Yaarel
Mind Mage
I use History in the sense of culture and appropriateness, and sometimes Insight and Persuasion for these kinds of Charisma Checks to gather info from people at large.Still missing Streetwise/Gather Information.
I use History in the sense of culture and appropriateness, and sometimes Insight and Persuasion for these kinds of Charisma Checks to gather info from people at large.Still missing Streetwise/Gather Information.
Because the Bard masters both Illusion and Transmutation, and specializes in defense and support, I see no difficulty with a Bard casting Mage Armor and Shield.That is an intentional design choice though, to not give them abjuration (shield, mage armor, ect) and to still give them healing.
Remember, if they get Divine or Primal from Magical secrets, they get healing spells, but even if they gained Abjuration, the Arcane list doesn't have healing spells.
For most people healing and protective magic go hand and hand. Final Fantasy white mage, MTG white mana, etc. This is a change I can get behind. "White necromancy" was a little used concept anyways. I'm fine with updating the schools to keep with the times.This sort of baffles me. What are you warding against, negative chi?
Kill Perform, revive Streetwise.Also, can we get finally rid of either Perform or instrument tool proficiencies? The idea that someone can play an instrument but not perform with it is just goofy. Perform is such a ridiculously narrow use skill anyways. We may as well bring back Read Lips. Move Perform to the tool category of secondary skills (along w artistic ability).
Inspiration was a little-used concept too, but WotC is pushing that HARD.For most people healing and protective magic go hand and hand. Final Fantasy white mage, MTG white mana, etc. This is a change I can get behind. "White necromancy" was a little used concept anyways. I'm fine with updating the schools to keep with the times.
You can still always use a component pouch... which you should still probably have even if you have a focus. Being able to just have "me" to ignore most material components kinda defeats the purpose of them.There are many Bard concepts that dont use a musical instrument. The Bard even mentions relying on "verse" and "dance".
I find it highly problematic that the Bard Spellcasting Focus insists on the use of a Musical Instrument.
There must be a way to rely on voice only. (Or somatic only if via dance.)
Honestly there's about zero point in nonmagical implements even being distinguished from one another unless they have a special property.You can still always use a component pouch... which you should still probably have even if you have a focus. Being able to just have "me" to ignore most material components kinda defeats the purpose of them.
I don't have an issue with the white mage archetype (but this doesn't really get you there unless school specialties give you cross list access to spells). I just find it odd that this completely untethers the game term from the meaning of the word.For most people healing and protective magic go hand and hand. Final Fantasy white mage, MTG white mana, etc. This is a change I can get behind. "White necromancy" was a little used concept anyways. I'm fine with updating the schools to keep with the times.
That or Connections/Contacts.Kill Perform, revive Streetwise.
"Mighty Pelor, keep the grim spectre of death away from Jeff the Bleeding this day!"I don't have an issue with the white mage archetype (but this doesn't really get you there unless school specialties give you cross list access to spells). I just find it odd that this completely untethers the game term from the meaning of the word.
"Oh spirit of gaping chest wounds, in the name of Pelor I rebuke you!"
The consideration is flavor.You can still always use a component pouch... which you should still probably have even if you have a focus. Being able to just have "me" to ignore most material components kinda defeats the purpose of them.
Yeah thinking about it we can just fluff a short sword as a shorter rapier.Probably the Skald/Swords-type bards will get Rapier (actually, probably all Martial Weapons, which could be neat). Short Swords will have to do for the rest. (Simple weapons now!)
Did not notice, interesting! That kind of perversely works because it means the what, two Inspirations Bards get at L1 will likely be used to heal, so they'll be in the mindset of using them in other ways than the previous.Notice that Bards don't have any healing spells at level one? They have to use Bardic Inspiration for it.
No, potentially only two. You can pick Arcane as an option, which lets you get ANY Arcane spells (and I suspect I would pick that myself - probably go Arcane/Primal, though I suspect Arcane/Divine is the pure min-max), so given two magical secrets you may well have just Arcane (limited schools), Arcane, and Primal/Divine. But if you want all three, you can get it!So you'll know a bit from all 3 lists in the end.
That's a pretty corner-case issue. The number of rounds/adventure, let alone per day where you'd actually want to do that is probably lower than 1, and impacts one specific subclass only.You can no longer use Bardic Inspiration and Cutting Words in the same round. It used to be that you could hand off a bardic inspiration on your turn and then cutting words as your reaction. With them both being reactions now, this isn't possible.
That's my thinking.I also feel like a large number of bards will choose Primal for their magical secrets. It will open up blasting, control and I think revival spells for them, and that's everything you may want from the other two lists.
I honestly think WotC need to rethink components entirely. They're so dumb and outdated - WotC are so unnecessarily married to V/S/M. If they were willing to ditch them and not look back for the right classes, there's so much more they could do with the spell system. Bards should be V components only unless it's CASH MONEY YO. If you want Psionicists to work with D&D spells, make them S components only and able to suppress that. Make Rangers M components only and suddenly their spells look a bit less irritating. And so on.The consideration is flavor.
A Bard wields magic by voice − whether song, command, praise or satire.
The Bard never uses a component pouch because to do so would be WRONG.
Yep. My number one note to WotC would be "stop trying so hard to make inspiration happen".Inspiration was a little-used concept too, but WotC is pushing that HARD.
Your flavor preference isn't mine. Bards are still wielding arcane magics, so a component pouch is perfectly acceptable to me. The idea of allowing a bard to ignore most material components because "flavor" would be wrong.The consideration is flavor.
A Bard wields magic by voice − whether song, command, praise or satire.
The Bard never uses a component pouch because to do so would be WRONG.
Because the Bard masters both Illusion and Transmutation, and specializes in defense and support, I see no difficulty with a Bard casting Mage Armor and Shield.
The problem is with the spell schools themselves being an inconsistent and less useful way to organize spells thematically.
For example, if force-effect spells were all part of the same spell thematic, including Fly, Telekinesis, Unseen Servant and Shield, I wouldnt want the Bard to have it. (But as a Magical Secret it is fine.)
But as-is, the spell schools are a clumsy way to organize spells. The source lists of Primal, Arcane, and Divine, are even worse.
Within this dysfunctional D&D spell school tradition, the Bard might as well have all Abjuration spells.
Also, can we get finally rid of either Perform or instrument tool proficiencies? The idea that someone can play an instrument but not perform with it is just goofy. Perform is such a ridiculously narrow use skill anyways. We may as well bring back Read Lips. Move Perform to the tool category of secondary skills (along w artistic ability).
That's a pretty corner-case issue. The number of rounds/adventure, let alone per day where you'd actually want to do that is probably lower than 1, and impacts one specific subclass only.
I'm not trying to be mean but it literally is an issue impacting a small percentage of Bard players in the end.
If you're not going to use the actual components (which I enjoy doing for wizards and clerics at least because its flavourful) why bother with the pouch? Just dump the idea entirely.Your flavor preference isn't mine. Bards are still wielding arcane magics, so a component pouch is perfectly acceptable to me. The idea of allowing a bard to ignore most material components because "flavor" would be wrong.