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Bard Changes

Posted
Updated
ByArkaydes

Relevant Universal Character Changes

Changes for all classes

Spellcaster General Changes

Class Changes

Bardic Inspiration

1st-level Bard feature

You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it fails makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest. As an action, you may expend any number of spell slots up to your Charisma modifier to recover that many usages of your Bardic Inspiration.

After 10 minutes, if a Bardic Inspiration die that was given to another creature remains unused, you regain that use of the feature.

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Superior Inspiration

20th-level Bard feature

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have less than three no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one uses equal to the difference. If you have given creatures Bardic Inspiration and they have not used the feature yet, these Bardic Inspirations count towards the number of Bardic Inspiration uses you have.

Bard Subclass Changes

Bard – College of Eloquence

  • Unsettling Words
  • 3rd-level College of Eloquence feature
    • You can spin words laced with magic that unsettle a creature and cause it to doubt itself. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. Roll the Bardic Inspiration die. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, you expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll the Bardic Inspiration die, subtracting the number rolled from the next saving throw the target it makes before the start of your next turn.

Bard – College of Spirits

  • Spiritual Focus
  • 3rd-level College of Spirits feature
    • You employ tools that aid you in channeling spirits, be they historical figures or fictional archetypes. You can use the following objects as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells: a candle, crystal ball, skull, spirit board, or tarokka deck.
    • Starting at 6th level, when you cast a bard spell that deals damage or restores hit points through the Spiritual Focus, roll a die of the same size as your Bardic Inspiration die d6, and you gain a bonus to one damage or healing roll of the spell equal to the number rolled.
  • Tales From Beyond
  • 3rd-level College of Spirits feature
    • You reach out to spirits who tell their tales through you. While you are holding your Spiritual Focus, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll twice on the Spirit Tales table using your Bardic Inspiration die to determine the tale the spirits direct you to tell. You choose which of the two rolls to keep. If you roll the same number on both dice, you can ignore the number and choose any effect on the table, up to a maximum number that your Bardic Inspiration die could roll. You retain the tale in mind until you bestow the tale’s effect or you finish a short or long rest.
    • You can use an action to choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you (this can be you) to be the target of the tale’s effect. Once you do so, you can’t bestow the tale’s effect again until you roll it again.
    • You can retain only one of these tales in mind at a time, and choosing a target of a tale and rolling on the Spirit Tales table immediately ends the effect of the previous tale.
    • If the tale requires a saving throw, the DC equals your spell save DC.
  • Mystical Connection
  • 14th-level College of Spirits feature
    • At 14th level, you can now roll your Bardic Inspiration die a third time whenever you roll on the Spirit Tales table and choose from the numbers rolled which of the three effects to bestow. If you roll the same number on any of the three dice, you can ignore the number and choose any effect on the table.
    • You now have the ability to nudge the spirits of Tales from Beyond toward certain tales. Whenever you roll on the Spirit Tales table, you can roll the die twice and choose which of the two effects to bestow. If you roll the same number on both dice, you can ignore the number and choose any effect on the table.

Bard – College of Swords

  • Fighting Style
  • 3rd-level College of Swords feature
    • At 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
      • Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
      • Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
      • Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
  • Blade Flourish
  • 3rd-level College of Swords feature
    • At 3rd level, you learn to conduct impressive displays of martial prowess and speed.
    • Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, including Whirlwind Attack, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.
      • Defensive Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.
      • Slashing Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit and to each any other creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die.
      • Mobile Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You can also push the target up to 5 feet away from you, plus a number of feet equal to the number you roll on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to your walking speed to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target.

Bard – College of Valor

  • Combat Inspiration
  • 3rd-level College of Valor feature
    • Also at 3rd level, you learn to inspire others in battle. A creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll it just made. Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against the creature, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.
    • When you give another creature inspiration while in initiative, you also grant yourself a Bardic Inspiration of the same dice size without expending a use of the feature. If combat ends while you still have this Bardic Inspiration, you lose it.

Spell Changes

New Spells

Relevant Spell Changes

Removed Spells

  • 1st-level Spells
    • Silvery Barbs
  • 2nd-level Spells
    • Zone of Truth
  • 5th-level Spells
    • Animate Objects
  • 8th-level Spells
    • Feeblemind
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