D&D 5E Modifying the Bard as non magical, more "realistic"

[peterka9]

How to build a realistic bard in D&D 5e:

1. Choose any class other than bard
2. Pick the entertainer background

Any other class is magical or oriented to physical combat.

 

[Mistwell]

I modified the Bard as the Philosopher, using INT instead of CHA and changing the words fluff. Cosmetic changes.

I'll like to know if my bardic inspiration nerf (in scope and flexibility, not mere power) is balanced by the non magical nature of the "spells". Anti-magic is situational, so it may be hard to balance. I nerfed healing, using Hit Point Dice as an additional resource.

There is always a trick
Philosophical knowledge is not countered with a dispell magic spell, an anti-magic sphere and other featured limiting magic. The focus also becomes superfluous. However, healing now draws from the life dice of the recipients. Any healing spell requires a Hit Dice from the recipient in addition to a spell slot. For the other spells, a "scientific" explanation can be provided, see the appendix.





Philosophical advice (instead of bardic inspiration )
You have an amazing general education, from academic source, and you never forget lecturing others. To do this, use a bonus action on your turn to assess a fight, a problem to be solved or an imminent danger. Then choose a creature other than yourself within 60' of you who can hear you. This creature is granted a Philosopher's Council die (d6), which applies to a given situation, This creature can keep the die roll and add the number obtained to an ability check, attack or save roll it just made as long as the advice is still applicable. Once the Philosopher's advice die is rolled, it is consumed. A creature can only have one Philosopher advice die at a time. For example, the advice may relate to an orc who has a weakness noticed by the philosopher in the previous round; on an increased method to better climb a mountain or to resist a possible poisoned dart.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You regain your Philosopher advice dice after completing a long rest. Your Philosopher advice die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die goes to a d8 at level 5, a d10 at level 10, and a d12 at level 15.

Your opinion ?

Yes I think this works just fine. It's a good idea. But keep in mind the primary source of anti-magic you're getting around here isn't anti-magic fields, it's creatures or are resistant to magical damage. And the primary problem could be creatures who are resistant to non-magical damage. You'll need to make sure they can get around that resistance, or else they are doomed by mid-levels. Many creatures are resistant to non-magical damage by even 5th level.

 

[bedir than]

Just some buffs to replace the healing and inspiration nerfs, with a realistic varnish.

But you haven't removed spellcasting, which is uh rather magical

 

[peterka9]

But you haven't removed spellcasting, which is uh rather magical

There is nothing inherent against using spellcasting system for anything from psi to futurist science.

Yes I think this works just fine. It's a good idea. But keep in mind the primary source of anti-magic you're getting around here isn't anti-magic fields, it's creatures or are resistant to magical damage.

I never consider resistance. It is true is is strange a system cannot be negate but can be resisted. I guess i'll need another buff to compensate the healing and inspiration nerfs.

 

[Marandahir]

Any other class is magical or oriented to physical combat.

Mastermind Rogue?

 

[bedir than]

Yeah, I don't get how the ability to cast Thunderwave or Faerie Fire is considered "non-Magical" and "more realistic"

 

[Jaeger]

I never did like how the Bard class is done for D&D.

IMHO it should work more like a hybrid of the Girot class in Spears of the Dawn and the Scholar class in Adventures in Middle earth.

The whole minstrel/spell-slinger thing just come across as a more than a little ill thought out...

 

[peterka9]

Thanks for your help, Jaeger and al.

I got a conference on Griots last year at the University. Greats storytellers. Googled it. The class refer to tales that come true. And I have a copy of Adventures in Middle Earth. I'll take a look.

 

[peterka9]

Since there are no magic class in this setting, the scholar shines as an healer and skill-monkey. Unfortuntely, it won't work with d&d.

 

[Snuffy Mark]

I've been working on a No Magic 5e ruleset, for a grittier more realistic feel. I didn't want the players to only have Fighter and Rogue to choose from, so I've been having to create non-magical versions of classes that are normally intertwined with magic and spells. Obviously, they still have to be worth playing, with features that contribute to role-playing, combat, and the party in general. Here is my 1st draft of a non-magical bard.

Non-Magical Bard 5e