Looking for ideas for my bard build in Curse of Strahd. Starting at lvl 1 Bard. Should progress to level 20. Chose bugbear. Looking for something simple as I haven’t played this class before, open to social, skill monkey, healing or combat types of rp as i dont know what the other players are going to look like. Niche builds are my typical kind of play, doing 2-4 things really well. Any ideas would help, thanks y’all!
a really cool but niche build is fighter 1 with the rest into swords bard. could go fighter 2 for action surge, but 1 is the chassis. This requires starting as fighter, so talk to your DM and see if he'll let you change.
pros: +starts with CON, heavy armor, and all martial weapon profs. this means all martial weapons can be your spellcasting focus as a swords bard, and you're not squishy as you have heavy armor, and can make better concentration checks with CON save prof. +there's enough spells that don't rely on DC at any single spell level so if you want to focus on increasing STR, your spellcasting won't suffer too much for it. +You function as a martial, except you have full spellcasting progression.
cons: -MAD af. Ask if your DM will toss you ogre gauntlets or a giant's belt at some point to alleviate the issue, but functions fine even if you can't have those items. -using a lower hit die for most of your career means you're kinda squishy HP wise, though the higher AC from flourishes and heavy armor/defensive fighting style mitigate this to some degree -spell selection may be limited depending on how you build. this is where the niche part comes in. -start of tier 2 is an awkward puberty phase
-MAD af. Ask if your DM will toss you ogre gauntlets or a giant's belt at some point to alleviate the issue, but functions fine even if you can't have those items. -using a lower hit die for most of your career means you're kinda squishy HP wise, though the higher AC from flourishes and heavy armor/defensive fighting style mitigate this to some degree
A nice way to help with this is Inspiring Leader feat as you can get Temp HP (level pluse mod) on each short rest for you and 5 others including pets.
Any issue with lore bard to start fighter 2 then the rest in bard? Build would be magic heavy but with fighting style and action surge leaving magical secrets as the capstone?
Any issue with lore bard to start fighter 2 then the rest in bard? Build would be magic heavy but with fighting style and action surge leaving magical secrets as the capstone?
You could do this, and it's a play style adopted by a lot of wizards who start off with a level of fighter for the same purposes. However, with a lore bard the main draw (in my opinion) is using 5th level magical secrets to access something like spirit guardians. You'd be a lore bard with CON save proficiency, heavy armor, and wading into battle with spirit guardians and high AC, and good concentration checks. In many respects, that's a good idea and really effective.... but you could literally do the same, with less multiclassing, by going as a cleric with heavy armor proficiency (many subclasses do this), who starts off with RES: CON (or warcaster) via v.human (or custom lineage).
Of course, this is overlooking the various differences between a cleric and bard. Maybe your party really needs a CHA caster who's good at being the face, in which case it's totally a valid idea, or you already have a cleric on the team but you wanna adopt the combat playstyle. It's not a bad idea, not at all, but there's other ways to go about it if certain playstyles are your goal.
Though I'd recommend going fighter 1, then unlocking bard 5, then back to fighter for the second level.
Is this a 2014 bard or a 2024 one? This impacts the multiclassing options quite drastically as '24's fighter 2's Action Surge no longer lets you double-cast spells and subclasses are universally set to 3rd level, making things like Draconic Bloodline or Divine Soul sorcerer unavailable for a 1-level dip.
If it's 2024 start with fighter or dip 1 paladin after level level 6 and then go bard all the way with Valor or Swords bard.
Swords bard plays like an eldritch knight and you max your Dex first. Most of your spells should boost your combat prowess with niche utility spells / rituals sprinkled in - magic initiate for shield or familiar.
Two weapon fighting style and defence if fighter dip. Swords bard is probably the best tank in the game so abuse it - get defensive duelist if you dont take magic initiate shield. If you go paladin(superior in my opinion) you can grab devine favor and searing smite OR shield of faith. Get spirit shroud on 10.
You can still get a warlock dip but if your dm lets you take eldritch adept as an origin feat - take it and get one of the pacts - chain or blade. Then you can be SAD and max Cha dip paladin etc.
If you dont want to multiclass make sure you grab shadar kai or some race that gives you weapon proficiencies as swords only gives to scimitars
Valor is similar but it is more offensive. It requires a fighter dip and you are good. Get a cantrip for level 7 bb, gfb true strike etc.
For 2014 1 level hexblade grab shield, hex, armor of agathys use shield spear and polearm master. On 10 get holy weapon
Looking for ideas for my bard build in Curse of Strahd. Starting at lvl 1 Bard. Should progress to level 20. Chose bugbear. Looking for something simple as I haven’t played this class before, open to social, skill monkey, healing or combat types of rp as i dont know what the other players are going to look like. Niche builds are my typical kind of play, doing 2-4 things really well. Any ideas would help, thanks y’all!
a really cool but niche build is fighter 1 with the rest into swords bard. could go fighter 2 for action surge, but 1 is the chassis. This requires starting as fighter, so talk to your DM and see if he'll let you change.
pros:
+starts with CON, heavy armor, and all martial weapon profs. this means all martial weapons can be your spellcasting focus as a swords bard, and you're not squishy as you have heavy armor, and can make better concentration checks with CON save prof.
+there's enough spells that don't rely on DC at any single spell level so if you want to focus on increasing STR, your spellcasting won't suffer too much for it.
+You function as a martial, except you have full spellcasting progression.
cons:
-MAD af. Ask if your DM will toss you ogre gauntlets or a giant's belt at some point to alleviate the issue, but functions fine even if you can't have those items.
-using a lower hit die for most of your career means you're kinda squishy HP wise, though the higher AC from flourishes and heavy armor/defensive fighting style mitigate this to some degree
-spell selection may be limited depending on how you build. this is where the niche part comes in.
-start of tier 2 is an awkward puberty phase
A nice way to help with this is Inspiring Leader feat as you can get Temp HP (level pluse mod) on each short rest for you and 5 others including pets.
I spell Goodly.
Thanks for the ideas!
Any issue with lore bard to start fighter 2 then the rest in bard? Build would be magic heavy but with fighting style and action surge leaving magical secrets as the capstone?
You could do this, and it's a play style adopted by a lot of wizards who start off with a level of fighter for the same purposes. However, with a lore bard the main draw (in my opinion) is using 5th level magical secrets to access something like spirit guardians. You'd be a lore bard with CON save proficiency, heavy armor, and wading into battle with spirit guardians and high AC, and good concentration checks. In many respects, that's a good idea and really effective.... but you could literally do the same, with less multiclassing, by going as a cleric with heavy armor proficiency (many subclasses do this), who starts off with RES: CON (or warcaster) via v.human (or custom lineage).
Of course, this is overlooking the various differences between a cleric and bard. Maybe your party really needs a CHA caster who's good at being the face, in which case it's totally a valid idea, or you already have a cleric on the team but you wanna adopt the combat playstyle. It's not a bad idea, not at all, but there's other ways to go about it if certain playstyles are your goal.
Though I'd recommend going fighter 1, then unlocking bard 5, then back to fighter for the second level.
The more I look into this combo the more I find can be done. Bard mixes really well with alot of different classes
Is this a 2014 bard or a 2024 one? This impacts the multiclassing options quite drastically as '24's fighter 2's Action Surge no longer lets you double-cast spells and subclasses are universally set to 3rd level, making things like Draconic Bloodline or Divine Soul sorcerer unavailable for a 1-level dip.
If it's 2024 start with fighter or dip 1 paladin after level level 6 and then go bard all the way with Valor or Swords bard.
Swords bard plays like an eldritch knight and you max your Dex first. Most of your spells should boost your combat prowess with niche utility spells / rituals sprinkled in - magic initiate for shield or familiar.
Two weapon fighting style and defence if fighter dip. Swords bard is probably the best tank in the game so abuse it - get defensive duelist if you dont take magic initiate shield. If you go paladin(superior in my opinion) you can grab devine favor and searing smite OR shield of faith. Get spirit shroud on 10.
You can still get a warlock dip but if your dm lets you take eldritch adept as an origin feat - take it and get one of the pacts - chain or blade. Then you can be SAD and max Cha dip paladin etc.
If you dont want to multiclass make sure you grab shadar kai or some race that gives you weapon proficiencies as swords only gives to scimitars
Valor is similar but it is more offensive. It requires a fighter dip and you are good. Get a cantrip for level 7 bb, gfb true strike etc.
For 2014 1 level hexblade grab shield, hex, armor of agathys use shield spear and polearm master. On 10 get holy weapon