Not every class has bad 2nd level spells (scorching ray is very good, but bards don't get it), but yes, bards have fairly underwhelming 2nd level spells.
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Not every class has bad 2nd level spells (scorching ray is very good, but bards don't get it), but yes, bards have fairly underwhelming 2nd level spells.
Scorching Ray is good? I mean, at least it manages not to be worse than spending a second level spell slot on a first level spell (Acid Arrow, looking at you), but it's hardly impressive.
Level 2 has some very good utility spells (Enhance Ability, Invisibility), but its damage spells are pretty meh; the only ones which provide significant utility in excess of level 1 spells are Heat Metal, Moonbeam, and Spike Growth.
I guess it really depends on what you are trying to do/be with your Bard in your game? The Lore Bard I'm currently playing in my groups homebrew campaign is a spy for the Harpers who are trying to overthrow an evil tyrant who has taken over control of the kingdom. I am playing a mostly a support role letting the other three players (a Paladin, Assassin Rogue, and Tempest Cleric) dole out all the damage. So I just do things in combat to make their jobs easier. If I was looking to be a straight up damage dealer then yeah I totally agree the 2nd level Bard spells are completely crap for doing that. But for utility/support/control I think that there are some pretty decent ones in there .
Blindness/Deafness - This is a great spell in general. Got a big bad guy with multi-attack? Blind it. Then Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and each of the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage. It's only downfall is that it a gets a CON save at the end of each of it's turns. It's also non-concetration, so you can cast it while you are concentrating on something else.
Calm Emotions - Get stuck in a situation where your group is overwhelmed by bad guys and you need to get away? Cast this spell and each humanoid in a 20-foot-radius sphere has to make a Charisma saving throw or become indifferent about all creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward. Then your party can run away to safety.
Crown of Madness - Need to sneak/get into an area but there 2 guards watching the door? Cast this on one of them and make them fight each other. Then sneak in!
Detect Thoughts - This spell is pretty situational, but still useful and fun. Detect the presence of thinking creatures you can’t see. When you cast the spell or as an action, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you. Helpful to not be ambushed. And also useful for interrogation. You catch a bad guy and want info but he won't talk? Read his mind instead!
Enhance Ability - Give someone Advantage on Skill Checks of your choice for an hour. That can be pretty useful at times.
Heat Metal - Great Spell that causes constant damage with a bonus action and can make a creature drop it's weapon or have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Hold Person - Paralyze a humanoid creature for a minute and beat on it with advantage and get critical hits for every hit that lands? Yes Please
Invisibility - Too many situations where this is a very this is a clutch spell. You're invisible. Have fun with it.
Knock - You need to unlock a really hard to open lock? This is your guy right here.
Locate Object - Pretty situational, but if you need to find an object that is familiar to you ? Then this is your guy.
Phantasmal Force - It's an Intelligence Save which is great. Take bad guy out of the picture for a minute, and do a little damage. Also great.
Shatter - One of the few damage spells that a Bard gets early on in the game. 3 D8 Thunder damage is pretty decent too.
Silence - Have your Fighter Grapple the evil Sorcerer and then cast this on them. A 20-foot-radius sphere of silence that no sound can pass through. Good casting spells that have a verbal component!
Suggestion - One of my favorites! Can literally instantly end a fight if the bad guy fails the save. "Suggest" that they don't want to fight you and instead want drop everything they're holding and visit the ocean. They leave the dungeon and you get all the stuff they are holding.
Lesser restoration is common for bards who want to heal, invisibility pairs great with stealth expertise, blindness/deafness has the advantage of not requiring concentration to maintain, enhance ability (dex) includes advantage on initiative among other benefits, and various other spells are useful.
How a person defines "spectacular" matters I guess. :D
There are a lot of useful 2nd level spells. The real issue is you generally only end up with 2 or 3 of them because of the spells known mechanic.
Enhance Ability, Lesser Restoration, Phantasmal Force, Suggestion, Knock, Invisibility, and Hold Person are all well worth their spell slot. Especially Enhance Ability...
I never considered that. I wanted to use Heat Metal on my Bard but I was concerned that if we only fight monsters then there isn't enough chance to have metal to heat. But if our Rogue can burry a dagger to the crosspiece into a monster, then woo-hoo! We're off to the races.
I selected Hold Person and Phantasmal Force.
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Am I the only one who thinks most of the second level bard spells suck?
Second level spells for most classes are kind of underwhelming, though there's a few special cases like Heat Metal.
Not every class has bad 2nd level spells (scorching ray is very good, but bards don't get it), but yes, bards have fairly underwhelming 2nd level spells.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Scorching Ray is good? I mean, at least it manages not to be worse than spending a second level spell slot on a first level spell (Acid Arrow, looking at you), but it's hardly impressive.
Level 2 has some very good utility spells (Enhance Ability, Invisibility), but its damage spells are pretty meh; the only ones which provide significant utility in excess of level 1 spells are Heat Metal, Moonbeam, and Spike Growth.
I guess it really depends on what you are trying to do/be with your Bard in your game? The Lore Bard I'm currently playing in my groups homebrew campaign is a spy for the Harpers who are trying to overthrow an evil tyrant who has taken over control of the kingdom. I am playing a mostly a support role letting the other three players (a Paladin, Assassin Rogue, and Tempest Cleric) dole out all the damage. So I just do things in combat to make their jobs easier. If I was looking to be a straight up damage dealer then yeah I totally agree the 2nd level Bard spells are completely crap for doing that. But for utility/support/control I think that there are some pretty decent ones in there .
Blindness/Deafness - This is a great spell in general. Got a big bad guy with multi-attack? Blind it. Then Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and each of the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage. It's only downfall is that it a gets a CON save at the end of each of it's turns. It's also non-concetration, so you can cast it while you are concentrating on something else.
Calm Emotions - Get stuck in a situation where your group is overwhelmed by bad guys and you need to get away? Cast this spell and each humanoid in a 20-foot-radius sphere has to make a Charisma saving throw or become indifferent about all creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward. Then your party can run away to safety.
Crown of Madness - Need to sneak/get into an area but there 2 guards watching the door? Cast this on one of them and make them fight each other. Then sneak in!
Detect Thoughts - This spell is pretty situational, but still useful and fun. Detect the presence of thinking creatures you can’t see. When you cast the spell or as an action, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you. Helpful to not be ambushed. And also useful for interrogation. You catch a bad guy and want info but he won't talk? Read his mind instead!
Enhance Ability - Give someone Advantage on Skill Checks of your choice for an hour. That can be pretty useful at times.
Heat Metal - Great Spell that causes constant damage with a bonus action and can make a creature drop it's weapon or have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Hold Person - Paralyze a humanoid creature for a minute and beat on it with advantage and get critical hits for every hit that lands? Yes Please
Invisibility - Too many situations where this is a very this is a clutch spell. You're invisible. Have fun with it.
Knock - You need to unlock a really hard to open lock? This is your guy right here.
Lesser Restoration - Your fighter gets blinded or paralyzed during a battle and has become useless? Get them back into the fight quick with this spell.
Locate Object - Pretty situational, but if you need to find an object that is familiar to you ? Then this is your guy.
Phantasmal Force - It's an Intelligence Save which is great. Take bad guy out of the picture for a minute, and do a little damage. Also great.
Shatter - One of the few damage spells that a Bard gets early on in the game. 3 D8 Thunder damage is pretty decent too.
Silence - Have your Fighter Grapple the evil Sorcerer and then cast this on them. A 20-foot-radius sphere of silence that no sound can pass through. Good casting spells that have a verbal component!
Suggestion - One of my favorites! Can literally instantly end a fight if the bad guy fails the save. "Suggest" that they don't want to fight you and instead want drop everything they're holding and visit the ocean. They leave the dungeon and you get all the stuff they are holding.
Lesser restoration is common for bards who want to heal, invisibility pairs great with stealth expertise, blindness/deafness has the advantage of not requiring concentration to maintain, enhance ability (dex) includes advantage on initiative among other benefits, and various other spells are useful.
How a person defines "spectacular" matters I guess. :D
There are a lot of useful 2nd level spells. The real issue is you generally only end up with 2 or 3 of them because of the spells known mechanic.
Enhance Ability, Lesser Restoration, Phantasmal Force, Suggestion, Knock, Invisibility, and Hold Person are all well worth their spell slot. Especially Enhance Ability...
Suggestion and Hold Person are my favorites, but phantasmal force and heat metal are also good.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I've used Heat Metal after plunging a dagger into a critter's back. I always try to think a little outside the box when able.
I never considered that. I wanted to use Heat Metal on my Bard but I was concerned that if we only fight monsters then there isn't enough chance to have metal to heat. But if our Rogue can burry a dagger to the crosspiece into a monster, then woo-hoo! We're off to the races.
I selected Hold Person and Phantasmal Force.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt