise
Deception - expertise
Intimidate
Performance
Insight
Perception
Tool Proficiencies:
Gaming Set (Any 1)
Musical Instrument (Any 3)
Languages:
Common
Elven
(Any other 2) - hopefully talk to DM and get two languages that will be used often diplomatically
Cantrips
Prestidigitation - for keeping yourself clean, and fancy tricks and flirtations
Vicious Mockery - for combat and fun insults
Guidance - gained from magical secrets, makes you the super skill monkey
>one of the following two
Message - for secret conversations, lots of fun especially if carrying on secret relationships
Friends - this spell works great for intimidation, but just makes most targets enemies not friends
Spells Known:
1st- Charm Person, Disguise Self
2nd- Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, Suggestion
3rd- Tongues,
Any 3 other bard spells of level 3 or lower.
Magical Secrets: any 1 other spell of level 3 or lower including cantrips
Any 1 spell -
Persuasion & Deception rolls with Charisma +proficiency +expertise and advantage from Enhance Ability (Eagle's Splendor).
Result - Percentage chance to get that result or higher.
11 100.00
12 99.75
13 99.00
14 97.75
15 96.00
16 93.75
17 91.00
18 87.75
19 84.00
20 79.75
21 75.00
22 69.75
23 64.00
24 57.75
25 51.00
26 43.75
27 36.00
28 27.75
29 19.00
30 9.75
So at 6th level you can hit the highest DC in the game almost 10% of the time, and the 25 which is Very Hard 51% of the time on persuasion and deception checks.
If you don't want to use a 2nd level spell slot for enhanced ability just pop off guidance instead and you get the following numbers.
Result - Percentage chance of that or greater
12 100.00
13 98.75
14 96.25
15 92.50
16 87.50
17 82.50
18 77.50
19 72.50
20 67.50
21 62.50
22 57.50
23 52.50
24 47.50
25 42.50
26 37.50
27 32.50
28 27.50
29 22.50
30 17.50
31 12.50
32 7.50
33 3.75
34 1.25
The background benefit and spells known mean you can get into most social places, and speak with anyone there.
This build focuses on social pillar optimization, the idea is to utterly dominate any social combat or skill challenge like encounters. But vicious mockery is a solid at-will debuff to apply every round in combat and the empty spell known choices could be filled with some ok combat effective spells.
Almost forgot, cutting words is a great use of your bardic inspiration is the social combat is any kind of opposed skill check. You give your opponent a -1d8 penalty on his roll.
For the sake of completeness with the math, here is the percentages with Charisma + proficiency + expertise, when guidance is cast and you have advantage, like when an ally uses the Help action to support your persuasion or deception skill roll.
Result - percentage chance of result or higher.
12 100.00
13 99.94
14 99.69
15 99.13
16 98.13
17 96.63
18 94.63
19 92.13
20 89.13
21 85.63
22 81.63
23 77.13
24 72.13
25 66.63
26 60.63
27 54.13
28 47.13
29 39.63
30 31.63
31 23.13
32 14.13
33 7.19
34 2.44
Thats nearly a 67% percent chance to hit a 25, and a 32% chance to hit a 30 which is Nearly Impossible tasks.
Bards make great lawyers and politicians.
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