Questions tagged [bard]
A charismatic class involving limited spontaneous casting, the use of songs to buff allies and average chance to hit with weapons. Appears in DnD, Pathfinder and many other tabletop RPGs.
4
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1answer
63 views
Can a sandman bard steal prepared spells that have already been cast?
Can a sandman bard use the bardic performance stealspell to steal a spell from an allied druid if the druid has already cast the spell?
4
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3answers
599 views
Is this homebrew feat for bards balanced (or even useful)?
I've been toying with the idea of a feat for a bard to allow for more sneaky play with things like mass suggestion. I think it could be fun and I was thinking of suggesting it to my DM for the bard I ...
16
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3answers
988 views
Can Bardic Inspiration be used on a roll replaced by Portent?
A creature with a Bardic Inspiration die can roll it to add the result to an ability check, saving throw, or attack roll, while the Divination wizard's Portent feature overrides the roll before the ...
11
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3answers
1k views
Would an Aarakocra be able to play a flute? [closed]
I am playing an Aarakocra bard character that looks like a crow/raven in a D&D campaign.
What kind of instruments would he be proficient in and play? Would an Aarakocra be able to play a flute, ...
12
votes
1answer
206 views
As a Swords bard, how do I determine my AC bonus from Defensive Flourish on a critical hit?
Let's say I'm playing a College of Swords bard, and happen to critically strike an enemy with a natural 20. I choose to use my Defensive Flourish at this time, so the dice look like this:
2d6 (...
6
votes
1answer
207 views
What issues could occur if I allow a Bard to use their instrument to fulfill verbal components? [closed]
One of my players messaged me about a new character they were creating, and they proposed the concept of a mute bard. Long story short, they wanted to RP a cursed character, and I was really intrigued ...
3
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0answers
127 views
Should bards have to pay for their colleges? [closed]
I think that since a college is really just a 'club' or grouping of sorts of bards, it doesn't count as a 'college' in the modern sense of the term. My DM is telling me I have to pay for my College of ...
18
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3answers
3k views
Possible issues of a player switching Bard archetypes randomly with long rests?
One of my players want to play a Bard with multiple-personalities. At every long-rest, the idea is that he randomly wakes up with one of his personalities. Each personality is very different from the ...
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0answers
51 views
What does the Additional Magical Secrets feature's “of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table” mean for multiclassed bards? [duplicate]
For instance, if you're a sorc 12 / bard 6, and you get the College of Lore's Additional Magical Secrets feature:
At 6th level, you learn two spells of your choice from any class. A spell you ...
29
votes
4answers
5k views
Can a bard cast Vicious Mockery without passersby thinking it's an attack?
So vicious mockery is, to my understanding, the bard insulting a target, and the target taking psychic damage, and gaining disadvantage.
The flavor, as I understand it, is that they're so insulted ...
10
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3answers
2k views
Is this homebrew Bard College of Midnight balanced, compared to officially published subclasses?
I wanted to play a necromancer, but I wasn't all that thrilled by my options. Wizards obviously make great necromancer, but I was drawn in another direction. A charismatic puppet master, that was my ...
5
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2answers
752 views
If a bard uses a musical instrument as their spellcasting focus, can they add their proficiency bonus to an ability check made as part of a spell?
The following things are true:
Bards are allowed to use their musical instruments as spell focuses.
Proficiency with a musical instrument allows you to add your proficiency bonus to ability checks ...
5
votes
1answer
223 views
Can a bard use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus if they aren't proficient with it?
The bard's spellcasting class features (PHB, pg. 53) includes the following:
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your bard ...
7
votes
1answer
427 views
How do I validate the Spell Selections in a Bard Spell List?
This is a direct follow-up to this question for Sorcerers, which contains more context and examples of this problem.
For pregenerated high-level Bards, it's important to make sure that their spell ...
5
votes
2answers
556 views
Does someone realize they were charmed after the effect of the Glamour bard's Enthralling Performance wears off?
I have been playing a College of Glamour bard in the Tomb of Annihilation module. They get the Enthralling Performance feature at 3rd level when they choose the subclass (Xanathar's Guide to ...
16
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1answer
2k views
WotC Pre-rolled Level 1 Bard Character - Can't get it right in D&D Beyond
I'm trying to build the nifty 5E Half-elf Bard in D&D Beyond as shared on WotC's set of pregen character sheets.
However, I just can't seem to get the ability score values and the skill values to ...
13
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2answers
901 views
Can a Lore bard use Cutting Words against the attack roll/ability check of a sorcerer's Subtle spell?
Imagine the following situation: a College of Lore bard is battling against a sorcerer who has learned the Subtle Spell metamagic option.
The Lore Bard goes first and casts a high-level spell, which ...
14
votes
1answer
476 views
What happens to bardic inspiration if either the bard or the recipient of the inspiration dies/goes unconscious?
In D&D 5e, a bard can give Bardic Inspiration - a d6-d12, depending on the level of the bard - which can be used by the recipient to add to a single ability check, attack roll, or saving throw ...
8
votes
1answer
605 views
Is Resistance/Vulnerability applied before or after Cutting Words?
College of Lore bards get the Cutting Words feature at 3rd level:
When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your ...
10
votes
2answers
953 views
Can the College of Swords' Blade Flourish features be used entirely with ranged attacks?
Is there any reason I couldn't just play a bard with a bow and use the Blade flourishes?
I'm pretty sure I missed a word somewhere, because after reading through the whole thing, I came to the ...
1
vote
1answer
111 views
How many bardic performances extra does a Half-elf gain?
I am new to Pathfinder and want to make sure I am reading these effects correctly. So a bard gets a number of bardic performances per day as listed here:
He can use this ability for a number of ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
Does a Skald’s Raging Song qualify as a “similar ability” for the Pathfinder Chronicler’s Bardic Performance?
In terms of both description and flavor, the Skald’s Raging Song appears to function as a Bardic Performance, albeit with different effects. It is treated as Bardic Performance for the purpose of ...
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3answers
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How many spells can a bard have at level 3?
It seems to me like I get 3 cantrips because I'm level 3 and 4 1st level spells and 5 2nd level spells. Is this right?
How many spells can a bard have at level 3?
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votes
2answers
856 views
If a creature has already moved on its turn, does the Glamour Bard's Mantle of Inspiration allow it to move again?
College of Glamour bards gain the Mantle of Inspiration feature at 3rd level (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 14):
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant ...
5
votes
2answers
274 views
How do I build a Capoeira Dancer?
I started to play with the Pathfinder Bard. Now, I would like to build a Capoeira Dancer.
An example of capoeira.
Goals and Requirements
I would like this character to be good at dancing. Able to ...
4
votes
2answers
236 views
Is there a way for a gnome to grab the Favored Class Options from an aasimar instead of itself?
I am looking into building a Gnome bard. I prefer the alternate favored bonus from the Aasimar race. Is there a way for a gnome to grab the Favored Class Options from an aasimar instead of itself?
...
3
votes
1answer
316 views
How the +2 inspire courage became a +4 in the Guide to the buffer bard?
I am reading the Guide to the buffer bard by Fiznab and I don't understand a detail of the buff.
Some raw numbers to begin: at level 9 you are going to buff your pals for +9 to attack (+4 inspire ...
6
votes
1answer
115 views
Does an ally that has the plant type via Greenbound Summoning benefit from inspire courage?
The Plant Type gives "Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).".
Inpsire Courage is a morale effect.
If I summon a creature with Summon ...
3
votes
1answer
240 views
Versatile Performance Question
I have a Bard with the Street Performer archetype. The Quick Change ability allows him to take a 20 on a Bluff or Disguise check once per day. Can he use Versatile Performance to make a bluff check ...
2
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1answer
189 views
Combining Improved Dirge of Doom and Blistering Invective – how long does the “frightened” condition last?
I recently found a pretty neat combination of moves that essentially turns your bard into a freaking jump scare. (Unless your enemies are undead. Or don’t understand your language. Oh well, no trick ...
11
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1answer
491 views
Can a Shadow Weapon be used as Sword College bard’s spellcasting focus?
Let's say I have a College of Swords bard (Xanathar's Guide to Everything, p. 15) that uses the Magical Secrets feature to learn the shadow blade spell and add it to the bard's spell list.
At level 3,...
3
votes
3answers
657 views
What is the expected DPR of an animate object spell cast on daggers?
A 9th level bard (CHA 16) casts "Animate Object" on a set of daggers, animating as much as he can.
Assuming 11+ on the d20 is required to hit, what is the expected DPR of the spell?
How does it fare ...
28
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3answers
6k views
How to explain Bard getting College education suddenly?
I'm a new player who decided to play as a Bard, but I noticed that once you reach level 3, you get to choose a college.
How should I explain my character suddenly getting a college education in the ...
7
votes
1answer
234 views
How does “Bard versus Bard” Bardic Performance work?
Where are the rules for how bards fight other bards, dispelling and counter-spelling each other's Bardic Performance?
For example: The PCs enter into a chamber filled with opposing NPCs. Each side ...
3
votes
1answer
438 views
Is this homebrew Bardic College balanced? [closed]
I Homebrewed a Bard college after deciding to create an Intimidation bard and finding that no colleges did this to the extent I had hoped.
Are any of these abilities overpowered, underpowered, or ...
6
votes
1answer
281 views
Does the target of Awaken need to be within range throughout the casting?
After spending the casting time [8 hours] tracing magical pathways within a precious gemstone, you touch a huge or smaller beast or plant. The target must have either no Intelligence score... [etc]
...
17
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2answers
8k views
Is the Glamour College Bard's Mantle of Inspiration Overpowered?
In Xanathar's Guide to Everything a new subclass for Bards is introduced: the College of Glamour. This subclass has a new ability called "Mantle of Inspiration", description follows:
At 3rd level, ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
More Expertise than Skill proficiencies
Let's say I take 10 levels of Bard and then 10 levels of Rogue.
This would give me the following skill proficiencies:
2 from my background
3 from Bard level 1
1 from Rogue level 1
This is a total ...
5
votes
1answer
4k views
How viable is a Swashbuckler/Bard? [closed]
I will be playing a new campaign in a bit, which will have the characters start at Level 1, presumably going up to about 11 or 12 before it ends. I have only single-classed so far, but with Xanathar's ...
6
votes
3answers
767 views
Can I choose a temporary proficiency for Expertise?
I am a multiclassed bard 2/cleric 2 with the Knowledge Domain.
I use my Knowledge of the Ages Channel Divinity moments before leveling up and within the 10 minutes reach level 5 and choose to advance ...
4
votes
1answer
283 views
Can a Bard cast Memory Lapse to run a shell game con?
I want my bard to scam people using specifically memory lapse and "luck" games.
Something like this:
Bard engages wealthy man to play a betting game.
Bard puts 100G and a small rock in a bag on ...
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4answers
1k views
Blade Flourish: can we take Attack action when not in range of enemy?
Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn [...]
In all examples the bard has a speed of 30 feet and does not have Extra ...
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vote
2answers
684 views
Are there rules for switching between held items?
I'm playing a bard that uses a viol but it takes 2 hands to play it so how would I be able to quickly switch between spellcasting focus and my weapons? Does it take extra time or does it not matter?
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votes
3answers
9k views
How and when does Song of Rest work? [duplicate]
I am a level 6 bard playing a campaign in 5e. I have the ability "song of rest"
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short ...
4
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0answers
51 views
Bonus Spell Explanation with Empower Spell Feat 3.5e [duplicate]
I'm very new to the spellcaster archetype in D&D. I've been playing rogues exclusively in 3e and 5e in every one of my campaigns, so yeah.
I'm playing a level 3 bard with 17 charisma. I only know ...
20
votes
2answers
3k views
Can blade flourish be used with ranged attacks?
In Xanathar's Guide to Everything under the Bard College of Swords Blade Flourish feature (page 15) it says "Whenever you make an attack action...". Was this meant for strictly melee attacks or can ...
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2answers
2k views
Can a bard make spell scrolls?
Can a bard make a spell scroll? In Xanathar's Guide to Everything, they outline that spellcasters can make a spell scroll, and what is required to do so. Would bards be considered spellcasters in this ...
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3answers
2k views
Who rolls for Song of Rest?
Assume multiple people have used hit dice. When a bard casts Song of Rest, who rolls the 1d6?
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies ...
4
votes
1answer
125 views
Does the Quickening Pulse Require a save every round?
After maintaining the Masterpiece do all enemies still within range need to make a new save each round to avoid taking bleed damage(which doesn't actually behave like bleed damage based on the effect ...
4
votes
1answer
440 views
Can I use Elemental Weapon on my bow while Swift Quiver is active (and keep both bonuses)
I'm going off the lvl 10 bardic spell feature here, and my bard has bracers of archery and has been killing it when he's been using his bow.
The thing that makes me scratch my head about elemental ...
