I’ve been looking at advice on building a bard using archery on the internet. However I found that a lot of theorycrafting is done for high-level characters. My bard will start at level 4, and the campaign might end before he reaches level 10. So some of the great advice I read (e.g. using the level 10 bard magical secrets to get access to level 17 ranger spells) isn’t all that relevant for me.
So, I am trying to build a level 4 character. He should be a bard because of the story of the campaign he is in. He should be an archer, because I want to have another, better damage option in combat than Vicious Mockery when my spells run out or I save spell slots for healing, and I don’t really want to be a front line tank. He should have expertise in opening locks and disarming traps, because there isn’t a rogue in the party.
My first problem appears to be getting proficiency with a long bow. I could get that from making a wood elf, or maybe better a half-elf with wood elf ancestry. If not from race, I could get longbow proficiency from the college of valor. Or I could get longbow proficiency from first making a level 1 fighter, getting archery fighting style, but having 1 level less in bard. What would you advise?
I have a sneaking suspicion that the multi-classing beloved by theory-crafters is in fact a bit of a burden at lower levels. For example most classes get a big boost to damage output at level 5. A bard of valor gets his second attack only at level 6, and if he took 1 level of fighter, only at level 7. That is 2 levels of underperforming compared to the rest of the party, so I’m not sure it is a good idea.
I think I would like to avoid going college of valor, because I don’t think that college is very good. But if I get longbow proficiency from race or multi-classing, I could totally abuse the college of swords flourishes, because they say they apply to “weapon attacks”, and aren’t limited to melee weapons. What do you think?
So, I am trying to build a level 4 character. He should be a bard because of the story of the campaign he is in. He should be an archer, because I want to have another, better damage option in combat than Vicious Mockery when my spells run out or I save spell slots for healing, and I don’t really want to be a front line tank. He should have expertise in opening locks and disarming traps, because there isn’t a rogue in the party.
My first problem appears to be getting proficiency with a long bow. I could get that from making a wood elf, or maybe better a half-elf with wood elf ancestry. If not from race, I could get longbow proficiency from the college of valor. Or I could get longbow proficiency from first making a level 1 fighter, getting archery fighting style, but having 1 level less in bard. What would you advise?
I have a sneaking suspicion that the multi-classing beloved by theory-crafters is in fact a bit of a burden at lower levels. For example most classes get a big boost to damage output at level 5. A bard of valor gets his second attack only at level 6, and if he took 1 level of fighter, only at level 7. That is 2 levels of underperforming compared to the rest of the party, so I’m not sure it is a good idea.
I think I would like to avoid going college of valor, because I don’t think that college is very good. But if I get longbow proficiency from race or multi-classing, I could totally abuse the college of swords flourishes, because they say they apply to “weapon attacks”, and aren’t limited to melee weapons. What do you think?