Rune Shaper is pretty good to grab a few more spells, but combined with Magical Secrets: Find Steed, Armor of Agathys is now on two targets. You get access to more spells that can swap, very known like of a Bard.
@@cavernsandcreatures Yes! I heard you played Bard exclusively before? Was that 3.5? It won't come online until 10th level unless you go Lore Bard, which gets access to Additional Magical Secrets at 6th level. Also highly recommend Moderately Armored and Medium Armor Master to get the AC as tanky as the Paladin.
I think you sorta highlighted the relevant ones. I would even consider medium armour master for my valour bard. I would think that metamagic adept would be good. Subtle spell for all the enchantment spells the bard gets seems like a good idea. Maybe extend spell or careful spell too if you need to drop a dangerously placed hypnotic pattern.
Feats like telepathic and telekinetic are also fun for bards. Giving a push to a tough guy in a tavern, or spooky messages to random folks in the town market, etc… Create a distraction without being noticed. Eldrich adapt for any number of fun tricks. Detect Magic at will, Devils sight, lots of choices.
Fey Touched, and in a campaign that doesn't have silverly barbs, I'd like to make a case to take a bard spell anyway. like I took Dissonant Whispers, so I could have another spell known of any level that is available for me at my current level. and what I consider to be a staple for my bard. I know I will always want dissonant Whispers, so why not have what I consider a free 1st level casting of it. and as a side note if you want more range and cantrip damage taking eldritch blast as a magical secret and Eldritch Adept as a feat so you can have agonizing blast and do some ok damage with a cantrip with not using spell slots for 120' range and with a 20 chr. it can help. feel like a warlock without selling your soul, and without losing spell progression.
On the concentration check, you forgot the Jack of all trades add +2 or +3 to those concentration checks. So level 12 14 con +2 +2 =+4 so 15 or better with advantage so 50/50.
Using a weapon is better than most cantrips, but investing in weapon use further is unnecessary. It only moves you further away from spellcaster investment, like Warcaster. Not worth it.
I agree, hence why I don’t rank the two martially inclined subclasses very highly. They’re still good, just not as good on average as the casting focused ones
@@Eidolon98 For Sword Bards, yes because flourishes key off of hits. For Valor, no because it does not incentivize further martial weapon investment. It just gives you the base to shore up known Bard weaknesses in defense and at-will offense. The opportunity cost of not taking Valor is feat investment into Moderately Armoured, and that's a heavy cost. Therefore, Valor is one of the most efficient Bard subclasses available.
I think the best mix is to combine feats and spells that complement a martial bard subclass. Take Sword Bard for example. Since the flourishes are on-hit rather than a bonus action, the telekinetic feat gives you a great resource free bonus action. Take Spirit Guardians as a magical secret. You can use it as is or upcast it to something like 5th level. Now your martial bard is doing its two attacks, a flourish, and pulling an enemy for a double-dip into SG (which could hit multiple things and slows). Personally I dip hexblade to go dueling rapier + shield(s) for really high defenses to avoid concentration breaks but still even straight classed this can work.
It definitely has its place on some character sheets, depending on what you intend to do with the character. Still, I wouldn't call it a "top tier" feat.
Rune Shaper is pretty good to grab a few more spells, but combined with Magical Secrets: Find Steed, Armor of Agathys is now on two targets. You get access to more spells that can swap, very known like of a Bard.
You've really got me wanting to play a bard with Find Steed.
@@cavernsandcreatures Yes! I heard you played Bard exclusively before? Was that 3.5? It won't come online until 10th level unless you go Lore Bard, which gets access to Additional Magical Secrets at 6th level.
Also highly recommend Moderately Armored and Medium Armor Master to get the AC as tanky as the Paladin.
I think you sorta highlighted the relevant ones. I would even consider medium armour master for my valour bard. I would think that metamagic adept would be good. Subtle spell for all the enchantment spells the bard gets seems like a good idea. Maybe extend spell or careful spell too if you need to drop a dangerously placed hypnotic pattern.
Those could also work.
Feats like telepathic and telekinetic are also fun for bards. Giving a push to a tough guy in a tavern, or spooky messages to random folks in the town market, etc…
Create a distraction without being noticed.
Eldrich adapt for any number of fun tricks.
Detect Magic at will, Devils sight, lots of choices.
These are definitely fun directions you could take.
4:00 to clarify you LEARN the spell from Magic Initiate and can cast it at its lowest via the feat.
Thanks for the clarification!
Which are the beast feats for valor bard?
Fey Touched, and in a campaign that doesn't have silverly barbs, I'd like to make a case to take a bard spell anyway. like I took Dissonant Whispers, so I could have another spell known of any level that is available for me at my current level. and what I consider to be a staple for my bard. I know I will always want dissonant Whispers, so why not have what I consider a free 1st level casting of it. and as a side note if you want more range and cantrip damage taking eldritch blast as a magical secret and Eldritch Adept as a feat so you can have agonizing blast and do some ok damage with a cantrip with not using spell slots for 120' range and with a 20 chr. it can help. feel like a warlock without selling your soul, and without losing spell progression.
That all sounds reasonable.
On the concentration check, you forgot the Jack of all trades add +2 or +3 to those concentration checks. So level 12 14 con +2 +2 =+4 so 15 or better with advantage so 50/50.
Good catch!
@@cavernsandcreatures Playing a Lvl2 Pali/ Lvl 8 Sword Bard, my brain is tuned to the features right now.
Jack of all trades does not add to saving throws. So to maintain concentration you still want advantage and proficiency through feats.
eldritch adept, meta magic adept, telepathic, and fey touch are the best feats for bards
Those are certainly solid picks.
Using a weapon is better than most cantrips, but investing in weapon use further is unnecessary. It only moves you further away from spellcaster investment, like Warcaster. Not worth it.
I agree, hence why I don’t rank the two martially inclined subclasses very highly. They’re still good, just not as good on average as the casting focused ones
@@Eidolon98 For Sword Bards, yes because flourishes key off of hits. For Valor, no because it does not incentivize further martial weapon investment. It just gives you the base to shore up known Bard weaknesses in defense and at-will offense. The opportunity cost of not taking Valor is feat investment into Moderately Armoured, and that's a heavy cost. Therefore, Valor is one of the most efficient Bard subclasses available.
You're a bard. As crazy as it is to say it, you're one of the most powerful people in the world.
I think the best mix is to combine feats and spells that complement a martial bard subclass. Take Sword Bard for example. Since the flourishes are on-hit rather than a bonus action, the telekinetic feat gives you a great resource free bonus action. Take Spirit Guardians as a magical secret. You can use it as is or upcast it to something like 5th level. Now your martial bard is doing its two attacks, a flourish, and pulling an enemy for a double-dip into SG (which could hit multiple things and slows). Personally I dip hexblade to go dueling rapier + shield(s) for really high defenses to avoid concentration breaks but still even straight classed this can work.
Actor is a top tier feat, right?
The amount of times that being able to perfectly mimic a voice has been SO useful in several campaigns
It definitely has its place on some character sheets, depending on what you intend to do with the character. Still, I wouldn't call it a "top tier" feat.