D&D 5E Glamour Bard is a bad ass subclass

[ECMO3]

I don't play a lot of Bards and I am playing a Glamour Bard for the first time and man this subclass is really top notch. I would put it up against any other subclass in the game. As far as a subclass goes, I think it beats even Twilight Cleric and Gloomstalker, two of the most common subclasses labeled as "op".

All of the subclass abilities are extremely powerful and have been what I would call "S tier" in play

Mantle of Inspiration giving 5 players free movement off turn without AOOs and getting temp hps to boot and being able to do this up to 5 times per short rest.

Enthralling performance is an incredible out of combat/social ability.

Mantle of Majesty - Command every single turn as a bonus action for one combat a day.

Unbreakable Majesty - Pretty much a Sanctuary for an entire battle that is not broken by attacking or casting spells, with the added benefit that it is a Charisma save and if the enemy does save and get to attack you he also gets disadvantage on saves against your spells the next turn, and it recharges on a short rest.

 

[Minigiant]

There is a lot of clear proof in some of the stuff like Glamour Bard and Twilight Cleric of the limits of "no new classes, everything is subclass." design mentality.

The wall was hit in the first splatbook for bards and most full casters.

 

[Weiley31]

Old Glamour Bard or updated Glamour Bard?

 

[jayoungr]

I have a player in my group who plays nothing but Glamour Bards. Let me tell you, what I wouldn't give to design a combat once in a while that doesn't have to take Mantle of Inspiration into account....

 

[DEFCON 1]

I have a player in my group who plays nothing but Glamour Bards. Let me tell you, what I wouldn't give to design a combat once in a while that doesn't have to take Mantle of Inspiration into account....

Next campaign you should make your players roll for their stats in order. That way you have a better chance the numbers work out that playing a bard would not be in that player's favor.

 

[ECMO3]

Old Glamour Bard or updated Glamour Bard?

The one from XGE.

 

[jayoungr]

Next campaign you should make your players roll for their stats in order. That way you have a better chance the numbers work out that playing a bard would not be in that player's favor.

Would work in theory, but the player in question would mutiny.

 

[Zardnaar]

Bards in general are up there. Lore bard was number 1 but Glamour and the Theros/Tashas one are up there as well.

 

[J-H]

I have a player in my group who plays nothing but Glamour Bards. Let me tell you, what I wouldn't give to design a combat once in a while that doesn't have to take Mantle of Inspiration into account....

Keep in mind that it uses the reaction of everyone who moves. That means they can't make OAs or cast Absorb Elements, Shield, or Counterspell. When they use it, it's time to hit them hard, or bypass the melee party members for the back line.

 

[Blue]

Glamour is among my top Bard subclasses. Having also experienced Twilight Cleric, Order Cleric, and a few others, I don't say that it's above everything else; it's quite good but not "it's a whole new game" like some of the others.

We play with point buy with most campaigns going 1-11ish. So it's not per short rest until a chunk of the way into the campaign, still does need to compete with regular bardic inspiration uses which is one of the very few non-Concentration buffs to hand out, and even then is 4/short rest and doesn't cover the whole party until 8th which is like 2/3 of the way though our adventuring career.

Mantle of Majesty I find underwhelming in combat. It takes Concentration, which means it blocks my most useful spells. It takes a Bonus Action each time, which blocks my Mantle of Inspiration and Healing Word - there's a lot of utility as a secondary healer to bring someone up before their initiative passes so they don't miss their action, or to stand a primary healer back up.

And we never get up to Unbreakable Majesty considering that our campaigns simply don't get to 14th.

I love Mantle of Inspiration, it's great. It does make it one of the few best bard subclasses, and bard is already a solid chassis -- IF you have your Concentration available, because they are full casters and all their best spells need it.