D&D 5E Are you happy with the Bard being a full spellcaster?

[payn]

That's not a "unique" roll in the least.

And that's the problem with the bard; everything he can do, someone else can do better. "Jack of all trades, master of none" sounds great in theory, but in practice it's the class that gets left on the table. Everyone thinks it's cool, no one wants to play one.

No way everyone at my tables loves to play Bards. The jack of all trades master of none was a feature to us. Now the fighter /snooze

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I won't even get into the Pathfinder bard. They are fantastic fighters and even better buffers.

 

[DMZ2112]

Said it before, said it again: best bard I ever played was a halfling minstrel illusionist loremaster in the late 2012 playtest. Full caster no obstacle.

I am torn over the issue of these nonstop, clearly biased polls. On the one hand, I feel like I should be annoyed, but on the other, I get a tingly feeling when they just keep coming back opposed to the bias.

I love the smell of despair in the morning. It smells like... burning character sheets.

 

[Minigiant]

That's not a "unique" roll in the least.

And that's the problem with the bard; everything he can do, someone else can do better. "Jack of all trades, master of none" sounds great in theory, but in practice it's the class that gets left on the table. Everyone thinks it's cool, no one wants to play one.

The role of the bard is not JOAT, it is the combo class.

The fighter doesn't have Haste. The wizard is a poor attacker.
The bard can haste himself then attack the orc serjant.

The fighter has few skills. The rogue can't front line attack.
The bard can tumble behind the ogre for a flank and stay there.

The wizard can't sneak. The rogue can't read magic.
The bard can sneak past the guard and read the magic tome.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

By full spellcasting, we're really talking about the number of spells per day per level, which is only one piece of the power of a spellcaster.

I'm okay with using the full chart instead of the half chart. I've always seen the bard as more inherently magical than the Ranger or Paladin. And the class probably doesn't have the spell selection or augmentation abilities of the other full casters.

 

[MoonSong]

I won't even get into the Pathfinder bard. They are fantastic fighters and even better buffers.

Opinions vary, for me the PF bard is about the worst bard ever (ok, maybe the 3.0 one is about as bad), an unmanegeable fiddly mess that really feels useless, there is a reason I vowed never to play one again.

 

[Mistwell]

I am not happy with it. I'd like a lower-magic world, so would prefer bards with half-casting.

And if they wanted to give the bard more spells, I wish they had used the old Bard alternative class from Monte Cook, where they could get different spell effects from spells depending on their action and spell slot used, and all their spells were unique and often sound-based.

 

[Jester David]

Bards should have spells, and I'm okay with them getting spells at first level. But they don't need 9th-level spells! and that many spell levels just means fewer bardic powers. It means less uniquely bard elements and more generic spellcaster elements.

Want a bard with far more spellcasting? Multiclass with wizard. It's not like the playtest bard got anything too iconically bardic after 10th level.

 

[DEFCON 1]

You forgot the poll option "Doesn't matter to me either way."

 

[Minigiant]

By full spellcasting, we're really talking about the number of spells per day per level, which is only one piece of the power of a spellcaster.

I'm okay with using the full chart instead of the half chart. I've always seen the bard as more inherently magical than the Ranger or Paladin. And the class probably doesn't have the spell selection or augmentation abilities of the other full casters.

That is the thing.

I don't mind if the bard has the slots for a full spellcaster. 4/3/3/3/2/1/1/1/1.

I don't want them to know the amount of spells as a full caster.
Something like 10-13 spells known at level 20. And most of the spells over 6th level would be improved or mass versions of lesser spells. Mass Heal, yes. Meteor Storm, no. Regeneration, yes. Earthquake, no.