Why bards are the best class

Good on land, but great underwater. Default Rules : Fantastic ability increases for a martial bard, plus some innate spellcasting and some other stuff.

Default Rules : Constitution and Charisma is a perfect combination for a Charisma-based spellcaster, and getting Persuasion for free is great. Magic Resistance and Poison Immunity make the pureblood very durable to common threats. Setting-specific races are address below. Talk to your DM about what races are allowed in your game. Default Rules : Charisma and a free increase work for any bard build, and you get two skills of your choice and one more language than most races. Where the Changeling shines is their Shapechanger ability, which is similar to Disguise Self at will.

In a game that involves a lot of social interaction or intrigue, this could be a significant asset. Also keep in mind that while it changes your body, it does not change your clothing like Disguise Self does, so you may need to combine this with a more mundane disguise in some circumstances.

Mind Link neatly solves the problem of language barriers, which is a huge asset for a Face character. No more worrying about Comprehend Languages or Tongues. But those capabilities come at the cost of skills, darkvision, or other benefits provided by other races, and those other capabilities are more consistently useful than resistances to uncommon problems and a solution to language barriers which you could already overcome with spells.

Default Rules : The Charisma increase is great, but nothing else here is especially exciting. Temporary hit points are mostly useful for front-line martial characters, so the Shifter is mostly an option for bard subclasses built to use weapons. Default Rules : Darkvision is always a good base, but only one subrace works for the Bard. You can move the Constitution increase around, but increasing Constitution is still the best way to use that increase.

Default Rules : Constitution and a free increase means that you can get the crucial Charisma increase, the extra AC is always great, and you get some helpful resistances. While the design intent for Dragonmarks was that they would offer some innate spellcasting for everyone, every dragonmark includes an expanded spell list which is arguably a more significant benefit than most of the provided racial traits.

Dragonmark traits replace some of your normal racial traits, as described in the entry for each Dragonmark. You might be able to make a Strength-based valor bard work, but it will be difficult. Trunk and Keen Smell are neat, but not especially impactful. Simic Hybrid is in no way a bad choice, but there are numerous choices which are better. Customized Origin : Vedalken Dispassion and Tireless Precision are excellent additions, and since you can change the skill from Tireless Precision you can get the d4 bonus to any one skill, and add Expertise in a few levels.

Daunting Roar is neat, especially for front-line builds, but the DC is Constitution-based so you may have trouble keeping the DC high enough to matter. Default Rules : Decent for a Strength-based valor bard, and the additional skill is nice, but a hard choice without a Charisma increase. If you just want Magic Resistance the Yuan-Ti Pureblood is also worth consideration, though the Satyr is a better thematic fit for the Bard.

Default Rules : Dexterity and Charisma work any bard build, and the additional skills help to expand your already excellent skill proficiencies. Magic Resitance is great, too. Wildemount elves share the core traits of PHB elves, but Wildemount adds two new subraces.

See above for more information on other elf subraces. Wildemount halflings share the core traits of PHB halflings, but Wildemount adds a new subrace. See above for information on other halfling subraces. Bards have no pre-defined skill list, and can select their class skill proficiencies from any skill in the game.

Instead, this section will cover the options which I think work especially well for the class, or which might be tempting but poor choices. Racial feats are discussed in the Races section, above. Bards typically want skills which will help them as a Face, a Librarian, or a Scout, and fortunately there are lots of options. Bonus languages are always helpful for a Face, but remember that you will get access to Comprehend Languages and Tongues.

Instead, this section will cover feats which I think work especially well for the class or which might be tempting but poor choices. For more on multiclassing, see my Practical Guide to Multiclassing. They move as they play, their lithe form striking a dynamic pose even in their leather armor. A strange glimmer surrounds the half-elf as they play, flowing outward from the vibrating lute strings until it encompasses the entirety of the stage, and then the surrounding audience.

This can make the Bard difficult for new players to approach, but players who can manage the complexities will find that their character is uniquely tailored to their tastes and a capable contributor to the party in any situation. We will assume the point buy abilities suggested above, but the other suggested abilities can also use this build without any problems. Half-Elf is a safe, solid bet for any bard. Between the Half-elf racial traits and the Bard skills, we get our choice of any five skills.

Bards also get proficiency in three musical instruments. Bard use instruments as a magic focus for spellcasting, so generally you want something portable like a flute, a lute, or a hand-held harp, but which specific instrument you pick has little or no mechanical impact. If your party lacks a librarian a wizard, etc. If your party lacks a Face, there is no one more capable of filling that role than you. Select the Noble background. At low levels, 1d6 may be the difference between life and death.

Of course, allies need to spend hit dice to heal themselves in order to get the bonus die, but even at 2nd level you can manage that twice in a day. You just need to convince your allies that they need to save their second hit die for a second rest even if it means finishing your first short rest at less than full hit points.

This is a fun level. Pick three more skills, then pick two skills in which to gain Expertise. I recommend Perception and two of the role-based skills I recommended above.

It definitly takes creative thinking and more then the ability to roll some dice. I find the best part is that it gets the other players in the same mind set as yourself. That eliminates the sterotypical play and gets everyone thinking. Sometimes for the best, sometimes just the oppisite. WhyLater how are you getting that? What kind of bard are you playing lol!

That sounds so great. First of all, my comment applies to 3. That should be a given. I will merely throw out two sets of statistics that are from my little 9th level bard. This is all from me. After 2 rounds and a little bit of resource management. As a follow up: with my paragon path, I gain Eldritch Blast an extra at-will , Wizard Cantrips, Swordbond, and the ability to take encounter and daily powers from the Wizard, Warlock, Swordmage, and Sorcerer class. Take that, naysayers. The 4E bard: literally indomitable.

The fighters take the big guys, the rogue darts behind, but the bard? He does anything that he wants. Whirls around a battlefield like a madcap barn dance.

And skill challenges? Piece of cake. Bards are pure awesome. And the best to roleplay with. A d6 for making fun of some goblin.

My first DND character was a bard. Nothing was more entertaining than playing epic guitar solos [Axe guitar ftw] and manipulating villagers into giving me stuff. The bard is an amazing class, and even though the people I played with wanted me to be something else, they never mentiont it when I again and again saved their lives by lying to the guards and telling tales of their glory rater than their incompetence.

Your main job is to -try and make things happen-, while it falls on everyone else to actually get the deed done.

Sure you can make a character who does the most damage, or who can cast the most protections, or who generally kills everything in 1 round, or has who has really insane stats, resistances and AC, etc etc.

Sadly, none of that matters if the Bard still -knew- how to beat you. Roll up an epic Bard and use your maximized knowledge to look into device that can wipe anything out of existence if you just pointed it at someone, whydontcha.

I also used suggestion to steal horses, and used my street smarts to get us safely through a bad part of sigil see planescape after we fell through a planar portal in someone rosebushes. They may not be the best in any category but they can do more things than any class,making them unique and powerfull. The problem with everquest 1 is during the late years when soe designers nerfed our solo capabilities forcing us to group in the already limited groups but powering us up even more for groups.

No day has passed for years. There I meet my grandfather: an old, grumpy samurai. I also found out that I have a twinbrother and we where born because our mom paniced when she found out my dad was gone. Is it an invitation to share opinions and spark general discussion? Because any character of any class could happen to befriend a dragon. A bard could use diplomacy to make ANY dragon a friend, but they aren't necessarily the best at that.

They could use bardic music, but dragon saves are usually strong enough the bard would have to be higher level or somewhat optimized to have consistent success with that and ANY class could have better chances against an underpowered threat. If a bard in my game thinks he's clever for befriending a dragon, he's likely to wind up as dragon chow.

Originally Posted by 2D8HP. Some play RPG's like chess, some like charades. Everyone has their own jam. Those who are jealous of a bard's awesome quotient frequently dismiss them as "signing".

Bards need not sing. Bards can dance Bards can use the drums Bards can orate. Don't believe that's effective? Listen to the St. Crispin's Day speech especially with a Ghost-sound provided orchestra rising the background and don't get stirred.

Bards can do comedy. A bard who tells puns, inspiring his allies to hit people harder. Bards can chant, and that's a freaky one.

A bunch of dwarves, lead by their bard, each chanting in unison. Bards with high enough ranks in Fiddle automatically have a golden fiddle. Bards tell the stories of our adventures, they tell stories about their unending fidelity, and they tell stories about your fighters hygeine that have to be smelled to believe.

What do beguilers do? It's right in the name: they lie. Beguilers lie like dogs, and cannot be trusted. They use the fact that Wizards, bereft of any remaining awesome having spent it ALL on bards , were forced to give beguilers mechanical crutches to get around the fact that they lie and they smell funny. And carry diseases. It is well known that bards are all fantastically endowed paragons of their gender, while beguilers are lying, disease-ridden deviates The kind of deviates that even make Blackguards go "That dude has something seriously wrong with him.

I'm talking the kind of blackguards who were paladins until they tasted their first baby and said "Yum. I think I'll eat more of these. Because bards are awesome. And beguilers cheat at cards. Offer void in certain Crystal Spheres. Consult your local overdeity for details. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.

A Bard that impresses the dragon too much with their performance might just find themselves imprisoned for the dragon's entertainment instead. Why capture a princess when you can have your very own bard?

Originally Posted by NecroDancer. Last edited by Rynjin; at AM.