D&D 5E Bards Should Be Half-Casters in 5.5e/6e

[DEFCON 1]

To me, the whole point of the bard is its flavor and function in the narrative. Who and what a bard is is significantly different than clerics, wizards, and the like. And as someone who thinks they have some of the most interesting flavor of all the classes (I will always contend that 2E's Complete Book of Bards had the most engaging and widespread variance of kits than any of the other books)... their mechanical functionality doesn't really matter. Whether they are full casters, half casters, three-quarter, one-third, non-caster or whatever they get placed as... WotC could choose one of them randomly and build a balanced mechanical display and it wouldn't affect the bard narratively at all.

So at the end of the day... I am quite happy with whatever form it ends up taking, so far as it remains in the game.

 

[Umbran]

Mod Note:
@Neonchameleon and @AcererakTriple6
The two of you are now apparently beating each other in classic internet form. Picking apart posts sentence by sentence, and responding with great walls of text.

It is also very clear that the two of you aren't really listening to each other at this point, but are merely responding in attack and defense modes.

It is time for that to stop, before someone says something they'll regret. Cool it down, please.

 

[Faolyn]

Look up "Myrddin," the proper original spelling. Myrddin was Latinized as "Merlinus" because French speakers couldn't take the name "Merdinus" seriously for some reason.

Yes, I did.

 

[Faolyn]

The bard was given so few unique spells.

This is a problem in all of the classes, I think. There are too few unique spells on each list.

 

[Aldarc]

This is a problem in all of the classes, I think. There are too few unique spells on each list.

Does the Sorcerer even have any? I can't recall off the top of my head.

 

[Minigiant]

This is a problem in all of the classes, I think. There are too few unique spells on each list.

The problem is worse for the bard. Without unique impactful spells, the bard has nowhere to go magic wise.

With magic, the main routes of class definition are Power, Versatility, Resources, and Exclusivity.
5e is rotten with Exclusivity as it lets anyone snag any spell.
Warlock has Resources with its Pact Magic
Sorcerer has Power with Metamagic
Wizards has Versatility with spellbooks.
Clerics and Druids has Versatilty in healing and support spells

So the Bard as a full caster has noting truly unique. Thus becoming a "enchanter who can heal, sneak, and wears armor." The bard ends up defined by its subclass as the base is a bland yet overtuned jack of all trades. The bard only shines the fewer additions you add to the game.

Had it unique spells, those spells would be the defining aspect of the class and leaning on subclasses would not be as needed.

As a half caster however, you open up design space for the base class. You really can't tinker with a full caster as a full caster is powerful. 5e had to hold back the bard's spells known and spell list to keep it in check.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Does the Sorcerer even have any? I can't recall off the top of my head.

I think sorcerer should killed an and the little unique stuff it has to be cannibalised by other caster classes.

 

[Gladius Legis]

So the Bard as a full caster has noting truly unique.

Bardic Inspiration says hello. And at 5th level onward you're handing that out like candy.

The bard ends up defined by its subclass as the base is a bland yet overtuned jack of all trades.

Umm, isn't a class being at least partially defined by its subclasses a good thing?

As a half caster however, you open up design space for the base class. You really can't tinker with a full caster as a full caster is powerful. 5e had to hold back the bard's spells known and spell list to keep it in check.

I really don't see how making it a half-caster opens up any design space it didn't have previously. In fact, if anything it restricts it even further because now you're forcing it to be at least partially martial. Which makes sense for all Paladins and Rangers to be but does not make sense for all Bards to be.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I really don't see how making it a half-caster opens up any design space it didn't have previously. In fact, if anything it restricts it even further because now you're forcing it to be at least partially martial. Which makes sense for all Paladins and Rangers to be but does not make sense for all Bards to be.

Why it is 'forcing'? Bards are supposed to be jacks of all trades, a bit of magic a bit of combat. But now they're just all magic and no combat. There are already tree other full arcane caster classes that do that.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I think all casters (wizards, druids, bards, you name it) except warlock should be half casters. If the wizard caps out at 5th level spells it will stop the power house spells... keep the 6th-9th level spells as rituals and epic casting... warlocks i like as is