So, we´re Lvl 2 and at the beginning of our campaign.
The partymembers are:
Life Cleric
Fighter (Battlemaster once Lvl 3)
Human Ranger (Sharpshooter Gloomstalker once Lvl 3)
Shadow Sorcerer
Me, Human Bard with DEX 14, CON 14, CHA 16 focusing an control/debuffs
I got two options here:
Lore Bard with "moderately armored" Feat. Magical Secrets would probably be anything from: Spiritual Weapon, Lightning Bolt/Fireball, Counterspell, Thunderstep, Slow... I really love Magical Secrets and the opportunities it gives me to further enhance my character.
Valor Bard with Feat. My DM would allow me to trade Vicious Mockery for Magic Stone, so i don´t need a weapon, can stay out of the fray and make use of my second attack once Lvl 6 is reached.
Advantages of Lore Bard:
At least not supersquishy with the "moderately armored" Feat
Cutting Words for even more defence and damage reduction, when needed
Magical Secrets
3 more Skills
Disadvantages of Lore Bard:
Deals (nearly) no at will damage and no respectable damage outside of Magical Secrets Fireball for the first 10 Levels
The use of Magical Secrets in this party. The Sorcerer can get Haste, Counterspell, Fireball,... while the Life Cleric is already a god at healing, so no need for Aura of Vitality, Healing Spirit or Revivify. Of course i could take Fireball and Counterspell and just don´t care, but i want our Sorcerer to have abilities only he can contribute with and feel "cool".
Advantages of Valor Bard:
Medium Armor and Shield-Proficiency open up a different Feat
Not as Spellslot-dependent as Lore Bard
Ok Cantrip damage with Magic Stone, that gets even better at Level 6 and can be used by other partymembers, too.
Better Inspiration, that can be spent on our Sharpshooter-Ranger to maximise damage without worrying about saving for Cutting Words
Disadvantages of Valor Bard:
No Cutting words for Self Defence
No Magical Secrets
Magic Stone - Cantrip doesn´t work with Battle Magic (if we get to Lvl 14)
Bonus Action is pretty crowded with Inspiration, Magic Stone making and the occasional Healing Word
Hope you can help me, because at the moment i have no idea what to do:
I prefer Lore, I like the extra magical secrets and cutting words is fun. You can use magical secrets to get a cantrip that does damage, or a feat or level dip in warlock to get eldritch blast. And use that as your main attack, it lets you use your spell slots for buffing/control and lets your team take the good magical weapons.
With your party, I'd go lore and ditch the moderately armored feat. You don't need it - there is literally no reason to ever be in melee range, and you should be using cover to protect you from ranged attackers as a general rule. If you're hellbent on picking up some at-will damage, get eldritch blast, but you're drowning in support options, and don't really need it. I've never played a lore bard and lamented a lack of options to beef up party damage output.
Unfortunately if you want to be in melee with a Bard (generally you don't) it's best to go with the College of Swords Bard (plus the level of Hexblade). Valor is a cool concept that doesn't give you enough to compensate for what you're losing with Lore. Lore with a level of Hexblade is better than Valor, especially if you grab the Booming Blade cantrip along with Eldritch Blast.
Rather than pick up the Moderately Armored Feat, I would explore with your DM if you could acquire, either through luck or by saving your pennies, Elven Chain. You are considered proficient with Elven Chain even if you are not proficient with medium armors. Not having to use a feat and still get what you want is a BIG deal with me.
I'm building and playing my Lore Bard, and next level I get my magical secrets.
Your bard has almost identical stats with mine, although mine is a half-elf. I picked up +2 Chr at level 4 which gives me another bardic inspiration and boost my spell-casting attribute. When you get Cutting Words as a reaction you will see how important one more B-I can be. Don't forget to remind your party you have Song of Rest.
I carry a Mithril rapier and a dagger for two-weapon fighting (my DM said a Mithril rapier is a light weapon). I carry a silvered short sword as a backup weapon. I carry an extra pair of daggers to throw or whatever. I carry a light crossbow. But I generally don't use any weapons unless I see a situation where I should run in and try to deliver the killing blow. Mostly I am casting Bane or Dissonant Whispers as combat begins. Then I might shoot my crossbow or stab a critter so I can aid our rogue because he benefits if I am fighting the critter he is fighting. My character casting Bane and a paladin or cleric casting Bless gives us a nice combo against groups up to about eight enemies. Even when we face one strong boss, Bane puts them at a big disadvantage.
Even though I play a lute in taverns and around town, I use a wooden flute as my spell-casting focus. It is very handy.
I don't think you'll ever be the "stand in the line and fight" character you want to be, even if you select Valor or Swords. But you will find that you're doing plenty for your party as a Lore Bard, especially if you enjoy RP.
Another big RP thing I get to do is negotiate our purchases because I have a huge bonus on persuasion with expertise (I'm up to +10 right now). Our Cleric has Enhance Ability spell, so if we're in town for a while this lets me roll these negotiations with advantage with little risk to our party having burned a cleric spell in town.
Good luck and enjoy.
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Given the options you laid out, I would probably go valor, and use a longbow from range. Use your two cantrips for utility.
If I picked Lore, I would likely use a shortbow rather than magic stone.
EDIT: Actually, upon reflection, if I went lore, I would use my vhuman feat to take arcane initiate: warlock and pick up eldritch blast, toll the dead, and probably hex as my first level spell.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Magic Stones isn't that great of a cantrip, especially for a Valor Bard. Sure, you can have a ranged attack using CHA, and tha'ts nice. But once you hit level 10, Magic Stones just doesn't work with any smite spells, or the Ranger bow spells. And that's a huge draw of Valor - getting access to those at a lower level with full caster progression. And that's not touching on the fact that it requires your bonus action - you want to save your bonus action for Inspiration and Healing Words. Honestly, if you're going Valor and not using a weapon... there's no point. Don't bother.
Inspired Leadership for your feat as a Lore Bard. Everyone will love you for the pre-battle THP. You should be hiding out in the back anyways, so the extra AC isn't a huge deal for casters in the first place.
Lore Bard to pick up those juicy paladin spells, like Divine Favor and Crusader's Mantle. Moderately Armored is a fine feat to pick up as a human, but if you're at 13 Dex any of the +1 Dex feats would be just as good or better defensively.
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Hello,
and thank you for your help in advance.
So, we´re Lvl 2 and at the beginning of our campaign.
The partymembers are:
I got two options here:
Advantages of Lore Bard:
Disadvantages of Lore Bard:
Advantages of Valor Bard:
Disadvantages of Valor Bard:
Hope you can help me, because at the moment i have no idea what to do:
I prefer Lore, I like the extra magical secrets and cutting words is fun. You can use magical secrets to get a cantrip that does damage, or a feat or level dip in warlock to get eldritch blast. And use that as your main attack, it lets you use your spell slots for buffing/control and lets your team take the good magical weapons.
With your party, I'd go lore and ditch the moderately armored feat. You don't need it - there is literally no reason to ever be in melee range, and you should be using cover to protect you from ranged attackers as a general rule. If you're hellbent on picking up some at-will damage, get eldritch blast, but you're drowning in support options, and don't really need it. I've never played a lore bard and lamented a lack of options to beef up party damage output.
Unfortunately if you want to be in melee with a Bard (generally you don't) it's best to go with the College of Swords Bard (plus the level of Hexblade). Valor is a cool concept that doesn't give you enough to compensate for what you're losing with Lore. Lore with a level of Hexblade is better than Valor, especially if you grab the Booming Blade cantrip along with Eldritch Blast.
Rather than pick up the Moderately Armored Feat, I would explore with your DM if you could acquire, either through luck or by saving your pennies, Elven Chain. You are considered proficient with Elven Chain even if you are not proficient with medium armors. Not having to use a feat and still get what you want is a BIG deal with me.
I'm building and playing my Lore Bard, and next level I get my magical secrets.
Your bard has almost identical stats with mine, although mine is a half-elf. I picked up +2 Chr at level 4 which gives me another bardic inspiration and boost my spell-casting attribute. When you get Cutting Words as a reaction you will see how important one more B-I can be. Don't forget to remind your party you have Song of Rest.
I carry a Mithril rapier and a dagger for two-weapon fighting (my DM said a Mithril rapier is a light weapon). I carry a silvered short sword as a backup weapon. I carry an extra pair of daggers to throw or whatever. I carry a light crossbow. But I generally don't use any weapons unless I see a situation where I should run in and try to deliver the killing blow. Mostly I am casting Bane or Dissonant Whispers as combat begins. Then I might shoot my crossbow or stab a critter so I can aid our rogue because he benefits if I am fighting the critter he is fighting. My character casting Bane and a paladin or cleric casting Bless gives us a nice combo against groups up to about eight enemies. Even when we face one strong boss, Bane puts them at a big disadvantage.
Even though I play a lute in taverns and around town, I use a wooden flute as my spell-casting focus. It is very handy.
I don't think you'll ever be the "stand in the line and fight" character you want to be, even if you select Valor or Swords. But you will find that you're doing plenty for your party as a Lore Bard, especially if you enjoy RP.
Another big RP thing I get to do is negotiate our purchases because I have a huge bonus on persuasion with expertise (I'm up to +10 right now). Our Cleric has Enhance Ability spell, so if we're in town for a while this lets me roll these negotiations with advantage with little risk to our party having burned a cleric spell in town.
Good luck and enjoy.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Given the options you laid out, I would probably go valor, and use a longbow from range. Use your two cantrips for utility.
If I picked Lore, I would likely use a shortbow rather than magic stone.
EDIT: Actually, upon reflection, if I went lore, I would use my vhuman feat to take arcane initiate: warlock and pick up eldritch blast, toll the dead, and probably hex as my first level spell.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Magic Stones isn't that great of a cantrip, especially for a Valor Bard. Sure, you can have a ranged attack using CHA, and tha'ts nice. But once you hit level 10, Magic Stones just doesn't work with any smite spells, or the Ranger bow spells. And that's a huge draw of Valor - getting access to those at a lower level with full caster progression. And that's not touching on the fact that it requires your bonus action - you want to save your bonus action for Inspiration and Healing Words. Honestly, if you're going Valor and not using a weapon... there's no point. Don't bother.
Inspired Leadership for your feat as a Lore Bard. Everyone will love you for the pre-battle THP. You should be hiding out in the back anyways, so the extra AC isn't a huge deal for casters in the first place.
Lore Bard to pick up those juicy paladin spells, like Divine Favor and Crusader's Mantle. Moderately Armored is a fine feat to pick up as a human, but if you're at 13 Dex any of the +1 Dex feats would be just as good or better defensively.
I am one with the Force. The Force is with me.