PHB 6: Bards

 Ok, time to get into the nitty and the gritty.

Bards were among the first classes to be previewed in One D&D, so this is our first look at the revision to the new version.

I'm not going to be doing a full comparison to the previous playtest version, but instead take this on its own merits.

With Light Armor training and Simple Weapon proficiency, the Bard looks fairly similar to its classic form (though no rapiers).

1st level:

Bardic Inspiration looks similar to its 2014 version, back to being granted as a bonus action to someone within 60 feet. The main improvement here is that you can now wait until you see if you succeeded or failed on the d20 Test before you choose to expend the die.

Spellcasting has what I would consider a net buff. The big change from the previous playtest is that you once again learn spells rather than preparing them once per day, but now your spell options are wide open. At 1st level, you choose the Arcane, Divine, or Primal spell lists and get unlimited access to the entire list (you also automatically learn Vicious Mockery, which is Bard-exclusive and upgraded to a d6).

2nd level:

Expertise looks about the same. Jack of All Trades likewise.

3rd level:

Bard Subclass. With the reversion to old subclass feature levels, Bards are unfortunately down to only three levels for subclass features once again, though I believe that they often get two features at level 6 (will check this when we look at subclasses).

5th level:

Font of Inspiration lets you recharge Bardic Inspiration on a short rest as it did before, but also allows you to spend a spell slot on your turn if you're all out of them to get one back (no action required, but only one per turn).

7th level:

Countercharm returns, but it's more of a reaction now - if you or someone within 30 feet of you fails a saving throw against the Charmed or Frightened condition, you can use a reaction to let them re-roll the save with advantage.

9th level:

More expertise.

10th level:

Magical Secrets now adds a second spell list to your Bard spell list - which means you can have two out of three (though given that you can only swap out a spell per level, you might need to wait before you can have an even mix).

18th level:

Superior Inspiration gives you two BI dice when you roll initiative and are all out.

20th level:

The new capstone is Words of Creation, lets you have Power Word Heal and Power Word Kill prepared for free (though you'll still need to spend the spell slot) and this also lets you target a second target with the spell if they're within 10 feet of the first.

Subclasses:

    College of Dance

This new subclass emphasizes movement and seems a bit geared toward melee.

3rd level:

Dazzling Footwork gives you Unarmored Defense, using Dexterity and Charisma (which is likely to do better than Light Armor). It also gives you Agile Strikes, which lets you make an Unarmed Strike as part of an action, bonus action, or reaction that expends a BI die. Bardic Damage, the third part, also lets you use Dexterity for your Unarmed Strikes and lets you use your BI die as a damage die for your unarmed strikes (without expending said die).

    So, this sets the tone for the "Monk Bard," and while these Agile Strikes will be limited, it could be good.

Also at 3rd is Inspiring Movement. When an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of an ally of yours within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to expend a BI die and move up to half your speed, then you roll the die and your ally can move 5 feet times the number rolled. Neither yours nor your ally's movement provokes opportunity attacks.

6th level:

Leading Evasion is similar to a Rogue or Monk's Evasion, but if there are other creatures within 5 feet of you making the same saving throw, you can choose to share the benefit with them. (This doesn't work when incapacitated).

    Evasion's real nice, and letting the Fighter and the Artificer next to you get the benefit as well is pretty nifty.

Also at 6th level (yeah, they seem to be packing these features in to make up for the fewer levels) is Tandem Footwork, which lets you expend a BI die when you roll initiative (and aren't incapacitated) and you can give a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum one, but this can also include you) a bonus to their initiative based on the number rolled.

14th level:

Irresistible Dance, shockingly, lets you have Otto's Irresistible Dance prepared for free and allows you to cast it for free once per long rest. You can also get a free casting again by expending 4 BI dice.

    So, I think this subclass is fun, and should help a lot if your party is dealing with dragons' breath or fireballs. I'm not sure it makes you a great melee combatant, but it does make the melee folks appreciate your being around.

Having now written out this subclass' features, I'm hesitant to do the full write-up for the other three subclasses, which are tweaks to existing ones (I also have barely ever played a Bard, so I can't really say what is most important here).

I'll probably return to the breakdowns of the other subclasses, but we'll move onto other classes now.