One of the first questions you'll answer while making a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons character is which class you should choose to play. While of course, this is largely something only you can answer as you know what sounds the most fun to ꦛyou, it does h♊elp to have all the knowledge at your fingertips.
Dungeons & Dragons: How To🎉 Build A Sorcerer
Your magic is incredible, and you've even more access to it using the ♍2024 Player's Handbook, so let's build a sorcerer to rival other spellcasters.
There are many misconceptions about bards, like that they are all driven by lust or must be actors and musicians exclusively. While these can be fun ways to play and explore this Charisma-based class, that's not the only way to play. Here is everything you need to get start⛦ed on your adventure as a bard.
Bard Highlights
While there are many ways to inhabit your bard character, this class is often picked thanks to its charismatic nature. Every group needs a face that can talk the party into and out of situations and adjust to ever-changing circumstances. That som🦂eone could be ꦰyou.
Some of the other big standouts are their ability to inspire others, party members and NPCs alike, as well as their trait called Jack Of All Trades. While both of these will be explored in more detail later, they make it so that your bard can use just about any skill decently, while some of your skills will be unmatched.
They are also a spellcasting class, as opposed to the more martial options such as barbarians or fighters. This lets you dip into an arsenal of damaging spells, as well as buffs and debuffs, giving your allies support and your enemies massive pains i🦩n their sides.
Differences In The 2024 Player's Handbook
Every class was adjusted, meaning that bards didn't go untouched (da dum tiss). However, some of the differences are subtle, and feats have been given out at di꧟fferent levels th🍒an before.
Some changes are across the board. Epic Boons, which every class receives at 19th level, is one of the major changes that eve🍌ry ꧟character will experience. Unless, of course, you decide to multiclass and miss out on that bardic level, in this case.
|
Feat Name |
New To 2024 PHB |
Feat Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Bardic Inspiration |
No |
|
|
Expertise |
No |
|
|
Jack Of All Trades |
No |
|
|
Font Of Inspiration |
No |
|
|
Countercharm |
Yes |
|
|
Magical Secrets |
No |
|
|
Superior Inspiration |
Yes |
|
|
Epic Boon |
Yes |
|
|
Words Of Creation |
Yes |
|
This, overall, is a good change for bards. While Countercharm is moved🌜 further from your reach, other feats are either moved sooner, like Superior Inspiration, or are added to the mix.
Another notable difference is that Song Of Rest is missing completely, not even just shuffled under one of the bard subclasses. Your whole party might notice this difference if they're used to using their hit point dice between bouts of combat.
The above table doesn't include Spellcasting, which will be cove♒red in detail later in this guide.
Subclass Highlights
There are four bardic subclasses in the 2024 Player's Handbook. These are the colleges of dance, glamour, lore, and valor. Only two of the🐻se were featured in the 2014 Player's Handbook, both lore and valor.
College Of Dance
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:This subclass is for the bard who wants to make the most of their Performance as well as buffing their allies. If you pick up this class, you'll want to stick close to the majority of your party as a number of the feats can also benefit at least one person if you group.
This includes giving bonuses not just to your initiative rolls but also to the rolls of the group, too. So when you think you're about to head into combat, you'll at least want to start close to one another before peeling off and 🎀doing whatever it is each pl🐽ayer character does best.
It's not a good idea to stay bunched up for long as you and your party can suffer from massive Area of Effect (AoE) spells and abilities. If you start out together, be sure to put some space between you all quickly.
College Of Glamour
If you want to cause status conditions left and right, this is the class for you. While the college of dance bard buffs their allies, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the college of glamour bard debuffs their enemies, weakening them through the charmed and frightened conditions.
You will also gain spells as part of this subclass that are always prepared, including Command, which is strong both in and out of combat to get an enemy to quickly stop, grovel, or any other one word💦 you can think of in the heat of battle oꦫr roleplay.
College Of Lore
If you're new to playing as a bard or like having lots of skills and options open to you, this is the subclass you're looking for. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:College of lore bards gain additional skill proficiencies, and, in addition to Magical Secrets, gain even more spells from the cleric, druid, and wizard spell lists.
This will help you cover many bases and can be beneficial if your party is missing a key role, as you can build yourself up to accommodate for that. Plus, it means that you'll have a lot of ability checks to make, which equals rolling dice more often, which is the most fun part. And that's just a fact. In a practical sense, this college makes you least likely to fail D20 Tests and, if you do, gives you chances to make up for that.
College Of Valor
If you want to be up in the fray with the fighters and other martial classes, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:this is the subclass for you. Not only do you get an Extra Attack feat that does exactly that, you also gain access to more armor and weapon training, giving you plenty of combat goodies to choose ꦍfrom.
Although you'll be able to deal a lot of damage, you'll also be able to aid allies, as this subclass gives Offense and Defense options to choose from if you've given them a Bardic Inspiration die to use. It's not as many hats as the lore bard, but it allows you to be the force in a fight or the support.
Dungeons & Dragons: Guide To Crafting In The 2024 Player's Handbook
Want to craft some goods during your d꧟owntime? Whether you are a DM or a player unsure about crafting, this is the guide for you.
Best Species Options
When it comes to species included in the 2024 Player's Handbook, two of your 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:be💟st species options for a bard character are humans and aasimar. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Humans will always be a good choice, thanks to their versatility. You can build them for an🐓y class you decide to play🍨.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Aasimar are great as support characters thanks to their Healing Hands trait, which can really complement the different subclasses bards can choose from. Even a valor bard, who wants to be in combat, gains the aasimar benefit not just to heal but also to reduce damage taken from radiant and necrotic sources.
If your Dungeon Master (DM) lets you pick from outside the 2024 Player's Handbook, you should also consider changelings, fairies, and satyrs. Changelings, in particular, make it so that spells that are must-haves for some bards don't need to be in your rotation, like Disguise Self and Polymorph.
No matter what sources you want to pull from, always check with your DM when creating a character.
Best Stat Placements
You should always prioritize Charisma as the majority of your checks, as well as your spellcasting modifier, will all be Charisma-based. Your second and third-highest score choices will vary based on the subclass you want to build into, but Chari♍sma should 🌳always be first.
|
Subclass |
Stat Priorities |
Why? |
|---|---|---|
|
College of Dance |
|
Dexterity works hand-in-hand with the majority of your feats, will help your Armor Class, and boost your Initiative rolls. Constitution will give you more health as🎃 you work best helping othe🎃rs in combat, which works best if you stay healthy. |
|
College of Glamour |
|
All of your features are based on your spellcasting or your Charisma-based skills, like Deception and Persuasion. After that, you can choose anything you like, but a high Constitution will give you more hit points for when charming and frightening no longer work. |
|
College of Lore |
|
These are the most versatile bards and can be built in any way, but choosing Dexterity as your second highest gets you higher in the Initiative Order, allowing you to quickly react to changing situations. |
|
College of Valor |
|
Constitution will help with your hit point maximum. The reason you can choose Strength or Dexterity is that it will depend on the type of weapons and armor you want to use. |
Best Spell Options
A section outlining every spell choice for every possibility would be never-ending and impossible to read and retain. However, these suggestions will focus on some of the best options for damaging foes, for using your Charisma in and outside of combat, as well as spells you should always keep on you.
|
Spell Type |
Spell Name |
Spell Level |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Damaging |
Starry Wisp |
Cantrip |
Many of these options not only damage a foe but lead to debuffs or disadvantages for your enemies. |
|
Dissonant Whispers |
One |
||
|
Heat Metal |
Two |
||
|
Phantasmal Killer |
Four |
||
|
Mordenkainen's Sword |
Seven |
||
|
Charisma/Roleplay |
Message |
Cantrip |
These will help you fool people or get you out of tricky social situations. |
|
Charm Person |
One |
||
|
Disguise Self |
One |
||
|
Suggestion |
Two |
||
|
Polymorph |
Four |
||
|
Constant |
Vicious Mockery |
Cantrip |
These should be part of every bard's arsenal due to their usefulness in and out of combat. |
|
Healing Word |
One |
||
|
Invisibility |
Two |
||
|
Dimension Door |
Four |
||
|
Mislead |
Five |
Dungeo▨ns & Dragons: All Official Bard Subclasses, Ranked
A ranking of ♔all the official Bard subclasse🦩s from worst to best.
Best Starting Equipment
The 2024 Player's Handbook only has two options for starting equipment. You either get the goods, or rather the items that all bards would start with, or the ability to start with nothing but 90 gold pieces.
There's nothing wrong with picking the standard starting equipment. It gives you some armor, some weapons, a musical instrument of your choice, and then an Entertainer's Pack. Plus, you'll get some gold to start off with, too.
For every subclass, besides those picking college of dance, you'll want to eventually upgrade to studded leather armor as it's still light but will give you more protectไion.
When it comes to weapons, you'll most likely want weapons with the Finesse property. This uses Dexterity or Strength. However, if you want more Strength or are going into a college of valor bard that uses Strength-based weapons, then you can ignore that Finesse tag.
Consider also getting a Disguise Kit and a Gaming Set. Having a Disguise Kit can help when spells can't be used, or you need allies to join you. Being good with a Gaming Set can help you strike up conversations or have someone in your debt.
Best Feats And Backgrounds
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Many feats work well with bards, and some will complement some of the colleges but not others. These are some of the most solid feats you can choose for your bard character. Keep in mind: your bard,ꦑ their backstory, and your playstyle will alꦬl influence your choices.
|
Feat Name |
Why This Feat? |
|---|---|
|
Actor |
Come on now, you're a bard. Of course this feat is on the list. Actor is going to compliment everything you're already doing. If you find yourself needing extra help with Persuasion, this could change the game. |
|
Fey-Touched |
If you want some extra spells and an increase to your Charisma instead of an Ability Score Increase, this is a solid option. Misty Step can replace an escape spell for you, le♓tting you pick a damaging spell or 💎something else you feel you're missing. |
|
Inspiring Leader |
Lets you give temporary hit points to your party before combat. Pair this with something like Musician to stack buffs before big fights. |
|
Lucky |
As the bard, you will find yourself in situations where you simply can't fail. Having this feat will let you attempt to change fate and give you a higher roll in crucial moments. |
|
Musician |
You don't need the instrument training, but giving your whole party Heroic Inspiration before setting off on a quest or entering a dun൩geon can literally save lives. |
|
Skilled |
You can never go wrong with more skill proficiencies. And, if you're a lore bard, you'll be hard-pressed to find something you're bad at. |
As for backgrounds, naturally, you can choose anything. But some choices pair better with bards. Again though, only you will ඣknow what is best for your character and the story y🐎ou are trying to tell.
|
Background Name |
Why This Background? |
|---|---|
|
Charlatan |
Giving you Deception and Sleight Of Hand frees you up to make different skill proficiency choices. This also makes a lot of sense for bards who plan to do a bit of lying and thieving to get to the top. |
|
Entertainer |
This gives you Musician without taking up a Feat choice later. Plus, free proficiency in Acrobatics and Performance, two things that tend to be important for bards. |
|
Guard |
A great choice for the college of valor bard. It also gives you Alert, which will work well with a college of dance bard. |
|
Merchant |
This gives you the Lucky feat that's so powerful while also giving you Persuasion, freeing up a skill choice for you that will absolutely ben🌼efit a bard. |
Best Multiclassing Options
Every class has its pros and cons, especially when you get into the realm of multiclassing. Which class wouldn't want the benefits of barbarian's Rage? Or access to the massive library of wizards spells? But some options will just go better with a bard, like white wine paired with fish.
|
Multiclass Options |
Who Should Pick These? |
Why These Classes? |
|---|---|---|
|
Barbarian |
College of valor bards. |
|
|
Rogue |
Bards who are the face of the party. |
|
|
Cleric or Paladin |
Bards who want to support the party. |
|
Dungeons & Dragons: How To Build A Ro🅘💧gue
Why wouldn't you want to play a rogue? Thi൩s guid🌱e covers everything you need to know about the angstiest class in D&D.
