So when the UA Bards came out I read it and found it interesting but I wasn't super interested as I had never played one. After what I see as a major step back with warlocks and the fact that I have been playing a Bard in campaign for a bit now I do have thoughts. I know its closed and highly unlikely anything I say here will change anything or in fact anyone will care but I felt the need to rant a bit.
1. Prepared Spells. It felt a bit off that a Bard would be a prepared spellcaster but that seemed to be an overall design choice they were going for, but now with the latest drop they seem to have two versions of "Prepared Spells." Wizards have the change the prepared spells on Long Rest mechanic, while Warlocks and Sorcerers have change one spell out on a level up prepared spells mechanic. This seems to be just the "Known Spells" mechanic before. I think Bards have a high probability of being retroactively changed but that is a guess.
2. Spell restrictions. These existed before but were all class specific, now with the Arcane/Divine/Primal along with schools of magic. Seems less clunky and less work for them. Just hope that Bards don't lose anything cool.
3. Song of Restoration. Ok here is a spell casting thing. I'm the only healer in my campaign. This change removes a lot of my ability to be a support bard. I know the big push is remove all of the short rest mechanics instead of just changing the mechanics and incentives for short rests. I don't agree with that but its a simpler fix for them so I get it. But in combat healing is still so horrible of a resource use. Out of combat healing, even the small assist from Song of Rest was very useful. Now they get level gated spells "prepared", granted some were not on the normal Bard list before. And some like Cure Wounds are no longer available. I think its downgrade.
4. Jack of All Trades. Never a stellar ability but always helpful to be the skill monkey. However moving later just feels weird. Its only ever +3 anyway. But level 5 should be big deal for class features. Sure like other casters we get a new level of spells, but level 5 should be bigger deal. Its when most martials get extra attack and other abilities. Seems lackluster.
5. Magical Secrets. My 2nd biggest complaint. Now who knows how this will change if bards are the Prepared Caster's who only change out on level or if they change out daily. First a question that I've been unable to figure out; do the spells you prepare daily count against the number of spells you can have prepared per day? I ask because "Whenever you prepare your Bard Spells, two of the Spells you prepare can be from the chosen list and from any School of Magic." Second, not a huge fan of pick Arcane/Primal/Divine and both spells need to come from that list as I'm sure some builds would love to have one Divine and one Primal, but if I get to swap the spells in that class I picked every day, that might make up for it. Third, reducing it from 3 to 2 is a huge huge nerf even with the functional changes. I'd rather be locked into my spell choices and get it 3 times than the flexibility, but that is just me. Making the first one come later is horrible too. And taking it away from the Lore Bard is just wrong. It was one of the defining features and hollows the class.
6. Lore Bards. Cunning Inspiration is no replacement for Magical Secrets, even with the changes to how Magical Secrets works. Its good don't get me wrong. Improved Cutting Words I like since Lore Bards were always a little underpowered outside of spell choice for damage. But their role has always been more Support and Utility.
7. Bardic Inspiration. Ok, here is my biggest complaint. I hate the changes. The only thing I like is that I can now do a small heal with it, but in combat healing as said before, is usually a waste of resources and Bardic Inspiration is even more scant a resource now. I don't like that it is a reaction now. Before I could cast a spell, use my BA to give them BI and they could use if they thought they needed when they needed it, not when I thought they needed it. A small aside is that it also screws with the Lore Bard feel since I now have competing uses for my reaction using BI. I hate how they have made it so rare a commodity. Before based on CHA modifier, outside of some judicious feat choice by a Variant Human, you had +3 from lvl 1-3, +4 from 4 to 7, and 5 uses after 8 if you didn't stop for non-half feats. Now its PB, 2 uses per day up to level 1-4, 3 uses 5-8, 4 from 9-12, 5 from 13-16. So while you do eventually get one more use per rest at level 17 (if you somehow get to play in a game that ever gets that high since those are more rare), Bardic Inspiration is a real resource crunch. Especially since it now has the healing use.
7.a. Font of Inspiration. Again level 5 is where one of your big class defining features should get ramped up. Warlocks boons upgrades and eldritch invocations, extra attack, better wild shape, find steed, uncanny dodge etc. Bards get +1 to skill checks. Instead of the class defining feature and resource is now easier to use. So they reduced the progression in which Bards get BI uses and raised the level in which it starts regening faster. Also, since they going out of their way to reduce Short Rest incentives even more, it will probably lead to even less uses of it per day.
So my changes. Again just my opinion as a relatively new Bard player. I'm sure there are holes.
1. First figure out if Bard's are the Long Rest reset or Level reset Prepared Spellcasters, that will be important.
2. Make Magical Secrets allow for picking 1 spell from 2 domains or 2 from one. For example on level 11 I can choose Divine and Primal and prepare a spell from each or pick Divine and prepare 2 from it. Figure out how this is going to work if Bards are Level reset Prepared Spellcasters. If they are Level reset casters, make these spells in addition to to the spells Bard prepares out of their class spells.
3. Song of Restoration is ok, but feels like it needs something. Move Jack of All Trades back to 2 or 3.
4. Lore Bards. Give them a Magical Secrets. Make it so they can choose 1 class of magic and get 1 spell if that suits.
5. Take BI back to BA that they can choose to use. I know its annoying to constantly remind them that they have it, but it shouldn't be up to me to choose when they use for their abilities/saves/attacks.
6. Increase the number and regeneration. If the short rest mechanic is truly dying make it so we have 2 or 2.5 times PB per day (round up). Going on max 20 CHA and 2 short rests per the DMG a day, Bards saw 3 per day in tier 1 and 15 per day at top tier. At 2xPB they would have 4 and 8. At 2.5 they would have 5 and 15. Have it jump to 2.5 at level 7 if you want. But going from 3-4 from level 1-4 per day and 12-15 per day at level 5-20, to 2-3 from 1-6 and 9-18 at higher seems to skew the uses away from lower level where most people play.
The reaction bardic inspiration hurts more because reactions tie it to once per round when it was a bonus action it could be saved for another round. Meaning in a boss fight you could hand it out early for the big aoe you know is coming. It allows choice for "going nova" but in a way that doesn't upset balance.
Bards are going to bard spells exclusive to them. I’m not sure if they will remain true prepared caster like they were in their first UA. They still have 3 sub classes we have to play test. We will see what changes they make.
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So when the UA Bards came out I read it and found it interesting but I wasn't super interested as I had never played one. After what I see as a major step back with warlocks and the fact that I have been playing a Bard in campaign for a bit now I do have thoughts. I know its closed and highly unlikely anything I say here will change anything or in fact anyone will care but I felt the need to rant a bit.
1. Prepared Spells. It felt a bit off that a Bard would be a prepared spellcaster but that seemed to be an overall design choice they were going for, but now with the latest drop they seem to have two versions of "Prepared Spells." Wizards have the change the prepared spells on Long Rest mechanic, while Warlocks and Sorcerers have change one spell out on a level up prepared spells mechanic. This seems to be just the "Known Spells" mechanic before. I think Bards have a high probability of being retroactively changed but that is a guess.
2. Spell restrictions. These existed before but were all class specific, now with the Arcane/Divine/Primal along with schools of magic. Seems less clunky and less work for them. Just hope that Bards don't lose anything cool.
3. Song of Restoration. Ok here is a spell casting thing. I'm the only healer in my campaign. This change removes a lot of my ability to be a support bard. I know the big push is remove all of the short rest mechanics instead of just changing the mechanics and incentives for short rests. I don't agree with that but its a simpler fix for them so I get it. But in combat healing is still so horrible of a resource use. Out of combat healing, even the small assist from Song of Rest was very useful. Now they get level gated spells "prepared", granted some were not on the normal Bard list before. And some like Cure Wounds are no longer available. I think its downgrade.
4. Jack of All Trades. Never a stellar ability but always helpful to be the skill monkey. However moving later just feels weird. Its only ever +3 anyway. But level 5 should be big deal for class features. Sure like other casters we get a new level of spells, but level 5 should be bigger deal. Its when most martials get extra attack and other abilities. Seems lackluster.
5. Magical Secrets. My 2nd biggest complaint. Now who knows how this will change if bards are the Prepared Caster's who only change out on level or if they change out daily. First a question that I've been unable to figure out; do the spells you prepare daily count against the number of spells you can have prepared per day? I ask because "Whenever you prepare your Bard Spells, two of the Spells you prepare can be from the chosen list and from any School of Magic." Second, not a huge fan of pick Arcane/Primal/Divine and both spells need to come from that list as I'm sure some builds would love to have one Divine and one Primal, but if I get to swap the spells in that class I picked every day, that might make up for it. Third, reducing it from 3 to 2 is a huge huge nerf even with the functional changes. I'd rather be locked into my spell choices and get it 3 times than the flexibility, but that is just me. Making the first one come later is horrible too. And taking it away from the Lore Bard is just wrong. It was one of the defining features and hollows the class.
6. Lore Bards. Cunning Inspiration is no replacement for Magical Secrets, even with the changes to how Magical Secrets works. Its good don't get me wrong. Improved Cutting Words I like since Lore Bards were always a little underpowered outside of spell choice for damage. But their role has always been more Support and Utility.
7. Bardic Inspiration. Ok, here is my biggest complaint. I hate the changes. The only thing I like is that I can now do a small heal with it, but in combat healing as said before, is usually a waste of resources and Bardic Inspiration is even more scant a resource now. I don't like that it is a reaction now. Before I could cast a spell, use my BA to give them BI and they could use if they thought they needed when they needed it, not when I thought they needed it. A small aside is that it also screws with the Lore Bard feel since I now have competing uses for my reaction using BI. I hate how they have made it so rare a commodity. Before based on CHA modifier, outside of some judicious feat choice by a Variant Human, you had +3 from lvl 1-3, +4 from 4 to 7, and 5 uses after 8 if you didn't stop for non-half feats. Now its PB, 2 uses per day up to level 1-4, 3 uses 5-8, 4 from 9-12, 5 from 13-16. So while you do eventually get one more use per rest at level 17 (if you somehow get to play in a game that ever gets that high since those are more rare), Bardic Inspiration is a real resource crunch. Especially since it now has the healing use.
7.a. Font of Inspiration. Again level 5 is where one of your big class defining features should get ramped up. Warlocks boons upgrades and eldritch invocations, extra attack, better wild shape, find steed, uncanny dodge etc. Bards get +1 to skill checks. Instead of the class defining feature and resource is now easier to use. So they reduced the progression in which Bards get BI uses and raised the level in which it starts regening faster. Also, since they going out of their way to reduce Short Rest incentives even more, it will probably lead to even less uses of it per day.
So my changes. Again just my opinion as a relatively new Bard player. I'm sure there are holes.
1. First figure out if Bard's are the Long Rest reset or Level reset Prepared Spellcasters, that will be important.
2. Make Magical Secrets allow for picking 1 spell from 2 domains or 2 from one. For example on level 11 I can choose Divine and Primal and prepare a spell from each or pick Divine and prepare 2 from it. Figure out how this is going to work if Bards are Level reset Prepared Spellcasters. If they are Level reset casters, make these spells in addition to to the spells Bard prepares out of their class spells.
3. Song of Restoration is ok, but feels like it needs something. Move Jack of All Trades back to 2 or 3.
4. Lore Bards. Give them a Magical Secrets. Make it so they can choose 1 class of magic and get 1 spell if that suits.
5. Take BI back to BA that they can choose to use. I know its annoying to constantly remind them that they have it, but it shouldn't be up to me to choose when they use for their abilities/saves/attacks.
6. Increase the number and regeneration. If the short rest mechanic is truly dying make it so we have 2 or 2.5 times PB per day (round up). Going on max 20 CHA and 2 short rests per the DMG a day, Bards saw 3 per day in tier 1 and 15 per day at top tier. At 2xPB they would have 4 and 8. At 2.5 they would have 5 and 15. Have it jump to 2.5 at level 7 if you want. But going from 3-4 from level 1-4 per day and 12-15 per day at level 5-20, to 2-3 from 1-6 and 9-18 at higher seems to skew the uses away from lower level where most people play.
The reaction bardic inspiration hurts more because reactions tie it to once per round when it was a bonus action it could be saved for another round. Meaning in a boss fight you could hand it out early for the big aoe you know is coming. It allows choice for "going nova" but in a way that doesn't upset balance.
Bards are going to bard spells exclusive to them. I’m not sure if they will remain true prepared caster like they were in their first UA. They still have 3 sub classes we have to play test. We will see what changes they make.