Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ashrym" data-source="post: 9571742" data-attributes="member: 6750235">This is a more detailed response after my initial reaction.The college of the moon associates with the Moonshae druids and the description states these bards are using the primal power of fey magic and the Moonwells.  This is a significant flavor difference with primal vs arcane even if there isn't really a functional difference.  While not required, it makes sense to focus on spells shared with the druid spell list and to later focus on druid spells after magical secrets to maintain that flavor.Level 3 -- Moonshae Folktales:The idea works well enough but seems more complicated than it needs to be.  Spending a magic action to change which tale is currently active is unnecessarily costing that action in combat to switch when the abilities are fueled by Bardic Inspiration dice already.  This seems to be an early countermeasure to the 14th level ability to restrict dice to 1d6 without costing Bardic Inspiration, but this seems unnecessary at that point.Tale of Life: This is bonus healing by using a limited resource (Bardic Inspiration) and applying it a limited resource (casting a spell).  More healing when it's necessary is not a bad thing, but there are usually better ways to spend Bardic Inspiration dice, and this Tale must be active to apply so I don't expect to see much use.Tale of Gloam:  This grants the ability to disengage or hide as part of the bonus action granting a Bardic Inspiration to another creature.  This is a situational benefit (the need to disengage or hide) granted at a situational event (granting Bardic Inspiration during combat) using a limited resource (Bardic Inspiration).  Since Bardic Inspiration lasts an hour and often gets granted in advance and since this Tale must be active to apply I expect to see this used even less than Tale of Life.  Unless it's in some edge build I haven't thought of.Tale of Mirth:  This grants the ability to spend a reaction to apply Bardic Inspiration as a penalty to a saving throw.  This is hella useful.  The name might need some reworking but apply a save penalty is a solid ability.  This turns Tale of Life and Tale of Gloam into ribbon abilities because moon bards are likely going to have Tale of Mirth active for this benefit.  What spellcaster wouldn't want the ability to apply saving throw penalties? Moon bards might spend the Magic Action to activate Tale of Life outside of combat, but spending a Magic Action to change from Tale of Mirth to Tale of Gloam in order to grant the option to Disengage or Hide as part of that bonus action makes no sense.  The cost of an action to benefit a bonus action is clearly a loss in action economy.Level 3 -- Primal Lorist:A bonus skill proficiency and a bonus cantrip are reasonable bonuses at 3rd level in addition to the main bonus.  Adding Druidic should be clear if it's only that druidic language or if it's the Druidic ability that also includes the Speak with Animals spell.  I suspect it's just the language but this could be more clear, and I would prefer it to be the more complete druid ability if we're associating this subclass more with that class.Overall, 3rd level has some awkward stuff going on but it's at the very least it's a rarely used bonus language, a skill, a cantrip, and a solid use for Bardic Inspiration.Level 6 -- Blessing of the Moonwells:This gives bards a free preparation of the 2nd level druid spell Moonbeam.  This also gives moon bards an improved version of the Moonbeam spell with one free use per short rest.  The improved version can be cast as a Bonus Action instead of a Magic Action but does not change the action to move the moonbeam.  This improved version also allows for 2d4 healing allies but does not add CHA mod to that healing.  Replenishing this use of the spell requires a 3rd level slot instead of a second level slot so I think the improved use should allow for moving the moonbeam with a bonus action.Level 14 -- Bolstered Folktales:This allows for using Tale of Life or Tale of Mirth without spending Bardic Inspiration and applying 1d6 instead.  This is useful because Bardic Inspiration is a finite resource and this allows for using those benefits a lot more often.  This also allows Tale of Gloam to grant a 30' teleportation as part of that same bonus action.  This could be useful except the Tale would still require a Magic Action to become active as it's unlikely to be active over Tale of Mirth.Overall:I appreciate the concept and there are some useful features here.  My feedback is it works with updates and clarifications.  <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Take away the Magic Action to activate a Tale.  Just allow the moon bard to use those options.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Don't grant the druidic language.  Grant the Druidic ability that includes Speak with Animals.  It's a fun spell and not OP as part of this association with druids.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Allow the improved version of Moonbeam to be cast as a Bonus Action and also moved as a Bonus Action.</li> </ol></blockquote>

Verification