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.
260
questions
5
votes
1answer
278 views
What happens if a creature eats food created by a College of Creation bard?
If a College of Creation bard uses their Performance of Creation to summon rations, and then eats the rations, will they still be hungry at the end of their next turn? What if they maintain the ...
3
votes
1answer
137 views
Can a player have and use both Bardic Inspiration and DM's Inspiration?
Can a player have both inspiration from the DM and a Bardic Inspiration Die from a bard? Additionally, could both be used on the same attack roll/ ability check before the result is announced?
One ...
7
votes
1answer
316 views
Can Bard spellcasting go unnoticed by their audience?
I've noticed that it explicitly states in some spells, such as Dissonant whispers which has a verbal component only, that it can only be heard by the target
The caster would whisper a cacophonous ...
14
votes
3answers
3k views
Bards acting as rogues?
In a campaign I recently played, I encountered a NPC that could do everything a lvl 7 Rogue could do, for instance he was able to pick locks but he didn't even roll for it. Later in the storyline, he ...
9
votes
2answers
155 views
How does an in-combat change to a bard's Charisma Score affect its available Bardic Inspirations?
I'm not exactly sure how changes to ability scores in combat affect abilities that have uses based on the modifier for that that skill.
For example take a bard with a Charisma score of 18 that has ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
What are the audible and physical manifestations of the ability “Lore Song”?
Dungeonscape has an alternative class feature for bards called "Lore Song" (page 8).
The key text is:
Bardic music serves many purposes, aiding your allies or manipulating
your enemies. You ...
-6
votes
1answer
114 views
Is it possible to add bardic inspiration to time stop?
Wondering this because it would be pretty cool if you could make time stop more than 1d4 + 1 and have a really long time stop.
Bardic Inspiration
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature ...
5
votes
1answer
231 views
Can a Glamour Bard use the Enthralling Performance ability while casting Motivational Speech?
Can the following two mechanics work together or are they mutually exclusive or require something else? I am the DM. Both the player at my table and I don't agree or understand if it's possible to ...
11
votes
8answers
3k views
What potential problems are there with dumping Dex in a bard build?
I've recently gotten into a group for D&D 5e, and I'm looking for some advice on my character build. I'm not new to Tabletop RPGs in general, but I don't know the tricks of the trade for 5e.
What ...
2
votes
1answer
204 views
Would forcing a lawyer to turn on their client with a Glamour Bard's Enthralling Performance feature be seen as an attack?
Say you are a bard, level 3+. You have are being sued by an enemy, and you have got their lawyer tied up in a chair. You make them charmed after their failed saving throw against your Enthralling ...
2
votes
1answer
204 views
Does Shadow Lore require the Bard to physically whisper, and could the target or a nearby creature detect this?
A 14th level College of Whispers Bard gains the following class feature:
Shadow Lore: As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can ...
2
votes
0answers
138 views
How to make my bard not too obnoxious [closed]
I am kinda new to tabletop RPGs. I am am playing with the idea of making a Bard who wanted to be some kind of hero and only became a Bard to be able to create his own tales about himself and become ...
0
votes
1answer
204 views
Can a Bard inspire another character’s inspiration roll? [closed]
I was recently thinking of cool ideas for my new character, when I thought of something. Is it possible for another bard to inspire my inspiration roll? Or is it possible to inspire the roll of ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How does a changeling's Divergent Persona affect bard spells cast using musical instruments?
My character is a level 1 Changeling Bard. In my character's story, his Bard personality is what I'm using for his Divergent Persona racial feature. So it says under the description for divergent ...
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Can the Metamagic Song feat be used multiple times on the same spell?
The Metamagic Song feat from Races of Stone (p. 142) allows you to expend Bardic Music uses in place of increasing the level of the spell when applying metamagic. It comes with the stipulation that:
...
13
votes
2answers
530 views
If two Lore Bards used the Cutting Words feature on an ability check or attack, would they stack?
Let's say the party had two Lore Bards, and both used Cutting Words on a creature who tried to attack.
Does that stack, since they are separate penalties and not enduring effects (like bless)? Or ...
1
vote
1answer
69 views
Bardic abilities requiring concentration with respect to the Melodic Casting feat
According to the feat Melodic Casting in Complete Mage on page 44 it states:
...In addition, you can cast spells and activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using a bardic ...
5
votes
2answers
137 views
Does the target of a bard's Fascinate feature remember being fascinated, and how will they react afterwards?
In Pathfinder, I used the bard's Fascinate ability on a guard.
Will the guard remember being pulled under it, and what will his reaction towards me be afterwards?
10
votes
2answers
1k views
Can a College of Swords bard use Blade Flourishes multiple times in a turn?
Bards of the College of Swords have a feature called Blade Flourish that lets them use their Bardic Inspiration to add a modifier to their Attack action (XGtE, p. 15):
Whenever you take the Attack ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
Does a bard know when a character uses their Bardic Inspiration?
Tonight during our play session, we ran into an incident where a character immediately used a bardic inspiration after getting it (on their turn, but like it was the first thing they did). The bard's ...
1
vote
1answer
113 views
Can a bard choose to prepare spells, and thereby benefit from items that allow recall of previously prepared spells?
I'm considering whether to place a high-level magic item in my epic-level game.
On page 28 of the PHB, under the bard 'spells' section, it states (emphasis mine):
As noted above, a bard need not ...
7
votes
1answer
216 views
Can a creature targeted by the Glamour bard's Mantle of Inspiration use its reaction to move if it already had temporary hit points previously?
The College of Glamour bard's Mantle of Inspiration feature (XGtE, p. 14) is worded this way:
As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Is Tales of Old an official bard ability?
It’s my second time playing D&D and I’m playing a bard this time around, so I’ve been doing some research on the class.
I don't have the Player’s Handbook yet, so I do all of my research on ...
1
vote
0answers
652 views
How to use skill versatility? [closed]
I'm new to D&D and am making my first character. As she is a half-elf bard, I'm given 'skill versatility, which gives proficiency in any two skills. Where and when does this get added and how is ...
5
votes
3answers
721 views
How many spells does my Bard 6/Wizard 1 know? [duplicate]
This is my first time multiclassing a character.
I wanted to multiclass my bard with something, and I wanted to make sure I have the rules for multiclassing correct - because with my understanding, ...
24
votes
2answers
1k views
Can you use a reaction to affect initiative rolls?
Expanding upon this question in a tweet at Jeremy Crawford who confirms once again that Initiative is a skill check and can be modified by things that modify ability checks.
Cutting Words states
...
5
votes
2answers
337 views
War Chanter + Seeker of the Song = 3 Simultaneous Bardic Musics?
If I'm a Seeker of the Song 2 (Complete Arcane, p. 56) and War Chanter 5 (Complete Warrior, p. 87), can I play 3 Bardic Musics at once? I seemingly can.
3
votes
0answers
71 views
What type of spellcasting bonus do I use as a multiclassed bard/cleric? [duplicate]
I'm fairly new to D&D, and I'm going to multiclass for the first time - Bard/Cleric, to be specific.
What kind of spellcasting bonus do I use for spells like Healing Word which is bard and cleric?...
13
votes
2answers
686 views
What spells could a Bard identify from a Pact of the Tome Warlock's Book of Shadows?
A Bard in my group has expressed an interest in attempting to read a Warlock party member's Book of Shadows, and I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, they can get from it. I figure they can't ...
3
votes
1answer
220 views
What are all sources of extra uses of bardic music?
I am working on a (somewhat) functional version of the classic Bard/Barbarian hybrid. The lynchpin is using Rage Casting (Dragon #310), which requires casting to be a free action, citing Quicken Spell ...
3
votes
1answer
72 views
Can you reduce the metamagic cost before applying Metamagic Song?
The description of Metamagic Song states:
When applying a metamagic feat to a spell, you must either use Metamagic Song to completely offset the increase in the spell's effective level or apply the ...
3
votes
2answers
156 views
Can you use Metamagic Song and Quicken Spell together?
The description for the feat Metamagic Song in Races of Stone states (emphasis mine):
When you spontaneously cast an arcane spell that is enhanced by a metamagic feat, you can spend a number of ...
10
votes
2answers
393 views
Is a bard's use of Bardic Inspiration still expended if the target can't hear them?
What happens if a bard tries to give a target a Bardic Inspiration, but that target happens to be unable to hear the bard due to deafness or a Silence spell. Does the bard lose one of their bardic ...
10
votes
1answer
363 views
Is there any rule preventing me from starting multiple bardic performances in a single round?
Bardic Performance reads as follows:
Starting a bardic performance is a standard action, but it can be
maintained each round as a free action. Changing a bardic performance
from one effect to ...
5
votes
1answer
242 views
How do I calculate the Sound Striker bard's Weird Words attack?
Bard Sound Striker Archetype has 2 new bardic performances, one which is Weird Words and reads as:
Weird Words (Su): At 6th level the bard can start a performance that is always a standard action ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
Can you use a concentration spell while using Mantle of Majesty?
According to the text of Mantle of Majesty (a Bard College feature from the College of Glamour, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, page 14):
As a bonus action, you cast command, without expending a ...
4
votes
2answers
176 views
Is Inspire Greatness (Bard) the only way to gain explicit temporary Hit Dice?
The bard's Inspire Greatness ability adds 2d10 hit dice to a character for a short period of time.
The trait Magical Knack gives you bonus caster levels that cannot exceed your current hit dice.
...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
What spell do I need to be my own rock band?
In Pathfinder, I created a level 10 bard, and I want to be my own rock band outside battle. My bard already have a huge performance in singing and playing numerous instruments.
I took Ghost Sound to ...
17
votes
2answers
899 views
Can a bard grant bardic inspiration to an unconscious creature?
The recipient of bardic inspiration must be able to hear the bard.
...choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who
can hear you.
An unconscious creature is "unaware of its ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views
Can a Lute of the Battle Ready be used to perform when it is transformed?
I'm playing a Bard and was given a Lute of the Battle Ready at level 1. However, I haven't been really able to use it because I focus on Performing instead of fighting.
Is it possible to maintain a ...
4
votes
2answers
631 views
At which level does a Glamour bard cast the Command spell when they activate Mantle of Majesty? [duplicate]
At level 6, Glamour bards gain the Mantle of Majesty feature (XGtE, p. 14):
At 6th level, you gain the ability to cloak yourself in a fey magic that makes others want to serve you. As a bonus ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
Can a bard use Captivating Melody to increase the DC of the Soothing Voice spell-like ability?
Soothing Voice is a spell-like ability for half-elf bards that give them the ability to expend a bardic music to cast Calm Emotions.
Captivating Melody allows for a bard to expend a bardic music as a ...
19
votes
4answers
2k views
Can a Valor bard Ready a bard spell, then use the Battle Magic feature to make a weapon attack before releasing the spell?
College of Valor bards (PHB, p. 55) get the Battle Magic feature at 14th level:
You have mastered the art of weaving spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious act. When you use your ...
10
votes
1answer
3k views
As a Bard multi-classing into Warlock, what spells do I get?
My character is a bard and I'm planning on taking a level in Warlock. Do I get the 2 cantrips and 2 spells from the Warlock spell list that a new Warlock character would get in addition to the Bard ...
2
votes
2answers
536 views
What is unbalanced about this homebrew College of the Storm bard subclass?
What, if anything, is unbalanced about this homebrew College of the Storm bard subclass?
I think the subclass I made is unbalanced because of the number of abilities gained at third level, and the ...
8
votes
3answers
10k views
How do Bards prepare spells?
My newest character is a lvl 1 Bard with some spellcasting and ritual ability. I would like to know how to prepare spells, as it does not say how to do this in the PHB. Thanks!
Edit: Thank you to all ...
11
votes
1answer
359 views
Can a Bard use the Spell Glyph option of the Glyph of Warding spell and cast a known spell into the glyph?
If you read the description of the "Spell Glyph" option of the Glyph of Warding spell, it says you cast a spell that you have prepared into the glyph. Bards can learn this spell, but they don't ...
9
votes
2answers
375 views
Can a bard perform underwater?
We were underwater this past session and ran into an issue with the bard, who is a vocalist, and despite being able to breath underwater via the water breathing spell ran into an issue when we ...
14
votes
1answer
2k 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
votes
1answer
404 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 ...
