My group is playing ToA, my last character just died to a chimera and I need to make a new one. I want to try and make a melee full caster, Bladesinger didn't seem to be viable, I was previously a Hexblade and I don't think sorcerer works for melee. Any builds for bard college of swords would be super appreciated
Ask DM for this: 500 gp plus 1d10 x 25 gp, normal starting equipment (This is in the DMG) alongside a Breastplate and 2 Scimitars
Any Questions on any of the above choices, just ask. I have a good explanation for each of them with the offensive playstyle of the College of Swords. Skills could be changed around, but those are my suggestions. I just finished DMing ToA last spring and we had a blast so I know what you are in for and this can prepare you well enough. Higher level suggestions for spells
Level 6: Leomund's Tiny Hut
Level 7: Greater Invisibility and swap out a less useful spell such as Thunderwave or Knock for Polymorph (You can cast it on yourself and become a fricking Giant Ape!)
Level 8: Charm Monster for fun or another interesting spell, maybe get back the one you traded Polymorph for.
Level 9: Mass Cure Wounds
Level 10 (The farthest you probably will go): Greater Restoration
From there it is your call, but remember that you can cast spells at higher levels unlike as a warlock where you just had those at the highest level you could access.
Thanks for the response, what other races are worth picking as there is already a Tabaxi in our group. Also what kind of playstyle/strategy would be good with this build
Otherwise, I suggest a Human Variant with War Caster Feat and Actor Feat (for a little fun) so you have the same stats as above.
Or a Drow also with the Actor Feat as long as your DM is not too bad about the Sunlight Sensitivity, you are going to a final dungeon after all where it wouldn't matter as much
Or a Half-Elf who doesn't take a Feat and instead has an 18 in Dex or Cha (either is fine).
Also, the way you want to play this character is Offense who is trying to get a lot of damage in with attacks, but also using your spells to control the battlefield by thunderwaving enemies away and using Dissonant Whispers to get your allies to make opportunity attacks for free against a large creature then follow up with Hold Person. You also would want to be the semi healer and a scouting object who can do a little of everything. You are a sort of multipurpose tool like a Swiss Army knife. Consider your self at first a knife, but also a tool that can handle many other situations in small ways that benefit the party as a whole. Also, you can use Suggestion to suggest an enemy to stand still for 8 hours and then you can effectively execute it by disengaging and all attacking at once. This might not work completely depending on your DM, but you can still get quite the power out of the spell.
Eladrin elf? They're +dex, +cha and come with a teleport, a great bug-out option. Half-elves are the iconic bard race, and you can use the SCAG variation to get drow magic without sunlight sensitivity. The charm resistance and darkvision are both great as well.
Lightheart halfling can work, and be quite nimble when running across the battlefield, and fear resistance can be nice against some big bads. Though, no darkvision, making them less useful as a potential scout.
Glyssa tieflings make good sword bards and come with some rather nice stealth spells if you want to double as the party scout. Fire, poison and necrotic are the three top non-physical damage types, so having resistance to one of those is very good, and the race comes with darkvision.
Variant Human for war caster is really good, but comes with significant drawbacks compared to other options (no darkvision, less attributes, no resistances). That no darkvision really hurts if you want to do any scouting, I find.
Volo's aasimar also could work out; + cha, darkvision, necrotic resistance and angel form are nothing to sneer at. That said, the lack of +dex is felt.
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My group is playing ToA, my last character just died to a chimera and I need to make a new one. I want to try and make a melee full caster, Bladesinger didn't seem to be viable, I was previously a Hexblade and I don't think sorcerer works for melee. Any builds for bard college of swords would be super appreciated
Class: Bard
Archetype: College of Swords
Level: (Whatever, I am using level 5 as a base)
Race: Tabaxi
Gender: (Whatever you choose)
Background: Outlander (Useful for maps and ToA)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Good
Stats (Assuming Standard Array): 8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 10 Int, 12 Wis, 16 Cha
HP (Assuming Average HP): 35
AC: 14 (Leather, 16 if you get the Breastplate)
Initiative +3
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarvish
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.
Skills: Stealth, Perception (Expertise), Survival (Expertise), Athletics, Investigation, Performance, Persuasion
Passive Perception 17
Spell Save DC 14
Spell Attack Bonus +6
Cantrips: Vicious Mockery, Mage Hand, Message
1st Level (4 Slots): Dissonant Whispers, Healing Word, Thunderwave
2nd Level (3 Slots): Hold Person, Suggestion, Knock
3rd Level (2 Slots): Dispel Magic, Clairvoyance
Feat: Feline's Grace (Xanathar's Guide to Everything Bonus: Expanded Racial Feats)
Inventory:
Any Questions on any of the above choices, just ask. I have a good explanation for each of them with the offensive playstyle of the College of Swords. Skills could be changed around, but those are my suggestions. I just finished DMing ToA last spring and we had a blast so I know what you are in for and this can prepare you well enough. Higher level suggestions for spells
Level 6: Leomund's Tiny Hut
Level 7: Greater Invisibility and swap out a less useful spell such as Thunderwave or Knock for Polymorph (You can cast it on yourself and become a fricking Giant Ape!)
Level 8: Charm Monster for fun or another interesting spell, maybe get back the one you traded Polymorph for.
Level 9: Mass Cure Wounds
Level 10 (The farthest you probably will go): Greater Restoration
From there it is your call, but remember that you can cast spells at higher levels unlike as a warlock where you just had those at the highest level you could access.
Thanks for the response, what other races are worth picking as there is already a Tabaxi in our group. Also what kind of playstyle/strategy would be good with this build
Well, what is your team make up (class and race)?
Otherwise, I suggest a Human Variant with War Caster Feat and Actor Feat (for a little fun) so you have the same stats as above.
Or a Drow also with the Actor Feat as long as your DM is not too bad about the Sunlight Sensitivity, you are going to a final dungeon after all where it wouldn't matter as much
Or a Half-Elf who doesn't take a Feat and instead has an 18 in Dex or Cha (either is fine).
Also, the way you want to play this character is Offense who is trying to get a lot of damage in with attacks, but also using your spells to control the battlefield by thunderwaving enemies away and using Dissonant Whispers to get your allies to make opportunity attacks for free against a large creature then follow up with Hold Person. You also would want to be the semi healer and a scouting object who can do a little of everything. You are a sort of multipurpose tool like a Swiss Army knife. Consider your self at first a knife, but also a tool that can handle many other situations in small ways that benefit the party as a whole. Also, you can use Suggestion to suggest an enemy to stand still for 8 hours and then you can effectively execute it by disengaging and all attacking at once. This might not work completely depending on your DM, but you can still get quite the power out of the spell.
In my group there is a death cleric Aarakocra and a monk tabaxi, there’s another person but he hasn’t made his mind up yet.
Eladrin elf? They're +dex, +cha and come with a teleport, a great bug-out option. Half-elves are the iconic bard race, and you can use the SCAG variation to get drow magic without sunlight sensitivity. The charm resistance and darkvision are both great as well.
Lightheart halfling can work, and be quite nimble when running across the battlefield, and fear resistance can be nice against some big bads. Though, no darkvision, making them less useful as a potential scout.
Glyssa tieflings make good sword bards and come with some rather nice stealth spells if you want to double as the party scout. Fire, poison and necrotic are the three top non-physical damage types, so having resistance to one of those is very good, and the race comes with darkvision.
Variant Human for war caster is really good, but comes with significant drawbacks compared to other options (no darkvision, less attributes, no resistances). That no darkvision really hurts if you want to do any scouting, I find.
Volo's aasimar also could work out; + cha, darkvision, necrotic resistance and angel form are nothing to sneer at. That said, the lack of +dex is felt.