D&D 5E 5E Survivor - Subclasses (Part III: Bards)

[CleverNickName]

The new thread is up, and it's a big one!

D&D 5E - 5E Survivor - Subclasses (Part IV: Clerics)

Hello again everyone! There are 120+ different classes and subclasses in the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons game, and 22 of them are Clerics! TWENTY-TWO! That's the single-most subclass options for one class so far! So obviously, we need to cut this list down to size. Have you ever wondered...

www.enworld.org

 

[Malmuria]

It would be hilarious if the final round was mostly just PHB subclasses

 

[CleverNickName]

You might laugh, but I think that is exactly what happened the last time we did a 5E Survivor: Classes.

 

[Omand]

It would be hilarious if the final round was mostly just PHB subclasses

Likely to happen, since PHB is the most widely used of the class books (simply because it is the base of the game and the best-selling of all of the books).

Cheers

 

[CleverNickName]

Likely to happen, since PHB is the most widely used of the class books (simply because it is the base of the game and the best-selling of all of the books).

Cheers

Yep. Time and again, the options in the Player's Handbook will usually win out over the options found elsewhere (subclasses, races, feats, spells...usually the winner comes from the PHB. There are a few possible reasons for this:

Options in the PHB are older, and therefore, more people have seen them, and more people have had more chances to play them. The theory being that since thre are more fond memories of playing a College of Lore bard than there are for a College of Spirits bard, the Lore Bard won.

And for better or worse, options in the PHB are considered the "default, this is always allowed" for most D&D players, since everyone playing any game of D&D needs at least one copy of that book. Unlike stuff in other books, like Artificers and Warforged and the Elven Accuracy feat--those things are perceived as "not default, ask your DM first" because those books are optional.

I believe it's that last one that makes people campaign so hard for/against certain options being included in whatever new edition of D&D is coming up. "You can't include X in the Player's Handbook! If you do, everyone will think that X belongs in D&D!!" or "If you don't include X in the Player's Handbook, nobody will let me use it!"

 

[Malmuria]

In terms of the subclasses, I would think that it's also because the core game includes the most classic/iconic archetypes, while the expansions are more specific and less obvious themes. If I want the most warlock-y warlock, I'd probably go with fiend, and if I want the most paladin-y paladin I'd go with devotion, i.e. the options that are included in the srd.

 

[DeviousQuail]

Anyone want to hazard a guess on which non-phb subclass has the best chance of making the cut? They are all probably dark horses in their respective races but Bladesinger could be competitive. It's from SCAG so it's been around for a long time and many people like a gish. Swashbuckler would be my second pick.

 

[CleverNickName]

Anyone want to hazard a guess on which non-phb subclass has the best chance of making the cut? They are all probably dark horses in their respective races...

Well the Battle Smith artificer has already made it to the final round, and it's a non-PHB subclass.

But I know what you mean. As for the Core classes, it's hard to say...I think the Hexblade is probably the strongest contender in the "gish" category.

 

[Ancalagon]

Lore is the only bard I would even consider playing, and then only if I can figure out how to remove music from the class.

for me it's college of swords with a hexblade dip