I had to help somebody choose spells for their starting at level 2 spells, and it was a pain. What are some good spell suggestions to use? Honestly I think I might've just created the spells for everything at that point, I was so annoyed!
Yeah, thanks. The person I'm dealing with is really picky. They did not exactly just say yes to the best, they wanted it to be the type that they wanted. HARD.
Charm Person, Healing Word, Faerie Fire, Thunderwave, and Animal Friendship.
Charm and Animal Friendship are great if you are not the bloodthirsty type. Win the battle without fighting. Minor Illusion is remarkably useful out of combat.
Yeah. My bard did dissonant whispers which I think was a very good choice. She really likes to do battle stuff, so I tried to choose the must bloodthirsty types for her.
Charm Person, Healing Word, Faerie Fire, Thunderwave, and Animal Friendship.
Charm and Animal Friendship are great if you are not the bloodthirsty type. Win the battle without fighting. Minor Illusion is remarkably useful out of combat.
Also, note Suggestion is not a cantrip.
Oh yeah! What is the cantrip that lets you speak telepathically?
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
Charm Person, Healing Word, Faerie Fire, Thunderwave, and Animal Friendship.
Charm and Animal Friendship are great if you are not the bloodthirsty type. Win the battle without fighting. Minor Illusion is remarkably useful out of combat.
Also, note Suggestion is not a cantrip.
Oh yeah! What is the cantrip that lets you speak telepathically?
Like Mov, I start with what are they allowed to do; 2 cantrips and 5 level-1 spells.
When setting up your first level spells for a level 2 character remember the "upgrade rules" for when the character lifts up to level 3 and will have 2 cantrips and six spells, which may now be level 1 or level 2. The rules say you may add a new spell and drop one spell to swap it for another spell. So you're going to drop one first level spell and pick up a second second-level spell in most cases.
I like Vicious Mockery and Prestidigitation as cantrips. VM for obvious reasons because it gives disadvantage and does 1d4 psychic damage for anyone that fails their Wisdom save. Psychic damage is not often something opponents have resistance so that is a plus for the Bard. I like Prestidigitation for RP reasons, but it is handy to be able to light fires and have my clothing cleaned while enjoying cooled or warmed flavored drinks at will.
For spells, I recommend either Cure Wounds or Healing Word. Now mathematically many folks will jump on Cure Wounds, but Healing Word has a lot to recommend it over CW. CW is an action. HW is a bonus action. That is a big deal because you may cast another spell in the same round when you want to use HW. Of course at second level your bard may only cast three spells, but at higher levels this starts to make a big difference. In addition, after Matt Colville pointed out in a Youtube Vid that if you wait and cast a healing spell after the character drops to 0HP, it doesn't matter if you heal them six points, or five points, or four or just one HP. They still get to stand up and take their turn. This makes the trivial amount of damage heal from CW insignificant over HW. So HW provides more utility to the Bard as a bonus action. Short Rests should be used after combat to restore HP, and at second level you are giving your party Song of Rest +1d6 per short rest. You can shoot your crossbow and cast HW in the same round.
The second spell I recommend is Bane. Bane is a concentration spell but it debuffs three (or more) enemies and the 1d4 debuff is often the difference between a hit and a miss. My DM allows me to cast Bane multiple times since I am concentrating on the same spell, but I would understand if a DM didn't allowed that and capped it at whatever level you cast it with initially. Debuffing three critters at that level is often good enough to give your party a huge boost at those lower levels.
The third spell I recommend is Dissonant Whispers. It deals a pretty good chunk of damage and is likewise pretty reliable if your Bard has a high Charisma score, which we sure hope they do. 3d6 on a failed Wisdom save again with Psychic damage. The victim also has to flee from the Bard which can be a big plus, or could be a minus if you have a DM that wants it to be a problem. "He runs away ... and comes back with some friends."
The fourth spell I recommend is Charm Person, mostly for RP reasons. The problem I have with Charm Person is that if they succeed their save they know you tried to Charm them and that has to be bad. Also, when they snap out of it, they know you Charmed them and that has to be bad, too. But when the circumstance requires the Bard to try and finesse their way into some place, Charm Person is obviously an attractive option.
There are loads of Honorable Mentions for this list but most of them are situational. I like Comprehend Languages for a Bard but my DM never gave me a chance to use it. Faerie Fire allows you to negate invisibility. Disguise Self allows you to slip into that place to gather information. Thunderwave gives you another damage spell. And there are others that are great in a specific situation. But the fifth spell is often going to get dropped when the player gets to third level so they probably won't have it for long.
You should start looking at the level 2 spells to see where you ant to take this character, and of course the biggest decision - what college. I chose College of Lore for both RP and playing reasons. I have a large party so I give the party more as a support character than if I tried Swords or Valor. Your party dynamic might be very different. However, my DM was very kind to let me find Elven Chain at level 3 or 4. Elven Chain is medium armor that does not require proficiency to wear without disadvantage. So while my Dex bonus is currently capped at +2, my AC has jumped up several levels. I was wearing leather armor and working on finding a craftsman to make a fine suit of studded leather when my DM asked "what would I want for my character." I looked through the DM guide and found Elven Chain and asked if I could "buy" Elven Chain somewhere. I noted their was an Elven settlement and asked if they might have a craftsman or connections that could help me acquire Elven Chain. Well he dropped Elven Chain in a treasure horde and the rest is history. So the moral of that story is if you choose a path that doesn't give you proficiency in Medium Armors, ask about obtaining Elven Chain.
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My bard pretty much did those, she was enthusiastic about the spells that did damage. Since she was jumping in in the middle of a campaign she also tried to only pick spells that have material components with ones that would be easy to get. That made it harder.
Like most Bards, mine carry a rapier, which is worn supported by a bauldric (a leather belt across the chest over the shoulder) and a heavy leather belt. I specify that my bauldric has a fine leather pouch made into it which allows me to carry a fine wooden flute in a pouch on my chest, easily acquired with "interact with an object" whenever I need to cast a spell. My Bard is often only able to fight with his rapier and can't use two weapon fighting as a result. It doesn't interfere with him using a crossbow. As a Bard, always describe how you can get your hands on your spell casting focus at any moment. There is nothing wrong with using a wooden flute as a spell casting focus but have another instrument you prefer playing for a performance. You're proficient in three or more instruments. My Bard usually plays the lute for performances because he can sing while he plays.
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Would having both CW and HW be a good idea? My bard has both of them, in addition to Heroism and Unseen Servant. Should I swap out any of them?
Depends on the rest of your party. Do you have any other healers? The awesome thing about HW is that it's a bonus action (and also ranged healing) so you can cast it and Vicious Mockery on the same turn.
Would having both CW and HW be a good idea? My bard has both of them, in addition to Heroism and Unseen Servant. Should I swap out any of them?
Cure wounds is a good spell for lots of healing, though its not great in battle because of the whole turn. I would say get rid of cure wounds maybe, because even though it heals more then healing word healing word can be done any time pretty much.
The only reason to get Cure Wounds is if you routinely run out of spell slots from healing after the battle. That happens most often if your party is large and does dungeon runs without many short rests.
Remember you cannot cast another spell as an action if you use your bonus action to cast healing word. Healing word is arguably one of the best 1st level spells in the game. Being able to heal someone who was knocked out and still get to be able to use an action is fantastic. Healing word with song of rest is enough healing for most parties assuming you get to take a short rest every few encounters.
Dissonant whispers is a great spell depending on party makeup. Since it causes the creature to use their movement to run it provokes opprotunity attacks. If you have a couple melees it could be great. I try and help the rogue get their sneak attack damage by giving them another chance to hit.
Other spells are campaign dependent. Is this a dungeon crawl? Do you spend a lot of time in town?
Disguise self and silent image can be useful but are campaign dependent.
Faerie fire is a spell that is always good.
Identify and Unseen servant are rituals that can give some utility out of combat.
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I had to help somebody choose spells for their starting at level 2 spells, and it was a pain. What are some good spell suggestions to use? Honestly I think I might've just created the spells for everything at that point, I was so annoyed!
Cantrips: vicious mockery, prestidigitation, minor illusion, thunderclap, suggestion.
1st level: charm person, faerie fire, thunderwave, healing word, comprehend languages. That's a short list.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Yeah, thanks. The person I'm dealing with is really picky. They did not exactly just say yes to the best, they wanted it to be the type that they wanted. HARD.
Let them pick whatever they want, then, if they'd prefer theme over optimization.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
At 2nd level, 2 cantrips, 5 spells. I like:
Minor Illusion & Vicious Mockery
Charm Person, Healing Word, Faerie Fire, Thunderwave, and Animal Friendship.
Charm and Animal Friendship are great if you are not the bloodthirsty type. Win the battle without fighting. Minor Illusion is remarkably useful out of combat.
Also, note Suggestion is not a cantrip.
Yeah. My bard did dissonant whispers which I think was a very good choice. She really likes to do battle stuff, so I tried to choose the must bloodthirsty types for her.
Oh yeah! What is the cantrip that lets you speak telepathically?
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Message.
Thanks.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Oh message lets you speak telepathy! I didn't know that, when my bard gets more cantrips I will definitely tell her to choose that!
Like Mov, I start with what are they allowed to do; 2 cantrips and 5 level-1 spells.
When setting up your first level spells for a level 2 character remember the "upgrade rules" for when the character lifts up to level 3 and will have 2 cantrips and six spells, which may now be level 1 or level 2. The rules say you may add a new spell and drop one spell to swap it for another spell. So you're going to drop one first level spell and pick up a second second-level spell in most cases.
I like Vicious Mockery and Prestidigitation as cantrips. VM for obvious reasons because it gives disadvantage and does 1d4 psychic damage for anyone that fails their Wisdom save. Psychic damage is not often something opponents have resistance so that is a plus for the Bard. I like Prestidigitation for RP reasons, but it is handy to be able to light fires and have my clothing cleaned while enjoying cooled or warmed flavored drinks at will.
For spells, I recommend either Cure Wounds or Healing Word. Now mathematically many folks will jump on Cure Wounds, but Healing Word has a lot to recommend it over CW. CW is an action. HW is a bonus action. That is a big deal because you may cast another spell in the same round when you want to use HW. Of course at second level your bard may only cast three spells, but at higher levels this starts to make a big difference. In addition, after Matt Colville pointed out in a Youtube Vid that if you wait and cast a healing spell after the character drops to 0HP, it doesn't matter if you heal them six points, or five points, or four or just one HP. They still get to stand up and take their turn. This makes the trivial amount of damage heal from CW insignificant over HW. So HW provides more utility to the Bard as a bonus action. Short Rests should be used after combat to restore HP, and at second level you are giving your party Song of Rest +1d6 per short rest. You can shoot your crossbow and cast HW in the same round.
The second spell I recommend is Bane. Bane is a concentration spell but it debuffs three (or more) enemies and the 1d4 debuff is often the difference between a hit and a miss. My DM allows me to cast Bane multiple times since I am concentrating on the same spell, but I would understand if a DM didn't allowed that and capped it at whatever level you cast it with initially. Debuffing three critters at that level is often good enough to give your party a huge boost at those lower levels.
The third spell I recommend is Dissonant Whispers. It deals a pretty good chunk of damage and is likewise pretty reliable if your Bard has a high Charisma score, which we sure hope they do. 3d6 on a failed Wisdom save again with Psychic damage. The victim also has to flee from the Bard which can be a big plus, or could be a minus if you have a DM that wants it to be a problem. "He runs away ... and comes back with some friends."
The fourth spell I recommend is Charm Person, mostly for RP reasons. The problem I have with Charm Person is that if they succeed their save they know you tried to Charm them and that has to be bad. Also, when they snap out of it, they know you Charmed them and that has to be bad, too. But when the circumstance requires the Bard to try and finesse their way into some place, Charm Person is obviously an attractive option.
There are loads of Honorable Mentions for this list but most of them are situational. I like Comprehend Languages for a Bard but my DM never gave me a chance to use it. Faerie Fire allows you to negate invisibility. Disguise Self allows you to slip into that place to gather information. Thunderwave gives you another damage spell. And there are others that are great in a specific situation. But the fifth spell is often going to get dropped when the player gets to third level so they probably won't have it for long.
You should start looking at the level 2 spells to see where you ant to take this character, and of course the biggest decision - what college. I chose College of Lore for both RP and playing reasons. I have a large party so I give the party more as a support character than if I tried Swords or Valor. Your party dynamic might be very different. However, my DM was very kind to let me find Elven Chain at level 3 or 4. Elven Chain is medium armor that does not require proficiency to wear without disadvantage. So while my Dex bonus is currently capped at +2, my AC has jumped up several levels. I was wearing leather armor and working on finding a craftsman to make a fine suit of studded leather when my DM asked "what would I want for my character." I looked through the DM guide and found Elven Chain and asked if I could "buy" Elven Chain somewhere. I noted their was an Elven settlement and asked if they might have a craftsman or connections that could help me acquire Elven Chain. Well he dropped Elven Chain in a treasure horde and the rest is history. So the moral of that story is if you choose a path that doesn't give you proficiency in Medium Armors, ask about obtaining Elven Chain.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
My bard pretty much did those, she was enthusiastic about the spells that did damage. Since she was jumping in in the middle of a campaign she also tried to only pick spells that have material components with ones that would be easy to get. That made it harder.
You don't need material components if they play an instrument as a bard, unless it has a cost in the description.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Oh I didn't know that! I will be sure to tell her that!
Like most Bards, mine carry a rapier, which is worn supported by a bauldric (a leather belt across the chest over the shoulder) and a heavy leather belt. I specify that my bauldric has a fine leather pouch made into it which allows me to carry a fine wooden flute in a pouch on my chest, easily acquired with "interact with an object" whenever I need to cast a spell. My Bard is often only able to fight with his rapier and can't use two weapon fighting as a result. It doesn't interfere with him using a crossbow. As a Bard, always describe how you can get your hands on your spell casting focus at any moment. There is nothing wrong with using a wooden flute as a spell casting focus but have another instrument you prefer playing for a performance. You're proficient in three or more instruments. My Bard usually plays the lute for performances because he can sing while he plays.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Would having both CW and HW be a good idea? My bard has both of them, in addition to Heroism and Unseen Servant. Should I swap out any of them?
Hello! I am just a relatively new D&D player, who also likes SimplePlanes and War Thunder.
My characters are:
Depends on the rest of your party. Do you have any other healers? The awesome thing about HW is that it's a bonus action (and also ranged healing) so you can cast it and Vicious Mockery on the same turn.
Cure wounds is a good spell for lots of healing, though its not great in battle because of the whole turn. I would say get rid of cure wounds maybe, because even though it heals more then healing word healing word can be done any time pretty much.
The only reason to get Cure Wounds is if you routinely run out of spell slots from healing after the battle. That happens most often if your party is large and does dungeon runs without many short rests.
Remember you cannot cast another spell as an action if you use your bonus action to cast healing word. Healing word is arguably one of the best 1st level spells in the game. Being able to heal someone who was knocked out and still get to be able to use an action is fantastic. Healing word with song of rest is enough healing for most parties assuming you get to take a short rest every few encounters.
Dissonant whispers is a great spell depending on party makeup. Since it causes the creature to use their movement to run it provokes opprotunity attacks. If you have a couple melees it could be great. I try and help the rogue get their sneak attack damage by giving them another chance to hit.
Other spells are campaign dependent. Is this a dungeon crawl? Do you spend a lot of time in town?
Disguise self and silent image can be useful but are campaign dependent.
Faerie fire is a spell that is always good.
Identify and Unseen servant are rituals that can give some utility out of combat.