Questions tagged [bard]
For questions about the bard, a charismatic class involving limited spontaneous casting, the use of songs to buff allies and average chance to hit with weapons. The bard class appears in D&D, Pathfinder and many other tabletop RPGs.
13
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1answer
978 views
If a character can use a +X magic weapon as a spellcasting focus, does it add the bonus to spell attacks or spell save DCs?
My 5e College of Swords bard can use a weapon as a spell focus for their spell casting.
If they have a +1 rapier and cast a spell requiring a spell attack roll, do they get the +1 added to their ...
-1
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1answer
145 views
Can a bard 10/sorcerer 1 take 6th-level spells for Magical Secrets because of the way multiclassed spellcasters' slots work? [duplicate]
I have a Lore bard who multi-classed into sorcerer after level 4 and went back to leveling as a bard. When he reaches 10th level bard (11th level spellcaster), he will have 6th level slots. Can he ...
12
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2answers
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Can a Bard use an arcane focus?
The description of the Weave of Magic in the Spellcasting chapter says Bards are users of Arcane magic, but they seem to only be offered the use of an instrument as a focus. Can they use a standard ...
8
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3answers
1k views
Can a College of Swords bard use a Blade Flourish option on an opportunity attack provoked by their own Dissonant Whispers spell?
Consider this scenario: a College of Swords bard uses dissonant whispers on a creature within 5 feet of him while he is holding a melee weapon. The creature fails the save and has to immediately use ...
15
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1answer
410 views
Can Sentinel at Death's Door and Cutting Words combine to make a critical hit miss?
We already know from Sage Advice and other answers to other questions that by RAI, (and I guess RAW too), Cutting Words (and Bane) don't work on critical hits, though in the case of Cutting Words they ...
7
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1answer
102 views
Finding a College of Lore “local group” as an outsider in the city
I am playing a newly Level3-Bard with the College of Lore. In her backstory she encountered the criminal group The Nine Swords in Westgate, who are protected from high up and her goal is to bring them ...
6
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1answer
204 views
What can a Bard access to grant teammates Temp HP?
I am playing a supportive Bard character whose schtick is that she projects barriers onto other Characters.
I am aware that they don't stack.
So far I've got Inspiring Leader (Lv4 + Cha4 to 6 allies)...
-3
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2answers
243 views
Is the dulcimer listed under 5e's tools intended to be the hammered variety or the strummed variety?
The Dulcimer is listed in official sources as a tool available for use and purchase [SRD p.70]. However, I cannot seem to find official clarification on whether this refers to a hammered dulcimer or a ...
3
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1answer
100 views
Does looking at a gaze attack indirectly still trigger the effect?
This question is similar to this one, but with Pathfinder rules in mind.
More specifically, my group is up against a creature that does damage when it looks at you. Our bard ran away, but can still ...
3
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1answer
99 views
Is using Doomspeak a standard action?
Doomspeak is a [bardic] feat from Champions of Ruin with the following benefit:
You can spend one of your bardic music uses to utter a string of crass and appalling epithets and curses at one enemy ...
2
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3answers
260 views
Does the bard's Inspire Courage feature increase damage for swarms?
The Bard's Inspire Courage feature references weapon damage rolls:
A 1st level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and ...
6
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1answer
394 views
How does a bard become aware that their music has magical properties? Or must they actively choose it? And how would they learn?
I have a (human) bard in D&D 5E, and wrote a backstory of how his mother was a singer and he enjoyed this when he was young. Later in life he had some Gnome illusionist friends and he became ...
14
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2answers
3k views
Does a kenku bard need an instrument, or can they use Mimicry for one?
I'd like to play a Kenku Bard in Adventurer's League, one raised by bards since a young age to hopefully become a master of the Bardic arts through copying many other skilled bards.
One thought that ...
4
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2answers
413 views
Is there a way for a Bard to learn one more known spell?
Looking at the Bard progression table, Bards begin at level 1 with 4 spells known, and then gain (on average) 1 new known spell per level, until they cap at level 18. I'd like to know if there is a ...
6
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2answers
152 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
767 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
1k 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
2k 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
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1answer
556 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
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1answer
277 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 ...
4
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0answers
141 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 ...
1
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0answers
195 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 ...
36
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4answers
6k 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
3k 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 ...
6
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2answers
2k 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
458 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
540 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 ...
6
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2answers
2k 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 ...
18
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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 ...
14
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2answers
1k 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 ...
15
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1answer
1k 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 ...
9
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1answer
728 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
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2answers
2k 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
206 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
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1answer
268 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
4k views
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?
7
votes
2answers
947 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
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2answers
385 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
274 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
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1answer
542 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
143 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
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1answer
494 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
296 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
709 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
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3answers
2k 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 ...
29
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3answers
7k 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 ...
8
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1answer
277 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
506 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
387 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]
...
