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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ashrym" data-source="post: 9478009" data-attributes="member: 6750235">Yes, but they can't time it with the Fireball and the AoE damage prevention can affect more targets.A reaction has more control over when that damage is prevented instead of the tho.  There are others sources of Thp as well that can be used with Cutting Words while Glamour cannot stack those effects.Thp has better range from the bard once given.  It's not like I'm arguing Glamour is a poor choice.  Cutting Words is an alternative reasonable choice.Beguiling Magic, Mantle of Inspiration, Tandem Footwork, and Combat Inspiration are also alternative uses for BI.  They're still useful.Cutting Words is an expanded option.  It's also not necessary a worse use of BI because a reaction operates better than a bonus action in it's use.A Lore bard can use that reaction on any turn.  They can't use a bonus action to give out a BI die on any turn to another PC who might need it.That also happens with other colleges.  Dance uses inspiration quickly on initiative and Glamour on Beguiling Magic and Mantle of Inspiration.Thp are good but they don't stack.  Cutting Words works with any source of Thp.Cutting Words saves 55 HP if there 11 targets in the area.  Jack of all Trades rounds down so extra proficiencies outpace that Mantle of Inspiration is limited to CHA bonus targets, which isn't typically 5 at those earlier levels.  If we're assuming an average roll at then it's 21 Thp (7*3) where Cutting Words in a party of 5 is 15 or 20 damage saved, 18.5 on average over time used that way.Mantle of Inspiration becomes 65 Thp on average eventually in a party of 5 where Cutting Words falls behind but never helps that 6th or 7th or 8th person, and never gets used in response to a threat on another turn.Free Charm Person and free Mirror Image is nice but those are just another way of spending a limited resource like your argument against Cutting Words.  I would argue Magical Discoveries isn't "superior spells known".  Just more spells known, which is good because of the spells prepped limits.Glamour also adds Command here for a third spell.The difference is Magical Discoveries has a lot more control over which spells, can be used on higher level spells, and can be used for cantrips.Plus those extra skill proficiencies have become +3 from the proficiency bonus and Jack of all Trades has remained+1 (until 9th level).That's not quite it.  Peerless Skill is in response to a failure and doesn't get used if the roll remains a failure.  This stacks with the other bonuses from Jack of all Trades or those extra skills or Expertise with that use on self ability that's better at changing failure to success or consistently hitting higher DC's.It's also a bonus to other ability checks like what all bards used to have with Jack of all Trades.  Fail a Dispel Magic check on a 3rd level slot? Expend a BI die and now it succeeds.  No lost action, no using a higher level spell slot that can be used for something else, no another round of the spell being dispelled.I think there's more going on with Peerless Skill than you realize.  The ability either changes a failure into a success or doesn't cost anything.</blockquote>

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