I want to address a common perspective on the support role Bards play, and offer an alternative view. Many players, including myself, want to feel heroic and have some moments of glory. The Bard is often viewed as kind of the class for the altruistic player, those who want to let everyone else shine.
While Bards are an amazing support class, I don't think you need to look at it like you're only allowing your fellow players to shine and attain glory. YOU are impacting the game in a positive, meaningful way, and in that regard the glory is also YOURS. This pertains everything you do that has an impact. When it's time for a short rest, your allies all get some extra healing. Thanks, Bard! If an ally uses one of your inspiration dice and turns a miss into a hit, that damage is also yours. If you cast Hypnotic Pattern on a mob of baddies, you did zero damage but you sure a hell PWNED them, and you played a big role in your party's victory. Oh, no! Bob the Barbarian went down! Healing Word and Brian the Bard saves the day.
It do think everyone recognizes that when it's time for the party to deal with important social interactions, whether it's a shopkeeper or a head of state, the Bard is shining in the limelight. But it does not end there, the Bard is also a great and very effective ally to have on the battlefield. Having to deal with a high level, evil Bard boss and his minions would be a really fun encounter :)
I'm of the opinion that if I give allies a boost to attack, and they hit because of it when they would have missed otherwise, then 100% of that damage is mine. Same goes for healing; if an ally would be face down on the floor drowning in a puddle of their own drool if not for you, then all damage they do after getting back up is yours.
On that basis a support character can be the highest damage character you can play. 😄
But one of the great things about Bard is how flexible they can be, and how they have access to a lot of bonus action and reaction support options; you can absolutely join the front-line to help down a stubborn enemy, while handing out Healing Word, Bardic Inspiration or using Cutting Words to keep some attacks from landing etc.
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Yeah, allowing your friends to shine is often the way that certain classes have their moments of glory. The problem is that the players too often don't recognize that. For example, that bardic inspiration allowing the Rogue to turn a miss into a sneak attack that finishes of the dragon, or the Cleric's Bless that allowed the Barbarian to not be charmed, and so on. But to some people, all that matters is damage. So let's give a hand to the support classes out there and the people who play them.
For some great examples on a bard and a cleric have CMOAs despite doing mostly support stuff, check out Critical Role's Scanlan Shorthalt (if you can get past his annoyance) and Caduceus Clay.
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I want to address a common perspective on the support role Bards play, and offer an alternative view. Many players, including myself, want to feel heroic and have some moments of glory. The Bard is often viewed as kind of the class for the altruistic player, those who want to let everyone else shine.
While Bards are an amazing support class, I don't think you need to look at it like you're only allowing your fellow players to shine and attain glory. YOU are impacting the game in a positive, meaningful way, and in that regard the glory is also YOURS. This pertains everything you do that has an impact. When it's time for a short rest, your allies all get some extra healing. Thanks, Bard! If an ally uses one of your inspiration dice and turns a miss into a hit, that damage is also yours. If you cast Hypnotic Pattern on a mob of baddies, you did zero damage but you sure a hell PWNED them, and you played a big role in your party's victory. Oh, no! Bob the Barbarian went down! Healing Word and Brian the Bard saves the day.
It do think everyone recognizes that when it's time for the party to deal with important social interactions, whether it's a shopkeeper or a head of state, the Bard is shining in the limelight. But it does not end there, the Bard is also a great and very effective ally to have on the battlefield. Having to deal with a high level, evil Bard boss and his minions would be a really fun encounter :)
I'm of the opinion that if I give allies a boost to attack, and they hit because of it when they would have missed otherwise, then 100% of that damage is mine. Same goes for healing; if an ally would be face down on the floor drowning in a puddle of their own drool if not for you, then all damage they do after getting back up is yours.
On that basis a support character can be the highest damage character you can play. 😄
But one of the great things about Bard is how flexible they can be, and how they have access to a lot of bonus action and reaction support options; you can absolutely join the front-line to help down a stubborn enemy, while handing out Healing Word, Bardic Inspiration or using Cutting Words to keep some attacks from landing etc.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Yeah, allowing your friends to shine is often the way that certain classes have their moments of glory. The problem is that the players too often don't recognize that. For example, that bardic inspiration allowing the Rogue to turn a miss into a sneak attack that finishes of the dragon, or the Cleric's Bless that allowed the Barbarian to not be charmed, and so on. But to some people, all that matters is damage. So let's give a hand to the support classes out there and the people who play them.
For some great examples on a bard and a cleric have CMOAs despite doing mostly support stuff, check out Critical Role's Scanlan Shorthalt (if you can get past his annoyance) and Caduceus Clay.