D&D 5E (2024) how to redo 2e bard kids redone in 2024?

[Shades of Eternity]

For the Professor kit, I'd make it an Artificer subclass. Calligraphy tools as focus, mostly divination based bonus spells, and the special abilities would be based around "professing", which would be an Intelligence based version of Bardic inspiration.

yeah I had a gnome professor I ran through both expedition to the barrier peaks and the da trilogy and since we were young and didn't have much restraint, so he was armed to the teeth and armored to the gills (I avoided the random action table of the weapons by rolling on my gnome professor knowledge checks or something to that effect...it has been too long).

I then built a lightning catcher to recharge the batteries.

nowadays, I'm having fun going the other way trying to turn all ultra tech devices into artificer stuff.

 

[Stormonu]

I made a Jester and Jongleur subclass for my homebrew.

Some of the kits would probably just be a background - Charlatan, for sure - maybe Gypsy-bard (Outlander? background) and Herald (Criminal/Spy background) and Meistersinger (Entertainer background) as well.

Blade I think is College of Valor, Loremaster probably equates to College of Lore.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

In name only. Perhaps the flourish, but it's different. In 2e, creatures attacking you had to make a save or take damage. 5e doesn't do that. 5e also doesn't have the Blade's abilities for weapon display (morale affecting),

There is no morale. A fear effect would be the equivalent.

weapon handling (dual weapon usage),

It is literally there at level 3 (fighting style)

or catching weapons.

Not there.

I definitely like the 2e version better.

I loved the 2e version. But the 5e version is also quite cool.