D&D 5E Anyone else think the Bard concept is just silly?

[Lord Twig]

True Thomas laid his harp away,
And louted low at the saddle-side;
He has taken stirrup and hauden rein,
And set the King on his horse o' pride.

"Sleep ye or wake," True Thomas said,
"That sit so still, that muse so long;
Sleep ye or wake? -- till the latter sleep
I trow ye'll not forget my song.

"I ha' harpit a shadow out o' the sun
To stand before your face and cry;
I ha' armed the earth beneath your heel,
And over your head I ha' dusked the sky.

"I ha' harpit ye up to the throne o' God,
I ha' harpit your midmost soul in three;
I ha' harpit ye down to the Hinges o' Hell,
And -- ye -- would -- make -- a Knight o' me!"

(Rudyard Kipling, from the Last Rhyme of True Thomas)


There's nothing more silly about the Bard throwing songs at the enemy than about the Wizard shouting silly chants and waving her arms about. Music is magic.

And he was doing all that while dodging dragon fire? Impressive!

But seriously... Yes, singing or playing a musical instrument to make magic is really no different than chanting words and making gestures. Actually it is almost exactly the same when you think about it. Which is why I think the current 5e Bard makes sense as a full, 9 spell level, casting class.

 

[Garthanos]

None of that really convinces me that it would be something to take a potion of healing for.

muscle fatigue is a build up of poisons in the muscle..... do your job potion, remove the lactic acids .

How helping restore energies doesnt seem a function of healing for you seems wierd to me.

 

[Hussar]

So I have to ask. If you have 50HP, lose half, and then get a healing spell cast on you. What does the healing spell do?

I would really like to know because I always struggle to describe this situation. I have tried lots of different interpretations, some of them even described in this thread, but haven't yet found one that I am really happy with.

The healing spell rejuvenates you. Makes you feel spring fresh and gives you a penchant for riding horses on beaches...

Don't know, don't care. It's a purely gamist mechanic that I simply refuse to apply to the game world. The gods have smiled upon you this day (and replenished your plot protection). Healing can take the form of actual healing, or simply a blessing from the gods. Whatever works for you.

For me? HP have no meaning in the fiction. The game works so much smoother when you simply don't try to force D&D into simulationist holes.

 

[cbwjm]

The healing spell rejuvenates you. Makes you feel spring fresh and gives you a penchant for riding horses on beaches...

Don't know, don't care. It's a purely gamist mechanic that I simply refuse to apply to the game world. The gods have smiled upon you this day (and replenished your plot protection). Healing can take the form of actual healing, or simply a blessing from the gods. Whatever works for you.

For me? HP have no meaning in the fiction. The game works so much smoother when you simply don't try to force D&D into simulationist holes.

Yep, I find it is best if you just don't worry about the meaning of hit points and just leave them as a measure of whether or not your PC is still standing.

 

[Afrodyte]

Just played a bard based on Cookie Lyon this weekend at an Adventurers' League game. She used vicious mockery to literally insult wounds onto her enemies (usually by saying something about their mother), cast dissonant whispers to mess with their heads, and she occasionally whacked something upside the head with a club. She also used friends to get a bad guy to talk. Favorite way she used bardic inspiration? Telling the party fighter, who'd been downed to 0 hp, to get his stupid a** up.

And nary a leotard (at least not on the outside) or harp in sight. She ain't got time for that.

 

[Aldarc]

Any yet to some of us there is
But to each their own.

How do you imagine a cleric casting their spells? Are they saying/singing prayers? Chanting?

 

[MichaelSomething]

So you can just play a Bard and reflavor everything as Warlording?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

So you can just play a Bard and reflavor everything as Warlording?

Yep. Definitely been done.

If the concept that, should you ever run into an anti-magic field, some of your warlording won't work in it is a dealbreaker, then that is something that can be discussed with your DM. I imagine that if you're willing to stick with the non-flashy spells, most would be willing to swap "requires the absence of an anti-magic field" with "requires your target to be able to hear and understand you" as restrictions to some of your warlording.

 

[Lord Twig]

The healing spell rejuvenates you. Makes you feel spring fresh and gives you a penchant for riding horses on beaches...

Don't know, don't care. It's a purely gamist mechanic that I simply refuse to apply to the game world. The gods have smiled upon you this day (and replenished your plot protection). Healing can take the form of actual healing, or simply a blessing from the gods. Whatever works for you.

For me? HP have no meaning in the fiction. The game works so much smoother when you simply don't try to force D&D into simulationist holes.

The simulation vs. cinematic is not a black or white proposition. You can go 70% simulation and 30% cinematic or some other ratio.

In game the characters don't know about HPs, but they know when a healing spell is cast. I'm not going to have all the characters ignore the fact that the cleric cast a healing spell on someone that isn't physically hurt. There is going to be some in-game reason for it.

You seem to have a hate on for more simulation heavy games. That's fine. Play how you want. But that doesn't mean that those of us that like more "realism" or "verisimilitude" or "simulationist" or whatever you want to call it, are wrong for trying to find an in-game explanation for HPs, damage and healing.

Likewise (trying to pull this slightly back on topic) the reason a Bard isn't just a singing fool in my games is because of the very real magic that his singing, music or poetry (or whatever) generate.

 

[Lord Twig]

Yep. Definitely been done.

If the concept that, should you ever run into an anti-magic field, some of your warlording won't work in it is a dealbreaker, then that is something that can be discussed with your DM. I imagine that if you're willing to stick with the non-flashy spells, most would be willing to swap "requires the absence of an anti-magic field" with "requires your target to be able to hear and understand you" as restrictions to some of your warlording.

Or you can just say that the Warlords shouted tactics, words of encouragement, or verbal chiding have an actual magical effect that can be disrupted by an anti-magic field. Which makes a lot more sense to me, but I know that may not be a popular option for the Warlord enthusiasts.