D&D 5e Tweaks & Fixes
Bard Revised v1.2
By KireExion (a.k.a, u/Kire-Ikasu)
Preface
This document contains homebrew material that has been developed from my own observations as well as common player criticisms and suggested fixes made by various players and dungeon masters alike. However, this material has not been completely play-tested and should be carefully considered before implementing it into your own game. My hopes are simply to address features and traits that are considered lackluster and poorly balanced by the community and help by offering alternatives so that Players will suffer less frustration and gain more enjoyment out of the game.
Use as many or as little of these revisions as you like while keeping the overall balance of you game in mind. The Dungeon Master has final say on whether or not any of this material can be implemented into your game.
Base Class Features
Source: The Player's Handbook.
- Bardic Inspiration: Improved
- Countercharm: Re-Written
- Superior Inspiration: Improved
Spellcasting
(Improved 1st level feature)
You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, whenever you finish a long rest or gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sorcerer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Bardic Inspiration
(Improved 1st level 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 makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM 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 short rest or long rest.
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.
Inspiring Example
(Replaces 5th level "Font of Inspiration" feature)
At 5th level, in order to encourage your allies, inspiration finds you and allows you to lead by example.
When you grant a creature a Bardic Inspiration die you also gain a Bardic Inspiration die of your own, which is a d6. The same rules of Bardic Inspiration apply to you as they normally would to another creature.
Alternatively, while you have this die, you can choose to expend it on a Bard feature that requires a bardic inspiration die, provided that it doesn't grant the die to another creature for it to roll.
Countercharm
(Re-Written 6th level feature)
At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects.
As an action, you perform to any number of creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you that can hear you. Until the end of your next turn, you and each target becomes immune to one of the following conditions of your choice: Charmed or Frightened. If you or any target is currently affected by the condition you choose when you take this action, that condition immediately ends.
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.
Superior Inspiration
(Improved 20th level feature)
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative you regain all expended uses of Bardic Inspiration if any are missing.
Additionally, when you or an inspired ally rolls a 1 or a 2 on a bardic inspiration dice, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
College of Valor
Source: Player's Handbook.
- Bonus Proficiencies: Improved
- Combat Inspiration: Unchanged
- Extra Attack: Improved
- Battle Magic: Unchanged
Bonus Proficiencies
(Improved 3rd level feature)
When you join the College of Valor at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
Additionally, you can use a weapon you're proficient with as a spell-casting focus for your bard spells.
Extra Attack
(Improved 6th level feature)
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Moreover, you can cast a cantrip in place of one of those attacks.
College of Lore
Source: Player's Handbook
- Bonus Proficiencies: Unchanged
- Cutting Words: Unchanged
- Additional Magical Secrets: Unchanged
- Peerless Skill: Re-written
Peerless Skill
(Re-Written 14th level feature)
Starting at 14th level, whenever you fail an ability check, you can reroll the d20 and must use the new roll.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
College of Whispers
Source: Xanather's Guide to Everything.
- Psychic Blades: Unchanged
- Words of Terror: Re-Written
- Mantle of Whispers: Unchanged
- Shadow Lore: Unchanged
Words of Terror
(Re-Written 3rd level feature)
At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror.
If you speak to a creature for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia in its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. It automatically succeeds if it doesn't share a language with you or it can't hear you. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.
If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it and neither does any other creature that heard the conversation, if any. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Change log
1.1
- Adjusted "Superior Inspiration" to allow for re-rolls on low bardic inspiration rolls.
1.2
- Changed "Countercharm" to be a more powerful effect in exchange for limited uses.
- Improved Bardic Inspiration to start as a short rest resource without needing more Bard levels.
- Replaced "Font of Inspiration" with "Inspiring Example" so Bards are encouraged to grant Bardic Inspiration in order gain their own, which is always a d6. Additionally, this should help with any bard feature that is reliant on Bardic Inspiration as resources such as Psychic Blades or Blade Flourishes.
- Removed Changes to "Psychic Blades" and "Blade Flourishes" as the new "Inspiring Example" feature makes those changes redundant.
Credits
- Made with GM Binder