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Wizards gain expertise and have high INT. They're fine. "Recall lore about spells, magic items, and the planes of existence." But there is no reason a thaumaturge or magician, both of whom study magic more, should not come close to the combination of expertise and high INT a wizard has...

Are you also thinking of giving full martials more spells? Simpsons voice "Won't someone please think of the poor spellcasters?" I don't share that same experience. But I have to ask why you're impression of gishes being less dynamic in melee compare to martials would require giving them...

I am still working on my glamour bard.

Yes they did, but it was more. 2e clerics on average rolls could only cast 5th level spells and wizards 7th level spells. A player needed luck or an accommodating DM or to ignore the rules for higher level spells. All bards fit the caster mold based on caster level, typical max spell level...

That's an insignificant nerf. It's not like those other spell lists were what made (lore) bards good. ;-) This was worse under 2014 because magical secrets did the exact same thing as extra secrets and was designed as additional spells within the progression table. Now magical secrets is...

Valor bards don't gain all the AC and all the attacks; there's a bit of either / or going on there. There's also an opportunity cost in taking CME regardless of it being a good damage choice. Damage isn't everything. ;-) That's misleading. Valor bards don't offer a debuff and have no way...

How did the DM dial down the game in 1e? I think it's easier to dial up difficulty than it is to start more difficult and make it easier. And if we're going to do either the default isn't very important.

Sometimes we have these discussions for other people who read it instead of the person with whom we're arguing. Just because we cannot convince someone directly doesn't mean no one gains value from the discussion. ;-)

Dance can increase AC with magic items too. It takes more magic items stacked up on valor to win AC. Valor doesn't debuff. It adds 2 options that buff AC or damage for 1 other person. 6th level is still good for everyone. ;-)

naw, we did too

Yes, and dance bards generally get 16-20 as they spend ASI's. They'll typically have 18 AC by 8th level. It evens up after a slower start.

The only significant impact valor bards really get is AC at 3rd level. Dance bards start slightly behind but eventually even up. The typical dance bard is going to be AC 17 at 4th level and go up to 20 barring magic items and other effects. That's not bad in comparison. The level 6 abilities...

At 3rd level I think glamour bard is the winner here. AC bonus is good and cutting words is useful but glamour does seem like the best at this level. Excellent ability. 6th level is strong for all bard subclasses though. They don't need to attack at melee for this to work. It's useful...

I like all 2024 bard subclasses. Definitely a ribbon. Musical instrument proficiency and performance proficiency also grants advantage together using a tool and a skill. All it really does is removes the need for a musical instrument to gain that advantage. The AC boost is useful. It's a...

Yes, because your party in your example (Fighter/Rogue, Monk, Barbarian, and Celestial Warlock) looks like it averages a d10, but aside from that a party of 4 at 1st level totals 8 hit dice of healing compared to 2 spell slots on a caster. Those spell slots aren't both dedicated to healing, but...

It looks to me like you're heavy on martial combat and light on crowd control compared to the other group. IME preventing damage > healing damage, but I often carry healing spells for emergencies, which is one of the reasons I like bards or druids who are useful for both CC and healing...

Note: there is good natured ribbing in some of the rhetorical questions. Try to read it in the intended tone. ;-) What did you think I meant when I said time and gold? ;-) Glyphs are situational but it's being used within one of those situations in the given example. Even without the glyph...

I think a bard (built for it) is the true stealth master. A Lore Bard can have Pass Without Trace, Invisibility, Glyph of Warding, and Arcane Eye by 7th level plus Expertise in Stealth and Perception. A Spell Glyph bypasses concentration with a little time and gold to allow Pass Without Trace...

I have never used that, lol.

Magical Secrets requires replacing other lower level bard spells for those combos and higher level spells prepared don't come at a fast rate. Magical Discoveries can give support spells or other spells like Spirit Guardians that you were using in your grappling examples for those grappling and...