D&D (2024) Dancing bards and true strike.

[FrogReaver]

Regular Bardic Inspiration lasts an hour now. Is still just a bonus action to give and the die scales better. Bards get Simple Weapons meaning something like true strike with a light crossbow or shortbow works well enough for cantrip style damage Also provides a melee attack option all in a single cantrip.

My take on Bard subclasses:

Dance
Best staying in the back line and focusing on charisma. Use True Strike when not casting a spell. The AC helps keep concentration up. The non-OA-provoking movement as a reaction helps here as well. The initiative bonus at level 6 is great. Too bad jack of all trades no longer boosts initiative. Eventually giving all allies within 5ft of you evasion is really nice too. Essentially treat the attack abilities when spending bardic inspiration as worst case abilities.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
6.5

Valor
Similar to Dance Bard in that AC is one of the strongest abilities. Using a shield is nice but interferes with ranged truestrike. And most other abilities give more dex based weapon attacks. Still the offensive bardic inspiration option is useful for NOVA damage, but overall not as good as the Dance Bards Initiative bonus. And the level 14 ability is lacking as well.

Revision: the ideal way to use a valor bard would be dual wielding and taking the nick feat. The level 6 and 14 ability combine together to give a bonus action attack and allow one attack to be true strike.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
5

Lore
The exemplar of all things social. Cutting Words, more skill proficiencies, all good for social situations. Cutting Words isn't good for combat though, just hand out bardic inspiration normally in that situation. (I can come up with a use case or 2 for it, but too situational to mention). The real boon of Lore Bards is level 6 magic secrets, and with 1 magical discovery they can become a solid damage dealer. Something like summon undead or really any other summon spell. That and true strike gives you solid damage potential. Round things out with something like fireball or counterspell. Even Spirit Guardians is good if you are willing to spend 1 level multiclassing for armor. Factor in Peerless skill at level 14 and Lore Bard is the best out of combat bard and still a really good combat bard.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
8

Glamour
The temp hp generation is even better in 2024, especially for the most played levels, though the high variability is a bit disappointing. What is really impressive though is the ability to cause fear or charm (save every turn to end) as a free action when casting an illusion or enchantment spell and then this ability can be recharged for the low cost of one bardic inspiration. There's alot of free known spells in there too. Mirror Image, Command, Charm Person. The level 6 ability isn't as good as the best 3rd level spells, but is solid. It's a nice ability to help lock down solo enemies. The level 14 is nice as well.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
8

Glamour is better in combat. Lore is better out of combat. I say those 2 are too close to call. Dance is just slightly behind. The combo of good AC, initiative boost and granting nearby allies evasion is good. Then Valor is really far behind as far as I can tell. A single level dip can fix AC for Lore and Glamor Bards.

 

[Zardnaar]

Regular Bardic Inspiration lasts an hour now. Is still just a bonus action to give and the die scales better. Bards get Simple Weapons meaning something like true strike with a light crossbow or shortbow works well enough for cantrip style damage Also provides a melee attack option all in a single cantrip.

My take on Bard subclasses:

Dance
Best staying in the back line and focusing on charisma. Use True Strike when not casting a spell. The AC helps keep concentration up. The non-OA-provoking movement as a reaction helps here as well. The initiative bonus at level 6 is great. Too bad jack of all trades no longer boosts initiative. Eventually giving all allies within 5ft of you evasion is really nice too. Essentially treat the attack abilities when spending bardic inspiration as worst case abilities.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
6.5

Valor
Similar to Dance Bard in that AC is one of the strongest abilities. Using a shield is nice but interferes with ranged truestrike. And most other abilities give more dex based weapon attacks. Still the offensive bardic inspiration option is useful for NOVA damage, but overall not as good as the Dance Bards Initiative bonus. And the level 14 ability is lacking as well.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
3

Lore
The exemplar of all things social. Cutting Words, more skill proficiencies, all good for social situations. Cutting Words isn't good for combat though, just hand out bardic inspiration normally in that situation. (I can come up with a use case or 2 for it, but too situational to mention). The real boon of Lore Bards is level 6 magic secrets, and with 1 magical discovery they can become a solid damage dealer. Something like summon undead or really any other summon spell. That and true strike gives you solid damage potential. Round things out with something like fireball or counterspell. Even Spirit Guardians is good if you are willing to spend 1 level multiclassing for armor. Factor in Peerless skill at level 14 and Lore Bard is the best out of combat bard and still a really good combat bard.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
8

Glamour
The temp hp generation is even better in 2024, especially for the most played levels, though the high variability is a bit disappointing. What is really impressive though is the ability to cause fear or charm (save every turn to end) as a free action when casting an illusion or enchantment spell and then this ability can be recharged for the low cost of one bardic inspiration. There's alot of free known spells in there too. Mirror Image, Command, Charm Person. The level 6 ability isn't as good as the best 3rd level spells, but is solid. It's a nice ability to help lock down solo enemies. The level 14 is nice as well.

Scale of 1-10 with 10 as highest
8

Glamour is better in combat. Lore is better out of combat. I say those 2 are too close to call. Dance is just slightly behind. The combo of good AC, initiative boost and granting nearby allies evasion is good. Then Valor is really far behind as far as I can tell. A single level dip can fix AC for Lore and Glamor Bards.

Valor can do fun rhings with true strike and CME later on. 5 attacks a round level 14 with nick+dual wield.

 

[FrogReaver]

Valor can do fun rhings with true strike and CME later on. 5 attacks a round level 14 with nick+dual wield.

1. And how are they getting Nick without a multiclass?
2. Extra Attack and Nick is only 3 attacks. Where are the other 2 attacks coming from?

 

[Zardnaar]

1. And how are they getting Nick without a multiclass?
2. Extra Attack and Nick is only 3 attacks. Where are the other 2 attacks coming from?

1. Weapon Master feat.
2. Twf feat
3. Level 6+14 ability.

 

[FrogReaver]

1. Weapon Master feat.

Okay.

2. Twf feat

You mean the fighting style feat that has a prereq of the fighting style ability? Or do you mean the dual wielder feat that gives you a bonus action attack?

3. Level 6+14 ability.

That gives you a bonus action attack, which would conflict from the dual wielder feat bonus action attack. You won't benefit from both, since they both require a bonus action.

That totals to 4. 1 From attack. 1 From extra attack. 1 From Nick. 1 bonus action attack from either dual wielder feat or level 6+14 ability.

 

[Zardnaar]

Okay.

You mean the fighting style feat that has a prereq of the fighting style ability? Or do you mean the dual wielder feat that gives you a bonus action attack?

That gives you a bonus action attack, which would conflict from the dual wielder feat bonus action attack. You won't benefit from both, since they both require a bonus action.

That totals to 4. 1 From attack. 1 From extra attack. 1 From Nick. 1 bonus action attack from either dual wielder feat or level 6+14 ability.

Derp thought nix negated the Dual Wield feat. It doesn't. I blame the French.

4 attacks one of which is a true strike or 3 attacks if you need to hard cast CME.

 

[FrogReaver]

Deep thought nix negated the Dual Wield feat. It doesn't.

4 attacks one of which is a true strike orc3 attacks if you need to hard cast CME.

Yea, but if the goal is CME and attacks, then every other bard can get to 3 attacks using nick and dual wield feat. Dance Bard can get more sometimes with bardic inspiration dice. In any event I don't think 3 vs 4 attacks with CME makes a big difference, since the damage output is so OP as is.

And thanks for pointing out how the level 6 and 14 abilities combined. Moves up my opinion of the valor bard a little.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yea, but if the goal is CME and attacks, then every other bard can get to 3 attacks using nick and dual wield feat. Dance Bard can get more sometimes with bardic inspiration dice. In any event I don't think 3 vs 4 attacks with CME makes a big difference, since the damage output is so OP as is.

And thanks for pointing out how the level 6 and 14 abilities combined. Moves up my opinion of the valor bard a little.

Yeah 6+14 combines with true strike.

Small changes like level 6 and weapon as spell focus makes it a lot better imho.

Even 3 attacks with whatever using true strike is interesting.

 

[FrogReaver]

Yeah 6+14 combines with true strike.

Yea.

Small changes like level 6 and weapon as spell focus makes it a lot better imho.

Just use a component pouch and sheathe your weapon when casting?

Even 3 attacks with whatever using true strike is interesting.

Yea. Though mixing dex and charisma attacks is a pain.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yea.

Just use a component pouch and sheathe your weapon when casting?

Yea. Though mixing dex and charisma attacks is a pain.

Sheath weapon then you're not threatening and next round you draw it and can't sheathe it.

Just annoying.

All the gish types should have had spellcasting focus built in like the cleric. Or magical aegis for +2 AC