Advice for how to get the most out of a vanilla bard?
Chronicler
Member Posts: 1,391
Just not sure what to do with their spells anymore.
I used to use them like a low budget mage but I feel like they should be synergizing with their other abilities more than that.
I used to use them like a low budget mage but I feel like they should be synergizing with their other abilities more than that.
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protection spells and crowd control spells with durations based on level are good choices
like the level 3 mage spell protection from fire, even at lower levels you should have 3 slots in that, cast protection from fire on your top line, and either use wands of fireballs ( which your bard can use ) or have your mage or bard cast fire spells without worrying about damaging your front line
when it comes to crowd control, use spells like emotion hopelessness and hold monster, if they connect, those baddies will be frozen for a lot longer than your wizard would be doing
or if you want, summoning spells, especially the elemental summoning spells ( the level 6 versions ) your bards will have much longer duartions for your elemental spells than a wizard or sorcerer would, so that is also i viable choice
you get more mmm then a mage of the same level.
your fireball (capped at 10) and skull trap (magic damage, less resisted then fire, but smaller aoe, can also be used as trap, capped at 20) will be more effective. same for flame arrow or magic missile.
your dispel magic and remove magic are cast at higher level so have better chance to work, not like the dispel magic of an inquisitor, but better then the one of a mage.
a bard has a big tanking potential, even if is not a blade and so has not defensive spin.
there are on self spells that make your ac better, spells like blur. using those spells and some ac item, as we are in general discussion i can not be more specific, a bard can get a very good ac that make hsi mirror images and stoneskin last more longer.
Paladins and Rangers work that way because they technically have their own spellbook. Every spell they cast is nearly identical to their cleric and druid counterparts, except that they interact with their character level differently.
Because bards learn from scrolls though they are by necessity learning the same spells as mages, which means they don't get the level modifier. A level 8 bard casts the same as a level 8 mage.
the bards level faster then the mages, but have way less slots at the same level, never reach high level slots and as physical damage dealer share the rogue thac0, that is not so much superior to the mage's one ( cap at 13 instead of 10) sharing their low apr problem, the blade is different in it.
and the most useful spell of a bard has greatly been nerfed, now can mainly be used only for the horrible cheesy tactic to go mlee and hit without retaliation.
if their spells would also be cast at a level lower what sense in running a not kitted bard and to some extent what sense in running a not blade bard?
With this said, to get the most out of a bard I think you have to play the bard for what they are; jack of all trades. Yes, yes, it's an old cliché, but at the end of the day the bard will always be an inferior caster to the mage due to fewer spell slots but if you couple it with magic arrows/bolts, wands and other bard-specific equipment, you got yourself a competent combatant.
So how do you do that? I tend to use most of the bard's few spell slots on protective spells and use them primarily with bows or xbows and wands, if they are not dedicated singers that is. At higher levels, one spell slot or two could be reserved for a damage spell, reserved for tough encounters, but don't waste a slot on fireball when there's a plethora of firewands around!
With all due respect, maybe that post belongs in a new thread.