D&D (2024) Bard DON"T Suck. Tier List.

[Zardnaar]

Well as we all know Bards were very strong in 5E. The Lore and Eloquence bards were S tier as far as Bards go and excellent candidates for S tier overall.

As per usual this list is comparing bards to bards and is front loaded towards the first ten levels of the game. Level 14 abilities will be mentioned but it's approaching theoretical territory and are really only relevant in a tie breaker type situation. A Bard with a great level 6 feature will be ranked higher than a level 14 one.

S tier is the best followed by A,B,C and D. B is still a good rating. C is meh compared to better options and a D s kinda bad avoid. 2024 avoids Ds for the most part I don't think anyone will get that.

Overall the base class is decent. Not tuned as high as say the base Barbarian. Bardic inspiration for example is so so without a subclass. You're still a primary caster though that's charisma based. Several spells were buffed or tweaked and some new spells were added.

Tier rating.
College of

Dance C tier
Glamour A tier.
Lore A-
Valor S* Tier.

Very solid offerings from the Bards. Even the dance bard is still decent vs other classes it's just outclassed by ever other better Bard option imho. Overall the Glamour bard is probably the best but Valor can potentially break things depending on player skill, what levels you are and what's allowed and with multiclassing.

 

[Zardnaar]

College of Dance.

Great artwork the Dance bard is a new archetype. It's a somewhat confusing Mish mash of abilities. I think it's meant to be another skirmish type spellcaster but has some issues.

Level 3
Dance Virtuoso
Advantage on perform checks. Thematic but it's mostly a ribbon ability. But you have 3 more abilities.

Unarmored Defense
This ability essentially gives you 15 or 16 AC right out the gate and theoretically scales up to around 20. Good ability we have seen similar abilities before in 2014 and on a Bard it's even better.

Agile Strikes.
Agile Strikes.
Let's you gain an unarmed attack equal to your bard dice and a free strike when you spend a bard dice. Problem is you don't get that many bard dice and you're better off using a dagger and true strike. Translation mediocre ability that in effect gives you an occasional extra attack. Bards don't really deal much damage in 5E and this doesn't fix that.

Bardic Damage.

Your unarmed Strikes deal danage equal to your bard dice. Your bard dice do not deal that much damage. Meh.

Level 6

Inspiring movement
As a reaction spend a bard dice, move and let an ally move as well. No attacks of opportunity made. Potentially great generally always useful kinda dependent on a battlemat though.

Tandem Footwork.

Basically spend a bard dice during initiative to buff your allies initiative. Theoretically it triggers agile strikes but it's unlikely/situational you'll have anyone to target. Great ability but it drains your limited bard dice even faster and seems to be an anti combo with agile Strikes for the most part.

Level 14
Leading Evasion.

Evasion for you and any allies within 5'. Decent ability when it matters but it's sitional and comes late. It's not bad as such but eh.

So that's it. This archetype is a bit of a hot mess. It's main ability is to limited and doesn't play nice with its level 6 ability. The archetype really needs the Valor bard multi attack ability. I'm giving it the C tier and it avoids the D tier because Inspiring Movement and unarmored Defense are good abilities. And you're still a primary caster.

Bit of a shame especially since the Valor bard got buffed and the next bard that's getting rated. Comparatively this is the first 2024 dud as such.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm free of all prejudice against Bards. I hate all the Bards equally.

Snarf's Bard Tiers:


The Fun to Kill Tier
Dance Bards- Aw, you're a polearm master. Without the "arm" part.

The Also Fun To Kill Tier
Glamor Bards- Somewhere, a village is missing its idiot. I guess once you realized that you can't spell orc if I spotted you the O and R, you had to go glamor.

You Know What? The Also Also Fun to Kill Tier
Lore Bards- Do you know what they call the person who finished with the lowing passing score at the Wizard Academy?
A Wizard!
And do you know what they called the person who didn't pass?
Aw, you don't remember your name?

I Mean, Some People Just Need To Be Killed Tier, Because It's Fun
Valor Bards: Think you're tough, eh? There are no tough bards- if you cook them over heat long enough, they come out tender.



Okay, done now. Carry on, Zardnaar. But you have to look in the mirror and remember- you're encouraging them.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm free of all prejudice against Bards. I hate all the Bards equally.

Snarf's Bard Tiers:


The Fun to Kill Tier
Dance Bards- Aw, you're a polearm master. Without the "arm" part.

The Also Fun To Kill Tier
Glamor Bards- Somewhere, a village is missing its idiot. I guess once you realized that you can't spell orc if I spotted you the O and R, you had to go glamor.

You Know What? The Also Also Fun to Kill Tier
Lore Bards- Do you know what they call the person who finished with the lowing passing score at the Wizard Academy?
A Wizard!
And do you know what they called the person who didn't pass?
Aw, you don't remember your name?

I Mean, Some People Just Need To Be Killed Tier, Because It's Fun
Valor Bards: Think you're tough, eh? There are no tough bards- if you cook them over heat long enough, they come out tender.



Okay, done now. Carry on, Zardnaar. But you have to look in the mirror and remember- you're encouraging them.

Anti bard propaganda!!! About the Gnomes though.....

 

[Ashrym]

I like all 2024 bard subclasses.

College of Dance.

Level 3
Dance Virtuoso
Advantage on perform checks. Thematic but it's mostly a ribbon ability. But you have 3 more abilities.

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.

Unarmored Defense
This ability essentially gives you 15 or 16 AC right out the gate and theoretically scales up to around 20. Good ability we have seen similar abilities before in 2014 and on a Bard it's even better.

The AC boost is useful.

Agile Strikes.
Agile Strikes.
Let's you gain an unarmed attack equal to your bard dice and a free strike when you spend a bard dice. Problem is you don't get that many bard dice and you're better off using a dagger and true strike. Translation mediocre ability that in effect gives you an occasional extra attack. Bards don't really deal much damage in 5E and this doesn't fix that.

It's a free attack. It might not come as often as a person might want but it's still a free attack.

Bardic Damage.

Your unarmed Strikes deal danage equal to your bard dice. Your bard dice do not deal that much damage. Meh.

At higher levels it's a damage bonus for times truestrike cannot be cast or if the bard took a different cantrip.

Where bardic damage and unarmored defense shine is any situation without weapons and armor.

Level 6

Inspiring movement
As a reaction spend a bard dice, move and let an ally move as well. No attacks of opportunity made. And it triggers agile strikes. Potentially great generally always useful kinda dependent on a battlemat though.

This is a good ability. It can allow a free attack while the bard moves away and a tankier ally moves in, or the unarmed strike can be used as a free grapple and drag with the move if strong enough.

Off-turn tactical movement is useful with or without a grid.

Tandem Footwork.

Basically spend a bard dice during initiative to buff your allies initiative. Theoretically it triggers agile strikes but it's unlikely/situational you'll have anyone to target. Great ability but it drains your limited bard dice even faster and seems to be an anti combo with agile Strikes for the most part.

Initiative bonus is always useful and tandem footwork can never trigger agile strikes.

Agile Strikes. When you expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration as part of an action, a Bonus Action, or a Reaction

Rolling initiative doesn't use an action, bonus action, or reaction. ;-)

Level 14
Leading Evasion.

Evasion for you and any allies within 5'. Decent ability when it matters but it's sitional and comes late. It's not bad as such but eh.

Having evasion is still useful when those saves come up, and granting evasion isn't a common ability.

I think it's fine, but could be better if it allowed the option to spend BI dice to add to one save roll.

 

[Zardnaar]

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 free attack. It might not come as often as a person might want but it's still a free attack.



At higher levels it's a damage bonus for times truestrike cannot be cast or if the bard took a different cantrip.

Where bardic damage and unarmored defense shine is any situation without weapons and armor.



This is a good ability. It can allow a free attack while the bard moves away and a tankier ally moves in, or the unarmed strike can be used as a free grapple and drag with the move if strong enough.

Off-turn tactical movement is useful with or without a grid.



Initiative bonus is always useful and tandem footwork can never trigger agile strikes.



Rolling initiative doesn't use an action, bonus action, or reaction. ;-)



Having evasion is still useful when those saves come up, and granting evasion isn't a common ability.

I think it's fine, but could be better if it allowed the option to spend BI dice to add to one save roll.

Nice catch on level 6 ability. Derp.

 

[Shadowdweller00]

Eh, Dance bard's ability to help an ally move on reaction or give initiative bonuses isn't COMPLETELY worthless, but....Valor bard mostly steals its lunch money.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

On the other hand, dancing is a really good way to distract a villain whist the rest of the party pull a move.

 

[mellored]

At higher levels it's a damage bonus for times truestrike cannot be cast or if the bard took a different cantrip.

You can't use unarmed attacks with Truestrike.

You can use the free unarmed attacks to grapple an ally and move them.


Also, group initiatives bonus is huge. That's like a whole extra turn for someone.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You can't use unarmed attacks with Truestrike.

I think they did not say that. They said it can be used if true strike can't be cast.

You can use the free unarmed attacks to grapple an ally and move them.

If you are strong enough (maybe for allies I'd maybe a bit more lenient, because they might be more helpful if you try to drag them around. Maybe use their reaction for that to not have it abused with emanations.)
But it also can be used to just pin enemies down. With average strength or a monk dip, worst case is they need an action to escape or at least an attack to push you away.

Also, group initiatives bonus is huge. That's like a whole extra turn for someone.

At least a possibility. If the DM uses initiative score instead of rolls for enemies or even both, enemies and PCs, that bonus works very reliably.