One D&D Playtest Notes: Expert Classes - Bards
Let's see how the versatile troubadours have evolved in the upcoming edition of the game.
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Looking at the first playtest packet (“Character Origins”) I was trying to decide if the jump between Fifth Edition and One D&D (Sixth Edition) would be as seamless as the marketing suggests. And my impression so far is that One D&D is very much an iteration of the Fifth Edition rules engine rather than a complete redesign. I think a lot of the changes are informed, however, by the most “different” of all incarnations of D&D, the often-maligned Fourth Edition. I’ll be exploring that idea in a future article.
Notes: The following is a “first impressions” set of notes I made as I was reading through the packet. It’s not the result of any study, deep thought, or actual playtesting. My opinions will no doubt evolve over time as I do all of the above. I will ignore material that’s simply repeated from the Character Origins packet, as that was covered in previous articles.
Today I'm looking at the Expert Classes playtest document.
The overview once again lets us know that the Fifth Edition Player’s Handbook rules still apply whenever it isn’t directly overwritten by the new material—which focuses on a group of characters called “Experts,” represented by Bards, Rangers, and Rogues. We’ll get revised feats, spell lists, and an updated rules glossary. We are again reminded that “Power Level” (game balance) has not been finalized and rules that survive playtesting will be tweaked. There’s also a sidebar letting us know tasty playtest material coming up in the future, including rules for for creating a party’s home base (interesting) and revised encounter-building guidelines (sorely needed).
Parts of a Class
At first glance it seems characters are more strictly defined in One D&D—with associations and groupings and spell categories. As with Races and Backgrounds, it seems that game elements are more modular than we saw in Fifth Edition, making it easier for both Dungeon Masters and game designers to wrap their heads around how the different pieces of the rules play together.
Primary Ability
Holy crap prime requisites are back! Old grognards like me remember that older versions of Dungeons & Dragons (BECMI and AD&D) had a “prime requisite” for each character class—the ability you placed the highest number rolled during character creation. (High scores even gave you an experience point bonus because the game clearly needed more percentage-based math.) Primary Ability is the descendant of this idea. It’s not a rule so much as a guideline, telling new a player that Fighters should probably pick Strength as their highest bonus. You are required to have at least a 13 in your classes’ primary abilities if you wish to multiclass. (I don’t like multiclassing in 5e and disallow it in my personal campaigns. I’d rather design a custom subclass for a character than have them “dip” into another class.)
Class Groups
Even more old ideas are new again! When looking at three spell categories for One D&D I was reminded of the four class categories from AD&D Second Edition: Warrior, Wizard, Priest, and Rogue. Fourth Edition had “roles” that defined characters from a tactical combat perspective: Controller, Defender, Leader, or Striker. Our new class groups are Expert (Bard, Ranger, Rogue), Mages (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard), Priests (Cleric, Druid, Paladin), and Warriors (Barbarian, Fighter, Monk), the groupings coming straight out of Second Edition while the Characteristics sound a lot like the roles as defined by Fourth. They suggest building a party that includes at least one character from each group.
Creating a Member of the Class
This is the part where you learn how to determine your character’s hit points, proficiencies and Armor Training (which isn’t a proficiency anymore?), 1st level gear, and multiclassing guidelines. We’ll see if One D&D turns me around on multiclassing, but it has a lot of work to do.
Class Features
Read this bit to find out all the cool stuff you get as your character advances.
Subclasses
When your character has a few levels under their belt, it’s time to pick a specialty.
Three Class Highlights
A sidebar tells us that the presented classes have new and revised features, suggested choices are offered to help new players, and that the old 20th level features have been moved to 18th level to make room for something called Epic Boons.
Bard
Once upon a time (AD&D 1st Edition) a bard was an optional prototype version of what Third Edition would one day call a “prestige class.” Only humans or half-elves qualified and you had to start as a fighter and survive to 5th level before switching over to thief and again hit at least 5th level before switching over to druid. In my gaming career I only knew one player who actually had a bard that started as a 1st level half-elven fighter. The class got a bunch of cool special abilities like charming others with music and “Legend Lore and Item Knowledge” which evolved to the bardic knowledge trope we see later on.
The introductory text tells us that bards are more than poets, musicians, and comedians—they tap into the magic of creation. The level advancement chart looks quite similar to the class we know from 5e, with some intriguing differences we’ll look at below.
Creating a Bard
Let’s get the basics!
Hit Points. 1d8 (same)
Proficiencies. Dexterity and Charisma saves, any skill of your choice (with Deception, Performance, and Persuasion suggested), Simple Weapons, and three musical instruments of the player’s choice.
Armor Training. The ability to wear certain categories of armor is treated differently than standard proficiencies—which honestly makes sense because in every other context “proficiency” relates to applying a bonus to a d20 roll. While it was an easy enough idea to understand, the use of “proficiency” with armor made it an inconsistent piece of game terminology. Bards can use Light Armor (same as before).
Starting Equipment
The shortsword replaces the rapier as the “standard” bard weapon in a list of starting gear very similar to what we see in Fifth Edition. Alternately you can just take the 100 gold piece starting shopping spree and pick your own stuff.
Multiclassing and the Bard
Aha! The playtest document specifically references multiclassing as an optional rule. (Good.) The writeup declares you must have at least a 13 in the primary ability of all classes concerned, that if you dip into bard you gain a skill and musical instrument proficiency, light armor training, and modified spell slots.
Bard Class Features
Let’s dig into the Bard and see how the class has changed since 2014.
Bardic Inspiration. The idea remains the same, but now the bardic inspiration die (that increases at higher levels) can be used as a Reaction—letting bards act outside of their own turns to help another character. It can be used to possibly turn a failed roll into a success or alternately heal another creature immediately after they take damage. I bet we’ll see subclasses that introduce new, alternate uses for the resource. You get a number of Bardic Inspiration dice equal to your character’s proficiency bonus per long rest.
Spellcasting. We get a significant change right away. Bards are no longer restricted to a handful of known spells, but rather have access to all spells on the Arcane list—provided they are of the Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, and Transmutation schools of magic. (Again, this is going back to the same solution as the designers of AD&D 2nd Edition for how to deal with spell lists expanded by new game material.) Charisma remains a bard’s spellcasting ability, and they can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus. But with a bigger spell list comes great responsibility: You must now prepare your spells each day just like a cleric or wizard.
Expertise. This works just like in 5e: You double your proficiency bonus for two chosen skills. Only now you get this feature at 2nd level.
Songs of Restoration. Replacing “Song of Rest” from Fifth Edition, this feature lets you gain a healing spell that is always prepared—a much bigger deal than a modest bonus healing during a short rest.
Subclass. You still pick a Bardic College at 3rd level. They only include the College of Lore in the playtest so far, and we’ll look at that down below.
Feat. In Fifth Edition you gained an ability score improvement that could optionally be swapped out for a feat. Now ability improvement is just a feat.
Jack of All Trades. Pushed all the way to 5th level in One D&D, this gives a small bump to any skill in which you have zero proficiency.
Font of Bardic Inspiration. At 7th level you can get your Bardic Inspiration dice back at the end of a short rest—not just a long one. You also don’t lose your die if the creature you help rolls a 1. (This is higher level and slightly powered up from 5e).
Expertise (reprise). You pick two new skills with which to be completely awesome.
Magical Secrets. Now you can start picking a few spells from the other traditions (Divine or Primal) when preparing daily spells. This essentially works the same as in Fifth Edition, but has been pushed to 11th level.
Further Magical Secrets. Even more of the above!
Superior Bardic Inspiration. Now you recover two Bardic Inspiration dice every time you roll initiative, which is more potent than the 5e feature and granted at 18th level instead of 20th.
Epic Boon. These are apparently super-mega-cool feats available only to near-demigod 20th level characters. Epic Boon of Luck is suggested for maxed-out bards.
Prepared Bard Spells
The playtest devotes some space for a recommended spell list, which is very much in line with the kinds of spells a cliché bard might cast (vicious mockery, charm person, tongues, compulsion, etc.). A lot of real estate in One D&D is devoted to giving suggested choices for new players.
College of Lore
It’s our one-and-only bard subclass for now. Let’s see how it’s changed from its Fifth Edition forebear. Lore is the bardic college all about information both scholarly and political.
Bonus Proficiencies. At 3rd level Lore bards gain three new skill proficiencies (same).
Cutting Words. A 3rd level Lore bard can use a reaction to burn a Bardic Inspiration die as a penalty on a creature’s roll. It works the same as in Fifth Edition, and interestingly enough the new version of Bardic Inspiration just appears to be a reverse version of how Cutting Words has worked all along.
Cunning Inspiration. New to the subclass, this feature lets a bard essentially grant Inspiration to the rolls of Bardic Inspiration. (Whoever gains the die can roll it twice and take the better of the two results.)
Improved Cutting Words. Now when you screw up someone else’s roll you can also inflict a little psychic damage!
Peerless Skill. This feature allows you to use Bardic Inspiration to turn a failed ability check into a success, and if it doesn’t work you get to keep the die for later.
To Be Continued…
We’ve got two classes, their subclasses, feats, spell lists, and an expanded rules glossary still to go. I continue to approve of most of the One D&D changes prior to any chance to try them out in actual play. Let’s see how my feelings on the new version of the game evolve as I go through the material in detail and start playing with characters. Game on!
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