Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the spell list I selected for my character. I'm fairly new to DND, only having a half dozen or so sessions under my belt from a game that imploded a couple years back, and no experience playing a caster.
Campaign basics: Party consists of 7 individuals with some potential for DMPCs. Our group is an up and coming adventuring group tasked by the king to investigate and potentially quell a brewing civil rebellion in a mining town at the center of the island. Lots of political intrigue and morally grey decisions with some fun side quests per DM.
Character basics: Level 4 College of Eloquence Drow Bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer). Favors a support/control/social build, since our large party will likely have plenty of damage options. Backstory: Former diplomat noble who was murdered on a mission and revived with Reincarnate as a Drow. Stripped of position and banished due to society's inherent distrust of Drow.
Spell List:
Cantrips
Dancing Lights (Drow Magic)
Mage Hand (Bard)
Mind Sliver (Magic Initiate (Sorcerer))
Prestidigitation (Bard)
Shape Water (Magic Initiate (Sorcerer))
Vicious Mockery (Bard)
First level
Comprehend Languages (Bard)
Faerie Fire (Drow Magic)
Feather Fall (Bard)
Healing Word (Bard)
Shield (Magic Initiate (Sorcerer))
Sleep (Bard)
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (Bard)
Second Level
Enhance Ability (Bard)
Healing Word (cast up from lv 1)
Heat Metal (Bard)
Sleep (cast up from lv 1)
Also, for flavor reasons, I'd like to have some way for my character to disguise himself, since he's very insecure about his appearance. Not sure if I should take disguise self or ask my DM for proficiency with a disguise kit. I'm leaning toward the latter, as I think he'd basically try to live in a disguise if he could, and he'd easily burn all his spell slots on a day in town just maintaining his disguise so as not to freak out the townspeople.
I am playing a Lore Bard, that just reached level 7.
I chose Vicious Mockery and Prestidigitation for my cantrips. He has since added Mending.
I chose Healing Word, Charm Person, Dissonant Whispers and Comprehend Languages to start. I added Sleep at level 2.
I never had an opportunity to use sleep or comprehend languages so I dropped them in favor of other things. I had Bane by level 3 so I may have done that swap with Comprehend Languages as early as level 2. My 2nd Level spells were Phantasmal Force and Invisibility, but I dropped Phantasmal Force when it appeared the DM wasn't going to interpret the utility of that spell as widely as I would like. I now have Invisibility, Silence and Heat Metal on 2nd Level.
My first 3rd Level spell was Dispel Magic. Upon reaching 6th level, my Lore Bard was able to pick up another Bard Spell and two spells up to level 3 from any class. So I added Sending (Bard) for RP reasons, Counterspell and Thunder Step. The Lore Bard's ability of Cutting Words acts like a sort of shield spell, but is fueled by your Bardic Inspiration and is used as a reaction, which is very helpful in combat.
Now several of my spells are specifically intended to help our Rogue. Invisibility, Silence and Thunder Step are all on my spell list to help him. That's probably a lot of spells to register to help another player so you may easily find something you prefer. As for Comprehend Languages, I think it is a great spell and should be very useful, but my DM just doesn't play it that way; that is he never presents us with an opportunity to need to use the spell. I have picked up several copies of Comprehend Languages scrolls so I can instead dedicate a spell to something I may use more often. I also picked up four copies of a scroll for Identify. If we find magical treasure, I would like to find out what we got before we are beset with curses.
My only advice is to recommend that you take another hard look at Dissonant Whispers. I have used that spell a lot and it has been very helpful. I also use Bane a lot, but the DM will immediately target me to break concentration.
(C) Mending, Prestidigitation, Vicious Mockery
(1) Bane, Charm Person, Dissonant Whispers, Healing Word
7 PCs and the DM wants to bring in a DMPC? Ouch. Hopefully he/she reconsiders that. That sounds like a terrible idea.
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Seems like a pretty good selection. Some points you can take into consideration:
- I'm not sure you need both vicious mockery AND mind sliver.
- Almost all your spells are concentration. Consider picking up one or more of dissonant whispers, shatter and blindness/deafness.
- Level 4 is at a point where sleep is starting to loose its weight. You may keep it for a few levels more, but you can consider swapping it out already.
- Any plans to go flying or climbing mountains any time soon in your low-level game of political intrigue? If not, I don't think you need feather fall just jet. Consider detect magic for another ritual spell.
you’ve got a lot of fellow PCs. Use spells which make them as effective as possible. These spells include Faerie Fire and Dissonant Whispers, Because your party has so many PCs, the GM is likely to have multiple bad guys in an encounter, spells which take advantage of that include Heat Metal.
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Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the spell list I selected for my character. I'm fairly new to DND, only having a half dozen or so sessions under my belt from a game that imploded a couple years back, and no experience playing a caster.
Campaign basics: Party consists of 7 individuals with some potential for DMPCs. Our group is an up and coming adventuring group tasked by the king to investigate and potentially quell a brewing civil rebellion in a mining town at the center of the island. Lots of political intrigue and morally grey decisions with some fun side quests per DM.
Character basics: Level 4 College of Eloquence Drow Bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer). Favors a support/control/social build, since our large party will likely have plenty of damage options. Backstory: Former diplomat noble who was murdered on a mission and revived with Reincarnate as a Drow. Stripped of position and banished due to society's inherent distrust of Drow.
Spell List:
Also, for flavor reasons, I'd like to have some way for my character to disguise himself, since he's very insecure about his appearance. Not sure if I should take disguise self or ask my DM for proficiency with a disguise kit. I'm leaning toward the latter, as I think he'd basically try to live in a disguise if he could, and he'd easily burn all his spell slots on a day in town just maintaining his disguise so as not to freak out the townspeople.
I am playing a Lore Bard, that just reached level 7.
I chose Vicious Mockery and Prestidigitation for my cantrips. He has since added Mending.
I chose Healing Word, Charm Person, Dissonant Whispers and Comprehend Languages to start. I added Sleep at level 2.
I never had an opportunity to use sleep or comprehend languages so I dropped them in favor of other things. I had Bane by level 3 so I may have done that swap with Comprehend Languages as early as level 2. My 2nd Level spells were Phantasmal Force and Invisibility, but I dropped Phantasmal Force when it appeared the DM wasn't going to interpret the utility of that spell as widely as I would like. I now have Invisibility, Silence and Heat Metal on 2nd Level.
My first 3rd Level spell was Dispel Magic. Upon reaching 6th level, my Lore Bard was able to pick up another Bard Spell and two spells up to level 3 from any class. So I added Sending (Bard) for RP reasons, Counterspell and Thunder Step. The Lore Bard's ability of Cutting Words acts like a sort of shield spell, but is fueled by your Bardic Inspiration and is used as a reaction, which is very helpful in combat.
Now several of my spells are specifically intended to help our Rogue. Invisibility, Silence and Thunder Step are all on my spell list to help him. That's probably a lot of spells to register to help another player so you may easily find something you prefer. As for Comprehend Languages, I think it is a great spell and should be very useful, but my DM just doesn't play it that way; that is he never presents us with an opportunity to need to use the spell. I have picked up several copies of Comprehend Languages scrolls so I can instead dedicate a spell to something I may use more often. I also picked up four copies of a scroll for Identify. If we find magical treasure, I would like to find out what we got before we are beset with curses.
My only advice is to recommend that you take another hard look at Dissonant Whispers. I have used that spell a lot and it has been very helpful. I also use Bane a lot, but the DM will immediately target me to break concentration.
(C) Mending, Prestidigitation, Vicious Mockery
(1) Bane, Charm Person, Dissonant Whispers, Healing Word
(2) Heat Metal, Invisibility, Silence
(3) Dispel Magic, Sending - [Counterspell, Thunder Step]
(4) Polymorph
Good luck and have fun
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
7 PCs and the DM wants to bring in a DMPC? Ouch. Hopefully he/she reconsiders that. That sounds like a terrible idea.
----
Seems like a pretty good selection. Some points you can take into consideration:
- I'm not sure you need both vicious mockery AND mind sliver.
- Almost all your spells are concentration. Consider picking up one or more of dissonant whispers, shatter and blindness/deafness.
- Level 4 is at a point where sleep is starting to loose its weight. You may keep it for a few levels more, but you can consider swapping it out already.
- Any plans to go flying or climbing mountains any time soon in your low-level game of political intrigue? If not, I don't think you need feather fall just jet. Consider detect magic for another ritual spell.
you’ve got a lot of fellow PCs. Use spells which make them as effective as possible. These spells include Faerie Fire and Dissonant Whispers, Because your party has so many PCs, the GM is likely to have multiple bad guys in an encounter, spells which take advantage of that include Heat Metal.