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[GUIDE] A party without music is lame: A Bard Guide
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<blockquote data-quote="mellored" data-source="post: 6701350" data-attributes="member: 6801209"><p>[sblock=2nd Level]</p><p>©<span style="color: goldenrod">Suggestion: </span>"Help us kill your boss" not only disables someone, but adds to your allies as well. Not to mention all the RP possibilities. Though <span style="color: purple">some DM's</span> may not allow this, so check with them first.</p><p></p><p>©<span style="color: deepskyblue">Heat Metal: </span>While targeting is a bit limited, it's a no-save disadvantage, with a little damage tacked on.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue">Blindness/Deafness:</span> While generally weaker than other disables, it has no concentration, allowing you to disable more. It's also a con save.</p><p>©<span style="color: blue">Crown of Madness:</span> This takes a bit of <span style="color: darkviolet">tactical finesse</span> to utilize well, and often only lasts 1 turn, but you then get to deny an action while also dealing monster scaling damage. Just wait until 2 enemies are adjacent and target the one who goes next in initiative. Goes up with <span style="color: deepskyblue">good setup and/or teamwork</span>, such as an ally rogue with sentinel getting a free attack. Note that the enemy can't attack you, since it's charmed.</p><p>©<span style="color: blue">Enhance Ability:</span>A versatile buff. Note that Cat is advantage on initiative.</p><p><span style="color: blue">Shatter: </span>Your next AoE damage spell. Scales ok with slots.</p><p>©<span style="color: blue">Hold Person: </span>Somewhat target restrictive but a very powerful disable that let's your allies freely crit or freely land Dex spells. Stays effective without new slots.</p><p>©<span style="color: blue">Phantasmal Force: </span>This has great potential, but can also be a waste depending on the player and DM.</p><p>©®<span style="color: blue"><span style="color: deepskyblue">Silence</span></span>: Can <span style="color: goldenrod">shut down wizards</span> as nearly every spell requires a voice component. Particularly fun with a valor grapple bard. But it does nothing against orcs, making it a bit <span style="color: purple">niche</span>.</p><p></p><p>©Calm Emotions: A very strong effect that can change a combat into a diplomatic encounter. The issue is, if just 1 enemy makes his save, it can quickly devolve into combat again. Dispelling fear and charm is helpful.</p><p>©Cloud of Daggers: Good auto-damage but small area, scales well with slots. This get's <span style="color: deepskyblue">sky blue</span> if combo with a way to immobilize (grappler, ensnaring shot).</p><p>©Invisibility: It's good utility for sneaking or scouting.</p><p>Lesser Restoration: A bit niche, but some diseases can be very nasty. Trade up to greater restoration later.</p><p>©Warding Wind: It has several niche uses.</p><p></p><p>®<span style="color: darkviolet">Animal Messenger</span></p><p>©<span style="color: darkviolet">Detect Thoughts</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Knock</span></p><p>®<span style="color: darkviolet">Locate Animals or Plants</span></p><p>©<span style="color: darkviolet">Locate Object</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Magic Mouth</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">See Invisibility:</span> Fairy Fire can cover this for objects.</p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Zone of Truth</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Pyrotechnics</span> A non-concentration <span style="color: deepskyblue">AoE blind</span> is certainly good. But you need a well positioned fire in the first place. Which doesn't happen without setup.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: red">Enthrall:</span> A wisdom save to give disadvantage to a wisdom check, just doesn't make sense. This should just be a skill (perform) check.</p><p>©®<span style="color: red">Skywriting:</span> Animal messenger won't be seen by the enemy.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p></p><p>[sblock=3rd Level]</p><p>©<span style="color: deepskyblue">Fear: </span>AoE disable that only breaks when line of sight does. It can also provoke OA's. <span style="color: blue">Worse</span> for unarmored lore bards who don't like to get close.</p><p>©<span style="color: deepskyblue">Hypnotic Pattern: </span>AoE disable. It also has no V component so you can stealth cast it. And since it only breaks on damage, you can grapple, prone, pickpocket, or tie people's shoe laces together.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: blue">Bestow Curse</span> Single target, touch, but only needs 1 save (the spell won't end on the "deny actions" version). It makes good use of your known spells spell by effectively giving you multiple spells in 1, including higher level spells without concentration and permanent duration. <span style="color: deepskyblue">Better</span> if your DM allows for more creative curses like immobilizing a melee only guy. <span style="color: darkviolet">Worse</span> for lore who don't like being close.</p><p>©<span style="color: #0000ff">Enemies Abound</span>: A rare Int save that can turn attacks against you into attacks for you. <span style="color: #00ffff">Better</span> if you can sneak away after casting.</p><p>®<span style="color: blue">Leomund’s Tiny Hut: </span>You can take a full rest and only need to worry about a dispel. Note that you can also fire arrows out making this a great fortress. It's also a ritual, so you don't need to waste slots on it. It's cast time prevents the majority of abuse.</p><p><span style="color: blue">Plant Growth</span> Heavy slow, no save, large area, and no concentration, but only you happen to have nearby plants and are fighting non-flying creatures. And farmers appreciate it's utility. Just make be careful about party positioning.</p><p></p><p>©Clairvoyance: Scouting is useful.</p><p>Dispel Magic: When assaulting a mages fortress full of magical traps, magical barriers, and magical portals summoning magical monsters with magical buffs on them, this could be <span style="color: #DAA520">gold</span>. Particularly boosted with jack-of-all-trades. But magical traps and effects are not in every campaign and magical buffs can usually be disabled better by blasting the caster, leaving it a bit niche.</p><p>Glyph of Warding: With permanent duration, you can fill your tavern with defensive runes. It also allows you to put down buffs without concentration (glyph + invisibility). Though it's kept well in check with it's cast time, immobility, and component cost.</p><p>©Major Image: Added sounds and smell to your illusions.</p><p>©Stinking Cloud: An AoE disable, that also blinds (using a more common sense rule), but creatures tend to be able to walk out of it.</p><p>Tongues: While normally purple for out of combat utility, the fact that this can help you land (mass) suggestion keeps it up a notch.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080">Catnap</span></p><p>®<span style="color: darkviolet">Feign Death</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Nondetection</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Sending</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Speak with Dead</span></p><p><span style="color: darkviolet">Speak with Plants</span></p><p>[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="mellored, post: 6701350, member: 6801209"] [sblock=2nd Level] ©[COLOR=goldenrod]Suggestion: [/COLOR]"Help us kill your boss" not only disables someone, but adds to your allies as well. Not to mention all the RP possibilities. Though [COLOR=purple]some DM's[/COLOR] may not allow this, so check with them first. ©[COLOR=deepskyblue]Heat Metal: [/COLOR]While targeting is a bit limited, it's a no-save disadvantage, with a little damage tacked on. [COLOR=blue]Blindness/Deafness:[/COLOR] While generally weaker than other disables, it has no concentration, allowing you to disable more. It's also a con save. ©[COLOR=blue]Crown of Madness:[/COLOR] This takes a bit of [COLOR=darkviolet]tactical finesse[/COLOR] to utilize well, and often only lasts 1 turn, but you then get to deny an action while also dealing monster scaling damage. Just wait until 2 enemies are adjacent and target the one who goes next in initiative. Goes up with [COLOR=deepskyblue]good setup and/or teamwork[/COLOR], such as an ally rogue with sentinel getting a free attack. Note that the enemy can't attack you, since it's charmed. ©[COLOR=blue]Enhance Ability:[/COLOR]A versatile buff. Note that Cat is advantage on initiative. [COLOR=blue]Shatter: [/COLOR]Your next AoE damage spell. Scales ok with slots. ©[COLOR=blue]Hold Person: [/COLOR]Somewhat target restrictive but a very powerful disable that let's your allies freely crit or freely land Dex spells. Stays effective without new slots. ©[COLOR=blue]Phantasmal Force: [/COLOR]This has great potential, but can also be a waste depending on the player and DM. ©®[COLOR=blue][COLOR=deepskyblue]Silence[/COLOR][/COLOR]: Can [COLOR=goldenrod]shut down wizards[/COLOR] as nearly every spell requires a voice component. Particularly fun with a valor grapple bard. But it does nothing against orcs, making it a bit [COLOR=purple]niche[/COLOR]. ©Calm Emotions: A very strong effect that can change a combat into a diplomatic encounter. The issue is, if just 1 enemy makes his save, it can quickly devolve into combat again. Dispelling fear and charm is helpful. ©Cloud of Daggers: Good auto-damage but small area, scales well with slots. This get's [COLOR=deepskyblue]sky blue[/COLOR] if combo with a way to immobilize (grappler, ensnaring shot). ©Invisibility: It's good utility for sneaking or scouting. Lesser Restoration: A bit niche, but some diseases can be very nasty. Trade up to greater restoration later. ©Warding Wind: It has several niche uses. ®[COLOR=darkviolet]Animal Messenger[/COLOR] ©[COLOR=darkviolet]Detect Thoughts[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Knock[/COLOR] ®[COLOR=darkviolet]Locate Animals or Plants[/COLOR] ©[COLOR=darkviolet]Locate Object[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Magic Mouth[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]See Invisibility:[/COLOR] Fairy Fire can cover this for objects. [COLOR=darkviolet]Zone of Truth[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Pyrotechnics[/COLOR] A non-concentration [COLOR=deepskyblue]AoE blind[/COLOR] is certainly good. But you need a well positioned fire in the first place. Which doesn't happen without setup. [COLOR=red]Enthrall:[/COLOR] A wisdom save to give disadvantage to a wisdom check, just doesn't make sense. This should just be a skill (perform) check. ©®[COLOR=red]Skywriting:[/COLOR] Animal messenger won't be seen by the enemy. [/sblock] [sblock=3rd Level] ©[COLOR=deepskyblue]Fear: [/COLOR]AoE disable that only breaks when line of sight does. It can also provoke OA's. [COLOR=blue]Worse[/COLOR] for unarmored lore bards who don't like to get close. ©[COLOR=deepskyblue]Hypnotic Pattern: [/COLOR]AoE disable. It also has no V component so you can stealth cast it. And since it only breaks on damage, you can grapple, prone, pickpocket, or tie people's shoe laces together. [COLOR=blue]Bestow Curse[/COLOR] Single target, touch, but only needs 1 save (the spell won't end on the "deny actions" version). It makes good use of your known spells spell by effectively giving you multiple spells in 1, including higher level spells without concentration and permanent duration. [COLOR=deepskyblue]Better[/COLOR] if your DM allows for more creative curses like immobilizing a melee only guy. [COLOR=darkviolet]Worse[/COLOR] for lore who don't like being close. ©[COLOR=#0000ff]Enemies Abound[/COLOR]: A rare Int save that can turn attacks against you into attacks for you. [COLOR=#00ffff]Better[/COLOR] if you can sneak away after casting. ®[COLOR=blue]Leomund’s Tiny Hut: [/COLOR]You can take a full rest and only need to worry about a dispel. Note that you can also fire arrows out making this a great fortress. It's also a ritual, so you don't need to waste slots on it. It's cast time prevents the majority of abuse. [COLOR=blue]Plant Growth[/COLOR] Heavy slow, no save, large area, and no concentration, but only you happen to have nearby plants and are fighting non-flying creatures. And farmers appreciate it's utility. Just make be careful about party positioning. ©Clairvoyance: Scouting is useful. Dispel Magic: When assaulting a mages fortress full of magical traps, magical barriers, and magical portals summoning magical monsters with magical buffs on them, this could be [COLOR=#DAA520]gold[/COLOR]. Particularly boosted with jack-of-all-trades. But magical traps and effects are not in every campaign and magical buffs can usually be disabled better by blasting the caster, leaving it a bit niche. Glyph of Warding: With permanent duration, you can fill your tavern with defensive runes. It also allows you to put down buffs without concentration (glyph + invisibility). Though it's kept well in check with it's cast time, immobility, and component cost. ©Major Image: Added sounds and smell to your illusions. ©Stinking Cloud: An AoE disable, that also blinds (using a more common sense rule), but creatures tend to be able to walk out of it. Tongues: While normally purple for out of combat utility, the fact that this can help you land (mass) suggestion keeps it up a notch. [COLOR=#800080]Catnap[/COLOR] ®[COLOR=darkviolet]Feign Death[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Nondetection[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Sending[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Speak with Dead[/COLOR] [COLOR=darkviolet]Speak with Plants[/COLOR] [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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[GUIDE] A party without music is lame: A Bard Guide
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