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<blockquote data-quote="Esker" data-source="post: 7902939" data-attributes="member: 6966824">My quick two cents: Don't play Valor if your goal is to be a gish. Valor works best as a high AC aupport caster --- similar to a cleric but less damage focused and more debuff focused. You can afford to get closer if you need to, but your main contribution will still be support magic (and support non-magic in the form of handing out inspiration dice).Swords is more of a gish since they at least get a fighting style and an ability that adds to damage, but they are dependent on their bardic inspiration for self-defense (hence my suggestion of being a goblin, so you can bonus action disengage). Ideally for a true bard gish you would mix in a couple levels of paladin or warlock. If that would be frowned on, you can still contribute in melee, but expect that you'll need to contribute support as well.Whispers is probably the weakest of the three in combat terms, since their main combat ability is a more limited form of sneak attack, so I would only play one if you think you'll get a lot of non-combat use out of their 6th level ability.If you're looking for a more direct combat presence (as opposed to being a force-multiplier for the rest of the party), Swords is probably your best bet. Just don't expect to be keeping up with a Hexblade, or a Bladesinger without multiclassing. (And keep in mind that even though your spells are long-rest-based if you are short on short rests, you might feel a little stretched for bardic inspiration, which refresh on SR after 5th level)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Esker, post: 7902939, member: 6966824"] My quick two cents: Don't play Valor if your goal is to be a gish. Valor works best as a high AC aupport caster --- similar to a cleric but less damage focused and more debuff focused. You can afford to get closer if you need to, but your main contribution will still be support magic (and support non-magic in the form of handing out inspiration dice). Swords is more of a gish since they at least get a fighting style and an ability that adds to damage, but they are dependent on their bardic inspiration for self-defense (hence my suggestion of being a goblin, so you can bonus action disengage). Ideally for a true bard gish you would mix in a couple levels of paladin or warlock. If that would be frowned on, you can still contribute in melee, but expect that you'll need to contribute support as well. Whispers is probably the weakest of the three in combat terms, since their main combat ability is a more limited form of sneak attack, so I would only play one if you think you'll get a lot of non-combat use out of their 6th level ability. If you're looking for a more direct combat presence (as opposed to being a force-multiplier for the rest of the party), Swords is probably your best bet. Just don't expect to be keeping up with a Hexblade, or a Bladesinger without multiclassing. (And keep in mind that even though your spells are long-rest-based if you are short on short rests, you might feel a little stretched for bardic inspiration, which refresh on SR after 5th level) [/QUOTE]

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