D&D 5E Bard exists, now make YOUR Bard. (+)

[ezo]

Bards should be:

1. Half-caster or limited spells via multiple magical secrets.
2. Inspiration as a reaction instead of bonus action.
3. Having non-instrument options for tools. Just any three tools, not only instruments.
4. Oration, singing, dancing, etc. instead of always instruments.

 

[ichabod]

I'd lean heavily into the lore side. My bard would know things, they would know how to find things out, they would know how to figure things out. While they would be good with charisma skills, they would be awesome with intelligence skills. While they could be a spell caster, it would be a different kind of half caster. Not one limited by spell levels, but one limited by spell knowledge: a very small list focused on divination and scrying.

 

[TwoSix]

Every wandering hobo with a lute on their back and a gift for gab claims to be a bard. This suits the real bards just fine.

True bards are taught in secret "colleges", where they learn the game of politics and power, and the ability to manipulate minds with spells of glamour. A mix of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers from the Witcher and the oddities of fey magic, with geases, binding oaths, mental manipulation and alteration of their form being their primary magical tools.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I didn't care about spwll use that much. We had one giving the party +8 to hit and damage. Could have been +16 missed some things.

Spell DC would use 5E. That's what I meant I think the 3.5 was a good bard wrong edition.

The 2E bards the most powerful bard due to way xp worked in that edition.

The 3E Bard was kinda the closest you got the 4E Lazylord. You were singing to make everyone else more powerful, but our yown attacks weren't that impressive. Only drawback was that it didn't boost pure spellcasters much (except they were powerful enough to not need it). Maybe the missed opportunity for Essentials was actually making a non-AEDU Bard? Replace either encounter or daily powers with Barding Songs that keep the Bard occupied with buffing the group. Maybe something with stances, or at least similar to them. Keep some spells (either as encounter or daily, plus potentially ritual caster as class ability).

Barding Songs
You can perform bardic songs, that magically affect friends and foes. To maintain a bardic song, you must be able to sing or play an instrument. To start a bardic song, you must spend a minor action, and you can end it as a free action. You can maintain only one bardic song at a time.
While you are performing a bardic song, you and your allies gain a +2 bonus to defense and saving throws against charm and fear attacks.

Inspire Courage: At the start of their turn, bloodied allies gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. In addtion, all allies gain a +2 powerbonus to attack rolls while not bloodied.​

Dirge of War: When attacking bloodied enemies, your allies inflict extra damage equal to your Charisma modifier. When attacking unbloodied enemies, they gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls.​

Ballad of Heroes: During your turn, as a standard action you can pick one ally to perform a basic attack as a free action or spend a move action to let them move their speed. If that ally deals damage during your turn, they may add your Charisma modifier to the damage. If they don't, they gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.​

Song of Sirens: Enemies that do not end their turn adjacent to you take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier. Your allies gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls against enemies adjacent to yo.​

Cacaphony of Horrors: When an enemy ends their turn adjacent to you, they take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier. Your allies gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls against enemies not adjacent to you.​

 

[Gorck]

My stream of conscious thought:

Change the name from Bard to Gleeman ala Thom Merrilin in the Wheel of Time.
Remove spellcasting completely.
Change any bard-specific spells (like Vicious Mockery) into class features.
Focus on things like Tumbling, Performing, manipulation (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation), Knowledge skills, and Investigation.
Have them play more like a Rogue minus Sneak Attack
Also be able to inspire others in combat (like the iconic drummer, piper, and flag bearer in American Revolutionary times [see Spoiler]), sort of like a 4e Warlord.
Maybe have them use Performance to psuedo-heal injured people though rousing speeches/inspirational music.

Spoiler

ETA: One last thought: if your party needs a tank or big damage dealer, there are several options to choose from. There are a couple Divine casters and a few Arcane casters. But if you need someone to pick a lock or disarm a trap, you pretty much need a Rogue (or someone with a specific Background that includes those skills). I wouldn't mind seeing the Bard become another skill monkey, who can also do some Rogue-like things, so there are multiple options available for that character type.

 

[Maxperson]

My ideal bard has no singing involved at all. I can't standing the singing/instrument angle. The bard I would make would be purely a loremaster/story teller type, with abilities and spells along those lines.

 

[bedir than]

My ideal bard has no singing involved at all. I can't standing the singing/instrument angle. The bard I would make would be purely a loremaster/story teller type, with abilities and spells along those lines.

YES!

Broadening the arts used to any and all arts, not just singing or music.

I'd probably build a 5e concept around the Artificer table, with 'Art' replacing 'Infuse Items.' Those Arts could include things like Song of Rest, Inspiration, Conjure Crowd, and more

 

[Vaalingrade]

Full caster and THE class with enchantment/illusion

 

[Laurefindel]

My ideal bard has no singing involved at all. I can't standing the singing/instrument angle. The bard I would make would be purely a loremaster/story teller type, with abilities and spells along those lines.

While my ideal bard doesn’t go that far, my ideal bard has no primary focus on performance, musical or otherwise. The primary focus would be folklore and magical wisdoms that made their way into songs, tales, and poems among other places.so while these would be of primary interest to the bard, performing them is secondary at best.

My ideal bard would be a versatile half caster able to pick spells (mostly) from arcane and Druidic spellcasting traditions, with bigger emphasis on magical rituals that can punch above what a half-caster can usually do.

 

[Ancalagon]

I do agree with the general sentiment though

Bard should be half casters, but I would give them cantrips (a bit like artificers). And a bit like artificers or warlocks, they should have "bardic tricks" analogous to the invocations/infusions. A number of bard features already feel like those anyway.

I would also have an inspiration like mechanism - I'm not sure the current mechanism is the best way to do it, but the goal should remain.