D&D General Using Paladin and Warlock to Remake Bard (+)

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay so the + is just basically, I don't need to know how much you think the basic idea or premise sucks or how Bards are already really strong so they don't need any editing, or whatever.

Premise:

A. Bards don't feel like Bards, and what they do feel like would be better as part of the Rogue anyway, and doesn't even need to be magical.

2. Bard songs from 3.5 were one of the best examples of lore matching mechanics in DnD's history, and they are worth bringing back.

So what do?

IMO, the answers are manifold and complimentary.

• Take inspiration from Paladin auras
• Drop Jack of All Trades and instead give Bards a choice like Holy Order, where they can either get all the weapon and armor proficiencies or get a bonus to Int skills equal to Cha mod
• Give Bards the ability to Help as a bonus action (maybe in tier 2 or 3, rather than tier 1)
• At level 1 you get Bardic Inspiration, and you can spend it to give a 1d4 bonus to all allies within 30ft who can hear you. They can use the die once to add to any roll.
• At level 6 or so, you get an aura feature x per day that lasts 1 hour, benefiting all allies within 30ft of you who can hear you when you activate the aura. You choose the effect when you use the feature. (this could cost a Bardic Inspiration instead of being it's own thing)
  • Words of Courage - saves against fear and damage rolls
  • Words of Wisdom - saves against charm and attack rolls (maybe)
  • Words of Care - They can add the bonus to healing they receive or to a save to end an ongoing effect
  • Words of Cunning - Checks and saves relating to illusions, insight checks, deception checks
• Reduce the spellcasting of the class to 5th level maximum spell slots like that 2024 playtest version of the Warlock, where it is full casting up to that point but it stops at level 5
• Drop Magical Secrets and instead have Bard exclusive abilities called Songs of Inspiration. You learn 1 Song of Inspiration at each level you would have gotten magical secrets. Each one lasts for at least 1 minute and you can only have one active at a time. Each one is an upgrade of a Words of Inspiration option. You can use each Song you know once per long rest
• All Bards have Bane prepared, and gain legend lore always prepared at the appropriate level
• Possibly add enemy debuff options to all those ally helping features listed above
• Add some spells with longer casting times that are basically "tell a story and give a long lasting buff"

So, anyone like the idea? Take some bits from Paladin, Warlock, and Cleric/Druid, and add some lorekeeping and storytelling features, and make a class that is powerful when they speak, who knows more than anyone else in general, and who hopefully feels like a lorekeeper and storyteller first and foremost.

 

[Horwath]

Agree with most, but...

I would improve d4 to d6 simply because I hate that cursed die.

Halfcasting is OK for bards if compensated elsewhere,
I even have the table for halfcasters that gain new spell levels at the rate of full casters, but capped at 5th level and keeping Spell point budget mostly the same:

1st table is official, 2nd table is modified for faster spell level gains.

Help as Bonus action is a low impact feature, it should stay in Tier1.

As for auras, they could be always on, just changing them as a Bonus action at will.
maybe add scaling at various levels for radius increase, 30,60,90,120,150ft